Saturday, May 4, 2013

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Your Mother's Mother's Patrilineal Line


Calling all Genea-Musings Fans: 

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



Here is your assignment if you choose to play along (cue the Mission Impossible music, please!):


The challenge:  Find a living male person in your database from your maternal grandmother's patrilineal line who could take a Y-chromosome DNA test. Answer these questions:

1) What was your mother's mother's name?

2) What is your mother's mother's patrilineal line? That is, her father's father's father's ... back to the most distant male ancestor in that line?

3) Can you identify male sibling(s) of your mother's mother, and any living male descendants from those male sibling(s)? If so, you have a candidate to do a Y-DNA test on that patrilineal line. If not, you may have to find male siblings, and their descendants, of the next generation back, or even further.

4)  Tell us about it in your own blog post, or in a comment on this post, or in a Facebook or Google Plus post.


Here is mine (as an example):


1)  My mother's mother's name was Emily Kemp Auble (1899-1977), daughter of Charles Auble (1849-1916) and Georgianna Kemp (1868-1952).

2)  Emily Auble's patrilineal line is:

*  Charles Auble (1849-1916) married Georgianna Kemp (1868-1952)
*  David Auble (1817-1894) married Sarah Knapp (1818-after 1900).
*  John Auble (1780-????) married Anna Row (1780-1860)
*  Johannes Able (1758-1818) married Sophia Trimmer (1747-1811)
*  Michael Able (1719-1791) married Christina (1730-1804)
*  Andreas Able (1690-1751) married Maria (????-1771)

3)  Charles Auble (1849-1916) had one brother, William A. Auble (1845-1901) who had one daughter, so that doesn't work out.

David Auble (1817-1894) had three brothers, William (1820-1844, no children); Hampton Auble (1827-1901) had one son, who died unmarried; Robert Auble (1830-1920) had three sons, but only one had a son that I know of.  He may be a possibility - I need to do more research to add several more generations.

There are several male Auble/Able lines from the earlier generations, but I don't have anything past the grandchildren (which are in the mid-19th century).  I need to do mroe research to add several more generations.

This is another case where my "only child" syndrome really hampers my research - my mother was an only child, and both of her parents were also.  


Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver

My Target NGS 2013 Conference Sessions - Friday, May 10

I want to list the selected NGS 2013 Conference sessions that I would like to attend.  I may not attend all of them, due to schedule conflicts, space constraints, or time conflicts.  But if I write them out, I am more likely to attend more of them. 

The Conference Syllabus is available for download at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/2013syllabus if you are an NGS Conference registrant.  Unfortunately, the syllabus doesn't provide the session times.  


The Conference Program (http://members.ngsgenealogy.org/Conferences/Program2013.cfm) provides the times, but not the room numbers for each session.  The NGS2013 mobile app provides times, session number, speaker and title, but not the room number.  Why can't everything be in one place?

Here are my target Friday, 10 May sessions (I've added the syllabus page numbers so I can print them out):


8 a.m. F301: Dawne Slater Putt - Fail! When the Record is Wrong
8 a.m. F307: William T. Ruddock - Colonial New York Genealogy

9:30 a.m. F312: Elizabeth Shown Mills - Trousers, Black Domestic, Tacks, and Housekeeping Bills: "Trivial Details" Can Solve Research Problems!
9:30 a.m. F317: Karen Mauer Green - Cutting Through the Confusion: Research in Upstate New York

11 a.m. F322:  Sharon Tate Moody - Strategy for Research Success: How to Analyze Your Evidence and Plan Your Next Step
11 a.m. F327: Laura Murphy DeGrazia - Spanning the Great New York Abyss: Connecting generations When No Vital Records Exist

2:30 p.m. F342:  Julie Miller - Will the Real Molly Brown Please Stand Up?

2:30 p.m. F349: Lisa Louise Cooke - Google Search Strategies for Common Surnames:  Quality Results in Less Time

4:00 p.m. F351: Harold Henderson - "Are We There Yet?" Proof and the Genealogy Police
4:00 p.m.  F352: Thomas W. Jones - Planning "Reasonably Exhaustive" Research

This may be another interesting day!!!  I am glad that there are 30 minute breaks between sessions rather than 15 minutes.

