Saturday, October 9, 2010

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - "I Like To Do It"

Hey genea-philes, it's Saturday Night - time for more Genealogy Fun!!!

Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to:

1)  A Facebook meme for women went viral this week - the "I Like It" meme, for Cancer Awareness Month, which garnered responses like "I Like It ... On the Couch" or "I Like it ... on the Table."  The subject was "purse" - where to put their purse.  The mind boggled for awhile with some of the responses from supposedly proper genealogy ladies.

2)  Please write an "I Like To Do It" post where "It" = "genealogy research" someplace and why.

3)  Tell us about it in your own blog post, in a comment to this blog post, in a comment or note on Facebook.

Here's mine:

"I like doing genealogy research at the Family History Library."  Who in the world wouldn't like that?  All of those microfilms of original records, plus the books and manuscripts on the shelves, with scores of subject matter experts close by for consultations.  And Pearl, the 95-year old helper at the microfilm scanner machines to make you save your images to a flash drive correctly and quickly!

Edited 9 p.m.:  Added the note about Cancer Awareness Month, thank you, Lyn, for the information trhat I missed somehow.

Surname Saturday - FITZ RANDOLPH (England > NJ)

It's Surname Saturday, and I'm "counting down" my Ancestral Name List each week. I am up to number 117, who is the unknown mother of William Knapp (1775-1856), so I will move on to number 119 - Tabitha Randolph (ca 1750-1841), one of my 4th-great-grandparents.

My ancestral line back through six generations of New Jersey FITZ RANDOLPH families is:

1. Randall J. Seaver

2. Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983)
3. Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002)

6. Lyle Lawrence Carringer (1891-1976)
7. Emily Kemp Auble (1899-1977)

14. Charles Auble (1849-1916)
15. Georgianna Kemp (1868-1952)

28. David Auble (1817-1894)
29. Sarah Knapp (1818-ca1900)

58.  William Knapp (1755-1856)
59.  Sarah Cutter (1785-1878)

118. Stephen Cutter, born 10 February 1744/45 in Woodbridge, Middlesex County, NJ; died 21 June 1823 in Woodbridge, Middlesex County, NJ. He was the son of 236. William Cutter and 237. Mary Kent. He married about 1769 in prob. Woodbridge, Middlesex County, NJ.

119. Tabitha Randolph, born about 1752, baptized 06 September 1761 in Elizabeth, Union County, NJ; died 26 November 1841 in Woodbridge, Middlesex County, NJ.
Children of Stephen Cutter and Tabitha Randolph are: Phebe Cutter (1769-1839); Nancy Cutter (1771-????); Stephen Cutter (1773-????); Mary Cutter (1775-????); Thomas Cutter (1777-????); Richard Cutter (1779-1820); William Whitmore Cutter (1781-1862);  Hannah Cutter (1784-????); Sarah Cutter (1785-1878); Samuel Cutter (1787-????); Mary Cutter (1790-????).

238.  Samuel Fitz Randolph, born about 1730 in probably Woodbridge, Middlesex County, NJ.  He married 20 October 1750 in Woodbridge, Middlesex County, NJ.
239. Martha Gach, born 29 November 1729 in Woodbridge, Middlesex County, NJ. She was the daughter of 478. Thomas Gach and 479. Elizabeth Bloodgood.

Children of Samuel Fitz Randolph and Martha Gach are: Mary Fitz Randolph (ca 1751-????); Tabitha Fitz Randolph (ca 1752-1841).

476. Jacob Fitz Randolph, born 23 March 1707/08 in Woodbridge, Middlesex County, NJ; died before 09 August 1779 in Woodbridge, Middlesex County, NJ. He married  before 1730 in probably Woodbridge, Middlesex County, NJ.
477. unknown, died before 1764 in probably Woodbridge, Middlesex County, NJ.

Children of Jacob Fitz Randolph and unknown are:  Samuel Fitz Randolph (1730-????); Isaac Fitz Randolph (1731-1768); Reuben Fitz Randolph (1733-1784); Jacob Fitz Randolph (1737-1779); Jotham Fitz Randolph (1740-1782); Joseph Fitz Randolph (1743-1782); Mary Fitz Randolph (1745-????); Johannah Fitz Randolph (1747-????); Elizabeth Fitz Randolph (1749-????).

952. Samuel Fitz Randolph, born 1668 in Barnstable, Barnstable County, MA; died 25 June 1754 in Woodbridge, Middlesex County, NJ. He married  08 June 1693 in Elizabethtown, Union County, NJ.
953. Mary Jones, born about 1672 in Elizabethtown, Essex County, NJ; died 16 January 1760 in Woodbridge, Middlesex County, NJ. She was the daughter of 1906. Jeffery Jones and 1907. Elizabeth Glover.

Children of Samuel Fitz Randolph and Mary Jones are:  Samuel Fitz Randolph (1694-????); Prudence Fitz Randolph (1696-1766); Isaac Fitz Randolph (1699-1720); Susannah Fitz Randolph (1699-????); Joseph Fitz Randolph (1704-1741); Jacob Fitz Randolph (1706-1706); Jacob Fitz Randolph (1708-1779); Mary Fitz Randolph (1709-1709); Mary Fitz Randolph (1712-1716).

1904. Nathaniel Fitz Randolph, born before 15 May 1642 in Barnstable, Barnstable County, MA; died 21 November 1713 in Woodbridge, Middlesex County, NJ. He married November 1662 in Barnstable, Barnstable County, MA.
1905. Mary Holloway, born about 1640 in Sandwich, Barnstable County, MA; died 12 July 1703 in Woodbridge, Middlesex County, NJ. She was the daughter of 3810. Joseph Holloway and 3811. Rose Allen.

Children of Nathaniel Fitz Randolph and Mary Holloway are:  John Fitz Randolph (1663-1727); Isaac Fitz Randolph (1664-1694); Nathaniel Fitz Randolph (1666-1703); Samuel Fitz Randolph (1668-1754); Joseph Fitz Randolph (1670-1718); Edward Fitz Randolph (1672-1760); Martha Fitz Randolph (1674-????).

3808. Edward Fitz Randolph, born before. 08 July 1607 in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottingham, ENGLAND; died about 1685 in Piscataway, Middlesex County, NJ. He was the son of 7616. Edward Fitz Randolph and 7617. Frances Howes. He married 10 May 1637 in Scituate, Plymouth County, MA.
3809. Elizabeth Blossom, born 1620 in Leyden, Holland; died about 1713 in Piscataway, Middlesex County, NJ. She was the daughter of 7618. Thomas Blossom and 7619. Ann Elsden.

Children of Edward Fitz Randolph and Elizabeth Blossom are: Nathaniel Fitz Randolph (1640-1640); Nathaniel Fitz Randolph (1642-1713); Mary Fitz Randolph (1644-1649); Hannah Fitz Randolph (1648-1705); Mary Fitz Randolph (1650-1738); John Fitz Randolph (1652-1653); John Fitz Randolph (1653-1727); Joseph Fitz Randolph (1655-1726); Elizabeth Fitz Randolph (1657-1702); Thomas Fitz Randolph (1659-1745); Hope Fitz Randolph (1661-????); Benjamin Fitz Randolph (1663-1746).

