William Smith Bryan: A lesson in Fantastic 17th Century English/Irish Genealogy Sources

Sir Francis Bryan by Hans Holbien

I have been researching a man named William Smith Bryan, supposedly born in 1599 in Ireland who was deported by Cromwell in the mid-1600s during the Irish Rebellion. He is said to have been dropped off on the coast of Virginia with his family, belongings and the first horses in Virginia. His death is reported as sometime in 1667. Along the way I have been introduced to some 'new to me' sources for researching this period of time in England and Ireland. I thought I'd share them with you.

William Smith Bryan, (WSB) to be the son of Sir Francis Bryan #2, supposed son of the Sir Francis Bryan (1490-1550) English courtier and diplomat whose second wife was Joan Fitzgerald, widow and Irish heiress. They married in 1548 and he died under mysterious circumstances two years later. There is said to be little love lost between the pair whose marriage was one of strategic politics and had little to do with affairs of the heart. 

Houses of Parliament Online [1]

The William Smith Bryan ancestry claims that his father was a son of Sir Francis Bryan and possibly Joan Fitzgerald. Sir Francis Bryan married twice, his first wife was Penelope, daughter of Humphrey Spice. She died apparently childless sometime before Francis' marriage to Joan. According to his biography on the History of Parliament Online, Sir Francis Bryan was succeeded only by an unnamed illegitimate child. So here is our first great source on 17th century, and more important English personages. Here is their blurb about themselves:

This site contains all of the biographical, constituency and introductory survey articles published in The History of Parliament series. Work is still underway on checking and cleaning the data that has been transferred into the website from a number of sources, and the current version of the site is still provisional. In order to find out more about the articles produced by the History, click on the links in the 'Research' section above. Additional material - explanatory articles, and images of Members, Parliaments and elections - have been produced specially for the website, and can be found through the 'Explore' and 'Gallery' sections above. For more information on the History, see the About us section, follow us on Facebook and Twitter or read the HistoryOfParliament, Director and VictorianCommons blogs.

The History of Parliament online version is not yet finished, it covers members of Parliament from the year 1386 until modern times. The bios are brief but chock full of information.

What does this source tell us about Sir Francis Bryan #1 and his possible relationship to the father of Sir Francis Bryan of Ireland? Not much, it confirms that Sir Francis had a son, but he was illegitimate and unnamed.

Old Journal articles: Unpublished Geraldine Documents: The Earls of Desmond [2][3]

This is a small book, published in the 1800s, comprised of letters and other documents related to the Desmond Family. Included in this manuscript is a transcribed letter from Sir John Allen, Lord Chancellor to Ireland, to his brother, Thomas Allen. He sent instructions concerning the widow Joan Fitzgerald to the English Government. The letter describes a deathbed conversation between himself and Sir Francis Bryan. He claims Sir Francis said, "when he bade me farewell, he desired me to have him commended to all his friends in England, and especially he said to My Lord Privy Seal (Lord Cromwell), my Lord of Warwick and Mr. Herbert, and pray them to be good to my son, the poor boy, which my charge I commit to you to do, if you can attend to their presence to declare it." 

It seems clear that Sir Francis had a son. However, the need to recommend him to English nobles seems to confirm that he was not a legitimate son as he would inherit the estates of Sir Francis. To my mind this reads like the son would need the patronage of important men to help his career as his social standing based on birth was limited. 

Books in other languages: Odet de Selve [4]

Odet de Selve was a French politician/statesman who served in England 1546-1549 as Ambassador. he kept a journal which has been published. It is, of course, written in French. Thank goodness for Google Translator,  He wrote in September 1548:

Stratham, September 16th. - Selve received three days ago the dispatch that the admiral sent to him by the son of Sir Francis Bryan, who arrived safe and sound with and except with one of the people of Selve in London, from where he departed to go find his father. Earl of Bryant has for a short time been marrying an Irish citizen named the Comtesse de Ouarmont and is going to Ireland to party to see the good of his wife, but chiefly as I am sorry for the affairs of this king. 

