In the early 1800's port cities in the USA bore the burden of immigration. By the time they arrived, so many immigrants were tired, hungry and poor they ended up in the City Almshouse. This meant the citizens had to take care of them. At first the citizens of the city asked the Mayors for funds to support the poor. Eventually they asked the states, and by mid-century some states (PA, NY, MA) set up State agencies to deal with the issue. Eventually, beginning in the 1880's, the Federal Government nationalized the programs.
Dating back to the colonial era, New York City assumed responsibility for its citizens who were destitute, sick, homeless, or otherwise unable to care for themselves. The city maintained an almshouse, various hospitals, and a workhouse on Blackwell's Island (now called Roosevelt Island) for the poor.
While searching for other genealogy records, I stumbled on the Alms House Admission Foreigners & Nativity Records (New York City, NY) Bond Registers 1819-1840. The original records are held in the Municipal Archives, New York, New York. There are 2 pages for each name in this ledger. Due to time restraints, I only copied part of the left hand page. The information I extracted includes
Date of Admission; Foreigner (Surname); Foreigner (First Name); Age; Place of Birth; Vessel (Ship) Name; Where From
There is more information, including Ship Captain's Name, Ship Owner's Name, Date of Bond, Sureties, Date Discharged, Death Date, Remarks, Bonded, Commuted & Total.
For example, under date 1820 March 11 - Elizabeth Kennedy age 34 is listed as having died June 14, 1820; her daughter Mary Ann died Nov. 5, 1820
For individuals recorded in the 1855-1858 Almshouse Records the information includes ship name, date of sailing, ports of departure and arrival
This is a terrific database providing names of ships and immigration years for ancestors. It is freely available online starting in 1819 at http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/ny_alms1819.shtml
Updates about Olive Tree Genealogy website and other FREE genealogy records. Bringing you tutorials, genealogy book and app reviews, genealogy news, genealogy specials and more. Helping you find your family tree and ancestors.
July 29, 2008
July 28, 2008
Genealogy Without Sources is Mythology!
How can you tell if the information posted by individuals on Internet genealogy sites is valid? Some sites have sources, others don't. How do you know what, and when, to believe what you read online??
A good rule of thumb is....
Don't trust anything you find on the 'net (or elsewhere) if it doesn't have sources.
Without sources you can't verify it, and you don't know whether the information came from a reliable source or whether it came from Great Aunt Martha who may have some of it right, but may have mixed up a lot too.
Maybe the info came from a book written by someone 100 years ago who didn't have access to sources we have now, or who just plain got it wrong.
Perhaps the information was transcribed for a webpage from a book source. That book source was transcribed from a microfilm record which was itself transcribed from the original. The chance of human error is greatly increased with each succeeding transcription.
Even if the information has a source, you should double-check it personally, either from the original source or from an independent source.
VERIFY, VERIFY, VERIFY!!!
You also want to think about the source itself. Is the source a good one? After all, if Great Aunt Martha gives me information on the birth or baptism of my 3rd great-grandpa and I put it on the 'net, and source it as "Remembrances of Great Aunt Martha", that's not necessarily a reliable or accurate source. After all, Great Aunt Martha did have that fall from a horse when she was a child and she IS 97 years old......
However if I source the birth or baptismal dates with full details on the church where I saw the original record, or the published transcript of those church records, that's much more reliable.
When in doubt, remember.... .
"Genealogy without sources is mythology"
© Lorine McGinnis Schulze
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/index.shtml
A good rule of thumb is....
Don't trust anything you find on the 'net (or elsewhere) if it doesn't have sources.
Without sources you can't verify it, and you don't know whether the information came from a reliable source or whether it came from Great Aunt Martha who may have some of it right, but may have mixed up a lot too.
Maybe the info came from a book written by someone 100 years ago who didn't have access to sources we have now, or who just plain got it wrong.
Perhaps the information was transcribed for a webpage from a book source. That book source was transcribed from a microfilm record which was itself transcribed from the original. The chance of human error is greatly increased with each succeeding transcription.
Even if the information has a source, you should double-check it personally, either from the original source or from an independent source.
VERIFY, VERIFY, VERIFY!!!
You also want to think about the source itself. Is the source a good one? After all, if Great Aunt Martha gives me information on the birth or baptism of my 3rd great-grandpa and I put it on the 'net, and source it as "Remembrances of Great Aunt Martha", that's not necessarily a reliable or accurate source. After all, Great Aunt Martha did have that fall from a horse when she was a child and she IS 97 years old......
However if I source the birth or baptismal dates with full details on the church where I saw the original record, or the published transcript of those church records, that's much more reliable.
When in doubt, remember.... .
"Genealogy without sources is mythology"
© Lorine McGinnis Schulze
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/index.shtml
July 26, 2008
A Genealogical Fish Story
It's interesting how we genealogists are eager for stories of our ancestors - the more bizarre or unusual, the better! I'm sure everyone has an interesting tale or two (or more!) which has been handed down in the family.
But what happens when we find a paper record that might prove or disprove that family lore? How disappointing is it to find out that Great grandma Harriet was not the love child of the Duke of Wellington but according to her birth registration, was the child of a farmer and a scullery maid. On the other hand, how many bits of family lore do we find out are true, or have at least a grain of truth to them?
A bit of family lore passed down concerning my 3rd cousin twice removed had always intrigued me.
I wondered how accurate it was. A very kind correspondent sent this to me several years ago, copied directly from the Learn Family Bible. When the Ontario Death Records went online I decided to see what William's death registration gave for his cause of death. I expected to see "Drowning" as the cause of death. I expected I might not ever find out if the fish story was accurate.
Much to my surprise the cause of death was given as pneumonia which William had for 7days prior to dying. It seems a rather fanciful story for someone to dream up and record in a Family Bible. How did poor William's death from pneumonia end up being passed down in the family as William being killed by a fish?
I don't have the answer, I only have the story and a moral to the story. The moral is "Don't fall for family tales, hook, line and sinker or you could end up all wet"
But what happens when we find a paper record that might prove or disprove that family lore? How disappointing is it to find out that Great grandma Harriet was not the love child of the Duke of Wellington but according to her birth registration, was the child of a farmer and a scullery maid. On the other hand, how many bits of family lore do we find out are true, or have at least a grain of truth to them?
A bit of family lore passed down concerning my 3rd cousin twice removed had always intrigued me.
William Edward Learn (1885-1908) died tragically while fishing in the Niagara River. He had a rope tied around his waist while he was fishing and hooked a sturgeon which pulled him in and under. It was a month before his body was found with the rope and sturgeon still attached.
I wondered how accurate it was. A very kind correspondent sent this to me several years ago, copied directly from the Learn Family Bible. When the Ontario Death Records went online I decided to see what William's death registration gave for his cause of death. I expected to see "Drowning" as the cause of death. I expected I might not ever find out if the fish story was accurate.
Much to my surprise the cause of death was given as pneumonia which William had for 7days prior to dying. It seems a rather fanciful story for someone to dream up and record in a Family Bible. How did poor William's death from pneumonia end up being passed down in the family as William being killed by a fish?
I don't have the answer, I only have the story and a moral to the story. The moral is "Don't fall for family tales, hook, line and sinker or you could end up all wet"
July 24, 2008
One Step Search Engine for 1891 Canadian Census
Now that ancestry has added the 1891 Canadian census, the One-Step utility for the Canadian census has been extended to include that year. It can be found in the Canada/UK Census section of the One-Step website
Advantages of using the One-Step utility for 1891 Canada rather than going to the ancestry site directly include:
- can search all years from the same form
- can search on middle initial
- can search on birth year being between two values rather than using plus-or-minus
- can search on age
- can search on religion
- can select district from drop-down list instead of having to type it
- can specify more than 50 hits per page
Advantages of using the One-Step utility for 1891 Canada rather than going to the ancestry site directly include:
- can search all years from the same form
- can search on middle initial
- can search on birth year being between two values rather than using plus-or-minus
- can search on age
- can search on religion
- can select district from drop-down list instead of having to type it
- can specify more than 50 hits per page
July 23, 2008
1891 Canadian Census ONLINE!
Great News! Ancestry.com has put the 1891 Canadian census online. It's indexed and linked to the images of the actual pages.
If you have a subscription you should check it out, I've already found several ancestors. If you don't have a subscription you may want to subscribe now or take a free trial to find your ancestors.
I've noted some errors that may cause researchers problems, including mixing of families. For example I searched for my PEER ancestor. I found his name. I clicked on the name for more information and could see everyone in his family. However there were 3 different surnames and many many individuals linked into his family, complete with relationships such as "Son" "Daughter" etc. A check of the image revealed that in fact there were 3 distinct family groups living in separate households but the transcribers had combined them all together as one.
Other errors were children, some as young as 2 years old, listed as living alone. In fact a check of the image revealed that each of these children were in fact living in family homes.
I also noted several occurances of one family being split. So a search brought up the husband. Clicking on his name showed him with no wife and one child. His wife came up separately in the search engine and clicking on her name showed her living alone with several other children. A look at the linked image revealed husband, wife and all children living as one family. Why these these separate families have been merged into one or one family split into more than one is a mystery.
What it means is you must check the images to verify the transcribed information.
Have fun! And be creative in your searches...... my McGinnis ancestors were hiding under the MISindexed name of "Linnis"
If you have a subscription you should check it out, I've already found several ancestors. If you don't have a subscription you may want to subscribe now or take a free trial to find your ancestors.
I've noted some errors that may cause researchers problems, including mixing of families. For example I searched for my PEER ancestor. I found his name. I clicked on the name for more information and could see everyone in his family. However there were 3 different surnames and many many individuals linked into his family, complete with relationships such as "Son" "Daughter" etc. A check of the image revealed that in fact there were 3 distinct family groups living in separate households but the transcribers had combined them all together as one.
Other errors were children, some as young as 2 years old, listed as living alone. In fact a check of the image revealed that each of these children were in fact living in family homes.
I also noted several occurances of one family being split. So a search brought up the husband. Clicking on his name showed him with no wife and one child. His wife came up separately in the search engine and clicking on her name showed her living alone with several other children. A look at the linked image revealed husband, wife and all children living as one family. Why these these separate families have been merged into one or one family split into more than one is a mystery.
What it means is you must check the images to verify the transcribed information.
Have fun! And be creative in your searches...... my McGinnis ancestors were hiding under the MISindexed name of "Linnis"
New York Genealogical and Biographical Society Contributes Its 75,000-Volume Collection to The New York Public Library
New York Genealogical and Biographical Society Contributes Its 75,000-Volume Collection to The New York Public Library
Step to Create One of the World’s Largest, Most Accessible Genealogical Libraries: A Singular Resource for Researchers of New York Family History
NEW YORK, NY, July 21, 2008 –The New York Public Library (NYPL) and the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (the G&B) announced jointly today that the New York Public Library will become the new home of the G&B Society’s library of 75,000 published works, 30,000 manuscripts, 22,000 microforms, 1,300 periodicals and digital computer media. Among the materials are 16th and 17th century land records; transcriptions of New York baptismal and marriage records; personal diaries and letters; and census data from as early as the 18th century. Joining the Library’s rich and heavily used genealogical and manuscript collections, the merged materials of the NYPL and the G&B will create an unparalleled, publicly accessible resource for those conducting genealogical research. The NYPL and the G&B will co-sponsor educational programs, create links to each other’s websites, and collaborate in various ways to make this invaluable resource available to the public.
Continue reading
Step to Create One of the World’s Largest, Most Accessible Genealogical Libraries: A Singular Resource for Researchers of New York Family History
NEW YORK, NY, July 21, 2008 –The New York Public Library (NYPL) and the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (the G&B) announced jointly today that the New York Public Library will become the new home of the G&B Society’s library of 75,000 published works, 30,000 manuscripts, 22,000 microforms, 1,300 periodicals and digital computer media. Among the materials are 16th and 17th century land records; transcriptions of New York baptismal and marriage records; personal diaries and letters; and census data from as early as the 18th century. Joining the Library’s rich and heavily used genealogical and manuscript collections, the merged materials of the NYPL and the G&B will create an unparalleled, publicly accessible resource for those conducting genealogical research. The NYPL and the G&B will co-sponsor educational programs, create links to each other’s websites, and collaborate in various ways to make this invaluable resource available to the public.
Continue reading
July 22, 2008
The Van Slyke Family in America: A Genealogy of Cornelise Antonissen Van Slyke, 1604-1676....
The Van Slyke Family in America: A Genealogy of Cornelise Antonissen Van Slyke, 1604-1676 and his Mohawk Wife Ots-Toch, including the story of Jacques Hertel, 1603-1651, Father of Ots-Toch and Interpreter to Samuel de Champlain was published in 1996.
The focus of the book is Cornelise Antonissen Van Slyke born in Brueckelen, Netherlands in 1604 and his Mohawk-French wife Ots-Toch born ca 1620 at Canajoharie, New York. Cornelis came to the New World in 1634, settling at Beverwyck and then Schenectady, New York.
Cornelis Van Slyke's story is of a Dutchman who came to the New World as a carpenter at the age of 30.He became an interpreter for the Mohawk nation, was adopted into the tribe, and married a French-Mohawk woman (Ots-Toch) who never left her native village. Their children, all raised at Canajoharie, one of the Mohawk castles or villages, became well-known and respected in the Dutch community. All except one left the village and married Dutch settlers.
One of their children was my 8th great grandfather, Jacques Cornelissen Van Slyke who was known as Akes Gautsch, and whose Mohawk name was It-sy-cho-sa-quash-ka. Jacques was also an interpreter and one of the first settlers of Schenectady.
In my 189-page book, I trace Ots-Toch's lineage, and Cornelis' and Ots-Toch's descendants to the mid 1800s. The book is 8 1/2 x 11, paperback, coil bound. Laminated covers are available on request (see order form for cost). Pages 1-100 are narrative style chapters detailing the lives of Cornelis and his children, as well as Ots-Toch and her parents, and Cornelis' nephew Willem Pieterse. pages 100-189 are Genealogical Report style plus maps. The book is footnoted and indexed.
The focus of the book is Cornelise Antonissen Van Slyke born in Brueckelen, Netherlands in 1604 and his Mohawk-French wife Ots-Toch born ca 1620 at Canajoharie, New York. Cornelis came to the New World in 1634, settling at Beverwyck and then Schenectady, New York.
Cornelis Van Slyke's story is of a Dutchman who came to the New World as a carpenter at the age of 30.He became an interpreter for the Mohawk nation, was adopted into the tribe, and married a French-Mohawk woman (Ots-Toch) who never left her native village. Their children, all raised at Canajoharie, one of the Mohawk castles or villages, became well-known and respected in the Dutch community. All except one left the village and married Dutch settlers.
One of their children was my 8th great grandfather, Jacques Cornelissen Van Slyke who was known as Akes Gautsch, and whose Mohawk name was It-sy-cho-sa-quash-ka. Jacques was also an interpreter and one of the first settlers of Schenectady.
In my 189-page book, I trace Ots-Toch's lineage, and Cornelis' and Ots-Toch's descendants to the mid 1800s. The book is 8 1/2 x 11, paperback, coil bound. Laminated covers are available on request (see order form for cost). Pages 1-100 are narrative style chapters detailing the lives of Cornelis and his children, as well as Ots-Toch and her parents, and Cornelis' nephew Willem Pieterse. pages 100-189 are Genealogical Report style plus maps. The book is footnoted and indexed.
New Netherland Settlers: Willem Pieterse Van Slyke aka Willem Neef
New Netherland Settlers: Willem Pieterse Van Slyke aka Willem Neef
A genealogy to five generations of the descendants of Willem Pieterse Van Slyke who settled in New Netherland (New York) in 1660
by Lorine McGinnis Schulze
Cornelise's nephew Willem Pieterse Van Slyke and his descendants were briefly discussed in my first book on the Van Slyke family "The Van Slyke Family in America: A Genealogy of Cornelis Anotnissen Van Slyke, 1604-1676 and his Mohawk wife Ots-Toch, including the story of Jacques Hertel, 1603-1651, Father of Ots-Toch and Interpreter to Samuel de Champlain". In the years that followed, I realized it was time to give Willem a book of his own.
