Origins of Defiance County

Defiance Democrat, Defiance, Ohio, Saturday, 11 May 1867, Register of Births and Deaths

The following is the synopsis of an act passed by the Legislature of Ohio in March last, to take effect and become a law of the State from and after the first day of July next " It requires the Probate Judges of the several counties to keep record of the births and deaths occurring in their several counties and makes it the duty of physicians and professional mid wives to keep a registry of the births wherein they have assisted, with the sex and color of the child and the residence of its parents. It also requires the physicians, clergymen, sextons who officiate either in the last illness, at the death or at the burial of deceased persons, shall keep a registry of the name, age and residence of said deceased persons, and the time of their death. It makes it the duty, also, of the parties above mentioned to report full and correctly the births and deaths registered by them, as above required, to the Probate Judge of the county every three months, on or before the second Monday of January, April, July and October, of each year. And it is made the duty of the Probate Judge to record the same within fifteen days after the receipt thereof, and transmit, on or before the first Monday of November, every year, an abstract of his record to the Commissioner of Statistics, in such form as that official may dictate. The record thus made, is to be received in any court as prima facie evidence of the facts therein stated; and shall be open at all proper hours to the inspection of the public. And every person who shall neglect or refuse to comply with the provisions of the act, shall forfeit and pay for each offense ten dollars, to be sued for and recovered in the name of the State of Ohio. And the Probate Judges shall be entitled to receive for services under this act, like fees as are charged for similar services in other cases."