Knowledge base
Births Deaths and Marriage Records
- Introduction
- Births
- Marriages
- Deaths
- National Burial Index
- City of London Burials
- Civil Service of Evidence of Age Records
- Great Western Railway Shareholders Index
- Royal Naval Division
- BMD Certificates
- Registration districts for England & Wales
1. Introduction
Birth marriage and death records in England & Wales – key dates
1 July 1837 - Introduction of General Civil Registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths in England and Wales
Births
- Pre-1875 - an estimated 6 to 10% of births NOT registered
- 1875 more rigorous enforcement of compulsory registration
- September quarter 1837 to June quarter 1911 -- only first two full forenames, subsequent initials, registration district and reference number
- September quarter 1911 to present -- only first forename, subsequent initials, registration district and number but also includes mother's maiden surname.
Marriages
- September quarter 1837 to December quarter 1911 -- only first two full forenames, subsequent initials, registration district and ref number
- March quarter 1912 to September quarter 1962 -- if female was previously married, index shows maiden name and married name
- March quarter 1912 to present day -- surname of spouse added
Deaths
- 1875 enforcement of compulsory registration
- September quarter 1837 to June quarter 1911 -- only first two full forenames, subsequent initials, registration district and reference number
- September quarter 1911 onwards - only first forename, subsequent initials, registration district and number
- September quarter 1837 to December quarter 1865 -- no age given
- March quarter 1866 to March quarter 1969 -- age at death given
- June quarter 1969 to present -- exact date of birth given
GRO Scotland
Scottish civil registration
The act of civil registration began in Scotland on 1 January 1855. There is a lot more information on Scottish records with the date of the parents' wedding on a birth certificate, both bride's and groom's parents are mentioned on marriage certificates and both parents also mentioned on death certificates. If you are of Scottish descent then you need to contact:
The General Register OfficeNew Register House
3 West Register Street
Edinburgh
EH1 3YT
Tel: 0131 314 4444
Email: records@gro-scotland.gov.uk
Website: www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
2. Births
Births - searching
The churches in England & Wales have recorded baptisms, marriages and burials at parish level for centuries. However, civil registration of births, marriages and deaths didn’t begin until July 1837.
At that time, England & Wales were subdivided, for the purposes of registration, into administrative areas known as registration districts. Within each, a district registrar was appointed to record the births, marriages and deaths within their district.
Four times a year, a copy of the district registers was made for the Registrar General, who collated all the birth, marriage and death registers for England & Wales into a single countrywide index, arranged alphabetically by surname (and then alphabetically by forename within each surname).
Births - quarters
The indexes are quarterly rather than annual - the four quarters being March, June, September and December:
- January, February, March registrations in the March quarter
- April, May, June registrations in the June quarter
- July, August, September registrations in the September quarter
- October, November, December registrations in the December quarter
Note that the quarters contain the births registered within them, which is not necessarily the same as births which took place within them.
The reason why this is so is that legally there are 42 days within which to register a birth; some births which took place during a month in one quarter will be registered in the next. This is most common for births which took place within the last month of a quarter, e.g. a birth in December might be registered in January (or, indeed, in February) the following year.
Finding birth records
Normally, then, where you have an exact date of birth, you will find the entry for the birth you are looking for in the same or the next quarter, as follows:
- January, February, March births in the March or June quarter
- April, May, June births in the June or September quarter
- July, August, September births in the September or December quarter
- October, November, December births in the December or the following March quarter
Troubleshooting
Most family trees will have one or more births which were registered late. In theory at least, there was a fine for late registration. If you do not find the entry you are seeking in the same or the next quarter, it is sensible at least to check the two immediately following quarters, to cover the possibility of late registration.
Births - Legitimate/illegitimate
Legitimate births
Those where the two parents of the child were married to one another at the time of birth (not necessarily also at the time of conception) should have been indexed only under the surname of the father.
Illegitimate births
Those where the parents of the child were not married to one another at the time of birth should be registered under the surname of the mother.
Where paternity was acknowledged and the name of the father is given in the register, the birth may in addition be registered under the surname of the father.
Missing forenames - males and females.
Children do not have to be named before they can be registered.
If a child is unnamed at registration, they will appear in the index as either "male" or "female". "Males" and "females" appear at the end of the alphabetical sequence of forenames under the given surname. Very rarely, these births will be indexed as "boy" or "girl".
Do not assume that a "male" or a "female" will have died in early infancy, although this is indeed a common reason for the birth being registered in this way. Many "males" and "females" were merely named later, at the time of baptism.
Births - age adjustments
If, despite having an exact date, you do not find the entry for the birth you are looking for at or immediately after that date, treat the year with some caution.
- If the date is from a modern (post-1969) death certificate, it may well be the case that the day and month are correct but the year is not.
- It is not at all uncommon to find that a person has modified their age - for instance, when declaring their age at marriage - and then this fiction has stuck with them over time.
- In respect of other people, their ages simply may have become hazy over time.
In any event, in these circumstances, try checking a year or two either side of the given date, beginning with the same quarters.
For example, if you have a birth which supposedly took place in January 1898 and it is not listed as it should be in the March or June quarters 1898, nor registered late in the September or December quarters 1898, next check the March and June quarters in both 1897 and 1899, as necessary.
Spelling variations
If you still have no success, you may wish to consider spelling variations, either those genuinely in use by the family, or those accidentally created by registrars or by those copying them or preparing the indexes.
Finding surnames
If you treat the indexes as you would a telephone directory, searching them should become intuitive in no time at all.
They are arranged alphabetically from A-Z. However, some comment is needed in respect of certain types of surname.
"Unknowns"
In the case of births and deaths, surnames beginning with Z may well be followed by a short sequence of registrations where the surname was unknown.Mc and Mac
The methodology used by the GRO when indexing Mac and Mc surnames changed over time.
- Before June quarter 1969 these are indexed separately
- From June quarter 1969 these surnames are interfiled - when searching June 1969 to December 1983 you must remember that they are all indexed as MAC.
For example, MacDonald & McDonald are both indexed under MAC.
O' names
If the name you are researching is O'Reilly or O'Shea, you should be able to find entries quite simply in the O sequence as if the apostrophe in the surname were not there - so that, for example, O'Shea comes between Osgood and Osler.
Double-barrelled surnames
These should be indexed after the entries for the first component of the hyphenated name.
- For example, you should look for Harvey-Smith after the Harvey entries. It would be after, say, Harvey-Jones but before Harvey-Wood.
- However, if a registrar or indexer did not interpret Harvey-Smith as a surname, but Harvey as a middle name and Smith as the surname, then the entry could be under Smith.
It is not at all unusual to find that an indexer has erred on the side of caution and where in doubt entered the registration under both names in the index.
De or Le or St or Van / Van Der or Von names
If your name is, say, De Burgh or Le Jeune or St John or Van Horne or Van der Zyden or Von Essen, you should be listed under the first component of your name as if there were no space between the two components.
For instance, De Burgh should therefore be in the index between surnames such as Debney and Debus.
Nuns
The deaths of nuns are often entered not under their true given name but using the formula Sister Mary, Mother Maria and so on.
These are then indexed under S for Sisters, M for Mothers etc. Sometimes, they appear to be entered under the forename, so that a Sister Cecilia might be indexed under Cecilia or under Sister.
Jewish and Eastern European names
Immigrants in, for example, the 1890s were unlikely to be literate in English and, of course, registrars in England & Wales were unlikely to be fluent in the native language of the immigrant, such as Yiddish, Polish or Russian.
Russian, of course, uses a different alphabet and can be transliterated in different ways from the Cyrillic to the Roman alphabet used in English. Accordingly, you should be very cautious when looking for events under immigrant surnames and try to think of possible variants.
Umlauts
If you are researching a German name containing an umlaut, such as Müller, remember that you may need to check under Muller and Mueller.
Titled
Births of persons bearing hereditary titles should appear under the true given names but their deaths may well appear under their titles.
Marriages could be under either the true surname or the title, depending upon whether or not they have already assumed their title from the previous holder.
Royalty
Births of royalty will usually be registered under their surnames - such as Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Battenberg or Mountbatten, Windsor.
For example, the 1926 birth of HM Queen was entered in the index as the name Elizabeth A M Windsor.
3. Marriage - searching
Civil registration of births, marriages and deaths did not begin until July 1837. At that time England & Wales was subdivided into administrative areas known as registration districts.
Within each district a registrar took responsibility for the recording of births, marriages and deaths.
Four times a year all the registers for England & Wales and collated them into a single countrywide index, arranged alphabetically by surname.
