Birth and Death Certificates for residents of South Carolina were not required by law until 1 January 1915. Prior to the official enactment of this law births, deaths and marriages were a function of the church and individual families where these events were recorded in the Family Bible.
Today these records are stored in a fireproof vault in the DHEC's Office in Columbia, South Carolina.
The SC Legislature also passed a law to allows its citizens to receive a delayed Birth Certificate when the adequate proof was provided.
SECTION 44-63-180. Persons who may register statistical record of birth. Any individual born in this State prior to 1915 who has no official record of his birth may register a delayed birth certificate under the direction of the state registrar with the county health department in the county in which he was born.
Delayed Birth Certificates for Chesterfield County residents can be found in the following database:
This is a paid database and can only be accessed on www.ancestry.com
A birth certificate wasn’t of much used until the Social Security Act was passed on August 14, 1935. To receive benefits our ancestors had to prove their age thus a birth certificate became very desirable.
The delayed Birth certificate for Phillip H. Sellers was created 24 March 1942. In 1942, Phillip, who was born 30 October 1875, was 66 years of age. It’s almost certain that the purposes behind obtaining this Delayed Birth Certificate was to receive these Social Security benefits.
As proof of his age the following information was given:
Personally appeared before me Leonard D. Sellers who, being first duly sworn, deposes and says that he has examined the old family Bible belonging to the family of Phillip Sellers and said Bible apparently is a very old book which ante-dates the birth of the said Phillip H. Sellers. The said Phillip H. Sellers's Birth is recorded in the Bible stating that he was born on October 30th, 1875. Said Bible was exhibited to Ed Redfearn, Clerk of Court.
dated 24 March 1942
If anyone knows the location of this Family Bible today I would surely love to examine its pages.
If you haven't searched this database I highly recommend you do so. It can be searched by surname.
Phillip Hardy Sellers, Sr. is my 2nd Cousin 3 times removed.
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[1] "South Carolina, Delayed Birth Records, 1766-1900," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : Viewed 3 August 2020), South Carolina Department of Archives; Phillip H. Sellers; Birth Date: 30 Oct 1875.
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