USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > New Haven > Families of ancient New Haven, Vol. V > Part 41
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11
Thoms panter 7
3
Mr Mather 2
Nathan Benham 4
Joseph hull
3
Mrs elizabeth eyer 5
John glouer 3
samll Smith senor
3
Joseph Mansfield 4
Daniell Hotchkis 8 Mrs Davenport 1
John Brocket 7
Joseph Turner
1
Willm Thomson 10
Joseph How 2
John Tuttle Jun 3
Samll Gilbert
5
John Punderson
3
edmond Tapp 0
Joseph Goodwin
4
[-]g eliaz Browne
5
Samuell smith Ju
3
John Holt 4
Thoms Beech
Joseph Jues
3
Robbert auger
Samll Todd senor
7
Sargnt Will Willmott 2
Mr Jer Osborne
Edward Scot
Danll Brown 4
Lt John Munson 6
John Dumbar
John Becher 7 6
3
--
1532
NEW HAVEN CENSUS, 1704
Daniell Bradly 3
ebenezer Smith
7
Serg Benjamin Bradly 9
Benjamin Peck 5
Mr Moses Mansfield 2
Lidiah Bristoll 3
Josiah Thomas 1
The Heires of John Sperry 4
Peter Mallary 10
Mr John Yale . 6
Mr Jonathan Atwater 11
Hezikiah Bunill 2
Widow Willmott 2
Nathall Tharp senior
7
Nathll Bradly 7
Nathall Tutle Jun
3
enos Talmadge
4
Joseph Bradly Jun 3
Steuen Hotchkis
0
Nathanl Kimberly Jun
6
Lt Thoms Talmadge
9
John Barnes 7
Mercy Moss
0
ebenzr Brown Junor
5
Francis Browne 1
Nathanll Poter Senjor
12
Recomp Thomas
1
Nathan Andrewes
5
Daniell Sherman 2
Joseph Moss senior
3
Widow How 1
Mr Thoms Nash
0
Mrs Anne Collins
4
John Thomas sen
6
Mr John Winston
8
Gidion Andrewes
3
John Perkins Seni 7
elizabeth Hitchcock 5
Mr Joseph Moss Jun 2
Moses Blackley 3
Mr John Alling 9
Theophilus Heaton
1
John Graniss 1
Laurane Clenton 3
Jacob Robison 8 ?
eliazer Becher
8
John Perkins Jr. 3
Willm Johnson senior 5
Thoms biggs
3
Mr Will Tuttle 0
Mr James Heaton 2
Samll Clark sen
9
John Watson
5
Mrs Coster
0
Samuell Horton
3
John steuens
5
John Bristoll
3
Mr Thom Yale
1
Jonathan Tutle
1
Mr John Hudson
3
Jonath Sackitt 3
Jonat Lampson 0
5
Benjn Wooden
4
Willm Wooden
7
John Cooper Junor 5
samuell Tutle sen 9
William Johnson Jr 7
Samuell Burwell 8
Zacheus Cande 3
5
John Todd 6
2
Willm Hoadly 4
Maj John Nash
2
Samll Alling Jun :
7
Daniell Abutt 6
Joseph Kerbee
5
John Benham 6
NathIl Boykin
1
Samll Johnson Jun
1
John Newman
3
John Hull 5
Samuell & Stephen WhitIFead 2
Jolın & Samll Umberfield 7
Samll Johnson sen 5
John Bracket Junor 1
Samll Chaterton 4
4
samll Mix 4
Mr Willm Hook Lot 0
John Willmott 5
Samll Thomson sen 5
a Lot for ye Ministry 0
Mr Mathew Gilbert 8
edmond Dorman 3
Samll Tuttle Jun 4
Capt Jsack & Nathl Turner 5
Stephen Clark
»Joseph Smith senior 5 Joseph Peck senior S
Mrs Mary Jues 6
Samuell Lines 2
Samll Jacobs 1
Major Moses Mansfield 4
John Thomas farmer
4
Capt Thoms Munson
0
Samuell ford 4
Samll Humberston 4
ebenezer Brown sen
3
Daniell Thomas
Widow Chaterton 5
Stephen Perkins 3
Mrs Hannah Ball
Thoms Humberston 4
Sergnt John Cooper
6
. Thoms Trowbridge farmer 7 Stephen Munson 1
Joseph Clark sen
Samll Thomas
Joseph Chidsey
ebenezr Blackly 10
1533
NEW HAVEN CENSUS, 1704
Willm Thomson Jun 1
Caleb Mathewes 2
Thoms Jacobs
1
Samuell Sanford 5
Joseph Granis 2
John ford 0
Jonath Perkins 8
James Steuens 3
Thoms Steuens
1
Joshua Hotchkis Jun 3
Thomas Kimberly ?
