By Laura Murphy DeGrazia, CG Excerpted from: Laura Murphy DeGrazia, “Problem Analyses & Research Plans,” Elizabeth Shown Mills, ed., Professional Genealogy: Preparation, Practice & Standards(Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2018), 295–316. “Effective problem analysis requires a thorough understanding of three key issues. First, we must know the available sources for that problem—their accessibility, arrangement, content, and varying[…]Read more
Family Stories . . . and How I Found Mine illustrates the Potential of Pension Records
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
The New Immigrant Lines in RD 900, by Gary Boyd Roberts
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
More High Praise for Finding Early Connecticut Vital Records, by Linda MacLachlan
Linda MacLachlan’s book, Finding Early Connecticut Vital Records: The Barbour Index and Beyond, identifies the original sources of the millions of early Connecticut vital records abstracted in the famous Barbour Index of Connecticut Vital Records. It names hundreds of books, manuscripts, and articles not referenced by Barbour, and points the researcher to thousands of additional[…]Read more
Two More Glowing Reviews for New Pocket Guide to Irish Genealogy
From Ireland’s Genealogical Gazette (August 2020) by Genealogical Society of Ireland Genealogical.com New Pocket Guide to Irish Genealogy The publication by the Clearfield Company; Baltimore, Maryland, of the ‘New Pocket Guide to Irish Genealogy‘ by Brian Mitchell is a very welcome and timely addition to the published resources for Irish family history. This well known and[…]Read more
Genealogy in Old Newspapers: Virginia and Other States/Colonies
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
Citing Derivatives & Imaged Sources: The Basics, by Elizabeth Shown Mills
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
Genealogy | Did you Know That . . .
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
Charles Edward Banks: Great Genealogist & Great Man
Students of New England genealogy recognize Charles E. Banks (1854-1931) as one of the patriarchs of genealogical scholarship. During his lifetime, he was widely acknowledged to be one of the leading authorities on northern New England families. His two-volume “History of York, Maine” (a third volume was in preparation at the time of his death)[…]Read more
“Tree Talks” Speaks Highly of 4th Edition of The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy
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
Now Available | Roots for Kids: Finding Your Family Stories
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
The Researcher’s Guide to Civil War Records
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