Death Certificates

What can I find on a Full Death Certificate?

This will give you:

The deceased's occupation, or the name and occupation of the husband
If a married or widowed woman, date and place of death
Name, address and family relationship (if any) of the informant
Age, date and place of birth
Usual address
Maiden name if a married or widowed woman (from 1 April 1969)
Cause(s) of death.

Why would a Death Certificate be useful to me?

A death certificate will give you more information about the deceased - you could find out interesting facts, for example how they died (if it was from an illness, is it hereditary?) or their maiden name to trace back another generation.

How do I order a Certificate?

Certificates in England or Wales can be ordered online through the GRO (General Register Office). To order a certificate, simply follow the instructions on the GRO website, supplying the necessary data and a GRO Index reference.

The full reference is usually a volume and page reference or an 'entry number' for later records, given with the year, quarter and district. This can be found by viewing the full record detail when searching BMD records online (see the case study for an example). Events from the last 50 years will require you to supply more information at application stage.