I have gone thru the frusteration of trying to obtain the birth cert of an aunt. When all is said and done, my advice: Try every spelling of the name you can think of. The family name I was looking for was SCHLEYER what I came up with SHLIER. Another thought, which you probably won't want to hear, less consider, adoption? Hope I helped Kate In a message dated 12/29/2005 4:13:07 AM Eastern Standard Time, wbshort7777@coastalnow.net writes: Dear Merle, I know what you mean about the Mid-wives maybe not reporting a birth. I was able to find out from my mother before she passed that, I was born on a Sunday she thought and maybe in the morning. But, other than my birth date, there is not much else I know. Bill and Rachelle Short ----- Original Message ----- From: <ORGANIZR01@aol.com> To: <PAPHILAD-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, December 29, 2005 12:37 AM Subject: Re: [PAPHL] Re:birth record June 26, 1868 > Unlike marriages and deaths, births were reported whenever the doctor got > around to it. Thus, a June birth could have been reported many months > later, or > not at all if this was not the doctor's way of doing things, or not at all > if > the child was not expected to live, or probably not if the birth was > attended by a midwife. Frustrating, but true. > > Merle