RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 30, 2014
KINSEARCHING
by
Marleta Childs
P. O. Box 6825
LUBBOCK, TX 79493-6825
[email protected]
Another recent addition to the popular “Genealogy at a Glance” series focuses on one of the thirteen original colonies in the South. North Carolina Genealogy Research, compiled by Michael A. Ports, furnishes an overview of basic information that researchers need to know in order to navigate successfully through the various genealogical resources of the Tar Heel State.
Because the study of genealogy is closely connected to history, Ports supplies background data about the area’s early exploration, organization, and settlement. He explains, for example, that the number of people in North Carolina grew slowly. Despite an influx of German, Scots-Irish, and other settlers beginning about 1750, the colony still did not flourish as hoped. In fact, the population of the state was less than 394,000 when the 1790 census was taken.
Emphasizing traditional state and county materials, Ports briefly describes the main resources, like birth, marriage, divorce, and death documents; probate records; land grants; and military records. In addition, he tells about supplementary sources, such as bonds and the state census of 1785-1787. For several record categories, Ports provides titles of publications for further reference and valuable research tips.
Luckily for family researchers, North Carolina’s county records are usually complete. Since the North Carolina Office of Archives and History in Raleigh hold the original or microfilm copies of most of the county materials, the author suggests that, as a general rule of thumb, genealogists begin their search in Raleigh.
In case family researchers want to get in touch with some of North Carolina’s major repositories, Ports furnishes the names, phone numbers, mailing addresses, and websites of several archives and libraries. He also gives the websites for a few online resources and briefly relates what kind of services they offer.
Following the standard format of the series, Ports condenses into four laminated pages a huge amount of information about a specific subject into its key elements. North Carolina Genealogy Research is a handy, compact guide that will be useful to family researchers whose roots extend back to the Tar Heel State. Since Christmas is fast approaching, a copy may be the perfect gift for individuals interested in tracing their roots in that area of the South.
To the guide's price of $8.95, buyers should add the cost for postage and handling charges. For U. S. postal mail, the cost is $4.50 for one item and $2.50 for each additional copy; for FedEx ground service, the cost is $6.00 for one copy and $2.50 for each additional item. The guide (item order 4666) may be purchased by check, money order, MasterCard, or Visa from Genealogical Publishing Company, 3600 Clipper Mill Rd., Suite 260, Baltimore, MD 21211-1953. For phone orders, call toll free 1-800-296-6687; fax 1-410-752-8492; website www.genealogical.com.
While it is true that people are busy getting ready for the holiday season, it only takes a minute to mark 10-11 April 2015 on your calendar as the dates for the Virginia Genealogical Society’s spring conference in Richmond, Virginia. Perhaps one of your New Year’s Resolutions will be to make plans to attend. The theme for the meeting will be “Unlocking Your Ancestors’ Stories: Using the Resources of Ancestry.com.” Featured speaker will be Anne Gillespie Mitchell, a senior product manager at Ancestry.com. For costs and further information, go to the website at http://www.vgs.org or write to VGS Spring Conference, 1900 Byrd Avenue, Suite 104, Richmond, Virginia 23230-3033.