synagogue whereof he is secretary, shall register or cause to be registered in
duplicate in two of the said marriage register books the several particulars re-
lating to that marriage according to the form of the said schedule [C. ] ; and
every such registering officer or secretary, whether he shall or shall not be
present at such marriage, shall satisfy himself that the proceedings in relation
thereto have been conformable to the usages of the said society, or of the per-
sons professing the Jewish religion, as the case may be, and every such entry
n» herein-before is mentioned ( whether made by such clergyman or by such
registering officer or secretary respectively as aforesaid,) shall be signed by
the clergyman or by the said registering officer or secretary as the case may
be, and by the parties married, and by two witnesses, and shall be made in
order from the beginning to the end of each book, and the number of the
place of entry in each duplicate marriage register book shall be the same.
4 32. And be it enacted, That ia the months of April, July, October, and
Digitized by VjOOQIC
U BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS.
January, OD such days a» shall iiom time to time be appointed by the regiairar
g^eneral, every registrar shall make and deliver to the saperintendent registrar
of his district, on durable matertoJs^ a true copy, certified by him under his
hand according to the form of schedule [D.] to this Act annexed, of all tlie
entries of births and deaths in the register book kept by him since the last
certificate, tlie first of such certificate* to be given in the month of July in the
year one tluHJsand eight hundred and thirty-seven, and to contain all the*
entries made up to that time: and the superintendent registrar shall verify the
same, and if found to be correct shall certify the same under his hand to be a
true copy ; and if there shall have been no birth or death registered since the
delivery of the last certificate, the registrar shall certify the fact, and such cer-
tificate shall be delivered to the superintendent registrar as aforesaid, and coun-
tersigned by him ; and the registrar shall keep safely each of the said register
hooks until it shall be filled, and riiall then deliver it to the superintendent
registrar, to be kept by him with the records of bis* office*
§ 33. And be it enacted. That the rector, vicar, or curate of every such
church and chapel, and every such registering officer and secretary, shall, in
the months of April, July, October, and January respectively, make and de-
liver to the superintendent registrar of the district in which such church or
chapel may be situated, or which may be assigned by the registrar general to
such registering officer or secretary, on durable materials, a true copy certified
by him under his hand of all the entries of marriages in the register book kept
by him since the last certificate, the first of such certificates to be given in the
month of July one thousand eight hundred and thirty seven, and to contain all
the entries made up to that time, and if. there shall have been no marriage en-
tered therein since the last certificate, shall certify the fact under his hand, and
shall keep the said marriage register books safely until the same shall be filled^
and one copy of every such register book, when filled, shall be defivered to the
superintendent registrar of the district in which sach church or chapel may be
situated, or which shall have been assigned as aforesaid to such registering-
officer or secretary, and the other copy of every such register book kept by any
such rector, vicar or curate shall remain in the keeping ^such rector, vicar, or
curate, and shall be kept by him with the registers of Baptisms and burials of
the parish or chapelry witjiin which the marriages registered therein shaU have
been solemnized ; and the other copy of every such register book of marriages
among the people called Quakers, and among persons profesnng the Jewish
religion respectively, shall remain under the care of the said people or persons
respectively, to be kept with their other registers and records, and shall, for the
purposes of this Act, be still deemed to be in the keeping of the registering
officer or secretary for the time being respectively.
§ 34. And be it enacted, That every superintendent registrar shall, four
times in every year, on such days aa shall be therefore named by the registrar
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BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS. 45
general, send to the registrar generaJ al] the certified copies of the registers of
births, deaths, and marriages which he shall have so received during the three
calendar months next preceding such quarterly days of transmission respect-
ivriy ; and if it shall appear, by interruption of the regular progression of
nnmben or otherwise, that the copy of any part of any book, has not been duly
delivered to him, he shall procure, as fiur as possible, consistently with the pro-
visions of this act, that the same may be remedied and supplied; and every
such superintendent registrar shall be entitled to receive the sum of two-pence
fiv evety entiy in such certified copies ; and every superintendent registrar
shall make out an account four times in every year of the number of entries
in the certified copies sent to him during the last quarter, and the certified
ec^es so sent to the general registry <^ce, shall be thereafter kept in the said
office in such order and manner as the registrar general, under the direction of
the secretary of state, shall tlnnk fit, so that the same may be most readily seen
and eaoumned.