Sometimes one event leads to another serendiptious finding. Such was the case with this book. During my four year research period on this book, I was researching other families for a planned series on New Netherland settlers and compiling notes. In-depth research on the Straetsman family led me to an unexpected revelation of a family connection - one which affects Van Slyke and Barheit descendants. You will read about this in the chapter on Pieter Willemse Van Slyke and his wife Johanna Barheit. Other mysteries were solved along the way, and I hope that Van Slyke descendants are pleased with my findings.
The book is 8 1/2 x 11, paperback, coil bound, 200 pages, footnoted and indexed. Laminated covers are available on request (see order form for cost).
Part I is a history of the Dutch in New Netherland including chapters on the Origins of New Netherland, Rensselaerswyck Beginnings, Fort Orange & Albany Beginnings, Early Settlers & Immigration, Religon, Money & Money Substitutes in the New World, Patronymics, The Settlement of Kinderhook.
Part II is on the origins of the Van Slyke family in the Netherlands (inlcudes new information from commissioned research).
Part III is about the Immigrant Van Slyke Ancestors in the New World with chapters on Cornelis Antonissen Van Slyke and his nephew Willem Pieterse Van Slyke.
Part IV discussses the second generation with individual chapters on each of Willem Pieterse's six children and their spouses.
Part V is the Genealogy Report to 5 generations. Included are charts, maps, a bibliography, glossary and timeline.
July 21, 2008
Ex-serviceman risks eviction by flying Canadian flag on balcony - AOL News Canada
Ex-serviceman risks eviction by flying Canadian flag on balcony - AOL News Canada
An ex-serviceman refuses to take down the Canadian flag on his balcony in a subsidized housing unit in Cardinal, Ont., even though the local housing authority is threatening to evict him.
Mark Murray, 53, served with the Royal Canadian Regiment and the Canadian Airborne Regiment in the 1970s and 1980s.
The director of community and social services, Dorothy Theobald, told CBC News Monday that her department is trying to work with Murray, but, she said, the flag can't stay.
Mark Murray flies this flag in support of troops and their families.
(Lorine's comment: My son is in the Canadian Military and knowing that there is support for our soldiers and families means a great deal to me. I hope that Mr. Murray will continue to fly our flag and that the housing unit will reverse its order to remove it)
An ex-serviceman refuses to take down the Canadian flag on his balcony in a subsidized housing unit in Cardinal, Ont., even though the local housing authority is threatening to evict him.
Mark Murray, 53, served with the Royal Canadian Regiment and the Canadian Airborne Regiment in the 1970s and 1980s.
The director of community and social services, Dorothy Theobald, told CBC News Monday that her department is trying to work with Murray, but, she said, the flag can't stay.
Mark Murray flies this flag in support of troops and their families.
(Lorine's comment: My son is in the Canadian Military and knowing that there is support for our soldiers and families means a great deal to me. I hope that Mr. Murray will continue to fly our flag and that the housing unit will reverse its order to remove it)
What you may not have known about 1871 Census of Ontario
Census records for 1871 are available to the public. They give information on all household members - name, age,gender, country of birth, religion, ethnic origin,
occupation, marital status and education.
There are 9 returns for the 1871 census but there are 3 that are of the most help genealogically:
* Schedule 1: Return of the Living
* Schedule 2: Return of the Dead
* Schedule 4: Agricultural Return
Census records are available on microfilm from the Archives of Ontario, National Archives of Canada, on ILL (InterLibraryLoan) through a local library, or from your
local FHC (Family History Center).
You can search the 1871 census index to heads of household for Ontario. If you find a name of interest, you can order a copy of the census page from the National Archives. Requests for copies must include complete references
For help and a link to the order census form, see
http://allcensusrecords.com/canada/1871census.shtml
occupation, marital status and education.
There are 9 returns for the 1871 census but there are 3 that are of the most help genealogically:
* Schedule 1: Return of the Living
* Schedule 2: Return of the Dead
* Schedule 4: Agricultural Return
Census records are available on microfilm from the Archives of Ontario, National Archives of Canada, on ILL (InterLibraryLoan) through a local library, or from your
local FHC (Family History Center).
You can search the 1871 census index to heads of household for Ontario. If you find a name of interest, you can order a copy of the census page from the National Archives. Requests for copies must include complete references
For help and a link to the order census form, see
http://allcensusrecords.com/canada/1871census.shtml
July 20, 2008
Bergeron dit D'Amboise reunion Fredericton New Brunswick Canada
July 18/19 2009
This story begins in the last decade of the 17th century. When in 1692 Governor Villebon granted Point Saint Anne (all of the lower part of today’s Fredericton) to Gabriel Godin. (The census of 1693 confirms this fact for us) Gabriel Godin and his wife, Andree-Angelique JEANNES settled the village of Point Saint Anne. During the following years the village prospered and grew. Then in February 1759 a small force of British Troupes (16 men) led by a Lt Moses Hazen raided and destroyed the Acadian village of Pointe Sainte Anne, as a consequence of this raid some innocent civilians were killed. These civilians were hastily buried in the village cemetery. This cemetery has since been mistakenly identified as an Native American Cemetery when in reality it is an Acadian Cemetery.
Now, we fast forward to 1933 when the cemetery was once again disturbed! This time by a Dr. Wintemberg who came to Point Saint Anne with the expectations of finding pre-historic (First Nation) remains and was surprised to find, buried closely together, and in one case two in one grave, not Indians, but Europeans. In all, seven skeletons were examined. (Two of these remains were those of Anastasie Godin and Madeleine Guilbaut) In no case was there any evidence of Indian (First Nation) at the site. The remains of the two women were removed to Ottawa where they remain today. As Acadian’s and descendants of Anstasie’s family our desire is to have her (their) remains returned to her (their) rightful resting place, Pointe Saint Anne. And the cemetery there properly identified and declared as a National Historical Site.
The Bergeron-Damboise families are planning, in conjunction with The Society of History of the River Saint Jean (SHRSJ) a commemoration of the 250 year anniversary of the destruction of the village. We are calling for all Acadians to rally with us in Fredericton on the weekend of the 18th/19th of July (Saturday and Sunday) 2009. This calling includes all Acadians who are descended from the Godin, Saindon, Pare, Bergeron, St Aubin,Roy,Bellefontaine,DAmboise Families as well as any other family group. Please contact Aline Cormier (alicor@nb.sympatico.ca) or Lawrence Bergeron (larrybergeron@earthlink.net) for further details.
This story begins in the last decade of the 17th century. When in 1692 Governor Villebon granted Point Saint Anne (all of the lower part of today’s Fredericton) to Gabriel Godin. (The census of 1693 confirms this fact for us) Gabriel Godin and his wife, Andree-Angelique JEANNES settled the village of Point Saint Anne. During the following years the village prospered and grew. Then in February 1759 a small force of British Troupes (16 men) led by a Lt Moses Hazen raided and destroyed the Acadian village of Pointe Sainte Anne, as a consequence of this raid some innocent civilians were killed. These civilians were hastily buried in the village cemetery. This cemetery has since been mistakenly identified as an Native American Cemetery when in reality it is an Acadian Cemetery.
Now, we fast forward to 1933 when the cemetery was once again disturbed! This time by a Dr. Wintemberg who came to Point Saint Anne with the expectations of finding pre-historic (First Nation) remains and was surprised to find, buried closely together, and in one case two in one grave, not Indians, but Europeans. In all, seven skeletons were examined. (Two of these remains were those of Anastasie Godin and Madeleine Guilbaut) In no case was there any evidence of Indian (First Nation) at the site. The remains of the two women were removed to Ottawa where they remain today. As Acadian’s and descendants of Anstasie’s family our desire is to have her (their) remains returned to her (their) rightful resting place, Pointe Saint Anne. And the cemetery there properly identified and declared as a National Historical Site.
The Bergeron-Damboise families are planning, in conjunction with The Society of History of the River Saint Jean (SHRSJ) a commemoration of the 250 year anniversary of the destruction of the village. We are calling for all Acadians to rally with us in Fredericton on the weekend of the 18th/19th of July (Saturday and Sunday) 2009. This calling includes all Acadians who are descended from the Godin, Saindon, Pare, Bergeron, St Aubin,Roy,Bellefontaine,DAmboise Families as well as any other family group. Please contact Aline Cormier (alicor@nb.sympatico.ca) or Lawrence Bergeron (larrybergeron@earthlink.net) for further details.
July 19, 2008
Shades of the Departed Guest Author
I was very honoured to be asked by Footnote Maven to be a guest author on her Shades of the Departed Blog. My guest article was about my collection of Civil War era CDVs (Cartes de Visite) and Photo Albums ... and I was thrilled at the chance to talk about one of my favourite things! As an avid collector of many different items, it's always a treat to tell folks about one of my collections
http://www.shadesofthedeparted.com/2008/07/july-18-friday-from-collectors.html
http://www.shadesofthedeparted.com/2008/07/july-18-friday-from-collectors.html
July 16, 2008
July 15, 2008
2008 Family History & Genealogy Conference Midwestern Roots
Midwestern Roots
2008 Family History & Genealogy Conference
August 15-16, 2008
Indianapolis, Indiana
The Indiana Historical Society will host the conference at the Indianapolis Marriott East, Aug. 15 and 16, 2008, with pre-conference activities on Aug. 14.
Midwestern Roots 2008 will feature more than 30 presentations by national and regional experts and cover a range of topics, from sources, methodology and technology to DNA, storytelling, photo preservation, Internet linking and much more.
Speakers include Richard Eastman, Roberta J. Estes, Alan January, Susan Kaufman, Charles F. Kerchner, David Lifferth, James Madison, Nancy Massey, Stephen Morse, Christine Rose, Bob Sander, Beau Sharbough, Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak, Betty Warren and Curt Witcher.
2008 Family History & Genealogy Conference
August 15-16, 2008
Indianapolis, Indiana
The Indiana Historical Society will host the conference at the Indianapolis Marriott East, Aug. 15 and 16, 2008, with pre-conference activities on Aug. 14.
Midwestern Roots 2008 will feature more than 30 presentations by national and regional experts and cover a range of topics, from sources, methodology and technology to DNA, storytelling, photo preservation, Internet linking and much more.
Speakers include Richard Eastman, Roberta J. Estes, Alan January, Susan Kaufman, Charles F. Kerchner, David Lifferth, James Madison, Nancy Massey, Stephen Morse, Christine Rose, Bob Sander, Beau Sharbough, Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak, Betty Warren and Curt Witcher.
July 14, 2008
Oprhan Home Records in USA & Canada
Some New York early orphanages were
* Half Orphan Asylum for Destitute and Abandoned Children
* Leake and Watts Orphan House
* Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum (I have been transcribing these records)
* Hebrew Orphan Asylum, Brooklyn
* Old Schuler Mansion, Albany
* Westchester-Temporary Home for Destitute Children in White Plains opened in 1885
Many of these institutions were founded in New York City to care for destitute children of immigrants from Ireland and Russia, Germany and other eastern European countries. Many immigrants found themselves unable to work and thus were unable feed their children. Women died during childbirth leaving a number of uncared for children. Many women also had illegitimate children that they could not provide for. Husbands died, living behind widows with large families. Some parents were addicted to alcohol or committed crimes and wound up in prison.
Search for ancestors in Orphan Home Records in USA and Canada
* Half Orphan Asylum for Destitute and Abandoned Children
* Leake and Watts Orphan House
* Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum (I have been transcribing these records)
* Hebrew Orphan Asylum, Brooklyn
* Old Schuler Mansion, Albany
* Westchester-Temporary Home for Destitute Children in White Plains opened in 1885
Many of these institutions were founded in New York City to care for destitute children of immigrants from Ireland and Russia, Germany and other eastern European countries. Many immigrants found themselves unable to work and thus were unable feed their children. Women died during childbirth leaving a number of uncared for children. Many women also had illegitimate children that they could not provide for. Husbands died, living behind widows with large families. Some parents were addicted to alcohol or committed crimes and wound up in prison.
Search for ancestors in Orphan Home Records in USA and Canada
July 13, 2008
Orphanages in New Amsterdam (New York City)
As early as 1653, New York City (formerly called New Amsterdam) recognized that it needed to care for the city's minor children, widows, and orphans. In February of that year, the Deacons of the Reformed Dutch Church were appointed to act as Orphan Masters. Their duties were to "keep their eyes open and look as Orphanmasters after widows and orphans..." They were to report to city officials who would appoint cuators if necessary to take care of the estates and effects of these widows and orphaned children.
On February 10, 1653, two men were appointed to act, not as Orphanmasters as originally intended, but as Overseers of Orphans. City officials continued to rule in the Orphan's Court, which had been created by Stuyvesant to "attend to orphans and minor children within the jurisdiction of this city [New York City]"
The Records of this Orphans' Court have been published as "Minutes of the Orphan Masters of New Amsterdam 1655-1663" by Berthold Fernow and "The Minutes of the Orphan Masters of New Amsterdam 1663-1668" translated by Edmund B. O'Callaghan. Genealogists can also consult The Records of New Amsterdam : From 1653 to 1674 Anno Domini by Berthold Fernow
Searchable Orphan Records can be found at http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/orphans/
On February 10, 1653, two men were appointed to act, not as Orphanmasters as originally intended, but as Overseers of Orphans. City officials continued to rule in the Orphan's Court, which had been created by Stuyvesant to "attend to orphans and minor children within the jurisdiction of this city [New York City]"
The Records of this Orphans' Court have been published as "Minutes of the Orphan Masters of New Amsterdam 1655-1663" by Berthold Fernow and "The Minutes of the Orphan Masters of New Amsterdam 1663-1668" translated by Edmund B. O'Callaghan. Genealogists can also consult The Records of New Amsterdam : From 1653 to 1674 Anno Domini by Berthold Fernow
Searchable Orphan Records can be found at http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/orphans/
July 12, 2008
Manifest Markings & Verification of Naturalizations
In 1926 verification clerks began to record the verification (record check) and naturalization certification activity on each passenger list record. The
annotations may be found on any passenger list, before or after 1926, but they all relate to naturalization activity occurring in 1926 or later.
You can read about Manifest Markings and their meanings (plus refer to a District Number decoder) at
http://www.jewishgen.org/InfoFiles/Manifests/occ/
For a Resource Guide and links to online Naturalization records, what you can expect to find, where to find them, and alternate sources of finding those important years (immigration and naturalization) at
http://naturalizationrecords.com/usa/
annotations may be found on any passenger list, before or after 1926, but they all relate to naturalization activity occurring in 1926 or later.
You can read about Manifest Markings and their meanings (plus refer to a District Number decoder) at
http://www.jewishgen.org/InfoFiles/Manifests/occ/
For a Resource Guide and links to online Naturalization records, what you can expect to find, where to find them, and alternate sources of finding those important years (immigration and naturalization) at
http://naturalizationrecords.com/usa/
July 11, 2008
Challenges in Searching Boston Ship Passenger Lists
The problem with the Boston arrivals is there is an 8 1/2 year gap on M277 (which is titled Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Boston MA 1820-1891) The gap is from a April 1874 to 31 Dec 1882.
That is because there are no Federal records of any kind prior to 1883 (due to fire) and State Department copies were used in their place. BUT State Departments copies and abstracts only covered up to end of March 1874.
However the good news is that there ARE records for the missing years. They are not available at NARA, only at the Massachusetts State Archives
There is an index on M625 which *does* cover those "missing" years. Finding an ancestor on that index in those missing years means you have to then write to the Mass. State Archives for a copy of the passenger list page with your ancestor on it.
Search for ancestors on Ships Passenger Lists to USA
That is because there are no Federal records of any kind prior to 1883 (due to fire) and State Department copies were used in their place. BUT State Departments copies and abstracts only covered up to end of March 1874.
However the good news is that there ARE records for the missing years. They are not available at NARA, only at the Massachusetts State Archives
There is an index on M625 which *does* cover those "missing" years. Finding an ancestor on that index in those missing years means you have to then write to the Mass. State Archives for a copy of the passenger list page with your ancestor on it.
Search for ancestors on Ships Passenger Lists to USA
July 10, 2008
I Love My Labeller!
Okay I confess. I'm a compulsive labeller. A few years ago, against my husband's wishes, I bought a Brother P-Touch and I love it. If I thought I could get away with it I would probably label everything in the house.
