One of my very favorite tools in English Research is the General Register Office (GRO) (See link). I use it all the time. Let’s be honest, it is not the easiest website to use and is kind of slow and tedious, but the rewards are very valuable and make it worth using.

The GRO will help you find missing children if you are looking at the 1911 Census and know some are missing. It will help you find a mother’s maiden name, priceless help.  It can give you a more complete name, leading to more accuracy.

From the GRO website you can order more detailed information, if needed, for a price $.  It will give you the full maiden name of the mother, not just her maiden name.

I would encourage you to watch the YouTube webinar linked below. Instructions in accessing the General Register Office site is provided within the webinar. It is excellent, as are all the webinars I have seen by Kathryn Grant.

English Research: How the General Register Office Site Can Help You – Kathryn Grant (6 June 2024)

Happy Researching.

If you need help learning to use the GRO, I’d be happy to help.

– Karen Andrews, consultant, Granite FamilySearch Center