Ancestry has some income tax assessors’ lists from the post Civil War period.
See the article: Why You Should Love (Okay, Like) Taxes (free on Ancestry.com)
Although we may dread “when the taxman cometh,” it’s nice to know he also leaveth records.”
June 23, 2009
June 10, 2009
African Americans in Delaware, 1890
A new database has been added to Ancestry Library Edition: African Americans in Delaware, 1890, U.S. Census.
This is a very small file. It consists of 29 handwritten pages with names, the enumeration district number, the county and hundred where the person lived, and their occupation. Since this is an agriculture list, the occupations are mainly farmer or farm laborer. Some females are listed. About 600 names (some were duplicates, so it is hard to get an accurate count).
The easiest way to find this database is to Select “Search” on the Ancestry Library Edition home, then select Delaware from the list, select “view all 22 Delaware Census & Voter Lists” then the database. The database can be searched can be browsed. For the browse option, scroll to the bottom of the page.
Remember that databases containing images can best be viewed using Internet Explorer.
This file is significant because no personal information exists for Delaware from the 1890 census (the population schedules). This list is an extract from National Archives microfilm M1919.
The 1890 list is included in: List of selected African Americans from the 1890 and 1900 federal population censuses of Delaware and related census publications: “Agriculture in the state of Delaware” (1901) and “Negroes in the United States” (1904) / compiled by Claire Prechtel-Kluskens. Morris Library | Microforms-Microfilm no. 6615. (National Archives microfilm publications. M1919)
June 5, 2009
Images from Online Web Services
Examples of Records from Online Web Services
Ancestry Library Edition
- Available: UD Library, New Castle County public libraries (see database list), and Delaware Public Archives
- Note: best results using Internet Explorer browser
-
Pension application index card: Andrew Feaster
Image from Ancestry Library Edition. War of 1812 Pension Application Files Index, 1812-1815.
Ancestry Library Edition
-
Robert Coleman in 1930 Census (detail)
Click to see 1930 Census page: Robert Coleman
Image from Ancestry Library Edition. U.S. Census. 1930.
HeritageQuest Online
- HeritageQuest Online
- Available: New Castle County public libraries (see database list)
Click above to see the PDF image of House Report no. 1282, 52nd Congress, 1st Session, 1892: Sarah and Florence Coleman. From HeritageQuest Online. U.S. Serial Set.
Footnote.com
- Footnote (Footnote.com) (http://www.footnote.com/)
- Both free and subscription resources
I was able to locate the complete Compiled Military Service Record (CMSR) for William Colley, 28 pages. To obtain records of this type, you need to subscribe to Footnote.com
Example:
Envelope for CMSR: William Colley
Company Descriptive Book
April 15, 2009
Delaware Military Records: Getting Starteds
Ancestry Library Edition has several indexes and lists and many digitized original records. See Military Records in Ancestry
Delaware Public Archives has original military records of the colonial wars, Revolutionary War, War of 1812, militia records for 1765 to 1841, Mexican War, some Civil War files (from the Adjutant General office), Spanish-American War, National Guard Card File, World War I, and World War II records. They have indexes to many of these records.
- Guide To Revolutionary War Records
- Guide to Civil War Records
- Records dating to 1827, see the print publication Delaware Archives
Delaware Archive: Military and Naval Records. By Delaware Public Archives Commission. Vols. 1-5. Wilmington, Del.: Mercantile Printing, Star Pub. Co., 1911-1919.
Morris Library F161 .D29
Contains transcriptions and indexes for military related manuscripts at the Delaware Public Archives. Covers King George’s War (1744-48), French and Indian War (1754-1763), Revolutionary War and other conflicts, ending with the War of 1812. Note: DPA has additional materials not described in this set.
Colonial Delaware Soldiers and Sailors, 1638-1776. By Henry C. Peden. Westminster, Md.: Family Line Publications, 1995.
Morris Library F163 .P43 1995
Marylanders and Delawareans in the French and Indian War, 1756-1763. By Henry C. Peden. Lewes, DE: Colonial Roots, 2004.
