Saturday, August 30, 2014

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - How Many Sarah LNU's Are in Your Genealogy Database?

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):


1)  I have many females in my family tree database without a last name.  One of those female first names is "Sarah."  Do you have situations like this, where you don't know the surname of some females? [I call them LNU persons - Last Name Unknown.]


2) How many "Sarah" persons without a surname do you have in your genealogy database?  How many of them are your ancestor?  

3)  If you have one that is your ancestor, have you looked recently to determine if there are more records online that might lead you to her surname?  Go look for one - you might be surprised!

4)  Tell us about your Sarah LNU ancestors with no surname.  Perhaps someone will read it and help you out!

5)  Share your information in a blog post of your own, in a comment to this blog post, or on Facebook or Google+.

6)  NOTE:  If you don't have any "Sarah" persons without a surname, then pick another female first name.

Here's mine:

I have the following "Sarah" persons with no surname in my genealogy database (over 43,000 persons):

*  77 that have just the first name "Sarah."
*  Of those, 14 are my ancestors.  All of them were born before 1700.

Here are three that might be solvable with a little help:

1)  Sarah LNU (1605-1650), who married William Worcester (1595-1662) in about 1628 in Buckinghamshire (?), England.  They migrated to Salisbury, Massachusetts and had 13 children.

2)  Sarah LNU (1611-16781), who married (1) Robert Keyes (1604-1647) in about 1630, immigrated to Watertown, Massachusetts and had 8 children; married (2) John Gage (1606-1672) in 1658 in Ipswich, Massachusetts, and resided in Newbury, Massachusetts.

3)  Sarah LNU (1644-1693), who married Thomas Horton (1638-1716) in about 1668, resided in Rehoboth, Massachusetts, and had 6 children.

For these three Sarah LNUs, I looked on Ancestry Member Trees using the spouse's name, and did not find any real help.  There are too many entries and they are not ordered in any rational way.

I also looked on the FamilySearch Family Tree and found:

*  Sarah (LNU) Worcester (1600-1650), wife of William Worcester (1595-1662) of Salisbury, is listed as Sarah Brown, with parents Samuel Brown and Susanna Bates.  This is a possibility, I need to investigate it further.  There are other entries in FSFT for this William Worcester, and several say the wife is Sarah Brown, and several others say Sarah Blake.  

*  Sarah LNU (1611-1681), who married (1) Robert Keyes (1604-1647), of Watertown and Newbury - there is one entry with her surnamel isted as Allen, but without any sources or parents listed.

*  Sarah (LNU) Horton (1644-1693), wife of Thomas Horton (1638-1716) has no strong matches with a surname.

So my little foray into online trees was not too productive.  I will follow up on the wife of William Worcester.  I really need an authoritative NEHGR article or surname book entry that sources an English parish register or a father's will or land deed to provide some evidence besides a family tree entry.

The URL for this post is:

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver


Surname Saturday - HILL (England to colonial Massachusetts)

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


I am in the 8th great-grandmothers and I'm up to Ancestor #1037 who is Ruth HILL (1644-1736) 
[Note: the earlier great-grandmothers and 8th great-grandfathers have been covered in earlier posts].

My ancestral line back through two generations in this HILL 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)

16. Isaac Seaver (1823-1901)
17. Lucretia Townsend Smith (1827-1884)

32. Benjamin Seaver (1791-1825)
33. Abigail Gates (1797-1869)

64. Benjamin Seaver (1757-1816)
65. Martha Whitney (1764-1832)

128.  Norman Seaver (1734-1787)
129.  Sarah Read (1736-1809)


258.  Isaac Read (1704-1780)
259.  Experience Willis (1709-1787)


518.  Samuel Willis (1675-1758)
519.  Susannah Gleason (1676-1756)

1036.  Roger Willis, born about 1646 in probably Massachusetts, United States; died before December 1700 in Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.  He married 19 July 1664 in Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States.
1037.  Ruth Hill, born August 1644 in Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States; died 01 September 1736 in Wayland, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.

Children of Roger Willis and Ruth Hill are:
*  Ruth Willis (1666-1701), married 1690 John Goodenow (1670-1736)
*  Mary Willis (1669-????)
*  Samuel Willis (1675-1758), married (1) 1700 Experience Newell (1677-1703), (2) 1703 Susannah Gleason (1676-1756).
*  Elizabeth Willis (1678-????)
*  Hannah Willis (1680-????)
*  Sarah Willis (1684-????), married 1712 Daniel Taylor (1690-1741).
*  Josiah Willis (1686-1758), married 1715 Sarah Wood (1692-1783).
*  Thankful Willis (1690-1735), married 1727 James Bellows (1701-????).

