Category: Ministers Returns

Marriage Records Ministers Returns

MInister’s Returns

James L. Douthat

Frequently when you are researching some of the older marriages, you find that these are labeled Minister’s Returns. This may cause some confusion as to the fact if this is a “proper” record of that marriage. The short answer is “Yes”. The background as to why this is a correct record, one has to understand the reason behind the record itself. Minister Returns are found primarily in the older records of those states called commonwealths instead of states. There are only a few of the states that go by this…

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Bondage Orders Court Records Land Transfers Ministers Returns Road Orders

Genealogy Information in County Court Records

James L. Douthat

One of the last places to look for your ancestors are the minutes of the official body that runs the county. They are sometimes called County Court, Court of Pleas and Quarterly Session, or later Board of Supervisors. The names will sometimes change within a county and within a state, but they all have much the same information. This body handles the day to day business of the county where your ancestors were or are living. Digging into these minutes is frequently very revealing. Depending on the time frame, there…

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