The Florida Genealogist is the quarterly journal of the Florida Genealogical Society. In its June 2023 issue (Volume XLVI—Number 1), the journal’s staff posted the article, “Using Books to Advance Our Research.” Three of our recent publications are reviewed in the article, so we wanted to share some of the comments about those books with you today.
Generation by Generation: A Modern Approach to the Basics of Genealogy, by Drew Smith.
“Well-known Florida genealogist Drew Smith has taken a fresh approach to teaching the basics of genealogy . . . Lest you think that this is a book for beginners only, an experienced genealogist recently told me about this book with great excitement, telling me that it gave her a great new perspective on researching her family. She added that this was the book she wished she’d had when she started out as a genealogist . . . This is more than a surface introduction to records. For example, in talking about census records, Smith shows readers how to find the instructions to the census enumerators in order to really understand what they find in census records . . . This is an excellent resource for anyone beginning their genealogical journey and an excellent companion for those of us who are farther down the road on our own journeys.” View Book Details
Researching Scots-Irish Ancestors: The Essential Genealogical Guide to Early Modern Ulster, 1600-1800, by William J. Roulston.
“. . .Roulston’s purpose in this book is ‘to provide a practical guide for the family historian’ who is searching for ancestors in the province of Ulster before 1800 . . . Much of the book is devoted to the kinds of records that can advance our Scots-Irish research . . . [including] many unique records that we may not be familiar with . . . like hearth money rolls resulting from a 1662 tax on fireplaces, plantation surveys, convert rolls, and collectors’ accounts. . . Roulston devotes an entire chapter to the various kinds of estate records and where to find them. Another chapter covers records relating to emigration from Ulster . . . Two appendices go into great detail on genealogical sources for every civil parish in Ulster and a listing of 350 collections of estate records by county. . . Appendix 4 lists 600 locations in Ulster, showing the civil parish and county they are in, along with county maps of the civil parishes. For anyone hoping to find their Ulster ancestors, this book is an essential resource.” View Book Details
The Royal Descents of 900 Immigrants to the American Colonies, Quebec, or the United States Who Were Themselves Notable or Left Descendants Notable in American History. Second Edition, by Gary Boyd Roberts.
“Considering that monarchs had numerous children, most of whom would have a million or more descendants living today, finding a noble ancestor in our family tree is certainly possible, especially for those with deep roots in colonial America. Roberts . . . says that ‘living Americans with 50 to 100 immigrant ancestors in New England (or Long Island), in Quaker [households] . . .or in the Tidewater South . .can expect to find a royally descended forebear herein. It’s important to read the introduction, especially section VI, where Roberts discusses the book’s format. The charts in the volumes are in order of the death year of the king who heads it. The index in Volume III is essential for finding possible ancestors in this work . . . Sources are listed for each chart, which can guide us to additional research. Finding an ancestor in this work can give us the thrill of learning we’re descended from royalty and also a list of ancestors to investigate and add to our family tree.” View Book Details
