Saturday, April 19, 2008

More Northern New York Historical Newspapers Online

Bill Dollarhide published a great list of online historical newspaper archives in the January/February 2008 issue of Everton's Genealogical Helper. In his list, he included the Northern New York Newspaper Project at http://news.nnyln.net/, a free site, provided by the Northern New York Library Network to enhance access to the region's local history.

One of my CVGS colleagues, Shirley B., told me about another historical newspaper archive for northern New York - at Tom Tryniski's Fulton History site - http://www.fultonhistory.com/. Tom has many genealogy and history resources on his site, including:

* over 6 million historical newspaper images from over 190 historical newspapers. When you enter the site, the search box for the newspapers is on the top of the left hand frame of the web page. Use the link at http://fultonhistory.com/Fulton.html to go to the FAQ page for the site (up at the top on the right hand frame of the page), which has a link to the list of newspapers. The images are in PDF format, and the search engine can use quote marks or fuzzy searches.

* Fulton NY Historical Photo albums - click the "View Fulton Historical Photos" link at the bottom of the right hand frame on the web page. There are 44 sets of photographs and images here. If you have ancestry in or near Fulton NY, you have to check these outs.

* There are old radio programs playing continuously - click on the "Paused" link on the right hand side of the radio screen in the right hand frame on the web page. When I clicked on this today, a segment from "The Shadow" started playing.

* There is a link to Old Fulton Post Cards at the bottom of the left hand frame of the web page, but it is a place holder at this time. The goal is probably to add a historical post card collection here.

My interest in this web site is the historical newspaper archives. Attentive readers know that I'm searching for Russell and Esther Smith who resided in Oneida county NY in the 1800 to 1820 time frame. I input ["russell smith"] in the Search box and had 2,746 matches. Too many. I searched for ["russell smith" esther] and got 343 matches. I then searched for ["russell smith" esther western oneida] and got 54 matches, which I reviewed and didn't find any that were useful, but if there had been they might have really helped me.

I also searched just for ["seaver"] and got over 5,000 matches. Many of these were for articles about the New York Mets and pitcher Tom Seaver (my distant cousin), but there were a substantial number of obtiuaries and articles from the 1880 to 1930 time frame, especially in the Watertown (NY) Daily Times newspaper. I had an enjoyable three hours the other day transcribing some of these into my Seaver database. I have a lot more to find and transcribe - I only went through the first 100 matches.

In most cases, the articles and obituaries found in my Seaver searches provided excellent secondary information about children, spouses, dates, occupations, life experiences, etc.

Web sites like Tom's provide significant and often unique resources to the genealogy and history researcher. I really appreciate the ability to perform a search with quote marks to narrow the search. This is a "don't miss" web site if you have northern New York (centered on the Syracuse area, but many of the newspapers are hundreds of miles away).

UPDATED: Dick Hillenbrand posted about this site two weeks ago in http://ny-genes.blogspot.com/2008/04/fulton-history-newspaper-database-gets.html. I missed Dick's post at the time, and he has more information about Tom's web site.

Celebrate Patriots Day

Frankly, April 19 should be a national holiday to celebrate the "Shot Heard Round the World."

I sometimes think "what would I have done on that morning" after the rider came down the road shouting that the British were marching to Concord. Would I have put down my farm tools, grabbed my musket, hugged my kids, kissed my wife goodbye and run off to join my fellow militiamen as they streamed to Lexington and Concord?

One of my favorite sayings is "There are things that happen in a second that take a lifetime to explain." This is one of those "seconds" that affected the life of many people in New England. Many acted to support the cause of liberty and most of them returned to their families. Some husbands and sons did not return, dying after the skirmishes along the road to Lexington and Concord.

In Westminster MA, about 20 miles west of Concord, Norman Seaver (my fifth great-grandfather), his brothers Ethan, Daniel, and Moses, and his son Benjamin (my fourth great-grandfather) gathered their arms and marched off toward Concord. They all soon returned and several of them served later in the War. I posted Norman's biography here.

My ancestor Isaac Buck was a young man of 18 who served the entire war - he was part of Henry Knox's regiment that went to Fort Ticonderoga and hauled the cannons to Dorchester Heights in the middle of the winter of 1775-6. I posted his biography here and his Revolutionary War service records here.

However, the man that I wish I was descended from is my very distant cousin - Samuel Whittemore. Here is an article about him from an obituary notice of the Columbian Centinel (a newspaper in Boston) of 6 February 1793:

"Died at Menotomy, the 2d instant, Capt. Samuel Whittemore, AEt. 96 years and 6 months. The manly and moral virtues, in all the varied relations of a brother, husband, father, and friend, were invariably exhibited in this gentleman. He was not more remarkable for his longevity and his numerous descendants (his progeny being 185, one of which is the fifth generation) than for his patriotism.

"When the British troops marched to Lexington, he was 79 years of age, and one of the first on the parade; he was armed with a gun and horse-pistol. After an animated exhortation to the collected militia to the exercise of bravery and courage, he exclaimed, 'If I can only be the instrument of killing one of my country's foes, I shall die in peace.' The prayer of this venerable old man was heard; for on the return of the troops he lay behind a stone wall, and discharging his gun a soldier immediately fell; he then discharged his pistol, and killed another; at which instant a bullet struck his face, shot away part of his cheekbone; on which a number of the soldiers ran up to the wall, and gorged their malice on his wounded head. They were heard to exclaim, 'We have killed the old rebel.'

"About four hours after, he was found in a mangled situation; his head was covered with blood from the wounds of the bayonets, which were six or eight; but providentially none penetrated so far as to destroy him. His hat and clothes were shot through in many places; yet he survived to see the complete overthrow of his enemies, and his country enjoy all the blessings of peace and independence.

"His funeral will be held to-morrow at 4 o'clock P. M. from his house at Menotomy, which his relatives and friends are requested to attend."

We have all benefited from the heroism of Norman Seaver, Isaac Buck, Samuel Whittemore and many more patriots who fought and died to establish the United States of America. May God bless them all! And may we remember them forever for what they did on a spring morning in New England.

Friday, April 18, 2008

SDGS Trip to LA Public Library on 4/26

I've been remiss in publicizing the San Diego Genealogical Society bus trip to Los Angeles Public Library on Saturday, 26 April.

The SDGS chartered bus will depart from the Veterans Administration Building (Mission Valley, 8810 Rio San Diego Dr.) at 7:30 a.m. sharp! It will stop in North SD County at the Carlsbad Public Library at 8:00 a.m. The group will arrive at the Los Angeles Public Library by 10 a.m.

The bus will leaver the LA Library at 4:30 p.m. and arrive back at Carlsbad at 6:30 p.m. and San Diego at 7 p.m.

