Gritting My Teeth About Online Family Trees

We've all seen them. I'm talking about the online Family Trees that are rife with errors. Many genealogists wonder if it is worthwhile writing to the owner of the tree to provide them with corrections. 

A few weeks ago I conducted an experiment.  I  found 21 Family Trees on Ancestry.com that had the wrong death date for my great-grandfather Joseph McGinnis. It's actually an easy error to make as the death record is for a different Joseph McGinnis. It was an error I too made many years ago (pre-internet) and one I shared with a few other researchers. When I discovered that it was the wrong man, I wrote to anyone I had previously shared with and told them.

So I was taken aback to discover these 21 trees with the wrong death for my ancestor. I decided to write a letter explaining the error and directing the owners to  a blog post I wrote going over the facts and clarifying the two Joseph McGinnis males.

My Note Explaining the Error

Here's what I wrote. I deliberately kept it short and to the point. My experiment was to see 1) how many tree owners would respond and 2) how many would correct their error. I should add that I verified that the owners are active and are online every few days. So they have had plenty of time to respond to my note.

Hello [fill in name of tree owner]

Your death date of 1877 for my ancestor Joseph McGinnis (husband of Fanny Downey) is incorrect. The Joseph who died on that date was a different man. I have documentation to prove this.

For the facts, please see my blog post at http://olivetreegenealogy.blogspot.ca/2013/01/a-case-of-mistaken-identity.html

Lorine McGinnis Schulze
Olive Tree Genealogy

 The results of my experiment

6 out of 21 tree owners responded. All responded favourably and thanked me. Did any of them correct the error?

1. 1 owner signed in as recently as today. She has not corrected the error.
2. 1 owner signed in yesterday. His tree is now private.
3. 1 owner removed the incorrect date. She is a woman I have also corresponded with many times over the past 16 years.
4. 1 owner told me had made the correction. He has not. His online tree still shows the same error.
5. 1 owner removed the incorrect death date but entered a different year and location that is not correct 
6. 1 owner wrote to me and gave me her private email asking me to share information. I replied 2 weeks ago with info and have not heard back from her.  Her tree no longer has Joseph McGinnis or his wife in it

Was My Time Well Spent?

So the final summary is that of 21 tree owners, 6 responded and only 1 removed the incorrect death year (without substituting more incorrect details)

I hate to say this but the time it took me to write to each of these people and then read and respond to those who responded, was not worth my time. It irritates me to see bad or incorrect genealogy perpetuated but from now on I am going to grit my teeth and spend my time on other more worthwhile genealogy pursuits such as bringing more free genealogy records online to Olive Tree Genealogy website!

Credits Image by stockimages on FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Did Your Ancestor Disappear from the Records?

Many of us have had that problem. We're searching for an ancestor and finding him or her in census records, vital records and more. 

Just when we think we're on a roll, that ancestor disappears! That's when you need to expand your search to other records such as orphanages, workhouses or almshouse (poorhouse) records.

Here's a few resources for such records (but there are many more both online and offline)

New York Almshouse Records 1819-1840 - These contain the names of the ship each person sailed on, plus dates of arrival. 

New York Almshouse Records 1855-1858 - These contain the name of the ship and the arrival date and port for each person. 

Poor Law Union Immigrants to Canada 1836-1853 - Lists of individuals from various parishes in England sent to Canada when their Parish could no longer support them
 
Passenger List of Waegh (The Weigh-House), 1655 - with names and ages of the Almshouse children, who sailed to New Netherland (New York) from Amsterdam Holland 


Orphan Records New York Lists of children in Orphanages from 1850 - 1880

List of Poor sent from England to Ireland 1860-1862 -Includes Ports of Departure & Arrival plus number of years in England or Scotland

Eight Canadian First World War soldiers to be buried on May 13 in France

Eight Canadian First World War soldiers will be buried on May 13 at Caix British Cemetery in Caix, France. 

The soldiers, from Winnipeg’s 78th Battalion,  were found in 2006 and 2007. A few were identified - Lieutenant Clifford Neelands, Lance Sergeant Oscar Lindell, and Privates Sidney Halliday, William Simms, and Lachlan McKinnon. 

I did some genealogy research and found the following in the online CEF database. Their attestation papers, front and back are also available. In some cases the full file has been digitized and can be downloaded:

Attestation Papers Clifford Neelands

Name:

• NEELANDS, CLIFFORD ABRAM

Rank:

LT

Date of Birth:

• 1892-01-04

Place of Birth:

Barrie ON Canada

Enlistment Date:

1916-05-25

Place of Enlistment:

Winnipeg MB Canada

Unit:

90th Battalion

Reference:

RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 7251 - 27

Item Number:

557547

 

 

Name:

• LINDELL, JOHN OSCAR

Regimental Number:

• 147186

Date of Birth:

• 1884-12-27

Place of Birth:

Sweden

Enlistment Date:

1915-07-01

Place of Enlistment:

Winnipeg MB Canada

Unit:

78th Battalion

Reference:

RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 5649 - 60

Item Number:

531784

 

Continue reading this story at Eight Canadian First World War soldiers to be buried on May 13 in France.

