Monthly Archives: April 2012

G.W. Cottrell, Texas ranger

Posted on April 21, 2012 by Judy G. Russell

A Texas ranger in the family! We’ve got us a Texas ranger. A real-live (well, um, okay, so he’s been dead for 121 years1) Texas ranger. And not just in a collateral line2: this guy is my 2nd great grandfather … Continue reading →

Posted in My family | 12 Comments

National DNA Day and a sale on testing

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Judy G. Russell

DNA Day Comes Early… or Late… with a Sale! It depends on how you look at it, whether National DNA Day — being celebrated today by the National Human Genome Research Institute — is early or late. Either way, Family … Continue reading →

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“Carried to the Orphans Court”

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Judy G. Russell

The will and the Orphans Court Reader Taco Goulooze ran into some language in the 1782 will of Rhinehart Waltz of Frederick County, Maryland, that left him puzzled. The language read: …It is my Will and Desire that my two … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Legal definitions, Statutes | 6 Comments

One week to go: free copyright webinar

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Judy G. Russell

One week from today: free APG webinar on copyright A reminder, if I may be so bold as to toot my own horn: One week from today, on Wednesday, April 25, 2012, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (8:00 Central, … Continue reading →

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Reversion of dower

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Judy G. Russell

Dower and reversion and merger, oh my! R. A. Hill hit up against a baffling series of land transactions that bring a lot of legal concepts into play. Here’s the fact pattern: A 40-acre tract in Alpine Township, Kent County, … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Legal definitions, Statutes | 6 Comments

Anniversary of two very different laws

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Judy G. Russell

Freedom and the draft: 150 years ago today Two remarkable statutes became law 150 years ago today. The two legislative bodies that passed them sat less than 100 miles apart, and — whether directly or indirectly — both had to … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Statutes | 2 Comments

Surname or clan

Posted on April 15, 2012 by Judy G. Russell

Williams or McKenzie? Reader David Williams asks: “I have tested at family tree dna at 67 markers. I have two exact matches with my surname. Looking at the paper trail I believe our common ancestor was 250 years ago. The … Continue reading →

Posted in DNA | 6 Comments

The persistence of names

Posted on April 14, 2012 by Judy G. Russell

Name repetition in German families A striking characteristic of German families — or at least my German family — is the persistence of names. From father to son to grandson, from mother to daughter to granddaughter, names tend to be … Continue reading →

Posted in My family | 18 Comments

Early Virginia Statutes

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Judy G. Russell

More geeks!! Since about, oh, 99.8798 percent of my ancestors lived in Virginia or, at a minimum, passed through the Old Dominion at one point or another, one of my favorite people in the whole wide world is William Waller … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Resources, Statutes | 4 Comments

Free APG webinar: TLG on copyright

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Judy G. Russell

Free APG webinar: copyright law for genealogists There are a lot of great benefits to membership in the Association of Professional Genealogists. One new benefit — and it’s one open to all genealogists and not just APG members — is … Continue reading →

Posted in Court Cases, General | Leave a comment