Almost all of the information on these Fitz Randolph families was obtained from the book by Louise Aymar Christian and Howard Stelle Fitz Randolph, The Descendants of Edward Fitz Randolph and Elizabeth Blossom, 1630-1950, published 1950, accessed at Carlsbad Public Library on University Microfilms microfiche G1089. 

Are there any cousins who know more about this family than the book authors did?

Friday, October 8, 2010

Can Genealogy Software Do This? - Relationship to Root Person

One of the questions I had as the "Computer Genealogy" consultant at the recent CVGS Fall Seminar was:

"Can software programs indicate which person in a family is my direct-line ancestor?  Do programs indicate the relationship of persons in my database to me?"

I couldn't remember the exact details to answer this question.  The person had an early version of Family Tree Maker, and was having a difficult time determining which child in a family was her direct ancestor, and had to check many children to find the right one, and even then wasn't sure. 

I decided to try to find the answers in the four genealogy programs that I have available.  Here's what I found:

1)  Family Tree Maker 16

*  There is apparently no way to highlight a home or root person
*  There is apparently no way to show a relationship to a home or root person in the Family View
*  A Pedigree Chart view can help identify direct-line ancestors
*  There is a Relationship Calculator in Tools > Relationship Calculator to figure out relationships between two specific persons

2)  Family Tree Maker 2010

*  Select a Home Person in the People Workspace using Person > Set as Home Person.  The Home icon will then take you to that Home Person.
*  In the People Workspace and Family View, the direct-line child in a family is highlighted with a yellow left-arrow in the list of children.
*  In the People Workspace and Person View, the direct-line child is not clearly identified.
*  There is a Relationship Calculator in Tools > Relationship Calculator to figure out relationships between two persons.

3)  Legacy Family Tree 7

*  Select a Root Person using Options > Set Preferred Startup Family.  The Home icon will take you to that startup family.
*  To use a Person as the Starting person in relationships, highlight that person on the Family View screen, then select Tools > Set  Relationships
*  To enable identification of all Direct-Line Ancestors of the Starting person, highlight that person on the Family view screen, then select Tools > Set Direct Line as Preferred
*  The relationship of each person on the Family View to the Starting person will be displayed between the highlighted person and their parents in the Family View.  E.g., "4th-great-grandfather" or "2nd great-grand-aunt."
*  In the Family View, the Direct-Line ancestor is identified in bold typeface.
*  There is a Relationship Calculator in Tools > Relationship Calculator to figure out relationships between two persons.

4)  RootsMagic 4

*  Select a Root Person using Tools > File Options > General.  The Home icon, or Search > Go to Root Person, will then go to that root person.
*  The relationship of each person to the Root person will be displayed in the bottom left-hand corner of the RootsMagic screen (not in any one of the panels) when a person is highlighted in the Name Index, or in any one of the View tabs (Pedigree, Family, Descendants, People).  E.g., "4th-great-grandfather" or "2nd great-grand-aunt."
*  There is a Relationship Calculator in Tools > Relationship Calculator to figure out relationships between two persons.

So the answers were "not in Family Tree Maker Version 16 and before" and "Family Tree Maker 2010, Legacy Family Tree 7 and RootsMagic 4 will do what is desired."

The Legacy Family Tree 7 solution provides the most information and is the easiest to see on the screen.  The Family Tree Maker 2010 solution is the simplest, but only works in the Family View.  The RootsMagic 4 solution is the most difficult to see on the screen.

What about other genealogy software programs?  Do you know how to set up your program to do this task?

FamilySearch Beta has a New Look - Part 1

The public face of the FamilySearch Beta web site has changed a bit.  The additions an were provided by email today from Paul Nauta, who noted:

1)  Redesigned Home Page. We redesigned the home page to highlight more of the site features like the Getting Started Section, Learning Resources and FamilySearch Centers. We also added a basic browse by location feature under the search form. We plan to make the browse by location tool much more interactive over time and would love to get your suggestions of how to improve it. Click the Feedback link on the site to leave us a suggestion.

2)  Brand New – Getting Started Section. We have big plans for the Getting Started section of the site. What we released last week is just the beginning. Right now you can look at profiles of some famous ancestors that have been researched by our experts in the Family History Library. You can also choose from a number of designer pedigree charts and fill out your own family tree. Another valuable addition to the Getting Started section isn’t quite ready yet, but you can still see a placeholder for it on the page. A new four-part video series in the Getting Started section will teach people how to begin researching their family history.

3)  Redesigned Learning Resources Section. The learning resources section has been redesigned to try and make it easier to access the tremendous content created by FamilySearch and a community of volunteers. You can quickly search over 40,000 articles containing a wealth of knowledge about how to do research or where to find records all around the world. You can also add your own knowledge by updating an article or creating a new article. We’ve also added over 100 online courses dealing with a range of topics from Beginning English Research to Reading Russian Records. Watch these courses online to learn to research or improve your genealogy skills.

 

 4)  FamilySearch Center Section.
 
Each of these modifications to the website are improvements, and there are some hidden gems in the pages.  Here is the top of the home page at http://Beta.FamilySearch.org:

 

The menu items just above the Search fields has lost the "All Collections" link.  There are links for each continent below the Search fields headlined by "Browse by location", and a link for "All Record Collections" at the very bottom (not shown on the screen above). 

Over on the right sidebar are links and images for three features - Getting Started, How-To and FamilySearch Centers (the last three items in the Paul Nauta email).  Nauta's email calls the "How-To" section the "Learning Resources" - I wonder if it will change again?

Clicking on the "All Record Collections" link brings up the list of record collections available on FamilySearch Beta:



 The collections are listed in alphabetical order.  Over on the left sidebar are filters with listings by Place, Date range, and Record category.  If you click on one of the Place filters, you see only the records applicable to the place:



In the screen above, I clicked on the Place link for "Canada, USA and Mexico."  Each country in the Place collection is listed - in this case, presently Canada has 33 collections, Mexico has 7 and the USA has 247. 

I clicked on the Arizona Deaths, 1870-1951 collection, and saw:



The search fields can be used to search for persons in the specific database.

There is a link for "Learn More" which leads to a FamilySearch Research Wiki page for this specific database:


Each record collection on FamilySearch Beta has a similar Research Wiki page.  The wiki page has much more information about the specific database being used, and there are links to related Research Wiki pages that might be helpful to the researcher.

We'll look at one of the other new features in the next post in this series.

Intentional Acts of Genealogical Terrorism

My friend and colleague, Ruth Himan, just completed three weeks of family history traveling with her father to Kansas, Missouri and Tennessee.  They had a wonderful time doing genealogical research, visiting friends and family  and sightseeing. 

Ruth commented on one of my posts on Facebook yesterday that:

"Hee hee Cousin Vandy. Helped me "doctor" great grandfather's death certificate. We justified it as TMI. That did not alter the intent of the document."

My response was:

"huh - lost me here. Who's cousin Vandy? Where did you perform this intentional act of genealogical terrorism?"

