Probate Records

[Spangle]

I'm not sure if I have put this in the right category, if not please forgive me. Can anyone please tell me what the term "Vital" means please? I have got probate info on Ancestry for my family which reads, to give just one example, "Name: Thomas Barnet Mary Cook
Vital: 29 Oct 1796 - Berkshire: Bisham - Parish Register, 1560-1812, Berkshire, England"

I know that Thomas' parents were Barnet and Mary so that makes sense - I presume that he wasn't given the name or christened Barnet Mary, but that is just used to describe his parents... or am I wrong?

What I am more puzzled by is that "Vital" bit. Does it indicate Thomas' date of birth or his christening?

Any ideas please?

[G.V.Ford]

Re the word Vital, (somebody rather more knowledgable will probably contradict me) the word comes from the latin Vita = Life, so presumably it refers to the birth date. I am at a loss to see its purpose in respect of probate other than to define the person more accurately(?)

Geoff

[Peter Goodey]

"Vital" dates are usually taken to mean BMD dates. For example, the Digitisation of Vital Events (DoVE) Project.