Saturday, February 1, 2014

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Super Bowl 2014 Edition

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)  The Super Bowl is on Sunday, 2 February 2014 in the USA.  The Denver Broncos are playing the Seattle Seahawks for the National football League championship.  The winners get to go to Disney World.  


2)  Predict the score for this game.  You have to predict the winning team and the closest to the actual score (point differential summed for both teams) to be the winner.  The winner of this contest gets announced next week in a Genea-Musings blog post.  

3)  Tell a story about your experiences playing football or watching professional football games.  Did you go to football games? Who in your family was the real fan of the game?  What were the pre-game routines?  How do you, or your family, react to good plays or bad plays, or wins or losses?

4)  Provide your entry in a comment to this blog post, in a blog post of your own, or in a Facebook or Google+ post.  Be sure to tell me about your post in a comment to this post.

Here's mine:

My score prediction:  Seahawks 24, Broncos 23

I actually worked for the San Diego Chargers in the summer of 1963.  Read My first real job for more details. 

I've been a pro football fan since the late 1950s, growing up in San Diego before the Chargers came to town in 1961.  My father played football in high school, and my uncle Edward Seaver was a lineman for the Columbia University that went to the Rose Bowl in 1934 and beat Stanford, 7-0.  

When the Chargers came to town, watching the NFL game became a regular event on Sunday afternoons.  There was only one game a week.  I went to several Charger home games each season at Balboa Stadium near downtown San Diego.  In 1963, when I worked for the team, I started taking my 8 year old brother Scott to the games.  We went to the championship game also, my Chargers beat the Patriots 51-10 for the AFL championship.  

After I was working in engineering for awhile, I spent quite a bit of time at the local bowling alley, and some of the guys in the bar got tickets to the Chargers games at the new San Diego Stadium in Mission Valley.  So I went, and Linda and I eventually got season tickets for several years before our children were born.  We always sat in the first row of the upper deck at about the 30 yard line on the south side of the field.  

Now I watch the Chargers games every week that they are on (we had two blackouts this year) and sometimes watch the other Sunday afternoon game, and some of the Sunday night and Monday night games.  If the Chargers have the 10 AM game, I skip church. 

I used to get upset during the games by a bad play or bad luck, but I've become more stoical in recent years (stuff happens!).  I still talk to myself about some plays, and I still suggest plays that should work to the TV, but nobody listens.  I don't dress up in a team jersey or shirt because they haven't worked in the past.  I do have a bucket of popcorn at halftime of Charger home games.  

After 53 years of Chargers football, with one league championship (1963) and one Super Bowl year (1995 Super Bowl XXIX, lost 49-26 to the 49ers and it wasn't that close!), I yearn for another championship team.  I hope it comes soon - I don't have that many good years left!

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2014/02/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-super-bowl.html

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver




Surname Saturday - SCISM (Holland > colonial New York)

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


I am in the 7th great-grandmothers and I'm up to Ancestor #765, but I don't have a name for that ancestor, or for female ancestors up to #855.  I have completed the Seaver side of the 7th great-grandmothers, and will now start on the Carringer side.  Unfortunately, there are only a few lines back that far (9 generations before me) in my database on the Carringer side, mainly due to lack of records.  


The next female in my Ancestor Name List with at least a given name is #857 Elsje Scism (1698-1750).   [Note: the earlier great-grandmothers and 7th great-grandfathers have been covered in earlier posts].

My ancestral line back through just one generation in this SCISM family line is:

1.  Randall J. Seaver (1943-living)

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


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

12.  Henry Austin Carringer (1853-1946)
13.  Abbey Ardell Smith (1862-1944)

26.  Devier James Lamphier Smith (1839-1884)
27.  Abigail A. Vaux (1844-1931)

52.  Ranslow Smith (1805-1873)
53.  Mary "Polly" Bell (1805-1865)

106.  James Bell (1778-1838)
107.  Cornelia Bresee (1780-1840)

214.  Peter Bresee (1750-????)
215.  Maria Van Deusen (1759-????)

428.  Peter Bresee (1721-????)
429.  Suster "Susanna" Dyckman (1721-1763)

856.  Wensam Bresee, born about 1695 in New York, United States; died in New York, United States.  He was the son of 1712. Christoffel Bresee and 1713. Christine Claesjens.  He married about 1718 in New York, United States.
857.  Elsje Scism, born about 1698 in New York, United States; died about 1750 in New York, United States.