The URL for this post is:  

Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver

Disclosure:  I was named an Official Blogger and will take advantage of the opportunities.  However, I paid a full registration fee and will not spend all of my time in the Exhibit Hall or blogger area.

Surname Saturday - CLEAVELAND (England > colonial Massachusetts)

It's Surname Saturday, and I'm "counting down" my Ancestral Name List each week.  

I am in the 7th great-grandmothers, up to number 585: Joanna CLEAVELAND (1670-1758). [Note: the earlier great-grandmothers and 7th great-grandfathers have been covered in earlier posts].

My ancestral line back through two American generations of this CLEAVELAND family line is:

1.  Randall J. Seaver

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

4. Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942)
5. Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962)

8. Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922)
9. Hattie Louise Hildreth (1857-1920)


18.  Edward Hildreth (1831-1899)
19.  Sophia Newton (1834-1923)

36.  Zachariah Hildreth (1783-1857)
37.  Hannah Sawtell (1789-1857)

72.  Zachariah Hildreth (1754-1828)
73.  Elizabeth Keyes (1758-1793)

146.  Jonathan Keyes (1722-1781)
147.  Elizabeth Fletcher (1720-1761)


292.  Joseph Keyes (1698-172)

293.  Elizabeth Fletcher (1698-1775)


584.  Joseph Keyes, born 24 May 1667 in Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States; died 09 June 1757 in Westford, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.  He was the son of 1168. Solomon Keyes and 1169. Frances Grant.  He married 28 May 1690 in Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.
585.  Joanna Cleaveland, born 05 March 1669/70 in Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States; died 18 March 1758 in Westford, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.  
Children of Joseph Keyes and Joanna Cleaveland are:
*  Lydia Keyes (1693-????), married Mudge.
*  Joanna Keyes (1695-1787), married (1) Thomas Kidder, (2) Samuel Fitch
*  Joseph Keyes (1698-1744), married Elizabeth Fletcher
*  Miriam Keyes (1700-????), married John Lawson.

1170.  Moses Cleaveland, born 1624 in Ipswich, Suffolk, England; died 09 January 1701/02 in Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.  He married 26 September 1648 in Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.
1171.  Ann Winn, born 1626 in England; died before May 1682 in Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.  She was the daughter of 2342. Edward Winn and 2343. Joanna.
Children of Moses Cleaveland and Ann Winn are:
*  Moses Cleaveland (1651-1718), married Ruth Norton.
*  Hannah Cleaveland (1653-????), married Thomas Henshaw
*  Aaron Cleaveland (1655-1716), married (1) Prudence; (2) Dorcas Wilson
*  Samuel Cleaveland (1657-1736), married (1) Jane Keyes; (2) Persis Hildreth; (3) Margaret
*  Miriam Cleaveland (1659-1735), married Thomas Koskett.
*  Joanna Cleaveland (1661-1667)
*  Edward Cleaveland (1664-1746), married (1) Deliverance Palmer; (2) Zeruiah Church.
*  Josiah Cleaveland (1667-1709), married Mary Bates.
*  Isaac Cleaveland (1669-1714), married Elizabeth Curtis.
*  Joanna Cleaveland (1670-1758), married Joseph Keyes.
*  Enoch Cleaveland (1671-1729), married (1) Elizabeth Counts; (2) Elizabeth Wright.

Information for these families were obtained from:

*  Edmund James Cleveland and Horace Gillette Cleveland, The Genealogy of the Cleveland and Cleaveland Families (Hartford CT : Lockwood and Brainerd Co., 1899).  

* G. Molyneaux Wheeler, The Wheeler Family of Cranfield, England and Concord, Massachusetts and Some Descendants of Sgt. Thomas Wheeler of Concord (Long Beach, Calif. : the author, 1992).

*  Massachusetts Town Vital Record books

The URL for this post is:

Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver

Mocavo Announces "Genealogy Karma"


I received this announcement from Mocavo:

==========================
Back in 1999, a fantastic resource was established to bring together members of the genealogy community all around the world. The brainchild of Bridgett and Doc Schneider, Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness (RAOGK) was created to help genealogists collaborate with the genealogy community to document their research, while also offering genealogists a way to give back to a community that had helped them in the past. RAOGK quickly turned into a global organization. The group’s volunteers were able to help thousands of genealogists make progress in their family history research.

