Through your search of census records, you have found the address of your ancestor and the fact that they owned their property. But, even that record may not tell the entire story. There may be adults in the household that own property elsewhere.
Why would you want to obtain the deed records of an ancestor? Myra Vanderpool Gormley, in her concise article Secrets in Old Deed Books, tells you some of the things that can be found in these books.
Where do you begin to look for these records? As in all of our searches, look for the records that may be in the hands of our living relatives. They may have kept copies of the records of the land they or there parents owned.
After exhausting that resource, it is time to do more extensive research. An article I mentioned last week, Retracing the Trails of Your Ancestors Using Deed Records, by William Dollarhide, contains a very complete explanation of the method for finding deed records. He, also, adds to the amazing list of what you might find in these records.
If you are heading for your Family History Library, and are new to research there, read the United States Research Outline for the Family History Library.
Who to contact is the first important step you need to take in finding deeds. You can find contact information for the depository of deeds online. Go to Cyndi's List-United States Index, click on the state you are researching. At the state site, scroll down to find the "Family History SourceGuide - Research Outline". These guides are an excellent source of information for your all genealogical searches. When you have the SourceGuide, you will find a comprehensive description of where to search for deeds in your state under the heading Land and Property. This guide will also tell you what is available at you Family History Libraries.
When you know where the deeds for the county you are searching are located, continue your search by checking the links available on CyndisList - (your state). There should be a link to the addresses of county courthouses.
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