Your Pennsylvania Ancestors: Recent Episodes
PA Ancestors, Denys Allen
The Your Pennsylvania Ancestors podcast helps you discover your family history in PA. Join Denys Allen for behind-the-scenes look into archives, genealogy research, and highlights of PA history. See supporting information for each episode at PAancestors.com
One of the largest ethnic groups in early Pennsylvania spoke German. But today we call their language Pennsylvania Dutch. My guest, Professor of Germanic Linguistics Mark Louden calls Pennsylvania Dutch a truly American language. Learn why he says that and learn a little PA Dutch to share with family and friends.
Pennsylvania Dutch: The Story of an American Language, by Mark L. Louden
Don’t miss Mark’s website https://padutch.net
What is the history of the Lenape who lived across much of Pennsylvania? How were they impacted by the waves of immigration to the colony? And what is their future? Meet Adam Waterbearer DePaul, Tribal Storykeeper of the Lenape of Pennsylvania who fills in a big gap in our shared history here and provides hope through the Prophecy of the Four Crows.
Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania https://www.lenape-nation.org
Fulfilling a Prophecy Exhibit https://www.penn.museum/sites/fap/index.shtml
Enduring Presence: Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania Art https://ds-omeka.haverford.edu/enduringpresence/exhibits/show/about
The Walking Purchase document with transcription
http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/portal/communities/documents/1681-1776/walking-purchase.html
Treaty Negotiations with Native Americans https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/essays/treaty-negotiations-with-native-americans/
AncestryDNA has the largest DNA database in the world for genealogy. Their data on genetic communities can help you target your research if you take an extra step with it. I explain that step in this episode.
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Chapters:
- 00:00 Intro
- 01:11 AncestryDNA Genetic Communities
- 03:38 Walkthrough of Map Overlays
- 06:13 Furthering Your Research
Resources mentioned in video:
AncestryDNA https://www.ancestry.com/dna/
County biography and history collection digitized by the Allen County Public Library https://archive.org/details/allen_county
Music: Achaidh Cheide by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
If you have ancestors in Pennsylvania in the 17th & 18th century, knowing these four things will help your understanding of our records (and our history!).
Free Friday newsletter https://welcome.paancestors.com
00:00 Intro
01:48 Pennsylvania in the Revolutionary War
05:16 The landless in Pennsylvania
07:46 Religions in Pennsylvania
09:35 Pennsylvania and the Book of Revelation
Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/E6to8YkpSVk
Books mentioned:
- Beyond Philadelphia: The American Revolution in the Pennsylvania Hinterland, editted by John B. Frantz and William Pencak, Penn State University Press, 1998.
- The Disaffected: Britain's Occupation of Philadelphia During the American Revolution, by Aaron Sullivan, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2019.
- Aaron Sullivan presentation at The Athenaeum Philadelphia https://youtu.be/EUSR4a6IJMo
Music: Achaidh Cheide by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Did you hear about the new things coming to genealogy in 2023? Here's the announcements of what's rolling out in 2023 from Ancestry and FamilySearch.
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00:00 Intro 04:00 Innovation & Tech Forum 05:45 What's New at Ancestry 11:29 What's New at FamilySearch
Links mentioned in the video:
Watch this episode on YouTube
Previous podcast episode #75 "Get the Most Out of RootsTech" - check it out
Innovation & Tech Forum
Ancestry's Full Video
AncestryDNA Updates
Ancestry's Recent Collections Page
FamilySearch's Full Video
Volunteer to Index Records
RootsTech is the largest family history conference in the world. You can attend virtually again in 2023. Here's how to make the most of everything RootsTech offers.
Subscribe to PA Ancestors Discoveries newsletter https://welcome.paancestors.com
Register for RootsTech https://www.familysearch.org/rootstech/
Music: "Achaidh Cheide" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
What if I told you that in the 1700’s and 1800’s in Pennsylvania, there were unique and beautiful birth records created? These are not official government records and not church records. It is what we call fraktur and I explain what it is and where to find it in this episode.
Links:
My Inner Circle Members get a resource sheet with links to digital collections of fraktur.
The example shown is “Birth and Marriage Record (Geburts und Trauschein) for Catharina Stutzmann and Daniel Esch,” hosted at the Free Library of Philadelphia website https://libwww.freelibrary.org/digital/item/5808
Two other websites with digital images of fraktur are the National Archives nara.gov and Winterthur Museum in Delaware winterthur.org
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Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson in 1788 in Philadelphia, www.amclassical.com, Creative Commons license, some rights reserved.
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Sometimes we can't find birth certificates, death certificates, or marriage licenses on our ancestors. These are the 10 records I look for as a substitute for vital records for my ancestors.
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Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson in 1788 in Philadelphia, www.amclassical.com, Creative Commons license, some rights reserved.
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If you've tried and tried to find a vital record in Pennsylvania, and keep running into a brick wall, this episode is for you. Here's 4 search strategies you can use to find birth, death, and marriage records - or really any record - in PA.
Ancestry's tips to use wild cards in searches https://support.ancestry.com/s/topic/0TO150000004cAdGAI/search-records
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Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson in 1788 in Philadelphia, [www.amclassical.com], Creative Commons license, some rights reserved.
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Pennsylvania had a few attempts at birth records and death records that didn't work out as expected. Some failed, and some.....well, I explain what happened in this episode. Genealogists can use these record attempts to find their ancestors in PA.
Pennsylvania Archives Series (books) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Archives
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Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson in 1788 in Philadelphia, www.amclassical.com, Creative Commons license, some rights reserved.
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Genealogists get to research in a variety of records. But I have one absolute favorite record, and its a hard-to-find vital record. Listen in to what it is and where to find it.
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Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson in 1788 in Philadelphia, www.amclassical.com, Creative Commons license, some rights reserved.
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The 19th Century was a time of change and vital records were tried, failed, and tried again in various ways. It's confusing and and I'll clear it up in this episode.
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Have a question on how research in PA? Submit it here for the Research Q & A
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Catch-up on all the past episodes
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson in 1788 in Philadelphia, www.amclassical.com, Creative Commons license, some rights reserved.
Support the show
Genealogists don't need to order certified copies or pay monthly subscription fees to get the records they want. Here are three ways to get birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage licenses for free.
Subscribe to PA Ancestors Discoveries Newsletter
Make a discovery about your ancestors? I’d love to hear about it!
Have a question on how research in PA? Submit it here for the Research Q & A
Become an Inner Circle Member and get exclusive content while supporting the podcast
Catch-up on all the past episodes
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson in 1788 in Philadelphia, www.amclassical.com, Creative Commons license, some rights reserved.
Support the show
There are three vital records family historians need for each ancestor. What are they and where do you find them?
Free access to public Pennsylvania birth and death certificates for PA residents
PA Department of Health to order non-public vital records
9/11 hijackers used fake identification
Ancestry. com and FamilySearch.org to search for marriage licenses
Subscribe to PA Ancestors Discoveries Newsletter
Make a discovery about your ancestors? I’d love to hear about it!
Have a question on how research in PA? Submit it here for the Research Q & A
Become an Inner Circle Member and get exclusive content while supporting the podcast
Catch-up on all the past episodes
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson in 1788 in Philadelphia, www.amclassical.com, Creative Commons license, some rights reserved.
Support the show
New to genealogy research in Pennsylvania? Here’s three ways to get started the right way on your family history.
Links:
Free access to public Pennsylvania birth and death certificates for PA residents
PA Department of Health to order non-public vital records
Subscribe to PA Ancestors Discoveries Newsletter
Make a discovery about your ancestors? I’d love to hear about it!
Have a question on how research in PA? Submit it here for the Research Q & A
Become an Inner Circle Member and get exclusive content while supporting the podcast
Catch-up on all the past episodes
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson in 1788 in Philadelphia, www.amclassical.com, Creative Commons license, some rights reserved.