Children of Wensam Bresee and Elsje Scism are:
*  Margaret Bresee (1719-????), married 1741 Hendrick Cool (1716-????)
*  Peter Bresee (1721-????), married 1745 Suster Dyckman (1721-1763)
*  Andries Bresee (1722-????), married 1747 Alida Sissum (1726-1775)
*  Antje Bresee (1723-????), married 1740 Robert Abrahamse Van Deusen (1724-????).
*  Teunis bresee (1723-????), married Elizabeth Sissum (1724-????).
*  Catherina Bresee (1725-????), married Jan Cool (1724-????)
*  Jan Bresee (1727-????), married 1749 Cornelia Witbeck.
*  Cornelis Bresee (1733-????).

I have done very little research in records on these families.  I know that there are a few online family trees for this Bresee/Scism couple, but none show Elsje's parents.  Often the surnames are variations like Bresee/Bressie/Brazie or Scism/Sissum/Sissom, etc.  Both families are of Dutch origin, and they lived in the 1700s in the Dutch settled area in Columbia and Rensselaer counties in New York.

The URL for this post is:

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver

Friday, January 31, 2014

Preparing for my Visit to the FamilySearch Library

I'm going to spend next Wednesday (5 February) at the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City just before attending the RootsTech 2014 Conference.  This will be the sixth year in a row that I've been able to have at least one day at the very best genealogy reference library in the world.



When I go to the FamilySearch Library, I always try to find books, periodicals and microfilms that are not available in any other repository (except for a local courthouse or library).  I'm at the point in my research where I am usually searching for land, probate, church, tax and other record types from colonial or 19th century time frames.  So the FamilySearch Library is ideal for me because it has microfilm for many of those record types.

I have put records to research on a To-Do list for many of the ancestors in my family tree, at least the ones since 1700.  Then I've gone into the FamilySearch Library Catalog to determine what resources are available at the FamilySearch Library.  I now have about 100 items on the list to be found (which doesn't include the completed items).

Since this is a process that almost every researcher gets around to doing eventually, usually after hitting a "brick wall" in online resources, I thought it might be worthwhile to show how I find the potential records in the FamilySearch Library Catalog.

Here is how I found information for one record set - land records in Mercer County, Pennsylvania:

1)  On https://FamilySearch.org, click on the "Catalog" link and select the "Place" search:


On the form above, I typed "mercer penn" in the field and selected "United States, Pennsylvania, Mercer" from the dropdown list provided.

2)  After clicking the "search" button on the screen above, the search results for Mercer County, Pennsylvania opened:


I scrolled down a bit and clicked on the down arrow to the left of the "Land and property"item on the list and the list of databases in that sub-category appeared:



3)  There are four record sets in the "Land and property" category, and I selected the one for "Deed books, 1803-1886, Index to deeds, 1803-1919" (two screens shown):


The page above provided the information I needed to find the Grantee and Grantor indexes for my Carringer, Feather and Spangler surnames.

For Carringer, I wrote down:

*  Grantee Index, C-D, 1803-1919: on FHL Film 878942
*  Grantor Index, C-D, 1803-1919: on FHL Film 889508

4)  The film number information enabled me to add an item to my To-Do list for Henry Carringer (1800-1879), who resided in Mercer County until about 1857.  I created a To-Do list item in RootsMagic for Mercer County PA Deeds (1803-1886) and entered the information into the To-Do item fields. I included the microfilm number information.  After looking at the Grantee and Grantor Indexes, I will add the deed volume and page information for Henry Carringer to the item and look for the actual deeds when I have the opportunity to do so.

Here is the Mercer County land record item on the To-do List (for the FamilySearch Library) at the top of the list below:


Over the past two years,  I've added items to this To-Do list, and have been able to complete quite a few of them.  Other items could not be found last year or the year before, so I've noted that on their list entries.  I will have to search for those in the localities and not at the FamilySearch Library.

By preparing my search for items on the To-Do List from the FamilySearch Library, as shown above, I am husbanding my available time to do actual searching in the records, and not having to identify microfilms before I can find them.  When I find the actual records that I want to capture in an image, I take the microfilm to the microfilm scanner and save the images to my flash drive.

So this aspect of my Salt Lake City is ready to go.  I have printed out the To-Do List for the FSL, and have also saved a digital copy of it in a file folder on my flash drive and my laptop.  I use the printed-out list to make notes so that I don't duplicate effort and can enter information into my To-Do list, and my Research Log, later.  I also have the To-Do List and Research Log in notes in Evernote on my smart phone and tablet so I don't have to drag my laptop to the FamilySearch Library.

