In 1978, Yaffa Draznin published a genealogical manual titled, "The Family Historian's Handbook." Page 196 says that in Vermont "Individuals may search the indexes and records on their own during regular office hours." Is this still true?

Section 451 of Title 15 of Vermont Statutes Annotated (1958) requires the Town Clerk in the place of birth to obliterate the birth entry in the index if the child was later adopted. With ink? What kind of ink? Waterproof?

In Vermont, the "full copy" version of the amended birth certificate of an adoptee (the document listing names, ages and birthplaces of adoptive parents) contains a local certificate number which is the same number as the original birth certificate. What I do not know is if the Town Clerk's birth records (not the index) are on separate pieces of paper or if they are manuscript entries in libers (big books).

Earlier this year, I started a Birth by Place date base, but I abandoned the work partly out of boredom and partly because I discovered I made a big mistake in my numbering system. But there were a few entries for adoptees born in Burlington in my incomplete data base. A few said the adoptees were born at the Elizabeth Lund Home and a few said the Mary Fletcher Unit or Hospital. Does anyone know if these hospitals have preserved their medical records?

A larger sample of Burlington births can surely be found at AdoptionRegistry.com. They have an Advanced Search that permits one to search by location---city & state, with or without the name of the hospital.

Reg Niles
RegNMINiles@cs.com