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Archiver > PAWASHIN > 1999-03 > 0921175655


From: Don and Judy Warth <>
Subject: [PAWASHIN-L] Re: PAWASHIN-D Digest V99 #147
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 12:07:35 -0600


To the Two Ellens:

This is true.....names being recorded incorrectly....in Wash Co.
Some of the deeds of my husband gggg gf' John RUCKMAN are
listed as BUCKMAN. At the time, I hadn't run into this at all and
don't know WHAT possessed me to check other spellings. Glad
I did tho!!

Judy Warth

>From: Ellen Ballas <>
>To:
>Message-ID: <>
>Subject: [PAWASHIN-L] Wills Office.
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
>Hello Ellen & others interested!
> In many of the courthouses researchers are discouraged from using
>anything except looking in the orphans court record index books &
>will book copies of the original wills. Reason given is that the very
>early ones are so fragile they don't want them handled. What I do is
>examine each case on an individual basis of necessity. It is true
>that many of the "little bits and pieces of paper" won't really help,
>but so many times it is very important. It's also nice to see what
>might have been auctioned off, or get valuable family names from the
>list. I've seen reference made to a party being in another state for
>a specific period of time, and then to have returned to the local
>area. Original signatures can be gleaned for comparison, & the list
>goes on.
>
> My suggestion is to be polite but insist when the case appears to
>be important to you. If they still refuse, then say something like
>"well if this is the policy, I can't blame you, but I really wish to
>gain access & would appreciate you informing me on how to
>obtain a court order to use the documents & direct me to that office
>now. See what happens then! I don't feel that it is right to give a
>flat refusal to see what is needed. You can bet she would not have
>refused a representative from a law office.
>
> Also remember someone telling me that they were refused access in
>the Prothonatary Office, I think it was, a few years ago, to some kind
>of legal conflict from way back about the 1790's as being a private
>affair & no way were they allowed to look at the data.
>This was in Washington County too.
>
> Many years ago, I had a clerk in the Westmoreland County Wills
>office refuse to let me see an original will. I explained to her that
>I was positive that the book copy had stated a man's name incorrectly.
> She informed me that in no way had that happened. My insisting
>brought her to the point of where she was going to show me I was
>wrong. Well, I was correct, & she was floored, to say the least, I
>then asked that the book copy be corrected.
>
> These are public records, and one has the right to see them. I
>don't feel that it was fair that the woman refused access to family
>material.
>
> In the case of our friend who was denied access. I wonder if
>before returning, she might write the register of wills a nice letter,
>giving the particulars of the data she wishes to examine, and ask if
>he could make arrangements to have it pulled for her to examine on the
>specific day she wishes to return. She could state the name etc. of
>the person and explain that it is very important to her to look at the
>material. Then she could make a quick call right before going & ask
>if arrangements had been made. Just an idea. :^) Ellen (ETHS)
>

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