This is a typical newspaper obituary. It gives the usual genealogical information, including her name (Ella M. Crofoot), age, & date and place of birth. I could easily transcribe this information and move on to the next relative to research in my family tree – but that would be a mistake. Why? I have... (Read More)
Massachusetts has long played a prominent role in American history. It is where the Pilgrims landed from the Mayflower and established Plymouth Colony in 1620. Boston, founded in 1630, was one of the centers of the revolt against Great Britain that led to the American Revolution. Although Massachusetts is the seventh smallest state in... (Read More)
This has to be a record. It’s not uncommon for a young man to marry the girl next door – but in William Mercer’s case he married five of them, all sisters! He married the first of five of the Moffitt sisters, Jennie, when he was 19. After her death, he married in succession... (Read More)
Introduction: Mary Harrell-Sesniak is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background. In this blog article, Mary tells the story of Victoria Claflin Woodhull – who in a long, full life replete with many controversies, earned the distinction of being the first woman to run for U.S. president. Who, you may be... (Read More)
Introduction: Gena Philibert-Ortega is a genealogist and author of the book “From the Family Kitchen.” If your ancestor had trouble with the law or was the victim of a crime – or participated in a civil or criminal trial – law articles in the newspapers of that time might have family history information to... (Read More)
Originally part of the Mississippi Territory, Alabama became the nation’s 22nd state on 14 December 1819. It is the 30th largest state in the country, and the 23rd most populous. If you are researching your ancestry from Alabama, you will want to use GenealogyBank’s online AL newspaper archives: 81 titles to help you search... (Read More)
Introduction: Gena Philibert-Ortega is a genealogist and author of the book “From the Family Kitchen.” As you may be aware, October is Family History Month. In this blog article, Gena celebrates this special month for family historians by suggesting three genealogy tips for you to try. First set aside as Family History Month in... (Read More)
Eugenie Caroline Kemp (1842-1845) was only three years old when she died – and until recently, I didn’t even know she had existed. I discovered her when I was doing a search in GenealogyBank’s Historical Newspaper Archives about one of my ancestors. I was searching for information about Rufus Crosby Kemp (1813-1856). My research... (Read More)
Introduction: Mary Harrell-Sesniak is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background. In this blog article, Mary tackles a problem many genealogists encounter: how to find newspaper articles about your ancestors when editors often abbreviated or hyphenated your ancestors’ names. So much has been written on searching newspapers for ancestors whose names... (Read More)