Important Dates in Registration
| 1st July 1837 | Civil Registration in England and Wales begins |
| 1852 | GRO References change from Roman Numerals (XVI) to Arabic numbers and letters (6d) |
| 1866 | GRO indexes include age at death |
| 1875 |
Birth and Death Act 1874: a) Compulsory registration of births (parents/guardians responsible for registration), b) Fines for non-registration of births/penalties for late registration (42 days to register), c) For illegitimate births, father must be present at the birth registration for his name to appear on a birth entry in the register, d) Deaths to be registered within 5 days, instead of 8 as previous, e) Medical certification in respect of cause of death required. |
| 1898 | Non Conformist and Catholic Churches can appoint an "Authorised Person" to register marriages, removing the need for a Registrar to be present. |
| Sept Qtr. 1911 | GRO Indexes include Mothers Maiden Name |
| Mar Qtr. 1912 | GRO Marriage Indexes include Spouses Surname |
| 1st July 1927 | Introduction of the Register of Stillbirths |
| 1927 |
a) Introduction of the Adopted Children’s Register, b) Re-registration of illegitimate births allowed if parents subsequently marry each other, c) Registrar’s certificate / coroner’s order required before a burial / cremation of a body. |
| 1929 |
a) Legal age for marriage increased from 14 (males) and 12 (females) to 16 for both (parental consent still required up to age 21), b) Functions of civil registration transferred to Local Authorities, c) Newly appointed Registration Officers paid salaries. |
| 1946 | GRO Volume Numbers re-organised (6d became 9c). |
| 1947 | Short Birth Certificates introduced. |
| 1969 |
a) Format of Birth and Death Certificates changed, to portrait instead of landscape, b) Age of majority reduced from 21 to 18, c) Re-registration of births of illegitimate children to include name of father allowed, irrespective of whether the parents marry. |
| June Qtr.1969 | Death Indexes show ‘Date of Birth’ instead of ‘Age at Death’. |
| 1974 | GRO Volume Numbers re-organised (9c became 32). |
| 1975 | Adult adopted people allowed access to information on original birth entry. |
| 1984 | GRO Indexes changed to annual compilations. |
Page Last Updated: 26 March 2009
