How to find out when someone died using online death records

Civil registration records are often the most direct way to confirm a death date. In England and Wales, civil death registration began in 1837, and similar records exist for Scotland and Ireland from the mid-19th century.  

Online death indexes can be searched by name and estimated year of death. Typical entries include the name of the deceased, their age at death, and the registration district, though the full death certificate will contain more information. 

Order a death certificate from the General Register Office (GRO)  

Once you've found a likely match, you can usually order a full death certificate from the GRO, which provides the exact date and place of death, cause of death, the registrar and the name of the person who reported it.  

These details can help fill in the emotional and historical context of your ancestor’s final years.  

If you’re unsure when someone died, census records are a useful way to establish their last known appearance in the historical record. In the UK, censuses are available every ten years from 1841 to 1911, with the 1921 Census extending coverage into the 20th century. The 1939 Register, taken on the eve of the Second World War, provides a similarly useful snapshot of the population.   

If someone appears in the 1901 Census but is missing from their family’s 1911 Census return, you can reasonably assume they died within that decade.   

You may also be able to spot additional clues in census returns, such as a spouse listed as a widow or children living with relatives after a parent’s death.  

Church burial registers can also help you trace deaths, particularly for earlier generations, as they span back as far as the early 16th century. These records often include:  

• Full name of the deceased  
• Date of burial (sometimes the date of death as well)  
• Age at death  
• Residence or parish  
• Occasionally, the names of surviving relatives  

Parish records are especially useful for tracing rural families who may not appear in civil records.  

In some cases, gravestone inscriptions have also been transcribed by local history groups and added to online databases. These can provide additional confirmation of dates, but more than this, they may feature personal messages or religious sentiments that add emotional texture to your family history.  

Obituaries, death notices, and funeral announcements in historical newspapers are another rich source of information on a deceased person. They may confirm the date of death, as well as offer insight into the deceased’s life and reputation within the community.  

Local newspapers often included reports of inquests, sudden deaths, or public figures passing away. Some even published lists of deaths for a given period. Try searching with a combination of names, locations, and phrases like ‘in memoriam’ or ‘deceased’.  

For wealthier ancestors, legal notices about wills (and the executor) or estates may also appear in print.  

Once you've uncovered when your ancestor died, be sure to add the information to your family tree. With online family history websites like Findmypast, attach death certificates, burial entries, newspaper clippings and more directly to each person in your tree. The timeline view allows you to chart the course of an ancestor’s life visually, while historical maps within the family tree help you to visualise their local area.   

Adding details from gravestones, photographs, and personal mementoes to your family tree helps to enrich your understanding of your ancestor’s final chapter.