6 Generations of Mothers and a Matrilineal DNA Line

 

Here are 6 direct line females, mother to daughter - my matrilineal MtDNA line. From left to right:

My 2nd great grandmother, Sarah (Elvery) Stead

Sarah Stead's daughter, my great grandmother Sarah (Stead) Simpson

Sarah Simpson's daughter my grandmother Ruth (Simpson) Bates

Ruth Bates' daughter, my mother Joan McGinnis

Your truly

My daughter Judy

Have you ordered your Ancestry DNA Kit yet? Why not get one today on Mother's Day!

A Mother's Inspiration

Joan McGinnis 1916-2009

In honour of Mother's Day, Family Search asked bloggers and family historians to share memories of their mothers' favourite words.

I was pleased to share inspiring words from my mother in this FamilySearch post‬. 

Who Doesn't Love Gone With the Wind Style Dresses?

Here is one of my favorite photos from my collection of Civil War era CDVs (Cartes de Visite)

Mrs. Joseph Curtis taken 1862

Mrs. Joseph Curtis is wearing a typical gown of the early 1860s. Full Pagoda sleeves dropped from the shoulder, with an undersleeve, create the illusion of the sought after tiny waist. Her bodice has a natural waistline and removable collar. Her hair follows the typical hair fashion of this early period. It covers her ears and is parted in the middle and pulled back to a roll at the nape of her neck. The extreme fullness of her skirt is very apparent in this photo.

This beautiful album is one of my rescued treasures. You can view the thumbnails of other photos from the album in my Lost Faces section of my Olive Tree Genealogy website.

Surnames in the album are Fobes, Tucker, Curtis, Gilbert, Peabody, Spear, Blake, Mansfield, Bassett, Botton, Williston, Nilliston, Kimbal, Daniels, Sutherland, Schaffner, Keith, Towne, Low, Wilder, Holden, Whitemore

Locations of photographers: Massachusetts, New York, Illinois

Do You Have a Pedlar Ancestor? Licences to Pedlars & Hawkers in 1839

Pedlars licenced between 1st October and 31st December 1839 

John Wilson, P Ginge, Isham Williams, Jeremiah Crysler 

Source: Appendix to the First Volume of the Journals of the Legislative Assembly [and the Legislative Council] of the Province of Canada Session 1841. Published 1842 Volume 1 in Google Books

Loving Legacy Tree! (and a Special Offer for My Readers)

Recently I used Legacy Tree's research services. I was very impressed! The researcher assigned to my query was very speedy with her response and very professional. She showed a thorough understanding of what I knew and what I wanted to find out.

Within the week I received a detailed report which contained new information on my ancestor. The report also provided me with recommendations of more research that could be conducted. My particular search is in Germany which is an area of research unfamiliar to me and where I do not have access to the records. I will definitely use their services again to pursue this ancestor.

Because I was so pleased with their services, I reached out to Legacy Tree and they kindly agreed to let me offer a very nice special to my readers. And just in time for Mother's Day!


It’s Legacy Tree Genealogists’ 11 year anniversary! To celebrate, get a beautiful genealogy wall chart for just $11 with a qualified research project (includes tax/shipping; offer ends May 31, 2015). 

Legacy Tree Genealogists provides careful and efficient family history research for clients worldwide, including help with dual citizenship, DNA testing analysis and research, brick wall research, family biographies, and more. Learn more at https://legacytree.com/olivetreegenealogy.

Patients in Toronto Insane Asylum 1841

Was your ancestor one of these troubled individuals below?

Following are the names of patients in the Toronto Insane Asylum in 1841 taken from the image above: James Watson, Keeran Flyn, John Gibson, Hugh Husson, James Beaty, Daniel Izord, Daniel McNab, John Stewart, Francis Lindsay, Elijah Chappell, John Lambert, Ellen Dunn ,Letitia Stevtns ,Eliza Murphy, Mary Kelly, Elizabeth McLean, Mary Campbell, Mary Thompson, Jacob Barnhart, Nancy Henly, Mary Erskine ,George Daniels, Edward Bevans, William Ridley, Anne Wallis, Mary Thompson, Martha Spotswood, John Beare, Nancy Hcnly George Winters, Samuel Morrell, Mary Thompson

For more information on existing medical records for Ontario see http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/can/ont/medical.shtml 

Introducing Drew Smith, Guest Genealogist

Some genealogists may not be familiar with Drew Smith, who is based in Florida.

