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title: The Weekly Genealogist, April 22, 2026
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Patriots of Color Exhibit; New Database: Charleston County Slave Bills of Sale, 1774-1872 ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­    ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­  

| View in Browser April 22, 2026 Become a Member In-Person Exhibit, April 23–December 31 Patriots of Color   Patriots of Color, a new exhibit in the Family Heritage Experience at American Ancestors, sheds light on the overlooked histories of Black, Native, and multiracial men and women who fought, labored, and led in the struggle for American independence across all thirteen colonies. Learn More Database News New Database—South Carolina: Charleston County Slave Bills of Sale, 1774-1872   This new database adds 258,913 names and 258,944 records. It includes bills of sale for enslaved people from court records of Charleston County, South Carolina. The records are indexed by first and last names. Both enslaved and enslaver names are included. Because the majority of the enslaved persons did not have last names, the enslaver’s last name can be an important clue for research.  This database is presented in partnership with Family Search as part of the 10 Million Names project, which aims to recover and restore the names of the estimated 10 million women, men, and children of African descent who were enslaved in the US prior to 1865. Search Now $25 Off New Memberships   Become a new member today and save $25. An American Ancestors membership offers access to billions of searchable names on our website, a subscription to American Ancestors magazine, discounts on books and research for hire, and more! Use code SPRING26 at checkout. Sale ends on May 15. Join Today The Weekly Genealogist Survey This Week's Survey: Significant Family Feuds in Your Family History Share your story! Each week in our Readers Respond column, we publish a selection of reader-submitted stories related to our most recent survey. Submissions must be 150 words or fewer and include your full name, city, and state. Published responses will be edited for clarity and length. Take the Survey Last Week's Survey: Ancestors Who Immigrated Without Their Family Members   Total: 2,650 Responses 46%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors who was under 21 immigrated without any family members. 55%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors who was 21 or older immigrated without any family members. 7%, No, none of my ancestors immigrated without any family members. 19%, I don’t know. Readers Respond   Christopher Way, Hillsborough, New Hampshire: On October 26, 1927, my maternal grandfather, Aurelio Battistoni, aged 14, was sent by his parents from Fano, Italy, to America to live with relatives. At the time, Mussolini was recruiting for the fascist paramilitary youth organization Opera Nazionale Balilla. Aurelio’s parents did not want their son involved in the group. Aurelio sailed from Genoa on the Roma, arriving November 4 at Ellis Island, where he was met by his uncle. Aurelio began a new life in Waterbury, Connecticut, eventually becoming a mason and gaining some local fame as a champion duckpin bowler.   Kim Cromwell, Provincetown, Massachusetts: My grandmother Mary Theresa Hopkins left her tenant farmer family in Headford, County Galway, at 17 and traveled solo to Ellis Island aboard the Cedric in 1908. She never saw her family again. Mary lived for a time with relatives in New York City before relocating to Princeton, New Jersey, where she stood out because of her beautiful red hair. She was hired as a housekeeper for the dean of Princeton University. Mary stayed in Princeton and raised her family there.   Deb Del Nero, Portsmouth, Rhode Island: My paternal grandmother, Assunta Messori Del Nero, came to the United States in 1900 on the Lusitania from Naples, Italy. She was 16 and traveling alone. The ship manifest listed her as male; I wonder if Assunta’s mother dressed her like a boy to protect her in steerage. I asked my father if his mother ever spoke about her immigration experience, but she did not. I imagine that trip must have been frightening for a young girl.   Connie Taylor, Eufaula, Alabama: My third great-grandfather Haldor O. Rear (1814-1896) departed from Christiania, Norway, on June 15, 1852, aboard the bark Argo, arriving in Quebec, Canada, on August 12. Haldor had left his wife, Guri (Olsdatter), and four children in their town of Nord-Aurdal. Haldor made his way to Buffalo, New York, where, on August 19, he boarded the Atlantic to travel across Lake Erie to Detroit, Michigan. On August 20, the Atlantic collided in dense fog with the Ogdensburg. Haldor clung to a piece of floating mast until he was recused by a nearby ship. After settling in Dane County, Wisconsin, in 1853, Haldor sent for his wife and children.   What We’re Reading   In 1776, the Declaration of Independence Was Breaking News. Here’s How the Founding Document Reached the American Public “A new book by historian Emily Sneff records the journeys of the Declaration’s first printed copies, tracking their reception in the Thirteen Colonies and overseas.” Inside the Storage Units of Six New Yorkers “In a city of notoriously small apartments, New Yorkers keep their meaningful mementos and quirky collections elsewhere.” The House With No Story “Atlas Obscura CEO Louise Story didn’t have a plan in Bloomington. She just had the app, her kids, and an open afternoon—and ended up somewhere she never expected.” This Portland Woman Recognized Herself in a Historical Photo—80 Years Later “Reta Morrill, a fifth-generation Peaks Island, Maine resident, recalls her school days riding a Casco Bay ferry to and from school.” Knit Your Bit! “In response to U.S. involvement in World War I, the Women’s Bureau of the American Red Cross Association established a nationwide knitting campaign to support soldiers fighting overseas.”  Spotlight: Local History Resources, Scott County Library System, Iowa   by Valerie Beaudrault   Scott County, seated in Davenport, is located in eastern Iowa. The Scott County Library System has made a number of items available on its local history page. Resources include an index to thirty-nine cemeteries and burial grounds in Scott County. In the Community History Archive, researchers can search nearly 128,000 pages of the North Scott Press (1968-2019). Other online historical resources include a searchable collection of North Scott yearbooks (1969-2019), an online photo index, and the Scott County Community Memory Project Digital Collection. Search Now Recently on Vita Brevis Misfortunes of a Polish Immigrant   In the latest Vita Brevis article, researcher Justin Peavey uncovers the tragic story of Feliks Skibicki, a Polish immigrant who settled in New England. Skibicki's search for a better future instead led to heartbreak, betrayal, and an untimely death. Read More Upcoming Lectures, Courses, Tours, and More April 25: In-Person Lecture Getting Started in Family History Research   April 30: Free Online Author Event To Die For: A Cookbook of Gravestone Recipes with Rosie Grant   May 2: In-Person Tour Discover Your Story: Guided Tour of the Family Heritage Experience View All Upcoming Events and Tours Your Legacy. Your Peace of Mind. Your Free Will.   As a family historian, you know that wills are important in your research—but have you created a will for yourself? Free Will, an easy and free online will creation tool, will guide you step-by-step through identifying beneficiaries for your assets, supporting the causes that are important to you, and planning for the preservation of your research. Learn More Educational events brought to you by Vol. 29, No. 16, Whole #1308 Copyright ©2026 American Ancestors. All Rights Reserved.. 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