xt7mgq6r249j https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7mgq6r249j/data/mets.xml Tennessee Tennessee Historical Records Survey 1941 Other contributors include: Tennessee Historical Records Survey.; prepared by the Tennessee Historical Records Survey, Division of Community Service Programs, Work Projects Administration; sponsored by the Tennessee State Planning Commission; iv, 143 leaves; UK holds archival copy for ASERL Collaborative Federal Depository Program libraries books  English  This digital resource may be freely searched and displayed in accordance with U. S. copyright laws. Tennessee Works Progress Administration Publications Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee text Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee 1941 1941 2015 true xt7mgq6r249j section xt7mgq6r249j I ~ GUIDE TN I
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The Historical Records Survey Program
Sargent B. Child, Director
lhdison Bratton, State Supervisor
Research and Records Programs
Harvey E. Beoknell, Director
Milton W. Blanton, Regional Supervisor
T. Marshall Jones, State Supervisor
Division of Community Service Programs
Florence Kerr, Assistant Commissioner
Blanche M. Ralston, Chief Regional Supervisor
Betty Hunt Luck, State Director
WORK PROJECTS ADHINISTRATION
Howard O. Hunter, Commissioner
R. L. lhcDougall, Regional Director
S. Tate Pease, State Administrator
 

 GUIDE TO PUBLIC VITAL STATISTICS
IN TENNESSEE
Prepared by
The Tennessee Historical Records Survey
Division of Community Service Programs
Work Projects Administration
Sponsored by
The Tennessee State Planning Commission
Nashville, Tennessee `
The Tennessee Historical Records Survey
June 1941

 FOREWORD
This Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee, prepared by
the Tennessee Historical Records Survey, presents valuable detailed
information regarding procedures in the State of Tennessee and in the
counties. In the history of the development of the present system of d
recording of Vital Statistics data, the increasing value of these records
to the individual and to society is evident. At the present time the
necessity cf establishing proof of citizenship has given added signifi-
cance to records of birth.
Reference tc this volume will be of great assistance to many
citizens of Tennessee in the location cf birth, death, and marriage
records.
W. C. Williams
Commissioner of Public Health
Nashville, Tennessee
Jane 20, l9l;l

 - ij -
PREFACE
Kept indifferently, if at all, until recent years, vital statistics
have recently assumed an unprecedented importance. To many a citizen in
1940 and 1941 the necessity of establishing proof of citizenship gave to
vital statistics a significance above and beyond that already known to
historians, sociologists, actuaries, political scientists, public health
authorities, and even genealogists.
Neglected as was “the science of numbers applied to the life history
of conmmnities and naticns,“ a considerable mass of public vital statistics
has been accumulated. In the course of their inventories of public arch-
ives, the several Historical Records Survey projects in the country have
listed and described much archival material relating to births, deaths,
marriages, and divorces. Unfortunately, only a lesser part of this mater-
ial has yet been published in the Survey’s public archives inventories.
A greater part, however, has been accumulated and is in various stages of
editorial completion in the projects' files. Certain preliminary schedules
of vital statistics were furnished the Bureau of the Census by the Survey
projects in the fall of 1940, and it was thereafter suggested by that
agency that the Survey undertake the publication, by states, of a nation-
wide series of guides to public vital statistics in the United States.
These guides are of necessity incomplete and, wmh the urgency for
1 their publication, can not represent polished editorial jobs, In this
State, for example, the inclusion of descriptions of all public vital
statistics, wherever located, would have delayed for many months pub-
lication of the Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee.
Therefore, only thEEE`lEcElly°Emdntained vital`§@§€iEEiEs which have
been processed by the Tennessee Historical Records Survey in the normal
course of its surveys of the county and municipal archives are listed in
this volume. Although the Tennessee Survey had not, at the time it was
decided to undertake the publication of this Guide, inventoried the vital
statistics in the custody of the Division of Vital Statistics of the
State Department of Public Health, the significance of these records, far
overshadowing county and municipal records in the instance of births and
deaths, dictated that they be inventoried and described in the Guide,
which was accordingly done.
`1 State vital statistics are described in this Guide by full length
entries in the fashion of regular archival inventories of the Historical
Records Survey. County and municipal records, however, are described much
more briefly, but the essay sections which precede the archival listings,
contain, in the instances of birth, death, and marriage records, full
length sample entries which constitute full descriptions of all of the
types of birth, death; and marriage records commonly found in the custody
of the State's ninety-five county court clerks. These sample entries are
approximations of how the "Birth Record" and "Death Record", for example,
would be described in one of the Survey’s county records inventories.

