Beth, yes it is. And I have reread my note and there is maybe more good news than I actually stated. There are NOT 38 records! There are 38 RECORD BOOKS!! I have no idea what kind: marriage, death, wills, deeds, orders, we do not know yet but if anyone had families to leave VA and go into TN and you lost them, it is very likely they dropped down into Madison Co. AL.
This area had settlers in the very early 1800s when they took a census called the "squatter's census". It was not legal for these people to settle here as this was Indian land but they came anyway into the fertile land. So if you realize that the earliest date that the article stated, 1813, this was 4 years before AL became a state!! It was called The Alabama Territory after the creation of the state of Mississippi. The Alabama Territory was created by the United States Congress on March 3, 1817.
But these very early records, no matter the kind, are a wonderful and amazing discovery or I should say “return”. I remember how thrilled we were recently to read of the one book on Stafford Co VA that had been returned. Now we have 38 here!!
If you have ancestors who lived in Madison Co., AL or passed through as I did, you would adore our Huntsville Public Library’s Heritage Room. This is our large research room that has records from all the surrounding states. And the oldest county records are on the same floor in a brand new room created to house them. You have access to ALL of these old books, the real thing, and a place to sit and read and study.
I will try and let you know more when I learn more. I really appreciate the staff at the LVA allowing me to post this so that you can help pass the word along to others you know with ancestors who might have passed through Madison Co., AL. Discoveries like this are so seldom, we need to shout it from the roof tops!!
-----Original Message-----
From: beth herod
Sent: Thursday, June 13, 2013 9:37 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Return of very old documents
This is absolutely huge for families like mine that left Virginia and went to Alabama at this time.
On Jun 12, 2013, at 4:37 PM, Gale Fuller wrote:
> I know this web site is for those doing research in VA but there has just been a huge gift returned to Madison Co. AL that has been missing for 60 years.
>
> A man borrowed 38 original courthouse records in 1953 and never returned them. He checked them out to write a master’s thesis.
>
> Today these records have been returned to the public library in Huntsville, AL. These are missing primary records that have caused researchers to look everywhere for missing information. Some of the books date back to 1813 which is before Alabama became a state. People had “dropped down” from TN into the area south of the TN state line as far as the TN River which is Madison Co. AL.
>
> For anyone who has ancestors who came into AL this early, you will be thrilled. The story is in the newspaper at this website.
>
> http://blog.al.com/breaking/2013/06/forget_the_overdue_fine_librar.html
>
> Thank you for posting this so that the word can get around to any trying to find ancestors of the MS Territory in north Alabama.
>
> Gale Fuller
> Huntsville, AL
> with many, many ancestors in VA!!
>
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