Guernsey Civil Registration: Difference between revisions

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Latest revision as of 19:58, 11 August 2025

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Guernsey

Civil Registration

Online Databases

Channel Islands Births & Baptisms 1820-1907
The FamilySearch Catalog has digitized and made many of these records available online.

Introduction

Civil registration is the government record of births, marriages, and deaths. These records are an excellent source of names, dates, relationships, and places of births, marriages, and deaths. Since they are indexed and cover most of the population, these records are important resources for genealogical research.

Civil registration in Guernsey (and the islands of Herm and Jethou) began in 1840. Universal compliance for birth and death registration did not occur until the 1860s. The islands of Sark and Alderney (also part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey) began civil registration in 1925. Guernsey marriages solemnized by the Church of England were not registered until 1919 - so the coverage is incomplete prior to that date. Before 1919, use parish registers if marriage certificate not found. See www.priaulxlibrary.co.uk for more information about civil registration.

To learn more about how to find and access civil registration records for Guernsey, see:

Backhurst, Marie-Louise. Tracing Your Channel Islands Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Family History, 2011.
www.priaulxlibrary.co.uk

Understanding the Records

Births

Birth registers usually include: (recorded in French)

Parish
Birth date
Child's name
Sex
Child's parents (including mother's maiden name)
Birth place
Rank or profession of father
Date of registration
Baptismal name (if given after birth registration)

Marriages

Marriage certificates usually include: (recorded in English)

Marriage data and place
Names of the bride and groom, their ages, their marital "condition" (single or widowed), their professions, and their residences at the time of the marriage
Names and occupations of their fathers (and often whether they were deceased)
Signatures or marks of the bride, groom, and witnesses
Also notes whether the bride and groom were married in a church (with the denomination given) and, if so, whether they were married by banns or by license.

Deaths

Death registers usually include: (recorded in French)

Date of death
Name of deceased
Names of parents
Age
Place of death
Profession
Cause of death
Date of registration

Accessing the Records

Online

Many civil registration indexes and registers are available as digital images on the FamilySearch Catalog. Some of these records are only available on microfilm at the FamilySearch Library.

Record Type	Indexes	Registers/Certificates
Birth Registers	1840-1966	1840-1907
Marriage Certificates	1841-1966	1841-1901
Death Registers	1840-1963	1840-1907

Original Records

The Royal Court House

Guernsey's original civil registration records are housed at Guernsey's Registry Office which is located at The Royal Court House:

Registrar General
The Royal Court House
St Peter Port
GY1 2NZ
Telephone: +44 (0) 1481 725277
Email: registrar@guernseyroyalcourt.gg

Certificates can either be ordered by phone or in person at The Royal Court House. Certificates cost £20.00. See Registration of Births, Registration of Marriages, and Registration of Deaths to learn more about how to order certificates. To learn more about the archive and research facilities, see Contact Us. The Priaulx Library also have the indexes on microfilm.

Priaulx Library

The Priaulx Library has civil registers and indexes on microfilm. It is located at:

Priaulx Library
Candie Road
St Peter Port
Guernsey
GY1 1UG
Telephone: 01481 721998
Email: info@priaulxlibrary.gg

