12 



The Journal of Heredity 



appropriation is far too small for its 

 needs. 



One of the most important steps is to 

 learn what records exist, and the use 

 which may be made of them. A very 

 useful aid in this connection is a series 

 of articles which appeared in the (icnca- 

 logical Quarterly Magazine for 1900 and 

 1901. In the' July, 1900, issue were 

 published "Some Directions for Compil- 

 ing and Publishing Family Histories," 

 "The Printed Book," "Eligibility in 

 Hereditary Societies," and "Surnames;" 

 in the October issue, "Some Sources 

 of Information Regarding Pennsylvania 

 and New Jersey (jenealogy," and in 

 the December issue, "Records and 

 Record-Searching in England." These 

 articles are all of broader application 

 than the titles indicate, and will be 

 found to abound with references to 

 printed as well as original sources. 

 Other helpful articles of similar nature 

 are found in other issues of that maga- 

 zine, and its predecessor, Putnam's 

 Historical Magazine. Reference to the 

 "Guide to Contents," undsr "Genea- 

 logv," and similar heads will help. 

 Phillemore's, "How to Write the His- 

 tory of a Family," although intended for 

 English readers, will be found of service, 

 as also Mills' "Foundations of Genea- 

 logy." Rye's "Records and Record- 

 Searching," also an English work, may 

 be profitably referred to. 



ORIGINAL SOURCES 



The original sources may be briefly 

 classified as follows : 



Town Records. — In Massachusetts the 

 records of a great many towns have been 

 puVilished in a series entitled "Vital 

 Records," and in addition many other 

 town records have been printed. Every 

 state library has a set of the published 

 Vital Records of Massachusetts. 



County Records. — In most states the 

 county scat is the depositary of the 

 jjnjbate and land records, and often of 

 marriage records or licenses, as well of 

 other series of helpful records. The 

 settlement of estates is a prolific source 

 of inf(jrmation. The establishment of 

 new counties out of old should always 

 be borne in mind, as the estate of a 



'This refers to peace time conditions. At present it is not advisable to attempt research 

 in National .Archives. 



person dying before the setting up of the 

 new county is found in the old. In 

 some instances there are published lists 

 of estates settled. 



State Archives. — The Secretary of 

 State usually has in his charge a great 

 variety of records, relating to grants, 

 lands, estates, soldiers, court ])roceed- 

 ings, etc. The Clerks of the Supreme 

 Court have also records of genealogical 

 value. Clerks of all courts are custo- 

 dians of various records. As a rule only 

 the experienced searcher can use these 

 records to advantage, but they are in- 

 dispensable in com]:)leting a thorough 

 search. 



National Archives.^ — The national gov- 

 ernment has such an immense accu- 

 mulation of historical and genealogical 

 material in its possession, that reference 

 must be made to the published guide to 

 the Archives. The most useful series 

 and the series most likely to be used with 

 profit by the beginner in genealogy are 

 the Revolutionary ])ension files and the 

 Land Office records. The published 

 Census of 1790 is of the greatest value, 

 as most heads of families, their resi- 

 dence, number of males and females in 

 family, and other facts are gi\'en. There 

 are also published lists of pensioners at 

 different times. To obtain proof of 

 eligibility to certain hereditary societies 

 these records arc of the greatest help. 

 Information regarding any known sol- 

 dier ancestor who was a pensioner may 

 be had by writing to the Commissioner 

 of Pensions. Most of the older states 

 have published lists of their Revolu- 

 tionary War soldiers, and there are 

 many lists of soldiers in subsequent 

 wars, while the Civil War rolls of the 

 various states have, of course, been 

 largely published. Application to the 

 Adjutant-Cjcneral of any state will 

 bring infonuation concerning a Civil 

 War soldier if information sufficient to 

 aid in his identification is furnished. 



As one's ancestral record grows, the 

 lack of certain infomiation becomes ap- 

 l)arent. and the very character of that 

 infomiation will in itself suggest a 

 course of inquiry if the investigator has 

 taken i)ains to acquaint himself with the 

 character of modern and earlier records. 