2074.  John Hill, born about 1602 of Chard, Somerset, England; died 31 May 1664 in Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States.  He was the son of 4148. John Hill and 4149. Jane Gaud.  He married about 1629 in England.
2075.  Frances Tileston, born about 1608 in Chard, Somerset, England; died about 1680 in probably Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States.

Children of John Hill and Frances Tileston are:
*  John Hill (1630-1718), married (1) 1653 Hannah Parmalee (1644-1690); (2) 1690 Elizabeth Thorpe (1655-1719).
*  Frances Hill (1632-1676), married 1667 Jonah Austin (1630-1683).
*  Rebecca Hill (1634-1676), married 1667 Joseph Gray.
*  Mary Hill (1636-1726), married 1657 Thomas Breck (1635-1703).
*  Samuel Hill (1638-1708), married 1667 Martha (????-1715).
*  Jonathan Hill (1640-1710), married 1675 Mary Basset(1640-1715).
*  Hannah Hill (1641-1729), married 1662 Daniel Fisher (1638-1683).
*  Mercy Hill (1643-1709), married 1664 Elkanah Willis (1639-1711).
*  Ruth Hill (1644-1736), married 1664 Roger Willis (1646-1700)
*  Ebenezer Hill (1645-1696), married (1) 1683 Ruth Bailey (1645-1688); (2) 1693 Sarah (1644-????).
*  Israel Hill (1648-1677).
*  Martha Hill (1648-????)
*  Mehitable Hill (1651-1679).

Information about this Hill family was obtained from:

J. Gardner Bartlett, "John Hill of Dorchester, Mass. and His Descendants", New England Historic Genealogical Register, Volume 58, number 2 (April 1904), page 157.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2014/08/surname-saturday-hill-england-to.html

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver


Friday, August 29, 2014

Ancestry.com Mobile App Has New Features

I received this via email from Ancestry.com:

=====================================
We just re-launched the Ancestry App on version 6.0 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices. This isn’t just a re-launch on a new system, we’ve worked hard to add some solid new features that we think you’ll enjoy.
Prioritized Hints View 
We’ve added a new section to the application which allows you to view all the hints for a given tree from a single place. We’ve added a prioritized sort order to the hints in this section so that your very best hints automatically bubble up into view. In addition to a priority sort, we’ve made it possible to view hints based on recency, with the newest hints at the top of the list. Near the top of the new hints view you will find sort order controls titled “best” and “latest” which allow you to toggle between these two sort orders to meet your needs. We’ve also included some filtering capabilities for the hints in this section which will allow you to filter hints by the last name of the person the hint is for, or to filter hints by type (photo, story or record). When you see a hint that you’d like to learn more about, simply tap; the details of the hint will come into view and you will be able to accept or ignore the hint from right there.
Comments 
Every day thousands of photos and stories are added to Ancestry by users of the website and the Ancestry App. When one of these pieces of great content might be associated with a  relative of yours you will get a photo or story hint and you get to share this content and benefit from the work of other Ancestry users. Now you will have the ability to comment on these shared pieces of content directly from the mobile app - just like you can on the website. When viewing a photo or story you will notice a new comment area within the mobile app, here you will see comments from others and be able to leave comments of your own. 
Comments View  
The new comments section provides a running history of the new comments that have been left on photos and stories I your tree,  making it easy for you to keep up to date on the latest comments. When you see a comment that you would like to see in full context or respond to, silly tap; you will be taken to the photo or story that the comment was made on and be able to review the entire comment thread associated with the content. 
Badges 
You may notice a new red badge with a number in it that shows up on the Ancestry app icon. This lets you know that you have new hints or comments to review. We have also included badges on the icons representing the hint and comment sections which allow you to know exactly where the new content can be found. 
Notifications 
If you have enabled the Ancestry App to send you push notifications you will now be notified when the very best new hints or comments are available. When you are ready to view the new hint or comment, simply tap; the app will open and you will be taken dirtily to the hint or comment. 
Tree Viewer Enhancements 
In addition to family and pedigree views, you can now view your family tree in a list view. From this view you can filter the list of tree persons by name or using a number of useful filters (Direct Ancestors, End of Line, Living Relatives, People with Hints, and People with Recent Hints). We’ve also added a dedicated person search within the pedigree and family views. Tapping on the search icon In the top left corner of the tree viewer will allow you to enter the name of the person you are looking for. When you see the person you are looking for, simply tap; the tree will be refocused on this person and you will be taken directly to his or her profile details. 
Navigation 
We’ve simplified and updated the navigation within app. You will notice prominent tabs along the bottom of the app for Hints, Comments, Tree, DNA, and Settings. Getting around the app will now be quicker and easier than ever.    
In addition to the major updates highlighted above we have worked on smaller touches within the app that enhance the overall experience. As you use the app in more depth you will likely notice other changes like: quick links to web content, side-by-side comparisons between tree and record data, quick access to profile information from hints and updated colors and styling. We hope that the new version 6.0 app experience will be a good one, and that the Ancestry Mobile App will become an ever more integral part of your Ancestry experience. 
If you have ideas, thoughts or questions please feel free to submit feedback by tapping on the “Feedback” tab within the Settings section of the app. The Ancestry Mobile Team 
==============================================