The trip fare is $35.00 for SDGS members and $40.00 for non-members. Reservations must be received by April 19th. No refunds will be given after April 23rd.

Complete the registration form and mail a check payable to SDGS to Phyllis Quarg, SDGS, 11949 Riverside Dr., #15, Lakeside CA 92040-2319. for questions, contact Phyllis at 619-443-5718 or phylbq AT cox.net.

If you really want to go, give Phyllis a call or an email and see if there is still space.

I want to go every year and haven't yet - my daughter is having a baby that weekend!

Ellen Goodman's column about genealogy

Ellen Goodman has a column in the Boston Globe newspaper, dated 18 April 2008, titled "Secrets buried under a family tree" that is an excellent read. She tells about her reaction to the recent news flurries about political candidates relationships to notable people, and that she went to the NEHGS wondering about her own ancestry.

There are several excellent paragraphs:

"... I casually handed over a few names and dates from my own memory bank. I didn't find a king or horse thief or Hollywood star, but I found a family secret. A garden-variety secret, I am sure, but a secret nonetheless. My grandparents were married on Feb. 3, 1914. Five months before my mother was born on July 7, 1914."

and:

"But what we really want from the generations past are not just the facts or the DNA. We want the stories. Love, passion, success, disappointment, humanity. There may be no way to know - really know - their interior life. But how many of us would trade in the data for one good diary? Will we remember that in our own 'estate planning'?"

and finally:

"We all have tens of thousands of cousins," says Simons, whose researchers connected Clinton with Jolie, Obama with Bush. 'You can walk down the street right past a third or fourth cousin and not know it.'

"But how I wish I could stop one couple on the street for a just a question or two. The couple who were married on Feb. 3, 1914."

Read the whole thing. Ellen gets it, doesn't she? Super. A much better take on family history than some other journalists who have branded it negatively.

San Francisco - April 18, 1906

Kathryn Doyle at the California Genealogical Society and Library Blog has a post today about a book titled A Most Dreadful Earthquake: A First-Hand Account of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire by Dorothy Fowler, which includes 40 letters written by Sarah E. Phillips immediately after the earthquake.

This book sounds like a great book for a Christmas gift for my wife and brother-in-law, whose grandmother and great-grandparents lived through the earthquake. I posted a picture of them after the earthquake in my post here last year. How I wish that we had some family letters, or even family stories, from this family.

Carnival of Genealogy #46 is posted

The 46th Carnival of Genealogy was posted this morning by Jasia at http://creativegene.blogspot.com/2008/04/carnival-of-genealogy-46th-edition.html. There are 29 entries by 28 genea-bloggers, all of them interesting. The topic for this Carnival was: Inherited Traits. Where'd you get those baby blues? That luscious red hair? A love for adventure? A talent for music? Our DNA combines in just such a way as to make us the unique individuals we are. But what traits did we get from who?

My own contribution was I Am a Unique Person.

The topic for the next Carnival of Genealogy is: A Place Called Home. It's time for a geography lesson. Pick out a city/town/village where one of your ancestors once lived and tell us all about it. When was it founded? What is it known for? Has is prospered or declined over the years? Have you ever visited it or lived there? To a certain extent, we are all influenced by the environment we live in. How was your ancestor influenced by the area where they lived? Take us on a trip to the place your ancestor called home. The deadline for submissions is May 1, 2008.

Submit your blog article to the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Poem in My Pocket day

I am not really a poetry fan, no matter how hard I try ... and not very creative, either, in terms of writing poetry. So I'll rely on the wonderful work of other poets to celebrate National Poetry Month and Poem in Your Pocket day, which is today! Thanks to Lisa at the Small-Leaved Shamrock blog for the prompt!

Here are my favorite genealogy poems:

The Elusive Ancestor
by Merrell Kenworthy


I went searching for an ancestor. I cannot find him still.
He moved around from place to place and did not leave a will.
He married where a courthouse burned. He mended all his fences.
He avoided any man who came to take the U.S. Census.


He always kept his luggage packed, this man who had no fame.
And every 20 years or so, this rascal changed his name.
His parents came from Europe. They should be upon some list
of passengers to U.S.A., but somehow they got missed.


And no one else in this world is searching for this man.
So, I play genea-solitaire to find him if I can.
I'm told he's buried in a plot, with tombstone he was blessed;
but the weather took engraving, and some vandals took the rest.


He died before the county clerks decided to keep records.
No Family Bible has emerged, in spite of all my efforts.
To top it off this ancestor, who caused me many groans,
Just to give me one more pain, betrothed a girl named JONES.


-------------------------------------------

Grandma Climbed The Family Tree
by Virginia Day McDonald, Macon, GA

There’s been a change in Grandma, we’ve noticed as of late
She’s always reading history, or jotting down some date.
She’s tracing back the family, we’ll all have pedigrees,
Grandma’s got a hobby, she’s Climbing Family Trees....

Poor Grandpa does the cooking, and now, or so he states,
he even has to wash the cups and the dinner plates.
Well, Grandma can’t be bothered, she’s busy as a bee,
Compiling genealogy for the Family Tree.

She has not time to baby-sit, the curtains are a fright.
No buttons left on Grandpa’s shirt, the flower bed’s a sight.
She’s given up her club work, the serials on TV,
The only thing she does nowdays is climb the Family Tree.

The mail is all for Grandma, it comes from near and far.
Last week she got the proof she needs to join the DAR.
A monumental project - to that we all agree,
A worthwhile avocation - to climb the Family Tree.

There were pioneers and patriots mixed with our kith and kin,
Who blazed the paths of wilderness and fought through thick and thin.
But none more staunch than Grandma, whose eyes light up with glee,
Each time she finds a missing branch for the Family Tree.

To some it’s just a hobby, to Grandma it’s much more.
She learns the joys and heartaches of those who went before.
They loved, they lost, they laughed, they wept -- and now for you and me,
They live again in spirit around the Family Tree.

At last she’s nearly finished, and we are each exposed.
Life will be the same again, this we all suppose.
Grandma will cook and sew, serve crullers with our tea.
We’ll have her back, just as before that wretched Family Tree.

--------------------------------

There are more genealogy poems at several web sites, including

* http://loricase.com/poems.html,
* http://www.pennyparker2.com/poems.html
* http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~parrottreilly/poems.html

among others.

Will we ever see a "Genealogy Idol" Program on TV?

I was soaping up in the shower this morning and thinking about TV programs on genealogy that I would like to see, and it hit me --

GENEALOGY IDOL!

Think of it - 10 genealogy researchers start out on a quest to be named the Genealogy Idol. It could be similar to "American Idol" on Fox TV, but about genealogy research. But perhaps with some twists.

