Know the laws that governed your ancestors

When researching your ancestors’ lives, make sure you consider the laws in effect at the time.

Whether they lived under common law from England or the statutes passed by state legislatures, it’s handy to know some of the rules that governed them. Take, for instance, at what age could someone legally marry — with parental consent and without?

Before identification cards and driver’s licenses, brides were required to get their marriage licenses in their home counties. That way, the court clerk was in a better position to know if the woman was of legal age to marry and to hopefully know something about the man. Many of our ancestors eloped or just had common law marriages that were never recorded at the courthouse. Some just fibbed, like my grandparents in 1921. They gave their ages as 21 when they were 16 and 18.

Georgia laws in effect over the centuries can be found in various codes and digests from the University of Geor- gia’s School of Law, at digitalcommons.law.uga.edu/ga_ code/. Similar websites are in other states at their schools of law or state archives.

Research online guides

A number of research guides are available on the Georgia Archives website, GeorgiaArchives.org. Go to the menu, and it’s under “research,” then “research services.” These handouts help guide you through some of the sources there. Topics include African American resources, documenting marriages in Georgia, land lotter- ies, tax digests, family history research, vital records and much more. Check them out.

Virginia history lectures free

The Virginia Museum of History and Culture at virginiahistory.org has a large number of lectures available for The COVID-19 pandemic free on Virginia history and has made financial plan- related topics. At the website ning for higher education go to “events” then “video even harder. and audio.” Lectures are listed Parents and students are there. Check out the rest of the trying to figure out college website, as well. It includes costs for next fall — assumthe Virginia Historical Sociing schools even reopen ety and its collections. Search- like normal. There’s the ing for “genealogy” turns up question of what to do with many helpful guides. There is money taken from a taxenough on the site in various advantaged 529 education areas to keep you busy. Visit savings plan. And should the museum in Richmond you still make payments when it reopens, as well as the on a student loan even if Library of Virginia, the state you don’t have to? archives, just across town. See Here’s what you should lva.virginia.gov for online gene- know about 529 plans and alogy resources. student loans during the

coronavirus crisis.

The ever creative Stephen P. Morse continues to expand his “One Step Websites” to help you easily access important genealogy databases. So go to his website, stevemorse.org, to see the list. It includes Ellis Island and Castle Garden, census, foreign alphabets, biographies and interviews, and much more.

Q: Should I continue mak