$ 41. And be it enacted. That every person who shall wilfully make, or
cause to be made, for the purpose of being inserted in any register of birth,
death, or marriage, any false statement touching any of the particulara herein
required to be known and registered, shall be subject to the same pains and
penalties as if he were guilty of perjury.
§ 42. And be it enacted. That every person who shall refuse or without
reasonable cause omit to register any marriage solemnized by him, or which
he ought to register, and every registrar who shall refuse or without reasonable
cause omit to register any birth or death of which he shall have had due notice
as aforesaid, and every person having the custody of any register book, or cer-
tified copy thereof or of any part thereof, who shall carelessly lose or injure
the same, or carelessly allow the same to be injured whilst in his keeping,
shall forfeit a sum not exceeding fifly pounds for every such ofibnce.
$ 4db And be it enacted, That every person who shall wilfully destroy or
injure or cause to be destroyed or injured, any such register book or any part
or certified copy of any part thereof, or shall falsely make or counterfeit, or cause
to be falsely made or counterfeited, any part of any such register book or cer-
tified copy thereof, or shall wilfully insert or cause to be inserted in any reg^
ister book or certified copy thereof any false entry of any birth, death, or mar^
riage, or shall wilfiiUy give any false certificate, or shall certify any writing to
be a copy or extract of any register book, knowing the same register to be
false in any part thereof, or shall forge or counterfeit the seal of the register
office, shall be guilty of felony.
$ 44. Provided always, and be it enacted. That no person charged with the
dnty of registering any birth, death] or marriage, who shall discover any error
Digitized by VjOOQIC
46 BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS.
to have been committed in the form or substance of any such entry, shall be
therefore liable to any of the penalties aforesaid if, within qne calendar month
next after the discovery of such error, in the presence of the parents of the
child whose birth may have been so registered, or of the parties married, or of
two persons attending upon any person in his or her last illness, whose death
may have been so registered, or, in case of the death or absence of the res-
pective parties aforesaid, then in the presence of tl^e superintendent registrar
and of two other creditable witnesses who shall respectively attest the same,
he shall correct the erroneous entry, according to the truth of the case, by
ehtry in the margin, without any alteration of the original entry, and shall sign
the marginal entry, and add thereunto the day of the month and year when
such correction shall be made : provided also, that in the case of a marriage
register he shall make the like maiginal entry, attested in like manner in the
duplicate marriage register book to be made by him as aforesaid, and in every
case shall make the like alteration in the certified copy of the register book to
be made by him as aforesaid, or in case such certified copy shall have been
already made, provided he shall make and deliver in like manner a separate
certified copy of the original erroneous entry, and of the marginal correction
therein made.
Digitized by VjOOQIC
BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS.
47
Forms of Reoistbbs of Births, Marriages and Deaths, in the
KiNODOH OF Prussia.
1. BIRTHS.
2. MARRIAGES.
Names and con- Names of the
diiioD of Bride-' Bridr^room's
groom. father.
Name* of the
Hride.
Names of the
Bride's father.
Date of
Marriage.
Witnesses'
3. DEATHS.
Name and cooditioD
of the deceased
Day and hour
of the Death.
Age.
Disease and caose
of Death.
Whether heirs of ihe
deceased are koown.
The above forms are somewhat varied in the record of Jewish
Births and Deaths.
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48
BIRTHS, MAERIAGES AND DEATHS.
Forms of Reoister Books and Entries in Pbussu.
£S
•aSttujttui
aqi pam/goiaa
uqM iiuuKCijafo
aqi JO auiBXi
'sajnSi) puu
luaiwi ui ♦aJBu
-jntuiaqi'jo £vq
•pa>|us8!p
svM aSuuJviu
aqi MOU â– pue
'paujeui ApBai|G
iiaaq tvq apuq
aqi JoqiaqXv
•inoqe
iqSnojq kkm ii
Moq Tf*Q9ipJVta
aqi iCq io siuai
•ad aqi Xq iia
-AiSsB.%\)uasnoD
aqi JaqiaqM
•apuq aqi JO ai^y
aaiiapisaj pao
aompiiob siq
^jaqittj s^apiiq
aqi JO auiBU
-jnsipuBjisuqo
•opuq
aqi JO amen
-jns 7g UBllfljq;)
pOA|OSS!p SBM
aSBUjeui' aqi
Moq puB 'aio|aq
pauiBui aaaq
SBq woojjfapijq
aqi Jaqt-HiM
•inoqa
tqSnojq SBM 11
Moq ip'iuasuoa
fiBipjenS aqi
IO siaajBd aqi
SBM 11 ieqieqAV
•uioojSapiiq
JO aSy
jeqi
•Bj JO aouapisw
puB iioBj'aaiBu
-Jns 7f uBiisuqo
•jpiBJ
paaeaaapnaijo
a9B|dfjq'oooi^
••pijq JO aoiBO
-JMVoaniuqo
•N
^2s
^1
^ be
fi
<s°
Ii.
