Asheville Genealogy column: Look for family history in court records – Asheville Citizen

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There are a number of other records associated with the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, such as Appeal Dockets, Execution Dockets, Trial Dockets and several more.

The survival of these records and volumes varies greatly from county to county. Many counties have suffered courthouse fires or other destruction, particularly during the Civil War.

It is advisable for the researcher to check the Guide to Research Materials in the N.C. State Archives online at www.archives.ncdcr.gov/FindingAids/co_guide.pdf for the existence of records in the county of interest.

By examining all existing court records for the county at the time period in question, one is often able to assemble a complete overall picture of a court case involving an ancestor. Abstracts of these minutes have been published for many counties, and these may be available in the county of interest, in the state genealogical library, on interlibrary loan from a public library, or for purchase.

We should note that it is wise to check with the archives before traveling to Raleigh to determine the availability of the records and the form in which they are held. Some records are held off-site and require at least a 24-hour notice to access them.

Records on microfilm may be copied by the researcher for the same fee as other microfilm records. But because the books and records themselves are very old and fragile, photocopying of most, if not all, is prohibited. A copy may be ordered and the staff will photograph the pages desired, but the cost is much higher than a regular photocopy.

Researchers are generally allowed to photograph these in the search room, using a digital camera with no flash. Many researchers have indicated that the quality of photos of the books taken with a good digital camera is as good as or better than any photocopy.

Volunteers needed

Next month we will discuss the release and content of the 1940 census, which will be released on April 2. An attempt is being made to form a group of people familiar with local names and places to index the census for the Western North Carolina counties, beginning as soon as it is released.

This will assure greater accuracy of the spelling of names and places. It is hoped that people familiar with the surnames and places in each of the 13 westernmost counties will volunteer to be indexers.

Any reader who has an interest in participating in this project may contact info@obcgs.com or call 253-1894 and leave contact information. Inquiries will be promptly answered.

In May, we will discuss the Superior Court and Supreme Court records and those generated after revamping of the court system after 1868.