Since birth certificates are such a big topic lately, it seemed like a good time to ask this question and look for an answer. You are probably wondering why I would ask such a question. This is why.
 |
| Click on image for larger version |
This document isn't in the best shape and the ink is a little faded but it is a "Notification of Birth Registration" which appears to have been issued by the U. S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census. It says that David Hankins McCauley [my father] was born on July 12, 1926 at RFD #4, Greenville, Ky and lists his parents as John Will McCauley and Verdie Hankins. It has signatures of the Director of the Census and the Special Agent of the Bureau assigned to Kentucky which appear to have been stamped on the document. It even has a file number - 34948. Looks like an official birth registration issued by the U. S. government doesn't it?
I've wondered for years what this thing is exactly and today I finally decided to find out. It was pretty easy to find the answer. I went to the Census Bureau website, entered "birth records" in their search field and found this article. In summary, it says that the "Notification of Birth Registration" form was issued by the Census Bureau in the first half of the 20th century but it's not a "birth certificate." The form was created in 1924 at the request of some state vital statistics offices "to promote the accurate registration of births in the United States." It was completed by the state agency and sent to the parents of newborns when the birth was registered in the state office of vital records. The form was used until the late 1940s but the Census Bureau never maintained these records.
 |
| Click on image for larger version |
After reading this, I did something that should have occurred to me long ago. I compared the file number to the number on Daddy's state issued birth certificate. Yes, it's the same number. As you can see, the state issued birth certificate is a "short form" which is apparently all that Kentucky has issued for several years now. I didn't find a copy of Daddy's birth certificate at the house or in the safety deposit box (where I found Mom's) back when I got into genealogy about 10 years ago. (Wonder what he used when he applied for Social Security?) I finally ordered a certified copy of his birth certificate in 2004 and was very disappointed that it was just an abstract of some of the information from the original form. I called Vital Statistics and was told the short form is all I could get.
Lucky for me, I have a "long form" copy of my own Kentucky birth certificate - just in case I decide to run for President. Of course, it's titled "Certificate of Live Birth" so maybe I won't try to run.
