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Some registration of births occured, particularly during the twentieth century, although there is evidence of earlier practice. These records do not frequently appear in the [[India Office Records]]. As the the [[British Library]]'s page on [http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelpregion/asia/india/indiaofficerecordsfamilyhistory/ecclesiastical/eccrecords.html Ecclesiastical Records] explains, “registration of births was not compulsory and very few are entered in the records. Registrations do not generally appear until the 1920s. Entries show date and place of birth, child's name, parents' names and their nationality and religion, father's occupation, date of registration.” An example of European children entered in the Birth Register, appearing in the Ecclesiastical Records at the British Library, is given in this India List [http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/INDIA/2009-12/1260877078 post].
Based on her own experience, Sylvia Murphy advised: "Within the general set of copies of presidency ecclesiastical records, is also to be found evidence that some British Subjects actually registered their children’s births. These are identified by the use of forms headed 'Office of the Marriage Registrar, Calcutta' (for example), and although a baptism date is given, there is no Church name included to show where the child may have been baptised. It may be the case that such entries reflect births and baptisms of children whose parents belonged to a non-conformist denomination which did not make its own returns to the India Office. Other indications of Birth Registration occur in the 1940s and after independence. Lists of names and dates of birth of infants registered are to be found at least in the N/3 (Bombay) ecclesiastical returns for this period, but no detailed copies of actual registration information are available. Presumably these have been retained in the office(s) of the Registrar(s) in India".
The copies Copies of Birth Registation birth registration entries mentioned in the India List posts were probably obtained many years agofrom the Shimla Municipal Corporation, after a visit there in 2013. <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131117103647/http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=166043 Shimla: Manual record-keeping that's eye-popping efficient] (daijiworld.com).</ref> It is hoped to digitise the Shimla registers.<ref>[http://www.thestatesman.com/cities/shimla-to-digitalise-british-roots-1491379715.html "Shimla to digitalise British roots"] by Archana Phull April 5, 2017 ''The Statesman''.</ref> However, it is not known whether how generally available these same documents could be obtained today, are or what time period is covered by records in existence in India. The Birth Registration system, which was only compulsory in some areas, always has been based on the local municipality, so it is necessary to know where a person was born before attempting to obtain records. Some websites for Municipal Corporations are listed below. The website for Shimla includes a standard letter for requests for certificates, to be sent to The Registrar, Birth & Death MC Shimla. The website for Chennai includes an online certificate application, for births and deaths from 1930, but you need to know the relevant date. Note the additional comments. The website for Coimbatore indicates the Commissioner is responsible for records, which are held from 1871. There may be websites for other Municipal Corporations which also have an online facility. For smaller towns, the terminology may be 'Municipal Board' or Municipality.<br>'''Previously Bengal Presidency'''*[http://www.nagarnigamagra.com/departments.htm Agra Municipal Corporation] includes the department 'Central Records' "To maintain all old records such as birth and death registration, ..." , with the website [http://www.birthdeathagra.in/ Online Birth & Death Registration Service of Agra] (for which it is necessary to register but no further details are given)*[https://www.kmcgov.in/KMCPortal/jsp/KMCBirthDeathHome.jsp Kolkata Municipal Corporation: Birth/Death Registration] *[http://www.shimlamc.gov.in/page/Home.aspx Municipal Corporation Shimla]. Page 2 of this [http://www.shimlamc.org/file.axd?file=2011%2f3%2fNew+Microsoft+Word+Document+_6_.pdf pdf] includes a sample letter Subject: "Application for Birth & Death Certificate" with the address given: The Registrar, Birth & Death MC Shimla, The Mall Shimla H. P. India<br>'''Previously Madras Presidency'''*[http://www.chennaicorporation.gov.in/online-civic-services/birthanddeath.htm Chennai Corporation: Online facility for verification or printing of birth & death certificate] Applies from 1910, and you need to know the date of birth or death. This