I hope that this helps my readers understand how to use the FamilySearch Library Catalog, and provide an example of how I try to be organized for a research trip.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2014/01/preparing-for-my-visit-to-familysearch.html

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver



MyHeritage Will Demonstrate Latest Features At RootsTech 2014

Here is some information from MyHeritage about their founder and CEO, Gilad Japhet;


1)  "It's not every day Genealogy gets such attention in the New York Times, so I wanted to share this with you.

"Gilad was responsible for solving several mysteries that the French authorities could not solve for 70 years!


"Not every CEO, even those from genealogy companies, can use their own personal genealogy expertise and time to help others pro-bono as Gilad did for this article by Doreen. It's great praise of MyHeritage's technologies which were built by genealogists for genealogists and were used to discover the rightful heirs of these stolen art works. Gilad's fluent French definitely helped here too!"

2)  Bloomberg TV had a three minute video about two weeks ago about the development of MyHeritage website and technology in which they interviewed Gilad Japhet - watch it here or in the video below:




The MyHeritage blog described this video by:

"Gilad explained how MyHeritage was founded in his home and grew to become an international company with 75 million users worldwide and how we're continually launching new technologies that make family history easier and accessible for everyone. He also discussed how proud we are as a company to be able to help families reunite."


3)  MyHeritage will be at RootsTech 2014 and will demonstrate their newest databases, technologies and features, including:

*  Millions of New Records Now Live!

*  Millions of Geni Profiles Now Available on SuperSearch

*  Add Family Tree Profiles From Historical Records

*  New Feature: Search Historical Records by Location

I look forward to visiting the MyHeritage exhibit and seeing their representatives at RootsTech 2014 and seeing more about their features and technology.  

The URL for this post is:

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver


52 Ancestors Friday: Thomas Richman/Richmond (1848-1917):

Amy Johnson Crow suggested a weekly blog theme of "52 Ancestors" in her blog post Challenge:  52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks on the No Story Too Small blog.  Here is my ancestor biography for week #5:

Thomas Richmond (1848-1917) is #10 on my Ancestor Name List, and is my great-grandfather.  He married #11, Julie E. White (1848-1913). I am descended through:

*  their daughter, #5 Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962) married #4 Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942)
*  their son, #2 Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983) married Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002)
*  me, #1 Randall J. Seaver (1943-....)


To create this post, I made an Individual Summary report in RootsMagic 6, then saved it into an RTF file.  I then copied and pasted the Person, the Individual Fact List, the Marriages/Children, the General Notes, and the Source Citations into this blog post.  Unfortunately, the source citations superscripts did not survive this process as superscripts, so I put them in brackets in the Individual Facts list below, and without brackets in the Source Citation list.  I have images of many of these records, but have not included them in this blog post due to the length of the post.  Many of them have been transcribed or shown in Amanuensis Monday and Treasure Chest Thursday posts.

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

1)  PERSON 
(with source citations as indicated in brackets):

*  Name:              Thomas Richmond [1-7]
*  Alt. Name:        Thomas Richman [8–9]    
*  Sex:                  Male   
*  Father:              James Richman (1821-1912)   
*  Mother:            Hannah Rich (1824-1911)   
  

2)  INDIVIDUAL FACTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
  
*  Birth:                 16 June 1848, Hilperton, Wiltshire, England [8]
*  Census:              31 March 1851 (age 2), Hilperton, Wiltshire, England [9]
*  Immigration:       14 November 1856 (age 8), British Ship Osprey, from Bristol, New York, New York, New York, United States [10]   
*  Census:              1 June 1860 (age 11), Burrillville, Providence, Rhode Island, United States [7]
*  Census:              1 June 1870 (age 21), Stonington, New London, Connecticut, United States [6] 
*  Occupation:        1 June 1870 (age 21), woolen mill; Stonington, New London, Connecticut, United States [6]
*  Census:              1 June 1880 (age 31), Killingly, Windham, Connecticut, United States [4]
*  Occupation:        1 June 1880 (age 31), overseer in a woolen mill; Killingly, Windham, Connecticut, United States [4]    
*  Naturalization:    10 September 1890 (age 42), Putnam, Windham, Connecticut, United States [11]
*  Census:             1 June 1900 (age 51), 42 Summer Street, Leominster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States [3]
*  Occupation:       1 June 1900 (age 51), overseer in a woolen mill; Leominster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States [3]
*  Census:             1 April 1910 (age 61), Killingly, Windham, Connecticut, United States [2]
*  Occupation:       1 April 1910 (age 61), carder in a woolen mill; Killingly, Windham, Connecticut, United States [2]
*  Death:              9 November 1917 (age 69), of pernicious anemia; Clinton, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States [1]
*  Burial:              after 9 November 1917 (after age 69), Grove Street Cemetery, Putnam, Windham, Connecticut, United States [1, 12]
*  Obituary:          after 9 November 1917 (after age 69), Putnam, Windham, Connecticut, United States [13]
*  Probate:           18 April 1918 (age 69), Administration filed; Worcester, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States [14]    
  
