What Were the Headlines The Day You Were Born

Have you ever wondered what happened the day you were born? What was going on in the world, what was the top news of the day?

What was the average housewife buying? What about the guys - what ads were geared towards the typical male such as your father?

Have you checked newspapers for your town or city or country to read the front page for that day?

Believe it or not this is the first year I've ever thought to do that! Yes, today is my birthday (not that I celebrate them anymore, in fact I've been counting backwards for my age for so long I'm in the negative years!)

I couldn't find a newspaper for the little village my parents lived in but I did find one for a nearby town so on a binge of curiousity I had a peek. Of course a local small town paper wouldn't likely show worldwide news unless it was a pretty big story but I thought I'd get a sense of what my parents and grandparents might have been experiencing.

So the big world news on the day and year I was born was a 4-row corn picker in Illinois - apparently a first ever. Locally the news was a mixture - an annual St. George's Guild bazaar coming up, the fact that not many people turned up for the local Remembrance Day Ceremonies, and that deer hunting was not going well.

I did enjoy reading that the St. Regis Hotel in Toronto (the closest big city to my little village of birth) had rooms to rent starting at $2.50 for a single, per night. Oh and every room was advertised as having a telephone and a shower. I began to feel like I was born in 1900! Were things really that cheap the year I was born?

Phillips Milk of Magnesia was 25 cents a bottle! One ad was for developing rolls of film for 25 cents - no digital cameras back then of course. And I loved the ad advising that you could buy a female ferret from a man in Ontario for $3.00 - send a money order. No paypal as we use today.

There were a lot of ads for baby chicks and brooders so I'm guessing that a lot of families kept a hen or two for eggs. But my favourite ad was the one for an electric washing machine. Even though it will date me, it's too priceless to not show my readers.

I actually remember helping my mom with the laundry and using a machine that looked just like this one!

I wonder if my parents had been to the movies in Whitby before I was born? Whitby was nearby and their local theatre had three shows to choose from! "The Return of Frank James" which sounds like a Western, "Cinderella Jones" and "Do You Love Me" - none of which I've ever heard of.

I googled "The Return of Frank James" and read that it came out in 1940! I assure you I wasn't born then, not even close, so that might indicate that our little village and surrounding areas were getting the movies many years after they were made!

"Cinderella Jones" and "Do You Love Me" were made in 1946 so that's a little more current.

We didn't have much money so I'm not sure they could even have afforded to go but I'd like to think they did.

It was kind of fun reading that newspaper from the day I was born. And now I'm off to find out what today has in store for me. Reserving time for my nap of course, as us old folks like to have.

Featured Genealogy: Past Voices - Letters Home

This week's featured Genealogy website is Past Voices: Letters Home

Discover your origins in letters as ancestors tell their stories and reveal family relationships, past events, moments in time and details of family history. Find your ancestors through their own letters sent to loved ones far from home.

Past Voices gives our ancestors a voice - and these voices from the past come alive in their letters. Many letters on Past Voices are from soldiers far from home. Nothing tells the true reality of war more than the simple writings of the common soldier. These poignant letters from lonely men to their mothers, wives or sweethearts will touch your heart. Some letters will leave you bewildered by their unemotional telling of horrors almost beyond our comprehension.

Past Voices also contains letters and memoirs from ordinary individuals going about their everyday lives. These letters provide us with a sense of history, of being there and experiencing life with the people who write about the times they live in.

Choose from Ancestor Letters USA, Ancestor Letters Canada or Ancestor Letters UK

Ancestry.com and The Genealogist Acquire the 1911 Census

The following press release came from Ancestry.com Personally I can't wait to find my grandmother and her parents in Kent England in 1911!

Ancestry.com and The Genealogist Acquire the 1911 Census


Provo, Utah, November 5, 2010 – Ancestry.com, in collaboration with UK Web site Thegenealogist.co.uk, is pleased to announce that an agreement has been reached with The National Archives to acquire and publish online the 1911 England and Wales Census.

The two family history companies will work together to transcribe the 1911 Census, creating a searchable database which enables users to type in a name and go directly to the full color digital image of the actual census document, handwritten in their ancestor’s home a century ago.

The complete set of 1911 Census records go live on Ancestry.com by county, starting in late 2010 and completing in 2011.

