Births and Deaths Registration Act 1858

1858 CHAPTER 25

An Act to amend the Act concerning Non-parochial Registers, and the Acts for Marriages, and for registering Births, Deaths, and Marriages, in England, and concerning Vaccination.

[14th June 1858]

WHEREAS by an [3 & 4 Vict. c. 92.] Act passed in the Session of Parliament holden in the Third and Fourth Years of Her Majesty (Chapter Ninety-two), "for enabling Courts of Justice to " admit Non-parochial Registers as Evidence of Births or Baptisms, " Deaths or Burials, and Marriages," Provisions were made for the Deposit in the General Register Office of certain Non-parochial Registers, and for making the same receivable in Evidence, and other Provisions were thereby made in relation to such Registers: And whereas by Commission under the Great Seal, bearing Date the First Day of January in the Twentieth Year of the Reign of Her Majesty, certain Persons were appointed Commissioners to inquire into the State, Custody, and Authenticity of any Registers or Records of Births or Baptisms, Deaths or Burials, and Marriages lawfully solemnized, kept in England or Wales, other than the Parochial Registers, and the Copies thereof deposited with the Diocesan Registrars, and which had not been inquired into and examined by certain former Commissioners, and also for inquiring whether any and what Measures could be beneficially adopted for collecting and arranging all or any of such Registers or Records, and for depositing the same, or Copies thereof, in the Office of the Registrar General of Births, Deaths, and Marriages in England, or for otherwise preserving the same, and also for considering and advising the proper Measures to be adopted for giving full Force and Effect as Evidence in all Courts of Justice to all such Registers as were found accurate and faithful, and for facilitating the Production and Reception of the same : And whereas by the Report of the said Commissioners, bearing Date the Thirty-first Day of December One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, it appears that they have received Two hundred and ninety-two Non-parochial Registers or Records, and that of this Number Two hundred and sixty-five have after Examination, as in such Report mentioned, been judged by them to be accurate and faithful, and that a Certificate to that Effect, and signed by Three of the said Commissioners, has been affixed to each of such Two hundred and sixty-five Registers or Records ; that there are certain Cases, however, "where only some of the Entries have been found accurate and faithful, and that in these Cases the Certificate has been so framed as clearly to distinguish such Entries from the rest, and to confine the Sanction of the Commissioners to the unobjectionable Portion of the Registers; and a complete List of the Registers thus wholly or partially sanctioned by the said Commissioners is annexed to their Report in the Appendix (A.) thereto; and the said Commissioners have by their said Report recommended that a Bill be introduced into Parliament providing that the Registers or Records in the Custody of the said Commissioners, and certified in the Manner described (and hereinbefore mentioned), should be deposited in the General Register Office in the Custody of the Registrar General of Births, Deaths, and Marriages in England, and should then be deemed-to be in legal Custody and be receivable in Evidence in all Courts of Justice, subject as in the said Report mentioned:

Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same, as follows: