Direct Gov releases information online

People who want to find out more about their ancestry and create a family tree can now visit the Direct Gov website.

The information that has been made available – which was previously available from the General Register Office website (GRO) – includes details of births, marriages, civil partnerships and deaths in England and Wales.

The site also explains how adopted adults can access their original birth records or place their details on the Adoption Contact Register.

People can get tips on how to begin their research through a free 'get started' pack and click on links to the National Archives and Census Information site, which enables people to search for information about their ancestors from 1841 to the present day.

They can also order their certificates via a link to the GRO for £7. Direct Gov said this was cheaper than other sites that charged up to £30 for a birth certificate.

However, a representative for genealogy software company Ancestry.co.uk said that people would not be getting a better deal than if they used the original GRO website.

He also pointed out that although the information on Direct Gov provides the tools to get started on researching family history, people can’t actually trace it online.