How to Find Marriage Records in the United Kingdom

Marriage records are commonly used to uncover family history.

In the United Kingdom, the General Register Office holds marriage records dating back to 1837. In order to find a particular marriage record, you must first know some vital data about the marriage, such as the location and the names of the parties married. Contact your local GRO to search the indexes and obtain a marriage record.

Instructions

1. Gather as much of the following information about the marriage that you can: full names of both parties, district where the marriage took place and date of the marriage. Even if you don't know the exact date, knowing the year will narrow your search.

2. Contact one of the institutions listed below. Each has a full copy of records that are searchable by surname of either party. Note that to access the records at the British Library, you will need to provide two forms of identification showing a signature and proof of address.

   Greater Manchester County Record Office
   Birmingham Central Library
   Bridgend Reference and Information Library
   Plymouth Central Library
   City of Westminster Archives Centre
   London Metropolitan Archives
   The British Library

3. Search for the marriage record online. There are a number of online resources you can search, although most charge a fee. See the link in the "Resources" section for a full list of online indexes.

References

• Directgov: Using the General Register Office to research family history

Resources

• GRO: Holders of GRO Indexes