County Courthouse Book [Paperback]

Elizabeth Petty Bentley (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0806314850 | ISBN-13: 978-0806314853 | Publication Date: September 1, 1995 | Edition: 2 Sub

This is a complete overhaul of the 1990 classic, featuring updated coverage of 3,125 county jurisdictions and 1,577 New England towns and independent Virginia cities, details of the 18 Vermont probate districts, 9 Massachusetts districts, and 12 Connecticut judicial districts, plus informative state profiles and cross-references to name changes and extinct towns and counties. Based on her written survey of county courthouses and other jurisdictions, Mrs. Bentley here presents the names, addresses, phone numbers, and dates of organization of all county courthouses, and for those that responded (65 percent), a concise summary of record holdings, personnel, and services. Besides its obvious genealogical uses, the County Courthouse Book can also be used for land title searches, legal investigations, questions of property rights and inheritance, and indeed for personal searches and investigations of all kinds. But it is the genealogist who stands to benefit most from the book because it offers a concise guide to the county courthouses and courthouse records which are the main focus of his research. Just the book he's always needed!

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The second edition of Bentley's County Courthouse Book joins her Genealogist's Address Book (LJ 4/1/95. 3d ed.) to provide essential resource tools for genealogists and other researchers. An exhaustive revision of the 1990 original (LJ 9/1/90), this edition features updated coverage of 3,125 county jurisdictions and 1,577 New England towns and independent Virginia cities. This and other information was primarily obtained through a questionnaire yielding a 65 percent response rate. Entries for each county courthouse are arranged by state and county and give the current address and phone number. While this book will be heavily used by myriad genealogists around the world, it can also be useful to other researchers regarding land title, property rights, and inheritance. Libraries that bought the 1990 edition will need to purchase this second edition, since it will be essential to both the institutional and home market for genealogists and others whose research demands these resources.
Judith P. Reid, Library of Congress
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 405 pages
• Publisher: Genealogical Pub Co; 2 Sub edition (September 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806314850
• ISBN-13: 978-0806314853
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,617,991 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book will be of high interest to any genealogist from dabbler to the professional!, June 22, 2010

By 

D. Fowler "Dragonfly77" (Vermont) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: County Courthouse Book, 3rd Edition (Paperback)

Whether you are a weekend genealogist or a professional one, this is one guide that may prove indispensable to you. Yes, much of this information can be found on the Internet, but the amount of information contained in these pages would take days or even weeks to compile. Most of us simply cannot afford to travel to all the places our ancestral information may be stored in so research by mail is essential. This book is set up to facilitate this type of research.

Under each state listing each county and its respective courthouses are listed. Under the state heading you will find a listing of the state capital, the date statehood was attained, and additional information such as charter or say, for instance, when it was annexed from the Louisiana purchase. You will learn about the function of the courts in the state. For example, "Florida's County Courts handle some civil actions, small claims, misdemeanors, ordinance violation, felony preliminaries and traffic." The following example from a Louisiana Parish will give you an idea what to expect from a specific listing:

Morehouse Parish
organized 1844 from Ouachita Territory

Morehouse Parish Clerk of Court
(120 South Franklin, Bastrop, LA 71220-location)
PO Box 1543 (mailing address)
Bastrop, LA 71221
Telephone & fax numbers
Web address
Carol Jones
(deeds and mortgages from 1844, naturalization records from 1871 to 1901, probate records from 1870)
Probate search service: $10.00; copies of probate records: $1.00 per page plus SASA, $2.00 for certification, no minimum.

Most of the listings have very similar information, but some have more. I found that listing current prices for such things as the price of photocopies of records will be very helpful to most people. A simple call or email can give you some much needed information without an excessive amount of legwork.

This an up to date edition as the last one came out in 1995. In addition to this book I would also recommend two others, "The Genealogist's Address Book: State and Local Resources With Special Resources Including Ethnic and Religious Organizations," (6th edition) also by this author, and the "International Vital Records Handbook: Births Marriages Deaths" (5th edition) by Thomas Jay Kemp. There are many reasons for purchasing these books, but they will be of high interest to the genealogist and can be used for many years.