I think I saw most of this last night while I was working in the App.  It looked significantly different from what I recalled previously.

Here are some screen shots from my database:

1)  The "Latest Hints" view (note there is also a "Best Hints" view):


Tapping on one of the Hints shows the record information and the tree information:


2)  The "Comments" View:


Tapping on one of the images above opens the image and provides an opportunity to make a comment about it.

3)  The "Tree Viewer" List (note the other two tree views - Family and Pedigree):


4)  The "DNA" View:


I didn't realize some of these features were brand new and hadn't been announced yet!  Now they have!  Enjoy!!

Hmmm.  Now I have to revise my "Genealogy in the Cloud" presentation...


Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver


Dear Randy: How Do I Cite an Online City Directory?

Reader Mary wrote recently saying that she had found one of her ancestors in a City Directory in Ancestry.com's collection, and wondered how she should cite the record.

I have entries in city directories for several of my ancestors in the "City Directories, 1821-1989" database on Ancestry.com, so I took the opportunity to craft a source citation using the RootsMagic source template for "Directories, City or County (Databases, online).  Here is the source template form:


The source citation created by this source template is:

"U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989", indexed database and digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 22 May 2010), page 195, Charles Auble entry; citing "Chicago, Illinois, City Directory, 1909 (Chicago, Ill.:n.p., 1909)."

Mary, and other readers, can substitute the database name, the provider, the access date, the page number, the person of interest, and the title, publisher and date of the specific city directory digitized in the online collection.

I tried using the "Directories, City or County (Images, online)" source template in RootsMagic but it did not mention the Ancestry.com record collection for some reason, and it required a Master Source for each directory being sourced.  For example, the citation for the above entry would be:

Chicago, Illinois, City Directory, 1909 (Chicago, Ill. : n.p. 1909), page 195, entry for "Auble, Charles," digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com) : accessed 22 May 2010).

I like the first one better because it mentions the Ancestry.com database, which is where I found the record.  I guess I could put the database name in the second citation also.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2014/08/dear-randy-how-do-i-cite-online-city.html

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver





52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 35: #42 John Rich (1791-1868)

Amy Johnson Crow suggested a weekly blog theme of "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" in her blog post Challenge: 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks on the No Story Too Small blog.  Here is my ancestor biography for week #35:

[NOTE:  This profile has been edited to reflect the parentage of John Rich as William and Betty (Noad) Rich.]

John Rich (1791-1868) is #42 on my Ahnentafel list, my third great-grandfather.  He married in 1811 to #43 Rebecca Hill (1790-1862).  


I am descended through:

*  their daughter, #21 
Hannah Rich (1824-1911). who married James Richman (1821-1912)
*  their son, #10 Thomas Richmond (1848-1917), who married #11 Julia E. White (1848-1913)
*  their daughter, #5 Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962), who married #4 Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942), 
* their son, #2 Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983), who married #3 Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002), in 1942.
*  their son, #1 Randall J. Seaver (1943-....)

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

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


*  Name:                    John Rich [1-5]
*  Sex:                       Male   

*  Father:                   William Rich (1766-1835)
*  Mother:                  Betty Noad (1767-1814)

2)  INDIVIDUAL FACTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):

*  Birth:                    before 17 February 1790, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England    
*  Baptism:               17 February 1790, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England
*  Census:                 31 March 1841 (about age 50), Hilperton, Wiltshire, England [2]   
*  Census:                 31 March 1851 (about age 60), Hilperton, Wiltshire, England [3]   
*  Census:                 31 March 1861 (about age 70), Hilperton, Wiltshire, England [4]
*  Death:                   before 6 June 1868 (before about age 77), Hilperton, Wiltshire, England [5]
*  Burial:                   6 June 1868 (about age 77), Hilperton, Wiltshire, England [5]
  
