In this post, I would like to talk about a few books that were and still are valuable resources for genealogy research.
The first book is Tracing Your Irish Ancestors by John Grenham. I have referred to this book, now in its fifth edition, many times when looking for information and resources on Irish ancestors. Grenham’s website, Irish Ancestors, has taken many things from his book and posted them online for quick and easy reference.
If you have tried to find Irish documents, you know how fragmented they are. See our earlier post. Military conflicts, Mother Nature and neglect have taken their toll on many records that are no longer available. What is left is located in different places. Grenham directs you to the sources by letting you know what is out there, where they are located, and if online, where you can find them. Find it here.
Italian Genealogical Records: How to Use Italian Civil, Ecclesiastical & Other Records in Family History Research by Trafford R. Cole. This is by far the best book I have found that discusses not only the history of Italian record creation but also types of records you will find and how to translate these records. You get a glimpse into the origin and significance of Italian surnames. The book, published in 1990s, does not cover many resources now online to help with Italian genealogy, but it is a must have for those records not online. Find it here.
Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources by Alice Eichholz is now online at Ancestry. The book (hardcopy and online version) contains a wealth of information on vital records, census, land, probate, church, and other records for the U.S. states. This book guides you to other resources for a particular state for more in depth family research. You can find out when a state or county first started keeping vital records, where to find them, and much more. I have saved many research hours by checking this source first to see if birth records were even required for a certain state for the year an ancestor was born.
The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy by Blaine T. Bettinger covers the relatively new addition to the researcher’s toolkit, DNA. It is a solid introduction to DNA. You will find information on types of testing available and the pros and cons of each. This book will help you decipher your test results for a better understanding of what DNA can and can’t do for your research. You might find a few cousins along the way as well. Find it here.
What books have been useful to you in your research? Let us know in the comments below!
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