Best of the Genea-Blogs - Week of 2 to 8 November 2025

   Scores of genealogy and family history bloggers write hundreds of posts every week about their research, their families, and their interests. I appreciate each one of them and their efforts.

My criteria for "Best of ..." are pretty simple - I pick posts that advance knowledge about genealogy and family history, address current genealogy issues, provide personal family history, are funny or are poignant. I don't list posts destined for most daily blog prompts or meme submissions (but I do include summaries of them), or my own posts.

Here are my picks for great reads from the genealogy blogs for this past week: 

*  Substack for Genealogy: What, Who and Why? by Lex Knowlton on Knext Gen Genealogy.

*  Immersive Genealogy with ChatGPT-5: Turning Research into “A Day in the Life” Stories by Diane Henriks on Know Who Wears the Genes In Your Family.

*  Full-Text Surprise: Divorce Papers! by Marian B. Wood on Climbing My Family Tree.

*  Shared Segment Spreadsheet Incarnations by Jim Brewster on Segment-ology.

*  A Continuum of AI Use in Family History by Andrew Redfern on Andrew Redfern.

*  Funny Things Happen When Researching In Person by Melody Lassalle on Mel's Genealogy Research Journal.

*  Crafting Better Research Prompts: A Complete Walk-through by Steve Little on AI Genealogy Insights.

*  Using FamilySearch's Full Text Search by Cynthia Boatwright Raleigh on Mission: Genealogy.

*  Revisiting My Roots: Ancestry Tree Cleanup by Cari Taplin on Genealogy Pants.

*  Using AI to Speed up Family History and Transforming Family History with AI and Digital Archives by Carole McCulloch on Carole McCulloch.

*  Untangling a Civil War Pension File with ChatGPT: Lessons from the Hutchinson Case by Marcia Crawford Philbrick on Heartland Genealogy.

*  Protecting Trust in Historical Images from the Coalition for Responsible AI in Genealogy by James Tanner on Genealogy's Star.

*  When Your Family Doesn’t Care About Family History by Aryn Youngless on Genealogy By Aryn.

*  Remembering the Children of the Oil Fields by Angela Walton-Raji on The African-Native American Genealogy Blog

Here are pick posts by other geneabloggers this week:

*  Friday’s Family History Finds [31 October 2025] by Linda Stufflebean on Empty Branches on the Family Tree.

*  This week’s crème de la crème -- November 8, 2025 by Gail Dever on Genealogy a la Carte.

*  GenStack [8 November 2025] by Robin Stewart on Genealogy Matters.

Readers are encouraged to go to the blogs listed above and read their articles, and add the blogs to your Favorites, Feedly, another RSS feed, or email if you like what you read. Please make a comment to them also - all bloggers appreciate feedback on what they write.

Did I miss a great genealogy blog post? Tell me! I currently am reading posts from over 900 genealogy bloggers using Feedly, but I still miss quite a few it seems.

Read past Best of the Genea-Blogs posts here.

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Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2025/11/best-of-genea-blogs-week-of-2-to-8.html

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share it on X, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Please note that all comments are moderated and may not appear immediately.

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Betty's Story: "The Dinner That Changed Everything"

 The AI-assisted ABC Biography of my mother, Betty Virginia (Carringer) Seaver is in ABC Biography of #3 Betty Virginia (Carringer) Seaver (1919-2002) of San Diego, California. I wrote Betty's Story: The First-Year Art Teacher about the start of her teaching career.

1)  Based on the biography, I asked Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4.5 to identify ten story ideas to tell about her life.  Here is one of them. For this story, I added some known details about this event in my mother's life to the prompt for my AI assistant, Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4.5.

                                  (AI Gemini colorized image - Betty Carringer in 1941) 

The Dinner That Changed Everything

Betty checked her reflection one more time in the hallway mirror of the Fern Street house in San Diego, smoothing an invisible wrinkle from her navy blue dress. It was silly to be nervous about dinner at a student's home, but Marcia Chamberlain had been so insistent, so eager, that Betty couldn't help wondering what all the fuss was about.

"You look lovely, dear," her mother Emily said from the living room, glancing up from her sewing. "It's just dinner with the Chamberlains."

"I know, Mother." Betty picked up her handbag and the small box of chocolates she'd purchased downtown. "Marcia's been a wonderful student this year. She has a real eye for color."

What Betty didn't mention was the knowing smile Marcia had worn all week, or the way the girl had said, "Miss Carringer, you simply must come to dinner Friday night. My cousin Fred is visiting from Massachusetts, and I just know you two would get along wonderfully." There had been something in Marcia's voice -- a matchmaker's certainty -- that had made Betty both curious and cautious.

At twenty-one in March 1941, Betty was hardly on the shelf, as her grandmother Georgianna liked to remind anyone who suggested otherwise. She'd had her share of attention at San Diego High School and San Diego State -- dances, tennis matches, beach outings, dinner dates, and movies with various young men. But her first year of teaching art at Woodrow Wilson Junior High School consumed most of her energy now, and she'd been content to let romance take its own time. The war in Europe cast a shadow over everything anyway, even here in sunny California. Young men were already talking about enlistment, about duty, about what they'd do when America inevitably joined the fight.

Betty’s father, Lyle, drove her to the Chamberlain house on Terrace Drive in Kensington, which was lit warmly against the October evening. Betty could hear voices and laughter even before she knocked. Marcia answered immediately, practically pulling her inside.

"Miss Carringer! Oh, I'm so glad you could come!" Marcia's eyes sparkled with poorly concealed excitement. "Come in, come in. Everyone's in the living room."

Marshall Chamberlain, Marcia's father, rose to greet her with a friendly handshake. Marcia’s mother, Dorothy Chamberlain, bustled over to take the chocolates with genuine delight with a smile and “Thank you!” Dorothy’s mother, Emily Taylor, greeted her warmly saying “Marcia has told me so much about you” in her classic New England accent.

And there, standing by the fireplace with a glass of lemonade, was the cousin from Massachusetts. Frederick Walton Seaver Jr. was tall and lean, with an easy smile that reached his eyes. He wore a pressed shirt and tie, and when he moved forward to shake her hand, his grip was firm but not showy. His accent, when he spoke, carried the slight clip of New England.

"Miss Carringer, I've heard a great deal about you. Marcia says you'ah the finest aht teachah Wilson has evah had." His smile turned wry. "Though I suspect she might be slightly biased."