The indexes to the registers are quarterly rather than annual in scope - the four quarters being known as March, June, September and December. Each of these covers the month itself and the two preceding months, as follows:
- January, February, March registrations in the March quarter
- April, May, June registrations in the June quarter
- July, August, September registrations in the September quarter
- October, November, December registrations in the December quarter
Note that, for the researcher, marriages, unlike births, have the advantage of being registered immediately at the time of the event.
Normally, then, where you have an exact date of marriage, you will find the entry for the marriage you are looking for in the same quarter.
Please note that our marriage records do not extend as far as the present day.
Marriages suffer an unfortunate delay in reaching the central register, as (unlike births and deaths) the information relating to marriages has to be collated from churches and other religious establishments as well as district register offices.
Troubleshooting
Of the three events of birth, marriage and death, marriages might be the event where most inaccuracies are recorded - sometimes by accident and sometimes by design.
The field on the certificate which must be regarded with most caution is that for age - note that what is recorded is declared age rather than proven age.
It is therefore not uncommon for bride and/or groom to modify their respective ages. This might be done to reduce a disparity in age, where one party is significantly younger than the other.
Some early certificates unhelpfully state merely that the bride and/or groom were "of full age", which only suggests that they were over the age of majority, being 21 years of age at that time, and able to marry without their parents' consent.
Bigamy
Sometimes, a bride or groom might be coy about their marital condition.
Previous marriages might be concealed from partners, even when the marriage has been terminated by death or legally dissolved. Bigamy is not so very uncommon that you can rule out the possibility of finding it on your own family tree. In any event, be prepared to treat with caution all declarations of marital status found on marriage certificates.
Marriages - where in the country?
Marriages traditionally took place in the parish of the bride, which may or may not be located in the same registration district as the parish of the groom.
Eloping was probably more common in fiction than in life but don’t be surprised if you find the marriage of an ancestor out of area. You might even want to consider Scottish records for those whose idea of romance included Gretna Green!
It is a common misapprehension that what we would now call common law relationships were rare in the Victorian era.
They may have been rarer but they were not so uncommon that you should feel shocked or startled to discover apparent evidence of them on your own family tree.
Marriage records - in whose name?
The indexes record each marriage under the names of both bride and groom, so for every marriage there will be two entries in the indexes.
From March 1912 the spouse's name was recorded on the indexes so, if you know both names, the correct entry should be immediately identifiable.
Before that date, where you know both names you will need to cross-reference any candidate entries against the other surname to see if there is a match.
You are looking for the following to match:
- Name
- Registration district
- Volume
- Page number
The registration district, volume and page number will always be identical.
It is sensible to search under the more distinctive of the two names, unless you believe that this surname is at serious risk of being mis-spelt or being subject to spelling variation.
Marriage spelling variations
If you still have no success, you may wish to consider spelling variations, either those genuinely in use by the family, or those accidentally created by registrars or by those copying them or preparing the indexes.
Marriage certificates
Marriage certificates (see birth, marriage & death certificates for more details) are one of the most useful documents to find, as they include a richness of detail not only for the bride and groom, but also for their respective fathers and sometimes other relatives who were witnesses.
4. Death – searching
Civil registration of births, marriages and deaths did not begin until July 1837. At that time England & Wales was subdivided into administrative areas known as registration districts.
Within each district a registrar took responsibility for the recording of births, marriages and deaths.
Four times a year all the registers for England & Wales and collated them into a single countrywide index, arranged alphabetically by surname.
The indexes to the registers are quarterly rather than annual in scope - the four quarters being known as March, June, September and December. Each of these covers the month itself and the two preceding months, as follows:
- January, February, March registrations in the March quarter
- April, May, June registrations in the June quarter
- July, August, September registrations in the September quarter
- October, November, December registrations in the December quarter
Note that the quarters contain the deaths registered within them, which is not necessarily the same as deaths which took place within them.
The reason why this is so is that legally deaths are required to be registered within five days of the event but, again, sometimes are registered late. A coroner’s inquest, for example, might significantly delay the issuing of a death certificate.
Some deaths which took place during a month in one quarter will be registered in a month in the next quarter. Clearly, this is most common for deaths which took place within the last month of a quarter.
For example, a death in December might be registered in January (or, indeed, in February) the following year, which means that it would be registered not in the December quarter but in the March quarter of the year following that in which it took place.
Normally, then, where you have an exact date of death, you will find the entry for the death you are looking for in the same or the next quarter.
Troubleshooting
As previously mentioned, deaths should be registered within five days.
However, if the person died in uncertain circumstances, an inquest may be held and this could delay registration further. If you do not find the entry you are seeking in the same or the next quarter, therefore, it is sensible at least to check the two immediately following quarters, to cover the possibility of late registration.
Deaths - where in the country?
Deaths are registered within the district in which they occurred, which is not necessarily the same as where the deceased habitually resided -for example, if a person dies at work, while travelling or on business.
It is also the case that a hospital to which a dying person is taken might be in a neighbouring registration district to the one in which they resided - this is particularly likely in densely-populated urban areas, where there can be several districts within a geographically small area.
Death records - age adjustments
One does not register one's own death! Therefore, one should view with caution details recorded upon it, as the reliability of these will depend of the level of knowledge of the person acting as informant at the death.
Recorded ages at deaths are often found to be unreliable.
- From September quarter 1837 to December quarter 1865 no age is given in the death index
- From March quarter 1866 to March quarter 1969 the age at death is shown in the index
- From June quarter 1969 to present, the exact date of birth is given (please see key dates).
If a recorded date of birth appears to be incorrect - in other words, you cannot find a corresponding entry in the birth index - it is more likely to be the year, rather than day or month, that is problematic (although all three may be incorrect).
Finally, of course, the individual may have been economical with the truth about their age during their lifetime and the misrepresentation may be inadvertently carried over to the registration of their death.
Death records - spelling variations
If you still have no success, you may wish to consider spelling variations, either those genuinely in use by the family, or those accidentally created by registrars or by those copying them or preparing the indexes.
5. National Burial Index
Putting parish burial registers online
The project of creating the National Burial Index began in 1994 and was first published in 2001 and contained 5.4 million records. The burial records, derived from parish registers, bishops' transcripts, earlier transcripts or printed registers by local family history society volunteers have continued to grow, so much so that a second edition, containing 13 million records, was published in 2004.
Pre-1837 records
The majority of the records cover the period from 1813 - 1850 but the index does extend significantly in both directions from these dates.
Find parish burial records
The National Burial Index (NBI) for England and Wales assists family historians in finding burial records and, in doing so, complements the International Genealogical Index (IGI) which is mainly a finding aid to baptisms and marriages. The NBI is becoming a national archive, giving worldwide access to sources held by those local repositories and family history societies and groups participating in the project.Read more about the Federation of Family History Societies’ National Burial Index project here
See a list of contributing Family History Societies:
Burial registers, memorial transcriptions and grave images
The first phase of the project is to put the NBI online at findmypast. This will then be supplemented with full burial register transcriptions, memorial inscriptions and even images of the graves where these are available from member societies.
Church of England, Catholic and Non-Conformist burial records
There are traditionally three types of Christian in England:
Church of England
The majority of burials recorded in the National Burial Index are for members of The Church of England, the Established Church in the UK.
The Church of England, or Anglican Church, grew out of the Protestant Reformation and as such does not recognise Papal Authority.
The highest authority in the Church of England is the British Monarch, to whom an oath of allegiance is sworn by all Anglican clergy.
A Church of England parish usually consists of one church and a single community of worshippers, although sizes can vary depending upon the density of a local population. As can be seen from the City of London Burial Indexes, the ‘Square Mile’ of London alone was home to 98 churches at one time.
Some larger parishes had outlying chapels attached to a mother church, in order to allow more remote or affluent parishioners the ability to worship away from the community. These chapels would not have registered births, marriages or deaths however; this responsibility would have remained with the mother church.
Each parish kept its own burial register, a copy of which was then in turn sent to the headquarters of the relevant Diocese. A Diocese refers to all of the parishes which fall under the jurisdiction of any one diocesan Bishop.
This copy, The Bishops’ Transcript, was not always complete or forthcoming, and in many cases may be less full than the parish register. Illegitimate children and comments on parishioners were usually excluded from the Bishops’ Transcript. The originals remained with their respective parishes until recently; many have now been deposited with County Record Offices.
Roman Catholic
Organised along a similar line to the Anglican Church, with regard to hierarchy, a Catholic parish church refers to one building, serving one spiritual community. Unlike the Protestant Church, however, the highest authority for British Catholics is the Pope, and not the British Monarch.
The Catholic Church in Britain was the subject of persecution following Henry VIII’s move to separate worship from Rome. In the three hundred years following this, Catholicism in Britain was suppressed and outlawed, to the point of near-extinction.
