Reviews

REVIEWS Ordering information for publishers follows the reviews. The Family Tree Guide Book. Introduction by Emily Anne Croom. Betterway Books, Cincinnati, Ohio, 2002. 336 pages, photographs, illustrations, maps, index, paper. $19.99. This is a compilation of articles by almost two dozen authors, many of which have appeared in Family Tree Magazine. They are arranged geographically, first by region, then by city. Research advice and historical background is not in depth–this is really a travel guide, listing where to stay, where to eat, and what to see. This book could be helpful in planning a family vacation with a historical and genealogical focus. Web addresses are provided so you can get up-to-date information on hours and events at repositories and museums. Discovering the History of Your House and Your Neighborhood. By Betsy J. Green. Santa Monica Press, Santa Monica, California, 2002. 286 pages, photographs, index, paper. $14.95. This is a fairly superficial survey of the numerous documents that might have information connected to a house, the land it is built on, or the people who lived in it. Most are routinely used by genealogists, who would do better to learn from standard genealogical texts and avoid some of the small errors embedded in this one. As an example, grantees do not normally sign deeds. If you are researching urban property or a very old house, however, it may suggest additional avenues of research. You may also obtain ideas for adding detail to the family history you are writing. Locating Your Roots–Discover Your Ancestors Using Land Records. Patricia Law Hatcher. Betterway Books, Cincinnati, Ohio, 2003. 211 pages, illustrations, appendices, index, paper. $21.99. Even though land “was the primary factor in migration within America” (page 1), genealogists occasionally avoid valuable records that document the transfer and ownership of their ancestors’ real property. Writing in a popular style with a tone of familiarity, Hatcher provides a broad-ranging introduction to locating, understanding, and interpreting a wide variety of land records in the United States. After arguing in favor of using land records, she presents chapters covering the location of original deeds and copies (whether on line, on microfilm, or in abstract form), the location of public (government) land records in both state-land and federal-land 172 Final copy 31 December 2003 Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Vol. 43 (2003) 2003 Reviews 173 states, how to understand and transcribe deeds, and on related records such as tax lists, city directories, maps, and gazetteers. The concluding chapters provide a specific guide for drawing sketches of metes-andbounds descriptions and a discussion of the federal public-land survey system. The appendixes include a helpful glossary of legal terms and words commonly associated with land records as well as an abbreviated bibliography of published aids, mostly arranged by state. Throughout the book, Hatcher provides many personal examples and detailed step-by-step instructions for accessing these records. Her constant reminders that the genealogist should be well prepared to visit a courthouse or research facility will be appreciated by understaffed, overworked county, state, and federal offices. The genealogist will avoid many research and transcription pitfalls by following her advice on identifying and transcribing the records. Several stylistic matters weaken the overall excellence of this book. The margin icons used by Betterway Books to emphasize important points or cautions seem more intrusive than helpful. The boxes and sidebars frequently interrupt the text at unfortunate or annoying places. The captions of most of the illustrations showing copies of original records or maps do not contain attribution to the source of the original, nor does the book include an attribution page for the illustrations (and a number of the illustrations come from Pennsylvania records!). Designed more for the beginner than the advanced genealogist, this book has much to offer those who are just starting to use land records in their research. The writing is informal and easy to understand. The stepby-step procedures given throughout the book walk the beginner through everything necessary to know to maximize use of the records. The constant inclusion of personal examples enables the reader to understand how one might benefit from such research. More advanced researchers, however, will find little specific guidance on making sense of the government sales of land in state-land states. For such research, genealogists must rely on the sources listed in the bibliography. Consequently, this is a better book for beginners than for those genealogists who have used land records for a while. reviewed by Jonathan R. Stayer Genealogy 101. By Barbara Renick. Rutledge Hill Press, Nashville, Tennessee, 2003. 240 pages, illustrations, index, paper. $19.99. As stated in the introduction, this book is targeted very much towards beginners. Renick’s background as a respected author and lecturer on computer topics is apparent in the up-to-date advice and illustrations on computer applications for genealogical research, including using the Internet and choosing a software program. This is one of a series sponsored by the National Genealogical Society. Final copy 31 December 2003 174 Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Vol. 43 A Preservation Guide, Saving the Past and the Present for the Future. By Barbara Sagraves. Ancestry, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1995. v plus 42 pages, photographs, illustrations, appendix, bibliography, glossary, paper. $6.95. Although very brief, this small book includes much useful information and is liberally illustrated with photographs and drawings where needed. It offers advice on cleaning, storing, and preserving a variety of materials, including papers, books, photographs, and textiles. A valuable section has practical instructions on dealing with water-soaked papers and books. The Great War, A Guide to the Service Records of all the World’s Fighting Men and Volunteers. By Christina K. Schaefer. Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, 1997. xiv plus 189 pages, photographs, illustrations, maps, glossary, bibliography, index, paper. $22.50. The sections on non-US military sources can be helpful to the researcher wishing an introduction to learning about an immigrant ancestor’s foreign military service. For United States records, it answers the most-frequently asked questions and provides a quick overview. The Aftermath section points to sources for POW records in several countries. Genealogical Research in Ohio. By Kip Sperry. Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, 1997. xii plus 303 pages, maps, bibliography, index, cloth. $39.50. This reference work for Ohio research has sections on Ohio history, archives and libraries, major resources (record types), the usual addresses, and a bibliography. The most valuable part may be the information Sperry provides on publications, indexes, and finding aids within the section on archives and libraries and the section on major resources. 2003 Ohio Genealogical Society Chapter Directory and Publications List. By the Ohio Genealogical Society, Spring 2003; order from the society, 713 South Main Street, Mansfield, OH 44907-1644. 72 pages, paper, $10.50 nonmembers, plus 6.25% sales tax (Ohio residents), and $3.00 shipping (credit cards accepted). This biannual publication lists detailed information about individual OGS member societies, their website, contacts, dues, meeting dates, library, research policy, and publications. This is a very useful for anyone wanting up-to-date information on Ohio research. Final copy 31 December 2003 2003 Reviews 175 ABSTRACTS Friedrichstal Church Records 1698—1812. By Cathryn S. Dippo. Heritage Books, Inc., Bowie, Maryland, 1999. iv plus 429 pages, index, paper. $61.00. Friedrichstal, Germany, located sixteen kilometers north of Karslruhe, was ruled at the end of the seventeenth century by Markgraf Friedrich Magnus of Baden-Durlach. The Edict of Nantes was revoked in 1685. Subsequently, many French Protestants, especially in northern France, emigrated to the eastern side of the Rhine River. The Markgraf of BadenDurlach was especially hospitable and allowed them to settle and create new villages. Over the following century, these fledgling French-Protestant communities gradually moved away from their French roots and became absorbed into German-culture communities. Over time, refugees from France, the Pfalz, and Switzerland also settled in Friedrichstal, primarily because this town’s privileges included the right to speak French and to follow the Reformed religion. These refugees were known as Walloons, Waldensers, and Huguenots. Only four families appear to have relocated to North America from this town during the period of 1725—1839.1 Emigration to the United States started in earnest in the 1830s, with others arriving in the 1860s and 1880s. Names of some of those emigrating to the United States in the nineteenth century were: Barié, Demarez, Füssler, Giraud, Gorenflo, Henst, Herlan, Hornung, Karle, Klein, Lacroix, Lichtenwalter, Mahler, Maurer, Mayer, Siegrist, Schönthal, Schweiger, Sutz, Terras, and Thibaut. The current records of this church still carry the same surnames, so a relative may be found. The records were originally recorded in French; as the people became Germanized, they were recorded in German. Dippo publishes the records in their original language. Baptismal records name child, father, mother (with maiden name if available), and sponsors or godparents. Marriage records include fathers, mothers, and previous spouses, as well as the bride and groom. Death entries for children usually include names of both parents, while death entries for married women usually contain only the spouse and, sometimes, the father. The helpful Appendix serves as a translation aid and dictionary of words used. It includes dialect terms that do not generally appear in standard German-English or French-English dictionaries. The extensive 1 Editor’s note: Don Yoder, “Pennsylvania Emigrants from Friedrichstal,” Pennsylvania Folklife 22:inside back cover, reprinted in Rhineland Emigrants (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1985), 89, identifies these as the Bouquet, leRoy, Bonnet, and Corbeau families. Final copy 31 December 2003 176 Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Vol. 43 index includes every person referenced by both first and last name. Variant spellings such as Barié/Barrier/Barier are duly noted. The author’s excellent Foreword and Introduction give all of the above information and more, so be sure and read them. The author indicates that using Personal Ancestral File®, she has done her best to maintain family groups supported by these and other records. After reading the text and finding a possible ancestor, if a copy of a selected family group sheet or a GEDCOM file for a portion of her database is required, she may be contacted. This book is not only a valuable source for the emigrants from this town–for anyone attempting to read these German or French records, it is a “helping aid.” reviewed by Jane Adams Clarke Naval Pensioners of the United States, 1800—1851. By Lloyd deWitt Bockstruck. Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, 2002. vii plus 222 pages, map, index, cloth. $30.00. Naval pensions were authorized, funded, structured, and administered independently of other military pensions, as explained in detail in the Introduction, which is recommended reading for researchers. Many pensions went to widows, a few to orphans, and some to privateers. Bockstruck lists over 3,000 naval servicemen alphabetically, with a paragraph for each. Several sources were used to compile the information. Individuals may have appeared in multiple sources, with variations. Anyone finding an ancestor’s name in the list should study the Introduction to interpret the information correctly. Pennsylvania Land Applications, Volume 2: New Purchase Applications, 1769—1773. By Kenneth D. McCrea. Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, 2003; order from the society, 215 South Broad Street, 7th Floor, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107—5325. lxxii, plus 418 pages, index, cloth. $40.00 plus $4.00 shipping; 6% tax for Pennsylvania residents, 7% tax for Philadelphia residents. In the eighteenth century, the western part of Pennsylvania was the frontier. Settlement of the state occurred principally from the southeast corner to the west and north, with some settlers moving northward into the western half of the Commonwealth from its neighboring colonies, Maryland and Virginia. Although the Penn family, the proprietors of the state, followed a policy of purchasing land from the Native Americans before permitting legal settlement, enterprising settlers pushed west as population growth and immigration caused a decrease in available land in the southeastern counties. As a result of the Treaty of Fort Stanwix on 5 November 1768, a large swath of land stretching from the southwestern corner to the northeastern corner of Pennsylvania was added to the state. Called the “New Pur- Final copy 31 December 2003 2003 Reviews 177 chase” because it was the most recent acquisition of land from the Native Americans, the region included all or part of 26 of the Commonwealth’s present 67 counties–from Washington, Greene, Fayette, and Westmoreland in the southwest to Lycoming, Northumberland, Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Susquehanna in the northeast as well as the counties in between. The area consisted of Pennsylvania’s frontier in the mideighteenth century and was home to some of the state’s earliest white settlers in its western regions. This book provides historical background about the New Purchase and an index to the earliest legal applications for land in the region, made in 1769. Because many of the settlers who filed applications later moved even farther westward, Dr. McCrea’s work enables the genealogist to locate individuals at a relatively early time in an area for which few colonial records may be found. In some instances, being mentioned as a neighbor on a New Purchase application may be the only evidence of a person in the area because he did not record any legal transactions and moved on after living there a few years. In numerical order, the index lists the New Purchase application number, the name of the applicant, the date of the application, the name of the 1769 county in which the land was located, the name of the successor county or counties, the number of acres applied for, the book and page numbers of related surveys, and notes about the names of neighbors and subsequent owners. Also noted is whether or not the original application could be found. At the end of the book, an every-name index is provided as well as a Daitch-Mokotoff Code Index with a Phonetic Cross Reference to assist those researchers who may be unfamiliar with identifying unusual variations of surnames. The application listing is supplemented with an introduction containing historical background and a helpful map. The introduction includes full transcriptions of historical documents that explain some of the procedures and problems involved with dispersing and surveying the land in the eighteenth century. Although this volume is invaluable to researchers interested in eighteenth-century Pennsylvania genealogy and history, it does have some troubling features. The author inserted a listing of the Officers and Gentlemen’s Tracts in the introduction, rather than making it a part of the main listing. His discussion and tables relating to caveats and to mapping applications in a section of Westmoreland and Indiana counties would work better as appendixes rather than embellishing the Introduction. Surprising, apparently neither the author nor the editor transposed the titles of published works cited from underlining to italics. Finally, and probably most troubling, the author never informs the reader of the location of the original records–the Pennsylvania State Archives in Harrisburg–nor how to obtain copies of them, and he does not provide Final copy 31 December 2003 178 Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Vol. 43 information about related microfilm that is available through the Family History Library of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Despite these shortcomings, McCrea has produced a work that is indispensable for genealogists whose ancestral lines trace to western, central, and northeastern colonial Pennsylvania. Some researchers may find clues to families for whom they have been searching for a long time. reviewed by Jonathan R. Stayer Gone But Not Forgotten, Civil War Veterans of Northeastern Pennsylvania. By Ryan L. Lindbuchler. Luzerne County Historical Society, 2001; order from the society, 49 South Franklin Street, Wilkes Barre, PA 18701. 192 pages, photographs, paper and CD-ROM (minimum requirements: Windows® 98 for PC; PowerPC® 604 for Macintosh; Microsoft Internet Explorer® 5.0 or Netscape® 6.0). $39.95 plus $5.00 shipping. The author has identified 9,226 Civil War soldiers buried in 196 cemeteries in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties and nearby major cities. The front matter includes a Methodology section that is necessary for understanding how the soldiers were identified, a useful section on Civil War Army Structure, a directory of the cemeteries with the towns in which they are located (but neither the county nor more detailed directions). The bulk of the book is comprised of 38 unalphabetized biographies. It is unclear how these individuals were chosen. Perhaps it was because of the number of available photographs, which are reproduced in the book. Back matter includes regimental sketches and a brief bibliography of published works; there is no index nor does the book contain any listing of the 9,226 soldiers. One must use the CD to learn if an individual is included. Both book and CD suffer from a lack of documentation. To verify or amplify information, one must review all sources that might have been used by the author. The CD contains listings for Soldiers, Regiments, Biographies, and Cemeteries. It is not truly interactive. Each regiment in the regiment list is linked to the regimental sketch and to a list of its soldiers whose burials were identified; each cemetery in the cemetery list is linked to a list of soldiers buried therein, and entries for a few soldiers are linked to a photograph of the soldier or of his tombstone or to the biography from the book, but there is no indication of the soldier’s unit of service. Therefore, to learn about a soldier and his history, the user must go to the soldier listing, write down the name of the cemetery, go to the