My New Netherland Settlers Book for Post Descendants

Are you having trouble finding the origins of your New Netherland ancestors? My new book in my New Netherland series is now available for purchase. 

New Netherland Settlers: Lodewyck Cornelis Post & His Wife Agnietje Bonen is the story of early settlers in New Netherland (New York)

Sometime between October 1647 and July 1652, Lodewyck Cornelils Post, his wife Agnietje Bonen, and their children left Amsterdam Holland to settle in New Netherland (New York). Research into Naarden Holland church records has revealed Lodewyck’s birth and his parents’ marriage in that city. 

When Lodewyck and his family arrived, New Amsterdam’s population was just over 600 people and it was growing rapidly. New Amsterdam’s gabled homes, the Dutch language being spoken, and Dutch laws in place would have offered comfort to newly arrived Lodewyck and Agnietje. 

Court records in New Amsterdam (New York City) reveal 20 years of Lodewyck’s involvement in various cases. Often he was being taken to court for money owed to others in the community. Lodewyck was also involved in attempts to protect his daughter Belitje from her abusive husband.

List Price: $32.50
8.5" x 11" (21.59 x 27.94 cm)
Full Color on White paper
84 pages

Available at CreateSpace

See all of Lorine's Books on Amazon.com | Lorine's Books on Amazon.ca | Lorine's Books on CreateSpace Store

Double Episode This Sunday Who Do You Think You Are

 

This Sunday will be the season finale of the current season of TLC’s Who Do You Think You Are? This week TLC wil be airing two new episodes back-to-back: Chris Noth at 8/7c & Lea Michele at 9/8c.

Chris Noth: Airs 8/7c on TLC Sunday, May 1

Actor Chris Noth tracks down family torn apart by a devastating disaster. He follows his relative’s trail from Spain to Ireland, and finds a man who endured harsh oppression, but rose up to fight in one of the fiercest battles of all time and became a war hero.

Lea Michele: Airs 9/8c on TLC Sunday, May 1

Actress Lea Michele goes on a journey to unravel the secrets of her Jewish ancestry. She uncovers the heartbreaking and inspiring details of her great-grandmother’s story, who fled one country but was shunned by the next. She finds personal accounts of her great-grandparents, who were desperate to be together despite the cards being stacked against them, and she discovers ancestors who suffered devastating loss.

Ancestry.com, the leading family history company, is teaming up again with TLC as a sponsor of the upcoming season. As part of the show sponsorship, Ancestry provides exhaustive family history research on each of the featured celebrities to help make discoveries possible and build out the story of each episode.

The series is produced for TLC by Shed Media and Is or Isn’t Entertainment, and is based on an original format created by Wall to Wall Media and Alex Graham. More information can be found at TLC.com/WDYTYA. ‘Like’ Who Do You Think You Are? on Facebook.com/WDYTYA and follow @WDYTYA on Twitter.


Image credit: TLC

No. 10 of My Top 10 Genealogy Mysteries: Georg Heinrich (Henry) Christian Schulze

A Facebook friend recently posted her top 10 Genealogy Mysteries.  They aren't brick walls because there is probably an answer somewhere, just waiting to be found. I thought this was a great idea and I am following suit with my Top 10 Genealogy Mysteries. 

Of course any help or suggestions for further research are welcome. You can read my other Genealogy Mysteries at Top 10 Genealogy Mysteries 

Here is my Number 10 of 10 Genealogy Mysteries: Georg Heinrich (Henry) Christian Schulze and his wife Marie (Mary) Catharina Friederke Gercken. 

THE KNOWN FACTS 

18 Dec. 1840 Henry Schulze  was born.(Source Church record) He was christened  04 Apr 1841 in Hannover, Hannover, Preußen, Germany
Birth Date:     18 Dec 1840   
Father's Name:     Heinrich Christian Schulze
Mother's Name:     Sophie Wilhelmine Reinecke  

20 Dec 1846: Marie (Mary) Catharina Friederke Gercken was born in Kiel Germany (Source Family Bible)  

15 March 1867: Maria Gercken was issued a travel pass good for one year to sail to England from Hamburg Germany (Source: Travel Pass in family documents)
 
24 Feb 1869 he and his wife were in Myton, Hull, Yorkshire, England baptising their first child Mary Minnie Schulze. (Source Birth record and family bible)

THE MYSTERY

*** When did Maria leave Germany for England? Where is she on a passenger list? When did Henry leave for England? Where is he on a passenger list? Was she married when she left or did she  and Henry Schulze marry in England? ***

The pass was only good for one year so Maria must have left Germany between 15 March 1867 and 15 March 1868 UNLESS she married and then applied for a new pass. However, since she kept this pass in her possession, it seems she would have thrown it out and kept any updated pass in her important papers.

