Research Sources - Sets

SETS

Quaker Genealogy set. Use index first to find which encyclopedia holds the appropriate information

98. Genealogical Publishing Co. Index to Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy by William Wade Hinshaw. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co, 1999. (index)

This is the index to the Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy. It makes searching the encyclopedia much easier.


99. Hinshaw, William Wade, and Thomas Worth Marshall. Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co, 1938.
(encyclopedia)

The Quakers were very good at keeping records at their monthly meetings. These encyclopedias are organized by monthly meeting and with in those divisions, information is alphabetical by surname. Information such as birth, death and burial dates, marriage dates, disunity, complaints, condemned, disowned, joined another society, married out of unity, widow, etc.


Keyhole set. Use the index first to find the correct issue of the quarterly publication that holds the information required.
100. Genealogical Society of Southwestern Pennsylvania. The Keyhole Index 20 years, 2004. (index)

This is an index of articles that appear in the Keyhole publication from its inception in 1973 to 2003. Very helpful in navigating the quarterly publication.


101. Genealogical Society of Southwestern Pennsylvania. The Keyhole, 1973 to present. (periodical)

This quarterly publication contains family trees, historical articles, cemetery transcriptions, bible records, transcriptions of other records, queries and answers, etc. These are submitted by members of the Genealogical Society of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Good resource for a variety of information.


Delayed Birth certificate set. Use index first, then subject specialized volume with actual certificates
102. "Delayed Birth Certificate Index Washington County Pa." Washington, PA: courthouse. (index - unpublished)

This index lists the person's name, file and number. You have to use this index to find the correct volume that contains the actual delayed birth certificate. Similar records can be found at other county courthouses


103. "Delayed Birth Certificates Washington County Pa." Washington, PA: courthouse. (subject specialized resource - unpublished)

These volumes hold delayed birth certificates. Official birth certificates were not always issued in early years. When a person needed proof of birth for some official reason, they would go back to the county of their birth to have a delayed birth certificate issued. These certificates hold some very useful information: name, date of birth, place of birth, father of child, mother of child, children born to this mother, applicant's signature, current address. Similar records can be found at other county courthouses.

Crumrine Set. Use the all name index first to find names of people in the very large Crumrine History. This index was created many years after the original book was published. The index really increases the usefulness of the Crumrine book. Every genealogist who studies Washington County cites Crumrine.

104. Index of Washington County, Pennsylvania edited by Boyd Crumrine. (index)

All name index for Crumrine's History of Washington Co. No publishing information available. This index makes it easier to search for individual people in the original book.


105. Crumrine, Boyd, Franklin Ellis, and Austin N. Hungerford. History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : With Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men Philadelphia: H.L. Everts & Co, 1882. (subject specialized resource)

Contains biographical sketches of pioneer families and prominent men, maps, illustrations, overall history of Washington Co, boroughs 7 Townships, schools, churches, photos.

Accounts set. Use the index first to find the correct volume where the actual account of estate is recorded.

106. "Index to Accounts - Register's Office, Washington County." Washington, PA: courthouse. (index - unpublished)

This resource contains information about estates of deceased (sometimes for people that did not have a will so this is an important supplement to the will books). It has the name of the accountant (many times a relative), how the accountant was acting, book-vol-page, #-term-year, remarks, audit vol-page. Similar records can be found at other county courthouses. These date back to the late 1700s early 1800s.

107. "Accounts - Register's Office Washington County Pa." Washington, PA: courthouse. (subject specialized resource - unpublished)
Contains valuable information that may not be in the will books as not every deceased person had a will. A sample account listed payments to different people, some heirs of the deceased. Ideally should be digitized and made searchable electronically. This multiple volume set must be accessed by using the index. Similar records can be found at other county courthouses


Orphan's Court set. Use Index first to find the correct volume where the actual orphan's court documents are recorded.

108. "Index to Orphan's Court Docket Washington County, Pa." Washington, PA: courthouse. (index - unpublished)

This source lists: Estate of, proceedings, book-vol-page, #- term- year, remarks. Many things took place in the orphan's court. One of the important things relating to genealogy was the appointing of guardians for minor children. This index guides you to the appropriate docket book where the actual proceedings and information is recorded. Similar records can be found at other county courthouses.


109. "Orphan's Court Docket Washington County, Pa." Washington, PA: courthouse. (subject specialized resource - unpublished)

Actual proceedings of the Orphan's court are recorded here. They contain much information that is useful to genealogy research such as estates, appointment of guardians, etc. You must use the index to access these many volumes successfully. Ideally these should be digitized and made searchable electronically. Similar records can be found at other county courthouses


Bates set. Use the index first to search the Bates History book.
110. Russell, Harold A. Index to Samuel P. Bates History of Greene County, Pa, Published 1888, Reprinted 1975 Waynesburg, Pa: Mildred H. Russell, 1984. (index)

An all name index to the Bates History from 1888. This index makes it easier to search the original book for individuals.


111. Bates, Samuel P. History of Greene County, PA. Chicago: Nelson, Richford & Co, 1888 (subject specialized resource)

This book is similar to the other county histories. It includes a lot of biographical sketches of representative families, some photos and portraits, history of Greene County, its townships, etc. These types of histories are very helpful.