Morris Library F180 .P435x 2004
Delaware Pensioners, 1835.
- Morris Library – Serial Set vol. 251, contains part 3: Southern and western states and District of Columbia
- Ancestry Library Edition. Go to Search> Military, browse to Delaware. Also available: Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont
Delaware Roster of Union Soldiers. (Bits of Blue and Gray)
Fourth Delaware Regiment Infantry Volunteers. (Bits of Blue and Gray)
Contains material from Scharf, History of Delaware.
More Information
- Scharf, John Thomas. History of Delaware, 1609-1888. 2 vols. Philadelphia: Richards, 1888.
Morris Library – Reference (Ref F164 .S31 1976)
Morris Library – Special Collections (Del F164 .S31)
Morris Library (F164 .S31)
Library Databases via American County Histories to 1900 (restricted to UD) - A comprehensive history of Delaware and its people. Vol. 2 contains histories of New Castle County (pp. 611-1028), Kent County (pp. 1028-1200), and of Sussex County (pp. 1200-1346). The print edition is accompanied by a 3-volume index: Index to J. Thomas Scharf, 3 vols. Wilmington: Historical Society of Delaware, 1976. Reference and Special Collections (F164 .S33). The Library Database edition does not include the Index but does have keyword searching. Note: the author’s name is pronounced “Skarf.”
Revolutionary Patriots of Delaware, 1775-1783: Genealogical and Historical Information on the Men and Women of Delaware Who Served the American Cause during the War Against Great Britain, 1775-1783. By Henry C. Peden. Westminster, Md.: Family Line Publications, 1996.
Not at University of Delaware Library
April 13, 2009
Military Records in Ancestry
A sample of military information available in Ancestry Library Edition.
| American Civil War Battle Summaries |
| American Civil War General Officers |
| American Civil War Regiments |
| American Civil War Soldiers |
| American Revolutionary War Rejected Pensions |
| American Soldiers of World War I |
| Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 |
| Civil War Prisoner of War Records, 1861-1865 |
| Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles |
| Confederate Applications for Presidential Pardons, 1865-1867 |
| Confederate Service Records, 1861-1865 |
| Confederate States Field Officers |
| General Photographs of the Bureau of Ships, 1914-1946 |
| Headstones Provided for Deceased Union Civil War Veterans, 1879-1903 |
| Japanese Americans Relocated During World War II |
| Korean War Casualties, 1950-1957 |
| Korean War Prisoners of War, 1950-1954 |
| Muster and Pay Rolls of the War of the Revolution, 1775-1783: Miscellaneous Records |
| National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers |
| Officers of the Continental and U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, 1775-1900 |
| Official records of the Union and Confederate Armies, 1861-1865 |
| Returns from Regular Army Regiments, 1821-1916 |
| Revolutionary War Courts-Martial |
| Revolutionary War Officers |
| Revolutionary War Pension Index |
| Revolutionary War Pensioner Census, 1841 |
| U.S. Army Historical Register, 1789-1903, Vol. 1 |
| U.S. Army Historical Register, 1789-1903, Vol. 2 |
| U.S. Army Indian Campaign Service Records Index, 1815-1858 |
| U.S. Army Personnel and Dependent Casualties, 1961-1981 |
| U.S. Army, Register of Enlistments, 1798-1914 |
| U.S. Civil War Jewish-American Veterans, 1861-1865 |
| U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 |
| U.S. Colored Troops Military Service Records, 1861-1865 |
| U.S. Compiled Revolutionary War Military Service Records, 1775-1783 |
| U.S. Index to General Correspondence of the Record and Pension Office, 1889-1904 |
| U.S. Marine Corps Muster Rolls, 1798-1940 |
| U.S. Military and Naval Academy Registers, 1805-1908 |
| U.S. Military Burial Registers, 1768-1921 |
| U.S. Military Records, 1925: Official National Guard Register |
| U.S. Military: Great White Fleet (Atlantic Fleet bound for the Pacific, 16 December 1907) |
| U.S. National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866-1938 |
| U.S. Naval Deaths, World War I |
