Mark Jordan asked:


There are several good sources for genealogy research in York County Pennsylvania, if you don’t mind doing the legwork of hands-on research. The bulk of the information is located around the City of York itself. This article will discuss the physical locations for research, not on-line resources. As in most Pennsylvania counties there is not an overwhelming amount of material in any one place, nor at the county or local libraries. To find more material, once the following resources have been exhausted, research can be done at the Pennsylvania State Library and Pennsylvania Archives, located in Harrisburg, not far from York.

Here are the York County resources and what they contain. The listed Market Street and George Street resources are not far apart, and within walking distance of each other. The first four sources are the most valuable to genealogists who are researching York records.

York County Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans’ Court, York County Judicial Center, 45 North George Street, York, PA 17401; 717-771-9607. Hours are 8:00AM to 4:30 PM, Monday-Friday.

They have Probate and Marriage records from 1749.

York County Prothonotary / Clerk of Court of Common Pleas, York County Judicial Center, 45 North George Street, York, PA 17401; 717-771-9611. Hours are 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday-Friday.

They have Court Records from 1749, including unpaid debt complaints, malpractice actions, mortgage foreclosures, personal injury cases, equity actions, district justice civil judgment appeals, license suspension appeals, administrative agency appeals, condemnation proceedings, family court matters such as divorce, child custody and protection from abuse cases and Liens against real estate and personal property.

York County Recorder of Deeds, Administrative Center, 28 East Market St., York, PA 17401-1590; 717-771-9644. Hours are 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday-Friday.

They have Land Records from 1749 and some other records, including Deeds, mortgages, releases, easements (rights-of-way), subdivisions, restrictions, Notary Bonds and Commissions, Military Service Discharges, public and elected county officers.

York County Heritage Trust / York County Historical Society, 250 East Market St., York, PA 17401; 717-848-1587. Hours are 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Tuesday-Saturday. These two organizations have combined. They have over 7500 Surname Files, containing clippings of weddings, obituaries and engagements, short genealogies, family group and pedigree sheets and copies of documents and photos. Each Surname File has five index cards which include abstracts from church records, cemetery records, Will books, pre-1800 tax records, and some other sources. The have a large library of published family books, published indexes, local and church histories and back issues of genealogy publications.

York County Archives, 105 Pleasant Acres Road, York, PA 17402; 717-840-7224. Hours are 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

They have some duplicate information available also at the above locations. They have Estate Files, Marriage Records, Naturalization Records, Tax Records, Birth Records, Bond Books, Clerk of Court Dockets, Death Records and many more records.

York County Library System. There are many local libraries in York County but most have very little genealogy information. Some may have local history information or newspapers on microfilm. Several have uncataloged items, so call ahead to found out. Two of the better libraries to check out are:

• Martin Library, 159 East Market Street, York, PA 17401; 717-846-5300. Hours vary, call ahead.

• Guthrie Memorial Library, 2 Library Place, Hanover, PA 17331; 717-632-5183. Hours vary, call ahead. They have a Pennsylvanian Reading Room, for genealogy, with Hanover and York newspapers 1815-present, on microfilm, as well as area tax lists 1818-1849, Sanborn insurance maps 1886-1949, York County Will Index 1749-1940, and York County Census records from 1790-1930, including 1890.

LDS Family History Center, 2100 Hollywood Drive, York, PA; 717-846-4539.

Hours are M, W, Th 9AM-1PM, T, W 7PM to 9PM, Th 5:30PM-8PM, Sat 9AM-3PM.

Closed Tuesday morning at this time. Not a lot there yet, but growing. It’s worth checking out if you are near. They have access to all LDS software, family files, reference books, old documents on microfilm, etc.



Wilma

Davian C asked:


I am working on a group project in my online class. Our group had to create a fictitious company with the purpose of organizing family reunions. I have been given the title of head of the genealogy research department in our fake company. My current task is to identify potential risks associated with conducting genealogy research. In other words, if this were a real research project, I would be hired by a family to conduct this research. So what are the types of problems that may arise when beginning my genealogy research for that particular family???

Jeanette

ssharp5278 asked:


I love learning about the origins of people. I would like to further research my fathers line and the earliest thing I can find is that our immigrant ancestor came from England. I know that there are tons of genealogy sites but I dont want to pay money and then not find anything. So I was wondering if there is anyone out there that has any information regarding the Sharp surname?

Arthur

GrannyToad asked:


Keep in mind that “deep ancestry” and the Genographic Project have nothing whatever to do with genealogy. That is so far back it’s about hunter-gatherers armed with rocks roaming the planet, displacing one another geographically whether by force or sometimes a more attractive culture, and exchanging genes — but not keeping genealogically useful records, only at best the fossil record.
Off Topic — hey it’s not me you’re disagreeing with it is governments, the genealogy community and genealogy professionals. Have you not noticed that censuses aren’t available for most living persons and that living persons are not presented on reputable online gedcoms? It is unethical and now you know.

