This site uses cookies. Cookies are used to make the website work better, as well as to provide information on how the site is used. By continuing to use our site, we’ll assume you’re okay with this. Read more about the Cookies used here.
Researching your family history
-
Starting your search
Expand contentWhere to begin
The first step is to gather all the information you can from relatives such as:
- names
- dates
- addresses
Look at documents such as:
- Wills
- family bibles
- newspaper cuttings
- any birth, death or marriage certificates already held
Draw up a basic family tree to give you an idea of the gaps that you will need to fill. Then work backwards using information known already about relatives. Census records are very useful in finding out the names of other family members.
If, for example, you know your grandmother’s date and place and birth, apply for her birth certificate and this will give you her parent’s full names including her mother’s maiden surname. Your next step would then be to search for her parent’s marriage certificate which you should find through searching the family records indexes. These indexes are available to search on various websites, some free of charge.
How far do the Register Office’s records go back?
Civil registration of births, deaths and marriages started on 1st July 1837 and so our records go back to then (please note, we only hold records for the Leicestershire area). Before July 1837, the Churches recorded baptisms, burials and marriage banns, some of which are held at the Leicestershire and Rutland Record Office in Wigston.
Where can I get help tracing my family history?
Registration staff at Leicestershire will be more than willing to help you as much as possible and there are many groups and organisations specialising in family history or genealogy that should be able to help. You could try searching on the internet, or visit your local library and there are many books written on the subject.
What information do I need to obtain an old birth, death or marriage certificate?
We will need to know the name, year and the registration district and any other information you may have.
How do I use the index search facility?
Put in a surname (that’s a mandatory field), leave out the forename, choose a year range which includes the date you suspect may be correct, click all sub-districts and see what results are produced. If there are too many results and you are unsure of the correct one, refine your search by choosing a sub-district and a forename. Alternatively, if no results are shown, try using the near and quick search options which will offer more random results. Try searching our online indexes
What do I do if the entry I am looking for hasn’t yet been transcribed?
If you are unable to supply precise information then it may take longer for us to locate the entry to which you are referring. Please complete the manual certificate application form with all the information you have. In some cases we may not be able to determine the actual entry. If you are uncertain of the date of an event we will search for a five-year period (2 years either side of your suggested date (e.g. you suggest 1885, we will search 1883 to 1887) but unfortunately, we do not have the resources for extensive searches of the indexes.
Why are the reference numbers different from the national marriage indexes?
The national indexes of marriages in England and Wales list all persons married in each quarter year from 1837 and are now kept and accessed online at the General Register Office. They show the name of the bride or groom, the surname of the spouse (from 1912 only), the name of the registration district (as it existed at the time of the marriage), and a volume and page number which is unique to the General Register Office (GRO).
Every three months since July 1837, local registrars and Church of England ministers have been required to send copies of their marriage register entries to the GRO. For various reasons, sometimes marriages were missed, or details were copied incorrectly from the register; this can usually explain differences between certificates ordered by the GRO and those obtained from local register offices. Generally speaking, registers and indexes held by the local offices are less prone to error, and should therefore be more accurate than those at the GRO.
