Finding When Gramp’s Ship Came In
Question: I am trying to learn the name of the ship my grandfather took from Germany to America. He landed in New York in May of 1883.
Answer: These particular ship passenger lists are unindexed, but since you know the month he arrived, your search will not be difficult. These records are available at the National Archives and many of its regional field branches and also have been filmed by the LDS (Mormon) Family History Library and available on interlibrary loan to its branches. There are three rolls of film that include May, 1883, dates. You may have to read them all before you locate him.
Q: I understand that there is a historical or genealogical society in Wisconsin for descendants of immigrants from Luxembourg. Do you know the name and address of this group?
A: Contact the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 816 State St., Madison, Wis. 53706, and the Wisconsin State Genealogical Society, Box 5106, Madison, Wis. 53705. These organizations would know about such a group.
Q: I have a Mac plus and need a computer program. I went to several computer software stores but have been unable to find a genealogical program. Where do you get them?
A: Most genealogical computer programs are advertised in speciality magazines such as Heritage Quest and Genealogy Helper.
One written for the MacIntosh is called MacGene, and it is available from Applied Ideas, Box 3225, Manhattan Beach, Calif. 90266. It costs $148 and offers a support group to help you with your genealogical computing problems.
Q: My parents were reared in Ossining and Ellenville, N.Y, but family information pertaining to my grandparents is almost non-existent. I am an engineer and am looking for a step-by-step search format. How do I proceed?
A: You have the right approach. Read any of the several good “how-to” genealogy books available at your local library. One of the best is Ralph Crandall’s “Shaking Your Family Tree,” published in 1986. It explains in detail proper genealogical research methods.
Q: Can you tell me the origins of the surname Burney?
A: Burney is a Scottish surname, meaning one who came from Birnie (wet place) in Elginshire. It is shown under MacBirnie in “The Surnames of Scotland” by George F. Black, who says the name is of Norse origin from the personal name Bjarni (bear). It also is listed in “A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames” by Charles Bardsley, who says it is a locality name also spelled Bourneghe and Burny.
Q: One of my ancestors was an unwilling participant in Lord Cornwallis’ surrender at Yorktown. I’d like to find records that show where Lord Cornwallis slept, ate, etc., before his surrender in October, 1781. Where would I look for this kind of information?
A: Use public and university libraries and comb through the mountains of material, such as biographies and military history, that are available about Cornwallis, and this period of the Revolutionary War.