Uncategorized Archive
26 Feb 2018
When Deed Books Are More Than Land Records
By Aaron Goodwin On 26 February 2018 In Uncategorized
In Locating Your Roots: Discover Your Ancestors Using Land Records, author Patricia Law Hatcher, FASG, FGSP, spends a couple of pages on one of her favorite topics: “Records in Deed Books That Aren’t Deeds.”[1] Hatcher uses the
31 Jan 2018
Dutch Naming Systems in Early America
By Aaron Goodwin On 31 January 2018 In Uncategorized
Among the NGSQ Archives are countless articles on sound genealogical research methodology. Some of those articles are so well-written and useful that they have become must-use resources for genealogists ever since. One such timeless contribution comes from
31 Dec 2017
Four Ways to Give Back to the Genealogical Community
By Aaron Goodwin On 31 December 2017 In Uncategorized
Giving back is critical for a community such as ours, one that is uniquely self-supporting and depends whole-heartedly on the kindness of strangers. The financial burden that societies bear to digitize records, create indexes, and educate
30 Nov 2017
Georgia Passports Illuminate Migrations
By Aaron Goodwin On 30 November 2017 In Uncategorized
Many very early nineteenth-century travelers to the territories that would become the Gulf states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana migrated there from the Southeastern states of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. If your ancestor is
30 Nov 2017
Evaluating Court Testimonies as Genealogical Evidence
By Aaron Goodwin On 30 November 2017 In Uncategorized
The Genealogical Proof Standard includes “(a) a reasonably exhaustive search in reliable sources for all information that is or may be pertinent to the identity, relationship, event, or situation in question[.]”[1] Court records are generally considered “reliable
26 Oct 2017
Hidden Truths
By Laura Murphy DeGrazia, CG On 26 October 2017 In Uncategorized
People who lived in the past had secrets. Just as those living today may hide parts of their lives and conceal facts about their families, so may have people who lived centuries ago. Genealogists know that first-hand
26 Oct 2017
Tracking and Reporting Our Own Research
By Laura Murphy DeGrazia, CG On 26 October 2017 In Uncategorized
Life has a way of interrupting plans. While we are deep into work, focused on solving a genealogical mystery, a bump in the road could push us in another direction. We set our research aside, intending to
27 Sep 2017
Reducing Risk by Using Original Sources
By Laura Murphy DeGrazia, CG On 27 September 2017 In Uncategorized
In a mere three pages in the September 2016 issue of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, author Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, CGL, illustrates the risks genealogists run when they do not pursue original sources.[1] Sources fall into
27 Sep 2017
Genealogists and Books
By Laura Murphy DeGrazia, CG On 27 September 2017 In Uncategorized
On National Read a Book Day, celebrated 6 September 2017, the public was encouraged to spend the day reading. Many family historians need no encouragement to do that; books are an important part of every day. Genealogists
23 Aug 2017
Modern Eyes, Old Records
By Laura Murphy DeGrazia, CG On 23 August 2017 In Uncategorized
We’ve all heard the expression that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Viewers bring their individual interpretations and ideas to what they see. The phenomenon extends into everything that people look at, including historical documents