"Only slightly," Betty said, finding herself smiling back. "And please, call me Betty. Anyone who can survive Marcia's enthusiasm deserves to use first names."

"Hey!" Marcia protested, laughing. "I'm standing right here!"

"Then it's Fred," he said. "Miss Carringah makes me feel like I'm back at Wuhcestah Academy, waiting to be sent to the headmastah's office."

They moved into the dining room, and Betty found herself seated beside Fred. Mrs. Chamberlain had prepared a roast with vegetables, and as the meal progressed, Betty discovered that conversation with Fred came as naturally as breathing.

He told her about Leominster, Massachusetts, about growing up in mill town New England where winter meant real snow, not San Diego's perpetual sunshine. He'd attended Worcester Academy and then Dartmouth College, studying business before the economic realities of the Depression and his football injury had altered his and everyone's plans. Now he was working for a finance company in San Diego as a salesman and investigator.

"I couldn't believe it when I first arrived," Fred said, gesturing with his fork. "January, and people were walking around in shirtsleeves. Back home, we'd be buried undah three feet of snow. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven."

"Wait until summer," Betty warned. "When it's ninety-five degrees and there's not a cloud in the sky for months. You'll be begging for a Massachusetts autumn."

"I doubt that." His eyes met hers with an intensity that made her pulse quicken. "I'm finding San Diego has more attractions than I'd anticipated."

Across the table, Marcia caught Betty's eye and grinned triumphantly. Betty felt heat rise to her cheeks, but she didn't look away from Fred.

"Tell me about Balboa Pahk," he said. "Marcia mentioned you practically grew up theah."

And so Betty found herself describing her childhood -- the carousel and the zoo, the Museum of Man and the Natural History Museum, the way the carillon from the California Tower could be heard all the way to Fern Street. She told him about Mi Casita, her playhouse in the garden, and about learning to paint at school and in the garden and her bedroom on Fern Street.

"You paint?" Fred leaned forward with genuine interest. "What medium?"

"Watercolors, mostly. I've been going out on Saturdays with a friend, painting house and street scenes. San Diego is changing so fast -- all these people coming in for the aircraft plants, new buildings going up everywhere. I want to capture it before it's all different."

"I'd like to see your work sometime," Fred said quietly. "If you'd be willing to show me."

There it was -- the opening, the invitation to continue beyond this single evening. Betty had been on enough dates to recognize the moment, but this felt different somehow. Fred wasn't performing, wasn't trying to impress her with bravado or charm. He simply seemed genuinely interested in who she was, what she thought, what mattered to her.

"I'd like that," she said.

After dinner, they moved to the living room for coffee and the chocolates Betty had brought. Marshall put a record on the phonograph -- Glenn Miller's orchestra playing "Moonlight Serenade." Fred asked if she'd like to take a walk, and with Mrs. Chamberlain's approving nod, they stepped out into the October night.

The air was soft and mild, carrying the scent of jasmine from a neighbor's vine. They walked slowly down Terrace Drive towards Adams, their footsteps echoing on the sidewalk.

"Marcia wasn't subtle, was she?" Fred said after a moment, and Betty laughed.

"Not even a little bit. She's been hinting all week that I simply must come to dinner. I should have known she was scheming."

"I'm glad she was." Fred stopped walking and turned to face her. "I've been in San Diego for three months, and I've met plenty of people. But tonight ... Betty, I don't want this to sound forward, but I feel like I could talk to you for hours and it wouldn't be enough."

Betty's heart hammered in her chest. Around them, the city hummed with its evening rhythms—distant traffic, a dog barking, someone's radio playing through an open window. The world was poised on the edge of enormous change. Everyone could feel it -- war was coming, nothing would be the same, all the certainties they'd grown up with were about to be tested.

"I feel the same way," she said simply.

They stood there in the pooled darkness between streetlamps, two people who'd been strangers two hours ago and now felt like something else entirely. Fred reached for her hand, and Betty let him take it.

"Would you let me take you to dinnah next week?" he asked. "Without Marcia's helpful supervision?"

"Yes," Betty said. "I'd like that very much."

They walked back to the Chamberlain house slowly, reluctant to end the evening. At the door, Fred held her hand a moment longer than necessary.

"Thank you for coming tonight," he said. "I think Marcia might be the best matchmakah in San Diego."

"Don't tell her that," Betty warned. "Her head will swell so large she won't fit through the classroom door."

She could still hear his laughter as she walked to her father’s car at the curb which had arrived earlier. Her father didn't say much. Riding home through the familiar streets of San Diego, Betty felt as if the whole world had shifted slightly on its axis. She'd gone to a student's house for dinner—a simple courtesy, nothing more. But she was coming home with something that felt like the beginning of everything.

At 2130 Fern Street, her mother was still awake, reading in the living room.

"How was dinner, dear?"

Betty hung up her coat and handbag, trying to keep her expression neutral. "It was lovely. The Chamberlains are very nice people."

"And the cousin from Massachusetts?"

Betty smiled, giving up the pretense. "He's very nice too, Mother."

Emily set down her book, studying her daughter's face with a mother's practiced eye. "I see. Will you be seeing this very nice young man again?"

"Next week. He's taking me to dinner."

"Well," Emily said, her own smile blooming. "How wonderful."

Betty walked down the hall to her bedroom, the same room where she'd dreamed her girl's dreams, where she'd studied for exams, and planned her future as a teacher and artist. She undressed slowly, thinking about Fred's easy smile, his genuine interest, the way conversation had flowed between them like water finding its course.

Outside her window, the familiar sounds of the neighborhood settled into nighttime quiet. Somewhere in the distance, she could hear the faint echo of the carillon from the California Tower, marking the hour. Betty had lived her entire life in San Diego, on these same streets, surrounded by the people and places she'd always known.

But tonight, lying in her bed in the house on Fern Street, Betty felt the future opening up before her like a door she hadn't known was there. A Massachusetts man with kind eyes and an easy laugh. A simple dinner at a student's house. A walk in the October evening. Such small things, really.

And yet.

Betty closed her eyes and smiled in the darkness. Marcia Chamberlain was definitely getting an A this semester.

