Family history searches

Research your family history with the help of our historical registration records.

You can book 6-hour slots to search the registration records for birth, marriage and death certificates.

Please note, we only have information on people who were born, died, married or joined in civil partnership in Brent.

For births, deaths and marriages or civil partnerships that took place in another country you may need to contact the embassy or high commission of that country.

Fees

Family history  research advice

When researching your family history you should: 

• contact the National Archives' Centre
• contact the General Register Office
• look at your parents' birth certificates to find their family names
• look at your parent's marriage certificate as this will give the names of the couple's fathers and their professions (a civil partnership certificate lists both the mother and father's names and professions)
• find family death certificates as these can tell you where a person was living when they died and what their job was. It will also name the person who registered the death and give their relationship to the deceased
• speak to older generations and look for old photographs to build up a picture of your family tree.