However, all records are not created equal, and history is not just a collection of “facts.” Critical analysis is essential, and since 2007 Evidence Explained has been the definitive, go-to guide for those who explore history and seek help with understanding, analyzing, and citing the materials they use. Evidence Explained has two principal uses: it provides citation models for historical sources—especially materials not covered in standard citation guides such as The Chicago Manual of Style. Beyond that, it enables researchers to understand the nature of each source so that evidence they cite can be better interpreted and the accuracy of their conclusions properly appraised.

In the six years since the last edition was published, changes at major repositories and online information providers–as well as the ever-evolving electronic world–have generated new citation and analysis challenges for researchers. As a consequence, Mrs. Mills has once again updated her citation models and added descriptions and evaluations of numerous contemporary materials not included in the Third Edition Revised.

Evidence Explained’s new fourth edition significantly reexamines historical resources and simplifies long-standing practices. Highlights of the Fourth Edition include:

• Updated Chapters One and Two (“Fundamentals of Analysis” and “Fundamentals of Citation”), continue to lay the foundations for successful research.
• An entirely new Chapter Three, “Building a Citation,” provides a tutorial for the construction of citations. Here, you learn to work with seven basic building blocks that can be mixed and matched to create a citation for any kind of source.
• Chapter Three’s 14 streamlined templates replace the previous 170 QuickChek Models, assembling the basic building blocks as needed to create citations for every type of material—whether accessed as an unpublished manuscript, print publication, database, or online image delivered at a specific URL or through a complex path and its waypoints.
• All examples in the twelve “Records” chapters (Chapters Four through Fifteen) are keyed to the specific templates that work best for each source or situation.
• Hundreds of new citation examples emphasize modern modes of access, particularly the layered citations that modern media require.

WHAT THE CRITICS SAY . . .

“This book is a necessary work for every researcher’s  bookshelf or desktop, or reference book computer file folder.  I used the digital version of the First Edition for seven years, and the Third Edition for 9 years, and can’t do without them.”—Randy Seaver, “Genea-Musings,” 02/18/2024

“Since the first edition was published in 2007, this has been the gold standard for understanding and citing genealogical sources.  Actually, it’s the platinum standard because of the clear, robust explanations about the wide variety of resources we use to research and document our ancestry. Mills well goes beyond how to cite specific sources–she delves deep into source quality and what that means for the credibility of evidence and, ultimately, the credibility of our conclusions.—Marian Wood, “Climbing My Family Tree,” 02/25/2024

“Elizabeth Shown Mills spent almost a year working on Evidence Explained, Fourth Edition; she has done a fabulous job! I really like this “slimmed down” version of the best guide out there that teaches us how to correctly record all the necessary details to build accurate citations for our genealogical research. . . . The Fourth Edition, with Chapter 3 leading the way, makes the process of creating source citations seem much more manageable.”—Linda Stufflebean, “Empty Branches on the Family Tree,” 02/24/2024

“The definitive guide for how to cite every conceivable kind of source a historian might use, from traditional archival materials to digital media to the most arcane sources imaginable.”–John B. Boles, William P. Hobby Professor of History, Rice University

“Evidence Explained has a fantastic opening section that really changed my perspective on ‘evidence.’ The citation formats are handy but honestly, it’s the commentary from ESM that made me want to buy myself a personal copy sooner rather than later.”–Kim Phillips-Sasso, Clarksville-Habersham County [Georgia] Library, as quoted on Goodreads

“Historians will welcome the publication of this detailed guide to citations. Even avid users of The Chicago Manual of Style regularly encounter sources for which that handbook gives no guidance. Now we can turn to Elizabeth Shown Mills’s comprehensive work.”–Journal of Southern History

“This is an essential resource for family historians; highly recommended for all libraries.”–Library Journal (First edition: Library Journal Best Reference 2007)

“I purchased two copies of this book, one to mark and one to keep in “great” condition. I am underlining, circling, adding sticky notes and such to assist in assimilating what Mrs. Mills has put forth in this definitive work.”—Dear Myrtle

“A staple for any genealogy library. It should be one of the top ten books in any genealogist’s collection.”—Deborah Sweeney, as quoted on Goodreads

“Meant not only as a style guide for the types of source citations used by historians and genealogists, this book also discusses why analysis of information within the total context of a source is imperative to understanding the nature of a fact. Citations not only tell where the source was found, but also can indicate a level of confidence to knowledgeable researchers.”–Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly

** Library Journal’s Best Reference 2007 **
** Winner of the National Genealogical Society’s 2008 Award of Excellence**

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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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Mr. Grenham’s work combines all the best features of a textbook and a reference book, expertly describing the various steps in the research process while at the same time providing an indispensable body of source materials.

This fifth edition retains the familiar three-part structure, combining a detailed guide for beginners with thorough descriptions of all the relevant sources and county-by-county reference lists. All the information has been expanded and updated, and the extensively expanded index makes the book even easier to use.

Genealogical research in Ireland has always depended on records that are more fragmented, localized, and difficult to access than anywhere else. The Internet is changing that. More and more of these records are coming online. This book is an indispensable guide to what these records are, where they are, and what they mean. It serves as a directory to online records, discussing their uses and outlining research strategies. Most useful are the subsections to each of the county source lists, showing county Internet sources. References are given throughout for any online versions of the records dealt with.

With its step-by-step instructions in the location and use of traditional genealogical records, its discussion of civil records of birth, marriage, and death as well as land records and wills, and its list of Roman Catholic parish records and source lists, this guide is easily the most useful book in Irish genealogy.

