Book Reviews

Book Reviews Ship Passenger Lists: Pennsylvania and Delaware (15414825). edited and indexed by Carl Boyer, 3rd. (Published by the compiler, P.O. Box 333, Newhall, California 91322) 1980. $17.70 postpaid. 285 p. All genealogists know the sense of frustration in finding a record of a source which appears to perhaps contain the specific information one seeks, and then being unable to obtain that source. Carl Boyer has' undertaken a large project which in the search for ship passenger lists may solve much of the problem. Taking the classic, Harold Lancour's A Bibliography of Ship Passenger Lists, 1538-1825, as his guide he has tracked down and reprinted those harder-to-find sources. As an example, the first Lancour entry for Pennsylvania, #116, is "Einwanderer in Pennsylvania nor 1700," jahrbuchfur Auslanddeutsche Sippenkunde I (1936) Gives names of German families in Pennsylvania during the period covered, with place of origin frequently indicated." A good place to start, but where do you find the publication? Now it is easy, this is the first entry in Mr. Boyer's compilation. If some of Lancour's entries have been _reprinted in a second publication, that is easily available, this is noted. The index of names is excellent, listing first names which is rare in indexing material of this sort. There is also an index of variant surname spellings. Mr. Boyer has published three other volumes of ship passenger lists: National and New England; New York and New Jersey; The South. Pastors and People: German Lutheran and Reformed Churches in size Pennsylvania Field, 1717-1795. by Charles H. Glatfelter. Volume I. Pastors and Congregations. 551 p. (The Pennsylvania German Society, Box 97, Breinigsville, Pennsylvania 18031, 1980) $25.00. Part One of this attractively bound and well printed book has the biographical sketches of 250 Lutheran and Reformed pastors who were active in the Pennsylvania field during the period 1717 to 1793. Included are a list of the churches where he served and the dates. This should be most helpful in the case of a marriage certificate where the minister's name is given but not the church. Part Two covers Congregations. It should be noted that the "Pennsylvania Field" covered. The District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and West Virginia. For each Pennsylvania county there are excellent maps showing the townships, it is unfortunate that some way was not found to mark the various churches on the maps. The locations of the many congregations and the date of founding as well as the history of the groups are given in great detail. The book is well documented, the author having used as many primary sources as possible, citing wills, deeds, original 58 Book Reviews 59 registers and the census. He carefully lists his sources in printed works which can broaden the scope of the material sought by the researcher. This is a valuable research tool, as well as being very readable. There is much information about the influence of various pastors, the quarrels and factions within the church and some salty comments made by one or another individual about one of his contemporaries. A Guide to Genealogical Sources At the Pennsylvania State Archives, by Robert M. Dructor, 129 p. (Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, 1980) $5.00 + .30 sales tax %for Pennsylvania residents. This Guide describes the records of genealogical interest currently available for research in the Division of Archives and Manuscripts (Pennsylvania State Archives) in Harrisburg. The records are arranged by series under broad topical headings: Passenger Lists; Records of Naturalization; Vital Statistics; Military and War Records; Occupational Records; Prison Records; Land Records; Church and Cemetery Records; County Records; Census Records; Family Papers and Miscellaneous Records. The entries clearly spell out the scope of the material available. There is much to be found here that is not available at any other place. Guide to the Record Groups In the Pennsylvania State Archives. By Frank M. Suran. 84 p. (Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, 1980) $5.00 ÷ .30 sales tax for Pennsylvania residents. This volume describes the Provincial and State public records currently available for research in the Pennsylvania State Archives. The record groups are for the various state departments and commissions. How much of this material may be of genealogical significance it is hard to say. Certainly the military records, the prison records, the register of physicians and midwives, might be helpful. Note: the two Guides reviewed above may be obtained from the Commission, Box 1026, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 1712Q. Lancaster CounO, Pennsylvania, Deed Abstracts & Revolutionary War Oaths of Allegiance. compiled by R. Thomas Mayhill. indexed. 277 p. (The Bookmark, P.O. Box 74, Knightstown, Indiana 46148) 1979. $22.50 + $1.50 postage. This book completes abstracts and indices to all indentures in Deed Books "A" through "M". Most of the indentures are in 1770 or earlier, during the colonial era. The oaths of allegiance have not been published before. American Loyalist Claims, Volume I. by Peter Wilson Coldham, F.A.S.G. indexed 615 p. 1980 (National Genealogical Society, 1921 Sunderland Place, N.W ., Washington, D.C. 20036). 