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"Along Those Lines ..."
by George G. Morgan
Click Here for George Morgan's Archive
| Go Prospecting in Periodicals! |
Every genealogist knows that genealogy is a research enterprise. We spend countless hours in libraries, courthouses and archives poring over documents and books. We peer at microfilm readers until our eyes spin in our heads like the film on the spools. How many of us, however, invest the time in researching genealogical periodicals? There are some important gems and nuggets of information in those magazines and newsletters that can yield results for the reader and researcher. This week in "Along Those Lines ...", I want to discuss these wonderful resources, and to encourage you to adopt the prospector spirit to unearth those golden treasures to be found in them. Periodicals Defined A periodical can be defined as a publication that is issued at the same time on a regular basis. Magazines, newsletters, E-mail publications, and even the "Along Those Lines ..." column, all qualify as periodicals if they meet the criteria of the definition above. Genealogical periodicals are a special breed. Certainly they seek to inform the reader, but they also promote scholarly research techniques and citation of sources. They usually contain a mixture of articles, announcements of events, queries and advertisements. Usually, but not always, the magazine-like periodicals contain an index of surnames published in the issue -- a tremendous resource for our rapid reference. Some contain articles of historical significance, often describing life or conditions in a specific period of time such as the Ancestry magazine's March-April 1998 article about "The French in California." From a historical perspective, articles such as these provide you with a picture of a place in time and the people who participated in that time. Understanding the history of the times in which your ancestors lived, goes a long way in getting to know and understand them. Often, specific individuals are the topic for discussion, such as the National Genealogical Society Quarterly's September 1998 article titled, "Overcoming Irishness in Boston: Anna (Anglin-Pettengill) Merritt's Climb to 'Respectability' ". Sometimes a periodical features the lineage of a specific family, complete with pedigree charts, family group sheets and occasional photographs. Others, such as Everton's Genealogical Helper combine articles with heavy emphasis on people's genealogical queries, and advertisements for products and services. Some specialize in specific branches of genealogy. These may include research about specific national or ethnic groups, or about particular research methodologies. One such specialty periodical is Genealogical Computing, published by Ancestry, Inc., which deals with the Internet, online resources, software programs and how to perform electronic genealogical research. There are even periodicals that focus on a specific surname (and the various possible spellings of it). Where Do Genealogical Periodicals Originate? There are many, many sources of genealogical periodicals, and the frequency of publication varies. Let's discuss some of the better publications. Genealogical societies provide a wealth of published information, usually in the form of periodicals. These groups provide a tremendous service to genealogists and historians by researching and maintaining records of their respective area. They further contribute to the scholarly body of knowledge by publishing well-researched, well-written gems in their periodicals. Genealogical societies exist at all levels. National organizations exist, such as the prestigious National Genealogical Society and the New England Historic Genealogical Society. State genealogical societies represent every state in the U.S. In additon to regional, county and local genealogical societies which also exist and are very active indeed. Membership groups such as the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Sons of the American Revolution and others exist too. I cannot urge you enough to join a genealogical society in an area in which you are researching your family lines. The membership rates are really quite reasonable, and they usually publish a genealogical periodical. The periodical provides historical information that can help you better understand your ancestors' places in history. Most also allow members a limited number of personal queries to be published. If you are looking for a new way to expand your search for lost, missing or dead-end relatives and ancestors, the query capability provided by genealogical societies is unequaled. You really can reach people who are 1) interested in genealogy, 2) located where your ancestors lived, and 3) have access to information in their society that might not be available any other way. (My own memberships in the North Carolina Genealogical Society, the Olde Mecklenburg Genealogical Society (Mecklenburg County, NC), and the Northwest Georgia Historical and Genealogical Society have personally yielded some priceless gems in the form of references to my ancestors in the articles and connections made with