Archive For The “Uncategorized” Category
We are excited to announce that we have added crew lists to the database: American Offshore Whaling Crew and Voyage Lists, 1799-1927. This update makes this database a part of 10 Million Names and adds 186,873 records and names to this database. The volumes are now organized by “Crew Lists” and “Voyages,” and then within those categories they are in alphabetical order by surnames.
These crew lists were recorded at the customs houses in New Bedford, Fall River, and Salem, Massachusetts, and in New London, Connecticut, and have been compiled as part of various projects and from various sources over the years by a partnership between the New Bedford Whaling Museum, Mystic Seaport Museum, and the Nantucket Historical Association. We thank them for sharing their work to create this database. Their joint work on whaling history can be found here and more information about the crew lists can be found here.
This database is available to all American Ancestors members, including Guest members, at no cost. Consider membership.
We are happy to announce that we have updated Connecticut: Society of the Cincinnati so that it can now be searched by birth, marriage, death, and burial records. This database now has 25,943 records, 78,920 names, and 2,769 pages.
This three-volume database, which was created from Biographies of Original Members and Qualifying Officers – Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Connecticut, edited by J. Michael Phelps, contains 715 fully cited genealogical and biographical sketches of all qualified propositi of the Connecticut Society of the Cincinnati, including renowned heroes such as Capt. Nathan Hale, Gen. Jedediah Huntington, Gen. Samuel Holden Parsons, Gen. Israel Putnam Sr., Maj. Benjamin Tallmadge, and Gen. David Wooster. These sketches contain 36,049 records and 35,831 names.
In May 1783, as the Revolutionary War was nearing its end, the Society of the Cincinnati was formed by its officers, some of whom had served together for as long as eight years, as a way for them to maintain their friendships and provide for their widows and orphans. The Society was named for Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, a Roman general who had left his farm and family to fight for his country, as did George Washington centuries later. It includes all Original Members and all who qualify under some other basis of the original or amended Institution, including, but not limited to, Died in Service, Rule of 1854, Deranged (retired by consolidation), or Served to End of War.
The volumes are divided as follows:
Volume 1: Thomas Abbe – Cornelius Higgins
Volume 2: Joseph Higgins – Samuel Sanford
Volume 3: Abijah Savage – John Yates/Yeats
This database is available to Individual-level and above American Ancestors members only. Consider membership.
After a long hiatus, we are excited to announce an update to North American Cemetery Transcriptions from NEHGS Manuscripts, 1642-1977. This update adds 51,039 records, 91,833 names, and 1576 pages.
The following volumes have been added:
Eastford, CT: General Lyon Cemetery (Mss A 2314)
Hamden, CT: Centerville Cemetery (Mss A 2821)
New London, CT: Genealogical Data from Connecticut Cemeteries, Gardner Cemetery (Mss A 2405)
Falmouth, MA: West Falmouth Epitaphs (Mss A 2403)
Plymouth, MA: Whitehorse Cemetery, Rocky Hill Road, Manomet (Mss A 2269)
Rehoboth, MA: Epitaphs (Mss A 6028)
Salem, MA: Inscriptions from the Burying-Grounds (F74.S1 P7 1837)
Acton, ME: Record Book (Mss A 2718)
NH: New Hampshire Gravestones Inscriptions, Various Towns (Mss A 6908)
Alexandria, NH: Inscriptions from Gravestones in Crawford Cemetery (Mss A 6913)
Alstead, NH: Inscriptions from Two Graveyards (Mss A 6915)
Brentwood, NH: Gravestone Inscriptions from Two Cemeteries (Mss A 6926)
Brentwood, NH: Gravestone Inscriptions from Two Small Cemeteries (Mss A 6927)
Concord, NH: Gravestone Inscriptions from the Old North Cemetery, 1642-1934 (Mss A 6934)
Grafton, NH: Burying Ground (Mss A 6962)
Hampton Falls, NH: Gravestone Inscriptions from New Cemetery, Town Cemetery (Mss A 2404)
Hopkinton, NH: Gravestone Inscriptions of All Cemeteries Within the Township (Mss A 6967)
Hudson, NH: Inscriptions in Ford Cemetery (Mss A 6972)
Milford, NH: Inscriptions from North, Elm St., Union St., and West St. Cemeteries (Mss A 6982)
New Durham, NH: Gravestone Inscriptions from Davis Cemetery, Runnals Cemetery (Mss A 6983)
Barrington, RI: Allen Cemetery (Mss A 6662)
Barrington, RI: Grave Yard Records, Tylers Point Cemetery (Mss A 6616)
East Providence, RI: Little Neck Cemetery (Mss A 6617)
Egremont, MA: Town Hill Cemetery (Mss A 2394)
Exeter, RI: Epitaphs (Mss A 6656)
Weybridge, VT: Weybridge Hill Cemetery (Mss A 6661)
Nova Scotia: Epitaphs, Volume 1 (Mss 899)
Nova Scotia: Epitaphs, Volume 2 (Mss 899)
Nova Scotia: Epitaphs, Volume 3 (Mss 899)
Nova Scotia: Epitaphs, Volume 4 (Mss 899)
Nova Scotia: Epitaphs, Volume 5 (Mss 899)
Nova Scotia: Epitaphs, Volume 6 (Mss 899)
Nova Scotia: Epitaphs, Volume 7 (Mss 899)
Nova Scotia: Epitaphs, Volume 8 (Mss 899)
Nova Scotia: Epitaphs, Volume 9 (Mss 899)
Nova Scotia: Epitaphs, Volume 10 (Mss 899)
We’d like to thank the following volunteers for their hard work on this project:
Eldon Gay, Bruce McKeeman, Gig Moineau, Lynn Blayer, Marilyn Tomei, Corwynn Crane, Katherine Marshall-Mayer, Ross Weaver, Amelia Devin Freedman, Eileen McCarthy, Nancy Johnson, Gale Stevenson, Pauline Cusson, Carolyn Jack, Mara Witzling, Alexander Hodi, Valerie Abrahamsen, Jeff Lovell, Lisa Butler, Richard Lagueux, Loretta Brown-Aldrich, Becki Clarke, Barbara Macken, Virginia Marshall, Sandy Murphy Mauer, Bill Morse, Susan Van Allen, Ashley Waters, Carol Demers, and Kathleen Oberley.