Civil registers and indexes can be viewed on microfilm at the Library. For births, it has indexes from 1840-2004 and registers from 1840 to 1998. For marriages, it has indexes and records from 1841 to 1998. For deaths, it has indexes from 1840 to 2004. See www.priaulxlibrary.co.uk to learn more.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-HM Greffier,<br> The Royal Court House,<br> '''St Peter Port''',<br> GY1 2PB,<br> Guernsey, <br> Channel Islands.
+{{CountrySidebar
+|Country=Guernsey
+|Name=Guernsey
+|Type=Topic
+|Topic Type=Records
+|Records=Civil Registration
+|Content=Standardized
+}}{{breadcrumb
+| link1=[[Guernsey Genealogy|Guernsey]]
+| link2=
+| link3=
+| link4=
+| link5=[[Guernsey Civil Registration|Civil Registration]]
+}}
-Office Hours 9a.m.- 5p.m.
+== Online Databases ==
+*[https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-Records/channel-islands-births-and-baptisms-1820-1907 Channel Islands Births & Baptisms 1820-1907]
+*The [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/search FamilySearch Catalog] has digitized and made many of these records available online.
-They charge £5 for a full certificate or £3 for a short certificate and there is an additional search fee of £5.
+== Introduction ==
+Civil registration is the government record of births, marriages, and deaths. These records are an excellent source of names, dates, relationships, and places of births, marriages, and deaths. Since they are indexed and cover most of the population, these records are important resources for genealogical research.
-If you are in Guernsey, this charge can be alleviated as there is public access to the Strong Room between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. for a nominal £1 charge and details can be copied from their records.
+Civil registration in Guernsey (and the islands of Herm and Jethou) began in 1840. Universal compliance for birth and death registration did not occur until the 1860s. The islands of Sark and Alderney (also part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey) began civil registration in 1925. Guernsey marriages solemnized by the Church of England were not registered until 1919 - so the coverage is incomplete prior to that date. Before 1919, use [[Guernsey Church Records|parish registers]] if marriage certificate not found. See [https://www.priaulxlibrary.co.uk/sites/default/files/uploads/pdfs/Using%20family%20history%20records%20booklet.pdf www.priaulxlibrary.co.uk] for more information about civil registration.
-The indexes and certificates are available on microfilm through the Family History Library for the following time periods:<br>
+To learn more about how to find and access civil registration records for Guernsey, see:
+*Backhurst, Marie-Louise. ''Tracing Your Channel Islands Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians''. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Family History, 2011.
+*[https://www.priaulxlibrary.co.uk/sites/default/files/uploads/pdfs/Using%20family%20history%20records%20booklet.pdf www.priaulxlibrary.co.uk]
-{| cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="1" style="width: 503px; height: 87px;"
+== Understanding the Records ==
-|+ '''Guernsey Civil Registration on FHL Microfilm'''
+=== Births ===
+Birth registers usually include: (recorded in French)
+*Parish
+*Birth date
+*Child's name
+*Sex
+*Child's parents (including mother's maiden name)
+*Birth place
+*Rank or profession of father
+*Date of registration
+*Baptismal name (if given after birth registration)
+=== Marriages ===
+Marriage certificates usually include: (recorded in English)
+*Marriage data and place
+*Names of the bride and groom, their ages, their marital "condition" (single or widowed), their professions, and their residences at the time of the marriage
+*Names and occupations of their fathers (and often whether they were deceased)
+*Signatures or marks of the bride, groom, and witnesses
+*Also notes whether the bride and groom were married in a church (with the denomination given) and, if so, whether they were married by banns or by license.
+=== Deaths ===
+Death registers usually include: (recorded in French)
+*Date of death
+*Name of deceased
+*Names of parents
+*Age
+*Place of death
+*Profession
+*Cause of death
+*Date of registration
+== Accessing the Records ==
+=== Online ===
+Many civil registration indexes and registers are available as digital images on the [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/search FamilySearch Catalog]. Some of these records are only available on microfilm at the FamilySearch Library.
+{| class="wikitable" style="width: 40%"
 |-
-| '''Event<br>'''
+| '''Record Type'''
-| '''Indexes<br>'''
+| '''Indexes'''
-| '''Certificates'''<br>
+| '''Registers/Certificates'''
 |-
-| Birth<br>
+| Birth Registers
-| [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlefilmnotes&columns=*%2C0%2C0&titleno=292148&disp=Register+of+births%2C+from+the+various+p++ 1840-1966]<br>
+| {{FSC|292148|title-id|disp=1840-1966}}
-| [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlefilmnotes&columns=*%2C0%2C0&titleno=292148&disp=Register+of+births%2C+from+the+various+p++ 1840-1907]&nbsp;&nbsp; Mas to Mh are missing from index<br>