John Grenham wrote the “Irish Roots” column in The Irish Times for years and ran the Irish Times Irish Ancestors website. He is a fellow of the Irish Genealogical Research Society and the Genealogical Society of Ireland, having come to professional genealogy in 1981 as one of the panel of researchers in the Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland. He features frequently in the popular TV series Who Do You Think You Are?

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The post Old New Kent County [Virginia]: Some Account of the Planters, Plantations, and Places – Volume I appeared first on Genealogical.com.

The scope and arrangement of Old New Kent County are both entertaining and extraordinarily informative. Because the author’s objective was to aid researchers in locating the sites and the inhabitants of the region during the colonial period, a pleasing narrative-supported by numerous photographs-links New Kent’s plantations, ancestral homes, landmarks, and artifacts with its ancestors and their descendants. The work is arranged by county and thereunder according to the Episcopal parishes that comprised each county, namely Blisland and St. Peter’s in New Kent; Stratton Major, St. Stephen’s, and Drysdale in King & Queen; and St. John’s and St. David’s in King William. Besides the local and family histories, the publication boasts of an inventory of extant records at each county clerk’s office, a number of lists of landowners (including a comprehensive list of King William County land tax assessments for 1782), marriage or other source records, and a comprehensive name index.

Of greatest interest to genealogists, of course, are the genealogies and sketches of Old New Kent families. Following is a list of most of the main families covered in this extraordinary work. (Researchers should bear in mind that many more surnames will be found in the index to the work.)</p >

New Kent: Adams, Allen, Apperson, Armistead, Bacon, Bassett, Bathurst, Boyd, Burnet, Butts, Chamberlayne, Christian, Clayton, Clopton, Cousic, Crump, Dancie, Dandridge, Daingerfield, Davies, Ellyson, Foster, Goddin, Graves, Jones, Lacy, Lafayette, Lewis, Littlepage, Lyddall, Macon, Massie, Meaux, Mossom, Otey, Parke, Parkinson, Poindexter, Pollard, Scott, Semple, Stewart, Tarleton, Terrell, Tunstall, Vaiden, Martha Washington, Webb, Wilks, Williams, Winslow, Woodward, and Wyatt-Field-Jefferson.

King & Queen: Bagby, Bates, Baylor, Beverley, Bird, Boyd, Brooke, Camm, Campbell, Coleman, Corbin, Dame, Dew, Didlake, Dillard, Dixon, Dunlap, Field, Fleet, Gaines, Gardner, Gatewood, Govan, Gregory, Gresham, Gwathmey, Hill, Hockley, Holmes, Hoomes, Hoskins, Howell-Fielding-Dixon, Hubbard, Leigh, Lewis, Livingston, Lumpkin, Lyne, Madison, Meredith, Milby, Pendleton, Pollard, Richards, Roane, Robinson, Rootes, Ryland, Sears, Semple, Shackleford, Smith, Soanes, Spencer, Strachey-Metcalfe, Taliaferro, Taylor, Todd, Tunstall, Walker, Ware, Wyatt, and Young.

King William: Arnold, Aylett, Banks, Boothe, Braxton, Buckner, Burwell, Butler, Campbell, Carr, Catlett, Chamberlayne, Chiles, Claiborne, Cocke, Cownes, Dabney, Dandridge, Ellett, Fontaine, Fox, Frazer, Garlick, Harris, Hickman, Hill, Hoomes, Huntington, Johnson, Jones, King, Langbourne, Lipscomb, Littlepage, McGeorge, McGhee, Marshall, Martin, Maury, Mill, Moore, Nelson, Palmer, Perrin, Pollard, Power, Quarles, Ragsdale, Richeson, Ruffin, Seaton, Skyren, Southerland, Spencer, Starke, Taliaferro, Temple, Toler, Tompkins, Valentine, Waller, Webber, West, Wormley, and Winston.

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Descendants of the Irish exodus to New York will discover that this book is a publication worthy of this proud heritage. Mr. Buggy presents a comprehensive overview for anyone wishing to trace their Irish ancestors within New York City. In the process, he has incorporated recent developments in New York Irish genealogy, such as the discovery of the records of the Emigrant Savings Bank, and builds upon them with additional insight. Since the immigrant ancestor who arrived in New York represents the best chance of finding the place of origin in Ireland, helping the researcher find the place of origin of that immigrant ancestor is the central objective of this work. Toward that end, the author provides detailed information about records, resources, and strategies for achieving this objective.

Finding Your Irish Ancestors in New York City is divided into eleven chapters. Chapters One through Three introduce the record groups in New York City. Fundamental sources such as census and vital records are covered, along with underutilized record sets that can be of particular use when tracing Irish ancestors. Chapters Four through Six delve deeper into researching the Irish in New York City. There is a focus on research strategies that can be utilized when researchers encounter those genealogical brick walls. Irish people from particular counties often lived in certain parts of the city, and this is outlined in detail. Following this, twenty-one different record sets and publications are explained in detail, as they give the place of origin in Ireland for over 160,000 nineteenth-century immigrants and many hundreds of thousands more in the twentieth century. The next three chapters focus on the Roman Catholic Church. An historical analysis outlines how and why the church is so important for Irish genealogical research. Chapter Eight, in particular, contains the most detailed listing to date of every Catholic parish that has ever existed in each of the five boroughs. All important start dates for parish registers are also included. The subsequent chapter on cemeteries lists every known Catholic, public, and non-denominational cemetery that has existed in the city. The concluding two chapters compile comprehensive lists of journal articles, web sites, and other publications that will aid the researcher and provide a wider understanding of the lives of the Irish in New York City.

Given the scale of the Irish experience in New York, it is somewhat surprising that we have had to wait so long for a comprehensive guidebook on the subject. This work not only makes up for lost time but also sets a very high bar for anyone else who might choose to tackle the subject.

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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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