And Ruth's answer was:

" lol Vandy, cousin I stayed with in KANSAS. Do you not keep notes on the 100s of people that share their genealogy with you? Doctor put in a contributing cause of death that made some living relatives uncomfortable so we just kind of a...ltered ( by deletion) the additional unverified data from the certificate. Our reasoning? the doctor could have been wrong. lol I used the certificate to introduce myself to historians of his hometown and did not want to give "confusing" data. BUT I am including my deception in all my writings and correspondences so everyone is aware of what, how and why this was done. Needless to say I could have not expected much cooperation from my dad if I was showing the document with the offending data as is."

Sometimes the social networks don't permit more than a terse comment about an issue that needs to be fully explained.  Ruth's first comment seemed to say that she and her cousin had changed an official record.  My response to Ruth was serious, because my view is that genealogists should NOT be altering original records in a repository or official documents that are going to be used by researchers to prove names, relationships, dates, places, etc.  Ruth's clarification was very helpful, and now I understand why she did what she did, and that the record in her collection is complete.

Ruth also wrote a blog post titled Intentional Act of Genealogical Terrorism with an Accomplice today on the Hayley blog to admit to her act, and to explain her reasons for doing it.  Taking it all as a whole, I understand Ruth's reasoning and act, but I have this visceral reaction that it should not have been done.  However, I wasn't walking in Ruth's shoes, trying to deal with her elderly father and also pursue useful genealogical research avenues.  I am glad that Ruth wrote her blog post because it explains how and why she did what she did.

I think that we all have skeletons in our ancestral closets - criminal acts, family cruelty, adultery, out-of-wedlock births, desertion, etc.  Some of our family members react adversely when informed of these skeletons, and others accept them and embrace them.  Our ancestors were human beings that easily fall short of perfection, just like I am.

I appreciate Ruth's honesty in writing her blog post and telling the world about her IAOGT.  She didn't have to respond to my comment and it would have been something between she and I to discuss at CVGS Table Talk.  But it raises these questions that the genealogical community needs to deal with:

*  Have you ever done something like an IAOGT (Intentional Act of Genealogical Terrorism)?  If so, why? 

*  Was anybody intellectually, physically or emotionally hurt by this act? 

*  What should Ruth do with the copy of the record that she modified?  

*  When should we "hide" family history information that might harm a relative's mental or physical state?

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Current Red Star Collections on FamilySearch Record Search

Like many other researchers, I have struggled to determine what New or Updated Collections are added to FamilySearch Record Search every month.


FamilySearch sends out helpful emails to me from time to time, and they have long lists of collections that are being indexed or are completed, but the lists don't always match what shows up on the Record Search list of collections each month. It's nice to know what's in the pipeline, but I really want to know what is now available for me to use.

So, as an occasional service to all of my readers, I'm going to go through the FamilySearch Record Search list every so often and list the collections with the Red Star that denotes a new or updated collection. Then, all of us can compare the lists from time to time and determine what has been recently added. Unfortunately, the FamilySearch Beta collection list does not indicate newly added or updated collections, only the number of records available. 


On 21 September, there were 457 collections on the FamilySearch Record Search list.

On 7 October, there are 448 collections on the FamilySearch Record Search list.  The new and updated collections, as denoted by a Red Star, are:

* California, San Francisco Area Funeral Home Records, 1835-1931 (last updated 15 September 2010)
* Civil War Pension Cards (90% complete, last updated 18 September 2010)
* New York, King's County Estate Files, 1866-1923 (last updated 10 September 2010)
* Rhode Island State Census, 1925 (last updated 10 September 2010)
* South Carolina, Civil War Confederate Service Records, 1861-1865 (last updated 16 September 2010)

* United States Census, 1910 (61% complete, last updated 12 September 2010)
* United States, Navy Widow's Certificates, 1861-1910 (last updated 16 September 2010)
* United States, Revolutionary War Compiled Service Records, 1775-1783 (last updated 16 September 2010)
* Czech Republic, Northern Moravia, Opava Archive Record Books, 1571-1905 (browse images only)
* Czech Republic, Southern Bohemia, Trebon Archive Church Books, 1650-1900 (browse images only)

* Germany, Baden, Church Book Duplicates, 1810-1869 (2% complete, last updated 16 September 2010)
* Spain, Municipal Records (browse images only)
* Central America, Colonial Census Records (browse images only)
* Brazil, Catholic Church Records (browse images only)
* Jamaica, Civil Birth Registration (18% complete, last updated 15 September 2010)
* Chinese Genealogies (browse images only)

There are 16 Red Star collections on the list today, all added or updated since 10 September 2010.  However, all of these were on my list from 21 September, so nothing new has been added since then.

Therefore, it is apparent that, if the number of collections is correct, that 9 record collections were deleted from the Record Search Pilot list and no new collections have been added since 21 September.  Presumably, those collections deleted from Record Search Pilot site are available on the FamilySearch Beta collections list.

There are 470 collections listed today on the FamilySearch Beta collections list, so there are at least 22 collections only on FamilySearch Beta.

Are the 16 collections noted above with a Red Star on the FamilySearch Beta site?  YES, they are!  However, it is impossible to tell if the most recently added collections are exactly the same on the two sites.

FamilySearch's last press release about the newly added databases on FamilySearch Beta is posted here from Dick Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter blog.  I checked that list against what's on the FamilySearch Beta list and they were all there, although(some databases on the FamilySearch press release list are combined in the FamilySearch Beta collections list.  The list of newly added databases indicates if images or indexes were added during the reporting period.
 
The bottom line here, for me, is that researchers need to use the FamilySearch Beta site to ensure finding all records available, since the Record Search Pilot site is gradually losing databases. 

"Memento Mori" Issue of Shades, the Magazine

The Memento Mori - 2010 issue of the Shades of the Departed Magazine is available for reading online at footnoteMaven's Shades of the Departed blog. 

Wow.  What a beautiful work of digital publication, filled with historic pictures lovingly displayed and captioned, in 110 pages. 



 
 
The Table Of Contents includes:
 
Columns:
 
*  The Year Was - The Year Was 1871, by Sheri Fenley
*  Appealing Subjects - Death Upon The Record, The Death of the Printed Obituary? by Craig Manson
*  The Future of Memories - At The Cabin: A Photo Album right in My Lap, by Denise Olson
*  Captured Moments - Record and Share: A Simply Charming Way to Capture Your Collection, by Jasia
*  Saving Face - Professional Development: Learning Necessary Skills, by Rebecca Fenning
*  Penelope Dreadful - A Dreadful Coincidence, by Denise Levenick
*  In2Genealogy - The Evidence Of Life: A Cautionary Tale, by Caroline Pointer

Features:

*  A Revolutionary Pursuit, by Maureen Taylor
*  Celebrating Dead Fred, by Joe Bott
*  In The Gloom & The Gleam - Photographs In The Cemetery, by footnoteMaven
*  Photography & Mourning, by footnoteMaven
*  Behind The Camera -  Post-Mortem Photography, by footnoteMaven
*  Moíses Rojo of Sinovas, Spain, by Heather Wilkinson Rojo


The photographs are beautiful - what a wonderful collection of photographs about death and mourning.  The articles are all excellent and on-point.  I am partial to Penelope Dreadful - I love how Denise takes a photograph and writes a story around it. 