4
John Rowe
8
John Smith Jun
1
Samll fernes
2
Samuell Cooper 4
Willm Chatterton
Dauid Perkins
7
Benjamin Dorman
4
Samll Candee
1
Joseph Steuens
1
John Woolcott 6
Paul Cornwell 3
3
Zachcheus Candee Jr
2
Jsaac Becher
9
Ralph Lines 9
NathIl Wooden
7
John How senior 1
Samll Blackly
10
Daniell Barnes
6
John Bradly
4
Josseph Potter 3
Thoms Munson
5
Simon Tutle
4
Micaell Todd 8
Sergut Samuell Alling 9
Thoms Hodge
7
Caleb Mix 9
NathIl Kimberly sen
2
Mr Jsaac Jones 8
Samuell Steuens
5
Mr ebenezer Atwater 6
Mr Philip Alcock
3
Widow abigall Hill 5
Mrs Gilbert
1 5
Mathew ford 4
ensigne Joshua Hotchkis 9
Simon simons 4
Mr John Thomson
1
Ms Lidiah Rosewell 6
3
Jerimiah Wooden
4
James Bishop
5
Joseph Clark Jun 1
ensigne John Basset
9
Mr grexson Lot
1
John Allcock
2
Samll Downe 6
Capt Daniell Sherman
6
Nathan Smith
5
Samuell Atwater
7
Lt ab Dickerman 4
Joseph Peck Jun
1
John Blackly Jun 5
Caleb Tuttle
4
Thoms Holt 1
Nathaniell Tharp Jun
8
Mr John Morris 6
Mr Nathanll Yale 5
Mr fenns children 0
Deacon abraham Bradly 6
Widow Hotchkis 5
John Downes 2
Capt fowler 1
John Lines 3
John sherman 4
James Bishop esquir 2
Nathanll Heaton 4
Thoms Alcock 1
Willm Russell 1
Richd Sperry Jun 12
Henry steuens 4
Thoms elcock 6
Nathanll Tuttle sen
0
William Jones esqr
3
John Hotchkis 5
Theophilus Eaton esqr
ebenezer Sperry 7
Richard Miles senior 0
Joseph Dorman 6
Joseph osborne 7
Mr John Perry 1
Widow ford 8
arther Rexford 2
John Tuttle sen 0
Joseph Smith Jun
Joseph Lines 5
Richd Hall 4
Abram Dickerman 4
Deacon Jolin Punderson 8
ely Robberts 6
Daniell Clark
3
Thoms Powell
0
Nathaniell Sperry 10
Sergnt Joseph Preston 2
1
Joseph Tuttle 7
Benjmin Bouden
Thomas Mallary
Thoms Willmott
John Clark 5
John Blackly sen
ebenezer Mansfield 1
Samll Todd Junur
Richard Miles Jun
5
Willm fredrick 0
Samuell farrin
sergnt Joseph Sackett 1
Peter Carrinton 7
Mr John Bishop 8
ebenezer Downs 5
1534
NEW HAVEN CENSUS, 1704
Samuell Malary 2
Samll son of Samll Clark 3
».John Smith senior 5
edward granis 3
Here ffoloweth after claimers & no Lott Drawn
John Thomas Jun 0
Mr John Yale his uncles Mr Dauid Yale 1st purchas 0
Simon Tuttle
0
John Humerston 1
James Talmadge
Samll gilbert in Right of his wife a 4th part of Richd Littles 83 Right
Danill Trowbridge 1
Henry gibons 0
Will gibons 0
Ensign Samll Munson
0
the heirs of Capt Thomas
Munson
0
edward Preston 0
Richd Higinbothom 0
John Humerstons heirs 5
1
TOWN POOR, NEW HAVEN, 1786 Contributed by Miss Ethel Lord Scofield
[After the new towns of Hamden and North Haven were set off from New Haven in 1786, an agreement was made dividing the town poor between the original town and the daughter towns. This document is among the collections of the New Haven Colony Historical Society, and the following verbatim copy has been contributed by the librarian, Miss Scofield.]
