The following essay concerning the nature of genealogical proof was excerpted by Elizabeth Shown Mills from her book, Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace. 3rd ed. Rev. (2017), p. 17. In it, Mrs. Mills explains the difference between genealogical proof, theory, and hypothesis and offers a cautionary point lesson that any researcher[…]Read more
The following excerpt from our new book, Family Stories . . . and How I Found Mine, by J. Michael Cleverley is from the author’s prologue. In these few paragraphs, Mr. Cleverley captures the essence of what it means for someone to undertake a family history. In a word, it’s a transformative experience because of[…]Read more
In the newly updated edition of Genealogy at a Glance: Polish Genealogy Research, expert genealogist Rosemary Chorzempa, lays out the basic elements of Polish genealogical research in four specially laminated pages. Starting with a discussion of names, the guide–which has been revised to include updated URLs, the latest statistics, and most important online databases and resources–focuses[…]Read more
Please Note: There are two separate reviews in this article. Please scroll down to review both. Tracing Your Irish Ancestors, 5th ed.Author: John GrenhamPublisher: Genealogical Publishing Company http://genealogical.comPublication Year: 2019Pages: 650, xxiISBN: 978-0806320977Price: $38.50 Reviewed by Mary Kircher Roddy, CG, of Seattle, Washington John Grenham first wrote Tracing Your Irish Ancestors in 1991 and revised[…]Read more
It is amazing to witness how far Ireland has come in the last decade in terms of making record sources available online! You can now achieve so much online: to name, but a few, you can search 1901 and 1911 census returns at www.census.nationalarchives.ie; historic civil birth, marriage and death registers at www.irishgenealogy.ie; transcripts of[…]Read more
The Midwest Books Review, edited by James A. Cox of Oregon, Wisconsin, has for decades been an important source of advice for library acquisition librarians in deciding what new publications to add to their collections. Brian Mitchell’s New Pocket Guide to Irish Genealogy just received a stellar review from Mr. Cox, and we are reprinting[…]Read more
Brian Mitchell’ New Pocket Guide to Irish Genealogy is a concise, use-friendly overview of tracing ancestors in the Emerald Isle and throughout the Irish diaspora. Author Brian Mitchell makes excellent use of case studies as well as his considerable experience as a genealogist and manager of an Irish genealogy center to explain the basics of[…]Read more
By Blaine T. Bettinger, Ph.D., J.D. & Judy G. Russell, J.D., CG, CGL Excerpted from Bettinger & Russell, “Genetics for Genealogy,” Elizabeth Shown Mills, ed., Professional Genealogy: Preparation, Practice & Standards. (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2018), 361–90. Millions of people have voluntarily undergone DNA testing. Probably millions more would do so if they were not[…]Read more
We’ve written on several occasions about Gary Boyd Roberts amazing two volume work, The Royal Descents 900 Immigrants to the American Colonies, Quebec, or the United States (RD 900). This collection of royal lines possessed by North Americans represents Mr. Roberts’ magnum opus, and it is truly the product of a lifetime of study in[…]Read more
Elizabeth Shown Mills, editor of the reference work, Professional Genealogy: Preparation, Practice & Standards (Progen PPS), recently chose and edited a number of selections from Progen PPS for publication in “Genealogy Pointers.” We hasten to stress that while the author of each selection is a professional genealogist, each selection should interest anyone who is serious[…]Read more
Family Stories . . . and How I Found Mine is actually several books rolled into one. At its simplest, it conveys the history of author J. Michael Cleverley’s family from the early Middle Ages, through its establishment in colonial New England, and later in the American Midwest. Unlike many genealogies, however, it examines the author’s[…]Read more
In the April 7 and 14, and May 12 issues of “Genealogy Pointers,” we described three systems by which land was transferred by Colonial and Early National authorities to individuals in America: The New England Model, the Colonial Government System of Land Transfer, and the Large Grant/Proprietor System. As Patricia Law Hatcher explains in her[…]Read more
