Author Archive
We are happy to launch two enhancement to the Search Results page today, as part of our ongoing efforts to improve your search experience. They are particularly helpful when using Category Search or the new Database specific search, since the default is to show a broad array of results.
Search Sliders – located on the top left side of the search results, you will see some sliders on the search results. They apply to Name, Location and Years parameters of your search. The values of your current search are displayed on the left, and the slider is to the right. An example is shown above.
To use them, just move the slider to the right to ensure results match your request exactly, and to the left for broader search results. As soon as you let go of the slider the search results are updated.
If you want to change the values you are searching for, just use the Refine button as in the past.
Cutoff bar – our search technology seeks to list the most relevant results first. This cutoff bar will appear as a blue bar to help mark a point where results that only partially match your results start. It is just informational, and in cases where large numbers of results meet your criteria, you may not see it on the first page. Also, if you choose to order your results by any value other than relevance, the bar will not appear.
We hope you enjoy these new capabilities. We expect to add some additional options to the filters in the near future. Please address any feedback and comments to webmaster@nehgs.org. We love to hear from you!
Gravestone of Ann Tiffany (1693-1721) from Tyler Point Burying Ground in Barrington, Rhode Island.
We are very happy to announce a new database today; the Rhode Island: Historical Cemeteries, 1647-2000. John Sterling has partnered with us and provided transcriptions and images produced by the volunteers of Rhode Island Historical Cemeteries Transcription Project for cemeteries across Rhode Island.
This database is organized into 39 volumes based on the city or town of the cemetery and provides information for 450,000 people and over 900,000 searchable names. The efforts to capture images of the gravestones is more recent, however, approximately 25% of the records have an image to go with them. For the remainder, there is a placeholder noting that the image is not available, and noting that you can see the birth and death details on the transcript page.
For most of the cemeteries, there GPS coordinates displayed on the transcript. This can be copied and pasted into a site such as Google Maps to see where the cemetery is located.
This database supersedes the index-only collection; Rhode Island: Historical Cemeteries Database Index, 1600-2001 which had about one-half the number of records. Anyone who has saved links to that database will still be able to access them.
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
Sample of Database specific search page for American Ancestors Magazine with custom fields.
We are very happy to deliver a new search option for you today: Database Search. We are now providing separate search pages for every one of our databases. You can access this by selecting the magnifying glass image on the Database List A-Z.
Select the database specific search page right from the Database List A to Z.
The new database specific search pages include:
- Focused search fields – the search fields available for each category are only those that are commonly used in that category. This avoids the common problem of using search terms which will yield no results (See Image at top).
- Search tips and category descriptions right on the search screen – you don’t need to perform a search or click to another screen to get tips on the available fields. You just need to scroll down to see this. (See image below)
- See other databases within the category – if you want to see what other databases are in same category, you can click on the button at the top right and it will list the relevant databases.
- Sample page images – A few sample page images are included for each category to provide you some perspective of what you can find in the databases for that category (See Image 3).
- Inclusive search results! – The results will include results that match any of your criteria. This is an important change. Results that match all or most of your search criteria appear at the top, and partial matches appear below. Of course, if you select Exact search for the Name or Location, you will only get results that match your criteria.
- Go directly to Browse Records – If you just want to view records without doing a search, just select a volume and page at the top right and press the Browse button.
- Switch to Advanced Search – If you would still prefer to use the general purpose Advanced Search, you can click Switch to Advanced Search button on the right to launch the traditional search experience for the database you are currently looking at.
We hope you enjoy these new capabilities. Please address any feedback and comments to webmaster@nehgs.org.
Search tips, sample images and database description are on the bottom of the search page.
Portsmouth Harbor — detail of 1893 U. S. Geological Survey map. Courtesy of the Dimond Library, Documents Department & Data Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH. This shows Seavey’s Island before it was conjoined with Fernald’s Island, site of the Navy Yard. Public Domain in the United States.
We have updated the index to New Hampshire Gazette: Vital Records, 1756-1800 so that it is now searchable by first name and last name, location, record type, and family members (where available). The text of these extracted marriage and death records published in the New Hampshire Gazette newspaper continues to be searchable via Keyword search.
The New Hampshire Gazette claims the distinction of being the nation’s oldest newspaper and was established in 1756. These records were compiled by Otis G. Hammond, former director of the New Hampshire Historical Society. They were abstracted by Priscilla Hammond in 1937, and this manuscript is part of the R. Stanton Avery Collections at NEHGS.
This is update is made possible by the invaluable efforts of our team of volunteers, particularly; Elizabeth Handler and Marie Wells. We genuinely appreciate the work of all our volunteers. If you would like to join the team, please contact Bianca Renzoni, Database Services Volunteer Coordinator bianca.renzoni@nehgs.org.
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
Springfield Armory National Historic Site; James Langone, Photographer. Public Domain in the United States, courtesy of Wikimedia.org.
