Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages
The General Register Office for Northern Ireland (‘GRONI’) was established in 1922, with responsibility for registration within the six counties which form Northern Ireland. GRONI hold all official birth, death and marriage records for the six counties that form Northern Ireland from 1864 (and non-Roman Catholic marriages from 1845).
The General Register Office in the Republic of Ireland was established in 1845 and holds records for the Island of Ireland up to December 1921. After that date it maintains records for what is now the Republic of Ireland.
Because the Catholic Church had initially opted out at the commencement of civil registration in Ireland, only non-Catholic marriages were registered from 1 April 1845. It was not until 1 January 1864 that full registration was achieved, after which it was compulsory to register all births, deaths, and marriages.
GRONI holds a full set of civil registration records for Northern Ireland dating back to 1864 and non-Roman Catholic marriages from 1845.
What Records Exist and What Do They Contain?
Until relatively recent times the information recorded in all three forms of registration had remained unchanged in both jurisdictions since the nineteenth century. The data recorded is only as complete as that which had been provided by the person who provided the information, being the family member or other person who registered the event.
Birth Registrations
In Northern Ireland before October 1973, the following information was recorded in birth registrations:
The child's name;
The date and place of birth;
The child’s gender;
The father's name and address (if recorded);
The mother’s name and birth surname;
The father’s occupation (if recorded);
The name and address of the person who provided the information; and,
The date of registration.
In cases where only the mother is recorded, the mother’s address is usually captured.
Since October 1973 the following additional information has been recorded, where known:
A specific surname for the child;
The address for the mother if different from the father’s; and,
- The mother’s surname at marriage if different from the maiden surname.
From December 1996, the mother’s occupation has been recorded. In some instances, prior to this date, the mother’s occupation was recorded beside their name.
Death Registrations
In Northern Ireland before October 1979, death registrations contained the following information:
The date and place of death;
The name of deceased;
The home address of the deceased (if different from place of death);
The gender of the deceased;
The civil status of the deceased;
The age of the deceased;
The occupation of the deceased;
The cause of death;
The name and address of the person who provided the information; and
The date of registration.
From October 1973, each deceased person’s date and place of birth is recorded, and for a married woman her birth surname. From December 2012, where known, each deceased person’s parents’ names and occupations have been recorded; and, additionally, the name and occupation of their spouse or civil partner.
Marriage Registrations
In Northern Ireland before January 2004, marriage registrations contained the following information:
Both parties’ names;
Their civil status;
Their ages, date of birth or both;
Their occupations;
Their home address or addresses;
Both parties’ fathers’ names and occupations;
The date and place of marriage; and
The names of two witnesses.
Since January 2004 additional information recorded is both parties’ dates of birth and country of birth; for both parties, their parents’ names and occupations; and the home address of the two witnesses.
Adoption Birth Registrations
Birth registration for adopted persons began in Northern Ireland in January 1931. From that date until July 1950, the following information is recorded:
The child’s name;
The child’s date of birth and country of birth, if not Northern Ireland;
The child’s gender;
The adoptive parents’ names and address and occupations;
The date of the adoption order;
The name of the court making the order; and
The date of registration at GRONI.
From December 1969 – present, the child’s country of birth, if not Northern Ireland, is captured, or district of birth and country of birth if born in Northern Ireland.
In the Republic of Ireland, registrations in the Adopted Children's Register commenced in July 1953. The information recorded is:
The child's name;
The child’s date and country of birth;
The child’s gender;
The adoptive parents’ names, address and occupations (though not the adoptive mother's birth surname if parents married);
The date of the adoption order;
The name of person who provided the information; and
The date of registration at the General Registrar Office.
Where record keeping has been accurate, for each child legally adopted in any constituent part of the United Kingdom or in the Republic of Ireland, and who was also born in any of these jurisdictions, there should be an original birth registration noting the child's birth parent or parents. However, while this is a public record, it can only be accessed where at least a surname, and an approximate date of birth, is known for the child.
To obtain a copy of the original birth record from GRONI the applicant must provide the child’s forename/s and surname at birth, date and place of birth, mother’s forename and surname and father’s forename and surname, if recorded.
To What Period Do the Records Relate?
The earliest records are for non-Catholic marriage which date back to April 1845. Compulsory registration of all births, deaths and marriages only began on 1st January 1864.
Where Are the Records Held?
The original records are held by GRONI. However, copies of all records pertaining to Northern Ireland are held by the General Register Office in Dublin up to December 1921.
Why Might the Contents of the Records Be Useful?
Civil registration records are the building blocks for any form of genealogical research. One record will lead to another and when used in conjunction with other records and data sets, reliable conclusions can be drawn. Additionally, it may then be possible to make links with others who might be able to contribute oral family information.
Who Is the Controller of the Records?
