At Torbay Register Office we hold the records for any birth, death, marriage or civil partnership that has taken place in our district from 1837.  If the event you are trying to trace occured elsewhere you will need to apply to the district concerned.

If the entry is traced, the information can only be supplied in the form of a certificate for which a fee is charged.  You can complete our online application forms and we will then post out your certificates to you or alternatively you can send a letter giving the details required (see below).  Postal applications should be accompanied with the fee (cheques/postal orders payable to Torbay Council). If the entry is not found a full refund is made.

To obtain a copy of a Birth, Death, Marriage or Civil Partnership certificate you must provide us with the following information:

• Birth Certificate - Full name, date of birth, place of birth, fathers name, mothers name (including maiden name).
• Death Certificate - Full name, date of death, place of death, address at time of death.
• Marriage Certificate - Full name of groom, full name of bride(surname before marriage), date of marriage, place of marriage.
• Civil Partnership Certificate - Full name of both partners, date and place of Civil Partnership formation (For a full copy of the entry you must also clearly state the full home address of both parties otherwise an extract will be supplied.)

National Index
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) hold a national, central register of birth, deaths and marriages dating back to 1837. The national index references (formerly known as St Catherine's House index) are different from those used in Register Offices so quoting their reference on an application to a Register Office is of no help. However, they do confirm that the event occurred in a particular registration district, although the sub-district is not indicated. It is very helpful for marriages in particular therefore to have a connection to a place, parish or religious denomination.

The registers are fragile documents and cannot be searched or viewed by the public but it is possible for you to search indexes. There is a fee for this and arrangements should be made with the Superintendent Registrar.

Torbay Register Office is open Monday to Friday 0930 - 1630, and can be contacted for general advice about Family History from 1837 onwards. If you plan to visit the office please call to make an appointment.

Sources of Records before 1st July 1837
Before 1st July 1837, the principal means of recording births (or baptisms), marriages and deaths (or burials) were parish registers kept by clergymen of the Church of England. The best way to trace them is to get in touch with the clergy in the area that you are searching.

If you are new to genealogy, interested in background information, or pursuing a complicated link, there are many on-line guides for researching Family History in the United Kingdom.

• GENUKI is a web forum for genealogical research in the United Kingdom and Ireland and is an excellent starting point - try the Genealogy and Family History pages.
• The Public Record Office, the National Archive, has much useful information - try the Genealogy site.
• The Office of National Statistics
• The Family Record Centre
• FAMILIA is the UK and Ireland's guide to genealogical resources in public libraries.
• All local authorities hold records for their administrative area.

We hope that you have much success and enjoyment in your research and we look forward to helping you to achieve your aims.