Great News! J. L. McFarland (Case #21) Dog Tag - Family Found

Two days ago I posted about the dog tag of J. L. McFarland. I am really pleased to say that with the help of one of my amazing readers G. Johns, we have found this soldier's nephew. Here are some details for those interested:

J. L. was born Junior Lee McFarland

US MILITARY GRAVE SITES shows his death:

MCFARLAND, JUNIOR LEE 
CPL   US ARMY AIR FORCES
WORLD WAR II
DATE OF BIRTH: 06/17/1927
DATE OF DEATH: 09/23/2009
BURIED AT: UNION CEMETERY
HWY 857 BASKIN, LA 71219

U.S. Second Draft Registration Cards show him living in  Baskin, Louisiana. He registered in Franklin Parish, Winnsboro Louisiana.

His serial number from this source is the same as the found dog tag. (See image on right)

The name Aline McFarland was given as someone who would always know his mailing address.

A search of the 1940 census for Franklin Louisiana showed 12  year old Junior Lee McFarland with his parents Abe and Alene [sic], and siblings. Searching his siblings led to a nephew.

Thank you to all who contributed with research and ideas for tracking down the owner of this dog tag.

Sharing Memories Week 26: Prom Night, Fun or Disaster?

Me at my sister's wedding
a year before Prom
Did I wear this dress??

Join us for Sharing Memories - A Genealogy Journey We focus on memories of our parents, grandparents and others. We write for our children and grandchildren, that the memories are not lost over time. I hope you are keeping a journal, whether it is private or public, and joining us as we write our memoirs.

The prompt for this week is Prom Night. Did you have a Prom at your High School? What was it like, what did you wear, who did you go with.... Tell us about your most memorable moment. 

We had a prom at my High School but I was between boyfriends and had no one to go with. So my brother-in-law took me! It was so much fun for a few different reasons. First, no one knew my brother-in-law and my classmates were so impressed that I was with this older guy from the big city. Second, he loved to dance and I don't think we sat down once. I wish I could remember what I wore but I've no idea. We didn't have much money so I can't imagine being able to buy a new dress. I wonder if I wore this mauve dress that I wore to my sister's wedding the year before?


I'd been to a prom before with my real city boyfriend before I was 16. He was older than me and I was only 15 when he graduated from Grade 12. That was intimidating actually because it was in "the city" at a huge High School. For any Torontonians reading this, it was at Earl Haig. There was a theme and the gym was beautifully decorated. Our small town school didn't have the resources to decorate like the city one did. I don't know if what I wore wasn't of great concern or interest to me but again I do not recall what I wore to that prom either. 

J. L.McFarland WW2 Dog Tag Found - Let's Return it to Family (Case #21)

David Kirkpatrick from Redlands, CA found a dog tag inside an old cabinet he purchased.

 J.L. McFarland's dog tag:

"I recently acquired an old File Cabinet from the Redlands High School in California.  The school is located near the old Norton Air Force base (San Bernardino, CA) and several members of the Air Force stationed at the base lived in Redlands.  When I Iooked at the back of the cabinet, it was marked with Property of Air Force, Department of the US Army.

While Cleaning the file cabinet I found a WW2 era dog tag that I would like to return to the family if I can find them.  I tried the NARA records, but the SN came back with no records so I fear it was destroyed in the 1973 fire.

J L McFarland
38479621  T43   A

(religion was marked as P for Protestant)

According to the second digit of his serial number "8", J. L. McFarland  enlisted in one of these states:  NM, TX, AR, LA or OK

If you can help find this soldier or his family, please leave a comment on this blog post. You may post about possible living individuals but in that case I will copy any private information to my file on J. L. McFarland instead of making it public. You can also email me at olivetreegenealogy AT gmail DOT com.

I know my amazing readers can do this!

Update June 29th: This soldier's name is Junior Lee McFarland and he passed away in 2009. Thanks to an amazing reader, we have his nephew's name and contact information. 

Faulty Content List for Home District Land Claims 1803 & 1804 - Corrections Part 3

HD 1140 Image 403 WAIT

Canadiana.Org has digitized 21 films of the Heir & Devisee Commission Papers (Heir & Devisee Commission papers 1797-1854, found in their Heritage Collection), and that's a good thing for genealogists. These records have valuable and informative genealogical documents.

But as mentioned in a previous blog post Heir & Devisee Commission 1797-1854 on Canadiana.org - Listing Errors and a Workaround, the index and description of what is in each film, as provided on Canadiana.org, is incorrect.

I have been going through those digitized records to create a working corrected Finding Aid.  Since I have been unable, despite repeated attempts, to get any response from Canadiana.org to my emails offering my correct content lists, I am publishing these lists on my website and this blog in order to help other genealogists.

