Sunday, August 26, 2007

"The Essex Genealogist" - August 2007 Issue Table of Contents

One of the quarterly genealogy journals that I receive is The Essex Genealogist, - TEG - published by the Essex Society of Genealogists (ESOG), which provides genealogy data specific to Essex County, Massachusetts (the most northeast county in Mass.). Since I have a fine collection of ancestors who lived in this county - in Lynn, Marblehead, Salem, Beverly, Danvers, Andover, Rowley, Salisbury, Amesbury, Newbury, Newburyport and probably other towns that I can't recall - I have been an ESOG member for about 15 years.

This journal has published well-sourced articles on several of my ancestral families, mainly from Lynn but occasionally from other towns.

The Table of Contents for Volume 27, Number 3, August 2007, includes:

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* Letter from the Editor -- page 98.

TEG FEATURE ARTICLE:
* "Researching Your Irish Ancestors" by Judy Lucey -- page 99.

RESEARCH IN PROGRESS:
* "Descendants of Hugh Ditson" by Marilyn Fitzpatrick -- page 107
* "Descendants of Richard Bryer through son William" by Margaret Blair -- page 120.
* "Charter Street Cemetery Inscriptions" by Jeanne Stella -- page 127.
* "Old Kittery and Her Families corrections/additions" transcribed by Margaret Blair -- page 129.
* "Some Major Epidemics in the United States" contributed by Alice Bonney with some additions -- page 133.

AHNENTAFELS
* "William B. Cogswell" by Mary Naomi (Cogswell) Lieberman -- page 137
* "Mary Lawrence" by David A. Hills -- page 139.
* "Leslie Myron Hunt" by Richard M. Hunt -- page 140
* "Ida Alma Whitney" by David A. Hills -- page 141.

QUERIES -- page 142.

MEMBERSHIP FORM -- page 144

MOMENTS IN HISTORY
* "William Gordan (12 June 1790 - 31 March 1839)" by Barbara Gunvaldsen -- Inside Back Cover.

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As you can see, this journal has several types of articles that are different from most other journals. The most important is the Feature Article, which is almost always transcribed from a lecture given to the Society at a meeting by a speaker. Judy Lucey spoke to ESOG on 17 February 2007. I wasn't there, but as a member of ESOG, I get to read what was said, but I miss the visual aids. That's OK, as long as the speaker covers the material and doesn't say "read this chart and we'll move on." I really like this feature!

The second feature I like a lot is the Ahnentafel listings. Many of these get back into the 17th century, and I often find my Essex County ancestors in these lists. If I wished, I could correspond with the ahnentafel provider about our mutual ancestor(s).

If you have Essex County (MA) ancestors from the colonial times, you might want to check your local library for copies of this journal and see if your families have been covered. Or read the Feature Articles to see if they discuss items of genealogical research interest to you.

I went to the fine ESOG genealogy book collection at Lynnfield (MA) Public Library back in 2004. I keep hoping that on one of my trips to New England that I will have a chance to go to an ESOG meeting. Maybe I should see if they are willing to pay me to come speak to them (BG)?

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