YEs, well that goes back to the expectation that one is totally familiar with the history of the marriage bond/license. I still feel that this was misleading to the effect that the book encompassed everything between 1839 and 1887. We should all be as smart as you. I'm not in the mood to read your smug synopsis of the situation. LAP --- Ira Wade <[email protected]> wrote: > To Laura, Judy, and all, > I feel I have to respond to Laura's reaction to the > Marriage Licenses of > Stokes County, NC. It is very rare to find any > marriage license before > 1868 when "as part of the reorganization of state > and local government > under Reconstruction, an act was approved > transferring the power to > issue licenses to the Register of Deeds and making > the license the only > public record of a marriage."...as the Introduction > to the book states. > When looking for marriages before then, I always > look to marriage BONDS, > not LICENSES. These were two different types of > documents, with > different information. Therefore I am glad someone > had a copy of the > marriage bond book and did find the marriage she > needed. > > I have loved having the Marriage License 1839-1887 > book and its sequel, > Marriage Licenses of Stokes Co NC 1888-1900. > Because licenses did > require parents of each party, ages, actual marriage > date, etc., if you > can make a hit, you can often add lots to the family > record. > > The problem is not the book, but what one could > realistically expect to > find...the title said "Licenses" not marriage > "records". > > Thanks, Jane > > _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com