Following the Napoleonic War, Britain’s relationship with Catholic countries, and the faith itself, improved. Prior to this, under the terms of the Test and Corporation Acts, Catholics and Non-Conformists were subject to religious testing in order to serve in public office – anyone professing beliefs other than that of the Established Church was banned from office. The 1829 Catholic Emancipation Act restored Catholics to full public life.
As a result of the prolonged repression of Catholicism, many areas would not have a Roman Catholic Church. In rural areas, Catholicism was mainly the preserve of the landed gentry, who tended to have their own private chapels.
Non-Conformist
Non-Conformists are Protestant Christians who worship outside of the Established Church of England, due to differing views on hierarchy and religious freedom.
These were the Dissenters – break-away sects who thought that the Church of England was not observant or devout enough and/or only catered for the propertied classes.
Non-Conformist groups included:
- Baptists
- Congregationalists
- Methodists
- Presbyterians
- Puritans
- Quakers (Society of Friends)
- Unitarians
Quakers and Jews were allowed to keep their own birth, marriage and death registers, due in part to the differences in their ceremonies to that of the Established Church, and also their aptitude for keeping records. None of the other denominations of Non-Conformists were exempted, for this reason many of them married in Church of England ceremonies following the 1754 Hardwicke Act.
These Christians felt that the Reformation and subsequent establishment of the Church of England didn’t go far enough, and were hostile towards the involvement of the monarchy in the Church. Oliver Cromwell’s rule was based on puritanical, dissenting values.
They worshipped in (usually plain-looking) chapels or, in the case, of Quakers, in Meeting Houses.
In many localities, for a long time the Anglican churchyard was the only available place of burial, so Non-Conformists tended to be buried there and to appear in the parish burial registers even though they were not members of the Church of England.
Non-denominational and Atheist burials
A non-denominational burial ground is one that’s available for the deceased of any religious community, or atheists.
Atheists were also buried in Church of England burial grounds, usually in the main consecrated area despite their wish not to, or in the specially laid-aside non-consecrated area.
This was often where those who had committed suicide, ladies of ill repute and murderers found their final resting place.
6. City of London Burials
Introduction by John Hanson
Searching for burials in London is never easy and the problem is worse in the City of London itself, where there were 98 churches within the so-called "Square Mile", or historic core of the city. Add to this the fact that the General Register Office (GRO) death indexes from their start in 1837 to 1865 do not display the age at death and the problem is exacerbated.
Parish registers include the age at death from at least 1813, but this is no help if you have no idea where within the area a person was buried. However, burials in the City ceased in 1853 and in fact in many of its parishes had slowed down well before then, with fresh interments moving to the new burial grounds outside the city.
The original City of London Burial Index was created by Cliff Webb and produced by the West Surrey Family History Society in 1991 and re-issued in 1997. This index has now been added to findmypast.com and contains details from 75 of the 98 churches within the City of London (the so-called “square mile”).
Having realised the shortfall, Monnica Stevens calculated that, as there were 38,000 entries in Cliff Webb’s original index, there should be only about 10,000 in the remainder, and decided to transcribe the burial registers of the outstanding 23 churches. After a couple of parishes, however, Monnica discovered that the missing churches were mainly the large ones and, in all, these produced nearly 80,000 burials.
Burial records for one church in the City are excluded from the index. This is St Peter ad Vincula, the chapel in the Tower of London, records for which are still in the Tower. Despite repeated requests for access to index the register, to date permission has not been granted.
It was then decided to expand the index, including burial grounds (such as Bunhill Fields and Spa Fields) and the ring of parishes on the fringe of the city, including those south of the River Thames. Burial grounds such as Spa Fields catered mostly but by no means exclusively for Non-Conformist rather than Anglican burials.
The dropdown list on the search page will show you the churches and burial grounds available on findmypast, with the newly added Cliff Webb Index included. Below you will find a more detailed alphabetical list of the churches and burial grounds, including the range of dates for each.
Having completed that project, we are now going back in time and indexing the period from 1754 to 1812.
The database now contains 349,373 entries. Each entry of Monnica Stevens’s is a complete abstract of the record – please note that there is no additional information in the original register.
In this sense, then, the database is not so much an index, or finding aid, but a full transcription.
However, the original City of London Burial Index created by Cliff Webb is more of an index, and is not a full transcription: in most cases, the month and address fields have not been transcribed.
Each record on Find My Past is attributed to one or the other source, so you will be able to determine whether there may be additional details in the original burial register.
All entries within the burial registers in question have been transcribed, with the exception of those which were for the unidentified and unidentifiable (for example, "a drowned man"). Entries which were forename-only, or surname-only, are included.
For further information on London burials, we recommend the 2005 7th edition of Greater London Cemeteries and Crematoria by Patricia Wolfston and revised by Cliff Webb, published by The Society of Genealogists.
The list below will give you more information about each church – the dates for which we have burial records, the number of burials in the database, the location and any other interesting snippets. The churches that have been recently added as part of the Cliff Webb Index can be found by scrolling to the bottom.
Churches and burial grounds featured in the City of London Burials database
All Hallows, Barking
Burial records coverage: 1813 - 1861
Number of records: 1,620
All Hallows, otherwise known as All-Hallows by the Tower, is located on Byward Street, EC3. Samuel Pepys watched The Great Fire of London from the Tower of All Hallows 'and there saw the saddest sight of desolation that I ever saw. Everywhere great flames.'The Church is still open for worship, concerts and exhibitions – to find out more, visit http://www.allhallowsbythetower.org.uk/index.htm
Austin Friars Dutch Church
Burial records coverage: 1813 - 1853
Number of records: 57
This Dutch Church, located in Austin Friars EC2, traces its origins to Edward VI allowing Dutch Protestant refugees to make use of the nave of a church belonging to the Austin Friars (Augustine Monks). The Church was destroyed in 1940 by German bombs in the Blitz, then rebuilt 10 years later. An engraving from 1815 can be seen at http://www.londonancestor.com/views/dutch-church.htm.
For more information, see http://www.dutchchurch.org.uk/indexeng.htm
Bridewell Precinct
Burial records coverage: 1813 - 1844
Number of records: 385
This precinct, or area surrounding a place of worship, contained the Bridewell Chapel and Bridewell Royal Hospital. Bridewell Chapel was united with St Bride, Fleet Street in 1864.
Bunhill Fields
Burial records coverage: 1788 – 1853
Number of records: 47,622
Bunhill Fields is located on City Road, Islington. It was primarily, although not exclusively, a cemetery for Nonconformists: Christians who did not belong to the Church of England. The Nonconformists buried at Bunhill Fields include amongst their number John Bunyan, Daniel Defoe and William Blake; the last of whom is contained in our searchable records. The Poet Robert Southey called Bunhill Fields 'the Campo Santo of the Dissenters,' (Campo Santo being an Italian or Spanish term for cemetery, literally meaning 'Holy Field'). More information can be found at http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/living_environment/open_spaces/bunhill.htm
Fetter Lane, Independent
Burial records coverage: 1786 - 1801
Number of records covered: 19
The Fetter Lane Independent Chapel was founded in 1660 and was rebuilt in 1732. John Wesley preached in this new chapel in 1737. Thomas Goodwin, one-time chaplain to Oliver Cromwell, was a pastor at the Church. John Spurgeon, the father of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, known as ‘The Prince of Preachers’ was another of its pastors.
Fetter Lane, Moravian
Burial records coverage: 1742 - 1837
Number of records covered: 801
The Fetter Lane Moravian Church was born out of the Society of the same name, linked inextricably to John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, in its early days. The Church was destroyed in the Second World War but is now reopened in Chelsea. Visit the Church’s website.
Golden Lane
Burial records coverage: 1833 – 1853
Number of records: 17,856
The site of Golden Lane, in the Borough of Islington, has been subject to a number of developments since it stopped accepting burials in 1853. It is presently being converted into an educational and sports facility
Hamburg German Lutheran at Holy Trinity The Less
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1847
Number of records: 35
The first Lutheran Church in Britain was named Trinity Lutheran Church – built on the site of Holy Trinity the Less, an Anglican Church destroyed in The Great Fire of London. It became known as Hamburg Lutheran Church due to the Hamburg merchants' involvement in funding the construction. The Church was taken back by the City in 1873 and used in the building of Mansion House Station.
Independent Chapel, Southwark
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1837
Number of records covered: 4603
The burial ground at Deadman’s Place in Southwark was initially used for the mass interment of a huge number of plague victims. It eventually became the graveyard for the Independent Chapel which adjoined the grounds, and was used for the burial of ministers, serving in some ways as a South London version of Bunhill Fields. The site is now in the yard of a brewery.