No marriage record has been found in England for the couple. We know they married between March 15, 1867 when Maria was a single woman applying for her pass, and 1868 or 1869 when their daughter Minnie was born.  

Their death records provide no useful information as to their immigration from Germany to England.The family bible, owned by a descendant, holds no useful information. 

I welcome any help or suggestions for finding anything about this family before their time in England. 

Take It With a Genealogy Grain of Salt

Following is a repeat of an older blog post I wrote that think is important to revisit because we all need to remember this as we search for our ancestors.

 

I've been sorting through old papers for the past two days. Tucked away in a folder in a filing cabinet in the basement was a magazine dated 1988. It's a  Financial magazine, all about making money, investing wisely and so on. This particular issue featured stories of people who had invested wisely and retired early, or were successfully juggling a career with pursuing a dream.

I was puzzled as to why I'd saved it but figured there had to be an article featuring someone I knew. Sure enough there was. The article was a glowing report of a man, we'll call him Sam. Let me preface this with the fact that I knew, and still know, Sam very well.

The article revealed that Sam had a  high-paying career and was also a rather successful emerging artist (I use the word artist to describe actors, writers, poets, painters, sculptors). Sam worked part-time to support his art and his yearly wages which were given in the article were extremely good.

The article portrayed Sam as a very successful person pursuing his dream while earning a more than decent living. A descendant finding this article 50 or 100 or more years from now would be thrilled to think their ancestor was such an amazing person!

But the author of the article only knew Sam for a brief moment in Sam's life. I've known him for a very long time and also know what has happened to Sam over the past 24 years since the article was written. 

The truth is that Sam has made bad choices in his life. The details are personal so I will simply say that his path in life was a downhill one, not the successful one portrayed in the magazine. He is not a successful artist. He no longer has a high-paying career.

He's a very different person from the person portrayed in the magazine article. Reading it made me realize that as genealogists we should not rely on one article or one obituary to paint the full picture of an ancestor's life. These are all subjective views written at a specific moment in time. Take it with a grain of salt. Or at least recognize that it's only one small piece of a person's entire life.

Online family collection chronicles life in Upper Canada and War of 1812

My friend and fellow blogger Gail Dever passed on some very interesting information today about new records online.

 

Online family collection chronicles life in Upper Canada and War of 1812

Nursing Sister Philips WW1 Photo Album: ww1 L16

This Photo Archive consists of a small autograph album (6.5" by 5.25") kept by Constance (Connie) Philips as a memento of her time serving as a nurse during World War One. 

The majority of the photos and items are from 1915 when she served as a nurse in France and Britain.

The album and all photographs, postcards, and other ephemera contained in the album belong to Karin Armstrong and may not be copied or republished without her written permission. The images will be published on Olive Tree Genealogy with permission.

Each image has been designated an "R" for Recto or a "V" for Verso plus an album page number. Recto is the right-hand side page of a bound book while Verso is the left-hand side page.

I will be posting the entire album and my additional research on the individuals identified in Connie's album over the coming months so please check back frequently to view these historic photos. The easiest way to see what has been published is to click on the topic "Nursing Sister WW1 Photos"

Mystery: War Of 1812 Veteran’s Gravestone Found In Bridgewater Basement

This is a fascinating story of a War Of 1812 Veteran’s Gravestone Found In Bridgewater Basement

The gravestone belonged to Jabez Harden, born 1796, died 1879, veteran of the War of 1812, but he is not buried there. His original grave is in Pratt Town Cemetery in Bridgewater. 

The mystery is how did Jabez's tombstone end up in a basement? 

Above you can view Jabez's widow's Pension application dated 1879.

