OPPS, what I didn't say, is--What they are giving you is the cert. that they now mail to you. It is the couple's, orginal record. NOT the original COURTS record. This is a big difference. It that time, of horse and buggy, the couple had to come back to pick it up and so many times they did not. The court house and where they lived was not an easy travel distance. Or sometimes a place where they went. My Grandparents lived outside of Sweetwater, TX. And at that a far piece to travel, by buggy, but for them to go to Abline, was really far. this is where they were suppose to be married, and where the train stopped, bring her from AL. They probably didn't get back to Abline to pick up the Cert. and I hope it is still there! AND that I get it! Something I have been meaning to do , but even with our cars Abline is a far distance from Houston! and I only seem to go thru on a weekend! I am pretty sure it is these type of "records" they have let you take! From: "Valerie Upton" <v_upton@hotmail.com> To: BROWN-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [BROWN] copying old documents Date: Mon, 05 Feb 2001 15:53:42 -0600 My understanding has been that IF they will let you look at the old orig doc. and you find one, that belonged to your Grandparents or so forth, they will let you have them. But I don't think that means you can just take any of them. Of course, how well they check that out I don't know. Others will find a record. Usually they are on microfilm now, but some of the smaller counties will have hand written Doc in large books. I didn't have any problems getting mine from the 1800's copied, but they did it. The books are where you can look thru them but you have to tell them to copy. Which was fine with me, they had to lift and carry! LOL Those books were HUGE. At our Lib. there are some very old books that they won't let us copy for the same reasons as you were given. Books just in horrible condition. I have been surprised in that case, that they didn't copy them, and have the copy out for people to look at, and copy, and the orginal put up, totally. Some, I have been afraid to even pick up, they were so bad. Most of the older court books I have seen, have been in good condition, but I am sure that is not always the case. To many places have floods! fires, bugs, and items lost if they have moved. I have run into clerks that want to decide what you can have, even against the judges order! But you just don't take no for an answer. there is usually someone nice there that will help. Good luck to all - just remember sone one is to find my Brown's for me this yr!!!! this is yr 15!!!! From: "George W. Page" <gwpage@erols.com> To: BROWN-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [BROWN] copying old documents Date: Thu, 01 Feb 2001 22:43:26 -0500 I had a similar experience several years ago in a county (un-named) in central PA when they allowed me to go to the basement and go through boxes of old documents, some dated in the 1700s, to take whatever I wanted. I found court appointment orders with my relatives name listed in the proceedings! I wonder if Romona's husband is of the opinion that his suggested tactic would work with the "Declaration of Independence" hoisted for public viewing in a special glass case daily in the U.S. National Archives in Wash., D.C.? GWP ____________ At 03:19 AM 2/2/2001 +0000, you wrote: >I certainly sympathize with not being able to copy old documents. I >understand the necessity of protecting them. However, ... NO public >official can legally deny a copy of any "public" records. It's a >fundamental right to obtain copies of any and all public records at >reasonable costs, times,and places. We do not have a right to just walk >in and demand a copy at any time. However, legally we have a right to >access. >My husband, who is an attorney, said that if you should encounter this >problem in the future, you should go to the Judge's office who is >responsible for that particular court and explain the problem to his/her >bailiff who in turn will relay the information to the judge and the copies >will be released in accordance with law. > >That said, we do need to be careful and try and protect these old >documents and I think it would probably be easier to get the scanner >pen. Of course, I'm not sure what is worse, not being able to get a copy >from a book, or to be handed the original marriage license, as I was in >one county in Tennessee and told that I could have it. I was shocked, and >questioned the clerk, and they said they did it all the time. So I am in >possession of it, and no one will ever be able to look upon it again in >that courthouse. So sad.... > >Ramona > >searching Gibson, Caldwell, Edwards, Brown, Collins, Beets, Beeler, >Croushore, Englebrite/Engebretson >_________________________________________________________________ >Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com > > >==== BROWN Mailing List ==== >contact list manager at judjack@rocketmail.com > >============================== >Ancestry.com Genealogical Databases >http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist2.asp >Search over 2500 databases with one easy query! ==== BROWN Mailing List ==== contact list manager at judjack@rocketmail.com ============================== Visit Ancestry's Library - The best collection of family history learning and how-to articles on the Internet. http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ==== BROWN Mailing List ==== contact list manager at judjack@rocketmail.com ============================== Search more than 150 million free records at RootsWeb! http://searches.rootsweb.com/ _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com