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14 Wharfside StreetCharleston, SC 29401
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14 Wharfside Street — Charleston, SC 29401
Jan 27, 2020
Today’s featured collection is Georgia, County Delayed Birth and Death Records, 1870-1960. This collection contains delayed birth records gathered from probate courts in multiple counties in Georgia for the years 1870 – 1960. Document images are available for most counties in the collection.
The formats of the record sets within the collection are variable, but most include the name, gender, race, date of birth, names of parents and date of filing for each person in the index. To learn more about the content in this collection, please see the collection”s Learn More page.
If your ancestor was born before their state of birth started recording births officially, they may have applied for a delayed birth certificate. Why would someone need such a thing? There were a variety of reasons. The Social Security Administration required proof of birth to register for a Social Security number. Your ancestor may have needed proof of their birth in order to enlist in the military or qualify for a military pension.
Applicants for a delayed birth record may have provided various forms of proof of their birthdate (and these forms of proof are substitutes for birth records if your ancestor did not apply for a delayed birth certificate). They may have provided a Bible record, church records, school records or testimony of those who witnessed the birth.
Let’s look at a sample record from this collection. On July 30, 1942, brothers Walker and Noah Singleton applied for delayed birth certificates in Polk County, Georgia1,2:
Name: Walker SingletonEvent Type: BirthEvent Date: 7 Aug 1903Event Place: Georgia, United StatesGender: MaleRace: CParent Name: Alex SingletonParent 2 Name: Annie Farmer
“Georgia, County Delayed Birth and Death Records, 1870-1960”, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WTHB-Q3W2 : 13 October 2019), Alex Singleton in entry for Walker Singleton, 1903.
Name: Noah SingletonEvent Type: BirthEvent Date: 29 Apr 1909Event Place: Georgia, United StatesGender: MaleRace: CParent Name: Alex SingletonParent 2 Name: Annie Farmer
“Georgia, County Delayed Birth and Death Records, 1870-1960”, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WTHB-Q3N2 : 13 October 2019), Alex Singleton in entry for Noah Singleton, 1909.
Let’s use the information in this record for Walker and Noah Singleton to locate other records for them and their family members. We’ll begin with Walker Singleton. We searched FamilySearch records for Walker Singleton, born in Georgia in 1903. Below are search results (please click on image to view larger):
Because Walker and Noah Singleton were brothers, some of the historical records we find for one of them may also list the other. So let’s search for Noah Singleton born in Georgia in 1909 and examine the results (please click on image to view larger):
Both Walker and Noah were listed in the 1920 U.S. Census in the household of parents Alex and Annie Singleton, although Noah’s name appears to have been indexed as Nora. It’s important to view the original document when an image is available, and this instance illustrates why that is so. Let’s look at the document image to see the information recorded for Noah (please click on image to view larger)3:
We see from the document image that the census taker did indeed write the name Nora, but the other details (son, age 11, born in Georgia) suggest that this entry is for Noah. Walker is also recorded in this household in the 1920 U.S. Census.
Let’s follow the census forward to the 1940 U.S. Census for Walker Singleton4:
Name: Walker SingletonEvent Type: CensusEvent Date: 1940Event Place: Militia District 1075, Polk, Georgia, United StatesGender: MaleAge: 38Marital Status: MarriedRace: NegroRace (Original): NegroRelationship to Head of Household: SonRelationship to Head of Household (Original): SonBirthplace: GeorgiaBirth Year (Estimated): 1902Last Place of Residence: Same House
Here we see Walker living in his parents’ household. His marital status is married, and his spouse Emily in living in the household with him.
We found a marriage record for Walker Singleton on Ancestry.com5. We learn from this record that Emma’s maiden name was Whatley. We could use that information to search for more records for Emma Whatley and possibly learn the names of her parents.
Walker Singleton in Georgia, Marriage Records From Select Counties, 1828-1978
Name: Walker SingletonGender: MaleMarriage Date: 22 Aug 1936Marriage Place: Polk, Georgia, USASpouse: Emma WhatleySpouse Gender: Female
We found a record for Walker Singleton in the FamilySearch database Georgia Death Index, 1933-19986:
Name: Walker SingletonEvent Type: DeathEvent Date: 18 Oct 1973Event Place: Polk, GeorgiaDistrict/Parish/County: PolkGender: MaleAge: 69Race: CBirth Year (Estimated): 1904Certificate Number: 034812
Walker Singleton also appears in search results for the FamilySearch database United States Social Security Death Index7:
Age: 72Given Name: WalkerSurname: SingletonBirth Date: 07 Aug 1901State: Railroad BoardLast Place of Residence: Cedartown, Polk, GeorgiaPrevious Residence Postal Code: 30125Event Date: Oct 1973
We learn from the record above that Walker’s Social Security registration was issued through the Railroad Board. We searched the FamilySearch Wiki using the search term “railroad board records” and found the page US Migration Railroads that links to the National Archives Record Group 184, Records of the Railroad Retirement Board. We could do further research in the records of the Railroad Retirement Board as a next step in learning more about Walker Singleton.
