GRO Indexes

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Dear General Register Office,

Why does the searchable GRO Online Index only cover births from 1837-1917 as to not list anyone born under 100 years ago? I am aware you currently do not have all records digitised and would only be able to go up to 1957 anyway, but why have you imposed a rule that people cannot search for births that occurred after 1917?

This rule does not exist for the microfiche copies of the Indexes you supply to libraries in the UK which go up to the last quarter, or the many pay to view websites which have the Birth indexes from 1837 right up to 2007.

Also are there any plans to expand the Indexes on the website to include all Birth, Marriage and Death records up to the present day at any point?

Thanks.

Yours faithfully,

Jack Knight

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GROLRS Engagement,

Dear Mr Knight,
 
Thank you for your email of 31July regarding the online GRO indexes. We
have not taken this under the Freedom of Information Act, but rather as
official correspondence. 
 
When we developed online indexes on our own website we needed to take
these from the records we had already digitised. Since these are births
and deaths starting in 1837 – but not going beyond 1934 in the case of
births, and 1957 in the case of deaths, which were the limits reached in
our digitisation work to date – we decided that we would start by
publishing “historic” records for these using the same demarcation as that
already use in Scotland and Northern Ireland, ie births over 100 years old
and deaths over 50 years old. 
 
However, we do continue to publish all years, and as you note make these
available in microfiche format. We do recognise that there is interest
amongst our customers in being able to see indexes of modern records – and
of course marriages indexes from 1837 - online. We are continuing to see
what opportunities we may have to complete our digitisation, which would
then enable us to reach decisions on the potential expansion of our online
indexes to cover additional years. 
 
With best wishes
 
People and Engagement
Civil Registration
Her Majesty's Passport Office,
General Register Office, Room 205,  Smedley Hydro, Trafalgar Road,
Southport, PR8 2HH
 
E: [1][email address]
[2]www.gov.uk
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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References

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