Knowledge base
Birth, marriage and death records
- Introduction
- Births
- Marriages
- Deaths
- Civil Service of Evidence of Age Records
- Great Western Railway Shareholders Index
- Royal Naval Division
- BMD Certificates
- Registration districts for England & Wales
1. Introduction
Birth marriage and death records in England & Wales – key dates
1 July 1837 - Introduction of General Civil Registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths in England and Wales
Births
- Pre-1875 - an estimated 6 to 10% of births NOT registered
- 1875 more rigorous enforcement of compulsory registration
- September quarter 1837 to June quarter 1911 -- only first two full forenames, subsequent initials, registration district and reference number
- September quarter 1911 to present -- only first forename, subsequent initials, registration district and number but also includes mother's maiden surname.
Marriages
- September quarter 1837 to December quarter 1911 -- only first two full forenames, subsequent initials, registration district and ref number
- March quarter 1912 to September quarter 1962 -- if female was previously married, index shows maiden name and married name
- March quarter 1912 to present day -- surname of spouse added
Deaths
- 1875 enforcement of compulsory registration
- September quarter 1837 to June quarter 1911 -- only first two full forenames, subsequent initials, registration district and reference number
- September quarter 1911 onwards - only first forename, subsequent initials, registration district and number
- September quarter 1837 to December quarter 1865 -- no age given
- March quarter 1866 to March quarter 1969 -- age at death given
- June quarter 1969 to present -- exact date of birth given
GRO Scotland
Scottish civil registration
The act of civil registration began in Scotland on 1 January 1855. There is a lot more information on Scottish records with the date of the parents' wedding on a birth certificate, both bride's and groom's parents are mentioned on marriage certificates and both parents also mentioned on death certificates. If you are of Scottish descent then you need to contact:
The General Register OfficeNew Register House
3 West Register Street
Edinburgh
EH1 3YT
Tel: 0131 314 4444
Email: records@gro-scotland.gov.uk
Website: www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
2. Births
Births - searching
The churches in England & Wales have recorded baptisms, marriages and burials at parish level for centuries. Some searches even reveal records with church locations where individual baptisms took place. However, civil registration of births, marriages and deaths didn’t begin until July 1837.
At that time, England & Wales were subdivided, for the purposes of registration, into administrative areas known as registration districts. Within each, a district registrar was appointed to record the births, marriages and deaths within their district. Four times a year, a copy of the district registers was made for the Registrar General, who collated all the birth, marriage and death registers for England & Wales into a single countrywide index, arranged alphabetically by surname (and then alphabetically by forename within each surname).
When searching our fully indexed birth records, it's advisable to leave the 'county' field blank to start with. Your ancestor may not have been born in the county you think, so selecting this county will not lead you to your ancestor. If they were born on the border of two counties this could also mean you don't get the results you're expecting.
Births - Legitimate/illegitimate
Legitimate births
Those where the two parents of the child were married to one another at the time of birth (not necessarily also at the time of conception) should have been indexed only under the surname of the father.
Illegitimate births
Those where the parents of the child were not married to one another at the time of birth should be registered under the surname of the mother.
Where paternity was acknowledged and the name of the father is given in the register, the birth may in addition be registered under the surname of the father.
Missing forenames - males and females.
Children do not have to be named before they can be registered.
If a child is unnamed at registration, they will appear in the index as either "male" or "female". "Males" and "females" appear at the end of the alphabetical sequence of forenames under the given surname. Very rarely, these births will be indexed as "boy" or "girl". The fully indexed birth records highlight unnamed children - this was especially common in the Victorian period.
Do not assume that a "male" or a "female" will have died in early infancy, although this is indeed a common reason for the birth being registered in this way. Many "males" and "females" were merely named later, at the time of baptism.
Births - age adjustments
If, despite having an exact date, you do not find the entry for the birth you are looking for at or immediately after that date, treat the year with some caution.
- If the date is from a modern (post-1969) death certificate, it may well be the case that the day and month are correct but the year is not.
- It is not at all uncommon to find that a person has modified their age - for instance, when declaring their age at marriage - and then this fiction has stuck with them over time.
- In respect of other people, their ages simply may have become hazy over time.
In any event, in these circumstances, try checking a year or two either side of the given date.
Spelling variations
If you still have no success, you may wish to consider spelling variations, either those genuinely in use by the family, or those accidentally created by registrars or by those copying them or preparing the indexes. Ticking the 'Include variants' boxes when you search first and last names should ensure that any variation of your ancestor's name is included in the search results.
Finding surnames
If you treat the indexes as you would a telephone directory, searching them should become intuitive in no time at all.
They are arranged alphabetically from A-Z. However, some comment is needed in respect of certain types of surname.
"Unknowns"
In the case of births and deaths, surnames beginning with Z may well be followed by a short sequence of registrations where the surname was unknown.Mc and Mac
The methodology used by the GRO when indexing Mac and Mc surnames changed over time.
- Before June quarter 1969 these are indexed separately
- From June quarter 1969 these surnames are interfiled - when searching June 1969 to December 1983 you must remember that they are all indexed as MAC.
For example, MacDonald & McDonald are both indexed under MAC. Again, ticking the 'Include variants' boxes by first and last name should improve your chances of finding your ancestors.
Double-barrelled surnames
These should be indexed after the entries for the first component of the hyphenated name.
- For example, you should look for Harvey-Smith after the Harvey entries. It would be after, say, Harvey-Jones but before Harvey-Wood.
- However, if a registrar or indexer did not interpret Harvey-Smith as a surname, but Harvey as a middle name and Smith as the surname, then the entry could be under Smith.
It is not at all unusual to find that an indexer has erred on the side of caution and where in doubt entered the registration under both names in the index.
De or Le or St or Van / Van Der or Von names
If your name is, say, De Burgh or Le Jeune or St John or Van Horne or Van der Zyden or Von Essen, you should be listed under the first component of your name as if there were no space between the two components.
For instance, De Burgh should therefore be in the index between surnames such as Debney and Debus.
Nuns
The deaths of nuns are often entered not under their true given name but using the formula Sister Mary, Mother Maria and so on.
These are then indexed under S for Sisters, M for Mothers etc. Sometimes, they appear to be entered under the forename, so that a Sister Cecilia might be indexed under Cecilia or under Sister.
Jewish and Eastern European names
Immigrants in, for example, the 1890s were unlikely to be literate in English and, of course, registrars in England & Wales were unlikely to be fluent in the native language of the immigrant, such as Yiddish, Polish or Russian.
Russian, of course, uses a different alphabet and can be transliterated in different ways from the Cyrillic to the Roman alphabet used in English. Accordingly, you should be very cautious when looking for events under immigrant surnames and try to think of possible variants.
Umlauts
If you are researching a German name containing an umlaut, such as Müller, remember that you may need to check under Muller and Mueller.
Titled
Births of persons bearing hereditary titles should appear under the true given names but their deaths may well appear under their titles.
Marriages could be under either the true surname or the title, depending upon whether or not they have already assumed their title from the previous holder.
Royalty
Births of royalty will usually be registered under their surnames - such as Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Battenberg or Mountbatten, Windsor.
For example, the 1926 birth of HM Queen was entered in the index as the name Elizabeth A M Windsor.
3. Marriage - searching
Civil registration of births, marriages and deaths did not begin until July 1837. At that time England & Wales was subdivided into administrative areas known as registration districts.
Within each district a registrar took responsibility for the recording of births, marriages and deaths.
Four times a year all the registers for England & Wales and collated them into a single countrywide index, arranged alphabetically by surname.
The indexes to the registers are quarterly rather than annual in scope - the four quarters being known as March, June, September and December. Each of these covers the month itself and the two preceding months, as follows:
- January, February, March registrations in the March quarter
- April, May, June registrations in the June quarter
- July, August, September registrations in the September quarter
- October, November, December registrations in the December quarter
Note that, for the researcher, marriages, unlike births, have the advantage of being registered immediately at the time of the event.
