A-Z Challenge 2014: O is for ONS

Here come those pesky abbreviations again! ONS can mean Office of National Statistics or (Guild of) One-Name Studies - and probably other things.  But I'm going to talk about the Office of National Statistics - because this is really basic.

This is where those certificates come from.  Birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates.  And don't believe the hype of the big paid-for family history websites, who offer to get them for you.  They are charging three times as much as it costs to get them yourself.

First: go to FreeBMD.  You are looking for the reference number for the certificate you want (and it's free, as the name suggests).  It will look something like this: March quarter 1960, Hackney 5b 240.  I wrote a more detailed post on certificates back in the A-Z Challenge for 2012 here. If you don't have this reference number, you can still order the certificate, but things might take longer.

Then you can order the certificate online here.  Easier, online, and cheaper!