Ancestor Links - Useful Sources for Genealogy Research (continued)

This web page includes additional information for the following subsection that is listed on the main Sources page.

Books and other Published Sources - Updated Published Genealogical Research

An on-going and significant genealogy research challenge - is to identify whether published information has been subsequently updated with more recent published research that enhances, amends or corrects earlier published information.

A significant and negative consequence of this - is that there is a huge volume of internet webpages and links for genealogical information that contains outdated and incorrect information. This is due to the webpage authors - not taking into account more recent published research that enhances, amends or corrects earlier published information.

Short lists of (i) reference books/articles with lists of published information by family name and/or by individual name - plus (ii) regional compendiums:

1.1  U.K.
1.2  Scotland
2.1  North America
2.2  Eastern North America - New England, New York ...
3.    General Comments

1.1 U.K.

1.1.2 Compendiums for the U.K.:

• “The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom: Extant, Extinct, or Dormant”, by George Edward Cokayne (1st edition, 8 Volumes, 1887-1898) (2nd edition, revised by the Hon. Vicary Gibbs et al., 14 Volumes, 1910-1998)

Includes genealogies and historical information for British titled family lines - including family lines that are currently considered dormant or extinct - includes detailed source citations.
It is important to check the “Addenda and Corrigenda” (Volume 14) - for any important corrections and/or additions that may relate to your research.

1.2 Scotland

1.2.1 Reference books/articles with lists of published information:

• “Scottish Family Histories”, by J. Ferguson and the National Library of Scotland (1986)

Reference book with a list, by Scottish family name, of published family histories - including the name(s) of the library that have copies as part of their collection.

1.2.2 Compendiums for Scotland:

• “The Scots Peerage : founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland containing an Historical and Genealogical Account of the Nobility of that Kingdom”, by Sir J.B. Paul, Lord Lyon King of Arms, 9 Volumes (1904-1914)

Includes genealogies and historical information for Scottish titled family lines - including family lines that are currently considered dormant or extinct - with source citations.
It is important to check the “Addenda et Corrigenda” (Volume 9) - for any important corrections and/or additions that may relate to your research.

• “Fasti ecclesiæ scoticanæ; the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland from the reformation”, by H. Scott and D.F. Macdonald, 8 Volumes (1914-1950)

Includes genealogical and historical information for the immediate families of former Ministers in the Church of Scotland - from the reformation (16th Century) up to the early 20th Century - with source citations.
It is important to check the “Addendum and Corrections” (Volume 8) - for any important corrections and/or additions that may relate to your research.

2.1 North America

2.2 Eastern North America - New England, New York ...

2.2.1 Reference books/articles with lists of published information:

• Published Annually “The New England Historical and Genealogical Register” (NEHGR) article “New England Articles in Genealogical Journals in [Year - 2]”

List of genealogical research articles published during a year - indexed by family name. The annual NEHGR article is usually published "nineteen months after the close of the publication year". For example - the 2015 list was published in 2017.

• NEW 2012 “New Englanders in the 1600s: A Guide to Genealogical Research Published Between 1980 and 2010”, by Martin E. Hollick (2012)

Published genealogical research indexed by name (Early New England Settlers).

• Article: Recent Progress in Seventeenth-Century New England Genealogy: A Bibliographic Essay, by Gary Boyd Roberts, "The New England Historical and Genealogical Register" Volume 150 (1996)

Includes - Regional Compendia and Databases; English Origins Studies/Articles 1984-1996; Royal Descents; Mayflower Works; Multi-Ancestor Studies and Town Genealogies.

• “Founders of Early American Families: Emigrants from Europe, 1607-1657”, by Meredith B. Colket, Jr. (1985)

Major journals (up to 1985) indexed by name - for families that settled prior to 1658 – with male line descendants through to the American Revolution.

• Article: Genealogical Research in Massachusetts: A Survey and Bibliographical Guide, by Edward W. Hanson and Homer Vincent Rutherford, "The New England Historical and Genealogical Register" Volume 135 (1981)

Includes - Massachusetts Counties: Probates and Deeds; Massachusetts Vital Records; Town Histories; Single Family Genealogies and Seventy Multi-Ancestor Genealogies.

• “Index to Genealogical Periodicals”, by Donald Lines Jacobus (1953)

Genealogical periodicals (up to 1953) indexed by name and by places and subjects - plus appendix with "My Own Index".

2.2.2 Compendiums for New England:

• NEW 2015 “The Great Migration Directory: Immigrants to New England, 1620–1640”, by Robert Charles Anderson (2015)


• “The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633”, by Robert Charles Anderson, 3 Volumes (1995)
• “The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635”, by Robert Charles Anderson, George F. Sanborn Jr., and Melinde Lutz Sanborn, 7 Volumes (1999-2011)

Part of the Great Migration Study Project - Early New England Settlers (1620-1635) by name - with source citations.

• "New England Marriages prior to 1700", by Clarence Almon Torrey (1985)

Marriages of early New England settlers by name - with source citations.

• "Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire", by Sybil Noyes, Charles Thornton Libby, and Walter Goodwin Davis, 6 Volumes (1928-1939)

Early Maine and New Hampshire Settlers by name - including children and grandchildren (first 3 generations) - with source citations.

• "A Genealogical Dictionary of The First Settlers of New England Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May, 1692 on the Basis of Farmer’s Register", by James Savage, 4 Volumes (1860-1862)

Early New England Settlers by name - including children and grandchildren (first 3 generations).

3. General Comments

Published genealogical sources include valuable information for different generations of a family and/or families. However, most of these sources are also somewhat like a database - and as we all know - most databases tend to include a certain percentage of errors. The drawback of any errors that these sources may contain - is usually more than offset by the wealth of background information and clues included in these sources.
When available - it is important to check the addendum and corrections section(s) for any important corrections and/or additions that may relate to your research.

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