You’ve probably run across the word “Ahnentafel” over the course of your research, but have you ever had it explained? The word’s origin is German for “ancestor table.” These days, however, it refers to a particular kind of numbering system used to keep track of our ancestors. Best used with pedigrees, as opposed to the[…]Read more
What if your Aunt Rose walks up to you and says, “I understand you’re into genealogy, so explain to me in plain English the difference between second cousins and first cousins twice removed.” Could you do it? If you cannot, if you’re a little confused about the “removes,” consider the following excerpt from Jackie Smith[…]Read more
Chapter Five of The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy. 4th Edition, by Val Greenwood, is entitled “Libraries and the National Archives (NARA).” In a way the chapter title is understated because many libraries have digitized their family history holdings (e.g., personal papers, published family histories, military records, etc.) and made them available for free on[…]Read more
The system of primogeniture, the medieval practice of passing down a title and its holdings to one’s eldest son (or daughter), accounts for the fact that many Americans have royal or noble ancestors. For example, the millions of descendants of the 970 immigrant ancestors discussed in the 2018 edition of Gary Boyd Roberts’ book, The[…]Read more
Genealogical.com is delighted to announce its publication of the preeminent textbook for Scots-Irish genealogy. This 2018 second edition is a massively expanded version of its 2005 predecessor. The new edition includes additional information on church records and landed estate papers, as well as new chapters looking at records relating to law and order, emigration, business[…]Read more
David Dobson, our most prolific writer and compiler, has been on a roll again. In 2021, we published his excellent guidebook, Scottish Genealogy: The Basics and Beyond, which has garnered rave reviews from other experts like Chris Paton. We recently put together his multi-book series on the Scots-Irish into a fully-indexed two volume set entitled,[…]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
No one is as familiar with personal ads placed in colonial newspapers as Joseph Lee Boyle. The retired head ranger at the Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, historic park, Mr. Boyle has spent a decade reading the classified ads that ran in 18th-century American newspapers from New England to Maryland. His findings have appeared in 20 indexed[…]Read more
In Chapter 21 of The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy. Fourth Edition, author Val Greenwood cautions genealogists that during ‘pick and shovel research’–when the documents we need are not online and we must go to them in person—we will be glad we know how to abstract those records. At the outset of the chapter, the[…]Read more
“She was of a ‘Coulour browne, or rather tawnye,’ and her age was somewhere between twelve and fourteen. She probably was roundfaced, with the fore part of her ‘grosse’ and ‘thick’ black hair ‘shaven close,’ and the very long ‘thicker part’ being ‘tied in a pleate hanging down’ to her hips. Her hands almost certainly[…]Read more
Engaging in genealogical research requires a commitment of time, energy, and resources. Along the way, we may invest in travel, subscribe to web sites, buy books, establish relationships and more, as we devote ourselves to unraveling the mysteries and connections of our families. One aspect of genealogy that many hobbyists do not make a serious[…]Read more
Earlier this month, the New England Historic Genealogical Society presented Elizabeth Shown Mills with its distinguished Coddington Award of Merit. The award is named after John Insley Coddington, who, after Donald Lines Jacobus, is considered the dean of 20th-century American genealogists. The Codington award recognizes significant accomplishments and contributions in the field. Elizabeth Shown Mills,[…]Read more