Normally, then, where you have an exact date of marriage, you will find the entry for the marriage you are looking for in the same quarter.
Please note that our marriage records do not extend as far as the present day.
Marriages suffer an unfortunate delay in reaching the central register, as (unlike births and deaths) the information relating to marriages has to be collated from churches and other religious establishments as well as district register offices.
Troubleshooting
Of the three events of birth, marriage and death, marriages might be the event where most inaccuracies are recorded - sometimes by accident and sometimes by design.
The field on the certificate which must be regarded with most caution is that for age - note that what is recorded is declared age rather than proven age.
It is therefore not uncommon for bride and/or groom to modify their respective ages. This might be done to reduce a disparity in age, where one party is significantly younger than the other.
Some early certificates unhelpfully state merely that the bride and/or groom were "of full age", which only suggests that they were over the age of majority, being 21 years of age at that time, and able to marry without their parents" consent.
Bigamy
Sometimes, a bride or groom might be coy about their marital condition.
Previous marriages might be concealed from partners, even when the marriage has been terminated by death or legally dissolved. Bigamy is not so very uncommon that you can rule out the possibility of finding it on your own family tree. In any event, be prepared to treat with caution all declarations of marital status found on marriage certificates.
Marriages - where in the country?
Marriages traditionally took place in the parish of the bride, which may or may not be located in the same registration district as the parish of the groom.
Eloping was probably more common in fiction than in life but don’t be surprised if you find the marriage of an ancestor out of area. You might even want to consider Scottish records for those whose idea of romance included Gretna Green!
It is a common misapprehension that what we would now call common law relationships were rare in the Victorian era.
They may have been rarer but they were not so uncommon that you should feel shocked or startled to discover apparent evidence of them on your own family tree.
Marriage records - in whose name?
The indexes record each marriage under the names of both bride and groom, so for every marriage there will be two entries in the indexes.
From March 1912 the spouse"s name was recorded on the indexes so, if you know both names, the correct entry should be immediately identifiable.
Before that date, where you know both names you will need to cross-reference any candidate entries against the other surname to see if there is a match.
You are looking for the following to match:
- Name
- Registration district
- Volume
- Page number
The registration district, volume and page number will always be identical.
It is sensible to search under the more distinctive of the two names, unless you believe that this surname is at serious risk of being mis-spelt or being subject to spelling variation.
Marriage spelling variations
If you still have no success, you may wish to consider spelling variations, either those genuinely in use by the family, or those accidentally created by registrars or by those copying them or preparing the indexes.
Marriage certificates
Marriage certificates (see birth, marriage & death certificates for more details) are one of the most useful documents to find, as they include a richness of detail not only for the bride and groom, but also for their respective fathers and sometimes other relatives who were witnesses.
4. Death – searching
Civil registration of births, marriages and deaths did not begin until July 1837. At that time England & Wales was subdivided into administrative areas known as registration districts.
Within each district a registrar took responsibility for the recording of births, marriages and deaths.
Four times a year all the registers for England & Wales and collated them into a single countrywide index, arranged alphabetically by surname.
The indexes to the registers are quarterly rather than annual in scope - the four quarters being known as March, June, September and December. Each of these covers the month itself and the two preceding months, as follows:
- January, February, March registrations in the March quarter
- April, May, June registrations in the June quarter
- July, August, September registrations in the September quarter
- October, November, December registrations in the December quarter
Note that the quarters contain the deaths registered within them, which is not necessarily the same as deaths which took place within them.
The reason why this is so is that legally deaths are required to be registered within five days of the event but, again, sometimes are registered late. A coroner’s inquest, for example, might significantly delay the issuing of a death certificate.
Some deaths which took place during a month in one quarter will be registered in a month in the next quarter. Clearly, this is most common for deaths which took place within the last month of a quarter.
For example, a death in December might be registered in January (or, indeed, in February) the following year, which means that it would be registered not in the December quarter but in the March quarter of the year following that in which it took place.
Normally, then, where you have an exact date of death, you will find the entry for the death you are looking for in the same or the next quarter.
Troubleshooting
As previously mentioned, deaths should be registered within five days.
However, if the person died in uncertain circumstances, an inquest may be held and this could delay registration further. If you do not find the entry you are seeking in the same or the next quarter, therefore, it is sensible at least to check the two immediately following quarters, to cover the possibility of late registration.
Deaths - where in the country?
Deaths are registered within the district in which they occurred, which is not necessarily the same as where the deceased habitually resided -for example, if a person dies at work, while travelling or on business.
It is also the case that a hospital to which a dying person is taken might be in a neighbouring registration district to the one in which they resided - this is particularly likely in densely-populated urban areas, where there can be several districts within a geographically small area.
Death records - age adjustments
One does not register one"s own death! Therefore, one should view with caution details recorded upon it, as the reliability of these will depend of the level of knowledge of the person acting as informant at the death.
Recorded ages at deaths are often found to be unreliable.
- From September quarter 1837 to December quarter 1865 no age is given in the death index
- From March quarter 1866 to March quarter 1969 the age at death is shown in the index
- From June quarter 1969 to present, the exact date of birth is given (please see key dates).
If a recorded date of birth appears to be incorrect - in other words, you cannot find a corresponding entry in the birth index - it is more likely to be the year, rather than day or month, that is problematic (although all three may be incorrect).
Finally, of course, the individual may have been economical with the truth about their age during their lifetime and the misrepresentation may be inadvertently carried over to the registration of their death.
Death records - spelling variations
If you still have no success, you may wish to consider spelling variations, either those genuinely in use by the family, or those accidentally created by registrars or by those copying them or preparing the indexes.
5. Civil Service of Evidence of Age Records
The CSEA are 60,000 files for established civil servants and civil service examination candidates, which were collected by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) from 1855 in order to establish accurate birth dates for the purpose of either ensuring that an examination candidate was of the required age, or granting a pension.
By the 1980s, the CSC had accumulated original documents for approximately 60,000 individuals, consisting largely of items that it would be impractical to replace, such as personal testimonials or documents from overseas. This important genealogical collection was deposited at the Society of Genealogists (SoG) and provides unique evidence of birth for which other sources are unlikely to be available. It might more properly be titled the Remains of the Civil Service Evidences of Age, as it is estimated that it constitutes only 2% of the papers originally collected.
What period is covered by the collection?
This collection spans evidence of birth from 1752 up until the twentieth century, though the vast majority of births recorded took place in the nineteenth century.
The SoG indexers transcribed not just the civil service post-holder or candidate, but also any relatives named in the same document where a date of birth was given for them. There may be very little information recorded about such relatives: typically an estimated date of birth and their relationship to the main individual. Where these relatives were parents of civil service employees, they may well have been born well before the start of the nineteenth century.
It is important to realise that not all civil servants are reflected in the collection, let alone all those who applied to the Civil Service Commission for employment. In general, papers were not kept if the information could easily be obtained again from another source (such as through the Registrar General’s birth index).
What types of people are contained in the dataset?
The collection does not include the Whitehall staff usually thought of when the Civil Service is mentioned. It does include many others who were appointed through the Commission, often in comparatively humble posts – for instance prison officers, post office workers and workers in Admiralty dockyards.
What geographical area is covered?
Many candidates for the Service had been born in places and at times when no state registration of births existed. This was particularly the case for Scottish and Irish candidates and also for those born in foreign countries, on board ship (over 80 births) and in the British colonies. There are also many cases of candidates born in England after the start of civil registration whose births had not been registered: non-registration was not uncommon until fines were instituted in the 1870s.
The collection comprises those born in England (37% of all entries), Ireland (28%), Scotland (6%), Wales (2%), the British Empire and further afield. Of those born in England, counties well-represented include Middlesex/London (7% of the whole), Kent (3%), Devon and Dorset. There are five times as many Irish in the database as those of England per head of population. The Irish counties of Dublin (5%), Cork (3%), Armagh, Carlow, Queen's (Laois) and Kildare are particularly well represented.
