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PLACE: Balinderry, Antrim: What the Earth Knows
For those who search the past, the land itself remains the first archive, its fields and drains holding the record of lives once lived there. Preface: Before memory and after language, there is the earth. Her surface remembers the passing of generations, footpaths worn, drains straightened, hedges thickened by long care. In the lowlands of…
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THEORY: The evolving nature of family history research
We now contend that Mary McKernan did not come from Old Machar in Aberdeenshire, nor from County Down, as had been hypothesized at various points in the past. As of early 2026, those theories no longer fit the record. A different explanation has emerged, supported not by a single decisive document but by a growing…
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ANCESTORS: “Bliain an áir”, Year of the Slaughter, 1740
The Great Frost, a severe cold weather event across Europe 1740-41, had significant impacts on Ireland. As the winter stretched into spring of 1741, it brought widespread destruction and hardship to the island. The Irish Famine, as it is also known, is estimated to have killed between 13% and 20% of the 1740 population of…
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PLACE: Borderland Lives in 18th Century Germany
While this topic might seem rather scholarly at first glance, viewing it through the lens of genealogy and family history research allows us to connect more deeply with our ancestors’ lives. The land they lived on and the natural world around them provide us with important clues about their daily experiences.
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ANCESTORS: Stray Notation; one of those interesting finds: Armagh Parish 1799 (Catholic)
Every now and then one stumbles upon an extra tidbit of information that brings an ancestral family story into clearer focus and sheds light on their existence which is so far removed from our own in many ways. We get a hint of what they were going through and that can make us feel more…
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POETRY: The Abnormal Is Not Courage…
One of my all time favorite poems. This is something we need to keep in mind in this era. Small acts are vital for survival. The Abnormal Is Not Courage… poem by Jack Gilbert, Monolithos The Poles rode out from Warsaw against the GermanTanks on horses. Rode knowing, in sunlight, with sabers,A magnitude of beauty that allows…
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ORIGINS: Theodore Frank & Elisabetha Ho(h)man(n) from “Coorhessen”
The demographic variations across the region created an intricate web of interconnected communities. In smaller settlements, residents often recognized surnames as indicators of specific locales, fostering a strong regional identity. This interconnectedness, combined with relatively small populations, meant that many inhabitants knew of one another, if not by sight, then by reputation or familial association.
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PLACE: Life in Parma, New York (1855–1860)
In the late 1850s, the town of Parma, New York – a rural community in Monroe County northwest of Rochester – stood on the cusp of change. The region within a 30-mile radius encompassed bustling Rochester, smaller canal villages like Brockport, and farming towns like Parma itself. Parma’s population was about 2,900 by 1860
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ARTICLE: Cultural Inheritance; the fascinating interplay between genetics & culture
This idea suggests that our genetic makeup and cultural inheritance work together to shape our preferences, behaviors, and identities. Our genes may predispose us to certain tastes, interests, and even professions, while our cultural inheritance – the beliefs, customs, and practices passed down through generations – can further mold our inclinations.
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INSIGHT: Harnessing the power of change
Can you think of anything that stays the same, which does not change? The core nature of the universe is change. Everything changes. Everything. No moment is the same as another. Cellular changes occur constantly. Nothing remains constant. In many ways stability is a delusion, a way for us humans to exert and maintain control over…
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ANCESTORS: The Kister/Kester Family of Reckrod Eiterfeld
The Kester/Kister family lived in the Fulda region of what is now Hessen Germany from the mid-1600s until their immigration to the United States in the 1840s. The Kester/Kister family lived in the Fulda region of what is now Hessen Germany from the mid-1600s until their immigration to the United States in the 1840s. Their…
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HISTORY: The Time of the Wolves
The cold air gradually pushed southward. After a brief warming around Christmas, the frost returned with even greater force. Temperatures dropped further each day. In Berlin, for example, it reached minus 30 degrees Celsius (-22°F) on January 10, 1709.
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HISTORY: 1830 A World on the Brink
As 1830 drew to a close, the stage was set for a decade of transformation. The world our ancestors’ families knew stood on the precipice of change, poised to leap into an uncertain but irresistible future. Sound familiar?
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An American Dream Deferred
While education is often called the great equalizer, its promise too often depends on the resources a student brings with them. Can we reimagine a system that fulfills its promise of opportunity for all?
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Hesse 1790-1866
As we reflect on this period, we find numerous parallels to our own time. The political instability, economic uncertainties, and social upheavals that characterized 19th century Hesse echo in our modern world. Just as the Hessians of that era grappled with rapid change and the erosion of traditional ways of life, we too face the…