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Archiver > NCBLADEN > 2004-03 > 1078551536


From: "Tony & Julie Howell" <>
Subject: Re: [NCBLADEN-L] Old Bladen County Court Records seen at a recent trip to Bladen County Court House
Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2004 00:39:02 -0500
References: <00a801c3fb5f$2a8db220$5f5bfea9@hppav> <001301c40307$e0f518f0$7901a8c0@downstairs> <003001c4032f$8a6d9480$5f5bfea9@hppav>


i've just finished my latest project so, if anyone wanted to send me some records (i'd pay for the shipping/insurance) to transcribe, i'm here.

Julie Thames Howell
Jacksonville, Fl

----- Original Message -----
From: Dee Thompson
To:
Sent: Friday, March 05, 2004 11:00 PM
Subject: Re: [NCBLADEN-L] Old Bladen County Court Records seen at a recent trip to Bladen County Court House


John,
Four (?) years ago when we were in Bladen for a visit and planned meeting with a number of people on this List Elizabeth Turner took us to her "office" in the basement of the courthouse. There were three rooms off a central room ( that had glass cases with some valuable memorabilia). The three rooms were literally stacked to the ceilings
with records and boxes and ledgers, loose papers - all stuff that Lib prayed would be organized at some point. The problem as I remember her explanation was that the Bladen County Historical Society could not afford to pay anyone to type up all the stacks of records even if the Society could afford to publish them. I bet the information in those rooms would solve all of our problems that have roots in Bladen. People had send in countless Family and Bible records that no one has ever seen. Lib can't do it and no one else seems to have a solution. You could tell how defeated Lib felt but she only works a day or so a
week and is certainly not paid. No one is. I asked her if it were possible that we each (perhaps 2 or 3 at a time) could take a week or two of vacation and take laptops into that area to start the process of transcribing these priceless records. Bob and I told her we would be honored to pay for the publication of a few volumes but she said
the problem was the transcribing - tedious work, expensive work, and no one to do it. I think that unless these records are in a bound form there is no place for them to be safe and still be available to the public. Therein lies the problem. They have to have help and at some point they have to let those of us who cherish this stuff in there to help, no matter how nervous it makes them. Perhaps a court reporter might facilitate the speed of transcription. Maybe we could beg a community college or even one of the larger colleges to take on these rooms as a project. We personally are willing to do anything at all to get those stacks in print. I imagine within 10 minutes of reading this email Allen Johannes will be firing off an email to us all. He has raged against this situation since we learned of it.
There has to be something we all can do. A fabulous solution (naturally it's just my opinion) would be for each of us interested in this to pay for the shipping and insurance of a stack of these records to our home for us to type up and return to BCHS in a form ready for publication. I know the risk but what will become of the contents of these three rooms if nothing is done? Now that this elephant-in-the-living-room has been noticed lets not pretend these records won't still be in those rooms fifty years from now.
Much love to you all,
Dee

----- Original Message -----
From: "John Johnson" <>
To: <>
Sent: Friday, March 05, 2004 6:16 PM
Subject: [NCBLADEN-L] Old Bladen County Court Records seen at a recent
trip to Bladen County Court House


Hi, List

I was at the Bladen County Court House recently and asked at the Clerk of Superior Court if I could see the old records. I was told that they had nothing more recent than the early 1900s and that the old records had either burned or had been sent to Raleigh. I asked if I could look at the
old storage room that was in the basement and they were kind enough to provide me an escort to that room.

There were many old ledgers in the room and I only looked at a few. I had an employee with me and I was running short of time. I did find a couple of ledgers that provided some information on one of the families that I was
researching. I don't know what else is in that storage room but it would be good for someone to inventory it.

I found a ledger titled "Civil Issues 1885-1925, Bladen County" and another titled "Judgement Docket Superior Court" that had entries dating from 1877.

Following are some examples of information that were in those ledgers:

Number 2603 John Monrow versus WH Porter; judgement rendered fall 1877 against plaintiff for costs.

Number 2833 JMK Robison versus WH Porter; July docketed 12 Sep 1881 against each party for his own costs.

Number 2842 J. McK. Mulford, administrator of W.H. Porter, versus Mary A. Porter and others...Judgement of Confirmation of reports of sale of land, see Judgement Roll...no costs or money were paid into this office...as
the administrator paid all parties their costs and took receipts. The administrator paid my costs in full and has receipts for same...(dated)16 Jan 1882 (signed) N.A. Steadman, Jr., CSC

JJohnson
Kingwood TX

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