---

On July 12, 1942, about fifteen months after that dinner party, Betty Virginia Carringer and Frederick Walton Seaver Jr. would stand together at All Saints' Episcopal Church and promise to love each other through whatever came. They would have forty-one years together—through war and peace, through raising three sons, through joy and sorrow, through all the ordinary and extraordinary moments that make a marriage.

But it all began on a Friday night in March 1941, when a student played matchmaker and two people who'd been strangers discovered they'd been waiting for each other all along.

Sometimes the moments that change everything are wrapped in such ordinary paper that we almost miss them. A dinner invitation. A conversation over roast and vegetables. A walk in the jasmine-scented darkness.

Betty would remember that night for the rest of her life—not as something dramatic or grand, but as the evening when her real life began. The evening when a young art teacher from Brooklyn Heights met a young business man from Massachusetts, and recognized in each other something that felt like home.

2)  Here is the Google NotebookLM video about Betty's evening in March 1941: 

3)  This story is historical fiction based on real people and a real event - how it might have been.  My mother Betty taught Art and English at Woodrow Wilson Junior High School from 1940 to 1942. She was invited to the Chamberlain's home in early 1941 by her student, Marcia. I asked Claude to describe the dinner, meeting Fred, the dialogue, and Betty's thoughts throughout the evening. I edited the story to add some details and correct several errors.

I wrote Fred's Story: "I Need A Girl" earlier describing how Fred Seaver told the Chamberlain family about his wish to find a girl friend, and Marcia's exclamation "I know one." Dorothy Chamberlain told me many times (we saw her many times; she had dementia in her 80s, but recalled this event the same way every time). Fred was eight years older than Betty, and was experienced in romancing a girl. This is how it all began.

Stay tuned for the next episode in this family story.

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Links to my blog posts about using Artificial Intelligence are on my Randy's AI and Genealogy page. Links to AI information and articles about Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy by other genealogists are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.

Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2025/11/bettys-story-dinner-that-changed.html

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Please note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

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Saturday Night Genealogy Fun -- Records With Your First Name and Surname

 Calling all Genea-Musings Fans: 

 It's Saturday Night again - 

time for some more Genealogy Fun!!

Hey boys and girls, it's time for more genealogy fun.

Here is your assignment, should you decide to accept it (you ARE reading this, so I assume that you really want to play along - cue the Mission Impossible music!):

1)  You were born and given a forename (first name and middle name(?)) and a surname on your birth certificate. What were they?

2)  How many persons are on the FamilySearch Family Tree (with an exact search for a birth name) with your first and, separately, your surname? Are there any other persons with your complete first-middle-surname?

3)  How many matches do you have when you search the FamilySearch Historical Records  (with an exact search for a name) with your first name, and separately, with your surname?  Are there any other persons with your complete first-middle-surname?

4)  How many person are in the Public Ancestry Member Tree collection  (with an exact search for a name) with your first name and, separately, your surname? Are there any other persons with your complete first-middle-surname?

5)  How many person are in the Ancestry Historical Records Collections  (with an exact search for a name) with your first name and, separately, your surname? Are there any other persons with your complete first-middle-surname?

6)  Tell us about it in your own blog post, in a comment to this blog post of mine, or in a comment on Twitter or Facebook in response to this post.

Here's mine:

1)  My birth certificate says Randall Jeffrey Seaver.

2)  The FamilySearch Family Tree, with an exact search on birth name (you may have to add a birth year range, I used 1526 to 2025):

• Randall - 14,086
• Seaver -  58,138
• Randall Seaver - 1 (not me, I'm still living)
• Randall Jeffrey Seaver - 0 (I'm still living)

3)  The FamilySearch Historical Records, with an exact search for the name (you may have to add a birth year range, I used 1526 to 2025):

• Randall - 749,538
• Seaver -  105,121
• Randall Seaver - 14
• Randall Jeffrey Seaver - 2 (both me)

4)  The Public Ancestry Member Tree collection, with an exact search on the name:

• Randall - 138,396 sets of trees
• Seaver -  9,842 sets of trees
• Randall Seaver - 6 sets of trees (67 total entries) (not me, I'm still living)
• Randall Jeffrey Seaver - 1 set of trees (3 total entries - they gave me a death date of 2006!)

5)  The Ancestry Historical Records collection, with an exact search on the name:

• Randall - 4,640,772 entries
• Seaver -  373,247 entries
• Randall Seaver - 143
• Randall Jeffrey Seaver - 20 (7 are me, others don't have exact name)

Caveats:  The FamilySearch Family Tree may have duplicate entries.  The FamilySearch Historical Records have multiple events when you search for a name.  The Ancestry Member Trees are grouped into sets that Ancestry thinks have the same information). The Ancestry Historical Records have multiple events when you search for a name.

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2025/11/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-records.html

Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

ABC Biography of Robert Seaver (1702-1752) of Massachusetts

 Using the ABC method described in Using Artificial Intelligence In the Ancestor Biography Creation (ABC) Process, here is another ancestor biography using the Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4.5 AI tool.

1) I wrote genealogical sketches for almost every known ancestor back through 9 generations in blog posts based on 38 years of genealogical research in my 52 Ancestors/Relatives Biographies series. The genealogical sketch for my 6th great-grandfather, Robert Seaver, including family members, record abstracts and sources, is in 52 Ancestors - Week 177: #256 Robert Seaver (1702-1752) of Massachusetts.

(AI NotebookLM image of Robert Seaver)

2) For the Claude AI biography, I attached the PDF of the genealogical sketch for the specific ancestor using the plus (+) icon, and then prompted the AI tool with:  "You are an expert genealogist and family historian. Please create a biography based on information in the attached file for Robert Seaver. Including parents, siblings, spouses and children (with birth and death dates and places). Summarize life events, add historical events as appropriate, but do not add or embellish any extra genealogical details. Use section headings. Expand the information in each section to add more details. The tone should be engaging and suitable for family members."

3)  The Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4.5 biography (lightly edited) is:

Robert Seaver: A Colonial Massachusetts Life (1702-1752)

Early Life and Family Origins

Robert Seaver was born on October 29, 1702, in Sudbury, Massachusetts, during the early colonial period when the Massachusetts Bay Colony was still finding its footing in the New World. He was the first child of Joseph Seaver (1672-1754) and Mary (Read) Seaver (1680-?), who had married just two years earlier in 1700. The family name appeared in various spellings throughout the records -- Sever, Severs, and Seaver -- a common occurrence in an era when spelling was not yet standardized.