S C-5
.S ««£
OS
III
IJ1
tJ.S:
S|ge
••M
2'-=
e
l4
4
hi
•aq oi pajtipap
SBM aq uoBjad aqi
SUM pavea^ap aqi
iBqi pagsiiBS sbm
aq qaiqM Aq siooid
aqi puB 'udAid cbm
qieap aqi jo aoji
-on uioqM oi OBui
•XSjop JO aoiBM
Disease reus-
ing the death.
Day and hour of
deoUi, in letters
and in figures.
1
i
1
11
II
II
"o
2 g
1
sXbq
•sqiuow
•sJvaA
Condition
of (he
deeeased.
Christian and
surname of the
deeeased ; in rase
of ehildren, the
name and rondi-
Uon of the father
also.
i>
•OMI
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BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS. 49
Rbsistkk or Mareiagss, Births ajtd Deaths, in Spain.
The vicar orcHrate of each parish keeps the archives. The following are
the fonnula of— 1st, marriages ; 2nd, baptisms ; 3d, deaths.
1. Pedro Croz, (single or widower,) to Juanna Perez, (siHgle or widow.)
In the parish chnich of , 16th April, 1840, I, W. H., rector, (vicar or
cnrate,) married P. C., native of , 'son of D. and J. C, mairied and
natives of same place, to J. P., native of , daughter of N. aad M. P., mar-
ried and natives of ^. Sponsors, Padio Gaioia aad Maria Gii Wife*
, A. & aad a D.
2: J«aa Garcia X«eon.
In tiie parish charch of , on the Sdi day of Januaiy, 1842, 1, W. H.,
lector, (vicar or curate,) solemnly baptized Juan, legitimate son of Vincent,
native of , and of Matilda, native of , paternal grandfather and
grandmother, A. 6., and M. L., natives of . Sponsors, D. G. and M. L.
N. B. The surname of the parent is not insetted in the body of the regis-
ter, because it is inscribed in the maxgin.
3b Manied, single or widower, and testate, or intestate.
L. M., native of , son of M and R. M., died on the 19th day of Febru-
ary, 1834, aged , years. He lived in street, of this parish. He re>
ceived the holy sacrament before his death. Married to M« G., (if married,)
his will (if any) was made before the notary J. P. B.
JMex. (Each book has its alphabetical Index.)
Marriages, P. C, to J. P. p. 30, A, or R
Births, J. G. L. p. 30, A, or B.
Deaths, L. M. p. 15, A, or R
7
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so BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS.
France. — The foUowing certificate will show bow the variolic registries are
kept in France.
1. Of Mamage.
Seine Royal, (Parie) Dec. 10th, 1842. 9 o'clock A. M., marriage act of A*
R (turner in wood, horn flt Paris the — day of 18 — , at Na — , in
street, in this ward (arrondissement) eldest son of S. G. deceased, and of D. M#
his widow aged 57, residing in Paris at No. — , in street, who was present
consenting: ) and of C. D. seamstress, horn at , the — day of 18 — ,
residing with her father and mother at No. — , in — — street, in this depeit-
ment, minor child of S. D., cook, aged 52, asd of P. his wife aged 47, both of
whom were present, consenting. The pxeliminary documents^ to wit, the certifi-
cate of ptthlication duly made on Sundays Dec. 12th and 19th inst in this ward,
at noon, and duly posted, without ohjection ; the record of the birth of both pav-
ties; and the certificate of the death of the bridegroom's father, in dtre form of
law, were read, together with that chapter of the civil code which relates U> the
respective rights of the parties.
The parties betrothed then made declaration of Marriage in presence of
, baker, aged 25, residing at No. — in street, and oi ,
turner, aged 30, residing at No. — in street, witnesses on the part of the
husband : and of , joiner, aged 40, and , carpenter, aged
50, both residing at No. — , in street, witnesses on the part of the wife.