At a Meeting of the several Committees appointed by the several Towns of New Haven Hamden and North Haven to make an Equal Division of the Poor Persons supported by the said Towns as belonging to them as being heretofore the Towns Poor of said New Haven & now divided to each Town according to their lists on the fifteenth Day of December A. D. 1786 the aboue Division was made and agreed to and the said Poor are divided and set to the several Towns as above & said Towns to take and support them accordingly-in the above division Daniel McNamarra and wife and Francis Claridge and Family are not divided but still remain a charge upon all said Towns according to their sd Lists
Witness our Hands in New Haven
this 15th day of December 1786
Samuel Bishop
David Austin
Timothy Jones
Comee of New Haven
Charles Chauncey
Stephen Ball
Simeon Bristol
Comee of Hamden
John Hubbard
Isaac Dickerman
Ephraim Humaston
Samuel Mix
Comee of No Haven
Joshua Barns
New Haven
Joseph Mix and Wife
0 - 8 - 0
Ebenezer Wilmot
7 - 0
Widw Culver
4 -10
Andrew Reed 6 - 0
5 - 0
Timothy Thomas 7 - 0
Widow Fry-( ?) and child
12 - 0
Stephen Beecher
6 - 0
Mrs Howes four Children
13 - 0
Easton Sabin
2 - 0
£ 3 -10 -10
Abigail Tuttle
1536
TOWN POOR, NEW HAVEN, 1786
Abigail Andrews
Sarah Thompson
Elisabeth Punderson
Thomas Sherman dec'ds Child
Simon King
Widw Ruth Gordon
Hannah Bingley
Nathan Smith
Jerom Smitlı
Anna Gibson
Widw Graham
Solo Townshends Wives Child
Hampden
Widow Kimberly
0 - 6 - 0
Sarah Wilds
3 - 0 7 - 0
John Melone
11 - 0
Joel Alling
3 - 0
Ichabod Barns Child
3 - 0
Silas Culvers Child
3 - 0
Margaret Doyle
£ 1 -16-6
Andrew Ives
Thomas Ives
John Melones Wife
Widw Mary Potter
Widw Sarah H aabard ( ?)
Lydia Ives
North Haven
0 -4 - 0
Stephen Clark
Enos Blakesley
Rachel Barns
9 - 0
Thankful Tuttle
1 - 0
Widw Fryars boy at Timo Turners
3 - 6
Oliver Bradleys child
3 - 0
Wid" Fryars boy at Jocelins
2 - 9
Caleb Turner
Thomas Sanford
Elias Forbes Daniel Hotchkiss
Ebenezer Humistone Sarah Hunt
£ 1-18-3
Mercy Parker
5 - 0 5 - 0 5 - 0
Nancy Doyle and infant
BOOK REVIEWS
This department of the New Haven Genealogical Magazine offers to compilers and publishers of genealogical books the opportunity to secure fair and honest reviews of their productions. The reviewer will do his utmost to point out the good features of every book which is presented for review, but in fairness to readers will mention striking deficiencies, such as the lack of an index, unusually poor arrangement of material, or gross inaccuracies. Those who wish books reviewed should send one copy to the address below.
Donald L. Jacobus, Editor, 554 Central Avenue, Westville, Conn.
TWITCHELL. Genealogy of the Twitchell Family. Record of the Descendants of the Puritan-Benjamin Twitchell-Dor- chester, Lancaster, Medfield and Sherborn, Massachusetts, 1632- 1927. Compiled and Edited by Ralph Emerson Twitchell. 4º. New York, 1929. Price, $25.00; order from Mrs. Herbert K. Twitchell, Setauket, L. I., N. Y.