Mercers' Hall
Burial records coverage: 1814 – 1833
Number of records: 7
Located on Ironmonger Lane, EC2 Mercers' Hall is home to the Mercers' Company, which administers charitable trusts and grants. Two public sermons are still preached in the Chapel of Mercers' Hall, one at Advent and one at Lent. For information on organised tours of the Hall, visit http://www.mercers.co.uk
Spa Fields Burial Ground
Burial records coverage: 1810 – 1849
Number of records: 60,636
Located on Northampton Road, EC1, opposite the London Metropolitan Archives, Spa Fields is now a public garden. In December 1816 Spa Fields witnessed a riot involving a group of revolutionary Spenceans (followers of Thomas Spence) who hoped to seize control of the government.
St Andrew, Holborn
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1856
Number of records: 24,972
Located on Holborn Circus, EC4, St Andrew's is still open for services and concerts. Sir Christopher Wren rebuilt the Church after The Great Fire of London; it had survived but was in a dilapidated state. The tower of St Andrew's is referred to in Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. For more information, visit
http://www.standrewholborn.org.uk/
St Andrew's by the Wardrobe
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1850
Number of records: 839
St Andrew's by the Wardrobe stands at Queen Victoria Street, EC4. The 'Wardrobe' of the name refers to the Church's proximity to the Royal Wardrobe, relocated from the Tower of London by Edward III, until both the Church and Wardrobe were destroyed in the Great Fire. The rebuilt Church contains a memorial to its most famous parishioner, William Shakespeare, who worked and lived nearby during his time at the Blackfriars Theatre. For more information, see http://www.hiddenlondon.com/st_andward.htm
St Ann, Blackfriars
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1849
Number of records: 2,595
St Ann's, located in EC2, was destroyed in the Great Fire in 1666 and never rebuilt – the parish was united with nearby St Andrew by the Wardrobe. The burial ground did survive, however.
St Bartholomew the Great
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1853
Number of records: 1,904
St Bartholomew the Great, or Great St Bart's, is still open for services and concerts. Situated in West Smithfield, EC1 it was founded by a courtier of Henry I and in recent years has been used as a location in films such as Shakespeare in Love, Four Weddings and a Funeral and The End of the Affair. For more information, visit http://www.greatstbarts.com/default.htm
St Botolph, Aldgate
Burial records coverage: 1813 - 1853
Number of records: 7,203
St Botolph's still stands on Aldgate High Street, EC3. It is open for services and is said to house the oldest organ in the UK, which has recently been restored. For more information, visit
http://www.stbotolphs.org.uk/index.php
St Botolph, Aldersgate
Burial records coverage: 1813 - 1853
Number of records: 5,219
St Botolph's stands on Aldersgate Street, EC1 and is now a mid-week Church, holding meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is located at the north east end of Postman's Park. The Park was the idea of G.F. Watts, a Victorian Artist, who wanted to create a memorial to working class people who had died helping others. Some of the commemorative Doulton tiles from the Park can be viewed here and include 'John Clinton aged 10 who was drowned near London Bridge in trying to save a companion younger than himself'. For more information, see http://www.stbotolphsaldersgate.org.uk/index.htm
St Botolph, Bishopsgate
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1855
Number of records: 8,633
St Botolph's is still functioning in Bishopsgate, EC2 and open to the public during the week. John Keats was baptised at the church in 1795.
St Bride, Fleet St
Burial records coverage: 1813 - 1854
Number of records: 5,504
St Bride's off Fleet St, EC4 is one of the most ancient churches in England and is named for the sixth century Irish Saint, Bridget. It was rebuilt by Wren after the great fire and has a long-standing association with the press and printing industry. It is also claimed that the steeple of St Bride's is the inspiration for modern multi-tiered wedding cakes. For more information, visit http://www.stbrides.com/index.htm
St Clement Dane
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1890
Number of records: 13,201
St Clement Danes stands on the Strand, WC2. The Church was rebuilt by Wren after the Great Fire and in 1958 restored once more with funds raised by the Royal Air Force. It is now the Central Church of the RAF. Both St Clement Danes and St Clement Eastcheap claim to have inspired the nursery rhyme '"Oranges and lemons", say the bells of St. Clement's.' or more information, visit http://www.st-clement-danes.co.uk/
St Dunstan in the West
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1856
Number of records: 4,619
Standing on Fleet Street EC4, St Dunstan in the West is still open for services and recitals. It has a large chiming clock depicting two giants striking the bell with clubs. St Dunstan's is also home to the Romanian Orthodox Church in London. To find out more, visit http://www.stdunstaninthewest.org/homepage.htm
St Ethelburga, Bishopsgate
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1849
Number of records: 433
Located in Bishopsgate, EC2 St Ethelburga's is now a centre for reconciliation and peace, organising events and inter-faith dialogues. The church suffered in the Second World War and was nearly destroyed in 1993 by an IRA bomb. For more on the church, visit http://www.stethelburgas.org/index.htm
St Giles, Cripplegate
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1853
Number of records: 8,726
St Giles is situated in Barbican; EC2 and is still open for services. Despite St Giles being the patron saint of cripples, the word Cripplegate in fact refers to a 'cruplegate', or covered walkway, sections of which can still be seen. Both John Milton and Ben Jonson are buried in the church. To find out more, go to http://www.stgilescripplegate.org.uk/index.htm
St James, Clerkenwell
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1854
Number of records: 22,607
St James's stands on Clerkenwell Close, EC1 and is still open for services and community groups. For more information, visit http://www.jc-church.org/welcome.htm
St John, Clerkenwell
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1853
Number of records: 3,177
St John's was located in Benjamin Street, EC1, and was consecrated for burials in 1775. The findmypast.com offices now overlook the site, which was converted into a public park in 1887. A plaque in the park states that 'John Michele Esq., second son of Simon Michele Esq. of Saint John Clerkenwell, gave this ground as a place of burial to the Parish of Saint John Clerkenwell by a Grant dated May 1 1714'.
St John Horsleydown
Burial records coverage: 1800 – 1853
Number of records covered: 15709
The tower of St John Horsleydown was designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor, and it stood on the South Bank of the Thames, near the Tower of London. The church was destroyed in the Second World War. The lower part of the church was incorporated into an office building which now stands on the site.
St Katherine by the Tower
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1854
Number of records: 836
St Katherine's was demolished following the Act to establish St Katherine's Docks. The last service at the church took place on 30 October 1825; however, burials continued to be accepted until 1854.
St Katherine, Creechurch
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1853
Number of records: 1,097
St Katherine's still stands on Leadenhall Street, EC3. Henry Purcell and George Frederic Handel have both played the church's organ. It is now one of the City's Guild Churches. The London Guild Church Act led to 16 of the Parish Churches of the Square Mile closing on Sundays and instead opening on weekdays, focusing on lunch hours, with an emphasis on being used by city workers.
St Luke, Old Street
Burial records coverage: 1813-1854
Number of records: 26,782
St Martin, Ludgate
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1848
Number of records: 656
St Martin's is situated on Ludgate Hill, EC4 and is still home to services and music.
St Mary, Whitechapel
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1857
Number of records: 19,779
Also known as St Mary's Matfelon, the site of the church is now called Altab Ali Park. Altab Ali was a Bengali garment worker murdered in 1978. The name Whitechapel refers to the white-coloured chapel of St. Mary's itself.
St Olave, Hart St
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1853
Number of records: 610
Situated in Hart St, EC3, St Olave's was named for St. Olaf, the patron saint of Norway. Samuel Pepys and his wife were regular worshippers at the church and both are buried in the nave.
St Paul's Cathedral
Burial records coverage: 1814 – 1853
Number of records: 115
St Paul's Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of London and is situated on Ludgate Hill, EC4. After The Great Fire of London, Christopher Wren designed the new structure with a dome inspired by St Peter's Basilica in Rome. Lord Nelson, Sir Winston Churchill, Florence Nightingale and The Duke of Wellington are amongst the people interned in St Paul's. Wellington's burial record is contained within our records. For more information, visit www.stpauls.co.uk
St Peter Le Poer
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1853
Number of records: 263
St Peter Le Poer, literally 'Peter the poor man', was situated on Old Broad Street, EC2. The church was demolished in 1907.
St Saviour, Southwark
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1856
Number or records: 17,276
The parish took its name from the defunct St Saviour Abbey in Bermondsey – the church was designated as Southwark Cathedral in 1905. William Shakespeare's brother Edmund was buried in the church and Thomas Becket preached there before his murder. For more information, visit http://www.southwark.anglican.org/cathedral/
St Stephen, Coleman St
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1853
Number of records: 1,548
St Stephen's was situated on Coleman Street, EC2. Already rebuilt after The Great Fire of London, the church was irrevocably destroyed during the Second World War. The church was a bastion of Puritanism in the 17th century. Offices now stand on the site.
