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Family Records Centre The Family Records Centre (FRC) is located in Finsbury, in central London. It contains the basic records necessary to begin the research of a family history. Civil registration of births, marriages and deaths began in 1837 and indexes to these events are found at the FRC. However, it is worth remembering that registration did not always occur, especially as there was no financial penalty for failing to register until 1875. If a useful reference is located, a copy of the original entry can be ordered in the form of a certificate. The FRC also allows access to the census returns for England and Wales carried out every ten years between 1841-1901. These records are invaluable to a family historian, as they usually specify each individuals' age and place of birth, and clarify relationships between family members. See our What's New page for news of the 1901 census. Additionally, the FRC contains indexes to Wills and other resources. In fact, the FRC's usefulness is primarily the fact that so many records are held under one roof, which can allow rapid progress in researching a family tree. Our office is based within easy reach of central London, and we carry out research at the FRC on a daily basis. Our experience also allows us to suggest how a family tree can be traced further back in time, to the period before 1837 when there are no census returns or records of civil registration to assist a search.
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