OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - ARTICLE: Visitiing Courthouses [Part II]
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December 26, 1998  
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Part II
As part of your homework in preparation for a trip to the county courthouse
check out the names of the various divisions that you would like to visit
and the information you might expect to find in each section.  Find out if
the records have a pecular indexing system that you might be able to learn
before you visit (ex. PA).  Info on this area can be found in many basic
genealogical guides in the reference section of a good library.   The Family
History Library in Salt Lake City has some court records, but not all of
them.   Don't forget a magnifying glass.

Probate Court
Wills, estate papers, marriage, birth and death records.  In the twentieth
century many states have a centralized location such a Bureau of Vital
Statistics where statewide records are collected.
States vary on the dates when they began to require registrations of births
and death.   Initially compliance with the regulatioin was far from
complete.

Recorder of Deeds
Transfers of property - not only personal but also businesses, churches,
public buildings, in some cases sales by the state, sheriff sales, land
partitions.

Common Pleas (or whatever it is called in the particular state)
Civil and criminal suits,  sometimes naturalization records (which can
sometimes be found in Probate court), divorces (also sometimes in probate),
tavern licenses (in the early days), guardianships, apprentice arrangements
and numerous miscellaneous legal items.

Indexes:
Deeds:   Usually indexed by Grantor (person selling) and Grantee
(person buying).    If the deed isn't in the expected time frame, keep
looking.  Deeds were sometimes filed years after a purchase.
Take note especially of a title such as John Smith et al. (which means and
others) and John Smith est.  (estate).   This type deed may contain names of
other relatives.  Most deeds in the nineteenth century contain basic
legalese which you will catch on to after reading a few.   If your ancestor
bought and sold a great deal of property abstract the information for the
related names and allied families at least.   List the name of the grantor,
grantee, date of sale, date of recording, location of property, number of
acres, price, any unusual items and the witnesses.  If the price of the land
seems unusually low - such as $1, you can bet that this was a gift of land
by the grantee to a relative.  This was sometimes done when a son or
daughter married (a clue to an approximate marriage date).

Land partitions are particularly valuable.   After a death the property of
the deceased is divided among the heirs.  These are sometimes found in
Common Pleas if the heirs can't agree.  In these records the names of the
heirs is given, frequently along with their wives, and their places of
residences (if some live out of state).  It is a great source of
genealogical information.

Sheriff sales also are interesting, and show that your ancestor was having
some financial difficulties.

End of Part II


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