Stirpes, Volume 33, Number 3, September 1993 Page: 2
80 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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TSGS is making an effort to identify all surname publications published in Texas. One
of the writing awards categories the society sponsors is for surname and family publications but
we have very few entries. I have a particular interest in this avenue of genealogical research since
I have published a periodical on the Rainey family for thirteen years. Leland Meitzler's editorial
in the July/August issue of Heritage Quest presented a wonderful defense of surname publications
and I applaud his stand.
Personal experience in helping my own subscribers to Rainey Times has taught me the
value of family periodicals and if you haven't used these publications in your own research you
may be missing out on some valuable information. Most offer a variety of data such as family
histories, queries, census extracts, military records, church and Bible records, and extracted court
records such as marriages, wills, probates, and miscellaneous proceedings. Nearly all the material
will be collected and contributed by subscribers to the publications. While some of the data may
be incomplete and may even contain inaccuracies, it can also provide valuable clues for further
research. After all, when you hit the brick wall any clue in any direction would be welcome!
While I want to promote the use of family surname periodicals, a few cautions might be
in order. First, understand there is a difference between a periodical and a surname book. In recent
years mail-order surname books which were no more than public utility lists of people with a
particular surname have been marketed as family genealogies. Before you send any money for a
subscription be sure you know something about the publication. The number of years it has been
published might be a good clue to its authenticity. Second, determine if the periodical is limited
to a particular lineage of the surname or if it covers all lines. Some surname periodicals only cover
lines from a particular geographical region. Third, find out if the publisher offers any other
services with the subscription. The better publications will have a contents index, a compiled
surname index to several or all volumes, and perhaps even a computerized search service to a
database.
Don't expect surname periodical publishers or editors to do your research for you even if
you subscribe. Most don't have the time and most of the publications are not big money-makers.
But these publishers, in general, are doing a decent job of offering collections of data that can be
useful to researchers. Don't forget: if you subscribe, you should also contribute!
If you know any surname publications being published in Texas please let us know at
TSGS. We want to make the list available to researchers and we also want to include it on our
Electronic Library and Bulletin Board System. Perhaps a little publicity will also encourage more
to enter our writing awards competition.
Happy Hunting,
Marynell Bryant
PresidentciirrF.MNRiRI 1901
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Texas State Genealogical Society. Stirpes, Volume 33, Number 3, September 1993, periodical, September 1993; Sulphur Springs, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth39870/m1/4/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Genealogical Society.