My wife's eighth great-grandfather was Gijsbert Op Ten Dijck (Gilbert Updyke), who arrived in New Amsterdam in 1635. So before we uncover...

I stumbled onto the story of Uncle Owen Fitzpen and thought I would tell it to the family in the context of the Phippen/Fitzpen family. I...

The Merwin family originated from Amersham, in Buckinghamshire, England, 27 miles northwest of Central London and now part of its...

There have been several times lately when I think I have run out of family stories to tell, and this month was one of those times. Then...

This story begins in France, like several other of the Cook-Maine family’s ancestors. Nicholas Gaylord was from the House of Gaillard,...

Thomas Minor was born on April 23, 1608, in Chew Magna, County Somerset, England. He was the son of Clement Minor and Sarah Pope. Chew...

Yes, your surname could have ended up with Beadle if you are a Cook ancestor. Eight generations of your Beadle ancestors, or for nearly...

In the last article, I wrote about George Stillman’s wife (Jane Pickering) and her ancestors. In this article, we turn our attention to...

This is a story of religious freedom, a hard-fought battle in the early days of this nation. Because of these early battles, we have...

It is believed that the Sisson family originated from Soissons, a commune (town) in northeastern France. This town has had a long history...

This article may not be for hard-core genealogists, for you have often used this source. However, some people may be curious about how...

Across the bay from the church my grandparents (Haakinson) were married in before they moved to America is the Bryggen section of Bergen,...

Several have asked about our trip to Norway, and instead of responding individually, I thought I would write an article about it. I need...

Even though he never went to Norway, Martin Luther profoundly impacted Norway and the rest of Scandinavia. Since this is the 500th year...

When I think of Norway, the first things that come to mind are Vikings, fjords, and stave churches. When I began researching this topic,...

My maternal grandmother, Synneva Eide Haakinson, was born on the island of Halsnøy near the mouth of the Hardanger Fjord. The fjord is...

Whenever my kids were expecting a new child, I had to suggest appropriate names. Oddly, none of my grandchildren ended up with my...