97 ~  [12 June 1694]  Letter from Thomas Lawrence, Secretary of the Province, announcing Act of Assembly to keep records of all births, marriages and deaths

To Mr. John West, Clerk of Somerset County

to be read in Court in June Next ~~

Maryland    Whereas according to an Act of Assembly of this Province entitled an Act for the Registering of Births, Marriages & Burials It is enacted that within two months after the birth of any Child, person marryed or the death of any person within this Province, that the Birth of the Child born by the Parents & the time of the marriage of any Person marryed by the party married & the time of death of any person dying by the Extr or Admn be entered upon Record by the Clerk of the County Court.  And whereas the inhabitants of the several & respective Counties are very slack & negligent in entering the same according to the tenour of sd act these are to will and require the inhabitants of the several and respective Counties bring in a just & true acc’t of the Children born, the persons marryed and the persons deceased and to enter the same upon record with the Clerk of the County Court in which they doe inhabit & dwell & for the future to enter the same within the time limited as by the sd act is required  whereof they are not to fail under the penalty in the sd Act mentioned & for default to be prosecuted accordingly whereof every person by their Ma’ties Special Command are to take notice.  Given under my hand this eleventh day of May anno Domini 1694.

                                                                                    Thomas Lawrence

Read in Court the day abovesd