A death certificate gives you details that have been registered in the official register of deaths. In England and Wales, registering a death has been a legal requirement since 1st July 1837, although penalties for non-registration were not introduced until 1875. The registration service is run by the General Register Office

For a detailed guide to the contents of death certificates and how details have been recorded over the years since 1837, see a useful web site Barbara's Marriage Registration Page