We have updated the index to Springfield [MA] Republican: Marriages and Deaths, 1847 so that it is now searchable by; first name and last name, location, record type, and family members (where available). The text of these extracted marriage and death records published in the Springfield Republican newspaper continues to be searchable via Keyword search.
This update is made possible by the invaluable efforts of our team of volunteers, particularly; Connie Beattie and Barbara Holt. We appreciate the work of all our volunteers. If you would like to join the team please contact Bianca Renzoni, Database Services Volunteer Coordinator bianca.renzoni@nehgs.org.
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
Plymouth, MA town square in 1910. Public Domain, courtesy of Wikimedia.org.
We have added the Richard Warren part 2 new volume to the searchable database of authenticated Mayflower Pilgrim genealogies, Mayflower Families Fifth Generation Descendants, 1700-1880, which now contains these Warren volumes:
- Warren, Richard (Vol. 18, part 2)
- Warren, Richard (Vol. 18, part 3)
This addition adds 399 pages, 8,700 records and over 25,000 searchable names related to the descendants of Richard Warren, which in total now has nearly 42,000 names.
This database is being constructed from the General Society of Mayflower Descendants (GSMD) very well-known series of books Mayflower Families Through Five Generations: Descendants of the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth, Mass., December 1620 which document the first generation of descendants of the Pilgrims. Through our partnership with GSMD, American Ancestors is delivering this database with a full index of the fifth-generation descendants, and their children, coupled with the page images for those people.
Richard Warren was born probably around 1585 in Hertfordshire, England. He traveled on Mayflower, in advance of his wife Elizabeth and five daughters, who arrived on the ship Anne in 1623. Richard and Elizbeth had two more sons after they were reunited. Their daughter Sarah married passenger John Cooke, son of Francis Cooke. Richard died in Plymouth in 1628, and his widow lived on in Plymouth until her death in 1673 at the age of ninety. This biography is also available on our Mayflower 2020 site here.
This database index includes birth, baptism, marriage, death, and deed records for these individuals, and where available, the names of parents and spouses.
This update is made possible by the invaluable efforts of our growing team of volunteers, including; Charlie Watson, Julie Nathanson, Margaret Parker, Richard Wood, and David Anderson. We really appreciate their dedication. If you are interested in joining the team, please contact Bianca Renzoni, Database Services Volunteer Coordinator bianca.renzoni@nehgs.org.
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
Landing of the Pilgrims stamp from 1920. United States Public Domain, courtesy of Wikimedia.
We have added a new volume to the searchable database of authenticated Mayflower Pilgrim genealogies, Mayflower Families Fifth Generation Descendants, 1700-1880:
- Allerton, Isaac (Vol. 17)
This update adds 191 pages with 3,300 supporting records and 10,300 searchable names related to the descendants of Isaac Allerton.
This database is being constructed from the General Society of Mayflower Descendants (GSMD) very well-known series of books Mayflower Families Through Five Generations: Descendants of the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth, Mass., December 1620 which document the first generation of descendants of the Pilgrims. Through our partnership with GSMD, American Ancestors is delivering this database with a full index of the fifth-generation descendants, and their children, coupled with the page images for those people.
Isaac Allerton, born in 1586, was a merchant and a tailor. He embarked on Mayflower with his first wife Mary Norris, their 3 living children, and his apprentice, John Hooke. His sister Sarah was also a passenger, married to Degory Priest. Isaac was chosen as assistant to Governor Bradford in 1621. Members of the colony became dissatisfied with how he managed the finances of the colony, increasing debt and mixing his own business with the colony’s finances. He was eventually banished from the colony for his unscrupulous dealings, going on to live in Marblehead, New Amsterdam, and New Haven. Around 1626 he married his second wife, Fear, who was the daughter of passenger William Brewster. They had two children. He later married a third wife, Joanna Swinnerton, in New Haven, where he died in 1659. This information is also available on our Mayflower 2020 site here.
This database index includes birth, baptism, marriage, death, and deed records for these individuals, and where available, the names of parents and spouses. We thank our volunteers for all their efforts in bringing this newly searchable data to you!
This update is made possible by the invaluable efforts of our team of volunteers, including; Karen Ristic, Ray Ristic, and David Anderson. We appreciate the work of all our volunteers. If you would like to join the team please contact Bianca Renzoni, Database Services Volunteer Coordinator bianca.renzoni@nehgs.org.
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
The Standish rapier made in Germany 1630-1650: At the Pilgrim Hall Museum, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA.
We have added a new volume to the searchable database of authenticated Mayflower Pilgrim genealogies, Mayflower Families Fifth Generation Descendants, 1700-1880:
- Standish, Myles (Vol. 14)
This update adds 175 pages wth 3,300 records and 16,000 searchable names related to the descendants of Myles Standish. This volume was made possible by the invaluable efforts of our team of volunteers, including; Karen Ristic, Ray Ristic, and David Anderson. We appreciate the work of all our volunteers. If you would like to join the team please contact Bianca Renzoni, Database Services Volunteer Coordinator bianca.renzoni@nehgs.org.