| U.S. Navy Cruise Books, 1950-1988 |
| U.S. Navy Pensions Index, 1861-1910 |
| U.S. Pensioners, 1818-1872 |
| U.S. Revolutionary War Miscellaneous Records (Manuscript File), 1775-1790s |
| U.S. Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 |
| U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945 |
| U.S. Veterans Gravesites, ca.1775-2006 |
| U.S. War and Conflict Images, 1765-1970 |
| U.S. War Bounty Land Warrants, 1789-1858 |
| U.S. World War I Mothers’ Pilgrimage, 1930 |
| U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 |
| U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 |
| U.S. WWII Military Personnel Missing In Action or Lost At Sea, 1941-1946 |
| Vietnam War, Awards and Decorations of Honor, 1965-1972 |
| Vietnam War, Casualties Returned Alive, 1962-1979 |
| Vietnam War: U.S. Military Casualties, 1956-1998 |
| War of 1812 Papers, 1789-1815 |
| War of 1812 Pension Application Files Index, 1812-1815 |
| War of 1812 Service Records |
| War of 1812, Prisoner of War Records, 1812-1815 |
| War of the Rebellion |
| World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 |
| World War II and Korean Conflict Veterans Interred Overseas |
| World War II Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Casualties, 1941-1945 |
| World War II Prisoners of War, 1941-1946 |
| World War II Young American Patriots, 1941-1945 |
| WWI Civilian Draft Registrations |
| WWI, WWII, and Korean War Casualty Listings |
| WWII U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier Muster Rolls, 1939-1949 |
| WWII United News Newsreels, 1942-1946 |
| Delaware Pensioners, 1835 |
For a complete list, go to Ancestry Library Edition. Go to Search> Military>
March 27, 2009
Military Records: Pension Indexes & Lists
Many pension lists and indexes to pension application records have been published on microfilm or on the Web.
Ancestry Library Edition has several indexes and lists and many digitized original records. See Military Records in Ancestry
Indexes
Index of Revolutionary War Pension Applications in the National Archives. By National Genealogical Society, United States National Archives and Records Service, and United States Veterans Administration. Washington: National Genealogical Society, 1976.
- Not at University of Delaware Library
- Note: UD Library has 2 books extracted from this file:
-
- Index to Delawareans in the Index of Revolutionary War Pension Applications and
- Marylanders in the Index of Revolutionary War Pension Applications.
- See Delaware Military Records
- Ancestry Library Edition: Go to Search> Military> Revolutionary War Pensioner Census
Index to War of 1812 Pension Application Files. M313
- National Archives
- Ancestry Library Edition: Go to Search> Military> War of 1812 Pension Application Files
Index cards for Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Applications.
Civil War Pension Index Cards.
- Internet: FamilySearch
- Internet: Footnote.com $
Indexes pension applications of veterans who served in the U.S. Army between 1861-1917.
General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934. T288
- National Archives
Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900. T289 (National Archives microfilm)
- National Archives
- Internet: Footnote.com $
Index cards giving pension application and certificate numbers. Card are arranged by state, then by units within regiments.
Example
Pension Information — War of 1812 Example
Pension Rolls or Lists
1792-1795 lists:
The Pension Lists of 1792-1795: With Other Revolutionary War Pension Records. By Murtie June Clark. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1991.
Morris Library E255 .P38x 1991
Transcriptions of the 1792-1795 Congressional reports.
1835 list:
Report from the Secretary of War, in Obedience to Resolutions of the Senate of the 5th and 30th of June, 1834, and the 3d of March, 1835, in Relation to the Pension Establishment of the United States. Washington: Printed by Duff Green, 1835-. 3 volumes. (23d Congress, 1st session. Senate. Doc. No. 514). Alternate Title: Pension Roll of 1835.
