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Genealogy Research Tips Page Three Tax Digests A name should first appear when a man became age 21. Even if he had no property he would be liable to pay a Poll Tax (registration in the militia unit of the county). When the taxable male reached a certain age (age 45 at one time, age 60 later) he was exempt from Poll Tax only. Indigents could also be exempt from Poll Tax. A defaulter is a person who failed to make his tax declaration on time. Taxable citizens were required to return an annual list of real and personal property. He may have left the county, but not necessarily. If a man died (either testate or intestate) his property will still be listed (estate of) until the estate is finally settled (when property is divided and administrator/executor has made final return to the court). Best Genealogical Records England has the worst genealogy records. Sweden & Denmark are also bad. The best areas of Europe (except Spain) are Austria & Holland. Most people can trace their lineage back about 300 years (given enough time and energy). Germanic lines will go back about 500 years; Germany, Switzerland, Poland. Spain will go back from 900 to 1,000 years. Korea = average documented clan genealogy is 2,500 years. French Huguenots Were persecuted protestants (equivalent to England's Presbyterians). For those who came to America, most of their records are in South Carolina, other records are in Washington DC and New York. Irish Protestants The Orange were Irish protestants in Northern Ireland. They were called Orangemen, or the Orange Order. Contact The American Irish Historical Society in New York, NY for more information. Some Irish children were named "Orange," which probably denotes a political preference, especially in New York & Connecticut. Adoption Problems Adoption records are very modern instruments. If it is pre-Civil War, it may be the nomenclature that was used was for guardianship or orphans proceedings, which were quite common. Both New York and Massachusetts have published lists of all the name changes that ever occurred in the state. The "back door" approach to the problem is to beg the local surrogate judge to go in and look at the record, then reveal the surname; no one breaks the law doing this. Indian Depredations Most Indian depredations are researched and documented. Check with the State Historical Society for the state in question (Indiana, Ohio Territory, Illinois were part of the Old Northwest Territory) and ask them to check their index. 1  2  3