The featured genealogy database this week is the Missing Friends Project
The Missing Friends Project on OliveTreeGenealogy.com is extracting the names of those who immigrated from UK to America or Canada and who were inquired about by family in various 19th Century newspapers.
Missing Friends Project starts with Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper, published in London England and their weekly column (1886-1900) called "Long Lost Relatives". We also have begun extracting names of those in the Boston Pilot, published in Boston Massachusetts (1831-1921).
Our Boston Pilot project is only extracting the names of missing Irish individuals who sailed to Canada. It is important to note that many who sailed first to Canada went on to USA and are so noted in the extracts. Many of the relatives and friends seeking them were based in USA and their location is also given.
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.
May 11, 2010
Czech Republic, Mexico, and U.S. Records Added on FamilySearch
Press Release from FamilySearch
Eight new searchable collections were updated or added this week at FamilySearch.org—millions of new free images and records.
This week the complete name indexes for the states of Alabama, Colorado, and Illinois were published online and can be found at FamilySearch’s Record Search pilot (http://pilot.familysearch.org/, click Search Records, and then click Record Search pilot) or Beta.FamilySearch.org. http://beta.familysearch.org/
The Delaware state birth records, 1875 Minnesota State Census, and Illinois, Cook County birth records were also added.
Also released was a digital image collection of church records from Litomerice, Czech Republic—60,000 images! Consumers will see these types of collections more and more online as FamilySearch digitizes microfilms in its Granite Mountain Records Vault. Instead of a microfilm reader in a local family history center, patrons use FamilySearch’s image viewer online to search these high quality digital collections—and they are accessible 24/7.
Eight new searchable collections were updated or added this week at FamilySearch.org—millions of new free images and records.
This week the complete name indexes for the states of Alabama, Colorado, and Illinois were published online and can be found at FamilySearch’s Record Search pilot (http://pilot.familysearch.org/, click Search Records, and then click Record Search pilot) or Beta.FamilySearch.org. http://beta.familysearch.org/
The Delaware state birth records, 1875 Minnesota State Census, and Illinois, Cook County birth records were also added.
Also released was a digital image collection of church records from Litomerice, Czech Republic—60,000 images! Consumers will see these types of collections more and more online as FamilySearch digitizes microfilms in its Granite Mountain Records Vault. Instead of a microfilm reader in a local family history center, patrons use FamilySearch’s image viewer online to search these high quality digital collections—and they are accessible 24/7.
May 10, 2010
Annie Moore, first at Ellis Island
Fascinating article about Annie Moore, the first person to go through Ellis Island processing station.
In 1892, she was the first foreigner to arrive at Ellis Island. By 1893, she was an American mystery.
May 9, 2010
Grandma with her 3 Daughters
In honour of Mother's Day - My grandmother with her three daughters.
From left to right: my aunt, my mother, my grandmother and my aunt
From left to right: my aunt, my mother, my grandmother and my aunt
May 8, 2010
Press Release: Free Newspapers in May
Press Release from Footnote.com
For the month of May all the historical newspapers on Footnote.com will be open to the public. A free registration is needed to view the images.
To access the newspaper collections visit www.footnote.com/newspapers.
On Footnote you will find newspapers ranging from small towns to major cities and dating back to the 1700’s. Whether a historian or a genealogists, historical newspapers are one of the best resources that provide a unique window into the past.
For the month of May all the historical newspapers on Footnote.com will be open to the public. A free registration is needed to view the images.
To access the newspaper collections visit www.footnote.com/newspapers.
On Footnote you will find newspapers ranging from small towns to major cities and dating back to the 1700’s. Whether a historian or a genealogists, historical newspapers are one of the best resources that provide a unique window into the past.
May 7, 2010
Featured Foto from Lost Faces: Webster Family Photo Album
This week's featured Photo is from the Webster Family Photo Album from Lost Faces.
LOST FACES is my collection of Family Photo Albums. One of my hobbies is going to antique auctions, stores, flea markets and garage sales. Whenever I spot one of those old Photo Albums from the 1800s with family pictures, I have to buy it! I can't bear the thought that the album and photos will be lost or destroyed. Even though they aren't my ancestors, and they can be very expensive, I can't walk away without it.
Lost Faces is my way of saving these genealogy treasures and preserving historical documents. I have albums that contain funeral cards, memorial cards, obituaries, Christmas cards, and hand-written genealogies. My goal is to eventually place all these albums online for all to see
This photo is a Carte de Visite of Abigail Coleman Robbins taken in 1867. On the verso (back) is written "Abigail Robbins, 91 years old, Dec. 24, 1867"
This is a Civil War Era WEBSTER Family Album with CDVs (Cartes de Visites), circa 1860s into 1880. The Webster Family Photo Album has slots for 46 CDVs (Cartes de Visite). Some slots had names but no CDVs in them. A few had no name but 30 were identified by name.
Surnames: Edwards, Converse, Coleman, Tenney, Tenny, Webster, Smith, Dickie, Clark, Cushing, Reed, Everson, Bates, Wadley, Peterson, Shaw, Spellman
Locations: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut
LOST FACES is my collection of Family Photo Albums. One of my hobbies is going to antique auctions, stores, flea markets and garage sales. Whenever I spot one of those old Photo Albums from the 1800s with family pictures, I have to buy it! I can't bear the thought that the album and photos will be lost or destroyed. Even though they aren't my ancestors, and they can be very expensive, I can't walk away without it.
Lost Faces is my way of saving these genealogy treasures and preserving historical documents. I have albums that contain funeral cards, memorial cards, obituaries, Christmas cards, and hand-written genealogies. My goal is to eventually place all these albums online for all to see
This photo is a Carte de Visite of Abigail Coleman Robbins taken in 1867. On the verso (back) is written "Abigail Robbins, 91 years old, Dec. 24, 1867"This is a Civil War Era WEBSTER Family Album with CDVs (Cartes de Visites), circa 1860s into 1880. The Webster Family Photo Album has slots for 46 CDVs (Cartes de Visite). Some slots had names but no CDVs in them. A few had no name but 30 were identified by name.
Surnames: Edwards, Converse, Coleman, Tenney, Tenny, Webster, Smith, Dickie, Clark, Cushing, Reed, Everson, Bates, Wadley, Peterson, Shaw, Spellman
Locations: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut
May 6, 2010
Over 300 Million New Names Added Online
Press Release from FamilySearch
Over 300 Million New Names Added Online
There were over 150 new collections added or enhanced this week at FamilySearch.org. FamilySearch volunteers indexed over 120 million records—over 300 million new names—from original source documents to accomplish this great feat. The massive release was announced this past week at the National Genealogical Society annual conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The records can be found at FamilySearch’s Record Search pilot (http://pilot.familysearch.org/, click Search Records, and then click Record Search pilot) or Beta.FamilySearch.org. http://beta.familysearch.org/ Be sure to share the good news with family and friends.
The following Canadian records are only a FEW of the many databases
Canada Marriages , 1661—1949
British Columbia Death Registrations , 1872—1986
British Columbia Marriage Registrations , 1859—1932
New Brunswick Births , 1819—1899
Nova Scotia Births , 1702—1896
Nova Scotia Marriages , 1711—1909
Ontario Births , 1779—1899
Ontario Marriages , 1800—1910
Quebec Births , 1662—1898
None of this would be possible without the great contributions of many online FamilySearch volunteers. These individuals donate the time and effort needed to make these collections freely available to FamilySearch patrons. If you would like to become a volunteer in the FamilySearch community, please go to FamilySearchIndexing.org. Many hands produce great work.
Over 300 Million New Names Added Online
There were over 150 new collections added or enhanced this week at FamilySearch.org. FamilySearch volunteers indexed over 120 million records—over 300 million new names—from original source documents to accomplish this great feat. The massive release was announced this past week at the National Genealogical Society annual conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The records can be found at FamilySearch’s Record Search pilot (http://pilot.familysearch.org/, click Search Records, and then click Record Search pilot) or Beta.FamilySearch.org. http://beta.familysearch.org/ Be sure to share the good news with family and friends.
The following Canadian records are only a FEW of the many databases
Canada Marriages , 1661—1949
British Columbia Death Registrations , 1872—1986
British Columbia Marriage Registrations , 1859—1932
New Brunswick Births , 1819—1899
Nova Scotia Births , 1702—1896
Nova Scotia Marriages , 1711—1909
Ontario Births , 1779—1899
Ontario Marriages , 1800—1910
Quebec Births , 1662—1898
None of this would be possible without the great contributions of many online FamilySearch volunteers. These individuals donate the time and effort needed to make these collections freely available to FamilySearch patrons. If you would like to become a volunteer in the FamilySearch community, please go to FamilySearchIndexing.org. Many hands produce great work.
May 5, 2010
Weekly Featured Database: Outbound Ships Passenger Lists
Neither U.S. A. nor Canada maintained outbound ships passenger lists. There are no archived Ships Passenger Lists for ships sailing from ports in Canada to USA. However, some partial lists do exist.
ShipsListsOnline is pleased to announce a new project to transcribe ships passenger lists leaving USA, bound for Europe and United Kingdom.
ShipsListsOnline is pleased to announce a new project to transcribe ships passenger lists leaving USA, bound for Europe and United Kingdom.
May 4, 2010
Oh How Easy it is to be Fooled!
Several years ago my husband and I looked over his genealogy. Much of it was done before we met, and I kept peppering him with questions "Where did you find this?" "How do you know this is correct?" "What's your source?" "Who told you?" He was a novice researcher and most of his answers were "I can't remember" or "My grandmother told me" or "I think I read it somewhere" We did manage together to track down most of the sources for his lines. And he became really conscientious about noting his sources.
However just recently I was going over one of his Irish lines. He is descended from a Catherine Kennedy who married Thomas Elgie. Catherine's birth location and exact age at death is on her tombstone which is a very nice find. Her gravestone reads
I'll keep my long story short and just say that for various reasons we had her parents as Cornelius Kennedy and Elizabeth Clifford. Cornelius was the name given to one of Catherine's sons. Cornelius was from Co. Kerry as was Catherine. Cornelius and his wife are buried beside Catherine in the Cemetery. They all lived near each other in Ontario Canada. In the 1861 Canadian Census, Cornelius and his wife have an 18 year old daughter named Catherine. The age is off, but we all know we can't completely believe a census or a gravestone. So the decision was that this Catherine was the wife of Thomas Elgie.
We gathered lots of interesting information on Cornelius Kennedy. He was written up in local newspapers as a man who lived through 3 centuries (born 1797 died 1901). There were photos of him. It was rather exciting to find such a wealth of detail!
Then reality hit. Recently another descendant of Thomas Elgie and Catherine Kennedy contacted me and asked for information. I hadn't looked at the lines in a very long time so as I was digging through my files and notes to make sure I had every document and every source, I realized that the connection of our Catherine to Cornelius was tenuous. There were discrepancies that needed to be resolved.
With that in mind I began a more thorough search. Now that all the Canadian census records are online on Ancestry as are early Ontario births, deaths and marriages, my search was much easier. And then I found it. The death of Catherine, daughter of Cornelius Kennedy and Elizabeth Clifford. But their daughter Catherine was married to John Kean aka Kane and she died in 1913.
Back to our Catherine Kennedy who married Thomas Elgie and died in 1890. Another search of our long-forgotten notes revealed that buried in the same plot as Catherine Kennedy Elgie were Peter Kennedy and his wife Mary. Peter was from Co. Kerry. Their stone reads
Given the dates of birth, locations of birth, settlement locations and burials, I also suspect that Cornelius and Peter might have been brothers. I'm itching to start researching Peter and Mary, but sad that old Cornelius, the man who lived through 3 centuries, is not an ancestor of my husband.
And I'm reminded how easy it is to be fooled and how diligent we genealogists have to be in our ongoing research into our ancestors.
However just recently I was going over one of his Irish lines. He is descended from a Catherine Kennedy who married Thomas Elgie. Catherine's birth location and exact age at death is on her tombstone which is a very nice find. Her gravestone reads
ELGIE/ Sacred to the memory of Catherine Kennedy/ beloved wife of/ Thomas Elgie/ died 1 June 1890/ age 66 years, 5 months, 6 days/ native of County Kerry, Ireland/ may her soul rest in peaceFrom this we calculated a date of birth as 26 Dec 1823. This may not be exact, for we do not who had the tombstone done. It was probably her husband for he outlived her by another 10 years. But it may have been someone else. How knowledgeable were they? Maybe they knew her exact age, maybe they did not. But it was a start.
I'll keep my long story short and just say that for various reasons we had her parents as Cornelius Kennedy and Elizabeth Clifford. Cornelius was the name given to one of Catherine's sons. Cornelius was from Co. Kerry as was Catherine. Cornelius and his wife are buried beside Catherine in the Cemetery. They all lived near each other in Ontario Canada. In the 1861 Canadian Census, Cornelius and his wife have an 18 year old daughter named Catherine. The age is off, but we all know we can't completely believe a census or a gravestone. So the decision was that this Catherine was the wife of Thomas Elgie.
We gathered lots of interesting information on Cornelius Kennedy. He was written up in local newspapers as a man who lived through 3 centuries (born 1797 died 1901). There were photos of him. It was rather exciting to find such a wealth of detail!
Then reality hit. Recently another descendant of Thomas Elgie and Catherine Kennedy contacted me and asked for information. I hadn't looked at the lines in a very long time so as I was digging through my files and notes to make sure I had every document and every source, I realized that the connection of our Catherine to Cornelius was tenuous. There were discrepancies that needed to be resolved.