- Morris Library – Serial Set vols. 249–251
- Serial vol. 249, v. 1. New England
- Serial vol. 250, v. 2. Middle states and Virginia
- Serial vol. 251, v. 3. Southern and western states and District of Columbia
- Ancestry Library Edition. Go to Search> Military, browse to name of state. Available: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont
1840 Census:
A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services, with their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshals of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. By United States Census Office and Norman Ross Publishing. New York, N.Y.: N. Ross Pub., 1990.
- Morris Library – Census Area – 1840 Census (vol. 4)
- Transcription (http://www.usgennet.org/usa/topic/colonial/census/1840/)
- Searchable images (http://www.evendon.net/PGHLookups/Census1840M.htm)
- Ancestry Library Edition. Go to Search> Military> Revolutionary War Pensioner Census
1883 list:
List of Pensioners on the Roll, 1883, giving the name of each pensioner, the cause for which pensioned, the post-office address, the rate of pension per month, and the date of original allowance, as called for by Senate resolution of December 8, 1882. Serial Set Collection, serial vol. numbers 2078-2082 (5 volumes). Senate Executive document 84 (vols 1-5). 47th Congress, 2nd Session. Alternate Title: Name of Pensioners on Roll.
- Morris Library – Serial Set volumes 2078 to 2082
- Google Books
- Serial vol. 2078, vol. 1: New England, New Jersey, and D.C. (Senate Exec. Doc 84/1)
- Serial vol. 2079, vol. 2: New York and Pennsylvania (Senate Exec. Doc 84/2)
- Serial vol. 2080, vol. 3: Ohio, Illinois, and Iowa (Senate Exec. Doc 84/3)
- Serial vol. 2081, vol. 4: Northwestern and Western States and Territories (Senate Exec. Doc 84/4)
- Serial vol. 2082, vol. 5: Middle Atlantic, Gulf, and Central States and foreign countries (Senate Exec. Doc 84/4)
More Information
Reprint of 1835 Pension Roll:
The Pension Roll of 1835. Reprinted with a new index. 4 vols. Baltimore, Md: Genealogical Pub. Co, 1992. See the description on WorldCat.org
Revolutionary War Pension Lists (US GenWeb)
Pensions | Portal: United States Military Records (Research Wiki from Family Search)
“Pensions.” In Reference Information Papers. Washington, DC: National Archives.
Why Can’t I Find My Ancestor in Pension Rolls?
Finding Complete Records
Original records (up to 1916) are at the National Archives. Only Revolutionary War records have been microfilmed.
February 13, 2009
Military Records — Getting Started, Part 1
Military records can provide valuable information about an individual and about families.
What Is the Time Period of Your Search?
Records may be available to the public (old) or only available to family members (current):
- Current (typically 1917 to present). Available to veterans and next-of-kin or with permission of veterans and next-of-kin. Records are located at the National Personnel Records Center. See this guide on the National Archives Web: How to Request Military Service Records.
- Old (typically prior to 1917). Available to the general public. Records are usually located at the National Archives.
Factors
There are many factors to consider, such as
- War or conflict
- Branch of service
- Area which soldier served (not same as residence)
As a general rule, you will find less information in earlier records. In many cases, there is more information available about officers than enlisted men.
The Most Common Military Records
- Service records
- Pensions and benefits
Service Records
Contain information on a soldier, perhaps including physical description, date and place of birth, skill or occupation, enlistment dates, ranks, what units/regiments of service, where the unit moved and what action they saw, medical information (may be limited to injuries or death), state from which the soldier served, date of separation from service.
Compiled Military Service Records (CMSR) — records compiled from other sources, such as muster rolls, returns, and pay vouchers. Record consists of an envelope (“jacket”) containing card abstracts of the sources. Typically includes rank, unit, basic biographical information, medical information, dates mustered in and mustered out. Compiled for volunteers only. See: Terminology for Military Records
Example: Compiled Military Service Record (envelope and a card)
Envelope for CMSR: William Colley
Company Descriptive Book
Pensions and Benefits
Payments made to veterans, widows, or minor children. Pension application records can be extensive, including application letters, supporting documentation, and appeals. Land was given as a benefit, referred to as “Bounty Lands.” See: Terminology for Military Records
Example: index card to pension files
Pension application: Andrew Feaster
For more information on pension searching, see Pension Information — War of 1812 Example
Finding Records
Many of the indexes and collections of records have been microfilmed by the National Archives. Some indexes/records have been scanned by companies or agencies, such as Ancestry or Footnote (Footnote.com). Some have been scanned or transcribed and are available on the Web.
