Petition to keep the Georgia archives open

You can sign the petition here.

Georgia state archives closing to the public

Another casualty of state and local budget cuts. Read about it here.

New data on UK @ Ancestry.com

spittalstreet.com reports that Ancestry.com has added a lot of new information, most of it regarding the UK, with a smattering of U.S. stuff.

Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness

Just learned of the passing late last year of Bridgett Schneider, half of a husband and wife team that administered the Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness website for 11 years. As the message board at the site shows, many people benefited over the years from RAOGK. The service has been discontinued, but a new one has been created to fill the void: generousgenealogists.com/. They are soliciting volunteers to assist with obituary lookups, etc, in their area. We have already volunteered to be the contact for Hernando County. In addition, there are RAOGKusa and RAOGKinternational groups on Facebook, and there is also  FIGB.

Scottish ancestors

If your roots go WAY back to  medieval Scotland... Haur ye gae! *  This database contains the names of 21,000 Scots found in documents  created between 1093 and 1314.


Be happy while you're living, for you're a long time dead.
Scottish Proverb


* here you go!

Be ye a witch?

We never know who will tumble out when we shake our family tree.
 A whopping 35% of respondents to a survey by the New England Historic Genealogical Society said that they had an ancestor tried as a witch either in Salem or somewhere else.   The NEHGS  newsletter also provided some good links to the trials, including original documents:
A Note from the Editor: Salem Witchcraft Trial Resources
by Lynn Betlock, Editor
Last week’s survey question on ancestors accused of witchcraft prompted many reader emails on the Salem witchcraft trials and the genealogical connections of those who were affected. Given the interest in the topic, this week we present some resources for further study.
Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project
A collaborative effort undertaken by the University of Virginia and various partners, this website contains seventeenth-century documents, historical maps, biographical sketches, full-text volumes, and more.
Salem Witchcraft Trials 1692
The Salem witchcraft trials are among those profiled in the Famous Trials series by Douglas O. Linder of the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Law.
Salem Witchcraft Hysteria
Presented by National Geographic, this interactive site allows users to “experience the trials.”
The Salem Witch Museum’s 1692 Sites Tour
Users can click on a modern map of Essex County to find out more about witchcraft-related sites in Salem and ten other area towns.
The Comprehensive Salem Guide
A guide to today’s Salem.
"A Genealogical Perspective on the Salem Witchcraft Trials" by Marilynne K. Roach
This spring 2008 New England Ancestors cover story “presents four cases that illustrate how genealogical analysis proved useful in adding detail and identifying key people.” The article includes over a page of suggested resources that cites genealogical articles for specific individuals and families, including Bishop, English, Bridges, Burroughs, Corey, How, Jacobs, Martin, Proctor, Putnam, Tyler, and Wilkins.
"Hunting for Salem 'Witches” in Your Family Tree" by Maureen A. Taylor
This article on AmericanAncestors.org describes a number of Salem witchcraft trial resources.

Georgia's "Virtual Vault"

If you're roots are in the Peach State, this  website might be for you.

 "The Virtual Vault provides virtual access to historic Georgia manuscripts, photographs, maps, and government records housed in the state archives".

There is a lot of information here, all free.