Susan, you got farther into this subject than I did, I just got the answer 'we do not have those'. I also have interest in this topic from the lunacy standpoint - I cannot find death info for a distant great uncle who was listed as insane on census records from 1850 thru 1880. My interest is also regional, since the families he did and could have lived with were on both sides of the river. thanks Mark Gilbert our southwest ohio families' genealogy is at http://www.tribalpages.com/tribe/browse?userid=eimarkg -----Original Message----- From: SHASTA4737@aol.com To: OHHAMILT-L@rootsweb.com Sent: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 23:35:12 EDT Subject: [OH-HAMILT] Are adoption and lunacy records sealed forever? Hi, I've been trying to obtain adoption records in Hamilton County, Ohio. The clerk told me that they are sealed forever. Is this a new rule? I thought it was only for 75 years. This ancestor's adoption was about 1881. Also, I've tried to get a "lunacy" court record on one of my great grandfathers and was told that these are sealed forever also. The lunacy record is also from about 1881. Could someone tell me if this is Ohio law or are the clerks in error? Could different counties have different rules on adoption and lunacy records? Thanks for any help! Sincerely, Susan E. Davis ==== OHHAMILT Mailing List ==== DON'T send a message in ALL CAPS or UPPER CASE Letters except when typing a surname. It's shouting, and considered bad manners(Netiquette). ============================== Jumpstart your genealogy with OneWorldTree. Search not only for ancestors, but entire generations. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13972/rd.ashx

Hi again, I forgot to mention that my grandmother's Adoption in 1892 has strong connections to Ohio. It's a long story, so I'll just briefly summarize: My grandmother was reportedly a "foundling" in Boston, MA, in Feb. 1888. And, in Mar. 1892 near Boston, she was adopted by an older couple. John and Mary (CLARK) DEXTER had mysteriously moved out of their life-long home in Killingly, CT, and moved to Boston, MA, during the spring or summer of 1888 (right around the time "someone" got pregnant with my grandmother). It is my "educated guess" that John and Mary's married daughter, Mrs. Clara (DEXTER) YOUNG, had an "unwanted pregnancy" in the spring or summer of 1888. And, in order to keep a "small town scandal" down to a low roar, they moved to Boston and kept track of their granddaughter's whereabouts - after she was "found" on the steps of a church. Back in Killingly, CT, Abner and Clara YOUNG had a 7-year-old son, Earle YOUNG. He grew up, married, and moved to New Haven, CT. One of the sons was Winthrop YOUNG, who married and lived for quite a few years in .. Ohio !!! His 3 sons lived in Ohio after they married. In his retirement, Winthrop spent many years researching and then self-publishing (home-typed) a family-history document on his "YOUNG line." I was able to get a Xerox copy of this document, and his DEXTER great-grandparents are hardly mentioned at all ! And, there is NO mention of his grandmother's much younger "adoptive" sister ! ----- Original Message ----- From: <gilburns@aol.com> To: <OHHAMILT-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, August 22, 2005 8:14 AM Subject: Re: [OH-HAMILT] Are adoption and lunacy records sealed forever? > Susan, you got farther into this subject than I did, I just got the answer 'we do not have those'. > > I also have interest in this topic from the lunacy standpoint - I cannot find death info for a distant great uncle who was listed as insane on census records from 1850 thru 1880. > > My interest is also regional, since the families he did and could have lived with were on both sides of the river. > > thanks > > Mark Gilbert > > our southwest ohio families' genealogy is at > http://www.tribalpages.com/tribe/browse?userid=eimarkg > > > -----Original Message----- > From: SHASTA4737@aol.com > To: OHHAMILT-L@rootsweb.com > Sent: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 23:35:12 EDT > Subject: [OH-HAMILT] Are adoption and lunacy records sealed forever? > > > > Hi, > > I've been trying to obtain adoption records in Hamilton County, Ohio. The > clerk told me that they are sealed forever. Is this a new rule? I thought it > was only for 75 years. This ancestor's adoption was about 1881. > > Also, I've tried to get a "lunacy" court record on one of my great > grandfathers and was told that these are sealed forever also. The lunacy record > is > also from about 1881. > > Could someone tell me if this is Ohio law or are the clerks in error? Could > different counties have different rules on adoption and lunacy records? > > Thanks for any help! > > Sincerely, > > Susan E. Davis > > > > ==== OHHAMILT Mailing List ==== > DON'T send a message in ALL CAPS or UPPER CASE Letters except when > typing a surname. It's shouting, and considered bad manners(Netiquette). > > ============================== > Jumpstart your genealogy with OneWorldTree. Search not only for > ancestors, but entire generations. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13972/rd.ashx > > ______________________________