You may view the corrected content lists on Olive Tree Genealogy website at Heir & Devisee Commission 

While scrolling through microfilm H 1140 in order to correct Canadiana.org's flawed content description, I came across a set of Land Certificates and other documents from individuals living in what was called the Home District. This consisted of land along Lake Ontario and the Niagara region of Ontario.

Continuing on from  Home District Land Certificates 1787 to 1795 and An index to Niagara area Loyalists and their Land Certificates here is the second set of my list of names of claimants for land in the Home District from 1803-1804. Each name has an image number beside it so that you can easily click through to that image to view the claims and any supporting documents. The start of these names can be viewed at Home District Land Claims 1803 & 1804 - Corrections to Canadiana.org Faulty Content List

The following images from film H 1140 are the actual certificates, claims and other documents 

HD 1140 Image 431

• Image 399  Thomas Humbertstone,  York Township
• Image 400 Samuel wait
• image 401 Jonathan Wait
• Image 402 Elisha Annot?
• Image 403 Jeremiah Wait, Hannah Wait in Bennington County Vermont Re Samuel Wait of New York  is deceased. Re Jonathan Wait of New York is our son and brother of Samuel who was not married
• Image 405– 406 Reunben Wait, Bastard Twp, Leeds Co. & Thomas Humberstone, Samuel Wait
• Image 407-408 Thomas Humberstone, Jacob Fisher the elder, of Vaughan, Eve Fisher, Elisabeth Fisher, Catherine Fisher daughter of John Fisher, deceased
• Image 409 Jacob Fisher the elder, administrator of John Fisher deceased, son and daughters of John Fisher deceased - Jacob, Eve, Catherine, Elisabeth
• Image 410-411 Elijah Husen York Twp
• Image 412 William Hollinshead, money paid. Abraham Johnson Power of Attorney. Signed Elijah Husen. Home District Land Claims 1803 & 1804
• Image 413-414 ditto. 1803
• Image 415-416 Peter Robinson son of  Christopher Robinson, deceased
• Image 417 Solomon Ball, Pickering
• Image 418-419 Peter Robinson son of Christopher Robinson deceased 
• Image 420 Angus Martendale of York
• Image 421-424 Indenture Basil Rorrison? of Elizabethtown and Samuel Heron
• Image 425 George Cutter of York, shoemaker
• Image 426 Duncan Cameron of York, merchant
• Image 427 John Schmeltzer of Markham in York County
• Image 428 John Nicholas Steffens of Markham
• Image 429-430 John Daniel Frederick Bush of Kingston in Frontenac County
• Image 431-432  birth certificate in German for sons of Joachim Willem Busch and Christina Elisabeth Rusahen? . Sons are named as Johann Christian Wilhelm (1767), Johann Daniel Frederick (1773)
• Image 433 John Daniel Frederick Bush of Kingston in Frontenac County
• Image 434 Hugh McPhie of York, tailor 
• Image 435 John Everson, earlier claim dated 1797
• Image 436 John Cameron of York
• Image 437 James Roger of Whitchurch
• Image 438-439 John Hendrick of York 

Update on Ancestry Websites After the DDOS Attacks

Here is the latest update from Ancestry.com about the outages caused by the DDOS Attack last week. Contrary to what Conspiracy Theorists were posting on various Social Media sites, Rootsweb has *not* been taken down, and it is now functional. 

I'm waiting to see if some of the more vocal conspiracy theorists will admit on those same forums that they were wrong...... 

Kudos to Ancestry staff for trying to reassure users throughout this mess. And of course congrats to those users who kept their cool while waiting for sites to be restored! Personally I'm pretty happy to see my Olive Tree Genealogy Extras website back online.

UPDATE: June 24, 8:00pm MT:

- Family Tree Maker (FTM) sync is working again for PC and Mac. If you are still experiencing difficulties syncing FTM Mac, make sure you have the most current patch, shut FTM down completely (Command + Q), and reboot your machine to make sure that the DNS cache gets updated.

- DNA downloads of raw data have been restored.

- Access to RootsWeb has been restored, however there are lingering issues with logging in, and with access and searching WorldConnect. We are working to restore this access tonight, but you may see some intermittent outages in the process.

UPDATE: June 24, 12:30pm MT:
- The connectivity issues for Family Tree Maker Mac version have been Service to RootsWeb, MyFamily.com and Genealogy.com has been restored. (Note: While RootsWeb is up, we are aware of some issues with the WorldConnect database and are looking into this.)

- GEDCOM files from Ancestry Member Trees are now available for download

Our team continues to work on MyCanvas, Mundia and the Y-DNA and mtDNA websites as well as the search and sync connectivity issues for the Mac version of Family Tree Maker. We will provide an update as they are made available. 

