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I have read that in parts of the south, sometimes minorities (especially blacks) would not even be issued birth certificates, well into the 1960's.
If you're poor, chances are you're more worried about where to get your next meal, than making sure your children's documents are all in good order.
Sometimes unusual circumstances can occur. I have a 2nd great grandfather that lived into the 1930's in rural Illinois. He was working as a hired hand on a farm after his third wife passed away (he would have been in his late 70's by this point). Newspaper articles make it sound like he was fairly well known in his area, but I can find absolutely no record of his death whatsoever. I wonder if he died on the farm, and was buried there by the family with no notification being given to the authorities.
People could also intenitonally just 'dissapear' then. People didn't carry ID and leave a trail then. Identity theft wasn't necessary, you just invented yourself all over again. My dad's grandfather did that, just went to work and never came home and all the searching and looking didn't find him. I have doubts about the details known about the one who got on the ship in Ulster and left the family, and then just married again. My dad and his siblings were born on a farm in Alabama in the 20th century and none had birth certificates so in farm country you may have to do a lot of searching. He had to show birth to get into the navy and used a bible notation.
Even in England where the parish records were kept (wait for it) religiously, if the person were not someone of means, there would be no will. We know how valuable a will can be for naming the descendants.
Well, I wouldn't put it quite as crudely, but yes, if someone is lower in social status you are less likely to find records. My grandfather on my mother's side was born in a cabin in Arkansas and there are very few records, no birth certificate for sure. My grandmother (who married him), exact opposite. Lots of records, different social status, different area.
Again, this is more likely because he was in a very rural area. Many urban dwellers of a lower economic class had vital (and other) records even prior to state issued certificates, because they were in an urban area where records were more likely to be registered, even of the lower class.
Again, this is more likely because he was in a very rural area. Many urban dwellers of a lower economic class had vital (and other) records even prior to state issued certificates, because they were in an urban area where records were more likely to be registered, even of the lower class.
He was. It's still rural to this day, mountain folk. He was born in 1901.
I have to make a correction here - she was not my grandmother, she was my trailer trash first husband's mother, so she was unfortunately my daughter's grandmother. And, before anyone gets their dander up about my use of the term 'trailer trash', let me clarify. Being poor doesn't make a person trailer trash - I grew up in deep poverty. Being a lazy, thieving welfare bum who never worked day in their lives even though there is nothing physically wrong with the makes a person trailer trash. My first husband's mother - the woman I'm referring to in my original post - taught her children how to cheat on and milk the welfare system, how to run out on their utility bills, how to live rent free, etc. And this is why I believe her side of the family left few records - they were not established citizens. I have easily found records of others who were born & died in her time period, their marriages, divorces, etc., but I cannot find hers. Marriages and divorces should be accessible through state or county courts, yet I can't find hers. Would there be a way she escaped having these things on file?
I have to make a correction here - she was not my grandmother, she was my trailer trash first husband's mother, so she was unfortunately my daughter's grandmother. And, before anyone gets their dander up about my use of the term 'trailer trash', let me clarify. Being poor doesn't make a person trailer trash - I grew up in deep poverty. Being a lazy, thieving welfare bum who never worked day in their lives even though there is nothing physically wrong with the makes a person trailer trash. My first husband's mother - the woman I'm referring to in my original post - taught her children how to cheat on and milk the welfare system, how to run out on their utility bills, how to live rent free, etc. And this is why I believe her side of the family left few records - they were not established citizens. I have easily found records of others who were born & died in her time period, their marriages, divorces, etc., but I cannot find hers. Marriages and divorces should be accessible through state or county courts, yet I can't find hers. Would there be a way she escaped having these things on file?
Okay, sorry about that...I am getting a better picture of what you are talking about.
Well, if they were in the habit of deliberately doing things like you mention, yes that can make it harder to research as they well might had skipped certain procedures (like having a common law marriage instead of a 'regular' marriage, therefore no actual marriage record as you'd normally have..that sort of thing.)
