Reviews

REVIEWS Ordering information for publishers follows the reviews. ABSTRACTS Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States Direct Tax of 1798 for Bethel Township, East Hanover Township, Heidelberg Township, Lebanon Township, and Londonderry Township. By Gladys Bucher Sowers. Willow Bend Books, Westminster, Maryland, 2004. 186 pages, index, paper. $32.50. The Direct Tax of 1798 is one of the most interesting set of assessment documents available to researchers. It was the first direct federal tax, all other taxation having been at the state level. The National Archives holds only the records for Pennsylvania, which they have microfilmed on 24 rolls. The geographical arrangement isn’t always intuitive and there are several lists, so this abstract, which covers the five Lebanon County townships that were then in Dauphin County, is an excellent research aid. Pennsylvania researchers will find the introduction an easy way to gain perspective about this under-used resource. It presents background about the purpose of the tax and the organization of the lists and includes Sowers’ comments gained from reading the microfilm and creating this publication. List A includes descriptions of dwellings and outhouses, valued on List D and consolidated on List I. List B includes descriptions of land, barns, and outbuildings such as mills and smiths; valued on List E. 1,405 properties were assessed, with descriptions of 1,801 houses and 1,031 barns. Sowers has broken out by township the types of shops found on List B, including a bait house, 2 boring mills, 2 brew houses, 1 brickyard, and so on. List C assessed slave owners. There are few such lists for Pennsylvania, but the direct tax for these townships found eight slave owners, holding a total of 14 slaves. Historical sources can tell us about the “typical” Pennsylvania house and barn, but it is much more meaningful to learn specifics of an ancestor’s own habitat and those of his neighbors. The introduction presents a summary by township of 20 types of construction material, ranging from 1 log with bark house to 22 frame and/or brick houses. The majority of the homes were some type of log (922) or stone (52). Descriptions of barns showed similar variety, with 100 bank barns being identified in Bethel and East Hanover. 280 Final copy 31 January, 2010 Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Vol. 43 (2004) 2004 Reviews 281 A typical assessment description is that of John Umberger in Lebanon. His 300 acres (2 allocated to the main house) adjoined Michael Uhler. His two-story log house was 30×27, valued at $500, assessed at $400. Additionally, his property held a 17×15 log house (old), a 20×18 still house, and a 30×26 log barn. These were valued with the land at $6,710 and assessed at $5,368. His house was in “midling order,” and his land was described as gravel land, a common description for the township. In the lists we see multiple dwellings on a property, information difficult to obtain in any other way. Likely this often related to shops on the property, as, for example, in the listing for Abraham Reagle. He had five houses, a saw mill, and a grist mill, and lists two additional occupants– Peter Achey and Elias Weitzel. reviewed by Patricia Law Hatcher, CG, FASG Land Records of York County, Pennsylvania, 1746—1764. By Mary Marshall Brewer. Colonial Roots, Lewes, Delaware, 2004. vi plus 266 pages, index, paper. $22.50. This publication continues the series for York County deeds, with Deed Books A and B. (Brewer’s previously released abstracts of Deed Books C and D were reviewed in the last issue.) The first few documents remind us that deed books often were used to record more than deeds. After the list of appointments of officials related to the formation of the county, we find a receipt from George Albright, who had an obligation from Christopher Croll, tavernkeeper of York. He states “Whereas the obligation was taken from me by Elizabeth my wife & she refused to deliver the same to me, these are to certifie that I have this day received £11.10.” Three items later is recorded the sale by John Campbell, weaver, of one pyed cow, one brown cow, and one yellow cow. Sussex County, Delaware, Wills: 1800—1813. By F. Edward Wright. Colonial Roots, Lewes, Delaware, 2003. v plus 114 pages, index, paper. $12.50. This volume is part of a planned series intended to pick up where the calendars of probates by Leon deVallinger left off in 1800. It includes that latter part of Will Book E5 and all of F6. The every-name index makes it easy to identify the maiden names of wives when they are mentioned in their father’s wills and also includes the names of property and the names of Negroes. Maryland Bible Records, Volume 4: Eastern Shore. By Henry C. Peden, Jr. Colonial Roots, Lewes, Delaware, 2004. xi plus 323 pages, index, paper. $32.00. Part of an ongoing series, this includes Bible records from the eastern shore counties of Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester. The records were taken from transcripts and photocopies at the Maryland Historical Society, various Final copy 31 January, 2010 282 Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Vol. 43 public libraries, and publications. Before each Bible record, Peden indicates where he found the information and publication information for the Bible, if given. Early Landowners of Maryland; Volume 1: Anne Arundel County, 1650— 1704. By Robert W. Hall. Colonial Roots, Lewes, Delaware, 2003. xxiv plus 305 pages, introduction, indexes, appendices, maps, paper. $26.00. The introduction will interest