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The General Register Office is a subsidiary of HM Passport Office, which in turn is an an agency of the Home Office.
Records originally held by the GRO may now be part of [[The National Archives]]. Those records classified as Non-Statutory were transmitted from the GRO to TNAin 1977, <ref name=FSW>"British Births, Marriages and Deaths Overseas" FamilySearch Wiki, see [[General Register Office#External links|External links above]].</ref> where they have a National Archives catalogue reference, series RG. Some of the records in respect of military overseas births, marriages and deaths remain with the GRO. GRO documentation about the latter group of records is very brief. Some events are recorded in multiple places.
The GRO records are closed to the public.
==Overseas records series RG ==
These records are classified as '''Non Statutory Returns'''.
{|border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0"
!Series
|RG 32 ||General Register Office: Miscellaneous Foreign Returns 1831-1969 ||[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C13357 Contents]|| [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/h/C13357 Browse] ||
|-
|RG 33 ||General Register Office: Foreign Registers and Returns 1627-1960 ||[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C13358 Contents]|| [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/h/C13358 Browse]|| The [https://web.archive.org/web/20070221104808/http://www.familyrecords.gov.uk/frc/pdfs/british_in_india.pdf Fact Sheet: The British in India] from the now closed [[Family Records Centre]] advises RG 33/90-113 contains some entries, mostly 20th century, from the [[Princely States]] Bikaner, Eastern Rajputana, Gwalior, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Madras States, Mysore, Punjab States and Trivandrum (index - RG 43/15).<ref>"Fact Sheet: The British in India" from the now closed [[Family Records Centre]], see [[General Register Office#External links|External links above]].</ref>
|-
|RG 34 ||General Register Office: Miscellaneous Foreign Marriage Returns 1826-1921 ||[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C13359 Contents] ||[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/h/C13359 Browse ]||
*There are Foreign Office (FO) files at the National Archives such as Consular Returns containing copies of entries of birth or baptism, marriage and death or burial of British subjects, Copies of some of these Consular returns are also available at the [[London Metropolitan Archives]], (previously the Guildhall Library), some of whose records have been microfilmed by FamilySearch.
:Most of these records will also be found in the records available from the General Register Office, described above. There are, however, some registers at Kew from which the entries were not transmitted to the Registrar General .<ref>British Births, Marriages and Deaths Overseas FamilySearch Wiki <name=FSW/ref>.
:Index records from some of the National Archives FO series are available in the findmypast datasets described above.
:'''Update''': In April 2016, Ancestry introduced the database [http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=60911 UK, Registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths From British Consulates, 1810-1968] consisting of various Foreign Office records. This database consists of a selection of specified Consular returns, not all Consular Returns.
*There are some records in the series WO 156 "War Office: UK and overseas garrisons: Registers of Baptisms, Confirmations, Deaths/Burials, and Marriage".
**Some of the Registers of burials, described as "Selected pieces from the National Archives WO 156/103-122'" have been digitised and are available on the pay website "deceased online", refer below.
**Index records (with the possibility that some records may include an image) from some of this the National Archives series WO 156 are available in the [[findmypast]] datasets described above.
==Military Overseas records for BMD==
*See [[Chaplains Returns]].
==Other sources==
*England and Wales census records. See [[Census]] and [[British Army#Other Sources|British Army Records]]
*FamilySearch contains a database "World Miscellaneous", see [[IGI]]. You must be signed in to FamilySearch to view records.
*[[Society of Genealogists]]. An archived webpage c March 2013 lists some of the [https://web.archive.org/web/20130328033341/http://www.sog.org.uk/prc/overseas.shtml Overseas] records which are held.
*Ancestry database "England, Andrews Newspaper Index Cards, 1790-1976",<ref>[http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=1897 "England, Andrews Newspaper Index Cards, 1790-1976"] Ancestry database.</ref> part of Newspapers and Periodicals. Original data from the Andrews Collection. Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies, Canterbury, Kent, England. Includes overseas information including BMDs and filings under the Colonial Probates Act of 1892 (which recognized probates from courts in British possessions).