Back to our regular scheduled program.

Chester

Stephanie Varney asked:


The Irish census was an inventory of individual household members throughout the country. It was taken every 10 years between 1821 and 1911. The records typically list people in Ireland by parish and county and provide the names, ages, birthplace, religion, and occupation of everyone in a household. It’s a wonderful resource for discovering your Irish family members in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

However, when using Irish census records for research, it should be remembered that not every census still survives. Several have been lost or destroyed over the decades since they were taken. Sometimes, only parts of a census still exist, so some counties may be covered for a particular census year while others for that same year are missing. The good news is that even when records are missing, some information can still be gleaned from them. The statistical analyses of each census still survive and are available for viewing in the major libraries of Ireland. These analyses include such information as the number of men, women, inhabited and uninhabited houses in each town. This information can give us valuable insight into the times and conditions in which our Irish ancestors lived.

Further, copies of missing portions of the Irish census are still being discovered. For example, the 1821 census for Armagh county was recently found printed in a local history book, and is the only known surviving copy of the census for that year for that particular county. Other portions of the census have been found in the hands of private collectors and estates, and in the dusty old archives of public buildings. You can find scanned images of existing census records that are complete for all counties at Ancestry.com and The Origins Network. If you have Irish ancestry from the 19th and early 20th centuries, these are records you can’t afford to miss.



Marjorie

Maria Gallercia asked:


Here’s the scoop: I need to conduct genealogy research for an academic project, and create a detailed report about my family and their roots and highlight it with a family tree. How do I go about doing it? How do I begin? What are some good websites? Other sources? This is not only intellectually interesting, but its for a project grade (40%). Please help me. Thank you in advance.

Frances

R. L. Fielding asked:


Researching your family tree is very rewarding. You find things you never knew before and identify yourself with your heritage. It can also be frustrating when you can’t find what you are looking for. Finding that one source that helps you go one generation deeper, or find a new family fact is satisfying to us genealogy hunters. Building a solid family history with proper sources requires many hours of research and tons of patience. As you make progress, it’s important to carefully track all of your findings. This is essential to preserving your family history and ensures that all the hours of hard work you put into growing your family tree won’t go unnoticed.

To help you build a precise family history and a reliable family tree, here are tips for organizing your genealogy research:

Manage Your Sources

Once you start your family search and start to find sources, be sure to document where you found the source. This is known as the repository. Make sure you write down everything and copy all pertinent family information. Make it easy for yourself and others to go back and investigate the information again. And yes, on more than one occasion, you will end up needing to go back and look up the document or directing a relative to the same source.

Sources abound out on the Internet, the library, genealogical societies, and government records. It’s really easy to copy information from someone’s family tree, but beware of doing this. Most trees contain little or no sources and you should find the documents that substantiate family history, before copying and sharing your information with others. If you do copy the information, make sure you give credit to the person and repository where you found the information. Your family search should always contain sources to back-up the family information you record.

Keep Track of the Little Things

Recording both your research methods and your findings will help keep your family search efforts up-to-date and, if another family member takes over as family record keeper in the years to come, this documentation will make his or her task easier.

Don’t just document your successes but your failures, too. Pointing out dead ends will help prevent future family genealogists from making the same mistake and could even remind you of leads you followed that went nowhere.

Many family genealogists find that carefully documenting their findings (both the successful leads and the dead ends) often helps in paving the way for a new research idea. You never know when or where you’re going to come across a key piece of information that will unlock more of your family history.

Ensure an Accurate Family Tree

You will inevitably find sources that contradict family information that you thought to be true. This may be due to inaccurate memories passed down within your family, or it could be a mistake by the person who created the written record. You may even find one historical document that contradicts another historical document. For example, a census could have been filled out by someone who didn’t bother to ask the spelling of the family member’s name or the information could have been given by a neighbor or the eldest child in the house.

To make sure your family tree is as accurate as possible, document all dates and information and make notes as to why you think certain information is correct. You can spend years trying to figure out which exact dates and places are relevant when you have multiple documents that don’t have the exact same information. Documenting all the information you find from your family search will make it easier to compare notes later.

Stay Focused

When you get over-whelmed with your research, document what you have done, take a break, and come back to it later. At the end of the day, the process should be enjoyable and rewarding, so when things get frustrating take a step back and take a deep breath. This will help you stay energized and focused on the task at hand.

About MyFamilyology

This article was provided by myFamily•ology®, a security conscious, Web-based provider of genealogy tools to help you build and organize a precise family history and a reliable family tree that can be shared with family and friends. For more information, please visit www.Family-Genealogy.com/.



Tina