FAMILY HISTORY BOOKS

Not really sure where to begin I decided last night to start with four family history books that pertain to our related families. All four books are excellent references. One of the four is a land mark book. I'll begin with that one.

1. THE YEAMANS-YEOMANS-YOUMANS GENEALOGY

This book was written Grant Samuel Youmans in 1946. It was supposed to be the first of three books but the last two were never written, and that is unfortunate. It was written in 1946 and published by The Tuttle Publishing Company. While out of print, it can still be found. It discusses some general topics such as what does the title Baronet mean, and the use of Sir. It discusses coats of arms, the issue of double dated records as a result in the change of calendars used in the 1700's, and various genealogical forms that are used.

This books discusses the migration of the Yeamans and Yeomans families starting in the 1600's to the New World. They settled in areas from New York to the Barbados. It contains histories, stories, wills, and other documented information. The book is thoroughly sourced even though it is difficult to follow at times. There is a lot of discussion about the Yeamans family from Bristol. There are also many historic stories regarding this family especially Sir John Yeamans, the third colonial governor of the Carolinas. (He was supposed to be the first but didn't arrive in time.) If you are interested in the very early history of our family in America this is an excellent book to read.

Grant had planned two other volumes beyond this one. They were supposed to take up where the first one left off and bring the family history current to present times. He never finished them and much of his research and work have been lost or destroyed. That is truly unfortunate. It is also unfortunate that he never explored when and from where the family arrived in England. Maybe it just wasn't possible. It would have been very interesting if he did.

2. COLEY FAMILY HISTORY BOOK COLEY-RAMEY-AGNER

This is one of my very favorite books. It was written by Joan Annette (Coley) Faria. She has written three family history books about various lines of her family and is a serious and dedicated family researcher. She is also a newly found cousin for which I am very grateful. This book is full of family group sheets, pedigree charts and trees. But more importantly, it is full of great stories and family photos which help bring the history alive. Joanie self published this book and was kind enough to give me one of them. For those of us who are descended from Fred Carlisle this is very important because Fred Carlisle was born William McKinley Coley. So, this is the line of the family no one knew existed. I hope to borrow from this book extensively as we go forward with this blog and with her permission.

3. DESCENDANTS OF CHURCH SMITH AND SARAH BELL

This book was written by Kristel Kay (Harris) Neiswander. I believe this book was self published also. It contains some early history a couple photos, and an extensive family documentation through family group sheets. It is a wealth of information and laid out in a clear and logical manner. For those of us descended from Church Smith it is a valuable resource. It covers a time span from 1763-2003.

4. THIELBERG FAMILY HISTORY

This book didn't really have a title but the above is what it is about. It was written by my mother in law, Joan Rita (Thielberg) Uhlhorn. It is a very limited edition in that she only made four copies, one for each of her daughters. My wife has added some to it also. It chronicles with stories, translated letters and great photos, the history of the Thielbergs and Pollerts. Much of it is their history in Germany and their immigration to the United States. It is a wonderful book and proudly sits on my bookcase in the living room with all our special books.

Hopefully this is helpful to some of you. I enjoyed all four books and still refer to them often. Many of these books are self published. The Descendants of Church Smith and Sarah Bell may still be available for anyone who might want a copy. If you do, I will provide you with contact information. The Grant Samuel Youmans book is still available on line. Any feedback or suggestions on other books which may be available, will be greatly appreciated.

 

Sam & Becky Youmans on top of Brockway Mountain in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan August 2016.

 

Got photos? Want to share them? Let me know and we can do it.