Frequently asked questions

General site information

Is findmypast.com the same as 1837online?

Yes. In November 2006 1837online.com changed its name to findmypast.com to reflect the new scope of our records, some of which now extend back as far as 1538.

If you were a customer of 1837online your account is still valid.

All of the family history records that were originally on 1837online are still available on findmypast.com, plus many millions more.

How do I get to the home page?

Click on sign out on the toolbar at the top of the page.

The feedback page will be displayed.

Click on the findmypast.com logo in the top left-hand corner of the screen - this will take you back to the homepage.

What records do you hold?

To see a full list of all the records on findmypast.com visit our search all records page

If there are any datasets that you would like to see on the site, please email us at info@findmypast.com
 
How complete are the indexes for BMD you are offering? 

We offer the entire copy of indexes of births, marriages and deaths for England and Wales from 1837 to 2006.

The overseas records are the full set from the GRO but do not contain all events which occurred, as registration was not compulsory for British nationals abroad.

The indexes are updated by the GRO at the latter part of the year, and are always two years behind.
 
Can I search the birth, marriage and death indexes by volume and page? 

You will not be able to search the birth, marriage and death indexes by Volume and Page number.

Can I narrow down searches by surname? 

For the copy of births, marriages and deaths in England and Wales from 1837 to 1983, it is possible to narrow searches by forename and surname.

For the copy of births, marriages and deaths in England and Wales from 1984 to 2006, it is possible to search by forename and surname (as well as mother's maiden name, birth date, middle initial, spouse's surname and district).

For the overseas records, it is possible to search by full surname.

For the census records it is possible to search by forename and surname, occupation, sex, address, place of birth and other members of the household.

Do you have records for Scotland, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands?

Currently we do not provide records for areas other than England and Wales, aside from foreign nationals who may be found in the Passenger Lists or in certain of the occupations directories.

However, other records are added regularly. It's worth returning to the site often to see what's new, or sign-up for our email newsletter to receive the latest updates.
We can recommend the following sites:

Scotland
http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

Northern Ireland
http://www.groni.gov.uk/index.htm

Republic of Ireland
http://www.groireland.ie/about_us.htm

Why is the name I entered not on the page?

The search will return a list of pages that may contain the entry you are looking for. There are a number of reasons why a person may not appear in the index where you would expect them to.

See our Knowledge Base for more help on troubleshooting and searching

Will findmypast trace my family tree for me?

Findmypast.com is a self-service website, and we do not undertake paid research. However, if you’re continually hitting brick walls in your research, do not have the time to trace your tree yourself, or need to consult records in a distant repository, then you may wish to hire a professional researcher.

At the present time no official certification or governing body exists for professional genealogists. There are, however, some unofficial bodies, which do lend some authenticity to their members.

Professional genealogists’ associations:
APG Directory of Professional Genealogists
The Association of Professional Genealogists
P.O. Box 40393
Denver, CO 80204-0393
www.apgen.org

Accredited Genealogists
International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (IcapGen)
P.O. Box 1144
Salt Lake City, UT 84111-1144
www.infouga.org

Certified Genealogists
Board for Certification of Genealogists
P.O. Box 14291
Washington, D.C. 20044
www.bcgcertification.org

SRA:
Dr Nick Barrett, who’s acted as chief researcher for several television programmes, including the BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are?, is founder and CEO of Sticks Research Agency (SRA), a well-established, London-based, professional genealogical research company.
Visit the SRA website.