One concept could be --

1) This would be an annual contest, held over several weeks in Salt Lake City, with winners announced at the annual NGS or FGS conference.

2) Anybody is eligible to be a Genealogy Idol contestant - including amateurs and professionals.

3) A small panel of FASG's select 10 genealogy researchers through some sort of interview and portfolio process, perhaps with a 2 minute video of each discussing their experience and why they think they can be the Genealogy Idol.

4) During each show, each contestant will be

a) Provided a specific research problem to be solved one hour before show time. Each problem would be different from any other, and could be submitted by genealogy researchers from around the world.

b) Asked to recommend methods to solve the research problem

c) Be given one week to solve their specific problem using all resources available.

d) On the next show, provide a written report documenting the results of their research, including a 2-minute video showing their results.

e) At the end of the reports, the FASG's and the audience will vote one or more of the contestants off the show.

f) Back to a) above.

What do you think? Obviously, there would have to be rules about research procedures and assistance. Who would provide the research problems? How would costs be covered? Who would be in the voting audience if it wasn't on live TV?

Is this TV network material? Maybe not, but it would surely be interesting for an FGS or NGS conference, and I'm sure that Roots Television would want to show it.

I turned the shower off when the water turned cold. When I got out of the shower, my wife asked me why my head was still soapy. I was thinking...

How would you improve this concept? Either write your own blog post or make comments to this post.

UPDATED 1:50 PM: After I posted this, I wondered if the idea had come up before, and of course it has - see Paul Allen's talk to the APG in November 2007 where he mentioned a "Genealogy Idol" contest. I have no memory of reading about it although I know I read the article at the time since I blogged about it here. Now I know what my memory half-life is, I guess!

Ancestry and Rootsweb Traffic Statistics

Avid genealogy blog- and news-hounds will recall that Ancestry decided to incorporate all Rootsweb pages into the http://www.ancestry.com/ domain in mid-March, one month ago.

After that, I posted several articles about Traffic statistics for Ancestry and Rootsweb - the last on 1 April.

Since then, all of the Rootsweb pages that I checked from the main Rootsweb page are now within the http://www.ancestry.com/ domain. I also checked for the web sites hosted by Rootsweb for the USGenWeb project and found that they also are on the Ancestry domain now. The WorldConnect database is now in the Ancestry domain.

Here are the traffic statistics for the last month for http://www.ancestry.com/ and http://www.rootsweb.com/ - in Reach (unique visitors per million Internet users) and Page Views (per million Internet users):




In one month, Ancestry's Reach has increased from about 300 to about 500, while Rootsweb's Reach has decreased from about 400 to about 70. Page Views for Ancestry have actually decreased during this time from about 8000 to about 7000, while Rootsweb's has decreased from about 2500 to about 500.

Interesting, isn't it?

SDGS Trip to SCGS Jamboree in June

Hey San Diego genealogists -- here is an opportunity for you and the members of your genealogy group to attend the Genealogy Jamboree in style.

The San Diego Genealogical Society (SDGS) is sponsoring a trip to the Jamboree in Burbank, CA, June 27-29, 2008 via Amtrak. The cost includes transportation on Amtrak, two nights at the Marriott Airport Hotel and Jamboree registration. The train will stop in Oceanside for a north county pickup.

Prices are very reasonable, ranging from $225.00-$454.00, depending on train stop, number of persons in a room and regular or senior rate. Early bird registration ends on May 1. After that, the Jamboree fees increase.

Early Bird Registration on or before 1 May includes a printed syllabus.

Visit the SDGS website, www.rootsweb.com/~casdgs/ for more information and to download a registration form. Or, contact Phyllis Quarg at phylbq@cox.net.

For additional information about the Jamboree log on to their web site at: www.genealogyjamboree.blogspot.com.

This is an excellent opportunity to go to the Jamboree in fine style with other San diego area genealogists. It should be fun!

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

CGSSD Meeting on Saturday, 4/19

The Computer Genealogy Society of San Diego (CGSSD) meets on Saturday, April 19, 2008 from 9:00 am to noon.

9:00 - Brief Announcements and user groups for Legacy and RootsMagic

10:15 - A break and refreshments

10:30 - Announcements followed by Program - "Pinnacle Studio Ultimate V.11" by Lance Dohe

Lance will demonstrate this program which is designed to import movies, VCR tapes, and other miscellaneous films to create videos in current CD or DVD formats. This software offers methods for genealogists to convert their old multi-media treasures into a priceless, presentable format suitable for viewing by future generations.

Lance is serving as interim leader for our Family Tree Maker user group. He was president of CGSSD in 1997-1998. He also served as President of the San Diego PC User Group under the umbrella of the San Diego Computer Society. Born in Chicago, he moved to San Diego in 1978. He has a BS in Food Science from the University of Illinois - Urbana. He served three years as an Army Veterinary Food Inspection Specialist, and has held positions with Continental Can Company and Ralston Purina. His ancestry is German and Austro-Hungarian.

We meet at the Robinson Auditorium complex on the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) campus in La Jolla. From North Torrey Pine Road turn at Pangea Drive into UCSD. Free parking is available in the parking garage on the left; use any A, B, or S space. Signs will mark directions to our meeting room. Please refer to our website www.cgssd.org; or the Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies website http://irps.ucsd.edu/about/how-to-find-us.htm for driving directions and a map.

Family Photographs - Post #1

I'm going to post family photographs from my collection on Wednesdays, but they won't be wordless posts like others do - I simply cannot have a wordless post. Besides, I would need another post to identify the people in the picture, the time frame and the setting.

Here is one of the more interesting photographs from my Smith/Carringer family collection:


Fortunately, my great-grandmother, Della (Smith) Carringer wrote numbers on the bottom of the photograph and on the other side she wrote down the setting, the date, and who the people were.

This photograph was taken in February 1910 at Ocean Beach in the city of San Diego (Ocean Beach is on the ocean side of Point Loma, the peninsula that protects San Diego Bay from wind and waves). It appears to be taken on the sand looking east away from the water.

The people by number are (left to right):

1. Abigail (Vaux) Smith (in back), age 65, mother of Della, Matie and David.

2. Matie (Smith) Cramer (in back), age 43, sister of Della.

3. Maybelle Smith (in front), age 6, niece of Della, daughter of David and Amy (Ashdown) Smith.

4. Thomas Ashdown (in back), father of Amy (Ashdown) Smith, and father-in-law of David Smith.

5. Della (Smith) Carringer (shortest lady), age 48, my great-grandmother.

6. Beulah Dyar (in front), age 3, Della's first cousin once removed, daughter of Bert and Mary (Woodward) Dyar.

7. Amy (Ashdown) Smith (in back), age 43, wife of David Smith, daughter of Thomas Ashdown.

8. Cecil Dyar (in front), age 8, Della's first cousin once removed, son of Bert and Mary (Woodward) Dyar.

9. Mary (Woodward) Dyar (in back of Cecil), age 43, Della's first cousin (daughter of Mary Ann (Vaux) Woodward, sister of Abigail (Vaux) Smith).

