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Normally, researching surnames, ship names, or slave names in early newspapers on microfilm is a VERY time consuming endeavor, with researchers literally having to scan each edition of a newspaper article by article and advertisement by advertisement. Such research normally takes years to complete. Now however, through the use of our ESCN Database Search Service, researchers can quickly locate surnames, ship names, or slave names of interest in these early newspapers.
Please note that we DO NOT provide researchers with "full text" copies of referenced articles or advertisements, out of potential newspaper ownership and copyright considerations. What we DO provide is a Search Results Report in an Index type format that lists all publication occurences for the surname, ship name, or slave name of interest, along with a number of fields of data regarding each article or advertisement referenced. Please see the various types of Sample Search Reports provided below.
These Search Results may then be used to QUICKLY locate articles and advertisements of interest in microfilm archives of the newspaper, which are found in many libraries across the entire United States. Please review our Microfilm Holding Locations page to determine which libraries in your state are known to hold the early South Carolina newspapers on microfilm.
This is a very useful search for anyone researching a family history. For example, a genealogist might be researching the Edwards family line back into early South Carolina and would like to find all occurrences of that surname that might have appeared in the early South Carolina Gazette newspaper, but has neither the time nor the resources to try and search through the newspaper edition by edition and year by year in an attempt to find such references. In this type of situation, the researcher can first browse through our Online Listing of Surnames to determine if the surname of interest appears in the newspaper and if so, may then use our Search Service to obtain a detailed index type report of those publication occurrences.
In the Search Results Report for a Surname Search, each record found and listed provides you with the surname, first name (if known), city/county of residence (if known), occupation (if known), article type, newspaper name, newspaper publication date, and at least one and up to three subjects that the article or advertisement dealt with. Several additional fields of information are also provided for articles or advertisements that also dealt with either the subject of Slavery or Shipping. Please see Sample Surname Search Results Report for an example of a Surname Search result.
This type of search may be useful for genealogists and historians alike. For example, a historian might be researching the travels or events associated with a particular ship that sailed during this colonial time period. He or she could use our search service to find all occurences when that particular ship name appeared in these early SC newspapers and then use that information to quickly find those references in a microfilm archive of the newspapers.
In the Search Results Report for a Ship Name Search, each record found and listed provides you with the ship name, type of ship (if known), shipmaster name (if known), the particular news reported about that ship in the newspaper, and the article type, newspaper name, and newspaper publication date. Please see Sample Ship Name Search Results Report for an example of a Ship Name Search result.
The Slave Name Search will be of interest to descendents of former slaves or former slave owners. For example, perhaps you are a descendant of a slave brought into colonial America and want to learn more about your slave ancestor. With the use of our Search Service, you can obtain all Surnames associated with a particular Slave Name and then focus in on the Surname that is associated with your particular family. Slave Name Search Results also provide you with the type of information that was published for that particular slave name, such as slave runaways, slave captures, slaves sold in estate sales, etc.
In the Search Results Report for a Slave Name Search, each record found and listed provides you with the slave name, the surname (or organization) associated with the article or advertisement (which usually was the slave owner, but could also be an individual who captured a slave, an individual selling a slave for another person, etc.), the occupation of that individual (if known), the subjects that the article or advertisement dealt with, the article type, newspaper name, and publication date. Please see Sample Slave Name Search Results Report for an example of a Slave Name Search result.
Besides saving researchers huge amounts of newspaper research time, sometimes the use of our Search Service can turn up unexpected information and/or clues that otherwise probably would never have been discovered. You might enjoy reading a few Customer Comments that we've received regarding the use of our Surname Search Service. Please also note there are certain Search Restrictions and Limitations and a Warranty Disclaimer that apply to the use of our Search Service and potential customers should take a minute or two to review these subjects as well.