3)  MARRIAGES/CHILDREN:

*  Spouse 1:         Julia E. "Juliette" White (1848-1913)    
*  Marriage 1:      20 June 1868 (age 20), Elmville, Windham, Connecticut, United States [5, 15]   
*  Child 1:            Anne Frances "Annie" Richmond (1869-1939)   
*  Child 2:            Frederic J. Richmond (1870-1875)   
*  Child 3:            Everett Glens Richmond (1875-1917)   
*  Child 4:            Grace L. Richmond (1876-1963)   
*  Child 5:            Emily White Richmond (1879-1966)   
*  Child 6:            Charles Percival Richmond (1880-1910)   
*  Child 7:            Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962)    
*  Child 8:            Edwin Thomas Richmond (1883-1935)    
*  Child 9:            James Henry Richmond (1886-1913)  

4.)  NOTES (with source citations as indicated in brackets):

 Thomas Richmond was born on 16 June 1848 in Hilperton, Wiltshire, the first child of James and Hannah (Rich) Richman.  The James Richman family changed their surname to Richmond after they migrated to the United States in 1855/6 [8].

In the 1851 Census for Wiltshire, the James Richman family resided in Hilperton, Wiltshire, England. The household included [9]:

*   James Richman -- husband, age 29, coal merchant laborer, born Marsh
*  Hannah Richman -- wife, age 25, woolen weaver, born Marsh
*  Thomas Richman -- son, age 2, born Marsh
*  James Richman -- son, age 1, born Marsh

The passenger list of the British Ship Osprey that departed Bristol and arrived in New York City on 14 November 1856 includes Hannah Richman and five children [10]:

*  Hannah Richman - age 32, female, a wife
*  James Richman - age 7, male, a child
*  Thomas Richman - age 6, male, a child
*  Louisa Richman - age 4, female, a child
*  Elizabeth Richman - age 3, female, a child
*  Ann Richman - an infant, female, a child

In the 1860 US census, the James Richmond family resided in Burrillville, Providence County, Rhode Island. The household included [7]:

*   James Richmond -- age 38, male, white, farm laborer, born England
*  Hannah Richmond -- age 36, female, born England
*  Thomas Richmond -- age 12, male, born England, attended school
*  James Richmond -- age 10, male, born England, attended school
*  Louisa Richmond -- age 8, female, born England, attended school
*  Elizabeth A. Richmond -- age 5, female, born England, attended school
*  Emma Richmond -- age 6, female, born England, attended school
*  Hannah R. Richmond -- age 2, female, born RI.

Thomas Richmond (age 21, born England, resides Killingly CT) married Juliette White (age 20, born Killingly, resides Killingly) in Killingly, Connecticut on 20 June 1868 by Minister Austin Robbins [5, 15].

In the 1870 US census, the Thomas Richmond family resided in the Second Ward of Stonington, New London County, Connecticut. The household included [6]:

*   Thomas Richmond -- age 23, male, works in woolen mill, born England
*  Julia Richmond -- age 21, female, keeping house, born CT
*  Anna Richmond -- age 1, at home, born CT

In the 1880 U.S. Census, the Thomas Richmond family resided in Killingly town, Windham County, Connecticut.  The family included [4]:

*  Thomas Richmond -- white, male, age 31, married, overseer in a woolen mill, born England, father and mother born in England),
*  Julia Richmond -- white, female, age 33, wife, married, keeping house, born CT, father born CT, mother born RI  
*  Annie Richmond -- white, female, age 10, daughter, single, attended school, born RI, father born England, mother born CT
*  Everett Richmond -- white, male, age 4, son, single, born CT, father born England, mother born CT
*  Grace Richmond -- white, female, age 3, daughter, single, born CT, father born England, mother born CT
*  Emily Richmond -- white, female, age 1, daughter, single, born CT, born CT, father born England, mother born CT

The births of Charles Percy Richmond (25 May 1880), Alma Bessie Richmond (16 February 1882), Thomas Edwin Richmond (7 December 1883) and James Henry Richmond (16 November 1885) are in the Killingly town records.