Support the show
So excited to be back with a new season. This season is all about vital records of Pennsylvania from 1682 to present day. Join in and discover more about your Pennsylvania ancestors.
Subscribe to PA Ancestors Discoveries Newsletter
Make a discovery about your ancestors? I’d love to hear about it!
Have a question on how research in PA? Submit it here for the Research Q & A
Become an Inner Circle Member and get exclusive content while supporting the podcast
Catch-up on all the past episodes
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson in 1788 in Philadelphia, www.amclassical.com, Creative Commons license, some rights reserved.
Support the show
The book Irish Presbyterians and the Shaping of Western Pennsylvania, 1770–1830 is a favorite of mine and author Peter Gilmore shares highlights of the book in this episode. Learn what life was like for our early Irish Presbyterian ancestors.
Links
Irish Presbyterians and the Shaping of Western Pennsylvania, 1770–1830, by Peter Gilmore - Univeristy of Pittsburgh Press https://upittpress.org/books/9780822966678/
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Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composer Francis Hopkinson, www.amclassical.com, Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
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Researching our ancestors’ religion can deepen our understanding of their lives. I’m thrilled to feature the Presbyterian Historical Society in this episode. The Presbyterians were some of the first to arrive in Pennsylvania and have churches all over the state. Get tips on researching in their original congregational records direct from their experts!
Links
Presbyterian Historical Society https://www.history.pcusa.org
Current Active Presbyterian Churches https://pcusa.org
Brief History of the Presbyterian Church https://www.history.pcusa.org/history-online/presbyterian-history/history-church
Timeline of Presbyterian History in America https://www.sutori.com/en/story/timeline-of-presbyterian-history-in-america--ogoSFqdtmsxwumZf9xHHiukQ
Family Tree of Presbyterian Denominations https://www.history.pcusa.org/history-online/presbyterian-history/family-tree-presbyterian-denominations
Journal of Presbyterian History on JSTOR https://www.jstor.org/publisher/phs
Bibliographies of Presbyterian history https://catalog.history.pcusa.org/cgi-bin/koha/opac-shelves.pl?page=1&category=2&op=list
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Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composer Francis Hopkinson, www.amclassical.com, Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
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Thinking about setting goals for you genealogy inn 2022? Julie Cahill Tarr of Genealogy in Action is my guest this week and she shares how to set SMART goals for genealogy, get over perfectionism, and set a schedule that works for you.
Julie Cahill Tarr at Genealogy in Action https://www.genealogyinaction.com
See my genealogy goals for 2022 https://paancestors.com/storytelling/genealogy-goals-for-2022/
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See all past shows and resource links at PAancestors.com/podcast
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Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composer Francis Hopkinson, www.amclassical.com, Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
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Genealogists often struggle with how to share everything they found in their research with family. Clémence Scouten of Memoirs and More shares three easy family history gifts you can do for the holiday or anytime!
Links to Resources Mentioned:
Clémence Scouten, Memoirs and More, LLC https://www.memoirsandmore.com
Book of family history questions for interviews: Recording Your Family History, by William Fletcher
Blurb.com
BookWright on Blurb.com https://www.blurb.com/bookmaking-tools
Mixbook.com
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps https://libraries.psu.edu/about/collections/sanborn-fire-insurance-maps
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Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composer Francis Hopkinson, www.amclassical.com, Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
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Researching the Scots Irish in early Pennsylvania is challenging. Determining when and where they came from in Northern Ireland is even more so! Author Dr. William Roulston shares some history of the Ulster Irish and his book Researching Scots-Irish Ancestors: The Essential Genealogical Guide to Early Modern Ulster, 1600–1800 in this episode.
Ulster Historical Foundation ancestryireland.com
Researching Scots-Irish Ancestors by William J. Roulston https://smile.amazon.com/Researching-Scots-Irish-Ancestors-essential-genealogical/dp/1909556653
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Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composer Francis Hopkinson, www.amclassical.com, Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
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Through out Pennsylvania's history, the state has kept many different kinds of records on military service members. Find out all about these records with Aaron McWilliams of the Pennsylvania State Archive.
Links
Pennsylvania State Archive https://www.phmc.pa.gov/archives/pages/default.aspx
Digitized PA State Archive records on Ancestry https://www.ancestry.com/ai/collections/PA/StateArchives
Digitized PA State Archive records on Power Library https://digitalarchives.powerlibrary.org/psa/islandora/object/psa:root
Military record index cards in ARIAS http://www.digitalarchives.state.pa.us
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Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composer Francis Hopkinson, www.amclassical.com, Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
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As genealogists we often wonder what our ancestors felt about historical events. Few of us know! Denys offers ways to journal about our current events for our descendants.
Books mentioned: A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard Based on Her Diary 1785-1812, by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich; and The Worst Hard Time, by Timothy Egan.
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Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composer Francis Hopkinson, www.amclassical.com, Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
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Newspapers can give us so much more than obituaries of our ancestors. James Beidler gives us some new ideas on how to use them from his book The Family Tree Historical Newspaper Guide.
Links for all of Jim's books at jamesmbeidler.com (Plus his weekly genealogy post!)
The Family Tree Historical Newspaper Guide: How to find Your Ancestors in Archived Newspapers
https://smile.amazon.com/Family-Tree-Historical-Newspapers-Guide/dp/1440350620/
Want to hang out with other genealogists researching in Pennsylvania? And learn new sources and methods of research? I call it the Inner Circle and it's like a secret clubhouse just for PA researchers at PAancestors.com/members
See all past shows and resource links at PAancestors.com/podcast
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Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composer Francis Hopkinson, www.amclassical.com, Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Have you been meaning to collect some of your family's stories? Need some energy and inspiration to get started? This is the podcast episode for you!
Clémence Scouten of Memoirs and More, LLC joins Denys to give tips on how to start compiling your family's stories. Visit her website http://www.memoirsandmore.com for free worksheets and questions to ask family members.
Join the new Inner Circle club opening this November! A secret clubhouse away from it all to get your genealogy completed. Learn more at http://paancestors.com/members
See the video for this show, past shows and resource links at http://paancestors.com/podcast
Newsletter plus free research guide at http://welsome.PAancestors.com
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composer Francis Hopkinson, www.amclassical.com, Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
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Season 6 begins a new theme. Listen in and subscribe to catch all the new episodes, including bonus episodes between the regular Friday releases.
To subscribe to the newsletter, go to PAancestors.com and click on the link at the top of the page.
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Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composer Francis Hopkinson, www.amclassical.com, Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
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Become an Inner Circle Member and get exclusive content while supporting independent creators PAancestors.com/members
See all past shows and resource links at PAancestors.com/podcast
Newsletter plus free tips for research at welcome.PAancestors.com
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composer Francis Hopkinson, www.amclassical.com, Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
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Become an Inner Circle Member and get exclusive content while supporting independent creators PAancestors.com/members
See all past shows and resource links at PAancestors.com/podcast
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Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composer Francis Hopkinson, www.amclassical.com, Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
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Become an Inner Circle Member and get exclusive content while supporting independent creators PAancestors.com/members
See all past shows and resource links at PAancestors.com/podcast
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Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composer Francis Hopkinson, www.amclassical.com, Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
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Become an Inner Circle Member and get exclusive content while supporting independent creators PAancestors.com/members
See all past shows and resource links at PAancestors.com/podcast
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Links:
PASCAL
PAARP
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Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composer Francis Hopkinson, www.amclassical.com, Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
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Historical Society of Pennsylvania hsp.org
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Historical Society of Pennsylvania hsp.org
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More from the Pennsylvania State Archives pastatearchives.org
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More from the Pennsylvania State Archives pastatearchives.org
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More from the Pennsylvania State Archives pastatearchives.org
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See all past shows and resource links at PAancestors.com/podcast
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Links:
The Book of Ulster Surnames by Robert Bell
The History of Ulster by Jonathan Bardon
Place Names of Ulster by Jonathan Bardon
A Dictionary of English Surnames by P.H. Reaney
Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning and History by George F. Black
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See all past shows and resource links at PAancestors.com/podcast
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Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composer Francis Hopkinson, www.amclassical.com, Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
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Links:
Find county histories for any county on the Internet Archive
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PA State Archive Vital Records Indexes for publicly accessible state birth and death certificates not yet digitized and indexed on Ancestry.