“We are thrilled to acquire the 1911 Census and look forward to the moment members can access these valuable records on our site,” said Olivier Van Calster, Vice President of Ancestry International. "The addition of this vital genealogical material means we will be able to offer our members the complete set of England, Wales and Scotland Censuses, as well as the only fully searchable England and Wales Birth, Marriage and Death Indexes and exclusive online access to the World War One British Army Service and Pension records.”

Part of the archival holdings of The National Archives, the 1911 Census is the largest and most recent census available to the public . A crucial genealogical resource, it offers detailed insight into how people lived in the years leading up the First World War, showing who lived where, with whom, their age at the time of the census, their place of birth and what they did for a living.

“The 1911 Census is a crucial step for many in finding their roots and we feel this is a vital resource that will benefit family historians everywhere. Our members voted this resource their number one dataset in a recent survey,” said Nigel Bayley, Managing Director of Thegenealogist.co.uk. “The 1911 census will be added to our Diamond subscription to accompany our complete set of English & Welsh Census and Birth, Marriage and Death indexes, Official Non-Conformist records, Parish Records, Wills, Roll of Honor and Military records.”

My Military Hero Ancestors

Today is Remembrance Day. It's also called Poppy Day or Armistice Day or Veterans Day. This is the day we honour those who have fought and died in wars since WW1.

Many of us also honour our ancestors who participated in other wars. Do you have some military heroes in your family tree? My definition of a military hero is anyone who fought or participated in any way on behalf of my country, in any war.

Here is my list of military heroes:

My son who has been to Afghanistan five times in eight years.

My father, a Lieutenant who was in WW2, stationed in England

My uncle (my father's brother), also in WW2

My grandmother McGinnis' five brothers (George, Herbert, Chester, Leonard and Edgar Peer), all of whom enlisted in WW1. Edgar Peer was killed in France a few days short of his 21st birthday.

My grandmother Fuller's two brothers Ernest and Sydney  Simpson who enlisted in WW1 in England and in Canada, and her brother Albert who enlisted in the Australian Army in WW2.

Albert's son Frank, my first cousin once removed, who also enlisted in the Australian Army in WW2

My Loyalist ancestors - my 5th great-grandfather Isaac Van Valkenburg aka Vollick, his sons Storm Follick and Cornelius Vollick (my 4th great-grandfather); and another 5th great-grandfather Jonas Larroway all of whom fought in Butler's Rangers during the American Revolution

My 3rd great-granduncle Stephen Peer who fought in the War of 1812 and was killed at the Battle of Chippewa in 1814

Military Heroes

I cannot imagine the sacrifices made by all of these heroes in my family. But I appreciate them all and honour them today.

Free Access to Entire U.S. Military Records Collection

PRESS RELEASE

WEST POINT U.S. MILITARY CADET APPLICATION PAPERS, INCLUDING THOSE OF ‘STONEWALL’ JACKSON, COLONEL CUSTER AND GENERAL SHERMAN, RELEASED BY ANCESTRY.COM


Site Commemorates Veterans Day with Free Access to Entire U.S. Military Records Collection

PROVO, UTAH, November 10, 2010 - Ancestry.com, which has the largest online collection of historical military records, today added more than 115,000 U.S. Military Academy Cadet Application Papers from West Point to its online collection of military records to commemorate Veterans Day.

“Handwritten cadet application papers are true gems in family history research, as they provide such depth and personal insight into the military veterans that came before us,” said Quinton Atkinson, director of content acquisition for Ancestry.com. “It is a treasure when we can see personal letters and records intersect with our shared history as a country. This Veterans Day, we hope this new collection will allow millions of Americans to explore their military ancestry, while inspiring them to discover the rich history of our nation’s past military leaders.”

The West Point Application Papers include letters from applicants from 1805-1866 requesting appointment, letters of recommendation and notification from the War Department if the candidate was accepted and letters of acceptance from the candidate. Over 115,000 candidates are listed and include well known graduates of West Point, including:

· William Tecumseh Sherman (1835) – known for his outstanding military strategy as a Union Army General during the Civil War, this collection contains several letters of recommendation for Sherman from his guardian, Thomas Ewing. Ewing’s letter praises 16-year-old Sherman as a “stout athletic lad, and very well prepared for entrance, a good Latin, Greek & French scholar… His father died insolvent… [and] it was his father’s wish… that he should receive an education which would fit him for the public service in the Army or Navy.”

