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When did registration of births, marriages, and deaths become compulsory in England?

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Large illustrated genealogical tree with detailed branches and leaves, featuring family names and a central family crest, representing the Lippincott family lineage. — Genealogy Genealogical tree of the Richard and Abigail Lippincott family in America, constructed and published by Charles Lippincott, 1880.

The registration of births, marriages, and deaths first became compulsory in England in 1837. Prior to this, records were primarily maintained through parish registers, which began in 1538 but are often incomplete or inconsistently preserved.1