My friends and family shake their heads when they see all the storage shelves in my basement labelled "Paper Towels" "Kleenex" "Water" "Dog Food". Clear plastic tubs labelled "Light Bulbs" "Party Stuff" "Tape" sit on storage shelves.
My electrician loves me. All my fuse panel switches are neatly labelled "Mud Room" "Kitchen" "Bedroom lites". We recently had our electric panel redone and another one added, and the electrician called me to the basement to start printing labels so she could put them on the new switches.
I should explain that I don't label things because I am organized. On the contrary I am DISorganized! I label them because if I don't I can't remember what is IN tubs or boxes. My husband tends to put items wherever there is an empty space on a shelf or in a cupboard, then I can't find them. With shelves labelled "Paper Towels" he knows that even if that spot is empty, I'd rather he didn't store his work tools there.
This year I discovered the joys of Genealogy labelling. Let me first explain that I have two large lateral filing cabinets about 6 feet wide with a total of 6 drawers, all for my genealogy papers and documents. They are full. Crammed full. I also have several large plastic tubs of unfiled genealogy papers and documents. Combine that with 3 hanging file folder racks with my ongoing work and research and you have a mess. I tend to grab whatever is handy and scribble a file name on a folder, then pop it in to a hanging folder, one of those that is supposed to have a plastic tab identifying the contents. But I rarely get around to that, or if I do it's in an assortment of coloured pens, pencils, markers....
Because I am trying to work on a series of genealogy books, I realized I have to be more organized and efficient. Also my personal genealogy was rapidly becoming overwhelmingly cluttered and disorganized!
It didn't take me long to realize I could put my labeller to good use. I spent a happy weekend going through ALL my genealogy files, sorting, tossing, and reorganizing. With each folder I reorganized, I immediately created a label - big and easy to read, and neatly printed on my P-Touch instead of in my scribbly handwriting.
After putting everything back in the filing cabinets and hanging folders, I was thrilled because now I can READ the labels and see what files are in each drawer. With my bad eyesight this has been a boon in easily finding items in the bottom drawers in particular.
All the files look so neat and professional that now I am inspired to actually work on my genealogy! No more frantic hunting for that one document I KNOW I found last time I was in Salt Lake City.... but where oh where did I put it!
My friends and family shake their heads when they see all the storage shelves in my basement labelled "Paper Towels" "Kleenex" "Water" "Dog Food". Clear plastic tubs labelled "Light Bulbs" "Party Stuff" "Tape" sit on storage shelves.
My electrician loves me. All my fuse panel switches are neatly labelled "Mud Room" "Kitchen" "Bedroom lites". We recently had our electric panel redone and another one added, and the electrician called me to the basement to start printing labels so she could put them on the new switches.
I should explain that I don't label things because I am organized. On the contrary I am DISorganized! I label them because if I don't I can't remember what is IN tubs or boxes. My husband tends to put items wherever there is an empty space on a shelf or in a cupboard, then I can't find them. With shelves labelled "Paper Towels" he knows that even if that spot is empty, I'd rather he didn't store his work tools there.
This year I discovered the joys of Genealogy labelling. Let me first explain that I have two large lateral filing cabinets about 6 feet wide with a total of 6 drawers, all for my genealogy papers and documents. They are full. Crammed full. I also have several large plastic tubs of unfiled genealogy papers and documents. Combine that with 3 hanging file folder racks with my ongoing work and research and you have a mess. I tend to grab whatever is handy and scribble a file name on a folder, then pop it in to a hanging folder, one of those that is supposed to have a plastic tab identifying the contents. But I rarely get around to that, or if I do it's in an assortment of coloured pens, pencils, markers....
Because I am trying to work on a series of genealogy books, I realized I have to be more organized and efficient. Also my personal genealogy was rapidly becoming overwhelmingly cluttered and disorganized!
It didn't take me long to realize I could put my labeller to good use. I spent a happy weekend going through ALL my genealogy files, sorting, tossing, and reorganizing. With each folder I reorganized, I immediately created a label - big and easy to read, and neatly printed on my P-Touch instead of in my scribbly handwriting.
After putting everything back in the filing cabinets and hanging folders, I was thrilled because now I can READ the labels and see what files are in each drawer. With my bad eyesight this has been a boon in easily finding items in the bottom drawers in particular.
All the files look so neat and professional that now I am inspired to actually work on my genealogy! No more frantic hunting for that one document I KNOW I found last time I was in Salt Lake City.... but where oh where did I put it!
July 8, 2008
Ships Passenger Lists to New Netherland (New York) - What Exists?
All "passenger lists" for travel from The Netherlands to New Netherland 1654-1664 came from information on the debit side of the West India Company Account Book. They show who owed money when they arrived. This account book is found in New Netherland Colonial Mss, vol. 14, Book KK. The lists of Passengers to New Netherland in the Year Book of the Holland Society of New Netherland 1902:1-37 were taken from this Account Book FN 1, 2
Typical fare was 36 florins; half that for young children; and nothing for nursing infants. FN 1
These accounts were made from the records of the West India Company, by order of the English rulers after the confiscation of the Company's property in New Netherland, and as assets of or debts due the Company, and to be collected by the English. The list seems to stop with the Eendracht which arrived on 19 July 1664. The English took over in Sept 1664 so that may have been the last passenger ship to arrive before that date.
Continue reading and search for ancestors on 81 Ships Passenger Lists to New Netherland (New York) 1624-1664
Typical fare was 36 florins; half that for young children; and nothing for nursing infants. FN 1
These accounts were made from the records of the West India Company, by order of the English rulers after the confiscation of the Company's property in New Netherland, and as assets of or debts due the Company, and to be collected by the English. The list seems to stop with the Eendracht which arrived on 19 July 1664. The English took over in Sept 1664 so that may have been the last passenger ship to arrive before that date.
Continue reading and search for ancestors on 81 Ships Passenger Lists to New Netherland (New York) 1624-1664
July 5, 2008
Oregon Statewide Biennial Genealogy Conference
Oregon Statewide Biennial Genealogy Conference
Saturday, July 19th, 2008
Lane Community College
Center for Meeting and Learning
4000 E 30th Ave, Eugene, OR 97405
Featuring Cyndi Howells of Cyndi’s List
For info: gco2008conference@yahoo.com
Saturday, July 19th, 2008
Lane Community College
Center for Meeting and Learning
4000 E 30th Ave, Eugene, OR 97405
Featuring Cyndi Howells of Cyndi’s List
For info: gco2008conference@yahoo.com
July 4, 2008
Reformed Church at Machackemeck (Deerpark), Orange Co. New York Baptisms online
Olive Tree Genealogy added almost 10 more years of baptisms in the Reformed Church at Machackemeck (Deerpark),Orange County New York for the following years: Feb 1752-
June 1754 | July 1754-Nov 1756 | Nov 1756-Jan 1759 | Jan 1759-Apr 1760
This adds to the current church records online for 1716 - 1750
You can click on links for this set of free church records at the What's New for June page
More years will be added as volunteers complete the transcripts. We will be stopping at 1827.
Search for ancestors at genealogy records for New York and New Netherland
June 1754 | July 1754-Nov 1756 | Nov 1756-Jan 1759 | Jan 1759-Apr 1760
This adds to the current church records online for 1716 - 1750
You can click on links for this set of free church records at the What's New for June page
More years will be added as volunteers complete the transcripts. We will be stopping at 1827.
Search for ancestors at genealogy records for New York and New Netherland
July 3, 2008
USA Military Naturalizations
Aliens serving in the US military did not gain citizenship through service alone. The naturalization of soldiers was performed under certain provisions of nationality law facilitating the naturalization of members of the US armed forces.
These provisions waived the Declaration of Intention requirement and waived or reduced the residency requirement. Thus many soldiers filed petitions and were naturalized the same day.
Search WW1 Soldiers Naturalization Records 1918 index cards with names, dates of naturalization, court numbers, and certificate numbers of soldiers in WWI whose naturalizations were facilitated so they could serve in the US Armed Forces.
These provisions waived the Declaration of Intention requirement and waived or reduced the residency requirement. Thus many soldiers filed petitions and were naturalized the same day.
Search WW1 Soldiers Naturalization Records 1918 index cards with names, dates of naturalization, court numbers, and certificate numbers of soldiers in WWI whose naturalizations were facilitated so they could serve in the US Armed Forces.
July 2, 2008
USA Naturalization Records After 1906
After 1906 the declaration of intent contains preliminary information and may have incorrect dates of arrival and anglicized names. However petitions after 1906 have information that has been verified and matched to an immigration record. An immigrant who arrived after June 29, 1906, could not naturalize until the government located their immigration record (a passenger list).
Since 1906, after an immigrant filed a Declaration of Intention or a Petition for Naturalization in a naturalization court, the Bureau of Naturalization was called upon to provide a certification of the immigrant's arrival record. The certification, called a Certificate of Arrival was sent to the courthouse.
So when researching, think of opposites - AFTER 1906 you want the Petition. Before 1906 you want the Declaration of Intent
Search free Naturalization Records Online
Since 1906, after an immigrant filed a Declaration of Intention or a Petition for Naturalization in a naturalization court, the Bureau of Naturalization was called upon to provide a certification of the immigrant's arrival record. The certification, called a Certificate of Arrival was sent to the courthouse.
So when researching, think of opposites - AFTER 1906 you want the Petition. Before 1906 you want the Declaration of Intent
Search free Naturalization Records Online
July 1, 2008
USA Naturalization Records Before 1906
Before 1906, the declaration of intent generally contains more genealogically useful information than the petition.
Petitions before 1906 usually show only a name, former allegiance, and date of naturalization. The declaration may include the alien's exact date of immigration into the United States.
Search free Naturalization Records online
Petitions before 1906 usually show only a name, former allegiance, and date of naturalization. The declaration may include the alien's exact date of immigration into the United States.
Search free Naturalization Records online
June 30, 2008
Outbound Ships Passenger Lists from USA Added
Olive Tree Genealogy added more ships passenger lists for outbound ships leaving New York. USA did not keep its outbound lists so finding any is very challenging. This
project is an ongoing one and is entirely free for all.
Today's new ships added are easiest to get to by going to the What's New in June page on Olive Tree Genealogy at
http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/free0608.shtml
The new ships are listed below and they are linked from the URL above.
* Added partial List of passengers on board steamship Europa for Liverpool from New York 20 May 1852
* Added partial List of passengers on board steamship Jason for Liverpool from New York 2 Nov 1857
* Added partial List of passengers on board Steamship Kangaroo for Liverpool from New York 18 June 1858
* Added partial List of passengers on board steamship Kangaroo for Liverpool from New York 30 July 1858
* Added partial List of passengers on board steamship Minestora for Liverpool from New York 4 May 1867
* Added partial List of passengers on board steamship Jamestown from Norfolk, Richmond etc Virginia from New York 30 July 1858
* Added partial List of passengers on board steamship Jamestown for Norfolk, Petersburg and Richmond Virginia from New York 2 Nov 1857
project is an ongoing one and is entirely free for all.
Today's new ships added are easiest to get to by going to the What's New in June page on Olive Tree Genealogy at
http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/free0608.shtml
The new ships are listed below and they are linked from the URL above.
* Added partial List of passengers on board steamship Europa for Liverpool from New York 20 May 1852
* Added partial List of passengers on board steamship Jason for Liverpool from New York 2 Nov 1857
* Added partial List of passengers on board Steamship Kangaroo for Liverpool from New York 18 June 1858
* Added partial List of passengers on board steamship Kangaroo for Liverpool from New York 30 July 1858
* Added partial List of passengers on board steamship Minestora for Liverpool from New York 4 May 1867
* Added partial List of passengers on board steamship Jamestown from Norfolk, Richmond etc Virginia from New York 30 July 1858
* Added partial List of passengers on board steamship Jamestown for Norfolk, Petersburg and Richmond Virginia from New York 2 Nov 1857
June 29, 2008
Domestics Brought to Canada
Mr Leverne Baxter and the Canadian Genealogy Centre signed a memorandum of agreement on July 9, 2007. This agreement will permit users of the Canadian Genealogy Centre Web site to consult a new online searchable nominal index of over 1500 domestics brought to Canada from Great Britain by Mrs Helen Sanford between 1898 and 1914 and by Mr. Benjamin Pipe, between 1905 and 1911.
This online nominal index will offer genealogists and all researchers interested in social and women's history increased access to Library and Archives Canada significant collection on immigration to Canada.
See http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/genealogy/022-203.002.13-e.html
This online nominal index will offer genealogists and all researchers interested in social and women's history increased access to Library and Archives Canada significant collection on immigration to Canada.
See http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/genealogy/022-203.002.13-e.html
June 28, 2008
Finding Naturalization Records in USA - Part 1
Naturalization in the United States was a two-step process that generally took a minimum of 5 years. These two steps did not have to take place in the same court.
In general, after living in the United States for 2 years, an alien could file a Declaration of Intent (also called First Papers) to become a citizen.
After 2 additional years, the alien could Petition for Naturalization. After the petition was granted, a Certificate of Citizenship was issued to the alien.
See Changes in Naturalization Requirements for information on specific time periods from 1790 to present.
In general, after living in the United States for 2 years, an alien could file a Declaration of Intent (also called First Papers) to become a citizen.
After 2 additional years, the alien could Petition for Naturalization. After the petition was granted, a Certificate of Citizenship was issued to the alien.
See Changes in Naturalization Requirements for information on specific time periods from 1790 to present.
June 27, 2008
Understanding Naturalization Records information in Census Records
Naturalization Records are very important to your genealogy research. They can help you find the date, ship, port of arrival, and the place of birth for your ancestor.
You will find Naturalization information on census records. The 1900, 1910 ,1920 and 1930 American census identify citizenship status, with notations showing the individual was an Alien,or had started the Naturalization process or had his final
papers.
* PA means he had started his first papers
* NA means he was naturalized
* AL means he was still an alien (not naturalized)
Remember that the years of immigration and naturalization are the most MISremembered years so allow a year or two on either side of any date you find in the Census.
You will find Naturalization information on census records. The 1900, 1910 ,1920 and 1930 American census identify citizenship status, with notations showing the individual was an Alien,or had started the Naturalization process or had his final
papers.
* PA means he had started his first papers
* NA means he was naturalized
* AL means he was still an alien (not naturalized)
Remember that the years of immigration and naturalization are the most MISremembered years so allow a year or two on either side of any date you find in the Census.
June 26, 2008
Figuring out Canada Locations on USA Census Records
We've all seen it - an ancestor found in a USA census record and under place of birth "Can-Eng".
Sometimes this reference is misindexed as "England". It isn't England but where is it?
Earlier census records might indicate "C.W." or even earlier ones may have the notation "U.C" but what does that mean?? Where are these locations?
You can't find an ancestor in Canada without knowing at least a Province of origin. You will need to determine what Province your ancestor came from in order to search for records.
Here is a handy little guide for anyone finding a Canadian ancestor in the American Census Records. You will also find some of these same abbreviations in Canadian Census Records.
U.C. = Upper Canada. This is now the Province of Ontario and is often found in early Canadian Census records.
L.C. = Lower Canada. This is now the Province of Quebec
C.W. = Canada West. This was Upper Canada until 1842 and is now Ontario
C.E. = Canada East. This was Lower Canada until 1842 and is now Quebec
Can.Eng. = Canada English usually referring to Ontario
Can.Fr. = Canada French usually referring to Quebec
For more on name and boundary changes in Canadian Records see http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/can/ont/hist.shtml
If you are bewildered by Canadian Genealogy research you may want to start at the Canadian Genealogy pages at http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/can/
Sometimes this reference is misindexed as "England". It isn't England but where is it?
Earlier census records might indicate "C.W." or even earlier ones may have the notation "U.C" but what does that mean?? Where are these locations?
You can't find an ancestor in Canada without knowing at least a Province of origin. You will need to determine what Province your ancestor came from in order to search for records.
Here is a handy little guide for anyone finding a Canadian ancestor in the American Census Records. You will also find some of these same abbreviations in Canadian Census Records.
U.C. = Upper Canada. This is now the Province of Ontario and is often found in early Canadian Census records.