Afler which we, C. G., proprietaire, assisted by the mayor of this first de-
partment, as civil magistrate, declared, in the name of the law, that said parties
were man and wife ; — ^the parties, the father, and the several witnesses, (afler
this record was read in their hearing,) subscribing the same ; the two mothers
being unable to write.
(Here follow the signatores above mentionedr)
2. Birth.
The — day of 18—, at 11* A. M., record of birth of A V ,
bom at Na — ^ in street, yesterday at 11 o'clock P. M., the son of
, porter, aged 53, and of _ his wife, aged 40, at the said res-
idence.
The child was produced, and declaration made before us. ,
* proprietaire ' and , mayor of the let department, by A. B., the
midwife aged 62, residing at No. — in street, attended by S. A., coach-
maker, aged 68, residing in the same street, and A. R, coach-painter, aged 43,
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BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS. 61
remding at No. — ia *— — ■treet, wko with declannt aigned hereto with us,
after reading.
(Here follow the aigsaUues.)
a Death.
Reeord of the death of R. B., seamstreas, aged 29, wife of J. C, water bai-
lill^ 37 yean of age, bom at S, died at No. — ^ street, yesterday at -^
o'doek in the moniing : — ^verified by us H. M., assisted by the mayor of the
first depaztment of Paris, upon the declaration of S. C, hairdresser, 57 yean
<»f age, residing at No. — — street, J. C. the husband of the deceased, who
lias declared himself unable to sign $— the first witness has signed with us after
(Here follow the signatures.)
Digitized by VjOOQIC
52 BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS.
Austrian Forms of Registration.
No I. Marriage Register.
Date.
Rridboroom.
Bridb
WiTifsaiBS.
1843.
§
1
6
Name.
Kaligion.
i
<
Name.
RdigioD
i
1
Name
Fab.
1
i
1
1
0.
P.
i
00
1
1
15lh.
No, 2. Register of Births.
1
1
d
Z
Name.
Religion.
Sex.
2
1
ParcoU.
Spomon.
1
C.
P.
i
1
Father.
Meiber.
Names.
Coodi.
tiOB.
No, 3. Register of Mortality^ kept by Ministers,
Year.
1
Z
Name
Religion. Sex.
Age.
Maladv and mode
of death.
Month
C.
'•:|
i
Day.
1
1
Digitized by VjOOQIC
BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS. 53
Appendix, B.
Extracts from Testimony before the English Committee,
John Bowrino^ Esq., L. L. D.
*^ I can state that I have seen no system on the whde, so complete as that of
the Code Napoleon — and I have, within the lust 6 months, had occasion to
watch its working in almost every part of France." " The committee, are
perhaps, awaie there are two duplicate documents constantly produced, one of
which is lodged in the communal archives, and the other in the Tribunals de
Premiere Instance : so that there are two sources of knowledge ; and when-
ever I have had occasion to trace the history of an individual, — that is, his
birth, marriage and death, — ^I have been able to do so with extreme facility and
oomplete success."
<' Aji respects births, the law requires that within three days after birth, the
child shall be produced* to the local authori^, who is the mayor of the com-
mune ; he is bound to register the time of its birth, the hour and place of birth,
and tiie names and profession of its parents."
** As respects deaths, no interment can take place without the authority of
the civil functionary, who is required to see the body, it being ordered that
notice should be given within 24 hours after the death of the party, to the an-
tfaoritiesy who then record the fact, and the period of death* also in duplicate."
** All these registrations are gratuitous. There is a fee for any extract that
may be required."
" The register which is deposited in what is the general recipient of the
archives, is that to which individuals apply for transcripts. At the end of the
year, the whole of these documentB axe arranged, ceotraliased, and their results
transmitted to the superior functionary, and by him reported to the minister of
the Interior, and they form the elements of those statistical tables, which are
pobliaibed from time to time, and which have often been praised for their com-
^ I think the system of registry has been one of the most important resuha
of- the (French) revolution. Thousands of questions that would be embarrass-
ing here, are set at rest by the action of a great machine, that operates by a
muversal law fiom the centre to the extremities."
"Even in various parts of Europe, formerly under the dominion of France,
and which have been restored to their fonner sovereigns, they retain the French
system in praferenee to retoming to the old laws of Uieir countiy."
« Th« "maire/' if needful, emlli at the parents' bcu^e for inspection
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54 BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS.