· Thomas J (Stonewall) Jackson (1842) – one of the most well-known Confederate commanders, eighteen-year-old Stonewall Jackson was the subject of a nomination letter for West Point from South Carolina Governor F. W. Pickens. In his letter, Pickens asks if there are any vacancies at West Point for the state of South Carolina, and requests a copy of the department rules and qualifications for admission. Jackson went on to graduate 17th out of 59 students in the Class of 1846.

· George Pickett (1842) – an acceptance letter now available on Ancestry.com shows that Pickett, known for leading the appropriately named “Pickett's Charge” at the Battle of Gettysburg, was accepted as a cadet at West Point in 1842. Also included in the collection is Pickett’s resignation letter from the US Army’s 9th Infantry in 1861 to join the Confederate army, which also shows that upon resignation from the Union army he owed $96.38 in “expenses recruiting.”

· George A Custer (1856) – most remembered for a disastrous military engagement at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Custer’s nomination letter describes him as “17, 5’ 9¾”, good health, no deformity, reads well, spells correctly, writes a fair and legible hand, able to perform with facility and accuracy the ground rules of arithmetic, fully possesses all the qualifications physical, mental, and moral required.” This nomination letter sent to Jefferson Davis was written and signed by Congressman John A. Bingham, the judge advocate in the trial of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination and a principle framer of the 14th amendment. Custer went on to graduate last in his class at West Point.

The collection includes many other records and letters relating to artist James Whistler, Dupont dynasty heir and Civil War veteran Henry Dupont, and Union Army Major General George B. McClellan.

The West Point Cadet Application Papers are part of Ancestry.com U.S. Military Collection, which includes 100 million names that span more than three centuries of American military service.

In honor of America’s military heroes, the entire U.S. Military Collection on Ancestry.com can be searched free from Veteran’s Day through Nov. 14.

Book Review: Crime & Punishment in Upper Canada

Crime and Punishment in Upper Canada: A Researcher's Guide (Genealogist's Reference Shelf)  by Janice Nickerson is a very detailed, well-researched reference book for genealogists.

Janice delves into the history of the Justice System in Upper Canada (present day Ontario) and walks the reader through the often confusing maze of available records. Her focus in this book is 1791 to 1841 and even that seemingly brief time span provides the genealogist with 243 pages of material.

Each section (topic) has a history and explanation, followed by examples both in text and images, and then Janice's inventory of what records have survived, where they are housed, and what we might expect to find in them.

It is a challenge for genealogists to find early Ontario (Upper Canada) records and Janice's book is a treasure trove. The examples are fascinating reading for historians or those interested in the circumstances of various crimes and their meted out punishments. Case studies are of actual individuals whose court cases were heard or who were charged with crimes.

The inventory list of resources made me drool! I am at a stage in my Ontario research where I need to find more obscure records - those that are challenging to discover. Janice's book has given me so many new leads and so many new avenues of research to investigate that I will be busy for quite some time.

 Crime and Punishment in Upper Canada: A Researcher's Guide (Genealogist's Reference Shelf) is a must-have for any serious genealogist or anyone struggling to find an ancestor in early Ontario.

Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Dundurn Press (September 20, 2010)
Co-published by: Ontario Genealogical Society
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1554887704
ISBN-13: 978-1554887705

Movie Monday: Genier Catholic Cemetery Cochrane Ontario

It's Movie Monday again! Today is a Cemetery Walk through Genier Catholic Cemetery near Cochrane Ontario

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3c5lSpqAYI

Jim Rye very kindly walked this cemetery, took photos and sent them to Olive Tree Genealogy for Movie Monday (thank you Jim!). The second video is not online yet but will be shortly. There are approximately 57 gravestones in this Cemetery.

There are other Cemetery Walks on the Olive Tree Genealogy YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/OliveTreeGenealogy?feature=mhsn

We also have some ships passenger lists so be sure to drop by for a visit. Bring your own popcorn though!

If you want to be sure you don't miss one of our videos, you can SUBSCRIBE to the channel once you are at the YouTube page.

A Rose By Any Other Name....

Many if not all of us have encountered it. A long-ago ancestor whose name has suddenly appeared in an original marriage record but barely recognizable as your ancestor!

