My grandmother, Nora Bessie McNeil Snyder was born on August 10, 1900, in Wilkes County, NC, to George Thomas McNeil and Clara Eva Jarvis McNeil. The photograph of George and Clara McNeil with their two oldest children dates from about 1901. George is holding Ila, and Eva is holding my grandmother Nora. They later had six more children.
Since North Carolina didn’t require birth certificates until 1913, Nora didn’t receive a birth certificate in 1900. But she received a Delayed Birth Certificate in 1959, probably so she could apply for Social Security. Here is my copy of her delayed birth certificate:
Nora had to supply three forms of proof of her birth. The first proof was the affidavit from her mother (highlighted in the image above). A mother’s affidavit is excellent proof since the mother is the one person who is certain of the child’s date of birth. However, when I applied this year for membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution, the registrar noticed something I had never noted. Clara died on January 24, 1959, but Nora’s delayed birth certificate says Clara’s affidavit was dated February 24, 1959. So the DAR would not accept this delayed birth certificate!
Notice that February 24, 1959, is recorded several times in this certificate. It’s the date Nora and the Register of Deeds signed the certificate. I believe the typist mistakenly used the same date for Clara’s affidavit.
Fortunately, the DAR accepted the NC Birth Index on
Ancestry.com:
Sources:
Photograph of George Thomas McNeil family, about 1901, Wilkes County, NC. Privately held by the author.
State of North Carolina, State Board of Health, Office of Vital Statistics, Delayed Birth Certificate, p. 66 (issued 1959), Nora Bessie McNeill, born 10 Aug 1900 in Wilkes County. Privately held by the author.
"North Carolina, U.S., Birth Indexes, 1800-2000,"
database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com
: accessed 2 August 2025); entry for Nora Bessie McNeill, born 10 Aug 1900 in
Wilkes County.
