(Get $10 off the AncestryDNA test! Link is below.) Thanks to many modern advances, such as the internet and genetic testing, we can now break through genealogy barriers that have stumped our forebears for generations. In the past, East Carolina Roots has recommended using FamilyTreeDNA for autosomal DNA testing, but now, based on my own […]
Colonial Coroners’ Inquests for Beaufort, Craven, and Pitt Counties
Next to genealogy and history research, my second favorite obsession is watching MeTV. I love those old shows, from Andy Griffith to Macgyver, and I especially love courtroom and mystery shows, like Perry Mason and Matlock, Diagnosis Murder and Columbo. Perhaps that’s why I like poring over old court records — whether it’s apprentice bonds, or depositions given during […]
Letter from Turner Nelson to James Roach – 1825
The following is a transcription of a letter from Turner Nelson to James Roach dated July 19, 1825. This is of particular interest to me because there is a section at the bottom that mentions my ancestor, Laban Morris. Turner Nelson is mentioned elsewhere on this site because he served as a school teacher in […]
Just because it’s on a sign, doesn’t mean it’s true
If you’re ever in the Old Burying Ground in Beaufort, NC and see this sign, just know it’s wrong. The “Tuscarora War,” which was actually an Indian War that included militants from multiple tribes, wasn’t fought anywhere near the town of Beaufort. On September 22, 1711, a group of more than 500 men, comprised of Tuscarora, […]
Create a historical calendar, with moon phases
Have you ever wondered what day of the week a historical event happened? Or what about what kind of moon was in the sky during that blustery February in eastern North Carolina when the Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge was fought? Well, now you can have your answers. I got the idea to actually plot […]
Gen-101: 10 Advanced Search Engine Tricks
When you go to Google to search for your ancestors, how do you do it? You may think you know how to search for things on the Internet, but there are some advanced tricks and tips you can employ to take your searches even further. The following are Advanced Search techniques which I have modified […]
Genealogy 101: How to research your family tree
You’ve finally decided to start researching your family tree. Congratulations! You are about to embark on a wonderful, exciting, sometimes frustrating, sometimes tearful, but mostly joy-filled journey back into the past to find your ancestors and get to know them. Whatever your reasons for beginning your search, the basics of how to get started are […]
Top Ten Genealogy Research Sites
Depending on where you live in the world, or more accurately, where your ancestors lived in the world, you might find there are other sites of greater use to you, but here in eastern North Carolina, where my family has lived for about 300 years, I find these sites have been most helpful to me. […]
Many early North Carolina families are named on the Moseley Map (1733). Is one of them yours?
How early were your ancestors in North Carolina? If they were here prior to the War of Independence, then it might be worthwhile to check the Moseley Map for their names, or at least their surnames. The Moseley Map was created in 1733 by Edward Moseley (1682-1749), who was Surveyor General of North Carolina from […]
Did your ancestors, or their siblings or children leave North Carolina? If so, read this…
I had never even heard of Goodspeed’s Histories until Roger Kammerer of Pitt County Family Researchers told me about them. He said they were like the Pitt County Chronicles books for the 1800s. The publications can be a great resource for finding little biographies on ancestors who were living in the late 1800s, when the […]
Cousin Chart
Ever wondered how to calculate what degree cousin a relative is? It’s easy with a cousin chart like this one. Just figure out your relationship to your common ancestor along the top row, then find your relative’s relationship to the common ancestor on the far left row, then work your way into the chart until […]
Naming Conventions, Cousins, Nicknames & More
Did you know Polly is a nickname for Mary? How about Peggy being a nickname for Margaret? Or Nancy a nickname for Ann? Did you know Pamlico County didn’t exist until the turn of the 20th century? Before that, the area that is now Pamlico County was classified as either Craven or Beaufort County. When […]
Researching Indian Ancestry
One of the number one questions Coastal Carolina Indian Center gets via e-mail is how to find Indian ancestors, or how to determine the tribe of certain ancestors who were said to be Indian. This article was written to help people get started on finding those answers. If you are embarking on a search for […]
Some Eastern NC Research Links
Regional Research Databases NCGenWeb – Features links to counties across North Carolina, each offering unique information and archives materials on their specific county. Post queries, find answers, search through marriage, census, wills, court, estate records and more. Beaufort County GenWeb Carteret County GenWeb Craven County GenWeb Jones County GenWeb Onslow County GenWeb Pamlico County GenWeb […]
Births, Marriages and Deaths in Berkeley (later Perquimans Precinct)
The following are two excerpts of The North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register, Volume 3. J.R.B. Hathaway, Editor and Financial Agent [From the Internet Archive] (Original in the Court House at Hertford, N. C.) December the 5th 1679. George Durant and Ann Moorwood was Married the 4th of January 1658-9 By Mr. David Lindsey Minister […]