With that in mind I began a more thorough search. Now that all the Canadian census records are online on Ancestry as are early Ontario births, deaths and marriages, my search was much easier. And then I found it. The death of Catherine, daughter of Cornelius Kennedy and Elizabeth Clifford. But their daughter Catherine was married to John Kean aka Kane and she died in 1913.
Back to our Catherine Kennedy who married Thomas Elgie and died in 1890. Another search of our long-forgotten notes revealed that buried in the same plot as Catherine Kennedy Elgie were Peter Kennedy and his wife Mary. Peter was from Co. Kerry. Their stone reads
Sacred to the memory of Peter Kennedy died 10 Sept. 1868, age 75 years. His wife Mary, died 14 Oct. 1867, age 70 years, natvies of County Kerry, IrelandAnother look at Thomas Elgie and Catherine Kennedy's children showed they named a son Peter and a daughter Mary Ann. Light bulbs were flashing in my head. Bingo. I suspect that the correct parents of our Catherine are Peter and Mary Kennedy.
Given the dates of birth, locations of birth, settlement locations and burials, I also suspect that Cornelius and Peter might have been brothers. I'm itching to start researching Peter and Mary, but sad that old Cornelius, the man who lived through 3 centuries, is not an ancestor of my husband.
And I'm reminded how easy it is to be fooled and how diligent we genealogists have to be in our ongoing research into our ancestors.
May 3, 2010
Casefile Clues Review & Discount Price
Great news! Casefile Clues by Michael John Neill is now available to readers of Olive Tree Genealogy blog at a reduced rate.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Casefile Clues, it is a weekly How-To column of genealogy tips and advice. Michael uses his own research to walk us through various genealogy records, step by step. His analysis of the documents combined with in-depth explanations of what can be found and how to interpret the findings, is invaluable. Even if the specific set of records he discusses is not applicable to your ancestors, you can extrapolate his advice to your own genealogy challenges.
I asked Michael how long he's been writing Casefile Clues and he responded with
Michael informed me that his reasons for writing Casefile Clues are many. He elaborated on one very important reason
Having recently read three episodes (yes I confess that Casefile Clues was new to me) I was impressed both with the writing and the clear explanations. I wondered what level of genealogists Michael gears his column to. Michael responded
All Back Issue Discount $15.00. Usual price is $18.00
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Casefile Clues, it is a weekly How-To column of genealogy tips and advice. Michael uses his own research to walk us through various genealogy records, step by step. His analysis of the documents combined with in-depth explanations of what can be found and how to interpret the findings, is invaluable. Even if the specific set of records he discusses is not applicable to your ancestors, you can extrapolate his advice to your own genealogy challenges.
I asked Michael how long he's been writing Casefile Clues and he responded with
I started writing Casefile Clues in December of 2008 and began self-publishing Casefile Clues in July of 2009. I had written hundreds of how-to columns for Ancestry.com'svarious newsletters for about ten years before that.
Michael informed me that his reasons for writing Casefile Clues are many. He elaborated on one very important reason
I wanted Casefile Clues to focus more on the "why" and the "how" of research. There already is a lot of good beginner information on the Internet and I really didn't want to compete with that or to essentially just rephrase that information. I have felt for a long time that the amount of detailed, how-to material for the non-beginner was somewhat limited, particularly for those who choose not to subscribe to the more academic type journals. I've always been interested in the process of research, organizing the research procedure, and understanding and interpreting what has been located.Casefile Clues discusses what worked and what didn't, and where I'm going to go next.
Having recently read three episodes (yes I confess that Casefile Clues was new to me) I was impressed both with the writing and the clear explanations. I wondered what level of genealogists Michael gears his column to. Michael responded
Casefile Clues is geared towards intermediate and advanced researchers. All sources are cited in the spirit of Elizabeth Shown Mills' "Evidence Explained," but final responsibility for citations rests on my shoulders. I believe in citing and try and model that as best I can in Casefile Clues.I learned a lot from the issues I read and look forward to learning more. You can subscribe for a low cost of $14.50 for a full year or for back issues at $15.00 using the Paypal buttons below. One year subscription $14.50. Usual price is $17.00
All Back Issue Discount $15.00. Usual price is $18.00
May 1, 2010
Watch Spike Lee: Last Episode of Who Do You Think You Are
The final episode of this season of Who Do You Think You Are aired last night on NBC. If you missed it you can watch it online on NBC.
I watched it and have to be honest. It was by far my least favourite episode. I loved the others, especially the episodes with Lisa Kudrow and Emmitt Smith. I enjoyed Susan Sarandon's episode too. But not this one.
There were too many huge leaps and assumptions for my liking as a genealogist. I also didn't find Spike Lee someone I could relate to. He seemed removed from the process but in fairness, perhaps he was just processing the information. His love of family did come across and that was great to see. I did find it eerie that his grandmother suggested he name his character Mars in his first big hit movie, and then it turned out that Lee's great great grandfather was Mars. His grandmother suggested the name after a "crazy uncle" she remembered, but had no idea her own grandfather's name was Mars. I liked Spike Lee's perception that it was Mars himself wanting to be known that caused his grandma to toss out that name.
The website for “Who Do You Think You Are?” can be accessed here http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/. The website features bios of the celebrities featured in the show, photos, and several video clips as well as articles on how to get started in family history.
Ancestry.com is a partner with NBC on this genealogy show.
I watched it and have to be honest. It was by far my least favourite episode. I loved the others, especially the episodes with Lisa Kudrow and Emmitt Smith. I enjoyed Susan Sarandon's episode too. But not this one.
There were too many huge leaps and assumptions for my liking as a genealogist. I also didn't find Spike Lee someone I could relate to. He seemed removed from the process but in fairness, perhaps he was just processing the information. His love of family did come across and that was great to see. I did find it eerie that his grandmother suggested he name his character Mars in his first big hit movie, and then it turned out that Lee's great great grandfather was Mars. His grandmother suggested the name after a "crazy uncle" she remembered, but had no idea her own grandfather's name was Mars. I liked Spike Lee's perception that it was Mars himself wanting to be known that caused his grandma to toss out that name.
The website for “Who Do You Think You Are?” can be accessed here http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/. The website features bios of the celebrities featured in the show, photos, and several video clips as well as articles on how to get started in family history.
Ancestry.com
April 30, 2010
Featured Foto from Lost Faces: Fisk Civil War era Photo Album
This week's Featured Photo from Lost Faces is from the Fisk Family Civil War era Photo Album. It is part of my private collection of 1800s Photograph Albums Which I rescue and publish online at Lost Faces
This carte de visite is Fisk Family Photo #14 - Mrs. Elihu Smead. It was taken ca 1870s
After some research I discovered that the album was probably owned by a child of David Fiske and Laura Severington of Massachusetts. It was probably passed on to a grandchild of David & Laura, that grandchild being the person who wrote names of individuals in the album.
This carte de visite is Fisk Family Photo #14 - Mrs. Elihu Smead. It was taken ca 1870s
After some research I discovered that the album was probably owned by a child of David Fiske and Laura Severington of Massachusetts. It was probably passed on to a grandchild of David & Laura, that grandchild being the person who wrote names of individuals in the album.
April 29, 2010
Who Do You Think You Are with Spike Lee Tomorrow Night
Who Do You Think You Are? is nearly over. This Friday is the last episode!
This Week's Episode featuring Spike Lee will air this Friday April 30.
The website for “Who Do You Think You Are?” can be accessed here http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/. The website features bios of the celebrities featured in the show, photos, and several video clips as well as articles on how to get started in family history.
Ancestry.com is a partner with NBC on this genealogy show.
I'm going to miss the show when tomorrow's episode is over but good news -- NBC has picked it up for another season!
This Week's Episode featuring Spike Lee will air this Friday April 30.
The website for “Who Do You Think You Are?” can be accessed here http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/. The website features bios of the celebrities featured in the show, photos, and several video clips as well as articles on how to get started in family history.
Ancestry.com
I'm going to miss the show when tomorrow's episode is over but good news -- NBC has picked it up for another season!
April 28, 2010
Weekly Featured Database: Reformed Dutch Church of New Amsterdam (New York) Baptisms 1639 - 1801
The featured genealogy database this week is the Reformed Dutch Church of New Amsterdam (New York) Baptisms 1639 to 1801
Other New York genealogy databases can be viewed at http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/nn/
Other New York genealogy databases can be viewed at http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/nn/
April 27, 2010
Spring Cleaning Your Genealogy
Well, it's April and a perfect time for Spring Cleaning. Spring cleaning your genealogy that is! If you are like me, your genealogy files are in a mess.
I have filing cabinets chock full of file folders which are chock full of papers.
I have dozens of clear plastic tubs full of assorted genealogy papers.
I have a desk that defies the laws of gravity with its towers of papers.
In short I have a mess that I have the best intentions every year to clean up.
But this year it's going to be different. Here is my plan. And yes, I've already started on it!
1. Purge my file folders first. Go through each folder and ruthlessly toss papers I truly do not need anymore
2. Reorganize the papers that I have in the now purged file folders. Make sure I have sorted the remaining papers into groups other than "Assorted" or "Miscellaneous". I want each family to have folders for census, vital stats, land records and so on. So I will sort by such titles as PEER FAMILY - CENSUS; PEER FAMILY - LAND RECORDS etc. Everyone has their own organization method. The key is to choose yours and then be consistent.
3. Using my beloved labeller, print off all new file folder labels. Large print, easy to read.
4. Now attack the tubs of loose papers. That's a huge job but it needs to be done. Sort, organize, toss, and file.
5. Next attack my gravity defying stacks of paper on my desk. Same deal - sort, organize, toss and file. Create more file folders if needed.
6. At this point your office should be looking a whole lot neater! Next is a monumental task but extremely important and one I am very very bad at. Go through each file folder and ENTER DATA into your genealogy program! Check every single piece of paper, every document. Have you entered it? If not, do so. Now, this minute.
This is not a one day or even one month job. My spring cleaning of my genealogy is going to take me a few months but I'm determined to do it. No more file folders labelled "Miscellaneous". No more opening a file folder labelled "New York Families" and finding my Ontario Vollick line in there. No more hunting for hours for that one land record I know I have - but can't remember where I put it.
I've already started. Last month I purged. It was so hard to do, I always have the certainty that I will toss out paper that next week I'll find I need. But I did it. I purged and I reorganized my folders and I re-labelled everything.
Saving the worst for last, I now have to go through all my odds 'n ends of paper which cover every square inch of available furniture in my office, and are in tubs stacked 3 high. Maybe I'll have it done by Christmas!
I have filing cabinets chock full of file folders which are chock full of papers.
I have dozens of clear plastic tubs full of assorted genealogy papers.
I have a desk that defies the laws of gravity with its towers of papers.
In short I have a mess that I have the best intentions every year to clean up.
But this year it's going to be different. Here is my plan. And yes, I've already started on it!
1. Purge my file folders first. Go through each folder and ruthlessly toss papers I truly do not need anymore
2. Reorganize the papers that I have in the now purged file folders. Make sure I have sorted the remaining papers into groups other than "Assorted" or "Miscellaneous". I want each family to have folders for census, vital stats, land records and so on. So I will sort by such titles as PEER FAMILY - CENSUS; PEER FAMILY - LAND RECORDS etc. Everyone has their own organization method. The key is to choose yours and then be consistent.
3. Using my beloved labeller, print off all new file folder labels. Large print, easy to read.
4. Now attack the tubs of loose papers. That's a huge job but it needs to be done. Sort, organize, toss, and file.
5. Next attack my gravity defying stacks of paper on my desk. Same deal - sort, organize, toss and file. Create more file folders if needed.
6. At this point your office should be looking a whole lot neater! Next is a monumental task but extremely important and one I am very very bad at. Go through each file folder and ENTER DATA into your genealogy program! Check every single piece of paper, every document. Have you entered it? If not, do so. Now, this minute.
This is not a one day or even one month job. My spring cleaning of my genealogy is going to take me a few months but I'm determined to do it. No more file folders labelled "Miscellaneous". No more opening a file folder labelled "New York Families" and finding my Ontario Vollick line in there. No more hunting for hours for that one land record I know I have - but can't remember where I put it.
I've already started. Last month I purged. It was so hard to do, I always have the certainty that I will toss out paper that next week I'll find I need. But I did it. I purged and I reorganized my folders and I re-labelled everything.
Saving the worst for last, I now have to go through all my odds 'n ends of paper which cover every square inch of available furniture in my office, and are in tubs stacked 3 high. Maybe I'll have it done by Christmas!
April 24, 2010
Recap of Who Do You Think You Are: Susan Sarandon Episode
Who Do You Think You Are? aired last night with it's episode featuring Susan Sarandon. I really enjoyed this episode, which focused on Susan's attempts to solve mystery of her grandmother Anita, who disappeared from Susan's mother's life when her mother was just a child.
With the help of genealogists in New York, Susan learns that her grandmother lived a very difficult early life, losing her own mother at the age of 9, married at age 13, and bearing two children (one of them Susan's mother) before she was 15 years old!
Anita disappeared when Susan's mother was about 2 years old, then reappeared briefly when Susan's mother was a teenager. Susan's mother had been told that Anita was dead so her appearance was startling. Then Anita disappeared once more and was never heard from again.
The story of Anita seemed to resonate with Susan who found that her grandmother's past as a dancer in a New York night club was bore similarities to Susan's career as an actress. By the end, Susan has found a new understanding of her grandmother and perhaps the reasons she left her family and started a new life.
The website for “Who Do You Think You Are?” can be accessed here http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/. The website features bios of the celebrities featured in the show, photos, and several video clips as well as articles on how to get started in family history.
