“Newspapers are one of the most potentially rich sources of data for genealogists and historians but are generally underused. Scottish newspapers are no exception. In fact, eighteenth-century newspapers abound with information on trade, politics, court cases, shipping, emigration, wars, travel, births, marriages, deaths, politics, and local events in particular. Take for example, the undernoted information[…]Read more
Sunny Jane Morton and Harold A. Henderson’s book, How to Find Your Family History in U.S. Church Records describes the major genealogical sources for Christian denominations in existence prior to 1900. Denominations covered include: Anglican/Episcopal, Baptist, Congregational, Dutch Reformed/Reformed, various German denominations, Latter-Day Saint, Lutheran, Mennonite and Amish, Methodist, Quaker, Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic. Once[…]Read more
Genealogy often feels like a treasure hunt, and genealogists, like treasure hunters, run into “dead ends” all the time. One important method for getting back on track is to look for living relatives who can fill in the gaps in our family stories. With step-by-step guidance, methodologies, and practical examples, Genealogy in Reverse. Finding the[…]Read more
Every genealogist hopes someday to find the identity of his or her immigrant ancestor. For sheer excitement in genealogy, there’s nothing quite like discovering who brought your family to the U.S. and learning what compelled or inspired the family to make a new life for themselves in North America. The genealogist’s fascination with the immigration[…]Read more
Genealogist Marston Watson traces five generations of one of colonial New England’s most influential families Acclaimed genealogist and historian Marston Watson shines new light on one of New England’s most distinguished colonial families in his latest work, Lee Family of Manchester, Massachusetts: Henry Lee Through Five Generations. Drawing upon extensive genealogical and historical research, Watson[…]Read more
On August 7, 1782, George Washington authorized the Badge of Honorary Distinction to acknowledge enlisted soldiers who had completed three or more years of faithful service, a rare formal recognition at a time when honor was seldom extended beyond rank. The Badge of Honorary Distinction survived chiefly in written form. It appeared as a notation[…]Read more
The March 2026 issue of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly includes reviews of four of our recent publications. We want to share two of those reviews with you today. Elizabeth Williams Gomoll, C.G. reviewed Cheri Hudson Passey’s Genealogy in Reverse. Finding the Living: A Practical Guide for All Genealogists, predicting that, “Many genealogists will thank[…]Read more
Dana Ann Palmer’s remarkable book, the Ultimate guide to Mastering FamilySearch, is so chockful of essential information and pointers, we could spend hours describing them. “Chapter Six: The Tree” covers a fundamental aspect of FamilySearch. According to Dana, “FamilySearch’s FAMILY TREE (https://www.familysearch.org/en/family-tree/) can be a powerful tool if used properly. You will need to create[…]Read more
Sunny Jane Morton’s Searching for Sisters: A Guide to Researching Catholic Nuns in the United States helps family historians uncover the stories of Catholic nuns and sisters whose lives are often missing from traditional family narratives. With guidance on religious orders, archives, terminology, records, and research strategies, this 144-page guide opens a path into a[…]Read more
Most U.S. census records have been indexed and are searchable online. There are a few exceptions, of course, and besides, it is sometimes helpful to see a full page of entries wherein “clusters” of people with common heritage show up. Census records are critical for placing ancestors in a particular place at a particular time[…]Read more