Bridgett Schneider courtesy of RAOGK Wiki

The ROAGK website went offline in 2011 because of a computer disaster. Sadly, Bridgett Schneider passed away later that year, and the website was never able to come back online. In tribute to Bridgett and Doc Schneider and all of the participants in RAOGK, many volunteers have created programs similar to ROAGK to help bring together the expertise of the genealogy community. Doc and Bridgett’s legacy and the efforts of thousands of volunteers inspired us to create a place for researchers to come together and collaborate to help other members of the genealogical community.   

Today, at Mocavo, we are excited to announce the launch of Genealogy Karma. Modeled after Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness, we hope to empower the Mocavo community and connect researchers all around the country. If you’re looking for documents, records, or photos from an ancestor who lived far away, we will connect you with family history volunteers who can do this research for you in other cities. Likewise, if you’d like to give back to the Mocavo community and have a little time to donate, you can sign up as a volunteer.

To begin visit www.mocavo.com/karma


To request help:
1. Simply click on “I need to request help.”
2. Select the county for your request.
3. Create a short title and add a detailed explanation of your request so that others can help find what you’re looking for.
4. Tag your request to help others discover it. For example, you can tag your request as “photo”, “birth record”, or “tombstone”.
5. You can also select to be notified if someone replies to your request.
6. Post your query.

To Volunteer:
1. Simply click on “I want to be a volunteer.”
2. Select the counties that you can help with.
3. Submit your information.
4. We will then let you know when there are opportunities to help other genealogists in your area.
 
Similar to surname groups, genealogy karma has a new twist that allows the most valuable content to float to the top of the page.

You can vote positively or negatively on each question and answer.  As a result, the most popular questions and most relevant answers rise to the top so that you don’t have to dig through heaps of information to find the good stuff. Next to each question or answer within a Surname Group, you will see arrows.  If you find a request you are interested in or response that is particularly helpful, you can “vote it up” so that more people will see it. If you find a request to be wildly off topic or unhelpful or if you think an answer is inaccurate, you can “vote it down” so that it will migrate to the bottom of the page. The topics at the top of the page will be the ones with the highest number of “up” votes so that you can quickly see the most valuable questions and answers.

Check out Genealogy Karma and take advantage of the vast network of Mocavo community members spread far and wide. Let us know what you think by emailing us at support@mocavo.com.

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

My thanks to Mocavo for creating this service.  I looked around the site last night, and it works really well.  I even left a Research Answer on one Request.  Can you find it?

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/05/mocavo-announces-genealogy-karma.html

Friday, May 3, 2013

Q&A About MyHeritage Census Records and Record Matches

After the availability of the 1790 to 1930 U.S. Census records was announced by MyHeritage (see MyHeritage Adds 1790 to 1930 United States Census Records), I emailed Daniel Horowitz, the Chief Genealogist and Translation Manager for MyHeritage, asking questions and requesting that I can share the answers on Genea-Musings.  

Here are my Questions (in Red) and Daniel's Answers (in blue):

Q1)  What is the source of the census images?  Are they from FHL microfilms, or NARA films, or another source?

Q2)  Did MyHeritage create an independent index?  If so, using paid or volunteer indexers?  From which countries?  If it's not independent, where did you obtain it?


A1-2) We cannot comment about this due to confidentiality agreements.

Q3)  Why did you not include the NARA Microfilm Publication number and the NARA Roll number in the indexing?  Is the "Roll number" on the record summary an FHL microfilm number?

A3) We did not have this info available. However, we will try to obtain this and add it

Q4)  How did you choose which fields to index?  For instance - for 1880 to 1930, the father's birthplace and mother's birthplace are very useful bits of data, and the Ancestry search can use them to narrow a search.

A4) Agreed. At the end of the day the transcription costs dictate what is indexed.

Q5)  Is the 1940 U.S. census completely imaged and indexed?  If not, which states not not complete?  If not, when will the 1940 census be completely indexed?


A5) The 1940 US census is complete (images + index) but the last batch of the index (about 4%) is still in our QA lab and we expect that we'll release this last batch in about one more week. For now the images on the site are complete and the index on the site is 96% complete.

