Taken from Pioneer History of Washington County, Kentucky (as complied from newspaper articles by Orval W. Baylor and others)

Some Old birth Records for Washington County

Approximately 75 years ago the State of Kentucky had a birth and death record law that required the registration of all births and deaths.  This law was in vogue from about 1853 to 1867 and the Clerks of the several County Courts were required to certify the registrations to the proper authority at Frankfort.

In most of the counties the clerks not only sent the birth and death registrations to Frankfort but they also kept copies for their respective counties.  So far as the writer has been able to learn, no records were retained at the County Clerk’s office in Springfield.  If they were kept, they were later destroyed.

After 1867 the State did not require registration of births and deaths for a period of more than 50 years.  The present law requiring registration of births and deaths was passed about the year 1911.

The records sent to Frankfort from the several counties from 1852 to 1867 were kept in the State Archives until a short time ago when they were turned over to the State Historical Society.  We have lately examined the registrations sent in from Washington County and believing that the records may prove interesting to a large number of people, we propose to publish them from time to time in The Sun’s Historical Department.

• Bosley, Frances E., December 28, 1853.
• Bemis, Lucetta, December 10, 1853.
• Baker, Ambrose, February 25, 1853.
• Baker, John, June 12, 1853.
• Burkhead, Elizabeth A., July 3, 1853.
• Bunch, Mary June, June 29, 1853.
• Bunch, Albert K., November 9, 1853.
• Bringle, James A., June 25, 1853.
• Barnett, Mary E., August 3, 1853.
• Bowman, Jacob, September 10, 1853.
• Bell, Elizabeth, November 25, 1853.
• Batsel, Catharine A., March 30, 1853.
• Barlow, Barbara A., November 17, 1853.
• Blincoe, Felix R., October 1, 1853.
• Booker, Willliam H., September 4, 1853.
• Bottom, William Z., May 31, 1853.
• Best, Mary S., October 16, 1853.
• Beam, Emily, February 27, 1853.
• Craycroft, John R., December 25, 1853.
• Carrico, Frances M., March 31, 1853.
• Cusic, Mary L., October 7, 1853.
• McDonald, Catherine, December 21, 1853.
• Cutsinger, Parker C., January 10, 1853.
• Cambron, Simeon H., (no date)
• Campbell, Benjamin Z., April 19, 1853.
• Cooksey, Harry H., March 18, 1853.
• Campbell, Robertson, December 25, 1853.
• Cornish, Martha Z., March 13, 1853.
• Cornish, William J., July 5, 1853.
• Carrier, Andrew J., October 10, 1853.
• Cheek, Lewis B., December 25, 1853.
• Coulter, Mary S., June 21, 1853.
• Coulter, George, December 23, 1853.  (my great-grandfather!)
• Chatham, Samuel, May 30, 1853.
• Cutsinger, Newton, April 15, 1853.
• Cutsinger, (no name) October 27, 1853.

The second listing in the newspaper gives parents names.

• Fitsimmons, Mary E., June 5, 1853, parents James H. and Martha Padget Fitsimmons.
• Foster, Sarah J., October 8, 1853, parents Green and Catherine Lambert Foster.
• Fields, Dennis M., April 2, 1853, parents Henry and Martha Philips Fields.
• Grigsby, Margaret, November 3, 1853, parents William and Ann Williams Grigsby.
• Hayden, Theresa A., September 10, 1853, parents John B. and Ann R. McIntire Hayden.
• Hays, Mary E., April 17, 1853, parents David R. and Mary McMicken Hays.
• Hall, Thomas, April 22, 1853, parents Thomas B. and Mary Burns Hall.
• Kimberlin, M. D., November 2, 1853, parents M. D. L. and Winifred Romine Kimberlain.
• Kelly, Thomas B., September 4, 1853, parents C. C. and Ann E. Bourne Kelly.
• Mays, Elizabeth, January 5, 1853, parents Joel and Martha Paddock Mays.
• Montgomery, Martha, December 1, 1853, parents Robert and Harriet Craycroft Montgomery.
• Mudd, Lloyd, October 14, 1853, parents Donatus and Elizabeth Mullican Mudd.
• Nally, John M., April 10, 1853, parents Vincent and Margaret Hinton Nally.
• Palmer, Robert C., May 28, 1853, parents R. C. and Harriett Key Palmer.
• Royalty, Susan, September 1, 1853, parents Isaiah and Ruth Presnal Royalty.
• Simms, Ann, July 1, 1853, parents Thomas and Matilda Simms.
• Simms, John Z., October 22, 1853, parents John and Sara C. Johnson Simms.
• Shoemaker, Hugh, November 14, 1853, parents John and Sarah Rice Shoemaker.
• Settles, Malvina, January 28, 1853, parents George C. and Sarah Best Settles.
• Willett, Elizabeth C., December 18, 1853, parents Robert and Elizabeth Leonard Willett.
• Williams, Rodman, December 24, 1853, parents Thomas and Sarah Rodman Williams.
• Waters, Sarah E., August 17, 1853, parents Thomas J. and Martha Champion Waters.