Turning the page
When the answer “isn’t there” The answer to the question wasn’t there. Not in those minutes of the May 1793 term of the Court of Common Pleas in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Reader Pat Steinkerchner had carefully copied the entire set of minutes because...Finding Aunt Samantha
Hiding in plain sight She appears on the 1850 census of Cherokee County, Alabama, as Samantha Battles. Second in a list of seven children in the household of William and Ann (Jacobs) Battles. Age 18. Born in Alabama.1 And then, it seemed, she disappeared. The working...That nice neat package
And the risk it poses Any time a genealogist encounters a set of church records, it’s enough to bring a smile to our faces. Even a set that doesn’t include any of our own family members. They’re a treat because they often record things that...Behind the numbers
The burning of Chelsea The story is hidden there, behind the numbers. The population of Chelsea, Massachusetts — a Boston suburb — rose steadily through nine straight censuses, from 642 residents in 1820 to 34,072 in 1900. And the rate of growth in some of...The laws of time and place
Look for the codes It’s one of the most common questions The Legal Genealogist gets: What were the laws of a particular place at a particular time? Now I’m sure this question has nothing to do with the fact that it’s my mantra, repeated over and over...And… and… and…?
The language of the law. Part Latin, part Greek, part law French, even part Anglo-Saxon. And all confusing. It is one of the most valuable combinations of letters on the planet, if you happen to be a court clerk or a lawyer. And one of the most frustrating if you...Recording all the details
Family history is more than begats Yesterday’s post about a resource on military legal history prompted friend and genealogical colleague Gordon Remington to offer his own reminder of another tome that genealogists will find useful. It’s one The Legal...Researching Beyond Kin
“For every soul a story, a family a name.” Beyond our parents. Beyond our brothers and sisters. Beyond our grandparents, aunts and uncles. Beyond our cousins. Beyond even those who might be considered our kin. Beyond them all, our people had other people to whom they...Marriage, Kentucky style
How old did they have to be? Reader Marian Corya was stumped on an issue of Kentucky law. “How do I find the legal age for marriage for men and women in various time periods and places?” she asked The Legal Genealogist. “I want to know how old a person needed to be in...Subscribe by Email