 - iii —
Preface
In several instances, standard recheck procedures and techniques have
not been applied to the descriptions of county and municipal records, and
the descriptions of these records in this Guide are thus based on pre-
liminary field inventories. Too, many of iEE_briginal field inventories
were made months ago and actual existing conditions have no doubt changed
in varying degrees in many counties since the dates of the original field
inventories. Except as qualified in the essays which follow, the closing
dates shown for the records are those of the field inventories or subse-
quent rechecks.
It has been impossible to maintain in a guide state-wide in scope a
full degree of uniformity in the manner of descriptions between records
of the several counties, and in lesser instances between types of records
within a single county. The techniques of field inventories have changed
considerably during the period in which the records listed were inventoried
and the fullness of information on the schedules and forms on file con-
sequently varies considerably from county to county. As certain details
are supplied for the first time during the field rechecks, these items are `
lacking in the descriptions in the Guide. Particularly is this true in
indicating in full the methods of arrangement and indexing for records
inventoried as early as l9§7 and lQ§8. The editors, however, have made
available to the user all the information concerning a record which is
readily determinable from the files.
The arrangement of this Guide is simple. The Preface itself contains
qualifying statements and explanatory notes, and is followed by a list of
abbreviations used. An introductory statement traces in general terms the
development of practices concerning vital statistics in the State. Birth,
death, marriage, and divorce records are listed in separate section, each
having its own introductory essay which discusses legal provisions and
practices relating to the type of record in some detail. In the instances
of birth and death records, State records precede county and municipal
listings. County records are arranged alphabetically by counties and
chronologically thereunder by the earliest entry dates. The few municipal
records appear as the last entries within the respective counties and
follow a similar arrangement. A list of Tennessee counties, showing dates
of their creation, provides something of a cheek of the coverage of the
records in relation to the ages of the counties. The recently codified
rules and regulations of the State Department of Public Health relative to
the registration of births and deaths are carried as an appendix. Another
appendix consists of certain blank forms in use. There is an alphabetical
index by counties.
The titles and addresses of the custodians are indicated in the bodies
of the record entries, and inquiries relating to a record should be ad-
dressed to the indicated custodian. Costs of certified copies of county
records are indicated in the essays, of State records in both the essays
and the entries.

 · iv -
Preface
The original field inventories in the counties were made by a con-
siderable number of project employees under the supervision of Mary Alice
Burke, James E. Davis, Arch Faidley, Jr., and Clarence Williams. The
inventory of State records was made under the supervision of Vylva Holland,
assisted by Willie B. Glenn, Beatrice Kannon, and William H. Etter. The
legal materials and essays were prepared under the supervision of Robert
Cassell and Henry Hight. Stencils were cut by Helen P. Allen and Patsy
R. Floyd.
Acknowledgment of cooperation is due all county officials whose
records are listed in the inventory, particularly the clerks of the county
and circuit courts, the clerks and masters of the chancery courts, and
the county health officers. Particular acknowledgment is made to the
officials and staff of the Tennessee State Department of Public Health.
Dr. W} C. Williams, Commissioner of Public Health, graciously authorized the
inventory of the Department*s vital statistics and prepared the Foreword
to the Guide. Dr. D. C. Peterson, Director of the Division of Vital Sta-
tistics, was exceedingly helpful in making the materials available, _
offering valuable suggestions, and in reviewing that part of the Guide
relating to State records. The blank forms used in the registration of
births and deaths were furnished by the Department. Grateful acknowledgment
is also made to Mr. John B. Cobb, County Court Clerk of Davidson County,
Tennessee, through whose office the Survey was furnished blank marriage
license forms.
Madison Bratton, State Supervisor
The Tennessee Historical Records Survey
Nashville
June 21 , l9lll