This substantial quarto volume, from the press of The Tuttle Company, Rutland, Vt., is a well-made book, with attractive cloth binding, a good grade of book paper, and excellent illustrations. The frontispiece is a picture of Chesham, co. Bucks, Eng., where the Twitchell family originated, and there is also an interesting picture of the market square at Chesham, besides nearly seventy portraits of members of the Twitchell family.
There are 61 pages of introductory matter, giving records of the family in England, ascertained principally through the efforts of Mr. Herbert K. Twitchell, a list of Massachusetts Twitchells in the Revolutionary War, other war lists, and the Twitchell heads of families in the first federal census, 1790. Then follow 619 pages devoted to the genealogical data of descendants of Benjamin Twitchell; and the copious, well-arranged indexes fill the final 87 pages.
Col. Ralph Emerson Twitchell, the compiler, a well-known writer on the history and archaeology of New Mexico, unfortunately died before the publication of the book, which bears evidence, in the citation of authorities for the early generations, of his scholarly care. The financial burden of the undertaking was assumed by Mr. Herbert Kenaston Twitchell, of New York, who also passed away before the book was published.
The Massachusetts lines are traced with requisite thoroughness, and the numerous biographies are extremely well written. The book should be of abiding interest to all Twitchell descendants, and is recommended to all libraries which purchase genealogical books.
The presentation of the earlier generations bears evidence to their being based quite largely on printed sources, and we may surmise that future Twitchell historians may find additional data in original record sources. It is with real regret that we call attention to the inadequate treatment of the Connecticut branch of the family which settled early at Derby. The account of this branch, much less thorough than that of the Massachusetts branches, was drawn chiefly from the printed histories of Derby and Oxford, and in addition to being very incomplete, contains several inaccu- racies. The records of St. James's Church, Derby, containing numerous Twitchell entries, were not utilized at all, though printed in the New Eng- land Historical and Genealogical Register in 1922. Some of the Twitchell entries in Sharpe's History of Oxford were overlooked.
It was Hannah (Hinman), widow of Samuel Twitchell (No. 52, page 25) who married 13 Apr. 1749, John Pierce, and not Hannah Twitchell (No.
1538
BOOK REVIEWS
93, page 48), who instead married Joseph Tuttle. The birth year of this Hannah (1741) has been arbitrarily set back to 1735 in order to enable her to marry in 1749. A Samuel Twitchell born 1744 (No. 95, page 49) is erroneously said to have married in 1801, though the same marriage is correctly attributed to a younger Samuel (No. 236, page 106). It is said of Abijah Twitchell (No. 239, page 107), who was born 1776: "The census of 1790 . . does not give this man, and it must be presumed that he had died before that time."' Since he was only fourteen years old in 1790, one would hardly expect to find him listed then as the head of a family; as a matter of fact, his death is recorded at Oxford in 1811 aged 35. Elizabeth Twitchell (No. 108, page 51), born 1760, is said to have married Ichabod Dean. Actually she married Eliakim Terrell, and the marriage to Ichabod Dean, which took place 1775, belongs to Elizabeth (Hull), widow of Wooster Twitchell (No. 100, page 50). It is said that Mary Twitchell (No. 104, page 51), born 1750, married Benjamin Bunnell, "who was four- teen years her junior"; it was really her younger sister, also named Mary (twin with Elizabeth, born 10 Feb. 1760, No. 109, page 26) who married Benjamin Bunnell; the older Mary had died young. On page 26, the child of John Twitchell, born 10 Oct. 1737, was not named Edward, as stated, but David (No. 91) ; he had a first cousin David (No: 103), ten years younger than himself. Both Davids are listed in the 1790 Census, but only one of them is identified in the Genealogy of the Twitchell Family.
It will be seen from the examples given that the Derby branch of the family was accorded very imperfect treatment by the compiler, though the worst errors may be due to the lack of final revision, which apparently he did not live to complete. For these imperfections the publisher can be held in no way responsible, nor do they detract from the great value of the information given on other branches of the family. The book is meritorious in so many respects that the reviewer deeply regrets not being able to praise it in every respect.
THE MAGAZINE OF AMERICAN GENEALOGY. Pub- lished monthly by the Institute of American Genealogy, 440-442 Dearborn Street, Chicago, Ill. First issue, August, 1929. Price : $1.50 per issue.
