These pages show the composition of the civil registration districts in
England and Wales from 1837 to the present day. The same districts were also used
to compile the decennial censuses from 1851 onwards.
The following information is given for each district:
Name of the district.
Registration county (many districts crossed county boundaries, but were classed
wholly in one county for registration and census purposes).
Date of creation.
Date of abolition.
Names of the sub districts.
The General Register Office (GRO) volume numbers used for the district in
the national indexes of births, marriages and deaths.
The district numbers used by the GRO after 1841. These appear in census
returns and the 1939 register, and also in the national indexes from the 1980s
onwards (sometimes with digits or letters as a suffix to indicate the
sub-district where the event was registered).
A table showing the civil parishes or other local government areas included
within its boundaries. Civil parishes often differ from the ancient parishes in
use until the early 19th century, and many were abolished in 1974 to leave
'unparished areas'. After 1974 civil parishes in Wales became known as
'communities'.
A table showing any changes affecting the boundaries of the registration district
after 1.7.1837. Details of areas and population transferred are given where
available.
Please note the current listings may be subject to change at any time. Any comments or queries should be sent to the address
at the bottom of this page.