Young Robert grew up in a growing family in the Framingham and Sudbury area. His siblings included Mary (born 1706), Nathaniel (born 1709), Hannah (born about 1712), Elizabeth (born 1714), and Abigail (born about 1720). Growing up as the eldest son in a colonial farming family, Robert would have learned valuable skills from his father while helping to care for his younger siblings.

Marriage and Family

On September 2, 1726, at the age of 23, Robert married Eunice Rayment in Boston. Eunice, born June 12, 1707, in Marblehead and was the daughter of Samuel Rayment and Eunice Norman. Family tradition held that Eunice's grandfather, Captain Norman, had perished when his ship wrecked on the rocky ledge outside Boston Harbor—a treacherous spot that would forever after bear the name "Norman's Woe."

Robert and Eunice built their life together along the border between Sudbury and Framingham, and were blessed with eight children, though records of the time captured only some of their births:

• Joseph Seaver (born June 10, 1727, in Sudbury; christened June 11, 1727, perhaps died at Louisborgh in 1745), no further record.

• Benjamin Seaver (born October 8, 1728, in Framingham, perhaps died at Louisbourg in 1745), no further record.

• Thankful Seaver (born October 6, 1731, in Framingham; died after November 27, 1811 in Leominster). She married (1) Ephraim Dutton (1727-1757) in 1752, two children; (2) William Braybrook (1731-1802) in 1757, two children; and (3) Ezra Hill (1712-1802) in 1772, no children.

• Norman Seaver (born about 1734, in Framingham; died July 31, 1787 in Westminster) married Sarah Read (1736-1809) in 1755, 13 children.

• Hannah Seaver (born about 1736, in Framingham), no further record.

• Moses Seaver (born about 1738, in Framingham; died August 1809 in Shrewsbury), married Lucy Carril (1737-1816) in 1758, 8 children.

• Robert Seaver Jr. (born about 1743, in Framingham; died November 3, 1828 in Brookline, New Hampshire), married Joanna Parmenter (1743-1822) in 1763, 6 children.

• Samuel Seaver (born April 8, 1747, in Sudbury, christened 28 July 1754; died 1830 in New York), married Sarah Cutter (1757-????) in 1772, 11 children.

• John Seaver (born about 1752, in Framingham; christened November 1754), no further record.

Working Life and Property

Robert established himself as a skilled bricklayer, a valuable trade in the growing Massachusetts colony where new homes, chimneys, and public buildings were constantly needed. However, he also identified himself variously as a yeoman and husbandman in land records, indicating he farmed as well -- a necessity for most colonial families who needed to grow their own food.

His business dealings show an active participant in the local economy. In January 1737, Robert purchased a substantial 100-acre parcel of upland and pasture in Framingham from Thomas Frost for 500 pounds in bills of credit -- a significant investment. The property was bounded by the lands of neighbors including Hezekiah Stone, Thomas Frost, Nathaniel Gibbs, and his brother-in-law Christopher Nickson (who had married his sister Mary).

Just three years later, in September 1740, Robert sold this same 100 acres to the Manufactory Company, headed by Robert Auchmuty of Roxbury, for only 75 pounds in bills of credit. As part of this transaction, Robert became a partner in the company -- suggesting this was more of a business arrangement than a simple land sale. That same year, his father Joseph gave him five acres of valuable meadowland near West Brook in Sudbury "for many good causes and considerations, and especially in fatherly love and affection."

Robert continued to actively buy and sell land parcels over the next several years, demonstrating his engagement in the colonial land market that was so crucial to building wealth in that era.

Military Service and the Siege of Louisbourg

The year 1745 brought both glory and tragedy to the Seaver family. When Massachusetts joined other New England colonies in an ambitious expedition to capture the French fortress at Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island, Robert and his two eldest sons, Joseph and Benjamin -- mere teenagers at the time -- enlisted together in Captain Ephraim Baker's company of Sir William Pepperell's regiment.

The siege of Louisbourg was one of the most significant military achievements of the colonial period. After weeks of bombardment and fighting, the supposedly impregnable fortress surrendered on June 28, 1745. The victory was celebrated throughout New England as proof that colonial forces could achieve remarkable feats. However, for Robert Seaver, the victory came at a devastating personal cost: one of his sons -- either Joseph or Benjamin -- was killed during the campaign. The historical records are unclear which son died, but both disappear from all records after 1745, leaving a grieving father to return home without one of his boys.

The Fire of 1748

Tragedy struck again in October 1748 when Robert's house in Sudbury was consumed by fire. Everything the family owned was destroyed—furniture, household goods, and even money including bills of credit and bonds. In his desperate petition to the Massachusetts General Court for relief, Robert wrote poignantly: "My house was burned and consumed all the little substance I had in the world, it being in movables and bonds and bills of credit."

In his petition, Robert reminded the court of his family's sacrifice at Louisbourg, noting that "one of them is there still" -- a heartbreaking reference to his son who lay buried far from home. The court, moved by his service and loss, granted him 3 pounds and 15 shillings in compensation -- a modest sum that could hardly replace what was lost, but at least an acknowledgment of his service to the colony.

A New Beginning in Westminster

After the fire, Robert decided to start fresh. In November 1750, he purchased Lot 70 in Narragansett No. 2 (which would later be renamed Westminster) from Josiah Brown of Sudbury for 60 pounds. This land was part of territory originally assigned to soldiers who had served in the Indian Wars -- a fitting new home for a veteran.

The lot was located in the southeast part of town, on the highland nearly a mile northeast of the outlet to Wachusett Lake. By the spring of 1751, Robert had made remarkable progress. Despite being nearly 50 years old and starting over after losing everything, he had erected a frame house, fenced three acres of land, cleared two acres, and broken up one acre ready for planting. It was a testament to his determination and skill as both a builder and farmer.

Final Days and Estate

Robert Seaver died in early 1752, probably in the late winter or spring, at approximately 49 years of age. He died intestate -- without a will -- leaving his widow Eunice to manage the settlement of his estate. She was appointed administratrix, and an inventory was conducted by Oliver Wilder, David Hoar, and Joseph Miller on September 26, 1752.

