North Carolina State Supreme Court Case Files - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection is comprised of images to case files from North Carolina State Supreme Court for the year 1800 to 1909. The cases are generally appeals of lower court decisions with each case usually covering multiple pages. The records are arranged chronologically and handwritten.

The Supreme Court of North Carolina originated with the State Constitution of 1776, which empowered the General Assembly to appoint "Judges of the Supreme Courts of Law and Equity" and "Judges of Admiralty." The appellate court was created in 1799. For additional information on the history of the North Carolina State Supreme Court, see the following on-line article:

Supreme Court of North Carolina

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The case files usually include the following information:


 * Date of case or filing with the court
 * Names of interested parties and witnesses

Depending upon the type of case heard you may also find any of the following:


 * Names of family members
 * Names of neighbors
 * Ages
 * Relationships
 * Residences
 * Occupations
 * Signature or mark
 * Legal descriptions of land
 * Amount of money exchanged as part of business transactions or assessed by the courts

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the individual or individuals involved in the case
 * The approximate court date

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select the Year Range
 * 2) Select the Box/Case Numbers to view the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor in the court records, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the age to calculate a birth date
 * Use the names, ages, residence, church, and census records
 * Use the information found to search land and probate records
 * Use the information found to search additional state and county records

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities
 * Consult the North Carolina Record Finder to find other records

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.


 * Collection Citation:

"North Carolina, State Supreme Court Case Files, 1800-1909." Database and images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. Citing Division of Archives and History. North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh.

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