Historical certificates

Order a copy of a certificate

If you're researching your family history or are curious about your ancestry, our register office holds records for all births, deaths and marriages in Southwark's districts. The records date back to 1837.

If you know what you're looking for, we'll locate the entry and produce the certificate for you. You'll need to be sure of the details you supply to receive the correct certificate.

If you're applying for a copy of a birth certificate, we'll need:

• the full name of the person whose certificate you need
• their date of birth
• their address of place of birth; if it's a hospital birth, the name of the hospital is enough
• their parents' full names including their mother's maiden name if applicable

If you're applying for a copy of a marriage certificate, we'll need the:

• full names of the parties married, including bride's maiden name
• the date of their marriage
• the place of the marriage, can be the name of a church

If you're applying for a copy of a death certificate, we'll need the:

• full name of the dead person
• their date of death
• their place of death

In all cases, the place must include the sub-district or precise address where the event occurred. For more information, see our list of sub districts.

If you're unsure of exactly where in Southwark an event took place or unsure of any of the details, you have 2 options:

• you can search the indexes yourself for up to 6 hours; we charge £20 for this service
• get a trained registrar to help you; they'll search the districts and make your certificate(s) for a fee

If we can't find your required entry, we'll give you a log of the districts we've searched. This will help you in the future if you obtain more information and decide to search again.

To arrange an appointment, email registrars@southwark.gov.uk or phone 020 7525 7669.