New Arrivals: County Court Records

Without a doubt, the most frequently used items in our microfilm collection are the county court records for Duval and surrounding counties (including Clay and St. Johns). Because the court records for Northeast Florida counties are in such high demand, we've expanded our geographic coverage to include Baker and Nassau counties. This month, we received the following county court records on microfilm:

BAKER COUNTY

• Mortgage Records of Baker County, Florida, 1876-1907
• Baker County Deeds, 1877-1909
• Miscellaneous records of Baker County, Florida, 1912-1937
• Record of Administrations, Baker County, Florida, 1914-1938
• Soldier's and Sailor's of Baker County, Florida, Discharge Records, 1917-1945

NASSAU COUNTY

• Marriage records, 1867-1953
• Returns on Accounts in Estates of Deceased Persons, 1873-1930
• General Index to Files and Records of Estates
• Petitions and Orders in Estates of Deceased Persons, 1873-1897
• Inventories, Appraisements and Sales in Estates of Deceased Persons, 1873-1933

You can read more about our county court records on microfilm at http://jaxpubliclibrary.org/coll/gen/duval.html.

Sons of the American Revolution Lineage Society

Throughout American history, many societies have risen and have developed over the course of time. The purpose of such societies and organizations vary greatly, depending upon their founder(s), origin, and reason for existence. In America, there are many societal groups in many areas; such as medicine, law, and education as well as the arts, science, and religion. For researchers of family history though, two of the most noted types are historical and genealogical societies. Some of these organizations date their genesis back to the American Revolution (1775-1783). Others developed over time with their lineage centered on an individual(s) or based upon particular event(s).

One example of an ancestral society is the “the Sons of the American Revolution” lineage society. What is the “Sons of the American Revolution?” you might ask. Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) is a non-profit corporation that seeks… “to maintain and extend the institutions of American freedom, an appreciation for true patriotism, and a respect for our national symbols”… to name a few of their aspirations.

SAR was organized in 1876 by a group of patriot descendants from San Francisco California. At that time, the organization was called “Sons of Revolutionary Sires”. “Their objective was to have a fraternal and civic society to salute those men and women who pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor to the battle of independence from Great Britain.”

SAR felt that through their stories, values such as patriotism would inspire future generations. From Sires on April 30, 1889, the “National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution” developed commemorating the 100th anniversary of George Washington’s inauguration. On June 9, 1906, the organization was chartered by Congress and signed by President Theodore Roosevelt. (Roosevelt himself was a member.) With twenty-six thousand members and with hundreds of chapters in various countries, the society remains active.

Although not a current subscription, the Genealogy collection does contain a few years of the SAR publication. Starting out as the “Official bulletin of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution”, this publication began in October 1906. From there, the title changed to “The Minute Man” in 1923. Later, the title changed again to “The Sons of the American Revolution Magazine” in 1930, and finally evolved into the current publication entitled, “The SAR Magazine” in 1967 to present time. Published quarterly, the magazine provides news and information regarding the society and its endeavors, such as updates, current events, and genealogical inquiries. In addition, it features articles written by and submitted by SAR members regarding historical events and figures.

Therefore if you believe that you have ancestors who contributed to America’s independence, you may wish to consider the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution as a resource. For more information about this lineage society and their endeavors, you may wish to visit their website at http://www.sar.org.

Fleming Island Genealogy Group Tour the JPL Genealogy Collection

One of my favorite parts of my job is showing our impressive genealogy collection to people who have never visited the library before. On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to give a tour of the collection to the Fleming Island Genealogy Group. Today I was delighted to find that Chris Mochocki of the Clay County Public Library posted some pictures from the tour on their blog. If you would like to request an individual or group tour of the Genealogy Collection, please contact us at 630-2409.

18th Century Obituaries: the First Celebrity Gossip Columns

As genealogists, we rely on obituaries to provide birth and death dates, biographical details, and the names of surviving relatives. Obituary content provided by the surviving relatives casts the subject in a flattering light. Modern obituaries list a person's achievements and omit any personal information that might be considered scandalous. Dr. Elizabeth Warwick, associate professor at the Univeristy of Warwick (UK) claims this was not the case in 18th century England. Instead, "the people featured in obituaries became the objects of scandal and public fascination, or indeed the UK's first celebrities."

Genie’s Genealogical Tip No. 1

When searching for marriage records, don’t forget to consider “marriage bonds” and “marriage banns”.

Marriage bonds were posted by the groom at the clerk of the court in the bride’s county of residence. The purpose was to show the groom’s intent on marriage and that there were no legal impediments to the marriage. The father or brother of the bride along with the groom also could post the bond to help with the cost in the event the marriage was invalidated. Some bonds go back to the mid to late 1700s. It must be noted that bonds were not required by all states or colonies.

Marriage banns (a practice during colonial times) are public announcements made usually in church regarding an upcoming marriage. They were read out loud at least three Sundays or meetings in a row, and were documented in parish church minutes and bulletins. Many times they were posted in public places. Their purpose was to give anyone the opportunity to object to the pending marriage based upon legitimate reasons or concerns, such as a pre-existing marriage, individuals’ consent, illegal age, and so on.