How often do you ask the clerk to look for you again for a document? I have lost count of the number of times a clerk or someone could not find a record in a courthouse or other facility only to have someone find it several years later. There are things that are lost or were never recorded. But if it’s been a while since you looked or had someone look, it might be time to have another person to look for the item. Especially if there is new clerk or office staff.
Do I Cite it All? Making “your case” is more than simply citing every document that mentions a date of birth, a date of death, a marriage, a parent-child relationship, etc. It is determining what to cite, and if no one document states the fact clearly, including all the relevant documents. Depending upon the situation, making your case may involve deciding what documents to use if you have fifteen sources that all provide a date of birth. We will see how to pick and choose sources when there are many of them and how to make your case when it takes multiple sources to reach a conclusion. We will look at three different examples (at least) from the 18th and 19th centuries. Purchase media file and handouts. Download […]
When heirs are selling property after a death, always look to see where the deed was acknowledged. The deed will have to be recorded in the county in which the property was located, but heirs may acknowledge the deed before a local official where they live. That local official will indicate the location in which he was authorized to act as a notary, justice of the peace, etc. That location can help you to determine where the person was living at the time the deed was acknowledged, even if the deed itself does provide any residential information on the grantors.
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