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== General Register Office - Historical Background == | == General Register Office - Historical Background == | ||
The General Register Office, responsible | |||
<u>'''Civil Registration in England and Wales'''</u><br> | <br> | ||
Before 1837 only churches recorded birth, marriage, and death information in England (see [[England Church Records]]). In the early 1800s, Parliament recognized the need for accurate records for voting, planning, taxation, and defense purposes. Legislation was passed to create a civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths for England and Wales and, for registering the same for British subjects abroad. England and Wales registration began on 1 July 1837 and for British subjects, abroad, some records returned to England begin as early as 1790. For brief list of all those registers of births, marriages and deaths affecting British subjects abroad, see under Civil Registration of British Abroad (below). | |||
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=== <u>'''Civil Registration in England and Wales'''</u><br> === | |||
*The jurisdictional basis of civil registration is the Registration District. Registration districts were based on the Poor Law Unions that were formed in 1834. Poor Law Unions contained groups of parishes that administered the new Poor Law system for that jurisdiction with a superintendent registrar appointed for each district. The district was divided into sub-districts, each with a Registrar of Births and Deaths. There would also be one or more Registrars of Marriages for the whole district. | *The jurisdictional basis of civil registration is the Registration District. Registration districts were based on the Poor Law Unions that were formed in 1834. Poor Law Unions contained groups of parishes that administered the new Poor Law system for that jurisdiction with a superintendent registrar appointed for each district. The district was divided into sub-districts, each with a Registrar of Births and Deaths. There would also be one or more Registrars of Marriages for the whole district. | ||
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{{Wikipedia|General Register Office}} Beginning in July 1837, registrars were required to register all births and deaths in their district. Since they were paid for every registration, that was incentive to make sure all births and deaths were recorded. An estimated 90 to 95 percent of births and nearly all deaths and marriages were reported. A new registration Act in 1874 placed the responsibility on parents to inform the registrar of all births, but this made no discernible difference to the rate of registration, which by 1875 was around 99 percent. If you cannot find a birth, marriage, or death record in civil registration, search church records. | {{Wikipedia|General Register Office}} Beginning in July 1837, registrars were required to register all births and deaths in their district. Since they were paid for every registration, that was incentive to make sure all births and deaths were recorded. An estimated 90 to 95 percent of births and nearly all deaths and marriages were reported. A new registration Act in 1874 placed the responsibility on parents to inform the registrar of all births, but this made no discernible difference to the rate of registration, which by 1875 was around 99 percent. If you cannot find a birth, marriage, or death record in civil registration, search church records. | ||
{{see also|General Register Office for England and Wales}} | {{see also|General Register Office for England and Wales}} | ||
== Information Recorded in Civil Registers == | == Information Recorded in Civil Registers == | ||