Q6)  When I'm in a Record Match screen, why can't I click on another person in the household and "Confirm" or "Reject" that match also (if it's in the Record Match list)?  In my example today, the husband, mother and two children are all in my MyHeritage tree and I would prefer to Confirm them all by clicking on their name and confirming, rather than having to do it 5 times from five different Record Matches.


A6) This is a known issue, that will be addressed in our product roadmap.

Q7)  Are the Record Matches finished providing numbers?  My number of Record Matches is very low for some census years.  My guess is that the search is not complete, and that it will take some time to do everyone's tree.   For instance, I have 116 source citations in my tree for the 1850 census, but the Record Matches shows 5.  I have 420 sources for the 1900 census, and MyHeritage shows 588, which means I have work to do!


A7)  Record Matches are still being calculated. The 1850 census does not provide many matches, so do not expect many more, because it did not list for each member of the household, its designation (e.g. wife, son, servant, etc). This was added in later years of the census. This makes it harder for automatic matching to reach conclusions without risking accuracy. We don't just give you a "match" if we find a James Smith born 1820 in a family tree and that's it, more evidence is needed that this is the right one, such as relatives and their birth dates. However, we may be able to optimize this and make some safe assumptions about relationships. For example if we have a household with James Smith age 56, Wilma Smith age 50, and 3 other smiths in the household aged 10 to 16, we can head, wife and children and try to match based on that assumption. Since the census was added to MyHeritage only yesterday it will take us a bit more than one day to develop these extra smarts, but we will, and you will be able to get more matches from census years like 1850. Having 588 matches on 1900 vs. 420 that you have does mean you have work to do, it means MyHeritage has an excellent, and highly accurate matching technology and thanks to that you have your work cut out for you...

My thanks to Daniel for answering my questions quickly and succinctly.  There are some interesting comments  there about the census records and Record Matching.  

For what it's worth, my guess is that the census images were obtained from the Family History Library microfilms, since the source citations include the FHL microfilm numbers.  Who provided the indexes, or did MyHeritage do their own?  Anyone have a guess?


My Target NGS 2013 Conference Sessions - Thursday, May 9

I want to list the selected NGS 2013 Conference sessions that I would like to attend.  I may not attend all of them, due to schedule conflicts, space constraints, or time conflicts.  But if I write them out, I am more likely to attend more of them. 

The Conference Syllabus is available for download at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/2013syllabus if you are an NGS Conference registrant.  Unfortunately, the syllabus doesn't provide the session times.  


The Conference Program (http://members.ngsgenealogy.org/Conferences/Program2013.cfm) provides the times, but not the room numbers for each session.  The NGS2013 mobile app provides times, session number, speaker and title, but not the room number.  Why can't everything be in one place?

Here are my target Thursday, 9 May sessions (I've added the syllabus page numbers so I can print them out):


8 a.m. T202: Thomas W. Jones - Maximizing Your Use of Evidence
8 a.m. T208: Barbara Ann Renick - Search Techniques for Computer-Indexed Sources

9:30 a.m. T215: Mara Fein - Finding and Using Records in Southern California
9:30 a.m. T220:  Shamele Jordon - Cloud Genealogy 

11 a.m.: T223: Kay Havelich Freiland:  Were Your Ancestors Friends? Finding and Using Quaker Records
11 a.m. T228: Kimberly T. Powell - Software Strategies: Choosing the Best Genealogy software for Your Genealogy Project

2:30 p.m. T241: Elizabeth Shown Mills - Information Overload! Effective Project Planning, Research, Data Management, and Analysis
2:30 p.m. T247: Craig Roberts Scott:  Finding Females: Maiden Name Not Known

4:00 p.m. T253: David McDonald - Lutherpalians and Presbygationalists: Where Did Grandma's Church Go?
4:00 p.m. T252: Deborah A. Abbott - Methods and Strategies: Reconstructing a Family History

This may be an interesting day!!!  I am glad that there are 30 minute breaks between sessions rather than 15 minutes.

The URL for this post is:  
http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/05/my-target-ngs-2013-conference-sessions_3.html

Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver

Disclosure:  I was named an Official Blogger and will take advantage of the opportunities.  However, I paid a full registration fee and will not spend all of my time in the Exhibit Hall or blogger area.

