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The work is divided into two main sections. The first section describes the sources for Scots-Irish ancestry, their significance, and where they may be found. The main categories covered here include church records, gravestone inscriptions, 17^th-century records, 18^th-century records, landed estate records, the Registry of Deeds, inheritance records, legal records, election records, military sources, newspapers and books, emigration records, education, charity and occupation records, business and occupational sources, society and club records, and personal records (diaries, journals, memoirs, etc.).

The second section of the volume consists of two large appendices. The first appendix lists, in summary format, the sources available for each parish in Ulster, while the second provides information on over 350 estate collections with relevant material from the pre-1800 period.

Besides the records coverage, an informative historical essay highlights Ulster’s establishment and the emigration from Ulster, especially in the 18^th century. Among the milestones covered are the establishment of the Ulster Plantation, patterns of settlement, religious denominations, 1641 uprising, Cromwellian and Restoration periods, Williamite War, Ulster’s economy, factors behind emigration to the New World, 1798 Rebellion and Act of Union, and a bibliography. The author’s Introduction contains valuable suggestions for beginning research on Ulster ancestors and cites other sources that can be helpful in uncovering information on a particular subject or geographical area.

Whether your Ulster ancestors are of English, Scottish or Gaelic Irish background, whether their religious affiliation was Episcopalian, Methodist, Presbyterian, Catholic or other, whether they were farmers, merchants or laborers, this work will be of enormous value to you in your quest to discover your roots.

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With an emphasis on publications, manuscript sources, and archival records, Dr. Dobson highlights ways to trace Scottish ancestors using alternative sources, primarily those covering the years between 1550 and 1850. For each research topic—including statutory registers, church records, tax records, sasines and land registers, court records, military and maritime sources, burgh and estate records, emigration records, and much more—Dr. Dobson has compiled an extensive list of the publications and archival records that will enable family historians to advance their research. It would take years for any individual to compile such a far-reaching bibliography and compilation of relevant records in Scottish archives.

Another unique feature of this guidebook is the inclusion of numerous excerpts from publications and archival records, which will help lead researchers to the sources most applicable to their research. All surnames that appear in these examples are listed in the surname index at the back of the book.

About the Author

Dr. David Dobson was born in 1940 in Carnoustie, Scotland, and was educated at Dundee College of Technology (now University of Abertay) and the University of St. Andrews, and finally at the University of Aberdeen. Most of his working life was spent at Madras College, St. Andrews. He has been an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Aberdeen, the University of Edinburgh, and at present, at the University of St. Andrews. Since 1983 he has been researching the Scottish Diaspora in archives and libraries throughout Scotland, London, Ireland, Copenhagen, the Netherlands, Madeira, Canada, the United States, and the West Indies. He is the author of more than 200 books, including Scottish Emigration to Colonial America, 1607-1785, Scottish Trade with Colonial Charleston, 1683-1783, and numerous historical and genealogical source books, plus he has contributed to many other publications, such as An Atlas of Scottish History to 1707, Scottish Communities Abroad in the Early Modern Period, and Scotland and the Flemish People. He now lives in Dundee and is working on further source books.

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If the Barbour Index is unquestionably the starting point for Connecticut research, we can now say with equal confidence that it must share the spotlight with a new publication: Linda MacLachlan’s Finding Early Connecticut Vital Records: The Barbour Index and Beyond. The product of a 10-year examination of Connecticut vital records, this identifies the original sources of the millions of early Connecticut vital records abstracted in the Barbour Index. It names hundreds of books, manuscripts, and articles not referenced by Barbour, and points the researcher to thousands of additional sources for early Connecticut births, deaths, and marriages. Finding Early Connecticut Vital Records is, in fact, a complete inventory of Connecticut vital records, and no collection can be complete without it.

Finding Early Connecticut Records contains a town-by-town bibliography of both Barbour’s actual sources for the information in his Index and all vital records not in the Barbour Index that may be in church and cemetery records, town records, and published sources. For each town we are given the Family History Library (FHL) film numbers for derivative and original sources that have been microfilmed, and other source information for those that have not. These town chapters also note (in bold face) discrepancies and other town records that Barbour did not abstract. Later sections list other sources for birth, marriage, and death information, such as church records, cemetery transcriptions (including those found in the famous Hale Collection), and available print sources, including secondary compilations of town vital statistics from multiple sources.

This new reference work, available in both print and hardcover editions, also includes equivalent information for six other pre-1851 Connecticut towns that Barbour did not index: Cromwell, Easton, New Britain, New Fairfield, Seymour, and Trumbull. Many of the vital records substitutes cited in the work and not included by Barbour quote the applicable catalog description of the record’s contents. A final component of each chapter includes compilations of divorce records and Bible records, as well as compilations containing Connecticut vital records. A work as complex as this one would not be complete without a substantial Introduction explaining the history and nature of the Barbour Index and its limitations, and a detailed subject index.