3)  SPOUSES AND CHILDREN (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
   
*  Spouse 1:              Rebecca Hill (1790-1862)   
*  Marriage 1:           14 February 1815 (about age 24), Hilperton, Wiltshire, England [1]
*  Child 1:                James Rich (1816-    )   
*  Child 2:                Ann Rich (1818-1882)   
*  Child 3:                John Rich (1818-1822)   
*  Child 4:                William Rich (1821-1822)   
*  Child 5:                John Rich (1822-    )   
*  Child 6:                Jesse Rich (1822-1871)   
*  Child 7:                Hannah Rich (1824-1911)   
*  Child 8:                Emma Rich (1827-    )   
*  Child 9:                Elizabeth Rich (1828-    )   
*  Child 10:              William Rich (1830-1914)   
*  Child 11:              Samuel Rich (1833-1897)   

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

 John Rich was probably born between 1789 and 1794, since he was listed as age 47 in the 1841 census, age 58 in the 1951 census, age 70 in the 1861 census, and age 79 in his burial record in June 1868.  

The parents of John Rich are not known with assurance.  They are probably William and Betty (Noad) Rich of Trowbridge, who resided there.  A John Rich was baptized in St. James Church in Trowbridge on 14 November 1790[1].

This John Rich is the only male with surname Rich born between 1785 and 1795 residing in Hilperton in the 1841, 1851 and 1861 Census returns.  

The marriage record for John Rich and Rebecca Hill indicates they were married by banns in Hilperton Parish Church by curate J. Bailes on 14 February 1815, and both signed by their mark.  George Hill and Isaac Hiscock were the witnesses.[6]

The baptisms of the children of John and Rebecca (Hill) Rich are in the Hilperton parish church records.  Three of the children, Hannah (born 1824) , William (born 1830) and Samuel (born 1833) were baptized on 19 February 1837.  John's occupation is given as weaver.

In the 1841 Tithing and Land Apportionment taken 27 Feb 1841 (copied from large map and rolls of records in Wiltshire County Record Office in Trowbridge), John Rich occupied land leased by Grace Shrapnell:  

#51:  house and garden, area 0a 1r 3p, tithing 0L 2s 0p.
#52:  garden            area 0a 0r 12p, tithing -------

Lots 51 and 52 are located in Hilperton Marsh, on the south side of what is now Horse Road opposite St. Mary's Close.

In the 1841 Census for Wiltshire,  the John Rich family resided in Hilperton, Wiltshire, England.[2]  The household included:

*  Jno Rich - age 47, male, a weaver, born Wiltshire
*  Rebecka Rich - age 55, female, born Wiltshire
*  James Rich - age 18, male, born Wiltshire
*  Elizabeth Rich - age 16, female, born Wiltshire
*  Hannah Rich - age 15, female, born Wiltshire
*  William Rich - age 10, male, born Wiltshire
*  Samuel Rich - age 7, male, born Wiltshire

In the 1851 Census for Wiltshire, the John Rich family resided in Hilperton, Wiltshire, England.[3] The household included:

*   John Rich - head, age 58, hand loom weaver, born Hilperton
*  Rebecca Rich - wife, age 63, born Hilperton
*  William Rich - son, age 21, weaver, born Hilperton
*  Samuel Rich (son, age 18, India rubber worker, born Hilperton

In the 1861 England and Wales Census, John Rich (age 70, married, a woolen cloth weaver, born in Hilperton, Wiltshire) and Rebecca Rich (age 75, married, born in Hilperton, Wiltshire) resided in Hilperton, Wiltshire.[4]

The burial record for John Rich indicates that he resided in Hilperton Marsh, buried on 8 June 1868, age 79.[5]
 
5)  SOURCES

1.  "Wiltshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812," indexed database with record images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com), Trowbridge, St. James with St. Stephen > Parish Registers > 1761-1812, image 62 of 318, John Rich baptism entry, 14 November 1790.

2. 1841 England, Wales and Scotland Census, Wiltshire, Hilperton [parish], Folio 20, Page 1 (printed), Lines 22-25, John Rich household; digital image, FindMyPast.com (www.findmypast.com : accessed 28 July 2012); citing The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey, Public Record Office HO 107/1182/2..

3. 1851 England and Wales Census, Wiltshire, Hilperton [parish], District 257, Folio 255 recto, page 22, household 92, John Rich household; digital image. FindMyPast.com (http://www.findmypast.com : accessed 28 July 2012), citing The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey, Public Record Office HO 107/1840.

