The register office in Usk holds records only for events which took place in the county of Monmouthshire. Civil registration of births, deaths and marriage started on 1 July 1837 and our records are complete from this date to the present day. Before this date, baptisms, burials and marriages were recorded by the churches where they took place.
What information would I need to obtain a birth, marriage/civil partnership or death certificate?
To obtain a birth certificate you will need to inform us of the name of the person at birth, date of birth, place of birth and parents’ names including Mother’s maiden name
For death certificates we need the name of the person, the date of death, the place of death and the date of birth.
For marriage/civil partnerships the names of the parties, the date of the event and the place.
Can I obtain from your office a certificate of a birth, marriage/civil partnership or death that occurred outside Monmouthshire?
Unfortunately not. Records of births, marriages and deaths are always held in the district where the event took place and can only be issued from the local office.
Can I trace a long lost relative?
At the register office, we only keep records of births, deaths and marriage and the details given at the time of those events. We do not keep updated records of a person’s whereabouts. Try contacting the electoral register for the district covering the person’s last known address.
Can anyone come into the office for a certificate?
Yes, as long as they have the information necessary to find the entry. We do not need to see any identification.
Certificates for family history
In cases which require extended searching, we are not always able to provide a same day service for family history certificates. It is advisable to email the office in the first instance to registeroffice@monmouthshire.gov.uk to make sure we have the entry before applying for the certificate
Where can I get help tracing my family history?
Contact Central library to ask about family history research resources.
Gwent Family History Society is useful if you are searching in the Gwent and Monmouthshire area.
Census reports
Census reports give details of people living at a household at the time of the census.
The latest published census reports are for 1911 and are available on the 1911 Census website.
For events that have taken place in Scotland or Northern Ireland contact the Scotland General Register Office or the Northern Ireland General Register Office.
Find My Past: birth, marriage and death indexes from 1837
Free BMD: a volunteer project, indexes start from 1837
Ancestry UK: an archive of records from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, including the GRO Indexes
The GENUKI website: genealogical information for the UK and Ireland
The Family History UK website: links to other sites plus information
The Family Search website: site of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, also known as the Mormons, contains genealogical information
The Genealogy Guide website: useful advice on family history and ancestry in the UK
Events before 1837
The main sources of information before civil registration in 1837 are parish registers and records of other faiths, try these links: