Genealogists know to look for birth announcements in newspapers–if the time period is right. It’s unusual for United States newspapers before the late 19th century to publish any mention of a birth and those that are published during that time period are most frequently in rural, weekly newspapers and generally only state that “the stork visited […]

There is still room in my December 2015 session of “US Land Records.” More details are on our announcement page–join us!

I can never tell just how Ancestry.com updates anything, but the “South Dakota, Birth Index, 1856-1915” is showing as updated, so I decided to search for my aunt and uncle in the database. The results were not surprising, but they brought to mind three things that are good reminders: People can move away for a […]

Hasty research can easily lead to incorrect conclusions, causing the researcher to think they are the right path when the reality is something entirely different. I recently read a 1742 deed from Massachusetts where the widow was listed as the late widow and her children were quit claiming their property to one of their siblings. […]

Those who have made genealogy research trips to distant libraries may recognize themselves in this list. I’ve never actually given these awards while hosting a research trip to either Ft. Wayne or Salt Lake, but they were jokingly used in a speech several years ago. Stack Reader’s Award: For the trip participant who insists on […]

It’s not a reference to an aging male opera singer. There’s a little more to old tenor than that. A 1742 deed among the children of Samuel Sargent of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, references payment being made in “bills of Credit of the old Tenor.” The deed is specifying the consideration being used to purchase the […]