Elsewhere there are over 2,500 individuals born in the Indian sub-continent, and 1,250 born in Malta. Many of the latter group were employed in the Admiralty Dockyards in Valletta – their birth certificates give three generations of the family.
This data stems from a time when the British Empire was at the height of its power and influence.
There are also significant numbers of records (approximate number of files given in brackets) for the following countries: Canada (545), Australia (520, including Australians who worked in branches of the Royal Mint in Perth and Sydney), USA (475), South Africa (410), Gibraltar (400), France (240), Jamaica (155), Ceylon (150), Germany (125), Bermuda (115), New Zealand (110), Burma (95), Barbados (90), China (75), Greece (60), Egypt (55), Hong Kong (55), Italy (55), Belgium (50) and Bahamas (50). There are of course lower numbers of persons born in other colonies and foreign parts.
What can I find in the online index?
The index gives full name, date and place of birth, CSC reference number and additional notes made by indexers at the Society. Where no birth date is given, the SoG transcribers have recorded the baptismal date and place where these are given. 4% of entries therefore relate to baptisms and not to births.
The original documents are fascinating historical records. They may (or, of course, in some instances, may not) provide further information such as the address at time of application to join the Civil Service, details of other family members, and of the civil service department where the candidate would work. Many documents are also in the handwriting of the Civil Service applicant or post-holder, or of a member of their family.
What is the reference given in the index?
Each reference is composed of two parts: the first is a serial number, the second a box number.
It is not known what the serial number signifies. However, reference numbers beginning ICS (for example ICS 1866) indicates an applicant to the Indian Civil Service in the year 1866.
The collection came to the Society in some 200 boxes and the documents were in recruitment order, seemingly by department.
Search tips
Surname and forename
Where it is known that an individual used more than their main forename or surname regularly, these have been added as separate entries in the database. In addition, the name variation functionality allows for a degree of flexibility in finding individuals whose surname spelling may vary from that keyed in.
There are some individuals whose forenames are not given, perhaps only their sex or forename initials being shown. This applies particularly to those born in China. There are also two individuals whose surnames are not known: a person born in Tamerton Foliott, Devon in September 1871 and a gentleman (forename Edward) living in Bristol in 1867.
Places in the UK
UK and Ireland counties have been recorded as at the time of Queen Victoria’s succession, 20 June 1837. Researchers should be aware that this means that London is defined as the City of London, and that the surrounding areas today thought of as Greater London are shown as belonging to the historical counties of Essex, Kent, Middlesex or Surrey, as applicable. However, it has not always been possible to determine whether a place of birth stated as London was strictly in the City or in Middlesex (or elsewhere) and it is prudent to consider entries in both London and Middlesex (or other adjoining counties) when viewing search results.
Place names
Countries have been recorded as at 1921. The decision is somewhat arbitrary but it is designed to reflect the main body of material in the collection (which pre-dates the dissolution of the British Empire) and cope with the international name and boundary changes during the span of the dataset.
This decision means that the country India is used in its pre-Independence sense and includes not just modern-day India but also places within Bangladesh, Burma and Pakistan. It also means that Ireland.
Please note that in three instances we have grouped places within a larger “country” entity. These are Malaysia (which includes the Federated Malay States and the Straits Settlements including Singapore); West Indies (which includes Jamaica); and Western Pacific Islands (which include Guam, Fiji, Samoa, Tahiti and Tonga).
Explanation of the tags in the Notes field
Tag |
Stands for |
Examples |
Adptd |
adopted |
adptd: Campbell, E |
Aka |
also known as |
Aka: Donnelly |
Altf |
alternative forename |
Altf: Alexander |
b |
name(s) at birth |
b: Westcomb, Jas |
Bcrt |
birth certificate |
Bcrt: Lovett |
Bp |
baptism |
Bp: 1914 INV |
BpC |
baptism certificate |
BpC: Cormack |
br |
brother |
br: Al, Fr |
Crt |
certificate |
Crt: Magrath |
Date |
date |
Date: alternative year 1851 |
Dcl |
declared |
Dcl: 1900 Dromahair LET |
Info |
information |
Info: declared by br Hy |
mn |
maiden name |
mn: Demster |
Occ |
occasionally |
Occ: Lynden |
prefix |
prefix |
Prefix: The Hon Sir |
Place |
place |
Place: alternative county TIP |
Reg |
registered |
Reg: Richard in error |
See |
see |
See: brother LONGBURN, W |
What do the original documents look like?
The original documents appear in a variety of languages other than English, including Dutch, French, German, Italian, Latin and Swedish.
Documents vary from originals of personal testimonies, certified copies of parish registers and birth certificates to such miscellaneous documents as original Indian horoscopes. Most files contain only one or two documents, while some where queries were evident run to 30 pages.
SoG charges a flat fee for producing all the documents within an individual's file, as stated. If the document is an index card, please be aware that these were transcripts, made in the 1960s and 1970s, of original documents and may contain little information beyond that given in the online index.
Examples of original documents
Theexamples here are typical, but the amount of information contained in the files varies very widely.
Online ordering
The index is a finding aid to the original entries and not a source in itself. Copies of extracts found via the index can be ordered online.
Acknowledgements
The Society of Genealogists is grateful to all those volunteers who participated in the creation of this index. Colin Gibbens instigated the project and worked on it from start to finish. The Society has no accurate record of all those who worked as Basement volunteers of the project and apologise for any whose faces are remembered but whose names have been forgotten. The following all worked on the indexing project: Jeanne Bryan, Isobel Charlton, Doreen Clayton, Helen Cohen, Jean Driver, Don Halliday, Lauren Harvey, Heather Hebblethwaite, Jo Hobday, Roy Kraske, Elisabeth McDougall, Dick Mynott, Gladys & Peter Paterson, Gill Pickup, Myrtle Rogala, the late Margaret Thomson, Roger Walpole, Barbara Westmuckett and Ann Wilkie. The following individuals worked on the resulting data: Robert Charnock, the late Chris Loveridge, David Squire and David Walsh.
6. Great Western Railway Shareholders Index
What is the Great Western Railway shareholders index?
This is not an index of railway staff, but of shareholders in the railway. The Society of Genealogists produced its GWR Shareholders Index from ledgers created by the Great Western Railway and now in the Society’s possession. The Great Western Railway’s original ledgers were compiled by the company for transactions relating to all shareholdings which changed hands other than by simple sale.
The GWR called the ledgers Probate Books, which reflects the fact that the great majority of such share transfers (approximately 95%) were as a result of the death of a shareholder and their shares changing hands during the administration of the deceased’s estate. The proportion of the GWR’s total number of shareholders included in the Society of Genealogists’ GWR Shareholders Index is not known but is estimated to be between 50% and 75%; this is because the railway shares were regarded as gilt-edged stock to be held for the long term.
The index currently contains details for approximately 440,000 individuals, with a total number of 570,464 records and 153,569 events entered into the registers. A record is an entry for an individual in the database, including not just shareholders but executors, beneficiaries and others involved in the transfer of shareholdings. An event is a disposal of a shareholder under a will or an intestacy following death, or otherwise than by simple sale during the lifetime of the shareholder.
These records have been contributed by the Society of Genealogists (SOG).
Read more about the Society of Genealogists here.
The Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway, also known affectionately as “God’s Wonderful Railway”, was built to link London to the West Country, South Wales and the South West of England. Bristol merchants were desperate for effective transport links to London, to prevent the emergence of Liverpool as the country’s second port.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel was the engineer on the project, personally surveying the route. He was also a shareholder, and appears in the Index following his death in 1859.
A century of records including some pre-dating civil registration
The registers were started when the GWR was created in 1835 and the series continues through to 1932. Each volume contains between 450 and 600 individual entries, which may relate to an event occurring up to20 years earlier than the making of the entry.
