General Search

The indexes in the Register Office relate only to births, deaths and marriages which occurred within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea from 1st July 1837 onwards.

A general search is a search in the indexes conducted in person by the applicant or someone on his/her behalf for up to six consecutive hours. By arrangement with the Superintendent Registrar a person making a general search may have access to the indexes to the registers of births, deaths and marriages but not to the registers themselves. A certificate of any entry correctly identified may be obtained on completion of an application form and on payment of the appropriate fee.

If a person making a general search is uncertain whether a reference found in the indexes relates to the entry for which he/she is searching, the Superintendent Registrar, on being given definite details by which the entry may be identified, may verify those particulars by reference to the register. This is called a ‘verification’. Any additional information from the entry can only be obtained by the purchase of the certificate.

The fee for a general search is £18.00 and this includes up to eight verifications.

Any additional verifications will be charged at £2.50 each.

If you would like to purchase any certificates then they will be made available for you to collect the next working day or will be posted out to you. If you would like to have any certificate the same day then you will need to use our Same Day Service and pay a £10.00 priority fee for each certificate.

When undertaking a general search you should bring with you all the information you have, as this may help us to decide if any entries found are the correct ones.

  • the indexes to birth, deaths and marriage that took place prior to 1989 are held in index books. Those that took place after 1989 are held in computer databases.
  • the indexes show Surname, Forename, Initial and a register entry reference
  • the indexes only cover the Kensington and Chelsea Registration Districts
  • the indexes cover 1 July 1837 to date. No records are held for events before July 1837

Applying for a General Search

Please contact the Register Office to discuss your requirements and to book a date for you to attend at the Chelsea Old Town Hall to conduct the General Search. You may email us at chelsea.registeroffice@rbkc.gov.uk or give ring us on 020 7361 4100.

When you attend the Register Office to conduct a General Search you will need to complete a request form. If you wish, you may complete this form in advance and bring it with you on the day of your appointment.