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'''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> | '''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> | :*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> | ||
:In some areas of Long Island and the lower Hudson Valley, some births, marriages, and deaths were recorded in town records as early as about 1665. For example, Amenia, Dutchess County, has vital records beginning in 1749. <br> | :*In some areas of Long Island and the lower Hudson Valley, some births, marriages, and deaths were recorded in town records as early as about 1665. For example, Amenia, Dutchess County, has vital records beginning in 1749. <br> | ||
== Published Resources == | == Published Resources == | ||
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