'''Official'''
*[http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates Order a certificate online] from the GRO. This is the only GRO website. Once you are logged in, it is now (introduced November 2016) possible to search for GRO Historic Birth and Death Index References through the website. "... the new GRO indexes enable researchers to click through from their findings and make purchases on the same platform. Crucially, the birth index also provides mothers’ maiden names for the full range of entries. In other online indexes, it is only possible for researchers see these details for births registered from July 1911 onwards.<ref>[http://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/news/gro-launches-new-digital-services "GRO launches new digital services"] by jonbauckham, 4 November 2016 whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com</ref>
: '''Note''': If you do not supply the GRO Index Reference, the certificate will cost more, and may take longer to be sent. The cheaper PDF format is not available for Forces or Overseas Records, or UK marriages.
*[https://www.gov.uk/general-register-office Contact details for the GRO] on Gov.uk, including email address for queries about certificates and advice to include ‘GQ’ in the subject of your email.
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20051223043104/www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/research/searchingforoverseasrecords/index.asp Searching for overseas records] Archived website GRO.gov.uk January 2006
'''Other'''
*[http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=2114&id=201071 findmypast]. Refer [[General Register Office#Overseas records series RG|Overseas records series RG]], above. Previously there was a dataset called "British Overseas Marriages" 1818-2005, which were transcriptions only, elsewhere <ref>W., Hugh [http://hughw36.blogspot.com.au/2008_08_31_archive.html Genealoge] September 06, 2008. Retrieved 8 January 2015</ref> stated to be from records at the [[Society of Genealogists]]. Noted were records from the Cape of Good Hope, Malta, Turkey etc., in addition to records from St John's Church, Calcutta. These records appeared to be very limited in detail, those looked at only stated the year of marriage, and did not state the spouse name. However, this dataset no longer appears in the list of datasets under this name. , and may have been incorporated into the larger database.
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Register_Office GRO] Wikipedia
*[https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/British_Births,_Marriages_and_Deaths_Overseas British Births, Marriages and Deaths Overseas] FamilySearch Wiki*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070221104808/http://www.familyrecords.gov.uk/frc/pdfs/british_in_india.pdf Fact Sheet: The British in India] from the now closed [[Family Records Centre]] which was run jointly by the GRO and the National Archives. familyrecords.gov.uk, now archived. The records from the Family Records Centre are now divided between the two mentioned organisations.*The National Archives brief guide [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/bmdatseaorabroad.htm Looking for records of a birth, marriage or death at sea or abroad]*[https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/British_Births,_Marriages_and_Deaths_Overseas British Births, Marriages and Deaths Overseas] Family Search Wiki
*[http://levantineheritage.com/regist1.htm Levantine Heritage: Registers] levantineheritage.com. Retrieved 2 October 2014. The term “Levantines” designates primarily those Europeans and Americans who settled in the Levant - a region generally conterminous with the Ottoman Empire - from the early 17th century until 1923.
:FamilySearch catalogue entry microfilm 1999050, items 8-9, Church of England [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/762275 Parish registers and notes, 1763-1959: Izmir, previously Smyrna, Turkey], from the London Metropolitan Archives (previously Guildhall Library).
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20180806125328/http://maltafamilyhistory.com/ Malta Family History], now an archived website. Includes data for births, marriages and burials. Also includes data about other areas such as the Ionian Islands, including Corfu and has a section called "Other Mediterranean Cemeteries" which includes Gibraltar and Smyrna, Turkey. The Smyrna database also includes baptisms and marriages (1795 – 1832). Although this site is now archived, most/all of the internal links appear to be available.
**There is also some information about deaths, including some photographs of grave inscriptions, scattered through the regimental pages on [http://www.maltaramc.com/index.html British Army Medical Services and the Malta Garrison 1799 – 1979]. Includes a website Search
**Details of [https://web.archive.org/web/20180723040408/http://website.lineone.net/~mcgoa/malta2.html Malta Registers at The National Archives] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20180723040404/http://website.lineone.net/~mcgoa/malta1.html Registers in Class ADM]. Includes B, M, B. (Note: (selected) burials are now available online, refer above). Alan McGowan’s "Garrison Church Registers", now an archived website.
**[https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2185012/pieta-military-cemetery Pieta Military Cemetery [Malta<nowiki>]</nowiki>]findagrave.com. Memorials from the cemetery, almost completely photographed.
