Being a life-time genealogist, I’m enthusiastic about discovering interesting stories about my relatives – and with the help of GenealogyBank, the process of discovering those stories is even easier. Newspapers are THE source for finding these stories.
GenealogyBank has two collections of newspapers to help you find more details of your ancestors’ lives: the Historical Newspaper Archives and Recent Obituaries. I used both of these collections this year and found some incredible stories about my family tree along the way.
Here’s a look at some of the things I learned about my relatives this year using GenealogyBank.
My ancestor Tristram C. Goodwin (1781-1813) fought and died in the War of 1812 – I had no idea I had any relatives who had fought in the War of 1812, let alone died in that war. I found Tristram’s story with the help of GenealogyBank’s Historical Newspaper Archives.
My cousin Marie Frances Burgess (1920-2001) was one of the last remaining Shakers in the world. I discovered her 2001 obituary using the Recent Obituaries collection.
My cousin Collin McKinney (1766-1861) not only signed the Texas Declaration of Independence in 1836 but was, according to Wikipedia, “one of the five individuals who drafted [it] and the oldest person to sign it.” I learned about this incredible story through the recent obituary of one of my Mayflower cousins, who was a descendant of Collin McKinney.
My cousin Zachariah Stevens (1778-1856) was one of the fathers of American tinware, which I discovered using the Historical Newspaper Archives.
I confirmed that my Hanson relatives in Dover, New Hampshire, were Quakers using the Historical Newspaper Archives.
My ancestor William Kemp was a “shouting Methodist,” and was ejected from church by the pastor. I learned about this amusing story with the help of the Historical Newspaper Archives.
My 90-year-old 4th-great-uncle Moses Plummer (1765-1859) survived the “Great Catastrophe” of Meredith, New Hampshire. I pieced together this fascinating story using a variety of historical newspaper articles.
Genealogy Tip: Make 2018 the year you find the fascinating stories that make your family tree memorable. Start your search today at GenealogyBank.com.