Books published by Heritage Books

Imagine yourself, a young man of twenty in the year 1840, about to embark on a sailing ship for an adventure you will never forget. You bid an emotional farewell to your friends and family, wondering if, indeed, you will ever see them again. Then you walk up the gangplank and put your trust in the good ship Roanoke, bound for exotic South America. This diary is one of those wonderful treasures that we all hope to discover in the attic. It is eloquently written, and it is a pleasure to read. Here is an excerpt from January 31, 1840, just after passing into the southern hemisphere: "Whilst sailing in warm latitudes, the sea appears to be filled with a sort of animalculae or small animals, which are exceedingly luminous at night, and produce a beautiful phosphorescence on the waves. The path of a vessel is a line of light and the waters she throws up in her progress appear like liquid fire, myriads of luminous spots or stars float and dance upon the water and assume the most beautiful and fantastic appearance. The darker the night the more luminous and brilliant they appear, and present a most singular and interesting sight." The rest of the journal consists of Mr. Reynolds' descriptions of Valparaiso, Rio de Janiero, and the return voyage home. Original artwork by the editor.

The records contained in this volume cover not only the recently discovered Book 0 (dated 1852-1859 and the very beginning of record-keeping for chancery court in Blount County, Tennessee), but Book 1, 1859-1865, as well. The circuit court of Blount County heard most cases which were filed, and if someone still felt he was wronged he could then appeal to chancery court. In the case of settlement of estates, where an equitable settlement could not be arrived at (for example, division of a slave among several children or inability to divide a piece of land equally) the chancellor of chancery court was empowered to hear testimony and then determine if the property was to be sold for an equitable settlement. Minors' interests required the appointment of guardians, thus, these settlements named the heirs of the deceased person, often gave the names of the deceased person's parents and many times gave land grant numbers. Lawsuits filed and listed in these records are primarily of a personal nature; however, some cases involve creditors collecting unpaid debts from businesses or individuals. The entries describe what transpired in court, how the case was handled by the chancellor, the duties of the clerk and master of the court, and the responsibilities of the parties involved in carrying out the decision of the court. In some cases, along with the names of the individuals and businesses filing suit, the following names are included: spouses, children, slaves, solicitors, sureties, attorneys, agents, and administrators and executors of estates. A full-name index completes this work.

This work describes a unique methodology used in surveying and documenting architecture along eighteenth century road systems in Virginia which could be used as a prototype in other areas.

These pages preserve a unique aspect of Carroll County, Maryland, history and serve as a reminder of why baseball has remained America's national pastime. Readers will find a sense of community here, along with a sense of time and place. "As the years fly by, you'll ride with the town teams to games, bounce in the rumble seats of model T's, and click along the rails of the Western Maryland Railroad. You'll visit the little villages where baseball was a catalyst, the weekly escape for the local farmers and citizenry. And, you'll meet the players, live the history, experience game-play from Harney and Sam's Creek to Tannery and Taylorsville." The towns/teams covered in these detailed accounts include: Berrett, Blue Ridge College, Company H (Maryland National Guard), Congoleum, Dennings, Detour, Dorsey's Crossroad, Eldersburg, Frizzellburg, Gamber, Hampstead, Harney, Leppo Bluesox, Linwood, Manchester, Middleburg, Mount Airy, New Windsor, Patapsco, Reese, Sam's Creek, Sandymount, Silver Run, Snydersburg, Springfield, Sykesville, Taneytown, Tannery, Taylorsville, Union Bridge, Union Bridge Blacksox, Uniontown, Unionville, Wakefield, Western Maryland College, Westminster, and Woodbine. Umpires and the Carroll County Old Timers Baseball Association are also covered. First-person recollections that allow readers to hear the voices of the players, an abundance of vintage photographs, excerpts from newspaper articles, and an every name index enhance the text.

For some in the Baltimore and Frederick militia companies the hostilities began when they went to Harpers Ferry to put down the John Brown insurrection. There were some Maryland volunteers and more than 500 enlisted men known as the Baltimore Secessionists in Charleston Harbor when the first blow was struck. Men of Maryland descent were scattered throughout the Confederacy and scarcely was there a company that did not contain Maryland blood. These Maryland brothers were linked in their willingness to sacrifice all in the cause for liberty, as they believed it to be. There was not a historic family that was not represented in the Maryland Line. Included in this work are well-known Marylanders like Richard Snowden Andrews, Bradley T. Johnson, Harry Gilmor, Arnold Elzey, George H. Steuart Jr., Williams Worthington Goldsborough, and James R. Herbert, but their "unknown" brethren are remembered here as well. This volume is a supplement to Marylanders in the Confederacy as seen through the eyes of the camera. For the complete story of Maryland's true sons who served in the Confederacy, these two volumes should be referred to simultaneously. Every Maryland boy had many thrilling tales from adventures in running the blockade to achievements in battle. This volume attempts to shed light on some of these exciting tales by using brief biographies and vintage photographs.

Mr. Hurley's Our Maryland Heritage series continues with this book, which investigates the Duvall families, primarily of Montgomery County, but also includes family members found in other Maryland counties and elsewhere. This study began with the goal of providing information about the Duvall families generally found in Montgomery County and expanded to include information from a number of other sources. The data contained in this report has been prepared from information found in a variety of sources, including records found at the library of the Montgomery County Historical Society, such as personal family files, obituaries, church and cemetery records, published collections of data, published genealogies of related families, census and court records, and personal contacts with living descendants. Individual chapters are devoted to: Mareen Duvall, The Immigrant; John Duvall; Mareen Duvall, The Younger 1680; Benjamin Duvall 1684; Hammond Duvall 1785; Grafton Duvall 1714; and Miscellaneous Duvall Family Members. A bibliography and a fullname index enhance the text.

Many gaps exist in Sonoma County records. Although Sonoma County was formed in 1850, some records, such as marriage records, date back to 1847; whereas births and deaths were not recorded until 1871. Local newspapers furnish a wealth of genealogical data and often help fill in the gaps in official records. The names, with genealogical data, contained in this index are primarily residents of Sonoma County, but residents of the surrounding counties-Marin, Napa, Solano, Lake and Mendocino-can also be found within these pages. On June 12, 1852 the Sonoma Bulletin published the first newspaper of Sonoma County. Other newspapers indexed include: Democratic Standard, Petaluma Argus, Petaluma Crescent, Petaluma Evening Argus, Petaluma Journal and Argus, Petaluma Morning Argus, Petaluma Weekly Argus, Petaluma Weekly Journal and Sonoma County Advertiser, Russian River Flag, Santa Rosa Press, Sonoma Bulletin, Sonoma County Journal, and Sonoma Democrat. Microfilm copies of these newspapers may be found in several libraries, and are listed to help researchers locate original articles. This first volume in the series contains more than 17,000 entries in a table format. Entries include: surname, given name, type of entry (birth, death, marriage, probate, miscellaneous-entries such as divorce records; and entries gleaned from articles appearing in supplements to the newspaper), name of newspaper, date of article, page and column number, and comments. Surname entries often include alternative spellings. Given Name entries may include the relationship to the individual listed. A list of Sonoma County cemeteries, a map of the county, and a list of Sonoma place names enhance this valuable resource.