Lesson learned, never overlook books in other languages! What this particular books tells us is that Sir Francis appears to have had a grown son, unnamed by Odet in 1548. He would likely to have been at least 21, so he could not have been a son of Joan Fitzgerald.

Wills, Probates, IPM [5][6]

Wills, probate records, and IPMs, (Inquisition Post Mortem) can add a lot to the genealogical record. The only problem with most of these 17th century wills is that they are either written in latin or if written in English they can be very difficult to read. No will has been found for Sir Francis Bryan and the disbursement of his land is unknown. I have seen mention made of Joan's will but have not seen the actual document or a transcription. This is a shame as it might have settle this dispute immediately or perhaps it would never had occurred in the first place. The one will I could find was for Margaret Brian, the mother of Sir Francis Bryan.

This will is written in English, but 17th century script is difficult to decipher, it's fun to try though, like putting a puzzle together. Margaret outlived all her children. She does not mention any grandchildren, not even a poor son of Francis.

A Wee bit O' Irish History
According to the story of WSB his father was Sir Francis Bryan #2. I have been unable to find any proof that this man was the son of Sir Francis #1, but that doesn't mean that he didn't exist. Let's look a litter closer at his story. According to his profile on both Wikitree and Geni, he was born in 1549 in County Clare in Ireland. Both websites agree he died in County Clare in 1640. Before I go on I have to same something about all these dates for births and deaths in the Bryan family. Did you notice, as I did, that everyone is born and dies on the 1st of June? This is a bright red flag that tells me someone is 'making this shit up', pardon my French.

Anyway, back to County Clare. Sir Francis #1 lived with his reluctant wife in Clonmel in Tipperary in the Province of Munster, a seat of power of the Earls of Ormond. Joan Fitzgerald's first husband was James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormond and her son Piers was his heir. After the death of Sir Francis, Joan married her powerful cousin, Gerald Fitzgerald, the 15th Earl of Desmond. The Desmond family also controlled a huge swath of Munster. Joan's father was the 10th Earl of Desmond. Joan's life was firmly planted int the Desmond/Ormond lands of her father and her son.

County Clare, despite it's Norman name, was part of the Kingdom of Thomond and home to the powerful Irish family the O'Briens.  No child of Sir Francis Bryan #1 would have been born in County Clare. He would not have inherited land in County Clare as his mother would not have inherited land in what was if not enemy territory certainly adversarial.

Knighthood [7]
According to his bio Francis father of WSB was a knight. This claim should be pretty easy to sort out. I reference a set of book called The knights of England : a complete record from the earliest time to the present day of the knights of all the orders of chivalry in England, Scotland, and Ireland, and of knights bachelors, and guess what, there is no Sir Francis Bryan other than Sir Francis Bryan #1.

Land Owners of County Clare [8] [9]
From the story of WSB we are told that he was a land holder in County Clare. He married Catherine Morgan and had a large family at the time of Cromwell's invasion in 1641. County Clare has an amazing library which has a significant amount of content available online. One of the database which is searchable is the Book of Forfeitures and Distributions. Here is an explanation of this database:

The Books of Survey and Distribution were compiled by the English government at the end of the 17th century to establish a reliable record of landowners in Ireland for the purpose of imposing rent (the Quit Rent). The Books incorporate information collected during earlier surveys – the Strafford, Civil and Down Surveys – detailing the names of proprietors who forfeited their land under the Cromwellian Settlement of 1641 and the amount and quality of land they held. The names of those to whom this land was granted, under various Acts between 1662 and 1703, is also given. 

Guess whose name is not found on this survey of land owners whose lands were confiscated by Cromwell. There is no Sir Francis Bryan and there is no William Smith Bryan or just plain William Bryan. If WSB held extensive land in County Clare in 1641 his name would be on this survey.

There is also a book called The Irish And Anglo-Irish Landed Gentry, When Cromwell Came to Ireland: Or, a Supplement to Irish Pedigrees. Surely if WSB held land in Ireland which he lost when Cromwell busted him to Virginia, his name would appear somewhere in the 792 pages of this books, alas he is not to be found.

