Review by Helen Shatvet Ullman, Associate Editor and Book Review Coordinator, The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, April 2009

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The Descendants of William Hartwell, Concord Settler, Through Five Generations, by Joy Hartwell Peach (Foxborough, Mass.: Hartwells of America, 2007. xxx + 596 pages, index. Cloth $50.00, shipping, $6.50. Order from David Hartwell Webber, Hartwells of America, 1124 Main St., Dunstable, MA 01827-1111

This update of earlier Hartwell genealogies corrects some serious errors, e.g., John-2 Hartwell did not marry sisters. It adds much new information, and documents it all carefully. Females are often continued through the grandchildren of Hartwell women. The thoughtful introduction is well worth reading. There are three appendices, one of them discussing the probable ancestry of the immigrant William. In its coverage it is a classic genealogy, but some innovations need comment. The numbering system is unique but not difficult. While each descendant has a number, the numbers in each generation begin with 1. Thus we have 1.1, 1.2, etc., in the first generation and 4.1 through 4.155, etc., in the fourth generation. Once understood it is easy to follow. When a new individual was discovered and renumbering was required, it was only necessary to renumber a single generation. While documentation is extensive, the author used three different methods: in-text abbreviations in parentheses, in-text full citations in a smaller font, and notes at the end of many sketches that provide reasoning and/or tangential detail. The method uses less space than footnotes. This book will be valuable for anyone with Hartwell connections.

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