We found Walker Singleton in the Social Security Death Index. We could order the original Social Security application, known as the SS-5, for Walker Singleton, which may contain more information. Please see the Social Security Administration’s online order form for more information about ordering original records from that agency.
Let’s work from the search results for Noah Singleton to see what we can learn about his life.
The first search result is a record for Noah Singleton in the 1930 U.S. Census8. The birthplace of Georgia and estimated birth year of 1910 agree with what we know about Noah Singleton, so this may be a record for him. We will need to look at more records to be sure that this record is for the Noah Singleton we are searching for.
Name: Noah SingletonEvent Type: CensusEvent Date: 1940Event Place: Tract 29, Birmingham, Election Precinct 9, Jefferson, Alabama, United StatesGender: MaleAge: 30Marital Status: MarriedRace: NegroRace (Original): NegroRelationship to Head of Household: HeadRelationship to Head of Household (Original): HeadBirthplace: GeorgiaBirth Year (Estimated): 1910Occupation: Laborer, Coal MinesLast Place of Residence: Same Place
Let’s look at our next search result, from the FamilySearch database Alabama, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-19459:
Name: Noah SingletonEvent Type: Draft RegistrationEvent Date: 16 Oct 1940Event Place: Birmingham, Jefferson, Alabama, United StatesRace: BlackComplexion: Light BrownEmployer: Tennesse Coal And Iron CoBirth Date: 29 Apr 1909Birthplace: Cedartown, GeorgiaHeight: 6 1Weight: 179Eye Color: GrayHair Color: BlackRelative’s Name: Birdie Lee SingletonRelationship to Head of Household: Wife
Is this a record for the Noah Singleton we are searching for? Let’s compare the information from the delayed birth records for Georgia to the information in this record. This WWII draft registration states that Noah Singleton was born 29 April 1909 in Cedartown, Georgia. The birth information agrees with the information in the register of delayed births and suggests that this may be a record for our Noah Singleton.
Let’s look at other records for the Noah Singleton in Alabama to see if we can gather new information that might help us decide if these records from Alabama are for the Noah Singleton we are searching for.
We searched for Noah Singleton in the FamilySearch database Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950 and found a record for the marriage of Noah Singleton and Birdie Lee Burton10:
Name: Noah SingletonGender: MaleEvent Type: MarriageEvent Date: 12 Sep 1936Event Place: Jefferson, Alabama, United StatesAge: 26Birth Year (Estimated): 1910Father’s Name: A L SingletonMother’s Name: AnnieSpouse’s Name: Birdie Lee Burton MimsSpouse’s Gender: FemaleSpouse’s Age: 25Spouse’s Birth Year (Estimated): 1911Spouse’s Father’s Name: James Willie MimsSpouse’s Mother’s Name: Creasie Ann MotleyPage: 235
In this marriage record, Noah Singleton’s parents are listed as A.L. and Annie Singleton. This information agrees with the information in the register of delayed births for Georgia. Details from the Alabama records we have found agree in many ways with the details in the register of delayed births, suggesting that the Alabama records are indeed for the Noah Singleton we are searching for.
We found a record for Noah Singleton in the 1940 U.S. Census11.
Name: Noah SingletonEvent Type: CensusEvent Date: 1940Event Place: Tract 29, Birmingham, Election Precinct 9, Jefferson, Alabama, United StatesGender: MaleAge: 30Marital Status: MarriedRace: NegroRace (Original): NegroRelationship to Head of Household: HeadRelationship to Head of Household (Original): HeadBirthplace: GeorgiaBirth Year (Estimated): 1910Last Place of Residence: Same Place
We also found a record for Noah Singleton in the FamilySearch collection United States Social Security Death Index12:
Name: Noah SingletonSocial Security Number: 416-03-5698Birth Date: 29 Apr 1909Issue year: Before 1951Issue State: AlabamaLast Residence: 48214, Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, USALast Benefit: 48207, Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, USADeath Date: Oct 1978
In the marriage record we found for Noah Singleton, we learned his wife’s maiden name and the name of her parents. We could use this information to search for more records for Noah’s wife Birdie Lee Burton Mims.
In Noah Singleton’s World War II draft registration, Noah’s employer is listed as Tennessee Coal & Iron Company. The 1930 census record for Noah Singleton states that he was a laborer at a coal mine. We could search for more information on the Tennessee Iron & Coal Company to learn more about Noah Singleton’s employer.
The 1940 U.S. Census shows daughter Louise Singleton living in the household of Noah and Birdie Singleton. We could search for more records for Louise Singleton.