online service is free. You could try writing regarding earlier registration, (similar to the Shimla letter), to The Registrar, Birth and Death, Corporation of Chennai, Ripon Building, Chennai – 600003 India (charges may apply). *[https://www.ccmc.gov.in/ccmc/ Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation] **[https://www.ccmc.gov.in/ccmc/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53&Itemid=30 Public Health] , section "Birth & Death records custodian" states "...transfer the birth and death records to the Commissioner's office and the same is kept under the custody of Commissioner....previous year's records (ie 1871 to 2009) are stored at Corporation main office - Birth & Death record room." [https://www.ccmc.gov.in/ccmc/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58&Itemid=43 Contact the Commissioner]<br>'''Previously Bombay Presidency'''*[https://portal.mcgm.gov.in/ Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai]. There is an English language option, top left hand side of the website. The [https://portal.mcgm.gov.in/irj/portal/anonymous/qlhealth Health Department] is an administrative department of MCGM which is responsible for Birth/ Death registrations. To apply for birth or death certificates, it appears exact information is required, see [https://portal.mcgm.gov.in/irj/go/km/docs/documents/PDF%20Files/Birth%20Registration%2005.pdf Birth cert. applic.] [https://portal.mcgm.gov.in/irj/go/km/docs/documents/PDF%20Files/death%20app.form.pdf Death cert. applic.]. Facebook : <nowiki>@MyMumbaiMyBMC</nowiki> ====Death registration====*[http://wiki.fibis.org/index.php?title=File:Shimla_Register_of_deaths.jpg 2 pages from the Simla Death Register 1886 and 1887]. The registers are held at the Municipal Office in Shimla. For details of a visit made in 2013 see [https://web.archive.org/web/20131117103647/http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=166043 Shimla: Manual record-keeping that's eye-popping efficient] daijiworld.com. As stated above, it is hoped to digitise the Shimla registers.
→Copies of Birth Registration entries in India
The main source for [[Birth, marriage and death records|births and deaths]] in British India are the [[Church records]]. However, '''registration of births and deaths''' did happen to some extent.
==Historical background==
The history of civil registration in India dates back to the middle of the nineteenth century. It started with the registration of deaths with a view to introducing sanitary reforms for control of pestilence and disease and not so much for studying population trends.<ref name=namePad> [http://74www.125cdc.155.132gov/search?q=cache:ZWzg9rOf7y4J:gvmc.gov.innchs/phdata/handbookisp/civil009_Organization_of_Civil_Registration_and_Vital_Stat_System_in_India.doc+bengal+Births+and+Deaths+Registration+Act+1873&cd=112&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=au Handbook on pdf "0rganization of Civil Registration. Office of the Registrar General and Vital Statistics System in India, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, New Delhi "] by P. PADMANABHA Padmanabha, Registrar Generaland Census Commissioner, India March 7. Technical Papers Number 9 July 1980: International Institute for Vital Registration and Statistics, 1981: Chapter 2Bethesda, Historical background] [http://gvmcMaryland U.govS.in/ph/handbook/civilA.doc Original link] </ref>
Thacker's 1865 ''Bengal Directory'', on page 147, states "Registration of Births and Deaths under Section 94 of Act VI of 1864...Registration of Births and Deaths took effect from 1st April 1864." [[Calcutta]] was divided into 6 districts. Read the [[Registration of births and deaths in Calcutta|full transcript of page 147]]. Although Thacker says Act VI of 1864, it seems probable that it was in fact Act VI of 1863. <ref> The Corporation of Calcutta was constituted by Bengal Act No. VI of 1863 and was then constituted, as would appear from Section III of the Act, of 'Justices of the Peace for the Town of Calcutta', which meant all Justices of Peace for Bengal, Behar and Orissa, resident in the Town and all Justices of the Peace for the Town itself. The object of the Act was to vest the property of the Town of Calcutta and the management of its Municipal affairs in a Corporation and to make better provision for, inter alia, the conservancy and improvement of the Town. [http://indiankanoon.org/doc/782493 Kanoon] </ref>
Generally, the officials of the revenue, police or health departments were also made responsible for registration. In municipal towns and cities the municipal authority was responsible for registration of vital events and this function was usually a part of the duties of the health department. Health officials like sanitary inspector, vaccinator and health assistant were made responsible for this work.
