James L. Douthat, Author at Mountain Press and Southern Genealogy Books

Land Records

Our lost ancestors will more than likely show up in early land records, if we know who they were and where they settled. In the very beginning of our nation, all land was owned by the Crown which used land as reward for service or land grants/charters as a way to “buy” loyalty. Once the colonies were formed, the free land was given to the colonies and they gave land as a reward for service by individuals who rendered aid in various kinds to the colonies. The next stage of…

Bible Records Biographies Church Records Court Records Marriage Records Wills

Finding Great-Grandma

James L. Douthat

Who was great-grandma?? This is a very frequently asked question since most of the time only her given name is known. We find this from the census beginning in the 1850 forward. We also find the name on deeds when the property is sold as is stated, “John Smith and his wife Alice sell to Robert Black….”. But the question remains, what was Alice’s last name? I’m sorry to say, there is no single silver bullet that takes us to the answer, but following are some clues to help up…

Family History Genealogy

Black Holes of Genealogy

James L. Douthat

In a study of outer space scientists have discovered “black holes” which are places in space where matter disappears. This is where our great-grandfather ended up, or so it seems. Some of our ancestors just disappear into thin air. We keep looking but cannot find them. Case in point – John Anderson, born May 5, 1750 the son of William and Elizabeth [Reid] Anderson of Augusta County, Virginia. John moved about 1773 to the real outback of society to the head of Carter’s Valley in what is now Scott County,…

1840 Federal Census Family History Genealogy

1840 Federal Census

James L. Douthat

Everyone has “brick walls” in their research. In many cases, it is because they did not gather all of the information they had in hand from the beginning. Since I started in my teens to do genealogical research, I’ve had to repeat my steps many times. We did not have copy machines, computers, microfilm/fiche readers nor any of the great helps we have today. This meant a lot of mistakes and I copied minimal records at the time. The 1840 Federal Census is one of those sources we all consult…