The book is divided into five chapters, and it engages the reader at the get-go. For instance, in the introductory first chapter Bockstruck relates a number of first-hand accounts that fostered his early fascination with names, such as his initial failure to find the tombstone of German great-aunt Barbara Baker (born Barbara Becker). The introduction’s high point is the incredible story of the peregrinating Scots colonist Ian Ferguson, whose name was recorded as Johann Feuerstein when he was among the Pennsylvania Palatine immigrants, and was later recorded as John Flint when he moved to Philadelphia. Two generations later, one of his grandsons, Peter Flint, moved to Louisiana, where he was recorded as Pierre a Fusil, only to end up as Peter Gunn when he settled in Texas after the Civil War.

“Chapter 2: Forenames” discusses the ancestral clues that are inherent in names. Did you know, for example, that the German forenames Franz and Xavier were predominantly used by Roman Catholics? Similarly, if the father of an unborn child died before the baby’s birth, the child might have been named Ichabod. And Doctor was often used as a nickname for the seventh son in a family because it was believed that a seventh son had an intuitive knowledge of the use of herbs.

The “Surname” section of the book (Chapter 3) is the longest, and it covers lots of territory. Topics include maiden names, spelling, surname misinterpretation, aliases, military influences, changes in language, dialects, surname abbreviations, and much more. Among the lessons learned by Mr. Bockstruck: (1) Database indexers have transformed the names Farmer into Turner, Martin into Mortin, and Warren into Warner, among others. (2) In Virginia records, the actual William Hastin has appeared as William Heaston and William Hasting; in New England, the Andros family is also recorded as Andrews; and runaway servant William Wyatt, after fleeing from Virginia to North Carolina, used the name John Murphey. (3) Interesting things happen when individuals shorten their names–John DeLong might later show up as John D. Long; William Arrowsmith might have become William A. Smith; and John Essman might have reverted to John S. Mann. The examples abound!

By the time the reader has consumed the two short final chapters, covering toponyms (place names) and change of name statutes respectively, he/she will be much more cognizant that a name change may be the actual cause of an ancestor’s “disappearance,” and, best of all, will possess the tools for finding the missing antecedent.

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At one time or another everyone needs copies of birth, marriage, civil union, divorce, death, or pre-adoption certificates for driver’s licenses, passports, jobs, Social Security, family history research, school enrollment, proof of citizenship, or simple proof of identity. But the fact is that the requirements and fees needed to obtain copies of vital records vary from state to state and from country to country, often requiring tedious research and wading through confusing websites of large agencies before the appropriate forms can be obtained and the correct procedures followed. The International Vital Records Handbook will put an end to all that, as it offers complete, up-to-date information on where and how to request vital records. It also includes copies of the application forms, where available, thus simplifying and speeding up the process by which vital records are obtained, regardless of the number or type of application forms required.

This edition contains

• the latest application forms and ordering information for each of the fifty states and, where available, for the other countries of the world;
• details about records that were created prior to statewide vital records registration;
• information on which records are restricted and for how long, and whether “informational” or uncertified copies of records are available to genealogy researchers;
• locations of vital records collections, online databases, and institutions of interest to genealogy researchers;
• adoption search contact information and, where available, pre-adoption birth record and adoption search applications;
• key addresses of repositories or embassies that might help you obtain copies of vital records in countries where neither a centralized vital records registration system nor a vital records application form is available.

Locating vital records and navigating your way through the various privacy laws and storage facilities can be difficult. The International Vital Records Handbook will make the process immeasurably easier.

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Volume I covers the period 1727-1775 and contains 324 ship passenger lists, including captains’ lists, signers of the oath of allegiance, and signers of the oath of abjuration. Volume II covers the period 1785-1808 and includes 182 additional lists, in many cases giving ages, occupations, and birthplaces. All names and variant spellings are listed in the Index, which comprises some 450 pages and 50,000 references. Our publication is a reprint of the work originally compiled for the Pennsylvania German Society.

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The post Pennsylvania German Pioneers: A Publication of the Original Lists of Arrivals in the Port of Philadelphia from 1727 to 1808. appeared first on Genealogical.com.

The post Pennsylvania German Pioneers: A Publication of the Original Lists of Arrivals in the Port of Philadelphia from 1727 to 1808. appeared first on Genealogical.com.

Volume I covers the period 1727-1775 and contains 324 ship passenger lists, including captains’ lists, signers of the oath of allegiance, and signers of the oath of abjuration. Volume II covers the period 1785-1808 and includes 182 additional lists, in many cases giving ages, occupations, and birthplaces. All names and variant spellings are listed in the Index, which comprises some 450 pages and 50,000 references. Our publication is a reprint of the work originally compiled for the Pennsylvania German Society.

What is not commonly known about Pennsylvania German Pioneers is that in its original incarnation, the work was published with a third volume of immigrant signature pages. In this volume Messrs Strassburger and Hinke went to considerable lengths to reproduce the requisite signatures that affirmed the oaths of allegiance taken by the immigrants themselves. The lists of signatures are arranged in chronological order according to the date of arrival of the vessels that brought the immigrants. The great value of the Facsimile Signatures volume, of course, is that it permits the researcher to make his/her own determinations of immigrant names, alongside those of the editors.

While not included in our eBook Set, that volume is included in our Print Set. Details for individual volumes can be found in the “You may also like” panel below.

The post Pennsylvania German Pioneers: A Publication of the Original Lists of Arrivals in the Port of Philadelphia from 1727 to 1808 appeared first on Genealogical.com.