I have been using the suggestions recently posted regarding the IGI and had great success with it. My question is, since there was not a census at the time period in which I am researaching (late 1700's, early 1800's), is this considered a primary source - not the IGI itself, but the church records on film at the LDS library? Or are the church records a secondary source? At what point did the government start recording births and issuing birth certificates? - which are considered a primary source, right? Carol/USA Researching: ROWSELL, CLEAL, LYE, MORGAN, LACEY, SYMS, BROWN in Somerset CRABB and CAINS in Dorset