Massachusetts. Registry of Vital Records and Statistics

Pursuant to St 1842, c 95, the State Secretary issued an annual report of births, deaths, and marriages registered with his office by municipal clerks. It has also based on reports by courts medical examiners, and from 1882, reports of divorces by court clerks of courts. From 1917 the Annual report on the vital statistics of Massachusetts was issued specifically by the Division of Vital Statistics (known also as the Vital Statistics Division). St 1964, c 508, providing that the state secretary make vital statistics records available to the Department of Public Health, transferred division personnel and responsibility for the annual report or vital statistics to that department where the report is currently issued as: Annual report of vital statistics of Massachusetts, prepared by the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics of the Division of Health Statistics and Research.

From the description of Agency history record. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 145429816

From 1917 the vital statistics unit of the state secertary's office was referred to as the Division of Vital Statistics or Vital Statistics Division. In 1964 its personnel were transferred to the Department of Public Health, currently functioning as the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (Division of Health Statistics and Research).

From the description of Annual reports, 1843-1968. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122613879

Although Massachusetts municipal clerks were already required to record births, marriages, and deaths (RS 1836, c 15, s 46; c 75, s 13), it was not until the passage of St 1842, s 95, s 1 that they were instructed to forward this data to the state secretary annually (May through April), on forms provided by him. At that time whole numbers of births, marriages, and deaths were reported, and for deaths, each name, sex, age, occupation (for males), and cause of death. St 1844, c 159, s 1 provided for detailed enumeration of each of the three categories--for births: date of birth, place, name, sex, parent names and residence, father's occupation, and date of record; for marriages: date of marriage, place, name/residence/station of marrying official, name/residence/age/marital status/occupation of each party, parent names, and date of record; for deaths: date of death, name, sex, marital status, age, occupation, place of death, birthplace, parent names, cause of death, and date of record.

St 1849, c 202 provided for a return from May 1848 through Jan. 1850, with succeeding annual returns to be for the calendar year. GS 1860, c 21, s 1 added for births: color and parent birthplaces; for marriages: color and birthplaces; for deaths: color, residence, parent birthplaces, and place of burial (cf. PS 1882, c 32, s 1). St 1887, c 202, s 5 added for deaths: name of husband if married woman. St 1890, c 402, s 1 added for deaths: mother's maiden name, maiden name if married woman. St 1897, c 444, s 1 added for births: mother's maiden name; for marriages: number of marriage, mother's maiden name, maiden name if widowed or divorced woman; for deaths: cemetery where buried, maiden and husband's names if widowed or divorced woman (cf. RS 1902, c 29, s 1)

St 1903, c 305, s 1 provided for the monthly returns of deaths by municipal clerks to the state secretary. St 1904, c 415 made similar provision for births and marriages, but this was not implemented until 1918, as confirmed by an attorney general opinion, Sept. 10, 1918.

St 1976, c 486 transferred state record-keeping responsibilities for vital records from the state secretary to a Registry of Vital Records and Statistics within the Dept. of Public Health.

From the description of Registers of vital records, 1841-1920. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 83856630