 ..1..
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Page
1. Foreword .................................................... i
2. Preface ....................................,......... .... ... ii
§. Abbreviations and Symbols ................................... 2
h. Introduction ................................................ 5
5. Birth Records .........p.............. .................. ..... 7
6. Death Records ............................................... 55 T
7, Marriage Records .................. ......... ................. 59
I 8. Divorce Records .................................... .... ..... eu
9. Appendices .......................................... ...... .. 117
Counties of Tennessee with Years of Creation .......¤....... 118
Records Regulations of the Department of Public Health .... 120
10. Index ................................. ....... .............. lh0
ll. Publications of the Tennessee Historical Records Survey .••• IDU
12. Blank Forms ................................................ IL6

 - 3 -
ABBREVIATIOUS AND SYDBOIS
Abbreviations
Acts .¤.............s¤..¤.. Acts of the General Assembly of Tennessee of
alph. .......¤...¤¤.»¤¤s.¤, alphabetical or alphabetically
arr. .............¤¤.¤...¤¤ arranged or arrangement
art. ...................... article
8.V€’I°• o¤••••¤••••••••••••»• &V€I'2tg9
bdlo .¤¤................... bundlefs) ‘
bldgc oa¤~•¤•»~•¤¤•e·a••a•¤ bUildiHg
C •o¤¤•~»¤••••••••¤••·•»¤»c Code of
cha ¤...».................. chapter
chron. .................... chronological or chronologically
COHSt• I••••¤J••••|•IQ••UI9 COHStitUtiOH
dist. ..................... district
est. a..................... estimate or estimated
f. b. .....¤..¤...¤.......¤ file box(es)
f. dg ¤..a................. file drawer(s)
fmt ...,.................... form ·
hdw. .s.................... handwritten
i.e. ¤¤.................... id est (that is)
Tbld. ................ . .... 'i`i>‘1EZ>T1 (in the same place)
Tim. , .... T, .............. Er-?Z?’6r Nayar camiina or
no. .Q».. ...... ............ number, numbered, or nunmering
nos. ....................¤• numbers
num. ........ .... .......... numerical or numerically
P.A. ...................... Public Acts of the General Assembly of
Tennessee of
p• h. ..................... pigeon hole(s)
pi; pp• |ll•l•t||I||•••|!•| page, PKEGS
Pkg-, pkgs. .•............. package, packages
pr. ....................... printed
‘ R• Fn D• •••••••••••••••••• Rural FYGS Delivery
Yma ••••••••••••••••••••••• YOOm
· S•R•N•C• •••••••••••••••••| St&tB RGCOTdS of North Carolina
S8C• •••••••••••••••••••••• SGCtiOH
S€S¤ •••••••a•••••••••••••• session
subsec. ••••••••••••••••••• subsection
ViZ• O••••••••••••••••n•••• V.j.d€lj.C€t (nam€].y)
VET., vols. ............... volume, volumes
Symbols
8: OICOIIOIOI•I|IIO•IOI•O|•O  
X ......................... by, in dimensions
-- ........................ placed after a year date means from.that
year to present time