If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Zobeida Chaffee-Valdes, Database Services Volunteer Coordinator via email at zobeida.chaffee-valdes@americanancestors.org.
This database is available to Individual-level and above American Ancestors members. Consider membership.
We are excited to announce a new database for 10 Millions Names, North America: Records of Enslaved People from Plantations and Estates, 1765-1890. This database contains birth, death, marriage, and census records of those who were enslaved at North American Plantations and Estates, as well as their family members. Each volume within this database is of a different plantation or estate. Currently, this database only contains records between the years 1765 and 1890 from the Cedar Grove Plantation in North Carolina, but more volumes will be added as they are completed. North Carolina: Cedar Grove, 1765-1890 contains 600 records and 805 names. This volume includes records from tax lists and inventories, deeds, family papers, the 1870 census, and the Torrence Family Tree project.
This volume was made possible by the HEARTS Collaborative. HEARTS (History, Ecology, Arts, Reunion, Trails, Store) is a nonprofit dedicated to weaving the threads of people, places, and things together into a vibrant interconnected tapestry of the Catawba Valley’s historical identity. The “R” in HEARTS represents the Reunion Project, which is the genealogical component of their mission. It seeks to determine all previous inhabitants of the region and to connect descendants with their heritage.
In June 2024, HEARTS honored the memory of 143 individuals once enslaved at Cedar Grove Plantation in Huntersville, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina by recovering their histories, connecting their descendants to their heritage, and contributing to the broader narrative of African American ancestry. By sharing these records, HEARTS is helping set a new standard for community-based historical recovery and preservation. We are honored to share HEARTS Reunion Project findings with the 10 Million Names Project and thank HEARTS for leading the way in this important work.
This database is presented as part of 10 Million Names, a project which aims to recover names and restore information to families of the estimated 10 million women, men, and children of African descent who were enslaved in the U.S. until emancipation through a collaborative network of expert genealogists, historians, cultural institutions, and descendant communities. This project seeks to amplify the voices of people who have been telling their family stories for centuries, connect researchers and data partners with people seeking answers to their family history questions, and expand access to data, resources, and information about enslaved African Americans.
Note: This database is available to all members, including Guest Members, as part of 10 Million Names.
Today we’ve added two new sketches and three updated sketches to Early Vermont Settlers, 1700-1784. The people profiled in these sketches lived in Brattleboro, Guilford, Landgrove, Norwich, Royalton, Strafford, and Vernon.
These sketches were created by Scott Andrew Bartley, who is researching the heads of families who lived in Vermont prior to the Revolutionary War. His study project is not only identifying those who sought better lives on the frontier, but is also illustrating major players on the political and religious fronts and uncovering regional migration patterns for this period.
The following new sketches have been added:
The following updated sketches have been added:
Benton, Medad (Norwich, Royalton)
Chamberlain, William (Strafford)
Greenleaf, Stephen (Brattleboro)
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above American Ancestors members only. Consider membership.
We are excited to announce a new database: The New Hampshire Genealogical Record. This database has been made available through partnership with the New Hampshire Society of Genealogists. The 30 volumes of this database contain 135,321 names, and 6,412 pages. The New Hampshire Genealogical Record was published by the New Hampshire Genealogical Society from Vol. 1, No. 1 (July 1903) to Vol. 7, No. 2 (April 1910). After a lengthy hiatus, it was resumed in 1990 by the New Hampshire Society of Genealogists with Vol. 7, No. 3. Volumes 1-7 are known as the “Old Series” and volumes 7 and up are the “New Series.”
The Journal captures a wealth of information for genealogists: vital records, probate records, bible records, headstone records, and memorials. It also includes well-documented family histories and genealogical articles covering hundreds of families with New Hampshire ties. Published articles include compiled genealogy, source records, and book reviews.
The name index portion of this database is based on the Journal Index listed at the end of each whole number volume that was published with such an index, along with a new index prepared by volunteers for volumes not originally indexed. Volumes will be added as their indexes become available.
We want to thank our volunteer, Sam Sturgis for all of his work on this database! If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please reach out to our Database Volunteer Coordinator, Zobeida, at zobeida.chaffee-valdes@americanancestors.org.
This database is available to all American Ancestors members.
An advertisement for the sale of enslaved Africans from the Gold Coast in Newport, Rhode Island, 1763.
We are excited to announce that we have published the Newport, RI: Records of Enslaved, Free, and Manumitted People of Color and Enslavers (17th – 19th Centuries) database to add 12,786 names and 11,827 records to the 10 Million Names Project.
In 2021, the Newport Historical Society (NHS), located in Newport, Rhode Island, set out to move the enslaved, manumitted, and free people of color who lived in Newport between the 17th and 19th centuries from the margins of its collections to the center. In four years, the Voices From the NHS Archives research initiative has grown from a spreadsheet cataloging references to people of color in the NHS manuscript collection to an interactive database and research tool that includes 5,600 digitized documents, over a dozen biographical histories, and records for more than 1,800 named people of African and Indigenous descent.
This database includes records for people African and Indigenous descent who were connected to Newport, Rhode Island, and the surrounding area—either through their presence in the town or through their enslavement and transport on voyages funded by Newport merchants—between roughly 1663 and 1865.
Data on enslaved, free and liminal status persons were drawn from a broad range of archival documents from the collection of the NHS. Materials include records from six religious groups, early colony censuses, family papers, merchants’ records, institutional records from Black-led organizations, legal and land evidence documents, and ship logs, among others.
This database is presented as part of the 10 Million Names Project. To learn more about 10 Million Names, please visit the project website. Thank you to Newport Historical Society for kindly donating the data used in this project.
Please note: This database is available to all American Ancestors members, including Guest Members, at no cost. Consider membership.
Today we’ve added two new sketches to Early Vermont Settlers, 1700-1784. The people profiled in these sketches lived in Peru and Vernon.
These sketches were created by Scott Andrew Bartley, who is researching the heads of families who lived in Vermont prior to the Revolutionary War. His study project is not only identifying those who sought better lives on the frontier, but is also illustrating major players on the political and religious fronts and uncovering regional migration patterns for this period.
The following new sketches have been added:
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above American Ancestors members only. Consider membership.
Today we’re announcing a major update to Suffolk County, MA Probate File Papers. This addition includes case numbers 62000-69999, a total of 182,322 new file papers. This collection now has a total of 1,407,486 pages.
This database was created from digital images and index contributed to American Ancestors by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives. The probate cases include wills, guardianships, administrations, and various other types of probate records.
The complete Suffolk County File Papers collection will eventually cover cases 1-94,757, which includes years up to 1893. The cases are indexed chronologically, which allows us to present them in sections while digital photography is taking place. We will continue to add additional cases as they become available.
If you have questions on how to search this database, or about our collaboration with the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives, please watch our video, How to Search Massachusetts Probate File Papers. The Massachusetts Archives also have a very helpful website that serves as a directory as to where you can find which pieces of probate information.
We’d like to thank our volunteer, Sam Sturgis, for all of his work on this update! If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please reach out to our Database Volunteer Coordinator, Zobeida, at zobeida.chaffee-valdes@americanancestors.org.
Please note: This database is available to all American Ancestors members.
Today we’ve added Volume 24 (2023) to our American Ancestors Magazine database. This update includes 262 pages, 2,198 records, and 2,197 searchable names. These records are indexed by full names, publication year (not the year of the record), article titles, and authors.
The themes for each of the new issues are listed below:
24.1: Witchcraft Victims in Early America
24.2: 10 Million Names: Recovering the Names of America’s Enslaved People
24.3: Marking the 250th Anniversary of the Boston Tea Party
24.4: The Enduring Power and Promise of Family History
American Ancestors features a wide range of article topics and styles including coverage of a particular region or group of people; case studies; descriptions of particular record sets; “how-to” articles; historic accounts that illuminate the past; research strategies and methodology; and accounts of migration and immigrant groups.
If you would like to view the latest issues online, be sure to visit our publications page. The entire run of American Ancestors is available in our research library, call number F1.N49. Interested researchers may also want to consult New England Ancestors, the publication that preceded American Ancestors magazine.
This update is made possible by the efforts of our volunteer Sam Sturgis. If you would like to get involved in the database indexing process, please contact Zobeida Chaffee-Valdes, Database Services Volunteer Coordinator, at zobeida.chaffee-valdes@americanancestors.org.
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above American Ancestors members only. Consider Membership.