When last we took up the story of author J. Michael Cleverley’s Greene family ancestors, it was during the reign of England’s Richard II (1377-1399)—just as one of Michael’s forebears was about to lose his head. Today’s excerpt comes from “Chapter Five: Road to Rebellion,” as Rhode Island ancestor Nathaniel Greene and others attempt to[…]Read more
Readers familiar with Gary Boyd Roberts’ scholarship know that between 2004 and 2010, Mr. Roberts wrote smaller, earlier editions of his now magnum opus, The Royal Descents of 900 Immigrants to the American Colonies, Quebec, or the United States (2018). The earliest edition of the work covered the royal descents of 500 immigrants. Mr. Roberts[…]Read more
The first significant Swedish migration to North America occurred between 1638 and 1655, or Nils William Olsson’s Swedish Passenger Arrivals in New York, 1820-1850 includes over 4,000 biographies of pioneering Swedish immigrants, or the Swedish Church Law of 1686 mandated that household examination records be updated every year? The oldest documented Jewish community in the[…]Read more
Did you know that African slaves’ knowledge of the power of smallpox vaccine helped to save many of Washington’s soldiers at Valley Forge? Or that a woman’s name appears on the first printing of the Declaration of Independence to bear the names of all the signatories? If not, you may want to pickup a copy[…]Read more
Like their present-day counterparts, old newspapers are a great source of marriage and obituary notices. In fact, early newspapers are sometimes the ONLY source of genealogical information for a specific locality at a particular point in time. Since 18th- and 19th-century newspapers have not come down to us with their own indexes, it’s daunting to[…]Read more
The following essay was excerpted from Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace, 3rd ed. Rev. (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2017), p. 47, by the author, expressly for “Genealogy Pointers.” “The range of materials and media in use today defies standardization. When we examine a publication to define the elements that need recording,[…]Read more
The other day I spoke with a family member about one of her ancestors. She had just learned that a 19th-century forebear had fought for the Confederacy but was later arrested for desertion. She was hoping to learn more about him from Civil War records, but she wasn’t sure of her next step. Since she[…]Read more
The Central New York Genealogical Society has been publishing its journal, “Tree Talks,” for nearly sixty years. The June 2020 issue features a thoughtful review of the 4th edition of Val Greenwood’s Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy. We are pleased to share with our readers below. The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy by Val D.[…]Read more
By Susan Provost Beller Although limiting out-of-home activities during the pandemic is causing challenging setbacks for many, it is also providing a window of opportunity for children to learn about their family, current and past. In fact, we now have an opportunity for parents and grandparents to share stories—if only via Zoom–about their younger years,[…]Read more
In the July 28 issue of “Genealogy Pointers,” we referenced the work of the late Dr. David Faris, Plantagenet Ancestry of Seventeenth-Century Colonists. This important book traces the descent from England’s kings Henry III, Edward I, Edward II, and Edward III of British emigrants who arrived in the North American colonies before 1701, and who[…]Read more