 - 3 -
INTRODUCTION
Only one type of vital statistics - marriage records - has been
maintained by public agencies in Tennessee throughout virtually the en-
tire history of the State, a statute requiring deposit of the marriage
bond with the county court clerk having been enacted in 1778, the year
following the creation of the State•s oldest county.l Records of divorce
proceedings, incorporated into the records of the courts of competent
jurisdiction, have been almost continuously maintained by the courts since
" 1799.2 Only within the last generation, however, did the present effec-
` tive system of registration replace the earlier and indifferent methods
of recording births and deaths.
While importance was first attached to the maintenance of marriage
records, it was not until 1815, 19 years after the end of the territorial
period, that legislation required the clerks of the county courts to pre-
serve marriage licenses and returns and to maintain registers of returns.$
Divorce actions, fortunately, were recorded by the superior, circuit, and
chancery courts as parts of their proceedings, although records of divorce
proceedings have not, in general, been separately maintained.
` The legislature, in 18é8, came exceedingly close to enacting a bill
to "provide for the registration of the births, marriages & deaths through-
5 cut the State of Tennessee."4 The "National Medical Convention," meeting
` in Philadelphia in May 1847, apparently directed its officers to memorial-
ize the several "State Governments" to enact legislation for the registra-
tion of births, deaths, and marriages. The officers of the convention,
evidently addressing all state legislatures, prepared a printed memorial
which informed the legislatures of the significance of vital statistics.5
' The memorial of the convention pointed to the importance of vital statis-
"" tics in establishing "proofs of lineage, rights of dower, and bequests of
_ property." The petition also stated, "Upon the circunmtances connected
‘V with the three important eras of existence, birth, marriage and death, are
'“ dependent, to a very great extent, the physical, moral, and civil conditio1
I, of the human family," and, also, that knowledge of vital statistics was
` o necessary to the advancement of “populations" in "prosperity and
l. L.N.C. 1778, April ses., ch. 7, sec. 5 (S.R.N.C., XXIV, 164, 165).
2. Kcts‘1799, ch. 19; Acts 1807, ch. 3; ActE`l809T ch. 49; Acts 1819,
_ ‘ c’E`."2bT"15.A. issi, E`1TT‘2T>?7>‘.A. ieee-€sT¤iI“Te, see. 4 ntl}--19-5`__2,
  10525);-15.A-. TQ)?-ae, oh. z"6,"SeHTT`(`€ iesz, iosve). H¤v?eT¤~",‘ the ·
legislature occasionally granted divorces prior to 1835 (Const. 1854,
art. ll, sec. 4) in the form of private legislation, set EEt"in the—
volumes of session laws.
3. Acts 1815, ch. 47 (C 1932, 10087), `
4. Housengill No. 3l8,~Twenty-Second General Assembly. “
_ 5· "M€m0Ti&1 of the National Medical Convention Held in Philadelphia, May
‘ l847." Legislative Petitions and Memorials, Box 155, Tennessee State
Archives and Land Office, Nashville.

 - 4 - -
Introduction
civilizations." Practices in the Roman Empire were pointed to; it was
offered as proof that the death rate had been reduced and the average
span of life increased in those cities and countries of Europe in which
there were systems of registrations of vital statistics, particularly in
Geneva and certain jurisdictions in France, England, and Prussia.6 The
petition did not suggest a particular system of registration, but a bill
embodying the following provisions was introduced into the House of Repre-
_ sentativeszz
"1. The revenue commissioner of each civil district in every county
of the State was required *to make a register of the male and female
births and the male and female deaths which shall have taken place
in his or each civil district during the preceding year. The said
register shall set forth the number who shall have died under ten
` years of age, also those over ten and under twenty—five, and over
‘ twenty—five and under forty-five, and over forty-five and under
seventy—five and over seventy—five and under one hundred, and also
those over one hundred.'
"2. It was also provided that the above official keep a register
of *al1 the marriages which shall have taken place during the pre-
ceding year within each civil district, stating the ages and the
` parentage of the parties as accurately and fully as his knowledge
may enable him to do; the registration of the births and deaths
shall also give the parentage as nearly as possible, the births and
' deaths of the blacks shall also be registered in like manner.'
"5. The revenue commissioner was directed to furnish a *correct
copy of the register of the County Court Clerk by whom it shall be
correctly transcribed into a suitable book procured and kept for
the purpose.*
"4. The next section of the bill required *the coroners of the
several counties to make a correct return to the county court clerk
of the age, sex, place of birth, and manner of death of all persons
on whom they may hold inquests.’
_ "5• The final section required the county court clerks to transmit
biennially to the Secretary of State an abstract of the records of
the registration books as kept by the county court clerks."7
6. "Memorial of the National Medical Convention Held in Philadelphia, May
l847." Legislative Petitions and Memorials, Box 135, Tennessee State
Archives and Land Office, Nashville.
.° 7. This description of the bill is a quotation from the Biennial Report
. pf pepartment of Public Health, 1929-1951, Nashville, 1951, 167, 168.

