In a message dated 7/31/2000 1:20:35 PM Mountain Daylight Time, edtom@megsinet.net writes: << The earliest birth records in the Hampshire Co. Courthouse (and filmed by LDS) begin in 1865. Earlier records were lost or destroyed during the Civil War. >> There are ways around getting info besides traditional courthouse records. Hampshire county kept tax records in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Listed head of household for every year, the number of slaves and the number of taxable horses. Men were taxed when over age 21, except for two years when they were taxed at age 18. Regards, Diane Researching: Wolford, Harman, Briggs, Wilks, Hayes, Bowling, Whitlam, Flannery, Schenk, Dyer, Burton, Bauder/Bader, Hardendorf, Barnum, Clark, Keith, Finch http://www.lineage.net

Diane, The person to whom I was replying, had asked about birth records on microfilm. The early tax records will tell one ONLY who was paying taxes when & where. The only other source for really early birth information in Hampshire Co. would be family records (family Bibles, etc.), old church records, and gravestones. Wills, if in existence, will often list the names of living children of the deceased, but no indication as to ages, etc. As I said, however, this person was asking about birth records on microfilm. Elaine SnowBeri@aol.com wrote: > In a message dated 7/31/2000 1:20:35 PM Mountain Daylight Time, > edtom@megsinet.net writes: > > << The earliest birth records in the Hampshire Co. Courthouse (and filmed by > LDS) begin in 1865. Earlier records were lost or destroyed during the > Civil War. >> > There are ways around getting info besides traditional courthouse records. > Hampshire county kept tax records in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Listed > head of household for every year, the number of slaves and the number of > taxable horses. Men were taxed when over age 21, except for two years when > they were taxed at age 18. > > Diane