States have various levels of courts to handle different legal matters, and to make the best use of them you must learn the names of the courts, what they cover, and how to find the records.
In Georgia, court records used by genealogists are found in the county courthouse and often on microfilm.
Georgia courthouses historically were divided into the Inferior Court (later Ordinary, now Probate Court) and the Superior Court.
Minutes of the Inferior Court for County Purposes exist in many counties up to the 1860s and cover issues later handled by the county commission, such as helping the poor, coroner’s inquests and road projects (where you can find the names of neighbors).
The Inferior Court for Ordinary Purposes/Minutes of the Court of Ordinary handled matters of probate such as guardianships, applications to probate a will or start an administration, as well as minor court cases — all valuable to genealogists.
The Superior Court handles murders, divorces and other lawsuits.
States differ as to court names and jurisdictions, so in other states you can’t expect the same configuration. You need to study ahead to make the best use of your time.
Court records are not coming online as quickly as other courthouse records, necessitating site visits or state archives visits (if the records are microfilmed). There are also minor courts, many recently renamed, and to use their records you have to visit the courthouse. Each state also has Supreme Court and Appeals Court records.
A general overview of using court records can be found in the Genealogy at a Glance laminated four-page pamphlet “Court Records” by Wendy Elliott, which also covers some federal court records found in the National Archives system. The pamphlet is available for $8.95 plus $4.50 postage from the Genealogical Publishing Co., 3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 260, Baltimore, MD 21211 or www.genealogical.com.
Lunch and Learn
The Georgia Archives Lunch and Learn Seminar for May 9 will have two lectures.
First, Tricia Sung, executive director of the Asian Pacific American Historical Society, will talk about Asian Pacific American history and heritage in Georgia from 11:50 a.m. until noon. Then Luke Nguyen and Gerson Vasquez of the U.S. Census Bureau will discuss how the census measured America in 1940 and 2010.
The event is free; bring your own lunch. For further information, check www.georgiaarchives.org or call 678-364-3710.
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