Hi Everyone :) Recently, I obtained a copy of my GGM's SS-5 form. She was born in 1888, in Cherokee County. From one of the 'vital records' web sites I've learned: >Births and deaths have been registered in North Carolina only since 1913 . Prior to 1913, the state of North Carolina did not use birth records or certificates of any kind. *and* >For birth records prior to the dates listed above, do not contact North Carolina Vital Records or the North Carolina State Archives. There are no birth records prior to 1913 in a North Carolina public office. I'm assuming then, that my GGM didn't have a birth certificate. To obtain a social security number, didn't folks born before 1913 obtain a delayed birth certificate? If this is the case, is it safe for me to send a request to the NC Vital Records office anyway to obtain a copy of the delayed birth certificate my grandmother probably received? I know that Diane's wonderful Western North Carolina web page at Golden Branches has a database for delayed birth certificates but the Holloways haven't been listed yet :) http://www.goldenbranches.com/nc-state/cherokee/data.html Thanks for any advice you can give me and for sharing your experience obtaining this type of record. Kind regards, Mary