The inventory provides a touching window into the modest life of a colonial craftsman. His real estate was valued at £66:13:04, and his personal possessions painted a picture of a working man's household: a yoke of oxen, two cows, one horse, two calves, farming implements including a plow with five plow irons, a shovel, rakes, and a pitchfork. His bricklayer's tools were there—two trowels, old axes, a shave, and stone hammers. The household contained bedding and furniture, five old chairs, an old table, two chests, a spinning wheel, pewter and wooden plates, iron pots, a frying pan, and books including a Bible. There were also 4,000 bricks and 1,750 feet of boards—the materials of his trade—along with three thousand shingles.

The total estate was valued at £106:13:06, but debts exceeded what could be raised from selling the personal property. To settle these obligations, Eunice sold the 60 acres in Lot 70 in two transactions on April 7, 1755—one parcel to Luke Brown of Worcester for 20 pounds, and another to Ezra Taylor—for a total of 54 pounds, 8 shillings, and 10 pence. Her final account as administratrix was approved on August 21, 1755.

Eunice's Later Years

Eunice Seaver went back to Sudbury with her younger children, and joined the First Parish Church of Sudbury on 14 December 1755.  Samuel Sever, son of Eunice Sever, was baptized at the First Parish Church of Sudbury on 28 July 1754 (although the record says "son to widow Thankful").  Eunice Sever is listed as a member of the First Church of Sudbury on 17 November 1772. She finally passed away in 1773 or 1774, most likely in Sudbury, at approximately 66 or 67 years of age.

Legacy

Robert Seaver's life exemplified the resilience required of colonial Americans. He worked as both a skilled craftsman and farmer, served his colony in war (paying a terrible price for that service), survived devastating loss, and still found the strength to begin again on the frontier. Though his life was cut short, his descendants—including children like Thankful (who lived until at least 1811), Moses (who died in 1809), Robert Jr. (who died in 1828), and Samuel (who died in 1830)—carried on his legacy, spreading throughout New England and beyond through at least 42 grandchildren.

His story reminds us that behind the dry dates and property records of genealogy lie real people who loved their families, endured heartbreaking losses, and persevered through circumstances that would challenge anyone. Robert Seaver was a builder, a soldier, a father who mourned his son, and a man who refused to give up even when fire took everything he owned. That is a legacy worth remembering.

4) An Audio Overview (essentially a podcast) created by the Google NotebookLM AI tool) describing and celebrating the life of Robert Seaver can be heard here (click on "Audio Overview" and wait for it to load).

5)  The Video Overview discussing Robert Seaver's life created by the Google NotebookLM AI tool is:  

6)  I edited the Claude biography text to correct minor inconsistencies and errors. Every large language model (LLM) AI tool writes descriptive text much better than I can write. I was an aerospace engineer in my former life, and my research reports and genealogical sketches reflect "just the facts gleaned from my research." The AI tools are very perceptive, insightful and create readable text in seconds, including local and national historical events and social history detail when requested.

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Links to my blog posts about using Artificial Intelligence are on my Randy's AI and Genealogy page. Links to AI information and articles about Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy by other genealogists are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.

Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2025/11/abc-biography-of-robert-seaver-1702.html

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Added and Updated FamilySearch Record Collections - Week of 1 to 7 November 2025

 Each week, genealogy record collections are added, removed, and/or updated on FamilySearch and listed on the Historical Record Collection list at https://familysearch.org/search/collection/list. In addition, I try to keep track of the number of Full-Text Search collections (indexed, searchable) and the Images collections (browsable but not searchable) - see Sections 2) and 3) below..

1)  As of 7 November 2025, there are 3,403 historical record collections on FamilySearch (a decrease of 2 from last week) on the Signed In screen (and 3,402 on the Signed Out screen).

 The added, deleted, and updated collections this week from FamilySearch (from a list supplied by Marshall Clow):

--- Collections Deleted ---

British Virgin Islands, Anglican Church Records, 1862-1934 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000031); 1,631 indexed records with 224 record images, DELETED
Ireland, National School Registers, 1847-1954 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4496116); 152,829 indexed records with 11,488 record images, DELETED
Romania, Civil Registration, 1865-1903 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4325043); 759 indexed records with 394 record images, DELETED

--- Collections Added ---

*  Italy, Lecco, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1911-1947 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3031547); 14,434 indexed records with 11,241 record images, ADDED 07-Nov-2025

--- Collections Updated ---

Barbados, Church Records, 1637-1930 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1923399); 1,370,169 indexed records with 25,669 record images (was 1,410,243 records with 25,669 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Barbados, Civil Registration, 1900-1931 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4318336); 151,803 indexed records with 18,232 record images (was 199,770 records with 18,232 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
British Newspaper Archive, Family Notices (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2562514); 4,014,549 indexed records with 271,979 record images (was 4,026,650 records with 271,979 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
British Virgin Islands, Methodist Church Records, 1815-2012 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2029201); 16,638 indexed records with 7,127 record images (was 45,726 records with 7,127 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Cape Verde, Catholic Church Records, 1787-1957 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2246703); 46,943 indexed records with 105,781 record images (was 353,609 records with 105,781 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025

Cook Islands, Public Records, 1846-2022 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2731435); 79,316 indexed records with 96,455 record images (was 79,316 records with 96,455 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Croatia, Church Books, 1516-1994 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2040054); 6,357,158 indexed records with 1,421,761 record images (was 6,442,319 records with 1,421,761 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Dominican Republic, Civil Registration, 1744-2019 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1619814); 4,319,200 indexed records with 3,416,801 record images (was 4,316,483 records with 3,416,801 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
El Salvador, Catholic Church Records, 1655-1977 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1919582); 2,605,819 indexed records with 592,191 record images (was 2,605,820 records with 592,191 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
England Marriages, 1538–1973 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1473015); Index only (10,679,430 records), no images (was 10,681,908 records with 0 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025

England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1473014); Index only (40,724,891 records), no images (was 40,734,950 records with 0 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Finland, Baptisms, 1657-1890 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1778464); Index only (4,669,796 records), no images (was 4,682,814 records with 0 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Finland, Church Census and Pre-Confirmation Books, 1600-1916 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2805467); 33,092,039 indexed records with 486,629 record images (was 33,352,482 records with 486,629 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Finland, Marriages, 1682-1892 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1676970); Index only (482,248 records), no images (was 483,729 records with 0 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Georgia, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1880573); 837,843 indexed records with 1,682,137 record images (was 839,110 records with 1,682,137 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025

