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Music Enjoyed by Our Colonial Ancestors
May 18
Everyone today has some collection of their favorite music whether it is on CDs, vinyl records, IPod, MP3 player or even the vintage 45 rpm records, to listen and get pleasure from anytime. For our ancestors they also enjoyed music to listen, sing or dance to, but they did not have the technology of the last one hundred years to listen to pieces of...
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Native American Ancestors
May 16
Any Native American Indian in your family tree? It seems everyone in genealogy wants to claim at least some Indian blood. That was not always the case in most of America’s history. It was something not spoken about if a grandfather had an Indian wife or an uncle lived with an Indian tribe. Sometimes looking at a few old photos can give a research...
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The Forgotten Veterans of the War of 1812 – Part 2
May 14
You may well have ancestors who participated in America’s War of 1812, especially those who lived in the mid-western states. The war covered from 1812 to 1815. The following are a few states with online databases about their veterans. Indiana the territory Those with ancestors from the Indiana region will check the Indiana territory ros...
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The Forgotten Veterans of the War of 1812
May 12
You may well have ancestors who participated in America’s War of 1812, that time when Great Britain figured they might have a shot of regaining the American colonies they lost in 1776. It was more that the new United States got tired of the treatment they were getting from the British and it was the U. S. who declared war finally on Great Britai...
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English Ancestors in Workhouses
May 10
The Poor Law Union of Great Britain referred to special laws enacted about the 1530s for England and Wales to care for the citizens too poor to care of themselves. This system of assistance remained in England and Wales until 1948. Prior to 19th century the aid for the poor was provided by each parish in the form of local workhouses. There were som...
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Family Treasures on eBay
May 8
Since the late 1990s, an online auction site called eBay has become the premier place for individuals to buy and sell collectibles, new merchandise, or just about anything. What many people don’t realize they just might be able to locate a long lost family heirloom by using eBay. Up for auction is not just old collectible toys, electronics, ...
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Stories of American Veterans
May 6
The United States Library of Congress in Washington, D. C. helps preserve much of the written and spoken words by Americans over the decades. It is an ongoing process and that was the reason the U. S. Congress authorized the creation of the Veterans History Project, which is part of the American Folklore Center at the Library of Congress. The ...
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Any Black Sheep?
May 4
What does ‘Black Sheep’ mean? It is basically an expression used to describe a person who is a bit odd, naughty, scandalous, within a family. Just like in a herd of white sheep, that one black or off-color sheep stands out from the herd. So really a person classified as a ‘black sheep’ in the family does not have to mean they were evil or a...
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Historical Photos – The Times of Your Ancestors
May 2
The essence of photos is that they help capture a moment in time. That piece of an event, a person, a location is forever 'frozen' in time with just a photograph. Before the wide-spread use of photos in the 1860s, there were some daguerreotypes, but for the most part those historical moments were expressed by illustrations, artwork and drawings. ...
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Remember Your Maine Ancestors
Apr 30
If you find you have ancestors from the New England region; Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut or Rhode Island, it is beneficial to examine any neighboring states within the New England area. This is especially true if there were any Canadian ancestors. Many over the years left Canada and resettled in Maine, Vermont or New Ha...
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Learning about Welsh Ancestors
Apr 28
Anyone who has ancestors from the United Kingdom just may have an ancestor from Wales. This country is part of the United Kingdom and on the island of Great Britain. Bordering Wales is England, the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. With a present population of approximately three million, its ethnic make-up is Celtic with its own distinctive cultur...
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Message Boards at Rootsweb
Apr 26
Due to the wide-spread use of the Internet and the access people around the globe have to computers the use of 'Message Boards' like that are found on Rootsweb are marvelous references for locating data, records and hints to other sources previously unknown. Not just for certain ancestors is the message board useful, but for surnames and other cat...
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Vital Records of Shelby, Tennessee
Apr 24
In Shelby County, Tennessee there are cities of Memphis, Germantown, Collerville, Lakeland, Arlington, Bartlett and Millington and many others in-between. All the locations have had families reside within the county for decades. The county has placed online many of its vital records. They include birth records 1874 to 1906, marriage records (inc...
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Akron, Ohio – Relatives from 1859 to 1969
Apr 22
[gallery] One of the very best primary sources of information on an ancestor can be located in a city directory of the ancestor's hometown. Many public libraries carry the local city directories, some of which date back to the 1800s. Historical societies in communities might have microfilmed copies of old city directories or even in digital form...
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Any Ancestors Who Were Prisoners? Part Two
Apr 20
To assist in finding an elusive ancestor the following is a listing of some states with the prisoner information online. Checking out some names just might answer some questions. Michigan The prisoners in the state prisons in Michigan from 1847 to 1885 who were sentenced to life. Their name and the county where the crime was committed is provi...
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