Faithful Departed

Belgian Ancestors in an Excerpt of the 1656 Census

On August 1, 2025

When researching ancestors in the area of Belgium and Luxembourg, “Dénombrements” that have been preserved in the Archives of Luxembourg are a gold mine of information. You might think of these enumerations as a kind of census. You can find names, but you also get great detail about the condition of the people mentioned.

The catch is that digital images of these exist, but they aren’t indexed. They have to be read, and the handwriting used is a style of cursive that takes time to learn. I have been practicing, with the help of the genealogy community online, and present here an excerpt of that translation.

The Thines Family: From Freylange to Landeck

By Will Eifert

On July 23, 2025

In Belgium, Families, Thines

In January of 1976, an unexpected letter arrived at the desk of the mayor of Covington, Kentucky. It was sent by Eudore Dominicy, the mayor of Saint-Legere. Dominicy was seeking help locating the relatives of music professor Sylvester Eifert. He thought there may be a family connection. Soon thereafter, a postcard made it’s way from Saint Leger to Summit Drive in Covington. “Meilleurs vœux pour la nouvelle année,” it said – best wishes for the new year. For over forty years that postcard lived in a shoebox until in 2020 it saw the daylight once more and a family line stretching back to 1600s Belgium was found.

A Peasant Revolt in Arlon, 1681

By Will Eifert

On July 22, 2025

In Belgium, Thines

For those studying Belgian genealogy, specifically in Wallonia, a small but detailed account of a peasant revolt from the pages of The London Gazette in 1681 provides a glimpse at what life might have been like for your ancestors.

Flieden World War 1 Casualties

By Will Eifert

On January 5, 2025

In Germany

I find images, especially of ancestors from Europe, both very valuable and difficult to find. An image of Flieden’s war dead from the first world war was recently shared in a Facebook group I am a part of. I want to list the names here for anyone who might be searching for ancestors whose roots trace back to Flieden.

The text around the images says, “Memorial plaque for the members of the ‘Flieden’ community who fell or went missing in the World War of 1914–1918.”

Roots in the Rhöne: Religion

By Will Eifert

On August 26, 2024

In Germany, Places

This is the second of a multi-part series on ancestors in the Rhöne based on a translation of Rhönspiegel: Three Lectures on the Life, Customs, and Language of the Rhön People written by Leopold Höhl in 1881.

Here is the translation of an excerpt describing the religion of people in the Rhöne, as viewed in the 19th century.

Roots in the Rhöne: Lifestyle

By Will Eifert

On August 23, 2024

In Fulda, Germany, Places

This is the second of a multi-part series on ancestors in the Rhöne based on a translation of Rhönspiegel: Three Lectures on the Life, Customs, and Language of the Rhön People written by Leopold Höhl in 1881. Read part 1 on farming here.

Here is the translation of an excerpt describing the lifestyle of people in the Rhöne, as viewed in 1881.

Striking Gold in a Grave in Flieden – Stories of Our Ancestors

By Will Eifert

On August 22, 2024

In Fulda, Germany, Places

The question of religion in our German ancestors’ time would seem quite strange to the modern American reader. After the Protestant Reformation, most inhabitants were obliged to follow the official religion of their leader, be that Catholic, Lutheran or Calvinist. This is an oversimplification, but the whole picture has been painted in many books and for the purpose of our story here, is unnecessary.

Suffice it to say, where one was from and one’s religion were, for a very long time, linked. And, in the case of the unknown man who died on the roadside between Flieden and Schlüchtern in the 1720s, this distinction resulted in a bit of fortune for the Catholic church in Flieden.

Filius Illegitimus: How to Find Illegitimate Ancestors in German Church Books

By Will Eifert

On August 21, 2024

In Germany, Research

“So, he was a bastard.” This is a reaction I heard when revealing that a person’s ancestor was born out of wedlock. The word stings, and there is a stigma attached to it. Nonetheless, you don’t get to pick your ancestors, and when you go looking for your stories you might be surprised.

Roots in the Rhöne: Farming

By Will Eifert

On August 19, 2024

In Fulda, Germany, Places

This is the first of a mult-part series on ancestors in the Rhöne based on a translation of Rhönspiegel: Three Lectures on the Life, Customs, and Language of the Rhön People written by Leopold Höhl in 1881.

When I found that some of my ancestors lived in a village near Fulda, I decided to do some research on that area. I translated excerpts from a German book on the culture of the area written in 1881, and I’m going to share them with you.

Finding Ancestors who Fought for Napoleon (Guide)

By Will Eifert

On April 19, 2024

In Records

I was recently reading the memoirs of my wife’s late grandmother, and noticed a line that mentioned an ancestor who had fought with Napoleon’s army. Intrigued, I decided to go looking for him, and found a tremendous resource for anyone whose ancestors fought in the French army during the Napoleonic wars, which took place between 1792 and 1814.

Geneanet’s “Napoleon’s Soldiers” is a collection of muster rolls from the period. Considering it’s all in French, I’ve produced a guide to understanding what the columns say, and some clues as to what the handwritten notes within contain.