Newspapers.com for obituary searches
Landex for courthouse records - Some PA counties have digitized deeds, wills, and marriage records and made them publicly available for a fee.
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Links:
Ancestry's two largest marriage license databases
- Pennsylvania, U.S., Marriages, 1852-1968
- https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61381/
- Pennsylvania, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1845-1963
- https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61324/
Step-by-step video on how-to search for marriage licenses in FamilySearch, join as an Inner Circle Member and get access to it and many more bonus materials.
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See all past shows and resource links at PAancestors.com/podcast
Newsletter plus free research guide at welcome.PAancestors.com
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composer Francis Hopkinson, www.amclassical.com, Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Become an Inner Circle Member and exclusive content while supporting independent creators PAancestors.com/members
See all past shows and resource links at PAancestors.com/podcast
Newsletter plus free research guide at welcome.PAancestors.com
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composer Francis Hopkinson, www.amclassical.com, Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Links
PA Death Certificates on Ancestry.com
Learn how to get free access if you live in Pennsylvania
Historical International Classification of Diseases on Wolfbane.com
To support the show and my work, go to buymeacoffee.com/paancestors
Monthly supporters are considered my Inner Circle and will get access to show transcripts, all my research notes, templates, how-to videos, and behind-the-scenes work. Also get a shout-out on the podcast and see the blooper reel at the end of the season.
For all links mentioned in this show, visit PAancestors.com/podcast.
Never miss a podcast or blog post, visit welcome.paancestors.com to get my newsletter
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composer Francis Hopkinson, www.amclassical.com, Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
To support the show and my work, go to buymeacoffee.com/paancestors
Monthly supporters are considered my Inner Circle and will get access to all my research notes, templates, how-to videos, and behind-the-scenes work. Also get a shout-out on the podcast and see the blooper reel at the end of the season.
For all links mentioned in this show, visit PAancestors.com/podcast.
Never miss a podcast or blog post by subscribing to my newsletter at PAancestors.com
Music: _My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free_, composer Francis Hopkinson, www.amclassical.com, Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Sometimes when you can’t make progress in genealogy research, its because you don’t understand the history of the time and place you are searching. In public schools we learned a simple version of history because every school used the same textbooks across all states.
Fortunately we have authors who look at the historical record and can tell us what happened in our past in new ways. Check out the books below and give them a try to get new insight into Pennsylvania history and your ancestors.
If you want to see a video of this episode, check out the PA Ancestors YouTube Channel (link below). Be sure to check out the links before the resources mentioned in the episode.
Get a free research guide here: PAancestors.com
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/paancestors
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaAncestors
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu0RT3pKeOZDfp94JRaaqxg/featured
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links:
American Nations, by Colin Woodward
(link to bookshop.org where you can support local independent bookstores with your purchase)
The Making of Pennsylvania, by Sidney George Fisher
(link to betterworldbooks.com where you can buy discards from libraries, but you can also find the book on Internet Archive for free https://archive.org/details/makingofpennsyl00fish)
Episode on YouTube
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Topics Discussed:
- What is food ethnography
- Why food traditions and culture matter in understanding our past
- Some food tractions around Pennsylvania
- Don Yoder and his impact on genealogy and history
- William’s future place to learn about food tradition
- And a future genealogy archive coming to PA
If you want to see a video of this episode, check out the PA Ancestors YouTube Channel (link below). Be sure to check out the links before the resources mentioned in the episode.
Get a free research guide here: PAancestors.com
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/paancestors
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaAncestors
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu0RT3pKeOZDfp94JRaaqxg/featured
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links:
William Woys Weaver’s book can be found on Amazon and his website roughwoodtable.org
roughwoodtable.org - heirloom seeds , plants, apothecary, and books to learn PA food history
Heritage Center Library Collections at Kutztown University - includes Don Yoder’s genealogy collections
This episode is audio only on YouTube.
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Topics Discussed:
- The impact of agriculture on the PA economy
- How farms operated - indentures, tenancy, redemptioner, and slaves
- The impact of women’s labor on the household
- What farmer’s produced to get hard currency
- The myths of PA farming busted
The whole book is essential reading if you are researching early PA ancestors who lived in the vast rural areas of Pennsylvania.
Get a free research guide here: PAancestors.com
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/paancestors
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaAncestors
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu0RT3pKeOZDfp94JRaaqxg/featured
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links:
Pennsylvania Farming: A History in Landscapes can be purchased from the publisher University of Pittsburgh Press or Amazon.
At the request of the author, this episode is not on YouTube.
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Topics Discussed:
- The two waves of German immigrants into Pennsylvania
- Underutilized resources in genealogy research
- Common mistakes in German research
- Why you need good maps of the right time period
- The upcoming International German Genealogy Conference
- And a big surprise for me at the end of the episode!
Lots of great tips to research your German ancestors!
If you want to see a video of this episode, check out the PA Ancestors YouTube Channel (link below). Be sure to check out the links before the resources mentioned in the episode.
Get a free research guide here: PAancestors.com
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/paancestors
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaAncestors
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu0RT3pKeOZDfp94JRaaqxg/featured
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links:
James Beidler’s website for his books and upcoming lectures - jamesmbeidler.com
- The Family Tree Historical Newspapers Guide
- Trace Your German Roots Online
- The Best of “Roots & Branches” - 5th Ed.
- Legacy QuickGuide: German Genealogy
- The Family Tree German Genealogy Guide
- The Family Tree Historical Atlas of Germany
Jim’s current newspaper columns - roots-branches.com
International German Genealogy Conference - all virtual July 17th—24th, registration discount through March 2021 - https://iggpartner.org
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Upload your family tree at FamilySearch.org to connect with cousins Feb 24-26, 2021.
See all the sessions I mention in the episode at RootsTech.org
YouTube episode
Get a free research guide here: PAancestors.com
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/paancestors
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaAncestors
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu0RT3pKeOZDfp94JRaaqxg/featured
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Topics Discussed:
Lara walks us through real examples of gravestones and we learn:
- How to interpret the location of the grave in relation to the church building
- Looking for memorial plaques
- Clues to status and relationships in inscriptions
- How costs of gravestones and internment affect current burials
Get ready to get outside this spring and spend time with your ancestors!
If you want to see a video of this episode, check out the PA Ancestors YouTube Channel (link below). Be sure to check out the links before the resources mentioned in the episode.
Get a free research guide here: PAancestors.com
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/paancestors
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaAncestors
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu0RT3pKeOZDfp94JRaaqxg/featured
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links:
Berks County Association for Graveyard Preservation bcagp.org
Maxatawny Warehouses at Hottenstein Road Facebook Group
Episode on YouTube
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Topics Discussed:
Dean Henry is a Philadelphia-area Genealogist with over a decade of experience. We cover:
- Misconceptions of African-American research.
- Important record groups to use at the federal, state, and county level.
- Key groups to join on your family history journey.
- Fun finds from Dean’s research.
Be sure to check out the links before the resources mentioned in the episode.
If you want to see a video of this episode, check out the PA Ancestors YouTube Channel (link below).