+| {{FSC|292148|title-id|disp=1840-1907}}
 |-
-| Marriage&nbsp; <br>
+| Marriage Certificates
-| [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlefilmnotes&columns=*%2C0%2C0&titleno=292088&disp=Register+of+marriages%2C+1841-1901%3B+++ 1840-1966]&nbsp; <br>
+| {{FSC|292088|title-id|disp=1841-1966}}
-| [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlefilmnotes&columns=*%2C0%2C0&titleno=292088&disp=Register+of+marriages%2C+1841-1901%3B+++ 1840-1901<br>]
+| {{FSC|292088|title-id|disp=1841-1901}}
 |-
-| Death<br>
+| Death Registers
-| [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlefilmnotes&columns=*%2C0%2C0&titleno=292271&disp=Register+of+deaths%2C+1840-1963++ 1840-1963]<br>
+| {{FSC|292271|title-id|disp=1840-1963}}
-| [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlefilmnotes&columns=*%2C0%2C0&titleno=292271&disp=Register+of+deaths%2C+1840-1963++ 1840-1907]<br>
+| {{FSC|292271|title-id|disp=1840-1907}}
 |}
-The [http://www.priaulxlibrary.co.uk/ Priaulx Library] also have the indexes on microfilm.
+=== Original Records ===
+==== The Royal Court House ====
-'''Note:''' Guernsey Marriages in the Established Church were not subject to Civil Registration until 1919 - so the coverage is incomplete prior to that date. Use the Parish Registers (Gap 1875-1907) instead.
+Guernsey's original civil registration records are housed at Guernsey's Registry Office which is located at [http://www.guernseyroyalcourt.gg/article/1654/Greffe The Royal Court House]:<br>
-Gibson, Jeremy and Elizabeth Hampson. ''Marriage and Census Indexes for Family History Historians''. Baltimore [Maryland]: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2001 [http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/46853206 WorldCat 46853206&nbsp;] [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=1007927&disp=Marriage+and+census+indexes+for+family+h%20%20&columns=*,0,0 FHL 942 D27gjh] contains entries of where to find marriage registers in the Channel Islands. <br>
-== Alderney  ==
-For Births, Deaths from 1850, Marriages from 1886 contact:
-The Greffier,<br> Registry for Births, Deaths, Companies, Land and Marriages<br> '''St Anne''',<br> Alderney,<br> GY9 3AA,<br> Channel Islands.
-For Births from 1850 - (missing May 1871 - Dec 1874): There is a hand-ruled book of declarations, from August 1850 to December 1874, that can be used to fill this gap.
-For Deaths from August 1850-1855 and 1907 onwards: Hand-ruled book of declarations from October 1855 to December 1874. (Gap 1875-1907).
-For Marriages from 1886 (from St Anne's Church) and 1891 onwards from elsewhere on the Island.
-In Guernsey: Births, Deaths and Marriages from 1925 to date only.
-The [http://www.priaulxlibrary.co.uk/ Priaulx Library] in Guernsey has incomplete microfilmed sets of Civil Registration records.
-'''Alderney Greffe Records''': Consists of '''Births '''July 1850 - July 1857, July 1857 - July 1860, July 1860 - August 1885; '''Deaths '''1850-1866, 1907-1925.
-== Sark  ==
-'''Birth, Death and Marriages records from 1925''' can be found at:
+Registrar General<br>
+The Royal Court House<br>
+St Peter Port<br>
+GY1 2NZ<br>
+Telephone: +44 (0) 1481 725277<br>
+Email: registrar@guernseyroyalcourt.gg<br>
-The Greffe,<br> Las Chasse Marette,<br> '''Sark'''<br> GY9 0SF,<br> Guernsey,<br> Channel Islands.
+Certificates can either be ordered by phone or in person at The Royal Court House. Certificates cost £20.00. See [http://www.guernseyroyalcourt.gg/article/1910/Registration-of-Births Registration of Births], [http://www.guernseyroyalcourt.gg/article/1914/Marriages Registration of Marriages], and [http://www.guernseyroyalcourt.gg/article/1909/Registration-of-Deaths Registration of Deaths] to learn more about how to order certificates. To learn more about the archive and research facilities, see [http://www.guernseyroyalcourt.gg/article/1663/Contact-Us Contact Us]. The [http://www.priaulxlibrary.co.uk/ Priaulx Library] also have the indexes on microfilm.
-The Greffe's office hours are 2-4 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday &amp; Friday
+==== Priaulx Library ====
+The [https://www.priaulxlibrary.co.uk Priaulx Library] has civil registers and indexes on microfilm. It is located at:
-and at:
+Priaulx Library<br>
+Candie Road<br>
+St Peter Port<br>
+Guernsey<br>
+GY1 1UG<br>
+Telephone: 01481 721998<br>
+Email: info@priaulxlibrary.gg<br>
-H.M. Greffier,<br> The Royal Court House,<br> '''St Peter Port''',<br> GY1 2PB<br> Guernsey,<br> Channel Islands
+Civil registers and indexes can be viewed on microfilm at the Library. For births, it has indexes from 1840-2004 and registers from 1840 to 1998. For marriages, it has indexes and records from 1841 to 1998. For deaths, it has indexes from 1840 to 2004. See [https://www.priaulxlibrary.co.uk/sites/default/files/uploads/pdfs/Using%20family%20history%20records%20booklet.pdf www.priaulxlibrary.co.uk] to learn more.
-Office Hours 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.
+<br><br>
-[[Category:Guernsey]]
+[[Category:Guernsey, Channel Islands]][[Category:Civil Registration]]