President’s Message, August 2017
Greetings: I had a visit this past weekend from some cousins from Massachusetts. We have been to cemeteries, the library, to see other cousins and you name it. This cousin is “the one” for his side of the family. We did a lot of reminiscing with my mother. His 17 year old seemed to be […]
President’s Message, June 2017
I just asked my mother a question about the dog they had when she was a kid. That lead her to telling me some things her father did before he died. The evening before he died he brought my grandmother and my great grandmother to see me. Apparently he did other things not long before […]
Naturalization Records
In the U.S., before 1906, people could go to any courthouse to become a citizen. Apparently you could start the process in one court and finish it in another. Papers filed after 27 Sept. 1906 have more info than prior: Declaration of Intent/1st papers Petition for Naturalization/2nd or final papers Certificate of Naturalization. The government […]
President’s Message, May 2017
Hopefully your outdoor/travel research is now in full swing. When you’re out and about keep your eyes open for Victorian cradle graves. Those graves had a headstone, footstone, and 2 sidebars which created a trough. The family was to plant ornamentals there. This quote comes from a comic strip where they quoted Michael Crichton, the […]
President’s Message, April 2017
Greetings: Finally it’s getting closer to outdoor research time.The ground is thawing out and drying out. Don’t forget about your genealogy widow/widower.Hopefully they are someone who, even though they may not be into your obsession can still find enjoyment being with you on your searches. Perhaps they enjoy being useful to you and are happy […]
The Importance of Full Place Names
Remember to write out town, county/parish, state/province, and country on your charts. At the very least have it correctly noted in your records somewhere. You may know what you mean but, down the road when you leave your records behind it may not be very apparent to someone else. Did you know there’s a town […]
President’s Message, January 2017
Greetings: I’m now starting my second stint as the prez. I’d like to keep these messages short and sweet as I will still be doing my column. I hope that you will give me some ideas on topics and speakers for our meetings. I would also hope that you might be willing to give a […]
Researching Very Early British Nationals
Found while preparing a display on census records… British Aliens in the United States during the War of 1812 by Genealogical Publishing Co. Inc. 1979 Once war was declared, British subjects were now enemy aliens. They were given notice to report to the marshal of the state or territory. They had to report the people […]
Tips for Researching Irish Records
When doing Irish research you need to understand the territorial boundaries before you start. Province = the largest area in Irish records. Originally there were 8 counties in each of the 4 provinces. In 1922 Ireland was divided into 6 counties in Northern Ireland and 26 in the Republic of Ireland. County = the 32 […]
They Spelled It How?
Recently a friend and I walked through a cemetery in Wallagrass where many of her relatives are buried. Labbe is a family name and probably one of the simplest French names to spell. By the time we were done there were 4 different spellings, 3 of which we’d never seen before, Labbe, Labbee, Labby and […]