A: U.S. RECORDS
1: Records
2: Location, Maps, Geo
3: Regions / States
4: Timelines & Histories |
B: VITAL RECORDS
1: Vital Rec.
2: Birth
3: Adoption
4: Marriage
5: Death, Obits
6: Cemetery |
C: CENSUS
1: Records
2: By Decades |
D: IMMIGRATION
1: Records
2: Passenger / Nat.
3: Other
4: Migration |
E: MILITARY
1: Records
2: By Conflict |
F: OTHER RECORDS
1: Religious
2: Land, Probate, Tax
3: Court
4: News.
5: Arch. / Lib.
6: Help
7: Misc.
KB
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Partners: FamilySearch Ancestry Findmypast MyHeritage | Websites: FS Wiki GenealogyLinks
Goal F3: Explore court records online.
Your ancestors may have participated as defendants, plaintiffs, witnesses, or jurors in the U.S. court system.
ChoicesVault
A Learn about U.S. courts and records.
- Introduction: Get an introduction to court records in this MyHeritage Wiki article.
MH—Wiki – U.S. Court Records - Learn more about court records in these articles.
FS—Wiki: U.S. Courts
FS—U.S. Court Records - Here's a helpful research guide for U.S. court records, from Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness.
Research Guide – U.S. Court Records - Learn about U.S. courthouse research.
Your Guide to Researching Your Family in Courthouse Records - More: Learn more about court records for research on the RootsWeb site.
- Court Procedures: Learn about court procedures and research clues they might offer.
Court Procedures - Learn about records for civil and criminal courts.
AAC—Civil and Criminal Courts—7:19
- * Good: Using the articles and videos in this Choice, write down key learnings for courts and records. Then use the learnings for searches for a U.S. ancestor.
- * Proficient: Same as above, for two or more ancestors.
B Use court records and electoral rolls for research.
- Learn how to find court records on the internet.
FE—Genealogy: Finding Courthouse Records on the Internet - Learn how to find ancestors in court records.
GC—Ancestors in Court Records - Courthouses: Get tips for visiting courthouses for research.
TH—Visiting the Courthouse - 2019
Preparing for Courthouse Research—3:23 - 2014
- Learn more about how to search for records in a courthouse.
FE—Genealogy: Searching in a Courthouse - Learn about records available from the recorder's office in this video.
AAC—Recorder's Office—6:34
Court Records
Electoral and Voting
Vault- Learn about using electoral rolls in research.
AC—Using Electoral Rolls in Family History Research—24:59 - 2016
GT—Searching Electoral Rolls for Ancestors - Voter Registration: Learn about using voter registration records in research.
RT—Digging Deeper: Voter Registrations - 2019
4 Powerful Ways You Need To Be Using Historical Voting Lists - Voting Records: Read these articles to learn about the opportunities and challenges with voting records. (See also Goal 3 in each U.S. state page for more information on voting records.)
GB—Genealogy 101: Voting Records, Part I
GB—Genealogy 101: Voting Records, Part II - 2018 - Learn more about voter records in this MyHeritage article.
MH—Voter Records - Voter Lists: Explore voter lists by state on the
Ancestor Hunt site.
Other
- Legal Notices: Learn about using legal notices in your research, such as repossessions, bankruptcies, and debt collections.
BYU—Legal Notices for Genealogists—64:13 - 2017
- Bankruptcy: Learn how to use bankruptcy records for research.
AR: Using Bankruptcy Records for Genealogical Research - 2014 - Almshouse and Poverty: Learn about almshouse records.
AC: Almshouse Records - Learn more about poorhouse records in the United States.
APL—Discovering Your Ancestors in Poorhouse Records—49:03 - 2021
- * Good: Using the articles and videos in this Choice, write down key learnings for research with court records, electoral rolls, etc. Then use the learnings for searches for a U.S. ancestor.
- * Proficient: Same as above, for two or more ancestors.
QUIKLinks
C Learn about correctional institution and prison records for research.
Vault
- Learn about ancestors who were sent to jail.
BYU—What If Your Ancestor Ended Up in Jail?—50:29 - 2023
- Black Sheep: Learn about researching "black sheep" ancestors.
AR—Researching Black Sheep Ancestors - 2013
AAC—Do You Have Black Sheep in Your Family?—1:46 - Explore the Black Sheep Ancestors site.
- Prison Records: Learn about researching prison records in these articles.
FS—U.S. Correctional Institutions
AC—Wiki: Prisons and Penitentiary Records - Learn about finding records in the U.S. penal system.
Tracing Missing Ancestors? - 2023 - Learn more about prison records and genealogy research.
AF: Prison Records and Your Genealogical Research - 2017