Vital Records

The Society has purchased a copy of this index from the Church of LDS, and can offer a search service to those members who do not have access to a suitable computer (recommended minimum system requirements are Pentium processor with Windows 95 or higher, 8MB RAM, 4x CD-ROM, VGA monitor and 25MB hard-disk space).
What is on the Index?

The Vital Records Index–British Isles on CD contains information which has been taken from birth, christening and marriage records of the British Isles. These records cover an approximate time period from 1538 to 1888. This collection of records contains the names of approximately 5 million people on five compact discs. In general, this information is not on the latest version of the IGI, including the 1997 Addendum. Records that appear in this index generally contain names of the individuals, parent's names, the date and place where the birth, christening or marriage took place, the name of a person's spouse, and reference information which allows you to locate the original record on a microfilm.

Names in this index have been standardized. This means that variant name spellings are listed under a common name. For example, Smyth, Smithe, Smeith, would all be indexed under the name Smith. This allows you to search a name without knowing the exact spelling. However, you are still able to search under the exact spelling of an individual's name if you wish.

Be aware that this is not a complete index. Your ancestor may not appear here even though you know he or she lived in a time and place covered by the index. The Vital Records Index will continue to be updated, adding millions of new names with each update.

The British Isles, by definition, comprises the countries of England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands. This index includes records from all these places, except the Channel Islands. It includes names taken from records that date from as early as 1538 and as late as 1888. Time spans vary greatly from parish to parish. For one parish, the period 1538-1598 may be extracted, while another parish may only include the names from 1850 to 1875. Some areas have been extracted more heavily than others. 

Also included are the Registers of Dr. William's Library, which may well include people from Dorset. The VRI manual states: “This was an attempt to register the children of nonconformist families in England and Wales mainly, but references to children being born in Scotland, Ireland, Wales and even foreign countries will be found recorded as well. Nonconformist is a term given to any person who dissented from the Established Church of England. This would include all sects, such as the Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, or any other sect who did not subscribe to the tenants of the Established Church”.
How to request a Search

You can request a search at the address below for the birth/baptism or marriage of a named individual in the whole of the British Isles or in a named County at a cost of £1.00 + SAE for members (please quote your Membership Number). Please supply forenames, surname (with variants) and period to be searched. For a marriage give any details of spouse. For baptisms, if you know parents names, a Parent Search can be carried out to identify all children of those parents.

At present, we regret that it is not possible to undertake one-name searches unless there are likely to be less than 100 entries; MEMBERS ONLY please write for estimate.

Please address all your enquiries , or requests for an estimate, to the Vital Records Index Co-ordinator:

S&DFHS, PO Box 4502, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 6YL

Sterling Cheques (not cash) made payable to SDFHS.

For information about paying by credit or debit card click on the "Sales" tab.

How can I purchase a copy of the Index?

If you live in the UK, a set of sixteen CDs, holding 12.3 million records, can be ordered from The Church of LDS Distribution Centre, 399 Garretts Green Lane, Garretts Green, Birmingham B33 0UH. Item No.50126, price £22.95 inc.VAT. Overseas members should enquire at their local LDS Family History Centre, which may well hold a copy which can be searched or visit the LDS web site at www.familysearch.com.