In the course of my research I visit many record offices & libraries here in the UK and I correspond by email and snail mail to repositories around the world. But one thing that never fails to amaze me is the sheer helpfulness of our American cousins compared to their English counterparts. Ask a library or record office in England for a very straightforward bit of research and I’m usually met with a request for money and that is when they can be bothered to actually reply to your request. Compare this with America.
I got in touch with the Livonia Public Library in Michigan to ask about a orbit check with only a year of death available, two days later email arrives with a copy of the newspaper article in full, a day after that an orbit arrives for the persons wife. Both orbits full of information that tie the whole family together and confirm their link to the Gronow family in Cardiff. So I’d like to say a big public thank you to Merrill Wassell the adult services librarian at the Livonia Civic Center Library for all their help.
I got in touch with the Livonia Public Library in Michigan to ask about a orbit check with only a year of death available, two days later email arrives with a copy of the newspaper article in full, a day after that an orbit arrives for the persons wife. Both orbits full of information that tie the whole family together and confirm their link to the Gronow family in Cardiff. So I’d like to say a big public thank you to Merrill Wassell the adult services librarian at the Livonia Civic Center Library for all their help.
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