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New Hampshire Marriage, Death, Birth Records

The town or city clerk's office is the place where vital events are officially recorded in New Hampshire. Today each town or city sends copies of its vital events to the Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics. Statewide compilation, however, did not begin until a law was passed in 1866 requiring the secretary of state to make a report of all vital events for each of the towns. Total compliance with the law was not accomplished until the 1880s, and even then the practice of sending a copy of the vital event to the secretary of state was not uniform. By 1905, when the Bureau of Vital Records was established, regular statewide recording became a reality.

A statewide compilation, gathered from earlier town vital records, generated the alphabetical arrangement which exists today in the card file at the bureau and in the microfilm collections at the New England Historic Genealogical Society and the FHL. This alphabetical compilation is incomplete since some towns did not send all their pre-1905 vital records to the bureau. It is therefore important to check the town clerk's official records directly if no event is found in the bureau's compilation.

Births that were recorded before 1901 and deaths, marriages, and those divorce records from the 1870s to 1938, can be personally searched at the bureau. The current price for a copy, in person or by mail, is $10, but phone orders are accepted at an additional charge if a credit card is used.

The alphabetical arrangement of the compilation at the bureau and consequently on microfilm requires some explanation. The system used was an early version of a soundex. Vital records are broken down into type of event (birth, marriage, death) and time period and then by the first and third letter of the last name to determine the proper card file drawer in which to search for the event. Cards exist for grooms, but brides before 1947 are on a separate microfilm index since they are not included on separate cards in the compilation. After 1901 for births and 1938 for deaths, marriages, and divorces, a researcher has to demonstrate a direct interest in the event to view or receive a copy of the record.

Children not named at birth later had their names added in the town or city office records. This practice, particularly prevalent in the last half of the nineteenth century, meant that the name eventually given did not always get sent in to the state compilation. French-Canadian families might have used the baptismal names of “Joseph” or “Marie” in the copy sent to the state.

There are printed versions of New Hampshire vital records for some towns including Colebrook (1873–86), Danville (1760–1886), Dover (1640–1850), Hampton Falls to 1899, Keene (1742–1881), Laconia marriages (1826–92), Londonderry to 1910, and South Hampton (1743–1886). A large number of typescripts of southeastern town vital records were prepared by Priscilla Hammond and others and are located at the New Hampshire Historical Society (see Archives, Libraries, and Societies), with some at the New England Historic Genealogical Society.

When the microfilming of New Hampshire town records, which included vital records, was accomplished, an every-name index created by the WPA for town records kept before approximately 1850 was microfilmed as well. Births, deaths, and marriages were included in the records as early as 1640 although there is no consistency, and they are far from complete. The original card index is held by the New Hampshire State Library (see Archives, Libraries, and Societies). Both the town records and the WPA index are on microfilm through the FHL and are at the New England Historic Genealogical Society. A notable omission in the index is the town of Exeter, which was completely overlooked.

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Bureau of Vital Records, Registration/Certification, 6 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03301; (800) 852-3345 Ext 4651 or in NH - (603) 271-4651 Fax: (603) 271-3447
has Birth, Marriage and Death records since 1883. Copies of records may be obtained from State office or from City or Town Clerk in place where event occurred. Additional copies ordered at the same time are $6.00 each. Check or money order should be made payable to Treasurer, State of New Hampshire. Personal checks are accepted. To verify current fees, the telephone number is (603) 271-4654. This will be a recorded message. It can take up to 4 months to get a vital record from New Jersey. If you're willing to pay by credit card, for an additional fee you can order online from Vital Chek Services and recieve the certificate in as little as 2 to 5 days.

Click Here to Search New Hampshire Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.

Below is a list of online resources for New Hampshire Vital Records.