This message recently appeared: Hi Searchers, Does anyone know when Warren Co. N. C. became a county and from which counties it was formed? Vance, Halifax, and Northhampton surround it on the map I have but the map doesn't have a year. Also what counties was Mecklenburg Co. VA formed from and what year? Surrounding counties of Mecklenburg were Charlotte, Lunenburg, Brunswick and Halifax. What years were these formed? Are there books that tell these things or if anyone knows would you share this information with me? Thanks. Sarah Harris Andrews Dear Sarah and others, A quick way to determine when a county was formed and what the parent county was is to use the online Family History Library Catalog (one of my best friends). _www.familysearch.org_ (http://www.familysearch.org) Ignore all the blanks--probably you will get a LOT of misinformation which will lead you astray, and we genealogists have too many distractions anyway--like work, kids, home duties, aging spouses with critical needs!!! The FHL catalog link is on the right side. You can search the catalog in many ways, but in this instance use PLACE - that is, if you want to find out when a county was formed and the parent county. Also, take a look at the list of topics, if you have never explored the catalog before. For those near an LDS family history center, most of the time you can borrow the films for a limited time for a fee. Occasionally some of the books have been filmed, and you can borrow those films also. If a book is listed twice, check both entries. One is probably a film of the book. Type in the county whose recods you hope to research (but do not type *county*) Type the state. In the case of Warren Co., NC, this is the information (at the bottom, as the formatting does not always translate well on AOL) Warren County was established in 1779 from Bute County when it was divided to form Warren and Franklin counties. Some records are missing, reason unkown. County seat: Warrenton I cannot speak for recent publications, but some of the editions of Everton's Handy Book for Genealogists also gives this county formatrion information, and, in some editions, it gives the progeny counties (counties formed from that parent county at later dates). In my older edition of said book, there are some great maps. Before the internet, every genealogist had to have a copy of this book, and some of us wore out several editions. Ask your librarian what reference books he/she has lurking behind her desk, books pertaining to genealogy--and local history. You may find the Handy Book for Genealogists, the Red Book, two editions which do not overlap called The Source, and a newish one called The Resource Book. All of these are helpful in their own way. If you are really crazy about this hobby, you should have one or ALL of these books. Even though you have found when and how Warren County was formed, try to determine in which part of the county your ancestor(s) lived. If it was near the county line, you might find your ancestor with some records in the adjoining county. Some examples: My ancestor was born in Granville Co., NC in 1759. However, as an adult, I found he attended and was a purchaser at an estate sale in Warren Co. He must have lived near the county line, or else the estate held some item which he coveted. By all means, explore some of the Virginia counties bordering North Carolina, as some relatives of your ancestors may be lurking there. Also, when I began this crazy hobby, I did as I was instructed in one of my classes. I began to round up certificates of all kind for my parents, my grandparents, etc. I found my own grandfather married his first wife (my grandmother, deceased at an early age), not in the county in which they lived, but in the adjoining county. I asked my aunt about this, and she said, that other county was nearer the ranch. (Before the days of the automobile--horses were the mode of transportation. Perhaps for the wedding, they may have had a carriage of some kind, but at this late date, who knows.) Skilled genealogists say some people did not care in which county they recorded their deed. I have not found an instance of that, but others must have, in order to make that statement. I found my own parents' marriage license (they had not picked up the original at the courthouse as they never came back to that area) at a county courthouse which was nearer the bride's farmer parents' farm than in the county of their residence. Because my parents were deceased at the time I stumbled upon the location of this marriage record, quite by accident, the clerk gave me the ORIGINAL marriage license. Genealogy is where you find it!!! If you are SURE you ancestors never moved, you may be in for a rude awakening when you discover their records elsewhere. Happy hunting. E.W.Wallace <BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at http://www.aol.com.