This is the signature portion of a mortgage executed by three of my ancestors on 15 December 1905 in Hancock County, Illinois. This image is not from the actual mortgage itself, but rather from the record copy of the mortgage recorded in the Hancock County Recorder’s Office. The holders of the note (the bank from […]

We’ve converted my online AncestryDNA class into a self-contained series of lectures and handouts that you can view at your leisure. There is no “attendance.” Download and view at your convenience. $55 introductory rate ends 7 January 2019. See how to get more from your AncestryDNA results.

I’ve always found land descriptions and land records fascinating. Maybe it’s just the math geek, farm kid, and genealogy nut coming out in me, but they are fun nonetheless. The image with this post comes from the estate inventory of John J. Johnson. John’s estate was probated in Hancock County, Illinois, from 1929 through the […]

They say time heals all wounds. That may or may not be true. Perspective matters. Emotional attachment matters. Knowing the individuals involved personally involved in a situation matters. Sometimes individuals wax poetically and eagerly share the “black sheep” in their family. Some view it as romantic when a 18th century relative leaves their family, heads […]

From a reader: “My ancestors came into possession of farmland in Indiana circa 1815.  A portion of that original land has been passed to me and I am a current owner – and nonresident farmer.  I would love to identify the start of this land ownership and the subsequent transfers by will or otherwise – […]

There is a reason they refer the compiled military records at the National Archives as “compiled.” The cards that researchers use from these compiled military records are extracts from muster rolls and other records.  As such, they can occasionally contain errors. These two cards are part of ongoing research into Henry C. Markham, a Civil […]

It never hurts all of us to be reminded of the importance of tracing extended family members. That’s true in general and it is especially true when tracing immigrant families. Samuel Neill and his brother, Joseph, were Irish immigrants to the United States, settling in Hancock County, Illinois, in the late 1860s. They men naturalized […]

During my recent group tour to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, I had some time to work on one of my Kentucky lines–James Tinsley. Since the last time I worked on James, the papers from the Bourbon County, Kentucky, court files have been microfilmed. Knowing that James lived in Bourbon County for […]