>From: Elizabeth Roderick <eroderic@vsla.edu> > > Death Records Indexing Project (DRIP) > > The Library of Virginia is pleased to announce the availability of the > Death Records Indexing Project (DRIP) database. The database is a > collaborative project of the Virginia Genealogical Society and the > Library. More than 60 volunteers, working in 15 states, are in the > process of indexing the microfilmed versions of the local death > registers as part of a long-term goal to provide better access to death > records. > > After a volunteer completes indexing a city or county, database > records are created from information and made available > online via the Library of Virginia's Digital Library Program > (http://www.lva.lib.va.us/). The online database is fully keyword > searchable and currently contains nearly 32,000 entries. > > Each index entry in the database provides the name of the deceased, > the date of death, information about slaves and slave owners > if present, and the year and page number of the register where the > death is recorded. > > The following counties and cities are represented in the database More > localities will be added during the next year as they are completed by > the volunteers and processed by the Library: > > Alleghany County (1853-1896) > Bristol (1889-1896) > Charlottesville (1871-1896) > Danville (1854-1882, 1883-1896) > Fauquier County (1853-1896) > King George County (1853-1896) > Loudoun County (1854-1896) > Prince Edward County (1853-1861, 1862-1896) > Princess Anne County (1853-1896) > Stafford County (1853-1875, 1876-1896) > Warren County (1853-1876, 1877-1896) > Washington County (1853-1897) > > About Death Records in Virginia, 1853-1896 > > The Virginia General Assembly on April 11, 1853, passed a law requiring > the systematic statewide recording of births and deaths. The law > required every commissioner of revenue to make an annual registration > of births and deaths in his district at the same time personal property > subject to taxation was ascertained. The commissioner was to record > births and deaths that occurred prior to December 31 of the preceding > year and return the record to the clerk of court by June 1. Information > was obtained from heads of family, physicians, surgeons or coroners, > and the law imposed penalties for failing to furnish or collect the > information. > > The clerk of court in each locality was directed to enter the > information supplied by the commissioner into registers. A copy of each > register was forwarded to the Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts. The > law went into effect on July 1,1853, and continued until 1896, when an > economy-conscious legislature repealed the recording provisions. > > NOTE: not all deaths were recorded during the period 1853-1896. > > NOTE: the Library of Virginia does not have death records for the > period 1896-1912. > > Information found on death registers changed little between 1853 and > 1896. Death registers contain the name of the deceased; the race and > sex; the date and place of death; notations regarding slaves and the > names of slave owners; name of the disease or cause of death; age at > death (years, months and days); place of birth; occupation; marital > status; name of parents of the deceased; name of person giving the > information; and description of the informant (whether a physician, > consort, head of the family or friend). > > It is not unusual to find information missing from the records. If an > infant had not yet been named at the time of death, the entry would > record only the surname or note "Smith, Infant." The terms "Unnamed," > "No name," and "Not named" are also used. Only the given name of a > slave is recorded. Only the month appears for the date of death in some > instances. The names of parents of the deceased are frequently omitted > or unreliable since the person giving the information may not have > known the names. Causes of death frequently are not known. Some > information may not be available and some may vary from locality to > locality. > > Format of the Original Documents > > Microfilmed copies are available at the Library of Virginia on more > than 200 reels. The originals registers are not served to the public. > The film is arranged by county, by year within each county, and then > usually chronologically (some are arranged alphabetically). There are > usually less than 25 frames per any one year. The pages on the > microfilmed copies are not numbered. The indexers, however, have > supplied page numbers for each index entry in order to facilitate > locating the original reference. > > The microfilm was made in the 1940s, and many pages are difficult to > read. Also, many of the registers are duplicated in the Library's > collection of county court records on microfilm, many of which are > available through Interlibrary Loan. The page images on these reels > are sometimes easier to read. > > Obtaining Copies of Original Documents > > Certified copies of death records for the period 1853 through 1896 and > 1912-1939 are available *ONLY* from the Division of Vital Records, James > Madison Building, 109 Governor Street, P.O. Box 1000, Richmond, VA > 23208. The Library of Virginia does *not* make photocopies from the > microfilm or original registers. Researchers who visit the Library can > make copies from the birth and death registers on microfilm in the > collection. > > Microfilm copies of vital statistics, including death registers, may be > borrowed from the Library of Virginia through the Interlibrary Loan > department of your local library. > > >-- >Elizabeth Roderick email (eroderic@vsla.edu) >Manager, Digital Library Program voice (804) 692-3761 >Collection Management Services Division fax (804) 692-3771 >The Library of Virginia >800 E. Broad Street >Richmond, VA 23219 > > ***************************************************** > http://www.lva.lib.va.us > The LVA Digital Library Program > ***************************************************** >