Hints and Tips on using the Index Search Pages.

  1. Can I search more than one year or region at a time?
  2. I don't know the first name. How can I help identify which entry is the one I'm looking for?
  3. Do I need to enter an Initial?
  4. What search criteria can be entered into the forename fields on the search forms?
  5. What if the name is mis-spelled in the records?
  6. How do I order a certificate?
  7. How can I speed up my search?
  8. Is any other help available?

1. Can I search more than one year or region at a time?

 Yes. As you scroll through the lists, you can cause multiple years or regions to be selected by holding down the Control key at the same time as you click with the mouse.
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2. I don't know the first name. How can I help identify which entry is the one I'm looking for?

If you know the area in which the person was born/married, but don't know the first name, you should select Order: by Reference Number instead of Alphabetically
This will cause the results to be grouped by area, giving you a better chance of spotting potential matches.
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3. Do I need to enter an Initial?

No, but if you can, it greatly reduces the number of items displayed, and, for example, in the case of SMITH marrying SMITH it will ensure that the person you are interested in will be displayed in the leftmost column.
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4. What search criteria can be entered into the forename fields on the search forms?

You may enter a forename; or the first part of any forename, or an initial, for example if you were searching for a John William you could enter any of the following:
J
Jo
Joh
J W
Jo Wi
J Will
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5. What if the name is mis-spelled in the records?

As discussed in the information pages on Births and Marriages, transcription errors do happen. If you suspect that a name has been mis-spelled, you have several options in the search to specify that you wish the search to look for names that sound similar but spelled differently or incorrectly. Click on the button that matches one of the following choices:
  • Exact: as it suggests, this will search for exact matches of a name.
  • Soundex: The Soundex algorithm was developed by the imigration department of the USA to help catalogue thousands of people arriving there. It works by keeping the first letter of the surname, and then encoding the remaining letters in to a numerical code based on letters that sound the same. So if you choose this option, you will see, for example, SMITH will return matches on SMITH, SMITHE and SMYTHE (and other names too).
  • Near: A limitation of the Soundex code is that it assumes that first letter is correct. Often with silent W's and dropped H's this is not true. Near matching takes this into account and so would match HARTAS to ARTAS. (HARTAS is my surname, hence why I spotted the problem!)
  • Vague: This takes the Near match a stage further and tries to catch as many possibilities as it can by looking for names which overlap, but don't fall into the category above, for example, TARBUCK and STARBUCK. Beware, this can return some weird matches, but ought to catch most missing links!
  • Gaelic Prefix: (Advanced Search page only) Surnames such as, for example, O'NEIL are sometimes indexed without the apostrophe. Also names may have lost the Mc prefix, so with this option if you entered the surname of, for example, Donnell it will search for Donnell, MacDonnell, McDonnell, M'Donnell, ODonnell and O'Donnell
    This does not apply to the Spouse's Surname in marriage searches.
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6. How do I order a certificate?

Find the reference number of the birth or marriage that you are interested in using the search forms. The last column of the search output will be the reference number.

Clicking on this reference number as it will be add the entry to a summary page. This summary page will remember your search results as you navigate around the various UKBMD web sites. Once you have completed all your searches and then wish to order copy certificates, the reference numbers on the summary page are links to a printable application forms. This form will already have the reference number, names and places filled in. Alternatively, several regions of the country offer online ordering which can be initiated from the summary page.

The form displayed will also show the address to send the certificate to.

Note: that the addresses for each of the Register Offices involved in this project differ. If you send your application to the wrong office, you risk having it rejected!

Further information on where to send your applications can be found in the appropriate pages for Births, Marriages and Deaths.

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7. How can I speed up my search?

There are thousands of records in this collection. If you limit your search to a small set of years and regions, you will greatly reduce the amount of data searched.
If you can further refine your search by giving an Initial, you reduce the amount of data sent over the internet, and hence reduce the time that your computer takes to display it.

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8. Is any other help available?

Further general questions and answers are on our FAQ page.
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If we haven't answered your question here, you may like to look at the main Frequently Asked Questions page or contact the Lancashire BMD Webmaster detailing your query and we'll do our best to answer it. We also welcome suggestions for improving this service, but please remember, we offer this service in our spare time, so please be patient in waiting for a reply.