You are here: Home: Leisure and culture: Local history and heritage: Family history research

Family history research

Applying for certificates

You can apply by post or in person at Calderdale Register Office and at most other offices. It is best to telephone first before making a special journey, as some offices are only open part-time.

The current fee for a certificate is £7.  Cheques or postal orders should be made payable to 'The Superintendent Registrar'.  A stamped addressed envelope is appreciated to return certificates to you. 

When sending for more than one certificate we suggest sending a separate cheque for each event, in case a search is unsuccessful and we need to make a refund.  We require payment at the time of application.

You can also apply to the General Register Office at:

• Address
• GRO
  PO Box 2
  Southport
  Merseyside PR8 2JD
• Telephone
• 0845 6037788

Or order online at the General Register Office|.

The fees for certificates obtained from the General Register Office are higher than for those from local offices unless you have the GRO reference of the volume and page number as given on the St Catherine's index.  In this case the certificate fee is the same as at a register office.

Due to the large number of requests for family history certificates received at Calderdale Register Office, we are unable to deal with these while you wait.  We aim to deal with requests within 10 working days.

If the date of a birth, death or marriage is unknown?

There are several specialised genealogy web sites available - see Useful Websites

Birth, Marriage & Death indexes 1837-1965 are available to use on microfiche, free of charge, in the Central Reference Library in Halifax.

These indexes are usually available in most large libraries or you may like to contact your local Family History Society for help with your research.

Please note: Superintendent Registrars do not have the staff to undertake searches of an indefinite or protracted nature. A year and quarter is required for each certificate order.  In exceptional circumstances, where this information is not available, one search in the index, covering a period not exceeding 3 years, will be made but only where accurate details have been given of the registration (including parents' names).

back to top