Category: divorce records

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Court of Pleas and Quarterly Sessions

James L. Douthat

In doing genealogical research, we often ignore the sources where we will find the information because we think it is too difficult to locate. The Court of Pleas and Quarterly Sessions as some states call them, is one of those sources. In every state and every county, there is an organization established to handle the day to day matters of that area. It is called by different names, but the actions are pretty much the same. A world of important records is found in their minutes with notations that are…

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divorce records

Divorce Records

James L. Douthat

None of us want to think about our ancestors being involved in such things as a divorce. It happened early on and it is still happening today. However, the method of handling a divorce and the judgment rendered is a subject of discussion. From the beginning of Tennessee and before that in North Carolina, divorces were handled by the Superior Court of Law and Equity at least until 1809. Before this time in Tennessee, there were few court systems in place to handle any type of action so it fell…

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divorce records

Divorce Records

James L. Douthat

With so many marriages ending in divorce, it will affect nearly every level of your genealogical research today and in the years to come. Though the years, divorces have fluctuated between being a church matter and a civil matter. Finding divorce records can sometimes be difficult, but it may provide some information. In the ancient world, divorce was an informal affair and was primarily dominated by males since women had few, if any, rights in the matter. In most cases, a divorce did not have to be recognized or ratified…

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