Passenger and Immigration Lists: Boston, 1821-1850

Passenger lists are important primary sources of arrival data for the vast majority of immigrants to the United States in the nineteenth century. With the single exception of federal census records, passenger lists are the largest, most continuous, and the most uniform body of population records for the entire country. While researching original passenger lists can often be tedious and difficult, this Family Archive makes finding your immigrant ancestors easier than ever. It contains alphabetical listings of approximately 161,000 individuals who arrived at the port of Boston, Massachusetts from foreign ports between 1821 and 1850.

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Locating and Using Religious Records for Family History

Religious records are often overlooked as a family history resource, and in doing so we may be cheating ourselves out of some great information and new leads. As if the information contained in them were not enough, these records in some cases predate civil records. While the types of records available vary from religion to religion and even from church to church, the baptismal or christening, confirmation, marriage, death registers, membership, and other records of the church are often among the most valuable to be found in family history research.

Besides the important event dates provided by religious records, sponsors and witnesses listed in these records often turn out to be immediate or collateral family members, or may be neighbors from the old country who traveled with your ancestors...

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Marriage Index: Mississippi and Florida, 1800-1900

This database contains information on approximately 154,000 individuals who were married between 1800 and 1900 in Mississippi and 37,000 individuals who were married between 1823 and 1900 in Florida (191,000 individuals total). It brings together previously uncollected marriage records and gives you easy access to information that you would otherwise need to obtain from a county office.

Listings Include:

- Name of each spouse.
- Marriage date Location of the marriage County where the marriage was recorded.
- Where to find copies of your ancestor's original marriage record so that you can obtain even more detailed family history information.

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Wallet-Friendly Traditions for the Holiday Season

I've noticed as the years go by, I'm finding myself adding new traditions. Most of them are not quite as uh . . . "eccentric" as the whole holiday music thing, and a lot of them have to do with family--past and present. So in this week's column, I thought I'd share some ideas that you might like to turn into traditions for your family. And since many of us may be stressing about the cost of gas, heating, and holiday shopping, I'm focusing on cost-efficient traditions.

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Marriage Index: Iowa, 1851-1900

Approximately 157,000 individuals who were married between 1851 and 1900 in select Iowa counties.

Marriage indexes can save you research time by telling you that a particular marriage record containing your ancestor's name exists. With the information provided, you may be able to find a newspaper announcement, which may provide more details about the bride, groom, and their families.

Listings Include:

• Full names of both spouses.
• Date of the marriage.
• Township in which the marriage was recorded.
• Location of the Family History Library microfilm, microfiche, or book referencing the marriage.

Birth Certificates

The birth certificate is the first vital record of a person's life, and it is a primary source for genealogical research.

The hard data recorded on the birth certificate can solve some genealogical puzzles and provide exciting new leads. Some of the information you may find on the birth certificate:

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