60 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine This volume offers for the first time a comprehensive account of the relationship and interests of that vast number of colonial Americans whose loyalty to the Crown during the Revolution earned them exile and confiscation of their property. The loyalist claims have been collected from various places and are now available at the Public Record Office, Key, Surrey, England. However, the compiler states that these are scattered through different collections so that his alphabetical listing makes them very easy to locate. The claims abstracted give the name of the person who sustained loss, followed by residence at time of loss, and residence at time of the claim. Guide to the Manuscript Collections of the New Jersey Historical Society, compiled by Don C. Skemer &Robert C. Morris. indexed 245 p. (The New Jersey Historical Society, Newark, New Jersey) 1979. The 1057 entries described in the book cover the usual gamut of this type collection: letters; deeds; legal papers; account books; diaries; genealogies; military records, and scrapbooks. A very helpful feature can be found in Appendix III, a chronological list of the manuscript groups. The index plays an essential part in locating items sought. Maryland Genealogies: A Consolidation of Articles from the Maryland Historical Magazine. 2 volumes. index. 1097 p. 1980 (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Baltimore). Most of the articles reprinted here are genealogies, many written by well-known genealogists. The rest consist of Bible records; articles discussing origins of immigrant ancestors in great detail; articles dealing with families in the same localities who are closely related by marriage. There is no doubt that a collection of this type is of great value to the researcher who does not have access to the back issues of the Maryland magazine. But a word of caution, although this appears as a new publication, it must be remembered that any errors made in the articles when originally printed still stand uncorrected. Searching For Your Ancestors: The How and Why of Genealogy. by Gilbert H. Doane, F.A.S.G. & James B. Bell, F.S.A. index. 270 p. 1980. (University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis) $10.95. Family History Record Book. by James B. Bell. paperbound. 1980. (University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis) $7.95. This is the fifth edition of that "grandfather" of genealogical how-to books. This reviewer remembers that it was the first book to be found that clearly explained the science of genealogy. Though the chapter headings remain basically the same, the text has been rewritten in most instances, and includes additional material. A new section, Special Searches, provides short summaries of foreign sources. The bibliography has been updated. Dr. Bell is the director of the New England Historic Genealogical Society. Book Reviews 61 He has arranged the companion Family History Record Book, which has removable printed forms and charts for recording information. These include Family Group Charts; Biographical Forms; Census Forms; Military Service Forms; Immigrant Arrival Forms; Naturalization Forms; Land Records Forms. These provide valuable tools for a genealogical record. Valley Forge . In Search of that Winter Patriot, 19 December 1777-19 June 1978: A Comprehensive Guide for Tracing Valley Forge Ancestors. by Ramona Cameron Worley, paperbound. index. 125 p. 1979. (The National Society Sons of the American Revolution, 1000 South 4th St., Louisville, Kentucky 40203) $10.00. Mrs. Worley tells the reader where to look for Valley Forge military records, and gives examples of the many forms that contain the individual soldier's record. In a section dealing with each of the thirteen original states she lists the regiments and officers who were at Valley Forge, as well as a bibliography for each state. 25 Year Index to Pennsylvania Folklife, 1949-1976. compiled by Judith E. Fryer. paperbound. 94 p. 1980 (Pennsylvania Folklife Society, P.O. Box 92, Collegeville, Pennsylvania 19426). This index covers every issue of the magazine, first published as a weekly newspaper Pennsylvania Dutchman in 1949, it became a semi-monthly magazine, The Dutchman in 1952 and with volume 9 in 1958 the name was changed to Pennsylvania Folklife. The first part is a subject and author index where under the heading Genealogy there is a list of the family articles published over the years. The second part is a surname index to genealogy and immigration articles. This covers forty pages so one can see that there is information on a large group of people. The index should be of great aid to those working on Pennsylvania-German genealogies. Occasional Papers of the Society for German-American Studies: German-American Bibliography,for 1979, with Supplements for 197 1-1978. by Steven M. Benjamin & the SGAS Bibliographic Committee. paperbound. 105 p. 1980 (Department of Foreign Languages, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506) $6.00 postpaid. A bibliography of over 1500 entries dealing with German-American studies. Most are found in published works, while others are listings of papers and symposiums. Unfortunately this is only an author index, not listed by subject itself. Bali Cousins: Descendants of John and Sarah Bell and of William and Elizabeth Richards of Colonial Philadelphia co., Penna. by Margaret B.Kinsey. index. 