When I began my research of Henderson Co., KY, I hired a reseacher who lived in Frankfort, KY because I was still working and did not have time to read microfilm myself. No internet for civilians, in those days. Experienced as he was, the reseacher started with the Court Order Books. Later I carried on with dissecting the deeds, and I did untangle some family mysteries by reading deeds. I have found that in many instances, deed indexes are used so much by the general public as well as title searchers, attorneys, etc., that many of the old handwritten books have been copied, and the deed indexes are 1) typewritten and 2) alphabetized, making it easier for the researcher to seek out his family's surnames. In some counties in Kentucky, the watercourse is given in the last column of the deed index. In that way, one can group the neighbors. (My ancestor lived on or near Lick Creek.) It has been years since I have looked at the Family History Library films for the deed indexes of Henderson Co., but I urge persons looking for ancestors to use deed indexes--both grantor and grantee. It helps to understand the history of Henderson Co.--that this was the part of the Richard Henderson grant which Virginia awarded Henderson--after the American Revolution. (I am simplifying this.) Therefore, many deeds will bear the notation Henderson & Co. grant. Wasn't Samuel Hopkins the main agent for Henderson & Heirs? Because I read the Court Order Books for the early days, I learned that my ancestor had remarried and became the guardian of his stepchildren, along with his new wife. Also, he was frequently delinquent with his taxes and was triple taxed. And so on. Later, a cousin found a bail bond, which seems to be the only document linking my ancestor with his [youngest?] son. Censuses are important, but we all need to expand our horizons and find other records which were created--not for family historians--but for the government, mainly. Sometimes church records and old letters exist, and in that case, you are lucky. At one time, I found on the shelves of the Old Kentucky Historical Society [in the old building] a transcript of some of the minutes of Grave Creek Baptist Church. Later, in the new building, I could not find this transcript. Anyone know what happened to it? E.W.Wallace