cemetery listing (it is not linked), click on the cemetery name to go to the list of soldiers buried there, and then find the soldier’s name to learn the unit he was in, write it down (it is not linked), and then go the regimental list. For both PC and Mac, the operating instructions in the book may not be accurate. On a Mac, G3 or G4 is recommended. reviewed by Sandra M. Hewlett, CGRS and Patricia Law Hatcher, CG, FASG Final copy 31 December 2003 2003 Reviews 179 Land Records of York County, Pennsylvania, 1764—1771, Deed Books C and D. By Mary Marshall Brewer. Colonial Roots, Lewes, Delaware, 2002. vi plus 263 pages, index, paper. $23.50. These York County records often contain detailed chains of title, which means that researchers may find valuable information on persons with surnames that are different from either the grantor or the grantee. In indexes by Colonial Roots and Delmarva Roots, spelling variations are not conflated, so researchers are advised to scan the index carefully for unexpected spellings. Military Service Enrollment Books, 1861—1862, Philadelphia 19th & 20th Wards. By Susan S. Koelble and Kristin K. Bryson. Bare Roots Publishing, Southampton, Pennsylvania, 2000. iv plus 298 pages, maps, paper with plastic-comb binding. $25.00. As explained in the Preface, these records found in the Philadelphia City Archives survive for only these two wards. The authorization and mechanism for their creation is unclear. Their usefulness is clear. Ward, precinct, age, occupation, and residence (address) is given for the 12,539 men named here. If they entered the service, the date, capacity (rank), regiment, and company are provided. Many names were crossed out because the men were too young or too old. It is interesting to see from the remarks how many men padded their age so as to be too old to serve. Pioneer Cemeteries of Hampton Township, Allegheny County, PA. By North Hills Genealogists, 1997; order from the authors, c/o Northland Public Library, 300 Cumberland Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15237-5455. x plus 193 pages, 4-page unbound addenda, photographs, maps, index, cloth. $21.35 plus shipping. The detailed discussion in the Introduction of the nine cemeteries in Hampton Township will be helpful for anyone researching ancestry in the area. This publication covers the four oldest cemeteries. It reports all tombstone information, plus caretaker’s records, if available. Bucks County Pennsylvania, Church Records of the 17th and 18th Centuries, Volume 4. By F. Edward Wright. Colonial Roots, Lewes, Delaware, 2003. xvii plus 147 pages, index, paper. $16.00. A continuation of his helpful series of Pennsylvania church records, this volume includes Neshaminy Presbyterian Church of Warwick, Hartsville; Evangelical Lutheran Congregation at Tinicum; Southampton Baptist Church; Memoranda from the Diary of John Dyer of Plumstead; Presbyterian Church, Churchville; and Hilltown Baptist Church. Final copy 31 December 2003 180 Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Vol. 43 The Delaware Militia in the War of 1812. By Henry C. Peden, Jr. Colonial Roots, Lewes, Delaware, 2003. viii plus 353 pages, index, paper. $29.00. The United States declared war on Great Britain 18 June 1812 over freedom of the seas for U.S. vessels, beginning a conflict that lasted almost three years. Author Peden compiled this book for the purpose of identifying the soldiers from the State of Delaware who served in its militia between that date and 18 February 1815. In the expectation that the publication would be a useful tool for their descendants who wish to join hereditary societies related to that struggle, he has produced a detailed military record of these early American citizen soldiers. Readers will find the preface and introduction particularly important, in this essentially statistical register. The former serves as a prelude to the actual listing of names. The latter notes the threat posed by the British fleet off the coast of Delaware Bay and River which called for an active militia in the State. Volumes five and six of the Delaware Archives, Military Records, provided the primary source for this book. They contain muster and pay rolls for each of the three Delaware counties: New Castle, Kent, and Sussex. The militia comprised a brigade from each of these jurisdictions with troops of cavalry, artillery companies, and regiments of foot soldiers. Although the British did not begin actual operations in the area until March 1813, Delaware began preparations for the coming storm the preceding fall. Guns, ammunition, and equipment flowed to the militia in Wilmington, New Castle, and Lewes to arm more than 7,400 men. The enemy ships blockaded the coastal waters and bombarded Lewes April 6 when the town refused to comply with the terms of a British ultimatum. Peden lists the militia members alphabetically from Aaron to Zimmerman. There are twenty-seven Browns, sixty-two Millers and eighty-one Smiths among the obscure and notable officers and men who served, including three duPonts. Militia members appear by rank from private to major general, to say nothing of miscellaneous “fifers,” “ensigns,” and “drummers.” The book also reveals some specific duty details such as “guarding Rehobeth beach.” Then there were those disenrolled for broken arms and legs or sickness. Not all the soldiers were heroes. Absenteeism plagued some units There were occasional deserters and more than one “discharged for intoxication.” These human-interest details enliven the text and make the book of genuine interest not only to descendants of those who served, but also to other readers of early American military history. Reviewed by John A. Baird, Jr. Final copy 31 December 2003 2003 Reviews 181 Land Records of Sussex County, Delaware, 1789—1792. By Judith K. Ardine. Delmarva Roots, Lewes, Delaware, 2002. viii plus 301 pages, index, paper. $25.00. This continues the publication of the Sussex County deeds by several authors. This volume is Book O-14, although the table of contents incorrectly identifies it as A-1. Sussex County deeds often contain long chains of titles describing family relationships and events in detail, thereby supplying genealogical proof. The practice is evident in many of the lengthy abstracts here, which the author