By far the most useful article for researchers is Caroline Pointer's column about finding and using family records.  Printing a specific article is difficult - you can choose up to two pages at a time.

footnoteMaven has submitted the Shades of the Departed Magazine to the Digital Magazine Award judges for consideration.  I vote YES!!!!!!

Treasure Chest Thursday - Frederick W. Seaver's 1911 Birth Record

It's Thursday, time to open the Treasure Chest of family artifacts and documents collected by my parents and handed down in boxes and folders in the 1988 to 2002 time period.

I found my father's birth record in the notebook hiding in my bookcase two weeks ago, and scanned it during Scanfest on 26 September 2010. 


The information on this birth record includes:

*  Date of record: December 26, 1940
*  Name recorded at birth:  Frederick Walton Seaver, Jr.
*  Date of birth:  October 15, 1911
*  Name of Child:  Frederick Walton Seaver, Jr.
*  Color:  White; Sex: Male
*  Place of Birth:  116 Lawrence Street, Fitchburg, Mass.
*  Name of Father:  Frederick W. Seaver
*  Maiden Name of Mother: Alma Bessie Richmond
*  Residence of Parents: 116 Lawrence St., Fitchburg, Mass.
*  Occupation of Father: Comb Manufacturer
*  Birthplace of Father: Leominster, Mass.
*  Birthplace of Mother: Killingly, Conn.
*  Informant:  John W. Stimpson, MD.
*  Date of Record: May 1912
*  Vol. C - 8. Folio 321

The birth record has a raised blue seal of the City of Fitchburg and the signature of the City Clerk of Fitchburg certifying the accuracy of this document.

A question for my readers: Is this an original document or a derivative document?  Is it primary or secondary information?  Is it direct or indirect evidence? 

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Whittle Children Deaths in Australia

I posted Whittle Birth Records in Australia after finding records for five children born to Alexander and Rachel (Morley) Whittle in the FamilySearch Pilot site also has an Australian Births and Baptisms, 1792-1981 collection.  I also looked in the FamilySearch Pilot Australian Death and Burials, 1816-1980 collection and did not find any of the three children who do not appear in the 1852 California State Census.

Fortunately, reader Cheryl Bailey in Australia knew that there were other death records available online (an index at http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/) and offline.  She knew that the actual records were on microfilm at a Queensland State Archives and was going there in the near future, so she volunteered to look up the death records that might pertain to the Whittle children.

She found records for two of the deceased children, William and Margaret, but not the other child, John. 

A record from St. Laurence church in Sydney shows:

*  William Alfred Whittle, died 23 December 1852, buried 25 December 1852, aged 10 months, resided on Parranall Street [?, in Sydney?].  His father's occupation was a sawyer.

A record from Cainfordoron [? I can't read it clearly] parish shows:

*  Margaret Whittley, died 3 June 1850, buried 5 June 1850, aged 10 months, resided on Sussex Street [in Sydney].

Both age at death dates line up well with the birth dates in the birth records.  I also know that the Whittle's resided on Sussex Street in Sydney.

Here are the images for Margaret Whittle's record obtained from Cheryl - she split up the images to show the top and the bottom of the page:




There are lessons to be learned here (I mean re-learned, of course!), including:

*  Not ALL records are in online databases.  Cheryl knew, from experience, that there was a death records index online, and that the records were on microfilm and where to access them. 

*  Even if there are record collections online, the online collection may be incomplete.  There is an Australian death and burial database online at FamilySearch, but it did not have these records. 

*  Posting research details, and problems, on message boards, mailing lists, forums, websites,  blogs and other social media may result in readers or searchers finding the information, and the readers may offer advice or do research in an act of kindness.

*  The online genealogy world is a wonderful community of researchers, educators, writers and readers. 

My thanks to Cheryl for performing this intentional act of genealogical kindness.  I love my blog readers! 

(Not So) Wordless Wednesday - Post 123: George and Emily (Richmond) Taylor

I'm posting family photographs from my collection on Wednesdays, but they won't be wordless Wednesday posts like others do - I simply am incapable of having a wordless post.

Here is a photograph from the Seaver//Richmond family collection handed down by my mother in the 1988 to 2002 time period:




This photograph is of George Russell Taylor (1865-1945) and Emily White (Richmond) Taylor (1879-1966), who resided in San Diego after their marriage in 1901 in Leominster, Massachusetts.  I don't know the exact date of this photograph, but I'm guessing that it was taken in the 1920s or 1930s, based on the apparent age of George and Emily.

Emily White (Richmond) Taylor was the sister of my grandmother, Alma Bessie (Richmond) Seaver (1882-1962).  They were daughters of Thomas and Julia (White) Richmond of Killingly CT and Leominster MA. 

Aunt Emily, her daughter Dorothy (Taylor) Chamberlain, and Dorothy's daughter Marcia Chamberlain were the only known extended family in the San Diego area, and our families often got together on holidays - especially the Fourth of July and Christmas.  I never knew George Taylor, but adored Aunt Emily, who acted like a grandmother to my brothers and me. 

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

New Jersey State Library Digital Collections

Diane Haddad, on The Genealogy Insider blog, points us to the Family Tree Magazine article by David Fryxell titled 2010 Best State Websites.  The article is free to read (I saved it as a Favorite).

I went looking for information about New Jersey, in the New Jersey State Archives Digital Collection online at http://www.njstatelib.org/NJ_Information/Digital_Collections/.

The categories in this collection include:
  • Afro-Americans in New Jersey
  • Annual Report of the Inspector of Factories and Workshops, 1883-1904
  • Battles and Skirmishes of the American Revolution in New Jersey
  • Bureau of Statistics of Labor and Industries of New Jersey Annual Reports, 1878-1917
  • Corporations of New Jersey:List of Certificates to December 31, 1911
  • Forums Institute for Public Policy Issue Briefs
  • History of the New Jersey A.M.E. Church
  • Modern Forms of Municipal Governments
  • Morgan's History of the New Jersey Conference
  • Municipalities in New Jersey by County
  • New Jersey City Directories at the New Jersey State Library
  • New Jersey Constitutional Convention Proceedings 1947
  • New Jersey in the American Revolution 1763-1783: A Chronology
  • New Jersey in the American Revolution 1763-1783: A Documentary History
  • New Jersey Legislature 2000-2001
  • New Jersey Legislature 2002-2003
  • New Jersey's Revolutionary Experience
  • Official Register of the Officers and Men of New Jersey in the Revolutionary War
  • Report of the Attorney General's Task Force on Sovereign Immunity
  • Report to the Governor on the Subject of Tort Reform
  • Record of Officers and Men of New Jersey in the Civil War, 1861-1865
  • Report of the Study Commission on Parole
  • The Governors of New Jersey 1664-1974: Biographical Essays
  • The New Jersey African American History Curriculum
  • The Origin of New Jersey Place Names
  • Trenton Illustrated

 Each one of those topics has one or more articles, in PDF format, available to read online (and save to your hard drive if you wish).  Unfortunately, the articles are not searchable - they seem to be created from images of the original printed pages and the PDF search feature doesn't work on them.  Too bad!
 