Get a free research guide here: PAancestors.com
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/paancestors
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaAncestors
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu0RT3pKeOZDfp94JRaaqxg/featured
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links:
Dean Henry, Family Pearl, LLC - familypearl.com
Groups Dean is a member of an recommends:
African American Genealogy Group, Philadelphia based - AAGG.org
Afro American Historical and Genealogical Society, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh chapters - AAHGS.org
Sources mentioned:
Freedman’s Bureau Records
Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Chester County Archives (each county kept these records so check with your county of interest)
Historic Eden Cemetery
PA Septennial Census on Ancestry
Temple University Library, Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection
FamilySearch African-American Research Guide
Black Roots, by Tony Burroughs (2001)
African American in Pennsylvania: Shifting Historical Perspectives, edited by Joe William Trotter, Jr and Eric Ledel Smith (1997)
African American and American Indian Patriots in the Revolutionary War: A Guide to Service, Sources, and Studies, by Daughters of the American Revolution (2008)
Discovering Black Vermont: African American Farmers in Hinesburgh, 1790-1890, by Elise A. Guyette (2020)
Episode on YouTube
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Topics Discussed:
The Ulster Historical Foundation team and I had a rollicking good time talking about the challenges Americans have doing Irish research. Fintan Mullan, Executive Director of UHF; Gillian Hunt, Research Officer; and William Roulston, Research Director of UHF walk us through what not to do in our genealogy research.
Five Common Misconceptions or Mistakes in Irish Research:
- Irish research is pointless as the records were all destroyed.
- The only records to search are for the period your ancestors were in Ireland.
- The Irish location recorded in American records is definitely correct.
- You can always be sure of the origins of a family because of the surname.
- People never changed religious affiliation.
f you want to see a video of this episode, check out the PA Ancestors YouTube Channel (link below). Be sure to check out the links before the resources mentioned in the episode.
Get ready to take notes and make your research plan for Irish research!
Get a free research guide here: PAancestors.com
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/paancestors
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaAncestors
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu0RT3pKeOZDfp94JRaaqxg/featured
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links:
Ulster Historical Foundation - ancestryireland.com - be sure to check out their research services, record links, and courses.
Irish Genealogy Essentials Course Online Feb-March 2021
Beyond 2022 Project - beyond2022.ie
1911 and 1901 Ireland Census - census.nationalarchives.ie
Griffith’s Valuation - askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation
National Archives of Ireland - genealogy.nationalarchives.ie
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) - www.nidirect.gov.uk/proni
General Register Office, Northern Ireland - www.nidirect.gov.uk/groni
Historic birth, marriage and death records for Ireland - www.irishgenealogy.ie
Transcripts of memorials of deeds, conveyances and wills, from the Registry of Deeds, Dublin, 1708–1929 - www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/185720?availability=Family%20History%20Library
Registry of Deeds online index project - http://irishdeedsindex.net/index.html
Roman Catholic parish registers, up to 1880 - http://registers.nli.ie/
PRONI Historical Maps viewer - www.nidirect.gov.uk/services/search-proni-historical-mapsviewer
Northern Ireland Place Name Pro
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Topics Discussed:
The Ulster Historical Foundation team and I had a rollicking good time talking about the challenges Americans have doing Irish research. Fintan Mullan, Executive Director of UHF; Gillian Hunt, Research Officer; and William Roulston, Research Director of UHF walk us through what not to do in our genealogy research.
Five Common Misconceptions or Mistakes in Irish Research:
- Irish research is pointless as the records were all destroyed.
- The only records to search are for the period your ancestors were in Ireland.
- The Irish location recorded in American records is definitely correct.
- You can always be sure of the origins of a family because of the surname.
- People never changed religious affiliation.
If you want to see a video of this episode, check out the PA Ancestors YouTube Channel (link below). Be sure to check out the links of the resources mentioned in the episode.
Get ready to take notes and make your research plan for Irish research!
Website: PAancestors.com
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/paancestors
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaAncestors
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu0RT3pKeOZDfp94JRaaqxg/featured
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links:
Ulster Historical Foundation - ancestryireland.com - be sure to check out their research services, record links, and courses.
Irish Genealogy Essentials Course Online Feb-March 2021
Beyond 2022 Project - beyond2022.ie
1911 and 1901 Ireland Census - census.nationalarchives.ie
Griffith’s Valuation - askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation
National Archives of Ireland - genealogy.nationalarchives.ie
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) - www.nidirect.gov.uk/proni
General Register Office, Northern Ireland - www.nidirect.gov.uk/groni
Historic birth, marriage and death records for Ireland - www.irishgenealogy.ie
Transcripts of memorials of deeds, conveyances and wills, from the Registry of Deeds, Dublin, 1708–1929 - www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/185720?availability=Family%20History%20Library
Registry of Deeds online index project - http://irishdeedsindex.net/index.html
Roman Catholic parish registers, up to 1880 - http://registers.nli.ie/
PRONI Historical Maps viewer - www.nidirect.gov.uk/services/search-proni-historical-mapsviewer
Northern Ireland Place Name Project - www.place
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Denys gives a preview of the podcast for 2021. Hear the topics planned and what you can look forward to throughout the year.Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Denys Allen covers for family historians:
- Free history resources available online
- History resources specific to your ancestors’ time and place
- How to search these history resources
- Stories of discoveries she made on her ancestors.
If you want to see a video of this episode, check out the PA Ancestors YouTube Channel (link below). Be sure to check out the links before the resources mentioned in the episode.
Timestamps:
00:46 How knowing history helps genealogy research
02:53 Pennsylvania Magazine of History & Biography
06:27 Pennsylvania History Magazine
08:09 Local historical and genealogical society journals
10:59 How to search and use history journals
14:41 Holiday message for you!
Website: PAancestors.com
Twitter https://twitter.com/paancestors
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/paancestors
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaAncestors
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu0RT3pKeOZDfp94JRaaqxg/featured
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links:
Pennsylvania Magazine of History & Biography - hosted at Penn State University
JSTOR.org - set up a free account to access history resources
Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies
Episode on YouTube
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Denys Allen covers for family historians:
- the four major changes in child adoption laws in Pennsylvania
- the first thing to do when researching adoption
- how to request an adoptee’s original birth certificates
- what can prevent you from getting that original birth certificate
- and how adoptees used to seek out their birth parents.
Timestamps:
00:37 A way to think about adoption research
03:44 Guardianship records
05:35 First state law in 1855
09:50 1870’s - 1930’s
13:18 1970’s - 1990’s
16:19 Current adoption laws and adoptee rights
19:21 Research techniques
24:14 Wrap-up
Website: PAancestors.com
Twitter https://twitter.com/paancestors
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/paancestors
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaAncestors
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu0RT3pKeOZDfp94JRaaqxg/featured
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links:
Summary of federal adoption legislation - childwelfare.gov
Pennsylvania state laws - legis.state.pa.us
Online free Pennsylvania historic newspapers - panewsarchive.psu.edu
PA Department of Health to request adoptee original birth certificate - health.pa.gov
Books by E. Wayne Carp - Family Matters and Adoption in America
Video on YouTube for this episode
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
In this episode, Denys Allen interviews Jenn O’Donnell of the Friends of Mount Moriah Cemetery, FOMMCI. Jenn shares the work of FOMMCI, tips on making record requests of your ancestors there, and how to connect with the Friends organization and participate in the ongoing restoration.
If you want to see visuals of some of the work of the Friends of Mount Moriah, check out the video on the PA Ancestors YouTube Channel (link below).
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
03:12 History of Mount Moriah Cemetery
07:17 Who is buried at Mount Moriah
12:30 Visiting the cemetery
15:15 How to make research requests
18:37 Adventures in family history & wrap-up
Website: PAancestors.com (click “leave a question” to record yours!)
Twitter https://twitter.com/paancestors
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/paancestors
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaAncestors
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu0RT3pKeOZDfp94JRaaqxg/featured
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links:
Friends of Mount Moriah Cemetery main website http://friendsofmountmoriahcemetery.org
Friends of Mount Moriah Cemetery Facebook Group (FOMMCI)
Greater Philadelphia GeoHistory Network - use the Historic Burial Places map for digital maps of historic cemeteries with notes on their status
Pittsburgh Historic Maps - digital layer maps by different years to find where cemeteries were located
Episode on YouTube
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
In this episode, Denys Allen interviews Lara Thomas of Berks County Association for Graveyard Preservation, BCAGP. Lara shares the work of BCAGP, tips to find your ancestors in these tiny cemeteries, and how to keep these graveyard preserved for the future. If you want to see visuals of some of the work of BCAGP, check out the video on the PA Ancestors YouTube Channel (link below).
Timestamps:
02:14 About BCAGP
03:54 Preservation Efforts
06:26 Founders of BCAGP and cataloging of graves
11:25 Other groups and preservation efforts
17:36 Care of gravestones
21:39 Supporting BCAGP
Website: PAancestors.com (click “leave a question” to record yours!)
Twitter https://twitter.com/paancestors
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/paancestors
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaAncestors
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu0RT3pKeOZDfp94JRaaqxg/featured
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links:
Berks County Association for Graveyard Preservation bcagp.org
Maxatawny Warehouses at Hottenstein Road Facebook Group
Episode on YouTube
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
In this episode, Denys Allen covers the types of voting records, namely voting registers, available during three different time periods in Pennsylvania. If you want to see a visual listing of voting register items, check out the video on the PA Ancestors YouTube Channel (link below).
Timestamps:
[00:00:13] History of Voting Records in PA
[00:04:06] What is in Voter Registration Records
[00:08:00] Where to Find Voting Records
Website: PAancestors.com (click “leave a question” to record yours!)
Twitter https://twitter.com/paancestors
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/paancestors
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaAncestors
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu0RT3pKeOZDfp94JRaaqxg/featured
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links:
Voting records available in the FamilySearch catalog - Go to FamilySearch.org -> click on ‘Search’, then ‘Catalog’ -> type in “Pennsylvania” followed by the county you want -> scroll down to Voting Registers to see if any are available for the county.
Pennsylvania early colonial voting registers and election returns - https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/685513
Check the county courthouses for voting registers that are in storage.
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
In this episode, Patrick Clarke, Director of President James Buchanan's Wheatland,shares the policies and politics of James Buchanan’s time as President so we can think about how our ancestors may have supported those policies. The politics of the 1850’s was an interesting time in American history and one I wish I could ask my ancestors about.
Wheatland was Buchanan’s home in Lancaster County, PA. You can visit there virtually or in person for tours and experience life in early 1800’s Pennsylvania.
Timestamps:
[00:02:25] Patrick Clarke Intro
[00:05:55] Buchanan’s career prior to President
[00:09:28] Buchanan’s Presidential run
[00:15:25] Buchanan’s popularity in Pennsylvania
[00:23:04] The Bleeding Kansas controversy
[00:29:35] Buchanan’s religious faith
[00:33:14] Buchanan’s niece and the family pets
Website: PAancestors.com (click “leave a question” to record yours!)
Twitter https://twitter.com/paancestors
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/paancestors
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaAncestors
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu0RT3pKeOZDfp94JRaaqxg/featured
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links:
James Buchanan Presidential Library https://www.lancasterhistory.org/research/james-buchanan-presidential-library/
President James Buchanan’s Wheatland https://www.lancasterhistory.org/about-wheatland/
Maps and photos from Wikicommons and the entry of James Buchanan on Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Buchanan
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Website: PAancestors.com
Twitter https://twitter.com/paancestors
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/paancestors
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaAncestors
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Topics Discussed
If you have an ancestor who was in a profession such as medicine, dentistry, or law, get some tips on how to research for their records. Also get some tips on how to verify if you have Revolutionary War Patriots in your family tree.
Have a question or need help to complete your Pennsylvania research? Go to PAancestors.com and click “Leave a Question.” You can record up to 5 minutes of audio like a voicemail - simple and easy - and I’ll answer your question in a future podcast.
Website: PAancestors.com (click “leave a question” to record yours!)
Twitter https://twitter.com/ancestorspa
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/paancestors
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaAncestors
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links
PA Ancestors Almanac: Local Facebook Groups
ArchiveGrid
PA Ancestors Almanac: How to Make Research Requests
DAR Genealogical Research System (GRS)
American Dental Association Library & Archives
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Topics Discussed
Over the last thirty years in the United States our culture became more open and accepting of expressions of sexuality and gender identity. We also know as genealogy researchers, our attitudes and norms now, were not our ancestors’ attitudes and norms. Despite these challenges, our ancestors’ still left clues to their LGBTQ life.
In this episode Stewart shares:
- What the definition of LGBTQ is.
- When to raise “the rainbow flag."
- What specific words to look for in records.
- History books and blogs to help educate ourselves on gay history.
- How to write a family story including sexual and gender identity.
- And, how local archives specializing in gay history can help.
Stewart Blandón Traiman blogs monthly at his website sixgen.org on LGBTQ genealogy and is serializing his presentation to help genealogists. He also offers his LGBTQ presentation live and does workshops on a variety of other topics, including spreadsheets for genealogy.
Have a question or need help to complete your Pennsylvania research? Go to PAancestors.com and click “Leave a Question.” You can record up to 5 minutes of audio like a voicemail - simple and easy - and I’ll answer your question in a future podcast.
Website: PAancestors.com (click “leave a question” to record yours!)
Twitter https://twitter.com/ancestorspa
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/paancestors
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaAncestors
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links
Stewart Blandón Traiman, Six Generations - www.sixgen.org
Vintage Photograph Collection of LBGTQ Life: www.homohistory.com
William Way LGBT Community Center, John J. Wilcox, Jr. Archives - waygay.org/archives
Books mentioned by Stewart:
- Love Stories, by Jonathan Ned Katz
- Another Mother Tongue, by Judy Grahn
- Male Daughters, Female Husbands: Gender and Sex in an African Society, by Idi Amadiume
- The Zuni Man-Woman, by Will Rosco
- Same Sex Unions in Pre-Modern Europe, by John Boswell
- Female Husbands: A Trans History, Jen Manion
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Topics Discussed
Most genealogy researchers will spend hundreds of hours on the computer trying to solve their brick walls - areas of their research where they are stuck, usually involving finding the parents of an ancestor. Most brick walls problems can be solved using local records.
In this episode Michelle Ebert shares:
- The most common reasons researchers have brick walls.
- Key records genealogical societies hold.
- What local records help break down brick walls.
- How to “back door” brick walls.
- And, a story of how she worked out one of her own brick walls.
Break through your brick walls using local records and local knowledge of Pennsylvania’s genealogical societies.
Have a question or need help to complete your Pennsylvania research? Go to PAancestors.com and click “Leave a Question.” You can record up to 5 minutes of audio like a voicemail - simple and easy - and I’ll answer your question in a future podcast.
Website: PAancestors.com (click “leave a question” to record yours!)
Twitter https://twitter.com/ancestorspa
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/paancestors
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaAncestors
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links
Berks County Genealogical Society main website - www.berksgenes.org
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
When Pennsylvania formed it’s court system, they made a unique title for their civil county court administration. It’s confused a lot of researchers over the years, and in this episode we unravel and simplify what a prothonotary is and what the office does.
