Tag-Archive for » Probate «

21
Apr
Essex, Massachusetts Probate
Debby

I was recently working on a family tree which branched off into Massachusetts. Records found online at New England Historic Genealogical Society greatly helped finding the family in Essex County.  Now I wanted to find more information, and hopefully the probate for a few family members.

Now as would happen when I am on a roll, the internet connection failed.  This gave me the perfect opportunity to check out Diane Rapaport’s New England Court Records.  I truly enjoy finding a book that makes finding information easy.  I was able to quickly find where in Essex County, records can be found in print, microform, and digital copies.

Now to record in my research log possible research sources…

Category: Genealogy  Tags: , , , , , , , ,  3 Comments
30
Mar
The Canadian Genealogical Sourcebook
Debby

Looking for a quick reference book on Canadian genealogy, take a look at Ryan Taylor’s The Canadian Genealogical Sourcebook.  The topics covered for each province and territory include: directories, census, wills and probate, land records, and repositories.

Where possible address, website and email are provided for the national, regional and local repositories.

What I especially like is that the Sourcebook explains how the data is recorded in each province, especially for Quebec.

This book is current out of print and might be available at used bookstore vendors.

Category: Genealogy  Tags: , , , , , , , ,  3 Comments
20
Mar
Kids and Genealogy
Debby

As a parent and genealogist, I hope that one of my kids will be interested in genealogy and keep the interest going.  Now if I show them a census record or an old probate record it will make them turn away and say “Mama’s looking for dead people again”.  I looked very hard to find a book that might get them to understanding genealogy and perhaps spark some interest.

My latest find is My Family Tree Workbook by Rosemary A. Chorzempa. Starting with simple fill-in forms about themselves, to guidance on writing letters and where to look for more information, I am sure that this format will give my kids something to work on.  I specifically enjoyed that the format is easy to follow and the terms are easy enough to understand without having to explain to them every page in great detail.  I see this as a long term project, but as I know, genealogy is not a project that can be done over a weekend.

Category: Genealogy  Tags: , , , , ,  2 Comments
18
Mar
British Isles Probates
Debby

I was extremely pleased when I found Probate Jurisdictions: Where to Look for Wills made available in the United States through Genealogical Publishing Company.

Understanding  how the court system worked in England has helped me narrow down which court I needed to look for ancestors’ court records.  The glossary further clarified some terms that I was not familiar with.

With simple maps and repository listings, I was able to track down where to look in Berkshire for probate records.

Category: Genealogy  Tags: , , , ,  2 Comments