Still, these articles provide a significant body of work about the history of the state of New Jersey.  I enjoyed reading about Revolutionary War Loyalists (seeking information about William Hutchinson, one of my Loyalist ancestors) and about the Fortunes of War and Women during the Revolutionary War.  Someone interested in colonial history could spend hours reading material in the Revolutionary War collection alone. 
 
Check out the Family Tree Magazine article and see if there are digitized articles or data available for your ancestral families. 

Tuesday's Tip - Check Local Library Online Databases

Today's Tuesday's Tip is to check the external databases that your local, or nearby, public libraries have available either inside the library or using access from the comfort of your home.

I have four library cards from San Diego County libraries.  These libraries offer a wide range of databases available from home.  For instance:

1)  Carlsbad Public Library

*  In the library:

**  Ancestry Library Edition
**  Footnote.com
**  New England Ancestors

*  In library plus home access (using a Carlsbad library card)

**  Biography and Genealogy Master Index (from Gale)
**  HeritageQuestOnline
**  NewspaperARCHIVE
**  ProQuest Newspapers

2)  San Diego County Library

*  In library branches

**  Ancestry Library Edition

*  In library and home access (with SDCL card number)

**  America's Obituaries and Death Notices from NewsBank
**  America's Newspapers from NewsBank

3)  San Diego Public Library

*  In library branches

**  Ancestry Library Edition

*  In library and home access (with SDPL card number)

**  Biography and Genealogy Master Index (from Gale)
**  Custom Newspapers Collection (from Gale)
**  Los Angeles Times newspaper, 1985-present (from ProQuest)
**  New York Times Historical, 1851-2006 (from ProQuest)
**  Newspapers, National and Regional (from ProQuest)
**  San Diego Union, 1983-1992; San Diego Tribune, 1983-1992; San Diego Union-Tribune, 1992 to present (from ProQuest)
**  Sanborn Maps (573 California cities), 1867-1970 (from ProQuest)

4)  Chula Vista Public Library

*  In library and home access (with CVPL card number)

**  San Diego Union, 1983-1992; San Diego Tribune, 1983-1992; San Diego Union-Tribune, 1992 to present (from ProQuest)
**  A to Z Maps Online

In every case, a library card from these libraries is free to obtain.  There are some excellent databases available from these libraries with home access. 

I spent an enjoyable two hours last night finding obituaries in the NewsBank Obituaries and Death Notices collection for recently deceased persons with the Seaver surname.  They were already transcribed, so all I had to do was copy and paste the text into the notes in my database for each person.  I learned the names of several spouses and many children of these Seaver persons.  I also found that my collection of Seaver people after 1930 is pretty sparse! 

What does your local or regional library offer for in-library and at-home access?  Do you know?  You may be able to access much more information than you realize just by having a library card.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Internet Genealogy Magazine Table of Contents - October/November 2010 Issue

The October/November 2010 issue of Internet Genealogy magazine was in my email inbox this morning, and this issue is chock full of interesting and useful articles.




The Table of Contents includes:

*  page 6 -- NET NOTES

*  page 8 -- CHELSEA AND GREENWICH PENSION RECORDS; David A. Norris looks at websites that will help you find your relatives in the British Army

*  page 10 -- TRACING YOUR NORWEGIAN ANCESTRY; Liv Marit Haakenstad discusses Norwegian resources available to you, both online and offline

*  page 13 -- A FARM BY ANY OTHER NAME; David A. Norris looks at how pieces of land can be unique genealogical identifiers

*  page 17 -- TOP 30 WEBSITES FOR FAMILY RESEARCH; Diane L. Richard lists her favorite websites for researching genealogy

*  page 22 - RECORD/WRITE YOUR FAMILY HISTORY; Lisa A. Alzo looks at the top online resources for preserving your family tree

*  page 26 -- FIVE WAYS TO CONNECT WITH KIN; Lisa A. Alzo discusses how to increase your chances of finding your long-lost relatives

*  page 28 -- WHAT’S NEW AT FAMILYSEARCH.ORG;  Tony Bandy looks at recent improvements at the popular genealogy website

*  page 31 -- IN MOTION: THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN MIGRATION EXPERIENCE; Diane L. Richard explores a great online resource

*  page 32 -- DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE POTENTIAL OF NEWSPAPERS;
Shannon Gillette gets the scoop on an often underutilized genealogical resource

*  page 34 -- 15 SITES TO TRACE FEMALE ANCESTORS;  Lisa A. Alzo looks at the top sites for researching the women in your family tree

*  page 36 -- UNCOVERING THE PAST OF TWO SISTERS; Ruby Coleman looks at how an old photo led to the discovery of the family history of two sisters

*  page 39 -- EASYNETSITES; Donna Potter Phillips sings the praises of a new resource

*  page 41 -- GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR ANCESTORS; Tony Bandy discovers a great resource for early American history

*  page 42 -- THE GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH LIBRARY; Tony Bandy looks at a relatively new online resource

*  page 44 -- WEST VIRGINIA VITAL RECORDS ONLINE!  Tony Bandy looks at an easy-to-use website that will help you locate West Virginian ancestors

*  page 46 -- GOING ONLINE WITH GENOOM! Tony Bandy looks at the future of online research

*  page 49 -- ULSTER HISTORICAL FOUNDATION; Diane L. Richard looks at the wealth of info you can gather from this Irish website

*  page 52 -- SHIPINDEX.ORG;  Donna Potter Phillips examines a great immigration
website

*  page 54 -- FACEBOOK FOR GENEALOGICAL SOCIETIES; According to Bill Puller, social networking sites can revolutionize your society

More details about Internet Genealogy magazine can be found on their website, http://internet-genealogy.com/.

The Children of Alexander and Rachel (Morley) Whittle - Jane

Alexander and Rachel (Morley) Whittle brought three children to California from Australia.

The youngest surviving daughter, Jane Whittle, was born in Sydney, Australia on 2 August 1847. 

She married Elijah Pickrell McKnew (1836-1912) on 4 August 1865, probably in Tuolumne County, California, according to McKnew family papers.  They had 11 children, all of whom reached adulthood and married, and most had children.

The U.S. census records document them from 1870 to 1920 (except for 1880!):

In the 1870 United States Census, this family was enumerated in Township 2, Tuolumne County, California. The household included (1870 U.S. Census, Tuolumne County, California, Population Schedule, Township #2, Page 354 (penned), dwelling #1352, family #607, accessed on http://www.ancestry.com/, citing National Archives Microfilm Series M593, Roll 93):

* E. A. McNew - age 34, male, white, a miner, $1000 in real property, $100 in personal property, born Maryland, eligible to vote
* Jane McNew - age 23, female, white, keeping house, born Australia, parents of foreign birth.
* A.J. McNew - age 3, male, white, at home, born California, mother of foreign birth
* A.R. McNew - age 2, female, white, born California, mother of foreign birth

A concerted effort to find the Elijah McKnew family in the 1880 census in California was fruitless on http://www.ancestry.com/.  The given names of Eli*, E, Jan*, J, Alf*, Hen*, Ali*, etc., and the surnames of Mcn*, Mck*, Mackn*, MacN*, and combinations with the birthplace and birth years of Elijah and Jane were fruitless. Searches in San Francisco County for children with their known birth years was fruitless. The conclusion was reached that this family was not enumerated in the 1880 US Census in California.

