Creating a Genealogy Family Memory Book

Last winter I began scanning my old family photos and slides. As unofficial keeper of the family documents and photographs, I am entrusted with such treasures whenever someone dies. After years of accumulation of these items,including an old photo album from my grandmother's brother's family, I decided I simply had to organize and preserve them.

Scanning was my first step and I joined Scanfest, a monthly session hosted by Miriam of AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors. We get together on Windows Live Messenger where we scan and chat, and share tips on working out problems with old documents and photos. It's a great way to help motivate me to scan for a few hours while having fun!

Once I had all one family treasures scanned, I began scanning various documents I'd gathered in my genealogical research on that family. Scanning complete, I began editing the scans - cropping, resizing, correcting darkness and light problems and so on.

As soon as I had everything complete for one family I decided to create what I call a Family Memory Book. I eventually want to do one for each family line I have photos and documents for, but for now I worked on my English side - my mother and her parents going back as far as I have photographs. I have a page for each family member for whom I have a photo. Some individuals have many pages as I have a lot of photos and documents for them. Some have only 1 page, others share a page with other family members. It isn't a family tree so does not have to be in any particular order. As long as I labelled each photo, everyone can be identified by comparing names to a chart of the family tree which is included as one of the first pages of the book.

The photo at left is an example of one page from this 40 page booklet on my mother's English lines. This page holds a photo of my mother and her sister at very young ages, my mother's original birth certificate and a group photo of her at a young age with her parents and older sister. The group photo is actually a photocopy of an original and had to be seriously edited after scanning as photocopies are never a good solution. Sadly it was all I had to work with as no one knows who had the original or where it is now. (As an interesting aside, the young boy standing in the group photo was the son of family friends. The family lost touch but he became my mother's second husband some 65 years after this photo was taken.)

In this Family Memory Book I have scanned and placed photos, birth records, death records, newspaper obituaries, postcards of the ship my grandparents sailed on from England to canada in 1914, copies of ships passenger lists and any other documents I found when researching the lineage.

Because I have many family heirlooms passed on to me by my English grandmother, I also took pictures of them and included those in the Memory Book. This page is my Grandfather Charles in the Kent Buffs, and his gold pocket watch and initialed signet ring which my Grandmother gave me.

Each photo in the book has a caption or explanation with it. The progam I am using allows me to stack the photos as if I were creating a scrapbook. I can overlap. I can resize the photos right on the page so that I can see how the page will look. I can create borders. The choices are endless!

When this Family Memory Book is complete I will print them off on top quality laser paper, create a front and back cover which I will laminate, then I'll give one to each of my siblings and other family members. What better way to share the wonderful photos I own plus preserve copies in case anything happens to the originals.

Another Not-So-Famous Ancestor of Sorts

I'm still thinking about connections in History and Genealogy. About 6 degrees of separation.... Sometimes we have more details on an ancestor's life and can do more than play the "I wonder if..." game.

For example, my step-father (an Ancestor of sorts?) was first married to a woman who was one of Sir Frederick Banting's lab assistants.

Frederick Banting was a Canadian medical scientist, doctor and Nobel laureate, also the discoverer of insulin. Banting also painted with A. Y. Jackson of the famous Group of Seven artists who revolutionized Canadian art. Banting and Jackson took several painting trips together out west and up to the Artic.

In 1921 Banting began his research at University of Toronto which would lead to the discovery of insulin which was later used in the treatment of diabetes. In 1923 Banting received the Nobel Prize for Medicine. In 1934 Banting was knighted by the King for his work in the field of medicine.

Greta, my step-father's first wife, worked with Banting at his University of Toronto Lab. When Greta married my step-father (as his first wife) Banting attended the wedding and gave the young couple a painting he had done on a painting trip with A. Y. Jackson to Alberta in 1924.

After Banting's death in 1943 in a plane crash, the Wedding Gift painting was one of several displayed at an art exhibit of Banting's known works of art in Hart House, University of Toronto. For many years the Wedding Gift painting hung on the wall of my step-father's home in Ontario and then British Columbia. It bounced along in the back of a van driven by my mother across the Rocky Mountains from British Columbia back to Ontario in the 1980s, after my step-father's death.

The painting came full circle and was placed in storage until a decision was made about its future. What stories it could tell!

