One of the benefits of IGSI membership is receiving the Ginealas eNewsletter six times a year. This bimonthly electronic publication delivers Society announcements and news, as well as short articles, general information and tips for researchers. It's a place for sharing new Irish genealogical discoveries and items of research interest with other IGSI members, and most articles are submitted by members.

The April-May edition arrived by email yesterday. Inside was an absorbing story written by IGSI Co-President, Donna Jones, about her great-grandfather's ledger. It's a great example of what you can learn by reading the Ginealas:

My grandmother had a metal box that was recently given to me. As I went through the box, there was a small booklet that belonged to my great-grandfather, Frank Burton. It was his farm ledger and in it was a wonderful context about his life.

The ledger entries are from August 1894 to August 1895. In August 1894, Frank Burton was living in Osnabruck Center, Canada. He was farming and selling cheese. His total sales from May through October that year were recorded as $102.96. In February 1895 he sold a cow to Robert Brown for $24.00. I wondered if this was his only cow and if he lost one source of income since there were no cheese sales in 1895.

From this ledger I gleaned that in 1894 Frank may have been constructing a house. There was an extensive list of items purchased from Albert’s Lumberyard. One entry was for $110.11 for things like 6¼ X 16 – 100ft of wood, along with entries for nails and other building material. Frank had married in 1894 so perhaps he was building their first house.

Frank’s father was James Burton; James was a school master and the town clerk. Times must have been tough in April 1895. Frank had two entries that he “paid back J Burton school money of $12 and $6.” That year included expenses paid to his extended family. I had no idea that Frank’s cousin, Arthur Burton, was a butcher.

The types of businesses that would have kept ledgers and some examples include stores, postmasters, newspapers, trades, doctors, midwives, mills, farms, and taverns. Ledgers can be found in archives, local libraries, university libraries, online and private collections. Other search terms to try are account books, day books, journals, or diaries. I hope you watched some of the wonderful streamed and recorded presentations at RootsTech 2023. Judy Russell’s presentation, "Follow the Money! Records of the Money Makers" was a surprise. It is about ledgers, diaries, etc., and she discussed methodology and where to find these fascinating records. If you have the opportunity to watch the recording, make sure to download the handout. Ledgers are an overlooked resource and the examples in Judy’s webinar are fascinating. 

Thanks to Donna for sharing her experience!

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