Writing in the Introduction to her recent volume, Finding Early Connecticut Vital Records: The Barbour Index and Beyond, author Linda MacLachlan explains the scope of her ten-year study thusly: “This book goes beyond the Barbour Index by adding six more towns to create a bibliography for all 149 Connecticut towns incorporated by 1850. It also[…]Read more
Excerpted from Judy G. Russell, “Copyright and Fair Use,” Elizabeth Shown Mills, ed., Professional Genealogy: Preparation, Practice & Standards (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2018), 149–72. COPYRIGHT VS. PLAGIARISM Copyright and plagiarism are distinct concepts. The major differences are these: Copyright is a legal construct that takes the form of exclusive rights held by the copyright[…]Read more
One of the important features of Dr. David Dobson’s book, Scottish Genealogy: The Basics and Beyond, is a comprehensive chapter on Scottish church and other religious records. In addition to the Church of Scotland, the author covers more than a dozen denominations and smaller sects, explaining the historical origins of each church or sect and[…]Read more
What do you and Prince Harry and HRH Prince William have in common? The exciting possibility is that you and they are cousins, as well as cousins to both of their royal parents. In the film The Other Boleyn Girl (2008), Mary Boleyn is depicted as having had a five-year relationship as the mistress of Henry VIII, King of England, despite her marriage to William[…]Read more
Among the valuable features readers will find in Dr. David Dobson’s new book, Scottish Genealogy: The Basics and Beyond, is a chapter devoted to Scottish emigration. Since the author is the foremost authority on the subject, researchers can bank on what he has to say about the Scottish diaspora that proceeded, primarily, from the 17th[…]Read more
Just as the Smithsonian is said to be the nation’s attic, Maine is New England’s attic. Among Maine’s many treasures and whatnots are several early nineteenth-century embroidery samplers that are more than elaborate fruits and flowers surrounding a carefully stitched alphabet. The fine silk threads sewn into the linen of these special samplers sketch family[…]Read more
In my eyes the Future of Irish Genealogy is a promising one. Here are the reasons why: 1. The major Irish record sources can now be examined online, such as: Census enumerations of 1901 and 1911 can be searched at www.census.nationalarchives.ie Irish Civil Records of births from 1864-1920, marriages 1845-1945 and deaths 1871-1970 can be[…]Read more
[Excerpted from Elizabeth Shown Mills, Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace, 3d ed. rev. (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2017), pp. 18–22, §1.4, 1.11.] Our latest excerpt from Elizabeth Shown Mills’ classic work, Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace, is one we would all do well to contemplate regularly as we conduct our research,[…]Read more
(In the first installment of this article, Denise Larson described the historical forces and settlement patterns that form the background to Maine genealogy. In the concluding installment, she offers excellent “how-to’ and “where-to” guidance concerning how to conduct Maine genealogical research.) Great Places to Do Genealogy in Maine Of particular note in the search for[…]Read more
How to Find Your Find Your Family History in U.S. Church Records: A Genealogist’s Guide, by Sunny Jane Morton and Harold A. Henderson has been one of our best-selling books since its appearance in 2019. At least three factors account for this development: The Morton and Henderson book is the first one to cover the[…]Read more
By Lorine McGinnis Schulze Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, was a wilderness until 1782, when thousands of Loyalists from the United States—fleeing the colonies after the American Revolution—settled along the shores of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. They were soon joined by Swiss Mennonites from Pennsylvania, and in the 19th century by emigrants[…]Read more
Author Val Greenwood is sometimes thought of as the “dean of American genealogists” The reason why, of course, is his book, The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy. 4th edition. First published in 1973 and updated in 2017, The Researcher’s Guide was not only the first comprehensive textbook on its subject, it has also been the[…]Read more