Don't Miss a Research Trip to Albany New York October 2014

Olive Tree Genealogy received the following information from  The New York Genealogical & Biographical Society's research trip to Albany New York

The NY&GB's research trip to Albany, New York, is scheduled for October 29-November 1, 2014. 

 Both the Library and the Archives are rich in material available nowhere else that pertains to people who have lived throughout New York State. The Library's extensive collections include family genealogies, local histories, DAR records, church records, census records, early newspapers on film, and city directories, as well as archives and manuscripts. The holdings of the Archives include State records relating to military service (War of 1812 through World War I); land records (mostly transactions involving the Colony or State of New York); court records (including colonial wills and early 19th-century civil cases); records of some correctional and custodial institutions; and indexes to vital records (excluding New York City). 

REGISTRATION: Register via our online store or call 212-755-8532, ext. 211. The program fee is $275 for members and $350 for non-members. 

 ACCOMMODATIONS: We have arranged a special room rate at the Albany Hilton of $126 per night, single or double. To make a reservation, please call the hotel directly at 866-691-1183 and mention conference code 1NYGBS to get this rate.

Were the Irish in America Before Columbus?

In 1520, the Spaniard Peter Martyr d'Anghiera was appointed by Carlos V to be chronicler for the new Council of the Indies. His report, founded on several weeks of interviews, was published in a book named De Orbe Novo (About the New World)


The land where the Irish were said to explore would later become Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Apparently words used by the native tribes in this area were translated using Gaelic dictionaries, giving even more credence to the notion that the Irish were there before Columbus.

Read more at Spanish documents suggest Irish arrived in America before Columbus

Is NewspaperArchive DOT com in Trouble?

As reported in The Gazette in the article Cedar Rapids company under state review after complaints, Heritage Microfilm and NewspaperArchive.com are being investigated by the Iowa Attorney General’s Office.

Numerous complaints from across the country about practices that include charging subscribers for involuntary donations to a charity run by the company’s founder prompted this investigation.

The Better Business Bureau has given the company an “F” based on 135 complaints in the past three years. For more details about this please see Kerry Scott's blog post of May 2, 2014 and The Gazette's article linked to in my first paragraph.

Credit: "Alert Button Shows Warning Hazard Or Notice" by Stuart Miles on FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sharing Memories Week 25: Summer Time Fun

Join us for Sharing Memories - A Genealogy Journey We focus on memories of our parents, grandparents and others. We write for our children and grandchildren, that the memories are not lost over time. I hope you are keeping a journal, whether it is private or public, and joining us as we write our memoirs.

The prompt for this week is Summer Time Fun. How did you spend your summers as a child? Did you go to summer camp? Did you stay with relatives or at home? 

My mother had a job (one of the few women in our village who worked outside the home) and my earliest memory is that I was at home with my older siblings. I don't recall much, if any, supervision, but I suppose there was some in my younger years. By the age of 9 or 10 I was spending most of the summer with my best friend Janie. 

We would go to the creek which was a good walk away, and try to catch tadpoles. We'd pack a bit of food and water and hike into the surrounding country, going as far as we could before exhaustion set in. I always used my dad's army canteen which didn't hold much water but was fun to carry.

When we were a bit older we set a goal of making it to a local Provincial Park but we never accomplished it. I checked today to see how far it was from our village to this park and it is 10 km. Google Maps estimates it would take 2 hours walking to reach it. No wonder we never made it! 

I use to wander around on my own, especially when I was younger. We had a little playground near my home and I used to go there and swing for hours. That was where I got my first bee sting. I was about 10 years old and went home and phoned my mom to ask what to do. I remember she said to make a paste of baking soda and put that on it.

For some reason I also liked to collect bugs and bees in my very young years, and would happily spend hours in our yard and the neighbours' yards with my jars for collecting. Considering how freaked I am now by bugs and bees it is kind of funny. 

Janie and I and a couple of other friends used to do a couple of things our parents had forbidden us to do - like walk over the railway trestle bridge and hang out at the deserted house on the outskirts of the village, which "hobos" were known to use. If you've seen the movie "Stand By Me" you have seen my childhood summers. 


Credit: "Young Child In Nature" by chrisroll on FreeDigitalPhotos.net

10 Ways to Find a Loyalist Ancestor

Petition of Harcor Lyons Loyalist
Source Upper Canada Land Petitions

What is a Loyalist?