In this episode Jonathan Del Collo shares:
- The key civil cases his office handles
- What genealogical information can be found in court records
- How to search the records
- How to make requests to county offices around the state
- What historical preservation efforts Berks County is doing
Jonathan loves genealogy and he even developed a mobile app for genealogists. Click the link below or search the app store for “Berks County Prothonotary.”
Have a question or need help to complete your Pennsylvania research? Go to PAancestors.com and click “Leave a Question.” You can record up to 5 minutes of audio like a voicemail - simple and easy - and I’ll answer your question in a future podcast.
Website: PAancestors.com (click “leave a question” to record yours!)
Twitter https://twitter.com/ancestorspa
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/paancestors
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaAncestors
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links
Berks County Prothonotary Website - be sure to check all the Genealogy and Historical Record links
Berks County Prothonotary Mobile App for Apple iPhone
Berks County Prothonotary Mobile App for Android Phones
Overview of the Pennsylvania Court System
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Topics Discussed
Donna Cox Baker has a Ph.D. in history and has enjoyed careers in technical and historical writing, editing, and publishing for several decades. In 2020 Donna combined her passions for genealogy and history into “genohistory” and launched it into the world.
In this episode, Donna shares:
- What genohistory is
- Why genohistory is important
- How to participate and be a genohistorian
- And some stories of what she has discovered about her ancestors using this approach.
Listen in and get inspired to spend time with your ancestors in their time and place!
Donna’s other contributions include The Beyond Kin Project and Golden Channel Publishing.The Beyond Kin Project was created in 2016 with Franzine K. Taylor to encourage and facilitate the documentation of enslaved populations. Her Golden Channel Publishing company releases books and tools for family historians, including the very popular Zotero for Genealogy.
Have a question or need help to complete your Pennsylvania research? Go to PAancestors.com and click “Leave a Question.” You can record up to 5 minutes of audio like a voicemail - simple and easy - and I’ll answer your question in a future podcast.
Website: PAancestors.com (click “leave a question” to record yours!)
Twitter https://twitter.com/ancestorspa
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/paancestors
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaAncestors
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links
Genohistory on Purpose: genohistorian.com
The Beyond Kin Project: beyondkin.org
Golden Channel Publishing: goldenchannelpublishing.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Topics Discussed
Charlie Adams is a Trustee of the Berks History Center in Reading, PA. The Berks History Center, formerly called the Historical Society of Berks County, has preserved the stories and records of the residents for 150 years.
Charlie covers how he does his research, how connecting in person can make a difference, and why local historical journals are worth reading. Listen in and get inspired to connect with the county of your ancestors.
Have a question or need help to complete your Pennsylvania research? Go to PAancestors.com and click “Leave a Question.” You can record up to 5 minutes of audio like a voicemail - simple and easy - and I’ll answer your question in a future podcast.
Website: PAancestors.com (click “leave a question” to record yours!)
Twitter https://twitter.com/ancestorspa
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/paancestors
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaAncestors
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links
Berks History Center: berkshistory.org
Historical Review of Berks County: Subject Index
Berks History Center has a museum, and a library called the Henry Jansen Library. They can do research of cemetery and church records for a fee. Check the Library section of the website.
Charlie Adam’s Books List on Goodreads. The books can be purchased at the Berks History Center.
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Topics Discussed
While journaling current events, Denys realized that there were areas of her ancestors lives she missed which could unlock some ancestor mysteries. Denys reads some excerpts of history journal articles about the 1918 Flu Pandemic and its impact on Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Its a piece of history you won’t want to miss.
Then Denys answers a listener question on how to find records on early Pennsylvania Germans born between 1730 - 1760.
Have a question or need help to complete your Pennsylvania research? Go to PAancestors.com and click “Leave a Question.” You can record up to 5 minutes of audio like a voicemail - simple and easy - and I’ll answer your question in a future podcast.
Website: PAancestors.com (click “leave a question” to record yours!)
Twitter: @ancestorspa
Instagram: @paancestors
Facebook: Pennsylvania Ancestors
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links
“An Epidemic’s Strawman: Wilmer Krusen, Philadelphia’s 1918–1919 Influenza Epidemic, and Historical Memory,” by Jim Higgins, The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 144, No. 1 (January 2020).
"With Every Accompaniment of Ravage and Agony": Pittsburgh and the Influenza Epidemic of 1918-1919 by James Higgins, The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 134, No. 3 (July 2010).
Pennsylvania German Pioneers by Ralph B. Strassburger and William J. Hinke - Three Volumes, be sure read the preface of the first volume for how to use the books and what is in them.
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Topics Discussed
Lauren’s family goes back to early 1700’s Pennsylvania and through diaries, letters, and newspapers, she learned what her ancestors’ life was like during the 1793 Yellow Fever Epidemic in Philadelphia, PA. Much of what was experienced then is similar to what we are experiencing now.
Then Denys shares how to use newspapers to find historical context for your ancestors’ lives. A list of all the places you can find newspapers is in the show notes below and on PAancestors.com.
Have a question or need help to complete your Pennsylvania research? Go to PAancestors.com and click “Leave a Question.” You can record up to 5 minutes of audio like a voicemail - simple and easy - and I’ll answer your question in a future podcast.
Website: PAancestors.com (click “leave a question” to record yours!)
Twitter: @ancestorspa
Instagram: @paancestors
Facebook: Pennsylvania Ancestors
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links
Lauren Peightel, Manager of Genealogy and Cultural Programs
Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, indianahistory.org
Digitized Pennsylvania Newspaper Collections
Newspapers.com
Genealogybank.com
ChroniclingAmerica.com
Penn State’s Pennsylvania Newspaper Archive
PowerLibrary at The State Library of Pennsylvania
State Library of Pennsylvania Catalog
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Genealogist Julie Medlock Flake shares the story of her Irish ancestors in the late 1700’s and and what the trials of their lives taught her. Most of what Julie learned was found in letters the family wrote to one another. Denys then tells you how you could find your ancestors in letters and journals in archives.
Denys also checks in on the 14 Days of Journaling project. Join other family historians in taking time each day for 14 days to capture this moment in history for future generations. To sign up to participate, go to PAancestors.com.
Have a question or need help to complete your Pennsylvania research? Go to PAancestors.com and click “Leave a Question.” You can record up to 5 minutes of audio like a voicemail - simple and easy - and I’ll answer your question in a future podcast.
Website: PAancestors.com (click “leave a question” to record yours!)
Twitter: @ancestorspa
Instagram: @paancestors
Facebook: Pennsylvania Ancestors
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links
Julie Medlock Flake, Heart Genealogy https://heartgenealogy.com
Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collection Libraries (PACSCL) main site: pacscl.org
Philadelphia Area Archives Research Portal (PAARP)
How to Navigate Finding Aids on PAARP
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Genealogist Heather Wylie shares stories of three different ancestors’ experiences with scarlet fever, polio, and the 1918 flu pandemic. She also shares her passion for journaling and why every family historian would want to begin.
Denys launches the 14 Days of Journaling project. Join other family historians in taking time each day for 14 days to capture this moment in history for future generations. To sign up and participate, go to PAancestors.com.
Have a question or need help to complete your Pennsylvania research? Go to PAancestors.com and click “Leave a Question.” You can record up to 5 minutes of audio like a voicemail - simple and easy - and I’ll answer your question in a future podcast.
Website: PAancestors.com (click “leave a question” to record yours!)
Twitter: @ancestorspa
Instagram: @paancestors
Facebook: Pennsylvania Ancestors
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links:
Heather Wylie: An Unexpected Discovery https://anunexpecteddiscovery.weebly.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Have a question or need help to complete your Pennsylvania research? Go to PAancestors.com and click “Leave a Question.” You can record up to 5 minutes of audio like a voicemail - simple and easy - and I’ll answer your question in a future podcast.
Website: PAancestors.com (click “leave a question” to record yours!)