other researchers via the queries section of their publications.) Commercial publications such as Ancestry magazine, Heritage Quest, Everton's Genealogical Helper and Genealogical Computing provide scholarly articles, information about genealogy conferences and events, new software resources, new books, new Internet websites, and a wide variety of other materials. If you are looking for periodicals -- magazines and/or newsletters -- for specific surnames, there are a great many family or surname associations. Check the bibliographic citation below for Elizabeth Petty Bentley's book below. Whenever I visit a library anywhere in the U.S., I always check the periodical section for the possibility that copies of newsletters and magazines for a given surname I'm researching, might be available. I recently, however, ordered 10 years of back issues of the WEATHERLY family quarterly from the former editor. The quality and quantity of information there will keep me busy all this coming winter! If you are interested in Southern genealogical research and in placing queries, I have recently come across a bimonthly magazine called Southern Queries. There is a heavy focus on South Carolina research but covers many other states as well. Online periodicals such as the Ancestry Hometown Daily can provide interesting material, as can periodicals on the online services. Another online mailing list is the RootsWeb Review, published every week via E-mail to The Genealogy Forum on America Online. It provides three such periodical entries: the Genealogy Forum NEWS (published the beginning of each month and accessible only to AOL members), the DearMYRTLE daily column (available to AOL members with some columns published in the Ancestry Hometown Daily), and "Along Those Lines ..." (available to AOL members and cross-posted at the Ancestry website). How Do I Subscribe? For more information about specific periodicals, please check out the following places: The National Genealogical Society Quarterly is published by the National Genealogical Society and is available to NGS members. Check their website at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/ for information about membership and about the quarterly. The New England Historic and Genealogical Society Register is a quarterly publication available to members of the NEHGS. Check their website at http://www.nehgs.org/membership/memben.htm for information about membership and about the quarterly. Ancestry magazine and Genealogical Computing are available from Ancestry, Inc. Everton's Genealogical Helper is available from Everton. Check their website at http://www.everton.com/about.html for complete ordering information. Heritage Quest magazine is available from Heritage Quest. Check their website at http://www.heritagequest.com/genealogy/magazine/ for complete ordering information. National, state, regional, county and local genealogical societies' addresses and contact information can be located using a variety of resources.
For information about family associations, please refer to the following book. However, please note that most of these organizations are maintained by individuals. My own experience with a few of the references listed in the book is that they had disbanded. Still, it is a huge compendium of associations. They may have back issues of their newsletters or magazines, however, for sale. I encourage you to snap them up while they are available. Bentley, Elizabeth Petty. Directory of Family Associations. 3rd Edition. For more information about Southern Queries magazine, you can write them at Southern Queries, P. O. Box 212993, Columbia, SC 29221-2993 or call them at (803) 736-9276. The Ancestry Hometown Daily is free by E-mail subscription at the Ancestry, Inc., website -- http://www.ancestry.com/whatsnew.htm. RootsWeb Review is free by E-mail subscription. Check the website at http://www.rootsweb.com/ for information and to subscribe. With the exception of this column, for access to the Genealogy Forum periodicals, you must subscribe to AOL. Conclusion There really are hundreds of genealogical periodicals available to you. They contain insights into history and specific people. The people discussed in them are not necessarily the George Washingtons and William T. Shermans and the Abigail Adamses of history. Included are ordinary men and women of all backgrounds who lived and participated in the past. Your job, as a well-rounded genealogist, is not to confine your research to the halls of vital records. Instead, look to these other types of resources and mine them like a prospector. There really are gems there if you look for and dig for them. It's just a different vein than what you may be accustomed to mining. I hope your search will be prosperous! Happy hunting and mining! George Click Here for George Morgan's Archive
Copyright 1998 George G. Morgan All Rights reserved "Along Those Lines ..." is a weekly feature of the Genealogy Forum on America Online (Keyword: ROOTS). This column originally appeared in the Genealogy Forum on America Online. You may send E-mail alonglines@aol.com. George Morgan would like
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