I "met" Drew online on Facebook a year ago and was immediately impressed with his knowledge and genealogical skills. Drew's a busy guy and I am thankful he found the time to answer my questions. Read on to learn more about Drew and his work in technology and genealogy. 

1.     How and when did you become involved in the field of genealogy? 

Growing up in upstate South Carolina, it was difficult not to be aware of the importance of knowing about one's family and how everyone was related.  But as a child I was easily discouraged about working on my family, given such common family names as Smith, Martin, and King. When my favorite aunt passed away in 1991, I decided that her generation was nearly gone and that I needed to get serious about genealogical research. 

2.     What is your main genealogical focus? 

I have written and co-written a few books, written a large number of articles, and have done speaking at national and state conferences going back many years.  I am especially known as being the co-host of The Genealogy Guys Podcast. 

3.     Please tell us more about this main focus. 

Because I have a technology background, I am most interested in how to apply technology to solve genealogical problems. 

4.      What are your website(s) and blogs? 

I podcast at The Genealogy Guys Podcast (genealogyguys.com), and blog on occasion at Rootsmithing with Technology (rootsmithing.com). 

5.     Do you have a Social Media presence?  

I'm on Twitter at @drewsmithtpa, Pinterest at drewsmithtpa (haven't had much time to spend there), Facebook at drew.smith, and Google+ at +DrewSmithTPA. 

6.     Do you believe a Social Media presence is important? 

I think that Social Media provides the best way to be visible to other genealogists, especially if you're engaged in professional activities and you want people to be able to find you and see what you're doing. 

7.     Are you a member of any genealogical societies or organizations? 

I'm a member of APG and NGS.  I have previously served on the Board of the Federation of Genealogical Societies and the Florida State Genealogical Society.  I am currently the President of my local society here in Tampa, the Florida Genealogical Society, and I'm the Chair of the Family History Information Standards Organisation (FHISO). 

8.     What does genealogy mean to you? Why do you believe it is important? 

I think genealogy connects us to our history and to each other.  It makes history come alive and it enlightens us about our ancestors and about ourselves. 

9.     What do you believe is the most exciting development in genealogy today? 

The two most exciting developments in genealogy today are the increasing number of original records being digitized and put online for viewing, and the availability of DNA testing. 

10. Do you have a prediction or hope for the field of genealogy in the future? 

I hope that genealogy will continue to fascinate each new generation as it tries to understand the world and how its ancestors' past decisions led to the individuals alive today.  It is an affordable hobby that remains personal and intriguing.  I estimate that we'll continue to benefit from future digitization efforts for decades to come. 

11.  Please feel free to add anything you would like to say that hasn’t been addressed by the questions above. 

While genealogy isn't some sort of panacea that will lead to world peace, I do believe that those who engage in it come away with a better appreciation of humanity, both the good and the bad.

Nursing Sister Philips WW1 Photo Album 22R Ward 30

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

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

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

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

I will be posting the entire album and my additional research on the individuals identified in Connie's album over the coming months so please check back frequently to view these historic photos. The easiest way to see what has been published is to click on the topic "Nursing Sister WW1 Photos" in the vertical menu bar on the right side of your screen. You can also click on that phrase at the bottom of this post.

Featured: California Digital Newspaper Collection

The California Digital Newspaper Collection contains 76,996 issues comprising 659,335 pages and 7,463,349 articles. It is free to search and consists of newspapers from 1846 to the present day.

The California Digital Newspaper Collection is a project of the Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research (CBSR) at the University of California, Riverside.

Search the California Digital Newspaper Collection.

AncestryDNA Soon Available in Canada!

Great news! AncestryDNA will soon be available for Canadians. 

You can sign up for the invite list on Ancestry.ca to be notified as soon as it is available. 

I just signed up today and am eager to get my DNA kit to complete my testing.

Irish Catholic Parish Registers Coming Online July 8!

If you have Irish ancestors, mark your calendars! The National Library of Ireland is bringing Irish Catholic Parish Registers online! Quoting from the NLI website:

On 8th July 2015 the NLI will make its collection of Catholic parish register microfilms freely available online on a dedicated website.

These records, which are considered the single most important source of information on Irish family history prior to the 1901 census, consist primarily of baptism and marriage records and date from the 1740s to the 1880s.

My fingers are crossed that I might be able to find my mysterious Joseph McGinnis (ca 1827 Ireland -?) and Fanny Downey (ca 1827 Ireland -1904 Ontario Canada) in those records. 