And so, in a convoluted way, I have an ancestor-of-sorts who is not-so-famous but was connected by his wife (also not-so-famous) to a rather famous and important person who himself was connected to a very famous-and-important person in the art world. And what fun to think about possible times they may have spent together.

This is the kind of connection to history story that I believe belongs in a personal genealogy journal. Perhaps one day, a hundred years from now, a descendant will read the story and feel connected to his or her past in a way that is not possible to achieve from simply reading a name on a census record.

Connecting Genealogy With History

A lot of the fun of genealogy is finding details beyond names, dates and locations. What is more thrilling than discovering an obituary for an ancestor where we learn that Great Grandma Susan was an avid quilt-maker, went to church every Sunday and enjoyed her roses in the garden. Or that Great Great Grandpa Daniel loved his Dandelion Wine and was known to imbibe a bit too much on occasion.

Not everyone has a famous ancestor. In fact, most of us have ancestors who were hard-working men and women with little time to do much more than survive! So often the details of their daily lives are sketchy. If we are lucky enough to find a journal or diary that survived, we count our blessings and move on. Most of us will never be that lucky and so we have many ancestors who will remain a blur, a shadowy outline on our famiily tree.

But what about paths that cross in history? Have you ever considered looking beyond your direct ancestor to see who else may have connected with them during their lifetime?

For example, my grandmother McGinnis lived on Water Street in Guelph Ontario Canada, for much of her life. I have proof of that from census, family records, cemetery and burial records and so on. I remember going to her home as a child but hadn't seen it in years so I decided to take a trip to Guelph to see how many of the homes of my ancestors remained.

As we drove down Water Street, I saw a Historic Plaque for the home of John McCrae (1872-1918), the Canadian Physician and poet who wrote "In Flanders Fields"

Grandma lived only 2 houses away. The thought flashed through my mind - I wonder if he and Grandma knew each other? Did they pass on the street and nod hello with a cheery "Good morning!"? Grandma McGinnis was born in 1880, she was 7 years younger than John McCrae. I wondered if they attended the same school in Guelph? Research revealed that John McCrae attended Guelph Collegiate and Vocational Institute (a local High School). So did my Grandmother and her 9 siblings. Surely some of them passed John in the halls!

Now, I am not claiming that my Grandmother was John McCrae's best friend. In fact I'm not claiming she knew him well at all. But Guelph is a friendly city and neighbours living that near each other must have at least exchanged a few pleasantries now and again. I like to think of Grandma and John chatting for a few moments about the weather ("Hot enough for you, John?") or the price of fresh vegetables.

Grandma's younger brother Edgar Peer fought in WW1, as John McCrae did. Edgar was killed in 1918, John McCrae died that same year. I sent for Edgar's military records and discovered that Edgar was was shot in the thigh during the Battle of Passchendaele and sent to the Field Hospital where John McCrae was treating the wounded soldiers. I am not saying that John tended to Edgar's wounds, but I do like to play the game of "I wonder if..."

Playing the game of "I wonder if...." helps me place my ancestors in historical context and thus gain a fuller appreciation of their lives. It is also a heck of a lot of fun!

19th Annual Montana State Genealogical Society Conference

19th Annual Montana State Genealogical Society

Annual Conference

September 19-20, 2008

Butte, Montana

Almshouse Records & Immigration Dates

In the early 1800's port cities in the USA bore the burden of immigration. By the time they arrived, so many immigrants were tired, hungry and poor they ended up in the City Almshouse. This meant the citizens had to take care of them. At first the citizens of the city asked the Mayors for funds to support the poor. Eventually they asked the states, and by mid-century some states (PA, NY, MA) set up State agencies to deal with the issue. Eventually, beginning in the 1880's, the Federal Government nationalized the programs.

Dating back to the colonial era, New York City assumed responsibility for its citizens who were destitute, sick, homeless, or otherwise unable to care for themselves. The city maintained an almshouse, various hospitals, and a workhouse on Blackwell's Island (now called Roosevelt Island) for the poor.

While searching for other genealogy records, I stumbled on the Alms House Admission Foreigners & Nativity Records (New York City, NY) Bond Registers 1819-1840. The original records are held in the Municipal Archives, New York, New York. There are 2 pages for each name in this ledger. Due to time restraints, I only copied part of the left hand page. The information I extracted includes

Date of Admission; Foreigner (Surname); Foreigner (First Name); Age; Place of Birth; Vessel (Ship) Name; Where From

There is more information, including Ship Captain's Name, Ship Owner's Name, Date of Bond, Sureties, Date Discharged, Death Date, Remarks, Bonded, Commuted & Total.

