What is a GRO index reference, and where can I find it?
The General Register Office allocates a reference to every event of birth, marriage or death registered in England and Wales. This relates to the year, quarter, and district that the entry was registered in. By giving the office this index reference it allows us to quickly identify the correct entry. This reference is only of use to the General Register Office and not to local registration offices who have their own system. A complete set of GRO Indexes is available at Greater Manchester County Record Office, Birmingham Central Library, Bridgend Reference and Information Library, Plymouth Central Library and the City of Westminster Archives Centre. These indexes can also be viewed at the National Archives at Kew. Some public libraries and other organisations hold full or part sets of the GRO Indexes on microfiche or CD ROM.
The General Register Office allocates a reference to every event of birth, marriage or death registered in England and Wales. This relates to the year, quarter, and district that the entry was registered in. By giving the office this index reference it allows us to quickly identify the correct entry. This reference is only of use to the General Register Office and not to local registration offices who have their own system. A complete set of GRO Indexes are available to view in microfiche format at Birmingham Central Library, Bridgend Reference and Information Library, The British Library, City of Westminster Archives Centre, London Metropolitan Archives, Greater Manchester County Record Office and Plymouth Central Library. The indexes are available for searching by the public but the records themselves are not available for scrutiny. There is no charge for searching the indexes. Some public libraries and other organisations hold full or part sets of the GRO Indexes on microfiche or CD
