The Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP) is pleased to announce the addition of two new databases to its HSP Encounters system: The Tavern and Liquor License Records (1746-1863), and the Huguenot Society Applications (Arrivals 1517-1885).

To genealogists, family historians, and scholars, these new databases are a boon for historical research into business practices governing bars and taverns in Philadelphia, as well as into the experiences of Huguenots in the United States.

Access to these databases and to HSP Encounters is available to all on-site researchers at HSP. Remote access is available as a benefit to Friends of HSP.

About The Tavern and Liquor License Records (1746-1863)

If today’s liquor laws in Pennsylvania seem archaic, it was just as much of a bureaucratic hurdle to serve and sell spirits in the past. A person seeking to operate a tavern had to petition annually for permission, as tavern licenses were valid for a single year only.

The Tavern and Liquor License Records database contains information about 5,425 individuals who sought or had permission to retail liquor during 1746-1863, utilizing information found in petitions for tavern licenses. Almost all of these records concern individuals who sought or had permission to sell liquor in Pennsylvania, from the counties of Philadelphia, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Montgomery, Northampton and Cumberland. A handful of petitions are by persons seeking permission to operate a tavern in New Hampshire or New Jersey.

Access to this database is available to all on-site researchers at HSP. Remote access is available as a benefit to Friends of HSP.

About The Huguenot Society Applications (Arrivals 1517-1885)

The Huguenot Society of Pennsylvania, established in 1918 in Reading, Pennsylvania, is a membership society for descendants of Huguenots, or French Protestants, in the United States. Eligible applicants generally had to be descendants of Huguenot families (regardless of ethnicity) in France or in countries or territories under the dominion of France.

The Huguenot Society Applications database contains information gleaned from membership applications submitted between 1918-1989 and referring to  immigrant arrivals between 1517-1885. A typical database record contains the name of the applicant, his or her spouse, and the community and state (on occasion, foreign country) where he or she resides. The record also provides the name of the Huguenot ancestor or ancestors from whom the applicant is claiming ancestry, their place of origin, place of settlement, year of immigration, and often one to three of the most common surname lines connecting the applicant to the Huguenot ancestor.

Access to this database is available to all on-site researchers at HSP. Remote access is available as a benefit to Firends of HSP.

About HSP Encounters

HSP Encounters is a digital resource comprised of an ever-growing number of genealogical and biographical databases. Historical essays incorporated in the system describe each database, as well as providing historical context for the records it contains.
As of today, there are nine databases available for research. The project is ongoing, with HSP staff identifying new records and materials to digitize and make available online in searchable form.

Current databases available for research include:

• Oliver H. Bair Company Funeral Records (1920-1980)
• Genealogical Scrapbooks & Research Folders (1607-1958)
• Home Missionary Society of Philadelphia (1883-1889)
• Huguenot Society Applications (Arrivals 1517-1885)
• Philadelphia Home for Infants (1873-1924)
• Philadelphia Placement Office (1898-1901)
• Pennsylvania, Revolutionary War Battalions and Militia Index (1775-1783)
• Tavern and Liquor License Records (1746-1863)

Access to HSP Encounters is available to all on-site researchers at HSP. Remote access is available as a benefit to Friends of HSP.