Family history research

The register office holds records of all:

• births;
• deaths;
• marriages; and
• civil partnerships registered in Darlington since July 1837.

All records are indexed and searchable on our website.

You can order a certified certificate, using our secure payment system from our registrar search.

If you wish to trace your family history further back, you will need to look at local parish records.

These are the records of baptisms, marriages and burials made by a church.

You will usually find registers at the local county record office. Local libraries also offer resources.

Genealogy websites offer some parish records online. These are often subscription or pay-per-view services.

The boundaries of Darlington registration district have changed many times over the years.

If you cannot trace a record you believe to be in Darlington, they may be help at a neighbouring registration district.

Useful links

• General Register Office [external link] (national records from 1837 onwards)
• Durham Record Office [external link] (archive service for County Durham and Darlington)
• Darlington Library Centre for Local Studies [external link]
• Durham Records Online [external link] (transcriptions of many parish & census records for County Durham and Northumberland)