I've got a question for *local* Barnstable researchers.... I have a lot of death records that I've looked for in the State records, mostly online using the NEHGS site, and others a while ago while at the MA State Archives. The books that were filmed (and are seen on the NEHGS site) I have seen in the state archives, and in many of them the first few pages were damaged by mishandling over the years. Barnstable town was always the first page in a given book, so received the most abuse. Therefore, many of the Barnstable records are damaged beyond usefulness, some are missing altogether where the page disintigrated and was lost. My question is this... Does the town clerk's office perhaps hold the *original* records that might have been copied to be sent to the state? For all of those documents that the State holds that are damaged, is there another copy kept in the town that might not be damaged? A specific example (there are lots) is the death record for Barnstable Vol. 211, pages 1-2 for 1868. The index shows a death record for Nason FISH, who I know died 28 Oct 1868 per his headstone. I'd like to see the full death record for him, but it apparently doesn't exist. Would the Barnstable town clerk's office have a copy of those pages of the death registers? Cheers! Bobbie Hall Chicago