No WSB can be found on The Down Survey for Ireland., nor is he mentioned in the 1641 Depositions. 

Reclaiming forfeited land [10]
Francis Bryan, son of WSB returned to Ireland to reclaim his fathers hereditary titles and lands. So far we have seen no such land but there are books and data on those who did make a claim to recover their confiscated estates. There is a book aptly named Lists of the Claims as they are Entered With the Trustees at Chichester House on College Green Dublin On or Before the 10th of August 1700. This is a list of over 3100 claimants to lost land. There is no William Smith or Francis Bryan on this list.

What's the big deal with Denmark?
WSB married Catherine Morgan in Denmark. Why? What was he doing in Denmark, what was she doing in Denmark? This is so weird.

Francis Bryan #3, son of WSB goes to Ireland to reclaim his father's land. Somehow he ends up in Denmark where he marries Sarah Brinker. FB#3 dies in Belfast? Does no one else think this is crazy?
I think the Denmark references are an attempt to make a connection to Morgan Bryan whose grandfather was Danish as per his son's American Revolution Pension Application.

WSB in Virginia
So, WSB is sent by Cromwell to Virginia. The Prince of Ireland is dropped off and that's it. No record of this man in Virginia exists. Why? I believe it's because he did not exist in the first place.

Sources:

[1] Houses of Parliament Online

[2] Daniel MacCarthy, "Unpublished Geraldine Documents", The Journal of the Historical and Archaeological Association of Ireland, Third Series, Vol. 1, No. 2 (1869), pp. 499-559, 570, 1-2 (86 pages).

[3]  Hans C. Hamilton, editor, Calendar of the State Papers Relating to Ireland, of the Reigns of Henry VIII., Edward VI., Mary, and Elisabeth: Preserved in the Public Department of Her Majesty's Public Record Office. 1509 - 1573, Volume 1, (London: Longman, Green, Longman & Roberts, 1860) 106.

[4] Odet de Selve, Correspondance politique de Odet de Selve, ambassadeur de France en Angleterre (1546-1549) (Paris: F. Alcan, 1888).

[5] London Metropolitan Archives and Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section, Clerkenwell, London, England; Reference Number: MS 9172/2A; Will Number: 49

[6] John Kennedy,  A History of the Parish of Leyton, Essex, (London: Phelp Brothers, 1894) p.344; transcription of her will.

[7] William Arthur Shaw, George Dames Burtchaell, The knights of England : a complete record from the earliest time to the present day of the knights of all the orders of chivalry in England, Scotland, and Ireland, and of knights bachelors, Vol 2, (London, 1906).

[8] James Frost, The History and Topography of County Clare, (Dublin: Sealy, Byers and Walker, 1893.

[9] John O'Hart, The Irish And Anglo-Irish Landed Gentry, When Cromwell Came to Ireland: Or, a Supplement to Irish Pedigrees,(Dublin: James Duffy, 1892).

[10] Great Britain. Trustees for the Sale of the Forfeited Estates in Ireland, Patrick Campbell, and Joseph Ray. A List of the Claims As They Are Entred With the Trustees: At Chichester-House On College-Green Dublin, On Or Before the Tenth of August, 1700. Dublin:: Printed by Joseph Ray, and are to be sold by, 1701.

Genealogy Treasure in the New York State Archives: Rufus Grider and the Mohawk Valley

In these days of Ancestry.com and familysearch.org and a gazillion other websites, we tend to believe that all available sources are available at the click of a mouse, albeit, we might have to pay to make that click. But this is not the case; there are many many hidden gems which contain valuable resources which can breakthrough brickwalls in our research. 

While researching my ancestors, who once inhabited the Mohawk Valley in New York State, before and during the American Revolution, I found reference to a source, called the 'Clyde Manuscript', which included the genealogy of my ancestors James and Catherine Thornton.[1] I have searched the internet for this manuscript, referred to in a book, The Family of James Thornton, Father of the Hon. Matthew Thornton, by Charles Thornton Adams. This book was first published around 1903. My grandfather had a xerox copy of the book, which I read as a young woman, and treasure to this day. But, I had never found the Clyde Manuscript, until this year. It is part of the Rufus Alexander Grider  collection in the New York State Archives in Albany, New York. 