10. Lyle Carringer (in back in white suit and hat), age 18, son of Austin and Della (Smith) Carringer, my grandfather.

11. Austin Carringer (in back with hat), age 56, husband of Della (Smith) Carringer.

12. Bert Dyar (in back with hat), age 43, husband of Mary (Woodward) Dyar.

13. David D. Smith (in front with hat), age 46, brother of Della (Smith) Carringer, and husband of Amy (Ashdown) Smith.

The Bert Dyar family moved from Boone County, Nebraska to Los Angeles County, California before 1910. Information about this family can be found here.

This photograph was in the possession of the Carringer family and the original resides in a photograph album currently in the possession of Randy Seaver.

My Favorite Genealogy Libraries

This is National Library Week, and several genea-bloggers (especially Lori Thornton ) have posted about libraries and how they have enhanced their lives and/or their genealogy research.

Since I started genealogy research in 1988, I have enjoyed visiting local, regional and national genealogy-oriented libraries. Here are my top 10 genealogy libraries based on their usefulness to me as a researcher (note that I have not visited every library in the nation):

10. York (PA) Public Library -- I visited this library once in 1998 on vacation. They have an excellent set of local history books and family files - I found many pages of Spangler, King, and other unique resources here.

9. Watertown (NY) Public Library -- I visited this library in 2004 on vacation. Besides an excellent local history book collection, they had drawers of family files. I found many Smith and Bell unique pages here.

8. San Diego (CA) Public Library -- their decent book collection is dated, but they have a complete set of the NEHGRegister, the only AGBI set in San Diego, and the San Diego newspapers.

7. Chula Vista (CA) Public Library -- This is my "home" library. The Chula Vista Genealogical Society donates many books to the Family Research collection, which has about 2,000 volumes.

6. Sutro Library in San Francisco -- This is part of the California State Library system, and has an excellent book collection and family file collection.

5. San Diego Genealogical Society Library in El Cajon CA -- This is a private library, with a good book collection and excellent periodical collection.

4. Carlsbad (CA) Public Library -- This is the best genealogy library in San Diego County, with an excellent book and periodical collection, in addition to the UMI microfiche collection (which is mostly available online now).

3. San Diego Regional Family History Center in Mission Valley -- This is my favorite genealogy library because of the availability of FHL microforms and the computer system resources. I've been going here since 1988 on an almost weekly basis.

2. New England Historic Genealogical Society Library in Boston MA -- I have visited NEHGS several times, but not since 1995. Their local history and surname book collection is excellent, and they have a good microfilm collection for Massachusetts VRs. I am an NEHGS member and use the web site frequently.

1. Family History Library in Salt Lake City UT -- I went to the FHL in 1995 and 1997 and hope to go several more times. The genealogy book collection is without peer, and the microform collection provides "one-stop shopping" for original source records for state and county records. I use their resources on microform (through the FHC) and on the Internet regularly.

What didn't make my list? I have been to the Library of Congress and the National Archives branch in Laguna Niguel (but not in Washington DC). I am unimpressed by both. The Library of Congress required a lengthy sign-in procedure and a call-slip system that frustrated me, and I didn't find much "new" information there.

The libraries that I most want to visit include Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne IN, the Newberry Library in Chicago, the St. Louis County Library (with the NGS collection) and the Los Angeles Public Library.

What other libraries should I put on my list of "must-visit" and why?

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Catching Up with the News

I spent over an hour today scouring my email and my favorite blogs for the Genealogy News of the last month. There sure was a lot!

I usually prepare this for the Chula Vista Genealogical Society research group, but I was out of town last week when the group met. I sent it via email today to my CVGS colleagues.

As is my custom, I posted my news report on the Chula Vista Genealogy Cafe blog - read it at http://cvgencafe.blogspot.com/2008/04/genealogy-news-for-april.html.

I pick and choose the items that I think my CVGS colleagues will be interested in and that might help them in their research. I post the link here in order to possibly help Genea-Musings readers with their research.

FamilyTreeMaker 2008 Survey

I recently received a survey invitation in email from TGN asking me to provide my opinion about current and future FamilyTreeMaker 2008 features. The meat of the survey was about 41 items - they wanted the importance of these items to me as a FTM user, on a scale of 1 (not important) to 10 (extremely important).

Here are the items and my own ratings:

* Fan charts (5)
* Bow-tie charts (6)
* All-in-One Tree (4)
* NGSQ Report (10)
* Data Errors report (6)

* Address report (3)
* Alternate Facts report (4)
* Medical Information report (3)
* Birthdays report (5)
* Maps Report (8)

* Calendar report (6)
* Tabular custom report (8)
* Printable timeline chart (9)
* Printable labels (4)
* Media slideshow (8)

* Scanner integration (9)
* Automatic reference numbers (6)
* Enhance existing outline descendants report (8)
* Enhance existing family group sheet (5)
* Enhance existing ahnentafel report (10)
* Enhance existing Register report (10)

* Different formats of relationship report (5)
* DNA Support (7)
* Better export to HTML capability (8)
* Automatic backup when closing (8)
* Internet backup (10)

* Data CD/Separate CD capability (8)
* Offline book building application (10)
* Import books created in FTM16 and previous (6)
* Better "find individual" capability (10)
* Improve customization of spell check (6)

* "Contact other researchers" capability (4)
* Stronger verification of name and person errors (8)
* Family Facts (9)
* More than "session-based" history (7)
* More "fast field" support (8)

* "Save settings" in reports (8)
* Add "Merge all duplicate individuals" functionality (2)
* Ability to copy individuals between files (5)
* Additional "help" features (4)
* Improved place name authority (7)

I currently use FTM 16, which has many of these features in one form or another. In responding, I am handicapped by not having FTM 2008 on board. However, they want my opinion about what features are important, so I provided it!

Surveys like this often indicate what a software developer is thinking.

I wonder why they didn't ask about incorporating online database information (Ancestry, FamilySearch, WVR, Footnote, etc) into an FTM database? I wonder why they didn't ask about automatic Source citation for facts?

Randy's Genea-Musings is Two Today!

I've had a lot of recent experience with two-year olds - they are fun, energetic, inquisitive, messy, loving, happy, demanding and precious. Thankfully, they grow up into real people. Each of us goes through this stage of life, but few of us actually remember being age two. We do remember our progeny being age two, usually with fond memories and many pictures. So it is today...

