North Carolina State Supreme Court Case Files - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
This collection covers the years 1800 to 1909.

Record Description
This collection is comprised of images of case files from North Carolina State Supreme Court. The cases are generally appeals of lower court decisions with each case usually covering multiple pages. The records are arranged chronologically and handwritten.

Record Content
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 to Use the Record
When searching the records it is helpful to know the following:


 * The approximate court date
 * The name of the individual or individuals involved in the case
 * If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for, search for variant spellings of the surnames.

When you have located your ancestor’s record, compare the information in the record to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination.

Next, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors such as previous court cases, vital records, or land records. Add any new information to your records of each family. Keep in mind there can be variation in the information given from one record to another record.

Depending on the information you find in the case, you may find also try the following suggestions:


 * Use the age to calculate a birth date.
 * Use the names, ages, residence, church, and census records.
 * Occupations listed can lead you to employment or other types of records such as military records.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as the bride or groom; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

Record History
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

Why this Record Was Created
The records were created as a permanent copy of the court's proceedings.

Record Reliability
The records are very reliable.

Related Websites
North Carolina State Archives

North Carolina Office of Archives and History

The North Carolina Court System

Related Wiki Articles
North Carolina

North Carolina Court Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should also list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for citing FamilySearch Historical Collections, including how to cite individual archives, is found in the following link: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection
"North Carolina, State Supreme Court Case Files, 1800-1909." images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 18 August 2011). entry for Thomas Little and Valentina S Jordon, dispute filed 26 December 1843; citing Supreme Court Files, 1859, Box 302, Case 7784-7795. images 73-77; North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States.

Sources of Information for This Collection
North Carolina. State Supreme Court Case Files, 1800-1909. North Carolina State Archives. Raleigh.