has, commendably, presented so completely that they are almost transcripts. Kent County, Delaware, Guardian Accounts, Truitt to Young, 1755— 1849. By Mary Marshall Brewer. Colonial Roots, Lewes, Delaware, 2003. vi plus 171 pages, index, paper. $19.50. Guardian accounts are rich in statements of relationships. Guardianships often require several court appearances as children grew older, people died, and accounts were filed. Especially useful, but otherwise difficult to find, are statements concerning daughters who have married or widows who have remarried. This is the fourth volume (alphabetically) of the series, all of which were published in 2003. Probate Records of Kent County, Delaware, 1801—1812, Book N (from folio 250) through Book O. By Mary Marshall Brewer. Colonial Roots, Lewes, Delaware, 2002. vi plus 290 pages, index, paper. $25.00. Probate Records of Kent County, Delaware, 1812—1822, Book P. By Mary Marshall Brewer. Colonial Roots, Lewes, Delaware, 2003. vi plus 200 pages, index, paper. $19.50. Probate Records of Kent County, Delaware, 1822—1833, Book Q. By Mary Marshall Brewer. Colonial Roots, Lewes, Delaware, 2003. 255 pages, index, paper. $25.00. These records include wills and letters of administration. Leon deVallinger published a calendar of Kent County probates through 1800. Brewer chose to begin her abstracts where his left off, with January 1801. Anyone who has used both will immediately appreciate that Brewer’s very thorough abstracts provide much more information than is found in deVallinger’s basic calendar. If your ancestor died in Kent County, your research will go more quickly if he or she died after 1800. Orphans’ Court Proceedings of New Castle County, Delaware, 1742— 1761. By F. Edward Wright. Delmarva Roots, Lewes, Delaware, 2001. viii plus 185 pages, index, paper. $18.00. The minutes of the Orphans’ Court contain both a wealth of genealogical information and tedious detail. Many estates required several court appearances over a significant time range before they were settled. Be- Final copy 31 December 2003 182 Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Vol. 43 cause of this, we often can determine time ranges for marriages (as widows remarried), birth (as children chose their own guardians), and deaths (as heirs were identified as deceased). Without abstracts such as these, with every-name indexes, we could easily miss such clues. Maryland Bible Records, Volume 3: Carroll County. By Henry C. Peden, Jr. Colonial Roots, Lewes, Delaware, 2003. xi plus 249 pages, index, paper. $22.00. These 178 Bible records were collected and transcribed by individuals, by chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and by the Carroll County Genealogical Society. Photocopies and typescripts are at the Carroll County Historical Society in Westminster, Maryland. Monmouth County, New Jersey, Deeds, Books A, B, C, & D. By Richard S. Hutchinson. Heritage Books, Inc., Bowie, Maryland, 2000. 137 pages, index, paper. $27.00. Formed in 1683 as part of East Jersey Province, Monmouth is one of New Jersey’s original counties. From the beginning, this area was populated by settlers, mostly Quakers, from as far away as Barbados and as near as Long Island. Additionally, the New England colonies of Massachusetts and more especially Rhode Island were home to many early Monmouth County settlers. From the original deed books recorded at the courthouse in Freehold, Richard Hutchinson has abstracted the first 45 years of this county’s land records, 1669 to 1714. This publication presents a glimpse not only of the landowners and their neighbors, but also includes slave emancipations, marriages, bastardy cases, apprenticeships, and ear mark registrations. On occasion, guardianships and estate inventories were recorded, plus a number of interesting Indian deeds. Because these deeds often mention the grantor or grantee’s state or country of origin, a place index would have been a nice complement to the every-name index. That comment aside, anyone with early Monmouth County interests will find this a valuable publication. reviewed by Sandra M. Hewlett, CGRS Early Church Records of Somerset County, New Jersey, Volume 1. By Colonial Roots, Lewes, Delaware, 2002. vii plus 374 pages, index, paper. $28.00. The records abstracted are Neshanic (Dutch) Reformed Church baptisms; First Reformed (Dutch) Church, Raritan (Somerville), baptisms; Readington Reformed (Dutch) Church baptisms; Hillsborough (Millstone) Reformed (Dutch) Church baptisms; and Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church baptisms. These records were published in the Somerset County Historical Quarterly (1912—1919), except Basking Ridge, which was published in the Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey (1931). Final copy 31 December 2003 2003 Reviews 183 Intestates and Others from the Orphans Court Books of Monmouth Co., N.J. 1785—1906. By Judith B. Cronk. Clearfield Company, Baltimore, Maryland, 2002. v plus 236 pages, index, paper. This publication is not a complete abstract of these voluminous records, but instead focuses on those items that name heirs and other family members. These include settlements, distributions, accounts, petitions for land division, guardianships, and complaints about administrators. There are gaps in the records between 1816 and 1818 and between 1868 and 1882. Genealogical Abstracts from The Lambertville Press, Lambertville, New Jersey, 4 Nov. 1858 (Vol. 1 No. 1) to 30 Oct. 1861 (Vol. 3 No. 155). By Patricia B. Duncan. Heritage Books, Inc., Bowie, Maryland, 1999. vii plus 131 pages, map, index, paper. $22.00. The title terminology, “genealogical abstracts,” is inaccurate. The author has transcribed verbatim all items of local interest naming individuals. The volume is fascinating reading, as we learn in the typical wording of the times about business expansions, tragic accidents, court sessions, and a variety of misdeeds, in addition to the expected “genealogical” events of marriage and death. The book includes images of ads, the Hunterdon County Business Directory, election returns, a summary of US census returns, and the extensive text published at the declaration of war, followed soon after by muster rolls of local units. Hunterdon Co., New Jersey, 1895 State Census, Part II, Kingwood—West Amwell. By