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England Civil Registration: Difference between revisions
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Before 1837 only churches recorded birth, marriage, and death information in England (see the "[[England Church Records|Church Records]]" section of this outline). In the early 1800s, Parliament recognized the need for accurate records for voting, planning, and defense purposes. Legislation was passed to create civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths for England and Wales, which began on 1 July 1837. | Before 1837 only churches recorded birth, marriage, and death information in England (see the "[[England Church Records|Church Records]]" section of this outline). In the early 1800s, Parliament recognized the need for accurate records for voting, planning, and defense purposes. Legislation was passed to create civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths for England and Wales, which began on 1 July 1837. | ||
The jurisdictional basis of civil registration is the registration district. | *The jurisdictional basis of civil registration is the registration district. Registrations district were based on the Poor Law Unions that had been formed in 1834, groups of parishes that had been grouped together for the administration of the new Poor Law system. A superintendent registrar was appointed for each district. Each 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. | ||
*Each quarter superintendent registrars forward copies of their district’s registrations to the Registrar General in London. The original birth and death records. | |||
* | *Ordained clergy of the Church of England, the established church, were automatically entitled to perform and register marriages. Clergy of other denominations could not perform legally valid marriages until 1898, when they could apply to become 'Authorised Persons'. Prior to that date, a Registrar of Marriages had to be present. Civil marriages could be performed in the register office, but these were rare until the 20th century. | ||
*There were two marriage registers that had to be completed and signed by the parties. When a register was full one copy would be sent to the Superintendent Registrar and the other kept at the church. In addition quarterly copies of all marriages were sent to the register office and forwarded to the Registrar General. | |||
*Quaker and Jewish marriages were performed by Registering Officers and Secretaries of Synagogues, respectively. They were also required to deposit completed registers at the Register Office, and to forward quarterly copies to the Registrar General | |||
Beginning in July 1837 all births and deaths were to | Beginning in July 1837 registrars were required to register all births and deaths in their district of which they were made aware.Since they were paid for every registration, they had every incentive to seek them out. An estimated 90 to 95 percent of births and nearly all deaths and marriages were reported. A new registration Act in 1874 placed the onus on parents to inform the register 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 civil birth, marriage, or death certificate, search church records. A church record may verify known details or give additional information. | If you cannot find a civil birth, marriage, or death certificate, search church records. A church record may verify known details or give additional information. This is most likely to be successful in the case of marriages; by the late 19th century very few burials will be found in church registers in large towns and cities, but in cemeteries. In rural areas burials continued in churchyards for much longer. | ||
== Information Recorded in Civil Registers == | == Information Recorded in Civil Registers == | ||