Ancestry.com is a partner with NBC on this genealogy show.
With the help of genealogists in New York, Susan learns that her grandmother lived a very difficult early life, losing her own mother at the age of 9, married at age 13, and bearing two children (one of them Susan's mother) before she was 15 years old!
Anita disappeared when Susan's mother was about 2 years old, then reappeared briefly when Susan's mother was a teenager. Susan's mother had been told that Anita was dead so her appearance was startling. Then Anita disappeared once more and was never heard from again.
The story of Anita seemed to resonate with Susan who found that her grandmother's past as a dancer in a New York night club was bore similarities to Susan's career as an actress. By the end, Susan has found a new understanding of her grandmother and perhaps the reasons she left her family and started a new life.
The website for “Who Do You Think You Are?” can be accessed here http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/. The website features bios of the celebrities featured in the show, photos, and several video clips as well as articles on how to get started in family history.
Ancestry.com
April 23, 2010
Featured Foto from Lost Faces: Santelman Steffanhagen Family Photo Album
This week's featured Photo is from the Santelman Steffanhagen Family Photo Album
This is a 1880s-1890s Wine Coloured Velvet Album with Oval Metal Insert on Cover containing photos of the Santelman Steffanhagen Family. The photos are mainly Cabinet Cards with some earlier tintypes. I rescued this family photo album from an antique store many years ago.
There were 46 identified photo slots in this album but only 33 photos in the album. The photos were identified in the album index in later handwriting
Surnames: Santelman, Steffanhager, Steffanhagen, Koehn,Pigorzs, Landivehr?, Gohrke, Grimm, Algrihm, Koch, Berlin
Locations: Minnesota, Illinois
This is a 1880s-1890s Wine Coloured Velvet Album with Oval Metal Insert on Cover containing photos of the Santelman Steffanhagen Family. The photos are mainly Cabinet Cards with some earlier tintypes. I rescued this family photo album from an antique store many years ago.
There were 46 identified photo slots in this album but only 33 photos in the album. The photos were identified in the album index in later handwriting
Surnames: Santelman, Steffanhager, Steffanhagen, Koehn,Pigorzs, Landivehr?, Gohrke, Grimm, Algrihm, Koch, Berlin
Locations: Minnesota, Illinois
April 22, 2010
Weekly Featured Database: Baptisms Reformed Church at Machackemeck (Deerpark), Orange County New York 1716-1827
The featured genealogy database this week is the 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.
Other New York genealogy databases can be viewed at http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/nn/
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.
Other New York genealogy databases can be viewed at http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/nn/
April 21, 2010
Who Do You Think You Are with Susan Sarandon
Who Do You Think You Are? is nearly over. There are only two episodes left!
This Week's Episode will air this Friday April 26. Susan Sarandon sets out to learn more about her grandmother Anita, who led a life shrouded with mystery and who disappeared out of Susan's mother's life when her mother was just a child. In the episode, Susan visits the New York City Public Library and the New City Library in Rockland, New York.
The website for “Who Do You Think You Are?” can be accessed here http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/. The website features bios of the celebrities featured in the show, photos, and several video clips as well as articles on how to get started in family history.
Ancestry.com is a partner with NBC on this genealogy show.
Next week we'll have a chance to watch Spike Lee discover his roots. Check out the teaser featuring Susan Sarandon, and tune into NBC for the full episode on Friday at 8/7c.
This Week's Episode will air this Friday April 26. Susan Sarandon sets out to learn more about her grandmother Anita, who led a life shrouded with mystery and who disappeared out of Susan's mother's life when her mother was just a child. In the episode, Susan visits the New York City Public Library and the New City Library in Rockland, New York.
The website for “Who Do You Think You Are?” can be accessed here http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/. The website features bios of the celebrities featured in the show, photos, and several video clips as well as articles on how to get started in family history.
Ancestry.com
Next week we'll have a chance to watch Spike Lee discover his roots. Check out the teaser featuring Susan Sarandon, and tune into NBC for the full episode on Friday at 8/7c.
April 17, 2010
Featured Foto from Lost Faces: Barnum, Pickard, Raymond Family of New York
This Cabinet Card circa 1880-1885 is of a young boy. He looks to be about 5 - 8 years old. The Photographer is from Syracuse New York. On the back is written "D. F. Pickard"
From my own genealogy research on the family I believe this cabinet card is a photograph of Darwin Frank Pickard, born 19 September 1875. He was the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Watertown NY for 29 years
It is part of my private collection of 1800s Photograph Albums Which I rescue and publish online at Lost Faces
This Cabinet Card comes from the Photo Album of the Barnum, Pickard, Raymond Family of New York. It was in a red velvet Photo Album purchased in St Jacobs Ontario, Patented 1882
This late 1800s album was full of 35 photos and funeral cards. I'm so glad I rescued this album
April 15, 2010
Graveyard Rabbits Carnival: Broken to Shivers
The topic for the May 2010 edition of the Graveyard Rabbits Carnival is: Cause of Death.
This is my entry. Poor Joseph!
Vollick, Joseph, News, appeared in Canadian Champion, 17 Jun 1869, page 2, column 3
This is my entry. Poor Joseph!
Vollick, Joseph, News, appeared in Canadian Champion, 17 Jun 1869, page 2, column 3
FATAL ACCIDENT. - A fatal accident occurred on the 10th inst., at Mr. Hadden's mill, Nelson. A man by the name of Joseph Vollick was killed. It appears that he had been engaged at work on this mill for some time, acting in the capacity of fireman, and yesterday while in the act of throwing off the pump belt he was caught by it, and whirled around the main shaft at the rate of two hundred and forty times per minute. When they got the engine stopped his body was a mutilated mass, the bones of his legs were broken to shivers.
An inquest was held the same day on the body by Dr. Richardson, coroner, and a verdict of accidental death was given. No blame could be attached to either Mr. Hadden or Mr. Frazer, the foreman, as the mill is the same as any other mill, having a number of belts or straps, which always produce danger in dealing with them while in motion. He leaves a wife and five children to mourn his untimely end.
April 14, 2010
Weekly Featured Database: New York Military Records
The featured database this week is a list of men in the 8th Regiment Albany Militia 1898 There are over 1200 names
Other New York Military databases can be viewed at http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/nn/mil/
They are
* Palatines in New York 1710
* Volunteers Against Canada 1711
* Lt. Gov. Leisler's Commissions 1689 & 1690
* MERCHANT AND REDCOAT: THE PAPERS OF JOHN GORDON MACOMB, JULY 1757 TO JUNE 1760 (NEW YORK, BRITISH ARMY)
* Captn. Jonas Douw's Company Albany 1715
* Capt. Jacob Hallenback's Company of Militia 1757
* Capt. Marte Hallenback's Company of Militia 1757
* Muster Roll in Livingston Manor, 1715
Other New York Military databases can be viewed at http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/nn/mil/
They are
* Palatines in New York 1710
* Volunteers Against Canada 1711
* Lt. Gov. Leisler's Commissions 1689 & 1690
* MERCHANT AND REDCOAT: THE PAPERS OF JOHN GORDON MACOMB, JULY 1757 TO JUNE 1760 (NEW YORK, BRITISH ARMY)
* Captn. Jonas Douw's Company Albany 1715
* Capt. Jacob Hallenback's Company of Militia 1757
* Capt. Marte Hallenback's Company of Militia 1757
* Muster Roll in Livingston Manor, 1715
April 10, 2010
FamilySearch Indexing Update
FamilSearch sends the following update regarding their indexing projects
The effort to index the 1910 United States Census continues to move forward, with five states completed and three new states added this week. New projects are also now available for Canada, Germany, and France.
New Projects
· Canada, Ontario—Deaths, 1933–1937
· Canada, Ontario—Marriages, 1869–1927 [Part A]
· Deutschland, Baden, Achern—Kirchenbücher, 1810–1869 [Part C]
· France, Paris—Registres Protestants, 1612–1906 [Part D]
· U.S., North Carolina—1910 Federal Census
· U.S., North Dakota—1910 Federal Census
· U.S., Oklahoma—1910 Federal Census
The effort to index the 1910 United States Census continues to move forward, with five states completed and three new states added this week. New projects are also now available for Canada, Germany, and France.
New Projects
· Canada, Ontario—Deaths, 1933–1937
· Canada, Ontario—Marriages, 1869–1927 [Part A]
· Deutschland, Baden, Achern—Kirchenbücher, 1810–1869 [Part C]
· France, Paris—Registres Protestants, 1612–1906 [Part D]
· U.S., North Carolina—1910 Federal Census
· U.S., North Dakota—1910 Federal Census
· U.S., Oklahoma—1910 Federal Census
April 8, 2010
Weekly Featured Database: J & J Cooke Shipping Agents Records 1847 - 1871
This week's featured database is one I'm really excited about having online. It is the J & J Cooke Shipping Agents Records 1847 - 1871.
These lists can be found in D.2892/1/1-14 Passenger Books of J & J Cooke, Shipping Agents. Sailings were from Londonderry to Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Quebec, and St. John New Brunswick between 1847-1871 in the PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE of NORTHERN IRELAND.
Luckily for researchers, Olive Tree Genealogy volunteers kindly began transcribing these lists. Many are now online and searchable at Ships' Lists Online
If you are looking for Irish ancestors, especially those coming to Canada, you may be in luck with the JJ Cooke Shipping Lists, because Canadian Ships Passenger Lists did not have to be archived until 1865. This gives researchers those important pre-1865 years.
These lists can be found in D.2892/1/1-14 Passenger Books of J & J Cooke, Shipping Agents. Sailings were from Londonderry to Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Quebec, and St. John New Brunswick between 1847-1871 in the PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE of NORTHERN IRELAND.
Luckily for researchers, Olive Tree Genealogy volunteers kindly began transcribing these lists. Many are now online and searchable at Ships' Lists Online
If you are looking for Irish ancestors, especially those coming to Canada, you may be in luck with the JJ Cooke Shipping Lists, because Canadian Ships Passenger Lists did not have to be archived until 1865. This gives researchers those important pre-1865 years.
April 7, 2010
Conference on Computerized Genealogy and Family History at Salt Palace
Here's another interesting Press Release from BYU Conferences and Workshops. Wish I were going!
News Release
Contact: John Best, 801-422-2048
Conference on Computerized Genealogy and Family History at Salt Palace
One of the largest gatherings of family history experts in the world will take place in Salt Lake City during the last week of this month. The 13th Annual Conference on Computerized Genealogy and Family History, traditionally held at Brigham Young University in Provo in March, will take place at the Salt Palace on April 26 and 27, immediately followed by the four-day Annual Conference (April 28-May 1) of the National Genealogical Society, also at the Salt Palace. The conferences are designed to be how-to guides for beginning, intermediate and advanced researchers.
This is an exceptional opportunity for those with an interest in family history, an interest that already is booming due to the NBC TV show, “Who Do You Think You Are?” The experts at the Conference on Computerized Family History and Genealogy, sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and BYU, will teach how to get started in family history research as well as how to make research faster, easier and more effective by using new computer technologies. Anyone with an interest in genealogy is invited to attend.
The two-day conference includes more than 50 classes to help participants learn about advances in computer programs, research techniques, managing genealogy databases, using New FamilySearch, publishing family histories, research methodology, digital photography, using social networking sites to do family history research, research in other countries, and using U.S. records to find ancestors. Vendors also will demonstrate how to use their programs.
Keynote presenter for the conference will be David Rencher, director of the Records and Information Division of the Family and Church History Department of the LDS Church. He has served as director of the Family History Library and has been a leader in providing records of value to family research, including acquiring the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) and making it available to genealogists. Other main presenters include Alan Mann of FamilySearch Community Services for the LDS Church, Kory Meyerink, adjunct religion and family history professor for BYU and vice president of ProGenealogists, and Rick Crume, an author and family history presenter. In addition, representatives from the Family and Church History Department of the LDS Church will discuss how to effectively use the Church’s family history programs.
The two-day conference is sponsored by the Family History Department of the LDS Church, FamilySearch, the BYU History Department, the BYU Center for Family History and BYU’s Division of Continuing Education. More information can be found at http://familyshitoryconferences.byu.edu.
For pricing or additional program or registration information, contact:
BYU Conferences and Workshops
115 Harman Continuing Education Building Provo, UT 84602-1516
801-422-4853
E-mail: cw115@byu.edu
April 6, 2010
DIGITAL ARCHIVE PROVIDES ACCESS TO HISTORIC ATLANTA NEWSPAPERS
This Press Release just in from the Digital Library of Georgia. Sounds interesting!
A new digital database providing online access to 14 newspaper titles published in Atlanta from 1847 to 1922 is now available through the Digital Library of Georgia, housed at The University of Georgia Libraries.
The Atlanta Historic Newspapers Archive (http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/atlnewspapers)
consists of more than 67,000 newspaper pages and provides historical images that are both full-text searchable and can be browsed by date.
“This site will provide users with a record of Atlanta's history from its origins as a railroad terminus, through the devastation of the Civil War, to its eventual growth into one of the nation's largest cities,” said Toby Graham, director of the Digital Library of Georgia and deputy university librarian. “Of great interest to anyone curious about Atlanta history, it promises to be invaluable to researchers on any number of topics.”
The archive includes the following Atlanta newspaper titles: Atlanta Daily Examiner (1857), Atlanta Daily Herald (1873-1876), Atlanta Georgian (1906-1911), Atlanta Intelligencer (1851, 1854-1871), Atlantian (1911-1922), Daily/Georgia Weekly Opinion (1867-1868), Gate-City Guardian (1861), Georgia Literary and Temperance Crusader (1860-1861), New Era (1869-1872), Southern Confederacy (1861-1864), Southern Miscellany, and Upper Georgia Whig (1847), Southern World (1882-1885), Sunny South (1875-1907), Weekly Constitution (1869-1882).