For example, under date 1820 March 11 - Elizabeth Kennedy age 34 is listed as having died June 14, 1820; her daughter Mary Ann died Nov. 5, 1820

For individuals recorded in the 1855-1858 Almshouse Records the information includes ship name, date of sailing, ports of departure and arrival

This is a terrific database providing names of ships and immigration years for ancestors. It is freely available online starting in 1819 at http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/ny_alms1819.shtml

Genealogy Without Sources is Mythology!

How can you tell if the information posted by individuals on Internet genealogy sites is valid? Some sites have sources, others don't. How do you know what, and when, to believe what you read online??

A good rule of thumb is....

Don't trust anything you find on the 'net (or elsewhere) if it doesn't have sources.

Without sources you can't verify it, and you don't know whether the information came from a reliable source or whether it came from Great Aunt Martha who may have some of it right, but may have mixed up a lot too.

Maybe the info came from a book written by someone 100 years ago who didn't have access to sources we have now, or who just plain got it wrong.

Perhaps the information was transcribed for a webpage from a book source. That book source was transcribed from a microfilm record which was itself transcribed from the original. The chance of human error is greatly increased with each succeeding transcription.

Even if the information has a source, you should double-check it personally, either from the original source or from an independent source.

VERIFY, VERIFY, VERIFY!!!

You also want to think about the source itself. Is the source a good one? After all, if Great Aunt Martha gives me information on the birth or baptism of my 3rd great-grandpa and I put it on the 'net, and source it as "Remembrances of Great Aunt Martha", that's not necessarily a reliable or accurate source. After all, Great Aunt Martha did have that fall from a horse when she was a child and she IS 97 years old......

However if I source the birth or baptismal dates with full details on the church where I saw the original record, or the published transcript of those church records, that's much more reliable.

When in doubt, remember.... .

"Genealogy without sources is mythology"

© Lorine McGinnis Schulze
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/index.shtml

A Genealogical Fish Story

It's interesting how we genealogists are eager for stories of our ancestors - the more bizarre or unusual, the better! I'm sure everyone has an interesting tale or two (or more!) which has been handed down in the family.

But what happens when we find a paper record that might prove or disprove that family lore? How disappointing is it to find out that Great grandma Harriet was not the love child of the Duke of Wellington but according to her birth registration, was the child of a farmer and a scullery maid. On the other hand, how many bits of family lore do we find out are true, or have at least a grain of truth to them?

A bit of family lore passed down concerning my 3rd cousin twice removed had always intrigued me.

William Edward Learn (1885-1908) died tragically while fishing in the Niagara River. He had a rope tied around his waist while he was fishing and hooked a sturgeon which pulled him in and under. It was a month before his body was found with the rope and sturgeon still attached.

I wondered how accurate it was. A very kind correspondent sent this to me several years ago, copied directly from the Learn Family Bible. When the Ontario Death Records went online I decided to see what William's death registration gave for his cause of death. I expected to see "Drowning" as the cause of death. I expected I might not ever find out if the fish story was accurate.

Much to my surprise the cause of death was given as pneumonia which William had for 7days prior to dying. It seems a rather fanciful story for someone to dream up and record in a Family Bible. How did poor William's death from pneumonia end up being passed down in the family as William being killed by a fish?

I don't have the answer, I only have the story and a moral to the story. The moral is "Don't fall for family tales, hook, line and sinker or you could end up all wet"

One Step Search Engine for 1891 Canadian Census

Now that ancestry has added the 1891 Canadian census, the One-Step utility for the Canadian census has been extended to include that year. It can be found in the Canada/UK Census section of the One-Step website

Advantages of using the One-Step utility for 1891 Canada rather than going to the ancestry site directly include:

- can search all years from the same form

- can search on middle initial

- can search on birth year being between two values rather than using plus-or-minus

- can search on age

- can search on religion

- can select district from drop-down list instead of having to type it

- can specify more than 50 hits per page

1891 Canadian Census ONLINE!

Great News! Ancestry.com has put the 1891 Canadian census online. It's indexed and linked to the images of the actual pages.

If you have a subscription you should check it out, I've already found several ancestors. If you don't have a subscription you may want to subscribe now or take a free trial to find your ancestors.

