Many people are descended from John Billington, a signer of the Mayflower Compact, who was convicted of murdering another man and suffered death by hanging at Plymouth, Massachusetts.   Billington was the first in New England to take another man’s life. Many have tripped down this same path, some against their own family members. In a [...]

Once you find an article in a newspaper, how do you glean clues from it?  Let’s start with an example.  I found the following obituary in a newspaper clipping tucked in the back of a daguerreotype photo, inside a small carved case.  On the inside of the case someone had written, “G. McQuire taken in [...]

Have you tried to find a newspaper article on a relative and you think you know when and where the event occurred, but couldn’t figure out what newspapers may have been published for that time and where you could find them today?  Would you love to have one place to go, a site with a [...]

I know you look in newspapers for obituaries, but that’s not the only reason you should be checking them. You may also find your ancestor: Went to court about a lawsuit Named in a list of heirs for probate proceedings Entered a partnership in a business Ended a partnership in a business Appeared in the [...]

Book Winner Thank you to everyone who entered the random drawing for Elizabeth Shown Mills book, Evidence: Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian.  The winner was selected by Random.org. The winner is Margaret of Bountiful, Utah. If you did not win but would like to purchase a copy, you can access it from my [...]