A Loyalist is any person who is loyal to their allegiance (especially in times of revolt). During the American Revolution in what was to become the United States of America, a Loyalist (also called UEL - United Empire Loyalist) was anyone who remained loyal to the King of England. They were called Tories in their own country but Loyalists elsewhere. Most fled to Canada and helped settle that country, particularly Ontario and Nova Scotia

One of the best genealogy resources to find Loyalist ancestors in Ontario are the Upper Canada Land Petitions. Find out how the OIC (Orders in Council) for Loyalists can help you in your search

Tips for Finding a Loyalist Ancestor

1.Check the index to Upper Canada Land Petitions (UCLP) The land petitions often contain invaluable genealogical information including children's or father's names, spouse's names, places of origin, reports of the hardships they endured as Loyalists, Loyalist unit served in, and sometimes ages. The UCLP is available online as a searchable database 

For help finding the actual certificates and petitions in the online films, see Searching Ontario Canada Land Records, eh? and Understanding Notations on the Envelope of an Upper Canada Land Petition
 
2. Check Land Books 1793-1826

For Upper Canada Land Books see Finding an Ancestor in the Challenging Upper Canada Land Books This is a step by step tutorial showing researchers how to use the index entries and details to find the Land Book entry online. 

3. Check Loyalist Claims and Conversion List [NA MG14] 1790-1837 - Audit Office 12 and 13 compensation cliams for land and goods lost during the American Revolution - 178 reels of microfilm. Not all Loyalists filed claims. Many did and if your ancestor is among those who did, you won't want to overlook this. 

4. Search the Heir & Devisee Commission records.

 5. Search the Upper Canada Sundries. For help see 12 Months of Finding Ancestors: Upper Canada Sundries (Part 3 of a 12 Part Series) 

6. Check Reid, W.D. Loyalists in Ontario: The Sons and Daughters of the American Loyalists of Upper Canada 

7. Check the The Old United Empire Loyalists List - available in book form; and as microfilm -- United Empire Loyalist Lists [NA RG 1, L7 Vol 52a] on C-2222 from the Ontario Archives 

8. Check District Loyalist Rolls - transcript on MS803 at the Ontario Archives. Update: Brenda Dougall Merriman informs me that these were published: District Loyalist Rolls transcribed by Keith Fitzgerald (AO, MS 803)were published as his *Ontario People: 1796-1803* by the Ontario Genealogical Society. Brenda did a series on Loyalists and wrote the book called UEL: Finding Your Loyalist Ancestors in Upper Canada.

9. Check United Empire Loyalist Lists [NA RG 1, L7 vol 52a] on C-2222 from the Ontario Archives but be aware that no one list is complete! There were several versions of the lists drawn up and not finding an ancestor's name does not mean he was not a Loyalist.

10. An often overlooked source of information is The Haldimand Papers - papers and correspondence of Haldimand, Sir Frederick from 1758-1784. Available as 115 reels of microfilm from the NAC or as selected records on 50 reels of microfilm from the Ontario Archives. Muster rolls can be found on the H.P. in the National Archives of Canada as MG 21 These Loyalist volumes, and the nominal index to them, are available on microfilm reel C-1475. Avaiable on ILL (InterLibraryLoan)

The Power of DNA - Dustbin Baby Finds Father

Screen Shot from Daily Mirror
http://www.mirror.co.uk

45 years ago an abandoned newborn baby was found in a duffel bag beside garbage cans near an apartment complex in England. It was a cold November day. When the child was discovered, shivering and blue from cold, she was rushed to a nearby hospital.

Newspapers dubbed her "The Dustbin Baby" and she was adopted by a Police Officer and his wife. Given the name Michelle Rooney, when she grew up she became determined to track down her birth mother and find out why she was abandoned.

Through DNA testing, Michelle linked to a match - a first cousin. After contacting her new-found relative, Michelle found the man who was almost certainly her biological father. He agreed to take a DNA test and the match was confirmed. Michelle and her father, who had known nothing of her birth, met and are now in constant touch.

But Michelle still wants to find her birth mother. If you can help please email in strict confidence to foundling.info@btinternet.com

For more details continue reading this fascinating story at Dustbin Baby Michelle Rooney tracks down her birth Father 45 years after being abandoned

Metis Scrip Certificates Online

The following announcement from Library and Archives Canada was received by Olive Tree Genealogy. For those with Native American ancestors this will be an interesting database to explore

We are pleased to inform you that more than 24,000 references about money scrip (certificates) given to Métis family members were recently added online. These cancelled land scrip certificates were once issued to the Métis by the Department of the Interior in exchange for the relinquishment of certain land claims. A scrip would be issued “to the bearer” and could be applied to the purchase of, or as a down payment on, any Dominion lands open for entry in Manitoba and the Northwest Territories. These scrip were awarded to Métis heads of families and their children in the amounts of $240, $160 and $80. In some cases white settlers also received such scrips.

