Freemason Records Freemason Records

Masonic Lodges keep meticulous records of their members. Some lodges will only keep records by their members initials, others by name. You can find out if your ancestor ever asked to have his name removed from their records, you can see if he was suspended due to not paying his dues or ethical transgressions against Masonic Code. Many times they will even tell you if the member moved to a different Lodge district. If you've lost track of an ancestor somewhere along the line, perhaps you'll be able to find them again.

Citing Your Sources

We've talked about keeping track of where you get your information from. How important is citing the original source? It really depends on what you are planning to do with your information. If you are planning on publishing the work in some way, then you must absolutely be honest about the source you received the information from, even if it is your second cousin's wife. If it is simply for your own records so you know where the information came from, you could simply write a reminder such as "Emily Watson's will Via Jane Doe". Just keep in mind to give credit where credit is due!

AniMap Historical Atlas

AniMap is a commercial program that was created by Ohana Software. It is incredibly cool! This software shows which county in which state a city was located in during a specific year. We all know how boundaries can change. This can effect which county records you look in for more information.

AniMap is available for purchase, but can be used for free at the Family History Library Desktop or in many Family History Centers.

Philadelphia

The city of Philadelphia was originally settled by the Dutch in 1633, but they abandoned it in about 1643. After that it switched hands a few times but ultimately the Dutch retook possession of it in 1655. By the end of the 17th century it was a major harbor for immigration. Many people came into Philadelphia as indentured servants coming over and working for the cost of their passage.

Did your relative come into the Colonies via Philadelphia? If so, there is A Health Officer's Register of Passenger's Names located in the State Archives. Check these records for your ancestor's name!