Most Americans with sizable New England Yankee, mid-Atlantic Quaker, or Southern “planter” ancestry are descended from medieval kings–kings of England, Scotland, and France especially. This book tells you how. Outlined on 1,084 pages of charts are the best royal descents–i.e., from the most recent king–of 900 (actually 993) immigrants to the American colonies, Quebec, or the United States who were themselves notable or left descendants notable in American history.

“In the 1660's three fugitives from justice came to New England to escape being drawn and quartered in London. They had been among the 59 judges in the trial of England's King Charles the First who found him guilty of betraying his own people and sentenced him to death by beheading. For the next eleven years, England was governed by men trying to create a different kind of government, one led not by a monarch with divine rights, but by the people.

Virginia was not only the largest and most populous of the American colonies, but its population was also highly migratory within Virginia’s borders and beyond. Little wonder then that so many family historians need to research Virginian ancestors. In this webinar, Senior Genealogist Kyle Hurst shares her go-to Virginia-based resources within five categories: genealogies, journals, land, taxation, and history.

Created by David Allen Lambert,  Chief Genealogist

Published: October 2022

PDF Download, 9 pages

Created by David Allen Lambert,  Chief Genealogist

Published: October 2022

PDF Download, 8 pages

Unclear as to what date “21 1mo 1708/9” refers to? What about “4 Mary”? While dates are foundational to your family history research, they’re not always straightforward in the record or follow a modern calendar system. This online lecture covers common calendar systems that you may encounter in your research, discuss how to interpret and record them, and suggest several online conversion tools to understand these dates in familiar terms.

Settlement houses first appeared in the United States in the late 1880s, modeled after London’s Toynbee Hall. Located in neighborhoods largely comprised of poor and immigrant populations, the purpose of these houses was to help improve the condition of area residents, both young and old, by offering educational programs and assisting with social services. Settlement houses quickly became a vital resource for members of these communities in the late 19th and early 20th century.

By the end of the War of 1812, nearly 35,000 American Regulars and 458,000 militia had served on land and sea. In this syllabus, Chief Genealogist David Allen Lambert provides a quick guide to essential records for researching War of 1812 veterans, links to resources (both in print and online), and more.

By the conclusion of the American Civil War, an estimated 179,000 Black men had served in the U.S. Army and another 19,000 in the Navy.

Many family historians’ genealogical journey takes them to Pennsylvania. Since its founding, Pennsylvania has seen countless waves immigrants settle within its borders. Luckily, there are many published resources that can assist in our research. In this online lecture, Genealogist Ann Lawthers shares her go-to Pennsylvania-based resources within five categories: History, Immigration, Record Compilations, Genealogies, and Land. Learn about essential published sources that help trace Pennsylvanian ancestors through time and place.