by Judy G. Russell | Jan 31, 2022 | Legal definitions |
No matter what the name is… It was July of 1848, and Robert Smith had been given a special charge by the court in Gilmer County, Georgia. By law, he had to give bond in the amount of $200. In other words, he had to make a promise that he would do the job right,...
by Judy G. Russell | Jan 25, 2022 | Legal definitions |
… of whatever flavor… Reader David came across the reference in an 1877 court case he was trying to figure out. And it made no sense to him whatsoever. “The court,” he wrote, “appears to be drawing a distinction between facts and facts. And I don’t...
by Judy G. Russell | Jan 21, 2022 | Legal definitions |
… between dower and dowry … The Legal Genealogist is putting the finishing touches on a presentation about a particular variation in genealogical records of our early female ancestors. And that reminded me that I keep meaning to explain the essential...
by Judy G. Russell | Jan 19, 2022 | Legal definitions |
Well, not exactly a ban… It was the law in colonial Virginia, enacted in February 1631/32. Marriage, in that colony, was almost always banned.1 It was the law in colonial Massachusetts, enacted as least as early as November of 1692. Marriage, in that colony, was...
by Judy G. Russell | Dec 2, 2021 | Legal definitions, Resources |
… for inventions and the like So… last week, The Legal Genealogist tackled the difference between patents and deeds. You know… the difference between a document evidencing a land transfer from the sovereign to a private owner (like the patent the...
by Judy G. Russell | Nov 22, 2021 | Legal definitions |
What’s the difference anyway? Pop quiz time. What’s the difference in American law between a patent for land and a deed for land? This was an issue up for discussion on Facebook yesterday when a poster had a copy of a land patent in favor of an ancestor in...
by Judy G. Russell | Sep 13, 2021 | Court Cases, Legal definitions |
Perjury… or false swearing? A lie under oath is a lie under oath. But that doesn’t mean all lies under oath are equal in the eyes of the law. The issue came up for The Legal Genealogist in a pair of reported court cases. One is kind of an oddball case, out...
by Judy G. Russell | Aug 19, 2021 | Legal definitions |
Consorting with… One more institute to go this summer and The Legal Genealogist’s schedule will start getting back to normal. Whatever “normal” is these days. In the meantime, another snippet of genealogy…. This time a bit of definition, sparked by a...
by Judy G. Russell | Aug 10, 2021 | Legal definitions |
That -ix ending It’s still busy season around these parts — catching up after a series of institutes and getting ready for another one coming up fast. So… Another snippet of genealogy in this busy time. And this one is a snippet of terminology...
by Judy G. Russell | Jul 23, 2021 | Legal definitions |
That exceptional administrator A week of law. Almost a week of African-American research. A week of DNA. A week of federal records. Heading into a week of methodology. Oh, and don’t forget the more than a week of the Germans. It’s institute season, plus a...