Beers set. Use the index first to find people in the large Beers biographical book. This index was created several years after the original work was published and makes it much easier to use. Along with the Crumrine book, the Beers book is another must for Washington County researchers.

112. (1987). Index to the Commemorative biographical record of Washington County, Pennsylvania, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families, illustrated, by J.H. Beers & Co., 1893. Pennsylvania. (index)

All name index to Beers created many years after the original publication of the book. Makes it much easier to search for people.


113. Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, and of Many of the Early Settled Families. Chicago J.H. Beers & Co, 1893. (subject specialized resource)

Contains biographical sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens and of many of the early settled families. Illustrations, portraits, family genealogies, index of portraits and index of main people.

Wills set. Use the index first to find the correct volume and page number for the actual will is recorded.

114. Index to Wills Washington County PA. Washington, PA, courthouse. (index - unpublished)

This index contains information for finding wills, some dating back to 1781. Info: file #, testator, date of death, date of probate, volume, page. Similar records can be found at other county courthouses

115. "Will Books Washington County Pa." Washington, PA: courthouse. (subject specialized resource - unpublished)

This is a many volume set. These ledgers contain handwritten and typewritten copies of wills that were registered at the courthouse beginning in 1781. They are an invaluable source to genealogy researchers as many times family relationships are spelled out. These ledgers were microfilmed at one time but the quality of some of the earlier film is not so good and some wills are illegible. Ideally the originals should be digitized and made searchable electronically. Some of the earliest ledgers are locked in a vault at the courthouse with limited access as they are very fragile. Similar records can be found at other county courthouses



Inventories and appraisements set. Use the index first to find the correct volume and page number where the deceased's inventory of possessions is recorded.

116. Inventories and appraisements index Washington County, PA. Washington PA, courthouse. (index - unpublished)

This is another source that is helpful when a deceased person did not have a will. Many times family heirlooms are passed down and sometimes you can find the item listed in an inventory. The index lists the name, vol-page-no. Similar records can be found at other county courthouses.

117. Inventories and Appraisements. Washington PA courthouse. (subject specialized resource - unpublished)

These volumes contains inventory lists of possessions of deceased and the appraisals of possessions and real estate. This is important for people that did not have a will.

Marriage License Sets. This is a three step process. Index first, then docket of licenses, then actual applications, consent of minor to marry and marriage certificates. Must complete all three step to prove a marriage actually took place.

118. "Men's Index to Marriages Washington County, Pa." Washington, PA: courthouse, 1885 to present. (index - unpublished)

This source is the first step to finding marriage license information. It lists; year, name of man, name of woman, book, page, no. There is a women's index arranged the same way but alphabetically by woman's name. From this source you go to the Marriage license docket as step 2 in a three step process. Similar records can be found at other county courthouses

119. "Women's Index to Marriages Washington County, Pa." Washington, PA: courthouse, 1885 to present (index - unpublished)

This is also the first step to finding marriage license information. For some reason, some marriages are listed in the women's index that are not listed in the men's index. They should just be reverse look ups but not all the information is the same. Therefore it is best to have both indexes.

120. "Marriage License Docket Washington County, Pa." Washington, PA: courthouse, 1885 to present. (subject specialized resource - unpublished)

This is step 2 in the marriage license process. From the index, the book number, page and license number was found. In these volumes, you find the page and license number. The marriage license is recorded here with the certificate number. With this cert # you proceed to step 3. Similar records can be found at other county courthouses

121. "Marriage Licenses and Related Information Washington County, Pa." Washington, PA: courthouse, 1885 to present. (subject specialized resource - unpublished)

This is the last step of the marriage license search. This information contains the application filed by the man and woman, consent of marriage of a minor that was signed by the father of either the bride or groom if they were minors, any divorce documentation if there was a previous marriage, and the marriage certificate. Not everyone that applied to be married actually got married so it is important to follow all three steps to prove a marriage actually took place. The applications sometimes contained birth dates and locations, previous marriages and how they were dissolved (death, divorce). Similar records can be found at other county courthouses

Bates Set. Use index first to make it easier to search the original books.

122. Bates, Samuel P. History of Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-5, Index Edited by Janet Hewitt and Rickie Broadfoot. Wilmington, N.C.: Broadfoot Pub. Co, 1993 - 1994. (index)

This is a much more comprehensive index of the Bates multivolume set. The original index was not an all name index.

123. Bates, Samuel P. History of Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-5; Prepared in Compliance with Acts of the Legislature. Harrisburg, PA B. Singerly 1869. (subject specialized resource)

Contains regimental rosters with name of soldier, muster in date, term of service, remarks, some regimental histories.

Fayette County History set.

124. Donovan, L., J. W. Jordan, et al. (2001). Genealogical and personal history of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : every-name index Butler, Pa, Mechling Bookbindery. (index)

This is an every-name index that was created many years after the original publishing of this book. This comprehensive index makes it much easier to find people in the book.


125. Jordan, John W., and James Hadden. Genealogical and Personal History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania 3vols. New York Lewis historical Pub. Co, 1912. (subject specialized resource)

Genealogy and biographical sketches. Index in the back for main names. This is similar in style to the other county histories.