Family Histories Most genealogists know—or learn belatedly—that they should be on the lookout for existing accounts of their ancestors, whether published in a printed book or online. While the information in older books about any family must be examined for possible errors and their findings compared with original sources, published family histories frequently save the[…]Read more
What is the genealogist to do when the information he’s looking for is not online or in a genealogy book? Short of finding another hobby, it usually means venturing beyond the comforts of home. It may be as simple as going to the local library or archive, but in many cases some overnight travel is[…]Read more
In previous issues of “Genealogy Pointers,” we have pointed out various features of Roberta Estes’ new book, The Complete Guide to Family TreeDNA. We will continue to do so in the weeks and months to come. The book is currently available in e-Pub format and both black-and- white and color print editions. By the way,[…]Read more
One of the reasons millions of Americans—and especially descendants of New England colonists—have royal ancestry has to do with inheritance practices of western European nations. As Gary Boyd Roberts explained in the Volume 19:3 (2018) issue of American Ancestors Magazine, “Younger sons or daughters of kings (who are entitled to nothing) become or marry nobles,[…]Read more
Between 1997 and 2024, Genealogical.com published the nine-volume series, Scottish Soldiers in Colonial America, by Dr. David Dobson. We are delighted to present those books in a new, fully indexed, consolidated edition. This consolidation edition of Dr. Dobson’s nine-part series identifies over 10,000 Scottish soldiers who served in the Americas. The new comprehensive index of names[…]Read more
The Magna Charta is a royal charter agreed to by King John of England in 1215 that protected a group of barons from false imprisonment, granted them impartial justice, and limited their feudal fees to the King. The Charter was designed to be enforced by a council of 25 barons. “Magna Charta is generally considered[…]Read more
As we have noted previously, New York in 1698: A Comprehensive List of Residents, Based on Census, Tax, and Other Lists, by Kory L. Meyerink, represents a masterful effort to reconstruct a comprehensive census of the inhabitants of the New York Colony in 1698, many of the original returns of which have been lost to[…]Read more
In previous issues of “Genealogy Pointers,” we have pointed out various features of Roberta Estes’ new book, The Complete Guide to Family TreeDNA. We will continue to do so in the weeks and months to come. The book is currently available in e-Pub format and a black and white print edition. Based on popular demand,[…]Read more
William Randolph McCreight’s extraordinary family history traces the O’Sullivan sept a full 31 generations from the author’s Carolina origins to the family’s Irish roots in 170 AD. Based on examinations of archaeological, linguistic, and DNA evidence, Mr. McCreight shows that the O’Sullivans may be the oldest documented Irish royal family on record. At their height[…]Read more
Between 1997 and 2024, Genealogical.com published the nine-volume series, Scottish Soldiers in Colonial America, by Dr. David Dobson. We are delighted to present those books in a new, fully indexed, consolidated edition. This new edition identifies over 10,000 Scottish soldiers who served in the Americas. Dr. Dobson has attached a detailed list of Scottish regiments[…]Read more
We’ve written previously about our new guidebook, The Complete Guide to Lineage Societies, by Dr. Kimberly Nagy. In scarcely 80 pages, Dr. Nagy tells you everything you need to know if you’ve ever wondered about becoming a member of a lineage society. She begins with a description of what lineage societies have in common, what[…]Read more
Land records–grants, deeds, mortgages, surveys, and more–are among the most valuable resources for genealogists to prove relationships and to point to new relationships. Why? One of the strongest motivators for American immigration was land, and one of the strongest motivators for migration within America was land. Because of this, land records are the most common[…]Read more