I've noted some errors that may cause researchers problems, including mixing of families. For example I searched for my PEER ancestor. I found his name. I clicked on the name for more information and could see everyone in his family. However there were 3 different surnames and many many individuals linked into his family, complete with relationships such as "Son" "Daughter" etc. A check of the image revealed that in fact there were 3 distinct family groups living in separate households but the transcribers had combined them all together as one.

Other errors were children, some as young as 2 years old, listed as living alone. In fact a check of the image revealed that each of these children were in fact living in family homes.

I also noted several occurances of one family being split. So a search brought up the husband. Clicking on his name showed him with no wife and one child. His wife came up separately in the search engine and clicking on her name showed her living alone with several other children. A look at the linked image revealed husband, wife and all children living as one family. Why these these separate families have been merged into one or one family split into more than one is a mystery.

What it means is you must check the images to verify the transcribed information.

Have fun! And be creative in your searches...... my McGinnis ancestors were hiding under the MISindexed name of "Linnis"

New York Genealogical and Biographical Society Contributes Its 75,000-Volume Collection to The New York Public Library

New York Genealogical and Biographical Society Contributes Its 75,000-Volume Collection to The New York Public Library


Step to Create One of the World’s Largest, Most Accessible Genealogical Libraries: A Singular Resource for Researchers of New York Family History


NEW YORK, NY, July 21, 2008 –The New York Public Library (NYPL) and the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (the G&B) announced jointly today that the New York Public Library will become the new home of the G&B Society’s library of 75,000 published works, 30,000 manuscripts, 22,000 microforms, 1,300 periodicals and digital computer media. Among the materials are 16th and 17th century land records; transcriptions of New York baptismal and marriage records; personal diaries and letters; and census data from as early as the 18th century. Joining the Library’s rich and heavily used genealogical and manuscript collections, the merged materials of the NYPL and the G&B will create an unparalleled, publicly accessible resource for those conducting genealogical research. The NYPL and the G&B will co-sponsor educational programs, create links to each other’s websites, and collaborate in various ways to make this invaluable resource available to the public.

Continue reading

The Van Slyke Family in America: A Genealogy of Cornelise Antonissen Van Slyke, 1604-1676....

The Van Slyke Family in America: A Genealogy of Cornelise Antonissen Van Slyke, 1604-1676 and his Mohawk Wife Ots-Toch, including the story of Jacques Hertel, 1603-1651, Father of Ots-Toch and Interpreter to Samuel de Champlain was published in 1996.

The focus of the book is Cornelise Antonissen Van Slyke born in Brueckelen, Netherlands in 1604 and his Mohawk-French wife Ots-Toch born ca 1620 at Canajoharie, New York. Cornelis came to the New World in 1634, settling at Beverwyck and then Schenectady, New York.

Cornelis Van Slyke's story is of a Dutchman who came to the New World as a carpenter at the age of 30.He became an interpreter for the Mohawk nation, was adopted into the tribe, and married a French-Mohawk woman (Ots-Toch) who never left her native village. Their children, all raised at Canajoharie, one of the Mohawk castles or villages, became well-known and respected in the Dutch community. All except one left the village and married Dutch settlers.

One of their children was my 8th great grandfather, Jacques Cornelissen Van Slyke who was known as Akes Gautsch, and whose Mohawk name was It-sy-cho-sa-quash-ka. Jacques was also an interpreter and one of the first settlers of Schenectady.

In my 189-page book, I trace Ots-Toch's lineage, and Cornelis' and Ots-Toch's descendants to the mid 1800s. The book is 8 1/2 x 11, paperback, coil bound. Laminated covers are available on request (see order form for cost). Pages 1-100 are narrative style chapters detailing the lives of Cornelis and his children, as well as Ots-Toch and her parents, and Cornelis' nephew Willem Pieterse. pages 100-189 are Genealogical Report style plus maps. The book is footnoted and indexed.

New Netherland Settlers: Willem Pieterse Van Slyke aka Willem Neef

New Netherland Settlers: Willem Pieterse Van Slyke aka Willem Neef

A genealogy to five generations of the descendants of Willem Pieterse Van Slyke who settled in New Netherland (New York) in 1660

by Lorine McGinnis Schulze

Cornelise's nephew Willem Pieterse Van Slyke and his descendants were briefly discussed in my first book on the Van Slyke family "The Van Slyke Family in America: A Genealogy of Cornelis Anotnissen Van Slyke, 1604-1676 and his Mohawk wife Ots-Toch, including the story of Jacques Hertel, 1603-1651, Father of Ots-Toch and Interpreter to Samuel de Champlain". In the years that followed, I realized it was time to give Willem a book of his own.

