Family History & Genealogy

Civil Registration began in 1837, and each Register Office still holds the records for their district for all Births, Deaths & Marriages up to the present day. We do not provide a research facility, but are happy to offer advice to assist you where we can.

To order a copy of any certificate we require the date of the event and also the district in which it took place. If you do not have this information, there are a number of sources available. We recommend the St. Catherines Index, which holds records for England and Wales dating back to 1837. 

This information can be found in most main libraries. The information is very accurate as it is taken from the General Register Office indexes. 

If you are unable to visit a library, there are a selection of websites which may be of assistance in your search. However, it should be noted that the information on some of these may not be as thorough and as accurate as the St Catherines Index. 

If you have any further question, please do not hesitate to contact your local register office for assistance.

Please note that Cumbria County Council and Cumbria Registration Service do not endorse any of these sites.

NB: Please be aware that due to the recent increase in family history research there has been an additional demand for copies of all types of certificate. As a result waiting for these copies can vary, and may take up to 10 working days, depending upon current workload and ceremonial duties within the service.

'Help for Family Historians' - for further information please follow this link.