England is in north-west Europe and is in the southern part of Great Britain. It is an island country and also part of the United Kingdom (UK) .
Predominant constituent unit of the United Kingdom, occupying more than half the island of Great Britain. It is bounded on the north by Scotland; on the west by the Irish Sea, Wales, and the Atlantic Ocean; on the south by the English Channel; and on the east by the North Sea. England has maintained an excellent system of official records stretching back into the early 1800s, including civil registration and census records. To go back further, parish records, city directories and a wealth of other records exist that can go back into the 1600s and beyond. As interest in family history grows in England, more and more records are also being made available online. Civil registration of births, marriages and deaths in England and Wales began on 1 July 1837. The Family Records Centre in London is the official repository for indexes of all births, marriages and deaths in England and Wales since 1837 as well as indexes of adoption since 1927 and indexes of births, marriages and deaths for some British citizens abroad since the late 18th century. A census has been conducted in England & Wales every 10 years since 1801, except for 1941 due to WWII. The 1841 census marks the first for which names of individuals were included, and from 1851 on, the census also gives the place of birth. To protect the privacy of living individuals, the most recent census to be released to the public is 1901. Prior to 1837 there was no central registration of births, marriages and deaths in England, and therefore parish registers or church records are the main source of information for establishing the facts of such events during this period. Parish registers from England and Wales may date back as early as 1538 -- although mid-1600s is more common -- and can help fill in the gaps prior to 1837. |