St Thomas, Southwark
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1854
Number of records: 3,348
St Thomas's had long standing links with the hospital of the same name, and was initially part of it. The church merged with St Saviour's in 1899, which became Southwark Cathedral in 1905.Having been used as a Chapter House for the Cathedral and more recently as an office space, the building is now awaiting repair due to damage accidentally sustained during the Jubilee Line extension programme.
Tower Hamlets Burial Ground
Burial records coverage: 1841 – 1852
Number of records: 7,598
Located in E3 Tower Hamlets was one of the 'Magnificent Seven' cemeteries which were set up as a means of solving the problem of overcrowding in urban church burial grounds. The cemetery was divided into consecrated and non-consecrated ground to accommodate both Anglican and non-Anglican burials. Damaged in the Second World War, the cemetery was closed to burials in 1966 and is now a nature reserve. For more information, visit
http://www.towerhamletscemetery.org/
United Parishes of St Leonard & Christchurch
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1836
Number of records: 1,431
The Parish of Christchurch on Newgate Street, EC1 was united with St Leonard's after the latter burnt down during The Great Fire of London. Christchurch, also known as Christchurch Greyfriars, was destroyed in 1940's Blitz. Its Tower was restored in 1960. For more information, see
http://www.christchurchtower.com/index.html
St Anne & St Agnes
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1853
Number of records: 571
All Hallows, Bread St
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1851
Number of records: 128
All Hallows Great (including All Hallows Less)
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1853
Number of records: 816
All Hallows, Honey Lane
Burial records coverage: 1814 – 1851
Number of records: 51
St Andrew, Hubbard
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1846
Number of records: 120
St Alban, Wood St (including St Olave, Silver St)
Burial records coverage: 1813 - 1852
Number of records: 921
St Alphage, London Wall
Burial records coverage: 1813 - 1851
Number of records: 679
All Hallows, Lombard St
Burial records coverage: 1813 - 1853
Number of records: 346
All Hallows, London Wall
Burial records coverage: 1813 - 1849
Number of records: 788
St Antholin, Budge Row (including St John the Baptist on Walbrook)
Burial records coverage: 1813 - 1853
Number of records: 461
All Hallows, Staining
Burial records coverage: 1813 - 1853
Number of records: 460
All Hallows Less (see All Hallows Great)
St Augustine, Watling St
Burial records coverage: 1813 - 1853
Number of records: 227
St Andrew, Undershaft
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1849
Number of records: 633
St Botolph, Billingsgate
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1845
Number of records: 100
St Bartholomew by Royal Exchange
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1838
Number of records: 117
St Benet Fink
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1845
Number of records: 327
St Benet Gracechurch (including St Leonard Eastcheap)
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1852
Number of records: 321
St Bartholomew The Less
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1853
Number of records: 262
St Benet Paul's Wharf
Burial records coverage: 1813 -1853
Number of records: 591
St Benet Sherehog (see St Stephen Walbrook)
St Christopher le Stocks (see St Margaret, Lothbury)
St Clement, Eastcheap (including St Martin Orgar)
Burial records coverage: 1813 -1853
Number of records: 485
St Dionis Backchurch
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1849
Number of records: 669
St Dunstan in the East
Burial records coverage: 1813 -1853
Number of records: 943
St Edmund King and Martyr
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1850Number of records: 275
St Faith under St Paul
Burial records coverage: 1813 -1853
Number of records: 667
St Gabriel Fenchurch
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1851
Number of records: 154
St George, Botolph Lane
Burial records coverage: 1814 – 1848
Number of records: 223
St Gregory by St Paul’s
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1821
Number of records: 339
St Helen, Bishopsgate
Burial records coverage: 1813 -1853
Number of records: 329
Holy Trinity The Less
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1852
Number of records: 467
Holy Trinity In The Minories
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1852
Number of records: 467
St John the Baptist on Walbrook (see St Antholin, Budge Row)
St James Duke's Place
Burial records coverage: 1813 -1853
Number of records: 176
St John the Evangelist, Friday St
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1822
Number of records: 11
St James Garlickhythe
Burial records coverage: 1813 -1853
Number of records: 858
St John Zachary
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1849
Number of records: 189
St Katherine Coleman
Burial records coverage: 1813 -1853
Number of records: 698
Lamb's Chapel
Burial records coverage:
Number of records: 0
St Leonard Eastcheap (see St Benet, Gracechurch)
St Lawrence Jewry (including St Mary Magdalen, Milk St)
Burial records coverage: 1813 -1853
Number of records: 350
St Lawrence Pountney
Burial records coverage: 1813 -1853
Number of records: 163
St Mary Abchurch
Burial records coverage: 1813 -1853
Number of records: 198
St Magnus the Martyr (including St Margaret, Fish Street Hill)
Burial records coverage: 1813 -1853
Number of records: 338
St Mary At Hill
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1850
Number of records: 558
St Mary the Virgin Aldermanbury
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1856
Number of records: 310
St Mary Bothaw (see St Swithin London Stone)
St Mildred Bread St
Burial records coverage: 1813 -1853
Number of records: 159
St Michael Crooked Lane
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1852
Number of records: 414
St Mary Colechurch (see St Mildred Poultry)
St Mary Magdalen Old Fish Street
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1853
Number of records: 620
St Michael Bassishaw
Burial records coverage: 1813 -1853
Number of records: 333
St Michael Cornhill
Burial records coverage: 1813 -1853
Number of records: 325
St Mildred Poultry (including St Mary Colechurch)
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1852
Number of records: 22
St Mary Le Bow
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1852
Number of records: 195
St Margaret Lothbury (including St Christopher le Stocks)
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1853
Number of records: 291
St Michael Le Querne
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1849
Number of records: 103
St Mary Magdalen, Milk St (see St Lawrence Jewry)
St Mary Mounthaw
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1849
Number of records: 255
St Margaret Moses, Friday St
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1850
Number of records: 50
St Margaret, New Fish Street (see St Magnus the Martyr)
St Martin Orgar (see St Clement, Eastcheap)
St Martin Outwich
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1852
Number of records: 138
St Margaret Pattens
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1853
Number of records: 140
St Martin Pomeroy, Ironmonger Lane
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1848
Number of records: 83
St Michael Paternoster Royal
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1850
Number of records: 215
St Michael Queenhithe
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1852
Number of records: 820
St Mary Somerset
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1853
Number of records: 494
St Mary Staining (see St Michael, Wood Street)
St Matthew, Friday St
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1846
Number of records: 59
St Mary Aldermanbury
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1851
Number of records: 456
St Martin Vintry
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1849
Number of records: 228
St Mary Woolchurch Haw
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1848
Number of records: 101
St Mary Woolnoth
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1852
Number of records: 372
St Michael Wood St (including St Mary Staining)
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1820
Number of records: 77
St Nicholas Acons
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1848
Number of records: 71
St Nicholas Cole Abbey
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1851
Number of records: 185
St Nicholas Olave
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1852
Number of records: 409
St Olave Old Jewry
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1849
Number of records: 135
St Olave Silver St (see St Alban Wood Street)
St Pancras Soper Lane
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1849
Number of records: 42
St Peter Ad Vincula
Burial records coverage: N/A
Number of records: N/A
St Peter upon Cornhill
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1853
Number of records: 360
St Peter Paul's Wharf
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1849
Number of records: 313
St Peter Westcheap
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1846
Number of records: 34
St Clement Dane
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1853
Number of records: NA
St Sepulchre
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1857
Number of records: 8837
St Stephen, Walbrook (including St Benet Sherehog)
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1860
Number of records: 339
St Swithin London Stone (including St Mary Bothaw)
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1853
Number of records: 655
The Temple
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1853
Number of records: 112
St Thomas Apostle
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1849
Number of records: 379
St Vedast Foster Lane
Burial records coverage: 1813 – 1853
Number of records: 181
7. Civil Service of Evidence of Age Records
The CSEA are 60,000 files for established civil servants and civil service examination candidates, which were collected by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) from 1855 in order to establish accurate birth dates for the purpose of either ensuring that an examination candidate was of the required age, or granting a pension.
By the 1980s, the CSC had accumulated original documents for approximately 60,000 individuals, consisting largely of items that it would be impractical to replace, such as personal testimonials or documents from overseas. This important genealogical collection was deposited at the Society of Genealogists (SoG) and provides unique evidence of birth for which other sources are unlikely to be available. It might more properly be titled the Remains of the Civil Service Evidences of Age, as it is estimated that it constitutes only 2% of the papers originally collected.
What period is covered by the collection?
