Re: Birth certificates in the South
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In reply to:
Re: Boyd in Alabama
Loren Boyd 7/02/05
Loren,
All across the South, birth records were not kept until the
US government required them in 1920. Death records started to
be kept in some of the southern states around 1900. In
addition, many of the wooden court houses in the South were
burned, either during the War Between the States, or due to
accidents with the old wood stoves used to heat the buildings.
Thus, genealogy in the southern states before 1900 becomes
mainly a matter of family Bible records which are difficult
to track down, or church records if the people in question
were of a faith that christened young children and recorded
their parents and sponsors.
Add to that the fact our Southern ancestors seemed to be of
a migratory nature, typically westward toward more cheap
land, and you have a really challenging situation for research.
I see you responding to a lot of postings here with a
suggestion to get birth certficates, when I know they
don't exist, and I thought you should be aware of the facts.
I don't mean to criticize, but to educate. You help a lot
of people with your postings.
Regards,
Marie Blocher
in Texas
More Replies:
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Re: Birth certificates in the South
Loren Boyd 7/18/05