Genealogical Research

[stoutfellow]

One of my sisters is hunting for evidence regarding the service (or otherwise) of one of our ancestors in the American Revolution. I've done a little inexpert poking around online, to little avail, and I'm wondering if anyone can suggest resources, online or hardcopy, where I (or she) might gather more information. (oilhistorian, do you know anything, or know anyone who would know anything?)

Comments

[bibliotrope.livejournal.com]

You could try Ancestry.com but you may have to pay. Or not: some public libraries subscribe to the database -- try checking with yours.

Or the Daughters of the American Revolution. That's their whole thing, after all: was one of your ancestors in the Revolution? (On the Patriot side, of course. No joy if they were Tories or Redcoats.) They may have a database online or -- again -- your local library may have some books and materials donated by the local DAR chapter; ours does.

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

On a more general note, Cyndi's list (www.cyndislist.com) is the most singularly completist list of genealogy sources on the web.

I second the suggestion of ancestry.com. You might also want to poke around in the nearest Mormon genealogy library or go to http://www.familysearch.org/, which is the online access to same.

Or hit the Allen County, Indiana, public library's genealogy website -- http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/genealogy/index.html. They've made a serious specialty in genealogy resources.

All of the above ought to keep you and your sister going for, oh, the rest of your natural lives [g].

[stoutfellow.livejournal.com]

I did go through familysearch.org, among others. Unfortunately, the information there is bare-bones: birth, marriage, children, death, but no reference to other life events such as military service. (Also, they've got the ancestor in question listed four times, twice with a variant spelling and twice with variant birth years.)

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

Nobody said genealogy was easy [g].

AAMOF, it's a very good argument for making sure your own public records are in good order and complete, just for the sake of your potential descendants (direct, collateral, or otherwise).

[al-zorra.livejournal.com]

Do you know which colony / state your ancestor who may have served in the Continental Army lived in?

Some of those who served under Commander in Chief Washington were awarded land in, I think the Ohio Valley, of which held title to large swaths.

The NYPL history and geneology dept in the Humanities Research Library is awfully good at these searches, if your family was from around here.

Love, C.

[stoutfellow.livejournal.com]

He was from Connecticut. I believe the next generation or so moved to New York, and then to points west.

[al-zorra.livejournal.com]

http://www.nypl.org/research/eref/hssl/erefhssl.cfm

Is an e-mail reference service of the NYPL Humanities Research Library.

One of the categories in which you can ask for help is geneology -- you click it on the e-form.

I don't think you need an NYPL or Access card number(for the research libraries) to use this service -- i.e. you don't have to a NYer.

Love, C.

[filkferengi]

The genealogy libraries [sometimes known as family history centers] are in the stake centers [administrative offices, like a diocese]. Look in your phone book under "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints" and get the phone number of the stake center nearest you. They have hours at a wide range of times & lots of helpful volunteers, to show you how to use all your research options [local & further away].

Hth.