Genealogical Puzzle Solved: City Directories
In last month’s issue, I presented a puzzle involving a city directory.[1] It was particularly tough. I won’t pretend otherwise. To put it in New York Times crossword terms, it was definitely a Saturday puzzle, the toughest of the week. If you missed it or forgot some of the details, take a minute to revisit it so the solution makes the most sense.
Here are highlights the key elements of the puzzle:
- the subject was William Brown (abt. 1763–1827) of New York City
- he married 27 February 1785 at Trinity Church, New York City, Mary Ball.[2]
- their children were William, Richard, John, Benjamin Moore, Samuel Provoost, Nathaniel Marston, Eliza, James, and Mary[3]
- his parents and siblings were unknown
- his occupation was unknown
Who was William Brown? An exercise with city directories both created an initially unseen problem and, ultimately, solved that problem. What clue in that exercise did I initially miss?
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About Author
Aaron Goodwin
Aaron is a genealogist and house historian specializing in New York City research across all time periods, from the Dutch colonial era to the 20th century. His book, New York City Municipal Archives: An Authorized Guide for Family Historians, won the National Genealogical Society’s 2017 Award for Excellence: Genealogical Methods and Sources. He is also editor of NGS Monthly, former contributing editor of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, and former editor of the Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine. In 2011, he received the American Society of Genealogists’ Scholar Award.