Emma Doyle's 1951 Pennsylvania Delayed Birth Certificate

One of the purposes of my family history research is the put families back together, recreating the family circle, so to speak, finding the couple/parents and all of the children in a family.    I haven't done much research on my grandfather Gust Doyle's siblings or his aunts and uncles other than what I've learned from an aunt.  I was pleased to find this document for his sister, Emma Doyle Lengauer Leathers.  She was Gust's older sister.  Family records tell me she was born on December 25, 1886, in Stoneboro, Pennsylvania, the daughter of William and Tressa Rose (Froman) Doyle.

This is a transcription of Emma's Pennsylvania Delayed Birth Certificate on FamilySearch.  To view it you may need to sign in or, if you don't have an account, you may need to create a free one.

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Mercer, Delayed Birth Certificate, Special Registration.
File No.  B 1 June Term, 1951 
Registered No.   4060
Filing Date   June 5, 1951
Date of Issuance   June 5, 1951

Full Name   Emma Doyle    Sex   Female
Date of Birth   December 25th 1886     
Place of Birth  County  Mercer   City, Boro, Town, Village, Township   Stoneboro

Father of Child
Full Name   William Doyle (deceased)
Color or Race   white     Age at time of this birth  24   yrs.
Birthplace   New Castle, England
Occupation   Miner
Present Address   deceased

Mother of Child
Full Name   Tressa Rose Froman    [Tressa is typed above and to the left of the rest of the name.]
Color or Race   white     Age at time of this birth  19  yrs.
Birthplace   Orangeville, Pa.
Occupation   Housewife
Present Address   deceased

I,  Mrs. Emma Leathers , being first duly worn to oath, testify that the facts concerning my birth set forth upon this application are true and correct.
(Signature of Applicant)   Mrs. Emma Leathers   [typewritten]
(Present Address of Applicant)   Stoneboro, Pa.  
I testify that the above applicant for registration of facts of birth has appeared before me and testified to their truth as set forth and affixed h      signature thereto in my presence this  21st  day of  February , 19 49 .
 Chas. E. Burdette ,  Stoneboro, Pa.

[The two affidavits below were in boxes in two columns.]
Affidavit of Physician or Midwife   [blank]
Affidavit of Priest or Minister   [blank]

[The following affidavits were in boxes in three columns.]
Affidavit of Relative
State of  Pennsylvania       
County of  Venango    ss.
I,  George T. Doyle , being duly sworn on oath, do testify that I am the  uncle  of  Emma Doyle  and that the facts contained in the attached or foregoing are true and correct and that to the best of my knowledge  Emma Doyle  was born on  Dec. 25, 1886  at  Stoneboro, Pa.  and that I have known her for  64  years.
(Signature of Affiant)   George T. Doyle  [typewritten]
(Address)   1233 Otter St., Franklin, Pa.  Sworn and subscribed before me  
 E. G. Bolmer  
this  31st  day of  May , 19 51 .
(Seal)   E. G. Bolmer, Alderman
(Address)  1236 Chestnut St.  Franklin, Pa.

Affidavit of Non-Relative
State of  Pennsylvania     
County of  Mercer  ss.
I,  H. H. McClearn , being duly sworn on oath, do testify that the facts contained in the attached or foregoing are true and correct and that to the best of my knowledge
 Emma Doyle  
was born   December 25, 1886  
at  Stoneboro, Mercer, Pa.  
and that I have known h er  for
 all her life  years.
(What is the basis of your knowledge of the facts set forth herein?)
 Close neighbors all her life.
(Signature of Affiant)
 H. H. McClearn   [typewritten]
(Address)   Stoneboro, Pa.
Sworn and subscribed before me  
 a notary public  
this  21st  day of   February , 19 49 .
(Seal)   Chas. E. Burdette     
(Address)  Stoneboro, Pa.

Affidavit of Non-Relative
State of  Pennsylvania    
County of  Mercer  ss.
I,  Sylvia McClearn , being duly sworn on oath, do testify that the facts contained in the attached or foregoing are true and correct and that to the best of my knowledge
 Emma Doyle  
was born  December 25, 1886  
at  Stoneboro, Mercer, Pa.  
and that I have known h er  for
 all her life  years.
(What is the basis of your knowledge of the facts set forth herein?)
 Long acquaintance and neighbors.  
(Signature of Affiant)
 Sylvia McClearn   [typewritten]
(Address)   Stoneboro, Pa.
Sworn and subscribed before me  
 a notary public  
this  21st   day of  February , 19 49 .
(Seal)   Chas. E. Burdette   
(Address)  Stoneboro, Pa.

(The above are copies of affidavits on file.)

Notes and Comments
This birth certificate confirms several pieces of information that I already have:

• Emma's name, birth date, and location of birth.
• the names of her parents and the locations of their births.
• Approximate ages of parents could be deduced from their ages when Emma was born.
  
• that both parents died before 1951
• It appears to confirm her marriage to a man whose last name is Leathers.
• It confirms George T. Doyle was Emma's uncle.  Other records show William and George as brothers, sons of Andrew and Elizabeth Jane (Laws) Doyle.
  

The signatures for this document were collected over several years.  Emma signed her part of the form in February, 1949; the also McClearns signed their forms in February, 1949; and George Doyle signed his in May, 1951. 

I remember my father and aunt, who were born in 1913 and 1921, speaking of the McClearns.  They were probably fairly old by that time.  I haven't researched them at all.

I doubt this certificate could be considered primary evidence.  Yes, Emma was there at her birth she would not have had a memory of it.  As far as the affiants, I suspect they remembered her being born but I wonder if their memories were acute enough to have known the date without a prompt.

And when it comes down to it, this birth certificate is more than I had before I found it.

–Nancy.

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