* Birth, Marriage and Death information

[Valkrider]

Paula

There is a slightly cheaper alternative as pdf copies of BMD certificates are now available from the GRO.

The question is more about how to research as much as do I need to buy I suspect.

There are some records on FamilySearch that will help with research and all of them are free to access. Records on such sites as Ancestry and FindMyPast do require payment. There are records on FreeBMD, FreeCen and FreeReg that are available without fees. Many local FH societies offer free or paid access to local records, don't forget the various Online Parish Clerks sites and the various forums on Yahoo and similar as well as the various Facebook groups.

You can construct some family histories without purchasing BMD certificates, it depends on names (Smith, Jones and similar common surnames can be challenging). It depends on the depth of your research and the level of proof that you require. Often BMD certificates are not required much can be reconstructed from other records. I am doing a single surname study and I rely solely on records on paid and free sites and have not purchased any certificates for this BUT for my own ancestors I have purchased some certificates but not all.

[LornaCraig]

The GRO site Colin referred to is https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/cert ... /Login.asp As you will see, they have Births: 1837 –1917 and Deaths: 1837 –1957, and digital copies in PDF format cost £6. Their birth index includes mother's maiden name (which is not included prior to 1911 in other indexes) and their deaths index includes age at death (not available in other indexes prior to the 1860s). This can help narrow the search before you order an image.

A lot of scans of full church records of marriages are gradually being made available on Ancestry and Findmypast. Ancestry in particular has a lot of London marriage images, and both those sites have images from some other counties. As Colin said, you do need a subscription to those sites but the saving from not having to pay for certificates can quickly offset the cost.

[tatewise]

Paula, take a look at research:useful_research_web_sites|> Useful Research Web Sites.

All the suggestions provided by Colin and Lorna are there.
It also mentions that some local libraries have subscriptions to Ancestry / FindMyPast for use by library members.
The FreeBMD and FreeCEN sites are listed, as well the UK GRO Search and £6 PDF certificates.

But in general, if you need all the details, then in the UK you must buy a BMD Certificate from the GRO.
Other countries may be different, and before 1837 in UK the Baptism, Marriage & Burial parish records may be online.

[jbtapscott]

Lorna mentioned earlier in respect of the GRO ".....Their birth index includes mother's maiden name (which is not included prior to 1911 in other indexes)....". I have noticed an increasing number of the FMP pre-1911 Birth records (GRO transcripts) also have the Mothers Maiden name in them - this seems to be an ongoing FMP exercise as quite a few transcripts did not have the Maiden name when I first reviewed them but now do!.

[Jane]

A useful option to remember is that many county record offices have put the church marriage registers on fmp or ancestry so you can find them there. Just use the catalogue to find which counties are where.