Vital Records Do Sometimes Contain Errors

Take the Case of this Delayed Birth Certificate created in March 1950.  The certificate certified that Henry Freeman was born 20 April 1885 and uses a Family Bible as proof. There is a problem with this certification and Certificate,

First, the Mother, Annie Freeman, had remarried after the death of her husband and was married to Joseph Hall in 1885 and the Child was given the name Henry Thomas Hall. The Mother Ann, was a widow, with two small children by her first husband –Jesse Coleman Freeman and John Wesley Freeman.  In addition, she had three children during her current marriage to Joseph Hall; those children are Barney, Nancy, and Calvin.

                              
In addition to these three Hall children; Joseph and Annie would have two additional children before he passed away – Henry Thomas Hall in April 1885 and Joanne Hall, 25 August 1887.

No Death date has been found for Joseph Hall but we know he died before June 1900 when the Census was enumerated. Also in that Census Henry, the child and Annie the Mother are listed as Freeman’s. After the Death of Joseph Hall, Annie and the three boys, Barney, Calvin, and Henry dropped their Hall surname and started using the Freeman surname. I looked and found no legal document for this action.  

Clearly, there is confusion here; the five children borne to Joseph Hall and Annie Freeman were by birth Hall Children but there may have been legal action taken to change their surname. No such legal action has been found.  Only DNA testing will prove whether their descendants carry the Hall and Freeman DNA.




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[1] Henry Freeman, birth certificate 6-896 (20 April 1885), South Carolina South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia, South Carolina.
[2]1880 U S Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Cole Hill, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) 004, Page 303C; Line 43, Dwelling 73, Family 73, Household of Joseph HALL; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 12 June 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm T9-1225.
[3] 1900 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Hebron, Marlboro County, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) 92, Page 12B/157B; Line 64, Dwelling 237, Family 237, Household of Annie FREEMAN; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com : viewed 19 July 2012); citing National Archives Microfilm T623_1523.