On September 25, 1910, five women from different parts of Italy arrived in Boston on the S.S. Romanic. All five were married the next day at a church in the North End. Joe Smaldone investigates this unusual event. Read More
Extended Cyber Monday Sale
$30 Off New Memberships
Our Cyber Monday Sale has been extended! Enjoy $30 off a new membership with code CM24 at checkout and unlock exclusive access to the resources provided by the most trusted name in family history research. Our 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! Don’t wait—this limited-time offer ends 12/7/24 at 11:59 pm Eastern time! Join Now
Upcoming Online Seminar, Last Chance to Register for December 12–14, 2024
Online Research Workshop: Verifying Your Family Tree
When researching family history, it can be easy to get swept up in your discoveries and start adding people to your family tree without full documentation. But, before you know it, you might find that your tree has grown, and you are questioning whether it is accurate! Verifying your family tree can be challenging, but it’s an essential process for all genealogists. It will help you to stay on track with your research, ensure that you don’t waste time on false assumptions, and can lead to new discoveries. Register Now
The Weekly Genealogist Survey
This Week's Survey:
Ancestors or Relatives Who Disappeared
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.
26%, Yes, I resemble at least one ancestor from an earlier generation.
30%, Yes, I resemble at least one aunt, uncle, or cousin.
6%, No, I don’t think I resemble any of my ancestors.
5%, No, I don’t think I resemble any of my aunts, uncles, or cousins.
6%, I don’t know if I resemble any of my ancestors or relatives.
Readers Respond
Esther Leonard, Huntington, West Virginia: My mother, Muriel Wills Mansour, is long gone, but these days when I look in the mirror, I see her looking back at me. We share the same asymmetrical features, beginning with a double crown of hair. One eyebrow is arched, the other is a smooth curve. One eye and one ear are higher than their counterparts. One arm is slightly longer than the other, and we have short torsos and long legs. As I age, I seem to have developed the same facial wrinkles and snow-white hair (although hers was curly, while mine has only a slight wave or two).
Susan Schuler, Walden, New York: In 1981, when I was 13 years old, my middle school French class took a trip from Haverstraw, New York, to Canada. I was admiring the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City when my friends and I noticed a group of older people across the street pointing at me. One gentleman broke from the group and walked over. He said, “We’re on a senior citizens’ bus tour from Haverstraw. I have a bet with those ladies behind me that you are Jimmy Schuler's daughter.” They were right! I learned that day that even in another country I could be identified by my family resemblance.
John Guthrie, Wellesley, Massachusetts: Around 1970, my brother visited my grandfather’s village of Corofin in County Clare, Ireland. He stopped at a bed and breakfast to get a room. When the woman opened the door she said, "My God, you must be a Guthrie."
Verena Blackburn, Kennewick, Washington: My daughter Taryn is a portrait artist. I passionately researched my fourth great-grandfather Jeremiah Hatch, born 1720 in New England, and have been curious about what he might have looked like. I assembled about sixty photographs of his descendants back to the 1800s. Working from these images, Taryn drew a portrait of Jeremiah using common features. Seeing the final portrait is like looking into a mirror! I see my own features, plus those of my relatives, in a certain eye shape, mouth set, or tilt of the head. When I get to heaven, I will know Jeremiah because I have a map of his face.
The Mural in the Attic Genealogist Carol Clingan (honored this month by the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center) rescued a historic synagogue painting from an attic hideaway in North Adams, Massachusetts, and found it a new home.
A Jailhouse Letter from John Bowne to his Wife Hannah John Bowne wrote this letter in the fall of 1662 while imprisoned in New Amsterdam. His crime was hosting forbidden Quaker meetings in his home and insisting upon his "liberty of conscience" before the court.
Spotlight: Evergreen Cemetery, James Island, South Carolina
by Valerie Beaudrault
The town of James Island is located in Charleston County, on South Carolina’s Atlantic coast. The Charleston County Public Library has made available on its website a burials database for Evergreen Cemetery, formerly the Grimball Cemetery. Staff from the library’s South Carolina Room conducted extensive research to document the individuals buried there. Scroll to the end of the webpage to locate the database and its search function. Browse or search by name. The data fields include name, birth, death, and burial dates; gravestone inscription, death and funeral notices, death certificate, census, and names of family members. Search Now
New 10 Million Names Database
Massachusetts: Biographical Entries of People of African Descent in New Bedford and Coastal Towns
New Bedford, a major whaling port and important stop on the Underground Railroad, was home to many fleeing enslavement. This new database is drawn from a research study by historian Kathryn Grover, “Biographical Entries of New Bedford and Coastal Towns Also Once Part of Dartmouth (Westport, Dartmouth, and Fairhaven) of People of African Descent,” that extends through 1860. This resource adds 12,501 names, 405 pages, and 6,504 records to the 10 Million Names project. The database currently consists of one volume covering surnames A to D; additional volumes will be added. We thank Kathryn Grover for donating her data and the many volunteers who indexed the entries. Search Now
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
