Thank you, Sue. However, when I try the Lawson link (Lawsons BMD Micro Site) I only ever get an internal server error. The only burial index I was able to see was the Braddan Burials MS 9073/5 with the earliest burials dating from around 1849 and with no William Cowell matching the one that Frances mentioned in her post (buried Jan 1871). Any idea how I might access the Lawson link differently? When did civil registration come in and where might I able to get a certificate from?