L.C. = Lower Canada. This is now the Province of Quebec
C.W. = Canada West. This was Upper Canada until 1842 and is now Ontario
C.E. = Canada East. This was Lower Canada until 1842 and is now Quebec
Can.Eng. = Canada English usually referring to Ontario
Can.Fr. = Canada French usually referring to Quebec
For more on name and boundary changes in Canadian Records see http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/can/ont/hist.shtml
If you are bewildered by Canadian Genealogy research you may want to start at the Canadian Genealogy pages at http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/can/
June 25, 2008
The Pitfalls of Census Records
How accurate are census records? I'm sure this question has arisen for every genealogist at some point in their research.
Why does Great Grandma's age change every census by less (or more!) than the 10 years between census? What's up with Great Grandpa's surname being spelled incorrectly? Why does Grandpa have a different first name every census year? Is it even the right man?? And why does great great grandma give a different place of birth for her parents each time?
These are all questions that might arise as you delve into census records. We quickly learn that census records cannot be considered the absolute and final authority. There are good reasons why we see so many discrepancies, but discrepancies doesn't mean we should disregard the information, just that we need to check for other collaborating records (or records which will disprove the anomalous information)
How can the census be so wrong sometimes? Consider first what question was actually asked by the census taker. For example with ages - did he ask how old the person was, or how old they were on their last birthday or.....
People lie about their ages. In past generations individuals often did not know their exact year of birth. I have a letter written in 1847 by my ancestor Levi Peer to his mother, asking her when he was born! At the time he was 38 years old but he obviously only had a vague idea of his birth year.
What about names? Spelling was not exact back in the 1800s and earlier. A census taker wrote what he heard, and whether or not he was a good speller or was familiar with the surname dictated what we see rendered on the census page. Don't forget that great grandpa might have been a recent immigrant with a difficult accent. The census taker might not have had any idea what name was being spoken.
If great grandpa was German or Polish or.... any other nationality find out what the English equivalent of his first name is. If you only know him as Walter but you know he came from another country, find out what his English name is in his native land. You may find him recorded either with his English equivalent or his ethnic origin name. For example Wladyslaw can be Walter. And on and on it goes...
Different first names? Children were usually given at least two names at birth and a man (or woman) might choose to use his first or his middle, or perhaps a nickname. Your ancestor might not have settled on his or her name until later in life, so may have used one name on one census and another on the next. Parents may have called their child by the name they bestowed on him but when he grew up he may have decided he didn't like his given name and used his middle.
People also had nicknames - Jack for John, Delia for Bridget, Polly for Mary - there are many standard nicknames which we can easily find with a search of Google. But what about invented nicknames? My husband's grandfather had the first name of Leon and middle name of Thomas but was called Charlie his entire life. We have to keep an open mind about whether or not individual A is the same person as individual B on another census!
The next question we need to ask ourselves is - who provided the answers on that census? Was it a parent? And if so, was it Mom or Dad. Mothers may have had a better idea of their children's birth years and ages than dad. Was it an older child (perhaps mom or dad were not home) or even a neighbour giving the information? All these factors will affect the quality of the census information.
Immigration and naturalization years are among the most mis-remembered of all on the census. Let's face it, can you recall the exact year you did something? If I am asked what year I went backpacking through Europe, I can only say it was sometime in the mid 1970s. To figure it out more precisely I'd need some time to sit and think about how old my children were, or some other trigger for my memory. The census taker was not going to sit there while mom or dad thought about what year they arrived in this country so the year you see on the census may be pretty much their best guess, given quickly.
As for great great Grandma giving a different place of birth for her parents (or even herself!) remember that she may only have heard how her mother lived in New York, and not have heard that actually her mother was born in Illinois and moved to New York as an infant. She may know that she herself was born in New York but moved elsewhere as a child and considers that her birth place. Again, think about who might have given the information! Perhaps great great grandma was sick in bed and her husband provided the details, or an older child.
In essence treat the census as you should every other genealogical source - with a bit of suspicion. Find other records and assess them all before arriving at a decision as to which (if any) is correct. But don't toss away information in one record as being completely wrong until you have thought about all the variables involved. You may find that you are indeed on the right track chasing Jurgen Muzzel even though you were told your great great grandpa was George Maxwell.....
Why does Great Grandma's age change every census by less (or more!) than the 10 years between census? What's up with Great Grandpa's surname being spelled incorrectly? Why does Grandpa have a different first name every census year? Is it even the right man?? And why does great great grandma give a different place of birth for her parents each time?
These are all questions that might arise as you delve into census records. We quickly learn that census records cannot be considered the absolute and final authority. There are good reasons why we see so many discrepancies, but discrepancies doesn't mean we should disregard the information, just that we need to check for other collaborating records (or records which will disprove the anomalous information)
How can the census be so wrong sometimes? Consider first what question was actually asked by the census taker. For example with ages - did he ask how old the person was, or how old they were on their last birthday or.....
People lie about their ages. In past generations individuals often did not know their exact year of birth. I have a letter written in 1847 by my ancestor Levi Peer to his mother, asking her when he was born! At the time he was 38 years old but he obviously only had a vague idea of his birth year.
What about names? Spelling was not exact back in the 1800s and earlier. A census taker wrote what he heard, and whether or not he was a good speller or was familiar with the surname dictated what we see rendered on the census page. Don't forget that great grandpa might have been a recent immigrant with a difficult accent. The census taker might not have had any idea what name was being spoken.
If great grandpa was German or Polish or.... any other nationality find out what the English equivalent of his first name is. If you only know him as Walter but you know he came from another country, find out what his English name is in his native land. You may find him recorded either with his English equivalent or his ethnic origin name. For example Wladyslaw can be Walter. And on and on it goes...
Different first names? Children were usually given at least two names at birth and a man (or woman) might choose to use his first or his middle, or perhaps a nickname. Your ancestor might not have settled on his or her name until later in life, so may have used one name on one census and another on the next. Parents may have called their child by the name they bestowed on him but when he grew up he may have decided he didn't like his given name and used his middle.
People also had nicknames - Jack for John, Delia for Bridget, Polly for Mary - there are many standard nicknames which we can easily find with a search of Google. But what about invented nicknames? My husband's grandfather had the first name of Leon and middle name of Thomas but was called Charlie his entire life. We have to keep an open mind about whether or not individual A is the same person as individual B on another census!
The next question we need to ask ourselves is - who provided the answers on that census? Was it a parent? And if so, was it Mom or Dad. Mothers may have had a better idea of their children's birth years and ages than dad. Was it an older child (perhaps mom or dad were not home) or even a neighbour giving the information? All these factors will affect the quality of the census information.
Immigration and naturalization years are among the most mis-remembered of all on the census. Let's face it, can you recall the exact year you did something? If I am asked what year I went backpacking through Europe, I can only say it was sometime in the mid 1970s. To figure it out more precisely I'd need some time to sit and think about how old my children were, or some other trigger for my memory. The census taker was not going to sit there while mom or dad thought about what year they arrived in this country so the year you see on the census may be pretty much their best guess, given quickly.
As for great great Grandma giving a different place of birth for her parents (or even herself!) remember that she may only have heard how her mother lived in New York, and not have heard that actually her mother was born in Illinois and moved to New York as an infant. She may know that she herself was born in New York but moved elsewhere as a child and considers that her birth place. Again, think about who might have given the information! Perhaps great great grandma was sick in bed and her husband provided the details, or an older child.
In essence treat the census as you should every other genealogical source - with a bit of suspicion. Find other records and assess them all before arriving at a decision as to which (if any) is correct. But don't toss away information in one record as being completely wrong until you have thought about all the variables involved. You may find that you are indeed on the right track chasing Jurgen Muzzel even though you were told your great great grandpa was George Maxwell.....
June 24, 2008
Genealogy Journal Writing Part 2
After filling my first 100 page Journal with notes and memories of the town I have lived in for over 30 years, I began Journal 2. This Journal was to be about the town I was born and lived in for the first 17 years of my life.
I also added hand drawn family trees showing my genealogy to Journal 1, and redid them for Journal 2. Why? Because there is no guarantee that any of my Journals will survive, but hopefully at least one will, and I want my genealogy available in it for any descendants.
It has been a lot of fun dredging up old memories - childhood friends, games we played (Kick the Can, anyone?), schools I went to, teachers I remember and so on. Describing the town I lived in (Ajax) was important, because when I lived there it was a village and now it is almost a suburb of Toronto. As I write I remind myself of what I like to read in old journals and pioneer memories - not only do I want to hear about the people who lived there but also how they lived, what they ate, what they wore, how much money they earned, and so on. I add those details to my journals.
The wonderful thing is that adding a simple detail (a memory of the milkman carrying clanging bottles of milk to our front door) often brings back a flood of other memories, such as my mother cooking on a coal burning stove and how archaic that seems now in our days of microwaves! I think (hope) my descendants might get a kick out of reading that, and how we did not own a television until I was 10 years old.
Journal #2 is well underway, I have about 25 pages to go before it too is filled. I have a third journal (100 pages) ready and waiting, and my son knows they are to be his at some time in the future. Hopefully he will take over as caretaker of all the family photos, documents and journals until the next generation has someone ready and willing to carry on with the job.
It's fun to think about which of your grandchildren or nieces or nephews you might groom for the job. I have several grandchildren but one grandson age 10 has already expressed great interest in being the family historian and loves the Ancestor Cards I created last summer.
What more could a genealogist ask for?
I also added hand drawn family trees showing my genealogy to Journal 1, and redid them for Journal 2. Why? Because there is no guarantee that any of my Journals will survive, but hopefully at least one will, and I want my genealogy available in it for any descendants.
It has been a lot of fun dredging up old memories - childhood friends, games we played (Kick the Can, anyone?), schools I went to, teachers I remember and so on. Describing the town I lived in (Ajax) was important, because when I lived there it was a village and now it is almost a suburb of Toronto. As I write I remind myself of what I like to read in old journals and pioneer memories - not only do I want to hear about the people who lived there but also how they lived, what they ate, what they wore, how much money they earned, and so on. I add those details to my journals.
The wonderful thing is that adding a simple detail (a memory of the milkman carrying clanging bottles of milk to our front door) often brings back a flood of other memories, such as my mother cooking on a coal burning stove and how archaic that seems now in our days of microwaves! I think (hope) my descendants might get a kick out of reading that, and how we did not own a television until I was 10 years old.
Journal #2 is well underway, I have about 25 pages to go before it too is filled. I have a third journal (100 pages) ready and waiting, and my son knows they are to be his at some time in the future. Hopefully he will take over as caretaker of all the family photos, documents and journals until the next generation has someone ready and willing to carry on with the job.
It's fun to think about which of your grandchildren or nieces or nephews you might groom for the job. I have several grandchildren but one grandson age 10 has already expressed great interest in being the family historian and loves the Ancestor Cards I created last summer.
What more could a genealogist ask for?
June 23, 2008
Coffin Plate Genealogy Inscription
Coffin plates are decorative adornments attached to the coffin that contain free genealogical information like the name and death date of the deceased. Here is the inscription from a coffin plate I spotted in an antique store in Massachusetts
Henry F. Fisk
Died May 17, 1900
age 2 days
More Coffin Plates (almost 400 now!) can be freely viewed at AncestorsAtRest.com
Died May 17, 1900
age 2 days
More Coffin Plates (almost 400 now!) can be freely viewed at AncestorsAtRest.com
June 22, 2008
Genealogy Antique Treasure - Trial Eights Crew 1875
Found in an antique store - a framed photo with ids
L.M.B.C. TRIAL EIGHTS
Winning Crew
H J Lewis
2. H L Young
3. J H Lloyd
4. H St. J. Wilding
5. R P Stedman
6. R C Smith
STK/H T Kemp
COX/ C Pendlebury
December 1875
I did a little research and learned that LMBC is Lady Margaret Boat Club of St John's College. It seems to have something to do with Oxford and Cambridge University Boat Clubs but perhaps a reader will know more than I do.
L.M.B.C. TRIAL EIGHTS
Winning Crew
H J Lewis
2. H L Young
3. J H Lloyd
4. H St. J. Wilding
5. R P Stedman
6. R C Smith
STK/H T Kemp
COX/ C Pendlebury
December 1875
I did a little research and learned that LMBC is Lady Margaret Boat Club of St John's College. It seems to have something to do with Oxford and Cambridge University Boat Clubs but perhaps a reader will know more than I do.
June 21, 2008
American Shipmasters Association Examination New York
Here is another genealogy inscription spotted on a framed certificate in an antique shop in Massachusetts
American Shipmasters Association Examination New York
Benjamin A. Sheldon
March -- 1873
Nautical Science & Seamanship
Approved Shipmates
Signed
-- Taylor
Ambrose Snow
T. W. Ellison
Geo. W. Black
T. ----
Note: The American Shipmasters' Association was organized in 1861 to improve the American Mercantile Marine Service and the general skill and moral character of those in the seamen's profession. Licenses had previously been issued intermittently by the United States Steamboat Inspection Service, but no continuous effort had been made until John D. Hones formed the American Shipmasters'Association in 1861. The Association was made up of maritime insurers, shipbuilders, government officials and maritime experts.
The ASA began issuing certificates to qualified mates and masters of sailing vessels receiving the first application from Captain Isaiah Pratt in September 1861.
To receive a certificate, seamen had to meet rigorous requirements, including six years experience at sea and a high score on the nautical science and seaman ship
examinations administered by the ASA. Applicants also had to produce testimonials to their good character.
Each certificate was valid for one year and could be renewed annually. Seamen retained their ASA numbers for life and a number once used was never reissued.
The ASA continued its program of certification until 1900, by which time Federal law required that most shipmasters be licensed by the federal governmentof the United States. It then became known as the American Bureau of Shipping.
American Shipmasters Association Examination New York
Benjamin A. Sheldon
March -- 1873
Nautical Science & Seamanship
Approved Shipmates
Signed
-- Taylor
Ambrose Snow
T. W. Ellison
Geo. W. Black
T. ----
Note: The American Shipmasters' Association was organized in 1861 to improve the American Mercantile Marine Service and the general skill and moral character of those in the seamen's profession. Licenses had previously been issued intermittently by the United States Steamboat Inspection Service, but no continuous effort had been made until John D. Hones formed the American Shipmasters'Association in 1861. The Association was made up of maritime insurers, shipbuilders, government officials and maritime experts.
The ASA began issuing certificates to qualified mates and masters of sailing vessels receiving the first application from Captain Isaiah Pratt in September 1861.
To receive a certificate, seamen had to meet rigorous requirements, including six years experience at sea and a high score on the nautical science and seaman ship
examinations administered by the ASA. Applicants also had to produce testimonials to their good character.
Each certificate was valid for one year and could be renewed annually. Seamen retained their ASA numbers for life and a number once used was never reissued.
The ASA continued its program of certification until 1900, by which time Federal law required that most shipmasters be licensed by the federal governmentof the United States. It then became known as the American Bureau of Shipping.
June 20, 2008
Finding ancestors on Ships to Canada Before 1865
In 1844 18,330 immigrants arrived at the port of Montreal - and that's just ONE port, so imagine how many arrived at all Canadian ports in total.
Before 1865, it wasn't mandatory that passenger lists of ships arriving in Canada be kept. So you may find a few stray lists, or shipping company records - such as the JJ Cooke Shipping Records online at http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/jjcooke.shtml
These are sailings from Londonderry to Philadelphia, Quebec, St. John,New Brunswick, and Louisiana from 1847-71, or shipping agent reports like the Hawke Papers, Records of assisted passage, and so on.
There are other records that can substitute for a passenger list. For example, TheShipsList.com is extracting newspaper reports of arrivals and also listing names of passengers who took steamboats once they landed. In many cases you can consider yourself lucky if you find an ancestor on one of these lists!
There is also the Return of Emigrants Landed at the Port of Kingston Ontario, Canada 1861-1882 which gives the final destination of the individuals, their date of arrival at Kingston and more. It is found at
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/kingston1861oct-1862may.shtml These may have your ancestor's name travelling inland once he or she arrived in Canada.
Here is an example of the variety of records that fill in the gaps of pre 1865 Canadian passenger lists ---
Nancy Boggs, 39, Sarah Boggs 17 and Eliza Boggs 14 were listed, along with several others, in a letter that A. C. Buchanan, Chief Agent in the Quebec Immigration Office sent on 19 June 1846.
