Births and Deaths Registration Act 1874

Registration of Deaths

9 Registry of death and cause of death

The death of every person dying in England after the commencement of this Act, and the cause of such death, shall be registered by the registrar in the manner directed by the Births and Deaths Registration Acts, 1836 to 1874.

10 Information concerning death where deceased dies in a house

When a person dies in a house after the commencement of this Act, it shall be the duty of the nearest relatives of the deceased present at the death, or in attendance during the last illness of the deceased, and in default of such relatives, of every other relative of the deceased dwelling or being in the same sub-district as the deceased, and in default of such relatives, of each person present at the death, and of the occupier of the house in which, to his knowledge, the death took place, and in default of the persons herein-before in this section mentioned, of each inmate of such house, and of the person causing the body of the deceased person to be buried, to give, to the best of his knowledge and belief, to the registrar, within the five days next following the day of such death, information of the particulars required to be registered concerning such death, and in the presence of the registrar to sign the register.

11 Information concerning death where deceased dies not in a house

Where a person dies in a place which is not a house, or a dead body is found elsewhere than in a house, it shall be the duty of every relative of such deceased person having knowledge of any of the particulars required to be registered concerning the death, and in default of such relative, of every person present at the death, and of any person finding, and of any person taking charge of the body, and of the person causing the body to be buried, to give to the registrar, within the five days next after the death or the finding, such information of the particulars required to be registered concerning the death as the informant possesses, and in the presence of the registrar to sign the register.

12 Notice preliminary to information

If a person required to give information concerning any death sends to the registrar a written notice of the occurrence of the death, accompanied by such medical certificate of the cause of the death as is required by this Act to be delivered to a registrar, the information of the particulars required by the Births and Deaths Registration Acts, 1836 to 1874, to be registered concerning the death need not be given within the said five days, but shall, notwithstanding such notice, be given within fourteen days next after the day of the death by the person giving such notice, or some other person required by this Act to give the information.

13 Requisition by registrar of information concerning death from qualified informant

Where any death has from the default of the persons required to give information concerning it not been registered, the registrar may, at any time after the expiration of fourteen days and within twelve months from the day of such death or from the finding of the dead body elsewhere than in a house, by notice in writing, require any person required by this Act to give information concerning such death to attend personally at the registrar's office, or at any other place appointed by the registrar within his sub-district, within such time (not less than seven days after the receipt of the notice, nor more than twelve months after the death or finding of the dead body) as may be specified in the notice, and to give the said information to the best of the informant's knowledge and belief, and to sign the register in the presence of the registrar; and it shall be the duty of such person, unless the death is registered before the expiration of the time specified in the requisition, to comply with the requisition.

14 Duty of registrar to register death gratis

It shall be the duty of the registrar to inform himself carefully of every death which happens within his sub-district, and upon receiving personally from the informant at any time within twelve months after the date of any death, or of the finding of any dead body, information of the particulars required to be registered concerning the death from any person required by this Act to give the same, forthwith in the prescribed form and manner to register the death and the said particulars, (if not previously registered,) without fee or reward from the informant, except that if, in pursuance of a written requisition, he registers the same at the residence of the person making such requisition, or at the house where the deceased died, he shall, unless the death took place in a public institution, be entitled to the appointed fee.

15 Death not to be registered after twelve months

After the expiration of twelve months next after any death, or after the finding of any dead body elsewhere than in a house, that death shall not be registered, except with the written authority of the Registrar General for registering the same, and except in accordance with the prescribed rules, and the fact of such authority having been given shall, be entered in the

Every person who registers or causes to be registered any death in contravention of this section shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding ten pounds.

16 Furnishing of information by coroner

Where an inquest is held on any dead body the jury shall inquire of the particulars required to be registered concerning the death, and the coroner shall send to the registrar, within five days after the finding of the jury is given, a certificate under his hand, giving information concerning the death and specifying the finding of the jury with respect to the said particulars, and to the cause of death, and specifying the time and place at which the inquest was held, and the registrar shall in the prescribed form and manner enter the death and particulars. If the death has been previously registered the said particulars shall be entered in the prescribed manner without any alteration of the original

Where an inquest is held on any dead body no person shall, with respect to such dead body or death, be liable to attend upon a requisition of a registrar, or be subject to any penalty for failing to give information in pursuance of any other provision of this Act.