AGBI American Genealogical and Biographical Index

Not long ago a patron came into our Family Search Library and asked Linda Bailey if we had the Boston Transcript.  Her short answer was "No."  However,  she explained that it depends on what years you are looking for as some of them can be found online.  Linda relates that she had used the Boston Transcript years ago in Salt Lake but that she had avoided it since then because she didn't know how to easily access it.  However via the Internet that has changed.  Most people stumble onto the Boston Transcript via Ancestry.  They will do a search and a reference to the Boston Transcript will be a part of their search results. The Boston Transcript is one of the sources cited in the AGBI or American Genealogical and Biographical Index.

So even though the AGBI is a little outdated, we should have a general knowledge of what it is. The AGBI is also known as the Rider's Index and is published by the Godfrey Library.  The Godfrey Memorial Library is a genealogy and history library, located in Middleton, Connecticut. http://www.godgrey.org.  It is available through the Family Search Portal for free at Family History Centers and Family Search Libraries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

At over 200 volumes, the AGBI is an alphabetical list of millions of names and source citations. These sources include biographies, family histories, periodicals, the Boston Transcript, the 1790 U.S. Federal Census, Revolutionary War records, and others. The majority of the names listed are of Eastern U.S. origins, but not exclusively.

FamilySearch WIKI calls it “one of the most important printed genealogical sources in the United States” and Ancestry.com claims: “For researchers of American ancestors, this can be one of the most valuable databases available at Ancestry.com.” Such accolades may be deserved, not necessarily because everyone will find a relative referenced in it, but rather that it might be the only place that you will find these source references.

The AGBI may seem a little archaic in the age of sleek online indexes, but give it a try.

You might be Thankful you did!

Where To Find It

Ancestry.com:  The AGBI is one of Ancestry’s databases searchable by name. The most recent update to the index (1999) includes up to Volume 206. You will not see the original AGBI page, only a transcription from it.

Godfrey Memorial Library: The library has the complete AGBI collection available on the shelf and on their website at http://www.godfrey.org ($).
 

The Portal: Patrons at a FHC can view the site at no cost through the Family Search Portal.  The most current AGBI edition printed in 2002 includes Volumes 1-206, plus the supplemental volumes S1-20.

FamilySearch.org:  The volumes are available as books and film.  Search for the AGBI in the FHL catalog.  Oakland FamilySearch Library :The OFSL and other local FHCs have various volumes of the AGBI on film and CD. Check the catalog for details of holdings.

Ancestry.com is probably the easiest way to use it. Go to Ancestry.com and from the menu bar select The Search drop down arrow.  Then select Card Catalog. Next type in AGBI in the box.  Then select the the green title American Genealogical Biographical Index.  Then do a search on the name, birth date and place.  For further instructions about how to use this source see the lesson below.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mxxbi9ggzbyawtf/AGBI%20.pdf

Now that we have a better sense of what the AGBI is as a source we can take a look at the Boston Transcript which is what the patron has asked about. The Boston Evening Transcript was a newspaper published in Boston, Massachusetts between the mid-1850s and the mid-1900s. 

Besides carrying the normal birth, marriage and death announcements it also featured a well respected genealogical query and answer column for many years.  

Over the years the newspaper was known as The Daily Evening Transcript, The Boston Evening Transcript or simply The Boston Transcript.  To learn more about this useful resource, how to access it and where to find it go to the link below:  You will need to review the information in the links to be able to do the exercises in both lessons.  Thank you, Linda!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ed46y9veb8nlihj/Boston%20Transcript.pdf

In summery:

Summary for Using the Boston Transcript:

1. Search for your ancestor in the AGBI at the 
Ancestry or Godfrey sites. 
2. If they are listed in the Boston Transcript, note the 
citation date and the query number. 
3. Find a repository that has that citation date of the 
Boston Transcript. 
4. Some repositories have the article already clipped 
and arranged by query number or alphabetical by 
name. For others, you need to browse through the 
newspaper to the genealogy column – usually at 
the end of the paper. Then browse through the column 
for the Query Number. 

A Challenge: 

For what Ancestry has to say about this collection click on this link:

http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3599&enc=1

Find birth, marriage and death information for Elizabeth Atwood, b. 1687 in Massachusetts (Ms). 

SUGGESTION: Use the Godfrey search engine for the AGBI. Use the second citation – Oct 23, 1912 (see lesson #23 for review). Find the Boston Transcript on the Google News archive.

Happy Thanksgiving from our home to yours!