Rufus Grider

Rufus Grider

Who was Rufus and what was he doing with the Clyde Manuscript? Rufus Alexander Grider was born April 13, 1817, in Lititz, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The town was founded by members of the Moravian Congregation in 1756. Grider was of Swiss descent and a member of the Moravian church. Grider married at the late age of 46, he and his family resided in Bethlehem, PA until he moved to Canajoharie, New York to teach art at the local academy. He retired in 1898 and died in February of 1900. 

Grider's passion for recording the history of the Mohawk Valley began in 1886 when he sketched Johnson Hall in Johnstown, the former home of Sir William Johnson and Molly Brant and his Loyalist son, Sir John Johnson. For the next fourteen years Grider traveled the length and breadth of the valley sketching and painting water colors of important buildings and battlefields.  He even drew buildings that no longer existed, based on the memories of Valley residents include old Forts long destroyed in the war. 

Along with buildings, Grider also drew pictures of powder horns, once prized possessions of Revolutionary Soldiers, many were intricately carved by their owners. Some include valuable genealogical information. According to the Albany State Archives, "By the time of Grider's death in 1900,  he had compiled nine volumes containing 1,041 pieces, including 623 water color sketches, 42 water color portraits, 169 tracings of manuscripts, 81 original engravings, seven original manuscripts, 71 tracings of maps and plans, 23 photographs and 25 water color drawings of powder horns."[2] One of the manuscripts is the Clyde Manuscript. 

Samuel Clyde

Rufus Grider Cherry Valley from Samuel Clyde's 

Rufus Grider was drawn to Cherry Valley, site of the 1780 Cherry Valley Massacre, one of many atrocities committed during the Revolution. Samuel Clyde, his wife Catherine Wasson Clyde and his family resided on a hill overlooking the settlement of Cherry Valley. Their house, indeed the entire town was burned to the ground during and after the Massacre. Grider drew the Valley from the Clyde home site and other points in the Valley, including the Campbell home site.  Included in his collection were two further biographies, his commissions for the rank of Captain, Major and Lt. Colonel, his commission as Sheriff of Montgomery County after the war, relics, and portraits. A veritable gold mine of information, both historical and genealogical. 

Alden, Campbell, Dickson, Mitchell......

Rufus Grider The Old Stone Fort

The Grider archives contain articles related to many of the Cherry Valley families, including the Campbells. Colonel Samuel Campbell, friend and neighbor of the Clydes, fought at the desperate Battle of Oriskany. His wife Jane and their children were abducted and taken to Canada during the Cherry Valley Massacre. The archives include a Campbell family bible and Col. Campbell's powder horn. There is a long list names included in the archives, names like Bellinger, Wilson, Murphy, all with connections to the Valley and the American Revolution. There is a extensive list of items belonging to Timothy Murphy, the war hero and sniper who killed General Simon Fraser at the Battle of Bemis Heights. Murphy was the subject of the book, The Rifleman by John Brick. Deeds, commission and personal items belonging to the Vrooman family of Schoharie Valley. 

How did it get there?

When Rufus died in 1900 he was survived by a brother and sister, his own children and wife having predeceased him. Upon Grider's death the archive came into the hands of a dealer who sold them to W. Pierrepont White of Utica, New York. They were sold to the New York State Archives in 1941 by his heirs. That being said, there are many Grider paintings, drawings and artifact that are not in the archives. The Van Alstyne House in Canajoharie has several Grider works of art in their collection. Others are in private hands. If you google his name you can see many example of his work online. There is also a book available on amazon which includes many examples of his work. See: Rufus Grider in Color, by AJ Berry for more examples of his work. 

Rufus Grider Powder Horn

How do you access the collection?

