more about – Indices
of Court Cases
If you:
-- are a serious
-- are a serious
-- are an amateur researcher looking for good sources of
information
-- have run into a “brick wall” in your search for information
about your family tree
-- want relevant information to supplement your family
history research
-- are in need of information about an ancestor’s, friend’s,
or stranger’s court case
-- are just bored and need some exciting reading
--
then, this is for you!
If you find family history books that list “who begat whom”
on tens or hundreds of pages to be boring and would like to add some history
and substance to your research, there are several resources you should
consider. The first might be the newspapers
that were published during the period of your research. Second might be the Wills of the
people of interest. Third, would be the Complete
Records of court cases in which the researcher’s subject might have been
involved. Fourth, must include the obituaries
of the researcher’s subjects. All of
these can provide information about a researcher’s subject that may exist in no
other place.
The
focus of material in this section is the Court Records that have been
dutifully kept by the court system since the creation of the County of Monroe,
Ohio. It is estimated that less than 5%
of the researchers who are interested in ancestors and former residents of
The magic number for most of
the County’s record books is 600 – that is, many, if not most, of these books
contain around 600 pages. Pages
typically measure about 11-inches by 20-inches.
Unfortunately, because of their size and volume of materials in these
record books, they are too large to be put on this website. Fortunately, the most important literature and
records of
Three Indexes to the Complete Record Books of the
Court of Common Pleas
1) With so many books and CDs available, it
is important that a researcher have a way to identify the specific book or CD
that contains the information they are seeking.
In the case of the record books of the Court of Common Pleas, there are
indices in most of the books. These
indices are organized by surname that can lead the researcher to the correct
volume and page. The “Indices of Court
Cases” found on this site are photographs of the index from each of these
books. They are free and provide guidance
to the original material. You can access
a list of the available indices by clicking here or by copying and
pasting the following address into your Internet browser address box and
clicking “Go.” http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~harringtonfamilies/CofCPleasIndexofRecBks.htm
The indices found at this address
are Direct Indices as defined in item 2) below.
2) In addition to the indices found on this
website and described in item 1) above, there is also a “Direct Index” of all
of the cases found in the Complete Record Books. It is called the Direct Index because it is
organized by the surname of the plaintiff, the party originating the suit. This “Direct Index” is being photographed and
will be posted on this website when it is complete. It should be available by February or March
of 2008.
3) A third index is available for the Complete
Record Books that were produced between 1815 and 1877 (Record Books # 1 through
#21. Record book #1 (1815 – 1822),
however, is missing.) This index is
called the “Reverse Index” because it is organized by the surname of the defendant,
the party being sued. This “Reverse
Index” has been photographed and put onto a CD.
It is also accessible on this website by clicking here
or by copying and pasting the following address into your Internet browser
address box and clicking “Go.” https://sites.rootsweb.com/~ohmchs/IndexA.htm
An example of how to use the indices found on this web
site:
Your great grandfather, Thaddeus
Smith, lived in
You have hit a brick-wall with respect to information about
him.
He was married twice and you want to see any records
concerning his divorce from his first wife.
He had a child out of wedlock and you want to see the
results of a paternity suit.
He had a store and you want to see if there were any law
suits regarding the payment or collection of bills.
You understand that there was a dispute regarding land
ownership or right-of-way relating to his farm.
You just want to check to see if anyone in your family line
has been involved in a law suit.
Or, any of the other reasons that might
involve the court system.
Go to the above indices
described under items 1), 2), or 3) above.
If you want to know if Thaddeus Smith was sued, use the Reverse Index in
item 3) above. If you want to know if Thaddeus
Smith sued someone, use the Direct Index in 1) or 2) above. Look for the name(s) you wish to
research. Note the book number and the
years covered by the book for each name you find.
Armed with the names, book
numbers and years covered by the book, you can go to the records room in the
Clerk of Courts in
In general, the same steps
can be used for researching Wills, Newspapers, and Obituaries. For each, the steps may differ a little, so
you can click on the blue “more” hyperlink found near the buttons for Wills and
Obituaries. For newspapers, click on the
button named: “Books on CDs.”
If you have any questions
please feel free to contact the author at: Richard Harrington, 9517
Go to the list of indices of Court of Common Pleas Cases