FootNote
The new kid on the block, FootNote is known for digitizing historical
documents... many of which are genealogical gems. With naturalizations,
city directories, war records, newspapers, town records, etc... this new
kid is quickly being recognized as an alternative to Ancestry.
While we know our northern friends may not feel it, in the South, Spring is
here. So we thought we'd share a few of our gardening sites appropriate
for this time of the year. Along with gardening, there's grilling, and getting
ready to diet so that you can fit back into that bathing suit this summer!
Church records rank
among the most promising of genealogical
records available. Indeed, for periods before
the advent of civil registration of vital
statistics (a very late development in many
American states), church records rank
as the best available sources for information
on specific vital events: birth, marriage, and
death.
They are also among the most under-used major
records in American genealogy. Part of the
reason lies in the number of
denominations-there are hundreds of them.
Identifying and locating the records of these
various churches makes even professional
genealogists hesitate. Yet the task is not
impossible. Microfilming, photocopying, and
indexing techniques make church records
more accessible now than ever before.
Church records vary a great deal in
content and emphasis according to the basic
theology and social role of each denomination.
However, a useful distinction is the
difference between "state" churches and
so-called "free" churches. State, or
"established," churches in Europe considered
every Christian in the state or kingdom to be
a member. Free, or "gathered," churches
emphatically rejected this inclusive view of
belonging from birth. Rather, only those who
had been "born again" in Christ could be
considered true members of his church. The
sign of this rebirth in Christ was another
baptism (adult baptism) that took precedence
over the person's baptism as an infant. For
this practice they were called
Anabaptists-from the Latin for "rebaptizers."
The descendants of the Anabaptists include
Mennonites, Hutterites, many smaller groups
associated with the Pennsylvania Germans, and
their British cousins, the Baptists, who form
the dominant religion in much of America
today.
The Blessing of Church Records
Church records of our ancestors are so
valuable they should be sought to document
vital events in our ancestors' lives. They
can also be invaluable in providing
relevant information about an ancestor's
family and community.
Locating Church Records
Most Americans families have been
affiliated with at least one religious
group, even if they were not consistently
practicing. Religious records usually play
an important role in providing the
information you seek.
Locating "Lost" Churches
Some of the best evidence of our
ancestors' vital dates and locations can
be church records. This is especially true
of the time periods before state, county,
and local governments began complying with
legislation to issue birth and death
certificates.
National Church Repositories
This is a 1994 listing of addresses for
national church repositories in the United
States and Canada.
Tips for Reading Early American
Handwriting
Not being able to read old handwriting can
be an obstacle for even experienced
researchers. Following these tips can give
you a head start.
