Vita Brevis

A father attempts to enumerate his household for the census-taker while a few of his children hide from view, foiling his efforts. Painting from 1854, Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Many researchers assume that state and territorial census records are of limited value..

Caitlin Clark. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

There are two things I truly enjoy in this life: researching family history, and watching my granddaughters grow up. The best is when I can combine both at once.

I've been fortunate—in addition to their love for..

A few years ago I was researching my Duff line in Ireland, and I came across an interesting occupation for one of my ancestors. My third great-grandfather, Bernard Duff, was listed as a publican and farmer in the 1901 census.¹ Despite the heavy demands of agriculture,..

A young woman repairs a bicycle while three others watch and help, c. 1895. From Montana State University Library, via Wikimedia Commons.

Along the rutted, moonlit roads just north of Leeds, England, a cyclist in skirts pedals to her local pub. After a pint, she..

Map of Boston in 1870. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Over the last couple of years I’ve been researching the lives and descendants of Irish immigrant Bostonians Edward J. Costello (1866-1926 [?]) and Mary Josephine Maloney (c. 1872-1943). This genealogical journey has taken..

Lincoln County Courthouse, Kentucky. Photo by Russell and Sydney Poore via Wikimedia Commons.

In July of the summer of 2013, my husband and I took a driving trip through the back roads of Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri, so I could visit courthouses and see documents..

We are pleased to announce the recent publication of The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1636-1638 Volume 1, A-Be by Ian Watson, which marks the beginning of the Third Series of the Great Migration Study Project. This volume, now available from the American..

Photo of Taylor Swift by Cosmopolitan UK; photo of Travis Kelce by Erik Drost. Via Wikimedia Commons.

The Kansas City Chiefs are going to the Super Bowl again soon, as they have three times out of the last four years. Their appearances in 2021 and 2023 prompted two..

Geographic map of Europe in 1914, published in Brazil. Via Library of Congress.

So you’ve compiled the census returns, checked the church records, located the naturalization documents and ship manifests, and found the name of the town, region, or country in Europe..

I spent over a decade volunteering at the Custom House Maritime Museum in Newburyport, Massachusetts. During that time I’ve helped with many projects, but one of the most exciting began when I uncovered a ship log with an unusual provenance. Unlike the vast majority of..