Found on NYC Roots list: NYG&B http://www.nygbs.org/info/articles/nyc_vital_records.html Prior to 1866, vital records were kept in registers, or ledgers, where each event was entered on one line, with columns for the different parts of the registration. For example, the earliest death registers of the City of New York have columns for date, name, address, age, birthplace, cause of death, cemetery, and sexton. Each register was divided into sections for the letters of the alphabet, and events were recorded under the first letter of the last name, in chronological order. Thus, while many registers are unindexed, the researcher can quickly locate the part of the register where the event should be recorded, as long as an approximate date is known. In 1866 New York City and Brooklyn began to issue certificates, as is done today, but they also continued to maintain ledgers for many years (they survive to 1879 for Brooklyn, 1887 for New York). The Municipal Archives has both certificates and ledgers for these years, and researchers who cannot find or cannot read a certificate should be aware of the ledgers' existence. In the towns and villages, registers or ledgers were kept beginning in 1847 and again in 1881. Starting in the latter year these jurisdictions also issued certificates, which were sent to the State Department of Health. While the certificates are thus in Albany, the registers passed into New York City's possession and are now at the Municipal Archives. Go to that site for more good information. -- Pat Connors, Sacramento CA http://www.connorsgenealogy.com All outgoing mail virus free, scanned by Norton 2002