Bryna O’Sullivan

“My kids don’t care about family history.”

It’s a story I hear a lot, usually from a genealogist in retirement. They’re trying to organize their files and pass them down to their children. The children are telling them they do not want the papers. The reasons usually vary from family to family: lack of space, lack of interest, or something else. TheContinue reading ““My kids don’t care about family history.””

What’s “Connecticut Men in the Revolution”?

“Connecticut Men in the Revolution” is the shorthand used by many lineage society researchers for a publication authorized by the State of Connecticut in 1889 entitled The Record of Connecticut Men in the Military and Naval Service during the War of the Revolution. A derivative source, it draws from a number of original sources, including:Continue reading “What’s “Connecticut Men in the Revolution”?”

What sources are available to document service for a female patriot from Connecticut?

For a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, documenting a female patriot can offer a special satisfaction. Not only are you putting a new ancestor on file, but you are documenting one whose history is little covered. What sources can help you complete her line? Due to coverture, it can be extremely difficultContinue reading “What sources are available to document service for a female patriot from Connecticut?”

How reliable are lineage society application databases?

From the GRS system of the Daughters of the American Revolution to the recent collaboration of FamilySearch, American Ancestors, and the General Society of Mayflower Descendants, many of the American lineage societies are placing the details of older applications online. In some cases, it is just a transcription or image of the application; others includeContinue reading “How reliable are lineage society application databases?”

Did Connecticut pay the 1780 beef tax?

The simple answer: yes. “And be it further enacted That a tax of two shillings and six pence on the pound be and the same is hereby laid upon the polls and rateable estate of the inhabitants of this State upon the list aforesaid to be paid by the first day of December next inContinue reading “Did Connecticut pay the 1780 beef tax?”