The Atlanta Historic Newspapers Archive is a project of the Digital Library of Georgia as part of the Georgia HomePLACE initiative. The project is supported with federal LSTA funds administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Georgia Public Library Service, a unit of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.
Other newspaper archives available through the Digital Library of Georgia include the Macon Telegraph Archive (1826-1908), the Columbus Enquirer Archive (1828-1890), the Milledgeville Historic Newspaper Archive (1808-1920), the Southern Israelite Archive (1929-1958, 1984-1986), and the Red and Black Archive (1893-2006). These archives can be accessed at: http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/MediaTypes/Newspapers.html
April 5, 2010
Easter Bunny's Family Tree
This was announced last Easter on my blog but I felt it was worth repeating!
It seems that a little girl named Alice was playing in the garden of an old house in England when she fell down a large rabbit hole. Before climbing out she made a unique discovery. In a small wooden box under a pile of rabbit fur hats Alice spotted a yellowed letter. The letter was addressed to "Dear Easter" and signed "Uncle Wiggily", and it provided details of an interesting family tree!
The complete letter has been transcribed and you can read the text of the letter here
This year a Descendant Family Tree was found! Here it is for your enjoyment and below it is the original letter from Easter Bunny's Uncle Wiggly.
It seems that a little girl named Alice was playing in the garden of an old house in England when she fell down a large rabbit hole. Before climbing out she made a unique discovery. In a small wooden box under a pile of rabbit fur hats Alice spotted a yellowed letter. The letter was addressed to "Dear Easter" and signed "Uncle Wiggily", and it provided details of an interesting family tree!
The complete letter has been transcribed and you can read the text of the letter here
This year a Descendant Family Tree was found! Here it is for your enjoyment and below it is the original letter from Easter Bunny's Uncle Wiggly.
April 1, 2010
Don't Miss Friday's Who Do You Think You Are!
Update! NBC has altered a few of the Who Do You Think You Are? episode dates. The updated schedule is as follows:
April 2nd - Brooke Shields
April 9th - Sarah Jessica Parker (Repeat)
April 16th - No episode
April 23rd - Susan Sarandon
April 30th - Spike Lee
The website for “Who Do You Think You Are?” can be accessed here http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/. The website features bios of the celebrities featured in the show, photos, and several video clips as well as articles on how to get started in family history.
Ancestry.com is a partner with NBC on this genealogy show.
This Week's Episode - Brooke Shields Brooke Shields' episode is the most royal of the series, taking viewers to New Jersey, Rome, and Paris. In the episode, Brooke seeks to learn more about her father's aristocratic roots and to learn the origins of the "Torlonia" family name. Watch for Brooke's visit to the New Jersey State Archives in Newark and the New York Historical Society.
April 2nd - Brooke Shields
April 9th - Sarah Jessica Parker (Repeat)
April 16th - No episode
April 23rd - Susan Sarandon
April 30th - Spike Lee
The website for “Who Do You Think You Are?” can be accessed here http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/. The website features bios of the celebrities featured in the show, photos, and several video clips as well as articles on how to get started in family history.
Ancestry.com
This Week's Episode - Brooke Shields Brooke Shields' episode is the most royal of the series, taking viewers to New Jersey, Rome, and Paris. In the episode, Brooke seeks to learn more about her father's aristocratic roots and to learn the origins of the "Torlonia" family name. Watch for Brooke's visit to the New Jersey State Archives in Newark and the New York Historical Society.
March 31, 2010
Weekly Featured Database: Arkansas Naturalization Records Index 1809-1906
In the 1930s and 1940s a statewide project was begun by the WPA (Work Projects Administration). This project was to find and photograph Naturalization Records before 27 September 1906. All copies were to be deposited with INS (Immigration & Naturalization Service) but when the WPA was disbanded in 1942, only a few states and districts were complete.
NaturalizationRecords.com has compiled and published an index (Surnames A to M) to Arkansas Naturalization Records 1809 to 1906. These are Orders Granting Citizenship.
If you find a name of interest in the online index, instructions are given for obtaining the full record.
NaturalizationRecords.com has compiled and published an index (Surnames A to M) to Arkansas Naturalization Records 1809 to 1906. These are Orders Granting Citizenship.
If you find a name of interest in the online index, instructions are given for obtaining the full record.
March 30, 2010
Happy Birthday Grandma Ruth!
Happy Birthday Grandma Ruth. You would be 116 years old today if you were still with us.
My grandmother Ruth Ethel Simpson was born March 30, 1894 in Ramsgate England. She was called Dolly by her family because she looked like a little procelain doll.
When Ruth was 19 years old she left England for Ontario Canada with her fiance Charles Fuller, also 19. In May 1913 Charles and Ruth sailed on the Cunard Line ship AUSONIA from Southampton to Montreal then on to Quebec, Canada. They made their way to Toronto to Ruth's brother, and one year later in August 1914 they were married.
Charles and Ruth moved to Guelph Ontario where they raised three daughters but in 1941 after 27 years of a happy marriage, Charles died. Two years later in February 1943 Grandma Ruth married again to Sam Richardson who we called Daddy Sam. Another 12 years went by but Sam died in 1955. This time Grandma remained a widow less than a year before she married for the third time to Alfred (Fred) Bates a widower who worked in the same store as Grandma.
Grandma and Fred had 14 years together before he also died. Grandma was 76 years old and much to my surprise she did not marry again! I fully expected her to marry a fourth time. Grandma went to live with my mom and aunt after Fred died and then embarked on an adventure. The three ladies, all widows, sold their belongings, bought a motor home (a Winnebago) and began to travel. Mother drove, Lily (her sister) did the cooking and housework and Grandma Ruth knit, crocheted and watched the scenery.
In January 1985 Grandma Ruth passed away at the age of 91. She was fun, vivacious, loved the colour red and almost always wore a red pantsuit in later years. She was a terrific grandmother and I miss her a lot.
My grandmother Ruth Ethel Simpson was born March 30, 1894 in Ramsgate England. She was called Dolly by her family because she looked like a little procelain doll.
When Ruth was 19 years old she left England for Ontario Canada with her fiance Charles Fuller, also 19. In May 1913 Charles and Ruth sailed on the Cunard Line ship AUSONIA from Southampton to Montreal then on to Quebec, Canada. They made their way to Toronto to Ruth's brother, and one year later in August 1914 they were married.
Charles and Ruth moved to Guelph Ontario where they raised three daughters but in 1941 after 27 years of a happy marriage, Charles died. Two years later in February 1943 Grandma Ruth married again to Sam Richardson who we called Daddy Sam. Another 12 years went by but Sam died in 1955. This time Grandma remained a widow less than a year before she married for the third time to Alfred (Fred) Bates a widower who worked in the same store as Grandma.
Grandma and Fred had 14 years together before he also died. Grandma was 76 years old and much to my surprise she did not marry again! I fully expected her to marry a fourth time. Grandma went to live with my mom and aunt after Fred died and then embarked on an adventure. The three ladies, all widows, sold their belongings, bought a motor home (a Winnebago) and began to travel. Mother drove, Lily (her sister) did the cooking and housework and Grandma Ruth knit, crocheted and watched the scenery.
In January 1985 Grandma Ruth passed away at the age of 91. She was fun, vivacious, loved the colour red and almost always wore a red pantsuit in later years. She was a terrific grandmother and I miss her a lot.
March 29, 2010
Lost & Found: Warren E. Reid 1902-1988
Recently I rescued The Memorial Book for Warren E. Reid who died in 1988 at the age of 86. Mr. Reid's Memorial Book contained many loose cards signed by friends and family, most likely taken from flowers sent to his loved ones. It also contained his obituary from the local paper, some hand-written notes, signatures of those who attended his funeral and other miscellaneous ephemera.
Warren's wife was Mabel Hawthorne and his children are also named. I am not naming them here for privacy reasons. Warren's parents' names were given as Isaac Reid and Wilhelmina Robinson, one deceased sister was also named - Mrs. Eveline Morrow; also a deceased brother Elmer Reid.
I thought it would be interesting to do some research on Warren. The Memorial Book was obviously kept by someone who loved him, and I wondered why it had now been discarded.
Warren's funeral was in Listowel Ontario (Canada) and since I know he was born circa 1902 I figured I could find him in the 1911 Canadian Census. Sure enough, a hunt on Ancestry.com
turned up 9 year old Warren (born Jan 1902) living in Mornington, Perth North with his mother Mina (Wilhelmina no doubt), a 32 year old widow born Feb 1879 in Ontario, and siblings Elmer and Eveline, 6 year old twins, born November 1904.
My next find was Warren's birth registration. He was registered as Edwinn Warren Reid born 10 Jan 1902 in Perth County to parents Isaac Reid & Mina Robinson
His twin siblings were registered as Lylya Eveline & Aylmer, both born 11 Oct 1904
To find Warren's grandparents I looked for the marriage of Isaac Reid & Mina Robinson and there it was on 28 Nov 1900. Isaac was 36 years old and the son of John Reid & Charlotte Robinson. Mina was 10 years younger and the daughter of Alexander Robinson &Elizabeth Warren. Both Isaac and Mina were born in Ontario
Because Mina was left a widow at such a young age, I wondered what happened to Isaac. When did he die and what was the cause? This time I used Pilot Family Search to look for Isaac's death. There it was on 4 April 1910 in Perth. His date of birth was given as June 1, 1861 and the cause of death Pernicious Anemia. Poor Isaac, he was only 48 years old. His death certificate further revealed that both his parents were born in Ireland.
I was actually surprised to find Isaac with his parents in the 1861 census for Mornington Perth County! I thought given his date of birth he would not show up until 1871. However there he is, little one year old Isaac with John Reid a blacksmith from Ireland, age 41 and mother Charlotte age 30. Other siblings listed in 1861 were Hannah Reid 13 born Ireland, John Reid 11 born Upper Canada (present day Ontario), William, Margaret, David and little Isaac - all born Upper Canada. What a nice find! Knowing that Hannah was born circa 1848 in Ireland and John born circa 1850 in Ontario, gives a nice timeframe for the family leaving Ireland for Ontario. The Irish Famine was in full force so presumably the family fled out of necessity.
No doubt there is much more that could be fairly easily found on Warren Reid's family tree but I just wanted to show what a researcher can do with a few hours and a lost and found item such as Warren's Memorial Book.
Warren's wife was Mabel Hawthorne and his children are also named. I am not naming them here for privacy reasons. Warren's parents' names were given as Isaac Reid and Wilhelmina Robinson, one deceased sister was also named - Mrs. Eveline Morrow; also a deceased brother Elmer Reid.
I thought it would be interesting to do some research on Warren. The Memorial Book was obviously kept by someone who loved him, and I wondered why it had now been discarded.
Warren's funeral was in Listowel Ontario (Canada) and since I know he was born circa 1902 I figured I could find him in the 1911 Canadian Census. Sure enough, a hunt on Ancestry.com
My next find was Warren's birth registration. He was registered as Edwinn Warren Reid born 10 Jan 1902 in Perth County to parents Isaac Reid & Mina Robinson
His twin siblings were registered as Lylya Eveline & Aylmer, both born 11 Oct 1904
To find Warren's grandparents I looked for the marriage of Isaac Reid & Mina Robinson and there it was on 28 Nov 1900. Isaac was 36 years old and the son of John Reid & Charlotte Robinson. Mina was 10 years younger and the daughter of Alexander Robinson &Elizabeth Warren. Both Isaac and Mina were born in Ontario
Because Mina was left a widow at such a young age, I wondered what happened to Isaac. When did he die and what was the cause? This time I used Pilot Family Search to look for Isaac's death. There it was on 4 April 1910 in Perth. His date of birth was given as June 1, 1861 and the cause of death Pernicious Anemia. Poor Isaac, he was only 48 years old. His death certificate further revealed that both his parents were born in Ireland.
I was actually surprised to find Isaac with his parents in the 1861 census for Mornington Perth County! I thought given his date of birth he would not show up until 1871. However there he is, little one year old Isaac with John Reid a blacksmith from Ireland, age 41 and mother Charlotte age 30. Other siblings listed in 1861 were Hannah Reid 13 born Ireland, John Reid 11 born Upper Canada (present day Ontario), William, Margaret, David and little Isaac - all born Upper Canada. What a nice find! Knowing that Hannah was born circa 1848 in Ireland and John born circa 1850 in Ontario, gives a nice timeframe for the family leaving Ireland for Ontario. The Irish Famine was in full force so presumably the family fled out of necessity.
No doubt there is much more that could be fairly easily found on Warren Reid's family tree but I just wanted to show what a researcher can do with a few hours and a lost and found item such as Warren's Memorial Book.
March 26, 2010
Featured Foto from Lost Faces Photo Album of the Derr Family
This is a tintype of Eva, Ada & Ida Bushnell
It is part of my private collection of 1800s Photo Albums
This tintype was with the Derr Family Photo Album which is a Civil War Era Derr Family Album with CDVs (Cartes de Visites), circa 1860s.
Inscription inside cover reads: -- and Richard -- Cleveland
Inscription front page reads Mr. & Mrs. R. Derr, Ney Defiance Co. Ohio
Surnames in the identified photos: Derr, Prehn, Bartholomew, Stahl, Bushnell, Austen, Ward, Beavis, Brownlee, Garman, Gray, Green, Carter, Furst, Newcomb, Mott, Beck, Field, Wilson
Locations of photographers: Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania
March 25, 2010
Reminder! WDYTYA is on Friday with Matthew Broderick
A reminder that the TV genealogy series, Who Do You Think You Are? at 8:00 Eastern/7:00 Central Time is on NBC every Friday.