I've talked about problems with name variations before - in The Name Game, parts 1 and 2 I shared how difficult it was finding my husband's great grandfather "Archie" DeMeulenaere in the records in Belgium. Why? Because his baptismal name was "Achiel" but we did not know this.

In The Confusing Maze of Genealogy Mixups in Names you can see some common names in other countries and what they equate to in N. America, as well as the true story of my ancestor who changed his name from Van Valkenburg to Vollick after the American Revolution.

But back to your dilemma of that marriage record for your 5th great-grandfather John Smith. Instead of seeing your ancestor recorded in his marriage record as John Smith (which you know is his name), he is listed as John Smythe. But you know it's the right person because his wife's name is correct.

Hmm... You scratch your head in bewilderment and puzzle over how to enter this information in your genealogy program. Not sure, you move on to finding his arrival in the USA.

And bingo there he is - you know it is him because he is with his siblings whose names you have proven. But his name on the passenger list is recorded as Johann Schmidt! What to do??

Other ancestor records are found - for your great grandmother Anna Maria Werner. But you find her in various records as Mary Warner, Anne or Anna Warner/Werner and even Hannah Warner/Werner.

These are not cases of mistaken identity. They are one person being recorded throughout their lifetime in different ways. People from another country will have names written as they would be in their place of origin. German names may become Americanized after an ancestor has been living in N. America for awhile (but no, the Ellis Island officials did NOT change your grandpa's name on arrival!)

Not only do inviduals have nicknames (hubby's grandfather was born Leon Thomas as his first and middle name, but called Charlie his entire life) they sometimes switch between using their first name to their middle name, or vice versa.

German naming conventions often use two names, with the middle name being the name the person is known by.

Those of us with Dutch ancestors in early New York (New Netherland) are faced with another problem - patronymics, or identification of an individual based on the father's name.

For example, Jan Albertszen is named after his father, Albert. Albertszen means son of a man named Albert. Geesjie Barentsdr. (Barentsdochter) is named after her father Barent.


An individual could also be known by his place of origin. Cornelis Antoniszen, my 9th great- grandfather, was known in some records as 'van Breuckelen', meaning 'from Breuckelen' (a town in the Netherlands). The place-origin name could be a nationality, as in the case of Albert Andriessen from Norway, originator of the Bradt and Vanderzee families - he is entered in many early records as Albert Andriessen de Noorman, meaning the Norseman.

An individual might be known by a personal characteristic: e.g. Vrooman means a pious or wise man;Krom means bent or crippled; De Witt means the white one.

Sometimes an occupation became a surname. Smit=Smith; Schenck= cupbearer, Metsalaer= mason. An individual might be known by many different 'surnames' and entered in official records under these different names, making research difficult unless you're aware of the names in use.

My Cornelis Antoniszen Van Slyke mentioned above, was known and found in official records under the following names:

* Cornelis Antoniszen

* Cornelis Teuniszen (Teunis being the diminuitive of Antony)

* Cornelis Antoniszen/Teuniszen van Breuckelen

* Cornelis Antoniszen/Teuniszen Van Slicht
* Broer Cornelis (name given him by Mohawks)

Phew! So, you've hit the name wall. You have found your ancestor under a dizzying and bewildering variety of recorded names. How do you enter this information in your genealogy program??

Consistency is very important. The best method is to choose ONE name - the name you knew your ancestor by if you knew them personally, or the name most often found in the genealogy records. Enter that name in your genealogy program and use it consistently. In the notes section you can note the other names under which you found your ancestor. In your sources, note exactly how the name was recorded.

And now you're good to go, your genealogy is consistent and accurate. And you can enjoy thinking about all those names your great great grandfather used in his lifetime.

Featured Database: Outbound Ships Passenger Lists

Today's Featured Database is a project on ShipsListsOnline.

ShipsListsOnline is transcribing ships passenger lists leaving USA, bound for Europe and United Kingdom. Many of these passenger lists were donated to ShipsListsOnline by Shelby Thompson from her personal collection. Others were submitted by visitors to Ships Lists Online .