Randy's Musings was started two years ago on this day (having completed my taxes and paid a large penalty...) with this post:

* Who, Me? Blog? OK...

Quickly followed by:


* Genealogy is My Passion (Post 1)

* Genealogy is My Passion (Post 2)

* Why do I pursue my family history?

I don't have a picture of my first post, but here is a screen-capture from April 30, 2006 of the very blue Randy's Musings from the Wayback Machine at www.archive.org.



If you read through the April 2006 Archive of my blog posts, you will see that I posted about the San Diego Padres 2006 season, my music favorites, some family pictures, some research tips, some census whacking, and lots of stories and narratives from my research.

In early May 2006, I decided to concentrate on genealogy on this blog and renamed it Genea-Musings after a long, hot shower. I created another blog in June 2006, called Randy's Busy Life, for all of the other stuff. These days, I'm usually too busy to really muse about my life, so it's turned into a Joke/Story/Family/sports blog. Then I created another genealogy blog in 2007, The Geneaholic, to try to keep track of my daily genealogy activities. I'm not sure why I do this, other than to have a record of all my mistakes and successes.

After two years of Randy's Musings and Genea-Musings, this is post number 1,772. Over 731 days, that averages out to be 2.42 posts per day. I think the most was 6 posts in one day and I've had many days with zero posts (usually when on vacation).

Not every post has been a work of meaning or pride. It's hard not to make misteaks in content or spellking (thankfully, Blogger's spell check is working again). I've learned to express opinions after thinking hard about it rather than in a moment of pique or sarcasm. I try not to criticize the work of others, but sometimes it has to be done by somebody.

This has become a labor of fun and love - I enjoy hearing from all of my readers. I wake up each morning wondering what I'm going to write about during the day. My readership has increased each year.

Since I started this blog, I have had over 102,000 unique visitors (these can be multiple visits per day by the same reader) and over 165,000 page views. My statistics indicate that this blog currently has about 250 unique visitors a day, with an average of about 350 page views. In addition, about 125 subscribe via email using Feedburner, and 40 subscribe via Bloglines. I don't have a count for other feeds and blog readers.

This is a traffic chart for the last two years (since July 2006 when I subscribed to StatCounter). The three lines are Page Loads (green), Unique Visitors (blue), and Returning Visitors (orange).


I appreciate all of my readers and viewers - thank you for your support and comments.

Joe Beine started his Genealogy Roots Blog and Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak started her Megan's Roots World blog (before it was changed over to the Roots Television empire) at about the same time that Genea-Musings started in April 2006. Congratulations to them on their accomplishments - not just their blogs but their web sites and professional achievements.
What does year 3 hold for this blog and my genealogy pursuits? God willing, we'll find out. Maybe I can learn to play better with others and not be as demanding as my two-year old grandson.

Monday, April 14, 2008

CVGS Seminar Summary

I posted two articles about the Chula Vista Genealogical Society Seminar held on Saturday, April 5, titled "Finding Your Elusive Ancestors" on the Chula Vista Genealogy Cafe blog. They are

* Part I -- "Finding Your Elusive Ancestors" presentation

* Part II - "Solving Your Brickwall Problems" panel discussion.

If anyone has comments or suggestions for the brick wall problems, please comment on the post or email me at rjseaver@cox.net.

I Am a Unique Person

There is no one exactly like me. Or exactly like most of you ... the exception might be a genetic twin. But each of us inherit physical and mental traits from our biological ancestors. The physical and emotional environment that we grow up in also plays a role in physical and mental development. Some of us get the tall trait, the pretty trait, the bald trait, the coordination trait, etc.

Here are some of my physical traits and my conjecture about their source:

* Blue eyes - both of my parents had blue eyes, and I think all four of my grandparents did too (I never met my paternal grandfather, but his WW1 draft registration card says "blue eyes"). My brother Stan has hazel eyes and my brother Scott has blue eyes.

* Facial arrangement - the eyes, ears, nose and mouth of my grandfather Frederick Seaver and my brother Stanley look very similar to those of Hattie Hildreth, Frederick Seaver's mother. I was told by someone in the Townsend MA town clerk's office that I looked exactly like a local Hildreth man.

* Sandy colored hair - I started off as a straight-haired blonde boy, but it became sandy-hair color as I grew up, and it is now graying. My beard was black before it grayed. My father's hair was black, and my mother's hair was brown. Grandfather Seaver's WW1 draft card says his hair was light brown. Isaac Seaver, my great-great-grandfather, was described as sandy-haired at age 40 in his Civil War Pension file. Hattie Hildreth's hair was auburn red - and my aunt Ruth Seaver had auburn hair, as does one of her daughters and two grandchildren.

* Baldness pattern -- I have male pattern baldness, with now just a fringe around the top of my head but with very sparse hairs on top. My great-grandfather, Charles Auble, had a similar head of hair. My grandfather, Frederick Seaver, had a similar male pattern baldness head also. My grandfather, Lyle Carringer, had hair on his crown and receding at the temples in his later years. My father's hair receded at the temples but not on the crown.

* Height -- I am 5' 10" tall. My father was 6'2" tall, and both of my brothers are over 6'1" tall. My grandfather, Lyle Carringer, was short - only 5'7" tall as an adult. My grandfather, Frederick Seaver, was about 5'10" according to his children's memories. My mother was short - 5'4", as was her mother Emily (Auble) Carringer.

* Body type -- I started out as a string bean and grew into a pear. At age 16 I was 5' tall and 100 pounds, at age 23 I was 5'10" tall and 135 pounds, and by age 40 I was still 5'10" but 200 pounds (thank you Linda for really good food!). I'm now 220 pounds. After a lifetime of sitting at a desk, at a computer, in my recliner, my center of gravity has definitely shifted downward! My grandfather, Frederick Seaver was similar in build as an adult (listed as "stout" on his WW1 draft registration), and so was my father, but he was taller. My grandfather, Lyle Carringer, was always slight - 123 pounds on his World War I discharge, and about 135 pounds on his last driver's license.

* Eyesight - I am far-sighted and have amblyopia - my right eye is fairly useless. I see everything important with my dominant left eye. The exception is peripheral vision to my right which is great! Amblyopia is heriditary they say - my Aunt Marion had it and one of my Seaver cousins has it. I wear glasses, and have since age 12. Both of my parents, and all four of my grandparents wore glasses in their senior years.

* Left-handed - I am the only left-handed one in my family, and I don't think any of my ten first cousins are left-handed. My granddaughter, Lauren, will probably be left-handed.

