Have you taken full advantage of state census records in your family history research? You may have assumed that state census records mostly contain the same information as federal censuses, but this is not always the case. Find out how unique questions on state censuses can reveal crucial details about your ancestors. Read More
Upcoming Benefit Event, April 25
Gala Featuring Filmmaker Ron Howard
Our annual Family History Benefit Gala will honor director, producer, screenwriter, and actor Ron Howard. Join us April 25 at the Four Seasons Hotel, Boston, as we present Howard with a detailed history of his family and a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to the field of American Arts and Culture. Following a reception and dinner, Howard will speak with film critic Ty Burr about the impact of family and history on Howard’s work.
Get started today with $20 off a new American Ancestors membership and gain access to more than one billion searchable names, family tree software, the world's best genealogical library, and hundreds of online educational tools to help you become a better family historian. Offer good through April 30, 2024. Join today!
Upcoming In-Person Research Tour, May 5–12
Ottawa, Canada, Research Tour
Join experts from American Ancestors on our inaugural tour to premiere research centers in Ottawa, Canada’s capital city! Whether you have ancestors from Ontario or across Canada, you’ll find key family history records that are not available online. The tour includes personal consultations with our researchers. Register Now
Share your thoughts about the survey!Please limit submissions to 150 words or fewer. Your submission may be featured in an upcoming newsletter or shared on social media; please note in your email if you do not want your story to be shared. Published responses may be edited for clarity and length.
Last Week's Survey:
Connections to New Amsterdam and New York City
Total: 2,868 Responses
28%, At least one of my ancestors lived in New Amsterdam between 1624 and 1664.
21%, At least one of my ancestors lived in New York City between 1665 and 1699.
18%, At least one of my ancestors lived in New York City between 1700 and 1799.
28%, At least one of my ancestors lived in New York City between 1800 and 1899.
26%, At least one of my ancestors lived in New York City between 1900 and 1999.
42%, At least one of my ancestors immigrated through New York City.
4%, I was born in New York City.
8%, I lived in New York City.
1%, I currently live in New York City.
70%, I have visited New York City.
9%, I have never visited New York City.
13%, I have another connection to New York City not mentioned above.
14%, I have no connections to New York City, other than visiting.
6%, I have no connections to New York City and have never visited it.
Readers Respond
Brendan J. O'Donnell, Fairfax, Virginia: My grandfather John J. O'Donnell was a first-generation American born in Manhattan. When John was orphaned in 1903 at age thirteen, the nuns at his parish school arranged for another family to take in John and his older sister. John later earned a degree in civil engineering from Manhattan College. He specialized in renovating Catholic churches for the Archdiocese of New York. John considered this a way of repaying the nuns for their compassionate help at a difficult time in his life.
Christine Glazier, Liberty, Missouri: My ancestor Elias Brevoort was the son of Hendrik/Henry Brevoort and the younger brother of Henry Brevoort. Elias sold his land in Manhattan and served in the Revolutionary War as a quartermaster in New Jersey. Other soldiers' pension records refer to Elias assembling a group of soldiers to capture travelers from New York City (British-held at the time). Elias and his friends brought the captives and their belongings before the court. If the court ruled these possessions “lawful plunder,” Elias and his friends were allowed to keep the items.
Lennie Ogden, Gorham, Maine: My ancestor Magdalena Dircks married New Amsterdam tavern owner Harmans Hendricksen Rosenkranz in 1657. On the day of the wedding, an inebriated Magdalena and her sister insulted the fire warden as he passed on the street, calling out “There is the chimney sweep in the door, his chimney is well-swept.” Magdalena and her sister were tried and fined for inciting a “street riot.” Six weeks later, Magdalena was informed that she would be deported. She arrived in Holland in 1658, with Harmans joining her shortly after. Magdalena was allowed to return to New Amsterdam that same year, and the pair resumed selling liquor. Tavern life suited Magdalena, who earned the nickname “the Flying Angel” from patrons. In 1667 she again ran afoul of the law, this time for insulting a British captain and “bath[ing] his face in New Year’s ale.” Despite these and many other run-ins with the establishment, Magdalena persevered, dying at nearly 90 years old in Rochester, New York.
The Underwater Hunt for the Lost Ship of an American Slave Trafficker Nathaniel Gordon sailed his American-made vessel into Brazilian waters in December 1852. As authorities closed in, Gordon sold his “cargo”— more than 500 enslaved Mozambicans—and then burned and sank his ship.
“An eyewitness depiction of the Continental Army passing through Philadelphia hung in a New York apartment for decades. Now, it’s part of the Museum of the American Revolution’s collection.”
Spotlight: Court Records Databases, Southampton County, Virginia
by Valerie Beaudrault
Southampton County, seated in Courtland, is located in Virginia, on the North Carolina border. In 2008, the Brantley Association of America began a project to digitize and index Southampton County court records (from 1749 through the early 1880s), with the support of the county probate court office. The entire record collection has now been digitized, the index is a work in progress. The online collection includes court order books (1749-1881), court minute books (1749-1861), marriage records (1750-1890), will books (1749-1881), deed books (1749-1881), and miscellaneous record books. The miscellaneous records collection includes birth records (1853), death records (1853-1890), voter registration records (1902), chancery records (1832-1858), and guardianships (1751-1857).
Rhode Island Roots, a publication of the Rhode Island Genealogical Society, features records and articles focused on Rhode Island family research. We have recently added volumes 43-45 (2017-2019) to this database. This update includes 772 pages, 7,046 records, and 6,869 searchable names. Search Now
Planning for the Future?
Name Your Beneficiaries Today
Non-probate assets such as an IRA, 401(k), or life insurance policy are not covered in your will or trust—you must name beneficiaries separately. Our friends at FreeWill.com have provided a free and secure online tool to guide you through naming beneficiaries for your non-probate assets. Learn More