ShipsListsOnline is hard at work on these lists so visit the ShipsListsOnline page or join Olive Tree Genealogy Newsletter for updates on this and other Ship Passenger List Indexing Projects

Family Tree Maker for Mac Now Available

The following is a Press Release from Ancestry.com

ANCESTRY.COM UNVEILS NEW FAMILY TREE MAKER FOR MAC

#1-Selling Family History Software Now Available in Mac Version

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., November 4, 2010 – Ancestry.com today announced the launch of Family Tree Maker® for Mac, the new Mac version of the world’s No.-1 selling family history software. Family Tree Maker for Mac provides an easy way to save and organize your family tree conveniently on your Mac computer and has a variety of tools that can help you share your discoveries with family and friends.

“Family Tree Maker for Mac has been a long-requested feature from our customers. We are committed to delivering the same powerful experience on the Mac that millions of Family Tree Maker customers have been enjoying for the past 20 years,” said Eric Shoup, Senior Vice President of Product for Ancestry.com. “We couldn’t be happier to provide yet another way for our members to interact with Ancestry.com and discover, preserve and share their family history.”

Family Tree Maker for Mac combines intuitive tools with robust features and flexible options, making it ideal for family history novices and experts alike. A dynamic user interface and integration with Ancestry.com makes it simple to create family trees, record memories, and organize photos, videos and audio clips, plus share ancestors’ stories. It’s even possible to explore family migration paths by viewing timelines and interactive maps that highlight events and places in ancestors' lives.

The first step is to start a family tree by entering and organizing family history information. From there, a myriad of features help you bring your family history to life:

· Grow your family tree – Search Ancestry.com directly from Family Tree Maker and seamlessly merge historical records and important information you find into your tree. Family Tree Maker for Mac comes with either a free trial or subscription to Ancestry.com.

· Organize photos and documents in one location – Add photos, documents, audio, video and other media files to the people in your tree to help make their stories even more fascinating.

· Create family books, charts and reports – Publish beautiful keepsakes and books to share with friends and family.

· Craft slideshows – Create slideshows from photos in your tree.

· Cite the right information – Standard source templates make it easy.

· Explore family migration paths – View timelines and interactive maps, highlighting events and places in your ancestors' lives.

· Track information – Powerful sourcing tools let you document and rate each citation.

Family Tree Maker for Mac is now available for purchase online at starting at $69.99. The program is also available in select retail stores, including Apple Stores, Amazon, Office Depot, and Office Max.

System requirements for Family Tree Maker for Macinclude:

· Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later

· Intel-based Mac

· Hard Disk Space: 500MB for installation

· Internet access is required for all Web integration

Family Tree Maker for Mac is built on the functionality of Family Tree Maker 2010, the PC-version of the software, and is constructed from the bottom up to take full advantage of the Mac platform in terms of technology and user experience.

Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner, Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

My Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner arrived yesterday. 


So today I gave it a test run. Let me jump to the end before I give you details -- I LOVE IT!

It was well packaged for its long journey to me in Canada. I was impressed with how lightweight it is and yet it looks solid and well-made, nothing flimsy looking about this scanner at all.

The instructions are on a little fold-out card and very simple and easy to follow.

It comes with a USB Adaptor for moving your scans from the Memory Stick (just like the one your digital camera has) to your computer - in case you haven't got a Memory Stick slot.

When you first turn the Flip-Pal Scanner on (it comes with batteries installed, how nice is that!), the Viewing Window walks you through setting the date and time. Simple. And yes, the Viewing Window is of neccesity small but even I with my very bad eyesight, can see the words and pictures just fine.

I grabbed an assortment of old family photos just to give the Scanner a test run.

It was super easy to set a photo on the scanning window and then push the green button on the side. Bingo - done!

Your scanned photo appears in the viewing window so you can make sure you've got what you want. Then you simply insert a new photo and push that green button again.

The bluish tinge you see here is a function of my camera, not the actual scan.

When I was done scanning, I popped out the Memory Stick from the Flip-Pal Scanner and inserted it into the USB Adaptor which I then plugged into a USB port on my computer.

Immediately I saw a window on my computer which gave me options as to what I wanted to do. I chose to use the built-in program (Flip-Pal Toolbox) that was offered, and clicked on that. Lovely! A very easy to understand window popped up with various options including registering my scanner (for a full year's warranty).

But first I chose the option BROWSE SCANS. They popped up just as items do in Windows Explore and I was able to quickly select all and move them to a folder on my C drive. Then I selected all again and deleted them from the Memory Stick.

Just click on the graphic or this link if you wish to order your own scanner.

The scans were of very good quality and I'm pleased with them. The photo on the left is my grandmother and two of her siblings in 1912. All in all I have only positive things to say about Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner .

I'll be putting it to more tests as soon as I can get to my 87 year old Auntie's place. She has a ton of old family photos that I'm drooling over but she won't let them out of her sight! So now's my chance to visit and scan away without those precious photos ever leaving her apartment.

Let's Send a WW2 American Marine's Dog Tags Home!

Craig wrote to Olive Tree Genealogy about a WW2 American soldier's dog tag he has. Craig would like to send the dog tag home to the soldier's family.

Here is Craig's note:

I too love "happy-endings." To that end; my father recently passed away after 90 years. He'd served in the Pacific with the USMC from January '41 through the end of the War. In his belongings I found a dog-tag for T. H. Stull. I seem to recall dad talking about "Tom" (fondly) and that he may have been from Texas - but that is a dim recollection. I'd love to send this Tag “home” - if anyone has ideas. The tag reads:

STULL.

T. H.
340585
TYPE -B-
T. 12/44
USMC

Can you help find T. H. Stull's descendants? Let's send this dog tag home! We've had success with other dog tags belonging to American soldiers, as well as two other miscellaneous lost and found family treasures. With the great team of sleuths reading this blog, I think we can do it again!

Here are the cases my wonderful readers have worked on (and in several cases - FOUND A DESCENDANT!)

Help Find a WW2 Soldier from Illinois


American Soldier's Lost WW2 Dog Tags Going Home!

Photo of American Lieutenant MIA, Dog Tags Found

WW2 American Soldier's Dog Tags Found

MIA bracelet for Illinois soldier Vietnam War - can we find a descendant?

Finding Doris - another bracelet needs to be returned to family

I'd love to add T. H. Stull to the "FOUND" category

Movie Monday: Passenger List for Agda from Germany to Quebec 1872

It's Movie Monday so get out your popcorn and soda pop! Today's feature is the Ships Passenger List for the bark Agda, from Germany to Quebec in 1872

There are more videos online on the Olive Tree Genealogy channel on YouTube. Every Monday I feature Movie Monday with a new video. So far I've been creating videos of Ships Passenger Lists and Cemetery Walks through various cemeteries in North America.

Join us for Movie Monday!

NEW! Extracts of Names from Surgeons' Journals of 8 ships from Ireland to Upper Canada 1825 online

In 1822, the British Government established a trial emigration scheme for Irish paupers to Upper Canada. There were two waves of emigration, one in 1823 the second in 1825.

Peter Robinson arranged for these impoverished Irish emigrants to come to Upper Canada. In 1825, 2024 passengers on board nine ships - Fortitude, Resolution, Albion, Brunswick, Star, Amity, Regulus, Elizabeth, and John Barry - arrived in Quebec. From there the emigrants made their way to Upper Canada (present day Ontario).

Passenger Lists for these ships are available online  but Olive Tree Genealogy has been busy compiling a new project which contains much more information on many of the Irish passengers. The new project is the extraction of names from Surgeons Medical Journals which were kept during the voyages.

There are medical journals for 8 ships and they contain a great deal of information. Olive Tree Genealogy's project contains extracted details of the voyage, the names and ages of each passenger treated by the surgeon, the date they were put on the sick list, where the ship was at the time and the date they recovered or died. Births of children are also recorded as are deaths, sometimes with details as to exact time and location.

You will want to consult these extracts if you think your Irish ancestors were on board the following ships:

Surgeon's Journal of the Transport Ship John Barry between 22 April to 25 July 1825 during which time the said ship has been employed in conveying the Irish Emigrant Settlers from Cork to Quebec.

Surgeon's Journal of the Transport Ship Amity between 5 April to 9 July 1825 during which time the said ship has been employed in conveying the Irish Emigrant Settlers from Cork to Quebec.

Surgeon's Journal of the Transport Ship Elizabeth between 4 May 1825 & 21st July 1825 during which time the said ship has been employed in conveying the Irish Emigrant Settlers from Cork to Quebec.

Medical and surgical journal of the Star transport ship for 6 April to 13 July 1825 by Ninian McMorris, Surgeon and Superintendent, during which time the said ship was employed in conveying emigrants to Quebec.

Medical and surgical journal of the Regulus transport ship for 7 April to 13 July 1825 by Matthew Burnside, Surgeon and Superintendent conveying the Irish Emigrant Settlers from Cork to Quebec.