Patricia B. Duncan. Heritage Books, Inc., Bowie, Maryland, 1999. viii plus 217 pages, illustrations, index, paper. $34.00. The townships of Kingwood, Lebanon, Raritan, Readington, Tewksbury, Union, and West Amwell, plus the city of Lambertville, are included in this volume, a total of 18,400 residents. The name, age category (under 5, 5—20, 20—60, 60+), nationality (native colored, Irish, German, other, native white) is given for each individual, in enumeration order. The microfilm is at the New Jersey Archives. New Jersey Bible Records, Volume 1: Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, and Gloucester Counties. By Anna Miller Watring. Colonial Roots, Lewes, Delaware, 2002. vi plus 267 pages, index, paper. $24.00. New Jersey Bible Records, Volume 2: Salem and Cumberland Counties. By Anna Miller Watring. Colonial Roots, Lewes, Delaware, 2002. vi plus 267 pages, index, paper. $22.50. For many decades, members of the Daughters of the American Revolution have compiled genealogical records, most notably Bible records held by family members and in collections. These include records compiled by several chapters, but only pre-1900 records are published here. Final copy 31 December 2003 184 Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Vol. 43 FAMILY HISTORIES Singing the Tears: The Immigrant Journey. By Leona Shierant Gustaff. Privately published, Frederick, Maryland; order from Albert J. Gustaff, PO Box 4294, Frederick, Maryland 21705-4294. 206 pages, maps, illustrations, index, paper. Preface and prologue frame the four sections and twenty two chapters of this historical narrative, which tells of the transition of four Lithuanian and Polish immigrant families from Europe to nineteenth- and twentiethcentury America where they settled in the coal regions of Pennsylvania. The author’s stated primary purpose “is to leave her children a legacy, a family heritage,” but also to provide an account “of interest to a wider audience offering insight into places and experiences rapidly fading from living memory.” Singing the Tears relates the mixture of sorrow and anticipation experienced by her parents, her husband’s parents, and both pairs of grandparents, but in a way to appeal to anyone whose forebears left Europe to follow the vision of a better life in the United States. Gustaff provides helps for all her readers. In one place she lists the family’s principal names with their dates and relationships to the author. In another she notes that her Lithuanian family names have different endings to convey gender and marital status. For instance, Kubilives, Kubiliute, and Kubiliene are simply gender forms of the same family. There is also a useful pronunciation guide for Lithuanian and Polish names and examples of the Anglicization of those names. For example, Martinas became Martin, and Juozas became Joseph. Ona emerged as Ann and Magdelena as Margaret. While the book lacks a smooth narrative flow because of many pages interrupted by frequent brief, change-of-emphasis inserts, it succeeds in holding consistent reader interest. The author loves distinctive chapter titles including “Huckleberries and Mushrooms,” “The Model T Ford” and “Polkas, Movies and a Cornet.” There are also flashes of humor within numerous vignettes of life in the new land, such as an American dockside employment recruiter soliciting immigrants with a placard proclaiming “In Chicago you’ll get rich in the slaughterhouses.” The author’s parents were an exception to the usual family-arranged marriages of those days and communities. The men worked ten-hour, sixday weeks in the mines. The women worked all the time in their modest row homes. Singing is based on public records with large page gaps filled with “imaginative reconstruction.” Among Mrs. Gustaff’s favorite words are “possibly,” “probably,” and “undoubtedly,” as she writes the words her family would speak. This book touts the role of immigrants and argues that they should not be demeaned but appreciated for making America the colorful and fascinating place it is today. As Thomas L. Hollowak of the University of Balti- Final copy 31 December 2003 2003 Reviews 185 more puts it “this book shows that genealogy can serve a wider purpose and provide the resource for a wider audience.” Reviewed by John A. Baird, Jr. Colonial Families of Delaware, Volume 6. By F. Edward Wright. Colonial Roots, Lewes, Delaware, 2003. xiv plus 248 pages, index, paper. $23.00. Includes families of Banning, Bell, Boggs, Bowman, Bradley, Brown, Bryan, Cahoon, Caldwell, Callaway, Chance, Clifford, Coudrat, Denny, Downham, Dunlap, Durborow, Edmonds, Edmondson, Fitzgerald [Jarrell], Harper, Killingsworth, Luff, Morgan, Nichols, Rash, Reynolds, Saxton, Shurmer, Simpson, Skidmore, Snow, Stout, Triger, Tomblin [Tumlin], Turley, Vangaskin [Gaskin], Vickory, Voshell, Whitehead, Wilds, and Wood. Early Families of Southern Maryland, Volume 8. By Elise Greenup Jourdan. Willow Bend Books, Westminster, Maryland, 2000. 377 pages, index, paper. $30.00. Includes families of Stockett, Blizard, Fraser, Dunning, Mason, Herbert, Thorn, Dutton, Chunn, Amery, Higdon, Theobald, Foster, Nash, Briscoe, Slye, Gerrard, Swann, Allanson/Allison, Ford, Chiffin, Mariarte, Chandler, and Fowke; also includes corrections and editions to earlier volumes. These families are compiled from a variety of sources, including both published abstracts and material submitted from family researchers. Maximilian Leech (1763—1815) of Blockley and Kingsessing, a Supplement to William Fetters (1794) and Mary B. Leech: Ancestors and Descendants. By William Brooke Fetters. Printed by Anundsen Publishing Company, Decorah, Iowa, 2003; order from the author at 12814 Brunswick Lane, Bowie, MD 20715-2403. ix plus 175 plus iv plus 38 pages, indexes, cloth. $27.50 including shipping. The author has completed six volumes of his Columbiana County, Ohio, Pioneer Families series. Publication often leads to additional material. In this case, as the author comments, the “unexpectedly large amount [of] material gathered and generously provided to me by other Leech researchers” required an additional volume. History and Genealogy of Maynard, Maurer, and Related Families, Volume III. By William Benz Maynard. Gateway Press, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, 1993; order from the author, 329 Harristown Road, Glen Rock, NJ 07472-2809. Continuously paginated from Volume II, 873 pages, photographs, illustrations, index, paper. This volume is comprised of extensive corrections and additions to the two earlier volumes. There is no table of contents nor easily understood organization, so it is suggested that readers rely on the index. Final copy 31 December 2003 186 Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Vol. 43 The Motherals of North America and Allied Families. By Bruce Motheral and Jennie Motheral. The authors, 828 Sidney Baker, Kerrville, TX 78028, 1992. 