I was in New York over the summer, unfortunately I did not know about this collection until I got home to Texas. Very Sad! But, if you want to see the collection you must make arrangements in advance through Manuscripts and Special Collections. The New York State Library is located in Albany, New York. This is a link to the Rufus Grider Collection.

Are you going to the Archive? Drop me a line, I have a laundry list of items for you to check for me!

Sources:

[1] Charles Thornton Adams, The Family of James Thornton, Father of the Hon. Matthew Thornton, 

(Philadelphia: Dando Printing and Publishing, 1903).

[2] New York State Library, "Rufus Alexander Grider Albums, 1886-1900", NYSED.Gov (

http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/msscfa/vc22932.htm : accessed 29 December 2018). see manuscripts and special collections. 

Best Books and Websites on the Historical Mohawk Valley, New York

I recently wrote a book set in the 1700s in the Mohawk Valley. This time period covered both the French and Indian Wars and the American Revolution. The Mohawk Valley is of great historical significance during this period and its history is fascinating. To get my history right I spent months doing research and even convinced my husband to take a trip to the Mohawk Valley. I have to say it is a spectacular place and I loved every minute of it. Here are some of my go to books on the history of the valley as well as a list of very helpful websites that provided an amazing amount of information. In no particular order:

Bloody Mohawk by Richard Berleth. Ok, this was my go to book. So well written, lots of maps, chock full of information. I could not have written my book without it, well really I could have but it would have been harder. Anyway, I love this book. If you are looking for an in depth look at the history of this area and the personalities that shaped it, this is right up your alley. Its not a dry scholarly book that bores you, it pulls you into the history.

Author Gavin Watts has written multiple books on the Mohawk Valley, specifically during the 8 years of the American Revolution. What I really enjoyed about his books was that many are written from a British/Canadian point of view. So the American Patriots are the enemy and the British and their Tory allies are, well, the good guys. Amazon has a five book bundle of his books which is great value for the money. Don't let the title put you off, this is American history, from a Canadian perspective. The books are well written and include lots of maps, drawings and photos. I found them very informative.

I know most towns have these pictorial books but I especially liked this one on Schenectady. When we visited we stayed in the oldest section of town, the Stockade. This book was very helpful and many of the pictures of old Schenectady are of the Stockade section of town.

Schenectady Digital History Archive: http://www.schenectadyhistory.org/index.html this website is the bomb! So much information crammed into its pages. It also has digital copies of two great books,  A History of Schenectady During the Revolution by Willis T. Hanson, Jr. (Brattleboro, VT: E. L. Hildreth & Co., 1916) and all four volumes (3600+ pages) of History of the Mohawk Valley: Gateway to the West 1614-1925, edited by Nelson Greene (Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1925). Both of these books were enormously helpful. They are broken into chapters and are completely searchable. If you are interested in the genealogy of the area the website also includes the book Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1911).

Three Rivers this website focuses on the three rivers: Mohawk, Schoharie and Hudson. It was started in 1998 and has a ton of information about the area. This is a website that you have to spend a few hours-days poking around on. It has a vast collection of links to other websites, books, etc. Some of the links no longer work, but most are still active. I can't describe it and do it justice, just check it out.

http://www.threerivershms.com/newtosite.htm It has not been updated since  the 2014 death of its webmaster A.J. Berry.

Fort Plank this website is run by author and historian Ken Johnson. It is full of information about the area during the American Revolution. Ken has written a book, The Bloodied Mohawk, available through this website that has extensive research into the participants of the Revolution. In his own words the book is:

A new annotated history of the American Revolution in the upper Mohawk Valley of New York is now available from Fort Plank Historian Ken D. Johnson and Picton Press. Using the "BEST EVIDENCE" available, the actual words of Fort Plank's Defenders and other Mohawk Valley Partisans, a fascinating account of this epic struggle is produced. Never before published accounts of battles, raids, troop movements, supply activities, and individual hardships are herein provided for your examination and perusal. Every statement of fact is documented as to its EXACT source so that the casual reader, or the professional researcher, can easily consult the original source document(s).

