How to Trace Your Family Tree in London
Many of us have probably worked on a family tree for assignments in school as a child. However, genealogical and hereditary information is not child’s play. The government of the United Kingdom and London keep detailed records of births, deaths, marriages and lineage. Extensive resources and efforts are put into keeping these records current and error free. The purpose of all this work is to track the resident population and make sure that the services and benefits being provided are based on the requirements of that population. Individuals can use this large data pool to track their own family history. The division of the government that is the most important in tracing a family tree in London is the General Register Office (GRO). They have set up numerous search facilities to help people track down relatives and ancestors.
Instructions
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General Register Office (GRO)
The GRO was established in 1836 and is the civil registrar for all marriages, deaths, births adoptions and civil partnership. The detailed records at the GRO contain excellent information about lineage and their index is the best place to start tracking a family tree in London. -
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GRO Index and reference number
The GRO provides a public index that lists all events available in its database. Each index event has an individual reference number. This is used to order certificates of birth, death and marriage and also helps in speeding up the process. When searching for your ancestry, you can utilize this index to trace generations. The index contains basic information like date, volume, page and district. -
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Index Reference number details
The data in the GRO index is organized in a specific manner. It is good to understand exactly how it is set up so that you can search accordingly.
Quarterly division
The index data is divided into yearly quarters of three months. This division applies to data from 1837 to 1984. After 1984, the data is divided by year.
Marriage
Surnames can be used to search these marital records. For women, maiden surnames can also be used.
Adoptions
These records do not go as far back as the other records on the index. With registrations starting from 1927, you can use the surname or forename to research.
Civil partnership
These are the newest entrants into the record and are only available from 2005. You can use the surname of both partners, year, registration authority and entry number. -
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Online Search
The GRO provides a free online service that allows you to search the Index quickly. Currently not all records are available online and you may need to check the records physically to get the data you need. There are also paid services that use the same data but will charge you a fee. Check out the address given below to view the date at BMD.
freebmd.org.uk -
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Complete Index
The GRO has placed the completed index in printed form in libraries across United Kingdom. To search these references, you can visit the following locations:
- Birmingham Central Library
- Bridgend Reference and Information Library
- City of Westminster Archives Centre
- Manchester City Library
- Newcastle City Library
- Plymouth Central Library
- The British Library -
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How to Contact the GRO
If any issues arise during the search for a family tree, indiviuals can get in touch with GRO through the following information:
Telephone: +44 300 123 1837
Email: unclearfiche@ips.gsi.gov.uk
Post: Contact Centre, GRO, PO Box 2, Southport, Merseyside PR8 2JD, United Kingdom. View Map
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