After near 50 years and four editions, why is Val Greenwood’s Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy is still the most respected genealogy textbook? It is clear, to the point, and authoritative, to be sure, but “Greenwood” is also extremely resourceful. The following illustration from one of its two chapters on Military Records is a good[…]Read more
What will happen to your ancestor photos, family heirlooms, and genealogy documents when you someday join your ancestors? The new year is a good time to plan for passing family history to future generations. Planning a Future for Your Family’s Past by Marian Burk Wood offers a practical, step-by-step process for getting your collection in shape for the next generation[…]Read more
Prior to his death in June 2018, Lloyd de Witt Bockstruck wrote the last of his eight books bearing either the Genealogical Publishing Company or Clearfield Company imprint, American Settlements and Migrations. As the subtitle, A Primer for Genealogists and Family Historians, implies, this diminutive work (108 densely packed pages) provides a synopsis of the[…]Read more
When the first English explorers landed there in 1625, they found it to be uninhabited, having been abandoned by its Native American settlers a century earlier. England settled Barbados in 1627 and, owing to the success of the sugar industry there, would continue to rule it until 1966. By the 1650s, sugar had made the[…]Read more
Not until 1847 did New York state require local jurisdictions to record the birth, marriage, or death events of its inhabitants. This glaring omission in the official genealogical record makes consulting unofficial sources–such as church records, family Bibles, and, in particular, newspaper archives–of great importance in New York state research. Genealogist Fred Q. Bowman was[…]Read more
By Denise R. Larson Though it can be said that our ancestors did not have the economic advantages that most of us enjoy today, that doesn’t mean their lives were completely humdrum and colorless. They had their fun, too. A chapter in the second edition of Judy Jacobson’s History for Genealogists: Using Chronological Time Lines[…]Read more
By Thomas W. Jones, Ph.D., CG, CGL, FASG From time to time we have excerpted portions of the extraordinary book, Professional Genealogy: Preparation, Practice & Standards. Edited by Elizabeth Shown Mills, one of America’s most respected genealogy authorities, and written by eighteen leading experts on the substance of genealogical research, Progen PPS is a priceless[…]Read more
Prior to the 16th Century, the records awaiting determined genealogists and historians are scanty to say the least. Joseph O Callaghan, professor emeritus of medieval history at Fordham University, was certainly better prepared to confront that challenge that most when he tacked his family history. Now available in a revised edition, Clan Callaghan: The O[…]Read more
The following article describing the factors involved in citing indexes and finding aids in one’s genealogical research has been excerpted from Elizabeth Mills’ groundbreaking book, Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace, Third Edition Revised, with the author’s permission. “In the framework of history research, an index is usually a tool, rather than[…]Read more
The Nine Years War, also known as Tyrone’s Rebellion, lasted from 1593-1603. In that conflict, which ensued throughout the country of Ireland but mostly in Ulster, Irish lords Hugh O’Neill and Hugh Roe O’Donnell of Tyrconnell led an alliance that was ultimately unsuccessful in stopping the Tudor monarchy’s efforts to consolidate its power throughout the[…]Read more
By Thomas W. Jones, Ph.D., CG, CGL, FASG From time to time we have excerpted portions of the extraordinary book, Professional Genealogy: Preparation, Practice & Standards. Edited by Elizabeth Shown Mills, one of America’s most respected genealogy authorities, and written by eighteen leading experts on the substance of genealogical research, Progen PPS is a priceless[…]Read more
Genealogy audiences on three continents have dubbed Elizabeth Shown Mills “The SuperGenie,” “The Pied Piper of Family History,” “The Mother of Modern Genealogy,” and “the genealogist who has had the greatest impact on American genealogy in the post-ROOTS era.” For over 30 years, Mrs. Mills has pushed the cutting edge of research methodology, standards, and quality,[…]Read more