Episode 4 is tomorrow and features Matthew Broderick, who sets out to discover more about his father's side of the family, whom he never knew. As he learns about his ancestors' heroic military service and sacrifice, Matthew gets closer than he ever imagined to Captain Robert Shaw, who he portrayed in the epic Civil War movie Glory. Watch for Matthew's visit to the National Archives in New York City, the Connecticut State Archives, and the Marietta National Cemetery in Georgia.
This is a terrific genealogy series, so you want to be sure you don't miss it! If you missed the first three they are available online at NBC.com
My thoughts and critiques of the first two episodes are available at
* Episode 1
* Episode 2
There is also a companion book written by Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak which may be of interest.
Episode 4 is tomorrow and features Matthew Broderick, who sets out to discover more about his father's side of the family, whom he never knew. As he learns about his ancestors' heroic military service and sacrifice, Matthew gets closer than he ever imagined to Captain Robert Shaw, who he portrayed in the epic Civil War movie Glory. Watch for Matthew's visit to the National Archives in New York City, the Connecticut State Archives, and the Marietta National Cemetery in Georgia.
This is a terrific genealogy series, so you want to be sure you don't miss it! If you missed the first three they are available online at NBC.com
My thoughts and critiques of the first two episodes are available at
* Episode 1
* Episode 2
There is also a companion book written by Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak which may be of interest.
March 24, 2010
Weekly Featured Database: New York Almshouse Records 1819-1840
This week's featured free database is the New York Almshouse Records 1819 to 1840
This set of records is extracted from a Ledger Book containing residents of the Almshouse, the names of the ship each person sailed on, plus dates of arrival. This database includes arrivals in Canadian ports.
In the early 1800s 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.
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.
There are 2 pages for each name in this ledger. Only portions of the left hand page have been extracted. There is more information in the Ledger, including Captain's Name, Owner's Name, Date of Bond, Sureties, Date Discharged, Death Date, Remarks, Bonded, Commuted & Total.
For example, under date 1820 March 11 the full record shows Elizabeth Kennedy age 34 is listed as having died June 14, 1820; her daughter Mary Ann died Nov. 5, 1820
The extracted portions are
Date of Admission; Foreigner (Surname); Foreigner (First Name); Age; Place of Birth; Vessel Name; Where From
Thus Elizabeth Kennedy's extracted record online shows
1820 Mar. 11 Kennedy Elizabeth 34 ; Ireland; Grey Hound ; Halifax
The suggested way to use this online set of extracted records is to search for your ancestor then consult the microfilmed Ledger Book for the full details.
This set of records is extracted from a Ledger Book containing residents of the Almshouse, the names of the ship each person sailed on, plus dates of arrival. This database includes arrivals in Canadian ports.
In the early 1800s 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.
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.
There are 2 pages for each name in this ledger. Only portions of the left hand page have been extracted. There is more information in the Ledger, including Captain's Name, Owner's Name, Date of Bond, Sureties, Date Discharged, Death Date, Remarks, Bonded, Commuted & Total.
For example, under date 1820 March 11 the full record shows Elizabeth Kennedy age 34 is listed as having died June 14, 1820; her daughter Mary Ann died Nov. 5, 1820
The extracted portions are
Date of Admission; Foreigner (Surname); Foreigner (First Name); Age; Place of Birth; Vessel Name; Where From
Thus Elizabeth Kennedy's extracted record online shows
1820 Mar. 11 Kennedy Elizabeth 34 ; Ireland; Grey Hound ; Halifax
The suggested way to use this online set of extracted records is to search for your ancestor then consult the microfilmed Ledger Book for the full details.
March 20, 2010
What About Georgiana's Illegitimate Birth?
On March 8, I wrote a post called "What About The Women" One of my goals for March was to find my ancestor Georgiana Fuller's death and figure out more about her illegitimate birth to the widow Hannah Golding nee Philpot
There were several comments on that post and I thank everyone for their contributions. I want to answer two of the comments:
Michelle Goodrum said...
I am curious about Georgiana's father George Norris. What happened to him and why did Georgiana not use his surname?
Michelle, I don't know. I was not aware of his name until I found Georgiana's marriage to Charles Fuller in Lenham Kent England. On the marriage certificate Georgiana names her father as "George Norris"
A search of census records for Lenham turned up only one George Norris - a neighbour to Hannah Golding and her family. In the earlier 1841 census his parents and siblings are living a few houses from Hannah Golding and her family. In 1851 his parents and a few brothers and sisters live next door to Hannah and her children. In the 1861 census for Lenham, I found George, age 50, living with his mother and unmarried.
I do not know what happened to George and have no absolute proof that he is the George Norris named on Georgiana's marriage record. But Lenham was a tiny village and it seems most plausible that Georgiana's father would be someone who Hannah knew from her daily life in the village. I've not yet found George in any other census other than 1861 but searching for him is on my To-Do list.
I also plan to send for the birth certificate of Hannah's illegitimate son Edward John Golding born 05 Mar 1843 in Lenham to see if his father is listed, and if he and Georgiana shared the same father. I may need his marriage record, as Georgiana's birth record did not have a father's name.
Brett Payne said...
FreeBMD shows the death of a Georgina FULLER, aged 44, in Hollingbourn Registration District, Kent in the 4th quarter of 1882. Despite the ages not quite matching up with what you say is shown on the 1881 Census, I wonder if that is her? Perhaps it would be worth sending off for the death certificate if it's in the right area.
Brett was absolutely correct. A cousin informed me that he had sent for that death record and it was indeed our Georgiana. She is listed as 44 years of age, the wife of Charles Fuller, a farm labourer. Georgiana died on 19th December 1882 of complications from pregnancy, aggravated by heart disease.
So now I know what happened to Georgiana. After 10 children in a 23 year time period, her 11th pregancy was her breaking point.
Georgiana's oldest child was 23 when his mother died, her youngest was 2 years old.
There were several comments on that post and I thank everyone for their contributions. I want to answer two of the comments:
Michelle Goodrum said...
I am curious about Georgiana's father George Norris. What happened to him and why did Georgiana not use his surname?
Michelle, I don't know. I was not aware of his name until I found Georgiana's marriage to Charles Fuller in Lenham Kent England. On the marriage certificate Georgiana names her father as "George Norris"
A search of census records for Lenham turned up only one George Norris - a neighbour to Hannah Golding and her family. In the earlier 1841 census his parents and siblings are living a few houses from Hannah Golding and her family. In 1851 his parents and a few brothers and sisters live next door to Hannah and her children. In the 1861 census for Lenham, I found George, age 50, living with his mother and unmarried.
I do not know what happened to George and have no absolute proof that he is the George Norris named on Georgiana's marriage record. But Lenham was a tiny village and it seems most plausible that Georgiana's father would be someone who Hannah knew from her daily life in the village. I've not yet found George in any other census other than 1861 but searching for him is on my To-Do list.
I also plan to send for the birth certificate of Hannah's illegitimate son Edward John Golding born 05 Mar 1843 in Lenham to see if his father is listed, and if he and Georgiana shared the same father. I may need his marriage record, as Georgiana's birth record did not have a father's name.
Brett Payne said...
FreeBMD shows the death of a Georgina FULLER, aged 44, in Hollingbourn Registration District, Kent in the 4th quarter of 1882. Despite the ages not quite matching up with what you say is shown on the 1881 Census, I wonder if that is her? Perhaps it would be worth sending off for the death certificate if it's in the right area.
Brett was absolutely correct. A cousin informed me that he had sent for that death record and it was indeed our Georgiana. She is listed as 44 years of age, the wife of Charles Fuller, a farm labourer. Georgiana died on 19th December 1882 of complications from pregnancy, aggravated by heart disease.
So now I know what happened to Georgiana. After 10 children in a 23 year time period, her 11th pregancy was her breaking point.
Georgiana's oldest child was 23 when his mother died, her youngest was 2 years old.
March 19, 2010
Who Do You Think You Are: Episode 3 Lisa Kudrow tonight
Tune into NBC Friday 8/7c tonight March 19th for Episode 3 of Who Do You Think You Are with Lisa Kudrow exploring her Jewish ancestry.
The website for “Who Do You Think You Are?” can be accessed here http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/. The website features bios of the celebrities featured in the show, photos, and several video clips as well as articles on how to get started in family history.
Ancestry.com is a partner with NBC on the show.
The family history-focused series will lead seven celebrities on a journey back in time as they discover more about the ancestors who came before them. Lisa Kudrow, who executive produced the show, will be featured in the episodes, along with Sarah Jessica Parker, Spike Lee, Matthew Broderick, Susan Sarandon, Emmitt Smith, and Brooke Shields.
The website for “Who Do You Think You Are?” can be accessed here http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/. The website features bios of the celebrities featured in the show, photos, and several video clips as well as articles on how to get started in family history.
Ancestry.com
The family history-focused series will lead seven celebrities on a journey back in time as they discover more about the ancestors who came before them. Lisa Kudrow, who executive produced the show, will be featured in the episodes, along with Sarah Jessica Parker, Spike Lee, Matthew Broderick, Susan Sarandon, Emmitt Smith, and Brooke Shields.
March 18, 2010
Caveat re Ontario, Canada Marriages, 1801-1930 on Ancestry!
Ontario, Canada Marriages, 1801-1930 on Ancestry.com has recently been updated. I was pretty happy to see that as my family lines are Ontario back to 1800. I immediately began searching for some of my earlier ancestors.
At first I didn't notice anything unusual. Then I realized that ever index result I obtained had the SAME MOTHER for both the bride and groom. Uh-oh!
Here's a few examples to show what I found:
Name: Charlotte Peer
Birth Place: Nelson
Age: 53
Estimated birth year: abt 1824
Father Name: John Thomas
Mother Name: Mary Thomas <==
Spouse Name: George Hardbottle
Spouse's Age: 73
Spouse Birth Place: Yorkshire England
Spouse Father Name: John Hardbottle
Spouse Mother Name: Mary Thomas <==
Name: Denzalo J Peer
Birth Place: United States
Age: 41
Estimated birth year: abt 1831
Father Name: Abraham Peer
Mother Name: Mary Peer <==
Spouse Name: Amelia Taylor
Spouse's Age: 18
Spouse Birth Place: England
Spouse Father Name: Henry Taylor
Spouse Mother Name: Mary Peer <==
I began to click on random results that were not mine. Same thing - same name for both mothers. I checked the images where images were available. Nope, the mothers' names were not the same on any of the images.
For example, the image shows that George Hardbottle's mother's name is recorded as Mary Hardbottle and Charlotte's is Mary Thomas. The image shows that Denzalo Peer's parents were Abraham and Mary while Amelia's were Henry and Eliza.
I checked over 30 marriage registrations. All had the same error.
Then I realized that I could not check the ones that did not have images attached. That's a huge problem! However eventually through trial and error I stumbled on the way around this.
Here's an example of a marriage index entry with NO IMAGE attached to verify parents' names:
I searched for STEPHEN PEER (His name is first in the index results)
Name: Stephen Peer
Birth Place: Canada
Residence: Ancaster Township
Age: 21
Estimated birth year: abt 1842
Father Name: John Peer
Mother Name: Nancy Peer <==
Spouse Name: Mary Newton
Spouse's Age: 22
Spouse Birth Place: England
Spouse residence: Nelson Township
Spouse Father Name: Thomas Newton
Spouse Mother Name: Nancy Peer <==
Notice that both mothers are given as Nancy Peer. Which one is correct? All you do is reverse your search order. You've searched for Stephen, now search under his wife's name (Mary Newton)
Now you get the indexed results with Mary's name first:
Name: Mary Newton
Birth Place: England
Residence: Nelson Township
Age: 22
Estimated birth year: abt 1841
Father Name: Thomas Newton
Mother Name: Sarah Newton <==
Spouse Name: Stephen Peer
Spouse's Age: 21
Spouse Birth Place: Canada
Spouse residence: Ancaster Township
Spouse Father Name: John Peer
Spouse Mother Name: Sarah Newton <==
Now you get Sarah Newton as the mother of both. In this example it is easy to figure out which mother (Sarah Newton or Nancy Peer) goes with the bride and which goes with the groom. The mothers are recorded under their married names (not their maiden names) so Stephen Peer's mother is Mary, and Mary Newton's mother is Sarah.
The problem that is hard to work around is when the mother's maiden names are given - which mom goes with the bride and which with the groom? The only way then is to check census records and hope you can find the parents.
This is a serious flaw that Ancestry.com has managed to introduce in the database search results. The data has been indexed correctly but the search results fields are not being pulled into the results as they should be.
Please be cautious using this database until it is corrected!
At first I didn't notice anything unusual. Then I realized that ever index result I obtained had the SAME MOTHER for both the bride and groom. Uh-oh!
Here's a few examples to show what I found:
Name: Charlotte Peer
Birth Place: Nelson
Age: 53
Estimated birth year: abt 1824
Father Name: John Thomas
Mother Name: Mary Thomas <==
Spouse Name: George Hardbottle
Spouse's Age: 73
Spouse Birth Place: Yorkshire England
Spouse Father Name: John Hardbottle
Spouse Mother Name: Mary Thomas <==
Name: Denzalo J Peer
Birth Place: United States
Age: 41
Estimated birth year: abt 1831
Father Name: Abraham Peer
Mother Name: Mary Peer <==
Spouse Name: Amelia Taylor
Spouse's Age: 18
Spouse Birth Place: England
Spouse Father Name: Henry Taylor
Spouse Mother Name: Mary Peer <==
I began to click on random results that were not mine. Same thing - same name for both mothers. I checked the images where images were available. Nope, the mothers' names were not the same on any of the images.
