New Genealogy Books

Also New This Spring . . . Two New Books from Dr. David Dobson

Anglo-Dutch Links, 1560-1860 Social and economic links between the Netherlands and England have existed from the medieval period.  During the early modern period, from the Reformation onwards, these links intensified when the two countries united in opposing a common enemy in the shape of Spain. At other times economic rivalry led to war between England[…]Read more

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Early Land Records

Transferring Land from Government to Individuals: Model Two: The Colonial Government System

By Patricia Law Hatcher In the April 7 issue of “Genealogy Pointers,” we introduced the first of the various systems by which land was transferred by one of the colonial monarchs to individuals, The New England Model. As Patricia Law Hatcher explains in her definitive study of U.S. land records, first transfer varied both geographically[…]Read more

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Land Records

Transferring Land from Government to Individuals: The New England Model By Patricia Law Hatcher

With the conquest of the Americas, all land was originally held by a monarch—whether English, French, or Spanish. At this point, the process of transitioning land ownership to individuals is referred to as “first transfer.” As Patricia Law Hatcher explains in her definitive study of U.S. land records, first transfer varied both geographically and chronologically[…]Read more

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Reading Early American Handwriting

Deciphering Old English Handwriting

Just about anyone who takes genealogy seriously is destined to face the challenge of reading original (or microfilm copies of) records written in an unfamiliar cursive style. If your research takes you back to at least the 19th century, you’ll encounter census records, wills, deeds, and multifarious other records that you’ll strain to decipher. Records[…]Read more

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Guide to Irish Genealogy

Now Available! New Pocket Guide to Irish Genealogy, by Brian Mitchell

When Brian Mitchell wrote the original Pocket Guide to Irish Genealogy in 1991, with revisions in 2002 and 2008, access to Irish record sources was through examination of original and microfilm copies of historical sources in record offices. Genealogists now, however, have ready access online to most of Irish record sources. Therefore, Brian Mitchell has[…]Read more

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Our Quaker Ancestors

“The Quakers and Quaker Genealogy,” by Ellen and David Berry

The following article is excerpted from the Introduction to Ellen and David Berry’s book, Our Quaker Ancestors. For more information about that publication, please CLICK HERE. The Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, has a rich storehouse of records kept from its beginning in the mid-1600s to the present. There are vast differences among Quaker[…]Read more

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Strange, Amazing, and Funny Events that Happened during the Revolutionary War

Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter Praises
Strange, Amazing, and Funny Events that Happened During the Revolutionary War

The January 28th issue of the most popular genealogy newsletter on the Internet, Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter gave a vigorous thumbs up to Jack Crowder’s collection of “did you know about” happenings from America’s War for Independence. The review, written by Bobbi King, is reprinted in its entirety here: Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter, January 28,[…]Read more

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17th Century Virginia

HOW TO RESEARCH NEW ANCESTORS, By Lyndon Hobbs Hart, III, Jamestowne Society Genealogist

The following article describes the criteria and important sources for obtaining membership in the distinguished Virginia lineage organization, the Jamestowne Society. The article is also valuable for identifying sources related to 17th-century Virginia research in general.  It originally appeared in the Jamestowne Society Magazine, Vol. 44, No. 1. Spring 2020,  p. 13, and is reproduced[…]Read more

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