In another thread a poster mentioned "Certificates in England and Wales are copies of the entry in the register of birth, marriage or death which have been kept since 1837.".
This is correct to a point but is not the whole truth.
When mentioning Birth, Marriage or Death certificates a certificate is a certified copy of an entry in a register. The register may be as above the civil birth, marriage and death registers but it could also be a baptism, marriage or burial register which may also contain Births, marriages and deaths.
Those registers may go back to 1538.
There are samples of various certificate on the Anguline site at
It should also be mentioned that there are other forms of certificates available baptism, guardianship etc.
Cheers
Guy
This is correct to a point but is not the whole truth.
When mentioning Birth, Marriage or Death certificates a certificate is a certified copy of an entry in a register. The register may be as above the civil birth, marriage and death registers but it could also be a baptism, marriage or burial register which may also contain Births, marriages and deaths.
Those registers may go back to 1538.
There are samples of various certificate on the Anguline site at
It should also be mentioned that there are other forms of certificates available baptism, guardianship etc.
Cheers
Guy
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