Bryna O’Sullivan

How old were those who fought in the American Revolution?

To identify “service” during the American Revolution, we generally look at those born between the 1710s and the 1760s. However, that’s all types of service. If we narrow it down to military service, what ages are involved? Militia service requirements provide a good guideline for the Army. Connecticut required men to serve between ages 16Continue reading “How old were those who fought in the American Revolution?”

What if I can’t find a document that names my ancestor’s parents? Can I still join a lineage society?

Lineage societies generally want one original document that names an ancestor’s parents to make a parent-child connection, such as the child’s birth certificate. Yet, not every ancestor has such a document. In that case, can you still join a lineage society? Most societies allow the submission of what they call an analysis to make aContinue reading “What if I can’t find a document that names my ancestor’s parents? Can I still join a lineage society?”

Why make a time line?

The period between the late 18th and early 19th century was a period of great migration in the United States. Families were moving from New England to the Midwest, from the Atlantic Seaboard into the South, and more. Yet, because European settlements were relatively new, there are few centralized, indexed records. A time line –Continue reading “Why make a time line?”

How do I tell a document relates to my ancestor?

In the last post, I discussed how genealogy websites are helpful in identifying sources that might relate to your ancestor. I also noted that a source might be identified based only a name match. How do you tell which sources actually belong to your ancestor? There are a few questions you should ask: Looking beyondContinue reading “How do I tell a document relates to my ancestor?”

No, the genealogy website cannot tell you your ancestors…

I’ve been hearing variations on the same comment a lot lately. Many people have a working assumption that a genealogy website can tell them their ancestors. It’s an understandable desire if you’ve always wanted to learn more about one branch of your family. Unfortunately, it’s not true. That’s also not what the sites are setContinue reading “No, the genealogy website cannot tell you your ancestors…”