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16 votes
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Why would someone born in the U.S. file a petition for naturalization?

The crucial question here, for the women who married alien couples, is when did the couples marry? Between 1907 and 1922, women who were US-born lost their US citizenship when marrying a foreign (aka &...
Jan Murphy's user avatar
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16 votes
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What does VSP mean in the book The Original Scots Colonists of Early America, 1612-1783?

The book 'The Original Scots Colonists of Early America, 1612-1783'' by David Dobson is also available on archive.org. Abbreviations are listed at the beginning of the book, but as you observed, VSP ...
sempaiscuba's user avatar
  • 5,166
14 votes

Identifying the cause of death

The cause of death was: Haemorrhage from Duodenal ulcer
sempaiscuba's user avatar
  • 5,166
11 votes
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What is the teacher's last name?

The teacher's name is Elizabeth Ullrich. From the report card, we can see that the school was in Rhode Island. There is a report titled RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL REPORT, prepared for the Rhode Island ...
sempaiscuba's user avatar
  • 5,166
10 votes
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Does a bequest of $1 or "to be paid on their demand" mean it is a minor child?

This answer is based on my experience with English probate records. While the probate process in the British colonies differed from that of the colonial power, the process was no doubt modelled on its ...
Harry V.'s user avatar
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9 votes
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What is "Canada E" in the 1860 US Federal Census?

To answer this question, it helps to understand some Canadian history, especially basic facts about Canada's creation. A good overview can be found in Yvonne Sorensen's webinar Using Canadian Census ...
Jan Murphy's user avatar
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9 votes
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What do these extra numbers mean on this ship manifest?

Adrian is correct -- as he suggested in the earlier answer, we can find some clues in Marian L. Smith's Guide to Interpreting Passenger List Annotations. Let's look at the two lines you are most ...
Jan Murphy's user avatar
  • 24.9k
9 votes

Two ships, two manifests, same passengers?

Entries on passenger manifests were lined out when the passengers did not sail, were changed to a different class of travel, or did not embark or disembark at the port stated on the manifest header. ...
Jan Murphy's user avatar
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9 votes
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Is Unregistered Death possible after 1900 in U.S.?

An article at ohiohistory.org seems to have some clues as to where to look, and has some general information on the requirements in Ohio at that time. It appears your relative may have died during a ...
user2448131's user avatar
9 votes

Were bodies shipped overseas to be buried?

It would have been very uncommon, if it ever happened, in the 1600s. And if it did happen, I imagine it would have only have been for a person of significant wealth or importance. The journey across ...
Harry V.'s user avatar
  • 18.7k
9 votes
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Identifying numbers on the United States Immigrant Identification Card

The immigration visa number (8) is the number used to account for visas issued by the US Department of State at each consulate. This one is the 8th visa issued by the consulate at Stockholm for that ...
Marian's user avatar
  • 146
8 votes
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What are these words in the 1841 will of Elisha Strong?

The Said Eunice Strong shall pay one third for the support & education of Lucy Strong and Julia C Strong until they are eighteen years of age and the remaining two thirds for their support to ...
Harry V.'s user avatar
  • 18.7k
8 votes

Seeking list of Jewish Cemeteries in the USA

Your best bet is to check the International Association of Jewish Genealogy Societies: IAJGS International Jewish Cemetery Project. On their United States Page, they have almost 1400 Jewish burial ...
lkessler's user avatar
  • 16.6k
8 votes

Evaluating birth year when different on SSDI and gravestone?

My first question in response to this would be why you are settling for only two sources that give direct evidence about when your research subject was born, and trying to decide which of them is more ...
Jan Murphy's user avatar
  • 24.9k
8 votes
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What is the meaning of the handwritten notation on the pension record of Charles Clements?

The descriptive pamphlet for NARA microcopy publication T718 is a reproduction of its entry in the print catalog of microfilm publications. It contains a roll list and a brief description of the ...
Jan Murphy's user avatar
  • 24.9k
7 votes
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What uniform is this (US Army branch, where and when)?

