I've accumulated a really nice personal genealogy book collection over the years, including such wonderful resources as "Directory of the Ancestral Heads of New England Families 1620-1700" compiled by Frank Holmes, "Maryland Revolutionary Records" by Harry Wright Newman, and "Kentucky Obituaries 1787-1854" by G. Glenn Clift. I typically purchase the books for a specific research goal, and unfortunately, don't usually go back and review the book again.
After attending last night's Illinois State Genealogical Society's webinar "Some Seldom Used Resources: A Genealogical Potpourri," (thank you, Tim Pinnick!), I was inspired to revisit my bookshelf resources. I pulled out "Directory of the Ancestral Heads of NE Families," and while doing a quick scan using my list of surnames, I discovered my ancestors and my husband's ancestors both arrived in America aboard Winthrop's Fleet in 1630!! It's more than likely the two men knew each other, and survived many hardships together. I wonder if they ever dreamed their descendants would come together more than 350 years later.
Recheck your bookshelf resources, and who knows, you might discover a piece of genealogical serendipity like I did!
No comments:
Post a Comment