About This Site
My Abiding Interest in Family History My interest in family history began in November 1971, when I came across a box of old photographs belonging to my paternal grandmother. Since then I've spent countless hours in libraries, archives, county courthouses, and cemeteries all over the United States, seeking to learn all that I can about my ancestors. I've also done some research in England. Since the advent of the World Wide Web in the mid-1990s, I've spent innumerable hours engaged in online research as well. In short, what I am trying to say is that what began as an idle interest has long since become a passion. Over the years I have traveled many miles, spent a lot of money, and examined more microfilm, documents, books, and periodicals than I care to think about. Although my efforts have yielded results, there's still a lot of work to be done! I imagine you probably feel the same way, even if you've been researching as long or longer than me, and especially if you're just beginning! It appears that all my ancestors came to North America from Europe during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and almost all were well established before the American Revolution of 1775-1783 (in which several served the Patriot cause). So far, I have not found any immigrant ancestors who came later. Currently, I am working to confirm some information that some of them may have been among the earliest settlers of Virginia, before it became a royal colony in 1624. My ancestral homes in Europe are England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland (mostly Northern Ireland), the Netherlands, France, and Germany. Presently, my earliest known ancestors were French Protestants who settled in the Hudson River Valley of what is now the State of New York in the early 1660s. The latest arrivals were some Ulster-Irish who came to South Carolina a century later, in the 1760s. Although my education includes both an M.A. and a Ph.D. in History, I have no formal genealogy credentials. This hasn't prevented me, however, from teaching genealogy classes at our local community college and providing individual research assistance to others (although presently, I am far too busy for either activity). From time-to-time, I've been the guest speaker at local genealogical and historical society meetings, sharing my knowledge of history and genealogy with others. I am particularly knowledgeable about English convict ancestors (yes, I have one!) and veterans of the U.S.-Mexican War (there are at least two of those in my family tree). I qualify for membership in several genealogical or lineage societies. However, I am not presently an active member in any of them. Over the years I have written several genealogical and historical articles, which have been published in a variety of newspapers and periodicals. These include:
Contacting Me In view of my busy schedule, I've found that maintaining this website is the most efficient way for me to assist my fellow family historians. I hope you find it useful. Unfortunately, the many demands on my time creates a situation whereby I am not always able to respond to email in a timely fashion. So if you write, please be patient. I will try to get back to you but it may take a few days. Thanks for visiting and come back again soon to see if anything new has been added. Comments or questions?
This website copyright © 1996-2018 by Steven R. Butler, Ph.D. All rights reserved. |