Germany, Births and Baptisms, 1558-1898 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1473000); 24,603,619 indexed records with 29,147,064 record images (was 24,603,619 records with 29,147,064 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1500-1971 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3015626); 76,097,837 indexed records with 13,806,705 record images (was 76,109,051 records with 13,806,705 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Germany, Prussia, Posen, Catholic and Lutheran Church Records, 1430-1998 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4116415); 12,831,327 indexed records with 1,872,814 record images (was 12,838,443 records with 1,872,814 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Great Britain, Deaths and Burials, 1778-1988 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1770890); Index only (61,251 records), no images (was 61,255 records with 0 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Honduras, Civil Registration, 1841-1968 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2135627); 3,446,033 indexed records with 337,976 record images (was 1,312,468 records with 337,976 images), UPDATED 07-Nov-2025

Hungary, Catholic Church Records, 1636-1895 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1743180); 18,256,289 indexed records with 1,114,510 record images (was 18,304,230 records with 1,114,952 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Hungary, Church Books, 1624-1950 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4133831); 7,595,398 indexed records with 866,319 record images (was 7,603,730 records with 867,097 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Hungary, Civil Registration, 1895-1980 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1452460); 13,081,580 indexed records with 5,864,285 record images (was 13,361,186 records with 5,864,285 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Hungary, Funeral Notices, 1840-1990 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1542666); Browse 537,104 Images only, no index (was 0 records with 537,104 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Hungary, Reformed Church Christenings, 1624-1895 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1858355); 5,729,341 indexed records with 312,704 record images (was 6,076,320 records with 312,704 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025

Iceland, Baptisms, 1730-1905 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1584974); Index only (139,220 records), no images (was 202,158 records with 0 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Iceland, Church Census, 1744-1965 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2697871); 1,077,966 indexed records with 48,402 record images (was 1,888,502 records with 48,275 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Iceland, Marriages, 1770-1920 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1584978); Index only (29,651 records), no images (was 42,635 records with 0 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Idaho, Clark County Records, 1884-1998 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1920125); Browse 19,976 Images only, no index (was 0 records with 19,976 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Illinois, Marriages, 1815-1935 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1680829); Index only (981,319 records), no images (was 981,643 records with 0 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025

India, Births and Baptisms, 1786-1947 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1584960); Index only (431,599 records), no images (was 432,588 records with 0 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
India, Deaths and Burials, 1719-1948 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1584968); Index only (372,306 records), no images (was 372,766 records with 0 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
India, Marriages, 1792-1948 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1584967); Index only (119,404 records), no images (was 119,620 records with 0 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Ireland Tithe Applotment Books, 1824-1855 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1804886); 393,198 indexed records with 66,772 record images (was 753,924 records with 66,772 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Ireland, Betham Genealogical Abstracts, 1179-1830 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4496119); 442,529 indexed records with 21,140 record images (was 489,774 records with 21,140 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025

Ireland, Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1584963); Index only (3,639,359 records), no images (was 3,728,597 records with 0 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Ireland, Catholic Parish Registers, 1740-1900 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2820100); 9,535,478 indexed records with 337,276 record images (was 9,722,164 records with 323,167 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Ireland, Civil Registration Indexes, 1845-1958 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1408347); Index only (18,958,897 records), no images (was 22,263,368 records with 0 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Ireland, Civil Registration, 1845-1913 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2659409); Index only (3,618,207 records), no images (was 3,629,263 records with 0 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Ireland, Court of Exchequer Bill Books, 1627-1884 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000022); 1,028,032 indexed records with 26,633 record images (was 1,037,022 records with 26,633 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025

Ireland, Diocesan and Prerogative Wills & Administrations Indexes, 1595-1858 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3460908); 358,897 indexed records with 11,980 record images (was 364,122 records with 11,980 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Ireland, Dog License Registrations, 1810-1926 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000212); 7,270,375 indexed records with 138,913 record images (was 7,358,408 records with 138,913 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Ireland, Landed Estate Court Files, 1850-1885 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2040586); Index only (668,008 records), no images (was 682,055 records with 0 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Ireland, Marriages, 1619-1898 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1584964); Index only (381,960 records), no images (was 394,835 records with 0 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Ireland, Petty Sessions Court Registers, 1828-1912 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2487287); 21,820,859 indexed records with 1 record images (was 21,832,352 records with 1 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025

Ireland, Prison Registers, 1798-1928 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4279963); 2,885,515 indexed records with 112,224 record images (was 3,127,594 records with 112,224 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Ireland, Valuation Office Books, 1831-1856 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2329951); 7,284,359 indexed records with 183,144 record images (was 6,485,477 records with 183,144 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Italy, Bergamo, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1866-1903 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1986789); 1,696,709 indexed records with 2,514,754 record images (was 1,696,709 records with 2,514,754 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Italy, Bologna, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1806-1899 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2185174); 480,526 indexed records with 294,377 record images (was 480,520 records with 294,119 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Italy, Brindisi, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1809-1955 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2328379); 1,195,607 indexed records with 820,994 record images (was 1,195,607 records with 820,023 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025

Italy, Campobasso, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1809-1918 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1968528); 1,197,291 indexed records with 2,171,605 record images (was 1,159,357 records with 2,171,605 images), UPDATED 07-Nov-2025
Italy, Catanzaro, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1809-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1937913); 761,856 indexed records with 436,534 record images (was 777,906 records with 436,534 images), UPDATED 06-Nov-2025
Italy, Cuneo, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1795-1915 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1392991); 115,652 indexed records with 267,978 record images (was 114,792 records with 267,978 images), UPDATED 07-Nov-2025
Italy, Enna, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1866-1944 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2068343); 1,840,375 indexed records with 837,356 record images (was 1,840,373 records with 837,356 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Italy, Florence, Archdiocese of Florence, Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Catholic Church Records, 1450-1900 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000378); 682,408 indexed records with 48,102 record images (was 254,520 records with 25,621 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025

Italy, Genova, Chiavari, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1866-1941 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1482818); 552,879 indexed records with 650,745 record images (was 516,540 records with 650,745 images), UPDATED 06-Nov-2025
Italy, Macerata, Macerata, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1866-1929 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2043838); 678,137 indexed records with 792,563 record images (was 676,724 records with 792,563 images), UPDATED 31-Oct-2025
Italy, Mantova, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1496-1906 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1934580); 1,104,922 indexed records with 855,316 record images (was 1,110,986 records with 855,316 images), UPDATED 07-Nov-2025
Italy, Milano, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1866-1942 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2537277); 1,187,968 indexed records with 1,042,250 record images (was 1,187,967 records with 1,042,250 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Italy, Napoli, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1809-1866 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1937990); 4,261,640 indexed records with 12,795,172 record images (was 4,287,269 records with 12,795,172 images), UPDATED 05-Nov-2025

