<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv=Content-Type> <META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.18943"> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><STRONG><EM><FONT color=#000080 face="Times New Roman">Haven't been following this thread so forgive me if I am repetitious.  </FONT></EM></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><EM><FONT color=#000080 face="Times New Roman"></FONT></EM></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><EM><FONT color=#000080 face="Times New Roman">I have found some wonderful information in divorce, guardianship, and church records. Often descriptions of family social structure, finances, and "dysfunction" are spelled out in great detail. Since "Family Courts" did not specifically exist prior to the early 20th century, the records to search are "Circuit Court", as well as probate, of course. Do not be put off because someone died intestate, those estate settlements can be some of the most interesting. Land records will frequently contain provisions for the care of elderly parents (I have seen this pass from sibling, to sibling, to sibling!) And land divisions can be particularly detailed when you have a deceased who was married more than once and there are issue from one or more marriages. </FONT></EM></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><EM><FONT color=#000080 face="Times New Roman"></FONT></EM></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><EM><FONT color=#000080 face="Times New Roman">Church records are valuable not only for birth/christening, marriage, and death; they can relate instances of censure, expulsion, relocation, and even deep discussions re the [acceptability] of individuals for membership, marriage, etc. </FONT></EM></STRONG></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><EM><FONT color=#000080 face="Times New Roman">Newspapers should be a given. Even an event that happened in another country could have repercussions on a rural United States community, and the local political and financial news presents a picture of the general parameters of a given society. "Social" news sections can be invaluable in painting the color and depth of community functions and activities. </FONT></EM></STRONG></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><EM><FONT color=#000080 face="Times New Roman">It's all out there - the author needs to be wide open to repositories and publications to enrich his, or her, narrative. Good luck!</FONT></EM></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><EM><FONT color=#000080 face="Times New Roman"></FONT></EM></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><EM><FONT color=#000080 face="Times New Roman">Kate</FONT></EM></STRONG></DIV> <DIV>  </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: #000080 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=michael.hait@hotmail.com href="mailto:michael.hait@hotmail.com">Michael Hait</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=raybeere@yahoo.com href="mailto:raybeere@yahoo.com">Ray Beere Johnson II</A> ; <A title=apgpubliclist@apgen.org href="mailto:apgpubliclist@apgen.org">APG Posting</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, August 13, 2010 11:21 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [APG Public List] Background on anywhere at any time...</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV>Another suggestion, if there appears to be a lack of first-hand accounts:<BR><BR>Estate inventories provide a list of the items that everyday people from all <BR>income levels keep in their homes.  Obviously, in any time period no less <BR>than today, higher-income families have more "recreational" possessions <BR>while lower-income families have just the "necessities."  In-depth <BR>examination of estate inventories in the time period in question can create <BR>a portrait of exactly what life was like.<BR><BR><BR>Michael Hait<BR><A href="mailto:michael.hait@hotmail.com">michael.hait@hotmail.com</A><BR><A href="http://www.haitfamilyresearch.com">http://www.haitfamilyresearch.com</A><BR><BR>--------------------------------------------------<BR>From: "Ray Beere Johnson II" <<A href="mailto:raybeere@yahoo.com">raybeere@yahoo.com</A>><BR>Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2010 11:47 PM<BR>To: "APG Posting" <<A href="mailto:apgpubliclist@apgen.org">apgpubliclist@apgen.org</A>><BR>Subject: [APG Public List] Background on Darien,Georgia: 1736? - 1760 or <BR>Perhaps A Bit Later<BR><BR>>     This is slightly off topic, but I believe historical accuracy in _any_ <BR>> setting serves genealogy well. And there is public relations value in <BR>> demonstrating that genealogical research can be helpful in other spheres.<BR>>     A fellow member of a certain writing site is planning a historical <BR>> novel set in Darien, Georgia. She has the dates, facts, names, and so on <BR>> that she needs. She is having trouble finding answers to more basic <BR>> questions: what did settlers do every day? What was their culture like? <BR>> They were often fighting: what was it like to be a soldier in that type of <BR>> battle? She wants to _understand_ their lives, but is "either finding <BR>> [...] big-picture military facts, or [...] daily life grade school lesson <BR>> plans that say 'Colonial life was hard.'"<BR>>     She would prefer first hand accounts if possible. I've done what I <BR>> could, but almost all my research was in New England, and most of the rest <BR>> was in New York. If anyone knows of published material, online <BR>> transcripts, or anything else that might be useful, and is willing to <BR>> help, please send the information to me off list and I'll forward it to <BR>> her.<BR>>                              Ray Beere Johnson II<BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>> <P> <HR> <P></P><BR>No virus found in this incoming message.<BR>Checked by AVG - <A href="http://www.avg.com">www.avg.com</A> <BR>Version: 9.0.851 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3068 - Release Date: 08/13/10 01:34:00<BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>