Medical and surgical journal of the Fortitude Emigrant Ship for 28 April to 1 July 1825 by Francis Connin, Surgeon and Superintendent conveying the Irish Emigrant Settlers from Cork to Quebec.

edical journal of the Brunswick, emigrant ship, for 5 April to 27 June 1825 by John Tarn surgeon and superintendent, during which time the said ship was employed in conveying emigrants from Cork to Quebec

Medical and surgical journal of the Albion Convict Ship, for 4 April to 4 July 1825 by John Thomson Surgeon and Superintendent, during which time the said vessel was employed in conveying emigrants from Cork to Quebec.

The surgeons' journals contain much detail both on the illnesses of each passenger and on the journey itself. Some surgeons recorded their thoughts about certain passengers so they are a very interesting read.

Two of the ships medical journals are available online as a .pdf file at the National Archives UK website. The other medical journals are available for a fee from the National Archives UK website. All source files are provided so you can enjoy reading the entire journals or ordering ones of interest.

Warning: Some of the journal entries are very distressing to read.

Featured Database: Grace Church, Jamaica New York Records

Today's featured database are the online (free) records for Grace Church in Jamaica New York. The following genealogy records have been published on Olive Tree Genealogy website.

Just visit the New York Church Records section and click on the links for each of the following set of Baptisms, Burials and Marriages.

* Grace Church, Jamaica (Queens) Baptisms 1710-1731
* Grace Church, Jamaica New York Baptisms 1780-1810
* Grace Church, Jamaica (Queens) Burials 1710-1731
* Grace Church, Jamaica New York Tombstone Recordings
* Grace Church, Jamaica (Queens) Marriages 1710-1731
* Grace Church, Jamaica New York Marriage Records 1769 to 1810

Surgeon's Journal for Ship Elizabeth Ireland to Quebec 1825

Anyone with ancestors who were part of the Peter Robinson settlement of Upper Canada in 1825 will want to see the Journal of the Transport Ship Elizabeth between 4 May 1825 & 21st July 1825

This journal (which adds the comment "during which time the said ship has been employed in conveying the Irish Emigrant Settlers from Cork to Quebec.") consists of 55 pages of detailed notes on each of the 21 Irish passengers Surgeon Power treated.

I have extracted the names, ages, dates of admission, whether the patient died or recovered and a few notes for some patients. Most patients have their illnesses noted in detail, along with medicines given, reaction of patient and other data. The wealth of information is incredible and there are interesting, albeit horrifying, descriptions of life on board the ship as well as some of the more ghastly medical problems passengers presented with - such as a 7 1/2 foot (Yes, I said FOOT, not inches...) long intestinal worm.

This Surgeon's Journal comes from the newly added Surgeons at Sea - Royal Navy Medical Officers' journals on National Archives UK. The series consists of journals and diaries compiled by Royal Navy surgeons and assistant surgeons who served on HM ships, hospitals, naval brigades, shore parties and on emigrant and convict ships in the period 1793 to 1880. Many of the journals were for ships sailing to Australia.

PRESS RELEASE: A Celebration of Family History

A Celebration of Family History Is Now Available on DVD!



SALT LAKE CITY—A major 2010 highlight in Salt Lake City was definitely A Celebration of Family History—a once-in-a-lifetime event that will never be forgotten by those fortunate enough to have attended. Now, all can enjoy this remarkable, inspiring event on DVD. To purchase the video (which will sell for $4.50, includes shipping and handling) or watch video highlights, go to celebration.familysearch.org.


The DVD features a celebration of family history through music, stories, and the captivating words of renowned author and historian David McCullough and President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The event includes moving musical numbers by the famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square and inspiring video presentations showing the impact family history can have on individual lives.


The talks, music, and films can be played as a single program, or they can be viewed as individual segments for those wishing to use the video as a teaching or reference aid. The presentations are sure to inspire those looking for additional insights into family history.

Buttering Up Great Aunt Hattie

What do do if your great-aunt has all the family photos and documents but she won't let you have access to them? She won't tell you anything about the family saying only "Least said, soonest mended" in response to your repeatedly asking her for information

The first thing you should realize is that no amount of begging or asking or demanding is going to make Aunt Hattie change her mind. There are a few "tricks" you can try though!

