VITAL RECORDS

The third in a series of instructional genealogy research blogs.

From Wikipedia:

Vital records are records of life events kept under governmental authority, including birth certificates, marriage licenses, and death certificates. In some jurisdictions, vital records may also include records of civil unions or domestic partnerships. In the United States, vital records are typically maintained at both the county and state levels.

Vital records are the framework, or the bones, that our family history is built on. The dates and locations for the deaths, marriages and births of our ancestors is the bare minimum we try to collect on each individual. Vital records can help direct your research in the right direction.Pursuing these records starts early in the research process and NEVER stops!

Primary vs. Secondary Sources:

The documents which are created at the time of the event by people who should have personal knowledge of the event, are primary source material for the event being recorded. The best example of this is the death certificate. The person who provides the information on the death was present at the death or in the days leading up the the death. It is a primary source for that person's death information.
 Besides recording information on the death, a death record usually also contains a spouse's name and the individual's birth date and parents' names, but it is considered a secondary source for the information on the individual's marriage and birth information. Secondary sources are created long after the event or by someone who would not have direct knowledge of the event. The person providing information on the death would not have been present at the time of the birth or marriage.

Primary source materials are always the preferred source.

Keep in mind:

• When acquiring vital records for an individual, work from the most recent, death, to the earliest, birth. 
• In the United States, these records are maintained by a clerk in the city, town, county or state where the event took place. 
• Since around 1900 (varies by states) most states keep the records of these events. 
• You may not have access to some records, such as recent birth records, due to privacy concerns.

Map showing dates that each state went to statewide registration of births, marriages and deaths.
Registration might be at the county or town level prior to these dates.

DEATH RECORDS

• Originally deaths were registered to compile medical statistics on epidemics. 
• Even after registrations were required, compliance with the law was haphazard and incomplete. 
• The information about the death will probably be accurate, but other events reported on the records, such as birth date, parents and spouse may contain errors, depending on who provided the information. 
• Death records only exist in the United States for approximately the last 150 years. 
• Prior to around 1900, look for death records at the county or city level. 
• After 1900, check the state level for death records. The farther back in time you go, the less information you will find on a death record. 
• Good sources for finding dates that death records were required are the Redbook and VitalRec.com

This Certificate of Death is from 1959 in Ohio. It is a wealth of information.
But as we will see in other documents, it does not tell the whole story.

Alternatives to official Death Records

• Sometimes, an official death record is not available or doesn't exist. When this happens, you need to turn to other sources. Ideally, you would use multiple sources to verify the death information. 
• Obituaries, while not official records of death, can contain valuable family information. 
• Check all obituaries for errors, due to incorrect information being given by the informant and typographical errors. Obituaries can be the one place where all the pertinent facts of a person’s life are revealed. 
• Earliest newspapers tended to only report the deaths of the most prominent citizens. Late in the 1800’s, obituaries became more common for everyone. 
• Obtain obituaries not only for your direct ancestor, but for their siblings, wives and children. 
• Obituaries are best obtained from the local library that holds microfilmed copies of the local papers. 
• Many indexes for obituaries are online. 
• There are online databases for obituaries that cover the last 20-25 years.

  

  This obituary from the Gallipolis (Ohio) Journal,
  dated 26 June 1959 reveals that Lunas Johnson,
  from the above death certificate, died alone at
  home and his body was not discovered for
  "a considerable time." So his date of death is
  estimated.

• Probate Records – Closing out the estate of someone happens only after they have died. Can also reveal wives and children. 
• Cemetery Records – besides the tombstones, various other records exist in relation to burial of an individual, such as plot deeds, plat records, sexton’s records, and grave opening orders. While a tombstone should be accurate as to the date of death, it may not be as accurate for date of birth. 
• Catholic Cemetery Association (Cleveland Area)
• http://www.clecem.org/
• Relatively new site 
• Registration is free 
• Registration is necessary for searching 
• Can search where someone is buried 
• Sometimes can view section map that will precisely locate grave site
• Social Security Death Index - while this is not a true substitute for a death record, it can help you determine in what location to find a death record. http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3693 or at https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1202535 
• Funeral Cards 
• Mortality Schedules – for the 1850-1880 Census enumerations, there are also lists of people who had died in the 12 months prior to the census being taken. Available on Ancestry Library Edition and FamilySearch.org

MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE RECORDS  

• Marriages were required to be registered much earlier than births and deaths, as a rule. Marriage records come in various forms, such as marriage licenses and marriage certificates. These documents will provide the maiden name of the woman. They are most often filed at the county courthouse. 
• In New England, town clerks began registering marriages in the 1600s and in the South, in the 1700s. Only much later are the parents names included on a marriage record. Information on a marriage record can be inaccurate, due to the couple falsifying their ages, etc. Consent affidavits would have to be filed if either of the parties were under aged at the time of the marriage. 

