Hi Bud, I would urge you to try not to be too hard on any of these folks... they are quite innundated these days with guys like us, and the condition of old records is not of their doing... Now as a second thought I am going suggest you might take a peek look back at IGI under familysearch.com for your Elijah in NJ under adjacent Middlesex County, or also of Etown, Union County (then Essex)...there are some Elijahs listed fitting into your time frame, and migration was not unlikely from either of those Counties into Somerset County... Good luck ! Jan in California ---------- >From: BudMartin3@aol.com >To: NJSOMERS-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: Elijah Martin >Date: Sat, Sep 2, 2000, 7:51 PM > > > I know I posted about this several months ago, but there may be new people > receiving this who may not have seen the first posting. > I have traced my family back to a man named Elijah Martin, born in either > 1777 or 1778. The "place of birth" is only listed as "Somerset county". > Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find out anything about EXACTLY where > in the county he was born, or who either of his parents were. Someone at the > state records place told me I had to go to the county records department at > the courthouse of the county in question. I went to the Somerset County > Courthouse in Somerville and asked - only to be told Somerset county doesn't > keep such records, that I had to go to the actual town of his birth! When I > told the lady there was no town listed, just "Somerset county", she gave me a > look like a deer caught in the headlights of an on-coming car, then shrugged > saying "that's too bad"....and proceeded to go back to her work as if I was > no longer in the room! leaving the courthouse - and barely succeeding in > refraining from giving the lady inside a dope slap in the back of her head - > I was left wondering "what now"? Any suggestions or ideas would be > appreciated. Thanks. > Buddy Martin > >