Hi Ralph & Joe, I am currently in New Bern, North Carolina doing research on my Frenches, but I am leaving tomorrow for Tennessee as my mother is having an arteriogram next week. I would be happy to order the will for you when I return to North Carolina, hopefully, in the next couple of weeks. I recently ordered some estate records on microfilm for another county in North Carolina via inter-library loan here at the library in New Bern and received them in a couple of weeks and the only charge was the postage which was $1.75. I would also suggest getting a copy of the microfilm of the estate records which is different from the actual will as I have found they sometimes contain a great deal of information. The estate records are generally not indexed so you just have to order the reel that contains the French surname for Stokes County and possibly there will be something there. North Carolina State Archives Stokes County, North Carolina: ESTATE RECORDS Record of Estates, 1790-1849, 1861-1869; 5 reels. WILLS Record of Wills, 1790-1965; 4 reels. Index to Wills, Devisor, 1790-1970; 1 reel. Index to Wills, Devisee, 1790-1970; 1 reel. For a complete listing of all the types of county records that the North Carolina State Archives has, see the link below: http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/sections/archives/arch/default.htm You may also want to check with your local library and see if they can order it for you via inter-library loan, because if you order directly from the archive it is pretty expensive. Here is what their website says: Persons Residing Outside of North Carolina Print out a copy of the request form, fill it, out and mail it to: North Carolina State Archives 4614 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-4614 Researchers who are unable to print the request form may submit a general letter. Please include the same type of information as requested by the on-line form. A $20.00 Search and Handling Fee must accompany each inquiry. Payments should be made by personal check or money order rather than cash. Please make all checks payable to the "North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources." If copies of the requested record cannot be covered by the $20.00 fee, a statement of copying costs will be included in our response. These copies will not be mailed until indicated payment is received. Researchers are requested NOT to add any estimated costs of copying to their $20.00 fee. ESTIMATED PAYMENTS MUST BE RETURNED, thus delaying a reply to the researcher's inquiry. Responses will be delivered by U. S. mail. http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/sections/archives/arch/default.htm Another way to receive the microfilm is via LDS History Centers if you have one near you. Check this link to find out about their locations: http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHC/frameset_fhc.asp If you would like for me to order them when I return, please let me know. I would just ask that you cover the cost of postage for the microfilm, the copies which are 15 cents per page and the postage to mail the copies to you. Best Regards, David > > > Subject: Re: [FRENCH-L] Found the mention of a Will that includes Joseph and John > Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2004 21:11:35 EDT > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > > Hello JFrench and all--------- > This is really exciting news for me, that this may lead to information > on the parents and siblings of our ancestor, Mary W. (Brown) and Joseph P. > French. As I may have mentioned before, I am descended through their daughter, > Sarah Josephine (French) Banks. > If it pertains to my French line, I will really appreciate a copy of > the will mentioned, and any further related information that may come about. We > are told that the father of Joseph P. French deceased when Joseph was quite > young, leaving Mary W. (Brown) French to raise the family by herself; does > this will reflect this? > Best regards to all, > Ralph Banks, Austin, TX > >