379 pages, photographs, maps, appendix, index, paper. The Motheral name appears in several eighteenth- and nineteenthcentury Pennsylvania records, but they have not been connected. The book includes descendants of John Motheral of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, for seven generations, but is undocumented. Ancestors and Descendants of Josef Franz Otto and Elisabetha Goldberg Otto of Neufranzenthal, Bohemia, and Carbon County, Pennsylvania. By William Augustine Bechtel. Century Press, 1993; order from the author, PO Box 91, 2 East Railroad Street, Nesquehoning, PA 18240-0091. x plus 230 pages, photographs, illustrations, paper. $24.95. In 1849 Josef Franz Otto, his wife, and four children came to America and settled in the Catholic community in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 1852 they returned to Austria, but settled, finally, in 1859 in Carbon County, Pennsylvania. The book reproduces many documents and photographs. Descendants will appreciate the box charts shown with each family unit being discussed. Genealogy of George Washington Peairs, His Forebears and Descendants from Pennsylvania to Tennessee on to Missouri. By Mrs. John H. Renner [Helen Ruth], RR1, Box 137, Montgomery City, MO 63361. iv plus 162 pages, photographs, maps, index, paper. The evidence is good connecting Isaac and Jonathan Pierce of Sumner County, Tennessee, with the Isaac and Jonathan Pierce who were in present-day Fayette County, Pennsylvania, in its earliest years. As the author points out, Isaac was probably Jonathan’s father, but he could have been another relation. She presents the lineage through Jonathan’s greatgrandson, another Isaac. Ratliff-Keller, Book Two, Louisville, Tennessee, and Memorabilia. By Carl M. Ratliff, Jr. Printed by Anundsen Publishing Co., Decorah, Iowa, 1982; order from the author, Box 247, Gradyville, PA 19039. v plus 211 pages, photographs, illustrations, maps, appendix, surname index, cloth. This volume provides background and history for the previously published family group sheets. It reprints six chapters of a 1922 Blount County history, followed by three chapters written in 1955 by Willie Mae Prater French and Elizabeth Anderson Prather. Additional information covers the Keller, Crozler, Ratliff, Mack, Woolen, Hall, and Smith families. Final copy 31 December 2003 2003 Reviews 187 The Descendants of William Sabin of Rehoboth, Massachusetts. By Gordan Alan Morris, Thomas J. Prittle, and Dixie Prittle. Penobscot Press, Rockport, Maine, 1994; order from Philip S. Hibbard, 108 Bayou Lane, Kemah, TX 77565. xv plus 1163 pages, photographs, maps, bibliography, index, cloth. $79.95 plus $5.00 shipping. William Sabin was born in 1609 in Titchfield, Hampshire, England, and was in Rehoboth, Massachusetts by 1643. Over 9,000 descendants of nineteen of his twenty children are followed to the present. The descendants of the twentieth child were covered in a previous publication. The every-name index, which includes years of birth and death, make it easy to find individuals, even in a work this large. Early German American Schupp/Shupp/Shup Families and Their Descendants from the 1600s to the Present. By Atwood James Shupp and Katherine F. Shupp. Printed by Closson Press, 1995; order from the authors, 444 Roosevelt Avenue, Glendora, NJ 08029. 3 volumes, continuously paginated, xviii plus 1698 pages, photographs, appendix, index, paper. John George Schupp was born in 1705 in Mertzweiler, Germany. He arrived in Pennsylvania in 1739 and settled in Stochsburg. Other family units arrived over the next two centuries. Volumes I and II are primarily an extensive computer-generated printout linking together all Schupp/ Shupp/Shup families in America. Volume III contains a descendant table, the index, and many photographs and items of family interest. A Genealogy of Sherwin-Shedd and Allied Families in America, Being the Ancestry of Sidney Orville Sherwin and Mary Adelaide Shedd. By Alyce Adams Burrell. Gateway Press, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, 1990; order from the author, 2523 Echo Hill Drive, Norco, CA 91760. xvi plus 447 pages, bibliography, chart, index, cloth. In addition to lineages from John Sherwin, 1666 immigrant to Ipswich, Massachusetts, and Daniel Shedd, 1658 immigrant to Billerica, Massachusetts, this compilation of the New England and English ancestry of the author’s maternal grandparents includes lines for 79 other surnames. More Steffy Family Connections. By Gerald R. Steffy. The author, 6206 N. Hamilton Road, Peoria, IL 61614, 1992. Continuation pagination from previous volume, 68 pages, photograph, illustration, index, paper. This addendum to My Steffy Family Connections (1990) includes information on the Watson, Williams, Mauzey, Withers, Keene, Ford, Million, and Seaton families, primarily of Virginia and Kentucky. This publication includes an index to both volumes. Final copy 31 December 2003 188 Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Vol. 43 The Reverend Samuel Suther V.D.M., 1722—1788, German Reformed Minister of the Two Carolinas and Some of His Descendants to the Fifth and Sixth Generations. By Carol S. Scott. The author, 622 Hanover Ct., Rock Hill, SC 29732, 1993. 