We found Noah Singleton in the Social Security Death Index. From this record, we learn that Noah Walker’s social security number was issued in Alabama. The index lists his last residence as Detroit, Michigan. We could search for more records for Noah Singleton in Alabama and Michigan records.
We could order the original Social Security application, known as the SS-5, for Noah Singleton, which may contain more information. Please see the Social Security Administration’s online order form for more information about ordering original records from that agency.
We could also use Walker and Noah Singleton’s parents names (Alex Singleton and Annie Farmer) to search for more documents for their parents.
The FamilySearch Wiki page Georgia, United States Genealogy provides an overview of research for the state of Georgia. Here you will find links to wiki pages for each county.
Our example record is from Polk County, Georgia. The wiki page Polk County, Georgia Genealogy is a great starting place for researching in Polk County. We learn from this page that regular birth records start in 1919 in this county.
To learn more about using birth records in your research, please see the FamilySearch Wiki page United States Birth Records.
To learn more about researching in Georgia, you can view BlackProGen LIVE Ep18: Alabama and Georgia Genealogy Research.
[1] “Georgia, County Delayed Birth and Death Records, 1870-1960”, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WTHB-Q3W2 : 13 October 2019), Alex Singleton in entry for Walker Singleton, 1903.
[2] “Georgia, County Delayed Birth and Death Records, 1870-1960”, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WTHB-Q3N2 : 13 October 2019), Alex Singleton in entry for Noah Singleton, 1909.
[3] “United States Census, 1920,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GR6Z-3K8?cc=1488411&wc=QZJP-W7D%3A1036472801%2C1036791701%2C1039651701%2C1589332813 : 10 September 2019), Georgia > Polk > Cedartown > ED 161 > image 11 of 24; citing NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
[4] “United States Census, 1940,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K7PH-FX7 : 28 July 2019), Emily Singleton in household of Alex L Singleton, Militia District 1075, Polk, Georgia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 115-17, sheet 10B, line 60, family 154, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 – 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 702.
[5] Ancestry.com. Georgia, Marriage Records From Select Counties, 1828-1978 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. Original data: County Marriage Records, 1828–1978. The Georgia Archives, Morrow, Georgia.
[6] “Georgia Death Index, 1933-1998,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V49J-SR6 : 24 December 2014), Walker Singleton, 18 Oct 1973; from “Georgia Deaths, 1919-98,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2001); citing Polk, Georgia, certificate number 034812, Georgia Health Department, Office of Vital Records, Atlanta.
[7] “United States Social Security Death Index,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V9BB-826 : 20 May 2014), Walker Singleton, Oct 1973; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
[8] “United States Census, 1940,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V152-S4T : 27 July 2019), Louise Singleton in household of Noah Singleton, Tract 29, Birmingham, Election Precinct 9, Jefferson, Alabama, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 68-3, sheet 11A, line 26, family 230, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 – 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 91.
[9] “Alabama, World War II Draft Registration Cards,1940-1945,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2CT-786R : 14 August 2019), Birdie Lee Singleton in entry for Noah Singleton, 16 Oct 1940; from records extracted by FamilySearch and images digitized by Ancestry; citing Birmingham, Jefferson, Alabama, United States, “Draft Registration Cards for Alabama, 10/16/1940 – 3/31/1947”, NARA Records of the Selective Service System, 1926 – 1975, RG 147. National Archives at St. Louis, Missouri, n.d.
[10] “Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VZVV-LVQ : 4 November 2017), Creasie Ann Motley in entry for Noah Singleton and Birdie Lee Burton Mims, 12 Sep 1936; citing Jefferson, Alabama, United States, County Probate Courts, Alabama; FHL microfilm 2,407,747.
[11] “United States Census, 1940,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V152-S4T : 27 July 2019), Louise Singleton in household of Noah Singleton, Tract 29, Birmingham, Election Precinct 9, Jefferson, Alabama, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 68-3, sheet 11A, line 26, family 230, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 – 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 91.
[12] “United States Social Security Death Index,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JLH8-W53 : 20 May 2014), Noah Singleton, Oct 1978; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
Researching African American Genealogy provides step-by-step guidance for beginning your ancestor search, as well as links to online resources.
Quick Guide to African American Records contains information on beginning research tips, links to suggested guides for beginning your search for African American ancestors, overviews of major record sets, tips for finding the slaveholder, links to tutorials for African American genealogy in the FamilySearch Learning Center, and links to other online and offline resources.
Southern States Slavery and Bondage Collections will help you locate digitized searchable collections as well as digitized microfilms in the FamilySearch catalog related to slavery and bondage. The page is arranged by state.
African American Genealogy provides links to Wiki pages for researching African Americans in each U.S. state.
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