For example, the image shows that George Hardbottle's mother's name is recorded as Mary Hardbottle and Charlotte's is Mary Thomas. The image shows that Denzalo Peer's parents were Abraham and Mary while Amelia's were Henry and Eliza.
I checked over 30 marriage registrations. All had the same error.
Then I realized that I could not check the ones that did not have images attached. That's a huge problem! However eventually through trial and error I stumbled on the way around this.
Here's an example of a marriage index entry with NO IMAGE attached to verify parents' names:
I searched for STEPHEN PEER (His name is first in the index results)
Name: Stephen Peer
Birth Place: Canada
Residence: Ancaster Township
Age: 21
Estimated birth year: abt 1842
Father Name: John Peer
Mother Name: Nancy Peer <==
Spouse Name: Mary Newton
Spouse's Age: 22
Spouse Birth Place: England
Spouse residence: Nelson Township
Spouse Father Name: Thomas Newton
Spouse Mother Name: Nancy Peer <==
Notice that both mothers are given as Nancy Peer. Which one is correct? All you do is reverse your search order. You've searched for Stephen, now search under his wife's name (Mary Newton)
Now you get the indexed results with Mary's name first:
Name: Mary Newton
Birth Place: England
Residence: Nelson Township
Age: 22
Estimated birth year: abt 1841
Father Name: Thomas Newton
Mother Name: Sarah Newton <==
Spouse Name: Stephen Peer
Spouse's Age: 21
Spouse Birth Place: Canada
Spouse residence: Ancaster Township
Spouse Father Name: John Peer
Spouse Mother Name: Sarah Newton <==
Now you get Sarah Newton as the mother of both. In this example it is easy to figure out which mother (Sarah Newton or Nancy Peer) goes with the bride and which goes with the groom. The mothers are recorded under their married names (not their maiden names) so Stephen Peer's mother is Mary, and Mary Newton's mother is Sarah.
The problem that is hard to work around is when the mother's maiden names are given - which mom goes with the bride and which with the groom? The only way then is to check census records and hope you can find the parents.
This is a serious flaw that Ancestry.com
Please be cautious using this database until it is corrected!
March 17, 2010
Happy St. Patrick's Day to my Irish Ancestors!
In honour of St Patrick's Day, when tradition has it that we all want to be Irish, I shout out THANK YOU to my Irish ancestors who came from Ireland to N. America.
John Greenlees and his wife Elizabeth Johnston came from Ireland to the wilds of Upper Canada (present day Ontario) with three children - George about 5 years old, Thomas about 3 years old and my 2nd great grandmother Jane who was under 2 years old. The year was some time between Jane's birth in 1819 and the birth of their next child in Upper Canada in 1821. What a perilous journey that must have been!
I wish I knew where in Ireland they came from but I don't. They made it possible for me to exist though so for that I thank them!
Joseph McGinnis and his wife Frances (Fanny) Downey made the journey from famine stricken Ireland with their year old daughter Bridget (Delia) in 1846. They were both barely 20 years old.
It must have been a nightmare voyage and I am sure that like most of the Irish who left Ireland during the Famine Years, they and their loved ones suffered greatly at home. Joseph and Fanny arrived in Ontario and settled near family who had arrived much earlier. They were my 2nd great grandparents and sadly I know nothing of their parents or origins other than learning last year that they came from the area of Katesbridge, Co. Down Ireland. They were very poor Catholics and the land they settled on was more swamp than anything else.
So - I have three Irish great-great grandparents (Joseph, Fanny and Jane) and two Irish Great great great grandparents (John & Elizabeth). Out of that mix I get four Irish surnames: Greenlees, Johnstone, McGinnis & Downey.
I hope this Irish blessing worked for them! "May you be in heaven a full half hour before the devil knows you're dead."
John Greenlees and his wife Elizabeth Johnston came from Ireland to the wilds of Upper Canada (present day Ontario) with three children - George about 5 years old, Thomas about 3 years old and my 2nd great grandmother Jane who was under 2 years old. The year was some time between Jane's birth in 1819 and the birth of their next child in Upper Canada in 1821. What a perilous journey that must have been!
I wish I knew where in Ireland they came from but I don't. They made it possible for me to exist though so for that I thank them!
Joseph McGinnis and his wife Frances (Fanny) Downey made the journey from famine stricken Ireland with their year old daughter Bridget (Delia) in 1846. They were both barely 20 years old.
It must have been a nightmare voyage and I am sure that like most of the Irish who left Ireland during the Famine Years, they and their loved ones suffered greatly at home. Joseph and Fanny arrived in Ontario and settled near family who had arrived much earlier. They were my 2nd great grandparents and sadly I know nothing of their parents or origins other than learning last year that they came from the area of Katesbridge, Co. Down Ireland. They were very poor Catholics and the land they settled on was more swamp than anything else.
So - I have three Irish great-great grandparents (Joseph, Fanny and Jane) and two Irish Great great great grandparents (John & Elizabeth). Out of that mix I get four Irish surnames: Greenlees, Johnstone, McGinnis & Downey.
I hope this Irish blessing worked for them! "May you be in heaven a full half hour before the devil knows you're dead."
Weekly Featured Database: Missouri Newspapers
There are a couple of links for Missouri newspapers (free) online that you might want to add to your list of favorites!
Missouri Newspapers
Jefferson Leader 1866-1868
Jefferson Democrat 1870-1888
Jefferson Watchman 1883-1884
De Soto Weekly Facts 1895-1899
More Missouri Newspapers
Jefferson Democrat 1890
Jefferson County Record 1911
These are ongoing projects and more newspaper transcripts are being added as they become available
Missouri Newspapers
Jefferson Leader 1866-1868
Jefferson Democrat 1870-1888
Jefferson Watchman 1883-1884
De Soto Weekly Facts 1895-1899
More Missouri Newspapers
Jefferson Democrat 1890
Jefferson County Record 1911
These are ongoing projects and more newspaper transcripts are being added as they become available
March 16, 2010
Schedule for Who Do You Think You Are
The TV genealogy series, Who Do You Think You Are? at 8:00 Eastern/7:00 Central Time is on NBC every Friday. Here is the current schedule according to NBC:
* March 5 – Sarah Jessica Parker
* March 12 – Emmitt Smith
* March 19 – Lisa Kudrow
* March 26 – Matthew Broderick
* April 2 – Brooke Shields
* April 9 – Susan Sarandon
* April 23 – Spike Lee
This is a terrific genealogy series, so you want to be sure you don't miss it! If you missed the first two they are available online at NBC.com My thoughts and critiques of the last two episodes are available at
* Episode 1
* Episode 2
There is also a companion book written by Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak which may be of interest.
* March 5 – Sarah Jessica Parker
* March 12 – Emmitt Smith
* March 19 – Lisa Kudrow
* March 26 – Matthew Broderick
* April 2 – Brooke Shields
* April 9 – Susan Sarandon
* April 23 – Spike Lee
This is a terrific genealogy series, so you want to be sure you don't miss it! If you missed the first two they are available online at NBC.com My thoughts and critiques of the last two episodes are available at
* Episode 1
* Episode 2
There is also a companion book written by Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak which may be of interest.
March 15, 2010
Is This My Father?
My father died Christmas Day many years ago. I had just turned 14 one month before his death. Over time my memory of his face has faded.
There are very few photographs of my dad. Those few (a handful) that exist are grainy badly taken images. Except for one. I have a studio portrait of my father taken during WW2, long before I was born.
At an auction recently I bid on and won a group photo of soldiers who were in training in Guelph Ontario in 1942. My dad lived in Guelph and was in training there when he joined the Army. This is a cropped portion of that group photo.
As soon as I saw the photo, I thought that the soldier seated to the right of the officer with the swagger stick (front row) could be my dad! It looks so much like him to my eyes. He is the 5th man counting from the right side.
I scanned and enlarged that soldier and have placed it below beside the WW2 studio portrait of my father. What do you think? Is it him?
I did notice differences as soon as I enlarged the photo. But my husband pointed out that the unknown man (left) has the sun in his eyes so he has shadows on his face that distort his features. He is also squinting a bit, further causing distortion. His face is turned slightly further to the side than the one I know is my father.
Please take a look and give your opinion. I want this to be a photo of my father so much that I am not sure I can judge objectively! Perhaps someone knows who the men were in No. 1 Platoon Basic Training in Guelph in July 1942. Even if no one knows for sure, your opinions and thoughts would be appreciated.
There are very few photographs of my dad. Those few (a handful) that exist are grainy badly taken images. Except for one. I have a studio portrait of my father taken during WW2, long before I was born.
At an auction recently I bid on and won a group photo of soldiers who were in training in Guelph Ontario in 1942. My dad lived in Guelph and was in training there when he joined the Army. This is a cropped portion of that group photo.
As soon as I saw the photo, I thought that the soldier seated to the right of the officer with the swagger stick (front row) could be my dad! It looks so much like him to my eyes. He is the 5th man counting from the right side.
I scanned and enlarged that soldier and have placed it below beside the WW2 studio portrait of my father. What do you think? Is it him?
I did notice differences as soon as I enlarged the photo. But my husband pointed out that the unknown man (left) has the sun in his eyes so he has shadows on his face that distort his features. He is also squinting a bit, further causing distortion. His face is turned slightly further to the side than the one I know is my father.
Please take a look and give your opinion. I want this to be a photo of my father so much that I am not sure I can judge objectively! Perhaps someone knows who the men were in No. 1 Platoon Basic Training in Guelph in July 1942. Even if no one knows for sure, your opinions and thoughts would be appreciated.
March 13, 2010
Episode 2 Who Do You Think You Are: Emmitt Smith
Episode 2 of Who Do You Think You Are aired last night. Emmitt Smith was able to embark on a journey to trace his African American ancestry back to his slave roots. On his journey (both physical and emotional) he found his white ancestry and uncovered dark parts of the past. You could see how it disturbed him but made him think too - think about who he was and where he came from, the ancestors who had struggled and suffered to help make him who he is today.
During the show Emmitt made personal connections with people, used courthouses, online census records on Ancestry.com and other genealogy record sources to hunt for his ancestors.
I have nothing negative to say about Episode 2. I loved it. It was very well done and I especially liked Emmitt's comment that in order to know who you are, you need to know where you come from. He was absolutely right!
During the course of the show we learned that Emmitt took a Ancestry.com DNA test
to find out more about his ethnic origins and facts were uncovered which pointed to a specific area of Africa as his homeland. If you have not yet taken a DNA test I urge you to do so. I had my brother take one last year to learn more about our McGinnis roots and the results were very exciting and worthwhile.
During the show Emmitt made personal connections with people, used courthouses, online census records on Ancestry.com
I have nothing negative to say about Episode 2. I loved it. It was very well done and I especially liked Emmitt's comment that in order to know who you are, you need to know where you come from. He was absolutely right!
During the course of the show we learned that Emmitt took a Ancestry.com DNA test
March 12, 2010
Carnival of African-American Genealogy: Slaves & Slave Owners
Restore My Name – Slave Records and Genealogy Research, will kick-off this African-American themed carnival intended to be a gathering place for the community to share and learn about African-American genealogy.
As a descendant of slave owners, have you ever been pressured by family not to discuss or post about records containing slave names?
As a descendant of slaves, have you been able to work with or even meet other researchers who are descendants of slave owners?
I wanted to join in this first Carnival for African-American genealogy for two reasons. First, I am the descendant of slave owners. My husband is almost certainly the descendant of slaves. It's an uncomfortable position for me even though I know logically and intellectually that I am not responsible for my ancestors actions.
My husband’s ancestor Jonathan Butler and two of his sons are noted in early (pre 1851) Ontario census and tax assessment records as “negro”, “African”, “black” and “mulatto”. We know that Jonathan arrived in Upper Canada (present day Ontario) as early as 1812, and that he was from America, and that he settled in an area provided by the government for fugitve slaves, - but we do not know his ancestry. It is almost certain he was either a fugitive slave or a free black man. But almost certainly if not Jonathan himself, somewhere in his ancestry there is a slave.
How does this affect our research? In my own research I have found several ancestors who owned slaves, which was a shock to me. These ancestors were living in New York - several were the early Dutch who settled New Netherland (present day New York) in the early and mid 1600s. Sadly the names of their slaves are not recorded in any records I have found. I say sadly because finding and recording those slave names to share with others would have been a small effort on my part to help ease my discomfort over that aspect of my ancestry.
I also have ancestors who owned slaves in New York in the 1820s but again the slave names were not recorded.
While we've not found any resistance among other descendants of slave owners to discuss that time in history, we have found reluctance and even outright refusal in some branches of the descendants of Jonathan Butler to accept and embrace their black heritage. They do not want us to continue our research into his ancestry and so refuse to share information with us.
However my husband and I are united in our attempts to find slave records and share them with other researchers.
US Census Records Free on Footnote for Limited Time
Press Release Lindon, UT - March 11, 2010 – In order to encourage more people to find their ancestors and connect with family, Footnote.com, the web’s premier interactive history site, is opening all of their U.S. census documents for free to the public for a limited time.
Unlike any other historical collection on the web, the Interactive Census Collection has the unique ability to connect people related to ancestors found on the historical documents. Simply by clicking the “I’m Related” button for a name on the document will identify you as a descendent and also list others that have done the same. Never before has it been as easy to connect with distant relatives through historical documents. To learn how to get started with the Interactive Census, visit: http://go.footnote.com/discover.
