It seems like your ancestor’s military headstone should be usable to “prove” service for a Revolutionary War Society. After all, it was government issued… However, it’s not. Why? Military headstones for Revolutionary War veterans are “derivative” sources. The marble headstones we view as the standard military headstone began to be used only in 1873. ThatContinueContinue reading “Why can’t I use a photo of my Revolutionary War ancestor’s military headstone as “proof of service”?”
Category Archives: Sources of Service
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 16ContinueContinue reading “How old were those who fought in the American Revolution?”
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 -ContinueContinue 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: Was thisContinueContinue reading “How do I tell a document relates to my ancestor?”
Men of what age were likely to have served as soldiers during the American Revolution?
It’s a good rule of thumb that if your ancestor was “of age” during the American Revolution, they likely participated in the Revolution in some way. Yet, many of us look for soldiers. How do we determine which ancestors were likely to have fought? Local law can actually be a hint. Connecticut, for example, requiredContinueContinue reading “Men of what age were likely to have served as soldiers during the American Revolution?”
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