History of the Corpse Road

They are known by many names: coffin roads, church-ways, funeral paths, corpse roads – all leading from a remote English village to the lych gates of the Mother church, many miles away. Corpse roads came about during medieval times when villages were locating farther and farther afield.  Canon law of the period stated that a…

Buried Treasure in Land Records

While land records are not an obvious source of family history, they can provide valuable clues to an ancestor’s wealth and status, military service, migration patterns, family inheritances, and direct relationships. Owning land was a good indication of an ancestor’s wealth. Many immigrants came to America with the dream of achieving this goal. The more…

How to Find Your Irish Ancestors

Happy St Patrick’s Day! For the 33.3 million Americans who claim Irish ancestry, it can be an overwhelming task to sift through the plentiful Irish genealogy and family history resources available on and offline. In the spirit of Irish-American Heritage Month, we’ve decided to offer up a helping hand in your big Irish family research by compiling a list of…