Georgia has unique research sources, some of which aren’t digitized but should not be overlooked.
Some are hard to find, and, if you don’t know they exist, you can’t look for them.
For example, there are the National Genealogical Society’s publications Passports Issued by Governors of Georgia, which span the years 1785 to 1820.
We have a lot of religious newspapers, including the Baptists’ Christian Index, which has been digitized by the University of Georgia and has published indexes to marriages and deaths; and the Southern Christian Advocate, with three volumes of Methodist marriages and deaths, published by Brent Holcomb, who did the same for Presbyterian newspapers.
Georgia’s tax digests are great sources, and the Georgia Archives have those records that start in the early 1870s. The six Georgia Land Lotteries are unique to our state and a tremendous source for documenting people, especially the very obscure. The 1864 Joe Brown Census, in book form and online, is also very important.
Georgia’s vast collection of newspapers is one of our best treasures. While a great deal are digitized at UGA and other sites, many are abstracted and indexed in book form. It’s worth checking both sources to find the most information.
These sources and many more are the reasons budding genealogists need to learn how to research in Georgia by attending seminars/webinars and visiting the Georgia Archives and other great libraries with Georgia materials.
Lineage Societies
If you are wondering about how to find a lineage society, or want to just peruse the vast number of national groups to see what’s there, check out hereditary.us and then the lists. There you will find all the major ones and many more lesser known ones.
Why no obituary?
Often, we search for an obituary for an ancestor, find none and wonder why. Often, there was a publication fee. Perhaps our ancestors couldn’t afford it. Today, newspapers that charge usually do so by the word.
Contact Kenneth H. Thomas Jr., P. O. Box 901, Decatur, Ga., 30031 or at www.kenthomasongenealogy.com .
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