Monthly Archives: January 2012

The sin of greed

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Judy G. Russell

Caveats and devisavits and legal Latin. Oh my! Any human being who’s ever bought something and then regretted it has heard the phrase “caveat emptor” (let the buyer beware)1 — usually from the seller of the item. And those of … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal definitions | 4 Comments

The lady and the Big Mistake

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Judy G. Russell

Land ownership and the ladies in 1846 Indiana — what’s the law? Got a question from reader Laurie Huey that’s just too good to try to paraphrase. Here’s her version of the fact pattern: Shortly after Miss Ancestor married Mr. … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Statutes | 10 Comments

SSDI Call to Action!

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Judy G. Russell

Sounding a call to action to save our access to the SSDI On Thursday of this coming week (February 2, 2012), the Subcommittee on Social Security of the House Ways & Means Committee in Washington, D.C., will hold hearings that … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Records Access, SSDI | 80 Comments

Wanted: Faure / Fore / Ford DNA

Posted on January 28, 2012 by Judy G. Russell

If you’re a male with the name Faure, Fore or Ford, and you’ve documented your descent from the Faure family of Manakin Town, Virginia, I want your DNA. If you know a male with the name Faure, Fore or Ford, … Continue reading →

Posted in DNA, My family | 10 Comments

Case closed? Not yet…

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Judy G. Russell

What a birth certificate does… and doesn’t… prove We put a lot of emphasis as genealogists on original documents, and oh BOY do we like anything we can think of as direct proof. When I found a birth certificate that … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Methodology | 14 Comments

Divorce or dalliance in early Canada

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Judy G. Russell

Was it divorce or dalliance in early Maritime Canada? Reader Dave Mitchell of South Africa poses a challenging question to The Legal Genealogist: “Was there such a thing as divorce in the Canadian Maritimes ca. 1820? … If so, are … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Resources | 1 Comment

The ties that bond

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Judy G. Russell

True or false: A marriage bond was an intention to marry — a reflection of an official “engagement.” A man who had proposed to a woman went to the courthouse with a bondsman, and posted a bond indicating his intention … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Statutes | 7 Comments

A doughboy’s age

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Judy G. Russell

A reader asks how old a man would have had to be to join the Army for WWI. Reader Kelly Leary has a problem with her American-based research on an immigrant ancestor: “My ancestors don’t go back to far on … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Statutes | 6 Comments

Illinois marriage permission, 1850

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Judy G. Russell

What conclusions can we draw from a marriage permission in Illinois in 1850? Not quite as much as we might hope… Reader (and distant cousin) Kay Haden1 asks: “I have a marriage permission from Schuyler Co, Illinois, 1850. The father … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Statutes | 6 Comments

A relative match… or maybe not

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Judy G. Russell

DNA results are not always what they seem at first glance. I was walking through the exhibit hall at the National Genealogical Society conference in Salt Lake City in 2010 when I came across Bennett Greenspan, President of Family Tree … Continue reading →

Posted in DNA | 12 Comments