This database is being constructed from the General Society of Mayflower Descendants (GSMD) very well-known series of books Mayflower Families Through Five Generations: Descendants of the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth, Mass., December 1620 which document the first generation of descendants of the Pilgrims. Through our partnership with GSMD, American Ancestors is delivering this database with a full index of the fifth-generation descendants, and their children, coupled with the page images for those people.
Myles Standish was born about 1593, and married Rose _____ about 1618. They traveled together on Mayflower, but she died in January of 1621. William Bradford spoke highly of Myles and a few other men who cared for the sick and dying, writing that they “. . . spared no pains, night nor day, but with abundance of toil and hazard of their own health … did all the homeley & necessary offices for them, which dainty and queazy stomachs cannot endure to hear named”. Captain Myles Standish was an English military officer hired as advisor for the Plymouth Colony, and was commander of the forces defending the Colony. He also served as treasurer for the Colony. This information is also available on our Mayflower 2020 site here.
This database index includes birth, baptism, marriage, death, and deed records for these individuals, and where available, the names of parents and spouses.
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
Embarkation of the Pilgrims by Robert Walter Weir, circa 1857. Public Domain, courtesy of the Brooklyn Museum and Wikimedia Commons.
We have added a new volume to the searchable database of authenticated Mayflower Pilgrim genealogies, Mayflower Families Fifth Generation Descendants, 1700-1880:
- Alden, John (Vol. 16, part 5)
This update adds 300 pages supporting 6,500 records and 18,700 searchable names, and represents the last of the volumes dedicated to the descendants of John Alden and Priscilla Mullins.
This database is being constructed from the General Society of Mayflower Descendants (GSMD) very well-known series of books Mayflower Families Through Five Generations: Descendants of the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth, Mass., December 1620 which document the first generation of descendants of the Pilgrims. Through our partnership with GSMD, American Ancestors is delivering this database with a full index of the fifth-generation descendants, and their children, coupled with the page images for those people.
John Alden was born in England around 1599. He was a cooper and crew member on the Mayflower. After arriving in America, he signed the Mayflower Compact and decided to stay rather than returning to England. Alden performed extensive public service for the colony, serving in roles such as Treasurer and Assistant Governor. In 1623 he married fellow passenger Priscilla Mullins, and the two raised 10 children together. When he died in Duxbury in 1687, Alden was the last surviving signer of the Mayflower Compact. This information is also available on our Mayflower 2020 site here.
This database index includes birth, baptism, marriage, death, and deed records for these individuals, and where available, the names of parents and spouses. We thank our volunteers for all their efforts in bringing this newly searchable data to you!
This update is made possible by the invaluable efforts of our team of volunteers, including; David Anderson, Julie Nathanson, Larry Aiken, and Jackie Horton. We appreciate the work of all our volunteers. If you would like to join the team please contact Bianca Renzoni, Database Services Volunteer Coordinator bianca.renzoni@nehgs.org.
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
Landing of the Pilgrims, from the US Capitol building. Public Domain, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
We have added three new volumes to the searchable database of authenticated Mayflower Pilgrim genealogies, Mayflower Families Fifth Generation Descendants, 1700-1880:
- Doty, Edward (Vol. 11, part 1)
- Doty, Edward (Vol. 11, part 2)
- Doty, Edward (Vol. 11, part 3)
This database is being constructed from the General Society of Mayflower Descendants (GSMD) very well-known series of books Mayflower Families Through Five Generations: Descendants of the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth, Mass., December 1620 which document the first generation of descendants of the Pilgrims. Through our partnership with GSMD, American Ancestors is delivering this database with a full index of the fifth-generation descendants, and their children, coupled with the page images for those people.
Edward Doty was a planter. He traveled on Mayflower as a servant to Stephen Hopkins. Within months of landing at Plymouth, Edward fought in what Bradford called “the first duel fought in New England.” The incident was between him and Edward Leister, a fellow servant of Stephen Hopkins. Both parties were wounded but not killed, and received punishment for their involvement. Edward was likely near the end of his servitude at that time. In 1635, Edward Doty married Faith Clark, with whom he had nine children. He died in Plymouth in 1655. This biographical information is also available on the American Ancestors Mayflower 2020 site here.
These three volumes adds 55,000 new searchable names, bringing the total to 275,000 for the database in total. The graphic below shows the top 50 last names that have been indexed for Mayflower Families Fifth Generation Descendants, 1700-1880. This database index includes birth, baptism, marriage, death, and deed records for these individuals, and where available, the names of parents and spouses.
This update is made possible by the invaluable efforts of our team of volunteers, including; David, Anderson, Nancy Borman, Jeanne Brown, Fran Danico, Jackie Horton, Jan Livingston, Margaret Parker, and Rich Wood. We appreciate the work of all our volunteers. If you would like to join the team please contact Bianca Renzoni, Database Services Volunteer Coordinator bianca.renzoni@nehgs.org.
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.