This collection spans evidence of birth from 1752 up until the twentieth century, though the vast majority of births recorded took place in the nineteenth century.
The SoG indexers transcribed not just the civil service post-holder or candidate, but also any relatives named in the same document where a date of birth was given for them. There may be very little information recorded about such relatives: typically an estimated date of birth and their relationship to the main individual. Where these relatives were parents of civil service employees, they may well have been born well before the start of the nineteenth century.
It is important to realise that not all civil servants are reflected in the collection, let alone all those who applied to the Civil Service Commission for employment. In general, papers were not kept if the information could easily be obtained again from another source (such as through the Registrar General’s birth index).
What types of people are contained in the dataset?
The collection does not include the Whitehall staff usually thought of when the Civil Service is mentioned. It does include many others who were appointed through the Commission, often in comparatively humble posts – for instance prison officers, post office workers and workers in Admiralty dockyards.
What geographical area is covered?
Many candidates for the Service had been born in places and at times when no state registration of births existed. This was particularly the case for Scottish and Irish candidates and also for those born in foreign countries, on board ship (over 80 births) and in the British colonies. There are also many cases of candidates born in England after the start of civil registration whose births had not been registered: non-registration was not uncommon until fines were instituted in the 1870s.
The collection comprises those born in England (37% of all entries), Ireland (28%), Scotland (6%), Wales (2%), the British Empire and further afield. Of those born in England, counties well-represented include Middlesex/London (7% of the whole), Kent (3%), Devon and Dorset. There are five times as many Irish in the database as those of England per head of population. The Irish counties of Dublin (5%), Cork (3%), Armagh, Carlow, Queen's (Laois) and Kildare are particularly well represented.
Elsewhere there are over 2,500 individuals born in the Indian sub-continent, and 1,250 born in Malta. Many of the latter group were employed in the Admiralty Dockyards in Valletta – their birth certificates give three generations of the family.
This data stems from a time when the British Empire was at the height of its power and influence.
There are also significant numbers of records (approximate number of files given in brackets) for the following countries: Canada (545), Australia (520, including Australians who worked in branches of the Royal Mint in Perth and Sydney), USA (475), South Africa (410), Gibraltar (400), France (240), Jamaica (155), Ceylon (150), Germany (125), Bermuda (115), New Zealand (110), Burma (95), Barbados (90), China (75), Greece (60), Egypt (55), Hong Kong (55), Italy (55), Belgium (50) and Bahamas (50). There are of course lower numbers of persons born in other colonies and foreign parts.
What can I find in the online index?
The index gives full name, date and place of birth, CSC reference number and additional notes made by indexers at the Society. Where no birth date is given, the SoG transcribers have recorded the baptismal date and place where these are given. 4% of entries therefore relate to baptisms and not to births.
The original documents are fascinating historical records. They may (or, of course, in some instances, may not) provide further information such as the address at time of application to join the Civil Service, details of other family members, and of the civil service department where the candidate would work. Many documents are also in the handwriting of the Civil Service applicant or post-holder, or of a member of their family.
What is the reference given in the index?
Each reference is composed of two parts: the first is a serial number, the second a box number.
It is not known what the serial number signifies. However, reference numbers beginning ICS (for example ICS 1866) indicates an applicant to the Indian Civil Service in the year 1866.
The collection came to the Society in some 200 boxes and the documents were in recruitment order, seemingly by department.
Search tips
Surname and forename
Where it is known that an individual used more than their main forename or surname regularly, these have been added as separate entries in the database. In addition, the name variation functionality allows for a degree of flexibility in finding individuals whose surname spelling may vary from that keyed in.
There are some individuals whose forenames are not given, perhaps only their sex or forename initials being shown. This applies particularly to those born in China. There are also two individuals whose surnames are not known: a person born in Tamerton Foliott, Devon in September 1871 and a gentleman (forename Edward) living in Bristol in 1867.
Places in the UK
UK and Ireland counties have been recorded as at the time of Queen Victoria’s succession, 20 June 1837. Researchers should be aware that this means that London is defined as the City of London, and that the surrounding areas today thought of as Greater London are shown as belonging to the historical counties of Essex, Kent, Middlesex or Surrey, as applicable. However, it has not always been possible to determine whether a place of birth stated as London was strictly in the City or in Middlesex (or elsewhere) and it is prudent to consider entries in both London and Middlesex (or other adjoining counties) when viewing search results.
Place names
Countries have been recorded as at 1921. The decision is somewhat arbitrary but it is designed to reflect the main body of material in the collection (which pre-dates the dissolution of the British Empire) and cope with the international name and boundary changes during the span of the dataset.
This decision means that the country India is used in its pre-Independence sense and includes not just modern-day India but also places within Bangladesh, Burma and Pakistan. It also means that Ireland.
Please note that in three instances we have grouped places within a larger “country” entity. These are Malaysia (which includes the Federated Malay States and the Straits Settlements including Singapore); West Indies (which includes Jamaica); and Western Pacific Islands (which include Guam, Fiji, Samoa, Tahiti and Tonga).
Explanation of the tags in the Notes field
Tag |
Stands for |
Examples |
Adptd |
adopted |
adptd: Campbell, E |
Aka |
also known as |
Aka: Donnelly |
Altf |
alternative forename |
Altf: Alexander |
b |
name(s) at birth |
b: Westcomb, Jas |
Bcrt |
birth certificate |
Bcrt: Lovett |
Bp |
baptism |
Bp: 1914 INV |
BpC |
baptism certificate |
BpC: Cormack |
br |
brother |
br: Al, Fr |
Crt |
certificate |
Crt: Magrath |
Date |
date |
Date: alternative year 1851 |
Dcl |
declared |
Dcl: 1900 Dromahair LET |
Info |
information |
Info: declared by br Hy |
mn |
maiden name |
mn: Demster |
Occ |
occasionally |
Occ: Lynden |
prefix |
prefix |
Prefix: The Hon Sir |
Place |
place |
Place: alternative county TIP |
Reg |
registered |
Reg: Richard in error |
See |
see |
See: brother LONGBURN, W |
What do the original documents look like?
The original documents appear in a variety of languages other than English, including Dutch, French, German, Italian, Latin and Swedish.
Documents vary from originals of personal testimonies, certified copies of parish registers and birth certificates to such miscellaneous documents as original Indian horoscopes. Most files contain only one or two documents, while some where queries were evident run to 30 pages.
SoG charges a flat fee for producing all the documents within an individual's file, as stated. If the document is an index card, please be aware that these were transcripts, made in the 1960s and 1970s, of original documents and may contain little information beyond that given in the online index.
Examples of original documents
The examples here are typical, but the amount of information contained in the files varies very widely.
click images to see a large version
Online ordering
The index is a finding aid to the original entries and not a source in itself. Copies of extracts found via the index can be ordered online.
Acknowledgements
The Society of Genealogists is grateful to all those volunteers who participated in the creation of this index. Colin Gibbens instigated the project and worked on it from start to finish. The Society has no accurate record of all those who worked as Basement volunteers of the project and apologise for any whose faces are remembered but whose names have been forgotten. The following all worked on the indexing project: Jeanne Bryan, Isobel Charlton, Doreen Clayton, Helen Cohen, Jean Driver, Don Halliday, Lauren Harvey, Heather Hebblethwaite, Jo Hobday, Roy Kraske, Elisabeth McDougall, Dick Mynott, Gladys & Peter Paterson, Gill Pickup, Myrtle Rogala, the late Margaret Thomson, Roger Walpole, Barbara Westmuckett and Ann Wilkie. The following individuals worked on the resulting data: Robert Charnock, the late Chris Loveridge, David Squire and David Walsh.
8. Great Western Railway Shareholders Index
What is the Great Western Railway shareholders index?
This is not an index of railway staff, but shareholders in the Great Western Railway. The index contains details for 77,000 shareholders, with a total number of 292,000 names plus addresses (where given) entered into the registers.
These records have been contributed by the Society of Genealogists (SOG).
Read more about the Society of Genealogists here.
The Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway, also known affectionately as “God’s Wonderful Railway”, was built to link London to the West Country, South Wales and the South West of England. Bristol merchants were desperate for effective transport links to London, to prevent the emergence of Liverpool as the country’s second port.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel was the engineer on the project, personally surveying the route.
A century of records including some pre-dating civil registration
The registers were started when the GWR was created in 1835 and the series continues through to 1932. Each volume contains between 450 and 600 individual entries, which may relate to an event occurring up to 20 years earlier than the making of the entry. In almost all entries, the name of the shareholder is given together with an address, the names of the other parties (executors or legatees for deaths; husbands for marriages) and dates of death, probate, marriage or other event.