 - 5 - ‘
Introduction
The bill passed two readings in the Houseg and was reported out of com-
mittee favorably, along with the memorial “relating to the physical,
moral and civil condition of society."9 The bill was accordingly passed,
56 to 29.10 Sent to the Senate, however, the bill survived only one
reading and on second reading was rejected.11 The reasons for the defeat
of this bill are not apparent but it has been suggested that the measure
failed because it did not provide for compensation to the registrars.l2
Following successive epidendcs of cholera, smallpox, and yellow
fever, the legislature, in 1877, after failing to enact a similar measure
in 1875, created the first State Board of Health15 and directed that ‘
the Board should "especially study the vital statistics of this State,
and endeavor to make intelligent and profitable use of the records of
sickness and death among the people." 4 The same legislature made m nici-
pal boards of health mandatory in the cities of Chattanooga, Knoxville,
Memphis, and Nashville,15 and these boards, some of which already existed,
appear to have maintained a registration of sorts.
In 1881, no doubt as a result of the lessons learned in disastrous
yellow fever epidemics of 1878 and 1879, the legislature created a com»
plicated system for the registration of births, deaths, and marriages
throughout the State.16 This system, which involved the senior justice
of the peace in each civil district and the coroner and the county court
clerk of each county,17 appears to have been given a fair trial, as is
indicated by the records accumulated in its operation, but it also ap-
pears to have been ineffective for it was abandoned in many counties, and
in 1885 the act creating it was repea1ed.18
The basis for the present effective statewide system of birth and
death registrations was laid in 1909 when legislation provided for a
 
8. House Journal, 1847-48, 925, 996.
9. ‘I5iHT,”§2'57"
10. TEE., eee.
11. séifite Jeumai, 1847-48, sze.
12. B1ennial~Feport of the Department of Public Health, 1929-1951, 168.
It may be_revealiHg_that a rejected-amendment to the bill sought to
relieve the revenue commissioners of the duties the bill sought to
impose on them.(House Journal, 1847-48, 996).
1s. Acts isvv, ch. e§TE“6¤TTT"' `“°""‘
14. lE1d.T—EEc. 6. In 1875, the state medical society had urged the
legislature to create a State board.(Report of the State Board of
Health, 1877-1880, Nashville, 1880, 5, 45. -—-*—- `-M---
15. Acts 1877, ch. 98, sec. 7.
].6• XC`1SS   Ch•  
17. 1E1d.__The provisions of this act are set out in some detail in the
sections on births, deaths, and marriages in this Guide.
18. Acts 1883, ch. 160. —”-—-

 - 6 - -
- Introduction
central recording system,19 but this system, too, proved clumsy and
largely ineffective, and in 1913 the legislature enacted the so called
model vital statistics law.2O The effectiveness of the 1913 act is
indicated by the admission of Tennessee to the United States Death Regis-
tration Area in 1917 and to the Birth Registration Area in 1927.21
Amended several times,22 the 1913 law was repealed in its entirety
in 1941 but its general provisions were reenaoted.25
Between 1925 and 1939, the local registrars, who reported to the
State Division of Vital Statistics, also made reports to the county court
clerks who maintained registers of births and deaths.24 As this system,
in effect, provided merely for poor duplication of information available
at the Division of Vital Statistics, it was abandoned in 1939.25
In addition to the birth and death records of municipal health
agencies listed in this Guide, there are incomplete and scattered records
covering long periods of time in the rmnicipal health departments of
Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis, and Nashville.
Next to vital statistics in the custody of public agencies, those
. of the churches are probably second in importance and coverage. Records
incorporating vital statistics, and the keeping thereof, vary slightly
from denomination to denomination. In general, it may be said that the
leading and largest denominations, i.e., Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian,
Protestant Episcopal and Roman Catholic, all keep a register or record of
baptisms, memberships, marriages and deaths. In the case of the Baptist,
Methodists, and some smaller denominations, this is a separate record
maintained in the custody of the church clerk or secretary. Among Presby-
terians, the practice is for the register of vital statistics information
to be entered in the church minutes which are kept in the custody of the
clerk. The Roman Catholic and Protestant Episcopal faiths maintain the
‘ “ registers often in separate volumes in custody of the priest or rector.
_ The Churches of Christ are one of the very few denominations in Tennessee
_ which do not regularly maintain records of vital statistics.
_ 19. Acts 1909, ch. 341.
_. 20. FII -1.-917, ch. so (0 1932, sez?). ‘
21. `EiEnn`—`Rial eport or _th' partment or ammo Heainq, 1929-1931, ive.
22. ’F`.'A". 1_—.923T7¤lYT-7T_s’é`ET ?1'*E"P'Z¤ETT9B'5,`"¤h.”149 `(`C-—-1932-f t8295; 1¤.A.
I 1.937, ch. 260, sec. 2. —- l-_-_ — -l-_
- p — 23. _P._P_t. 1941, ch. 23.
U 24. P.A. 1925, ch. 86.
- 25. EQ;. 1939, ch. 32.