Italy, Palermo, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1820-1947 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2608509); 969,235 indexed records with 4,331,932 record images (was 968,676 records with 4,331,932 images), UPDATED 07-Nov-2025
Italy, Palermo, Diocesi di Monreale, Catholic Church Records, 1531-1998 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2046915); 1,033,778 indexed records with 431,296 record images (was 820,467 records with 431,296 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Italy, Pesaro e Urbino, Urbino, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1866-1942 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1977027); 210,293 indexed records with 709,381 record images (was 210,064 records with 709,381 images), UPDATED 07-Nov-2025
Italy, Reggio Emilia, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1769-1944 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2388826); 830,575 indexed records with 643,483 record images (was 830,575 records with 643,483 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Italy, Rieti, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1840-1945 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2146202); 219,852 indexed records with 448,819 record images (was 214,319 records with 448,819 images), UPDATED 07-Nov-2025

Italy, Rimini, Rimini, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1866-1929 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000028); 30,070 indexed records with 28,627 record images (was 15,725 records with 14,318 images), UPDATED 31-Oct-2025
Italy, Rovigo, Rovigo, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1871-1937 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1482864); 827,461 indexed records with 1,082,856 record images (was 827,252 records with 1,082,856 images), UPDATED 31-Oct-2025
Italy, Salerno, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1806-1949 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1935404); 1,712,070 indexed records with 3,615,090 record images (was 1,711,876 records with 4,250,563 images), UPDATED 06-Nov-2025
Italy, Salerno, Padula, Civil Registration (Comune), 1809-1940 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1920307); Browse 52,664 Images only, no index (was 0 records with 52,664 images), UPDATED 31-Oct-2025
Italy, Torino, Diocese of Torino, Catholic Church Records, 1801-1899 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000113); 1,949,243 indexed records with 758,733 record images (was 1,554,558 records with 623,536 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025

Italy, Torino, Torino, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1866-1899 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1967801); Index only (3,631,222 records), no images (was 1,376,498 records with 0 images), UPDATED 31-Oct-2025
Italy, Udine, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1806-1815, 1871-1911 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1939238); 696,560 indexed records with 1,262,279 record images (was 696,565 records with 1,262,279 images), UPDATED 31-Oct-2025
Italy, Venezia, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1806-1817 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1928858); 70,033 indexed records with 254,674 record images (was 0 records with 254,674 images), UPDATED 07-Nov-2025
Jamaica Births and Baptisms, 1752-1920 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1520598); Index only (280,346 records), no images (was 331,735 records with 0 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Jamaica, Civil Registration, 1878-2000 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1538386); 1,373,375 indexed records with 3,838,605 record images (was 3,787,186 records with 3,838,605 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025

Korea, Collection of Genealogies, 1200-2014 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1398522); Browse 2,519,576 Images only, no index (was 0 records with 2,519,576 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Louisiana, Confederate Pensions, 1898-1950 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1838535); 97,279 indexed records with 199,883 record images (was 107,700 records with 199,883 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Louisiana, First Registration Draft Cards, 1940-1945 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1916286); 393,514 indexed records with 792,451 record images (was 394,017 records with 792,451 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Maine, Births and Christenings, 1739-1900 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1674856); Index only (703,997 records), no images (was 707,903 records with 0 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Micronesia, Civil Registration, 1883-1986 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2761211); 126,101 indexed records with 127,027 record images (was 127,998 records with 127,027 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025

Moldova, Church Books, 1811-1936 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1943763); Browse 3,386,730 Images only, no index (was 0 records with 3,386,730 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Moldova, Poll Tax Census (Revision Lists) and Census Lists 1796-1917 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1985804); Browse 395,954 Images only, no index (was 0 records with 395,954 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Namibia, Dutch Reformed Church Records, 1904-2010 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2365261); 135,730 indexed records with 17,342 record images (was 137,391 records with 17,342 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Netherlands, Overijssel, Civil Registration, 1811-1960 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2026211); 2,085 indexed records with 2,643,454 record images (was 2,085 records with 2,643,454 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
New Jersey, Church Records, 1675-1970 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2106099); 60,107 indexed records with 413,850 record images (was 60,107 records with 413,850 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025

New Jersey, State Census, 1915 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2061544); 2,785,398 indexed records with 58,660 record images (was 2,785,400 records with 58,660 images), UPDATED 05-Nov-2025
Oregon, Multnomah County, Voting Registration Records, 1908-1958 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2759505); 982,984 indexed records with 982,475 record images (was 988,587 records with 982,475 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Papua New Guinea, Birth Records, 1888-2004 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3757740); 120 indexed records with 47,912 record images (was 51,509 records with 47,912 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Papua New Guinea, Vital Records, 1867-2000 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2114430); 189,257 indexed records with 421,534 record images (was 413,768 records with 421,534 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Russia, Births and Baptisms, 1755-1917 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1771027); Index only (55,684 records), no images (was 116,141 records with 0 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025

Russia, Deaths and Burials, 1815-1917 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1771042); Index only (36,087 records), no images (was 92,539 records with 0 images), UPDATED 04-Nov-2025
Russia, Lutheran Church Book Duplicates, 1833-1885 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1469151); 351,548 indexed records with 128,317 record images (was 556,350 records with 128,317 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Russia, Marriages, 1793-1919 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1771044); Index only (12,497 records), no images (was 27,573 records with 0 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Samoa, Baptisms, 1863-1940 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1584966); Index only (21 records), no images (was 1,214 records with 0 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Samoa, Vital Records, 1846-1996 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4016424); 80,671 indexed records with 437,095 record images (was 91,826 records with 437,095 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025

