Saturday, November 30, 2013

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Do Some Semi-Random Research

It's Saturday Night - 
time for more Genealogy Fun! 



Your mission, should you decide to accept it (cue the Mission Impossible! music) is to:


1) We're going to do a little bit of Semi-Random Research tonight...

2)  Go to your family tree database of choice (you know, like RootsMagic, Reunion, Ancestry Member Tree), and determine who the very last person on your list of B names is.  Or the last person on your list of D names.  Or H names.  Or any other name you need to research.  Your choice!

3)  What do you know (or not know) about this person based on your research?  It's OK to do more research if you need to - in fact, it's encouraged!

4)  How are you related to this person, and why is s/he in your family tree?

5)  Tell us about it in a blog post of your own, in a comment to this blog post, or in a Facebook Status post or Google+ Stream post.


Here's mine:

2)  The last name on my B surname list is John Francis Byrnes (born in 1851, died in 1896 in Windham County, Conn.), who married Mary Seaver (born 1845 in Massachusetts, died in 1902 in Windham county, Conn.) in 1886 in Killingly, Windham County, Connecticut.  I have no children listed for them.  I received the information from a correspondent in 2000.  I don't know the names of John Byrnes parents.

3)  Let's see what I can find doing online searches:

*  In the 1870 U.S. census, John Byrnes is age 19, born in Connecticut, with parents John (age 50, born Ireland) and Bridget (age 50, born Ireland) and sibling Michael (age 21, born Conn.), residing in Hampton, Windham county, Connecticut.

*  In the 1880 U.S. census, John J. Burns is age 29, born in Connecticut, residing in the William Bennett household in Hampton, Windham County, Connecticut.

*  In the 1860 U.S. census, John Burns is age 9, born in Connecticut, with parents John (age 36, born Ireland) and Bridget (age 35, born Ireland), with siblings Martin (age 13, born Conn.) and Michael (age 11, born Conn.) residing in Hampton, Windham County, Connecticut.  

*  There is an entry for John Francis Byrnes (1851-1896) in the "Connecticut, Hale Cemetery Inscriptions, and Newspaper notices, 1629-1934" collection on Ancestry.com, listing him in Old Westfield Cemetery in Danielson, Windham County, Connecticut.  Also on the listing is Mary Seaver Byrnes (1845-1902).

*  FamilySearch.org had a birth record for John Burn, son of John and Bridget Burn, on 15 December 1850 in Brooklyn, Windham County, Connecticut.  

*  There is a 1900 U.S. Census entry for a John Burnes (born Dec 1850 in Conn.) with a wife Mary A. Burnes (age 44, born R.I.), and four children, residing in Danielson, Windham County, Connecticut.  However, the age for Mary doesn't match other information, they were married in about 1875, and this John Burnes apparently lives until after 1910.  I don't think this is the same couple.

*  There is no Ancestry Member Tree for John Francis Byernes besides my own.

*  There is no entry for John Francis Byrnes in the FamilySearch Family Tree, but John Burn, born 15 December 1850, son of John and Bridget Burn, is in the FSFT, but without a spouse.

So I've managed to add a birth date, birth place, parents names, and a cemetery record to John Francis Byrnes, and some information for Mary (Seaver) Byrnes also.  

4)  I am not related to John Francis Byrnes.  Mary Seaver is in my database as the daughter of George W. (1806-1858) and Emily (Chamberlain) Seaver (1811-1872).  I don't know George W. Seaver's parents names, but I think he is a grandson of Moses Seaver (1740-1809).  That would make George a first cousin 7 times removed, and Mary a first cousin 8 times removed.  John Francis Byrnes is in my family tree database because I "collect" Seaver persons and their spouses.


copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver


2 comments:

Lisa S. Gorrell said...

I did it!
http://mam-massouthernfamily.blogspot.com/2013/11/saturdaynight-genealogy-fun-do-some.html

Mel said...

Here is my entry for this week. I researching a "marry in", Manuel Buttelo. http://www.researchjournal.yourislandroutes.com/2013/11/sngf-pick-a-name/