Macon County Delayed Births

Compiled by Merrell Jenkins Riddle, EdD

The term “delayed births records” is often bewildering when encountered for the first time.  One conjures up pictures of an extra long pregnancy, a difficult delivery, or other horrors.  However, the term has quite a different meaning.  In North Carolina, birth records were not kept by the counties or state until 1913.  Prior to that date, family historians must rely on other sources, such as tombstones, family Bibles, oral family history, etc. The implementation of the Social Security Act of 1935 created a need for proof of age in the early 1940s.  Delayed birth certificates came into existence to satisfy that need.  A person (or his/her parents) could request a “delayed birth certificate” from the county of birth by presenting proof of age.  To prove age, a person had to have at least three proofs of age. These could include an affidavit from either parent, an older sibling, an older relative (aunt, uncle, or cousin), attending doctor or midwife, or a neighbor. Other proofs that were used included birth certificate of child, marriage license of applicant, insurance application, armed forces discharge, school record, Bible record, etc.  Most delayed birth records are, of course, for persons who were born before 1913, but there are some for folks whose birth was for some reason not recorded at birth, such as a home birth.  The result is the delayed birth records that are available for almost all counties in NC. 

Merrell Jenkins Riddle has compiled these records for Macon County into one volume covering the county records through book 22 (a total of 4862 certificates) as recorded through August 25, 2003.  The information includes:

·   an alphabetical listing of the name of each individual

·   his/her birth date, gender, race, place of birth

·   names of parents (with birth years if available)

·   county book & page number of the certificate

·   clarifying note (if applicable)

·   a full name index of mothers

The 190 page softbound book (which includes a clear plastic protective cover) contains 190 pages: 149 pages of individual listings, a section of notes concerning any variances found on the certificates (such as differences between the county index and the certificate itself), and a most valuable tool for the family researcher: an index by mother, usually by maiden name. The earliest birth year for an individual is 1855 (Noah Fouts), for a father is 1806 (Thomas Williams), and for a mother is 1824 (Margaret Bearden). The information is recorded in spreadsheet format and is very easy to read and follow.   For the researcher who desires to go one step further and obtain an actual copy of the certificate, the process is expedited by having the book and page number listed, whether researching in person or by writing to the Register of Deeds to obtain a copy.  This volume can indeed save the researcher much research time and dollars with all the information recorded in one handy volume!

A List of Confederate Soldiers from

Macon County, North Carolina

Compiled by Carroll G. Moore

This little book is one of the handiest to come down the pike in a very long time!  The 71 page softbound volume contains an alphabetical list of 900 men, who were age 15 – 50, from Macon County who served in the Confederate army.  Also included in the listing are the regiment and company designation, age at enlistment, place of enlistment, and rank.  An added bonus is a note beneath each listing giving any additional information, such as “captured”, “wounded”, ‘killed”, “transferred” “died of” “discharged”, etc. and the date of occurrence.   The author notes that the 900 men listed here comprised 74% of the male population listed in the 1860 Federal Census for Macon County.  Any person with Macon County ancestry is almost certain to find at least one, and probably several, family members in this list.

Another benefit of the book is that (almost) all Macon County soldiers are listed in one volume, eliminating the need for searching the indices of all 15 (soon to be 18) volumes of North Carolina Troops in search of an ancestor if one is not sure of the regiment in which the ancestor served.  Using this book, one can then go directly to the appropriate volume of Troops for more detail on the soldier, or even directly to the full service record on microfilm.  The book is a very convenient reference and a must for any Macon County researcher!

Carroll Moore, who resides in Shelby, has ancestry in Macon County, and has generously donated all proceeds from the book to the Macon County Historical Society.