NEW! Revised Edition Peer Family N America V 1

The Peer Family in North America : V. 1: Jacob & Anne Peer, Immigrants from New Jersey to Upper Canada in 1796. Revised Edition

by Lorine McGinnis Schulze

List Price: $39.99  
8.5" x 11" (21.59 x 27.94 cm) 
Full Color on White paper
96 pages  
Olive Tree Genealogy

See all Lorine's genealogy books available on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca

The Peer family were loyal to the British Crown, and suffered from persecution in New Jersey throughout the American Revolution. Jacob and his family left Sussex County New Jersey for Upper Canada in the summer of 1796.  

Four of Jacob's sons - Jacob Jr., Edward, John and Philip Peer petitioned for land one year later. They settled in the Hamilton area of what was then the wilderness of Upper Canada. This book discusses the lives of Jacob, his wife and their children in those early years. Descendants will enjoy seeing early documents such as land petitions and wills.

Available at Createspace or Amazon.com or Amazon.ca

Note that Volumes 1 - 6 are published and can be purchased on these sites:

Lorine's Books on Amazon.com | Lorine's Books on Amazon.ca | CreateSpace Store

Who Do You Think You Are? with Molly Ringwald

Be sure to watch this Sunday’s episode of Who Do You Think You Are? featuring actress Molly Ringwald.

Actress Molly Ringwald travels to Sweden to dig up her mysterious paternal roots. She explores her ancestors’ harrowing lives as coal miners; discovers generations who suffered through unspeakable tragedies; and uncovers the gripping life of a brave relative who forever changed her family’s fate.

The two-time Emmy nominated series WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? returns this spring to follow more of today’s most beloved and iconic celebrities as they embark on personal journeys of self-discovery to trace their family trees.

Ancestry.com, the leading family history company, is teaming up again with TLC as a sponsor of the upcoming season. As part of the show sponsorship, Ancestry provides exhaustive family history research on each of the featured celebrities to help make discoveries possible and build out the story of each episode.

The series is produced for TLC by Shed Media and Is or Isn’t Entertainment, and is based on an original format created by Wall to Wall Media and Alex Graham. More information can be found at TLC.com/WDYTYA. ‘Like’ Who Do You Think You Are? on Facebook.com/WDYTYA and follow @WDYTYA on Twitter.


Image credit: TLC

Great Canadian Genealogy Summit (CANGEN) Press Release

The following Press Release was sent to Olive Tree Genealogy

The Great Canadian Genealogy Summit (CANGEN) pleased to announce their inaugural conference, to be held October 21-23, 2016, at the Courtyard by Marriott, Brampton.

The Summit showcases Canadian genealogists who have an expertise in the record sets relating to the early settlers of Canada.

On October 21, we have arranged a day at the Ontario Archives. And better still, for those with UEL ancestors who are mind boggled with the documentation required for your UEL application, former Dominion Genealogist Kathryn Lake Hogan will be offering a workshop with the at the Archives. She will share her expertise on what documentation is required and how to access the documents at the Archives.

Our Opening Plenary speaker on Friday evening is genealogist and author Jennifer Debruin who will share with us some of the struggles of our Canadian ancestors. This energetic talk will be followed by a social time. A time to get to know fellow Canadian genealogists, to get to know the speakers better, or to browse in the marketplace.

Saturday's programming offers five streams of research. Registrants are welcome to mix and match:

•    Ruth Blair - who will talk on researching Irish ancestors
•    Mike Quackenbush - who will talk on researching English ancestors
•    Louise St Denis - who will talk on researching French Canadian ancestors
•    Kathryn Lake Hogan - who will talk on researching Canadian ancestors
•    Christine Woodcock who will talk on researching Scottish ancestors
Sunday starts with Louise St Denis sharing her extensive knowledge on Methodology. THEN she is providing each registrant with a certificate for a FREE course at the NIGS.

And we wrap up an intense weekend with Lynn Palermo who will help us to get a better handle on writing our family stories so that our work can be preserved for future generations.

Registration for the full weekend is just $159cdn ($125 usd). Registration for the Saturday only is just $119cdn ($93 usd)

http://www.cangensummit.ca/

All registrations include breakfast and lunch on Saturday, free access to Findmypast and admission to the exhibition hall.

