Genealogy Books

I just got this book yesterday and I highly recommend it for any fan of old cemeteries.

The author really drives home the point of how callous we've become as a society when political patronage, urban blight. etc. have caused these once-beautiful places to fall into decay and neglect and finally to disappear. I think that point needs to be made.

It made me sick when I learned that these places were replaced by playgrounds, athletic fields...and housing projects (which we all know bring nothing but crime and drugs to the neighborhoods in which they are built). The playground that replaced Ronaldson's on 9th Street in South Philadelphia is a dreary, ugly place. For that, an cemetery dating back to 1827 was uprooted? The same with Lafayette, across the street from the famous Pat's Steaks, which was also displaced for a playground!

I've wondered many times what the "lost" and long-gone cemeteries like Machpelah, Union, American Mechanics, Olive, etc. looked like. This book satisfied much of my curiosity about those places with the black and white photos in it.

It is a great read and a must for any taphophile's library.

Pierce's Register is one of a handful of books regarded as indispensable for locating information on Revolutionary War soldiers; and since it is based on official Paymaster records, it is also regarded as unimpeachable. Among the initiated it is acknowledged as the classic starting point in Revolutionary War research. With its 93,000 names it is very nearly a complete roster of the officers and soldiers of the Continental Army.

By act of Congress certificates of payments for arrears were issued by the Paymaster General to soldiers for sums owed them at the end of the war. In all, 93,298 certificates were issued and a register compiled therefrom. A few copies of the Register were printed for official use, but as far as is known only one copy was alphabetically arranged. In 1915 the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution transcribed and published this alphabetical Register, adding to it a certified copy of a general index. It is this 1915 publication, reprinted with the permission of the DAR, that is now available from the Genealogical Publishing Company.

The work consists of a straight alphabetical list of names showing the certificate number and the amount owed. With the general index the researcher is able to determine the state and in some cases the regiment of the men whose names appear in the Register. The work is complete for the Continental Army, but it does not include any account of militiamen (who were paid by their respective states); nor, owing to the peculiar relations existing between South Carolina and the federal government, does it include any of the names of men from South Carolina.

Louise has created a real labor of love here: an extensive history of the Williams family in southern Washington state. The book is very extensive and includes many anecdotes which will become even more valuable and precious over the years; and the pictures themselves are extraordinary. Family members will treasure it; others will be amazed by the documentation of the everyday life of a family over the past hundred years.

I just finished reading this book by my father. After years of research, he has brought together the folklore, tales and trials of our pioneering family in rural Tennessee. I am proud of my heritage and the way they overcame the difficulties presented by the depression as American farmers fully reliant on God. If you enjoy reading real stories about common people in extraordinary circumstances, you will enjoy this book. It is filled with charming stories, pictures, letters, and the geneology of the Chaffin family. Family member or not, you will travel back to an earlier age in this country when hard times gave way to simple pleasures, reliance on God and each other. Thanks, dad, for taking the time to put together such a wonderful book.

As Continental forces and Virginia militia units were engaged in winning independence, American quartermasters and provisioners struggled to provide these units with all the necessities of life, from meals and guns to meat, fodder for horses, the horses themselves, firewood, and every other type of material. Much of this was requisitioned from the civilian population and certificates were issued payable in either continental or state funds, depending on the units supplied, upon presentation to court authorities. Thousands of these certificates issued to Virginians were duly entered by the courts, and they provide a fascinating insight into the period of the Revolution. These "Publick" Claims booklets contain interesting and useful information about the contributions of ordinary people to the Revolutionary War. They provide some details of people's service in the militia or as guards for prisoners of war; they indicate where some bodies of troops were at particular times; and they identify providers of horses, wagons, cattle, grain, or other supplies. Much of the information in these booklets cannot be found anywhere else, which makes the surviving records particularly valuable. Also remarkable is the fact that records survived from virtually every county in the state at that time with the exception of the newly formed Kentucky counties. This makes the collection even more valuable in covering areas which heretofore in this time period have suffered from a lack of personal data. The "Virginia Publick Claims" are published by counties. In addition to a faithful transcription by Janice Luck Abercrombie and the late Richard Slatten, a complete index is provided for each county booklet. This series is an extremely important genealogical tool for searchers in Revolutionary-era materials.

I always wondered if I'm a descendant of Pocahontas since I saw this book.

As Continental forces and Virginia militia units were engaged in winning independence, American quartermasters and provisioners struggled to provide these units with all the necessities of life, from meals and guns to meat, fodder for horses, the horses themselves, firewood, and every other type of material. Much of this was requisitioned from the civilian population and certificates were issued payable in either continental or state funds, depending on the units supplied, upon presentation to court authorities. Thousands of these certificates issued to Virginians were duly entered by the courts, and they provide a fascinating insight into the period of the Revolution. These "Publick" Claims booklets contain interesting and useful information about the contributions of ordinary people to the Revolutionary War. They provide some details of people's service in the militia or as guards for prisoners of war; they indicate where some bodies of troops were at particular times; and they identify providers of horses, wagons, cattle, grain, or other supplies. Much of the information in these booklets cannot be found anywhere else, which makes the surviving records particularly valuable. Also remarkable is the fact that records survived from virtually every county in the state at that time with the exception of the newly formed Kentucky counties. This makes the collection even more valuable in covering areas which heretofore in this time period have suffered from a lack of personal data. The "Virginia Publick Claims" are published by counties. In addition to a faithful transcription by Janice Luck Abercrombie and the late Richard Slatten, a complete index is provided for each county booklet. This series is an extremely important genealogical tool for searchers in Revolutionary-era materials.

A great book to help track down your Preble county family

a great book if you are trying to track down your family from preble county Ohio

All genealogy researchers using Family Tree Maker will definately benefit from using Prima's Official Companion to Family Tree Maker Version 7. It contains precise how-to's that are easily understood by those new to their research or those wishing to brush up on skills. The helpful tips can save you from many frustrated dead-ends. It is written in easily understood terminology with consice directions to guide you on your quest for finding, detailing, and reporting on ancestors. A must have addition to the manual included with your original purchase.