Finding a record featuring an ancestor’s name provides not only an emotional experience but also a connection with the past. On Footnote.com it’s more than just finding a name on a census record. Interactive tools allow people to enhance the documents by adding their own contributions including:
Photos
Stories
Comments
Other related documents
Each contribution is linked to a Footnote member and provides a means for people to find each other and exchange more information about their ancestors.
“TV programs including ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ on NBC and ‘Faces of America’ on PBS will surely increase the interest in family history in the United States,” explains Russell Wilding, CEO of Footnote.com. “We believe that using our Interactive Census Collection is a great way for those who are new to genealogy to get started.”
In addition to providing the basic information about ancestors with the census documents, Footnote.com has been working with the National Archives and other institutions to digitize and index over 63 million historical records that include:
Military documents
Historical newspapers
City directories
Naturalization records
“Using the records on Footnote to go beyond the names and dates is like adding color to your tree,” says Roger Bell, Footnote’s Senior Vice President of Content and Product. “The more details you add, the more colorful your family tree becomes.”
To search for an ancestor and experience family history like never before, visit: http://go.footnote.com/discover.
Unlike any other historical collection on the web, the Interactive Census Collection has the unique ability to connect people related to ancestors found on the historical documents. Simply by clicking the “I’m Related” button for a name on the document will identify you as a descendent and also list others that have done the same. Never before has it been as easy to connect with distant relatives through historical documents. To learn how to get started with the Interactive Census, visit: http://go.footnote.com/discover.
Finding a record featuring an ancestor’s name provides not only an emotional experience but also a connection with the past. On Footnote.com it’s more than just finding a name on a census record. Interactive tools allow people to enhance the documents by adding their own contributions including:
Photos
Stories
Comments
Other related documents
Each contribution is linked to a Footnote member and provides a means for people to find each other and exchange more information about their ancestors.
“TV programs including ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ on NBC and ‘Faces of America’ on PBS will surely increase the interest in family history in the United States,” explains Russell Wilding, CEO of Footnote.com. “We believe that using our Interactive Census Collection is a great way for those who are new to genealogy to get started.”
In addition to providing the basic information about ancestors with the census documents, Footnote.com has been working with the National Archives and other institutions to digitize and index over 63 million historical records that include:
Military documents
Historical newspapers
City directories
Naturalization records
“Using the records on Footnote to go beyond the names and dates is like adding color to your tree,” says Roger Bell, Footnote’s Senior Vice President of Content and Product. “The more details you add, the more colorful your family tree becomes.”
To search for an ancestor and experience family history like never before, visit: http://go.footnote.com/discover.
March 11, 2010
Don't Miss WDYTYA this Friday with Emmit Smith!
The tune-in numbers for the first episode of Who Do You Think You Are? are in, and they look promising! More than 6.85 million viewers tuned in to watch the show making it the No. 2-rated show that hour.
This Friday ? Emmitt Smith This week's episode is one you don't want to miss. Tune into NBC this Friday at 8/7c as former NFL football player Emmitt Smith sets out to discover his slavery roots. In this episode, look for the Monroe County Courthouse in Monroe County, Alabama, and the Mecklenburg County Courthouse in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. Lisa Kudrow calls Emmitt's episode "unbelievable" and the most compelling of the seven.
Last Week's Episode featured Sarah Jessica Parker, who learns that her 4th great-grandfather John S. Hodge was among the hundreds of thousands who tried to strike it rich by heading West during the 1849 California Gold Rush. Unfortunately, Sarah discovers John S. died soon after settling in El Dorado County, California. Sarah also pays a visit to Massachusetts and meets with researchers at the New England Historic Genealogical Society and Massachusetts Historical Society, who reveal that one of her ancestors was accused of witchcraft in 1692 during the infamous Salem Witch Trials. Luckily, Sarah finds out that the court surrounding the trials was dissolved just before her ancestor was accused, so she was never tried.
Check out the teaser to the episode featuring Emmitt or last week's episode with Sarah Jessica Parker at NBC unless you live in Canada in which case you cannot view these online NBC videos.
This Friday ? Emmitt Smith This week's episode is one you don't want to miss. Tune into NBC this Friday at 8/7c as former NFL football player Emmitt Smith sets out to discover his slavery roots. In this episode, look for the Monroe County Courthouse in Monroe County, Alabama, and the Mecklenburg County Courthouse in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. Lisa Kudrow calls Emmitt's episode "unbelievable" and the most compelling of the seven.
Last Week's Episode featured Sarah Jessica Parker, who learns that her 4th great-grandfather John S. Hodge was among the hundreds of thousands who tried to strike it rich by heading West during the 1849 California Gold Rush. Unfortunately, Sarah discovers John S. died soon after settling in El Dorado County, California. Sarah also pays a visit to Massachusetts and meets with researchers at the New England Historic Genealogical Society and Massachusetts Historical Society, who reveal that one of her ancestors was accused of witchcraft in 1692 during the infamous Salem Witch Trials. Luckily, Sarah finds out that the court surrounding the trials was dissolved just before her ancestor was accused, so she was never tried.
Check out the teaser to the episode featuring Emmitt or last week's episode with Sarah Jessica Parker at NBC unless you live in Canada in which case you cannot view these online NBC videos.
March 10, 2010
New Family Search Indexing Projects
FamilySearch Indexers have a wide variety of records to choose from this week. Civil and church records are available from Argentina, Canada, France, Peru, and the United Kingdom. Six different groups of U.S. census records are also ready to be indexed.
New Projects
· Argentina, Cordoba—Registros Parroquiales, 1722–1924 [Parte B]
· Canada, British Columbia—Deaths, 1872–1986 [Part 4]
· Canada, New Brunswick—Births, 1810–1906
· France, Quimper et Leon, St. Louis—Registres Paroissiaux, 1722–1909
(In partnership with Cercle Généalogique du Finistere)
· Perú, Lima—Registros Civiles, 1887–1921 [Parte A]
· U.K., Bristol—Non-Conformist Registers, Pre-1900 [Part A]
· U.K., Warwickshire—Parish Registers, 1754–1900 [Part 1C]
· U.S., Indiana, Clay County—Marriages, 1811–1959
· U.S., Michigan—1910 Federal Census
· U.S., Military—1920 Federal Census
· U.S., Minnesota—1910 Federal Census
· U.S., Montana—1910 Federal Census
· U.S., Puerto Rico—1920 Censo Federal
· U.S., South Dakota—1945 State Census [Part A]
New Projects
· Argentina, Cordoba—Registros Parroquiales, 1722–1924 [Parte B]
· Canada, British Columbia—Deaths, 1872–1986 [Part 4]
· Canada, New Brunswick—Births, 1810–1906
· France, Quimper et Leon, St. Louis—Registres Paroissiaux, 1722–1909
(In partnership with Cercle Généalogique du Finistere)
· Perú, Lima—Registros Civiles, 1887–1921 [Parte A]
· U.K., Bristol—Non-Conformist Registers, Pre-1900 [Part A]
· U.K., Warwickshire—Parish Registers, 1754–1900 [Part 1C]
· U.S., Indiana, Clay County—Marriages, 1811–1959
· U.S., Michigan—1910 Federal Census
· U.S., Military—1920 Federal Census
· U.S., Minnesota—1910 Federal Census
· U.S., Montana—1910 Federal Census
· U.S., Puerto Rico—1920 Censo Federal
· U.S., South Dakota—1945 State Census [Part A]
March 9, 2010
Giving Maggie a Face & Place
The word prompt for the 21st Edition of Smile For The Camera is "Give Their Face A Place." March is Women's History month and you are asked to picture women back into history. The unknown, known and unsung women who are often the foundation of our family history. Give their face a place. The interpretation is yours.
I've chosen this beautiful woman in her gorgeous clothes. This CDV (Carte de Visite) was taken circa 1864-1865 in Ohio.
The writing on the verso (reverse) of the photo reads "The Compliments of W T C to Mrs. M R R" I know that WTC is William T. Cunningham.
The inscription in the album which contained this beautiful photo reads "Mrs. Maggie R Remley’s Album. Presented Sept 17th. 1864 by Captn. J R R"
And so I suspect that the Mrs MRR of this photo is Mrs. Maggie R. Remley. I believe her husband was Capt. Joseph R Remley who served in the Civil War.
I know nothing else of Maggie. What did she think about when this photo was taken? What was her daily life like? She wore such beautiful clothing and her hair is done so nicely with a lovely bonnet on top that I suspect she and her husband had a bit of money behind them!
But who was Maggie and what were her dreams and hopes? I hope she lived a long and happy life but I suspect it was, like most women in that time period, fraught with hardship and hard work.
I've chosen this beautiful woman in her gorgeous clothes. This CDV (Carte de Visite) was taken circa 1864-1865 in Ohio.
The writing on the verso (reverse) of the photo reads "The Compliments of W T C to Mrs. M R R" I know that WTC is William T. Cunningham.
The inscription in the album which contained this beautiful photo reads "Mrs. Maggie R Remley’s Album. Presented Sept 17th. 1864 by Captn. J R R"
And so I suspect that the Mrs MRR of this photo is Mrs. Maggie R. Remley. I believe her husband was Capt. Joseph R Remley who served in the Civil War.
I know nothing else of Maggie. What did she think about when this photo was taken? What was her daily life like? She wore such beautiful clothing and her hair is done so nicely with a lovely bonnet on top that I suspect she and her husband had a bit of money behind them!
But who was Maggie and what were her dreams and hopes? I hope she lived a long and happy life but I suspect it was, like most women in that time period, fraught with hardship and hard work.
March 8, 2010
What About the Women?
Today (March 8) is International Women's Day. Pam Tessier gave me the idea for this blog post in her email to one of the genealogy mailing lists I look after. Super idea Pam - thanks!
In honour of the unsung and unknown female ancestors in our family tree, take some time today, this week and this month to pick one and find out more about her.
How often do we give up on a female ancestor? We find their first name and it becomes difficult to find a surname or her parents so we shrug our shoulders and set her aside "for now". But do we ever get back to her and dig deeper?
Your female ancestors had every bit as much to do with who you are as your male ancestors so let's give those women a place.
Look over your pedigree chart. How many of your female ancestors have complete details of their birth or death? Choose one of them and set a goal to find at least one fact about her that you didn't previously know.
Women had hard lives. They often bore children a year apart. They toiled over woodstoves or open hearths to prepare meals for large families. They tended sick babies when there was little or no medical help or medications such as what we take for granted today. They buried many of their children but they carried on.
Let's honour them by not neglecting them in our genealogy research. They deserve to be known so let's find them!
In a 5-generation pedigree chart for my ancestry, I find three women for whom I have only partial information. They are
* Fanny McGinnis nee Downey born circa 1820-1830 somewhere in Ireland, died 1904 in Morriston Ontario. I have no idea who her parents were.
* Jane Peer nee Greenlees born circa 1819 somewhere in Ireland, died 1899 in Guelph Ontario. I know who her parents were
* Georgiana Fuller nee Golding born 1840 Lenham England. I know who her parents were
I've chosen Georgiana Fuller nee Golding. She was my great great grandmother. I know a little bit about Georgiana and she certainly intrigues me! Georgiana's baptism record is in St Marys Church in Lenham and it states that she was born to "the widow Golding". Her mother's name is given as Hannah Golding whose husband had been Edward. However Edward Golding died in 1837 in Lenham so unless the widow Hannah had the longest pregnancy in history, Edward Golding was not my Georgiana's father.
A lot of searching found nothing more except that the Widow Hannah had another child born in 1843 in Lenham. I do not know who his father was either.
Eventually I did find Georgiana's father because luckily her marriage certificate to Charles Fuller in 1858 provides his name - George Norris. However Georgiana used the Golding surname from her birth to her marriage.
It sounds like I know a lot about Georgiana! I know her parents - George Norris and the widow Hannah Golding. I have Georgiana's baptism and marriage record. I have the names of her ten children born between 1859 and 1880. Poor Georgiana was pregnant for most of those 20 years. It horrifies me to see how close together some of those pregnancies were! For example Georgiana bore her 5th child - my ancestor Charles in August 1867. In October 1868, a little over one year later, she gave birth to another son Alfred. She must have been exhausted.
I have her in various census records - 1851, 1861, 1871 and 1881. In 1881 she is 41 years old and some time between that census and the 1891 census Georgiana died. Her husband Charles is listed in 1891 as a widower.
My goal during March is to find Georgiana's death and figure out what happened to her.
In honour of the unsung and unknown female ancestors in our family tree, take some time today, this week and this month to pick one and find out more about her.
How often do we give up on a female ancestor? We find their first name and it becomes difficult to find a surname or her parents so we shrug our shoulders and set her aside "for now". But do we ever get back to her and dig deeper?
Your female ancestors had every bit as much to do with who you are as your male ancestors so let's give those women a place.
Look over your pedigree chart. How many of your female ancestors have complete details of their birth or death? Choose one of them and set a goal to find at least one fact about her that you didn't previously know.
Women had hard lives. They often bore children a year apart. They toiled over woodstoves or open hearths to prepare meals for large families. They tended sick babies when there was little or no medical help or medications such as what we take for granted today. They buried many of their children but they carried on.
Let's honour them by not neglecting them in our genealogy research. They deserve to be known so let's find them!
In a 5-generation pedigree chart for my ancestry, I find three women for whom I have only partial information. They are
* Fanny McGinnis nee Downey born circa 1820-1830 somewhere in Ireland, died 1904 in Morriston Ontario. I have no idea who her parents were.
