Civil registration records

Information given on death certificates

In England and Wales, a death certificate holds the following information:

  • date and place of death – from the late nineteenth century an address may be given rather than the name of an institution (e.g. City Hospital will appear as 77 Dudley Road)
  • name of the deceased
  • sex, age and occupation of deceased and possibly their home address
  • the cause of death – if there was an inquest it may be possible to obtain a copy of the coroner’s report
  • the name and address of informant and possibly their relationship to the deceased

If the deceased was a child or a single woman, the name of the father is shown.

From 1969 a death certificate also includes the date and place of birth of the deceased, and the maiden name of a married woman.

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