John Finlaison, Esq., Aebuary of iht JMwnal Debt Office,
** In order to procure an approximation to the rate of mortality which prevails
among the working clasaes in this country, I resorted to the public register at
Ostend in Flanders, where I made an observation on the mortality of the town
for a period of ^ years." ** My attention was drawn to the extreme precision
of their system, which, I believe, is precisely the same as prevails in France."
" The town clerk stated to me that it was impossible for any person in their
country to lose his inheritance, because he and his ancestry could be traced
back with the utmost certainty for any number of years." *^ At short intervals
a duplicate of the registry is sent to the principal town of theArrondisseroent,
(Bruges.")
In regard to the advantages of this system, he said *^ I was enabled to deter-
mine the expectation of life, and the values of annuities and of life insurance
for each sex, and at every age from the birth." ^ I was also enabled to deter-
mine the rate of mortality in early infancy, — a thing totally unknown in this
country."
M. Adolphb Quxtelet, Diredor qf iht Brusada Obaervaiory.
'* Before the occupation of the Netherlands by the French, (and befo]:e the
introduction of the Code Napoleon,) the registers were in lamentable plight
They were kept by the clergy. Since the revolution of 1890, an attempt was
made to put a certain portion of the registries again into the hands of the
clergy : but it led to such animadversions and discontent, that they have found
it necessary to return to the former practice. There were originally objections
felt to the introduction of this system, but I have never heard any objection to
its operation."
*' It is a subject of wonder to every intelligent stranger, that in a country so
intelligent as England, with so many illustrious persons occupied in statistical
inquiries, and where the state of the population is the constant subject of pub-
lic interest, the very batis on iehUh aU good legislation must be grounded, has
never been prepared.*"
* This was before the Registration Act. Since that peri<»d the writeri of the Continent
bave done justice to English labors and legislation npon this snbjeet An enlogiom, eqoally
jnst and hearty, on the act of Parliament, may be found in the ** AmtaUa d'HffgUm,*' (tonie
S3, pp. 111-12,) from the pen of Dr. Marc d'Espine.
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BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS. 65
Appendix, C.
'< Boston, Feb. 21, 1843.
** Dear Sir, — I have often re^tted that the law or the practice as to preserv-
ing in the clerk's office an accurate list of births, deaths and ipaniag^ should
have 80 entirely ceased ; down to 1760, or thereabouts, tlie records are very
perfect (except some volumes lost by a fire). The system seemed to be a very
simple and satisfactory one. A volume was kept, in which, under the different
lettftrs of the alphabet, the births, deaths, dLc, were entered — ^ihe volume being
ruled in such manner as to make the dates, dLC, strike the eye easily. The
importance of such a system in enabling us to obtain accurate statistics of
births and deaths, is very evident Its convenience in regard to titles of real
estate, is also very great Whether the present neglect of the law (Rev. Stat,
chap. 15, sect 46-47,) can be in any way prevented, or whether any new pro-
visions or penalties can advantageously be introduced, I am too little of a legis-
lator to be able to judge. Perhaps some important hints may be derived firom
a recent statute in England upon the same subject, which, however, I have not
myself seen.
Yours very respectfully,
" Jko. a. Bolles, Esq. N. 1. BOWDITCH."
Mr, Grimaldi, a solicitor, examined by the English ciHumissioners, said that
** there are so many cases where the descent of property depends entirely on
the circumstance of the death of an ancestor or relation taking place before or
after he attained 21 yean of age, as well as on his being bom in the life-time
of another person, that it is remarkable no steps should have been taken to
remedy this deficiency."
Upon the policy of keeping the record in duplicate, and making a return of
one of them to the central office, he says he thinks it "^ indispensably neces-
sary. I saved," added he, *' a large estate from being taken out of a family by
a town clerk of Cambridge, in consequence of desiring parties who applied to
me, to search for the duplicate. I desired, after the first trial, that diligent
search should be made for a duplicate, and a duplicate was accidentally found,
and did not contain the false entry f as soon as the clerk knew of this discov-
ery he absconded. ^ In the first action he had actually recovered a very fine
estate, by having forged an entry in the parish registry."
The testimony of Rkikard MaUktwiy Etq.,, an eminent barrister, examined by
the same committee, is full of instruction upon the necessity of registration
foil, minute, methodical and anthentic. He mentions a moltttude of cases oc-
Digitized by VjOOQIC
66 BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS.
curring within his own practice or knowled|re, illustrating this necessity. In
one of these cases, an old man, as witness in an important ejectment case,
swore that he was 101 yean old : hut upon his baptismal register being after-