Each issue of the magazine contains several sections, the sections being paged consecutively through the successive issues. The idea seems to be to enable subscribers to bind the sections into so many separate volumes.
The first section consists of editorial matter. The second contains Deriva- tion of Surnames, a subject in which many people are interested, but which belongs rather to the field of etymology than to that of genealogy. Several excellent hand-books on the subject are in existence, which furnish the material, and the Magazine states, "no originality is claimed for this work. ''
The third section treats of Heraldry. The first and second issues contain a verbatim reprint of the history of heraldry and dictionary of terms, from Burke's General Armory. The subsequent issues contain coats-of-arms of various surnames, alphabetically arranged, but without specifying the English families to whom the arms pertain. Some are attributed to certain American families, but the grounds for such attribution are not stated.
Section IV treats of Immigrants to America before 1750, and Section V of Soldiers and Sailors in the American Revolution, both alphabetically arranged. The latter is useful, as it brings into one grouping, with refer- ences to the printed sources, the names of those who served in the Revolu- tion, which heretofore were only to be found in separate publications. The sixth section is an Index to American Lineages, the seventh is a Bibliog- raphy of American Genealogy, and the final section is devoted to queries sent in by subscribers.
1539
BOOK REVIEWS
The whole scheme of the Magazine is undeniably pretentious, and the fifth and seventh sections are practical enough to be serviceable to genea- logical students. The fourth section (Immigrants to America) might better be omitted, for in it the Magazine gives to the American public one more of those conglomerations of mingled fact and fancy for which the public never seems to lose its appetite. The data given is unverified and for the most part unreferenced. No reputable genealogist would dare quote it as authority. It is anonymous, being apparently the work of a clerical staff untrained in the rudiments of genealogical research, and unskilled in making critical use of available printed sources, evidenced by their inability to discriminate between good genealogical books and poor ones. This section perpetuates old errors and perpetrates new errors. It is distinctly a dis- service to the cause of scientific genealogy, and should be discontinued before it injures irretrievably the standing of the Institute in the eyes of all serious genealogical students.
The space of a single review is insufficient to make a detailed criticism of the data that has appeared in the fourth section, but lest the above strictures be deemed too severe, a couple of examples will be given out of the many with which every page. in this section teems. On page 33, it is said of Gideon Allen that he "m. Sarah ; m. 2d, Ann, dau. of Nathaniel Burr of Fairfield." His only wife was Sarah Prudden; it was his son Gideon who settled in Fairfield and married Ann Burr. On the next page, Henry Allen is given a son George (b. 1678) who actually did not belong to him, but to his brother Gideon.
These are examples of old errors, going back to Savage. Of course, Savage was a pioneer, working without the facilities which are open to genealogists to-day; and he displayed marvelous critical acumen and judg- ment in handling the material that was then accessible. But it cannot be denied that after some seventy years Savage's work is antiquated and must be amplified by that of many searchers who have combed smaller fields with greater thoroughness. The need to-day is not for a new edition of Savage, but for a new Savage who can compile with that pioneer's keen judgment the data which has been made accessible since his day.
But the anonymous compilers of the Immigrants do not succeed in improving matters when they depart from Savage. On page 41 we read of John Alling that he "m. Oct. 14, 1652, Eleanor Beardsley (Savage says 'Ellen Bradley')." Obviously this is intended for a correction of Savage. However, Savage is not alone in stating the wife's name as Ellen Bradley ; her name is correctly so stated in the excellent verbatim printed copy of the New Haven Vital Records; it is also so stated in the Alling Genealogy published in 1899, as well as in the New Haven Genealogical Magazine. Here are four authorities, from the oldest to the most recent, one of them a verbatim copy of the marriage record itself; all agreeing on the name Bradley. Yet the Magazine of American Genealogy, following some name- less authority, prefers to print an incorrect correction, and thus give cur- rency to a new error which reputable genealogists will have to combat for a century to come. Is this sort of thing a service to genealogy? A thousand times, no !
