Dear Teresa and List, I think your ideas are correct about the copying of the Loose Papers. I think one important component of the project is to get an overview in writing with (1)an estimate of number of pieces, (2)dates of coverage and (3)their importance to the community. If possible, it would be good to enlist the help of a history-minded judge who might in-turn, convince members of the local Bar Association to contribute funds to a copying project. This has been done in other parts of the country with precious documents now saved for posterity. One might say the court has the best idea of their importance but space is critical with ever-expanding court documents. In a few years someone could decide they are not needed and have them discarded. I have run into that problem in counties (Not in VA) where such records just no longer exist. Rosa Wright ----- Original Message ----- From: Teresa <tshands@lv.rmci.net> To: <VA-SOUTHSIDE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2001 11:37 PM Subject: Re: [VA-SOUTHSIDE-L] Re: Surry Loose Papers > I think we should all slow down a little. This whole idea is still in > its infancy. Before anything can be done, the county has to allow > access to these papers. And they haven't said they will do that. Then > some organized entity, preferably the Surry Co Historical Society, > will have to agree to direct the project, which will include > soliciting the funding, choosing someone to photograph the pages, & > someone else to abstract the information from them, and then deciding > the best way to present them. I don't envy anyone these chores. But > until this is an official project with a concrete plan that is > accepting donations for that purpose, there is not much we listers can > do. I'm sure we'll be kept informed via the list of any developements. > > Teresa Shands > > http://gennetwork.org > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Sarah Keesee <lydiap@salisbury.net> > To: <VA-SOUTHSIDE-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2001 11:22 PM > Subject: Re: [VA-SOUTHSIDE-L] Re: Surry Loose Papers > > > Paul, > This is the third copy of your message. I understood the first very > well > and I'm glad you aren't disdainful of my view so I'll carry on: In > my > little experience (miniscule compared to yours I'm sure) in organizing > work > I've found that the simpler the better; the fewer the committees, the > fewer > meetings the faster a project can be finished. Too many cooks and all > that. > > I've also seen early writing and agree it is miserable--sometimes > impossible--at times to read. Since there is no order to them now, > those > that are illegible could be set aside (with no damage done) until the > last > with the note "illegible" or let the recipient of the photo copy > decide. > In my own amateurish way, I have also indexed books & appreciate the > time & > work it takes. So if this project is to include committees, > meetings, > organizing, transcribing, indexing, THEN photo-ing and publishing, we > will > be able to look forward to the finished product, with a little luck, > June > 2020. Again the recipient can download the photos & index his own. > He/she > is not going to be interested in every name in those boxes. Please > give the > average researcher a little credit in being able to use records on his > own. > All he needs is to SEE them. > This is my last on the subject. Please remove my name from the list > of > contributors in fairness to the Historical Society so they won't be > making > decisions depending on my donation. > As always, > My best > Sarah > > ---- Original Message ----- > From: "Paul Drake" <martee@citlink.net> > To: <VA-SOUTHSIDE-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2001 7:12 PM > Subject: [VA-SOUTHSIDE-L] Re: Surry Loose Papers > > > > Hi, Sarah. Please do not think that I am disdainful of your view, > > for I surely am not. I feel that this is not a complicated project, > > however I have examined thousands of papers from courts and full > > well realize that the many names buried in that tedious writing are > > revealed only through experience. > > > > That writing in those thousands of documents is NOT readable by most > > of us without great labor, and without an index to those names, the > > work is next to useless. It would take a lifetime for the casual > > researcher to even begin to search those records, and then all who > > followed that researcher would travel the same road over and over > > and over, to no benefit whatever for us all. > > > > While SOME volunteers are able - AND HAVE THE TIME - to decipher > > 18th century writing, most are simply not able or have the days to > > do so. If we can gain the assistance of such as Steve, Bunny and > > Weynette Haun, we will be years ahead in accomplishing the task. Who > > derives what funds, if any, and when are simply not what we should > > be worried about now. Paul > > > > --- Original Message ----- > > From: "Sarah Keesee" <lydiap@salisbury.net> > > To: <VASURRY-L@rootsweb.com> > > Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2001 10:59 PM > > Subject: Surry Loose Papers > > > > > > > Paul, this has gone in all directions from my request that > > access be > > > allowed to the Surry loose papers until I'm not sure it is > > related. All I > > > asked is that the papers be made available to someone such as > > Bunny & Steve > > > if they will photo & put on internet free of charge. For that I > > was & will > > > still be glad to contribute (modest amount) to them directly for > > their > > > expenses and for the time they put in. > > > This has now snowballed into a full blown suggested project of > > > organizing, > > > publishing with every conceivable complicated method & process-- > > a > > > for-profit deal that the public is then expected to buy-- the > > product they > > > financed to get done. > > > Any minute I'm expecting the organization to be incorporated with > > shares > > > offered. The Peter Principle is becoming a possiblity. > > > > > > Simple: one sheet at a time as taken from the box, no indexing, > > no > > > organization; I will be able to organize according to my needs. > > That done, > > > the photos can then be sorted, organized, indexed & put into any > > type > > > publication one wants for sale. > > > > > > So.....my offer is still good as described above. Otherwise, I > > will have > > > to see the final plans (if they ever come about) before I commit > > to > > > subsidizing the proposed project.. I'll just wait until some > > enterprising > > > soul is able to publish & then purchase a copy of their work... > > of which I > > > have no problem at all. Love the printed page! > > > Best, > > > Sarah > > > > > > > > > > > > ==== VASURRY Mailing List ==== > > > Don't forget to check out the Surry County, Virginia, Historical > > Society > > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~vaschsm/Index.html > > > List Mistress is Eve Gregory egregory20@earthlink.net > > > > > > > > > ============================== > > > Visit Ancestry's Library - The best collection of family history > > > learning and how-to articles on the Internet. > > > http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library > > > > > > > > > ==== VA-SOUTHSIDE Mailing List ==== > > USGW Archives Pension Project > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/pensions/ > > > > > > ============================== > > Join the RootsWeb WorldConnect Project: > > Linking the world, one GEDCOM at a time. > > http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com > > > > > > > ==== VA-SOUTHSIDE Mailing List ==== > The USGenWeb Project http://www.usgenweb.org > > > ============================== > Join the RootsWeb WorldConnect Project: > Linking the world, one GEDCOM at a time. > http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com > > > > > ==== VA-SOUTHSIDE Mailing List ==== > Hosted by Rootsweb http://www.rootsweb.com > > > ============================== > Search over 1 Billion names at Ancestry.com! > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist1.asp >