He prefaces the list of names with "the undermentioned person have been sent out by the Londonderry Union and I have paid them here a sum equal to 10/Stg. each. They are well recommended and the entire of them young and old are well conducted and may be safely employed as servants."
There is more, but this is just an example to show that if you happened to be looking for Nancy or someone else in that letter, you'd be very lucky to find this much!
So, hoping I haven't discouraged anyone - here's two URLs for Ships arriving in Canada
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/canada/
http://www.theships.list.com/
Before 1865, it wasn't mandatory that passenger lists of ships arriving in Canada be kept. So you may find a few stray lists, or shipping company records - such as the JJ Cooke Shipping Records online at http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/jjcooke.shtml
These are sailings from Londonderry to Philadelphia, Quebec, St. John,New Brunswick, and Louisiana from 1847-71, or shipping agent reports like the Hawke Papers, Records of assisted passage, and so on.
There are other records that can substitute for a passenger list. For example, TheShipsList.com is extracting newspaper reports of arrivals and also listing names of passengers who took steamboats once they landed. In many cases you can consider yourself lucky if you find an ancestor on one of these lists!
There is also the Return of Emigrants Landed at the Port of Kingston Ontario, Canada 1861-1882 which gives the final destination of the individuals, their date of arrival at Kingston and more. It is found at
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/kingston1861oct-1862may.shtml These may have your ancestor's name travelling inland once he or she arrived in Canada.
Here is an example of the variety of records that fill in the gaps of pre 1865 Canadian passenger lists ---
Nancy Boggs, 39, Sarah Boggs 17 and Eliza Boggs 14 were listed, along with several others, in a letter that A. C. Buchanan, Chief Agent in the Quebec Immigration Office sent on 19 June 1846.
He prefaces the list of names with "the undermentioned person have been sent out by the Londonderry Union and I have paid them here a sum equal to 10/Stg. each. They are well recommended and the entire of them young and old are well conducted and may be safely employed as servants."
There is more, but this is just an example to show that if you happened to be looking for Nancy or someone else in that letter, you'd be very lucky to find this much!
So, hoping I haven't discouraged anyone - here's two URLs for Ships arriving in Canada
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/canada/
http://www.theships.list.com/
June 19, 2008
Silverplated Victorian Coffee Tankard with Genealogy
Yet another Genealogy related item I found in an antique store (this one I bought to add to my collection of Victorian Coffee Tankards) had this engraved faintly under the spout:
Presented to
A. M. Hilborn
By the
Blair Scholars
16 April 1887
The tankard was made in Toronto (Ontario Canada). I did a little checking and although I could not find A. M. Hilborn easily, Blair was a town in what is now Cambridge Ontario (Waterloo County) and Hilborn was a common name there.
As well, I think this may have been presented to a teacher by her students in a Blair School, but that's only a guess. I don't think an ornate coffee tankard would have been given to a man. I hope A. M. Hilborn's descendants see this and contact me to fill me in on details of his or her life.
A. M. Hilborn
By the
Blair Scholars
16 April 1887
The tankard was made in Toronto (Ontario Canada). I did a little checking and although I could not find A. M. Hilborn easily, Blair was a town in what is now Cambridge Ontario (Waterloo County) and Hilborn was a common name there.
As well, I think this may have been presented to a teacher by her students in a Blair School, but that's only a guess. I don't think an ornate coffee tankard would have been given to a man. I hope A. M. Hilborn's descendants see this and contact me to fill me in on details of his or her life.
June 18, 2008
Obenauer-Keifer Marriage Certificate
Here is another genealogy find in an antique store - a framed marriage certificate from Buffalo New York
Adam Obenauer from Meitelheim? Bavaria married Barbara Keifer (Heifer?) of Buffalo in Buffalo New York on 19 February 1884
Witnesses: Jacob Keizel & George Greiner.
Married by the Pastor of the German Evangelical St. Stephen's Church
Adam Obenauer from Meitelheim? Bavaria married Barbara Keifer (Heifer?) of Buffalo in Buffalo New York on 19 February 1884
Witnesses: Jacob Keizel & George Greiner.
Married by the Pastor of the German Evangelical St. Stephen's Church
June 17, 2008
Antiques and Genealogy Treasures
One thing I've noticed, being an avid antique hunter and collector, is that quite often you will see antiques with a genealogy interest. I always carry a small memo pad and pen in my purse and recently I began jotting down the genealogy notations or inscriptions on antique items.
The more obvious antiques are framed marriage certificates or baptism records, as well as identified photographs or photo albums. Postcards have names and addresses as well as the sender's names. But there are more obscure genealogy items just waiting to be found -- a silver inscribed baby's cup, an engraved trophy, soldier's framed photos or records of service, etc
On a weekend trip I found a 10 inch high silver plated trophy cup engraved
Interstate Association Trophy
Buffalo Audubon Club
May 31, 1915
First prize won by George N. Fish
Perhaps one of George's descendants will read this post and reunite with the item or at the very least, learn about George's interests.
The more obvious antiques are framed marriage certificates or baptism records, as well as identified photographs or photo albums. Postcards have names and addresses as well as the sender's names. But there are more obscure genealogy items just waiting to be found -- a silver inscribed baby's cup, an engraved trophy, soldier's framed photos or records of service, etc
On a weekend trip I found a 10 inch high silver plated trophy cup engraved
Buffalo Audubon Club
May 31, 1915
First prize won by George N. Fish
Perhaps one of George's descendants will read this post and reunite with the item or at the very least, learn about George's interests.
June 16, 2008
Keeping a Journal for History & Genealogy
I wonder how many of us read those old Pioneer Memories and think "Boy I wish my ancestor had kept his (or her) memories in a journal!"
I've often thought that. I've often wished my ancestor were mentioned in a Pioneer or Settler's Memory book.... then one day I realized that all the years I'd spent wishing I could have put to better use. Why not write my own "Pioneer Memories"?
I know, I'm not a pioneer. But I have lived in the same small town for 35 years. I could start keeping track of friends and neighbours and relatives, documenting events and other happenings. I don't mean spy on them! Basically I started a journal with a two-fold purpose
I started with my memories of arriving in the town I now live in, the people I met, jobs I held, who I worked with, socialized with and so on. I talked about changes in the town since I first arrived - such as new subdivisions where once there was forest. I drew little maps showing who lived where. I made a decision early on to not put in any gossip or unsubstantiated stories unless they were humourous and of a positive nature.
As I began writing, more ideas began to unfold. I copied out obituaries, births and marriage notices from our local newspaper. I wrote about my friends' parents or backgrounds - things like "Linda F.'s father was Harold and he arrived from England sometime around WW2" "Louise M has 2 sisters named Margaret and Ethel" Essentially I simply wrote about the people I had met and everything I could remember about them.
My journal was a leather bound old-fashioned journal with hand made paper which I purchased from Iona Handcrafted Books. For me it made writing in it much more fun and something I looked forward to at the end of each day. I felt like Leonardo Da Vinci keeping his notebooks for posterity! But you could use any kind of journal that suits you
As Journal #1 began to fill, my husband suggested I start another one for the town I grew up in. In that one I would write about my memories of childhood friends, their parents and so on. Since Journal #1 had begun to take on a historical as well as genealogical slant, I thought this was a good idea and Journal #2 was born.
I filled 100 pages which was Journal #1 in 6 months. I'm going to talk about Journal #2 and what I've done to ensure the journals are cared for in my next post.
I've often thought that. I've often wished my ancestor were mentioned in a Pioneer or Settler's Memory book.... then one day I realized that all the years I'd spent wishing I could have put to better use. Why not write my own "Pioneer Memories"?
I know, I'm not a pioneer. But I have lived in the same small town for 35 years. I could start keeping track of friends and neighbours and relatives, documenting events and other happenings. I don't mean spy on them! Basically I started a journal with a two-fold purpose
I started with my memories of arriving in the town I now live in, the people I met, jobs I held, who I worked with, socialized with and so on. I talked about changes in the town since I first arrived - such as new subdivisions where once there was forest. I drew little maps showing who lived where. I made a decision early on to not put in any gossip or unsubstantiated stories unless they were humourous and of a positive nature.
As I began writing, more ideas began to unfold. I copied out obituaries, births and marriage notices from our local newspaper. I wrote about my friends' parents or backgrounds - things like "Linda F.'s father was Harold and he arrived from England sometime around WW2" "Louise M has 2 sisters named Margaret and Ethel" Essentially I simply wrote about the people I had met and everything I could remember about them.
My journal was a leather bound old-fashioned journal with hand made paper which I purchased from Iona Handcrafted Books. For me it made writing in it much more fun and something I looked forward to at the end of each day. I felt like Leonardo Da Vinci keeping his notebooks for posterity! But you could use any kind of journal that suits youAs Journal #1 began to fill, my husband suggested I start another one for the town I grew up in. In that one I would write about my memories of childhood friends, their parents and so on. Since Journal #1 had begun to take on a historical as well as genealogical slant, I thought this was a good idea and Journal #2 was born.
I filled 100 pages which was Journal #1 in 6 months. I'm going to talk about Journal #2 and what I've done to ensure the journals are cared for in my next post.
June 12, 2008
Arabic Transliterator
Arabic Transliterator
New Features on the One-Step website
The One-Step site already had transliterators between
Hebrew and English, between Cyrillic and English, and between
Greek and English. Recently a transliterator for Arabic has been
added.
This appears in the Foreign Language section of the One-
Step site.
New Features on the One-Step website
The One-Step site already had transliterators between
Hebrew and English, between Cyrillic and English, and between
Greek and English. Recently a transliterator for Arabic has been
added.
This appears in the Foreign Language section of the One-
Step site.
Everton’s Genealogical Helper Adds New Online Edition!
New Online Edition of Everton’s Genealogical Helper will debut July 1! Subscribe today for only $10.00!
LOGAN, Utah, June 12, 2008. Genealogy Online, Inc., publisher of Everton’s Genealogical Helper, today, announced the publication of the Genealogical Helper in an Online Edition. The Online Edition is an identical copy of the 176-page paper edition – complete with hotlinks to the hundreds of website addresses found therein.
Launch Date – The new Online Edition will launch on July 1 – simultaneous with the home delivery and newsstand date of the paper edition of the July-August issue.
Free Access – Subscribers to the traditional Genealogical Helper will have 100% FREE online access to the magazine – with no extra fees whatsoever. See http://www.everton.com for sign-up information.
Online Edition subscriptions – Everton’s Genealogical Helper, Online Edition, will sell for just $12.00 per year! That is only $2 per issue! And it’s only $10.00 for subscriptions made before July 1 at http://www.everton.com or phone 1-800-443-6325.
Net Family History – An important feature of Everton’s Genealogical Helper is the magazine within a magazine entitled Net Family History. New information specific to using the Internet for genealogy is always found in this portion of the bimonthly publication. Extensive website reviews are always located here, as well as articles dealing with Internet-related activities.
Why an online edition? – Every issue of Everton’s Genealogical Helper now contains hundreds of website addresses. The Internet is where some of the most exciting genealogical resource advances are taking place, so it’s required that information about these resources be disseminated to the Helper’s thousands of readers in every issue. Everton’s Genealogical Helper, Online Edition, will allow readers to go from their paper edition to the hotlinked Online Edition and access any of the websites with just a keystroke or two – no more typing in those lengthy website addresses! The Online Edition offers more than just the links found in the magazine – it is the entire magazine itself!
Format & hosting – Everton’s Genealogical Helper, Online Edition, will be in pdf format, readable by anyone, with any computer running an Adobe Acrobat Reader (Available at Adobe.com as a FREE download.) The Online Edition will be hosted by FamilyLink.com, Inc.
Why subscribe to the Genealogical Helper? – Subscribe to have access to the Helper’s how-to & historical articles, Net Family History (see above), genealogical sharing, extensive book and CD-ROM reviews & announcements, queries, the most complete event calendar available anywhere, and hundreds of ads detailing new products and services. In addition to these day-to-day features, you will also have access to the NEW updated, hotlinked Directory of Genealogical and Historical Societies – to be published in the Sept/Oct and Nov-Dec issues! Edited by Leland K. Meitzler, the Helper is guaranteed to help you extend your lines and fill in those blanks in your family tree.
WHAT A DEAL! – Your cost for a full subscription (the paper magazine & online access both) is less than 3 cents per page – delivered to your home, and now accessible online. Subscribe to the Online Edition alone for just over a penny a page! Subscribe by July 1 and it’s less than a penny per page!
Subscribe NOW at: http://www.everton.com or phone 1-800-443-6325.
*************
About Genealogy Online, Inc.
Genealogy Online, dba Everton Publishers, is the publisher of Everton’s Genealogical Helper, now in its 62nd year of helping genealogists find their ancestors. Genealogy Online, Inc. also publishes the Handybook for Genealogists, 11th edition, a top-selling guidebook for family historians. Their website is found at: http://www.everton.com. Also see: http://www.GenealogyBlog.com.
June 11, 2008
French Revolutionary Calendar Converter and Muslim Calendar Converter
French Revolutionary Calendar Converter and Muslim Calendar Converter
New Features on the One-Step website
The One-Step site has had a Jewish Calendar Converter for
some time. Now two more calendar converters were added to
the One-Step site -- one for the French Revolutionary
Calendar and the other for the Muslim Calendar. The French
Revolutionary calendar is unique in that it takes
decimalization to the extreme, and the Muslim calendar is
purely lunar with no synchronization to the seasons.
These appear in the Calendar section of the One-Step site.
New Features on the One-Step website
The One-Step site has had a Jewish Calendar Converter for
some time. Now two more calendar converters were added to
the One-Step site -- one for the French Revolutionary
Calendar and the other for the Muslim Calendar. The French
Revolutionary calendar is unique in that it takes
decimalization to the extreme, and the Muslim calendar is
purely lunar with no synchronization to the seasons.
These appear in the Calendar section of the One-Step site.
June 10, 2008
Searching Reference Books
New Features on the One-Step website
There are several reference books containing Jewish
surnames in various countries. Most of these books have been
written by Alexander Beider and one by Lars Menk. A new One-Step
form has been developed for searching for names in these
books.
This new form appears in the Holocaust and Eastern Europe section of the One-Step site.
There are several reference books containing Jewish
surnames in various countries. Most of these books have been
written by Alexander Beider and one by Lars Menk. A new One-Step
form has been developed for searching for names in these
books.
This new form appears in the Holocaust and Eastern Europe section of the One-Step site.
June 9, 2008
Phonetic Name Matching
New Features on the One-Step website
Steve Morse, together with Alexander Beider, has developed
a method of phonetic name matching that has advantages over
soundex name matching. Soundex matching considers the way
the name is spelled whereas phonetic matching considers the
way the name is pronounced. The pronunciation is language
specific, and a determination of the language is made from
the spelling of the name. As a consequence, a soundex
search will result an a large number of false hits that the
researcher needs to examine whereas a phonetic search will
give relatively few false hits.
The phonetic name matching has been or is about to be
included on several existing One-Step search forms. These
include the gold form for searching for passengers in the
Ellis Island database (coming soon) as well as the One-Step
Dachau Concentration Camp search form. In addition, the
two new search forms described below (Searching Naturalization
Records and Searching Reference Books) also include
phonetic name matching.
Steve Morse, together with Alexander Beider, has developed
a method of phonetic name matching that has advantages over
soundex name matching. Soundex matching considers the way
the name is spelled whereas phonetic matching considers the
way the name is pronounced. The pronunciation is language
specific, and a determination of the language is made from
the spelling of the name. As a consequence, a soundex
search will result an a large number of false hits that the
researcher needs to examine whereas a phonetic search will
give relatively few false hits.
The phonetic name matching has been or is about to be
included on several existing One-Step search forms. These
include the gold form for searching for passengers in the
Ellis Island database (coming soon) as well as the One-Step
Dachau Concentration Camp search form. In addition, the
two new search forms described below (Searching Naturalization
Records and Searching Reference Books) also include
phonetic name matching.
June 8, 2008
New Orleans Ship Records
New Features on the One-Step website
A commercial website, ancestry.com, has the ship records
for the major US ports These include the Ports of New York,
Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Galveston, and San
Francisco. The One-Step website already had a trio of
search forms for each of those ports -- one to simplify the
searching for passengers, the second to provide for direct
access to the manifest microfilms if you know the roll and
frame number, and the third to determine the roll and frame
number for any ship arrival. Now the One-Step site has
added such tools for the Port of New Orleans as well.
