RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 11, 2019
KINSEARCHING
by
Marleta Childs
P. O. Box 6825
LUBBOCK, TX 79493-6825
[email protected]
After family researchers have mined the obvious, easily accessible genealogical resources, such as vital statistics, they must, by necessity, turn to various other sources to fill in the data gaps about their ancestors. One of the most neglected resources is religious records. To help shed light on this ignored material, Sunny Jane Morton and Harold A. Henderson have compiled HOW TO FIND YOUR FAMILY HISTORY IN U. S. CHURCH RECORDS: A GENEALOGIST’S GUIDE WITH SPECIFIC RESOURCES FOR MAJOR CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS BEFORE 1900.
Although U. S. civil records may exist for a particular place or era, corresponding church records may provide a second source of documentation to help substantiate facts found elsewhere. More importantly, church documents may reveal unique details about numerous people, especially in areas where denominational materials listed important events in their members’ lives before local government records were created. For example, church records may possibly note individuals’ birth, marriage, or death; women’s maiden or married names; family relationships; other residences; or immigrants’ birthplaces overseas. In addition, information may occur about forebears who were unnamed in other resources.
If denominational records can contain valuable genealogical information, why are they so often overlooked? Primarily because U. S. church records may not be easy to track down and, therefore, are not readily available for research. In their new guide, however, Morton and Henderson take researchers step-by-step through the process of identifying, locating, and gaining access to these genealogical gems.
Focusing on the twelve major Christian denominations before 1900, the authors furnish separate chapters on the following: Anglican/Episcopal, Baptist, Congregational, Dutch Reformed/Reformed Church in America, German Churches: Reformed and Sectarian (Church of the Brethren, German Reformed and Evangelical Synod, Moravian, Schwenkfelder, United Brethren in Christ and Evangelical Association), Latter-day Saint (Mormon), Lutheran, Mennonite and Amish, Methodist, Quaker (Religious Society of Friends), Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic. For each faith, they supply basic background information, discuss specific materials and their genealogical expectations, tell how to access the records (especially if they are available online), and provide a list of books and articles for further reading.
In their new reference work, Morton and Henderson have done their best to bring attention to denominational records and ensure their use. A copy of HOW TO FIND YOUR FAMILY HISTORY IN U. S. CHURCH RECORDS: A GENEALOGIST’S GUIDE WITH SPECIFIC RESOURCES FOR MAJOR CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS BEFORE 1900 will be a worthwhile addition to genealogical library collections.
The 143-page book has attractive soft covers, an introduction, charts, maps, illustrations, and a topical index. To the book's price of $29.95, buyers should add the cost for postage and handling charges. For U. S. postal mail, the cost is $5.50 for one book and $2.50 for each additional copy; for FedEx ground service, the cost is $7.50 for one copy and $2.50 for each additional book. The volume (item order #3911) may be purchased by check, money order, MasterCard, or Visa from Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 3600 Clipper Mill Rd., Suite 260, Baltimore, Maryland 21211-1953. For phone orders, call toll free 1-800-296-6687; fax 1-410-752-8492; website at www.genealogical.com.