18 March 2013

A 1942 Affidavit

Hancock County, Illinois, Mortgage Book 126: 42, James Edward Rampley, affidavit, 31 January 1942; County Clerk’s Office, Carthage

Affidavits can contain a wide variety of information. The image in this post comes from one made out in 1942  in regards to the title to a certain piece of real estate. The affiant summarizes three generations of ownership and other details about the family and the farm.

Because this document discussed the title to the family's real estate, it was filed with the land records. Land records are not always deeds and records of this type can be a virtual gold mine of information.

We discussed this record in great detail in issue 3-27 of Casefile Clues.