How to find references

1. Go to the search screen for Archives Search—Advanced.
2. In the drop-down menu, select “Finding aid number” and then in the box, enter 15-24.
3. In the next line, select “Any Keyword” and enter a family name, in this case “Riel.”
4. Click on the “Submit” button.

Press Release: FindMyPast Buys Origins.Net

The following announcement was received by Olive Tree Genealogy yesterday:

London, UK, June 17, 2014.  Findmypast.co.uk, the leading British family history company, announced today that it has bought Origins.net, one of the early pioneers of online records.

The first company to set up a pay-as you-go model for online family history records, Origins.net specialises in unusual and often hard to find British and Irish records.  Its many early records include rare marriage indexes, apprentices and poor law records.  Another key strength is its National Wills Index, which, combined with collections currently on Findmypast and those in development, will provide the largest online resource for UK wills and probate material.

Origins will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Findmypast.  Ian Galbraith, founder of Origins, will continue to work with Findmypast on collection development.  The extensive record sets from Origins will be brought into Findmypast over the next few months and the Origins website will continue to run as usual.

Elaine Collins, Partnership Director of Findmypast said: “We are delighted to bring Origins and its founder, Ian Galbraith, into the Findmypast group of family history brands.  By joining together, we are able to offer customers the most comprehensive collection of British and Irish online records.   This rich collection will help descendants of early North American settlers to bridge the gap to the old country, as well as anyone with UK ancestry looking to delve beyond 19th and 20th century records.”

Ian Galbraith, founder of Origins, said: “The partnership with Findmypast makes perfect sense for both companies and their customers. We have had a long association and together we can offer a broader family history experience and help people to fill in the blanks on the family tree and enrich their family story.”

 

Panic Ensues! DDOS Attack Brings Ancestry and FindAGrave Down

Screen Capture from
http://www.isitdownrightnow.com/ancestry.com.html

Caveat: This is a personal opinion and a bit of a rant about the nonsense that swept Facebook and Twitter yesterday. If you don't care what I think about it, stop reading now. I won't be offended.

Yesterday saw much weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. Ancestry.com and it's site FindAGrave site fell victim to a sustained DDOS (Distributed Denial of Service) Attack. For those who thought it was their own computer or internet service preventing them from accessing Ancestry.com you can rest easy. You can read updates at https://www.facebook.com/Ancestry.com

Briefly a DDOS attack comes from hackers on multiple computers that send out bots to hit the designated website's servers. Because there are so many bots and they can hit the server in a never-ending barrage, the server is overloaded and can't deal with the requests from legitimate users. Then the site slows to a crawl or stops working completely. It can be difficult for the technicians to figure out where the bots are coming from in order to block them.

 Yesterday saw Facebook and Twitter flooded with cries of "Is anyone else having trouble getting to Ancestry?" It quickly became apparent that none of the people posting knew about the site IsItDownRightNow at http://www.isitdownrightnow.com This site allows you to check on the status of any site on the Internet. That's a much better idea than hundreds if not thousands of people posting the same question. 

But back to the shouting and weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. This didn't come from Ancestry (although I'm sure they have been wiping sweat from their brows as they work diligently to stop the attacks). This reaction came from hundreds of people who posted angry messages on Ancestry's Facebook page. The responses ranged from anger ("This is BS - fix the problem!!" "I pay good money for this service!!") to despair ("I was going to do research today, now what?") It was obvious that most of those posting have no idea what a DDOS attack is and how difficult it can be to stop it. I don't criticize them because they aren't aware of these technical issues, but I do shake my head when those shouting the loudest could not be bothered to go and read up about what is involved.

A similar DDOS attack hit Feedly and Evernote last week. It is a BIG DEAL. It can take days to stop the bots from attacking the site. These recent hackers tried to extort money from the companies, with promises to stop the attack if they were paid.

I wish those who were ranting and raving about the problem knew what they were talking about. Those saner heads who tried to calm folks down with explanations of a DDOS attack and links where folks could read about it were shouted down and accused of being Ancestry shills. It was quite disturbing to see the lynch mob mentality that took over.

As for those who were whimpering about not being able to do their research or access their family tree (because we all know how dreadfully IMPORTANT it is to check something on that tree RIGHT NOW!!!!) what about taking a break and doing something else? Phone your favourite aunt or sister. Visit friends. Bake cookies. Read a good book. Play with your kids. DO SOMETHING ELSE!

Good grief! Not being able to get to Ancestry for the day is a first world problem. Think about it! There are children starving in other parts of the world. Women are being stoned for marrying without their parents' approval. People are being shot for being Christians. Those are big deals. Not accessing Ancestry or FindAGrave for a day are small issues in the overall scheme of life.

Who Are You Kathleen Nellthropp?