Twitter: @ancestorspa
Instagram: @paancestors
Facebook: Pennsylvania Ancestors
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Have a question or need help to complete your Pennsylvania research? Go to PAancestors.com and click “Leave a Question.” You can record up to 5 minutes of audio like a voicemail - simple and easy - and I’ll answer your question in a future podcast.
Website: PAancestors.com (click “leave a question” to record yours!)
Twitter: @ancestorspa
Instagram: @paancestors
Facebook: Pennsylvania Ancestors
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
PACSCL is an umbrella organization representing an extraordinary collection held by forty member libraries and archives. (Scroll down to see the list of members.) If your ancestors lived in and around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Delaware, there could be something related to their life in one of these archives.
Searching archival collections is nothing like searching online, and this episode will show you how to shift from “search box searcher” to “archival researcher”.
Holly covers:
- What PACSCL is and how archives process collections.
- What PAARP is and how to search the PAARP website of finding aids.
- How to use a finding aid and assess a collection’s usefulness to you.
- What you won’t find on PAARP and how to find it.
- Best practices on how to track down all of a person’s records in archives.
- Why a trip to any archive is fun and worthwhile!
Listen in and learn about what you can find in the archives in and around Philadelphia!
PACSCL Members:
Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia
American Philosophical Society
Athenaeum of Philadelphia
Bryn Mawr College Special Collections
Catholic Historical Research Center of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Chester County Archives
Chester County Historical Society
City of Philadelphia, Department of Records, City Archives
Curtis Institute of Music Special Collections and Archives
Drexel University, Archives & Special Collections
Drexel University, College of Medicine, Legacy Center
Franklin and Marshall College
Free Library of Philadelphia
German Society of Pennsylvania
Hagley Museum and Library
Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections
Historical Medical Library of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia
Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Independence Seaport Museum, J. Welles Henderson Archives & Library
Jefferson University, East Falls Campus: Paul J. Gutman Library, Special Collections
LaSalle University Special Collections
Lehigh University Special Collections
Library Company of Philadelphia
National Archives, Mid-Atlantic Region
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society McLean Library
Philadelphia Museum of Art Archives
Presbyterian Historical Society
Princeton University Special Collections Library
Rosenbach Museum & Library
Rowan University Archives and Special Collections
Science History Institute
State Library of Pennsylvania
Swarthmore College
Temple University Libraries Special Collections Research Center
Union League of Philadelphia
United Lutheran Seminary
University of Delaware, Special Collections Department
University of Pennsylvania
Villanova University
Wagner Free Institute of Science
Widener University
William Way LGBT Community Center: John J. Wilcox, Jr. Archives
Winterthur Library
Have a question or need help to complete your Pennsylvania research? Go to PAancestors.com and click “Leave a Question.” You can record up to 5 minutes of audio like a voicemail - simple and easy - and I’ll answer your question in a future podcast.
Website: PAancestors.com (click “leave a question” to record yours!)
Twitter: @ancestorspa
Instagram: @paancestors
Facebook: Pennsylvania Ancestors
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Topics Discussed
The Erie Society for Genealogical Research is an all volunteer group which works out of the Hagan History Center in Erie, PA. They are who you want to contact to further your research in Erie and the surrounding counties.
Jodi covers:
- What’s unique about Erie and Erie County.
- What resources the Society has created and collected for members.
- Why genealogists with ancestors in the area would love a trip to Erie.
- How to use their collections and resources if you can’t make it to Erie.
- Fun stories of discovery and connection she’s made in her research.
Listen in and learn about Erie County research!
Have a question or need help to complete your Pennsylvania research? Go to PAancestors.com and click “Leave a Question.” You can record up to 5 minutes of audio like a voicemail - simple and easy - and I’ll answer your question in a future podcast.
Website: PAancestors.com (click “leave a question” to record yours!)
Twitter: @ancestorspa
Instagram: @paancestors
Facebook: Pennsylvania Ancestors
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links
Erie Society for Genealogical Research - main website
ESGR Research Services
Hagen History Center (formerly called the Erie County Historical Society) - historical records archive and museum.
Genealogy Collection - Heritage Room at the Blasco Public Library
Erie Maritime Museum - learn about the history of this bustling port and experience the tall ships when they visit each year.
Waterford, PA History - website to by the Fort LeBoeuf Historical Society
Drake’s Well Museum and Park - learn about the discovery of oil in PA!
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Go to PAancestors.com and click “Leave a Question.” You can record up to 5 minutes of audio like a voicemail - simple and easy - and I’ll answer your question in a future podcast.
Website: PAancestors.com (click “leave a question” to record yours!)
Twitter: @ancestorspa
Instagram: @paancestors
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links
Pennsylvania’s local historical and genealogical societies can be found on my website PAancestors.com under the Research Guide.
Internet Archive has digitized copies of PA county histories. Type the “county + PA + history” in the search bar to find them. Create a free account and save your favorites.
Val Greenwood’s The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy is all about records. Study this and practice to learn how to analyze records. (Affiliate link helps support the podcast.)
Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP) is holding one week of instruction in Pennsylvania records this summer.
Historical Society of Pennsylvania is holding a one week course in Pennsylvania records.
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Topics Discussed
The Centre County Library and Historical Museum has a special collection and area just for genealogists called “The Pennsylvania Room.” Here you’ll find resources and records to help you with your research in Centre County and the adjoining counties.
Robbin covers:
- What county government records the Centre County Library, Pennsylvania Room holds in their collection.
- How to access the online catalog and see what they have.
- A special collection unique to Centre County (don’t miss this!).
- Advice for first-time researchers in the county.
- And an incredible story of discovery!
Listen in and learn about all you can access for your Centre County research!
Have a question or need help to complete your Pennsylvania research? Go to PAancestors.com and click “Leave a Question.” You can record up to 5 minutes of audio like a voicemail - simple and easy - and I’ll answer your question in a future podcast.
Website: PAancestors.com (click “leave a question” to record yours!)
Twitter: @ancestorspa
Instagram: @paancestors
Facebook: Pennsylvania Ancestors
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links
Centre County Library and Historical Museum main website: www.centrecountylibrary.org
Pennsylvania Collection - over 3,000 items waiting for you
Research Services - if you can’t go in person, you can request research through email for a fee
Visit the website for more information such as Research Guides and Tips for Visiting
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Topics Discussed
The Ross Library in Lock Haven, PA is the center of genealogical research and resources for Clinton County.
Lou covers:
- What genealogical records are housed at the Ross Library.
- What to expect as a first time researcher.
- And some great stories from Clinton’s history!
Listen in for enjoyable history and genealogy of Clinton County!
Have a question or need help to complete your Pennsylvania research? Go to PAancestors.com and click “Leave a Question.” You can record up to 5 minutes of audio like a voicemail - simple and easy - and I’ll answer your question in a future podcast.
Website: PAancestors.com (click “leave a question” to record yours!)
Twitter: @ancestorspa
Instagram: @paancestors
Facebook: Pennsylvania Ancestors
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links
Annie Halenbake Ross Library main website: www.rosslibrary.org
Genealogy Resources Available - go here to see what is available and how to request research via email for a fee.
List of the newspapers available on microfilm
Pennsylvania’s Folklorist Henry W. Shoemaker - links to his works on openlibrary.org
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Topics Discussed
Transitioning from online research to in-person research in archives can be difficult. Prepare yourself using the five tips, plus bonus tip, Denys shares in this episode.
Listen in and you’ll feel comfortable making your first visit for on-site research!
What did you do to prepare for your first trip to research in archives? What advice do you have to share with others?
Go to PAancestors.com and click “Leave a Question.” You can record up to 5 minutes of audio like a voicemail - simple and easy - and I’ll answer your question in a future podcast.