His web address is: http://www.fort-plank.com/   I found Ken to be responsive to questions, he was very helpful.

There is a Facebook group: The Colonial Families of Tryon County which is active and promotes the history of the area with a focus on the colonial period and the American Revolution. The group members are extremely helpful and love to share their history. One, Shirley, was kind enough to open a historical site, normally closed, just for me and my husband, so awesome.

My book, based on the life of my ancestors who lived in Cherry Valley during the American Revolution portrays life in the 1700s and the realities of war.  If you enjoy reading historical fiction this is the book for you! The story follows the life of my ancestor Catherine Wasson and her husband Colonel Samuel Clyde of the Tryon County Militia, hero of the Battle of Oriskany and commander of Fort Plain. The couple made their home in idyllic Cherry Valley just before peace with France was declared bringing an end to the last French and Indian War. But worse was to come and the patriots of the Mohawk Valley bore the brunt of the war with England during the Revolution. Women and children were not spared as the Clyde Family faced the almost daily fear of attack. Full of history and the colorful characters of the Valley, its a whirlwind of a read. 

Do you have a great book or website that should be added to this list? Let me know and I put it up.

Sanderson and Thornton Facebook Genealogy

Social media is a great way to connect with people; people you know and people you don't know. Most families know who their first cousins are, but not second or third. Social media is great way to find those unknown cousins. Hopefully once you connect you share with each other what you know about your common ancestors. Using Facebook to create a genealogy group is a useful tool to get people together who are researching a common distant ancestor.  Not only can you tell the group what you know, but you can continue to  update them when you find new information.

I recently joined a Sanderson Family genealogy page which focuses on the descendants of Robert, Edward and William Sanderson of Watertown, MA. Already I have gotten new information about my ancestor, William. I also belong to a less active page on the descendants of James and Nancy Thornton. I recently posted and am hoping to get the group more active.

If you are interested in joining either group, contact me and I can give you more information about the groups.

Thornton DNA Project

A few months ago I submitted a YDNA kit from my father to familytreeDNA.com for testing.  I have been anxiously awaiting the results and they have finally arrived. We are descendants from a race of space aliens with a superior intellect. Actually we are just what I thought, a bunch of Brits, recently transplanted to the North American continent. 

Our haplogroup is R1b1a2, this group is found predominantly in France, England, Ireland, and Wales. In a comparison chart on the website of all Thornton's who have had their YDNA tested we fall into a unmatched category.  Interestingly, the Thornton's in Virginia and other southern states are mostly of a different group, I1 which ended up in Scandinavia. 

What I need is for Thorntons who claim descent from James Thornton of Ireland, the father of Matthew Thornton, signer of the Declaration of Independence, to have their DNA tested. There are some southern Thorntons who claim descent from Samuel Thornton, son of James, and brother of Matthew.   They think he migrated to the south and lived in South Carolina.  This is the same Samuel who we say is our ancestor and that he lived in New Hampshire with the rest of his family. 

A DNA test will not give you a list of ancestors but it can point you in the right direction.  If a southern Thornton thinks they're are part of the New Hampshire family a DNA test could prove it.  If you are a Thornton and have a few spare dollars, the Thornton DNA project could sure benefit from your DNA test.



Related Posts:
James Thornton
Samuel Thornton

Solving a Mystery in a City Directory

I have been looking for sometime for the date of death for my great grandfather John Clark Thornton.  His death falls in that time before the Social Security Index and after the date which most states release vital records.  I knew he died between the 1920 and 1930 census, but not the actual date. I called the cemetery where he was buried, they could look it up,if I could tell them the section and plot number where he was buried. I didn't want to pay for a copy of his death certificate either.   So, I had given up on finding it.  

Yesterday I was  chasing down one of his cousins, Mary Harris Thornton Copithorn.  She was the daughter of his Uncle David Thornton and she and her husband had bounced between New Hampshire, Boston and Natick Massachusetts.  I was looking for one of her children in the Brookline Directory, when I realized I had looked for John C. in the Boston Directory but not the Brookline one.  Knowing that he was alive in 1920, I started checking the directory starting in 1921.  This is the page from the 1926 Brookline Directory.

