Birth certificates were not issued until about fifty years ago. When social security began to make payments and Social Security required proof of birth. For all of you who do not find birth certificates on people born earlier in the 1900s, look at the 1940s for such. This was the time frame when people scrambled to prove their birth in the event they wanted to draw social security benfits at some future point. That is not to say that SOME counties in SOME states did not records births. Some did indeed record the birth of infants. No certification was issued. Church records would probably have the information on the birth of children. Catholic records being the best kept and Baptist records down at the bottom of the list. Dee Doyle -----Original Message----- From: JoAnn Daniel <jo&leo@mako.com> To: ILPOPE-L@rootsweb.com <ILPOPE-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Tuesday, January 12, 1999 9:45 PM Subject: [ILPOPE-L] Bowman-Bridges > > >> >Still searching for information on William J. BOMAN (BOWMAN) who married >> >Amanda BRIDGES in Pope county on May 8, 1873. I just received the copy >of >> >their marriage certificate and was soooooo excited--only to find out it >> >didn't have any new information, no application process with who his >> >parents were or who her parents were. I was so hoping that it would be >on >> >the cert.---but apparently because they were both of age they didn't >have >> >to fill out any other paper work. > >> >They had two children that I know of, John Louis who married Agnes >> >JUSTICE, they were married in Anna, Union County IL---they then moved to >> >New Madrid County MO. I'm not sure of the year. > >> >the other child was Maude and I think she was a year or so older than >John >> >Louis, but the birthdates I have don't match with the dates on the >marriage >> >certificate--I wrote Pope County about their Birth certificates and >nothing >> >was found. > >> >I found a lead in Lawrence County MO, there was an Amanda Bridges >daughter >> >of George Bridges and Mary Parmley---but I am not sure of the connection >> >the dates are pretty close--but I am still looking. > >> >If anyone out there has any info they would like to share or want any of >> >mine let me know I'll be more than happy to share with you. > Jo > >> > >> >. >