Figuring out the date of an old photograph can be pretty tricky. Hairstyles, clothing and furniture that change with fashion can help date a photo. Because fonts come into and out of style, they are another tool for establishing when a photograph was made. What Is Branding on Old Photographs? …
I’m excited to share that my article “Edith ‘La Reina’ Rule (1902-1973): Hollywood Psychic to Genealogical Source” has been published in The California Nugget, the journal of the California Genealogical Society. La Reina’s life showcases the remarkable resilience of women in early 20th-century America. She survived the frontier, reinvented herself …
I’m particularly drawn to women’s stories because they are so often lost or misplaced in history. When I discovered a Nashville Penitentiary record for “Lucy Witcher,” convicted of barn burning in 1847, I hoped to uncover another forgotten woman’s tale. Instead, what emerged was the story of a man named …
I was looking for something else and spotted these records of marriage and divorces in North Carolina Legislative Records during 1807. A Marriage James Smith and Mary Norfleet, both of Halifax County, North Carolina. The legislature recognized their marriage when the legality of their union was questioned. The marriage was …
The Wood ancestry hails from Great Britain. The current issue of Kent Family History Society journal includes my article “The Children of William Wood (1783-1852): The Hairdresser of Sheerness, Kent.” Unlike my own ancestors who were pioneers and farmers on the American frontier, William Wood lived in a bustling port …