Granted that in handling an immense amount of data, every genealogist is liable to a very occasional error of fact or of judgment, the quality of work must be judged by what is characteristic, not by what is exceptional. Unfortunately, the examples given are not exceptions, but characterize every page of this compilation, and brand it as a slip-shod piece of work, which any genealogist of standing would repudiate.
In Section VI appear what are called American Lineages, alphabetically arranged. The lineages follow this form: Alling: "Benjamin (b. 1736)- Nathan-Samuel-John (m. 1652)." Only males are indexed, and those in the intervening generations are omitted from the alphabetical listing. The first issue of the Magazine contains the estimate that it will require 26 volumes of 500 pages each to complete this index. The number of pages
-
1540
BOOK REVIEWS
printed in the first five issues indicates that, at the present rate of printing, about 375 pages will be printed each year. At this rate it will therefore require about a third of a century to complete the index, and few of those now interested in genealogy will live to see its completion. However, the value of a lineage index of this type is not clear. Certainly there is value in indexing manuscript collections and unindexed books. But here, to return to our example, are some two pages of Alling lineages. They can all (at least, all the correct ones) be found in the Alling Genealogy, which is indexed. Where would an Alling to-day look for his lineage if not in the Alling Genealogy, and just what benefit is derived from printing two pages of selected Alling lineages? Every issue of the Magazine contains the following conspicuously placed advertisement: "The Institute of American Genealogy is prepared to furnish a typewritten copy, as fully as it is given in the source, of any lineage listed." Aside from this, it is doubtful whether the Index of American Lineages will serve any practical purpose.
When the Institute of American Genealogy was organized, one of its proposed objects was to formulate a code of ethics and standard of practice for professional genealogists. We are still awaiting with curiosity the code of ethics that will be formulated. Genealogy ranks as a profession because the genealogist charges a fee for personal services which his knowledge, training, and ability enable him to render. No conscientious genealogist would consider it ethical to turn over to a clerical staff inquiries for information, knowing that his clerical workers would merely copy matter from genealogical books, without study, verification, or investigation of the accuracy of the books utilized. Few attempts to commercialize gene- alogy have been successful. Those that have enjoyed moderate success have done so chiefly by capitalizing the ignorance of a portion of the genealogical public regarding what constitutes proper methods of research.
Genealogical research does not mean copying something out of a book, whether right or wrong; anyone able to read and write can do that. It means the employment of special knowledge and training directed towards discovering and establishing a correct lineage, by the critical utilization of dependable printed sources and (when required) by study of unpublished record sources. These remarks would not be apropos in a review, were it not that the advertising which is printed at the beginning of each section in every issue of the Magazine of American Genealogy, and a careful analysis of the type and quality of the data printed, clearly indicate that the Institute which publishes this magazine is a commercial organization, attempting to apply commercial methods to genealogy.
CONNECTICUT GENEALOGY
Having used genealogical books critically for more than a quarter of a century, and having observed the curious mingling of excellence and the opposite which characterize a large proportion of them, the reviewer hopes he may be pardoned for appending a note for the benefit of others who may be compiling histories of Connecticut families. The State Library at Hartford possesses copies (the Barbour collection), unverified but exceed- ingly useful, of all the town vital records in the State, and copies of these entries can be obtained for a very modest fee. Copies of the records of many churches are also on deposit at the State Library, as well as at the Connecticut Historical Society in Hartford, and many Probate Districts have deposited their files at the State Library. Compilers of family his- tories need not therefore confine their research to printed works, which are usually incomplete and too often inaccurate. If compilers can visit these institutions personally, the officials will be found most courteous in aiding inquirers. It would be proper and advantageous for descendants of Con- necticut families who are compiling a history, if they wish to avail them- selves fully of the facilities for research offered by the Connecticut Historical Society, to join the Society, the membership fees being very moderate. If compilers cannot make their searches in person, the officials of these institutions, when unable to spare the time to search their records, recommend genealogists or clerical workers who can do so.
If possible, the land records of the town where the family resided should also be searched, for they are full of valuable genealogical data. In this State, each town has possession of its own land records. Some Probate Districts still retain their files, and the record volumes often contain matter not found in the files. These can be searched at least expense (if the compiler cannot do so personally) by a genealogist living in or near the town where the records are located. Since the writer is himself a genealo- gist, his motives in giving this advice may perhaps be misconstrued. He has, however, compiled and published family histories, and often employs other genealogists for research in other localities; and is convinced from long experience that the best results can be obtained by this method.
