Making Contact in Great Britain

It is sometimes helpful to place an advertisement in the personal column of local newspapers in the area where relatives or friends were last known to be living. Addresses of local newspapers in Britain can be obtained from 'Willings Press Guide', published annually by:

Visitors to Britain can trace relatives and friends through local electoral registers, which contain the names and addresses of everyone over the age of 18 living in that particular area or through current telephone directories. Electoral registers and current telephone directories for the whole country can be viewed at most libraries. Telephone directories dating from the end of the 19th century to the recent past may be viewed at:

Birth, marriage and death certificates feature addresses of individuals. Copies may be viewed and purchased at:

Family members: the following registered charities offer a tracing service in urgent cases for immediate family members only:

Where can I get information for my family tree?

Sources of information for those undertaking genealogical research include birth, marriage and death certificates, parish registers and divorce records. Public records are also valuable sources. Copies of material such as legal documents, property and succession records, census returns, taxation records, old parish registers, etc. should be sought from the following offices. Please note that offices can answer specific enquiries, but will not undertake research:

England and Wales

Scotland

Northern Ireland

Where do I obtain birth, marriage and death certificates and divorce records?

To obtain certificates of birth, marriage and death in England and Wales since 1 July 1837 contact:

Certificates issued in Scotland since 1855 (and many previously) can be obtained by post or in person from:

Certificates issued in Northern Ireland since 1864 can be obtained by post or in person from:

Records from Northern Ireland for the period 1864-1922 are also kept at:

How do I find pen friends in Britain?

Pen pals can be contacted via the following organisations:

Pen Friend League International was established in 1968 to encourage greater understanding between different peoples of the world and to bring about lasting friendships. Pen friends can be arranged from any continent and there is no age limit.

Friends by Post is a voluntary organisation which establishes contacts between people of similar ages and interests who wish to exchange news and views.

How do I organise youth exchanges with Britain?

The Central Bureau for International Education and Training, a department of the British Council, promotes youth exchange between Britain and other countries.

The European Commission operates the Youth for Europe Programme, and can put youth groups in the 15 EU member states and in Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway in contact with Youth for Europe National Agencies. For full details of the programme write to:

Thanks

The texts presented here have been placed with friendly approval of the British embassy on non-commercial basis. You find further information about Great Britain and the UK on the web pages of the British embassy named below.
Contact: British Embassy, Wilhelmstr. 70-71,
10117 Berlin, Germany Tel +49 (0)30 20457-0