In almost all entries, the name of the shareholder is given together with an address, the names of the other parties (executors or legatees for deaths; husbands for marriages) and dates of death, probate, marriage or other event.
After 1910, a number of entries relate to the change of trustees of Friendly Societies as a result of a death.
Events dating back to 1806
It appears that there were 4 to 6 volumes in use simultaneously after 1870, each covering a one to two year range of entries.
The date range covered in each volume starts about 10 years before the entries were made, but there are a number of earlier entries dating back up to twenty years in most volumes, with the earliest entry seen being a baptism in 1806, but this is an isolated exception. There are a few entries for the return of documents after 1932.
The Registers, which the Railway titled "Probate Books", appear to be a record of documents produced to the company in support of the change of ownership or name and frequently the disposition of the documents is recorded.
Search for Irish, Scottish and overseas ancestors, as well as English and Welsh
The majority of events are deaths in England and Wales, the split of events within the records is as follows:
Event
- Death 94%
- Marriage 1.4%
- Power of Attorney 0.8%
- Change of Name 0.8%
- Lunatics 0.1%
- Bankrupts 0.07%
- Others 2.83%
Most events relate to individuals in England and Wales, but there are also a significant number of Scottish, Irish and overseas records. The figures are:
Location
- England & Wales 93.6%
- Scotland 4%
- Ireland 1.4%
- Overseas 1%
Nearly 571,000 records – find names, dates, places for key events.
The Index lists names, dates, places and the event or role of the person listed. Some people appear on two or more occasions, for instance those solicitors who acted as professional executors to estates.
The number of events, records and individuals are:
| Number of events | Number of records |
Approximate number of individuals |
| 153,569 | 570,464 | 440,000 |
Further detail on the indexes
The Registers, which the Railway titled “Probate Books”, appear to contain a record of documents produced to the company in support of the change of ownership or name and frequently the disposition of the documents is recorded.
Column Title in index |
Meaning (where this may not be obvious) |
||||||||||||||||||
Surname |
|
||||||||||||||||||
First Names |
Entered as shown in the Register, so William may be in full or |
||||||||||||||||||
Title |
Sir; Lord; Capt; Rt Hon; Rev; etc - Mr and Esquire are not shown. |
||||||||||||||||||
Place |
As given – some entries refer to a town or village, others give a |
||||||||||||||||||
County |
The “Chapman” County Codes are used for counties in England, |
||||||||||||||||||
Date of Event |
Self-explanatory |
||||||||||||||||||
Event / Role –
Column entry Death Marriage Change of
Exec
Reg’r/Clergy?
Recipient
Declaration
Joint Holder
|
Generally, these are self-explanatory, but for some an explanation
|
||||||||||||||||||
Volume |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Fol |
Some early volumes do not have printed folio numbers on the top |
||||||||||||||||||
Entry |
From Volume 1 to volume 24, a single set of numbers was used, |
||||||||||||||||||
Col |
The Column number has been inserted as a guide to locating the |
Occupations are given for about 75% of the individual shareholders, but with a large
number being “Gentleman”, “Widow” or “Spinster”; at an early stage in the work, it
was decided to omit occupation from the index.
7. Royal Naval Division
The Jack Clegg Memorial Database of Royal Naval Division Casualties of The Great War.
By Jack Marshall © 2005.
Background
The Jack Clegg Memorial Database of Royal Naval Division Casualties of The Great War
This database is a uniquely accurate and comprehensive register of the deaths of servicemen of the Royal Navy who served in the Royal Naval Division in The Great War, compiled from original service records and all other sources listing RND casualties.
As the title suggests, this database is dedicated to the memory of CH/19403 Private John (Jack) Clegg RMLI, 1st Royal Marine Battalion, RND, who was wounded and missing at the Battle of the Ancre 13/11/16. The author, Jack Marshall, is the great nephew of Private Clegg.
Definitive Roll of Honour for The Royal Naval Division
Originating from a desire to list the names of all those killed with Private Clegg in the 1st Royal Marine Battalion on the Ancre 13/11/16, this database has been compiled in order to set the record straight and provide a definitive Roll of Honour for the RND.
This database effectively rewrites the RND casualty lists, due to the great many errors and omissions discovered during research and compilation. Over the last six years, well over 100 cases were forwarded to the CWGC and the names of approximately 70 RND servicemen have now been added to their Registers.
The Royal Naval Division
The Royal Naval Division (RND) was a unique formation in World War 1, raised by the Admiralty to serve in their then traditional role as Infantrymen fighting shoulder to shoulder alongside their Army comrades in an emergency.
The Royal Naval Division originally consisted of three Infantry Brigades (two Naval and one Royal Marine) of twelve Battalions (eight Naval and four Royal Marine). As the war progressed, casualties and a lack of recruits forced the RND to steadily reduce their Naval personnel establishment.
Two Naval Battalions were disbanded in June 1915, the Royal Marine Brigade and two Royal Marine Battalions were disbanded in August 1915, two more Naval Battalions were disbanded in February 1918 and one Royal Marine Battalion in April 1918. At the war's end the Royal Naval Division's Naval strength maintained only two Brigades of five Battalions (four Naval and one Royal Marine Battalion).
The British Army and The Royal Naval Division
The Army supplied the shortfall in Battalions and Brigades to the establishment of the Division from July 1916 onwards.
The Royal Naval Division was regarded as an elite unit, tasked with the hardest nuts to crack on the battlefield. Its personnel were inspired by great British Naval traditions, a high reputation and a personal sense of pride in their Battalion and Division.
Their reinforcements were drawn exclusively from the pool of men at their Base Depot. Those recovered from sickness or wounds went back to their original units via the Base Depot/reinforcement camp, unlike the Army, who (except for the Guards Divisions) regularly dispersed men from one regiment to another via their Depots.
The branches of the Royal Naval Division
The list below shows all the branches of the Royal Navy that served in the RND:-
Royal Navy (RN)
Men with a Regular 12 year contract/engagement/duration of service, and Short-service Stokers with a 5 and 7 year's contract of service (5 years Regular RN service and 7 years in the Royal Fleet Reserve).
Royal Naval Reserve (RNR)
Equivalent to the Territorial Army. Almost exclusively recruited from civil Seaman for 5 years volunteer/part-time service.
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR)
Equivalent to the Territorial Army. Recruited from any civil occupation for 3 years volunteer/part-time service (but expanded to period of war from September 1914).
Royal Marines (RM)
Short-service recruits specially enlisted for 3 years or duration of war engagement with the RND support/divisional units from September 1914 (Supply Train, Medical and Engineers Units, all issued with a Deal service number prefix).
The RM suffix was originally used only for Royal Marine officers commissioned from 1912 onwards. There was no single Corps of Royal Marines in 1914 as it was divided into two main branches, the Royal Marine Light Infantry and the Royal Marine Artillery.
In 1923 the RMA and RMLI were amalgamated to form the single Corps of Royal Marines which we know so well today.
Royal Marine Light Infantry (RMLI)
Men with a Regular 12 year contract/duration of service and from September 1914 Short-service recruits of 3 years or duration of war engagement.
Royal Marine Artillery (RMA)
Same as for the Royal Marine Light Infantry.
Royal Marines Band (RMB)
Same as for the Royal Marine Light Infantry.
Royal Naval Auxiliary Sick Berth Reserve (RNASBR)
Same as for the Royal Marine Light Infantry.
Royal Fleet Reserve (RFR)
The Royal Fleet Reserve was not a branch of the Royal Navy in its own right, but consisted of men from all of the various branches of the Royal Navy. A man had to be discharged from his regular Royal Navy service before he could enrol in the Royal Fleet Reserve (for a 5 year period).