These new forms appear in the Other Ports section of the
One-Step site.
Also see New Orleans ships passenger lists at OliveTreeGenealogy.com Don't miss the JJ Cooke Shipping Lists arriving in New Orleans 1847-1871
A commercial website, ancestry.com, has the ship records
for the major US ports These include the Ports of New York,
Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Galveston, and San
Francisco. The One-Step website already had a trio of
search forms for each of those ports -- one to simplify the
searching for passengers, the second to provide for direct
access to the manifest microfilms if you know the roll and
frame number, and the third to determine the roll and frame
number for any ship arrival. Now the One-Step site has
added such tools for the Port of New Orleans as well.
These new forms appear in the Other Ports section of the
One-Step site.
Also see New Orleans ships passenger lists at OliveTreeGenealogy.com Don't miss the JJ Cooke Shipping Lists arriving in New Orleans 1847-1871
June 7, 2008
Searching Naturalization Records in One Step
New Features on the One-Step website
A commercial website, footnote.com, has collections of
Naturalization Records for several states. There are
currently about 2 million records in this collection.
However the search facility for finding people in these
collections is very limited in its abilities. A new
One-Step form has been developed to provide flexible
searches through these records.
This new form appears in the Vital Records section of the
One-Step site.
More naturalization records can be freely searched at NaturalizationRecords.com
A commercial website, footnote.com, has collections of
Naturalization Records for several states. There are
currently about 2 million records in this collection.
However the search facility for finding people in these
collections is very limited in its abilities. A new
One-Step form has been developed to provide flexible
searches through these records.
This new form appears in the Vital Records section of the
One-Step site.
More naturalization records can be freely searched at NaturalizationRecords.com
May 26, 2008
Using Lists of Loyalists to Find Loyalist Ancestors
No one list of Loyalists can be considered "the" List. There is no simple definitive and accurate list. You must consult them all, from the Old UEL list to Reid's book The Loyalists in Ontario: The Sons & Daughters of the American Loyalists to all the variant lists made.
Reid's book on Loyalists was never intended to be the Bible of Loyalist families. Reid simply organized index cards into what he thought were family groups. *Many*
if not most families are incomplete. Some individuals are incorrectly placed.
Reid's book is a wonderful resource, and a great starting point for your Loyalist research, but you should verify independently that a child he places in a family group does belong there (by looking up ALL petitions for that family), and never never assume that because an individual isn't in the family group he/she doesn't exist or isn't a Loyalist.
After 1796 the Executive Council kept a list of Loyalists based on District Rolls. This became the Executive Council UE List and contains about 3,500 names. It is not considered a complete list, but it is considered more accurate than the Crown Lands (Old UEL) list.
The Crown Lands Dept. created a second list, based on other records. This became the Old UEL List and contains approximately 6,000 names, but not all qualified.
When searching Loyalists you also need to consult pay lists, muster rolls, and the land records. For a good reference to what is available, see Brenda Dougall Merriman's book "Genealogy in Ontario: Searching the Records" Look under the chapter on Loyalists.
Check out this list of Loyalist Books & Resources which will help you find your Loyalist ancestor
Reid's book on Loyalists was never intended to be the Bible of Loyalist families. Reid simply organized index cards into what he thought were family groups. *Many*
if not most families are incomplete. Some individuals are incorrectly placed.
Reid's book is a wonderful resource, and a great starting point for your Loyalist research, but you should verify independently that a child he places in a family group does belong there (by looking up ALL petitions for that family), and never never assume that because an individual isn't in the family group he/she doesn't exist or isn't a Loyalist.
After 1796 the Executive Council kept a list of Loyalists based on District Rolls. This became the Executive Council UE List and contains about 3,500 names. It is not considered a complete list, but it is considered more accurate than the Crown Lands (Old UEL) list.
The Crown Lands Dept. created a second list, based on other records. This became the Old UEL List and contains approximately 6,000 names, but not all qualified.
When searching Loyalists you also need to consult pay lists, muster rolls, and the land records. For a good reference to what is available, see Brenda Dougall Merriman's book "Genealogy in Ontario: Searching the Records" Look under the chapter on Loyalists.
Check out this list of Loyalist Books & Resources which will help you find your Loyalist ancestor
May 25, 2008
FInding a Loyalist (Tory) Ancestor in Land Petitions
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
For free Loyalist data online refer to the Loyalist Genealogy on Olive Tree Genealogy website
Loyalists could petition for, and were granted land as follows:
> 100 acres for head of family plus 50 acres per family member
> 50 acres for single men
> 300 - 1000 acres for army officers
> 200 acres for an NCO plus 200 for wives, if they applied
> 100 acres for a private soldier plus 50 acres for each family member
The Petitions of Loyalists for land, which are found in the Upper Canada Land Petitions on microfilm are not uniform. You may find one small petition, giving just enough facts to persuade the Crown to give that person a free grant as a Loyalist. You may find page after page of affidavits,testimonies, and so on, all documentation to prove the petitioner's claim. For example in my own Loyalist research,one of my Loyalist ancestors' files has an affidavit from a well known judge of the Niagara area, testifying to his Loyalty during the 'troubles' - this document providing his former place of residence in the United States.
Another Loyalist file included a document signed by his commanding officer in Butler's Rangers (providing his unit),describing the petitioner's hardships including being imprisoned 3 times in Albany NY. A second document gave great detail about the petitioner's wife (including the number of children) and her hardships in NY, including a description of the night the "rebels" (Patriots) came to her home in the northern part of NY and burned it to the ground. Thisdocument went on to describe her ordeal as she and her children attempted to make their way north to "Canada".
Don't overlook these petitions as a wonderful source of detail as well as genealogical material. Until you find them you have no way of knowing how much or
how little information may be contained in the file.
For more info on these petitions and how to obtain them on microfilm, see How to Find your Loyalist Ancestor
For free Loyalist data online refer to the Loyalist Genealogy on Olive Tree Genealogy website
Loyalists could petition for, and were granted land as follows:
> 100 acres for head of family plus 50 acres per family member
> 50 acres for single men
> 300 - 1000 acres for army officers
> 200 acres for an NCO plus 200 for wives, if they applied
> 100 acres for a private soldier plus 50 acres for each family member
The Petitions of Loyalists for land, which are found in the Upper Canada Land Petitions on microfilm are not uniform. You may find one small petition, giving just enough facts to persuade the Crown to give that person a free grant as a Loyalist. You may find page after page of affidavits,testimonies, and so on, all documentation to prove the petitioner's claim. For example in my own Loyalist research,one of my Loyalist ancestors' files has an affidavit from a well known judge of the Niagara area, testifying to his Loyalty during the 'troubles' - this document providing his former place of residence in the United States.
Another Loyalist file included a document signed by his commanding officer in Butler's Rangers (providing his unit),describing the petitioner's hardships including being imprisoned 3 times in Albany NY. A second document gave great detail about the petitioner's wife (including the number of children) and her hardships in NY, including a description of the night the "rebels" (Patriots) came to her home in the northern part of NY and burned it to the ground. Thisdocument went on to describe her ordeal as she and her children attempted to make their way north to "Canada".
Don't overlook these petitions as a wonderful source of detail as well as genealogical material. Until you find them you have no way of knowing how much or
how little information may be contained in the file.
For more info on these petitions and how to obtain them on microfilm, see How to Find your Loyalist Ancestor
May 24, 2008
Getting Copies of the 1871 Ontario Census
Canada Census records for 1871 are available to the public. They give information on all household members - name, age,gender, country of birth, religion, ethnic origin,
occupation, marital status and education.
There are 9 returns for the 1871 census but there are 3 that are of the most help genealogically:
* Schedule 1: Return of the Living
* Schedule 2: Return of the Dead
* Schedule 4: Agricultural Return
Census records are available on microfilm from the Archives of Ontario, National Archives of Canada, on ILL (InterLibraryLoan) through a local library, or from your
local FHC (Family History Center).
You can search the 1871 census index to heads of household for Ontario
If you find a name of interest, you can order a copy of the census page from the National Archives. Requests for copies must include complete references
For help and a link to the 1871 Census order form
occupation, marital status and education.
There are 9 returns for the 1871 census but there are 3 that are of the most help genealogically:
* Schedule 1: Return of the Living
* Schedule 2: Return of the Dead
* Schedule 4: Agricultural Return
Census records are available on microfilm from the Archives of Ontario, National Archives of Canada, on ILL (InterLibraryLoan) through a local library, or from your
local FHC (Family History Center).
You can search the 1871 census index to heads of household for Ontario
If you find a name of interest, you can order a copy of the census page from the National Archives. Requests for copies must include complete references
For help and a link to the 1871 Census order form
May 23, 2008
Free Public Access on Ancestry.com
To commemorate the NARA-Ancestry.com agreement on the eve of Memorial Day, Ancestry.com is making its entire U.S. Military Collection -- the largest online collection of American military records -- available for free to the public.
From May 20 through May 31, people can log on to Ancestry.com to view more than 100 million names and 700 titles and databases of military records, the majority of which come from NARA, from all 50 U.S. states.
.. more Military records
From May 20 through May 31, people can log on to Ancestry.com to view more than 100 million names and 700 titles and databases of military records, the majority of which come from NARA, from all 50 U.S. states.
.. more Military records
May 18, 2008
Newspaper Extracts from The Canadian Champion, Milton, Halton County Ontario
OliveTreeGenealogy.com added the following Ontario
Newspaper Extracts from The Canadian Champion, Milton
Halton County Ontario. Links found at
http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/free0408.shtml
Extracts of Births, Marriages, Deaths July 1869
Extracts of Births, Marriages, Deaths February 1872
Extracts of Births, Marriages, Deaths April 1887
Extracts of Births, Marriages, Deaths February 1892
Extracts of Births, Marriages, Deaths May 1899
Newspaper Extracts from The Canadian Champion, Milton
Halton County Ontario. Links found at
http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/free0408.shtml
Extracts of Births, Marriages, Deaths July 1869
Extracts of Births, Marriages, Deaths February 1872
Extracts of Births, Marriages, Deaths April 1887
Extracts of Births, Marriages, Deaths February 1892
Extracts of Births, Marriages, Deaths May 1899
May 17, 2008
Return of Emigrants Landed at the Port of Kingston, Ontario Canada 1861-1882
Today OliveTreeGenealogy.com updated the Return of Emigrants Landed at the Port of Kingston, Ontario Canada 1861-1882 with the addition of the following years:
June 1863 | June 1863-Aug. 1863 | Aug 1863-Sept. 1863 | Oct 1863-Jan. 1864 | Jan 1864
To date we have Oct. 1861-Jan. 1864 online for this Project. Many immigrants are shown as coming in from American ports such as New York. Many came in via Quebec. You won't want to miss this if you are hunting for ancestors arriving in Canada before 1865!
The General Remarks are interesting, although small and difficult to read. Most are quite lengthy, some simply state that a ticket was given for a loaf of bread.
For example Peter McLaren from Scotland to Quebec has the following notation "being destitute and deserving of joining friends at Thorold I gave him a pass to [Lacroix?]"
John Mill from Ireland had this note "His wife was confined on [unreadable] coming out and is now very poorly.. They are out of money...."
Mr. Leibke [?] of Germany is noted as "going to join his son in Sombra".
One of the saddest notations is for James Reich and family on 23 Jan. 1863 "the daughter Jane died near Prescott of diptheria, the family passed up to Guelph, the St. Andrews Society took charge of the body of girl and promised to see her decently interrred"
The column headings for each individual which are transcribed and online are Date of Landing; Name of Emigrant or Head of Family; From what Country; Via what Seaport Town; Destination; Condition, general appearance, health; No. of male adults; No. of Female adults; No. under 6 years; No. over 6 years and under 12
The column headings in the original ledgers which are not transcribed are in what Township Employed as Servants; In what Township settled, or bought land; Amount of passage tickets issued; Amount of provisions; Amount of Medical aid; amount of Capital brought by them; General Remarks.
June 1863 | June 1863-Aug. 1863 | Aug 1863-Sept. 1863 | Oct 1863-Jan. 1864 | Jan 1864
To date we have Oct. 1861-Jan. 1864 online for this Project. Many immigrants are shown as coming in from American ports such as New York. Many came in via Quebec. You won't want to miss this if you are hunting for ancestors arriving in Canada before 1865!
The General Remarks are interesting, although small and difficult to read. Most are quite lengthy, some simply state that a ticket was given for a loaf of bread.
For example Peter McLaren from Scotland to Quebec has the following notation "being destitute and deserving of joining friends at Thorold I gave him a pass to [Lacroix?]"
John Mill from Ireland had this note "His wife was confined on [unreadable] coming out and is now very poorly.. They are out of money...."
Mr. Leibke [?] of Germany is noted as "going to join his son in Sombra".
One of the saddest notations is for James Reich and family on 23 Jan. 1863 "the daughter Jane died near Prescott of diptheria, the family passed up to Guelph, the St. Andrews Society took charge of the body of girl and promised to see her decently interrred"
The column headings for each individual which are transcribed and online are Date of Landing; Name of Emigrant or Head of Family; From what Country; Via what Seaport Town; Destination; Condition, general appearance, health; No. of male adults; No. of Female adults; No. under 6 years; No. over 6 years and under 12
The column headings in the original ledgers which are not transcribed are in what Township Employed as Servants; In what Township settled, or bought land; Amount of passage tickets issued; Amount of provisions; Amount of Medical aid; amount of Capital brought by them; General Remarks.
May 16, 2008
Records of Baptisms of the Reformed Church at Machackemeck (Deerpark), Orange County New York 1716-1827
Researchers have been led to believe that church records for the Minisink aka Machackemeck (Deerpark) Dutch Reformed Church were lost for the years 1720- 1736. Histories of the Dutch Reform Churches in America reveal the following: The Deerpark Dutch Reformed Church was not established until 1737. Until that time, Dominies from the established Kingston Dutch Reformed Church travelled to the remote areas to perform baptisms which were later entered into the Kingston Dutch Reformed Church records.
The first Dominie at the Deerpark Dutch Reformed Church found notes on baptisms performed in 1716-1719 in Minisink that had never been recorded in Kingston. He appended them to the Deerpark records which actually began in 1737. Thus the appearance of missing records for 1720-1736.
Search for your ancestors in the Machackemeck Church records in Introduction | August 1716-July 1742 | July 1742-July 1745 | August 1745-June 1747 | June 1747-March 1749 | April 1749-November 1750.
More years to follow as OliveTreeGenealogy.com transcribers complete the work. We are busy transcribing February 1752-July 1827 for genealogists to consult for free. Be sure to bookmark this page and return often to see what baptism records have been completed.
The first Dominie at the Deerpark Dutch Reformed Church found notes on baptisms performed in 1716-1719 in Minisink that had never been recorded in Kingston. He appended them to the Deerpark records which actually began in 1737. Thus the appearance of missing records for 1720-1736.
Search for your ancestors in the Machackemeck Church records in Introduction | August 1716-July 1742 | July 1742-July 1745 | August 1745-June 1747 | June 1747-March 1749 | April 1749-November 1750.
More years to follow as OliveTreeGenealogy.com transcribers complete the work. We are busy transcribing February 1752-July 1827 for genealogists to consult for free. Be sure to bookmark this page and return often to see what baptism records have been completed.
May 13, 2008
Footnote.com Special Offer!
Footnote.com, my favorite subscription based website, is offering a 20% discount for May, so if you have not yet tried Footnote, you may want to give it a go. You can click on the special offer link at the top of any page of OliveTreeGenealogy.com and start hunting for your ancestors today.
For those who don’t know about Footnote, they offer NARA records not found anywhere else online. Naturalization records, Military records, a large Civil War collection are just a few. They also have the Vietnam Wall which is free and should not be missed. Footnote is known for its interactive website, allowing visitors to enrich the records by adding photos, linking related documents, and contributing insights to any name on the record
For those who don’t know about Footnote, they offer NARA records not found anywhere else online. Naturalization records, Military records, a large Civil War collection are just a few. They also have the Vietnam Wall which is free and should not be missed. Footnote is known for its interactive website, allowing visitors to enrich the records by adding photos, linking related documents, and contributing insights to any name on the record
May 11, 2008
Peer Family History Book Completed!