Search for Irish, Scottish and overseas ancestors, as well as English and Welsh
The majority of events are deaths in England and Wales, the split of events within the records is as follows:
Event
- Death 90%
- Marriage 4%
- Power of Attorney 4%
- Change of Name 0.5%
- Lunatics 0.2%
- Bankrupts 0.1%
- Others 1.3%
Most events relate to individuals in England and Wales, but there are also a significant number of Scottish, Irish and overseas records. The figures are:
Location
- England & Wales 95.2%
- Scotland 3.5%
- Ireland 0.7%
- Overseas 0.6%
Events dating back to 1806
It appears that there were 4 volumes in use simultaneously after 1870, each covering a
one to two year range of entries.
The date range covered in each volume starts about 10 years before the entries were made, but there are a number of earlier entries dating back up to twenty years in most volumes, with the earliest entry seen being a baptism in 1806, but this is an isolated exception.
The range of years covered and the number of shareholders and entries is:
Volumes |
Number of |
Number of |
Date Range |
1-75 |
52345 |
191000 |
(1824 ) 1835 – 1899 |
The Registers, which the Railway titled “Probate Books”, appear to contain a record of
documents produced to the company in support of the change of ownership or name
and frequently the disposition of the documents is recorded.
Nearly 300,000 names – find names, dates, places for key events.
The Index lists names, dates, places and the event or role of the person listed. Some people appear on two or more occasions, for instance those solicitors who acted as professional executors to estates. At the present time, the index covers some 77,000 events recorded by the railway up to 1910 with over 290,000 names.
Column Title in index |
Meaning (where this may not be obvious) |
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Surname |
|
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First Names |
Entered as shown in the Register, so William may be in full or |
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Title |
Sir; Lord; Capt; Rt Hon; Rev; etc - Mr and Esquire are not shown. |
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Place |
As given – some entries refer to a town or village, others give a |
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County |
The “Chapman” County Codes are used for counties in England, |
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Date of Event |
Self-explanatory |
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Event / Role –
Column entry Death Marriage Change of
Exec
Reg’r/Clergy?
Recipient
Declaration
Joint Holder
|
Generally, these are self-explanatory, but for some an explanation
|
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Volume |
|
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Fol |
Some early volumes do not have printed folio numbers on the top |
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Entry |
From Volume 1 to volume 24, a single set of numbers was used, |
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Col |
The Column number has been inserted as a guide to locating the |
Occupations are given for about 75% of the individual shareholders, but with a large
number being “Gentleman”, “Widow” or “Spinster”; at an early stage in the work, it
was decided to omit occupation from the index.
9. Royal Naval Division
The Jack Clegg Memorial Database of Royal Naval Division Casualties of The Great War.
By Jack Marshall © 2005.
Background
The Jack Clegg Memorial Database of Royal Naval Division Casualties of The Great War
This database is a uniquely accurate and comprehensive register of the deaths of servicemen of the Royal Navy who served in the Royal Naval Division in The Great War, compiled from original service records and all other sources listing RND casualties.
As the title suggests, this database is dedicated to the memory of CH/19403 Private John (Jack) Clegg RMLI, 1st Royal Marine Battalion, RND, who was wounded and missing at the Battle of the Ancre 13/11/16. The author, Jack Marshall, is the great nephew of Private Clegg.
Definitive Roll of Honour for The Royal Naval Division
Originating from a desire to list the names of all those killed with Private Clegg in the 1st Royal Marine Battalion on the Ancre 13/11/16, this database has been compiled in order to set the record straight and provide a definitive Roll of Honour for the RND.
This database effectively rewrites the RND casualty lists, due to the great many errors and omissions discovered during research and compilation. Over the last six years, well over 100 cases were forwarded to the CWGC and the names of approximately 70 RND servicemen have now been added to their Registers.
The Royal Naval Division
The Royal Naval Division (RND) was a unique formation in World War 1, raised by the Admiralty to serve in their then traditional role as Infantrymen fighting shoulder to shoulder alongside their Army comrades in an emergency.
The Royal Naval Division originally consisted of three Infantry Brigades (two Naval and one Royal Marine) of twelve Battalions (eight Naval and four Royal Marine). As the war progressed, casualties and a lack of recruits forced the RND to steadily reduce their Naval personnel establishment.
Two Naval Battalions were disbanded in June 1915, the Royal Marine Brigade and two Royal Marine Battalions were disbanded in August 1915, two more Naval Battalions were disbanded in February 1918 and one Royal Marine Battalion in April 1918. At the war's end the Royal Naval Division's Naval strength maintained only two Brigades of five Battalions (four Naval and one Royal Marine Battalion).
The British Army and The Royal Naval Division
The Army supplied the shortfall in Battalions and Brigades to the establishment of the Division from July 1916 onwards.
The Royal Naval Division was regarded as an elite unit, tasked with the hardest nuts to crack on the battlefield. Its personnel were inspired by great British Naval traditions, a high reputation and a personal sense of pride in their Battalion and Division.
Their reinforcements were drawn exclusively from the pool of men at their Base Depot. Those recovered from sickness or wounds went back to their original units via the Base Depot/reinforcement camp, unlike the Army, who (except for the Guards Divisions) regularly dispersed men from one regiment to another via their Depots.
The branches of the Royal Naval Division
The list below shows all the branches of the Royal Navy that served in the RND:-
Royal Navy (RN)
Men with a Regular 12 year contract/engagement/duration of service, and Short-service Stokers with a 5 and 7 year's contract of service (5 years Regular RN service and 7 years in the Royal Fleet Reserve).
Royal Naval Reserve (RNR)
Equivalent to the Territorial Army. Almost exclusively recruited from civil Seaman for 5 years volunteer/part-time service.
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR)
Equivalent to the Territorial Army. Recruited from any civil occupation for 3 years volunteer/part-time service (but expanded to period of war from September 1914).
Royal Marines (RM)
Short-service recruits specially enlisted for 3 years or duration of war engagement with the RND support/divisional units from September 1914 (Supply Train, Medical and Engineers Units, all issued with a Deal service number prefix).
The RM suffix was originally used only for Royal Marine officers commissioned from 1912 onwards. There was no single Corps of Royal Marines in 1914 as it was divided into two main branches, the Royal Marine Light Infantry and the Royal Marine Artillery.
In 1923 the RMA and RMLI were amalgamated to form the single Corps of Royal Marines which we know so well today.
Royal Marine Light Infantry (RMLI)
Men with a Regular 12 year contract/duration of service and from September 1914 Short-service recruits of 3 years or duration of war engagement.
Royal Marine Artillery (RMA)
Same as for the Royal Marine Light Infantry.
Royal Marines Band (RMB)
Same as for the Royal Marine Light Infantry.
Royal Naval Auxiliary Sick Berth Reserve (RNASBR)
Same as for the Royal Marine Light Infantry.
Royal Fleet Reserve (RFR)
The Royal Fleet Reserve was not a branch of the Royal Navy in its own right, but consisted of men from all of the various branches of the Royal Navy. A man had to be discharged from his regular Royal Navy service before he could enrol in the Royal Fleet Reserve (for a 5 year period).
Many Regular servicemen were discharged directly to the Royal Fleet Reserve, either by design, as in the case of the 5 and 7 year Short-service Royal Navy Stokers, or in times of surplus manpower. However, an ex-Royal Navy Rating could enrol in the Royal Fleet Reserve at any time following his Termination of period of Limited Engagement (aka Time Expired or Completed Term of Service).
The Royal Fleet Reserve were subject to immediate recall/mobilisation in an emergency and acted similarly to the Territorial Army.
There were two classes of Reservists:- Class A and Class B.
Class A Reservists (Naval Pensioners) had to have served 21 years in Regular Naval service (completed time for pension).
Class B Reservists had to have served in any branch of the RN for any period up to 21 years.
Royal Fleet Reserve service numbers
On enrolment in the Royal Fleet Reserve, the man received a Royal Fleet Reserve service number, which consisted of their home port/division (Ch, Po, Dev., or Ply.), their Reserve Class (A or B) and a number (e.g. Ply/B/1101).
The Royal Fleet Reserve number suffixed their original regular service number and their Royal Fleet Reserve service history was recorded on their regular number service sheet. However, this database only shows the Royal Fleet Reserve division if it was different to their regular home port/division as shown in the following examples:-
CH/6899(RFR/B/1102).
Royal Marine Light Infantry serviceman CH/6899, served 12 years and then enrolled in the Chatham Division Royal Fleet Reserve.
Ch/SS/105652(RFR/B/8892).
Royal Navy Short-service Stoker Ch/SS/105652, served 5 years and then enrolled in the Chatham Division Royal Fleet Reserve.
