Understanding 19th and early 20th Century naming conventions – the structure and method of naming children…
Category: Black History
US history for the black American lens. Told through my ancestors’ stories and experiences.
Mystery#1: Getting to grips with James Mitchell Zachariah Sheffey [Mitchell Sheffey]
James Mitchell Zachariah Sheffey, Dicey Brock, Jersey (or Judy) Clark, Emily Cook, Martha Ann Hill and…
What’s in a maiden name? When cousins marry
In my previous post I covered the importance of accurately recording maiden names. And this post…
Family stories: Daniel Sheffey (1884 – 1968)
This family history was sent to me by Toni, a cousin through marriage. It is an…
A 1920s Diaspora
One of my abilities, something I have developed during the course of my professional life is…
““Does it bother you your ancestors were slaves”?” – A truth I did not expect to find
Since I began this journey into my family’s history, my family and friends find it an…
Pushing the clock back for your slave ancestors
Your search for African American ancestors needn’t end at 1860 or 1850. Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org have…
Getting to grips with the 1850 and 1860 Slave Schedule census – Part 2
What’s the detective work when searching for your ancestors in the Slave Schedules? A bit of…
Getting to grips with the 1850 & 1860 Slave Schedule census – Part 1
If you’re an African American, the chances are you will come up against Slave Schedule census…