Follow-Up Friday - Interesting Reader Comments on Genea-Musings Posts

It's Friday, so time to dip into the Genea-Musings mailbag and highlight helpful and interesting reader comments.  This week's crop includes:

1)  On Using MyHeritage Record Matches for 1900 U.S. Census Records (1 May 2013):

*  Delia Furrer asked:  "How long does it take to get the smart and record matches if you are new to the site and a Premium Member? You received your new census matches fast. I am wondering if I have done something incorrect."

*  Nancy noted:  "I'm right there with you Delia . Partly because of Randy's reviews of the product and after watching the MyHeritage RootsTech presentation I decided to purchase it.  It's been 15 days and I still have seen no Record Matches and support requests have take 7 days each for MyHeritage support to reply and still nothing is working. 

"My file won't sync and it isn't finding record matches ... it's now been 3 days since I've heard back from them.  I sure am disappointed."

*  Robbhaas said:  "I have been waiting 3 weeks with no record matches and very poor customer service - long delays - their last communication stated it would take a "few weeks" to get any record matches - My GedCom is small, 4400 people - unlike Randy's whose is 40,000+ - Can't say I am very impressed with MyHeritage."

*  Aaron offered:  "Hi Delia, Nancy and Rob. I work for MyHeritage and will ask our technical support team to contact you."

My comments:  Thank you all for commenting, and I'm glad that Aaron saw them and will, hopefully, help you out with the Record Matches.  

I don't know how long it takes to add Record Matches to a MyHeritage tree.  I was one of the "beta testers" for Record Matches, and they were already done when I started working with them before they were announced.  It is a big job, I think.  I don't know if they did my Census Record Matches before the census records were announced - they might have.  It would be helpful if MyHeritage provided some indication of when Record Matches would appear after a user uploads a tree or purchases a data subscription.  


*  Anonymous said:  "MyHeritage does NOT have a complete 1940 census index yet.  You can see what states it has complete, which it is working on, and which it still has to begin indexing by going to http://www.myheritage.com/1940census and then clicking on "See available states and territories."

My comment:  Thanks for the information.  I was told recently that they have 96% of the 1940 Census indexed and available, and the last 4% will be online soon.  Perhaps MyHeritage needs to update their chart.

3)  On Modifying Data in FamilySearch Family Tree Using RootsMagic 6 (25 April 2013):
*  Devon Lee said:  "I'm glad to know that RootsMagic 6 can add an event, but it is not asking for why. I thought the Family Tree format was requiring why statements. Skipping this step speeds things up. Yet, I question whether RootsMagic users should be allowed to skip this step when website users are not."

*  Michael McCormick answered:  "Two comments: It does ask why. Look at the screenshot with the pop up that mentions replacing data; look at the bottom field. Neither system requires it, and perhaps it is less eye catching in RootsMagic.

"On a different note, my most recent problems:  It does not always add the people I try to add.

"RootsMagic does not create standards inside Family Tree for the facts you edit or add. One immediately apparent downside is that children are out of order because of having no standard date."

*  Keith Riggle noted:  "I've been holding off using FS Family Tree until there's a sync capability. I'm glad RootsMagic can sync with it, but it's still too rudimentary for me. Having to add all my sources by hand is a non-starter, especially since doing so in Family Tree is so cumbersome. I'd like to see something as slick as syncing trees between Ancestry.com and Family Tree Maker. Still waiting..."

*  Geolover offered:  "...one of your points was 'Unfortunately, these changes or additions have to be made one event at a time using RootsMagic. At present, there is no method to upload a set of people to the Family Tree by pressing one button (like with a GEDCOM file).'

"Freestanding genealogical programs could be designed to add a family group, once it was determined that no duplicates already were in the database.  However, unbridled addition of GEDCOM files is one of the features that has made the database in both new.FamilySearch and FamilySearch-Family Tree such a mess, with duplicates, erroneous data, erroneous family connections, etc. Indeed, n.FS began with part of its database being such uploaded GEDCOM files.

"At least at present, FamilySearch's preventing such unfiltered uploads to FT minimizes the amount of erroneous and duplicate data that can be added. However, there have been and will continue to be massive errors installed by the determined user of programs that can interface with the FT.