*[https://secure2.gov.mt/certifikati/Department.aspx Malta Public Registry] The Public Registry was set up on the 3rd August 1889 although the records date back to 1863. Records kept at the Public Registry include births, marriages and deaths. Transcript copies are available for a fee, and can be ordered online. Government of Malta website.
*Links to FamilySearch page [https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/location/1927185?region=Malta Indexed Historical Records: Malta] and [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/results?count=20&placeId=103&query=%2Bplace%3AMalta%20%2Bavailability%3AOnline catalogue entries] for microfilms and digitised microfilms relating to Malta, some available on your home computer. Also [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/2822596 additional microfilms for Gozo], not currently included in the Search result. You must be signed in to FamilySearch to view records.
*Gibraltar
** Gibraltar National Archives now has a Search facility for free transcriptions of [http://www.nationalarchives.gi/gna/ArchonMilitaryBDM.aspx Military Births, Deaths and Marriages in Gibraltar 1869-1914], based on records from the Gibraltar Civil Register office. Note a previous comment that a certificate obtained in Gibraltar, from the Registrar of Births and Deaths of Gibraltar, contained additional information to the certificate obtained from the [[GRO]] <ref> aitch2o [http://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/forum/topic12548.html Info ommitted from GRO supplied birth cert] ''Who Do You Think You Are? Forum'' 21 November 2015, and later posts. Retrieved 5 December 2015.</ref>. There is also a Search for [http://www.nationalarchives.gi/gna/Inhabitants.aspx Gibraltar Inhabitants 1704-1914], based on transcriptions of Census data.
**[https://www.gibraltar.gov.gi/new/civil-status-registration-office Civil Status and Registration Office, Government of Gibraltar]
**[http://www.iukgenweb.org/index.php/british-overseas-territories/2013-01-11-23-52-16 Gibraltar] from Ireland & United KingdomGenWeb. Select ‘Cemetery Records' for burial records from King’s Chapel (Witham’s Cemetery). Where an occupation is shown, the burials appear to be of British Army soldiers, and seamen. Select ‘Military Records’ for transcriptions by Donald Brett<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20141113092755/http://www.iukgenweb.org/gibraltar/articles.php?cat_id=3 Gibraltar WorldGenWeb Project], now an archived webpage</ref> of the Gibraltar Indexes for the Chaplains Returns for Deaths and Marriages (to 1880). The Gibraltar Chaplains Returns Indexes for Births have been transcribed separately by Donald Brett: [http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=527081.0;attach=225043 rootschat.com download] - depending on your browser, you may need to locate this in your downloads folder. (Full records, in respect of these Index records, are available at the GRO).
**[https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/location/1926984?region=Gibraltar Indexed Historical Records: Gibraltar]. FamilySearch. You must be signed in to FamilySearch to view records. In addition, or possibly included in the previous group of indexed records, [[IGI|FamilySearch]] has a catalogue entry [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/440722 Civil registration, 1848-1990] from the "Registry of Births, Marriages and Deaths in Gibraltar" , with most of the records viewable on your home computer. Includes Card Indexes. Also a catalogue entry [https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/112535 Anglican Chaplaincy, Gibraltar, christenings, 1807- 1812 Microfilm 883701] and a similar entry for marriages. These records have been transcribed and may be browsed by using “Batch Number” C-89999-1 and M-89999-1 in the “Search Historical Records” on the FamilySearch website. In addition there are some [https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1770864 Gibraltar Baptisms 1704- 1876] index records, at least some/(all?) of which are Roman Catholic records transcribed from microfilm 1729828. Also [https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1770887 Gibraltar Marriages, 1879-1918] index records, at least some/(all?) of which are Roman Catholic records transcribed from microfilm 1738755. There are also microfilms for Roman Catholic records available for additional periods, and also for burials, [https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/459422 catalogue entry].
*:See the Fibiwiki page [[FamilySearch Centres]] for information about microfilms and digitised microfilms.
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080915122721/http://channel4.empireschildren.co.uk/category/index.php?cat=1 Trace and tell your family’s Empire stories] with links to pages "Government Records of Britons in … " including