All civil registration records across the Island of Ireland fall under the separate authority of the island’s two General Register Offices. The registers are public records, and anyone can search for and obtain a copy of any registration record.
How Best Can the Records Be Accessed?
Civil registration records are a matter of public record; anyone can obtain a birth, marriage, or death certificate so long as they possess enough information to identify the relevant entry in the registers.
An adopted person aged 18 or over has the right of access to their original birth registration. More information about this can be found here [link to adoption records tab]
Earlier civil registration records can be accessed online, and more modern ones must be applied for. In certain instances, fees for searching and for obtaining certificates may apply.
For both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, all birth records registered more than 100 years ago, all marriage records registered more than 75 years ago, and all death records registered more than 50 years ago can be obtained online. The website for the Republic of Ireland is free for both searching and printing out non-official copies of register entries. However, that for Northern Ireland, while allowing free searching, applies fees for viewing register entries. GRONI does not provide non-official copies of register entries.
Records outside of the embargoes noted above must be obtained through contact with either the General Register Office in Belfast; or through a local Register Office. Details of costs, which change from time-to-time, can be found in the various links provided above. Local Registration Offices in Northern Ireland do not hold information on adoptions.
Generally, birth records under 100 years, marriages less than 75 years ago and death records under 50 years cannot be obtained online. In Northern Ireland, the general public can visit the Public Search Room, by appointment, in the GRONI building located at Colby House, Stranmillis Court, Belfast to search for and to view records using credits that can be purchased from the GRONI website. Details can be found at the link below:
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/preparing-gronis-public-search-room
For birth, marriage and death records within the same time frame from the Republic of Ireland, in person visits can be made to one of their General Registrar Offices and additionally an email service is available for those unable to travel to the Republic of Ireland. There is a small fee for searches and to receive a copy of records.
Details for that service can be found at the link below;
gov - Search Room at the General Register Office (GRO) (www.gov.ie)
Electoral Rolls
Electoral Rolls, also known as Electoral Registers or Voters Lists, record those eligible to vote in all forms of elections held in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain.
What Records Exist and What Do They Contain?
While the information noted is far less than in census returns, unlike the census electoral rolls are a matter of public record from the point of their publication and a new register is published each year. They tend to be arranged by council, town, and / or county areas (depending on the jurisdiction) and they record all voters’ names at each postal address. In UK electoral rolls since the 1970s, for those who will only turn eligible to vote during the qualifying year, for one year only their date of birth is recorded. Some older rolls will note those with additional votes based upon property ownership. They do not record relationships between voters at specified addresses.
To What Period Do the Records Relate?
Comprehensive electoral rolls, noting all eligible voters by address, date from the extension of the voting franchise in 1918. They run right up to date, and anyone can access the printed register. However, they are not indexed, so searches can only be made by reference to specific addresses. That said, for Great Britain some older pre-1965 registers can be found online on genealogy websites, and these can be searched by name. Unfortunately, in Northern Ireland not every area has retained a full set of rolls since 1918, with many collections containing significant gaps.
Where Are the Records Held?
For various dates, a selection of original archival rolls from across Northern Ireland can be found at PRONI. Small collections can also be found in some libraries and local archives. More recent years may still be held at local council offices across Northern Ireland. Some electoral register data for Northern Ireland, dating within the two decades, can be found online on genealogy websites.
Why Might the Contents of the Records Be Useful?
While electoral rolls do not note the relationships of those recorded at each address, nevertheless knowing the names of those resident in a particular house can help in piecing relationships together with access to other records, for instance civil registration records of birth, death, and marriage.
Who Is the Controller of the Records?
Electoral rolls in their published form are public records, though that said, access to them and the data they hold is regulated by statute as regards their commercial exploitation.
How Best Can the Records Be Accessed?
They can be accessed easily in person or online. In person, this can be done by initially searching two online catalogues and then by visiting the relevant archive or library. There is a catalogue maintained by PRONI, and another by Libraries NI. Search using key words such as “voters” and “electoral” etc. Original archival material generally dates from the 20th century.
Online voters’ data, mostly for the past two decades, though not necessarily comprehensive, can be found on subscription sites such as Ancestry.com, Findmypast and 192.com. Because this data is digitised, it can be searched by name and / or address.
Census Returns
The first census was taken in Ireland in 1821, and then each decade afterwards until 1911. Unfortunately, most returns for 1821 to 1851 were destroyed in the fire which consumed the Public Record Office of Ireland in Dublin in June 1922. The returns for 1861 to 1891 were not retained after the compilation of anonymised statistics. Thus, for the period prior to partition, in Ireland the only two surviving and complete sets of census returns are those for 1901 and 1911.
You can read more about the fate of Irish census material in the 19th and 20th centuries on the website of the Council of Irish Genealogical Organisations.
What Records Exist and What Do They Contain?