It's Here! The Peer Family in N. America V. 5 Stephen Peer & Lydia Skinner

Announcing the following book:
The Peer Family in North America:V. 5 Stephen Peer & His Wife Lydia Skinner and their Descendants to 3 Generations

List Price: $29.99

8.5" x 11" (21.59 x 27.94 cm) 
Full Color on White paper
80 pages

Olive Tree Genealogy

Available on Amazon.com or Amazon.ca or Createspace

See all Lorine's genealogy books available on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca

The Peer family, loyal to the British Crown, suffered from persecution in New Jersey throughout the American Revolution. Stephen Peer was born circa 1780 in New Jersey to Jacob & Anna Peer. 

His father left New Jersey for Upper Canada (present day Ontario) in the summer of 1796. Stephen married Lydia Skinner, the daughter of the Loyalist Haggai Skinner & his wife Elizabeth Westbrook. Stephen was killed at the Battle of Chippewa during the War of 1812. 

This book discusses the life of Stephen, his wife, and their children and grandchildren in those early years. Descendants will enjoy seeing early documents such as land petitions, family photographs, newspaper clippings, and wills.

Available on Amazon.com or Amazon.ca or Createspace

 

Note that Volumes 1 - 6 are published and can be purchased on these sites:

Lorine's Books on Amazon.com | Lorine's Books on Amazon.ca | CreateSpace Store

The King of Cheeses Goes to the New York State Fair 1866

The Ingersoll Mammoth Cheese during its tour in Saratoga, New York in 1866

My husband's great-great grandfather's brother Robert Facey was the manager of the Canada Cheese Factory. Robert's claim to fame is that he supervised the production of the Mammoth Cheese in 1866.

Yes there really was such a thing as a Mammoth Cheese. It took 35 tons of milk to produce a cheese six feet, ten Inches in diameter, three feet in height and about 21 feet in circumference, 

Robert & Ann Facey

Six horses were needed to haul this huge cheese on a special wagon on August 23rd, 1866 to the Ingersoll Ontario railway station. It went first to the New York State Fair at Saratoga. Then it was loaded on a ship and sailed for England to be on display at the London Exhibition. It was eventually sold to a cheese merchant in Liverpool. ^{FN 1}

A mammoth press was designed that would be used by Robert Facey at James Harris’ cheese factory to produce the 7,300 pound mammoth cheese. When it was ready to be shipped to England, James Noxon was ready to financially support the creation of the Ingersoll Cheese Company which sponsored the cross-Atlantic voyage in 1866. 

Library and Archives Canada (LAC) has a very interesting page about Mammoth Cheeses in Ontario. Even though I was born here and have lived in Ontario all my life I never knew we were such amazing cheesemakers - a skill seemingly lost to our province now. 

Orleans independent standard. (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, October 26, 1866, Image 2

Date: Friday, August 17, 1866   Paper: Boston Herald (Boston, Massachusetts)   Page: 2


 ^{FN 1} Source: https://ingersolllibrary.wordpress.com/2010/08/11/the-mammoth-cheese/

Nursing Sister Philips WW1 Photo Album - Loose Photo

This Photo Archive consists of a small autograph album (6.5" by 5.25") kept by Constance (Connie) Philips as a memento of her time serving as a nurse during World War One.  

The majority of the photos and items are from 1915, when she served as a nurse in France and Britain.

 

The album and all photographs, postcards, and other ephemera contained in the album belong to Karin Armstrong and may not be copied or republished without her written permission. The images will be published on Olive Tree Genealogy with permission.

Each image has been designated an "R" for Recto or a "V" for Verso plus an album page number. Recto is the right-hand side page of a bound book while Verso is the left-hand side page.

I will be posting the entire album and my additional research on the individuals identified in Connie's album over the coming months so please check back frequently to view these historic photos. The easiest way to see what has been published is to click on the topic "Nursing Sister WW1 Photos"

Digitization of the Canadian Expeditionary Force Personnel Service Files – Update April 2016

The following announcement was sent by Library and Archives Canada (LAC)

As of today, 275,299 of 640,000 files are available online via our Soldiers of the First World War: 1914–1918 database. Please visit the Digitization of the Canadian Expeditionary Force Service Files page for more details on the digitization project.

Library and Archives Canada is digitizing the service files systematically, from box 1 to box 10686, which roughly corresponds to alphabetical order. Please note that over the years, the content of some boxes has had to be moved and, you might find that the file you want, with a surname that is supposed to have been digitized, is now located in another box that has not yet been digitized. So far, we have digitized the following files:

    Latest box digitized: Box 4617 and Hunt.

Peer Family in N America V 6 Jacob Peer & Lucy Powers

The Peer Family in North America: V. 6 Jacob Peer Jr. & His Wife Lucy Powers and their Descendants to 2 Generations
 
Authored by Lorine McGinnis Schulze

List Price: $45.99
8.5" x 11" (21.59 x 27.94 cm)
Full Color on White paper
152 pages
Olive Tree Genealogy

Available on Amazon.com or CreateSpace or Amazon.ca

The Peer family, loyal to the British Crown, suffered from persecution in New Jersey throughout the American Revolution. Jacob Peer Jr. and his wife Lucy Powers settled in the wilderness of Upper Canada (present day Ontario) after the American Revolution.

After suffering losses during the War of 1812, they left Ontario for Michigan in 1821. This book discusses the lives of Jacob, his wife, and their children in those early years. Descendants will enjoy seeing early documents such as land petitions, family photographs, probate records and wills.

Note that Volumes 1 - 6 are published and can be purchased on these sites:

Lorine's Books on Amazon.com | Lorine's Books on Amazon.ca | CreateSpace Store

Who Do You Think You Are? With Katey Sagal

 Be sure to watch this Sunday’s episode of Who Do You Think You Are? featuring actress Katey Sagal

Katey Sagal and Dr. Kara Dixon-Vuic
an Associate Professor of History
at the Texas Christian University

Katey Sagal lost her parents at a young age and has no family to fill in the blanks of her ancestry. She goes on a journey to understand her beloved mother’s life as a performer for the USO during World War II, and gets emotional connecting for the first time with the only person she’s met who knew her mother when she was young. 

Then she digs deep into her roots, uncovering a surprising link to early American Amish settlers, and discovers the shocking story of a fierce attack her ancestors endured. She finds her family torn apart and struggling to reconnect after years of separation, which challenges her own morals on motherhood.

The two-time Emmy nominated series WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? returns this spring to follow more of today’s most beloved and iconic celebrities as they embark on personal journeys of self-discovery to trace their family trees.
 
Ancestry.com, the leading family history company, is teaming up again with TLC as a sponsor of the upcoming season. As part of the show sponsorship, Ancestry provides exhaustive family history research on each of the featured celebrities to help make discoveries possible and build out the story of each episode.
The series is produced for TLC by Shed Media and Is or Isn’t Entertainment, and is based on an original format created by Wall to Wall Media and Alex Graham. More information can be found at TLC.com/WDYTYA. ‘Like’ Who Do You Think You Are? on Facebook.com/WDYTYA and follow @WDYTYA on Twitter.
Image credit: TLC

It's Ready! V. 4 Peer Family in N America - Philip Peer & His Wives

The Peer Family in North America:V.4 Philip Peer & his two Wives Ester Dunn and Susan Griniaus and their Descendants to 3 Generations

Authored by Lorine McGinnis Schulze

List Price: $39.99

8.5" x 11" (21.59 x 27.94 cm) 

Full Color on White paper
102 pages

Olive Tree Genealogy

See all Lorine's genealogy books available on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca  

The Peer family, loyal to the British Crown, suffered from persecution in New Jersey throughout the American Revolution. 

Philip Peer and his family left Sussex County New Jersey for Upper Canada in the summer of 1796. After his first wife Ester Dunn died Philip married Susan Griniaus. 

This book discusses the lives of Philip, his two wives, and their children and grandchildren in those early years. Descendants will enjoy seeing early documents such as land petitions, family photographs, newspaper clippings, and wills.

Available on Amazon.com or CreateSpace or Amazon.ca

Note that Volumes 1 - 6 are published and can be purchased on these sites:

Lorine's Books on Amazon.com | Lorine's Books on Amazon.ca | CreateSpace Store

Don't Miss Past Voices: Letters Home

Have you been to Past Voices: Letters Home? Past Voices gives our ancestors a voice - and these voices from the past come alive in their letters. 

Letter writing has long been an important mode of interpersonal and official communication. As long ago as 3500 BC, Sumerians sent "letters" written on cuneiform tablets in clay "envelopes". 

Letter writing flourished in the seventeenth century in Europe and it was an extremely important form of communication. As public postal services were established letter-writing increased even more dramatically.

Many letters on Past Voices are from soldiers far from home. Nothing tells the true reality of war more than the simple writings of the common soldier. These poignant letters from lonely men to their mothers, wives or sweethearts will touch your heart. Some letters will leave you bewildered by their unemotional telling of horrors almost beyond our comprehension. 

In February 1864 Lucius Bidwell wrote to his mother

"Our Heavenly Father has again saved your son Lucius safely through another battle ..." 

"The water was very cold--it makes a fellow’s feet and legs ache, I tell you!"

"James Ingles was hit on the leg, and a man named Winks in our camp, and another German, was shot through the head (named Stinall) and another tent-mate of mine was hurt in the ankle. Our Major was slightly wounded in the leg. Capt. John Broaht, I hear, had his finger shot off, but I have not seen him yet."


Past Voices also contains letters and memoirs from ordinary individuals going about their everyday lives. These letters provide us with a sense of history, of being there and experiencing life with the people who write about the times they live in. 

"When women get to running boundary lines it will take several generations for them to right the mistakes of their forefathers. The women of Reno show their appreciation of being emancipated from the wash tub by making their social calls on Monday morning..." Caroline Churchill, California 1870s

On Past Voices you can find your roots and hear your ancestors' words across the generations. Add branches to your family tree as you find your genealogy.

You can also learn how to find and preserve old documents, family treasures and heirlooms.

Are You a Peer Descendant? Don't miss the new books!

The Peer Family in North America: V.3 Edward Peer & His Two Wives and their Descendants to 3 Generations

by Lorine McGinnis Schulze

List Price: $29.99

8.5" x 11" (21.59 x 27.94 cm) 
Full Color on White paper
70 pages

Olive Tree Genealogy
ISBN-13: 978-1987938043 
ISBN-10: 1987938046 

Available at Amazon.com or Amazon.ca or at Createspace  

See all Lorine's genealogy books available on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca

The Peer family, loyal to the British Crown, suffered from persecution in New Jersey throughout the American Revolution. 

Edward Peer, son of Jacob, came from New Jersey to the wilds of Upper Canada (present day Ontario) in 1786 with his first wife Anna. By 1820 he and his second wife Sarah left Ontario for Pennsylvania. He died in 1834 in Erie County Pennsylvania. 

This book discusses the lives of Edward, his two wives, and their children and grandchildren in those early years. Descendants will enjoy seeing early documents such as land petitions, family photographs, newspaper clippings, and wills.

Available at Amazon.com or Amazon.ca or at Createspace

Note that Volumes 1 - 6 are published and can be purchased on these sites:

Lorine's Books on Amazon.com | Lorine's Books on Amazon.ca | CreateSpace Store

New Book: The Peer Family in N America V 2 Levi Peer & Elizabeth Marical

The Peer Family in North America: V.2 Levi Peer & Elizabeth Marical and their Descendants to 3 Generations Authored by Lorine McGinnis Schulze

List Price: $39.99

8.5" x 11" (21.59 x 27.94 cm) 
Full Color on White paper
116 pages

Olive Tree Genealogy
ISBN-13: 978-0988088726 
ISBN-10: 098808872X 

Available on Createspace and on Amazon 

See all Lorine's genealogy books available on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca

The Peer family, loyal to the British Crown, suffered from persecution in New Jersey throughout the American Revolution. 

Levi and his family left Sussex County New Jersey in 1801 to join his parents and siblings in Upper Canada (Ontario). Shortly after the War of 1812, Levi and family left Canada for New York, then Pennsylvania, and eventually Illinois. One son returned to Canada. 

This book discusses the lives of Levi, his wife Elizabeth Marical and their children and grandchildren in those early years. Descendants will enjoy seeing early documents such as land petitions, family photographs, newspaper clippings, and wills.

Available on Createspace and on Amazon

Note that Volumes 1 - 6 are published and can be purchased on these sites:

Lorine's Books on Amazon.com | Lorine's Books on Amazon.ca | CreateSpace Store