Besides learning the names of the parties involved, the date and place of the event and the parents names, we
learn so much more from this 1918 marriage record from Gallia County, Ohio.
 Both William Tecumseh Sherman Johnson and Stella Belle Berry used their middle names.
Lunus' first name is misspelled and his signature is illegible. Could he have been illiterate?

• Marriage banns were required by some church denominations. They were usually read aloud on three consecutive Sundays in church. They might also be posted in a public place. It was an opportunity for any objections to be raised. 
• Bonds would be posted prior to the marriage. It was money set aside to defray expenses in case in the event the marriage didn’t take place. The money was posted by the groom or his father. Marriage bonds are NOT positive proof that a marriage took place. 
• Church records 
• Bible Records 
• Newspaper announcements
• Unofficial unions usually have no official documentation. 
• Should be noted for a complete view of a person’s life. 
• MOST important if the union results in any children. 
• Documenting and displaying this information is a matter of personal preference.

DIVORCE

• In a divorce, the date of the marriage is usually given. 
• Divorce legislation has always varied greatly from region to region and state to state. 
• New England states granted divorces from an early time period. 
• Southern states had more restrictive divorce laws. South Carolina did not grant divorces until 1949
• Earliest divorce records were handled by state governments
• As divorces became more common, the legislatures passed the work load onto the county court systems. 
• Divorce records could be handled by; Superior Court, Equity Court, Probate Court or Family/Domestic Court 
• Certain areas became divorce “meccas” because of easy access and the laws were less restrictive 
• Ashtabula, Ohio 
• Utah 
• Vegas and Reno
• Gretna Green Scotland

BIRTH RECORDS

• Only exist in the United States for approximately the last 150 years. The farther back in time you go, the less information you will find on a birth record. 
• Prior to around 1900, look for birth records at the county level. Except for New England states, where the birth records are found at the town level. 
• After 1900, check the state level for birth records. 
• Delayed birth certificates were issued many years after the birth in cases where the person: 
• Was born prior to the keeping of birth records 
• Was not registered due to non-compliance. 
• Needed proof of birth to register for Social Security benefits.

Alternatives to Official Birth Records

Baptism records can stand in for birth records
where a birth record doesn't exist.

• Baptism or christening ceremonies have to be carefully checked. Often they only record the date of the ceremony, not the date of the birth. 
• Birth announcements in newspapers. 
• Bibles often have births, deaths and marriages. Check to see if the handwriting is the same throughout. If it is different, the events were likely recorded as they occurred. Check with family members, local and regional historical societies. http:///www.learnwebskills.com/patriot/biblerecords.htm
• Military pensions or muster rolls - often the approximate birth date had to be given. 
• Census records – The later census records state the age of each individual, but the earlier ones only state the age range of people. But the information can be unreliable.

WHERE TO LOCATE VITAL RECORDS

BOOKS:

• International Vital Records Handbook - Kemp, Thomas, R929.373 KEM 
• Handybook for Genealogists United States of America  R929.107 HAN
• Redbook American State County and Town Sources R929.1072 RED 
• The Source :a Guidebook of American Genealogy  - Szucs, Loretto, R929.1SOU 3RD.ED.

WEBSITES:

• Cyndi's List on Vital Records
• Center for Disease Control  - Where to Write for Vital Records
• FamilySearch.org Vital Records
• Social Security Death Index on FamilySearch.org
• Ohio Vital Records 
• Both Ancestry.com and Ancestry Library Edition provide access to the Social Security Death Index and to vital records from many locations.

STATE VITAL RECORDS; Examples:

• Illinois Pre-1916 Death Records 
• Illinois 1916-1953 Death Index
• Illinois Statewide Marriage Index 1793-1900 
• Missouri Death Records 1910-1967 
• West Virginia Vital Records 

REMINDERS:

• Once your have your record, document the source of the information. Where did you get the records, when did you get it, etc. 
• Do not fold it. Place it in an acid free sleeve. 
• Store the original document in a safe place. 
• Scan it or make a copy to use when sharing or researching.