"The use of such programs which speed up the entry process is not necessarily an actual enhancement, since so many personal tree compilers (the vast majority) have not based their data on evidentiary research.

"The designers of FS-FT appear to have a lot of faith that over time the tree will vector toward accuracy. Time will tell whether this belief will be borne out."

*  Rick said:  "You wrote, 'At present, there is no method to upload a set of people to the Family Tree by pressing one button (like with a GEDCOM file).' You can upload a GEDCOM file for inclusion in the Pedigree Resource File and copy the information into Family Tree. However, notes, sources and multimedia links in your GEDCOM file cannot be added to Family Tree. See 'Uploading GEDCOM Files and Copying the Information to Family Tree.'

"The URL for "Uploading GEDCOM Files and Copying the Information to Family Tree" is https://help.familysearch.org/kb/UserGuide/en/tree/t_tree_upload_gedcom.html.

"A PDF version of that file is easier to read: Uploading GEDCOM Files and Copying the Information into Family Tree http://broadcast.lds.org/eLearning/fhd/Product/en/handouts/gedcom.pdf"

My comments:  Thank you all for helpful and challenging  comments.  


*  Missy asked:  "I'm getting confused with all of the online family tree programs and was wondering if you had a preference for one over another. Right now, I've been using Ancestry.com (so expensive) and I'm not sure if one day when I may not be able to afford to continue with their subscription that I won't be able to see even my own family tree that I've been working on for so long.

"I'm not sure I like the idea of WikiTree or FamilySearch, where it's one tree that all people work on. What is your take on those types of trees? And how do you find the time to put up multiple trees. 

"This is beginning to feel like insaneness (if that's a word)."


My comment:  It is difficult to choose.  Because of what I do, I test quite a few of the software programs and online trees, and write about them, often in a series of posts in an effort to straighten it out in my own mind and to provide information to readers.  

My opinion is that genealogy software programs (like RootsMagic, Legacy Family Tree, Family Tree Maker for Windows), offer much more capability and ease of use than online family trees.  If a software program offers a synchronization to an online tree, that's a bonus.  My recommendation is to pick one software or online tree program, and stick with it.  If a much better program comes along, you can download a GEDCOM file from your Ancestry tree and import it into the better program or tree.

If you do not renew your Ancestry subscription, you will still have access to your Ancestry Member Tree as a registered member.  You can still work on it, but you will not be able to attach records to it using Ancestry Hints.  It would be a good idea for you to download a GEDCOM file of your Ancestry Member Tree from time to time, however.

Having a "separate" family tree online (like on Ancestry or MyHeritage) or having a "unified" family tree online (like WikiTree, Geni, or FamilySearch Family Tree) is a user's choice.  I like having control of my "separate" tree, but I love the idea of collaboration with other researchers on a unified family tree.  FamilySearch Family Tree has the potential to be wonderful, IF many researchers contribute to it with sources and open minds.  We will see!

5)  On (Not So) Wordless Wednesday - Post 254: Devier J. Smith in Concordia, Kansas, 1885 (1 May 2013):

*  Geolover noted:  "What he is holding in his right hand is mysterious. A riding crop would not be so thin and would be shorter than the length shown in the image -- with a handle having a loop (think the sort of thing many umbrellas have).

"A fly-fishing rod? I am not sure any were made of metal at that time, and I see no 'eyes' for the line.  Fencing foil? It would not be held that way.  Something to do with his occupation?"


*  Mike offered in email:  "You've got an interesting photograph of D.J. Smith.  I suggest that it is not a riding crop, but a driving whip.  It's a small difference, but it suggests to me that he was used to driving a horse and buggy (and perhaps proud of his driving skills). Secondly, the tokens on the watch chain suggest that he was a mason of some degree higher than 3rd degree."

My comments:  Thank you both for interesting suggestions.  I think Mike is probably right.  Devier J. Smith had grown up in the livery stable at his father's inn in Dodge County, Wisconsin.  He was in the livery business from the 1870s to the 1890s according to several newspaper articles and census entries, but also was a farmer and a speculator.  He was also a mason - I have an image of a Mason card with his name on it.