Many Regular servicemen were discharged directly to the Royal Fleet Reserve, either by design, as in the case of the 5 and 7 year Short-service Royal Navy Stokers, or in times of surplus manpower. However, an ex-Royal Navy Rating could enrol in the Royal Fleet Reserve at any time following his Termination of period of Limited Engagement (aka Time Expired or Completed Term of Service).
The Royal Fleet Reserve were subject to immediate recall/mobilisation in an emergency and acted similarly to the Territorial Army.
There were two classes of Reservists:- Class A and Class B.
Class A Reservists (Naval Pensioners) had to have served 21 years in Regular Naval service (completed time for pension).
Class B Reservists had to have served in any branch of the RN for any period up to 21 years.
Royal Fleet Reserve service numbers
On enrolment in the Royal Fleet Reserve, the man received a Royal Fleet Reserve service number, which consisted of their home port/division (Ch, Po, Dev., or Ply.), their Reserve Class (A or B) and a number (e.g. Ply/B/1101).
The Royal Fleet Reserve number suffixed their original regular service number and their Royal Fleet Reserve service history was recorded on their regular number service sheet. However, this database only shows the Royal Fleet Reserve division if it was different to their regular home port/division as shown in the following examples:-
CH/6899(RFR/B/1102).
Royal Marine Light Infantry serviceman CH/6899, served 12 years and then enrolled in the Chatham Division Royal Fleet Reserve.
Ch/SS/105652(RFR/B/8892).
Royal Navy Short-service Stoker Ch/SS/105652, served 5 years and then enrolled in the Chatham Division Royal Fleet Reserve.
Po/120983(RFR/A/1308).
Royal Navy serviceman Po/120983, served 21 years and then enrolled in the Portsmouth Division Royal Fleet Reserve.
The Royal Fleet Reserve home port/division should always be the same as their regular service number prefix. However, sometimes men enrolled in a different RFR division, in which case the RFR division is shown:-
PO/5032(RFR/Ch/B/330).
Royal Marine Light Infantry serviceman PO/5032, served 4 years 1889-1893 and then enrolled in the Chatham Division RFR in 1902.
Any ex-serviceman of the Royal Naval Division up to 1926 is included
The Esprit de Corps engendered by service in the Royal Naval Division extends to this database. The brotherhood and pride felt by the men of the Royal Naval Division lives on today amongst their descendants and Naval enthusiasts alike.
As a result of this, the normal restrictions of World War One casualty rolls (cut-off-dates, cause attributable etc.) have been widely expanded and/or disregarded. The death of any ex-RND serviceman up to 1926 is regarded as premature, regardless of whether the man's death was attributable to service, aggravated by service, or not attributable to service.
They lived only a short time to enjoy their hard fought Peace. Those who qualified for the 1914 Star with the Royal Naval Division are given particular attention in this respect, as they constituted the original establishment of the Royal Naval Division in 1914, but they are only part of nearly 500 unrecorded deaths of ex- Royal Naval Division men in the early post-war period (or within our stated limits) and all were thought worthy of note.
The Royal Naval Division Casualties records extend as far as 1942
In some instances of cause attributable to service, or of distinguished gallantry, the closure date has been extended as late as 1942. One prime example of this necessity are those men who entered Lunatic Asylums from service, suffering in their madness until death, the last dying in the Royal Naval Lunatic Hospital, Great Yarmouth in 1939.
The Royal Navy and The British Army in the Royal Naval Division records
The following categories of men are listed in the RND database:-
The Royal Navy
All Naval servicemen who died in Royal Naval Division service 1914-1919.
All Naval servicemen who died after leaving the Royal Naval Division, aboard ship, ashore, or after discharge from Naval service up to 1926, with special dispensation in individual cases up to 1942.
The British Army
Although a large number of Army troops served in the 190th Brigade of the Royal Naval Division, this database deals only with personnel from the various branches of the Royal Navy.
The Soldiers Died in the Great War records provides quite adequately for the Army's losses in the 190th Brigade of the RND and as the same depth of research is not possible/available for the Army, there is consequently little scope for improvement of the standard/accepted details. It was therefore decided not to merely repeat information that can be easily accessed elsewhere.
There are exceptions to the Naval personnel only rule which allows the inclusion of Army service personnel as follows:-
Army troops who died whilst serving in an otherwise exclusive Naval Battalion or unit;
Ex-Naval/Royal Naval Division personnel who transferred for service in the Army or Air Force;
Army officers drafted/seconded to the Royal Naval Division for service, often in a senior capacity, with Naval and Royal Marine Battalions.
Acknowledgments
Deserving of Special Mention:-
Thomas S. Muirhead, in providing countless hours of reading, checking and research, thereby achieving the highest standard of accuracy, both in data and in the English language. Tom Muirhead is the son of Chief Petty Officer Jack Muirhead DCM RNVR, Hawke Battalion 1915-1919.
Neil York, in providing countless hours of research for 1000s of RND servicemen, thereby running up his phone bill and blood pressure, but nevertheless ensuring the great depth of detail provided in these cases.
Julian Sykes, in providing an initial database consolidating various sources, thereby saving me six months typing.
Mrs. Jan Keohane and the staff of the Records Section of the Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton, the saviours and beating heart of Royal Naval Division records.
Also thanks to:-
Tony Froom ; Pat Gariepy ; The Imperial War Museum ; Don Kindell ; Andrew Marsh ; The National Archives ; Alan Osborn ; Capt. Chris Page RN ; Len Sellers ; William Spencer ; Capt. Roy Swales RN(rtd.) ; Kyle Tallett ; Ian Wilson.
SOURCES
The Imperial War Museum RND Rolls of Honour.
The Red Cross Wounded and Missing Lists 1915-1918.
The Cross of Sacrifice by S.D. and D.B. Jarvis.
With Full and Grateful Hearts by the RM Historical Society.
The Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton.
The National Archives
R.N.D. Royal Naval Division, Antwerp, Gallipoli and Western Front 1914-1918. by Len Sellers.
The Globe and Laurel Royal Marines Journal 1915-18.
Nelson at War 1914-1918 by Capt. Roy Swales RN(rtd.)
The 1914 Star to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. by W.H. Fevyer and J.W. Wilson.
The Diaries of Pte. Horace Bruckshaw RMLI. by Martin Middlebrook.
Britain's Sea Soldiers, The History of the Royal Marines 1914-19. by Gen. Sir. H.E. Blumberg CB RM.
The Royal Naval Division. by Douglas Jerrold.
Command in the Royal Naval Division. by Capt. Christopher Page RN.
The Hood Battalion. by Len Sellers.
Gallipoli as I saw it. by Joseph Murray.
Call to Arms, from Gallipoli to the Western Front. by Joseph Murray.
Plus a countless number of private letters and diaries of RND servicemen.
Searching The Jack Clegg Memorial Database of Royal Naval Division Casualties of The Great War.
Explanatory notes on fields
Number
Service numbers were allocated only to NCOs and Other Ranks (Ratings in Royal Navy nomenclature). Officers were not allocated service numbers in World War One, but any officer's previous service number/s are also shown in this field, if commissioned from the ranks. The Navy employed a superior numbering system to the Army. Each enlisted man received a unique service number and from this alone one can deduce his enlistment date, regional origin (in many cases) and his term of service (12 years, 7 years, 3 years etc).
Rank
The Royal Naval Division were also unique in their application of naval ranks within the army system. From July 1916, when the Royal Naval Division came under War Office control and became the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division, the equivalent army chevron type rank was required to be displayed.
Able Seaman, Stokers or Seamen were the equivalent of the army Private soldier and required no such distinction. The NCOs were those chiefly affected and were required to wear their naval badge of rank on one arm with the corresponding chevron army rank on the other.
However, they retained their naval rank titles within their units and in administration. The ranks given in this column are therefore the naval version. The Royal Marines were exempt from all this, as they already employed the same rank structure as the army.
