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Kentucky started keeping birth and death records in 1852, stopped in 1862, started again in 1874, but didn't get serious about it until 1 January 1911. Before that date, births and deaths were recorded at the county level and copies were forwarded to the state once a year. Surviving birth records are mostly for the years 1852-1861, 1874-1879 and 1900-1910. Because of official indifference and neglect, no records are extant for many of the years before 1911.
People lacking official certificates could file
delayed birth certificates with the state. This became common starting
around 1940 due to the requirements of Social Security and military
service. According to Roseann Hogan, "Kentuckians have filed over a
half-million of these delayed certificates... Social Security, for a
time, accepted completed certificates that were not filed with the
Department of Vital Statistics in Frankfort. Therefore, it is possible,
that even if no official certificate can be found in Frankfort, a
certificate may have been filed with Social Security or other government
agencies." (Kentucky Ancestry, page 79)
Delayed birth certificates contain name, date of
birth, place of birth, sex, race, parents' names, ages, etc. similar to
regular birth certificates. Plus two older witnesses, one related one
unrelated.
In Kentucky, the Department of Vital Statistics
has most of the delayed birth certificates. There is an index on
microfiche which can only be consulted at the Department. The Kentucky
Historical Society also has 45 rolls of microfilmed delayed birth
certificates. There is no single index to all the delayed birth
certificates and that the KHS rolls are not included in the VS
microfiche. Copies
of certificates may be ordered from the Department of Vital Statistics,
275 Main St., Frankfort KY 40601. Cost is $9
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