Harry Joshua Davis was a seemingly complicated man. I never knew him, but the records he left often describe a man with many complexities. Living family members knew little of him, except rumors and hushed opinions as to where he had ended up. His birth in Lancashire, England in 1879, was innocuous enough. The oldest … Continue reading Finding Harry
Tag: #genealogy
Context is Key: Know the Law!
At the time our ancestors lived, there were laws that came into being and which affected the way our ancestors lived and the documents they created. In last week’s post, we learned how important it is to understand the collection our record is in. It is perhaps even more important to understand the laws at … Continue reading Context is Key: Know the Law!
Context is Key: Understanding the Record within the Record Collection
Records don’t exist in a vacuum. (For the purposes of this post, I am referring to microfilmed images of records we have located online). It’s important to understand the record in terms of the collection it's found in. Once we’ve located a record, we need to ask ourselves questions about the record and the collection. … Continue reading Context is Key: Understanding the Record within the Record Collection
“Eighteen Hundred and Froze to Death”
When we look at the factors that caused our ancestors to migrate from one place to another, specifically within the United States, do we consider the effect that climate disasters may have had? Most of us are familiar with the Dust Bowl, which forced thousands of families in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas, to abandon their … Continue reading “Eighteen Hundred and Froze to Death”
Seaman’s Protection Certificates – An Unusual Source
In an earlier post I compared Ancestry’s then new “U.S., Army Transport Service, Passenger Lists, 1910-1939” to draft registrations to answer the question of whether someone who registered for the draft actually went on to serve. I used as an example, the five Zimmerman brothers, who all registered for the draft but didn’t all end up … Continue reading Seaman’s Protection Certificates – An Unusual Source
In the Parish Chest: Churchwarden & Poor Rate Records
In the Parish Chest – Churchwarden and Poor Rate Records is the fourth and final post of the In the Parish Chest series. The other posts discussed Bastardy Bonds, Settlement Certificates, Examinations and Removal Orders and Apprenticeship records. As early as 1572, Overseers of the Poor were appointed in each parish in England. Their job … Continue reading In the Parish Chest: Churchwarden & Poor Rate Records
In the Parish Chest: Settlement Examinations, Settlement Certificates, Removal Orders
As we learned in my last post on bastardy bonds, parishes in England did not want to be financially liable for the support of individuals or families settling within their boundaries who could not provide for themselves. In England, the Poor Relief Act of 1662, also known as the Settlement and Removal Act came into … Continue reading In the Parish Chest: Settlement Examinations, Settlement Certificates, Removal Orders
The Youngest Among Us
“I will lend you, for a little time, A child of mine, He said. For you to love the while he lives, And mourn for when he's dead.” Edgar Guest (1881-1959) It is always difficult to comprehend the deaths of the youngest among us. All of us have come across sad family stories. When they … Continue reading The Youngest Among Us
Music and Miners
In the coal mining districts of County Durham, England, in the 19th and 20th centuries, almost every colliery (coal mine) had a colliery band. Bands were sponsored by the local mining communities and were a source of great pride for the working men who played in the band and the community who attended their performances. … Continue reading Music and Miners
Let’s Call him James or maybe … James?
My father is James Thomas My grandfather is James Thomas My great grandfather is James Thomas My great great grandfather is William Thomas My great great great grandfather is James Thomas My great great great great grandfather is John Thomas My great great great great great grandfather is James Thomas With the exception of William … Continue reading Let’s Call him James or maybe … James?
KindredPast 