The issuing of a family history is a major expense. Printing costs are high, and the sales of the volume are necessarily limited. In an under- taking which involves in total many hundreds, and often several thousands, of dollars, it seems a great pity to save a very small part of the total cost by neglecting to obtain readily accessible records which would add far more to the intrinsic value of the book than a handsome appearance, desirable though the latter be. That family histories so frequently bear witness to a deficiency of research, must be attributed to the compilers' lack of knowledge of the location and accessibility of records. The early generations of a family cannot be traced and arranged adequately without a very considerable amount of research in original record sources; the ordinary methods of scholarship fall far short of producing exact genea- logical data.
A large majority of family histories are compiled by some member of the family who, notwithstanding the interest and enthusiasm he brings to the task, and the natural ability he may possess, lacks experience in this type of research. If he happens to live far from the old towns where the early generations of the family resided, the difficulties of his undertaking are increased, and often he is utterly without realization of the many avenues open to research. In addition to those mentioned above, there are many volumes of original documents at the State Library, relating to Colonial and Revolutionary times, and they are well indexed. There are County Court records and Superior Court records. Copies of the inscrip- tions in many graveyards can be seen at various historical society libraries,
1542
CONNECTICUT GENEALOGY
while other graveyards have to be visited to secure data. There are also the invaluble federal census records for each decade, in addition to the printed first census (1790). Finally, the files of the Pension Bureau in Washington are teeming with information concerning Revolutionary War soldiers and their families, and record searchers in Washington can be employed to abstract them at very moderate fees.
Yet volume after volume is turned out at large cost of publication, in blissful ignorance of these various record sources,-full of erroneous deduc- tions and inconsistencies,-bearing evidence of rank amateurishness. To be sure, it would be quite expensive to cover all these sources thoroughly. It may be necessary to keep this expense within certain limits. That may be taken for granted. But many compilers never even make a beginning, and apparently never even learn that these record sources are available. Every family history is certain to contain something of value, since the compiler obtains information and records from family sources. However, it is rare for family records to extend back much more than 100 years, or 150 years at most; and for the early generations, the compiler is too often satisfied to follow what he finds in print, in total ignorance of its trustworthiness, and to reconcile all difficulties he may encounter by assumptions and guesses. In view of this situation, the wonder is that so many good family histories have been written, and that the average one is even as good as it is.
If this note should prove helpful to compilers or prospective compilers of such works, its purpose will be served.
AT YE EDITOR'S DESK
As announced at the end of the first issue of the present volume, the death of our printer, Mr. Smith, in addition to our feeling of personal loss, placed on the editor the burden of making new arrangements immediately. We are pleased to announce that all difficulties have been satisfactorily met, and that the future of the magazine is not menaced by a financial setback. The subscription list was insufficient to meet printing costs, but the sale of back issues from time to time has made good the deficit and covered all expenses, leaving a very small surplus with which to start the next volume.
The alphabetical appearance of family statistics has now reached well into the letter R, emboldening us to hope that two more volumes will complete the work. This volume has been almost solidly devoted to the Families of Ancient New Haven, with very little space given to other matter. In this issue, we are printing 72 pages instead of 64, so as to make room for book reviews and one or two special features.
In preparing such a mass of data for publication, in addition to extensive genealogical research on which the editor is employed professionally, it is too much to hope that errors can be entirely avoided. We are correcting them at the end of each volume as rapidly as they are discovered or pointed out to us. Not infrequently, they turn out to be old errors taken years ago from inaccurate printed sources and remaining on our books notwithstanding every effort to eliminate unverified matter.
It gives us great pleasure to announce that Mr. Gilbert H. Doane, of the University Library, Lincoln, Nebraska, editor of the Nebraska and Midwest Genealogical Record, will be added to our editorial staff. Beginning with the next issue, Mr. Doane will contribute reviews of current genealogical books or peri- odicals. Mr. Doane is well known in genealogical circles for the critical judgment and independent expression which characterize his reviews.
YE EDITOR.
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