I found a nice surprise waiting for me when I visited England's General Register Office (GRO) Web site today. Previously available only to residents of the United Kingdom, online ordering of birth, death and marriage certificates is now being offered to customers residing outside of the UK.

They accept both Visa and Mastercard and the fee per certificate is the same £7 you would be charged if you traveled to London and stopped in at the Family Records Centre in person.

GRO for England & Wales: Online Certificate Ordering Service
Civil Registration in England and Wales