In the 1900 United States Census, this family was enumerated at 4131 19th Street in Assembly District 36, San Francisco, San Francisco County, California. The household included (1900 United States Census, San Francisco County, California, Population Schedule, Assembly district 34, Enumeration District 104, Page 8A, Dwelling #133, Family #175, accessed on http://www.ancestry.com/, citing National Archives Microfilm Series T623, Roll 103):

* Elijah P. McKnew - head of household, white, male, born Mar 1837, age 63, married, for 35 years, born Maryland, parents born Maryland/Maryland, no occupation, owns home with a mortgage
* Jane McKnew - wife, white, female, born Aug 1847, age 52, married, for 35 years, 11 children born, 11 living, born Australia, parents born England/England, immigrated in 1850, resident of US for 50 years
* Bell A. McKnew - daughter, white, female, born Feb 1882, age 18, single, born California, parents born Maryland/Australia
* Edna C. McKnew - daughter, white, female, born Mar 1884, age 16, single, born California, parents born Maryland/Australia, milliner
* May J. McKnew - daughter, white, female, born May 1886, age 14, single, born California, parents born Maryland/Australia
* Leland J. McKnew - son, white, male, born June 1889, age 10, single, born California, parents born Maryland/Australia, at school
* Gladys H. McKnew - daughter, white, female, born Aug 1891, age 8, single, born California, parents born Maryland/Australia, at school

In the 1910 United States Census, this family was enumerated at 4103 19th Street in Assembly District 34, San Francisco, San Francisco County, California. The household included (1910 United States Census, San Francisco County, California, Population Schedule, Assembly district 34, Enumeration District 128, Page 7A, Dwelling #150, Family #158, accessed on http://www.ancestry.com/, citing National Archives Microfilm Series T624, Roll 98):

* Elijah P. McKnew - head of household, male, white, age 74, first marriage, married 44 years, born Maryland, parents born Maryland/Maryland, has own income, owns home free of mortgage
* Jane McKnew - wife, female, white, age 62, first marriage, married 44 years, 12 children born, 11 living, born Ata English, parents born Ata English/English Ata
* Gladys McKnew - daughter, female, white, age 18, single, born California, parents born Maryland/Maryland, stenographer, works in office
* Robert J. McKnew - lodger, male, white, age 24, single, born North Carolina, parents born NC/NC, superintendent, works at food company

I believe that the "Ata" above for the birthplaces means Australia (looks like At'a to me in some places).  This census also lists 12 children born, 11 living for Jane, so there may be a child that died young between census records.  The most likely year is about 1874 for a child that died young.

In the 1920 United States Census, Jane McKnew was enumerated at 4137 19th Street in Assembly District 26, San Francisco, San Francisco County, California. The household included (1920 United States Census, San Francisco County, California, Population Schedule, Assembly District 26, Enumeration District 116, Page 10A, Dwelling #62, Family #93, accessed on http://www.ancestry.com/, citing National Archives Microfilm Series T625, Roll 135):


* Jane McKnew - head of household, owns home with mortgage, female, white, age 72, widow, unknown immigration, born Australia, parents born England/England, no occupation

A death notice for Elijah P. McKnew was published in the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper, dated 5 April 1912, on page 17 (accessed on http://www.footnote.com/). It reads:

"McKNEW -- In this city, April 4, Elijah P., dearly beloved husband of Jane McKnew, and devoted father of Alfred H., Henry L., George M., Leland J., and Gladys Hazel McKnew, Mrs. A. Runnels, Mrs. P.D. Hayes, Lily Olsen, Mrs. G.F. Samwell, Mrs. P.F. Schaffner and Mrs. W.C. Kenealy, a native of Baltimore, Md., aged 76 years and 6 days (Tuolumne county papers please copy)."

A death notice for Jane McKnew was published in the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper dated 9 February 1921, page 6 (accessed on http://www.footnote.com/).  It reads:

"McKNEW--In this city February 7, 1921, Jane, beloved wife of the late E.P. McKNEW and loving mother of Alfred R., Henry L., George M. and Leland J. McKNEW, Allethia J. RUNNELS, Mrs. P.D. HAYES, Mrs. C.A. GARDINER, Mrs. G.F. ROSE and the late Mrs. W. C. KENEALY, a native of Australia, aged 73 years, 6 months 5 days. Friends are invited to attend the funeral services Wednesday, at 2 o'clock p.m. from her late residence, 4137 19th St., Interment, Cypress Lawn Cemetary, private."

Here is the summary for this family:

Jane5 Whittle (Alexander4, Alexander3, John2, James1) was born 02 August 1847 in Sydney, New South Wales, Austrialia, and died 07 February 1921 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA. She married Elijah Pickrell McKnew 04 April 1865 in Tuolumne County, CA, son of Jeremiah McKnew and Frances Allethia Pickrell. He was born 29 March 1836 in Prince Georges County, MD, and died 04 April 1912 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA.

Children of Jane Whittle and Elijah McKnew are:

i. Allethia Jane6 McKnew, born November 1867 in Tuolumne County, CA; died 21 April 1959 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA. She married (1) John William Runnels before 1888 in probably San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; born about 1858 in St Joseph, MO; died 05 January 1912 in San Francisco, San Francisco, CA. She married (2) John F. Harper after 1912 in probably. San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; born 29 August 1862 in KS; died 04 December 1946 in San Francisco, San Francisco, CA (CA death index).

ii. Alfred Henry McKnew, born 23 February 1869 in Tuolumne County, CA; died 23 November 1943 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA. He married Alice G. McCann before 1890 in probably San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA; born June 1872 in CA; died 16 January 1936 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA.

iii. Henry Lee McKnew, born December 1870 in Tuolumne County, CA; died 01 August 1934 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA. He married Anna Marie Goff before 1901, probably in San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; born 21 April 1872 in California; died 27 March 1958 in Alameda County, CA.

iv. Alice Louise McKnew, born 24 December 1872 in Tuolumne County, CA; died 01 June 1959 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA. She married Phineas D. Hayes; born October 1860 in ENGLAND; died 14 February 1929 in San Francisco, San Francisco, CA.

v. Lilly M. McKnew, born 15 August 1876 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA; died 22 May 1958 in Burlingame, San Mateo County, CA. She married (1) George Olson before 1897 in probably San Francisco, San Francisco, CA. She married (2) Charles Gardiner before 1958 in CA.

vi. George Morgan McKnew, born 02 January 1879 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA; died 15 April 1944 in Kern County, CA.