Thomas Richmond of Killingly CT became a citizen of the United States on 10 September 1890 at a Superior Court held in Putnam, Windham County before the Hon. S.A. Robinson, Judge [11].  He stated that he came to the United States as a minor under age 18, that it was then and ever since has been his intention to become a citizen of the United States, and he renounced forever all allegiance and fidelity to every foreign Prince, Potentate, State or sovereignty whatever.  He also stated that he had resided in the United States for at least five years, and at least one year in the State of Connecticut, and that during this period he has behaved as a man of good moral character, attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States, and well disposed to the good order and happiness of the same.  He declared under oath that he would support the Constitution of the United States and that he absolutely and entirely renounced and abjured all allegiance and fidelity to any Foreign Prince, Potentate, State or Sovereignty whatever, and particularly to Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, of whom he was before a subject. 

While the family resided in Killingly, Thomas Richmond was the choir director at St. Philip's Episcopal Church in Putnam.  There is a memorial plaque in the church for his excellent work there.

In the 1900 US census, the Thomas Richmond family resided at 42 Summer Street in Leominster, Worcester County, Massachusetts.  The family included [3]:

*  Thomas Richmond -- head, white, male, born Jun 1848, age 51, married, for 31 years, born England, parents born England, immigrated in 1856, a resident of the US for 44 years, a naturalized citizen, an overseer of a woolen mill, rents a house
*  Juliette Richmond -- wife, white, female, born Sep 1848, age 51, married, for 31 years, 9 children born, 1 living (obviously an error), born CT, parents born RI
*  Grace Richmond -- daughter, white, female, born Aug 1876, age 23, single, born CT, father born England, mother born CT, a shirt maker
*  Emily W. Richmond -- daughter, white, female, born Jan 1879, age 21, single, born CT, father born England, mother born CT
*  Charles E. Richmond -- son, white, male, born May 1880, age 20, single, born CT, father born England, mother born CT, a painter
*  Alma B. Richmond -- daughter, white, female, born Feb 1882, age 18, single, born CT, father born England, mother born CT, housework
*  Edwin T. Richmond -- son, white, male, born Dec 1883, age 16, single, born CT, father born England, mother born CT, a laundryman
*  James H. Richmond -- son, white, male, born Nov 1886, age 13, born CT, father born England, mother born CT, at school

In the 1910 US census, the family resided in Killingly, Windham County, Connecticut.  The family included [2]:

*  Thomas Richmond -- head of household, male, white, age 61, first marriage, married 41 years, born England, parents born England, immigrated in 1856, naturalized, a carder, in a woolen mill, out of work for 26 weeks
*  Juliette Richmond -- wife, female, white, age 62, first marriage, married 41 years, born CT, parents born RI

Thomas Richmond died 9 November 1917 in Clinton, Massachusetts, at the home of his daughter, Annie (Richmond) Pickford.  His obituary (dated November 17, 1917, unknown newspaper, obtained from family papers) reads [13]:

"Thomas Richmond, one of the best known woolen carders in New England, died in Clinton, Mass., on Friday, November 9, at the home of his son-in-law, Walter Pickford, the well-known secretary of the National Association of Woolen and Worsted Overseers.  Mr. Richmond was born in England in 1848 and came to this country with his parents at the age of eight.  He began his mill career in some Connecticut mill and by the time he had reached his majority he had already become an overseer, holding his first position with the Westerly (R.I.) Woolen Co., long since out of business.  During a long and busy life the recognized ability of Mr. Richmond obtained for him some of the best positions in the country.  Besides being overseer of carding in Westerly, R.I., Mr. Richmond was in the early days of his mill career employed with old time mills in Salisbury and Elmville, Conn.

"He had been ill since last April from pernicious anaemia, and last August went to live with his son-in-law, Walter Pickford.  Although the best medical service was employed, it was without avail.  Mr. Richmond was well and favorably known in the textile industry.  His passing away will be a distinct shock and loss to the overseers of New England, among whom he passed his busy and practical life.  He was of a very affable disposition and his spirit of good will maintained even during his last days illness buoyed him up to the last.

