Newspapers for Genealogists

GenealogyBank.comGenealogyBank.com

Newspapers for Genealogists: Finding the Details of your Ancestor’s Lives

Thomas Jay KempNEFHC

Franklin, Massachusetts23 March 2012


Newspapers 5,850 & Growing! 1690-Today


Newspapers 5,850 & Growing! 1690-Today


◦Over 5,850 newspapers All 50 states 1690 to today

◦Over 1.1 Billion Records◦Over 263,000 rare books &

documents◦Over 206 million obituaries

& death records


Key items in newspapers …


Boston News-Letter. July 24 July 31, 1704. page 4‐

Obituaries

Obituaries


James Edwin Ayres (1817-1893) and his wife Ann (Ford) Ayres (1817-1901) are listed in the 1850 census for Greenburgh, Westchester County, New York.






Hudson River Chronicle (Sing Sing, NY) 12 December 1848

Obituary notice for Lovina Ayres born 7 August 1846

died 28November 1848


Births


Aberdeen (SD) Daily Herald. 10 December 1999, page 18.


• Aberdeen (SD) Daily Herald. 10 December 1999, page 18.

• Child’s name, date and place of birth

• Mother’s maiden name

• Names of both sets of grand-parents

• Names of the great grandparents


Fort Wayne Sentinel. 13 April 1917. page 18


• “This is their third daughter”

• “Mr. Monroe left about three weeks ago for a southern camp (Army), where he was called in the draft.”

• Mrs. Monroe – formerly Miss Rhea Holtzberg – a teacher in the Butler City schools Fort Wayne Sentinel. 13 April 1917. page 18



Trenton Evening Times. 4 October 1964. Page 49.


Dallas Morning NewsNovember 19, 1978


Dallas Morning NewsNovember 19, 1978


Marriage announcements


Engagements


Clues• Names of the bride

and groom• Name and location of

the church• Date of the wedding• Where the couple

will live

• Names of the parents of the bride

• Biographical information

• Members of the wedding party

• Pictures


Independent Inquirer (Brattleboro, Vermont) 28 June 1834, page 3


Eastern ArgusPortland, Maine: 19 Aug 1828 – Page 3











Philadelphia Inquirer29 Jan 1895



• Names, ages



• Names, ages• Residence



• Names, ages• Residence• Where married



• Names, ages• Residence• Where married• 1st wife died, 14

months ago




months ago• Married 63 years




months ago• Married 63 years• Only death in family




months ago• Married 63 years• Only death in family• # of children,

grandchildren etc.



1880 Census1880 CensusGarrett County, MDGarrett County, MD



1880 Census1880 CensusGarrett County, MDGarrett County, MD


Dallas Morning News (Texas)19 January 1948, Section 2, page 13



Boston Post Boy (Massachusetts) 22 July 1751, page 2


Commercial Daily Register (Sandusky, Ohio)25 January 1862, page 1






Family Reunions


Family Reunions

• Held at Oakland Park, Decatur, Illinois

• Descendents of Jacob Garver of Switzerland

• The American line of this family descends from Christian Garver, Jacob’s son, who immigrated to America in 1790

• Christian Garver settled in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania

• David Garver came to Decatur, Illinois, in 1840

• Other family members


Friend. (Honolulu, Hawaii). 28 February 1878. page 13

Family ReunionsFamily Reunions



- He was from Hampton, NH - Left home abt. 25 years ago (around 1853)

- Now abt. 50-60 yrs. old - He sailed on the ships Montezuma, William Thompson and

Roman - He had sailed out of New Bedford, MA

- He once sailed under a Master Allen - Others named:

Rev. Mr. Butler of New Bedford, MA Mrs. J. C. Hardy of Haverhill, MA


Friend. (Honolulu, Hawaii). 1 April 1879




- Sailor looking for his family: Peter Gennett - His birthplace: Albany, New York

- Lost contact with his family 30 yrs ago (around 1841) - Father: John W. Gennett; kept a grocery story in Albany,

naturalized Frenchman - long-time sexton of the only Chatholic Church in Albany

- Mother: Johanna Henny (or Hennie); Scotch by birth, she was a native of Nova Scotia

- Family: eight children - Cornelia, William, Peter, John, Edward, Frances, Charles and Henry

- William: a cabinet maker; was deaf and dumb - Frances: was at the New York Deaf & Dumb Asylum


The Irish World (New York, New York) 3 December 1904, page 8



Reilly (Leitrim—New York)

- Patrick Reilly left Carrickallen, Ireland, 13 years ago (about 1891)

- He was last heard from 5 years ago (about 1899)

