The agency involved with vital records is the Dept of Public Health. Go to www.state.ct.us and link from there. I also suggest you click on the legislative branch and e-mail the representatives from New Haven districts. Town clerks have been accommodating, but the 100-year birth records are for protection of the child and the mother. However, there are enough people who belong to the CT Society of Genealogists who are willing to help. I'm in a wheelchair and house bound, and town clerks are great. If they don't have the info, they have referred me to the town historians. I remember one day dropping in at the Woodbury [CT] town hall one day in a wheelchair in the middle of the afternoon. Jane and her assistant were great. I even got a copy of my father's birth certificate, and found an error in the record of my gggrandfather's death. I sent her the correction. One day I called Thomaston's [CT] town hall, giving my name. I'm related to the whole town. I told the clerk I was looking for the date of my grandmother's death. She said just a minute, and came back with the date of Gramma Knox's death. The only problem was, she didn't let me tell her which grandmother before she went to look it up--I was looking Nannie's, my maternal grandmother, death. She looked it up right away. I also got death and marriage certificates (non-certified) for 50 cents a copy, including my own, which seemed strange, because I've been divorced for 27 years. I found out my gggrandfather married his first wife in Amenia, NY, something that was a surprise to all the family. I called the town clerk there, who referred me to the town historian for further info. He not only gave me the date, which was different than the one in the family records, but the full name of the bride; the ages of Grandpa Anson, and his wife Julia; and who married them. I called the librarian in Blandford, MA asking the town clerk hours. It seems in those small towns it's usually a couple hours on Monday night. But Gale provided me with the Knox genealogy, and even sent me a Polaroid of the portrait of Theodocia Knox Utley, Grandpa Anson's sister, that is in the library there. She charged me 5 cents a copy. She's provided me with other info, including the current Blandford historian. She has also referred people to me for info. Hopkinton, MA sent me my money back because the early records were lost in a fire. However, I was referred to the Hopkinton Congregational Church, which sold a great cookbook for $8 with the info I needed in it. I think it was the town clerk that gave me the name of the town historian, including his summer vacation number. I did call Waterbury. They required a genealogy society membership. At that time I was still able to go myself with help. I haven't contacted them since. But there are genealogy records at the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury. Another man that was really helpful was Dave Nathan at the Boston Archives; both on the phone and via e-mail. He referred me to the rare manuscripts department of the Boston Public Library. I called and emailed them. There was no info, but they looked. The Bennington [VT] Museum's achivist did an incredible search for the birth of my maternal great-grandfather, Hiram B. Stearns, but couldn't find anything. I was able to get a typed copy of the marriage record of my grandfather William Knox and Elizabeth Chubb in Boston in 1725. I called Boston Vital records marriage division. They told me how much it would cost. Interestingly, after I sent the information including the names and date, they tried to get me to pay them more before they sent the info. I refused, saying that unless they showed me a law that said they could charge me more than what they told me on the phone, I expected to get what I asked for the price they quoted me. The certificate came within a week. Springfield, MA town clerk's response was to refund my check within ten days, because the info wasn't there. The town clerk in West Springfield sent me my mother's birth certificate in a week. Maine was great in sending me my grandmother's and her last husband's marriage certificate in about two weeks. I found that towns and some small cities are very accommodating. It's the big cities that there is a problem, but seeing what goes on in our small city clerk's office, I understand. They are busy, and it has been pointed out by various genealogy societies, not everyone asks nicely or includes a check for the info. Some go in and demand without even saying thank-you. I've even gotten some of those people via e-mail. It does make me angry; why should town/city clerks be any different? I hope I've made some sense, and offered some suggestions. Even when the answer is no, I've talked to some nice record keepers, for which I am grateful. Peggy J. Knox