"He leaves one son and four daughters, one of whom is the wife of Walter Pickford, head of the Alliance Chemical Company in Boston.  Mr. Richmond had been a member of the National Association of Woolen and Worsted Overseers for many years.  Funeral services were held at St. Phillip's Episcopal Church, Putnam, Conn., and interment was in Grove Cemetery, same city.  He held his last position with the Putnam (Conn.) Woolen Co."

Thomas Richmond died intestate in Clinton, Worcester County, Massachusetts.  His probate records are in Worcester County Probate Records, Enclosure 65,803B [14].  Administration of the estate was filed on 18 April 1918 and was granted to son Edwin T. Richmond on 7 May 1918 by the Court.  Edwin T. Richmond, George S. Boynton and James C. Smith, all of Leominster, were bondsmen, with a bond of $700 posted on 16 April 1918.    The heirs-at-law were listed as:

*  Annie F. Pickford, Clinton, Mass., daughter
*  Emilie W. Taylor, San Diego, Cal., daughter
*  Grace L. Shaw, Fitchburg, Mass., daughter
*  Bessie A. Seaver, Leominster, Mass., daughter
*  Edwin T. Richmond, Leominster, Mass., son.

An inventory of the estate of Thomas Richmond was appraised on 18 June 1918.  There was no real estate listed.  The personal property included:

*  Deposit, Putnam Savings Bank (Putnam CT)               $ 208.31
*  Deposit, Brooklyn Savings Bank (Danielson CT)          $ 122.90
*  Deposit, Fitchburg Savings Bank (Fitchburg MA)        $   53.06
*  Piano                                                                            $ 100.00
*  Household furniture                                                    $   25.00
---------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------
TOTAL                                                                              $ 509.27


Thomas and Julia (White) Richmond are buried in Grove Street Cemetery, in Putnam, Windham County, Connecticut [1].  The gravestone inscription says:

THOMAS RICHMOND
1848-1917
HIS WIFE
JULIET RICHMOND
1848-1913
THEIR SON
FREDERIC J.
1870-1875

6)  SOURCES

1. Grove Street Cemetery (Putnam, Windham County, Connecticut, United States), Thomas Richmond gravestone; Randall J. Seaver, September 1990.

2. 1910 United States Federal Census, Population Schedule, Windham County, Connecticut, Killingly; ED 514, Sheet 16B, Dwelling #335, family #392, Thomas Richmond household;  online database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication T624,  Roll 143.

3. 1900 United States Federal Census, Population Schedule, Worcester County, Massachusetts, Leominster; ED 1644, Sheet 4B, dwelling #63, family #88, Thomas Richmond household; online database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com), citing National Archives Microfilm Publication T623, Roll 692.

4. 1880 United States Federal Census, Population Schedule, Windham County, Connecticut, Killingly: Page 379A, dwelling #26, family #42, Thomas Richmond household; online index and digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication T9, Roll 110.

5. Connecticut. Windham County. Killingly. Town Registrar's Office. Birth Registrations, Certificate of Marriage, Thomas Richmond and Juliette White, 20 June 1867 (sic); Registrar of Vital Statistics, Killingly, Ct. (certificate dated 24 January 1992).

6. 1870 United States Federal Census, Population Schedule,  New London County, Connecticut, Stonington 2nd Ward: page 775, dwelling #272, family #386, Thomas Richmond household; online database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M593, Roll 114.

7. 1860 United States Federal Census, Population Schedule, Providence County, Rhode Island, Burrillville town, Page 45, Dwelling #679, Family #740, James Richmond family, online database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M653, Roll 1205.

8. Church of England, Parish Church of Hilperton (Wiltshire, England), Bishop's Transcripts, 1622-1880, "Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1837-1880," FHL BRITISH Microfilm 1,279,404, Item 15, Thomas Richman baptism entry.

9. 1851 England and Wales Census, Wiltshire, Hilperton [parish], District 257, Folio 254 recto, Page 21, household 88, James Richman household; digital image, FindMyPast.com (http://www.findmypast.com : accessed July 2012), citing The Natonal Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey, Public Record Office HO 107/1840.

10. New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com), Roll 168, List Number 1183, Line 52, Thomas Richman entry.

11. Thomas Richmond, Volume 5, Page 72, , Superior Court of Windham County, Conn.; National Archives, Pittsfield, Mass.

12. Grove Street Cemetery, "Grove Street Cemetery (Putnam, Conn.)," online database, Windham County, Connecticut CTGenWeb Project, Cemetery Inscriptions, (http://www.ctgenweb.org/county/cowindham/records/cemetery/putnam/putnamgrovestreetcem.htm), Thomas Richmond entry.