* Analytical mind -- I majored in engineering and mathematics, and have always had an analytical mind. I like math, science, equations, programming, logic, mysteries, etc. My father worked with numbers as an insurance agent. My grandfather Seaver was a plant manager (as was his father) and worked with numbers. My great-grandfather Thomas Richmond was a plant manager and mechanical genius. My grandfather Carringer was an accountant. My great-grandfather Carringer was a carpenter and a mechanic (I didn't get those traits, unfortunately). My great-grandfather Auble was a "painter" - I'm not sure if it was artistry or house painting - probably the latter! My great-grandmother, Della (Smith) Carringer was an artist and furniture designer. My mother was an artist (water colors, then enamel on copper) before babies and after we moved out of the house.

* Relationships -- One trait that has been noticed through several Richmond and Seaver generations is the tendency to "cut off" people who have harmed us emotionally or physically. There is a streak of jealousy or mendacity. One example was my grandmother Seaver - her sister Grace "stole" her boyfriend and Bess never spoke to her again or went to her funeral. My father always had "enemies" that he plotted against (mostly in baseball, but still!). When my roommate skipped on his share of the bills, I cut him off. On the other hand, my Carringer grandparents and my mother were the most peaceful and serene people I've known and got along with everyone. I see a "glass half full" as did my mother and as do my daughters, but I think that my father and his parents saw the "glass half empty."

* Baseball -- is there a baseball loving trait? My grandfather Seaver, my father, my brothers and my daughters have all played sandlot and high school baseball or softball. I didn't play because of my size and my eyes, but I sure learned the nuances of the game, and coached it for 20 years. It's the game of life - success, failure, pain, happiness, luck good and bad, etc. My dad was a terrible sport. My brothers and I learned from that and are good sports. My daughters are wonderful sports and teachers.

Well - now you know all about unique little old stout me.

15 Generation Chart

Several of our new members in the Chula Vista Genealogical Society have marveled at the 15-generation chart that my friend, John, has in his research notebook. He can see immediately where his elusive ancestors reside, and he can find relationships fairly easily.

John bought his 15 generation chart at Stevenson's Genealogy Center, LLC at http://www.sgenealogy.com/ . The 15 generation chart is at http://www.sgenealogy.com/products/PedLg15.htm and measures 23 inches by 29 inches (it folds up into 8.5 by 11 with holes for the research notebook. They also have a 12 generation chart at http://www.sgenealogy.com/products/PedLg12.htm.

These charts are only 95 cents each, plus shipping. You probably only need one!

The bigger problem is putting the names, dates and places onto the chart accurately and legibly. I solved that problem about 14 years ago - I had a friend who does calligraphy put names on the chart I bought from NEHGS. There is a picture of it here. That chart shows only my father's ancestry - not my mother's. I still have the master chart somewhere - I need to find another friend who does calligraphy and have my mother's chart made. Then I need to find enough wall space in the house to display both charts.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Best of the Genea-Blogs - Week of April 6-12, 2008

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

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

* "10 Things Genealogy Software Should Do" by Mark Tucker on the ThinkGenealogy blog. Mark has made a document, a presentation and a video of his thoughts on this subject - outstanding. Every genealogist should read and comment on this. There are comments pro and con - read them too.

* "iGoogle as a Home Page and Genealogy Gadgets" by Thomas MacEntee on the Destination: Austin Family blog. Thomas explores iGoogle and finds some interesting and useful gadgets and widgets.

* "Comparative Analysis of Google Search Terms" by Kathi on the Ancestor Search blog. Kathi looked for trends in the use of "genealogy" as a search term compared to other hobbies or interests. The findings may surprise you!

* "Ancestry Shows a New Face (Book App)" by the Ancestry Insider on his/her blog. The AI displays the FaceBook application in work and/or produced by Ancestry.com. It has several interesting pages that look like Ancestry.com pages. This is another way to bring in computer-literate people about to be interested in family history.

* "Invasion of the Googlegangers" by Schelly Talalay Dardashti on the Tracing The Tribe: The Jewish Genealogy Blog. Schelly highlights a newspaper articles about finding people with your name. Interesting - I've blogged about it before, but it may be an interesting meme challenge to see who can find the most or who has a completely unique name.

* "Friday from the Collectors - A Moment In Time" by guest blogger Becky Wiseman on footnoteMaven's Shades of the Departed blog. Becky writes a wonderful article describing her old photographs - in words many of us have thought about but not written. Excellent work!

* "I'm a Euro-Mutt! (genetically speaking)" by Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak on the Roots Television: Megan's Roots World blog. Megan finds a DNA analysis that shows relative numbers of European ancestry. Fascinating.

* "What would your ancestors think about your stuff?" by Larry Lehmer on the Passing It On blog. Larry takes Lori Thornton's comments and ponders this question. This would be another great prompt for a Carnival or meme or blog post.

* "Research Party" by Lee Drew on the FamHist blog. Lee and his society cohorts threw a genealogy research party for teenagers - and 60 of them attended! What an amazing feat, and story. It's a great example for other societies to reach out to the younger generation.

* "Mary's NGS Conference Tips, Pt. 5" on the MoSGA Messenger (Missouri State Genealogical Association) blog. I missed the first four parts, but have found them here, here, here and here. Mary Celeste's tips are timely - the 2008 NGS conference is in Kansas City in three weeks!

* "Preserve and Inspire" by Jimmy Kavanagh on the Genealogy Gifts blog. Jimmy keeps coming up with wonderful genealogy gift ideas - I really like this one.

I encourage you to go to the blogs listed above and read their articles, and add their blog to your Favorites, Bloglines, reader, feed or email if you like what you read. Please make a comment to them also - we all appreciate feedback on what we write.

Did I miss a great genealogy blog post? Tell me!

Genea-Musings is back home - whew!

Every time I go to Santa Cruz I marvel at the energy that little boys ages 4 and 2 have, and am reminded why parenting is for the young in body and patience. Thank God for Linda's patience and perseverance and cooking/cleaning skills.

I'm exhilarausted again (exhausted and exhilarated) after 8 days of acting like a parent -

* feeding (lots of cereal, frozen waffles and pancakes, pasta, beans, tofu, pizza, not much meat),
* bathing (lots of splashing, they don't like hair washing),
* bedding (a priceless time - reading, story-telling, watching eyes flutter closed),
* going potty (you don't want to know),
* playing (Grandpa Monster, baseball, rolling balls down the hill, walking around the block with the wagon, throwing rocks, card games, etc.),
* catching (they jump a lot! off of every thing - couch, chair, bed, table, stairs, - and expect to be caught - my shoulders hurt),
* driving (4 or 5 trips a day - often 5 miles each way on country roads - to school - two of them, to swim, to soccer, to play dates, to dinner, to put them to sleep, to the store),
* planning (food, clothes, shoes, lunch box, clothes bag, goodie bag, drinks, bikes, soccer stuff),
* coaching (don't hit, don't say bad words, don't bite, don't, don't, good boy! excellent job! you're so smart! you're so fun!),
* hugging (wow!),
* cleaning (endless dishes, endless clothes, messy table and floors), and more.