 - 7 - ‘
BIRTH RECORDS
Prior to 1881 there was no general legislation in Tennessee concern-
ing the keeping of birth records, either by State, county or municipal
officials, and, consequently no uniform method was followed. The indi-
vidual counties and municipalities kept such records as their discretion
dictated, and in their own manner. The first systematic procedure for the
keeping of such records was enacted in a general law passed in 1881.
The act of 1881,1 setting up a system possibly too detailed to be
efficient or possibly too farseeing to be accepted, was repealed by the
next General Assembly, in 1885.2 Under the 1881 act, the person in pro-
fessional attendance at any birth, or in the absence of such person, the
head of the household, was required to send a written report of the birth
to the senior justice of the peace in the civil district in which the birth
occurred.5 The justice was required to record the report and transmit,
within 50 days, a certified copy of the same to the county court clerk of
his county.4 The clerk was to enter the returns in a well-bound book,’
with proper indexes. 0n or before the first day of April in each year,
the clerk was required to send certified copies of the records for the
previous year to the Secretary of State.5 These records, along with those
of marriages and deaths, were bound in yearly volumes and preserved by the
Secretary of State.6
With the repeal of this act in 1885, and frequently before, the
counties in general returned to the earlier unsystematic methods of pre-
serving birth records; in most instances no records at all were kept. This
condition prevailed until 1909 when the forerunner of the present system
of keeping of birth records was inaugurated.
The system set up under the act of 1909 called for the cooperation of
the county boards of health with the State Board of Health in collecting
birth records throughout the State.? The person taking the scholastic
_ census in each school district was required to report to the secretary of
.r the county board of health (the county court clerk ex officio) each birth
I occurring in his district during the preceding scholastic year.8 The forms
. filled out by the census takers and filed with the county board of health
showed the date of birth, the name of the child, the sex and color, the
place of birth, the christian name and the surname of both parents, the
nativity of both parents, the occupation of the father, the name of the
attending physician of midwife, and the date when the record was made.9
. 1• Acts   Chc  
2. Acts 1885, ch. 160.
5. Kcts 1881, ch. 112, sec. 2.
4. `“`“1bm.TETs¤. s.
5. lbid., sec. 5.
6. Ibid., sec. 6.
7. Kcts 1909, ch. 541, sec. 2.
8. Ibid.""`
9. lbid., sec. 5.

 - 8 -
Birth Records
These records were transcribed into a special book kept by the county
court clerk, and the original forms were forwarded to the State Board of
Health.1O The State Board of Health exercised general supervision over‘the
system.and maintained a central office at Nashville, for the collection,
registration, and tabulation of the records.1l
An act of 1915, the “Mode1 Vital Statistic Law," established a new
system of registration of births,12 and expressly repealed the act of
1909.15 In effect this act merely eliminated the participation of the
county boards of health and imposed the duties upon district registrars.
Each city, incorporated town, and civil district was made a prim ry regis-
tration district, with a local registrar in each district appointed by the
State Registrar for a term of 4 years.14 As the State Registrar was given
90 days after the act took effect, "or as soon thereafter as possib1e,"
to appoint the district registrars,15 it is probable that the act did not
become fully effective until January 1914, as is indicated by a gap in the
records from 1912 to 1914. Under the 1915 system, the attending physician
or midwife at any birth, or in the absence of both of these, the mother or
father, was required to file a certificate of birth with the registrar of -
the district within 10 days after the birth.l6 The district registrar was
required to make a complete copy of this certificate in his record book
and on or before the tenth day of each month and to forward the original
certificates for the preceding month to the State Registrar.17 As compen-
sation, the local registrar received 25 cents for each certificate properly
recorded and sent to the State Registrar.l8 The State Board of Health
naintained control of the registration of births through its Division of
Vital Statistics.l9
. An act of 1925 reorganized the State Health Department and placed all
rights, powers, and duties of the State Board of Health, the Secretary of
the Board, and the Director of Vital Statistics, in the State Department
of Public Hea1th.2O The practical effect of this act was to change the
_ name of the office and concentrate the powers and duties into one depart-
. - ment. The Division of Vital Statistics, according to the 1915 act, was ’
by placed under the supervision of the Secretary of the State Board of Health,
10. Acts 1909, ch. 541, sec. 5.
t ll. 1bid[7`§Ec. 1.
M· 12. P.A. 1915, ch. 50 (C 1952, 5827).
_ 15. `i`bTa.TE'E¤. 24. """""
_ 14. Ibid., sec. 5 (C 1952, 5851) sec. 4 (C 1952, 5852).
~ _ 15. ibid., sec. 4. —·`-—- —'_*__
16- _§;§T 1915, ch. 50, sec. 14 (C 1952, 5851).
_ 17. Ibid., sec. 19 (C 1952, 5861).
_, 18. LH d., sec. zo (`6 EQ, sears).
` 19. Ibid., sec. 1 (C`I952: 5827).
_ 20. _’F.§.' iezz, ch. 7,"s'éE. 46 (_Q ieee, seze).

