In a message dated 5/25/2004 9:22:07 AM Eastern Standard Time, giegerg@hotmail.com writes: In the days you speak of, there were no photocopy machines - they had not yet been invented...documents were prepared and folks met and signed; afterward the Court Scrivner copied the Original for the Official Court Record and returned the Original to the individual, as his Proof that he held Title to the property. The Scrivners copy was recorded in the Official Records of the County, so what you are seeing is the only copy available...In most cases, copies with Original signatures have long since been destroyed...but make no mistake, these are what you would get if you ordered Certified Copies from the County today... In today's modern world, copies are quickly available...in those days it took days to get them, so not many were made... --- We ran into this problem when trying to match John Adam Geiger of NC's signature on his will to the signature on a ship list. Someone did find the original copy of the will with his actual signature in the NC state archives. I don't know how it would work in other states but that is what NC did with the originals. Joan