99 pages, photographs, illustrations, map, appendix, index, paper. The first portion of this book is an article published in the North Carolina Genealogical Society Journal in 1993 in which the author attempted to fill in informational gaps on the traditional biographies for her husband’s ancestor, plus a discussion of those biographies. The second portion identifies several generations of descendants in southern states. Willcott, Kay, Timberlake, and Allied Families. By Larry Lee Blackman. The author, 3 Ten Eyke Circle, Pittsford, NY 14534. xviii plus 507 pages, pedigree charts, photographs, three indexes, cloth. $37.95. In addition to the families of the title, this book includes Behne, Leach, McFadden, Richardson, Ricketson, and Shafer families. The McFaddens settled in what is today Juniata County by 1769 and married into the Bell and Adams families. The Boyds and Kay/Keys were early Quaker immigrants whose descendants moved to Bedford County. The First VBH. By Edward Roberts Barnsley. Ruth Elizabeth Barnsley, 2 Barclay Court, Newtown, PA 18940, 1993. 2 volumes, continuously paginated, xii plus 287 pages, photographs, illustrations, index, cloth. Andreas Evarardus van Braam Houckgeest was born in Werkhoven, Holland, in 1739. He led a varied life, traveling several times to the Orient, residing for some years in Charleston, South Carolina, and later building an opulent retirement home, China’s Retreat, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The biography includes information on several generations of ancestors and descendants. The Wadleigh Chronicle. By Donald E. Wadleigh. Heritage Books, Inc., Bowie, Maryland, 1992. xxxiv plus 458 pages, appendix, three indexes, paper. $31.00. The book lists 13 generations of descendants, through the author’s grandchildren, of John Wadley, born about 1600 probably in Bristol, Devonshire, who came to Saco, Maine, in 1632. Information is compiled entirely from secondary sources, which are listed in an appendix. Forebears and Family of Donald Clarke Watson. By Katharine Clarke Watson Hiam. The author, 1992. 134 pages, index, cloth. The author traces 21 of her paternal lines from the immigrant ancestor, including Barron, Bliss, Clarke, Crowell, Edwards, Fairfield, Fanning, Hurlbut, Kingsley, Loomer, Lyman, McKinstry, Mitchell, Parsons, Sheldon, Stebbins, Strong, Watson, Whitman, and Willis, mainly from New England. Final copy 31 December 2003 2003 Reviews ORDERING INFORMATION BARE ROOTS PUBLISHING COMPANY PO Box 134, Southampton, PA 18966-0134 Phone: 215-355-2881 Fax: 215-355-6311 Internet: www.members.aol.com/bareroot Shipping: $5 for first book Tax: 6% for Pennsylvania residents BETTERWAY BOOKS 1507 Dana Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45207 Phone: 800-289-0963 Fax: 888-590-4082 Internet: www.familytreemagazine.com Shipping: $3.95 for first volume; $1.95 for each additional volume Tax: Colorado, Michigan, New York, and Ohio residents add tax CLEARFIELD COMPANY: See Genealogical Publishing Company COLONIAL ROOTS DELMARVA ROOTS 217 Schley Ave., Lewes, DE 19958 Phone: 800-576-8608 Internet: www.colonialroots.com Shipping: $5.00 for first volume; $1.00 for each additional item DELMARVA ROOTS: See Colonial Roots GENEALOGICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY CLEARFIELD COMPANY 1001 N. Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202-3897 Phone: 800-296-6687 Fax: 410-752-8492 Internet: www.genealogical.com Shipping: $3.50 for first volume; $1.25 for each additional volume Tax: 5% for Maryland residents; 6% for Michigan residents HERITAGE BOOKS, INC.: See Willow Bend Books RUTLEDGE HILL PRESS 404 BNA Drive, Suite 508, Nashville, TN 37217 Phone 800-251-4000 Fax 615-902-2671 Internet www.ThomasNelson.com SANTA MONICA PRESS PO Box 1076, Santa Monica, CA 90406 Phone: 800-784-9553 Internet: www.santamonicapress.com Shipping: $3.00 for first volume; $.50 for each additional volume Tax: 8.25% for California residents WILLOW BEND BOOKS HERITAGE BOOKS, INC. 65 E. Main St., Westminster, MD 21157-5036 Phone: 800-876-6103 or 410-876-6101 Fax: 410-871-2674 Internet: www.WillowBendBooks.com Shipping: $4.00 for first volume; $1.00 for each additional item Tax: 5% for Maryland residents Final copy 31 December 2003 189 Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania Spring and Summer Book Sale! 50% Off selected publications sale ends 31 August 2004 MS1 Guide to the Mortgages of the General Loan Office of the Province of Pennsylvania, 1724–1756 $17.95 $8.97 MS2 Guide to the Records of the State of Commonwealth Property in the County of Philadelphia, 1780–1798 $14.95 $7.47 MS3 Colonial Philadelphians $29.95 $14.97 MS5 Military Petitions for Naturalization Filed in the Philadelphia [County] District Court 1862–1874 $15.00 $7.50 MS6 Pennsylvania Civil War Veteran Burials: Adams and Perry Counties $15.00 $7.50 MS7 The Back Part of Germantown, A Reconstruction $11.00 $5.50 SP1 The Pennsylvania Militia in 1777 $5.00 $2.50 SP2 How to Search for Your Revolutionary Patriot in Pennsylvania $2.00 $1.00 SP3 Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Marriages, 1761–1800 $4.00 $2.00 SP9 Guide to 1930 Pennsylvania City and County Directories $8.97 $17.95 Special flat rate for this sale only: $4.00 shipping per order. Pennsylvania residents add 6% sales tax; Philadelphia residents add 7% sales tax. Credit card orders accepted by telephone. order from Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania 215 South Broad Street, 7th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19107—5325 215-545-0391 Final copy 31 December 2003 New! from the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Land Applications Volume 2: New Purchase Applications, 1769–1773 by Kenneth D. McCrea, Ph.D. 3,855 land applications never before published In 1769 the land covered by the New Purchase was in the counties of Berks, Cumberland, and Northampton. This vast area included the present-day counties of: Allegheny Armstrong Beaver Bradford Cambria Centre Clearfield Clinton Columbia Cumberland Greene Indiana Lackawanna Luzerne Lycoming Montour Northumberland Pike Somerset Sullivan Susquehanna Union Washington Wayne Westmoreland Wyoming These records include the names of the applicants, the names of those filing later paperwork, and the names of neighbors, plus references to the surveys. The every-name index has about 11,000 entries. 480 pages, hardbound. $40.00 plus $4.00 shipping. Member price: $36.00 plus $4.00 shipping. Pennsylvania residents add 6% sales tax; Philadelphia residents add 7% sales tax. Credit card orders accepted by telephone. order from Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania 215 South Broad Street, 7th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19107—5325 215-545-0391 Final copy 31 December 2003