So, there it is, his date of Death in a City Directory. 

Tips for Finding Your Ancestors

I would like to share a list of sources that have been really useful to me in compiling my family tree. Some have been more helpful than others and some have been of no help at all.  I have found that there is no one source that will solve your family mysteries, the more places you look, the more stuff you find. This is especially important if you are interested in more than just names and dates.  I am always trying to add some flesh to my ancestors and finding little details here and there helps me build up a picture of their lives and who there were.

1.  Your Family  The best place to start is with your own family.  Ask grandma and grandpa what they remember about their parents and grandparent.  Ask to see old family photos and mementos.  Not only will your family be thrilled to have someone to talk about the past with but you will pick up a lot of good information for starting your hunt. My parents were able to produce a mountain of photos of old family members, many long deceased.  I had my mother put names to all the faces and I scanned them into my computer and labeled them all.  From my husband's side of the family, we were able to get a lot of wonderful old photos and a report card from 1880! Best of all, getting information from your family is free! FREE

2.  Ancestry.com  This pay to use site is well worth the money.  I could not have done as much as I have without it.  I started with a month to month subscription, but finally bit the bullet and paid for an annual subscription, at a cheaper rate.  I also have the international component as many of my family were from England and Ireland. It's easy to use and very addictive.  One word of caution: not all ancestry members are good researchers.  There is not only bad information out there but some rather silly stuff as well ( my husband is a descendant of Pocahontas's niece Princess Nicketti, NOT!).  My advice would be to find trees that seem reliable and then go to other sources to find documentation to prove your connections.  COST

3. Google Books  I found an enormous amount of information just by searching Google Books.  It seems that after the Civil War  people became very interested in genealogy and wrote massive amounts of books and family histories, some even traveled to England to find ancestor information from records in local parishes and cities.  Many of my ancestors lived in New England and I was able to glean details from books with subjects such as: the history of Hampton, New Hampshire, the history of Watertown, Massachusetts and so forth.  Sometimes just goggling names was enough to get a hit. I downloaded a lot of these books onto my nook to keep them handy for future references.  FREE

4. Archives.com  This is also a pay to use site.  It is a bit different than Ancestry.com but I have found it valuable for searching newspapers and city directories. They are now partnered with Fold3, formerly Footnote.com, and you can search for and order vital records from their site.  COST

5. Fold3 ( Footnote.com) Also a pay to use site. I have not used it since it changed names, they are a great resource for military records.  I found a lot of information on different ancestors who participated in the American Revolution and in the War of 1812. Very easy to use. COST

6. British-Genealogy.com This is a tremendous site if you are looking for ancestors in England.  The best part about this free site is the forums.  There are all types of forums from general, historical, and best of all  forums for each county.  When I was looking for help finding ancestors in Manchester I was able to zero in on that area.  The participants on the forum were terrific, helping with look ups and even copying and emailing information.  The website has lots of great content as well.  FREE

7. nekg-vt.com Northeast Kindgom Genealogy is a great site if you are looking for information on anestors in Northern Vermont.  Vermont seems to have the best records of any state I have encountered, maybe because of its small population.  Anyway, this site has many local records, newpapers and other data, it's really be a help for me and they also have forums.  The owners will also assist with questions, at least they have helped me out.  You can use the site for free, but for a small fee you can get a membership to use the search engine, it is well worth the money.  FREE/ COST

8. freebmd.rootsweb.com  This site is a search site for the BMD, births, marriages, and deaths in Britain.  It starts in 1836 and can tell you in which quarter of the year the event took place.  It also gives you a reference number so that you can order a copy of the record.  I was able to get several marriage and birth certificates for ancestors from Manchester, these records list parents which is especially helpful if you don't know who they are! It is very easy to order certificates from the GRO,  the general registrars office, they take credit cards so you don't have to worry about currency.  FREE

I will post more to this list as I have time so check back.