Posts in October 1, 2020

Many census records used by American genealogists are actually handwritten “cleaned up” copies of the census taker’s field notes. Those copies were the ones that were microfilmed and eventually digitized. There’s always the chance for error. A copy of will in a will record is a handwritten copy of the will. It’s not the original will itself–even though a record copy is the legal equivalent. A copy of a deed in a deed record book is usually a handwritten copy of the actual deed–if recorded before photoduplication was an option. Is that entry for a relative in a marriage register the “original” or is it a transcribed copy of what was in the marriage record? The same thing applies to an entry in a death register. Was it […]