In reference to tips for court house research. Here's my way. Hope it helps someone. Courthouse Research, you don't know what you're asking - people say that if you ask Linda what time it is she'll tell you how to build a watch - so here goes Here's how I go about it. Before I head for the courthouse I reach for the Handy Book for Genealogist (or you might have the Redbook) and check to see what records are listed as available for a given courthouse. I then call the courthouse and ask their hours, directions to find the courthouse and if they have particular rules or regulations I need to be aware of (no pens, someone will help you or not - in one courthouse I found that anything prior to 1960 was stored at a "U-Store It" site and weren't accessible to anyone). I ask the cost of copies and whether I will be able to make them myself or not (a really important item to know since it takes forever to get someone to stop work - or talking to a co-worker - and make a copy). I ask if the local genealogy society or some helpful person has made a list of what's available at the courthouse - many times this list exists and you know about it because no one at the courthouse volunteers the info. Next I sit down at the computer (using a word processing program) and make a list of things I want to find at the courthouse. I set up headings such as "Marriage Records", "Land Records", "Wills", etc. and carefully list what I need to find giving myself all of the info I already have and detailed info on what I need to find. (You don't have time at the courthouse to dig thru piles of papers in your notebooks to try to find information on what you want to find - do this type of digging at home). Leave several blank lines between each item so that you can write yourself notes about what you find (or don't find). When I get to the courthouse I approach the most likely looking person (the one that doesn't greet you with a frown and a "sniff") to inquire about where records are located. I use my "headings" on my list and jot down the location of where the records are located, because they aren't usually in one room, not even in the smallest courthouse. I once again ask about any particular rules or regulations, find where the copy machine is, find out how to pay for copies, who makes them, etc. You get this info when you first phone, but you need to compare it to the human standing before you who will either be more helpful or more obstructive than the one you talked to on the phone. Next you start at one end of the room and walk the entire room looking at everything on the shelves. You will almost always find things that are NOT in the Handy Book or Redbook. For example: At the Monroe Co MS Courthouse there is a book on land that was taken back for taxes, a book of licenses for old churches and cemeteries, a membership book for several "Ladies Societies", a minute book of the "Police Committee". I make a list of these items and note what they cover. Usually none are indexed, but by a short look through you can tell time frames and get an idea of what's in the book. I may later need to "really get into" these items so I'm careful with my notes. I then start with the first item on my list and start looking. For example if I'm looking for a marriage certificate I first check the indexes, then if necessary I sit down and turn each page scanning the names, dates, etc. If I find my info I make a copy, turn the copy over and enter the date I found the info, the name & address of the courthouse, the number of the Marriage volume, whether the info was also in the index, the page number and any other info so that I or anyone else can find the info again. I check the item off my list and go to the next item. If the info is not there I make a note of what I searched and that the info wasn't there and then go on to the next item. I work my way throught the list and hopefully I'll get all of my notes checked in the time I have at the courthouse. If you find yourself running out of time and your list isn't done, make notes of the books available that should contain the info you need. You can later write to the courthouse and request that they search. If you have to do this check with the clerks to see how they respond to written requests for searches. Some will tell you that they simply won't search at all, that you have to have the exact book and page number before they will even make a copy. You have to take each courthouse individually and work within their process. I could write about 30 pages on courthouse research, but this is it in a nutshell. Hope that it helped you. Linda lhaasdav@avana.net Home Page: http://www.avana.net/~lhaasdav/Haas.html