-
Locations and time periods for the birth and death register which we hold
Expand contentList of locations and time periods of Birth and Death Registers held at Leicestershire Register Office
Allexton
- 01/04/1997 to present
Anstey
- 01/01/1920 to 30/09/1949
- 01/04/1997 to present
Barkby
- 01/07/1837 to 30/09/1949
- 01/04/1997 to present
Barkby Thorpe
- 01/07/1837 to 30/09/1949
- 01/04/1997 to present
Barrow-On-Soar
- 01/07/1837 to 30/09/1949
- 01/04/1960 to present
Beeby
- 01/07/1837 to 30/09/1949
- 01/04/1997 to present
Billesdon
- 01/04/1997 to present
Birstall
- 01/01/1920 to 30/09/1949
- 01/04/1997 to present
Blaby
- 01/04/1997 to present
Botcheston
- 01/07/1837 to 31/03/1974
- 01/04/1997 to present
Braunstone Town
- 01/04/1997 to Present
Burton Overy
- 01/04/1997 to present
Bushby
- 01/04/1997 to present
Carlton Curlieu
- 01/04/1997 to present
Cold Newton
- 01/04/1997 to present
Cosby
- 01/04/1997 to present
Cossington
- 26/10/1837 to 30/09/1949
- 01/04/1960 to present
Countesthorpe
- 01/04/1997 to present
Croft
- 01/04/1997 to present
Cropston
- 01/01/1920 to 30/09/1949
- 01/04/1997 to present
Desford
- 01/07/1837 to 31/03/1974
- 01/04/1997 to present
East Goscote
- 01/07/1837 to 30/09/1949
- 01/04/1997 to present
East Norton
- 01/04/1997 to present
Enderby
- 01/04/1997 to present
Frisby
- 01/04/1997 to present
Gaulby
- 01/04/1997 to present
Glenfield
- 01/04/1997 to present
Glen Parva
- 01/04/1997 to present
Goadby
- 01/04/1997 to present
Great Glen
- 01/04/1997 to present
Great Stretton
- 01/04/1997 to present
Groby
- 26/10/1837 to 31/03/1974
- 01/04/1997 to present
Halstead
- 01/04/1997 to present
Houghton On The Hill
- 01/04/1997 to present
Huncote
- 01/04/1997 to present
Hungarton
- 01/04/1997 to present
Illston On The Hill
- 01/04/1997 to present
Ingarsby
- 01/04/1997 to present
Keyham
- 01/04/1997 to present
Kilby
- 01/04/1997 to present
Kings Norton
- 01/04/1997 to present
Kirby Muxloe
- 01/04/1997 to present
Launde
- 01/04/1997 to present
Leicester Forest East
- 01/04/1997 to present
Little Stretton
- 01/04/1997 to present
Littlethorpe
- 01/04/1997 to present
Loddington
- 01/04/1997 to present
Lowesby
01/04/1997 to present- Lubbesthorpe
01/04/1997 to present
Maresfield
- 01/04/1997 to present
Mountsorrel
- 23/44/1837 to 30/09/1949
- 01/04/1960 to present
Narborough
- 01/04/1997 to present
Newton Harcourt
- 01/04/1997 to present
Newtown Linford
- 01/01/1920 to 30/09/1949
- 01/04/1997 to present
Noseley
- 01/04/1997 to present
Oadby
- 01/04/1997 to present
Owston & Newbold
- 01/04/1997 to present
Potters Marston
- 01/04/1997 to present
Queniborough
- 01/07/1837 to 30/09/1949
- 01/04/1997 to present
Quorn (Quorndon)
- 01/07/1837 to 30/09/1949
- 01/04/1960 to present
Ratby
- 01/07/1837 to 31/03/1974
- 01/04/1997 to present
Ratcliffe On The Wreake
- 01/07/1837 to 30/09/1949
- 01/04/1997 to present
Rearsby
- 01/07/1837 to 30/09/1949
- 01/04/1997 to present
Rolleston
- 01/04/1997 to present
Rothley
- 01/01/1920 to 30/09/1949
- 01/04/1997 to present
Scraptoft
- 01/04/1997 to present
Seagrave
- 01/07/1837 to 30/09/1949
- 01/04/1960 to present
Sileby
- 23/11/1837 to 30/09/1949
- 01/04/1960 to present
Skeffington
- 01/04/1997 to present
South Croxton
- 1/04/1997 to present
Stoughton
- 01/04/1997 to present
Swithland
- 23/11/1837 to 30/09/1949
- 01/04/1960 to present
Syston
- 01/07/1837 to 30/09/1949
- 01/04/1997 to present
Thrussington
- 23/11/1837 to 30/09/1949
- 01/04/1960 to present
Thurcaston
- 01/01/1920 to 30/09/1949
- 1/04/1997 to present
Thurlaston
- 01/04/1997 to present
Thurmaston
- 01/07/1837 to 30/09/1949
- 01/04/1997 to present
Thurnby
- 01/04/1997 to present
Tilton
- 01/04/1997 to present
Tugby
- 01/04/1997 to present
Ulverscroft
- 01/01/1920 to 30/09/1949
- 01/04/1997 to present
Wanlip
- 01/01/1920 to 30/09/1949
- 01/04/1997 to present
Whatborough
- 01/04/1997 to present
Whetstone
- 01/04/1997 to present
Wigston
- 01/04/1997 to present
Wistow
- 1/04/1997 to present
Withcote
- 01/04/1997 to present
Woodhouse
- 01/07/1837 to 30/09/1949
- 01/04/1960 to present
Woodhouse Eaves
- 01/07/1837 to 30/09/1949
- 01/04/1960 to present