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Records created by the major Christian denominations before 1900 in the United States are an underutilized resource for family historians. In these records, you may find ancestors’ births, maiden or married names, marriage details, deaths, family relationships, other residences, and even immigrants’ overseas birthplaces. You may uncover information about ancestors who have been unnamed in other records–women, children, ethnic minorities, immigrants, and the poor. You may find details about your ancestors recorded long before the existence of civil records.

However, it is not always an easy task to track down U.S. church records. How to Find Your Family History in U.S. Church Records is a unique, peer-reviewed publication that takes researchers step-by-step through the process of identifying, locating, and gaining access to these genealogical gems.

Included in this book are hundreds of links to church research resources, as well as chapters devoted to specific resources for the major Christian denominations before 1900. More than 30 archivists, historians, and genealogical experts in specific faith traditions have contributed their knowledge to these denominational chapters.

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Since the publication of the original Polish Roots, there have been many advances in Polish genealogy research. The Internet has made the task of locating Polish ancestors much easier, as more information and images are made available online. In addition, there has been a marked rise in interest in genealogy in Poland, resulting in a great increase in the number of Polish genealogical societies available and the amount of helpful information disseminated. This second edition of Polish Roots addresses these exciting developments, with a new Introduction, four brand-new chapters, one completely rewritten chapter, several new maps and charts, and numerous updates scattered throughout the original text.

An enthusiastic genealogist for close to 50 years, Rosemary Chorzempa has traced some branches of her Polish family back to the early 1700s. She was awarded the Polish Genealogical Society of America’s Wigilia Medal in 1999 for her contributions to the Polish Genealogical Society of America and Polish genealogy. In 2012 she was made an honorary lifetime member of the Toledo Polish Genealogical Society. Her books My Family Tree Workbook and Design Your Own Coat-of-Arms have been continuously in print since 1982 and 1987.

EDITORIAL REVIEWS OF AN EARLIER EDITION

“Genealogists whose research includes Polish roots will find they are consulting this well-done reference more than once.”–THE PENNSYLVANIA GENEALOGICAL MAGAZINE, Vol. 40, No. 3, pp. 273-274.

“Here is good, sound advice on both basic and specialized genealogical research. Ms. Chorzempa writes clearly and specifically, but with a warm touch.”–FEDERATION OF GENEALOGICAL SOCIETIES FORUM, Vol. 7, No. 2, p. 23.

“…a comprehensive research guide…Chorzempa’s book fills a void that eastern and central European researchers have long recognized, and it would be a valuable asset to any library or personal collection.”–ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL GENEALOGISTS QUARTERLY, Vol. IX, No. 2, p. 55.

“This book is indispensable for genealogical societies, research institutions, and government service units. Many individuals will find the book useful both for themselves and for their children, in this era of heightened interest in roots and old-country traditions.:–AMERICAN REFERENCE BOOKS ANNUAL (1994).

“This is a well-written, fact-filled guide for the genealogist with roots in Poland.”–THE NEW YORK GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD, Vol. 124, No. 4.

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Now a new generation of genealogical educators have given the field an entirely new guide to the profession of genealogy–offering fresh insights and new specialties, grounded in more-solid standards and wider experiences and applications. In twenty-six chapters, written by twenty-two experts and edited by Elizabeth Shown Mills, Professional Genealogy: Preparation, Practice & Standards (ProGen PPS) is an invaluable resource for professional genealogists and students, as well as all family history researchers. “From genetic and forensic genealogy to ethics and contracts, business structures, marketing, writing, editing, and preparing books for press, ProGen PPS promises to inspire thought processes and ignite new discussions (Billie Stone Fogarty, M. Ed. President, Association of Professional Genealogists).

“Searching for roots” is a popular hobby, but genealogy is a discipline. From courts of law to government agencies, from medical research projects to television shows, reliable genealogical research is an essential in modern societies. The public sector needs professionals who know historical archives well but, more importantly, understand the strengths and weaknesses of individual records. It needs professionals skilled not only in research principles but the far more difficult challenge of proving identities and kinship. It needs professionals who understand proof and the standards that produce reliable evidence.

ProGen PPS provides a complete course of instruction to prepare genealogists for a career in a complex field. Whether you discover this career path as a young adult or come into genealogy as a mature researcher trained in another professional discipline, ProGen PPS will ground you in the essential practices, standards, and language of genealogy–those expected by courts, government agencies, and others who commission research. If you are a librarian or archivist who assists family historians on a daily basis, ProGen PPS provides a framework to coach them well. If you are a family or local historian, seeking to learn and preserve your heritage, ProGen PPS will help you avoid common pitfalls and guide you through the production of quality works.

