07 June 2011

Delayed Certificates

Make certain the county or record agency does not also have copies of delayed certificates. Sometimes if a certificate was not filed when the event took place, one will be filed later. This is is most commonly done with birth certificates and generally when the person "needed" their birth certificate and realized that they did not have one.

There may be copies of affidavits or statements as a part of the delayed record and these records may be filed separately from the originals. These are usually filed where the birth took place, but there are always exceptions.

2 comments:

  1. Great tip. This is a pit fall that many researchers fall into. It is important to know the "source" of your source.

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  2. Many delayed birth certificates were filed in 1941-44, both for men and women. My mother was b. in OH in 1912, and when she applied for a job at a Willys Jeep plant, her father had to file a delayed birth certificate for her at the courthouse. The courthouse recently couldn't find the birth certificate, although I sent them a photocopy of the photocopy I had, showing volume & page.

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