The uniform is from the time around World War I (see, for instance, World War 1 Uniforms and US Enlisted Uniforms 1900 - 1918: Part 2: Uniform Patterns (Enlisted) Army). The uniform style doesn't ...
RobertShaw's user avatar
  • 3,857
7 votes
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What year does this toy tricycle appear to be?

I had a quick look for the tricycle. I found a few similar ones on ebay and such, without any firm date information. The most useful example appears to be this auction for an "Antique Vintage ...
AndyW's user avatar
  • 4,427
7 votes

Death before certificates were issued statewide in Georgia?

Georgia registration of deaths statewide began in 1919 and was generally complied with by 1922. But there may be records at the local level. Unfortunately, marriage records in Georgia didn't record ...
Jan Murphy's user avatar
  • 24.9k
7 votes
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1882 Local News Item -- What Does "in the shade" Mean?

What an interestingly-written column… A fairly quick search for "laid in the shade" doesn't bring much up. The common result is the literal interpretation of people or animals taking shelter from the ...
AndyW's user avatar
  • 4,427
7 votes
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Deciphering part of 1799 probate from USA?

The "widow's third" was a portion of a man's estate guaranteed to his wife after his death, regardless of what his will stated. This excerpt from "Material Culture in America: Understanding Everyday ...
AndyW's user avatar
  • 4,427
7 votes
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Where is (was) the Mormon Post Office in Utah Territory in 1860

The easy way to find census locations on a map is to consult William Thorndale and William Dollarhide's Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Census, 1790-1920 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, ...
Jan Murphy's user avatar
  • 24.9k
7 votes
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How to help adoptee find her father without outing him?

You should be very, very, careful with this. My alarm bells are set off, because despite the emphatic denial of your father's second cousin, he is still a strong candidate. He could know and not want ...
lkessler's user avatar
  • 16.6k
7 votes

What year to record for info discovered in annual City Directories?

Don't just look at the alphabetical listings -- examine the entire directory for clues. The best internal evidence I have for the lead time so far is in some of the Price and Lee directories from New ...
Jan Murphy's user avatar
  • 24.9k
7 votes

Was this common usage of "mother-in-law" in late 19th century in US census?

Consider that the "mother-in-law" could actually be a stepmother. It would not be unusual for those two terms to be used interchangeably. Also consider that mistakes happen, and it may not ...
Harry V.'s user avatar
  • 18.7k
6 votes

What occupation is a "bottom puller"?

A bottom puller is an occupation in the manufacturer of shoes, so someone who worked on the soles of the shoes, but not likely in the assembly but literally making of the soles. It was likely someone ...
CRSouser's user avatar
  • 5,541
6 votes
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Reading 1900 U.S. census record?

Name: Nora Relationship: Taken as A Daughter From the full census image, she is [Nora] Conley, age 9, living with the Fuller family in Braddock Ward 1, Allegheny, Pennsylvania.
Harry V.'s user avatar
  • 18.7k
6 votes
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Minimum age to be mentioned in a will?

0 (i.e. born before 20 Mar 1824). Anyone can be left a bequest in a will regardless of age - 1 day old or 100 years old. They need not even be born yet to be left a legacy. A will may or may not ...
Harry V.'s user avatar
  • 18.7k
6 votes
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How to determine county from county number in Texas birth index?

Since you are accessing the database Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 on Ancestry.com, look the database up in the Card Catalog. Under the section About Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 there is a ...
Jan Murphy's user avatar
  • 24.9k
6 votes
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Are probate records typically only for males?

Yes, in the Unites States in the eighteenth century you will tend to find more probate records for males than females. In his study, "Underregistration and Bias in Probate Records: An Analysis of Data ...
Harry V.'s user avatar
  • 18.7k
6 votes

What uniform is this (US Army branch, where and when)?

Well, building off of Robert Shaw's answer, it appears to me that the person in the photograph is wearing a Type I unit disk, which puts the photo somewhere between 1910 and 1937. According to both ...
Jack's user avatar
  • 863

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