* Jane Peer nee Greenlees born circa 1819 somewhere in Ireland, died 1899 in Guelph Ontario. I know who her parents were
* Georgiana Fuller nee Golding born 1840 Lenham England. I know who her parents were
I've chosen Georgiana Fuller nee Golding. She was my great great grandmother. I know a little bit about Georgiana and she certainly intrigues me! Georgiana's baptism record is in St Marys Church in Lenham and it states that she was born to "the widow Golding". Her mother's name is given as Hannah Golding whose husband had been Edward. However Edward Golding died in 1837 in Lenham so unless the widow Hannah had the longest pregnancy in history, Edward Golding was not my Georgiana's father.
A lot of searching found nothing more except that the Widow Hannah had another child born in 1843 in Lenham. I do not know who his father was either.
Eventually I did find Georgiana's father because luckily her marriage certificate to Charles Fuller in 1858 provides his name - George Norris. However Georgiana used the Golding surname from her birth to her marriage.
It sounds like I know a lot about Georgiana! I know her parents - George Norris and the widow Hannah Golding. I have Georgiana's baptism and marriage record. I have the names of her ten children born between 1859 and 1880. Poor Georgiana was pregnant for most of those 20 years. It horrifies me to see how close together some of those pregnancies were! For example Georgiana bore her 5th child - my ancestor Charles in August 1867. In October 1868, a little over one year later, she gave birth to another son Alfred. She must have been exhausted.
I have her in various census records - 1851, 1861, 1871 and 1881. In 1881 she is 41 years old and some time between that census and the 1891 census Georgiana died. Her husband Charles is listed in 1891 as a widower.
My goal during March is to find Georgiana's death and figure out what happened to her.
March 6, 2010
Answers to Genealogists' Questions about Episode 1 of Who Do You Think You Are
This informative email just in from Ancestry.com is NBC's official partner on the series Who Do You Think You Are and is a recommended website for genealogists.
An hour doesn’t offer much time to delve into the research processes that genealogists used as they traced the family history of actress Sarah Jessica Parker for this week’s episode of Who Do You Think You Are? We sat down with the research team who worked on Sarah Jessica’s family tree to talk about what it took to find her elusive gold miner ancestor. I’ve recapped that conversation here:
First Steps First
Similar to Sarah Jessica Parker’s own assumptions at the beginning of the show, research on the tree began with vague ideas that her family was comprised of recent immigrants. The team first developed a skeleton of Sarah Jessica’s family history. “We documented every connection and every life event for her ancestors,” says Natalie Cottrill of ProGenealogists, who appeared with Sarah Jessica in the episode, “finding information about Sarah Jessica’s family in court records, newspaper articles, books, and personal letters published in books.” And that’s how they found John S. Hodge.
The First Nugget
The first clue about John S. Hodge’s life came from his son’s obituary, which stated that John S. Hodge died in 1849 on his way to California from Ohio. Since the death date came from an obituary written decades after John S. Hodge died, the team looked for primary sources recorded during or around the anticipated lifespan for John S. Hodge. For starters, the team wanted to determine why the ancestral John S. Hodge was going to California, as the son’s obituary stated. Considering the time period – 1849 – it seemed probable that John S. Hodge could have been heading to the California gold fields.
The Right John?
The search led to a John Hodge, who was the right age to be Sarah Jessica’s ancestor, listed as a miner in the 1850 U.S. Federal Census for El Dorado County, California. This record shifted research to determining whether the California John Hodge was the ancestral John S. Hodge, and the researchers turned to records associated with the 49ers. “We found a letter written by someone in Ohio to John S. Hodge, which had been published in a book,” says Natalie. “One of my colleagues tracked down the original set of letters, which provided more details, including information about John S. Hodge’s 1950 [sic. Read "1850"] death.” Estate and other documents further confirmed that the ancestral John S. Hodge and the California miner John Hodge was the same individual.
If you missed the Sarah Jessica Parker episode of Who Do You Think You Are?, you can watch full episodes online at NBC.com. And you won't want to miss former NFL football player Emmitt Smith set out to discover his slavery roots this Friday, March 12, at 8/7c on NBC. Lisa Kudrow said his episode is the most compelling of the seven (and, personally, I have to agree). Check out the teaser to the episode featuring Emmitt.
March 5, 2010
Who Do You Think You Are, Episode 1 Sarah Jessica Parker
"Who Do You Think You Are?" premiered tonight Friday, March 5 (8-9 p.m. ET)
Ancestry.com is NBC's official partner on the series and is a recommended website for genealogists.
The show gave viewers an up-close and personal look inside the family history of Sarah Jessica Parker
I watched with great interest and made a list of what I loved and what I didn't like about Who Do You Think You Are (Episode 1). I'm interested in your thoughts - did you watch the show? What did you think of it? How would you compare it to Faces of America (if you watched that show)
I enjoyed Who Do You Think You Are first episode much more than Faces of America. I liked how it focused on one person's journey and didn't jump around from person to person showing us bits and pieces from each, as Faces of America did. I also liked seeing Sarah Jessica Parker physically on the journey, not just sitting and waiting to be told to turn a page in a book as in Faces of America. I liked the connection that Sarah Jessica Parker began to feel with America as she journeyed to places her ancestors had lived.
The show gave historical context to Sarah Jessica Parker's ancestors. It helped Sarah Jessica Parker connect to them as real people living real lives. She not only saw them as part of history, she connected to them as people not just names and dats.
I liked how Sarah Jessica Parker did some of her own research rather than rely exclusively on help from historians, librarians and genealogists. They did do a lot of research for her and helped her a great deal which showed just how knowledgeable and helpful such professionals are, but I was glad to see Sarah Jessica at a microfilm reader and engaging in the task.
I really liked how the show captured the excitement of researching one's family and making a find such as an ancestor on a census record. Genealogy is exciting. It's fun and it's a wonderful mystery waiting to be solved! Who Do You Think You Are captured that and for that I give it a huge tip of my hat!
What didn't I like? I'm going to nitpick now because I didn't find any major fault with the show BUT I found Sarah Jessica Parker's responses to details of her ancestors overly dramatic. That detracted from my overall enjoyment of the show.
One event actually made me cringe. When an original 1692 document was handed to Sarah Jessica Parker no one wore gloves. The librarian taking it out of the folder did not wear gloves and Sarah Jessica was not given any. As well Sarah Jessica Parker had a pencil which she used to point to the words as she read the document. I cringed every time her pencil jabbed towards a word and just barely escaped touching the paper.
I chuckled seeing Sarah Jessica Parker in those empty libraries and archives, consulting with genealogists and historians. Oh to find an empty library where every book and microfilm and every staff member is just waiting for ME to come along! I know, I know, it's a tv show and Sarah Jessica Parker is a celebrity so obviously they had to film it when no one was there. But still, it made me chuckle.
Overall I really enjoyed Episode 1 and look forward to Episode 2!
My Rating for Episode 1 is A-
Ancestry.com
The show gave viewers an up-close and personal look inside the family history of Sarah Jessica Parker
I watched with great interest and made a list of what I loved and what I didn't like about Who Do You Think You Are (Episode 1). I'm interested in your thoughts - did you watch the show? What did you think of it? How would you compare it to Faces of America (if you watched that show)
I enjoyed Who Do You Think You Are first episode much more than Faces of America. I liked how it focused on one person's journey and didn't jump around from person to person showing us bits and pieces from each, as Faces of America did. I also liked seeing Sarah Jessica Parker physically on the journey, not just sitting and waiting to be told to turn a page in a book as in Faces of America. I liked the connection that Sarah Jessica Parker began to feel with America as she journeyed to places her ancestors had lived.
The show gave historical context to Sarah Jessica Parker's ancestors. It helped Sarah Jessica Parker connect to them as real people living real lives. She not only saw them as part of history, she connected to them as people not just names and dats.
I liked how Sarah Jessica Parker did some of her own research rather than rely exclusively on help from historians, librarians and genealogists. They did do a lot of research for her and helped her a great deal which showed just how knowledgeable and helpful such professionals are, but I was glad to see Sarah Jessica at a microfilm reader and engaging in the task.
I really liked how the show captured the excitement of researching one's family and making a find such as an ancestor on a census record. Genealogy is exciting. It's fun and it's a wonderful mystery waiting to be solved! Who Do You Think You Are captured that and for that I give it a huge tip of my hat!
What didn't I like? I'm going to nitpick now because I didn't find any major fault with the show BUT I found Sarah Jessica Parker's responses to details of her ancestors overly dramatic. That detracted from my overall enjoyment of the show.
One event actually made me cringe. When an original 1692 document was handed to Sarah Jessica Parker no one wore gloves. The librarian taking it out of the folder did not wear gloves and Sarah Jessica was not given any. As well Sarah Jessica Parker had a pencil which she used to point to the words as she read the document. I cringed every time her pencil jabbed towards a word and just barely escaped touching the paper.
I chuckled seeing Sarah Jessica Parker in those empty libraries and archives, consulting with genealogists and historians. Oh to find an empty library where every book and microfilm and every staff member is just waiting for ME to come along! I know, I know, it's a tv show and Sarah Jessica Parker is a celebrity so obviously they had to film it when no one was there. But still, it made me chuckle.
Overall I really enjoyed Episode 1 and look forward to Episode 2!
My Rating for Episode 1 is A-
Amsterdam Burial Registers Online
This just in from Amsterdam Archives! What great news for those searching their Dutch roots.
Amsterdam, March 4, 2010
History at the click of a mouse
Amsterdam City Archives presents its award-winning Archives Database: a wealth of digitized archival material, directly available online. The easy-to-use website provides quick access to Amsterdam’s historical documents. Find your Dutch ancestors with just the click of a mouse, with the help of a straightforward search system and instructions in English. Now, the Amsterdam burial registers, another indispensable source for genealogical research, have been added to the Archives Database, bringing the total number of scans to more than seven million.
Easy to use
Finding the document you need is easy. Simply enter a name in the indexes that give access to the genealogical sources, and the documents will appear on your screen. Or search the Amsterdam City Archives’ inventories, accessible in full on the website. These contain treasures such as letters written by Charles Darwin; an eighteenth-century trade agreement with the newly founded United States of America; the archives of the Portuguese-Israelite Synagogue, containing the excommunication of seventeenth-century philosopher Spinoza; and the archives of institutions such as the Heineken brewery and the renowned Concertgebouw.
Opening up 20 miles of archives
The number of scans available for direct download is growing day by day. Cannot download the document you are looking for yet? The Amsterdam City Archives will scan it at your request, and it will be online within three weeks. Together, the Amsterdam City Archives and its visitors are opening up all 20 miles of Amsterdam’s archives online, making research easy, no matter where you are.
Quality scans, low costs
The quality of the scans is perfect for research. Every original detail is legible. Yet the standard is such that the costs are low. What’s more: to celebrate the addition of the burial registers to the Database, the Amsterdam City Archives now offers five scans free of charge to every newly registered user of the Archives Database. Just send your login name to fifescansforfree@gaa.nl
Best Archives on the Web
After first attaining a national award, the Archives Database has now found international acclaim, securing the Best Archives on the Web Award 2009.
About the Amsterdam City Archives
The Amsterdam City Archives (Stadsarchief Amsterdam) is the largest municipal archives in the world. It preserves documents pertaining to the history of Amsterdam and provides information about the city and its inhabitants, now and in the past. The Amsterdam City Archives is a pioneer in the field of digitizing archival material. Apart from the Archives Database, the website of the Amsterdam City Archives features an Image Bank, containing more than 260.000 photos, drawings, and prints related to the city.
March 4, 2010
Who Do You Think You Are? Book Release
This just in from Megan
Who Do You Think You Are? Book Release
Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak of Honouring Our Ancestors has a new book out which I am sure will interest many.
Her press release follows:
Who Do You Think You Are? Book Release
Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak of Honouring Our Ancestors has a new book out which I am sure will interest many.
Her press release follows:
March 3, 2010
I am thrilled to announce that my new book, Who Do You Think You Are?: The Essential Guide to Tracing Your Family History
is being released tomorrow! The book is a companion piece to NBC's ground-breaking new genealogy series, Who Do You Think You Are?, which premiers on Friday.
Who Do You Think You Are
P.S. Amazon is currently selling Who Do You Think You Are?: The Essential Guide to Tracing Your Family History
for $16.47 (list price is $24.95). A great bargain!
March 3, 2010
Free 1930 USA Census on Internet Archives
Internet Archives now has the microfilm copy of the original 1930 census as collected by the Census Bureau available for download.
This could prove to be very helpful for finding an elusive ancestor that you just can't find on the indexed census records on other sites such as
Ancestry.com
This could prove to be very helpful for finding an elusive ancestor that you just can't find on the indexed census records on other sites such as
Ancestry.com
February 27, 2010
CSI Genealogy: Free Canadian Census Chart for Family Groups
There was a good response from the Genealogy community about my CSI Genealogy: Census Charts post a few days ago.
Due to the interest shown, I have created a blank Canadian Census CSI Chart to use for a family group in all Canadian Census records. Please feel free to download and print a free copy of this chart. I hope it helps you organize your genealogy census data by family!
You can either SAVE the image to your computer hard drive then print it from any graphic program (be sure to use the LANDSCAPE orientation) or print it directly from the page when it loads.
Due to the interest shown, I have created a blank Canadian Census CSI Chart to use for a family group in all Canadian Census records. Please feel free to download and print a free copy of this chart. I hope it helps you organize your genealogy census data by family!
You can either SAVE the image to your computer hard drive then print it from any graphic program (be sure to use the LANDSCAPE orientation) or print it directly from the page when it loads.
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