13. "Obituary," undated clipping, 17 November 1917, from unidentified newspaper; Geraldine Seaver Remley Papers; privately held  by nephew, Randall J. Seaver, [address for private use], Chula Vista CA 91911.

14. "Worcester County, Massachusetts Probate Court Records" (Worcester County Probate Courthouse, Worcester, Mass.),  Enclosure 65,803B, Thomas Richmond packet.

15. Killingly, Connecticut, "Killingly Births, Marriages and Deaths" (Register at Killingly Town Hall, Danielson, Connecticut), Volume 2, page 358, Thomas Richmond and Julia White marriage entry.


Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver


Thursday, January 30, 2014

My Top Ten FREE USA Genealogy Resource Websites

A society colleague asked me recently "What are your top online websites with free records in databases?"

I decided to write them down so that all of my readers could benefit from them, and I'll use it in my society newsletter also.  I'm not going to include general search engines like Google and Bing, online family tree websites without records, or data portals like CyndisList.

Here are my choices in some sort of order according to my own perception.

1.  FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org

This has to be number one because there is so much available.  From the 1,711 record collections (as of today, which include indexed and browsed collections for many states and countries around the world), the FamilySearch Books collection, the FamilySearch Library Catalog (which provides information on available books and microform at the FamilySearch Library), plus the FamilySearch Family Tree (online interconnected tree), and the Research Wiki (not records per se).  

2.  Find A Grave (www.findagrave.com)

This cemetery site has over 111 million memorials for deceased persons all over the world, but mainly in the USA.  Volunteers have added many gravestone photographs, and often add inscriptions, birth and death information, notes and obituaries.

3.  Rootsweb.com (http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com)

Rootsweb has a few online databases (California, Kentucky, Maine and Texas death records; United Kingdom Civil Registration births, marriages and deaths; some user provided databases and reports, etc.), plus the WorldConnect family trees (over 700 million names, in separate trees).  There are also very useful mailing lists and message boards that can be searched for queries of other researchers.

4.  Chronicling America (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov)

There are almost 7 million searchable digitized newspaper pages from 39 states between 1836 and 1922.

5. United States GenWeb Project (www.usgenweb.org)

There are web pages for every state, and every county in every state.  Each page was created and is maintained by volunteers.  Many text databases have been added over time for vital, cemetery, and other record types, and sometimes transcribed books are available.  The searchable databases are on the USGWArchives (http://www.usgwarchives.net/).

6.  Google Books (http://books.google.com/)

Google Books has millions of digitized books in several formats that can be searched for information about names and/or locations.

7.  The Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org)

The Internet Archive has millions of digitized books in several formats that can be searched for names and locations.  The U.S. Census images are also available but are not searchable - you have to browse them in the microfilm area.  There are other microfilm collections that may have browsable records.

8.  Heritage Quest Online (www.heritagequestonline.com)

Researchers have to use these databases through a subscribing library.  The site has U.S. census records with name indexes for many years.  There are over 28,000 digitized books, Revolutionary Way Pension Files (selected pages), Freedman's bank, U.s. Serial Sets, and the PERSI periodical index.

9.  Mocavo (www.mocavo.com)

 Mocavo offers a free search for all of their records.  There are over 100,000 databases, but most of them are relatively small at this time.  The user can view a record for free, but it is difficult to work with because you can do only one search at a time.

10.  Massachusetts Vital Records Project (http://ma-vitalrecords.org/)

This project is digitizing and indexing the published Massachusetts town early vital record books up until 1850.

There are many other websites with FREE online resources, including most of the subscription sites.  They often have some free databases or collections.  You can use the Randy's Genealogy Links page at the top of this blog to find more free and subscription websites listed by record type.

What are your favorite FREE online genealogy websites for USA records?  Tell me in comments.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2014/01/my-top-ten-free-usa-genealogy-resource.html

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver

More #GenChats from the In-Depth Genealogist folks

I received this press release from the In-Depth Genealogist folks yesterday:

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You Asked for More #GenChats and The In-Depth Genealogist Responded

January 29, 2014; Utica, OH:   2013 has been a whirlwind of excitement for The In-Depth Genealogist. We collaborated with Conference Keeper on #genchat, and it was a great success. We have listened to the participants that were requesting we host more #genchats.  You asked, we are answering.  In 2014 we will be starting #idgchat which will take place on the first and third Friday of the month at 8 pm EST/ 7 CST.

How can you participate?