The University of Delaware Library — the main library is named the Morris Library. The Library has huge book, map, and microform collections. The Library subscribes to many online databases and journals. The online subscriptions can be accessed on the UD campus. Remote access to online subscriptions is restricted to University of Delaware faculty, staff, and students (including members of the Academy of Lifelong Learning).
Ancestry – a major genealogical publishing company and creator of huge searchable online genealogy database collections. Individuals can subscribe to Ancestry.com
The UD Library has a subscription to Ancestry Library Edition (Also: the New Castle County public libraries and the Delaware Public Archives in Dover.) See Using the Library Subscription to Ancestry
National Archives Microfilm (e.g., M series)
Identifying & Ordering Records from National Archives
Military Records: Sources for Service Records — shows examples of M collections
FamilySearch (familysearch.org) — website provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Includes access to the Family History Library catalog. Also provides research guides, indexes, and digital collections. Has a look-up to locate Family History Centers.
Family History Library — the library of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, Utah. The catalog of the collection is available on FamilySearch.org. Materials in the FHL may be borrowed through any of the Family History Centers located throughout the world.
HeritageQuest — a major genealogical publishing company. Not available at the UD Library. Available at the New Castle County public libraries.
Footnote (Footnote.com)
Guides to Military Genealogical Research
****************
Continue to Part 2
February 10, 2009
Databases Specifically for African Americans in Ancestry Library Edition
African American Photo Collection, 1850-2000
The African in Canada: The Maroons of Jamaica and Nova Scotia
Afro-Louisiana History and Genealogy, 1718-1820 (Slave) (Also called Louisiana Slave Records)
Afro-Louisiana History and Genealogy, 1719-1820 (Free)
Census “Slave Schedules” 1850 and 1860
Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina Black Deaths 1871-89
Freedman’s Bank Records, 1865-1874
Freedmen’s Bureau Marriage Records
Illinois Servitude and Emancipation Records, 1720-1865
Louis Hughes, Thirty Years a Slave, 1832-62
Louisiana Slave Records (Also called Afro-Louisiana History and Genealogy, 1718-1820)
New Orleans, Louisiana, Slave Manifests, 1807-1860 (World Archives Project)
Slave Narratives
U.S. Colored Troops Military Service Records, 1861-1865.
Records of the more than 178,000 men who served in the U.S. Colored Troops regiments during the Civil War
U.S. Freedmen Bureau Records of Field Offices, 1865-1872
Note: there are many more databases available in Ancestry.com (personal subscription) than in Ancestry Library Edition. Ancestry.com has a Special Collection titled African American Collections.
February 4, 2008
Using the Library Subscription to Ancestry
Ancestry Library Edition is a smaller version of the Ancestry.com web subscription database. It is the version that Ancestry.com makes available for institutional subscriptions.
This database works best with the Internet Explorer browser.
To find Ancestry Library Edition, go the Databases link on Library webpages.
If you are using the database from off-campus, you will need to enter your UDelnet ID and password.
If you are not affiliated with UD or the Academy of Lifelong Learning, you may use the database if you come to the Library.
Among the most important collections in Ancestry are the digital images of the original federal census schedules. Ancestry has made the records much more usable by adding indexing.
Ancestry Library Edition is also available at the New Castle County public libraries and at the Delaware Public Archives in Dover.
Another major online genealogical database is Heritage Quest. The University of Delaware does not have access to this. It is available at the New Castle County public libraries.
Note
Ancestry.com website has some free learning materials. These materials are not in Ancestry Library Edition. See the Learning Center, especially “Article Archives”.