“ProGen PPS is a landmark volume with an abundance of new material and thought. The collective talents of today’s generation of key influencers bring together unsurpassed knowledge of our craft that simply must be studied by novice and expert alike!”–David E. Rencher, AG, CG, FUGA, FIGRS, Chief Genealogical Officer, FamilySearch

About Elizabeth Shown Mills
Elizabeth Shown Mills, the architect and editor of both Professional Genealogy: Preparation, Practice &
Standards and 2001’s Professional Genealogy: A Manual for Researchers, Writers, Editors, Lecturers
& Librarians, has been cited by her peers as the most influential genealogist in the post-Roots era.
As a pioneer educator in standards-based research and a developer of problem-solving strategies for proving identities and kinships, Mills edited a major scholarly journal for 16 years and both taught and directed programs in the field’s leading institutes for three decades. Widely published by commercial and scholarly presses in genealogy and history, as well as literature and sociology, her fifteen books include GPC’s best-seller Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace and its companion series, QuickSheets.

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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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As author Judy Jacobson puts it, “Genealogy lays the foundation to understand a person or family using tangible evidence. Yet history also lays the foundation to understand why individuals and societies behave the way they do. It provides the building materials needed to understand the human condition and provide an identity, be it for an individual or a group or an institution.”

History for Genealogists answers fundamental questions about our forebears. For example, if you are trying to learn when your ancestors left one place for another, it would be helpful to ask the question, “Why did they leave?” Did it have to do with a military conflict, social injustice, religion, disease, economic hardship, a natural disaster? No matter what the explanation, Mrs. Jacobson has a historical time line that could lead to the explanation. For example, your ancestor’s departure may have coincided with the outbreak of the Crimean War, a virulent epidemic, an earthquake, or a religious war. Other chapters pose answers to other crucial questions, such as “How did they go?” and “What route did they take?” For these conundrums Mrs. Jacobson uses time lines to lay out the history of the transportation revolutions in America (roads, rails, canals, and air travel), as well as the history of the great western trails our ancestors followed in crossing the country.

Mrs. Jacobson dissects the past into scores of time lines. There is a time line of the Industrial Revolution, American immigration, and the Labor Movement. Researchers can also make use of a time line for the history of each of the 50 states, and, in brief, for the rest of North America, Europe, and more.

The 2016 edition of History for Genealogists has been completely revised and edited, and it contains two entirely new chapters. Readers of the original 2009 edition will enjoy the new time lines concerning (1) life on the homefront during America’s 20th-century wars; and (2) fashion and leisure in America from its beginnings through the middle of the 20th century. The fashion and leisure chapter discusses things like the invention of the jigsaw puzzle, publication of Good Housekeeping magazine, and the modeling of the first bikini. Do you know when the “Spanish Flu” reached America during World War I (killing many of our ancestors), or when the government instituted the first aluminum scrap drive, or commenced rationing during World War II? You can get all the answers in the new “Homefront” chapter. Both new chapters include up-to-date bibliographies that readers can use to expand their research.

Now more than ever, History for Genealogists is the one history book all family historians should own when they are searching for fresh clues or hoping to understand what made their ancestors tick.

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Here are just a few of the lessons from Sustainable Genealogy that can protect you along genealogy’s primrose path:

• Recognizing when identical surnames conceal different nationalities
• Understanding when and why death certificates can be “wrong”
• Knowing when ancestors’ middle names are not family names
• Respecting the role of geography in establishing ancestral ties
• Taking the genealogies in 19th-century “mug books” with a grain of salt
• Accepting that all relationships must be chronologically plausible

Many of the instructions Mr. Hite has to offer came only after he spent considerable time and effort in finding the correct trail to his own forebears; however, as esteemed genealogist Hank Jones explains in the Foreword to the book, they have value for researchers far and wide:

“Richard’s critical eagle-eye served him well in this task. He was fighting the old “Well if my last name is Boone, I must be a descendant of Daniel Boone” syndrome that pops up so often in our field. Like a skilled surgeon, he took out his genealogical scalpel and dissected some of the erroneous Hite family traditions to separate fiction from fact and thus Jost Hite (prominent early settler of the Shenandoah Valley) from some of the other completely different, later-arriving Hite lines. This book covers the methodology he used, the questions he asked, and–most important of all–how his wisdom might help YOU as you climb your own family tree.

“You’ll find lots of genealogical bases beyond Hite lore covered here: how sometimes the origins of certain families are attributed to the wrong ethnic group; how the very common two or three immigrant brothers tradition and their geographic dispersal is often attributed to the wrong side of the family tree; what to do when even the primary sources are in error; how Native American ancestry is fun to talk about, but hard to prove; and on and on in fascinating detail.

“Reading Richard’s thoughts and experiences cannot help but lead you into taking a more critical look at the accuracy and veracity of the sources you use to compile your own family’s genealogy. I guarantee you that taking heed of the cautions cited and putting into practice the lessons learned in this book will make you all much better family historians and ensure that your genealogical legacy will be one to be trusted.”

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