Michigan, County Births - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of images of county birth records from 53 of the 83 county courthouses in Michigan. Some of the records are "delayed births" which were recorded years after the actual birth. The time period varies by county, but generally covers the years 1867 to 1917.

Clerks of each County Court recorded births that were reported by parents, doctors and midwives beginning in 1867. This information was then sent to the secretary of the state. From 1867 to 1879, about 15% to 20% of the births were recorded; from 1880-1902, coverage increased to about 60% to 70%. The state required counties to begin recording births to document the occurrence of a birth and to track public health issues.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Birth / Christening
 * Name of the child
 * Gender
 * Names of the parents
 * Birth date
 * Birthplace
 * Race
 * Christening date (if the source is a church record)
 * Family History Library Microfilm and item numbers for the source materials

Coverage Table and Map
Details on the number of records available by county, and number of records per year are available at Michigan, County Births, 1867-1917.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The county your ancestor resided in
 * The names of family members and their approximate ages

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select  the County
 * 2) Select the Record Type, Date Range and Volume to view the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the age or estimated birth date to find other church and vital records such as baptism, marriage, and death records
 * Use the information found in the record to find land, probate and immigration records
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in censuses. Witnesses were usually family members
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family
 * Church Records were kept years before counties began keeping records. They are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well

Record Finder

 * Consult the Michigan Research Tips and Strategies and its Record Finder to search other records

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.


 * Collection Citation:"Michigan, County Births, 1867-1917." Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 7 September 2018. Various county courts, Michigan.

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