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Getting in Trouble in Early Rhode Island: John SHELDEN / SHELDON of Newport & Kingstown
Posted on November 13, 2021 Leave a Comment
I have come to love the ancestors that got into mischief and survived to be my ancestors. Such is the case of my dear John SHELDEN and one of the first records of him on these shores. I, like my cousin Dale SHELDON find his escapade a delightful insight into our ancestor. Newport From The […]
How a Historical Novel Inspired my Genealogy Research: In Praise of Gopher Holes
Posted on November 11, 2021 Leave a Comment
In my blog post “They Aren’t Rabbit Holes they are Genealogy Networks” I wrote about my deep dive back into 15th and 16th Century documents while trying to locate the origins of 17th Century English immigrants to America. This is the another part of the story. It all started when Dale and I were planning […]
Gophering for British Surname Origins
Posted on November 8, 2021 2 Comments
Although similar resources can be had for surnames for other places, in this post we are concentrating on British origins. Doesn’t really matter what side of the Atlantic you are on, some time or other you will face families that left no bread crumbs as to where they hark from. If you are lucky the […]
They Aren’t Genealogy Rabbit Holes they are Gopher Networks
Posted on November 7, 2021 8 Comments
We’ve had it wrong. Genealogists who go off on tangents who hop from this to that chasing rabbits back to their dens, we have the wrong metaphor. I have both hares and gophers in my backyard so I am surprised I did not figure this out earlier. But here goes…you know the drill you are […]
Drunkards & Lunatics: The Case for Original Records & Research
Posted on October 29, 2021 1 Comment
I cut my teeth in genealogy back in the early 1970’s when I spent many a day in the Prothonotary’s Office of Cameron County Pennsylvania in Emporium. Emporium is the county seat and its population has averaged between 2,000-3,000 for most of its last 150 years. So not a very big place and when I […]
Location, Location, Location: Finding Records Look EVERYWHERE Part 2
Posted on October 20, 2021 1 Comment
In my last post on locations I failed to mention a few things that caused me some frustration today. I only had a couple of hours to photograph records when I was in South Kingstown RI. While I was there the clerk mentioned the earliest records were actually in North Kingstown which I did not […]
Genealogical Research: Is there a Method to the Madness? YES
Posted on August 23, 2021 Leave a Comment
In my just completed series The Case of the Mystery Birth Certificate I started with a mystery and I just kept going down rabbit holes, searching for more puzzle pieces to help solve the mystery. I wrote the posts in real time as I worked so you can somewhat see the process. I decided it […]
Wheaton Wood 