The highlights -

* getting naps every day (often with a 2-year old in my arms)
* sharing Frosties with the boys as rewards for good behavior,
* going to the bagel shop for breakfast
* watching 4-5 year olds play soccer - swarms around the ball,
* going to Santa Cruz beach with Linda on Friday and eating on the pier,
* playing at the park with the boys buddies and their parents.
* picking them up at school and seeing the love and care of the staff

The highlights offset the daily early wake-up call between 2 and 4 AM - the little one often will go back to sleep, but has to be "on" you - we slept on the bed, in the rocker, on the couch, and on the recliner.

We made lots of family history - and they darn well better remember it! I sure will!

My daughter's hubby is back from Iraq and comes into Long Beach next Saturday - they are doing Disneyland on Monday. Linda came back yesterday because she had a church event to lead, but I stayed on another day to make sure my daughter got back (on American Airlines) yesterday - it worked out fine.

When I got home, the computer would not connect to the Internet. Ooopps. My son-in-law added RAM while I was gone (my Christmas present finally came!). The laptop didn't connect either. So I called Cox and went through their online connection wizard (the voice is wonderful!) and was back online in about 10 minutes. The IP address needed to be renewed after the computer was apart for awhile, apparently.

I hope to get back in the swing of Genea-Musing posts soon - there were lots of interesting happenings in online genealogy last week. I also have to catch up with my CVGS activities.

What did I miss? What was the best or most interesting post of the week for you? Tell me, and I'll include it in my "Best of..." post later tonight.

The Elusive Philip Jacob Rau/Row (1752-1817)

I am posting some of my most elusive ancestors in hopes that someone will Google their name and find my post. Ideally, the Googlers will provide me with more information about my elusive female ancestor's ancestry. Realistically, they will commiserate with me about the lack of records and wonder why no researcher has figured the problem out yet.

----------------------------------
Family of Philip Jacob Rau/Row

Philip Jacob1 Rau/Row was born about December 1752 in probably NJ, and died 09 January 1817 in Tewksbury, Hunterdon County, NJ. He married Maria/Mary Smith July 1772 in probably Hunterdon County, NJ. She was born about November 1753 in probably NJ, and died about 1842 in Hunterdon County, NJ.

Notes for Philip Jacob Rau/Row:
Some secondary sources claim that Philip Jacob Row is the son of Johannes Rau and Catherine Loscher, who resided in Ulster County and Dutchess County, New York. They apparently had a son named Philip born in about 1757 in Columbia County, New York. However, I have not gound any evidence that the Philip Rau of Columbia County NY is the same person as Philip Jacob Rau/Row of Hunterdon County, NJ.

The will of Philip Row of Tewksbury Township, Hunterdon County, NJ was written 9 June 1817 and proved 2 July 1817, when two sons signed as executors. In the will, he provided for wife, Mary, to have maintenance for life by sons Jacob and John. Daughter Mary (wife of John Hovert), $5. Elizabeth (wife of Jacob Apgar) $5. Anna (wife of John Auble) $5. Son Peter Row (if living) $5. Son Phillip $50. Sons Jacob and John to have the residue of real and personal estate, they paying debts and legacies. The executors named were two sons, Jacob (signed by mark) and John, and William Todd. Witnesses were William Willet, John Lutes, Simon Hegeman. On 1 July 1817 an inventory was made by John McKinstry and William Creater. It totaled $1,248.85, including cooper's stuff and tools (New Jersey Archives, Vol. XLII of First Series, Calendar of Wills 1814-1817, pg. 362).

Phillip Rau was a Revolutionary War soldier in the New Jersey Line. His widow applied for a pension on 4 February 1840 in Morris County NJ. The application states she was 85 or 86 in 1840, and that the soldier married Mary Smith 9 July 1772 at which time the soldier was age of 19 years 7 months and she was age 21 years 8 months and their first child Mary was born 19 July 1773. Phillip lived in Hunterdon County NJ at enlistment and the widow lived there when she applied in Morris County NJ. Phillip died 9 January 1817, and a son Phillip Rowe made affidavit 5 March 1850 from Morris County NJ and stated he was the only surviving son of the deceased widow who died some 7 years prior to 1 March 1849 when Congress finally issued a pension certificate in her name, in 1850 the surviving children were the son Phillip and two daughters (Revolutionary War Pension File W2350).

The wqidow's declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the 5th section of the act of Congress of the 4th July 1836, reads:

State of New Jersey, County of Morris,

On this 4th day of February, 1840, personally appeared before the subscriber, a Judge of the Superior Court of Common Pleas of said County of Morris, Mary Row, aged 85 or 86 years, a resident of Tewksbury township in the County of Hunterdon, believed by me to be a woman of truth & unblemished character, & who from age & bodily infirmity, I certify is unable to attend Court at the Court house, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath render the following Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress passed July 4th 1836:

I am the widow of Philip Row, who was a Militia soldier in the war of the Revolution & performed militia duties as I verily believe in every year of said war from its beginning to its end. He was at first a private soldier & lived in the bounds of Captain Godfrey Reinhardts Company, under whose command as Captain or as Major, most of his Militia duties were performed. He also belonged to Colonel Mehelm's Regiment of the Hunterdon Militia when home he often mentioned as well as the names of Colonel Frelingheusen & Colonel Seely, General Winds & General Dickinson, under whom he served at various times & places. It is not in my power to mention but a very few of the Services of my said husband, but some of his duties I have heard him speak of, as well as of some of the battles in which he was engaged. I have hear him tell of the battles of Millstone, of Monmouth & Springfield, in all of which I believe he was engaged. In the early part of the war, he carried his Rifle as a private, & on the promotion of Captain Reinhardt as Major, my husband was promoted to be an Ensign as I believe & afterward to be a Lieutenant. He had a suit of Regimentals which he wore when he went on duty as an officer c Blue Coat faced with Red, & an Epaulette on his Shoulder. I do not know what became of his commission, nor do I know that he ever recd a discharge in writing. I have often prepared his knapsack with provisions, & fitted him off with clothes & ammunition & he would be absent from home sometimes a month & sometime longer on militia duty, leaving me with our Children to provide for, & the farm to manage in his absence as well as I was able. Sometimes on claims (?) his absence would not exceed two & three weeks. The Comp??? was classed, & one class was called for a month, when it would be relieved by another taking its place, & when there was great danger from the Enemy, the whole would be ordered out. His officers I believe are all dead, & most of his comrades. I know of but two of them living, viz: William Young & John Blane, who served with my husband, whose testimony is hereto annexed, as the only evidence I can produce of his service in the war, upon which I claim a pension from the United States.

