How can i locate my grandfathers birth records ?

Question:

How can i locate my grandfathers birth records ?

Looking into family liniage for gift, would like to trace back records for family crest.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Hey Curiousgeorge,

Do you know when your grandfather died? If he died in the U.S. and it has been in the last forty years, then he would likely have appeared in the Social Security Death Index. It tells date of birth, date of death, SSN#, state of issue, and sometimes the place of last benefit. It is free to search at the following link:

http://ssdi.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-b...

From there, I would ask my folks where he was born and then write to that county with the proper payment for the birth certificate. If you name of the town, but don't know the name of the county, here is the link to a place that will tell you what county a particular town is in.
Simply type in the town name and the state abbreviation. Don't click on any other link:

http://www.raogk.org/listing.htm...

When ordering from the appropriate county you will most likely have to fill out a request form and include a form of i.d. This is standard protocol so don't be suprised.

As far as finding a family crest, many families simply didn't have a family crest. You will find lots of sites on the internet selling trinkets with supposed family coats of arms or family crests. These usually originate because one member of a family had their coats of arms created and now everyone with that surname is supposed to be able to claim that coat of arm or crest for themselves. This is not the case. It is specifically created for that individual.

You can take a look at some of the commerically available ones at www.swyrich.com

I hope this helps. Please e-mail me via my profile if you have any questions. Blessings