If they avoided the census or lied on it for some reason (and there are many reasons someone might do this) that too will cause problems. Same with other legal records.
Lets keep in mind, and I have seen this even in my own family at least once, that a 'divorce' might had not actually been done legally...for example, the couple separates, she moves away and/or remarries someone else yet claims she was not married before (or used an alias on the new marriage record---or again, its just a common law marriage with no legal record of it) yet never legally divorced the first husband....in the days before computers and fast communication such a practice was not unheard of.
That also makes for one hell of a 'brick wall' to break! So, keep in mind an assumed name might had been used at various times, and/or those "marriages" and "divorces" were not done legally. Not really a whole lot that can be done in such a case unless if by chance an alias can be discovered, like in a court record, but that's very hit or miss in my experience.
Last edited by Austin023; 11-18-2014 at 11:18 AM..
I have to make a correction here - she was not my grandmother, she was my trailer trash first husband's mother, so she was unfortunately my daughter's grandmother. And, before anyone gets their dander up about my use of the term 'trailer trash', let me clarify. Being poor doesn't make a person trailer trash - I grew up in deep poverty. Being a lazy, thieving welfare bum who never worked day in their lives even though there is nothing physically wrong with the makes a person trailer trash. My first husband's mother - the woman I'm referring to in my original post - taught her children how to cheat on and milk the welfare system, how to run out on their utility bills, how to live rent free, etc. And this is why I believe her side of the family left few records - they were not established citizens. I have easily found records of others who were born & died in her time period, their marriages, divorces, etc., but I cannot find hers. Marriages and divorces should be accessible through state or county courts, yet I can't find hers. Would there be a way she escaped having these things on file?
Your original question was about people from a lower economic class, not criminals. Yes, career criminals (like gangsters) did do their best to avoid legal documentation... but most of what you describe is petty crime. It's possible she and her family never registered her BMD, but again, in Michigan birth and death files are not public and since you're not immediate family to her, you probably would not be able to obtain the records. I still think it's more likely that the records are just not readily accessible to you.
Lets keep in mind, and I have seen this even in my own family at least once, that a 'divorce' might had not actually been done legally...for example, the couple separates, she moves away and/or remarries someone else yet claims she was not married before (or used an alias on the new marriage record---or again, its just a common law marriage with no legal record of it) yet never legally divorced the first husband....in the days before computers and fast communication such a practice was not unheard of.
Very good point, I thought of that. I think such a thing would be very easy to fudge, nobody is going to bother researching each & every marriage applicant to ensure they aren't already married.
Your original question was about people from a lower economic class, not criminals. Yes, career criminals (like gangsters) did do their best to avoid legal documentation... but most of what you describe is petty crime. It's possible she and her family never registered her BMD, but again, in Michigan birth and death files are not public and since you're not immediate family to her, you probably would not be able to obtain the records. I still think it's more likely that the records are just not readily accessible to you.
Yes, that's very possible. Different states have different rules on this, at various times. In many states, until the 1960s or 70s, illegitimate births were not public record and their birth certificates were only available for the next of kin, with no time limit on this. In many states birth and/or deaths are not public record and can only be obtained by next of kin (there is usually time limits on this---like 75 years from file date) but this poses problems with research sometimes.
Marriage records are a matter of public record; I can not think of any in this county which would not be.
As far as I know divorce records are most often a matter of public record as well; they tend to be kept in various places as over the years rules changed on what court filed them, so its a good idea to check multiple courts that were known to handle divorces in the years in question.
In Michigan that duty originally fell on the state supreme court, but by the 1897 the county had to handle and file divorce records. It looks like divorces after 1952 are not included in the online database--you might have to check with county courthouse, state court and a few other agencies named in the link below:
The link above gives a breakdown of years and types of courts divorces where handled in Michigan. Even just obtaining an abstract of the record can be very helpful.
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