 - g -
Birth Records
who was designated the State Registrar.21 Amending acts of 1925 and 1955
placed this Division under the Superintendent of Vital Statistics, who 1
was also designated State Registrar.22 The State Registrar was appointed
‘ by and served at the will of the Conmdssioner of Public Health, subject
to the approval of the Governor.25 Under the 1915 act the State Registrar
received an annual salary of $sooo24 and presumably received this salary
until 1941.25
' Between 1925 and 1959, the local registrars were required to furnish
the county court clerks in their respective counties a monthly report of
all births occurring within their districts.26 The clerks in turn were re-
quired to keep separate record books of these births, showing the name of
the child, sex, color, namesof parents, civil district or place where
born, and date of birth.27
An act of 1957 makes the Division of Vital Statistics of the State
Department of Health the only official agency for the keeping of certifi-
‘ cates of births occurring in the State prior to January 1, 1914,and the
- issuing of certified copies of the certificates.28 These records are dis- A
* tinguishable from the current birth records and must be signed by the
attendant at birth if available, by the parent, or by a relative and a
non-relative having actual knowledge, supported by an affidavit.29 Under
’. · the act the records are collected either by allowing the individual to
‘ file the record with the Division of Vital Statistics or through agencies
· set up for this purpose.3O The information required on these records is:
· 1. Place of birth - including county, civil district,
incorporated town or city; street address; name of
hospital or institution.
 
21. §,A. 1915, ch. SO, sec. 2. '
. 22. gg. 1925, ch. 7, Sac. 47; _1j.g._. 1955, ch. 149 (g_ 1958, 5929).
- 25. Ibid. ’ ‘ '
24. E.K. 1915, ch. 50, sec. 2 (C 1952, 5828).
25. This provision was omitted from the Codes of 1958.(C 1958, 5828) The
" act of 1955 amending Section 5828 of the Code of l952_EErely changed
. _ the qualifications of the State Registrar and did not attempt to
W , change any other part of this section.(P.A. 1955, ch. 149) It would
“[Z . Seem, therefore, that the compilers of th; unofficial Code of 1958
7 , have fallen into error in the codification of this act, and as this is
·jl not an official code, the State Registrar was entitled to this salary
’ until the act of 1915 was specifically repealed in 1941.(P.A. 1941,
by ch. 25, sec, 54). · “”'
‘ 26• £.&. 1925, ch, 86, Soo, 5 (C 1952, 5876); P.A. 1959, ch. 52, SGC. 7•
27- Eg. 1925; eh. ee, seo. 1 (E 1952, 5874); "
7 28- fag. 1957, ch, 260, sec. 2 TC 1958, 5879, SubS©G• 2).
ryp 29. Ibid., sec. 5 (C 1958, 5879,_subsec. 4).
V7" $O• Ibid., sec. 7 QQ 1958, 5879, subsec. 6).

 - l0 - r
*e Birth Records
`4 2. Date of birth.
V 5. Full name of individual. ‘
' tics SGX•
5. Color.
6. Full name of father.
7. Birthplace of father - county and state; or foreign country.
8. Full maiden name of mother.
9. Birthplace of mother - county and state; or foreign country.
lO. Any other items as may be deemed necessary for