6)  Thank you all for reading and commenting on Genea-Musings.  I know that I don't know "everything" and am happy to be corrected and/or helped out.  


Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver

Thursday, May 2, 2013

San Diego JGS Meeting on Saturday, 4 May: Marian Smith on "Obscure Records of U.S. Citizenship and Nationality"

.This San Diego area program on Saturday, May 4th, sounds interesting.  Marian L. Smith is the Keynote speaker at the 2013 NGS Conference  in Las Vegas on 8 May.

Sat., May 4, 7:00 p.m.  SAN DIEGO JEWISH GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY: Meeting

"Obscure Records of U.S. Citizenship and Nationality." Speaker: Marian L. Smith. 

This presentation will focus on lesser-known federal records of derived citizenship, repatriation, and correspondence covering a variety of citizenship-related problems and topics. In addition to case studies and examples, the presentation will provide guidance for researching the records at either USCIS or the National Archives. 

Marian L. Smith is the Senior Historian of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS, formerly INS). Her depth and range of knowledge never fails to impress her audiences. 

SDJGS Members free and non-members $5.00. Due to limited seating, reservations are required.

Location: Senior Activity Rm., 2nd floor, Lawrence Family JCC, 4126 Executive Dr. at Genesee Ave., La Jolla
Contact: info@sdjgs.org

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/04/san-diego-jgs-meeting-on-saturday-4-may.html


CVGS Program Summary - "Searching Ancestry.com Effectively"

I wrote this summary for the May 2013 CVGS Newsletter, and thought my readers might appreciate it:

The April 26th meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society featured Randy Seaver's presentation titled "Searching Ancestry.com Effectively."

In this presentation, Randy focused on searching Ancestry.com record database, rather than family trees, DNA and the other features and services that Ancestry.com provides.  He identified 19 different tools or methods to use to effectively search databases on Ancestry.com, including:


*  Customize your Home Page (move the most important features to the top of your home page)
*  Use the Card Catalog Searches (Titles or Keywords) and Filters (Collections, Locations, Dates, Languages)
*  Consult the "New and Updated Collections" Page often  (http://www.ancestry.com/cs/reccol/default)
*  Search from the Home Page (basic form only), the Search Tab (basic or advanced form) and from within an Ancestry Member Tree.

*  Choose New Search (more search parameters) or Old Search (some people like it better)
*  Search or Browse a Specific Collection (e.g., Census and voter Records) or a Specific Database (e.g., the 1900 U.S. Census)
*  Remember that Search Forms are "Sticky" (they remember your last search form settings)
*  Select Ranked Matches (uses a star system to list probable matches) or Exact Matches (searches exactly what you specified)

*  Use Name Filters and Location Filters (only in New Search, Default, Exact or variations)
*  Sort Matches by Relevance (best matches from all databases in star ranking order) or Summarize by Category (number of matches listed by Collection and specific database)
*  Use "Edit Search" or "Hot Keys" to Modify Search Parameters (New Search only)
*  Follow Up on "Suggested Records" Provided by Ancestry.com

*  Use the Source Citation information provided by Ancestry to cite the source of the information
*  Know and use all of the Image Viewer Options - Index, Correct, Source, Save, Print, Share, Full Screen, etc.
*  Understand the Wild Card Rules for Names and Use Them
*  Use Keyword Searches in OCR-based Databases (e.g., Newspapers, books, etc.)

*  Use Ancestry Navigation Tips/Tricks (go to home page using Ancestry logo; right-click to open one match or database from the match or database list; right-click on Back browser button to go back several screens, etc.)
*  The Customer Help button (top right) is your friend - use "Ask Ancestry"  http://ancestry.custhelp.com/
*  Check the Ancestry.com YouTube page weekly videos (http://www.youtube.com/user/AncestryCom?ob=0) and Ancestry Anne presentations for more search tips (http://ancestry-reference-desk.com/link).

Randy summed up the talk saying:


*  Ancestry.com's “New Search” Capability is the Most Sophisticated and Complex Search Algorithm in Genealogy.

*  “New Search” has a Steep Learning Curve – Users Need to Practice to Learn How to Use It

*  Check Your Search Fields (they are "Sticky") Regularly – the Computer and Websites Do Exactly What You Tell them to do!

*  Use the Card Catalog and Filters to Find Hidden or Unindexed Databases

*  The “Help” Link or Button is your Friend!


Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver

My Target NGS 2013 Conference Sessions - Wednesday, 8 May

I want to list the selected NGS 2013 Conference sessions that I would like to attend.  I may not attend all of them, due to schedule conflicts, space constraints, or time conflicts.  But if I write them out, I am more likely to attend more of them.


The Conference Syllabus is available for download at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/2013syllabus if you are an NGS Conference registrant.  Unfortunately, the syllabus doesn't provide the session times.  The Conference Program (http://members.ngsgenealogy.org/Conferences/Program2013.cfm) provides the times, but not the room numbers for each session.  The NGS2013 mobile app provides times, session number, speaker and title, but not the room number.  Why can't everything be in one place?

Here are my target Wednesday, 8 May sessions (I've added the syllabus page numbers so I can print them out):

11 AM, W121:  Thomas W. Jones - Debunking Misleading Records (pages 1-4)

11 AM, W125: Judy G. Russell - The Treasure Trove in Legislative Petitions (pages 15-18)

2:30 PM: W142:  Elizabeth Shown Mills - The Genealogical Proof Standard in Action (pages 37-40)

2:30 PM: W143:  Craig Scott - Basic Military Research (pages 41-44)

4 PM: W152:  Warren Bittner - Impossible Immigrant! I Know Everything About the Man Except Where He Came From (pages 65-68)

4 PM: W159:  Jill N. Crandell - ResearchTies: The Power of an Online Research Log (pages 89-92)

This may be an interesting day!!!  I am glad that there are 30 minute breaks between sessions rather than 15 minutes.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/05/my-target-ngs-2013-conference-sessions.html

Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver

Disclosure:  I was named an Official Blogger and will take advantage of the opportunities.  However, I paid a full registration fee and will not spend all of my time in the Exhibit Hall or blogger area.

Treasure Chest Thursday - 1870 U.S. Census Record for Henry White Family

It's Treasure Chest Thursday - time to look in my digital image files to see what treasures I can find for my family history and genealogy musings.

The treasure today is the 1870 United States Census record for my White 2nd great-grandfather's family in Killingly town, Windham County, Connecticut:




The Henry White household:



The extracted information for the household, with an enumeration date of 10 August 1870, is:

*  Henry A. White - age 44, male, white, works in a cotton mill, $1400 in real property, $500 in personal property, born Rhode Island, male citizen of the US over age 21
*  Almira E. White - age 28, female, white, keeping house, born Mass. 

*  Henry J. White - age 17, male, white, a farm laborer, born Conn.
*  Frederick J. White - age 11, male, white, at school, born Conn., attended school in last year
*  George W. Winslow - age 8, male, white, at school, born Conn., attended school in last year

*  Hosea E. Green - age 21, male, white, a machinist in a cotton mill, born Conn.
*  Mary J. Green - age 18, female, white, no occupation, born Conn.
*  Percy T. Green - age 4/12, male, white, born Conn., born in Jan.

The source citation for this document is:


1870 United States Federal Census, Windham County, Connecticut, Population Schedule, Killingly township: page 442, dwelling #691, family #975, Henry White household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M593, Roll 116.

There are some probable errors in this enumeration:

*  Henry A. White was born in about 1824, which would make him 45 or 46 in 1870.  
*  Almira (Taft) (Winslow) White was probably born in Connecticut, not Massachusetts.

Almira (Taft) (Winslow) White, Henry's second wife, was the widow of George A. Winslow (1843-1864), the father of George W. Winslow.

I wondered who Hosea and Mary J. Green were, and just figured it out.  Mary J. (Taft) Green was the sister of Almira Elizabeth (Taft) White, and both were daughters of Warren and Almira (Oatley) Taft.  So Mary J. Green was Henry White's sister-in-law.  Henry's first wife was Amy Frances Oatley (1826-1864), who was Almira (Oatley) Taft's sister.  So the White children are first cousins of Almira (Taft) White and Mary J. (Taft) Green.  All in the family!

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/05/treasure-chest-thursday-1870-us-census.html

Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver