Most US county recorder’s offices have a “miscellaneous” record where a variety of documents have been officially recorded. Usually what is in those volumes can vary, but I’ve seen copies of out-of-state divorce decrees, out-of-county death certificates, medical licenses, etc. It may be worth a look to see what is available. And while you are there don’t forget to ask about soldier’s discharge records. Many counties made official record copies of soldier’s discharge paperwork in case the soldier ever lost his papers.
We will be discussing this in a future post, but I could not resist sharing this 1803 plot of a parcel of property surveyed for Thomas Sledd in Amherst County, Virginia. It was surveyed a few years before he left for Kentucky. These old drawings are wonderful. They are land records, but sometimes these survey plots are recorded in a separate series of books.
City directories may contain list of abbreviations in the prefatory material. Do not just look for your relative’s name and quit.Those lists may include name of local employers that were easier to abbreviate than print over and over. Genealogy Tip of the Day is proudly sponsored by GenealogyBank. Try their “GenealogyBank Search” and see what discoveries you make.
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