Publications Make Searching Easier

Sun., Sept. 13, 1998

Donna Potter Phillips The Spoke

If you have ancestors to research in Georgia or Pennsylvania, it’s likely you might need a little help. Both the Peachtree and Keystone states can be difficult places for genealogists to hunt.

Help is available, however, through the Georgia Department of Archives and History which offers several free publications to ancestor seekers, including “Documenting Family History in Georgia: How to Begin.”

One helpful tip from that source reads: “In Georgia, most of the important official records which serve to document family history are created as a function of county government. Marriages and estate records (wills, letters of administration, estate inventories, etc.), for example, are records of the Probate Court.

“Deeds, including slave deeds, criminal and civil court cases are Superior Court records. Among other county records which may be useful in family history research are property tax digests, voter registration lists, and registers of physicians, dentists, lawyers and other professionals authorized to practice in a particular county.”

The Georgia Department of Archives and History is the official repository for some of these county records, as well as some private and state records.

If you are beginning to research in this Southern state and could use a helping hand, write to the Georgia Archives, 330 Capitol Ave., S.E., Atlanta, GA 30334.

And, for a bonus, be sure to request any free, genealogy-related publications as well as information on any archives guides.

Meanwhile, in the northeast portion of the country, Jean S. Morris, a professional researcher and specialist in Pennsylvania, has compiled several publications helpful in researching that state:

“Maps Showing the Development of Pennsylvania 1681-1920” is a reprint of a 1920 manuscript compiled by state officials. One of its 15 pages tells of border controversies Pennsylvania encountered with Virginia and Maryland. Another page details land certificates given to Pennsylvania soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War. Cost is $7, postpaid.

“Library Research in Pennsylvania,” is 28 pages of addresses, listed by county, of all genealogical and historical libraries, as well as church and ethnic libraries in the state. This booklet sells for $6.50, postpaid.

“How to Locate Your French & Indian War (1754-1763) Ancestor,” is a bibliography of sources helpful in locating ancestors who fought in this war during the Colonies and Canadian campaigns. Cost is $7, postpaid.

Soon to be completed are: “Pennsylvania’s Border Controversies with Delaware, Connecticut, Maryland, New York and Virginia: Chronology & Bibliography of Sources”; “How to Locate Your Pennsylvania Quaker Ancestors”; and “Catalog of the Manuscript Collections in the Libraries of Western Pennsylvania.”

You can contact Morris for help with your family history problems at P.O. Box 8530, Pittsburgh, PA 15220-0530, or telephone her at (412) 734-4563. Her e-mail is morrisjean@juno.com.

Today’s Tip: “The Ultimate Search Book: Worldwide Adoption and Vital Records,” by Lori Carangelo, is a brand new and much-needed reference. More than 25 percent of American families are affected by adoption, making the need for this book enormous.

It can be ordered for $39.95, plus $6 postage, from Heritage Quest, P.O. Box 329, Bountiful, UT 84011-0329, or call (800) 760-2455. Order online at www.heritagequest.com.

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