The records consist of almost 400,000 images and are completely free to search. Typically, the parish registers include information such as the dates of baptisms and marriages, and the names of the key people involved, including godparents or witnesses. The digital images of the registers will be searchable by parish location only, and will not be transcribed or indexed by the NLI.

Got New Orleans Ancestors? Don't Miss These Online Records

1801 Letter

The University of Notre Dame has the following searchable records online for the Diocese of Louisiana and the Floridas (later known as the Diocese of New Orleans) : Diocese of Louisiana and the Floridas 1576-1803

Anyone using this database should be careful not to overlook the very detailed explanation of what each roll of microfilm contains.  There is also an interesting history of the Diocese provided.

One of the records I found consists of dozen of pages along with an English translation. They appear as thumbnail images which can be clicked on to view the original.

On the right is the start of the results for the record I found for the clandestine marriage in Ovachita of D'Anemours and Lucila Withe (Lucille White).

Even though they are not my ancestors it is fascinating reading! 

72 Year Old Message Found During Renovations

Ralph Herriges

During a home remodeling in Bay View the homeowner discovered a brief note written on a hidden panel: “#12109, Phil Herriges & Sons. Feb. 20, 1943. Ralph leaves Monday for the Army.”

The homeowner consulted the online 1940 federal census that showed Phil and Estella Herriges living on E. Van Beck Ave. in the Town of Lake, now the south side of Milwaukee. They had 17 children, including Ralph, who was listed as 16 years old. So the age fit for someone entering the military three years later.

He then found a Journal Sentinel death notice for Ralph, confirming he was the son of Phil and Estella. Ralph died, not as a young soldier in the trenches of Europe, but in 2006 of natural causes at age 82.

Read the rest of this story at Mystery of 72-year-old message makes sleuth of homeowner

Credit: Image Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel 

Did Our Ancient Ancestors Mate With Many Other Species?

Did our ancestors enjoy a little hanky-panky with other distant and now extinct humans? Genome analysis suggests there was interbreeding between modern humans, Neanderthals, Denisovans and an unknown archaic population.

We know from DNA testing that all modern humans whose ancestry originates outside of Africa share up to 4% of their genome with Neanderthals. Certain populations such as Papua New Guineans and Australian Aboriginals, share about 4% of their DNA with Denisovans. It was quite a revelation when scientists were able to prove that humans and Neanderthals inter-acted and mated. My DNA test kit reveals that I have 3% Neanderthal DNA.

Studies suggest that interbreeding went on between the members of several ancient human-like groups in Europe and Asia more than 30,000 years ago, including an as-yet-unknown human ancestor from Asia.

Continue reading this story at Mystery Humans Spiced Up Ancient's Sex Lives

Nursing Sister Philips WW1 Photo Album: 16V Red Cross Hut Le Trepont

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

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

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

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

I will be posting the entire album and my additional research on the individuals identified in Connie's album over the coming months so please check back frequently to view these historic photos. The easiest way to see what has been published is to click on the topic "Nursing Sister WW1 Photos" in the vertical menu bar on the right side of your screen. You can also click on that phrase at the bottom of this post.

What Happened to the 1490 Roscommon Irish Immigrants Who Survived the 1847 Voyage to Canada

In 1847, 5000 Irish emigrants left Co Roscommon to escape the devastating grip of the Famine. This group left on four ships bound for Canada. Not all of them made it alive. Up until this year, the destiny of the 1490 who  survived was unknown.

They left Liverpool on four ships: the Virginius, Naomi, John Munn and the Erin’s Queen. Many died en route. Once the Strokestown Irish landed in Canada, many were interviewed by Canadian newspapers. A project run by the University of Maynooth has found out where a large number of these Irish people went, and uncovered their fate. 

On 11 May 2014, a memorial wall was unveiled containing the names of the 1,490 people who emigrated in 1847. An exhibition, Emigrant Faces from County Roscommon, was held at Strokestown, detailing the lives of more than 12 of the emigrants, such as Michaell Flynn, James Higgins and Thomas Fallon who fought in the American Civil War; Catherine O’Keefe, a Roscommon emigrant in Melbourne, Australia; and Patrick McNamara, a labourer on the construction of the Blue Ridge Mountain Railroad Tunnel.

Continue reading the story at Tracing the ‘missing 1490’ who fled Strokestown during the Famine

Credit: Image from The Journal showing names of a few of the immigrants 

Season Finale of Who Do You Think You Are? This Sunday

The season finale of Who Do You Think You Are? features singer Melissa Etheridge as she goes on a journey to uncover her father’s maternal roots. The episode airs this Sunday, April 26 at 10/9c on TLC.

Melissa finds French Canadian ancestors who were shaken by a scandalous lawsuit, a turbulent relationship entangled with tragedy and an adventuresome ancestor who prospered in colonial America.

Credit: Image from TLC