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Genealogy
Original poster

Can I view death/marriage/birth certificates online?

22 replies

bigyellowTpot · 06/04/2022 19:34

I am currently researching my family tree and have found a few death/birth certificates etc that may be my ancestors but I'm not 100% sure without viewing them to see the extra information they contain such as addresses, family members etc. I obviously don't want to waste money purchasing these certificates if they turn out to not be my ancestors so is there anyway I can view a certificate before purchasing? I had a find my past subscription a few months ago but I wasn't able to view the actual certificate or details written on them. Is the ancestry site the same. is there anyway to view the details on a death certificate such as informant, deceased address?

OP posts:
Original poster
bigyellowTpot · 07/04/2022 18:25

Anyone??

OP posts:
haggisaggis · 07/04/2022 18:33

I’ve always had to pay for them. (I’m in Scotland though). I think also that the ones I could view online had to be relatively old otherwise had to order paper copies. ie my grandfather died in 1980 but his death certificate is still not available online.

Original poster
bigyellowTpot · 07/04/2022 18:51

This is a death from over 100 years ago but not 100% sure I have the right certificate. don't want to buy it and it turn out not to be him and its someone else with the same name. so was just wondering if there was anyway I could find out extra details on the certificate before I purchase so I can be sure it's the right one. think they are roughly £13 to purchase now so will work out costly if I'm buying the wrong ones.

OP posts:
LIZS · 07/04/2022 18:53

I accessed some marriage certificates from late 19thc via Find my Past

greenbirdsong · 07/04/2022 18:55

You can use ancestry for free at your local library on the computers. Might be worth having a visit and look to see if it has the information you require Smile

LIZS · 07/04/2022 18:57

Would it be cheaper to find the will? Cost £3 iirc

Original poster
bigyellowTpot · 07/04/2022 19:00

@LIZS I had a find my past subscription a few months back but were unable to view the actual births and deaths certificates for some reason. mind you I didn't have the top subscription as it was too expensive. It said I had access to all UK records but I didn't find it that helpful to be honest and most things I could access could be found elsewhere for free anyway such as on Freebmd and familysearch sites. I also still had to pay extra to access the 1921 census.

OP posts:
loopylindi · 07/04/2022 19:00

No, they can't be viewed on line. They have to be bought but you can find out a lot from census records.

Original poster
bigyellowTpot · 07/04/2022 19:02

@LIZS it's very unlikely they'll be a will as they were quite poor unfortunately.

OP posts:
Original poster
bigyellowTpot · 07/04/2022 19:10

@loopylindi yes I have all the info from the 1911 and 1921 census they contain some really good info. He passed away somewhere inbetween these 2 censuses but no idea how, when,why,where. He was still a very young man so I'm also wondering if he died as a soldier in WW1 but cannot find any military records that could be him. I have found a 1912 death which is a good chance could be him but didn't want to waste money on a certificate that turns out not to be him.

OP posts:
Saker · 07/04/2022 19:11

You need to buy the certificates to see them. However with some marriages, especially 19th century you can see the parish marriage certificate on websites such as Findmypast and Ancestry and this may have a lot of the same information including names of father, witnesses, occupation etc. It is also worth looking for any baptisms in the parish records as this may have the father's name and occupation which helps to check you have the right person. As @loopylindi says you can also get a lot from the census records where you can see children living with their parents, place of birth etc. Unless you have a very common surname, you can get a long way without ordering certificates, though to do it "properly" you are supposed to always confirm with the certificates. However it does work out very expensive. I'm happy to help try and narrow it down if you want to PM, or if you don't mind posting there's always lots of help on here too!

PastMyBestBeforeDate · 07/04/2022 19:17

You might find something on Find a Grave but only if someone has volunteered to do it.

Theforest · 07/04/2022 19:36

Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and order. Death certificates can be cheaper if you get an uncertified pdf version. More like 8 or 9 I think now.

It's gutting when it's the wrong certificate but at least you know and need to cross that off and research more.

BlackLambAndGreyFalcon · 07/04/2022 19:38

Some marriage certificates (19th century mainly) can be viewed on ancestry, but generally you'll need to order and pay for certificates.

Original poster
bigyellowTpot · 07/04/2022 19:46

yes looks like il just have to bite the bullet and order the pdf version then and hope its the right one if there is no way to view and check beforehand. like you say @Theforest it'll be one to tick off the list if it's the wrong one.

OP posts:
GardenersBeen · 08/04/2022 09:08

This annoys me too. I've been doing my family tree for years and buying certificates can be an expensive business.
You can view some church records online on ancestry (with a subscription) but otherwise I think you're going to have bite the bullet.

If your ancestor has a common surname then you're in trouble - it's very hard to differentiate between several 'James Berry's' all born around the same time in the same area.

I wonder if ringing the relevant register office (where you can also buy certificates) and giving what info you have might enable them to narrow down the choice? I once went to my local register office, filled in a form with the info that I had and they searched and found a certificate for me. However, I'm not sure how long they'd be prepared to search if there were multiple options. On another occasion I rang them up and asked if they would search several options but they refused.

If you're in Lancashire, then lan-opc.org.uk is a great resource. It has thousands of free searchable church records.

Thesefeetaremadeforwalking · 08/04/2022 09:14

I have a friend who researches family history. She joined an organisation called GENUKI that gives her access to that sort of information.

HTH

LIZS · 08/04/2022 09:32

Ancestry and FMP often do enhanced free access over bank holidays and anniversaries. I did much of our research during lockdown on a library access login but FMP has introduced different levels of access now and the library login lapsed. National Archives may give you work or forces related info if your relative may have served. Newspaper Archives may have birth, marriage, death announcements as well as related articles.

Mimi2022 · 13/01/2023 17:17

Which website did you use? I am trying to get my birth certificate number for a form. I need it ASAP really. Is there a place I can order and get a web/pdf version immediately as opposed for wait for it to be sent home?

Nadal · 13/01/2023 22:04

@Mimi2022
Use www.gov.uk/order-copy-birth-death-marriage-certificate you can only get pdf versions which are uncertified so no use for official forms.

Mimi2022 · 13/01/2023 22:13

@Nadal alternatively, do you think there is a way I can collect it from the register office myself? Post may take days!

Nadal · 14/01/2023 09:10

@Mimi2022 I think you can if you go to the register office it was issued from. Ring them and ask.

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