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'''1847:''' A meeting of the National Medical Convention in Philadelphia held in 1847 changed all that when a resolution was passed to encourage statewide registration of births, marriages, and deaths via legislation from the individual states. New York jumped on board with the resolution and passed a law (Chapter 152) requiring the registration of vital events. Unfortunately, the resulting law was convoluted. The trustees of each school district (there were over 10,000 school districts in New York at the time) were required to review the records of the local midwives and doctors and compile births, marriages and deaths and report them to the local town or city clerk. The town and city clerks were to compile and submit a report to the county clerk who then reported to the Secretary State. The Secretary of State was then required to submit a report to the State Legislature. <ref>The Historical Records Survey, ''Guide to Public Vital Records in New York State (Including New York City),'' (Albany, NY: Works Projects Administration, 1942), v. 1, pp. vii-viii.</ref> | '''1847:''' A meeting of the National Medical Convention in Philadelphia held in 1847 changed all that when a resolution was passed to encourage statewide registration of births, marriages, and deaths via legislation from the individual states. New York jumped on board with the resolution and passed a law (Chapter 152) requiring the registration of vital events. Unfortunately, the resulting law was convoluted. The trustees of each school district (there were over 10,000 school districts in New York at the time) were required to review the records of the local midwives and doctors and compile births, marriages and deaths and report them to the local town or city clerk. The town and city clerks were to compile and submit a report to the county clerk who then reported to the Secretary State. The Secretary of State was then required to submit a report to the State Legislature. <ref>The Historical Records Survey, ''Guide to Public Vital Records in New York State (Including New York City),'' (Albany, NY: Works Projects Administration, 1942), v. 1, pp. vii-viii.</ref> | ||
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'''After 1849:''' Several laws were passed in the New York State Legislature requiring the creation of birth, marriage, and death records by municipalities in the state. Compliance stopped a few years after. | |||
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'''1850:''' On December 19, 1850 the Secretary of State wrote to all County Clerks:<br>"Dear Sir, I have concluded not to forward the blanks for the Report of Births, Marriages and Deaths, until the law is so amended as to enable me to receive full and correct reports from the entire state. Therefore all action under the law will be, for the present, suspended." Although most action under this law seems to have stopped at the end of 1850, the actual law stayed on the books until 1885. In Chapter 270 of that year's laws, paragraph 9 repealed "Chapter one hundred fifty-two of the laws of 1847." | '''1850:''' On December 19, 1850 the Secretary of State wrote to all County Clerks:<br>"Dear Sir, I have concluded not to forward the blanks for the Report of Births, Marriages and Deaths, until the law is so amended as to enable me to receive full and correct reports from the entire state. Therefore all action under the law will be, for the present, suspended." Although most action under this law seems to have stopped at the end of 1850, the actual law stayed on the books until 1885. In Chapter 270 of that year's laws, paragraph 9 repealed "Chapter one hundred fifty-two of the laws of 1847." | ||
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'''1864:''' Another attempt by the state to collect death records was begun in 1864 in which the assessor of each town or ward was directed to accumulate the data. (Chapter 380) This law was repealed in 1865. (Chapter 723) | '''1864:''' Another attempt by the state to collect death records was begun in 1864 in which the assessor of each town or ward was directed to accumulate the data. (Chapter 380) This law was repealed in 1865. (Chapter 723) | ||
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'''1880:''' In 1880, New York created a State Board of Health which was given the responsibility of overseeing the registration of vital statistics. The State Board of Health established a Vital Records division. New York then passed a law that required births, marriages, and deaths be reported to the town, village, or city clerk within three days of their occurrence. The local clerks were then to create a copy of each vital record and forward the originals to the State Board of Health. An 1888 addendum established penalties for those who failed to report vital events. Because Albany, Buffalo, Yonkers, New York, and Brooklyn were already keeping their own vital records when the 1880 Law was passed, they were considered exempt. ''Guide to Public Vital Records in New York State (Including New York City),'' (Albany, NY: Works Projects Administration, 1942), v. 1, pp. xi. | '''1880-1881:''' In 1880, New York created a State Board of Health which was given the responsibility of overseeing the registration of vital statistics. The State Board of Health established a Vital Records division. New York then passed a law that required births, marriages, and deaths be reported to the town, village, or city clerk within three days of their occurrence. The local clerks were then to create a copy of each vital record and forward the originals to the State Board of Health. An 1888 addendum established penalties for those who failed to report vital events. Because Albany, Buffalo, Yonkers, New York, and Brooklyn were already keeping their own vital records when the 1880 Law was passed, they were considered exempt.<ref>''Guide to Public Vital Records in New York State (Including New York City),'' (Albany, NY: Works Projects Administration, 1942), v. 1, pp. xi.</ref> | ||
:*Compliance with the law was incomplete until 1913 or even later, resulting with incomplete records.<ref>[https://www.archives.nysed.gov/research/birth-marriage-death-records Birth, Marriage, and Death Records] at New York State Archives</ref> | |||
== Published Resources == | == Published Resources == | ||
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