- He was a motorman on a street car in NYC - Mother’s maiden name: Hagan

- Sisters: Bridget and Mary - Brother: Edward, Butte, Montana (he placed

the ad)



O’Mealy (United States)

- John O’Mealy left New York in May 1873 and has not been seen or heard from since

- He was supposed to have gone to Texas - He was five feet nine inches tall, with medium

complexion, brown hair, and blue eyes - Sister: Maggie, now Mrs. M. Coonan

- Sister’s address: 624 Greenwich Street, NYC



Murphy (Canada—United States)

- Sarah Ann Murphy left Perth, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada, in 1872 or 1873

- She would now (1904) be about 46 years old - She has dark hair and eyes, and is heavy-set

- She might be in Almonte, Ontario - Sought by: W. E. McGwigan of 305 High Street,

Salem, Oregon


AdvertisementsAdvertisements

Public Ledger (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)22 June 1842, page 3


AdvertisementsAdvertisements


Military Records


• Names and rank• Name of the camp• Ages• Information about

other family members serving in the military

• Illness• Names and localities of

next of kin• Name of the funeral

home


Last Revolutionary War Pension granted in 1887 NH Sentinel 10 Aug 1887

Military RecordsMilitary Records


Last Revolutionary War Pension granted in 1887

NH Sentinel 10 Aug 1887

FactsFactsMrs. Mary CaseyMrs. Mary Casey

of Washington, of Washington, Fayette County, OhioFayette County, Ohio

Husband: John CaseyHusband: John CaseyServed Rev War: Virginia Served Rev War: Virginia LineLine

Died 1845 – age 75Died 1845 – age 75(Born abt. 1770)(Born abt. 1770)

““A few years prior..”A few years prior..”he married Mary Cox, he married Mary Cox, then a girl of 16then a girl of 16


Military Records

Perry Republican (Perry, Oklahoma)26 July 1917, page 1


Military Records

Trenton Evening Times (Trenton, New Jersey)25 May 1921, page 1


Military Records


Military Records

Barre Gazette (Barre, Massachusetts) 31 July 1840, page 2:


Passenger Lists


Passenger Lists


Passenger Lists

The Shamrock – 17 August 1816


Biography & Photo/Image



• Born April 26, 1826, in Lewisburg, Preble County, Ohio, the son of Samuel and Phebe (Willis) Freeman•Moved from Ohio to Illinois - nine years old•Homestead Act May 20, 1862, to take effect on January 1, 1863 •“Company H of the Seventeenth Illinois Volunteers” stationed in Nebraska during the Civil War• “ordered to return to St. Louis” not in town when the land record office opened on January 2, 1863—but the Recorder of Deeds, James Bedford, agreed to accommodate Freeman’s situation and made an exception: he administered the oath to Freeman at midnight the morning of January 1st so that Freeman could leave to report to St. Louis as ordered•Married the “girl next door”—Agnes Suiter (1843-1931)—and they built their lives together there in Brownsville, Nebraska






Probate & Legal Notices


Probate & Legal Notices• Where: Cheshire County, NH

– Probate Court• Administrator of case: Warren

H. Jennison, of Walpole, Cheshire County, NH

• Deceased: John Jennison, Jr., died in Walpole

• Estate: of John Jennison, Jr., “is not sufficient to pay the demands due from his Estate”

• Mentions “widow”


Probate & Legal Notices• Property boundaries: gives

boundaries in all four directions

• Property size: 100 acres• Action: Warren H. Jennison,

administrator of the estate of John Jennison, Jr., on February 17, 1876, asks permission to sell John’s entire real estate holding to settle his affairs


Probate & Legal Notices• The heirs-at-law of the before-

named John Jennison, Jr.• Must appear at the probate

court in Keene “on the third Friday of March next

• 17 March 1876



Commercial Advertiser

23 September 1828.



Idaho Statesman

15 July 1915


Social Notes


Practical Tips -


Practical Tips - Practical Tips -




Practical Tips


Practical Tips -

◦ Try Surname Search FirstTry Surname Search First








Practical Tips -

◦ Try Surname Search FirstTry Surname Search First◦Add first nameAdd first name


Practical Tips -

◦ Try Surname Search FirstTry Surname Search First◦Add first nameAdd first name Add yearAdd year


Practical Tips -

◦ Try Surname Search FirstTry Surname Search First◦Add first nameAdd first name Add yearAdd year

◦ Try abbreviationsTry abbreviations◦ WilliamWilliam◦ Wm.Wm.◦ BillBill


Practical Tips -


Can You Read This?i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg.

The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm.

Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!


We have never had this level of access before

Education

Newspapers for Genealogists