Using Land Records, Part IV

Getting Started: A Bibliography
1. Hatcher, Patricia L. Locating Your Roots: Discover Your Ancestors Using Land Records. Baltimore: Betterway Books, 2003. A great genealogist, Hatcher is the strongest in her knowledge of the land especially platting. One of her husband's was a surveyor.

2. Rose, Christine. Courthouse Research for Family Historians. 1st ed. San Jose: C R Publications, 2004. Christine and her husband, Seymour Rose, travel in a mobile home, with short stops in hotels for six or seven months of the year. She is a speaker at NGS & FGS Conferences, Sanford University, and NGI in DC. The rest of their travels are devoted to Christine's client's research and the Rose Family Organization. They claim to have visited almost every courthouse in the East. They make their home in San Hose, California.

3. Hone, Wade. Land and Property Research in the United States. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1997. I have just recently become aware of this book. It seems to be outstanding.

4. Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet: Land records, Deeds, Homesteads,
etc. www.cyndislist.com/land.htm One of the most important sites for genealogists on the Internet.

5. Szucs, Loretta D. The Source: a Guidebook of American Genealogy. 2nd ed. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1997. Do not use this book for platting metes and bounds. Otherwise it is good. Study all chapters which pertain to land.

6. Leary, Helen. North Carolina Research Genealogy and Local History. 2nd ed. Raleigh: North Carolina Genealogical Society, 1996. Use only the most recent edition. Not just for NC, but is useful in all State Land States, maybe excluding New England. Study all chapters which pertain to land and platting.

7. The Handy Book for Genealogists. 11 ed. Logan: Everton. What was the date your county of interest was formed & what county was the parent? What are the earliest dates for their land, probate & marriage records?

8. Genealogical Research in the National Archives. 3rd ed. Washington D. C. National Archives Trust Fund Board, 2001. Become familiar with the organization & accession of Federal Records. Also study the chapters on land & claims. Bite the bullet. It may seem dry, but you need their records.

9. Hawkins, Kenneth. United States of America. Record Group 49. NARA. Reference Information Paper 114. Washington D. C. NARA, 2007.

10. Military Service Records: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm. Out of print, but at desk of Alex Baird Washington D. C.: NARA The Butler Center does not have the newest edition which can be seen on-line at http://www.archives.gov/publications/ref-info-papers/109/index.html. Feel your way around this site and you'll find what you need.

11. Rose, Christine. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Genealogy. 2nd ed. Indianapolis: Alpha Books, 2005. Always get the most recent edition.

12. Genealogy Online for Dummies. 4th ed. Indianapolis: Wiley, 2004. The most recent edition.

This is part four of a five part series on using land records in genealogy contributed by Alex Baird, Genealogy Assistant.