Author Archives: Seema Kenney

Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS)

Posted on October 9, 2020 by Seema Kenney

The Board for Certification of Genealogists has codified the industry’s standards for proof into the Genealogical Proof Standard. This standard has five components: Thorough (“reasonably exhaustive”) searches in sources that might help answer a research question. Information (“complete, accurate”) citations … Continue reading →

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Town Reports:

Posted on September 11, 2020 by Seema Kenney

Did you recently pick up this year’s town report? It’s an interesting look at what happened in your town during a specific calendar year. It’s also a wonderful genealogical resource – well, the older ones are. Like most things, town … Continue reading →

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Immigration

Posted on August 14, 2020 by Seema Kenney

“My ancestor came through Ellis Island.”  That is a common thought as one begins to search for the origins of their immigrant ancestor. However, there are many reasons why that may not be true. First – ships came to several … Continue reading →

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U.S. Census Reports

Posted on July 10, 2020 by Seema Kenney

One of the most common documents to find when researching one’s family history is a census report.  After all, it’s a federal document and there’s one created every ten years. The U.S. Federal census started in 1780 and is mandated … Continue reading →

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Introduction to Genealogy

Posted on June 12, 2020 by Seema Kenney

Genealogy, or more accurately, Family History, is among the fastest growing hobbies around the world. The reasons are numerous – curiosity, medical history, legends – the preceptor issue easy – less intergenerational communication. If you are interested in this hobby, … Continue reading →

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Archiving

Posted on August 20, 2018 by Seema Kenney

A record gets created, possibly distributed, used, maintained and then disposed of.  If the record you are looking at has significance for you, the disposal method might be to Permanently Store it. When you start to organize your own papers, … Continue reading →

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World War I Draft

Posted on August 6, 2018 by Seema Kenney

About World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 This database contains an index and images of World War I draft registration cards completed by approximately 24 million men living in the U.S. in 1917 and 1918. Information that may be … Continue reading →

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Massachusetts Land Records

Posted on July 30, 2018 by Seema Kenney

Registry of Deeds Overview… 1 Massachusetts is divided into 21 registry districts with an elected Register of Deeds responsible for each office. Documents related to the ownership of real estate within the district are recorded at the Registry of Deeds. Recorded … Continue reading →

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North American Conflicts

Posted on July 23, 2018 by Seema Kenney

(adapted from Wikipedia.org) 17th Century War between the Huron and the Iriquois 1634-38 Pequot War 1640 French and Iroquois Wars 1675-78 King Philip’s War 1680 Pueblo Revolt 1689-97 King William’s War 18th Century 1702-13 Queen Anne’s War 1715-17 Yamasee War … Continue reading →

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Photographs

Posted on July 16, 2018 by Seema Kenney

Photographs provide a wonderful window into the lives of our ancestors.  Unfortunately, often times the marking on the back of a photograph is  not descriptive enough. Genealogical research skills and knowledge help you to read the clues in a photograph … Continue reading →

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