Edye is right in that the "old books" should be handled with respect... In the metropolitan Texas County where I reside, the County Clerk, and elected official who provides recordkeeping services to all the County offices, Probate Courts, etc, (except District Courts where Divorces are recorded) sets the fee for copies based upon her calculation of the cost of the machine, supplies, and her deputy clerk's time to look up the record and copy it for you...She charges $1.00 per page...I have been to other Counties where it was self-service, and their prices were cheaper. In BC and DC, the State Bureau of Vital Statistics has control, and the price is $13 for BC and $9 for DC...Personally, I would rather get them from the State because you receive a copy of the handwritten document with a nice border put around it...at the County level, they look at the handwritten record and type up a copy, then Certify it...I have found that the accuracy depends on the ability of the particular Clerk to read old handwriting, plus I often knew information which they were not privy to, making the "Certified Copy" incorrect, i.e., Cause of death being wrong because they had no medical knowledge of the disease, or parents incorrectly spelled because they could not read the Undertaker's or Doctor's handwriting, nearly so well as I could... I will go for State records anytime it is possible, even if it takes longer... >From: Edye Higgins <oscar38606@yahoo.com> >To: MISSISSIPPI-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: Re: [Re: No copies] >Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2001 05:01:39 -0800 (PST) >MIME-Version: 1.0 >Received: from [63.92.80.32] by hotmail.com (3.2) with ESMTP id >MHotMailBC454C27009F400432123F5C502011DC0; Sat Feb 03 05:01:28 2001 >Received: (from slist@localhost)by lists2.rootsweb.com (8.10.1/8.10.1) id >f13D1cc32413;Sat, 3 Feb 2001 05:01:38 -0800 >From MISSISSIPPI-L-request@rootsweb.com Sat Feb 03 05:03:22 2001 >Resent-Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2001 05:01:38 -0800 >X-Original-Sender: oscar38606@yahoo.com Sat Feb 3 05:01:38 2001 >Message-ID: <20010203130139.6859.qmail@web2302.mail.yahoo.com> >Old-To: Eugenia <genaerber@usa.net>, MISSISSIPPI-L@rootsweb.com >In-Reply-To: <20010203045511.13614.qmail@nwcst312.netaddress.usa.net> >Resent-Message-ID: <6epeWB.A.R6H.yEAf6@lists2.rootsweb.com> >Resent-From: MISSISSIPPI-L@rootsweb.com >X-Mailing-List: <MISSISSIPPI-L@rootsweb.com> archive/latest/91 >X-Loop: MISSISSIPPI-L@rootsweb.com >Precedence: list >Resent-Sender: MISSISSIPPI-L-request@rootsweb.com > >I've not experienced any of what you guys are speaking of. My >ancestors are from Webster, Itawamba and Oktibbeha (so far). At all >three of these courthouses when I asked to copy I was told that they >would be most happy to copy anything I wanted copied but since people >were "less than gentle with these old books" I wasn't allowed to >copy. One of the clerks made the copies I requested and charged me >35 cents a copy. Also in Webster county I wanted a copy of my >parents marriage license, the clerk copied the license, certified it >and GAVE it to me. > >I guess it helped some that the Clerk in both Webster and Itawamba >are probably related to me or had personal knowledge of my family >name. (Itawamba the Clerk's last name was DULANEY, which is my >maiden name. In Webster the Clerk had grown up with my Mother and >said she remembered me from my Mom's funeral, Mom passed away when I >was six). > > > > >--- Eugenia <genaerber@usa.net> wrote: > > Point taken! But to be honest, I do not really think any > > researchers, > > generally speaking, mind to pay the copy costs since we are > > obtaining > > copies which are so valuabe to us. If the counties would provide > > some > > overhead copy machines, I think we would be just as willing to pay > > for > > copies that way. Probably be willing to pay higher fees due to the > > fact they are having to take special measures to provide for our > > needs. > > > > As much as some of the agencies make off the copies, it seems they > > could > > use those funds to provide an overhead copier, or alternative means > > of > > copying the old records, thereby preserving them at the same time. > > > > Thanks. > > > > Eugenia > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Gerald Gieger" <giegerg@hotmail.com> wrote: > > > > County Governments have found a Windfall in the copying business... > > > > >From: "Bobbye Davis" <bobbye@microsped.com> > > >To: MISSISSIPPI-L@rootsweb.com > > >Subject: No copies > > >Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2001 14:47:52 -0600 > > > > > > > >Gerald Geiger wrote: > > >Problem lies in not knowing the LAW...If you do, you can quote it > > to them, > > >and they will usually relent... > > >I wish!! I told them I knew they were public records and I had a > > right to > > >do > > >it. I had no problem looking at Sunflower Co. when I asked ,they > > were nice > > >about that but refused to budge on the copying. they would give me > > > > >certified > > >copies of the original marriage license for $10.00 each. I said no > > thank > > >you > > >I want copies of the original. They furnished so much information > > about > > >both > > >families. > > >As for Neshoba Co. they won't budge an inch.I forgot,but it may be > > the > > >Board > > >Of Supervisors who makes this decision for the Chancery Clerk. I > > will have > > >to ask again. Most all of my Williams Family and descendants > > were married > > >in Lauderdale, Neshoba and Newton Counties. It is a shame. I was > > just lucky > > >enough to get an original copy on my gg aunt's from a cousin who > > had gone > > >to > > >Neshoba Co. when they still let you copy. > > > > > > > > >==== MISSISSIPPI Mailing List ==== > > >Visit the Mississippi-L Website at > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~mississi > > >where you can both SUBSCRIBE and UNSUBSCRIBE with a click of the > > mouse. > > > > > >============================== > > >Visit Ancestry.com for a FREE 14-Day Trial and enjoy access to the > > #1 > > >Source for Family History Online. Go to: > > > >http://www.ancestry.com/subscribe/subscribetrial1y.asp?sourcecode=F11HB > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com > > > > > > ==== MISSISSIPPI Mailing List ==== > > Help yourself to some data at http://www.rootsweb.com/~mississi in > > the > > database, and be sure to leave a little for others. > > > > ============================== > > Create a FREE family website at MyFamily.com! > > http://www.myfamily.com/banner.asp?ID=RWLIST2 > > > > > > >____________________________________________________________________ > > Get free email and a permanent address at > > http://www.netaddress.com/?N=1 > > > > > > ==== MISSISSIPPI Mailing List ==== > > Visit the Mississippi-L Website at > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~mississi > > where you can both SUBSCRIBE and UNSUBSCRIBE with a click of the > > mouse. > > > > ============================== > > 9 Health Tips for Computer Genealogists > > http://www.thirdage.com/features/tech/ouch/ > > > > >===== >Edye Higgins >Byhalia, MS >====== >Friends are angels that lift us to our feet when our wings forget how to >fly. > >Get up to $45 FREE postage with Stamps.com! Click here: Stamps.com >http://service.bfast.com/bfast/click?bfmid=27893756&siteid=35532320&bfpage=stamps_com > >__________________________________________________ >Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 >a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ > > >==== MISSISSIPPI Mailing List ==== >Visit the Mississippi-L Website at http://www.rootsweb.com/~mississi >where you can both SUBSCRIBE and UNSUBSCRIBE with a click of the mouse. > >============================== >Visit Ancestry.com for a FREE 14-Day Trial and enjoy access to the #1 >Source for Family History Online. Go to: >http://www.ancestry.com/subscribe/subscribetrial1y.asp?sourcecode=F11HB > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com