Scotland, Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1771030); Index only (8,079,105 records), no images (was 8,079,149 records with 0 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Scotland, Marriages, 1561-1910 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1771074); Index only (1,999,716 records), no images (was 1,999,759 records with 0 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Singapore, Church Records, 1848-1984 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000410); 6,065 indexed records with 9,594 record images (was 49,555 records with 9,594 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Slovakia, Census, 1869 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1986782); Browse 278,392 Images only, no index (was 0 records with 278,392 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
Slovakia, Church and Synagogue Books, 1592-1935 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1554443); 20,589,633 indexed records with 1,615,473 record images (was 22,002,362 records with 1,615,473 images), UPDATED 04-Nov-2025

South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Records (Stellenbosch Archive), 1690-2011 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1392488); 42,066 indexed records with 496,315 record images (was 42,066 records with 496,315 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Registers (Cape Town Archives), 1660-1994 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1478678); 3,030,218 indexed records with 45,728 record images (was 3,034,936 records with 45,728 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
South Africa, Eastern Cape, Estate Files, 1962-2004 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2037006); Browse 425,696 Images only, no index (was 0 records with 425,696 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
South Africa, Netherdutch Reformed Church Registers (Pretoria Archive), 1838-1991 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2155416); 340,005 indexed records with 140,942 record images (was 344,473 records with 140,942 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
South Africa, Reformed Church Records, 1856-1988 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1918294); 19,022 indexed records with 40,337 record images (was 19,022 records with 40,337 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025

Ukraine, Kyiv, Confession Lists, 1741-1918 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2290980); 26,342,676 indexed records with 40,448 record images (was 2,537,312 records with 40,448 images), UPDATED 04-Nov-2025
United Kingdom, British India Office, Births and Baptisms, 1712-1965 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000023); 464,084 indexed records with 145,138 record images (was 465,082 records with 145,138 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
United States, Census, 1930 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1810731); 125,136,392 indexed records with 2,957,015 record images (was 125,136,393 records with 2,957,015 images), UPDATED 05-Nov-2025
United States, Census, 1940 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2000219); 134,774,708 indexed records with 3,841,151 record images (was 134,774,709 records with 3,841,151 images), UPDATED 05-Nov-2025
Vanuatu, Vital Records, 1900-2001 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3734433); 154,674 indexed records with 157,901 record images (was 162,888 records with 157,901 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025

Virgin Islands (U.S.), Church Records, 1765-2010 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1883386); 83,687 indexed records with 10,633 record images (was 83,687 records with 10,633 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
World Miscellaneous Births and Baptisms, 1534-1983 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1783956); Index only (27,455 records), no images (was 27,501 records with 0 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025
World Miscellaneous Deaths and Burials, 1767-1950 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1809046); Index only (25,431 records), no images (was 25,464 records with 0 images), UPDATED 03-Nov-2025

--- Collections with new images ---

Argentina, Buenos Aires City, Civil Registration, 1811-1980 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000077); 1 indexed records with 10,187 record images (was 1 records with 10,185 images), last updated 26-Nov-2024
Argentina, Military Records, 1911-1936 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000280); 1 indexed records with 2,926,814 record images (was 1 records with 2,926,804 images), last updated 31-Oct-2024
Brazil, Alagoas, Civil Registration, 1876-2023 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4469403); 1 indexed records with 454,005 record images (was 1 records with 454,002 images), last updated 07-Jun-2024
Brazil, Maranhão, Civil Registration, 1827-2022 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4469402); 1 indexed records with 905,535 record images (was 1 records with 905,524 images), last updated 07-Jun-2024
Italy, Cosenza, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1654-1910 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3005073); 3,376,663 indexed records with 3,311,768 record images (was 3,376,663 records with 3,291,290 images), last updated 29-Oct-2025

Italy, Foggia, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1809-1902 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2821290); 2,158,034 indexed records with 1,390,391 record images (was 2,158,034 records with 1,383,426 images), last updated 28-Oct-2025
Italy, Parma, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1626-1921 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3743481); 16,788 indexed records with 1,514,287 record images (was 16,788 records with 1,508,387 images), last updated 28-Oct-2025
United States, Census, 1950 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4464515); 157,892,854 indexed records with 52,720,810 record images (was 157,892,854 records with 52,719,668 images), last updated 16-Jun-2024

--- Collections with images removed ---

Find a Grave Index (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2221801); 260,518,647 indexed records with 48,080,055 record images (was 260,518,651 records with 261,136,625 images), last updated 18-Sep-2025
United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000016); 63,700,466 indexed records with 63,700,469 record images (was 63,700,467 records with 63,700,470 images), last updated 12-Feb-2023

--- Collections with new records ---

--- Collections with records removed ---

Minnesota, Birth Index, 1935-2002 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1949334); Index only (4,267,573 records), no images (was 4,267,575 records with 0 images), last updated 06-May-2014
United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, Births, and Marriages, 1980-2015 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2333694); 28,662,308 indexed records with 46,919,022 record images (was 28,662,310 records with 46,919,022 images), last updated 22-Oct-2025
United States, Public Records, 1970-2009 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2199956); Index only (875,601,037 records), no images (was 875,601,065 records with 0 images), last updated 30-Oct-2025
United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000290); Index only (413,859,722 records), no images (was 413,859,804 records with 0 images), last updated 22-Jun-2024
United States, Social Security Death Index (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1202535); Index only (93,945,910 records), no images (was 93,945,911 records with 0 images), last updated 17-Mar-2014

===================================

My friend and SDGS colleague, Marshall, has come up with a way to determine which collections are ADDED, DELETED or UPDATED, and to alphabetize the entries in each category. Thanks to Marshall for helping me out here!

Marshall notes that there are:

• 3 removed entries
• 1  added entries 
• 113 updated entries
• 10 entries with more or fewer images 
• 5 entries with more or fewer records

The FamilySearch website says there are 3,403 total entries on the list (after signing in). Marshall's list says there are 3,403 (after signing in).  They are definitely in-sync this week.

2)  There are now 6,065  searchable image collections on FamilySearch Full-Text Search this week, an increase of 123 from last week. There are over 1.580 Billion "results" in the collections. It is not possible to see which collections are new.  

3)  There are now 25,238 browsable (but not indexed or transcribed) image collections on FamilySearch Images this week, a decrease of 392 from last week. There are 5.843 BILLION images in these collections.  2,100 collections from the United States, 7,800 from Europe and 225 from Canada.  It is not possible to see which collections are new. 

See previous FamilySearch-related blog posts in   https://www.geneamusings.com/search/label/FamilySearch

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Copyright (c) 2025 Randall J. Seaver

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