vii. Belle A. McKnew, born 17 February 1882 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA; died 15 December 1974 in Union City, Alameda County, CA. She married (1) George Frederick Samwell about 1905 in San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; born 04 August 1878 in CANADA; died 15 May 1958 in Alameda County, CA. She married (2) Paul Ewald 23 April 1928 in San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; born 1877; died 21 December 1952 in Sonoma County, CA.

viii. Edna Catherine McKnew, born 07 March 1884 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA; died 11 November 1974 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA. She married Paul Frederick Schaffner 24 June 1906 in San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; born August 1879 in San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; died 29 May 1934 in San Francisco, San Francisco, CA.

ix. May Jane McKnew, born May 1886 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA; died 10 November 1918 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA. She married William C. Kenealy 19 February 1908 in San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; born about 1882 in CA; died 21 November 1932 in Sacramento, Sacramento, CA.

x. Leland J. McKnew, born June 1889 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA; died 28 November 1933 in Sacramento County, CA. He married Agnes Matilda Hansen about 1909 in probably San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; born 10 June 1889 in CA; died 03 February 1970 in San Francisco, San Francisco, CA.

xi. Gladys Hazel McKnew, born 22 August 1892 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA; died 01 June 1955 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA. She married Harry Rose; born 05 March 1882 in Germany; died 26 August 1965 in Santa Clara County, CA.

Jane (Whittle) McKnew had 11 children, Joseph Whittle had at least nine children, and Elizabeth (Whittle) (Ray) Swerer had at least 13 children.  That's 33 children carrying the genes of Alexander Whittle and Rachel Morley onto the next generations.  Jane's 11 children had at least 19 children between them, and there are many more in the next three generations alive today.

My wife's grandmother was Edna Catherine McKnew, the 8th child in the list above. 

The Elijah and Jane (Whittle) McKnew family is in the picture outside their home at 4135 19th Street in San Francisco after the 18 April 1906 San Francisco earthquake - shown in my post 18 April 1906 - San Francisco - They Were There!

Amanuensis Monday - Probate Papers of Jonathan Keyes (1722-1781)

Genea-blogger John Newmark (who writes the excellent TransylvanianDutch blog) started his own Monday blog theme many months ago called Amanuensis Monday. What does "amanuensis" mean? John offers this definition:


"A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another."

The subject today is the probate file of Jonathan Keyes (1722-1781) of Westford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, one of my 5th great-grandfathers.

Jonathan Keyes died testate, and his extensive probate papers are in Middlesex County Probate Records, Packet #13,192 (accessed on FHL Microfilm 0,416,784). He wrote his last will and testament on 21 July 1777.  I posted the transcript of the will and related papers last week in Amanuensis Monday - Will of Jonathan Keyes (1722-1781).

Here is the transcription or summary of the rest of the probate file:
 
On 19 September 1781, the Judge of the Probate Court ordered that the will be set aside and declared it null and void, and that the estate be settled in every respect according to law as an intestate estate, as if the will had not been written.


Timothy Prescott was appointed Administrator of the estate of Jonathan Keyes, late of Westford, yeoman on 19 September 1781. Timothy Prescott, yeoman of Westford as principal, Nathaniel Boyneton, gentleman of Westford, Joseph Keyes, clothier of Westford, posted bond of 50,000 pounds.

Nathaniel Boynton, Thomas Read and Timothy Spaulding, gentlemen of Westford, were appointed and empowered to take an inventory on 19 September 1781 of the estate of Jonathan Keyes, late of Westford.

In a separate document, these three were also named to be the Commissioners to divide the estate according to the heirs agreement and the Court's order.

An extensive inventory of the estate of Jonathan Keyes, late of Westford, was taken by Nathaniel Boynton, Thomas Read and Timothy Spaulding on 1 October 1781. The personal estate was apprized to be 147 pounds, 13 shillings, 3 pence. The real estate was appraised on 5 October 1781 by the three appraisers. The real estate inventory totalled 797 pounds, and included:

* 85 acres of mowing, pasturing, orcharding, tillage and wood land lying in the northerly part of Westford at Long Sortfor (so-called), with a dwelling house and barn (306 pounds)
* 2 acres of pine land lying on Barns. Plains (12 pounds)
* 2-1/2 acres of wood land at Burgn Swamp (2 pounds)
* 2-1/2 acres of wood land on Flushing Hill (2 pounds, 10 shillings)
* 20 acres of wood land lying by Flushing Pond (20 pounds)
* 12 acres of tillage land on north side of Nabemist Pond (15 pounds)
* 10 acres of wood land called Butterfield lot lying near Dunstable Line (6 pounds, 10 shillings)
* Farm lying on Francis Hill by Chelmsford line, with dwelling house (63 pounds), barn (10 pounds), cider mill (4 pounds) and corn house (6 pounds)
* 12 acres of orchard, pasturing, tillage and wood land on south side of the town road to Chelmsford (59 pounds, 10 shillings)
* 10 acres of mowing, orchard and tillage land on north side of the town road to Chelmsford (75 pounds)
* 2 acres of mowing land by the east end of the dwelling house (14 pounds)
* 4 acres of pasture land (called Hill pasture) on the south side of the road and west of Chelmsford line (20 pounds)
* 3-1/2 acres of pasture land (called Gideon pasture) north of Hill pasture (14 pounds)
* 5 acres of mowing land adjoining Gideon pasture (30 pounds)
* 2-1/2 acres of pasture and orchard adjoining Richardson's land (15 pounds)
* 2 acres of pasture on west side of road leading to Chandlers Mill (9 pounds)
* 2 acres of mowing land (called the Gate Pine) adjoining Richardson's land (12 pounds)
* 1-1/2 acres of mowing, tillage and orchard land (called Robbin pine) (10 pounds, 10 shillings)
* 3 acres of pasture land (called Chandler's pasture) (21 pounds)
* 1 acre of orchard land (called Wheat pine) lying near the back side of the dwelling house (7 pounds, 10 shillings)
* 4 acres of pasture land near the barn and the lane to Chandler's Mill (16 pounds, 10 shillings)
* 6 acres of tillage land lying west of the farm near Nehemiah Fletcher's land (36 pounds)
* Pew in the meeting house (10 pounds)

The commissioners then set off some of the land parcels to Betty Keyes, with a value of 265 pounds, 13 shillings, 4 pence. This land included one half of the Francis Hill farm, barn, cider mill and corn house, one third of the meeting house pew, and several other land parcels.

Another inventory of the remaining real estate was made on 19 February 1782. This totalled 521 pounds, 3 shillings, 4 pence. The Commissioners then set off the "Long Sought For" property and two small parcels (appraised at 315 pounds, 10 shillings) to the eldest son, Joseph Keys. Jonathan Keyes received the other half of the Francis Hill property and several other pieces (apprised at 295 pounds, 13 shillings, 4 pence). Joseph Keyes indicated that he had received the sum of 148 pounds during his father's lifetime, Zechariah Hildreth said he had received 30 pounds from his father-in-law, and Joanna Keyes said she had received 4 pounds. This was recorded by the Court on 13 March 1782.