While going through my mother's cousin Doris Simpson's photo albums, I came across this set of photos. They are of a woman called Kathleen Nellthropp and were taken in Kent England. I do not know how, or even if, Kathleen is related to our Simpson family.

The photos appear to have been taken in the late 1920s and  1930s.  One is dated 1928 and a second one 1938. A search of Ancestry.com shows only one Kathleen Nellthropp that seems to fit, and that is Kathleen Alice Nellthropp who was born ca 1908. 

In 1911 she is found in Lewisham with parents William and Alice Nellthropp. In 1954 she married Cecil Laver but that is where my search ended. She appears in dozens of Electoral Registers before marrying Cecil but is a mystery beyond that. 

I found it interesting that Kathleen lived with her parents, but after her mother's death in 1953 (her father having died some years previously), this 46 year old spinster married less than one year later. Was Kathleen the dutiful daughter who cared for her parents in their declining years? 

Kathleen & her mother who I think was Alice Peacock

Sharing Memories Week 24: Some of My Favourite Books

Join us for Sharing Memories - A Genealogy Journey We focus on memories of our parents, grandparents and others. We write for our children and grandchildren, that the memories are not lost over time. I hope you are keeping a journal, whether it is private or public, and joining us as we write our memoirs.

The prompt for this week is Some of My Favourite Books. What books did you read as a child or a teenager? Did you go to your local Library or did you read your parents' books? Maybe you bought books to savour and enjoy over and over?

I loved reading and could read before I went to Kindergarten. My mother was an avid reader and used to read while knitting in the evenings. We started going to the local Library at an early age and I was allowed to read any of the books my mom had on the bookcase at home. At a young age I was reading Frank Yerby's books which were adult romantic history novels. 

As a teen my favourite books were Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and Farley Mowat's The Dog Who Wouldn't Be. But I also devoured every Hardy Boys adventures I could get! I didn't like Nancy Drew as I found her adventures too tame and her character too weak. But I couldn't get enough of Joe and Frank. I guess I always was a bit more of a tomboy and I did love a good mystery to puzzle over.

Home District Land Claims 1803 & 1804 - Corrections to Canadiana.org Faulty Content List Part 2

HD 1140 Image 392

Canadiana.Org has digitized 21 films of the Heir & Devisee Commission Papers (Heir & Devisee Commission papers 1797-1854, found in their Heritage Collection), and that's a good thing for genealogists. These records have valuable and informative genealogical documents.

But as mentioned in a previous blog post Heir & Devisee Commission 1797-1854 on Canadiana.org - Listing Errors and a Workaround, the index and description of what is in each film, as provided on Canadiana.org, is incorrect.

I have been going through those digitized records to create a working corrected Finding Aid. You may view the corrected content lists on Olive Tree Genealogy website at Heir & Devisee Commission 

While scrolling through microfilm H 1140 in order to correct Canadiana.org's flawed content description, I came across a set of Land Certificates and other documents from individuals living in what was called the Home District. This consisted of land along Lake Ontario and the Niagara region of Ontario.

HD 1140 Image 396

Continuing on from  Home District Land Certificates 1787 to 1795 and An index to Niagara area Loyalists and their Land Certificates here is the second set of my list of names of claimants for land in the Home District from 1803-1804. Each name has an image number beside it so that you can easily click through to that image to view the claims and any supporting documents. The start of these names can be viewed at Home District Land Claims 1803 & 1804 - Corrections to Canadiana.org Faulty Content List


Images 250–253 is the index to claimant names. These images have lists of names of claimants. Note that often it is the attorney's name on the index and not the petitioner or claimant. The claimants' names can be viewed in my list below.  Please also note that I cannot guarantee my interpretation of the names in these documents. The writing is often difficult to read or the image is blurry. 

The following images are the actual certificates, claims and other documents

• Image 342-344 James Clark, Niagara Town, William Cooper
• Image 345 William Cooper
• Image 346 Isaac Dey Gray, York
• Image  347-348 John Haacke, Markham
• Image 349 William Hollingshead 1803
• Image 350-352 Michael Herts/Kerts/Kock, Vaughan Township
• Image 353 Andrew Sabine? Whitchurch
• Image  354-358 George Lubick of Markham, Henry Femmerfelt, Anna Margaretha Dingel nee Tinem named as mother-in-law of George Lubick, Heinrich Fummerfelt 1804, Anna Margaretha Dingel of Markham, George Labick
• Image 359 Miscellaneous letter
• Image 360 James Macaulay, York Twp 1802
• Image 361 Sophia Temple nee Kahman of Markham, 1804
• Image 362 Ann Hahman, late Ann Tempel wife of John Henry Kahman of York Town
• Image 363-372 William Gillespie, Elisha Dextor, Abraham Orr
• Image 373-379 John Peter Ernest of Markham 1803
• Image 380 John Rum-h-
• Image 381 Eli Kayter
• Image 382 Parshall Terry, York twp
• Image 383-385 Peter Miller, York Twp
• Image 386 John Henry Bulger of Markham, Peter Miller
• Image387 Michael? Walker, Addington Midland District
• Image 388 Michael Grass
• Image 389-390 William Walker, U.E.
• Image 391-392 William Walker, George ___ Stuart
• Image 393-394 John Perry? Addington
• Image 395 John Perry, Pickering Twp, 1803
• Image 396-397 Peter Robinson 1803
• Image 398 Christopher Robinson, Peter Robinson

