Vital Records Before 1892

Before 1892, records of births, marriages, and deaths were kept by the towns and cities of Maine. Some municipalities kept good records, some kept no records, and some kept adequate records only to have them lost to fire, flood, or storage in private homes. The information on these municipal records is in most cases sparser than found on more modern records. Marriages and deaths, for example, rarely listed parents' names or the parties' places of birth.

When, in the 1920's, the State requested copies of pre-1892 vital records from the towns, only about 20 percent responded. Those for which the Archives has these "delayed vital records" reports may be found here .

During the 1950's, representatives of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints microfilmed town vital records in Maine, although not all towns were covered. Copies of these films are available for use in our Search Room. They can also be obtained by the researcher through the nearest Mormon genealogical church library.

The information on these microfilms generally stops about 1891. Approximately half of the 700 reels of town meetings, births, deaths, marriages, and marriage intentions have some form of index. It must be stressed, however, that many vital records simply were not kept and do not exist.

Page Updated December 7, 2005

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Vital Records Before 1892