1837 the Year when Civil Registration of Births Marriages and Deaths Commenced

WARNING: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure accurate transcription of genealogy records, errors exist in both the original information and the transcription. You are strongly advised to verify any reference or information given before acting upon it.

1837

1837 is a key date when resarching a family tree because civil registration of births, marriages and deaths in England and Wales commenced on 1st July 1837. Prior to that date the records were kept by the parish church.

Because the government was responsible for the collection and collating of all birh, marriage and death information it is easy to view that information by visiting a local records office. Often libraries also have copies of the information.

What is Available

GRO Index for Births, Marriages and Deaths

When a birth, marriage or death is registered the details are entered into a book. There is a books for births, another book for marriages and yet another book for deaths. Each quarter, some of the details of all births, marriages and deaths are copied and collated into quarterly lists. Again there is a seperate list for births, marriages and deaths. These quarterly lists are called the GRO (General Register Office) Index.

To find a particular birth, marriage or death, you need to seach the GRO Index which will give a persons name, some other details that depends on whether it is a birth, marriage or death, the regirstation district it was recorded in, the volume of the registration books and the page within the resistration book's volume.

Modern records are computer generated printouts and as such are easy to read. Go back 50 years and the records are typewritten. Still easy to read most of the time, but the uneveness of the letters can give the occational problem. Even further back and the genealogy records are hand written. Not only is handwritting more difficult to read, but the style of the script may be unfamiliar to most. In some cases it may be necessary to consult with a more experienced genealogist to verify the name.

Births

From 1837 (to at least 1910) the GRO Brith Index contains the following information:

In the March quarter of 1856 the genealogy records were hand written but by the March quarter 1861 typewritters were used for the GRO birth Index. In the March quarter of 1866 the GRO birth index was produced by a printing press. This was the start of the clearest genealogy images.