Able Seaman = Private
Able Seaman Higher Grade = Lance Corporal
Leading Seaman = Corporal
Leading Seaman Higher Grade = Lance Sergeant
Petty Officer = Sergeant
Chief Petty Officer = Company Sergeant Major
Sub Lieutenant = 1st Lieutenant
Lieutenant = Captain
Lieutenant Commander = Major
Commander = Lieutenant Colonel
One naval rank appears to have been unique to the Royal Naval Division, that of Battalion Sergeant Major (again this excludes the Royal Marines, who already employed the army equivalent Regimental Sergeant Major along with Colour Sergeant and Quartermaster Sergeant). Battalion Sergeant Major was a singular title/promotion unique to the Naval Battalions (not the RM Battalions), although a Royal Marine serving with a Naval Battalion could also hold this particular rank.
A rank with a Brevet prefix allowed an officer to hold a higher rank than that for which he was actually paid. A Brevet rank was awarded for distinguished service and applies only to the Royal Marines in the Royal Naval Division.
A Temporary prefix to an officer's rank indicates that he was given a temporary commission, one which would usually be terminated at the end of the war. Officers without this prefix are deemed regular officers from the pre-war establishment of the Navy.
In many instances where an Acting rank is shown, the man's substantive rank is given in brackets.
Forenames
All forenames are given in full, with very few exceptions. However, the forenames given are those the man enlisted/signed as and not necessarily the man's full given forenames at birth.
Lots of chaps preferred to drop their middle names or adopted an alias when signing up.
Partly to keep faith with their original wishes as regards their service name and how they were known to their comrades and to maintain continuity with contemporary diaries, but mainly to conform to the official service records, their enlisted name is that shown. However, all such cases are cross-referenced to their true or full given names.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) often record extra middle names provided by their next-of-kin and many Bronze Memorial Plaques also carry names which differ both from their enlisted name and that recorded with the CWGC. This is thought to be the result of the next-of-kin forwarding the man's birth certificate to the Plaque issuing authorities, as the name anomalies observed on Royal Naval Division Memorial Plaques always concur with their birth certificate.
Surname
As above for forenames, the surname given is that they enlisted under, but all are cross-referenced to their true or full given name.
Awards
All awards for gallantry, distinguished, or meritorious service are given in the standard abbreviated format.
Service Branch
Indicates the branch of the armed services to which they belonged.
Unit
For those who died on active service, the unit in which they were serving (or were last serving in the case of men who died of wounds) is shown. Many errors in official records have been corrected in this field, particularly the men on attachment or detached to the Trench Mortar Batteries and Machine Gun Companies, but numerous other unit attachments were also found.
Listed here, also for the first time, are the correct unit designations for the Royal Marine Medical units (1st, 2nd, 3rd, which later became the 148th, 149th or 150th RN Field Ambulances) and the Royal Marine Divisional Engineers (1st, 2nd or 3rd Field Companies).
For those who died after returning from active service, there are two categories: - those who died in service in the UK and those who died after their discharge from service.
Those who died in home service are given the unit (usually a Reserve designation) to which they belonged at the time of their death. However, if their subsequent death was considered attributable to active service, then they are recorded with their former active service unit.
Many men died as a direct result of their active service and are therefore counted amongst their comrades who succumbed on the occasion of their wounding in any given battle or action.
Those who died after discharge from service are usually listed with their last active service unit. Whilst many men died after discharge from causes attributable to active service, many did not, but it was felt to be incorrect to give the last home service or reserve battalion, due to experience of the wishes of the next-of-kin in similar cases recorded by the CWGC.
Date of Death
Many errors have been corrected in this field and the date given is that which the author considers to be the true date.
Of particular note are the casualties of the Plymouth Battalion at Y Beach 25-26/4/15, the Portsmouth Battalion at Anzac Beachhead 3/5/15 and the Howe Battalion at Krithia 4/6/15.
Post-war deaths that occurred after discharge and where no exact date is known follow the format of the month quarter and year as given in the GRO indexes for civil deaths (e.g. 00/03/1922).
It was not possible to purchase death certificates for all, but the full GRO death certificate reference is given in most cases.
Cause of death
Shows all the known details of the man's death from original service records or the death certificate.
Service History
This field is intended to give a summary of the man's active service, but may also include enlistment date, home service and previous military/naval service.
e.g. Enlisted 12/8/15 ; Draft for MEF 5/12/15, joined Nelson Bn. 9/1/16-29/1/16 Appendicitis, Invalided to UK 21/2/16.
In the example given above, The man's enlistment date is given, followed by his Draft date, this being the date he actually left the UK for overseas service and if destined for the MEF or BEF. Next is the battalion/unit title and the date he first joined his unit, followed by a hyphen and the date his service terminated, along with the cause of termination.
When a man terminated his service on any given date with accompanying cause, the assumption should be made that the man passed into the medical chain and was absent from his unit until rejoining or invaliding back to the UK.
Primarily, only active service with their battalion/unit is shown, but in many cases the man joined his unit in the UK before going overseas with the original strength/establishment of that unit. In these cases no Draft date is given, only the battalion/unit title with the date he joined. e.g. Nelson Bn. D/698 15/9/14 (D/698 is the man's pay number and indicates the company to which he belonged on that date, i.e. Company.)
Burial
This column gives the burial (if known) and/or the relevant CWGC memorial for those with no known grave.
The old CWGC Cemetery Register number is given in brackets. Although these Registers have now been discontinued in favour of the CWGC online search facility, they contain valuable information that is not made available in the online CWGC database. The next-of-kin supplied details such as cause of death, location of their wounding and mentions in despatches, whilst the CWGC added many historical descriptions of their deaths, such as Killed in action with Turkish destroyer in the Dardanelles. The original CWGC printed Registers therefore remain a valuable source of information.
Notes
This field contains by far the most information. The following details may be found:-
Occupation, Next-of-Kin and home address, birth date, medal entitlement and issue details, promotions, award citations/London Gazette details, CWGC errors, omissions and distinctions, War Diary transcripts, Field General and District Court Martial summaries, witness statements (deaths, Courts Martial and Courts of Inquiry), summary punishments, newspaper extracts, company and platoon identification, GRO Death Certificate references, service papers (if missing or misfiled), original burial location/map references, local war memorial details, true name/birth details, siblings also served in the RND, and research notes.
National Archives references to document classes ADM, MH and WO
ADM (Admiralty), MH (Medical Histories) and WO (War Office) are The National Archives document classes which contain Royal Naval Division records.
In the main, the ADM class of documents were the most relevant, consisting of medals rolls, service records and the Admiralty's Register of Naval Deaths. The WO classes were used mainly in relation to Army troops, consisting of medal index cards, medal rolls and some service papers. The class used in this database refers specifically to:- the casualty admission books from one of the three RND Field Ambulances (2nd/149th RN Field Ambulance).
The two other Royal Navy Field Ambulances (1st/148th and 3rd/150th) were destroyed after the National Archives rejected them for preservation (only a representative 5 tons from 110 tons of Hospital admission books were preserved).
Readers will quickly encounter the use of after a given source title.
e.g. ADM/171 = medals not issued/claimed.
This is used to briefly convey the written term:- reports as or records details as.
It should not be automatically assumed that the given source is in error (although this is true in the majority of CWGC references). It may be reporting genuinely useful information, or it may corroborate information in the case of a corrected Royal Naval Division record.
Glossary
14 St. = 1914 Star
14 St.C. = 1914 Star & Clasp/Bar
AB = Able Seaman (Army Rank equivalent Private)
AB Higher Grade = Able Seaman Higher Grade (Army Rank equivalent Lance Corporal)
ADM/157 = National Archives reference for Portsmouth RMLI, RMA & RMLC Service papers
ADM/159 = National Archives reference for RM, RMLI & RMA Service Records
ADM/171 = National Archives reference for RM, RN, RNVR, RNR Medal Rolls.
