Registration Districts were created in England and Wales for the administration of the civil registration of births, marriages and deaths, which commenced 1st July 1837. Registration Districts still exist, the table below shows only those up to 1930.

The Registration Districts were also used for the censuses from 1851-1901.

Many Registration Districts can be identified with and are contained within a county but this is not always the case, registration districts do not necessarily follow county borders and districts may fall in one or more counties. Registration District names are mostly unique but where a single district falls in more than one county the volume number will be the same (see Edmonton), otherwise the volumes will be different (see Richmond).

A Registration District has an associated volume number which can be shared with other districts. Before 1852 volume numbers were shown by roman numerals and after that by a number and a letter.

London was not established as a county until 1889 when the County of London was created from parts of Middlesex, Surrey and Kent. Middlessex was north of the River Thames with Surrey and Kent to the south, although only a relatively small part of Kent was included in the County of London. The City of London - the square mile - retained some autonomy. Where London is listed below as a county then the pre-1889 county is suffixed in brackets, e.g. London (Middlesex).

This information about Registration Districts is mostly correct and there are some details to be added, however, it has not yet been throughly checked.

Select a District Letter
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

District

County

Created

Abolished

Vol N^o to 1851

Vol N^o from 1852

Aberayron

Cardiganshire

1 Jul 1837

-

XXVII

11b

Abergavenny

Herefordshire

1 Jul 1837

-

XXVI

11a

Abergavenny

Monmouthshire

1 Jul 1837

-

XXVI

11a

Aberystwyth

Cardiganshire

1 Jul 1837

-

XXVII

11b

Abingdon

Berkshire

1 Jul 1837

-

VI

2c

Abingdon

Oxfordshire

1 Jul 1837

-

VI

2c

Alcester

Warwickshire

1 Jul 1837

-

XVI

6d

Alcester

Worcestershire

1 Jul 1837

-

XVI

6d

Alderbury

Wiltshire

1 Jul 1837

21 May 1895

VIII

5a

Alnwick

Northumberland

1 Jul 1837

-

XXV

10b

Alresford

Hampshire

1 Jul 1837

-

VII

2c

Alston

Cumberland

1 Jul 1837

-

XXV

10b

Alton

Hampshire

1 Jul 1837

-

VII

2c

Altrincham

Cheshire

1 Jul 1837

1 Oct 1898

XIX

8a

Alverstoke

Hampshire

1 Jul 1837

-

VII

2b

Amersham

Buckinghamshire

1 Jul 1837

-

VI

3a

Amesbury

Wiltshire

1 Jul 1837

-

VIII

5a

Ampthill

Bedfordshire

1 Jul 1837

-

VI

3b

Andover

Hampshire

1 Jul 1837

-

VII

2c

Andover

Wiltshire

1 Jul 1837

-

VII

2c

Anglesey

Anglesey

1 Jul 1837

-

XXVII

11b

Ashbourne

Derbyshire

1 Jul 1837

-

XIX

7b

Ashbourne

Staffordshire

1 Jul 1837

-

XIX

7b

Ashby-de-la-Zouch

Derbyshire

1 Jul 1837

-

XV

7a

Ashby-de-la-Zouch

Leicestershire

1 Jul 1837

-

XV

7a

Ashton under Lyne

Cheshire

1 Jul 1837

-

XX

8d

Ashton under Lyne

Lancashire

1 Jul 1837

-

XX

8d

Askrigg

Yorkshire North Riding

1 Jul 1837

1 Mar 1869

XXIV

9d

Aston

Warwickshire

1 Jul 1837

1 Jan 1925

XVI

6d

Atcham

Montgomeryshire

1 Jul 1837

-

XVIII

6a

Atcham

Shropshire

1 Jul 1837

-

XVIII

6a

Atherstone

Leicestershire

1 Jul 1837

-

XVI

6d

Atherstone

Warwickshire

1 Jul 1837

-

XVI

6d

Auckland

Durham

1 Jul 1837

-

XXIV

10a

Axbridge

Somerset

1 Jul 1837

-

X

5c

Axminster

Devonshire

1 Jul 1837

-

-

-

Axminster

Dorset

1 Jul 1837

-

X

5b

Aylesbury

Buckinghamshire

1 Jul 1837

-

VI

3a

Aylsham

Norfolk

1 Jul 1837

-

XIII

4b

Aysgarth

Yorkshire North Riding

1 Mar 1869

-

-

9d

Select a District Letter
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z