1. Try to find out (gently) what her objection is to your seeing the documents and photos. There may be something which she considers a disgrace and if so, it will be your job to reassure her that you can be trusted. Don't lie to her though. If your intent is to share the facts with your entire family, then don't tell her you won't tell a soul.

2. Mean what you say. "I won't tell anyone else" means that you will keep quiet about whatever she shows you. Some will disagree with me but in my mind that promise only lasts while Aunt Hattie is living. After she is gone, you may have to make some decisions about sharing or not sharing what you have learned.

3. Visit or phone Aunt Hattie frequently. Not to ask questions but to talk, take her out for a meal, just sit and have tea or coffee with her. Get her talking about her childhood and enjoy her stories. Eventually she may relax and start showing you items from her treasures.

4. Take Aunt Hattie your own photos or documents - don't overwhelm her, just take one or two each time you visit. Show them to her, talk about the people and what the photos or documents mean to you. When Auntie sees your passion and genuine caring for the people involved, she may relent and share her items with you.

5. Be patient. It may take your Auntie a year or more to decide you shall be privy to the family secrets. Don't push her and don't rush her. Let her come around (if she does) in her own time and her own way.

6. Try an end run - find out who Aunt Hattie is closest to in the family and get them on your side. They can gently work their magic with her and hopefully persuade her to share.

7. Don't give up. But don't be overbearing either. In my hubby's family he had a step grandmother who would not talk about his grandfather's misdeeds - which were quite outrageous! Eventually she opened up and filled us in on quite a bit. Patience and getting to know us were the magic that worked for us.

Movie Monday: Ships Passenger List of Lahn Germany to New York 1888

It's Movie Monday and today's video is the complete Ships Passenger List of the Lahn. The Lahn sailed from Bemen Germany and Southampton to New York on 24 November 1888.

Join us on Olive Tree Genealogy YouTube Channel for more ships passenger lists, Cemetery Walks and other genealogy videos. If you want to be notified when new videos are uploaded, just SUBSCRIBE (it's free) once you are on the channel.

Do You Have a Clue? ...a Census Clue?

Census records are invaluable for genealogists. We all know to start with the most recent census for our area of interest, and work backwards.

Nationwide census records in the USA were taken every 10 years, on the decade (1930, 1920, 1910 etc)

Census records in England and Canada were taken every 10 years but in the first year after the decade (1911 which is not public yet for UK, 1901, 1891 etc)

I think most of us know that from a census record we can figure out family groups, get approximate years of birth and birth locations. But what else do census records tell us?

Of course it depends on the year of the record and the country it was taken in. But let's talk generalities.

When you consult a census page you should always check names of neighbours. Often a neighbour is a father or a brother or a married sister (or some other relative). Be sure to copy the entire page so you can refer to it later.

Check the occupation of each individual. Often that provides clues for other research. If a man's occupation is given as farmer, you will want to hunt for land records. If he is a skilled worker (blacksmith for example) you may want to check City Directories to see if he is listed. Perhaps his place of employment is given in a more recent census. Now you can hunt for details on that workplace; perhaps they even have records you can consult.

What about religion? In Canadian census records Religion is provided. This is very helpful in finding church records to hunt for baptisms, marriages or burials.

Check to see birth locations for each of the children. Not only does this allow us to seek birth records (whether church records or vital registrations), we can also learn a family's migration patterns. Best of all we can often narrow an immigration year if the family includes an ancestor who left one country to go to another. If child A was born in the old country and child B was born in the current country a few years later, you've got a nice time frame to hunt for ships passenger lists

Census records may also provide an approximate year of immigration or of naturalization. I use the word "approximate" because those two years are often mis-remembered. You need to search a year or two on either side of any year given. Just as one example, the 1900, 1910 ,1920 and 1930 American census records identify citizenship status, with notations showing the individual was an Alien, or had started the Naturalization process or had his final papers. Some early (1841/1842) census records for Canada give a year of immigration if the individual lived at any time outside of Canada. Later census records also provide a year of immigration for individuals not born in Canada.


Marriage years are also found on some census records. Some census ask for a year of marriage, some ask how old each married person was when they first married -- it varies so be aware and read the questions on each census carefully.
 
Questions asked on Canadian Census are given here in full for each available census year. You might be surprised at the wealth of details you can find!
 
Blank Census Forms for USA, Canada and UK are found online and are free