rior to the establishment of civil registration in England and Wales on 1 July 1837, a burial is usually the only record of a person's death. Although the information recorded is sometimes quite sparse, particularly in early registers where often just a name is written, you will generally find additional details. In particular, the age of the deceased is a vital piece of evidence. Even though it may have been estimated, it is the key to finding an ancestor's baptism. If the baptism of a likely candidate is found, it is important to search burial registers in the vicinity to check that the child survived to adulthood. If you find more than one potential baptism, burial registers can also help to eliminate additional candidates. Fortunately, a distinction is usually made in burial
