My BECKERDITE folder yielded another set of marriage records from Randolph County, North Carolina. While my original set of notes were photocopies from the book, current researchers can not only locate a digital copy of the book, but also access the original marriage bonds.
The book, Randolph County, North Carolina Marriage Bonds, is now available on the FamilySearch site. A search of the FamilySearch catalog also locates the source, Marriage Bonds (Randolph County, North Carolina), 1779-1868. Not only has this microfilm been digitized but it is also indexed.
A simple search of the microfilm index for the surname, BECKERDITE, produces a list of records of marriage bonds for both the grooms and one bride containing the name, BECKERDITE.
Comparing the indexed records to my transcription from the book, there was one bride in the index that were not in the pages I photocopied from the book. However, a search of the digital copy of the book, locates the bride’s index which contains more brides with the surname, BECKERDITE.
Not only is there a discrepancy between the book and the index of the actual records for the brides, but there are three grooms that do not show up in my initial search. When I searched by the first name of one of them (Brice), I found that the record for Brice used a different spelling for the surname: Beckardite.
Of the six BECKERDITE brides in the index, I could only locate five in the book. Of those five, only Catherine was listed in my initial BECKERDITE search of the ABBOTT-BYRNS bonds. Assuming that spelling could be an issue, I also searched by the spouses surname and by the brides first name. These searches only turned up one other record for a bride. Even though the groom’s name matched the book, the bride’s first name in the book was Linda while it is Rachel in the index.
A search of the index to the bonds for the surname spelling, Bukardite, only turns up the record for Racheal Bukardite. Since the index record for Rachael has a link to the image, I checked it to see whether this could also be the record for Linda.
The image of the bond shows that the index correctly listed the bride’s name as Racheal. Comparing this record to the information in the book also reveals a date discrepancy. The Racheal Buckardite bond is dated 16 Nov 1845. However, the book indicates that there is a bond for Michael Robbins to Linda Beckerdite dated 14 July 1835.
While working with different spellings of the BECKERDITE surname found all of the grooms listed in the book, that did not find all of the brides. However, when I switched to the roll of film for the groom’s surname for Michael Robbins, I was able to locate a bond for Michael Robbins and Linda Beckerdite. In this case the BECKERDITE surname was spelled BECKERETITE. (However, the bond for Michael Robbins and Racheal Bukardite has not been found in this index.)
This experience has shown me that the book transcribing these records is vital when trying to locate all of the records for a specific surname. Without the book, I likely would not have checked all of the spellings. Nor would I have checked the other rolls of microfilm. A search of the digital copy of the book also finds the others signing the bond or the person performing a marriage. These bondsmen, witnesses, ministers and justices are not found when using the index to the microfilm. I’d never have gone thru this process if I hadn’t started with my old photocopy from the book buried in my files.
Below is my transcription from the book.
Randolph County, North Carolina
Marriage BondsTyped by
The Genealogical Society of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
1944page 15
Groom — Bride — Date of Bonds — Bondsman & Witness
Beckerdite Bethel x — Gizeal Yeats — 20 Mar 1847 — Enoch Byrns
Beckerdite, Brice x — Issabel Byrns — 21 Sept 1824 — Enoch Byrns (w) Hugh McCain
page 16
Beckerdite, Brice — Adaline Capple — 24 Jan 1845 — Michael Robbins (w) Hugh McCainBeckerdite Emesley — Elizabeth Brown — 23 July 1832 – J(o)el Boggs (w) Jesse Harper
Beckerdite, Ezra — Faithfull Ward — 7 Dec 1808 — Amos Beckerdite
Beckerdite, Ezra — Jane Pierce — 14 June 1842 — E(noch) Byrns
Beckerdite J(ohn) T. — Mary J. Carter — 2 Dec. 1865 — Jesse Steed (w) J. H. Brown, clk. Md. 1 Feb 1866 by George E. Wyche, M.G.
Beckerdite, J(ohn) T. — Jane Lauglin — 17 Feb 1866 – Michael Robbins (w) J. H. Brown, Clk. Md. 17 Feb 1866 by John Robbins, J. P.
Beckerdite, Oliver c. — Diza P. Steed — 19 Nov. 1862 — Emsley Beckerdite (w) J. H. Brown, C.C.C. Md. 19 Nov 1862 by James Hopkins
Beckerdite, P. F. — Nancy H. Adams — 27 Mar 1860 – -Jesse G. Hinshaw (w) B. F. Hoover, C.C.C. Md. 3 Apr. 8160 by J. C. Thomas
Beckerdite, Ninevoh x – Uni Pearce — 2 July 1823 — Ezra Beckerdite (w) Hugh McCain
Brides Index (page 319)
Amanda J. 163
Catherine, 35
Ellenda, 190
Linda, 232
Mary Ann, 146 (record not found on page 146)
Nancy, 252Page 35
Groom — Bride — Date of Bonds — Bondsman & Witness
Byrns, En(o)ch — Catherine Beckerdite — 22 apr 1823 — Nineva -x- Beckerdite (w) B. Elliottpage 146
no Mary Annpage 163
Groom — Bride — Date of Bonds — Bondsman & witness
Laughlin, Shubel G. — Amanda J. Beckerdite — 20 July 1866 — J(ohn) T Beckerdige (w) J. H. Brown, clk md. 21 July 1866 by W. A. Douganpage 190
Groom — Bride — Date of Bonds — Bondsman & Witness
Me(a)ns, Be(n)jamin — Ellenda Beckerdite — 19 Nov 1801 — John Beckerdite (w) P. Wrightpage 232
Groom — Bride — Date of Bonds — Bondsman & Witness
Robbins, Michael — Linda Beckerdite — 14 July 1835 — William Robbins (w) Hugh McCainpage 252
Genealogy Society of Utah, Randolph County, North Carolina Marriage Bonds (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogy Society of Utah, 1944), pages 15-16; FamilySearch, http://www.familysearch.org viewed online 2 October 2022.
Groom — Bride – Date of bonds — Bondsman & Witness
Spencer, Joseph — Nancy Beckerdite — 8 May 1866 — Isaac White (w) J. H. Brown, clerk Md 10 May 1866 by William McGee, J.P.