Having identified the names of the first Catholic Mayflower descendants to be baptized in Massachusetts, Chris Child uncovers the far-ranging destinations of their descendants.
Uncovering Wartime Stories, 1918-1945: Researching Veteran and Homefront Experiences of the World Wars
Join our panel of experts, featuring Chief Genealogist David Allen Lambert, historian Matthew F. Delmont, and writer Adam Hochschild, for a conversation course discussing how documents can shed light on the lives of Americans who lived through the two World Wars. November 2 at 6 p.m. (ET). Register Now
Mayflower Descendant, Volume 71, No. 2, is Now Available!
The highly respected scholarly journal of Pilgrim genealogy and history is back for its eighth year of publication by American Ancestors! An annual subscription includes both of this year's issues of Mayflower Descendant, Volume 71. The summer issue includes an annual index. Purchase Now
The Weekly Genealogist Survey
This Week's Survey:
Correspondence Lessons or Courses Through the Mail
Share your thoughts about the survey! Please limit submissions to 150 words or fewer. Responses featured in a future newsletter may be edited for clarity and length.
Last Week's Survey:
Preferred Century for Genealogical Research
Total: 3,278 Responses
<1%, 2000s
5%, 1900s
32%, 1800s
15%, 1700s
8%, 1600s
1%, 1500s and earlier
39%, I do not have a preference for a particular century.
Readers Respond
Martha Stevenson Wright, Reynoldsburg, Ohio: I have been researching for more than 40 years and I love finding information from every century. I particularly enjoy researching the 1900s. There is so much to find for this century, and my parents came of age during the Great Depression and World War II so it’s gratifying to be able to fill in the blanks of their story and imagine some of the beauty they experienced in their young lives.
Debra Rieke, Houston Texas: I find it difficult to document recent genealogical history due to privacy concerns, family dynamics, and loss of contact. I regularly check obituary and funeral service websites for family, and I have been able to collect some information that way. However, obituaries are often incorrect, so any clues must be verified through research.
Sharon Gammon, Clovis, New Mexico: I research wherever and whenever the subject leads me, which so far has included the early 1600s to this century. I have the most fun researching places and times with abundant records, like New England in the 1600s and 1700s, the South and various locations along the Atlantic Seaboard in the 1800s, out West in 1800s and 1900s, etc. However, deep research into places and times with fewer available records challenges my skills and builds my knowledge and confidence.
Leading Branches of Clan Campbell “Are Not Related” “The Campbells of Glenorchy and the Campbells of Argyll share a marker called R-L1065, but the common ancestor lived around the 3rd century. To all intents and purposes, these two major families named Campbell are not genealogically related.”
“Nuclear war readiness meant stocking the pantry and recipes for canned ham salad.”
Spotlight: The Community History Archive of the Alexander Hamilton Memorial Free Library, Pennsylvania
by Valerie Beaudrault
The Alexander Hamilton Memorial Free Library is located in the borough of Waynesboro, Franklin County, on the southern border of Pennsylvania. The library has made a newspaper collection available in its community history digital archive. The database comprises over 462,000 pages from six newspapers, including Record Herald (1918-2009), Village Record (1851-1900), and Waynesboro Record (1901-1921). Search by keyword or browse individual newspapers. Search Now
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