My husband performed a months duty under Captain Reinhardt at ar??? (botch) in July 1776 & under Col. Mahelm & Genl Dickinson. He performed a ????s [blotch) Militia service at Elizabeth town, under the same officers in August 76. He performed a month service under Lt. Cramer ar Raritan in October & November 76, & at Elizabeth town, following Genl Washington's retreat through Jersey from elizabeth town to N. Brunswick. He performed a month service at Trenton, N. Brunswick & its neighborhood, under Captain Emmam. The two last mentioned towns, altho as expected to be about a month in each, yet I have from conversation with John Blane, that the service was very unjust, & the Militia, with my husband was detained on duty not less than 6 weeks in each town, & I respectfully claim that period of service in each of the two last mentioned towns. The last town was in the winter, Jany 77 & February. He performed a month's duty with Capt, Reinhardt Col. Meholm, & Genl Dickinson at Millstone in the winter season, with the Somerset troops under Col. Frelinghausen & Col. Nelson & Genl Dickinson, when them was a battle with the enemy at Van Eps mills. My husband once pointed out the spot to me, when this battle was fought, as we were rideing toward N. Brunswick.

He performed another tour of Militia of a month duration at Crane's point near Elizabeth town in the fall season, under Capt. Reid & Major Reinhardt, Col. Puly & Genl Dickinson. On this occasion it is my belief, that he acted as Ensign in the Col. Read being chosen Captain in Major Reinhardts place & my husband as Ensign. I have heard him tell of crossing in the night from Elizabeth town to Staten Island & having a fight with the Enemy on the Island. I also remember him to speak of losing his gun flint in the action, & stopping to put another in its place, & to load his Rifle. Whilst doing this behind a Corn crib, the enemy were close upon him, & as he came to join his comrades he fired his gun at them, & their shot flew thick around him.

He performed another tour of a month's Militia duty at Freehold & English town at the time of Monmouth battle, in which I believe he was engaged personally, & in which I believe he was an Ensign or a Lieutenant. I cannot say certainly which. The first part of this month was spent at Trenton, performing guard duty.

He performed a month's Militia service in December near Springfield, in 1776, under Capt. Reinhardt, & with him was engaged in the Springfield battle at that time, Gen? Hear? commanding the Militia. He performed a month's Militia service in March 77, in Reinhardt's company, near ??ibble town, before the Enemy evacuated N. Brunswick & Amboy. The two towns last mentioned. I learn from conversation with William Young, a comrade of his, although I have heard my husband often speak of the Springfield battle, & the battles of Short hills & Ash Swamp, in which he was engaged, as I believe. He was out on public duty, both as a private & an officer, on many other occasions beside those before mentioned. Some of them were on claim, & some were regular monthly tours, which I cannot particularize, having no memorandums & my memory being frail. I am reminded of another tour which he performed near the close of the war, in February or March 1780, or 1781, when the Pennsylvania troops revolted & the Militia was called out to intercept them in the neighborhood of Pluckemun. For this & the other Services of my said husband in defense of his Country, I respectfully claim such a pension as under the Laws of congress I may be entitled to incur, believing that he has faithfully performed not less than 10 months service for which I ask a pension.

I was married to the said Philip Row by Reverend Frederick Dellicker on the 9th July 1772, & my first child Mary was born July 19th one year & 10 days after my marriage. I do not know of any Church or Parish record of my marriage but have in my possession a leaf, which my husband kept in his family German bible, whilst he lived & upon which leaf he had written in the German language with his own hand, the date of our marriage as well as his age at that time & my own age. Since his death, a School master in our neighborhood, whose name was John Beammer (?), & who understood German & English, has written on the same side of said leaf a translation into English which reads thus, viz: "1772. Philip Row was married to Mary Smith on the 9th of July, then I was 19 years and 7 months old, and Mary Smith was 21 years and 8 months old." This paper, I herewith send to the pension office, & it is in the handwriting of my said husband, who could not write in the English language at all. His books of account were all kept in German, & said John Beammer (?) assisted in settling said books & all his affairs, because he understood the German language. This is the only evidence I possess of my marriage.

My husband, the aforesaid Philip Row lived in Hunterdon County in Tewksbury township when he entered upon his Militia duties in the war of the Revolution, where I now live, & where he lived till his death. It is not more than half a mile from the line which divides Hunterdon from Morris County, & the reason why my Declaration is taken in Morris County is because Judge Smith, who is my near neighbour, is better known to me & lives nearer to me than any one of the Judges of Hunterdon County. I am also so blind that I cannot distinguis one neighbour from another except by the voice & I am much too infirm from age & its weaknesses to travel to any Court house & especially to Hunterdon Court which is distant 20 miles.

My husband, the aforesaid Philip Row, died at our dwelling in Tewksbury, Hunterdon Co on the 9th of June, Domini 1817 & I have remained his widow to this day, as will appear by reference & proof hereto annexed.

Sworn to & subscribed at Washington township, Morris County on the 4th day of February Domini 1840.
her
Mary X Row
mark

Before me Joseph Smith one of
the Judges of the Court of Common
Pleas of Morris County.

Children of Philip Rau/Row and Maria/Mary Smith are:


i. Mary Row, born 19 July 1773 in Hunterdon County, NJ. She married John Hubert March 1794 in Oldwick, Hunterdon County, NJ.

ii. Elisabetha Row, born 13 January 1776 in New Germantown, Hunterdon County, NJ. She married Jacob Apgar.

iii. John Jacob Row, born 07 April 1779 in New Germantown, Hunterdon County, NJ. He married Rebecca Vesselus 19 April 1823 in NJ.

iv. Peter Row, born about 1782 in Hunterdon County, NJ. He married Catherine Case 12 March 1808 in Oldwick, Hunterdon County, NJ.

v. Anna Rau/Row, born about 1787 in Morris County, NJ; died 12 June 1860 in Stillwater, Sussex County, NJ. She married Johannes/John Able/Auble 15 July 1804 in New Germantown, Hunterdon County, NJ; born 11 March 1780 in Burlington, Hunterdon County, NJ.

vi. Phillip Row, born 11 October 1791 in New Germantown, Hunterdon County, NJ. He married Sophia Gray 06 February 1833 in NJ.

vii. Johannes Row, born about January 1795 in Burlington, Hunterdon County, NJ.

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My own ancestry is through Anna Row, who married John/Johannes Auble/Able.

If anyone has additions or corrections to this family data, please, please, please, please (shades of James Brown, eh?) email me at rjseaver@cox.net.