There are 103 images in this grouping, however not all of these images contain records; some are duplicates; there is only a "hit and miss" approach for finding the year range you are searching for; and none of the names or dates appear to be indexed. It would seem that in order to search these records you'll simply have to do it the old fashioned way of just slogging through it.
With that in mind I've included a few guides and tips in this post for accessing these records more easily. I've also included a section at the end of the post on how to read this particular group of records.
KEY TO NOVI VINODOLSKI DEATH RECORDS
1888-1889
First, I'm including a basic "key" here to aid in finding which slides in this record group might be useful to you. Image numbers are listed in "( )" followed by a description of the slide content and/or year covered. Be aware though that these grouping could change at any time and the image sequence would then be altered.
(1-6) These introductory slides are ithout genealogical record content. In case you're interested these slides convey the following information:
- (1) This slide simply has the following number: 2099980. Not sure what the significance of this number is.
- (2) A blank slide
- (3) This slide is some sort of guide for sizing the material to be microfilmed for reduction or something like that. I've never microfilmed anything in my life so I am only guessing. This slide is useless for genealogical research.
- (4) Informative slide in Croatian that reads: POČETAK > MIKROFILSKI SVITAK BR: 86 > SNIMLJENO U SREDIŠNJEM LABORATORIJU ZA MIKROGRAFIJU HRVATSKOG DRŽAVNOG ARHIVA U ZAGREBU > Snimatelj: Anita Kekić >NASTAVAK > SA MIKROFILMSKOG SVITKA BR: 85.
- (5) Is another informative slide which includes some English in the mix. This slide informs us that these records were microfilmed at Hrvatski Državni Arhiv Zagreb on 7 Feb 1997 by operator Anita Kekić [Reduction X 8 -20]. The Roll Number is 86, Film Unit Ser. No. is EI, Film Emulsion Number: 09336111, Project Number: CRO 00008. The locality of the record is "Župa Novi Vinodolski, Hrvatska, Croatia." The title of the record is "Matična Knija Umrlih 1859-1899. Item 1"
- (6) Tells us that this record group is "Continued from Another Roll."
(7) First page of record content - First record is actually #27 for the year 1888 and is dated 9 Aug 1888.
(10) The year 1889 begins on this slide
(18) 1890 starts
(27) 1891 starts
(35) 1892 starts
(45) 1893 starts
(57) 1894 starts
(62) 1895 starts
(63) 1896 starts
(79) 1897 starts
(88) 1898 starts
(95) 1899 starts
(102) End of record content with final date of 30 Dec 1899
(103) End slide (no record content)
Be aware that there are duplicate slides throughout these records. I've not taken the time to note them all, but I'm curious to see how handling the duplicate slides will impact my above listed "key". This is one reason why when we cite from an online source we use the [accessed on (date)] format. As a handy feature FamilySearch has a nice little "Show Citation" link that will pop up a complete citation for your record including the date it was accessed! Nice.
HOW TO READ THESE RECORDS
Organization of these records
These records flow over two pages and are read with the book opened up across from left to right. There are thirteen (13) columns of information with headings in Latin.
There are actually eight (8) main headings in these records with one main heading (Defuncti) containing several subheadings. The main heading "Defuncti" contains five (5) subheadings under it: Nomen, Cognomen, Conditio. // Parentum, vel Conjugis, Nomen, Cognomen, Conditio // Locus // Religio. // Anni aetatis. The "Defuncti" subheading "Locus" has two more subheadings under it: "Originis" and "Domicilii et Numerus domalis."
The other seven (7) main headings are: Numerus Currens. // Annus, Mensis, Dies obits. // Morbus, vel Genus mortis. // Sacramentis fuitne provisus? // Sepulturae Locus et dies. // Sepelientis Nomen, Cognomen et Officium. // Observationes.
Meaning of the Latin Column Titles
From left to right the thirteen (13) column titles inform us of certain things concerning the deceased:
1. Numerus Currens. - This number gives us the order of the individual's death in that parish/town for that year. (see example below).
2. Annus, Mensis, Dies obits. - This tells us the Year, Month, and Day that the individual passed away, in that order.
3. Defuncti > Nomen, Cognomen, Conditio. - This gives us the first and last name and occupation of the deceased.
4. Defuncti > Parentum, vel Conjugis, Nomen, Cognomen, Conditio - This gives us the first and last names and occupation(s) of the deceased parents if not married, or the same for their spouse if married or widowed.
5. Defuncti > Locus > Originis. - This tells us where the deceased was born.
6. Defuncti > Locus > Domicilii et Numerus domalis. - This gives us the address where the deceased was living at the time of their death.
7. Defuncti > Religio. - This tells us the religious affiliation of the deceased.
8. Defuncti > Anni aetatis. - This tells us how old the deceased was at the time of his/her death.
9. Morbus, vel Genus mortis. - This gives us the cause of death.
10. Sacramentis fuitne provisus? - I assume this is a 'yes or no' question to that important Roman Catholic question as to whether or not the deceased received last rites.
11. Sepulturae Locus et dies. - This tells us where the deceased was buried and on what day their burial took place.
12. Sepelientis Nomen, Cognomen et Officium. - This gives us the name and title of the individual that performed the Christian burial of the deceased.
