GRO website - Deaths from 1984 to 2019

[chris_49]

I am confused. Does this mean Free BDM will just cease to exist in the future?

No, why would it? 1984  seems to have been chosen because FreeBMD full coverage ceases after 1983 -  it's patchy after that. In fact a note on the site specifically refers to FreeBMD for the earlier period. Later deaths are only available on paysites like Ancestry & FindMyPast, though I find the former's index inaccurate.

As Rosie says, FreeBMD is much easier to use, not only can you search a wide range of years, but you can enter the person's birth year to narrow it down  - as you can on the paysites, but not on the GRO.

[carol8353]

I am confused. Does this mean Free BDM will just cease to exist in the future?

As Rosie says, FreeBMD is much easier to use, not only can you search a wide range of years, but you can enter the person's birth year to narrow it down  - as you can on the paysites, but not on the GRO.

I also find FREEBMD very handy in that you can search by county too.

[andrewalston]

1984  seems to have been chosen because FreeBMD full coverage ceases after 1983 -  it's patchy after that. In fact a note on the site specifically refers to FreeBMD for the earlier period. Later deaths are only available on paysites like Ancestry & FindMyPast, though I find the former's index inaccurate.

1984 was when the GRO went all computerised, so the data was already available, so low cost. They could have done the same with births and marriages if it was not for their rule about being too close to the present.

They also changed to monthly reporting rather than quarterly. FreeBMD doesn't show that in the search results; you have to click the "spectacles" link to see the month of registration, so it is struggling to fit it in the existing structure.

[Nick_Ips]

I also find FREEBMD very handy in that you can search by county too.

...and you don't have to log in to FreeBMD just to be able to do a search.

1984 was when the GRO went all computerised, so the data was already available, so low cost. They could have done the same with births and marriages if it was not for their rule about being too close to the present.

My memory might be playing tricks on me, but I remember there was a computer (or two) on the ground floor of the Family Records Centre that had the most recent available BMD records, possibly all the 1984 onwards data?

When you think of all the technological changes since then it is astonishing it has taken something like 12 years before (a portion of) the same data has become available online from an official source.

[rosie99]

My memory might be playing tricks on me, but I remember there was a computer (or two) on the ground floor of the Family Records Centre that had the most recent available BMD records, possibly all the 1984 onwards data?

Those were the days, travelling up to London just to look at the indexes. Then lifting those heavy books off the shelves and browsing them.  I spent a day there once just listing births for one of my more unusual surnames - I have thrown the list away now 

[Nick_Ips]

I spent a day there once just listing births for one of my more unusual surnames - I have thrown the list away now

Likewise, I was there nearly every day of the last two weeks they were open, going through records I'd found on FreeBMD that appeared to have errors or contained uncertain characters (many of the FreeBMD scanned images were of rather poor quality and no help).

Then life got in the way of family history research and all those notes were filed away... and by the time I looked at them again there was far more online and FreeBMD had much clearer images.

But it was fun, and I have fond memories of queueing up to order certificates whilst busily writing my name and address on the supplied envelopes. 

[dawnsh]

When you think of all the technological changes since then it is astonishing it has taken something like 12 years before (a portion of) the same data has become available online from an official source.

Having sat in on many of the 'now defunct' GRO business user group meetings, putting the indexes online has never been on their 'to do' list, citing data protection and lack of funds.
The GRO's remit is to provide certificates and be part of the Passport service. The actual registration process is under the control of local authorities although there are still many registrars who were employed in those days way back when.

The demise of the DOVE and MAGPIE projects shows just how little they thought of digistisation and computerisation.

But the winds of change must be a-blowing there now. The availabilty of pdf's must have generated some extra revenue which they may be using wisely for our benefit. The cost of the certificates does not generate a profit, the GRO are not supposed to.

[Knight-Sunderland]

I notice they have now added BIRTHS from 1984 to 2004.

I'm hoping they bring that forward to the present day like they have with the deaths as it would help a lot with locating current relatives!

[Douglas P]

I notice they have now added BIRTHS from 1984 to 2004.

I'm hoping they bring that forward to the present day like they have with the deaths as it would help a lot with locating current relatives!

Thanks, I hadn't noticed that. They also have births for 1919, i.e. over 100 years ago. I'm sure they previously only went to 1918.