364 p. 1981 (Gateway Press, Inc. Baltimore) copies may be obtained from the author, Box 459, Lamesa, Texas 79331. $20.00 A remarkable estate was distributed between 1827 and 1858, it estab- 62 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine lisped the descent of 955 people from two couples, John and Sarah Ball and William and Elizabeth Richards. In the 1730s these families lived in adjoining Amity and Douglass townships in (then) Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. They were the grandparents vf Joseph Ball whose estate it was. The families involved are Bali, Brown/Browne, Campbell, Chilton, Cleaver, Compton, Custer, Daniels, Dewees, Fisher, Frank, Green, Hafer, Hall, Hamilton, Harris, Holloway, Johnson, Jones, Kemper, Kurtzman, McWilliams, Martin, Miller, Mountjoy, Munford, Pate, Porter, Reeder, Richards, Roades/Rhoads, Sailer/Seiler, Scott, Smith, Stewart, Supplee, White, Willcox, Williams and Yocum. This is an excellent genealogy, there is good documentation for each generation, something that is rarely seen in genealogies of this genre. Tying the book to Joseph Ball's estate makes it particularly interesting, in the genealogy of each beneficiary we are given the share and dollar value received from the estate in 1838 and 1857. The Famib, of William Stone one of the First Settlers of Guilford, Connecticut. by 'Edward Perry Stone, Sr. index. 178 p. 1980 (Gateway Press, Baltimore) copies may be obtained from the author, 19 Louise Street, Cortland, New York 13045. $13.95 postpaid. William Stone was one of the signers of the Guilford Covenant in 1639. The book traces his descendants for eleven generations into Connecticut, Bradford County, Pennsylvania and Minnehaha County, South Dakota. Principal families treated are: Gould, Ingham, and Stone. Early generations in Connecticut seem to be well documented through the Connecticut vital records, later generations are more dependent on secondary sources. The Nutt Family Through the Years, 1635-1978. by Merle C. Nutt. illustrated. index. 275 p. 2nd edition 1978, copies may be obtained from the author, 2119 West Edgemont Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85009. $10.00 + .75 postage. After an investigation of various Nutt families in England, the author traces the career of Samuel Nutt, pioneer ironmaster in Coventry, Pennsylvania. The second chapter is concerned with the educator Cyrus Nutt, the author's great grandfather. Another chapter deals with the Rushworth Nutt family. Dr. "Rush" Nutt was the father of Haller Nutt the builder of the famous Natchez, Mississippi house "Longwood." There is great detail of the planning and building of what became known at "Nutt's Folly", including floor plans. This octagon-shaped Oriental villa was never completed. Workman were brought from Pennsylvania to complete the building in 1861, but when the Civil War broke out they returned to Pennsylvania. One chapter is concerned with James Nutt, wagonmaker of Indiana and Ohio, the author's grandfatheir. This is not a family genealogy in the truest sense, hut rather in-depth studies of various people by the name of Nutt. It is very interesting. 63 Book Reviews The Records of Trinity Episcopal Church (Old Swedes), Swedesboro, Gloucester County, New jersey, 1785-1975. compiled by Paul Minotty. 1979 index. 475 pa (Gloucester County Historical Society, Woodbury, New Jersey) paperbound, $16.50 .+ $1.00 postage. hardbound, $22.50 + $1.00 postage. Beginning with a history of the church and abstracts ofsome early vestry records. There are baptism records from 1788 to 1975; confirmations 1809, 1821, 1832 to 1975; lists of communicants, 1792 to 1975; marriages, 1785 to 1975; burials, 1788 to 1975. Boggs Newsletter. edited 'by Mrs. Alice C. Grady. 1980 volumes IV, no. 2 & no. 4. 4 issues a year, by subscription, Mrs. Alice C. Grady, 4 Mitchell Road, Stow, Massachusetts 01775. $10.00. Volume IV, no. 4 contains: Ezekiel Boggs-Eve Haney Line; Rebecca Boggs, Sr. of North Carolina; James L. Boggs Line; Captain John Boggs, father/brother; John Boggs-Susan Drennan Line. Volume IV, no. 2 contains, Kentucky Boggs families; Andrew Boggs-Susannah Bowen Line; Ohio Boggs families. An Analytical Bibliography of Universal collected Biography: Comprising Books Published in the English Tongue in Great Britain and Ireland„ America and the British Dominions. 709 p. 1934. (reprinted 1980, Gale Research Co. Book Tower, Detroit.) • There are two main parts to this book: an index of people written about, with dates of birth and death, and short biographies; a bibliography of works dealt with, under authors' names. To make the bibliography more useful three indexes have been added: a chronological list arranged according to centuries; an index of persons by profession or trade; an author and subject bibliography of biographical dictionaries. It is stated that the main purpose of the book is to assist students and research workers in history and its many branches. The entries range from Priscilla Alden, in a book Historic Girlhoods, Alexander the Great, found in twenty-six books to Ebenezer Zane found in a book Western Virginia, and Queen Zenobia of Palmyra, listing ten sources.