Each portion of the remaining real estate was valued at 63 pounds, 18 shillings, 5-9/11 pence (1/11th of 521 pounds, 3 shillings, 4 pence). Since Joseph and Jonathan Keyes received amounts greater than their agreed shares, Joseph Keyes was ordered to pay 33 pounds, 18 shillings, 5-9/11 pence to Elizabeth Hildreth; 59 pounds, 18 shillings, 5-9/11 pence to Joanna Adams; 63 pounds, 18 shillings, 5-9/11 pence to his sisters Hannah, Lydia and Lucy Keyes; and 50 pounds, 7-3/11 pence to Miriam Keyes. Jonathan Keyes was ordered to pay 63 pounds, 18 shillings, 5-9/11 pence to his sisters Patty and Frances Grant Keyes; and 13 pounds, 17 shillings, 10-6/11 pence to his sister Miriam Keyes. This was approved by the Court on 14 March 1782.

The Administrator of the estate made an Account dated 14 April 1785, listing the account balance of 147 pounds, 13 shillings, 3 pence. The debts owed to Jonathan Keyes were 84 pounds, 4 shillings. The Administrators charges, fees and debts owed by Jonathan Keyes were listed. The balance remaining in the Administrators hands was 170 pounds, 15 shillings, 5 pence. The heirs (Joseph Keyes, Jonathan Keyes, Isaac Patten, and Timothy Adams) approved of the account on 16 May 1785, and recommended that the remainder be given to their honoured mother. This account was accepted by the Court on 18 May 1785.

Additional administrator's efforts resulted in a balance in his hands of 207 pounds on 20 September 1785, which was accepted by the Court.

In two separate Probate Packets (#13,193 and 13,194), Zaccheus Wright was allowed to be Guardian to the two children under age 14 (Patty and Frances Grant Keyes), and the four children over age 14 (Jonathan, Lydia, Lucy and Miriam Keyes) selected Zaccheus Wright to be their guardian.

There are so many details in the discarded will and the probate proceedings that it is difficult to summarize this probate file.  The will was very complicated and was judged to be unable to be fulfilled, so it was set aside with the approval of all of the heirs.  The heirs agreed to split up the property between the widow and the two living sons.  The rest of the children, from Jonathan Keyes two marriages, received money from the two sons who received the property.  The real value of all of these probate papers is that they name the living children, and the husbands of the married daughters.

The widow, "Betty" - Elizabeth (Hartwell) (Read) Keyes - married again on 15 October 1782 to Pelatiah Fletcher.  This Pelatiah Fletcher is probably the one who had married Dorothy Hildreth (who died 14 June 1782 in Westford) in 1757, and was the father of the Pelatiah Fletcher who married Patty Keyes in 1785, daughter of Jonathan and his second wife, Elizabeth (Hartwell) (Read) Keyes. 

Who was Zaccheus Wright, who became the guardian of the six minor children?   Was he a relative of Jonathan Keyes or Elizabeth Hartwell?  He may have been an uncle or close cousin of one of them, and lived in the area.  It is possible that the minor children did not live with him, but were only represented by him in the probate proceedings.  Their mother survived until 1826 and the children may have lived with her until they married and left home.

In these types of probate cases, if the widow remarries, the real property usually reverts to the children.  Betty received one half of the Francis Hill property.  Was there another probate record or land record that directed the transfer of the real property to the children?  There may be a probate record for Pelatiah Fletcher and/or Betty (Hartwell) (Read) (Keyes) Fletcher.

It is apparent that the older children of Jonathan Keyes loved and respected Betty - they agreed on the real property after Jonathan's death, and they gave her the remaining money in the administrator's account in 1785.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Best of the Genea-Blogs - 26 September to 2 October 2010

Hundreds of genealogy and family history bloggers write thousands 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 the genealogy carnivals, or other 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:

Where does genealogy end and history begin? by Marian Pierre-Louis on the Roots and Rambles blog.  Definitions, comparisons, questions - Marian gets some help from readers too.
 
When is large, too large? Another look at Ancestry.com by James Tanner on the Genealogy's Star blog.   James has an interesting comment from a reader, and discusses the issue further.
 
Israel: 'One Family, Many Faces Festival,' Day 1, Tel Aviv: Family Festival - Day 2 and Tel Aviv: Family Festival, Day 3  by Schelly Talalay Dardashti on Tracing the Tribe: The Jewish Genealogy Blog.  Schelly shares stories and pictures about the festival in Tel Aviv.  The best line by a parent was "We just want them to know their history."  Amen!
 
The Best Genealogy Advice I Ever Got Was by Leah on The Internet Genealogist blog.  Leah shared her best advice in three categories, have you provided yours yet?
 
Six reasons why postcard collecting is like family history research by John Gasson on The Wandering Genealogist blog.  These six reasons are excellent for family history...I don't know much about postcard collecting!
 
Sharing Genealogy: Part 2 by JL on the JLog blog.  JL has great ideas for getting relatives to listen...you have to be sneaky sometimes!
 
Relative Finder, Ancestry.com Style by the writer of The Ancestry Insider blog.  Mr. AI finds GIGO almost every family tree he climbs...at least he can hear the crickets.
 
Genealogy Research Bag - a Lifesaver!  by Lorine McGinnis Schulze on The Olive Tree Genealogy Blog.  Lorine has wonderful ideas about getting everything you need in one place to go off to the library or cemetery at a moment's notice. Her readers provide many more ideas in comments.
 
Stepping away by the writer of the Nolichucky Roots blog.  I think we all understand this problem with genealogy software... but I'm not brave or patient enough to do this!
 
Connecting with Long Lost Relatives by Tessa on The Keough Corner blog.  An issue we all deal with - Tessa has some excellent ideas about the subject (yes, I know it was the week before, but it was worthy!).
 
The Top 10 Places to Find Old Photos of Your House  by Marian Pierre-Louis on The New England House Historian blog.  Outstanding ideas for finding historical home pictures. 
 
Genealogy Software Must Change! and Genealogy Software Must Change! PT2 by George Geder on the Geder Genealogy blog.  George has some good ideas, as do his readers, about adding diversity and other features to genealogy software.
 
Building a Genealogical House: The Internet and Genealogy by Chris Staats on the Staats Place blog.  Chris uses a great analogy to characterize the role of the Internet in pursuing genealogy research.
 
12 Step Program for Genealogists by Laura on the It's All Relative blog.  Funniest post of the week, and great ideas for passing it on to the next generation.  Yeas, verily, I too am a geneaholic!  [Yes, I know it was posted today, but I didn't want to wait a week to share it!]

Other weekly "Best of..." genealogy blog posts include:

* Follow Friday: 1 October 2010 by Greta Koehl on the Greta's Genealogy Bog blog. Greta's weekly reader picks are often different from mine and John's.

* Weekly Genealogy Picks by John Newmark on the TransylvanianDutch blog. John highlights blog posts, carnivals, press releases and more, plus he links to several other weekly pick posts.

I encourage you to go to the blogs listed above and read their articles, and add their blog to your Favorites, Google Reader, 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 am currently reading posts from over 680 genealogy bloggers using Google Reader, but I still miss quite a few it seems.

Read past Best of the Genea-Blogs posts here.