anyone researching early Maryland and should be mandatory reading for those with early Anne Arundel ancestry. The author began with the intent of identifying the early patentees, but soon realized that many tracts were surveyed, inhabited, and some added to the rent roll without being patented. He comments on possible reasons. He identified 1,119 distinct tracts (234 of which are not in the patent books) belonging to 569 individuals. The volume is organized alphabetically by individual and then lists each of his tracts. The index lists all names. The author platted all the tracts (not part of the book, although two sections are shown) and discusses the possible reasons for the discrepancies he found between the calculated acreage (which is listed for each tract) and that given in the grant. Land in Maryland is named, and there is a tract-to-owner index. Maps for each hundred are annotated with important geographical features. Methodist Records of Baltimore City, Maryland; Volume 3: 1840—1850 (East City Station). By Henry C. Peden, Jr. Colonial Roots, Lewes, Delaware, 2004. iii plus 203 pages, paper. $19.50. This volume of the East City Station of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Baltimore contains vital records, including deaths noted in class lists or the record of members (but not those lists themselves). Marriages are alphabetized under both bride and groom, the presiding minister is named, and there is an indication if it was by license. There is a “see” reference to the birth(s) under the name of the father, but not the mother. In cases where the entry was illegible or ambiguous, Peden did additional research, with any findings noted in square brackets and flagged as “Ed. Note.” FAMILY HISTORIES AND LINEAGE BOOKS Adventurers of Purse and Person: Virginia, 1607—1624/5, 4th Edition, Volume One, Families A—F. By John Frederick Dorman, CG, FASG. Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, 2004. xxx plus 1248 pages, index, cloth. $89.50. This publication, which is the first of three volumes prepared for the Order of First Families of Virginia in anticipation of the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, is much more than a new edition. It extends descents for Final copy 31 January, 2010 2004 Reviews 283 two additional generations, through the sixth generation and includes additions (seven of the 52 families in this volume are new), corrections, and deletions resulting from many newly published abstracts and from careful research and published compilations by individuals. A critical examination of all evidence was made. Generally, circumstantial but reasonable connections were retained from the previous edition but no new persons were added based on circumstantial evidence. Contrary evidence led to deletions. The understated comment in the Preface says “Readers of this fourth edition will note that descendants of several early Virginia settlers are no longer included here.” Be warned, however, that changes are not highlighted; readers with ancestry in earlier editions will want to compare. The Royal Descents of 600 Immigrants to the American Colonies or the United States. By Gary Boyd Roberts. Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, 2004. ci plus 811 pages, index, cloth. $75.00. This work, which covers not all immigrants with royal ancestry, but notable persons (defined as someone appearing in the Dictionary of American Biography or similar) with a descent from a monarch through a colonial immigrant. Thus, the lineages include persons born on this side of the Atlantic; the immigrant is indicated in bold in the lineage. The wives of a son and grandson of William Penn qualify, but not the Penns themselves. Based on published research in the interval since the last edition, some descents have been altered, fifteen deleted, and about one hundred added. The most annoying lack, for those of us not routinely familiar with our noble ancestry, is the lack of years of birth and death for individuals so that we can discern among individuals of the same name. Settlers of Colonial St. Mary’s County, Maryland. By Elise Greenup Jourdan. Colonial Roots, Lewes, Delaware, 2004. vii plus 444 pages, index, paper. $33.00. Jourdan has examined over two dozen published sources (often multivolume) to compile a listing of references to St. Mary’s County families. These are arranged alphabetically under the surname family, but annoyingly she has created a second series for those surnames for which only one entry for the surname was found. The index includes both individuals and tract names. Final copy 31 January, 2010 284 Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Vol. 43 METHODOLOGY Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry, 3rd edition. By Kathleen B. Cory, updated by Leslie Hodgson. Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, 2004. 260 pages, index, paper. $21.95. Cory had recognized the need for an update and begun the effort before her death in 2002. Hodgson picked up and completed the effort at her family’s request. This volume focuses on the New Register House and the National Archives of Scotland (formerly the Scottish Record Office), which are the main Scottish repositories. It covers the reorganization of the archives system that resulted from of 1996 restructuring of local governments. Updates include the expected address changes, information on electronic access, and new publications. There is also a new section on using local history in research. However, embedded discussions were not rewritten, as with the confusing mentions of the OPR (Old Parish Register) index done by the LDS church and its derivative indexes. Black Genesis: A Resource Book for African-American Genealogy, 2nd Edition. By James M. Rose, PhD, and Alice Eichholz, PhD, CG. Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, 2003. xvi plus 422 pages, appendices, index, paper. $24.95 As when it was originally published in 1978, the most interesting and valuable feature of this enlarged edition remains the listings of specific sources containing information related to African Americans. This has become even more useful and accessible in the new state-by-state arrangement. There are also sections on Canada and the West Indies. In addition to the typical information to be found in research guides, we find in Pennsylvania there are slave registers in ten counties and one African-American newspaper. Fourteen manuscript collections and a dozen publications are mentioned for the state. Final copy 31 January, 2010 2004 Reviews 285 REPRINTS Original Land Titles in Delaware Commonly Known as the Duke of York Record, 1646 to 1679. Reprint of 1903 edition by Colonial Roots, Lewes, Delaware, 2002, with revised index. 197 pages, index, paper. $16.00. Memories of Four Civil War Prisons from The New Century Magazine. Bare Roots Publishing Company, Southampton, Pennsylvania, 2000. Illustrations, paper with plastic-comb binding. $10.00. The photoreproduced articles are T. H. Mann, “A Yankee in Andersonville Prison”; Frank E. Moran, “Colonel Rose’s Tunnel at Libby Prison”; H. Carpenter, “Plain Living at Johnson’s Island, Described by a Confederate Officer”; “Treatment of Prisoners at Camp Morton (A Reply to ‘Cold Cheer at Camp Morton’).” Letters of Two Brothers, Passages from the Correspondence of General and Senator Sherman. Bare Roots Publishing Company, Southampton, Pennsylvania, 2000, apparently from The New Century Magazine. Illustrations, paper with plastic-comb binding. $10.00. The Records of the Virginia Company of London, volume 4. Edited by Susan Myra Kingsbury. Reprint of 1935 edition by Heritage Books, Inc., Bowie, Maryland, 1996. History of Lancaster County. By I. Daniel Rupp. Reprint of 1844 edition by Clearfield Company, 2002. 531 pages, paper. $39.50. Detailed Reports on the Salzburger Emigrants Who Settled in America, Volume 10, 1743. By Don Savelle and George Fenwick Jones. 2nd printing, Picton Press, Camden, Maine, 1997. 208 pages, index, cloth. $35.00. American Surnames. By Elsdon C. Smith. Reprint of 1969 edition by Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, Maryland, 2003. xx plus 371 pages, index, paper. $18.95. Christoph Von Graffenried’s Account of the Founding of New Bern [North Carolina]. By Vincent H. Todd. Reprint of 1920 edition by Heritage Books, Inc., Bowie, Maryland, 1999. 434 pages, fold-out map, index, paper. $31.00. Some Records of Sussex County, Delaware. By C. H. B. Turner. Reprint of 1909 edition by Colonial Roots, Lewes, Delaware, 2003. 387 pages, index, paper. $35.00. Final copy 31 January, 2010 286 Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Vol. 43 ORDERING INFORMATION BARE ROOTS PUBLISHING COMPANY PO Box 134, Southampton, PA 18966-0134 Phone: 215-355-2881 Fax: 215-355-6311 Internet: www.members.aol.com/bareroot Shipping: $5 for first book Tax: 6% for Pennsylvania residents CLEARFIELD COMPANY: See Genealogical Publishing Company COLONIAL ROOTS 217 Schley Ave., Lewes, DE 19958 Phone: 800-576-8608 Internet: www.colonialroots.com Shipping: $5.00 for first volume; $1.00 for each additional item. All shipping UPS; no PO boxes. GENEALOGICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY CLEARFIELD COMPANY 1001 N. Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202-3897 Phone: 800-296-6687 Fax: 410-752-8492 Internet: www.genealogical.com Shipping: $4.00 for first volume; $1.50 for each additional volume Tax: 5% for Maryland residents; 6% for Michigan residents HERITAGE BOOKS, INC.: See Willow Bend Books PICTON PRESS PO Box 250, Rockport, ME 04856-0250 Phone: 207-236-6565 Fax: 207-236-6713 Internet: www.pictonpress.com Shipping: $4.00 for first volume; $2.00 for each additional volume Tax: 5% for Maine residents WILLOW BEND BOOKS HERITAGE BOOKS, INC. 65 E. Main St., Westminster, MD 21157-5036 Phone: 800-876-6103 or 410-876-6101 Fax: 410-871-2674 Internet: www.WillowBendBooks.com Shipping: $4.00 for first volume; $1.00 for each additional item Tax: 5% for Maryland residents Final copy 31 January, 2010 Pennsylvania Land Applications Volume 2: New Purchase Applications, 1769–1773 by Kenneth D. McCrea, Ph.D. 3,855 land applications never before published In 1769 the land covered by the New Purchase was in the counties of Berks, Cumberland, and Northampton. This vast area included the present-day counties of: Allegheny Armstrong Beaver Bradford Cambria Centre Clearfield Clinton Columbia Cumberland Greene Indiana Lackawanna Luzerne Lycoming Montour Northumberland Pike Somerset Sullivan Susquehanna Union Washington Wayne Westmoreland Wyoming These records include the names of the applicants, the names of those filing later paperwork, and the names of neighbors, plus references to the surveys. The every-name index has about 11,000 entries. 480 pages, hardbound. $40.00 plus $4.00 shipping. Member price: $36.00 plus $4.00 shipping. Pennsylvania residents add 6% sales tax; Philadelphia residents add 7% sales tax. Credit card orders accepted by telephone. order from Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania 215 South Broad Street, 7th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19107—5325 215-545-0391 Final copy 31 January, 2010