Baptism and Birth Records in the UK

What are Baptism/Birth Records?

A baptism record is a any type of record or certificate that states the date and place an individual was baptised into a church. These records are available from 1538 onwards, and are recorded in Parish Registers. For information about these records, go to the UK Baptism Records page or click the link above.

A birth record is a certificate that states the date and place an individual was born. These records are available from 1837 onwards as published by the GRO. For information about these records, go to the UK Birth Records page or click the link above. You can also order a copy of a birth certificate if you need to, which can show you full information about the birth.

Why are they useful to me?

Information on baptism/birth records can be useful as you can use the names as a starting point to begin tracing the ancestors on the record back another generation. You may want to know:

An ancestor's birth/baptism date and place
Parents' names
The name of a preceding generation

We have provided a case study on this website so you can see just how easy it is to find a record, and some links to related information that may be helpful to you.

Daily News & Information - BMDs and the Census

Map your Surname back to 1841 Find where your ancestors lived before the boom in population and rapid expansion to towns and cities caused by the Industrial Revolution.		Case Study - Charles Darwin Charles Darwin was an English naturalist who achieved lasting fame by producing considerable evidence that the species came about through evolutionary change.

London Ancestors As anyone with ancestors in the London area knows, research there can be a nightmare. There are different records offices for the City of London, Westminster, and Greater London. So what's the best way to do your research?		The Bronte Sisters in the Yorkshire 1841 Census The three Bronte sisters - Charlotte, Emily and Anne - grew up with their brother Branwell in Parsonage House in Haworth, Yorkshire. They can be found in the 1841 Census.

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