We recommend using Tchat to follow the chat. It creates a nice conversational stream of tweets that are specific to #idgchat. This way, you can enjoy the conversation and it will not get lost in your Twitter feed. To participate, go to http://www.tchat.io/rooms/idgchat and sign in with your Twitter account. Using Tchat, you will be able to follow the #IDGChat conversation without interference.  Look for us at 8 PM EST on the following dates.

We have the entire year mapped out at http://theindepthgenealogist.com/2014-idgchat-schedule/  This month we’ve got a Guest Chat with Cindy Freed on Civil War Research on February 7th and February 21st we will discuss the Brick Walls presented in the blog post   http://theindepthgenealogist.com/february-brick-walls/

The brick wall chats are a collaborative discussion. That will take a few steps to work properly.  Submit your brick wall via blog post or email to editor@theindepthgenealogist.com by the first friday of the month. Please add “Brick wall for idgchat” in the subject line.  We will compile these into a blog post on the IDG blog and posted the second Monday of the month.  Brick wall discussions will take place on the third Friday on the month, unless otherwise noted (see July schedule).  To get caught up on the ideas generated you can check out our calendar for 2014 #IDGChat can be found at this link:
http://theindepthgenealogist.com/2014-idgchat-schedule/

Remember to follow @Indepthgen, @JenniferAlford and @Tracingmyfamily on Twitter so that you will see all the updates on #IDGChat throughout the year. We look forward to chatting with all of you in 2014!

For more information, please contact Terri O’Connell

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This is an excellent opportunity to get real-time advice and help on your brick-wall research problem.  

To participate in this, you will have to have a Twitter account - see www.Twitter.com - and the recommendation to use Tchat is a good one so you can see the tweets specific to the chat.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2014/01/more-genchats-from-in-depth-genealogist.html

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver


Treasure Chest Thursday - Post 199: Frederick W. Seaver's World War I Draft Registration Card

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 World War I Draft Registration card for Frederick Walton Seaver in 1918 in Leominster, Worcester County, Massachusetts: 


The information on this draft registration card includes:

REGISTRATION CARD:

*  Serial Number:  2670
*  Order No.   A853
*  Name: Frederick Walton Seaver
*  Address:  290 Central St, Leominster, Worcester, Mass.
*  Age:  41
*  Birthdate:  October 9th 1876
*  Race:  White
*  U.S. Citizenship:  Native Born
*  Present Occupation:  Superintendent Paton Mfg. Co.
*  Employer's Name:  Paton Mfg. Co.
*  Place of Employment or Business:  282 Central St. Leominster, Worc. Mass.
*  Nearest Relative Name:  (wife) Alma B. Seaver
*  Nearest Relative Address:  290 Central St., Leominster, Worc. Mass.
*  I Affirm That I Have Verified Above Answers And They Are true:  Frederick W. Seaver

REGISTRAR'S REPORT:

*  Height:  Medium
*  Build:  Stout
*  Color of Eyes:  Blue
*  Color of Hair:  Lt. Brown
*  Physical Disabilities:  No

Signature of Registrar:  J. Ward Healey
Date of Registration:  September 12, 1918

Stamp of Local Board:  Local Board for Division No. 14, State of Mass., 12 Main St., Leominster, Mass.

The source citation for this World War I Draft Registration Card is (using the RootsMagic source template for "Draft Registrations - Images"):

"World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," indexed database, digital image, Ancestry.com, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 October 2010), Massachusetts, Leominster, Draft Board 14, Serial No. 2670, Order No. A853, Frederick Walton Seaver entry, dated 12 September 1918.

When I initially downloaded this image of my grandfather's draft registration card, it looked to be in pretty poor shape when it was imaged on the FamilySearch microfilm.  The registration card image currently on Ancestry.com looks a bit cleaner than this one, although it is still pretty fuzzy compared to others.  I had to find a "cleaner" card on Ancestry just to get the right titles for the entries.

I consider this to be an Original Source document, since the first time it was created is on 12 September 1918 at the Draft Board office.  Some Information is Primary (name, address, employment, spouse's name and address, etc.) and some is Secondary (birth date, race, citizenship).  All of this is Direct Evidence.  

I have used this document to provide evidence of his name, birth date, race, citizenship, residence, employment, spouse's name, and physical description in my database.

This is the only document that I have with my grandfather's signature.

These World War I Draft Registration cards are excellent resources for birth dates of persons in places where birth records were not kept in the late 19th century, or are not accessible due to state laws.


Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver