6 Generations of Mothers in a Direct Lline Mother to Daughter

 

These are the wonderful mothers in my direct unbroken maternal line from mother to daughter. 

Left to right are my 2nd great grandmother Sarah (Elvery) Stead (1836-1867); her daughter Sarah (Stead) Simpson (1862-1952); her daughter Ruth (Simpson) Fuller (1894-1985), then my mother, me and my daughter.  The line is broken now as my daughter has sons but no daughters.

Happy Mother's Day to all the amazing mothers out there!

NYGBS Wins Two Awards for Excellence from the National Genealogical Society

The following press release was sent to Olive Tree Genealogy from The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society  (NYGBS)

New York, NY, May 6, 2016. The National Genealogical Society (NGS) presented the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (NYG&B) with two distinguished prizes at the NGS Family History Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The NYG&B’s groundbreaking book, the New York Family History Research Guide and Gazetteer, is the recipient of the 2016 NGS Award for Excellence: Methods and Sources Book. And the NYG&B’s quarterly magazine, the New York Researcher, has been recognized as the best Major Genealogical or Historical Society Newsletter for 2016.

Since its highly anticipated release in 2015 the New York Family History Research Guide and Gazetteer has received numerous accolades and become the de facto textbook for New York genealogical research. Hailed as “. . . the biggest and best ever guide to New York research.” (NGS Quarterly, September 2015), the book was previously recognized by the Federation of Genealogical Societies with its Award of Merit.

The New York Researcher has been published quarterly since spring 1990 when it began life as the NYG&B Newsletter. Each issue features articles on genealogical research techniques and resources, profiles of repositories and genealogical societies across New York State, and news about the rapidly changing field of genealogy. The New York Researcher is edited by Susan Miller, Director of Education at the NYG&B. 

The full run of the New York Researcher is accessible in the NYG&B’s eLibrary, and more than 100 articles—many of which have been updated by the original authors—have been collected as Research Aids on the NYG&B website.

D. Joshua Taylor, NYG&B President, said, “As the newest member of the NYG&B team it is very gratifying to accept not one but two awards from the NGS. Recognition from one’s peers is especially sweet. From the launch of The Record in 1870 and the New York Researcher in 1990 to the publication of the Research Guide and Gazetteer in 2015, the NYG&B has been a pioneering contributor to the scholarship on New York families and resources for New York research.”

Following the success of the Research Guide and Gazetteer, the NYG&B began working on an entire volume devoted to the vast holdings of the New York City Municipal Archives, many of which have never been described in published form. That work, The New York City Municipal Archives: An Authorized Guide for Family Historians is now available for pre-sale and will be officially released in the summer of 2016.

Tombstones Uncovered in Back Yard for 3 Children and a Man

A woman in Government Hill, a suburb in San Antonio Texas, was working on landscaping in her yard this week when she found a tombstone for a 65-year-old man about four inches into the dirt. The stone read 

John Evans 

born January 12, 1828

died  July 27, 1893

Aged 65 years

A few years later she dug up another stone with the names of three children, Annie, Philip and Katie, who had died back in 1880s

Continue reading the story at  Government Hill resident finds tombstone buried in yard, and it's not the first

Online Images for Griffith's Valuation

In case those with Irish ancestors missed this, Irish Genealogy posted that FamilySearch now has the unindexed Griffith's Valuation records.

The House, Field, Quarto and Tenure books were microfilmed back in 2001 and 2012 2 by the Genealogical Society of Utah and are available to  online from the Family Search catalogue. The films are arranged by county, barony, parish and townland. 

When you get to the Catalogue page, choose which film you want, then click the camera icon to go directly to the online images.

April Articles on Legacy Family Tree

If you missed these, here are my April articles I wrote for Legacy Family Tree.

Was Great-Grandpa’s Name Changed at Elllis Island?

Break Down Those Brick Walls

Fill Out Your Form Canada!

Yep it's that time. The 2016 Census envelopes were mailed out yesterday. 

This year you have a choice - use the special code inside your envelope to fill out your form online or request a paper form.

Both are easy - make a phone call and enter your special code into the automated system. Your paper form will be mailed to you.

The online questionnaire is quick if you are a short form rather than a long form. You'll find out when you log in. 

I was hoping for the long form but got the short. (I'm a genealogist, remember, and we love those long forms!) I was done filling it out in 5 minutes. So it's not a big deal but it's important!

We need the statistics the census forms provide the government. Genealogists should be geeking out over the chance to fill out a form that your descendants will be happy to see. Speaking of that be sure you tick off the box to YES release your records after 92 years! 

Yesterday the online Stats Canada website crashed due to the enthusiasm of Canadians who flocked to the site to fill out their forms. Way to go, fellow nerds!! That's what being a Canadian is all about. 

A New Book in my New Netherland Series for Descendants of Albert Jansen

New Netherland Settlers: Albert Jansen & Elsjie Jans & Their Van Woggelum, Provoost & Van Loon Descendants  by Lorine McGinnis Schulze

New Netherland Settlers
Albert Jansen & Elsjie Jans &
Their Van Woggelum, Provoost &
Van Loon Descendants

Available on Amazon.com  and  Amazon.ca,

Albert Jansen married Hilletie Willems in Amsterdam in 1638. Soon afterwards he left Holland and sailed to the wilderness of New Netherland (New York). When he arrived in 1642, he settled in New Amsterdam, which was little more than a fort with approximately 270 people. Its gabled homes, the Dutch language being spoken, and Dutch laws would have offered some familiarity to newly arrived Albert. 

When Albert married Elsjie Jans in New Amsterdam in 1652, they were both widowers. Elsjie had been married to David Clement in Amsterdam in 1641. Albert and Elsjie’s had four daughters and a son, all named in the Orphanmaster’s records of New Amsterdam after Albert’s death. Eljsie married for a third time to Otto Grimm but no children are known of that marriage. Three of the daughters of Albert and Elsjie married into the Van Woggelum, Provoost and Van Loon families. 

This book contains details on the lives and adventures of Albert and Elsjie and their children. Documents and sources are included.

8.5" x 11" (21.59 x 27.94 cm)
Full Color on White paper
54 pages
Olive Tree Genealogy
ISBN-13: 978-1987938098
ISBN-10: 1987938097

Nursing Sister Philips WW1 Photo Album: L15

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"

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/