Newsletter Archives
Catch up on the latest in family history with these articles from GenealogyBank News
Family Traditions & Stories
I always like to discover a long-lost family story buried in the newspaper articles that are preserved in GenealogyBank's deep newspaper archives.
I recently found this obituary for one of my Revolutionary War ancestors: Captain Abial Peirce (1733-1812). He was a captain of the militia and served as an aide to General Wolfe at the Battle of Quebec.
New Bedford Mercury (New Bedford, Massachusetts), 3 January 1812, page 3
It reported that my ancestor said, back in 1804:
"It is remarked that he was heard to say, when at the age of 70, that he had 12 children, 20 grand-sons and 30 grand-daughters, and had never lost either."
What a terrific clue. This lays out a road map: an outline of his family tree for three generations. I know that, as I research this part of the family tree, there are 12 children and 50 grandchildren—all born after 1733 and all still alive as of 1804.
Newspapers are critical for finding the details of our family history.
I recently found this obituary for one of my Revolutionary War ancestors: Captain Abial Peirce (1733-1812). He was a captain of the militia and served as an aide to General Wolfe at the Battle of Quebec.
New Bedford Mercury (New Bedford, Massachusetts), 3 January 1812, page 3
It reported that my ancestor said, back in 1804:
"It is remarked that he was heard to say, when at the age of 70, that he had 12 children, 20 grand-sons and 30 grand-daughters, and had never lost either."
What a terrific clue. This lays out a road map: an outline of his family tree for three generations. I know that, as I research this part of the family tree, there are 12 children and 50 grandchildren—all born after 1733 and all still alive as of 1804.
Newspapers are critical for finding the details of our family history.