At this time, only the returns for the 1901 and 1911 census can be accessed by the public. They record the occupants of each household across Ireland on ‘census night’, noting their name, age, occupation, religion, marital status, place of birth, education, ability to read / write in English and / or Irish, and relationship to the head of the household.
To What Period Do the Records Relate?
In the UK and Ireland, census returns are embargoed for 100 years. The returns for 1901 and 1911 are now online and can be searched freely. The next census to be released will be in 2026 and will be the returns for the Republic of Ireland. The returns for Northern Ireland’s own census in 1926 have not been preserved.
Where Are the Records Held?
The original census returns for 1901 and 1911 are held by the National Archives of Ireland in Dublin. PRONI holds microfilm copies for the six counties which form Northern Ireland.
Why Might the Contents of the Records Be Useful?
Census returns provide a family snapshot on a given date which can assist in piecing a family together, particularly when used in conjunction with other records such as civil registration records etc.
Who Is the Controller of the Records?
A century after their compilation, census returns become public records and therefore there are no legal obstructions in accessing census data.
How Best Can the Records Be Accessed?
All of Ireland’s surviving original census returns can easily be accessed online for free on the website of the National Archives of Ireland. They are searchable by name and / or place.
The 1939 National Register
At the beginning of the Second World War, on 29th September 1939, a canvas was held to gather basic facts about everyone then residing in each constituent part of the UK. Each household was required to fill out a form, rather like a census return. This data was used to compile the National Register which was used for rationing, ID cards and, in Great Britain, for conscription. After the war, in Northern Ireland the card index (arranged by name) to the National Register formed the basis of the NHS Central Index for Northern Ireland. The National Register volumes themselves were put into storage for many years before being transferred to PRONI.
What Records Exist and What Do They Contain?
The entire National Register for Northern Ireland has been preserved. It notes for each resident in Northern Ireland, arranged by home address, on the night of 29th September 1939, their name, sex, date of birth, marital status, and occupation. Unfortunately, no details were recorded about each person’s relationship to others in the same household.
To What Period Do the Records Relate?
The National Register recorded the whole population of Northern Ireland as it stood on the night of 29th September 1939. It includes many quite elderly people, some born as early as the 1840's.
Where Are the Records Held?
The National Register is now held by PRONI.
Why Might the Contents of the Records Be Useful?
Unlike census returns which only record ages, the National Register notes each person’s exact date of birth which can help in identifying specific individuals in other record sets.
Who Is the Controller of the Records?
PRONI is the controller.
How Best Can the Records Be Accessed?
The National Register is not a public record, but searches can be requested through PRONI. There is no surviving names index, thus one needs to either know the National Registration Number for the individual being sought, or their address on or about 29th September 1939.
It is recommended that all communication with PRONI should be in writing and copies of correspondence should be kept.
The contact details for PRONI are as follows:
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland,
2 Titanic Boulevard,
Titanic Quarter,
Belfast,
BT3 9HQ.
Email: proni@communities-ni.gov.uk
Wills and Administration Records
A will records how a person wishes to have their assets distributed after their death. Where a person dies without a will, which is known as dying intestate, their estate might be dealt with through administration, issued by the probate office and which allows the assets to be divided amongst their nearest living next-of-kin according to a legal formula set by statute.
What Records Exist and What Do They Contain?
A typical will generally records the names of relatives (and perhaps personal and family friends) of the person making it. Where the deceased has died intestate there will be no will and therefore the documentation generated by the probate office will note only the name and address of the relative who applied for the grant of administration.
To What Period Do the Records Relate?
All original wills proved, and administrations granted, in Northern Ireland since 1922 are extant. Copies of earlier wills and administrations, dating back to 1858, are available for most estates, though not all.
Where Are the Records Held?
These records are held by the Probate Office for up to ten years, after which they are then transferred to PRONI. Currently, the testamentary records transferred to PRONI run up to 2015.
Why Might the Contents of the Records Be Useful?
Testamentary records (i.e. wills and administrations intestate) generally comprise family relationships, involving names and addresses current at the time the will was written or the administration intestate granted.
Who Is the Controller of the Records?
There are no restrictions in access to wills and administration records while retained by the Probate Office and upon transfer to PRONI they become public records.
How Best Can the Records Be Accessed?
PRONI maintains an online index of grants of probate and administration from 1858 to 1965 inclusive, indicating which records survive and can therefore be either viewed online, inspected in its reading room, or a copy ordered to be posted out. At PRONI, access to details about grants of probate and administration after 1965 is via a series of hard copy printed Will Calendars, alphabetically arranged by surname, which run up to 2014.
For the period after 1st January 1986 the Northern Ireland Probate Service maintains an online index to grants of probate and administration, but utilising this requires the creation of an account and searches in the online database require the payment of a fee.