Sometimes one event leads to another serendiptious finding. Such was the case with this book. During my four year research period on this book, I was researching other families for a planned series on New Netherland settlers and compiling notes. In-depth research on the Straetsman family led me to an unexpected revelation of a family connection - one which affects Van Slyke and Barheit descendants. You will read about this in the chapter on Pieter Willemse Van Slyke and his wife Johanna Barheit. Other mysteries were solved along the way, and I hope that Van Slyke descendants are pleased with my findings.

The book is 8 1/2 x 11, paperback, coil bound, 200 pages, footnoted and indexed. Laminated covers are available on request (see order form for cost).

Part I is a history of the Dutch in New Netherland including chapters on the Origins of New Netherland, Rensselaerswyck Beginnings, Fort Orange & Albany Beginnings, Early Settlers & Immigration, Religon, Money & Money Substitutes in the New World, Patronymics, The Settlement of Kinderhook.

Part II is on the origins of the Van Slyke family in the Netherlands (inlcudes new information from commissioned research).

Part III is about the Immigrant Van Slyke Ancestors in the New World with chapters on Cornelis Antonissen Van Slyke and his nephew Willem Pieterse Van Slyke.

Part IV discussses the second generation with individual chapters on each of Willem Pieterse's six children and their spouses.

Part V is the Genealogy Report to 5 generations. Included are charts, maps, a bibliography, glossary and timeline.

Ex-serviceman risks eviction by flying Canadian flag on balcony - AOL News Canada

Ex-serviceman risks eviction by flying Canadian flag on balcony - AOL News Canada

An ex-serviceman refuses to take down the Canadian flag on his balcony in a subsidized housing unit in Cardinal, Ont., even though the local housing authority is threatening to evict him.

Mark Murray, 53, served with the Royal Canadian Regiment and the Canadian Airborne Regiment in the 1970s and 1980s.

The director of community and social services, Dorothy Theobald, told CBC News Monday that her department is trying to work with Murray, but, she said, the flag can't stay.

Mark Murray flies this flag in support of troops and their families.

(Lorine's comment: My son is in the Canadian Military and knowing that there is support for our soldiers and families means a great deal to me. I hope that Mr. Murray will continue to fly our flag and that the housing unit will reverse its order to remove it)

What you may not have known about 1871 Census of Ontario

Census records for 1871 are available to the public. They give information on all household members - name, age,gender, country of birth, religion, ethnic origin,
occupation, marital status and education.

There are 9 returns for the 1871 census but there are 3 that are of the most help genealogically:

* Schedule 1: Return of the Living
* Schedule 2: Return of the Dead
* Schedule 4: Agricultural Return

Census records are available on microfilm from the Archives of Ontario, National Archives of Canada, on ILL (InterLibraryLoan) through a local library, or from your
local FHC (Family History Center).

You can search the 1871 census index to heads of household for Ontario. If you find a name of interest, you can order a copy of the census page from the National Archives. Requests for copies must include complete references

For help and a link to the order census form, see

http://allcensusrecords.com/canada/1871census.shtml

Bergeron dit D'Amboise reunion Fredericton New Brunswick Canada

July 18/19 2009

This story begins in the last decade of the 17th century. When in 1692 Governor Villebon granted Point Saint Anne (all of the lower part of today’s Fredericton) to Gabriel Godin. (The census of 1693 confirms this fact for us) Gabriel Godin and his wife, Andree-Angelique JEANNES settled the village of Point Saint Anne. During the following years the village prospered and grew. Then in February 1759 a small force of British Troupes (16 men) led by a Lt Moses Hazen raided and destroyed the Acadian village of Pointe Sainte Anne, as a consequence of this raid some innocent civilians were killed. These civilians were hastily buried in the village cemetery. This cemetery has since been mistakenly identified as an Native American Cemetery when in reality it is an Acadian Cemetery.

