Beyond Canada

Civil Registration

• Began 1837.
• Administered by the General Register Office.
• All records are open to the public without restriction.
• For detailed information on English and Welsh civil registration records and how to access them, see our page on British Isles Civil Registration.

Church Records

• Records of baptism, marriage and burial began in 1538 though few early records survive.
• Most old registers are now in county or city record offices and have been microfilmed.
• Annual copies called bishop’s transcripts were sent to diocesan offices.
• Most bishop’s transcripts are also in county or city record offices.
• Free indexes of English baptism and marriage records are available in FamilySearch.
• Ancestry Library Edition includes several databases of information derived from English church records including London Parish Records from 1538, Pallot’s Marriage Index for England: 1780-1837 and Pallot’s Baptism Index for England: 1780-1837. Records are mainly from the Greater London area but many other parishes are covered as well.

Census Records

• A census has been taken in England and Wales every ten years since 1841.
• Census records are released after 100 years.
• The most recent available U.K. census is 1911.
• English and Welsh census records (1841-1911) are indexed by Ancestry Library Edition and FamilySearch.
• Ancestry Library Edition also has links to digitized images of the original census records.

ScotlandsPeople is the major source of genealogical information for Scottish genealogical research. The site offers access to an extensive range of indexes and digitized images on a “pay-per-view” basis.

Civil Registration

• Began 1855.
• Administered by the National Records of Scotland (NRS).
• All records are open to the public without restriction.
• Commonly referred to as Statutory Registers.
• For detailed information on Scottish civil registration records and how to access them, see our page on British Isles Civil Registration.

Church Records

• Earliest surviving records of births, baptisms, marriages, banns, deaths and burials date back to 1553.
• Commonly referred to as OPRs (Old Parish Registers).
• Many gaps; very few death and burial records.
• Unlike England and Wales, there are no bishop’s transcripts.
• Records can be accessed directly through ScotlandsPeople.
• The FamilySearch website includes some data from Scottish church registers along with an index.
• Ancestry Library Edition has indexes to and extractions from some parish records.

Census Records

• A census has been taken in Scotland every ten years since 1841.
• Records are released after 100 years.
• The most recent available is 1921.
• Ancestry Library Edition includes indexes and extractions (but not images) of all Scottish census records from 1841-1901.
• 1841-1921 Scottish census records (including images) can be accessed directly through ScotlandsPeople.

Irish genealogical research is particularly challenging because many records were lost in a devastating fire in 1922.

Civil Registration

• Began 1864, although Protestant marriages were registered beginning 1845.
• Administered by the General Register Office.
• Civil registration in Northern Ireland is administered by the General Register Office (Northern Ireland).
• For detailed information on Irish civil registration records and how to access them, see our page on British Isles Civil Registration.

Church Records

• The majority of Ireland’s population is Roman Catholic. The second largest denomination is the Church of Ireland.
• The earliest Catholic records date back to the 1680s. Church of Ireland records date back as far as 1634.
• Ancestry Library Edition includes a small amount of indexing for Irish church records.

Census Records

• A census has been taken every 10 years since 1821.
• Census records from 1821-1891 have not survived except for a few fragments.
• Only 1901 and 1911 Irish census records are currently available to researchers.
• 1901 and 1911 Irish census records, including digital images of original returns, are available free of charge on The National Archives of Ireland website.
• 19th-century census substitutes include the Tithe Applotment Books (1823-1837) and Griffith’s Valuation (1848-1864).
  • A free index to Griffith’s Valuation, with links to digital images of the original valuation, is available.
  • Ancestry Library Edition includes two important databases: Ireland, Tithe Applotment Books, 1824-1837 (covering Northern Ireland only) and Ireland, Index to Griffith’s Valuation, 1848-1864.

Civil Registration

• Administered by individual states. Access arrangements vary. Contact the State vital records office or equivalent.
  • Vital Records Information and Where to Write for Vital Records provide further details and contact information for obtaining copies of original records.
• Information on deceased persons is available through the Social Security Death Index (SSDI).
  • The SSDI contains over 90 million names. Virtually all persons in the database died after 1961.
  • FamilySearch and Ancestry Library Edition include free SSDI databases.
  • Information from the SSDI can be used to request a copy of the Social Security Number Application (Form SS-5) from the U.S. Social Security Administration.

Church Records

• Unlike the British Isles, church registers have never acted as official records of birth, marriage, and death in the United States.
• Records are very complex, as there are hundreds of denominations, many of which have split, merged or disappeared. Record-keeping practices have also varied greatly.
• Many U.S. church records are available on microfilm from the Family History Library

Census Records

• A census has been taken in the U.S. every ten years since 1790.
• Most of the 1891 U.S. census was destroyed by fire.
• The most recent available U.S. census is 1950.
• U.S. census records (1790-1950) are indexed, with links to digitized images, in Ancestry Library Edition.
• Indexes of and images for some census records are available at FamilySearch.

Even a brief overview is not possible in this short guide, but here are some tips to get you started on genealogical research in countries not covered in this guide:

• Search the library catalogue for handbooks on genealogy in specific countries. Conduct a Subject search based on the following example: Italy genealogy.
• Introductions to genealogical research in many European countries are provided in The Family Tree Guidebook to Europe: Your Essential Guide to Trace Your Genealogy in Europe by Allison Dolan and the editors of Family Tree Magazine (2013).
• FamilySearch and Ancestry Library Edition both provide access to records for countries around the world.
• Cyndi’s List has hundreds of thousands of links to genealogical resources. Categories include countries and regions of the world.