Genealogy Chat

nudge Caz

Family Records Centre - if you can travel there - Cross over Clerkenwell Road and when you reach the big Post Office on the left, turn into Exmouth Market on the right. At the end of this, you see the FRC as shown in magazine pictures. The entrance is on the right of the wedge-shaped building.; go up the steps or the ramp to the front door. There is an attendant who will want to check your bag. Best to go down to the basement to start with; here are toilets, refreshment area and cloakroom to leave coat (it gets warm upstairs). You will need a pound coin for a locker. Then go back up to where you came in. and then you walk through past the shop into big room dealing with BMD certificates. There is an information desk, also the counter where eventually you will fill out coloured request forms and pay for your orders. The main part of this floor contains three areas of registers, births, marriages and deaths. You just get as close as you can to the dates you want to start with, and then take down one book at a time and see what you can find. All the books are alphabetical by surname, you will see by the area given which name is the right one for you. Jot down the year, quarter, district, volume and page number; this is what goes on the request forms. The books are **heavy**. Just a matter of working round all the other people, and getting through the years you want. After a time you will want to take a break to fill up some request forms or take a walk downstairs. The floor above deals with census data; and there are interesting books. Leave enough time for the payment counter; quite a queue builds up from about 2 o'clock.

Just want to say thanks to you all for your replys. I might as well sit in the comfort of my own home than trudge up to London lol, many thanks , Sally

Good Morning Sally... No you can't see certificates there. They hold the index books from 1837 to 2004 for births, marriages and deaths. When you find what you're looking for you order a certificate.. The order is sent to the GRO in Southport who then send it to you. Jean x.

Sally, all you would see at the FRC is the index, same as you would see on ancestry or 1837 online, but you can order a copy of the actual certificate there for £7, and then collect it a few days later or have it posted to you. You can't look at the actual certificates at the FRC. Do look at that website I mentioned because it will tell you everything, honestly! Kate.

can you see the original certificate or photo copy, or is it just the same as what you get on the bmd?

Sally, I haven't been there myself, but I know you can get certificates from there (seen it on WDYTYA!) You don't get the certificate the same day you order it, though. Their website is at http://www.familyrecords.gov.uk/frc/ and I would think your best bet is to look at that website, as it should give you all the information you need. Kate.

Morning all, has anyone been to to records centre? Is it free to get in? Can you get certificates from there? How much do you have to pay? Thanks, Sally