Good news! After more than 20 years of research, the Peer book is near completion!
The Peer Family in North America: Vol. 1 Jacob & Anne Peer, Immigrants from Sussex Co. New Jersey to Upper Canada in 1796, a study of the first two generations (including documents, maps and photos) is scheduled for publication July 1, 2008.
Volume 1 contains narrative (footnoted) chapters on Jacob Peer Sr, and each of his children listed above. 32 documents (wills, land petitions, land records, etc) are included in this volume, as well as maps and family group charts.
Also included is the 21 page article Origins of the Pier Family in the Netherlands and an Update of their Connection to the Ostrander Family by Lorine McGinnis Schulze and Chris Brooks formerly published in the July 2000 issue of The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record
Subsequent volumes are in process for each individual in Generation 2 (Jacob & Anne's children) and their descendants. Interested descendants may sign up for notification of publication and updates
Include your name, and the Volumes you are interested in (Vols 1-9). See the list of sons and daughters of Jacob & Anne Peer, plus Volume Numbers.
An order form will be added to the page when Vol. 1 is back from the printers. I am very excited about completing the books after all these years.
The Peer Family in North America: Vol. 1 Jacob & Anne Peer, Immigrants from Sussex Co. New Jersey to Upper Canada in 1796, a study of the first two generations (including documents, maps and photos) is scheduled for publication July 1, 2008.
Volume 1 contains narrative (footnoted) chapters on Jacob Peer Sr, and each of his children listed above. 32 documents (wills, land petitions, land records, etc) are included in this volume, as well as maps and family group charts.
Also included is the 21 page article Origins of the Pier Family in the Netherlands and an Update of their Connection to the Ostrander Family by Lorine McGinnis Schulze and Chris Brooks formerly published in the July 2000 issue of The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record
Subsequent volumes are in process for each individual in Generation 2 (Jacob & Anne's children) and their descendants. Interested descendants may sign up for notification of publication and updates
Include your name, and the Volumes you are interested in (Vols 1-9). See the list of sons and daughters of Jacob & Anne Peer, plus Volume Numbers.
An order form will be added to the page when Vol. 1 is back from the printers. I am very excited about completing the books after all these years.
March 28, 2008
Looking for a Civil War ancestor
OliveTreeGenealogy.com has updated its Civil War Section of the site.
There are some very good Civil War records available online now, and links have been added to direct researchers to them. Some are free, some are pay to view, but they are invaluable in Civil War research. If you have a Civil War ancestor you won't want to miss these searchable Civil War databases
There are some very good Civil War records available online now, and links have been added to direct researchers to them. Some are free, some are pay to view, but they are invaluable in Civil War research. If you have a Civil War ancestor you won't want to miss these searchable Civil War databases
| Search NARA Civil War Pension Files Find your Military Ancestors in Civil War Pensions Index; Confederate Soldiers for Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia; Southern Claims Commission; Confederate Papers & Confederate Amnesty Papers on Footnote.com |
March 25, 2008
UK Censuses 1841-1901 Coming to WorldVitalRecords.com
Find My Past Partners With FamilyLink.com, Inc.
UK Censuses 1841-1901 To Be Online at WorldVitalRecords.com
PROVO, UT, March , 2008 ---Find My Past, a family history and genealogy website based in London, England, containing over 550 million family history records recently announced its partnership with FamilyLink.com, Inc. to bring UK Censuses 1841-1901 online at WorldVitalRecords.com (a service of FamilyLink.com, Inc.).
“I really admire what Paul is doing at WorldVitalRecords.com. We are excited to have our census records as part of the WorldVitalRecords.com’s subscription because it will make our census records more accessible to an American audience who probably wouldn’t think of using our company as the first place to look for these records,” said Elaine Collins, Commercial Director, Find My Past. “We are also excited for this partnership because WorldVitalRecords.com has a successful track record and will continue to succeed in the genealogical industry.”
The UK census records comprise WorldVitalRecords.com’s largest database in the World Collection. As part of this agreement, WorldVitalRecords has already added the 1861, 1881 and 1891 censuses to its collection. Search this new UK Census at World Collection of Records
UK Censuses 1841-1901 To Be Online at WorldVitalRecords.com
PROVO, UT, March , 2008 ---Find My Past, a family history and genealogy website based in London, England, containing over 550 million family history records recently announced its partnership with FamilyLink.com, Inc. to bring UK Censuses 1841-1901 online at WorldVitalRecords.com (a service of FamilyLink.com, Inc.).
“I really admire what Paul is doing at WorldVitalRecords.com. We are excited to have our census records as part of the WorldVitalRecords.com’s subscription because it will make our census records more accessible to an American audience who probably wouldn’t think of using our company as the first place to look for these records,” said Elaine Collins, Commercial Director, Find My Past. “We are also excited for this partnership because WorldVitalRecords.com has a successful track record and will continue to succeed in the genealogical industry.”
The UK census records comprise WorldVitalRecords.com’s largest database in the World Collection. As part of this agreement, WorldVitalRecords has already added the 1861, 1881 and 1891 censuses to its collection. Search this new UK Census at World Collection of Records
March 19, 2008
NEW! One Step Search Engine to the three new NARA immigration databases
Steve Morse has just created a One Step Search Engine for the three new NARA databases for Germans, Italians and Russians to the USA.
Using Steve's form, the name of the ship, the port of departure, and the date. is presented when you do the initial name search. NARA just gives you is manifest ID and expects you to go to another form to enter that ID and get the name of the ship, the port of departure, and the date.
Another feature on Steve's form is the use of dropdown lists to select certain values (such as occupation) rather than NARA's method for getting the list of possible values for that field.
These new search tools are at the bottom of the OTHER PORTS section of Steve's home page.
Using Steve's form, the name of the ship, the port of departure, and the date. is presented when you do the initial name search. NARA just gives you is manifest ID and expects you to go to another form to enter that ID and get the name of the ship, the port of departure, and the date.
Another feature on Steve's form is the use of dropdown lists to select certain values (such as occupation) rather than NARA's method for getting the list of possible values for that field.
These new search tools are at the bottom of the OTHER PORTS section of Steve's home page.
March 11, 2008
2008 Conference of the Ontario (Canada) Genealogical Society
May 30 - June 1, 2008
2008 Conference of the Ontario (Canada) Genealogical Society
Come to he largest genealogy and technology Conference in London, Ontario, Canada, sponsored by the Ontario Genealogical Society. Join Dick Eastman, Steve Morse, Colleen Fitzpatrick, Geoff Rasmussen, David Lifferth, Fawne Stratford-Devai, Louise St. Denis, Valerie Adams, Paul McGrath, Dick Doherty, Halvor Moorshead, Rick Roberts, Stephen Young, and 11 other speakers as they explore how technology & the internet can enhance genealogical research. 48 presentations.
The Marketplace will have the most complete selection available of material relating to family research in Ontario as well as material for other provinces and countries. Membership in the Ontario Genealogical Society is not required to register.
2008 Conference of the Ontario (Canada) Genealogical Society
Come to he largest genealogy and technology Conference in London, Ontario, Canada, sponsored by the Ontario Genealogical Society. Join Dick Eastman, Steve Morse, Colleen Fitzpatrick, Geoff Rasmussen, David Lifferth, Fawne Stratford-Devai, Louise St. Denis, Valerie Adams, Paul McGrath, Dick Doherty, Halvor Moorshead, Rick Roberts, Stephen Young, and 11 other speakers as they explore how technology & the internet can enhance genealogical research. 48 presentations.
The Marketplace will have the most complete selection available of material relating to family research in Ontario as well as material for other provinces and countries. Membership in the Ontario Genealogical Society is not required to register.
March 7, 2008
Jumping on the DNA Genealogy Research Bandwagon!
After following the growing enthusiasm for DNA Genealogy Research for a year now, I decided to take the plunge. Because I wanted to follow my father's McGinnis lineage, I needed a male McGinnis relative for a Y-DNA test.
Males inherit a Y-chromosome from a father, who in turn received his Y chromosome from his father and so on. Males also inherit an X chromosone, but females only inherit the X chromosone and thus can only test their maternal DNA, called mtDNA. This follows their mother, her mother, her mother and so on back through her maternal ancestors.
My brother was pursuaded to swab his cheeks for a DNA sample, and I ordered my 33 marker Paternal Lineage DNA test kit.
More about the test results to come!
My brother was pursuaded to swab his cheeks for a DNA sample, and I ordered my 33 marker Paternal Lineage DNA test kit.
More about the test results to come!
March 4, 2008
NARA Makes Some Passenger Arrival Records Available Online
This week, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) announced that it has made available for the first time online more than 5.2 million records of some passengers who arrived during the last half of the 19th century at the ports of Baltimore, Boston, New Orleans, New York, and Philadelphia. The records can be accessed through NARA’s online Access to Archival Databases (AAD).
The records were transcribed from original ship manifests into electronic databases by Temple University’s Center for Immigration Research at The Balch Institute. The Center donated the digital records to the National Archives. The records are known as Data Files Relating to the Immigration of Germans to the United States, 1850-1897; Data Files Relating to the Immigration of Italians to the United States, 1855-1900; and Data Files Relating to the Immigration of Russians to the United States, 1834-1897.
This series consists of records of 527,394 passengers who arrived at the United States between 1834 through 1897 and identified their country of origin or nationality as Armenia, Finland, Galicia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia,Russian Poles, or Ukraine. There are records of passengers who were U.S. citizens or non-U.S. citizens planning to continue their travels, returning to the U.S., or staying in
the U.S. There are records of passengers arriving at the following ports: Baltimore, Boston, New Orleans, New York, and Philadelphia; the bulk of the records are for passengers arriving at the Port of New York.
Each of the passenger records may include name, age, town of last residence,
destination, and codes for passenger's sex, occupation,literacy, country of origin, transit and/or travel compartment, and the identification number for the ship
manifest. Information on each ship is in the manifest header file and includes the ship manifest identification number, the name of the ship, the code for its port of departure, and date of arrival. The ship manifest identification number indicates the port of arrival.
More Ships Passenger Lists can be found at Olive Tree Genealogy
The records were transcribed from original ship manifests into electronic databases by Temple University’s Center for Immigration Research at The Balch Institute. The Center donated the digital records to the National Archives. The records are known as Data Files Relating to the Immigration of Germans to the United States, 1850-1897; Data Files Relating to the Immigration of Italians to the United States, 1855-1900; and Data Files Relating to the Immigration of Russians to the United States, 1834-1897.
This series consists of records of 527,394 passengers who arrived at the United States between 1834 through 1897 and identified their country of origin or nationality as Armenia, Finland, Galicia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia,Russian Poles, or Ukraine. There are records of passengers who were U.S. citizens or non-U.S. citizens planning to continue their travels, returning to the U.S., or staying in
the U.S. There are records of passengers arriving at the following ports: Baltimore, Boston, New Orleans, New York, and Philadelphia; the bulk of the records are for passengers arriving at the Port of New York.
Each of the passenger records may include name, age, town of last residence,
destination, and codes for passenger's sex, occupation,literacy, country of origin, transit and/or travel compartment, and the identification number for the ship
manifest. Information on each ship is in the manifest header file and includes the ship manifest identification number, the name of the ship, the code for its port of departure, and date of arrival. The ship manifest identification number indicates the port of arrival.
More Ships Passenger Lists can be found at Olive Tree Genealogy
February 20, 2008
1828 Nominal Return of Militia: Men of the First Carleton Regiment, Ontario Canada
Anyone searching for ancestors in Carleton Ontario may want to see the new transcription just put online at OliveTreeGenealogy.com
It is the 1828 Nominal Return of Militia - Men of the First Carleton Regiment between the ages of 19 & 39 - a list of 502 names
Details include ages, place of residence and former service
It is easiest to get to it from February's list of free transcriptions and uploads
Enjoy and please feel free to pass this information on to others who might be interested
It is the 1828 Nominal Return of Militia - Men of the First Carleton Regiment between the ages of 19 & 39 - a list of 502 names
Details include ages, place of residence and former service
It is easiest to get to it from February's list of free transcriptions and uploads
Enjoy and please feel free to pass this information on to others who might be interested
February 17, 2008
Age of Consent vs Age of Majority Explained
author J. Brian Gilchrist,
gilchrists@idirect.com
Published with permission of author
There is confusion over two totally distinct terms: "age of consent" is not the same as "age of majority" (often known as "full age"). These terms are also affected by different types of laws: Canon Law, Common Law, Civil Law and Criminal Law (noting that the last three are now very much connected and often thought of in the public mindset as one, though still distinct).
Some of my comments below also do not necessarily apply to the United States of America following the War for Independence - although the section of Wills does.
When you reached the "age of majority" this would be when the person become of "full age" to own or lease land, sign contracts, etc.
Under English Common Law, the age of consent to marry was 14 for males and 12 for females - but this required permission from an individual of authority (parental consent is usually thought of as being required but that is not the case, for if it was withheld or unavailable - there were other options).
Under English Civil Law, the age of majority is usually considered to be 21 for males, and 18 for females.
Exception: unless the person was married previous to those ages. Example, in England, after 1754, if either the bride and or groom had been married as teenagers (with consent? remembering they could also have eloped to a big city and lied about ages and even their names to hide the event) and was soon widowed (by child birth, a farming / labour accident, disease, military action - or whatever) the surviving partner could be listed as "full age" (or "widowed") when they marry again.
Yet another aspect which is a subject unto itself, is that in England the age of consent for (heterosexual) sex was raised to 13 (from 12!) in 1875, and to 16 in 1885. This was due to the Victorian changes in the Criminal laws regarding operating a brothel, seduction, abduction and the changing rape and carnal knowledge laws, etc.
As to inheritances left in a Will, people were absolutely free to make their own "rules" regarding who should and could inherit, one major example being the difference between "fee entail" (aka "fee tail") and "fee simple". Fee tail can also be further subdivided into "fee tail male" and "fee tail female". This is another topic, and further whether any stipulation made in a Will or Codicil was legal or not, that too is also another topic.
However the Rules of Court at the time and place where the Will was being settled had to be followed.
An example of an estate situation could be where single uncle Angus Macdonald "entailed" his estate to his namesake nephew Angus Sheepway (son of his sister) so long as Sheepway changes his name to "Macdonald" when he "comes of full age", etc.
It was, and is not, illegal to use any name so long as it not for fraudulent purposes, and gaining an inheritance by changing one's name was not only legal, it happened more than we think. It is difficult to prove until one becomes involved in "whole family" genealogy and a general study of all the families of the area where your ancestors lived.
Another aspect of the age of "consent" and the "age of majority" can also be applied to being "indentured" and or "apprenticed" - again this is another subject. For example, Benjamin Franklin was apprenticed (with the consent of his father) to Ben's brother - James Franklin - at the age of 12.
So try to remember what my friend, Donald J. Steel, the eminent English genealogist and family historian and myself have been teaching for years - the term "Environmental Genealogy" - place your ancestor in the context of the location, the time period and the society in which they lived in - not ours.
It is often difficult of younger people of today to comprehend but may I remind everyone that it has been less than 80 years since "The Famous Five" did their thing in Canada in 1929 to help make women "people". Try and read about "The Peoples Case" of 1929.
So in summary - there are indeed differences to the terminology "age of consent", "age of majority" and "full age" in different places, in different times, for different reasons.
gilchrists@idirect.com
Published with permission of author
There is confusion over two totally distinct terms: "age of consent" is not the same as "age of majority" (often known as "full age"). These terms are also affected by different types of laws: Canon Law, Common Law, Civil Law and Criminal Law (noting that the last three are now very much connected and often thought of in the public mindset as one, though still distinct).
Some of my comments below also do not necessarily apply to the United States of America following the War for Independence - although the section of Wills does.
When you reached the "age of majority" this would be when the person become of "full age" to own or lease land, sign contracts, etc.
Under English Common Law, the age of consent to marry was 14 for males and 12 for females - but this required permission from an individual of authority (parental consent is usually thought of as being required but that is not the case, for if it was withheld or unavailable - there were other options).
Under English Civil Law, the age of majority is usually considered to be 21 for males, and 18 for females.