Website: PAancestors.com (click “leave a question” to record yours!)
Twitter: @ancestorspa
Instagram: @paancestors
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links
Pennsylvania’s local historical and genealogical societies can be found on my website PAancestors.com under the Research Guide.
Internet Archive has free digital books, most older than 75 years, that will help you. Create a free account and save your favorites.
BYU Script Tutorial is a free online course to help you learn how to read handwriting.
Reading Early American Handwriting, by Kip Sperry is an excellent self-study for most records you’ll use in Pennsylvania.
Convert Images (Photos) to PDFs on your mobile phone - there are many free apps available and this article from PCmag describes many and rates them. I’ve used the free version of Genius Scan for five years and it’s been reliable.
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Topics Discussed
The City of Philadelphia, Department of Records, City Archive is the home of all the city’s records, with documents going back to 1683.
Joshua covers:
- How to access commonly used genealogical records of birth, death and marriage in person and from all over the world.
- What to expect when you research deeds and naturalization records.
- Where to go to get probate records for Philadelphia.
- The geotagged photo archive you can access from home.
- And some treasures they have!
Listen in and you’ll feel comfortable making your first visit to the Philadelphia City Archive!
Have a question or need help to complete your Pennsylvania research? Go to PAancestors.com and click “Leave a Question.” You can record up to 5 minutes of audio like a voicemail - simple and easy - and I’ll answer your question in a future podcast.
Website: PAancestors.com (click “leave a question” to record yours!)
Twitter: @ancestorspa
Instagram: @paancestors
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links
City of Philadelphia, Department of Records Archives (main web site) www.phila.gov/records
City of Philadelphia Archives Forms to Request Certified Birth, Death, Marriage
City of Philadelphia Archives - On-Site Registration Form
Descriptions of Types of Genealogical Records at the City of Philadelphia Archives
PhillyHistory.org - Photo archive from the Archive and maps searchable by exact street address (geotagged) and keyword
A Short History of Centennial Hall from the 1876 Centennial Exposition - now the home of the Please Touch Museum, children’s museum (archived on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Topics Discussed
If you live within driving distance of Pittsburgh or have ancestors who lived in western Pennsylvania, you have a great resource available to you! WPGS houses a collection of genealogical research materials at the Carnegie Library available 7 days a week.
Learn what’s in the collection, some great stories of discovery, and how to access the collection if you can’t make it to Pittsburgh. WPGS also has special resources available to members that you can access from home, along with a fabulous newsletter.
Listen in on how WPGS and the Pennsylvania Department of the Carnegie Library can help new researchers and experts alike!
Have a question or need help to complete your Pennsylvania research? Go to PAancestors.com and click “Leave a Question.” You can record up to 5 minutes of audio like a voicemail - simple and easy - and I’ll answer your question in a future podcast.
Website: PAancestors.com (click “leave a question” to record yours!)
Twitter: @ancestorspa
Instagram: @paancestors
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links
Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society main site: www.wpgs.org
Pennsylvania Department of the Carnegie Library
Directions to the Carnegie Library, Oakland (Main Branch) - home of the WPGS collection and the Pennsylvania Department of the Carnegie Library
Join WPGS as Member to get access to special collections and the newsletter
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Topics Discussed
If you have ancestors from northeastern Pennsylvania, NEPGS almost certainly has a record of them. Their extensive collection is cataloged on their website and Sara and Sandra share some of their most accessed records in this interview.
Don’t miss the memorable stories of discovery at the end of the episode! It’s amazing what a society like NEPGS can help you find because they know so much about the history of their area.
Have a question or need help to complete your Pennsylvania research? Go to PAancestors.com and click “Leave a Question.” You can record up to 5 minutes of audio like a voicemail - simple and easy - and I’ll answer your question in a future podcast.
Website: PAancestors.com (click “leave a question” to record yours!)
Twitter: @ancestorspa
Instagram: @paancestors
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links
NEPGS main website: nepgs.com
Index of NEPGS Digital Records
NEPGS Research Request Form
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
In this episode, Kathy Hale, Supervisor of Public Services for the State Library of Pennsylvania, shares what kinds of records genealogists can expect to find at the State Library in Harrisburg, PA and how to make the most of your visit.
Learn what kind of holdings the State Library of Pennsylvania has and how to find them. Some holdings can be sent through inter-library loan around the country, and some around the state of PA.
We talk about the renovation of the library, the temporary location, and how to request materials. You’ll want to hear this to make the most of your research trip!
We’d love to hear your comments and questions! Your question may be featured on a future episode!
Website: PAancestors.com (click “leave a question” to record yours!)
Twitter: @ancestorspa
Instagram: @paancestors
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links
State Library of Pennsylvania main website: https://www.statelibrary.pa.gov
State Library of Pennsylvania catalog - Make an online account to save items found in a list
Research Guides for Pennsylvania
PA Power Library - digitized records of genealogical or historical interest
Information on the State Library renovation, temporary location, and how to request materials, including from the Rare Book Collection (click the + signs to expand for more information)
State Library of Pennsylvania Reference Telephone (717) 783-5950 and online Reference Form
Necrology Collection - Civil War veteran obituaries clipped and saved in scrapbooks by librarians in the late 1800’s
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Lee Arnold, Chief Operating Officer for the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, shares what kinds of records genealogists can expect to find at HSP in Philadelphia, PA and how to make the most of your visit.
Learn about various collections at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and what to expect when you are on-site doing research. It’s a special place and you’ll feel like you stepped back in time when you walk through the doors. I hope you get a glimpse of that in this episode.
We’d love to hear your comments and questions! Your question may be featured on a future episode!
Website: PAancestors.com (click “leave a question” to record yours!)
Twitter: @ancestorspa
Instagram: @paancestors
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links
Historical Society of Pennsylvania main website: https://hsp.org
Discover Online Catalog
Entire Card Catalog on Family Search (images only, not indexed)
Research by Mail Request, if unable to visit in person
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Topics Discussed
In this episode, Aaron McWilliams, Pennsylvania State Reference Archivist, shares what kinds of records genealogists can expect to find at the Pennsylvania State Archive in Harrisburg, PA and how to make the most of your visit.
Learn how to research Pennsylvania land records, militia and National Guard records, state hospital patient records, county records, and those more obscure unusual records kept by the state. We also discuss the shocking history of slavery in Pennsylvania and some surprising finds Aaron’s made in his own genealogy research.
We talk about the future plans for the PA State Archive and the current digitization of PA State Archives records by Ancestry, FamilySearch, and the Power Library through PA State Library.
We’d love to hear your comments and questions! Your question may be featured on a future episode!
Website: PAancestors.com (click “leave a question” to record yours!)
Twitter: @ancestorspa
Instagram: @paancestors
Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) for George Washington. The song is considered to be one of the first secular songs written in America. MP3 recording by www.amclassical.com and licensed through Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
Links
- PA State Archive main website: https://www.phmc.pa.gov/Archives/
- Research by Mail Form for those State Hospital Records mentioned (plus many others!)
- Militia and National Guard Index
- Link to the old html page of Finding Aid for County Microfilm which Denys uses
- Link to the current Archon System Finding Aids
- PA Power Library of digitized records of genealogical interest
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)
Welcome to the Your Pennsylvania Ancestors podcast!
My name is Denys Allen, and I'm a researcher and genealogist with seven generations of ancestors in Pennsylvania. I'm interviewing the directors and staff of archives and repositories all around the Commonwealth to learn all about the records they hold, how you can access them, and how you can dig in and analyze them.
Join me as learn how to discover Your Pennsylvania Ancestors!
Have a question or something you want to hear on a future episode? I'd love to hear from you:
Twitter @ancestorspa
Instagram @paancestors
Website PAancestors.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/paancestors)