13. Observationes. - This space is left for any notes or observations that made this particular death and/or burial noteworthy.
A Few Croatian Words
While the column headings are in Latin the actual data is filled out in Croatian and/or Latin depending on the preference of the priest. Sometimes the information will be a mixture of both Latin and Croatian! That being said, there are certain Croatian words that will be helpful to learn as you begin to decypher these records. I intend to do a post with a bigger list of Croatian words for research, but in general it will help you to know the names of the months and a few other words that will often pop up in these death records.
Croatian Months
January - siječanj
February - veljača
March - ožujak
April - travanj
May - svibanj
June - lipanj
July - srpanj
August - kolovoz
September - rujan
October - listopad
November - studeni
December - prosinac
Basic Relationship Words
Widow - udovica
Widower - udovac
Wife - supruga
Husband - muž
Daughter - kći
Son - sin
Record Naming Practices
Also pay attention to the way people are named in these records. Often the name of the individual's father is included in their name as in the following example: Anton Petrinovich Gasparov. This individual is Anton Pertinovich and his father was Gasper (or Caspar) Petrinovich. This manner of naming the person in the record would help to differentiate between this Anton and another Anton Petrinovich who was the son of Ivan. This other Anton would be recorded as Anton Petrinovich Ivanov for example.
EXAMPLE RECORD
Okay, let's put this all together now. For an example I'm using a death record of one of our ancestors: Martin Sajčić. This record can currently be found by typing in the number "82" in the image box of the 1888-1899 Death Records of Novi Vinodolski, if you desire to follow along. He is listed in the 2nd row of this image. Let's break down each column and see what it tells us.
1. The first column, "Numerus Currens.", is filled in with the number 22. This means that he was the 22nd death recorded in Novi in Vindol that year.
2. The second column, "Annus, Mensis, Dies obits.", has the following written: 1897 lipnja 4. This seems to be an alternative, (perhaps older?) way of writing "lipanj", which is the Croatian word for "June." This tells us that this individual died on June 4th, 1897, or 4 Jun 1897 as I would prefer to record it.
3. The "Defuncti > Nomen, Cognomen, Conditio." column has written in it: "udovac Martin Sajčić zidar." This tells us that Martin Sajčić was a widower at the time of his death and that his occupation was a mason (zidar).
4. The "Defuncti > Parentum, vel Conjugis, Nomen, Cognomen, Conditio" column has written in it: "+ Mare Sajčić (udova) Supruga selj." These notations tell us that his wife (supruga), Mare, preceded him in death ('+' symbolizes a gravestone) and left him a widower (udova). My assumption on the abbreviation "selj." is that she was a "seljaka" (a tiller of the ground, farmer, or agricultural worker of some sort).
5. "Defuncti > Locus > Originis" - both this column and the next were filled in across both at the priest's discretion. What is written across both columns is "Novi Rbr. 405." One could then assume that Martin was from Novi as "Locus Originis" is supposed to give us that information. [Other records confirm this is true.]
6. "Defuncti > Locus > Domicilii et Numerus domalis" - (see above #5) This informs us that Martin lived in Novi at the house number 405. I currently do not know what word(s) the abbreviation "Rbr." shortens.
7. "Defuncti > Religio." - Has written "Rr." I have deduced by comparing other records that this means he was a member of the Roman Catholic Church in Novi.
8. "Defuncti > Anni aetatis." - Has written "91. god." This means that Martin lived to the ripe old age of 91 and we could then begin looking for birth records in Novi around 1806. I have found that record and will deal with it in a later blog. The "god" that is written is short for "godina" meaning "year", in other words, he was 91 years of age when he passed away.
9. "Morbus, vel Genus mortis." - Has written "marasmus senil." My current assumption is that this is a Latin phrase or some variation of one and has something to do with senility or dying of "old age" as we would say.
10. "Sacramentis fuitne provisus?" - Has written "jest." which I assume means that he received the sacrements before departing.
11. "Sepulturae Locus et dies." - Has written "obc. groblje. Die 7. lipnja o.g." After further research I might be able to decypher where his grave is located, but as for now I cannot decypher these abbreviations. I assume he is bured locally. We do know that his burial took place on the 7th of June, 2 days after his death. Here we see a mixture of Latin and Croatian as "Die" is Latin for "day" and "lipnja" is Croatian for "June."
12. "Sepelientis Nomen, Cognomen et Officium." - Has written "Mate Cuetko Kanoniki zupnik", which is a name and a title. The name is "Mae Cuetko" and his office is something like "Prebendary Pastor" or "Canon Pastor", which is some sort of paid pastoral position usually associated with overseeing a cathedral. I've not yet researched the pastors or churches of Novi Vinodolski to see how they functioned in those days.
13. "Observationes." - This column is left blank.
The citation for this above record example is as follows:
"Croatia, Church Books, 1516-1949," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-28340-2616-27?cc=2040054&wc=MM5K-RT7:n1166785200 : accessed 18 Dec 2013), Roman Catholic (Rimokatolička crkva) > Novi Vinodolski > Deaths (Umrli) 1888-1899 > image 82 of 103.
