In the late 1800's many books were published on local Pennsylvania county history. Most of these books, often 500-1000 pages each, are found digitized on Internet Archive. As a genealogist researching early PA ancestors, are these county histories helpful to research? Is it worth … [Read more...] about 9 Ways to Use County Histories in Genealogy
Genealogy Records
Three Steps to Find PA County Marriage Licenses
Each county in Pennsylvania began issuing marriage licenses in 1885. Marriage licenses provide the genealogist with the parents of the bride and groom, as well as their age, residence, place of birth, and who married the couple (A great way to determine their religious faith and … [Read more...] about Three Steps to Find PA County Marriage Licenses
Four Ways to Track People Thru the 20th Century
In Podcast Episode 40: Success with 20th Century Census Records, I found three different spellings for John Curry in three censuses. Surprising because Curry is only five letters long! What did I use instead of his name to help track him through the census? What identifiers … [Read more...] about Four Ways to Track People Thru the 20th Century
Four Ways to Analyze a Death Certificate
The Pennsylvania death certificate evolved since it began 115 years ago. Yet there are four areas researchers want to pay extra attention to get the most of this genealogy record. Informant In the rush to see the deceased parents' names and birth places, many people skip … [Read more...] about Four Ways to Analyze a Death Certificate
Six Steps to Research Your Rural PA Ancestors
The one area of Pennsylvania genealogy research most people need help in is rural PA in the 1700's and early 1800's. The lack of modern birth, marriage, and death records along with a census that only names heads of households, grinds research to a halt. Below is the summary … [Read more...] about Six Steps to Research Your Rural PA Ancestors