Contents

The following is a brief guide to the contents of this website:

In the ARTICLES section of the main menu, one can find the following articles concerning Titus genealogy:

  • Titus Coat of Arms. The history and current status of the Titus coat of arms, and the rules of heraldry that govern the use of these symbols, by Bill Arthurs.
  • Charles The First. A transcription by Bill Arthurs of sections of a book written by George Hillier concerning letters sent by King Charles I to Silas Titus, the half-brother of Robert Titus who emigrated to Massachusetts from England in 1635.
  • Chattie’s Diary. An outline of a diary written by a Titus cousin, Cynthia Melissa Fuller, in 1880-1881 from rural Pennsylvania.
  • On Making Memories. An essay by Bill Arthurs on the role of memories in the preservation of family history. Originally published in Anglo-Celtic Roots, the journal of the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa.
  • Reaching Ten Million – The Easy Way. An article written by Bill Arthurs for Anglo-Celtic Roots on the uncommon names one encounters in conducting genealogical research.
  • An Emotional Moment In Genealogy. The tragic story of a Titus cousin lost on September 11th, 2001, written by Bill Arthurs and published in Anglo-Celtic Roots.
  • Connections. Some interesting people connected to Titus family genealogy
  • In Other Words. Titus poetry and verse.
  • The Bookshelf. references both to books relating to Titus genealogy and to the new science of DNA testing and theory. (see also the DNA section)..

The INDEX section consists of the nominal index relating to four Titus lines. The largest is the line of Robert Titus who arrived in America from England with his wife, Hannah, and two children in 1635. The second is the Dutch line, descended from Titus Syrach de Vries. The third is the German line, and the last is a New Brunswick Titus line.

Recent (2018) YDNA tests of subjects of all four of these lines have now been obtained. It was found that the so-called Dutch and German lines have the same common ancestor. This original ancestry goes back to Europe, before the patriarchs of these lines arrived in the United States. It was also found that the New Brunswick line has enough of  the same markers to indicate that they belong to the English line, but just where in the English line they belong is yet to be determined.

  In total, the list is over 186,000 names. The main databases in which these names are to be found will not be included on-line because of the confidentiality factor. However, the list should provide Titus researchers enough information to see whether or not their families are connected to one of the known lines. They can contact me directly and we can then share data.

The CENSUS section contains transcriptions of Titus family entries from the first United States Census from 1790 up to the latest available, that of 1940. It also contains the Titus entries of the Canadian census from 1851 until 1921, the last census currently available to the public.

The OBITS Section contains the texts of hundreds of obituaries of Titus folks, most of which I have not yet been able to connect to any of the main Titus lines. Also included is a file of Titus-related obituaries. These are obituaries involving surnames other than Titus that have in them one or more Titus family references. These can occasionally prove helpful in connecting the various lines.

The VITAL STATS section contains nominal lists of Titus entries of California births, North Carolina births,  New Jersey marriages and deaths, Texas marriages, births and Titus-related births, Washington marriages, Michigan deaths, some early Massachusetts births, marriages and deaths, the Titus entries in the US Social Security Death Index updated to January 2, 2011, Titus seaport and airport arrivals in New York City, and United States passport applications.

The “BRICKWALL” section provides a list of Titus mini-genealogies that mostly predate the US census records and have not yet been connected to any of the main Titus lines. Also included is an index, which I call my “Bits ‘N Pieces“ file, that takes the so-far unconnected Titus and Titus-related obituaries and integrates them as far as possible with the census records. The aim of providing these unconnected portions of Titus families is to eventually insert them in their proper places in one or another of the big pictures, those large jigsaw puzzles that make up the Titus heritage of North America.

The DNA section gives URLs for the Titus Family Tree DNA Titus site, plus others for information on genetics and DNA testing. I have included two articles on my own experience with DNA testing, titled “Over the Brick Wall to Bannockburn” and “Homeward Bound From Bannockburn.”

The DNA aspect of genealogy is a new and evolving asset and has the potential to add substantially to our genealogical data base. So far, seven Tituses have been tested and the results of four of them have provided a template for the Robert Titus line. We still need volunteers to step forward. It should be noted that these tests only involve the non-functional part of the Y chromosome (the so-called junk DNA) and therefore cannot be used for medical or insurance purposes. In addition, the name of the testee is protected.

The NEWS section contains occasional updates on changes that have been made to the site.

The CONTACT section provides my email and gives readers the opportunity to comment on the site and, hopefully, provide suggestions for improvement. I always appreciate e-mails from viewers of the site and the opportunity to share information. This has been a great way to fill in the many gaps in our data and to work towards keeping all of the Titus lines up to date.

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