ADM/188 = National Archives reference for RN Ratings Service Records
ADM/196 = National Archives reference for RM Officers Service Records
ADM/242 = National Archives reference for Roll of Naval War Deaths 1914-1920
ADM/337 = National Archives reference for RNVR service records
AFB.103 = Army Form B.103 Casualty Form Active Service
AFB.2090A = Army Form B.2090A Report of Death of Soldier, Sailor or Marine to War Office/Admiralty
AGRM = Adjutant General Royal Marines
AMC = Armed Merchant Cruiser
ANZAC = Australian and New Zealand Army Corps
b. = born
BEF = British Expeditionary Force
Bn. = Battalion
BW = Bullet wound
BWM = British War Medal.
C. = Clasp/Bar to 1914 Star
CF = Chaplain to Forces
CGM = Conspicuous Gallantry Medal
CH = Chatham
CWGC = Commonwealth War Graves Commission
DCM = Distinguished Conduct Medal
DD = Discharged Dead
Demob. = Demobilised
DoB = date of birth
DOW = Died of Wounds
DSM = Distinguished Service Medal
DSO = Distinguished Service Order
GOC = General Officer Commanding
GOC in C. = General Officer Commander in Chief
GRO = General Register Office (Indexes for Military or Civil Deaths)
GROS = General Register Office Scotland (Indexes of Civil Deaths)
GSW = Gunshot wound
H.E. = High Explosive
HMS = His Majesty's Ship
HMT = His Majesty's Transport
HQ = Headquarters
IC = used in ADM/171 Medal Roll entries: Indent Casualty (a reference for Pension Records)
ICT = Inflammation of connective tissue
IWGC = Imperial War Graves Commission
KIA = Killed in Action
MC = Military Cross
MEF = Mediterranean Expeditionary Force
MG = Machine Gun
MH/106 = National Archives reference for 2nd/149th (RN) Field Ambulance Admission Books
MM = Military Medal
MSM = Meritorious Service Medal
NCO = Non Commissioned Officer
ODGW = Officers Died in the Great War
PB = Permanent B Class (unfit for trenches)
PLY = Plymouth
PO = Portsmouth
POW = Prisoner of War
PRO = Public Records Office
RAMC = Royal Army Medical Corps
RFR = Royal Fleet Reserve
RM = Royal Marines
RMA = Royal Marine Artillery
RMB = Royal Marines Band
RMLC = Royal Marines Labour Corps
RMLI = Royal Marines Light Infantry
RN = Royal Navy
RNAS = Royal Naval Air Service
RNASBR = Royal Naval Auxiliary Sick Berth Reserve
RND = Royal Naval Division
RNR = Royal Naval Reserve
RNVR = Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
RSO = Regional Sorting Office
SDGW = Soldiers Died in the Great War
SNLR = Services No Longer Required
SO = Sorting Office
St.V.B. = 1914-15 Star, Victory & British War Medal
SW = Shell or Shrapnel wound
TSTB = The Sky Their Battlefield
UK = United Kingdom (of Great Britain & Ireland)
V.B. = Victory Medal & British War Medal
VC = Victoria Cross
Vice = [Vee-say] In place of (by promotion in rank)
VG = Very Good
Vic. = Victory Medal
WO/95 = National Archives reference for RND War Diaries
WO/329 = National Archives reference for Army Medal Rolls & Silver War Badge Rolls
WO/339 = National Archives reference for Army Officers Service Papers
WO/363 = National Archives reference for Army Service Papers (burnt documents)
WO/364 = National Archives reference for Army Service Papers (pensions)
8. Certificates - an introduction
1837 saw the debut of the cornerstone of modern genealogy - birth, marriage and death certificates.
Certificates of civil registration are a treasure trove of information which will help you fill in the gaps in your family research.
For example, on a birth certificate you will find
- The child's forenames
- Sex
- Date and place of birth
- The mother's maiden name (essential in opening new avenues of investigation)
- The father's full name and occupation - if he actually married the mother
Don't knock information such as occupation. Throughout your research you should remember that genealogy is so much more than just names and numbers.
By discovering occupations you can see a little glimpse of how your ancestor spent their days, bringing the history to life, as well as opening up new possibilities such as finding out information from trade organisations of the time.
Beyond the family you'll also find the name, address and relationship to the child of the person registering the birth and the date the certificate was added to the register.
This date is of great importance when tracking down certificates.
Since the current system of civil registrations became law on 1 July 1837, the indexes of every certificate registered in England and Wales can be found at the National Archives - and online at this site.
The indexes are arranged chronologically and grouped into births, marriages and deaths. The birth records on findmypast.co.uk are fully indexed, meaning that when you search for someone, you will be able to view a list of individual names. Marriage and death records are split up into quarters, labelled March, June, September and December, with the surnames in each quarter found in alphabetical order. The list of marriage and death results will currently only display the first and last name on the page - you will be able to search fully indexed marriages and deaths on findmypast.co.uk later this year.
Here is where the date of registration comes in, as the indexes are based on the date of the registration and not the actual event - although in the case of marriages this is almost always on the same day.
You should bear in mind that if you are searching for an ancestor who died on 18 November 1863 the death may not have been registered until January - meaning that the record would be found in the "March 1864" quarter rather than the "December 1863" index that you might expect.
For 165 years, the fundamentals of every English and Welsh citizen's existence has been put on record. They may not be 100 per cent foolproof, but these certificates are the family historian's best leads - here's how to find and interpret them...
Birth certificates
A few problems may arise due to the lax nature of the early documents. When records began, the parents had three weeks in which to register a birth and, after three months, they couldn't register the child at all.
Soon, the laws were changed to a six week registration period, with a late registration possible up to a year later if a superintendent took the information and signed the register himself.
Any time longer than this and proof of the event had to be procured from a witness, such as a doctor or midwife. If the evidence couldn't be attested then the registration was null and void.
Penalties for late registrations also muddy the water as certain parents would lie through their teeth about the date of birth so it fell into the six week period and therefore avoid a hefty fine. In some cases it is possible to catch out these less than honest parents if you're lucky enough to have both the baptismal certificate and the birth registration. If the date differs, then look to the baptismal record as they were more likely to tell the truth in church.
One final thing to remember is that the fashion for having more than one forename was quite unusual until the beginning of the 20th century, so there is a chance that you may find a number of records featuring the same name, especially if the name you are searching for is quite common.
Many family historians have found themselves purchasing a copy of a certificate of the wrong person at some point in their search. We always advise viewing the original image before ordering any certificates - it is particularly important to make sure the volume and page numbers are correct.
It's annoying, but all part of the process of investigation. One titbit of information that can help you identify the right person is the Superintendent Registrar's District which is identified on each record.
The boundaries of these districts were in many cases different to parishes or even towns and were changed in 1852. You may find more information at the GENUKi website .
In the early days of registration some birth certificates actually got the gender of the child wrong, largely due to the fact that the parents may have been illiterate and couldn't check the details were correct.
Illegitimacy
At some point in your research you may stumble upon the delicate subject of illegitimacy, which affects the way birth certificates were registered.
The Act of Parliament of 1836 states "And it be enacted that the father or mother or every child born in England... shall within 42 days next after the day of every such birth give information upon being requested so to do the Register according to the best of his or her knowledge and belief of the several particulars hereby required to be known and registered touching the birth of such child provided always that it shall not be necessary to register the name of any father of a bastard child."
This was open to wide interpretation and some certificates entered the father's name even if they weren't married, while others omitted the father's name.
In 1850 the situation changed and the law now said that "No putative father is to be allowed to sign an entry in the character of Father."
This lasted until 1953 when the social situation regarding illegitimacy had shifted and the father could be acknowledged outside wedlock.
Marriage certificates
Once you get hold of the certificate, where do you go from there?
Well, first of all you have what is called "primary evidence", albeit a copy. This first generation evidence is vital in proving who your ancestors were. But most importantly, having a certificate enables you to step back further in time.
