Lynda while in Copiah co. did you happen to see any birth records? I have been searching for my great grandfather, he was born in 1846, his name was Samuel M. Barron. Thanks Karen ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lynda Lindsey" <linda1@zebra.net> To: <MSCOPIAH-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2001 8:04 PM Subject: Re: Courthouse visit > who are your names Sally > > At 07:09 PM 10/25/2001 -0500, Sally Viada wrote: > >Hi Robert, > >Very interesting, your comments and findings. I have several Copiah names I > >am researching. I hope I will able to go there when I finally retire. For > >once my age is agreeing with me. > >Sally > >----- Original Message ----- > >From: <RStuart160@aol.com> > >To: <MSCOPIAH-L@rootsweb.com> > >Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2001 1:17 PM > >Subject: Courthouse visit > > > > > >> Hi All, > >> > >> Just got back from a short visit to Copiah county. Though much of > >the > >> time was spent catching up with cousins there, I was able to spend some > >time > >> in the county court. > >> > >> For those who are unaware, the chancery court has been moved across > >> the street from the main courthouse. The land documents and probate court > >> related documents are found here. > >> > >> The circuit court clerk has moved into the old chancery area of the > >> main courthouse. In both of these moves, much better space is provided, > >and > >> a much more comfortable research environment than the old records rooms. > >> > >> I will note that the circuit court has all the marriage records, > >even > >> those originally recorded by the chancery court. The early marriage > >records > >> were apparently transcribed sometime back in the 1940s. Most of the early > >> records are actually transcriptions, transfered to 20th century forms. I > >> make note of this, since I was looking to correct two marriages, which > >> contain erroneous information, which I found in a published transcription. > >> Both of these errors were apparently made in the original court > >transciptions > >> from the marriage books. I am unsure if the original marriage books still > >> exist, or if they were destroyed after the transcriptions were made. I > >> certainly could find no sign of them in the courthouse. > >> > >> Since I have been searching for an 1846 criminal docket, I checked > >> with the circuit court clerk, who noted that during the recent move, they > >had > >> discovered a number of 19th century record books in the attic of the > >> courthouse. These are in poor shape, and not available for general use. > >> They are slated for preservation in the next year or two, however. I was > >> able to go down to the basement and look around for the case I was > >interested > >> in. Here, I would estimate were a hundred odd volumes of various circuit > >> court records, in various states of deterioration. Although I only had > >time > >> to go through the minutes of a single court term, I must say that a number > >of > >> the names I have seen on this mail list can be found, in one context or > >> another, in these records. Mostly civil and criminal cases, names appear > >as > >> witnesses, jury members, plantiffs, defendants, etc. Once these records > >are > >> available for general use, I suspect they will provide a good deal of > >> interesting family details for those willing to spend the time browsing > >> through them. I know of no index to these volumes. > >> > >> About the preservation of records: I am impressed with the current > >> staff's determination to preserve the old records. Unlike past trips, a > >> number of the old land records are now laminated in acid free plastic, and > >> more records are preserved regularly. For instance, the CSA pension > >> applications, which used to be found in the drawers as loose folded > >documents > >> have now been laminated and are bound in a number of post binders. I > >vividly > >> remember brittle pages breaking up as I turned them on past visits, and > >> congradulate the staff for their forsightedness in the ongoing > >preservation > >> of these records. > >> > >> As usual, I managed to find and copy 150 or so pages of family > >related > >> documents, and didn't get near finished. Oh well, next time maybe. > >> > >> As an aside, I was able to spend an hour or so with Paul > >Cartwright, > >> the director of the library in Hazlehurst. His genealogy holdings are > >> surprisingly large for such a small library, and he is constantly seeking > >to > >> expand this area. I noticed he had the complete WPA historical resource > >> materials for Copiah county, somewhat of a rarity. He is also begining to > >> put together surname files of contributed information, though this project > >is > >> in its infancy at this time, it is certain to add substancial information > >to > >> the library's holdings. I highly reccomend that anyone doing court > >research > >> here save some time to have a look around the library. > >> > >> Good hunting, > >> > >> Robert J. Stuart > >> Arlington, Texas > >> > >> > >> ==== MSCOPIAH Mailing List ==== > >> Add or check queries at > >> http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Ms/Copiah > >> > >> > >> ============================== > >> Ancestry.com Genealogical Databases > >> http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist2.asp > >> Search over 2500 databases with one easy query! > >> > >> > > > > > >==== MSCOPIAH Mailing List ==== > >Add or check queries at > >http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Ms/Copiah > > > > > >============================== > >Shop Ancestry - Everything you need to Discover, Preserve & Celebrate > >your heritage! > >http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog > > > > > > > God bless you, Lynda > > > ==== MSCOPIAH Mailing List ==== > > > > ============================== > Create a FREE family website at MyFamily.com! > http://www.myfamily.com/banner.asp?ID=RWLIST2 >