Books published by Heritage Books

This volume is the twenty-second in a series devoted to presenting a transcription of the surviving serial manuscript records for the town of Wilmington, Essex County, New York, in the High Peaks region of the Adirondack Mountains. The Clerk's Office, at the Essex County, New York Courthouse, houses wills, guardianships, and dowers in bound volumes, and also probate loose papers, all before 1947. Dower papers are quite rare, occurring in only two cases. The authors have abstracted wills and guardianships; but for dowers and probate packets they have fully transcribed all surviving documents. The transcripts retain all words and names exactly as contained in the documents. Despite the fact that only a few people had an estate in probate; most, if not all, male members of the Wilmington community do appear somewhere in the documents. Not only are they mentioned as kin and heirs-at-law; but they also appear as creditors, debtors, witnesses, Justices of the Peace, buyers of goods and property at estate sales, etc. Who dug an ancestor's grave? Who carved his/her monument? The final settlement of accounts by the estate's administrator might contain this information. If your ancestors owed debts, you might find the promissory note or the original doctor's or store's ledgers included in the file. Inventory taken of the estate will provide a fascinating glimpse into your ancestor's material culture. Finally, since the authors have transcribed all surviving documents in a probate packet, a window is provided into the historical process of probate. A full name index adds to the value of this work.

This volume is the twenty-third in a series devoted to presenting a transcription of the surviving serial manuscript records for the town of Wilmington, Essex County, New York, in the High Peaks region of the Adirondack Mountains. The Clerk's Office, at the Essex County, New York Courthouse, houses wills, guardianships, and dowers in bound volumes, and also probate loose papers, all before 1947. Dower papers are quite rare, occurring in only two cases. The authors have abstracted wills and guardianships; but for dowers and probate packets they have fully transcribed all surviving documents. The transcripts retain all words and names exactly as contained in the documents. Despite the fact that only a few people had an estate in probate; most, if not all, male members of the Wilmington community do appear somewhere in the documents. Not only are they mentioned as kin and heirs-at-law; but they also appear as creditors, debtors, witnesses, Justices of the Peace, buyers of goods and property at estate sales, etc. Who dug an ancestor's grave? Who carved his/her monument? The final settlement of accounts by the estate's administrator might contain this information. If your ancestors owed debts, you might find the promissory note or the original doctor's or store's ledgers included in the file. Inventory taken of the estate will provide a fascinating glimpse into your ancestor's material culture. Finally, since the authors have transcribed all surviving documents in a probate packet, a window is provided into the historical process of probate. A full name index adds to the value of this work.

The Baltimore Life Insurance Company was incorporated by the state of Maryland in 1830, and was among the first to actively sell life insurance in the United States, selling their first policy in 1831. Business was generally confined to Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., insuring members of the public in these states, including such notables as Roger Brook Taney and William Henry Harrison. In addition, the company possessed a virtual monopoly on slave life insurance until the end of the 1840's. By the eve of the Civil War, approximately half the policies sold were on slave risks. Baltimore Life made every effort not to differentiate between northern and southern war risks, but the physical and economic devastation of the war placed the company in an extremely precarious position. By the summer of 1867, the Baltimore Life Insurance Company had officially closed their doors. The bulk of this valuable resource book is devoted to genealogical abstracts. The abstracts are listed alphabetically by surname (or given name in slave entries) and list (as available) their month/year and place of birth, place of residence, and occupation. Slaves are indicated along with the name of the person insuring them. A full name index and appendices add to the value of this work.

This third volume of the records of court orders of the Colony of New Plymouth was transcribed from the handwritten records of Mr. Nathaniel Morton, secretary of the colony. Specifically, this edition comprises the records of the latter part of the administration of Governor William Bradford, and the first part of that of Governor Thomas Prence; covering the period from March 1651 to July 1661. This work is a comprehensive collection of the daily court records of New Plymouth, Massachusetts, and is an exceptional source for genealogical research. Relevant information includes: lists of assistants to the governor, schedules of freemen, rolls of constables and deputies of surrounding towns, surveyors of public property, names of the grand inquest, jury rosters, etc. Less pertinent to genealogy but still of interest are other records: accounts of wolves killed by Indians, a law requiring two witnesses to condemn a man, fines for drunkenness, description of fines for exchanging guns with Indians, and so on. This book of records paints a realistic picture of life in colonial New England. It is an elucidating look into a time long past. An index to full-names, places and subjects adds to the value of this work.

What first appears to be a rather boring title is in actuality quite an interesting collection of genealogical material regarding claims made for damages caused by the canals in the New York State canal system. Surprisingly, there are also a few requests for military compensation from enlistment in the Civil War and the War of 1812. If you had an ancestor who lived on land that adjoined a canal, perhaps he filed a claim with the Canal Board. The digest of claims, presented alphabetically, gives a short paragraph describing the nature of each claim, followed by a short paragraph or two describing the legislative action taken to satisfy the claim. The second half of the book, the "supplement," is actually two alphabetical lists of claimants and claims. The first list includes a "statement of awards." Apparently awards had not yet been made for the second list of claims. Common claims were "for compensation for damages to his premises, caused by a break in the Erie Canal," or for damages to property caused by construction of a bridge or a dam, etc. Other claims were made for horses falling off bridges, boat collisions, and contractors seeking payment for materials and repairs. A surprising source of information.

A criminal indictment is a written statement charging an individual with committing a crime or other offense, drawn up by a prosecuting attorney and found and presented by a grand jury. It is a formal accusation initiating a criminal case and usually required for felonies and other serious crimes. This book contains a transcription of the 1801-1843 criminal indictment book located in the archives section of the courthouse in Leesburg, Virginia. Entries have been abstracted in full, and typically provide the date of the proceeding; details of the offense; name of the accused (and slave owner, if the accused is a slave), the victim, justices, attorney, witnesses, and security; and the court's ruling on the case. A full-name index adds to the value of this excellent resource.