The hospitals were required to report to the local Registrar in respect of events occurring therein. <ref name=namePad/>.
==Records==
*The Madras Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1899 [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=059-iorlpj_1-14&cid=1-1-40-13&kw=IOR/L/PJ/6/511#1-1-40-13 IOR/L/PJ/6/511, File 1027] 11 May 1899
===Copies of Birth Registration entriesRecords forwarded to the India Office===This These records do not frequently appear in the [[India List Office Records]]. As the the [[British Library]]'s page on [http://archiverwww.rootswebbl.ancestry.comuk/reshelp/findhelpregion/thasia/readindia/INDIAindiaofficerecordsfamilyhistory/2009-12ecclesiastical/1261288775 posteccrecords.html Ecclesiastical Records] indicates that some records explains, “registration of European births may be obtained from was not compulsory and very few are entered in the Birth Registers held by Indian authoritiesrecords. This [http://archiverRegistrations do not generally appear until the 1920s.rootswebEntries show date and place of birth, child's name, parents' names and their nationality and religion, father's occupation, date of registration.ancestry” Based on her own experience, Sylvia Murphy advised: "Within the general set of copies of presidency ecclesiastical records, is also to be found evidence that some British Subjects actually registered their children’s births.com/th/read/india/2007-07/1184123043 post] indicates that These are identified by the use of forms headed 'Office of the local municipality Marriage Registrar, Calcutta' (for example), and although a baptism date is given, there is no Church name included to show where the child may have been baptised. It may be the body responsible for case that such registers of entries reflect births and deaths. This baptisms of children whose parents belonged to a non-conformist denomination which did not make its own returns to the India British Raj List [http://archiverOffice.rootswebOther indications of Birth Registration occur in the 1940s and after independence.ancestry.com Lists of names and dates of birth of infants registered are to be found at least in the N/th/read/INDIA-BRITISH-RAJ/2009-10/1256787241 post] also indicates the local municipality issues 3 (Bombay) ecclesiastical returns for this period, but no detailed copies from the Birth Registersof actual registration information are available. This India List [http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/INDIA/2005-11/1133193187 post] indicates that not many births may Presumably these have been registeredretained in the office(s) of the Registrar(s) in India". ===Copies of Birth Registration entries in India===
==Princely states==
==FIBIS resources==
*[http://www.searchfibis.fibisourarchives.org/frontisonline/bin/aps_browse_sources.php?mode=class_detail&source_class=167 Chandernagore Civil Birth Registration Index]*[http://www.searchfibis.fibisourarchives.org/frontisonline/bin/aps_browse_sources.php?mode=class_detail&source_class=169 Chandernagore Civil Marriage Index 1831-1864]*[http://www.searchfibis.fibisourarchives.org/frontisonline/bin/aps_browse_sources.php?mode=browse_dataset&id=223&s_id=376 Chandernagore Civil Death Indexes (1831-1864)]*[http://www.searchfibis.fibisourarchives.org/frontisonline/bin/aps_browse_sources.php?mode=browse_dataset&id=225&s_id=376 Civil Registration of Deaths in Chandernagore (1865-1899)]
==See also==
*[[General Register Office]]
*[[Registrar marriages]]
==External links==
*[http://www.womenstudies.in/elib/legal_resources/lr_the_birth.pdf Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act, 1886 [Act No. 6 of 1886 dated 8th March, 1886<nowiki>]</nowiki>]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090918230213/http://masterpiece.com.au/books/?p=35 Image of part of a birth registration record] for Estelle Merle Thompson, born in Bombay in 1911, who became the actress Merle Oberon. See [[Anglo Indian]] for more details.
==References==
<references />
