The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine, Vol 48, No 1, Title and Contents

THE PENNSYLVANIA GENEALOGICAL MAGAZINE before 1948 called Publications of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania Volume 48 Number 1 Spring/Summer 20 1 2 Aaron Goodwin Iklitor Sandra M. Hewlett, Proofreader «>2012 by the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, 2207 Chestnut Street, Phila¬ delphia, Pennsylvania 19103 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine (ISSN 0882-3685) is published twice per annum (Spring/Sunnner and Fall/Winter). Nonmember subscriptions are sold by volume only (2 issues), $30.00; foreign subscriptions, $34.00; single issues, $20.00 each; back issues, contact the Society office. The Society does not assume liability for statements of fact or of opinion made by contributors. EDITOR’S NOTES AN EDITOR’S BANK IS A RESEARCHER'S BOON A s this issue was being planned and constructed, several sets of rec¬ ords for Pennsylvania were released online. The collections were not just indexes or abstracts but images of the original records. These releases required more than a little editorial replanning. Teresa Koch-Bostic’s “York County Orphans Court Docket, 17491 754," which began in volume 47, number 2, was scheduled to be con¬ tinued in this issue. The need to publish those records, however, was eliminated when FamilySearch.org posted Pennsylvania, Probate Records, 1683-1994, for 60 of the 67 counties, including Orphans Court dockets for York County, 1749-1840. This set of records augments thirteen other Pennsylvania collections the website offers, including images of County Marriages, 1885- 1930, and Philadelphia Deaths, 1803-1915. GSP’s Executive Director, Joyce Homan, abstracted the various Particu¬ lar Lists included in the 1798 IJ.S. Direct Tax (aka the “window” tax) for Franklin Township, Greene County. That work was rendered redundant, however, when Ancestry.com posted those tax lists for the entire state. These records join the website's other Pennsylvania offerings, including Church and Town Records, 1708-1885, derived from GSP microfilms donated to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and, most recently, Bucks County Tax Records, 1782-1860. Thankfully, the contributors' pain of unrewarded hard work and the editor's struggle in finding replacement articles are short-lived discom¬ forts. The widespread availability of images of original Pennsylvania rec¬ ords is yielding great rewards for all Pennsylvania researchers. These most recent releases are additions to other important online collections: Land Records at the Pennsylvania State Archives, for example, including Warrant Registers, Survey Books, Patent Indexes, and Warrantee Town¬ ship Maps; or the entire 138-volume Pennsylvania Archives set at Fold3.com, along with city directories for Pittsburgh, 1861-1923, and Philadelphia, 1785-1922. One thing, however, remains clear and unchanged: searching in origi¬ nal records is getting easier, but researching is as challenging as it has ever been. Why was the record created? And, accordingly, what data and clues are hidden there in plain sight, quietly waiting for us to fully under¬ stand them? Future issues of PGM will explore the importance of good research in light of the new resources we’re being given. Aaron Goodwin 1 Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Vol. 48 (20 1 2) THE PENNSYLVANIA GENEALOGICAL MAGAZINE Volume 48 Number I Spring/Summer 20 1 2 CONTENTS EDITOR’S NOTES AN EDITOR’S BANK IS A RESEARCHER'S BOON ENGLISH ORIGINS or ELIZABETH1 (WALTER) GARDNER Patricia Law Hatcher, FASG, K;SI> 2 3 THE FAMILY OE BENJAMIN* MECOM OE BOSTON AND PHILADELPHIA IS NEPHEW OE DR. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN Michael J. Leclerc CORONER’S INQUESTS MIFELIN COUNTY, 1874-1891 30 contributed by Aaron Goodwin MARRIAGES INJUSTICE OF THE PEACE: DOCKETS SOMERSET COUNTY, 1814-1816 AND 1828-1829 contributed by Aaron Goodwin GENEALOGICAL ITEMS FROM THE; SHAMOKIN CANAI.HOAT NORT HUMBERLAND COUNT Y, 1827-18.33 39 41 contributed by Rita Schive Mowrer THOMAS SMILEY’S RECORDS OF WHITE DEER BAPT IS T CHURCH UNION COUNTY, 1808- 18.3 1 31 contributed by Aaron Goodwin HOCII FAMILY RECORD BERKS COUNTY translated and transcribed by Miriam L. Stirl 39 MARRIAGES BY REV. EUGENE AUGUSTUS HOFFMAN OF ST. MARK’S PHILADELPHIA, 1869-1880 61 contributed by Aaron Goodwin GENEALOGICAL I TEMS FROM I IIE WORKINGMEN’S ADVOCATH NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, 1833-1838 70 contributed by Rita Schive Mowrer MARRIAGES IN THE DOCKET OFJOIIN GLONINGER LANCASTER COUNTY, 1784-1786 79 contributed by Aaron Goodwin PENNSYLVANIA STATE AGENCY TRANSPORTATION PASSES FOR CIVIL WAR BODIES Oconcluded) 81 contributed by Aaron Goodwin Genealogical Credentials: CG, Certified Genealogist, CGI., and Certified Genea¬ logical Lecturer are service marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists®. Accredited Genealogist and AG are certification marks of the International Com¬ mission for Accreditation of Professional Genealogists. Individuals are licensed to use the credential designations after meeting the competency standards of those organizations. FASG designates fellows of the American Society of Genealogists, an honorary society limited to SO living members chosen for the quality of their published genealogical scholarship. Fellowship in other societies may also be rec¬ ognized by a postnominal designation, ineluding FGSP for fellows of the Genea¬ logical Society of Pennsylvania.