Po/120983(RFR/A/1308).
Royal Navy serviceman Po/120983, served 21 years and then enrolled in the Portsmouth Division Royal Fleet Reserve.
The Royal Fleet Reserve home port/division should always be the same as their regular service number prefix. However, sometimes men enrolled in a different RFR division, in which case the RFR division is shown:-
PO/5032(RFR/Ch/B/330).
Royal Marine Light Infantry serviceman PO/5032, served 4 years 1889-1893 and then enrolled in the Chatham Division RFR in 1902.
Any ex-serviceman of the Royal Naval Division up to 1926 is included
The Esprit de Corps engendered by service in the Royal Naval Division extends to this database. The brotherhood and pride felt by the men of the Royal Naval Division lives on today amongst their descendants and Naval enthusiasts alike.
As a result of this, the normal restrictions of World War One casualty rolls (cut-off-dates, cause attributable etc.) have been widely expanded and/or disregarded. The death of any ex-RND serviceman up to 1926 is regarded as premature, regardless of whether the man's death was attributable to service, aggravated by service, or not attributable to service.
They lived only a short time to enjoy their hard fought Peace. Those who qualified for the 1914 Star with the Royal Naval Division are given particular attention in this respect, as they constituted the original establishment of the Royal Naval Division in 1914, but they are only part of nearly 500 unrecorded deaths of ex- Royal Naval Division men in the early post-war period (or within our stated limits) and all were thought worthy of note.
The Royal Naval Division Casualties records extend as far as 1942
In some instances of cause attributable to service, or of distinguished gallantry, the closure date has been extended as late as 1942. One prime example of this necessity are those men who entered Lunatic Asylums from service, suffering in their madness until death, the last dying in the Royal Naval Lunatic Hospital, Great Yarmouth in 1939.
The Royal Navy and The British Army in the Royal Naval Division records
The following categories of men are listed in the RND database:-
The Royal Navy
All Naval servicemen who died in Royal Naval Division service 1914-1919.
All Naval servicemen who died after leaving the Royal Naval Division, aboard ship, ashore, or after discharge from Naval service up to 1926, with special dispensation in individual cases up to 1942.
The British Army
Although a large number of Army troops served in the 190th Brigade of the Royal Naval Division, this database deals only with personnel from the various branches of the Royal Navy.
The Soldiers Died in the Great War records provides quite adequately for the Army's losses in the 190th Brigade of the RND and as the same depth of research is not possible/available for the Army, there is consequently little scope for improvement of the standard/accepted details. It was therefore decided not to merely repeat information that can be easily accessed elsewhere.
There are exceptions to the Naval personnel only rule which allows the inclusion of Army service personnel as follows:-
Army troops who died whilst serving in an otherwise exclusive Naval Battalion or unit;
Ex-Naval/Royal Naval Division personnel who transferred for service in the Army or Air Force;
Army officers drafted/seconded to the Royal Naval Division for service, often in a senior capacity, with Naval and Royal Marine Battalions.
Acknowledgments
Deserving of Special Mention:-
Thomas S. Muirhead, in providing countless hours of reading, checking and research, thereby achieving the highest standard of accuracy, both in data and in the English language. Tom Muirhead is the son of Chief Petty Officer Jack Muirhead DCM RNVR, Hawke Battalion 1915-1919.
Neil York, in providing countless hours of research for 1000s of RND servicemen, thereby running up his phone bill and blood pressure, but nevertheless ensuring the great depth of detail provided in these cases.
Julian Sykes, in providing an initial database consolidating various sources, thereby saving me six months typing.
Mrs. Jan Keohane and the staff of the Records Section of the Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton, the saviours and beating heart of Royal Naval Division records.
Also thanks to:-
Tony Froom ; Pat Gariepy ; The Imperial War Museum ; Don Kindell ; Andrew Marsh ; The National Archives ; Alan Osborn ; Capt. Chris Page RN ; Len Sellers ; William Spencer ; Capt. Roy Swales RN(rtd.) ; Kyle Tallett ; Ian Wilson.
SOURCES
The Imperial War Museum RND Rolls of Honour.
The Red Cross Wounded and Missing Lists 1915-1918.
The Cross of Sacrifice by S.D. and D.B. Jarvis.
With Full and Grateful Hearts by the RM Historical Society.
The Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton.
The National Archives
R.N.D. Royal Naval Division, Antwerp, Gallipoli and Western Front 1914-1918. by Len Sellers.
The Globe and Laurel Royal Marines Journal 1915-18.
Nelson at War 1914-1918 by Capt. Roy Swales RN(rtd.)
The 1914 Star to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. by W.H. Fevyer and J.W. Wilson.
The Diaries of Pte. Horace Bruckshaw RMLI. by Martin Middlebrook.
Britain's Sea Soldiers, The History of the Royal Marines 1914-19. by Gen. Sir. H.E. Blumberg CB RM.
The Royal Naval Division. by Douglas Jerrold.
Command in the Royal Naval Division. by Capt. Christopher Page RN.
The Hood Battalion. by Len Sellers.
Gallipoli as I saw it. by Joseph Murray.
Call to Arms, from Gallipoli to the Western Front. by Joseph Murray.
Plus a countless number of private letters and diaries of RND servicemen.
Searching The Jack Clegg Memorial Database of Royal Naval Division Casualties of The Great War.
Explanatory notes on fields
Number
Service numbers were allocated only to NCOs and Other Ranks (Ratings in Royal Navy nomenclature). Officers were not allocated service numbers in World War One, but any officer's previous service number/s are also shown in this field, if commissioned from the ranks. The Navy employed a superior numbering system to the Army. Each enlisted man received a unique service number and from this alone one can deduce his enlistment date, regional origin (in many cases) and his term of service (12 years, 7 years, 3 years etc).
Rank
The Royal Naval Division were also unique in their application of naval ranks within the army system. From July 1916, when the Royal Naval Division came under War Office control and became the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division, the equivalent army chevron type rank was required to be displayed.
Able Seaman, Stokers or Seamen were the equivalent of the army Private soldier and required no such distinction. The NCOs were those chiefly affected and were required to wear their naval badge of rank on one arm with the corresponding chevron army rank on the other.
However, they retained their naval rank titles within their units and in administration. The ranks given in this column are therefore the naval version. The Royal Marines were exempt from all this, as they already employed the same rank structure as the army.
Able Seaman = Private
Able Seaman Higher Grade = Lance Corporal
Leading Seaman = Corporal
Leading Seaman Higher Grade = Lance Sergeant
Petty Officer = Sergeant
Chief Petty Officer = Company Sergeant Major
Sub Lieutenant = 1st Lieutenant
Lieutenant = Captain
Lieutenant Commander = Major
Commander = Lieutenant Colonel
One naval rank appears to have been unique to the Royal Naval Division, that of Battalion Sergeant Major (again this excludes the Royal Marines, who already employed the army equivalent Regimental Sergeant Major along with Colour Sergeant and Quartermaster Sergeant). Battalion Sergeant Major was a singular title/promotion unique to the Naval Battalions (not the RM Battalions), although a Royal Marine serving with a Naval Battalion could also hold this particular rank.
A rank with a Brevet prefix allowed an officer to hold a higher rank than that for which he was actually paid. A Brevet rank was awarded for distinguished service and applies only to the Royal Marines in the Royal Naval Division.
A Temporary prefix to an officer's rank indicates that he was given a temporary commission, one which would usually be terminated at the end of the war. Officers without this prefix are deemed regular officers from the pre-war establishment of the Navy.
In many instances where an Acting rank is shown, the man's substantive rank is given in brackets.
Forenames
All forenames are given in full, with very few exceptions. However, the forenames given are those the man enlisted/signed as and not necessarily the man's full given forenames at birth.
Lots of chaps preferred to drop their middle names or adopted an alias when signing up.
Partly to keep faith with their original wishes as regards their service name and how they were known to their comrades and to maintain continuity with contemporary diaries, but mainly to conform to the official service records, their enlisted name is that shown. However, all such cases are cross-referenced to their true or full given names.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) often record extra middle names provided by their next-of-kin and many Bronze Memorial Plaques also carry names which differ both from their enlisted name and that recorded with the CWGC. This is thought to be the result of the next-of-kin forwarding the man's birth certificate to the Plaque issuing authorities, as the name anomalies observed on Royal Naval Division Memorial Plaques always concur with their birth certificate.
Surname
As above for forenames, the surname given is that they enlisted under, but all are cross-referenced to their true or full given name.
Awards
All awards for gallantry, distinguished, or meritorious service are given in the standard abbreviated format.
Service Branch
Indicates the branch of the armed services to which they belonged.
Unit
For those who died on active service, the unit in which they were serving (o