Jamaica, Clarendon Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
Currently, this collection of civil registration records includes only the births for the Clarendon Parish and covers the years 1878-1930.

Record History
Compulsory registration of births, marriages, and deaths was introduced in Jamaica in 1878 and was legally implemented in 1880. Registration of births, marriages, and deaths is done at the Registrar General's Department (RGD), which was established in 1879. The Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Unit is responsible for collating this vital information. These civil records are organized at the parish level, Clarendon being one of the parishes.

Why This Collection Was Created? (Heading 3) (Admin Use)

Civil registration records such as birth, marriages, and deaths are recorded for vital statistics and to better serve public health needs.

Record Reliability
The civil registration records contain some of the most reliable information after 1880 for genealogical research in Jamaica. Before 1880, churches recorded important events in the life of the Jamaican people, such as baptisms, marriages, and burials.

Record Description
Birth notices are collected into annual registers and arranged by parish, district, number, and registration date. The text is handwritten in formatted records. Some records are listed in books similar to a ledger, and other records are on slips of papers with the same ledger format. The records also contain stamped and handwritten numbers.

Record Content
These are the key genealogical facts found on most birth records: • District and parish name • Date and place of birth • Name of the child • Gender • Complete name and dwelling place of the father • Complete current name and maiden name of the mother • Rank or profession of the father • Signature, qualification, and residence of the informant • Date of registration • Baptismal name, if added after the registration of birth and date • Signatures of the informant and the registrar of births and deaths

How to Use the Record
In order to find an ancestor, it is necessary to know the district where the ancestor was born or lived. The registers are organized by parishes, such as Clarendon, and each parish is assigned a letter. Within a parish there are many districts, which are identified at the beginning of each book. It is recommended to use the indexes first.

Related Wiki Articles
Jamaica: Civil Registration

Related Websites
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Sources of This Collection
This is a collection of digital copies of original records housed at the Registrar General's Office in Spanish Town, Jamaica.

How to Cite Your Sources
Instructions for citing this source can be found at: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections