GRO Birth, Marriage and Death Indexes
The General Registry Office contains copies of all the registered births, marriages and deaths from the start of civil registration in July, 1837 within England and Wales. Currently the GRO maintain indexes to these entries. The indexes are publicily searchable and can be used to obtain copies of the relevant certificates. (These indexes were often know as St Catherine's Indexes as they previously were kept at St Catherine's House in London.)