For example, say you were researching a relative by the name of David Abberton. You get hold of Abberton's birth certificate and are greeted by his mother's maiden name. Now you can search the indexes on her name and find the registration of her marriage to the boy's father.
An index of marriages contain records of the both the bride's and groom's first and last names, the district where the happy event occurred, and the volume and page numbers that you need to obtain a copy in the same way you would for births.
When you receive the actual certificate you'll find out
- Where the ceremony was carried out
- The name of the church or registry office
- The date of the wedding.
- The couple's full names
- Their ages at the time of the wedding
- Their marital condition (whether they are spinster, bachelor, widow or widower).
- Their occupations
- Where they lived at the time of their marriage
- The name and occupation of the respective fathers.
If the field for father's name is suspiciously empty, then you know that there may well have been some doubt over the father's identity.
Age of marriage
The age is useful in working back further, but be warned, it is only accurate if both parties were telling the truth.
Unless you looked as if you were under the age of consent, you were simply never asked to prove your age and at times the details on the certificate were tweaked. If the blushing bride was older than her husband-to-be, she would quite often lie about her age, or he would add on a few years to save her dignity.
Times were certainly different: the ages a person could marry set at 14 for a boy and only 12 for a girl back in 1837. However, both parents needed to consent to their child marrying so young, until they were 21 when they no longer needed consent.
In 1926 the age you could marry was raised to 16 for both sexes, with consent from parents still needed if under 21. The age you can marry still stands at 16 today, although the age of consent has dropped to 18.
The other point about ages that needs to be considered is that in times of illiteracy and poor information some people simply didn't know how old they actually were. In cases like this they often guessed.
Before 1870, where the age was in doubt, the register merely states "of full age". This formula is also used where either bride or groom preferred not to disclose their age.
Death certificates
Finally we have death certificates, which can be interesting in any case to learn how our relatives met their maker.
Diseases, or at least recorded causes of death, that have enjoyed prominence include 'consumption' or just 'wasting'. If the form merely states the cause of death as 'Climacteric' it means either the death was unexpected, such as a heart attack, or quite simply that the doctor didn't know.
Once again, you might have to do some work to uncover where your ancestor drew their last breath, as, for example, the hospital they were in could have been in a different district to where they lived and again, some of the details, such as age, may have been a guess.
This is the eternal problem, especially with older records. As well as the strange districts to keep an eye on, entries may be difficult to find due to human error, as details were copied from one index to another, with mistakes inevitably creeping in.
Throw into the mix the problems of illiteracy, which meant that a lot of the details could never be checked, and that people's names often changed due to spelling errors, and you can see how certain records remain elusive. However, part of the joy of family history is carrying on when you feel you've hit a brick wall, only to suddenly make a discovery.
Ordering birth, marriage and death certificates
When you've correctly identified the person, you can get hold of the certificate itself. Make a record of all the details you found in the index including the district, volume and page number, plus the year and quarter.
As the original documents are not available to the public, the copy of the certificate is your primary link back to your ancestors. But be warned, each new copy is freshly made by the General Register Office and while every effort will be taken to ensure the information is correct, an error in the transcription may creep in.
If the original data is too difficult to read, a photocopy will be provided instead. Please also note that certificates for overseas records may not contain as much information as the UK Birth, Marriage and Death certificates.
Simply use this site to search for index numbers for certificates and apply online (registered users only)
Find out more about ordering certificates.
Your local records office will have indexes of the births, marriages and deaths registered in its area.
9. Registration districts for England & Wales
The registration districts were formed from the Poor Law Unions, areas that stretched across several parishes and which had elected Overseers of the Poor who were answerable to the parishes and the area's Justice of the Peace.
English & Welsh Registration District volume numbers over time.
|
1837-1852 |
1852-1946 |
1946-1974 |
1974 |
|
Greater London |
1 - 5 |
1A - 1D* |
5A - 5D |
11 - 15 |
*1E does not exist. A Vol ref that looks like 1e will therefore be 1c. |
Surrey |
4 |
2A |
5G |
11, 13 - 15, 17 |
|
Kent |
5 |
2A |
5B |
11, 16 |
|
Sussex |
7 |
2B |
5H |
18 |
|
Isle of Wight |
8 |
2B |
6B |
20 |
|
Hampshire |
7 - 8 |
2B - 2C |
6B |
14, 20, 23 |
|
Berkshire |
6 |
2C |
6A |
19, 20 |
|
Hertfordshire |
6 |
3A |
4B |
10 - 11 |
|
Oxfordshire |
16 |
3A |
6B, 7B |
20 |
|
Buckinghamshire |
6 |
3A |
6A |
19 |
|
Middlesex |
3 |
3A* |
5A - 5E |
11 - 13 |
*3A includes Edmonton (Tottenham etc). |
Berdfordshire |
6 |
3B |
4A |
9 |
|
Cambridgeshire |
14 |
3B |
4A |
9 |
|
Huntindonshire |
14 |
3B |
4B |
9 |
|
Northamptonshire |
15 |
3B |
3B |
7 |
|
Essex |
12 |
4A* |
4A, 5A |
9, 11, 13, 15 |
*4A includes West Ham |
Suffolk |
12 - 13 |
4A |
4B |
10 - 11 |
|
Norfolk |
13 |
4B |
4B |
10 |
|
Wiltshire |
8 |
5A |
7C |
10 |
|
Dorset |
8 |
5A |
6A, 7C |
22 - 23 |
|
Devon |
9 - 10 |
5B |
7A |
21 |
|
Cornwall/Scilly |
9 |
5C |
7A |
21 |
|
Somerset |
10 - 11* |
5C, 6A** |
7C |
22 - 23 |
* In Somerset vol XI or 11 is for Bristol districts only. |
Gloucestershire |
11 |
6A |
7B |
22 |
|
Shropshire |
18 |
6A |
9A |
30 |
|
Herefordshire |
26 |
6A |
9A |
29 |
|
Staffordshire |
17 |
6B |
9B |
30, 34 |
|
Worcestershire |
18 |
6C |
9D |
29, 33 |
|
Warwickshire |
16 |
6D |
9C |
31 - 34 |
|
Leicestershire |
15 |
7A |
3A |
6 |
|
Lincolnshire |
14 |
7A |
3B |
7 |
|
Rutland |
15 |
7A |
3C |
6 |
|
Nottinghamshire |
15 |
7B |
3C |
6, 8 |
|
Derbyshire |
19 |
7B |
3A, 10A |
6 |
|
Cheshire |
19 |
8A |
10A |
35, 37, 39 |
|
Lancashire |
20 - 21 |
8B - 8E |
10B - 10F |
1, 35 - 40 |
|
Yorkshire |
22 - 24 |
9A - 9D* |
14 - 1B, 2A - 2D |
2 - 5, 7 |
*9E does not exist. A Vol ref that looks like 9e will therefore be 9c. |
Durham |
24 |
10A |
1A |
1 - 2 |
|
Cumberland |
25 |
10B |
1A |
1 |
|
Northumberland/ |
25 |
10B |
1B |
1 1 - 2 |
|
Wales |
26 - 27 |
11A - 11B |
8A - 8C |
24 - 28 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Also note that the County boundaries change over time and do not coincide exactly with Vol numbers.
The GENUKI site has a very useful list of which places are in which registration district from 1837 to 1930.
|
Registration districts for England & Wales (File size: 59.8 kb) |
Please note that the 1837 - 1852 Registration Districts were originally expressed in Roman numerals, as follows:
I=1
II=2
III=3
IV=4
V=5
VI=6
VII=7
VIII=8
IX=9
X=10
XI=11
XII=12
XIII=13
XIV=14
XV=15
XVI=16
XVII=17
XVIII=18
XIX=19
XX=20
XXI=21
XXII=22
XXIII=23
XXIV=24
XXV=25
XXVI=26
XXVII=27
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