Finding Birth Certificate Information in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Finding birth records in the UK can sometimes be a daunting task. Fortunately, England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland have a long history of recording official life events such as births, deaths and marriages. It is easiest to trace birth records if you have a little personal background information to start from. Knowing a birthday, birthplace or full name can help you know where to go next in your family history research.

Advertising Disclosure

Without the right tools, researching your ancestry through UK birth records can be a challenge. The process of getting a birth certificate can be difficult. You need to narrow down your birth record search by having a good idea of which birth certificates you actually want to get. If you don’t know which birth certificates you are looking for, you risk wasting your time and money.

Birth record databases help minimize the risk of wasting your time and money on useless searches because they show the official data in a clear way without a full commitment to ordering records of birth certificates from the government. Then with a little basic identification information you can be sure to get only the records you need using a database. Additionally, the information about the birth records in the databases is often free and reliable.

A drawback to using databases is that an official copy of the birth certificate may not be available to view or purchase. If you want to look at a copy of a birth certificate or order an actual copy of the original birth certificate to be sent to you it may be necessary for you to find a different source.

When you are looking for a person, the UK National Archives can be an invaluable resource. The United KIngdom National Archives contains over 1,000 years of government records. The National Archives has millions of public records available. These government records can include images, pictures, and files, as well as official and unofficial documents. This information can be one of the best ways to find UK birth records.

The UK National Archives has much more than just birth certificate records, however. The records in the National Archives cover naturalization and immigration records as well as death and marriage records and certificates. One of the best aspects of the UK National Archives is its commitment to history. Because the online databases and records are so thorough and complete, the catalogue of information helps create historical context for the government documents. The National Archives is proud to showcase its award-winning resources for students and teachers because it has a strong commitment to education through information. These resources can make your family history come alive.

The official government department responsible for maintaining birth and identity records in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, and other Commonwealth nations is the General Register Office. Scotland maintains its own General Register Office through its National Records of Scotland, which is a new government department combining the General Register Office for Scotland and the National Archives of Scotland. The General Register Office dates back to 1836, so its records of UK births is particularly complete and modern.

In order to to find a birth certificate through the General Register Office or the National Records of Scotland, you will need some basic identity information. These offices usually offer actual official copies of birth records, although you may have to spend some time and money getting these records through the government. Newer services offer copies of official government certificates through online ordering, providing you a way to get the birth records you need in a quick, convenient and inexpensive way. The certificate ordering service can also be done through the local district office.

Advertising Disclosure: This post may contain promotional links. publicrecordsearch.co.uk may be compensated if you use these links.