wrote >Dear Elves, can you tell me what I would expect to find on a >certificate in 1861 if I bought it. .Would it give the name of the >person registering it. What sort of Certificate - Birth, Marriage or Death? I'm guessing you mean Birth or Death. In those cases you should get the Signature, description and residence of informant. With a Birth, this is usually one of the parents. With a death it may be a relative or some official . -- Jenny M Benson