Exception: unless the person was married previous to those ages. Example, in England, after 1754, if either the bride and or groom had been married as teenagers (with consent? remembering they could also have eloped to a big city and lied about ages and even their names to hide the event) and was soon widowed (by child birth, a farming / labour accident, disease, military action - or whatever) the surviving partner could be listed as "full age" (or "widowed") when they marry again.
Yet another aspect which is a subject unto itself, is that in England the age of consent for (heterosexual) sex was raised to 13 (from 12!) in 1875, and to 16 in 1885. This was due to the Victorian changes in the Criminal laws regarding operating a brothel, seduction, abduction and the changing rape and carnal knowledge laws, etc.
As to inheritances left in a Will, people were absolutely free to make their own "rules" regarding who should and could inherit, one major example being the difference between "fee entail" (aka "fee tail") and "fee simple". Fee tail can also be further subdivided into "fee tail male" and "fee tail female". This is another topic, and further whether any stipulation made in a Will or Codicil was legal or not, that too is also another topic.
However the Rules of Court at the time and place where the Will was being settled had to be followed.
An example of an estate situation could be where single uncle Angus Macdonald "entailed" his estate to his namesake nephew Angus Sheepway (son of his sister) so long as Sheepway changes his name to "Macdonald" when he "comes of full age", etc.
It was, and is not, illegal to use any name so long as it not for fraudulent purposes, and gaining an inheritance by changing one's name was not only legal, it happened more than we think. It is difficult to prove until one becomes involved in "whole family" genealogy and a general study of all the families of the area where your ancestors lived.
Another aspect of the age of "consent" and the "age of majority" can also be applied to being "indentured" and or "apprenticed" - again this is another subject. For example, Benjamin Franklin was apprenticed (with the consent of his father) to Ben's brother - James Franklin - at the age of 12.
So try to remember what my friend, Donald J. Steel, the eminent English genealogist and family historian and myself have been teaching for years - the term "Environmental Genealogy" - place your ancestor in the context of the location, the time period and the society in which they lived in - not ours.
It is often difficult of younger people of today to comprehend but may I remind everyone that it has been less than 80 years since "The Famous Five" did their thing in Canada in 1929 to help make women "people". Try and read about "The Peoples Case" of 1929.
So in summary - there are indeed differences to the terminology "age of consent", "age of majority" and "full age" in different places, in different times, for different reasons.
February 16, 2008
PEER Genealogy Puzzler for February
This ia Genealogy Puzzle for February. I'm hopeful a reader can point me in the right direction to find answers to any of my unknowns below, OR knows of a researcher for hire.
Here are the facts around the puzzle:
* circa 1817/1818 Edward PEER and family (wife Anna) settled in Northeast Twp Erie Co. Pennsylvania.
Edward and son John are found in 1820 census for Northeast (1820 Census for NorthEast Twp. Erie Co. PA lists Edward PIER and John PIER)
* Levi Peer born circa 1760 in New Jersey, settled across the border in Ripley, Chautauga Co NY circa 1817/1818. Sometime between 1825 and 1830, Levi PEER sold his New York land and settled with Edward Peer in Erie Pennsylvania.
Levi and family - wife Elizabeth and children - are found in the 1830 census for Northeast PA. This Levi Peer is NOT the Levi Peer (Pier) born 1754 who married Ann Dewey and settled in Busti New York
* In August 1831 Levi and family bought land in Illinois and prepared to settle there. Levi Sr. died before the family arrived in Illinois, perhaps before they left.
What I am looking for is:
1. Will for Edward PEER (Pier, Pear) who is buried in Philips Cemetery, Northeast Twp with a death date of 9 Nov.1834. His wife Sarah died 16 march 1833 and is buried in the same cemetery.
Edward's known children were John L. Peer b ca 1792 Canada; Mercy aka Phoebe Peer b ca 1800 Ontario married Mr. Averill (Stephen?) in Northeast PA date uknown and Lewis A. Peer b 1802 Ontario married Charlotte unk. in Northeast PA. Lewis is buried in Philips cemetery, death date 8 Nov. 1891
2. Will and/or grave record for Levi PEER (Pier, Pear) who died circa 1831, perhaps August in Northeast PA. Levi was married to Elizabeth. His known children (Levi, William,Abraham, Rachel, Hiram and Eliza Jane) all left PA for IL in 1831 along with their mother. It is assumed that Levi died in Northeast PA shortly before they left.
3. Land Records for both Levi and Edward. (or other Peer individuals) in Northeast PA. I have one land record, (but I'm sure there are more as both men owned extensive land holdings everywhere they lived) for 28 April 1825. It is an Indenture between Edward Peer and Sarah, his wife of the town of Northeast, Erie Co. PA, and Elizabeth Peer, wife of Levi Peer, town of Ripley, Chautauqua Co. NY, parties of the first part, and James McClung of the second part. The parties of the first part sell for 1400.00 50 acres of land in the town of Ripley - Township #3, 15th Range.
4. Tax or Assessment records for 1817-1834
So, that is my February challenge. Can anyone offer ideas, suggestions or even answers to this PEER puzzle?
Here are the facts around the puzzle:
* circa 1817/1818 Edward PEER and family (wife Anna) settled in Northeast Twp Erie Co. Pennsylvania.
Edward and son John are found in 1820 census for Northeast (1820 Census for NorthEast Twp. Erie Co. PA lists Edward PIER and John PIER)
* Levi Peer born circa 1760 in New Jersey, settled across the border in Ripley, Chautauga Co NY circa 1817/1818. Sometime between 1825 and 1830, Levi PEER sold his New York land and settled with Edward Peer in Erie Pennsylvania.
Levi and family - wife Elizabeth and children - are found in the 1830 census for Northeast PA. This Levi Peer is NOT the Levi Peer (Pier) born 1754 who married Ann Dewey and settled in Busti New York
* In August 1831 Levi and family bought land in Illinois and prepared to settle there. Levi Sr. died before the family arrived in Illinois, perhaps before they left.
What I am looking for is:
1. Will for Edward PEER (Pier, Pear) who is buried in Philips Cemetery, Northeast Twp with a death date of 9 Nov.1834. His wife Sarah died 16 march 1833 and is buried in the same cemetery.
Edward's known children were John L. Peer b ca 1792 Canada; Mercy aka Phoebe Peer b ca 1800 Ontario married Mr. Averill (Stephen?) in Northeast PA date uknown and Lewis A. Peer b 1802 Ontario married Charlotte unk. in Northeast PA. Lewis is buried in Philips cemetery, death date 8 Nov. 1891
2. Will and/or grave record for Levi PEER (Pier, Pear) who died circa 1831, perhaps August in Northeast PA. Levi was married to Elizabeth. His known children (Levi, William,Abraham, Rachel, Hiram and Eliza Jane) all left PA for IL in 1831 along with their mother. It is assumed that Levi died in Northeast PA shortly before they left.
3. Land Records for both Levi and Edward. (or other Peer individuals) in Northeast PA. I have one land record, (but I'm sure there are more as both men owned extensive land holdings everywhere they lived) for 28 April 1825. It is an Indenture between Edward Peer and Sarah, his wife of the town of Northeast, Erie Co. PA, and Elizabeth Peer, wife of Levi Peer, town of Ripley, Chautauqua Co. NY, parties of the first part, and James McClung of the second part. The parties of the first part sell for 1400.00 50 acres of land in the town of Ripley - Township #3, 15th Range.
4. Tax or Assessment records for 1817-1834
So, that is my February challenge. Can anyone offer ideas, suggestions or even answers to this PEER puzzle?
February 12, 2008
Palatines to America National Conference in June 2008
Palatines to America German Genealogy Society National Conference
Sponsored by the Ohio Chapter June 19 - 21, 2008
Ramada Plaza Hotel & Conference Center Columbus, Ohio
"Tune Up Your German Speaking Research"
MARION WOLFERT: A professional genealogist and German specialist with the Family History Library in Salt Lake City Ms Wolfert will give 3 presentations: the keynote address "How Do I Interest My Grandchildren in Genealogy?," "Records in the Various Provinces and Regions of Germany," and "Border Changes in Germany."
MARALYN WELLAUER: A well-known genealogist specializing in Swiss research, Ms Wellauer will have returned from a research trip to Switzerland just prior to the conference. She will give 2 presentations: "Sources and Strategies for Successful Pre-19th century Swiss Genealogical Research," and "18th and 19th Century Swiss Emigrants and the Records They Left Behind."
MELDON WOLFGANG: A noted genealogy speaker and owner of Jonathan Sheppard Books Mr. Wolfgang will talk about "When to Hire a Professional," "Tracking Cultures Lost in Translation: German and German-Americans in the 19th and early 20th Century," and "Newspaper Research Tips for the Family Historian."
ROBERTA ESTES: A scientist knowledgeable on DNA and how it relates to genealogy Ms. Estes will present "DNA, Genealogy and You: An Introduction" and "Using DNA to Breakdown Brick Walls."
KEN SMITH: An author of numerous German genealogy books and teacher of German script Mr. Smith will discuss "Reading German Church Records" and "Confirming your Ancestors Place of Origin."
ANN MILLER SCOTT: The librarian at the Palatines to America National Library will speak on "German Ancestral Research and the Pal Am Library."
BARBARA NUEHRING: A speaker new to Pal Am Conferences Ms. Nuehring will present interesting information on the importance of "Timelines."
For Registration Information go the Pal Am home page and click on 2008 National Conference Information, or write to Palatines to America, 611 E. Weber Rd., Columbus, OH 43211
Click for a handout that you can print and post
View Palatine Genealogy information and history
Sponsored by the Ohio Chapter June 19 - 21, 2008
Ramada Plaza Hotel & Conference Center Columbus, Ohio
"Tune Up Your German Speaking Research"
MARION WOLFERT: A professional genealogist and German specialist with the Family History Library in Salt Lake City Ms Wolfert will give 3 presentations: the keynote address "How Do I Interest My Grandchildren in Genealogy?," "Records in the Various Provinces and Regions of Germany," and "Border Changes in Germany."
MARALYN WELLAUER: A well-known genealogist specializing in Swiss research, Ms Wellauer will have returned from a research trip to Switzerland just prior to the conference. She will give 2 presentations: "Sources and Strategies for Successful Pre-19th century Swiss Genealogical Research," and "18th and 19th Century Swiss Emigrants and the Records They Left Behind."
MELDON WOLFGANG: A noted genealogy speaker and owner of Jonathan Sheppard Books Mr. Wolfgang will talk about "When to Hire a Professional," "Tracking Cultures Lost in Translation: German and German-Americans in the 19th and early 20th Century," and "Newspaper Research Tips for the Family Historian."
ROBERTA ESTES: A scientist knowledgeable on DNA and how it relates to genealogy Ms. Estes will present "DNA, Genealogy and You: An Introduction" and "Using DNA to Breakdown Brick Walls."
KEN SMITH: An author of numerous German genealogy books and teacher of German script Mr. Smith will discuss "Reading German Church Records" and "Confirming your Ancestors Place of Origin."
ANN MILLER SCOTT: The librarian at the Palatines to America National Library will speak on "German Ancestral Research and the Pal Am Library."
BARBARA NUEHRING: A speaker new to Pal Am Conferences Ms. Nuehring will present interesting information on the importance of "Timelines."
For Registration Information go the Pal Am home page and click on 2008 National Conference Information, or write to Palatines to America, 611 E. Weber Rd., Columbus, OH 43211
Click for a handout that you can print and post
View Palatine Genealogy information and history
February 8, 2008
Serendipity in Genealogy
Last week I decided to play around with FamilySearch and their new Labs, in particular Record Search.
It's easy and free to register, so after filling out the form, I logged in and began my search. I was not looking for anything or anyone specifically, I simply wanted to try it out.
Imagine my surprise when typing in my family surname (McGINNIS) from Ontario, up popped a 1920s death record in Ohio.
A closer look revealed it was my great-grandfather's brother, an individual in my McGinnis Family Tree I'd lost after the 1881 census, and a man I'd almost given up hope of ever finding! I had no idea he'd gone to Ohio, in fact family lore swore he had left Guelph Ontario for Hamilton Ontario. I'd searched Ontario for him without success.
And now, here he was dying in Ohio. His wife's name and her residence were given on the dath record. A note stated the body was being sent to Ontario for burial. With those clues I was able to find his wife and their children and a whole new branch of research has opened for me.
Serendipity at its best. So don't overlook taking the time to play with new genealogy records you find online. It can pay off!
It's easy and free to register, so after filling out the form, I logged in and began my search. I was not looking for anything or anyone specifically, I simply wanted to try it out.
Imagine my surprise when typing in my family surname (McGINNIS) from Ontario, up popped a 1920s death record in Ohio.
A closer look revealed it was my great-grandfather's brother, an individual in my McGinnis Family Tree I'd lost after the 1881 census, and a man I'd almost given up hope of ever finding! I had no idea he'd gone to Ohio, in fact family lore swore he had left Guelph Ontario for Hamilton Ontario. I'd searched Ontario for him without success.
And now, here he was dying in Ohio. His wife's name and her residence were given on the dath record. A note stated the body was being sent to Ontario for burial. With those clues I was able to find his wife and their children and a whole new branch of research has opened for me.
Serendipity at its best. So don't overlook taking the time to play with new genealogy records you find online. It can pay off!
February 6, 2008
What is a Loyalist?
In Upper Canada (now the province of Ontario, individuals had to qualify as Loyalists. They had to be recognized by the Government as Loyalists. If recognized, they and their descendants are entitled to use the designation UE (Unity of Empire) after their names.
If the courts did not approve their claim, or did not agree that the person met the qualifications, then they are not Loyalists
I have Loyalist ancestors who were approved. I have ancestors from New Jersey who remained loyal to England and left New Jersey for Ontario but who were NOT approved. They are not qualified Loyalists.
So while an ancestor might be loyal to the British Crown, they might not meet all the criteria and hence not be Loyalists.
The criteria basically for qualification was three-fold:
* a person had to reside in the American Colonies before the war with Britain
* had to join the British Forces in some capacity before 1783
* had to experience some loss of property, life or goods.
So in the case of my loyal, but non-Loyalist ancestors, because no one took up arms (i.e., joined the British forces) they did not qualify as Loyalists.
Being a Loyalist gave many rights to an individual, including free grants of Crown land and being exempt from administration fees for land processes.
There is no one list of approved Loyalists! Finding a Loyalist ancestor means looking in many different sources, including the following
CLRI (aka Ontario Land Record Index) summarizes land grants from sales of Crown Land, from Canada Company sales or leases and from Peter Robinson settlers' grants. Also includes Loyalist grants (as UEL, DUE and SUE)
UCLP are the actual Petitions for land which were submitted in Upper Canada . They frequently contain
information about the petitioner and his or her family. Loyalists and discharged soldiers often mentioned the regiment in which they served. A land grant will provide you with the information as to under what conditions the land was granted. This will confirm Loyalist status if qualified.
If the courts did not approve their claim, or did not agree that the person met the qualifications, then they are not Loyalists
I have Loyalist ancestors who were approved. I have ancestors from New Jersey who remained loyal to England and left New Jersey for Ontario but who were NOT approved. They are not qualified Loyalists.
So while an ancestor might be loyal to the British Crown, they might not meet all the criteria and hence not be Loyalists.
The criteria basically for qualification was three-fold:
* a person had to reside in the American Colonies before the war with Britain
* had to join the British Forces in some capacity before 1783
* had to experience some loss of property, life or goods.
So in the case of my loyal, but non-Loyalist ancestors, because no one took up arms (i.e., joined the British forces) they did not qualify as Loyalists.
Being a Loyalist gave many rights to an individual, including free grants of Crown land and being exempt from administration fees for land processes.
There is no one list of approved Loyalists! Finding a Loyalist ancestor means looking in many different sources, including the following
CLRI (aka Ontario Land Record Index) summarizes land grants from sales of Crown Land, from Canada Company sales or leases and from Peter Robinson settlers' grants. Also includes Loyalist grants (as UEL, DUE and SUE)
UCLP are the actual Petitions for land which were submitted in Upper Canada . They frequently contain
information about the petitioner and his or her family. Loyalists and discharged soldiers often mentioned the regiment in which they served. A land grant will provide you with the information as to under what conditions the land was granted. This will confirm Loyalist status if qualified.
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