Lost Faces Photo Album - Is one your ancestor?

This is another album in my collection of Civil War era photo albums. It appears to be mostly of the Chidester family and most of the photos are mid to late 1860s

Below is the list of names which were written on the album pages in period handwriting.

Most of the photos are CDVs (Cartes de Visite) but there are several early tintypes.

As I scan these photos front and back I will be putting them online on Lost Faces on my Olive Tree Genealogy website. They will join 63 other antique photo albums I have there.

1. blank
2. Uncle McKay and Aunt Lib
3. Grandma Chedister
4. Uncle Leander Chedister
5. Sadoc? Chidester
6. Aunt Jennie Pittenger
7. Uncle Frank Chidester
8. Uncle Grant Chidester
9. Uncle Earna Chidester
10. Lat? McKay
11. Unlce Vint and Aunt Huldah Deyo
12. blank
13. Uncle Elliot Chidester
14. Vinnie Larua Chidester Uncle Floyd
15. blank
16. Uncle Smith Thorp
17. Aunt Mandy Tharp
18. Fanny and Harvey Tharp
19. Uncle Grant
20. Aunt Almira Law
21. x Daughter Clara
22. Uncle Adam Law
23. blank
24. blank
25. Violet and Chas Strong
26. blank
27. Illinois Soldiers Indiana 1861
28. Cousin Leander Chidester
29. Lille Wiley McFadden
30. Hettie Pittenger (right) Daisy and Aunt Deyo
31. Daisy Perrin
32. Grandma Deyo
33. Frank Deyo
34. Alvira and Deyo
35. blank
36. Sadie McKay Duncan
37. May McKay Perry
38. Cousin Lurns grandchildren
39. blank
40. Uncle and Aunt Bissh who Pa staid [sic] with after he was 12 

Tutorial #1: Adding Facts & Photos on Lives of the First World War

Lives of the First World War is a wonderful new website but it is rather complicated to use. Since I have been using the site for some time as a beta tester, I've developed a tutorial on adding photos, documents and facts to a soldier's Life Story:

Search for a soldier of interest. Click on the name when it appears in the results page. A new page loads (image below)

If you want to add a photo you click on "upload an image" If you wish to add other evidence such as a URL or a transcription from a document you click on "Add an External Reference" Note that you cannot add a fact until you have added the evidence.

As an example I know when Leonard Peer died. But I can't add that fact until I add the supporting  evidence, such as a death certificate or gravestone or obituary.

 ADDING A PHOTO AND MAKING IT A PROFILE PICTURE
 I want to add a photo of Leonard so I chose "Upload an image"

 

After uploading my image I can see my caption "Leonard Lancelot Peer" added to the Evidence list. Clicking on his name opens a new window (below) with the photo I uploaded and the option to make this photo his profile picture. There is also an option to add facts from his photo. So if his photo had writing on the back giving some information such as his date of birth or his parents' names for example, I could add those facts now. 

 

ADDING A PIECE OF EVIDENCE

Now I want to add Leonard's data from his gravestone in Woodlawn Cemetery. I have the plot number and inscription. I'm not uploading an image but I am choosing to Add an External Reference. Below you can see the new window that pops up. I must fill out each field as all are required. The field for Reference Number can be filled out with "No Reference Number available" or you could put the Plot and Grave Number.

After adding a few external references I can go back and see the new list of Evidence for Leonard. This is when I get to start adding the facts from each piece of evidence.

 

ADDING FACTS

Clicking on the Woodlawn Cemetery Records I just added brings up yet another window. This window displays the information you added earlier and has a button to select so that you can add facts such as Leonard's death date to his Life Story

And here you are in the area where facts can be added. There is a lengthy list for various topics such as family, civilian, military and so on. Because this fact is based on his Cemetery Record only, I now add his year of death. This is the window you will see no matter what evidence you click on. So if I had clicked on his Marriage Certificate Evidence that I previously entered, I would add his date of marriage, his spouse's name and his parents' names here in the Facts section.

That is all there is to adding to a soldier's Life Story. The site is not easy to use but once you get the hang of it, it is simple repetition and following specific steps. 

SUMMARY

1. Choose a soldier of interest

2. Add EVIDENCE (documents, certificates, gravestone information, photos, URL to an online bio, etc)

3. Now add FACTS that are found with each specific piece of EVIDENCE. For example a gravestone usually provides birth and death dates, the soldier's full military file provides other details, a birth certificate provides parents' names, etc.

TIP

Do you plan on adding Life Stories or photos to several soldiers' Stories? If like me you probably won't remember who you've added and who you have left to add, here is an easy tip. Click on the REMEMBER icon under the soldier's name after you have added his or her details. By going into your Account and choosing your Dashboard, a list of all your Remembered soldiers appears.

Watch for my next Tutorial on creating a Community.

52 Ancestors: An Abusive Ancestor Charged with Attempted Murder of His Wife

I'm writing about Edward Buckland as part of Amy Crow's Challenge: 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Edward is my sister-in-law's 3rd great grandfather.

Edward was not the kind of ancestor you would want. He was born into a Gypsy family in England around 1806. At the age of 14 he was arrested and charged with grand larceny for stealing two coach-holders from a coach passing by. His punishment was 7 years banishment to Australia. He may have avoided this however as in 1830 he is found marrying in Westminster England. His wife was only 12 years old.

He and his wife Mary had several children but it's been difficult finding out exactly how many. Edward was a brutal character, often abusing his wife (and no doubt his children as well). I found a few court records and newspaper accounts of some horrific abuse he carried out on his poor wife. In fact he was charged with abusing her and was sent to jail for one year in 1851. 

The Morning Post. Dec. 17, 1851. Edward Buckland, age 46, was indicted for having unlawfully and maliciously assaulted and wounded his wife Mary Buckland with a knife.  The prisoner was a brushmaker and lived with the prosecutrix at 7 Norton St. Somers Town. On Tues. last they had  quarrel and whilst she was standing at the door of their house he rushed out and knocked her down. He had in his hand a table knife which had been sharpened to a point, and drawing his hand back, he declared in language too disgusting and filthy to be repeated, he would use it and would cut her gullet out. At the same time he struck her on the hand with it and cut open the middle finger of her left hand. The poor woman appeared to have been subjected to shocking brutality, both her eyes being frightfully blackened. The jury found the prisoner guilty and he was sentenced to one year's imprisonment.

Another story about this incident reads:

1851 Dec. 17. London Standard. Another Brutal Husband. Edward Buckland, 46, was indicted for having maliciously assaulted Mary Buckland, his wife. It appeared from the evidence that the prisoner is a brushmaker, and lived at No. 7, Northam St., Somers Town. Between 12 and 1 o'clock in the morning of the 7th instant, the complainant was observed to push his wife violently out of doors, and then knock her down. He repeated this, and then went in, closing and bolting the door behind him. She then got up and knocked at the private door, when the prisoner came out with a sharp knife in his hand, and putting himself in a threatening attitude, said with an oath, he would "rip her bowels out, and would cut her gullet." The jury found the prisoner guilty and he was sentenced to imprisonment and hard labour for 12 calendar months.

Some newspaper accounts describe Edward as "a downcast desperate looking fellow" and "a great ruffian"

After getting out of jail Edward apparently went right back to abusing Mary and in 1852 was sent to jail for 2 months for beating her unmercifully. His abuse escalated and in 1853 he was charged with trying to murder her. The newspaper account reads:

1853 May 2. Court. Clerkenwell. Attempted Murder of a Wife. A Monster. Edward Buckland, a brushmaker, was charged with having attempted the life of his wife. The unfortunate prosecutrix was assisted into the courtroom by Sergt. Wilkes of the S. Division, and placed in a chair near the worthy magistrate, who elicited the following particulars of the dreadful suffering she had undergone. She had been the wife of the prisoner nearly twenty years, and had been subjected to the most brutal treatment at his hands nearly the whole of that time. At eleven o'clock on the previous night he came home, and after abusing her, he beat her on the head and other parts of the body with a hammer, and finally struck her many dreadful blows with a pair of shears, and broke her arm. She escaped in a most miraculous manner from him, and meeting Sergt. Wilkes, placed herself under his protection and she was removed to the University Hospital. The accused muttered that he had no observation to make whatever.... remanded for the present and to be turned over to a jury for trial. Victim taken back to hospital.

 In the 1861 census Mary is not living with Edward. She is the head of house with two children ages 9 and 11. One can only hope she was finally able to escape the clutches of this monstrous man and live a life of some peace. She died in 1883 at the age of 70.