Vital records are crucial in research, especially for documenting family histories and proving links in genealogy. Unfortunately, North Carolina, like most states, did not require the registration of births and deaths until the 20th century, nor the regulation of marriages until the late 1800s. Why did vital record registration take so long and how does a researcher document life events when the law did not require birth, marriage, or death registration? This guide will provide information for finding substitutes, resources, and strategies to locate them and discuss events and developments that led to national registration.
Pages in this guide:
This research guide accompanies the January 19, 2022 SLNC Government & Heritage Library's presentation, A Matter of Life and Death: Researching North Carolina Vital Records webinar, which explores the history of vital records in the U.S. and N.C. and provides strategies for locating these important records of life events.
Government & Heritage Library
Website:
https://statelibrary.ncdcr.gov/about-us/government-and-heritage-library
Phone: (919) 814-6790
Email: slnc.reference@dncr.nc.gov
Physical address:
109 E. Jones St.
Raleigh, NC 27601
Mailing address:
4640 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-4600
