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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: wildbee on Sunday 01 January 17 21:12 GMT (UK)
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My relatives are from Nova Scotia... they moved to Massachusetts and later Maine where my Great Aunt had a baby that did not live long after child birth or was not alive at birth....The birth would have occurred around 1931. She was living in Brownfield, Maine at the time. I can find no record of the babies existence. Is this typical of still born births that would have been delivered in a home setting? Are there any tricks out there that would maybe allow me to confirm the birth?
Thanks for any help,
Wildbee
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I wouldn't be surprised if a stillbirth didn't get registered, but where have you looked for this so far? I don't think there are Maine birth or death records from that era available online.
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Think only a death certificate:
https://www.osv.com/OSVNewsweekly/ByIssue/Article/TabId/735/ArtMID/13636/ArticleID/5838/List-of-states-issuing-birth-certificates-for-stillborn-babies-growing.aspx
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That article lists Maine as one of the states that gives birth certificates for stillbirths.
This birth record from 1901 asks if the child was living or stillborn - https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/File:Maine_Vital_Records_(10-0106)_(10-0107)_Birth_DGS_4543968_343.jpg
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Article confirms that no American states before 1994 gave birth certificates:
'Cheyenne died 15 minutes before she was born on July 27, 1994, yet Arizona, like all states then, issued only death certificates for stillborn babies.'
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I know of stillbirths in Scotland & only death certs. are issued to the parent(s), there is no birth recorded, no birth cert.
Annie
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Article confirms that no American states before 1994 gave birth certificates:
'Cheyenne died 15 minutes before she was born on July 27, 1994, yet Arizona, like all states then, issued only death certificates for stillborn babies.'
I just found a lot of birth records from various states for stillbirths before 1994, so it looks like an article from a religious website was not 100% correct on a genealogical matter.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01j6n/
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My sister lived for 1h in NSW and so has a birth cert and death cert.
Perhaps Some babies that were said to be stillbirths may in fact have drawn breath
and therefore been required to be registered at birth as well as death.
I would think some folk would argue that if babe did not draw breath then in fact not born
-- hence no birth cert but death cert required for burial.
Differing legal opinions might account for different practices
as might different beliefs within families
and then there is probably the vexed question of baptism.
May young babes ended up in unmarked mass graves much to the lifelong sorrow of their parents.
Hope this has not muddied waters.
regards
phenolphthalein
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This is from wikipedia, so the same caveats apply, but :
'A movement in the U.S. has changed the way that stillbirths are documented through vital records. Previously, only the deaths were reported. However 27 states have enacted legislation that offers some variation of a birth certificate as an option for parents who choose to pay for one.
which leads on to 1997 information:
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/misc/itop97.pdf
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Have you looked for a burial?
For example, a lot of burials I've seen either in parish or municipal records are recorded as "the stillborn child of" plus the parents names.
Stillbirths are recorded in England & Wles after 1927, the index is not publicly available so researchers look for burials when a stillbirth has been mentioned.
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In England and Wales stillbirths are registered but they are on a seperate register which isn't available for public viewing
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And yet in England there is issued instead a Stillbirth Certificate. I have a copy of my brother's from 1958.
I know of stillbirths in Scotland & only death certs. are issued to the parent(s), there is no birth recorded, no birth cert.
Annie
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I know of stillbirths in Scotland & only death certs. are issued to the parent(s), there is no birth recorded, no birth cert.
Annie
The procedure for registering a stillbirth in Scotland says
When the registration is complete the registrar will give you, free of charge:
A certificate of registration of stillbirth for production to the person in charge of the burial ground or crematorium;
If one of the parents registers the stillbirth and requests it, an extract of the entry in the register.
The page also gives details of the Stillbirth Register and who can obtain details from it.
https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/registration/registering-a-stillbirth
There is no mention of a death certificate being issued.