Now, we fast forward to 1933 when the cemetery was once again disturbed! This time by a Dr. Wintemberg who came to Point Saint Anne with the expectations of finding pre-historic (First Nation) remains and was surprised to find, buried closely together, and in one case two in one grave, not Indians, but Europeans. In all, seven skeletons were examined. (Two of these remains were those of Anastasie Godin and Madeleine Guilbaut) In no case was there any evidence of Indian (First Nation) at the site. The remains of the two women were removed to Ottawa where they remain today. As Acadian’s and descendants of Anstasie’s family our desire is to have her (their) remains returned to her (their) rightful resting place, Pointe Saint Anne. And the cemetery there properly identified and declared as a National Historical Site.

The Bergeron-Damboise families are planning, in conjunction with The Society of History of the River Saint Jean (SHRSJ) a commemoration of the 250 year anniversary of the destruction of the village. We are calling for all Acadians to rally with us in Fredericton on the weekend of the 18th/19th of July (Saturday and Sunday) 2009. This calling includes all Acadians who are descended from the Godin, Saindon, Pare, Bergeron, St Aubin,Roy,Bellefontaine,DAmboise Families as well as any other family group. Please contact Aline Cormier (alicor@nb.sympatico.ca) or Lawrence Bergeron (larrybergeron@earthlink.net) for further details.

Shades of the Departed Guest Author

I was very honoured to be asked by Footnote Maven to be a guest author on her Shades of the Departed Blog. My guest article was about my collection of Civil War era CDVs (Cartes de Visite) and Photo Albums ... and I was thrilled at the chance to talk about one of my favourite things! As an avid collector of many different items, it's always a treat to tell folks about one of my collections

http://www.shadesofthedeparted.com/2008/07/july-18-friday-from-collectors.html

FGS Conference 2008

FGS Conference

September 3-6, 2008

Pennsylvania Convention Center

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

2008 Family History & Genealogy Conference Midwestern Roots

Midwestern Roots

2008 Family History & Genealogy Conference

August 15-16, 2008

Indianapolis, Indiana

The Indiana Historical Society will host the conference at the Indianapolis Marriott East, Aug. 15 and 16, 2008, with pre-conference activities on Aug. 14.

Midwestern Roots 2008 will feature more than 30 presentations by national and regional experts and cover a range of topics, from sources, methodology and technology to DNA, storytelling, photo preservation, Internet linking and much more.

Speakers include Richard Eastman, Roberta J. Estes, Alan January, Susan Kaufman, Charles F. Kerchner, David Lifferth, James Madison, Nancy Massey, Stephen Morse, Christine Rose, Bob Sander, Beau Sharbough, Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak, Betty Warren and Curt Witcher.

Oprhan Home Records in USA & Canada

Some New York early orphanages were

* Half Orphan Asylum for Destitute and Abandoned Children
* Leake and Watts Orphan House
* Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum (I have been transcribing these records)
* Hebrew Orphan Asylum, Brooklyn
* Old Schuler Mansion, Albany
* Westchester-Temporary Home for Destitute Children in White Plains opened in 1885

Many of these institutions were founded in New York City to care for destitute children of immigrants from Ireland and Russia, Germany and other eastern European countries. Many immigrants found themselves unable to work and thus were unable feed their children. Women died during childbirth leaving a number of uncared for children. Many women also had illegitimate children that they could not provide for. Husbands died, living behind widows with large families. Some parents were addicted to alcohol or committed crimes and wound up in prison.

Search for ancestors in Orphan Home Records in USA and Canada

Orphanages in New Amsterdam (New York City)

As early as 1653, New York City (formerly called New Amsterdam) recognized that it needed to care for the city's minor children, widows, and orphans. In February of that year, the Deacons of the Reformed Dutch Church were appointed to act as Orphan Masters. Their duties were to "keep their eyes open and look as Orphanmasters after widows and orphans..." They were to report to city officials who would appoint cuators if necessary to take care of the estates and effects of these widows and orphaned children.

On February 10, 1653, two men were appointed to act, not as Orphanmasters as originally intended, but as Overseers of Orphans. City officials continued to rule in the Orphan's Court, which had been created by Stuyvesant to "attend to orphans and minor children within the jurisdiction of this city [New York City]"

The Records of this Orphans' Court have been published as "Minutes of the Orphan Masters of New Amsterdam 1655-1663" by Berthold Fernow and "The Minutes of the Orphan Masters of New Amsterdam 1663-1668" translated by Edmund B. O'Callaghan. Genealogists can also consult The Records of New Amsterdam : From 1653 to 1674 Anno Domini by Berthold Fernow

Searchable Orphan Records can be found at http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/orphans/