Help
Struggling to use FreeBMD? Not finding someone you expected to find? Not sure what to do next? This page contains answers to common problems, and has links to more detailed information.
On this page
Search
FreeBMD covers records for England and Wales only, not Scotland, Ireland or overseas.
Narrow your search by choosing start and end dates, single first name and/or surname, and limiting searches to one county or one district.
First name & Surname: if you don’t know the full first name or you are unsure about the exact spelling of a name, use a wildcard character (* an asterisk or star symbol) to search for variations. (e.g., "Ste*n" finds Stephen, Steven and Stefan, etc.) Additionally, you can check the ‘Phonetic search surnames’ box to match similar-sounding surnames.
Date Range: limit the search by start or end date. The search defaults to a range from March 1837 to December 1999, but you can adjust it for more focused results. The data is not complete after 1992. Each year was divided into quarters until 1984:
- Mar (January, February, March)
- Jun (April, May, June)
- Sep (July, August, September)
- Dec (October, November, December)
Record Types: choose Birth, Marriage, or Death records based on what you are searching for.
- Birth Records: from September 1911, mother's maiden name is included.
- Marriage Records: from 1912, the spouse's surname is shown.
- Death Records: age at death is included from 1866, and date of birth is included from June 1969.
Counties and Districts: if you know the district or county, you can narrow the search, but note that larger districts may contain multiple locations.
Volume and Page are optional fields. Each record includes a Volume and Page number to help you locate the record in the General Register Office index.
For more detailed information and other advanced search tips see the Further Help below.
View Results
Once you’ve performed a search, the results will appear in a table format. Here’s how to understand and navigate your search results.
Result table overview
The table will show the following key information:
- First Name & Surname of the individual
- Record Type: Birth, Marriage, or Death.
- Registration Date: the quarter or year the event was registered. For records before 1984, the results show the quarter (e.g., March, June, September, December). After 1984, it will only show the year.
- Registration District & Reference: includes the District, Volume, and Page numbers. You can click on the District link for more detailed information.
- Mother’s Maiden Name, Spouse’s Surname, Age at Death/Date of Birth: these fields are only shown if relevant to the record type (available for records from 1993 onward). If no data is available for a specific record, these fields will display ‘No data.’ A dash (‘-’) will appear in fields that are not relevant to a particular event type.
Sorting and narrow down results
- You can sort the results by any column. Click on the column header to sort by ascending (▲) or descending (▼) order.
- Results per page: use the "Show" dropdown menu to adjust the number of results displayed per page (up to 100).
View Search Criteria & Revise Search
- View search criteria: review the search parameters you used to ensure they are correct. If the results aren’t as expected, check your search settings.
- Revise search: modify the search with different parameters or criteria.
For more detailed information and other advanced search tips see the Further Help below.
Entry information
Once you’ve found a record in the search results, you can view its detailed Entry Information by clicking on the name in the first column. Here’s how to navigate and use the Entry Information page:
Viewing the detailed record
Clicking the name will take you to the Entry Information page, where you can see all available details for that record.
Printing, persistent URL, and citation
- Print: you can print the entry information directly from the page by clicking Print.
- Persistent URL: click Copy URL to save or share the link to the record.
- Generate citation: click Generate Citation to create a citation for the record in one of a number of citation formats.
Viewing scans
To view scans of the original documents, click on the camera icon in the ‘More information’ table row.
Adding notes (Postems)
You can add a note to the record by clicking the envelope icon in the "More Information" table row. This allows you to create a Postem, a message or note associated with the record. To learn more, refer to the detailed help section on Postems.
Saving records
If you are logged in, you can save the record to your personal list of saved entries for future reference. This allows you to view these saved records separately at any time.
Navigating between records
Use the Next and Previous Result buttons to navigate directly to the next or previous record in your search results. Alternatively, you can return to the Search Results page and choose other records to view.
Suggest a correction
If you notice an error or discrepancy in the record, you can suggest a correction. This option is located at the bottom of the page.
For more detailed information and other advanced search tips see the Further Help below.
Order a certificate
To order a certificate, follow these steps:
- Access Entry information page
On the Search Results page, click on the name in the first column in the record you’re interested in to go to the Entry information page. - Note key details
On the Entry information page, make a note of the following details: name, quarter (or month) and year of registration, district, volume and page numbers. These details are required when ordering a certificate. - Verify with original index (if available)
If the camera icon appears in the "More Information" table row, click it to view an image of the original index (if available). This will allow you to verify the accuracy of the transcription. - Check for notes (Postems)
Before ordering the certificate, click the envelope icon to check for Postems. Other FreeBMD users may have left helpful notes regarding the information on the certificate, which could save you the cost of ordering a certificate. - Order a certificate
Once you're ready to order, go to the G.R.O. ordering page (external site). This is where you can place the order for the certificate.
For more detailed information and other advanced search tips see the Further Help below.
Explore the Database page
The Explore the Database page provides detailed insights into the counties and registration districts within the FreeBMD database. This allows you to navigate through the records more effectively by focusing on specific geographical areas or timeframes. Here’s what you can do:
County overview
- Select a county to view all the registration districts that are within that county. Some districts may span across multiple counties, so it’s important to check the "From" and "To" columns for each district’s active period.
- The From and To columns indicate the period when each district was in use. This lets you track when certain districts started and ended their registration activities.
District information
- By clicking on the name of a district within the selected county, you can access detailed information about that specific district, including the years it was active and other important historical data.
- Each District Page will provide information on the registration volumes and page ranges, as well as the districts’ entry details. This is crucial for genealogical research, as it helps you understand where and when events (births, marriages, deaths) were registered.
District selection
- If you’re searching for a specific district, you can easily select it from the list or type in part of a District name to find all Districts whose name matches your search string. Each district is linked to a dedicated page that contains all the relevant records and data associated with it.
- You can find information about page maps for each district, which show the range of page numbers for each volume. This helps you locate specific records within the district’s time range.
Page Maps
- Page Maps give you information about the range of page numbers associated with each volume for a district. This is useful for identifying where specific events are recorded and helps narrow down your search within large datasets.
Database statistics
- You can also view database statistics that show the total number of records within the FreeBMD database. This helps you understand the scope and coverage of the data available.
For more detailed information and other advanced search tips see the Further Help below.