Vermont Vital Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
The records in this collection are for the years 1760 to 1954.

Record Description
The records are handwritten on preprinted pages which have been bound into volumes. The collection consists of vital records (births, marriages, and deaths), cemetery records, and burial and removal permits. They are arranged by town, record type, then date. The content and completeness of the records varies by town.

Record Content
The following important biographical facts may be found in the birth records: 


 * Child’s name
 * Child’s sex
 * Birth date
 * Birth place
 * Registration date
 * Race
 * Parents' names
 * Parents' residence
 * Father’s occupation
 * Parents' birth places

The following important biographical facts may be found in the marriage records: 


 * Full name of bride and groom
 * Marriage date
 * Marriage place
 * Residence of bride and groom
 * Age of bride and groom
 * Groom’s occupation
 * Birth place of bride and groom
 * Parents of bride and groom
 * What number of marriage for bride and groom
 * Officiator

The following important biographical facts may be found in the death records: 


 * Name of deceased
 * Death date
 * Death place
 * Age in days, months, and years
 * Marital status
 * Cause of death
 * Occupation
 * Birth place
 * Name of parents
 * Social Security number
 * Birth date
 * Military service
 * Surviving spouse
 * Race
 * Education
 * Residence
 * Parents' names
 * Informants' names
 * Informants' residence

The following important biographical facts may be found in the burial or removal records: 


 * Name of person on certificate
 * County
 * City or town
 * Death date
 * Name of deceased
 * Age of deceased
 * Cause of death
 * Medical attendant
 * Purposed date of burial or removal
 * Purposed place of burial or removal
 * Undertaker
 * Undertaker’s address
 * Name and title of person issuing permit
 * Permit date

How to Use the Record
To begin your search, it will be helpful to know the following:


 * The county where the birth, marriage, or death occurred
 * The name of the person at the time of marriage
 * The approximate date the event occurred
 * The place the event occurred
 * The name of the individual or individuals, such as the bride and groom, infant, or deceased

Input the information you have into the appropriate boxes on the search screen. This seach usually returns more than one result. Compare the information in the results to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination.

Use the locator information found in the index (such as page, entry, or certificate number) to locate your ancestors in the records. Compare the information in the record to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination.

When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family.

For example:


 * Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each partner to find a couple's birth records and parents' names.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records.
 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment records or military records.
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * The name of the officiator may be a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county.
 * Use a marriage number to identify previous marriages.
 * The name of the undertaker or mortuary could lead you to funeral and cemetery records which often include the names and residences of other family members.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as the bride or groom; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have been born, married, or died in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

Keep in mind:


 * The information in marriage records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1900.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one marriage record to another record.

If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for, try the following:


 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Search for the marriage record of the marriage partner if known.
 * Check for a different index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties

Record History
Vital record keeping began with the earliest permanent settlement, about 1760. All original records are maintained by the town or city. The present vital registration law was enacted in 1857. This statute required all vital events be recorded in the town where they occurred. A centralized registration system was established in 1919 and copies of the town vital records was sent to the state.

This collection consists of three sets of vital record card transcriptions and certificates. All three sets are arranged in alphabetical order.

Why this Record Was Created
These records were created to keep track of the vital events happening in the lives of the citizens and to safeguard their legal interests.

Record Reliability
These records are generally reliable but can vary depending on the knowledge of the informant.

Known Issues with This Collection
Some of the images in the Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954 collection are difficult to read. This is due to the original scanning of the documents which was done prior to current technologies which allow for improvement of images after the original scanning is complete.

However, this collection is of such genealogical importance that FamilySearch decided to publish the collection and make available its rich content even though some of the images do not meet our own standards for image quality. We appreciate the labors of those who worked with these images to improve their quality to the best possible point before publication and regret that they cannot be further improved.

Related Web Sites
Vermont State Archives

Related Wiki Articles
Vermont Vital Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should also list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection
"Vermont, Vital Records, 1760-1954." index and images, FamilySearch: : accessed 8 April 2011. entry for Joseph Chastaney, born 15 September 1890, citing Vital Records, FHL microfilm 430,073; Vermont State Archives and Records Administration, Middlesex, Vermont.

Sources of Information for This Collection
"Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954,” index and images, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org/); from the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration, Middlesex, Vermont. FHL digital images, Family History Library Salt Lake City, Utah.