Pennsylvania has as diverse a background as any state in the Union. Comprising some of earliest settled lands by European colonists, there are over 300 years of records and historical events of genealogical interest waiting to be found. Veteran genealogist John Humphrey has distilled his working knowledge into another great Genealogy at a Glance guide for researchers looking for additional help on the subject.
Genealogy at a Glance: Pennsylvania Genealogy Research, examines the records, resources, and major repositories of primary interest to anyone searching for ancestors who lived or worked in Pennsylvania. From the beginning, Pennsylvania was the most diverse colony in the New World. The original land grant given by Charles II to William Penn allowed Penn to set and grant rules and freedoms as he saw fit. In part, his granting of religious freedom, along with liberal land policies, drew people from diverse cultures and ethnic background. The dominant immigrant groups were from Sweden, Holland, England, Wales, and Germany. For its day, this was a widely-diverse group. Such diversity, of course, leads to unique and diverse resources for records. Humphrey does a great job at condensing the major points and key sources into just four pages.
“But this is the very thing the Genealogy at a Glance series was designed for–to bring a large subject down to size, distilling key ingredients so the subject can be understood at a glance; in effect, boiling it down to its essence to make it manageable. Essentially, Genealogy at a Glance provides all the basic instruction you need, focusing on key record sources and materials for further reference and finishing with a summing up of the best record repositories and websites. For Pennsylvania genealogy, in particular, these may be the best four pages you’ll ever use.”
Like all the Genealogy At A Glance sheets, this guide is a four-page, full-color limited brochure meant to be easily stored and sized to take with you when conducting related research. In this guide, Humphrey provides plenty of additional tips and further references to please the most avid researcher.
Contents for this guide:
Quick Facts & Important Dates
Settlement Background
- Topography
- Pennsylvania Germans
Record Sources
- Vital Records
- Church Records
- Land Records
- Probate Records
- Tax Records
- Census Records
Supplementary Sources
- Newspapers
- Poor Children School Records
- Eighteenth-Century Immigration
- 1798 U.S. Direct Tax: Pennsylvania
Major Repositories
Order Genealogy at a Glance: Pennsylvania Genealogy Research from Family Roots Publishing; Item #: GPC349, Price: $8.77.
Other Genealogy at a Glance guides available at Family Roots Publishing:
- Genealogy at a Glance: Irish Genealogy Research, by Brian Mitchell
- Genealogy at a Glance: Family History Library Research by Carolyn L. Barkley
- Genealogy at a Glance: French-Canadian Genealogy Research, by Denise R. Larson
- Genealogy at a Glance: Scottish Genealogy Research, by David Dobson
- Genealogy at a Glance: German Genealogy Research, by Ernest Thode
- Genealogy at a Glance: African American Genealogy Research, by Michael Hait
- Genealogy at a Glance: Ellis Island Research, by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack
- Genealogy at a Glance: Revolutionary War Genealogy Research, by Craig R. Scott
- Genealogy at a Glance: Michigan Genealogy Research, by Carol McGinnis
- Genealogy at a Glance: Immigration Research, by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack
- Genealogy at a Glance: English Genealogy Research, by Paul Milner
- Genealogy at a Glance: Italian Genealogy Research, by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack
- Genealogy at a Glance: French Genealogy Research, by Claire Bettag
- Genealogy at a Glance: Virginia Genealogy Research, by Carol McGinnis
- Genealogy at a Glance: American Cemetery Research, Sharon DeBartolo Carmack
- Genealogy at a Glance: U.S. Federal Census Records, by Kory L. Meyerink
- Genealogy at a Glance: Cherokee Genealogy Research, by Myra Vanderpool Gormley