Introduction to Vital Records

There are two sets of known nineteenth century documents available for Monastyrishche – vital records for 1851¹ and the 1897 All Russia Census.² The vital records consist of 56 births, 6 marriages and 14 deaths. These records are presented below in two tables: the first one is sorted by surname and the second is sorted by record type. The “1851 Vital Records by Record Type” has births first followed by marriages and then deaths.

Birth information includes the surname of the father and, in most instances, the maiden name of the mother.  The schedule includes columns labeled 'Code',indicating the type of vital record; 'Date' of the event; and 'Age', which applies to marriage and death records; 'Town of Residence'; and a column for 'Comments'. The births consisted of thirty-three males and twenty-three females. The birth records include names of men who participated in circumcision ceremonies. The records indicate that there were thirty-two circumcisions in 1851. Men participated in teams of two in thirty-one of the circumcisions and three men participated in one ceremony.

A total of ten names are given for those participating in the circumcisions. The 'Town of Residence' column is used only for residents of towns other than Monastyrishche. The birth records do not include the maiden names of ten of the women who gave birth.  These women are listed with their husbands' surname in bold type in both schedules.

The marriage section includes the age of brides and grooms.  Rabbi Pinkhas Chernyi performed all six marriages.³  The death section includes the cause of death in the 'Comments' column.  There were fourteen deaths and burials in Monastyrishche in 1851.

Endnotes
¹ Central State Historical Archives of Ukraine in Kiev, 1161/1/4.
² Ibid., 384/5.
³ Spelling of Rabbi Pinkhas Chernyi's name is from Jewish Religious Personnel in the Russian Empire, 1853-1854, Compiled by Herbert I. Lazerow.