4. 1861 England and Wales Census, Wiltshire, Hilperton [parish], District 1, Folio 12, page 17, household 91, John Rich household; digital image, FindMyPast.com (http://www.findmypast.com : accessed 14 December 2012), citing The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey, Public Record Office RG09/1295.

5. Church of England, Parish Church of Hilperton (Wiltshire, England), Bishop's Transcripts, 1622-1880, "Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1837-1880," Burials, Page [ ] (blank), 1868, No. 138, John Rich entry; accessed on FHL BRITISH Microfilm 1,279,404, Item 15, (accessed 5 February 2014).

6.  Church of England, Parish Church of Hilperton (Wiltshire, England), Bishop's Transcripts, 1622-1880, "Baptisms, Marriages, Burials, 1813-1838," Marriages: John Rich and Rebecca Hill entry; accessed on FHL BRITISH Microfilm 1,279,404, Item 14.

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

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2014/08/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks-week-35-42.html

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver


Thursday, August 28, 2014

Use Descendancy View to See Record Hints, Research Suggestions and Data Problems on FamilySearch Family Tree

FamilySearch announced on 19 August that more Record Hints are available for persons in the Family Tree - see Additional Record Hints Released by Robert Kehrer.  There are three kinds of Hints:

*  Orange icon - Record Hints (from Indexed record collections)

*  Blue icon - Research Suggestions (things to check for)

*  Red icon - Data Problems (e.g., married before 13, mother had child after 50, birth after mother's death, etc.)

The icons appear on the "Descendancy" Tree View, as shown below (two screens, with 4 Generations checked):



As you can see on the screens above, Isaac Seaver has an Orange icon in the right-hand column, while others have both Orange and Blue icons.

If I click on the Orange icon for Isaac Seaver, I can see the Record Hints available for him:


If I click on the first Record Hint (a Marriage record), then I can see the Historical Record (on the left of the screen) alongside the Family Tree person (on the right of the screen) (two screens shown):



I entered a Reason to Attach on the screen above, and then clicked the blue "Attach" button.  I did the same thing for his spouse, Alvina (Lewis) Bradley.  The result is that the marriage record was attached to both of them:


I went back to the "Descendancy" Tree View, and the Marriage "Record Hint" is no longer there:


If I click on Isaac's name, and select "Profile," I can see the "Sources" attached for him.  They include the marriage record I just attached:


I wondered what "Research Suggestions" there might be for his daughter Juliette Seaver (1847-1910).  I clicked on her blue icon on the "Descendancy" View and saw:

Helpfully, it told me that:

*  I had no Sources Attached.  I need to work through the "Record Hints" for her.
*  Person may have had children (and/or a spouse).  She had a spouse, but no children.  I need to add the spouse to the Tree.

Other "Research Suggestions" I've seen so far include:

*  Possible Missing Children (when there's a gap between children)
*  Couple May Have Had Children

There may be others that I have not seen yet.

These icons are very helpful.  I don't see them on any of the other Tree views - just the "Descendancy" View.  I guess they figure that they are all in one place and folks can work from the "Descendancy" View to attach records and add Sources to the Tree.  Of course, the "Record Hints" do appear on the person "Profile" page also.

I read that Robert Kehrer said at an FGS conference function in San Antonio that there is a 98% accuracy rate for the Record Hints, mainly because of the search and match algorithms used that consider relationships in addition to event information.  That's great, and I hope it stays that high.

Of course, the "Record Hints" only access the indexed FamilySearch historical record collections.  They don't provide a Hint for an entry in a "Browse-only" collection, or for a record in another record provider's collection.

A good goal might be to use the "Descendancy" View icons to systematically attach records and sources to persons in the Family Tree - one person and one record at a time.  I could start with, say, each 2nd great-grandparent, and add the Record Hints to the Tree.  Then check back on a regular basis and try to keep the "Descendancy" View free of O range icons ("Record Hints").

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2014/08/use-descendancy-view-to-see-record.html

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver


Treasure Chest Thursday - Post 229: Quaker Church Marriage Record for Thomas Gach and Elizabeth Bloodgood in 1721

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 Marriage record of Thomas Gach (1702-1770) and Elizabeth Bloodgood (1703-????) in 1721, in the Quaker record book for Rahway and Plainfield Monthly Meeting.


The marriage entry for Thomas Gach and Elizabeth Bloodgood is on the right-hand page of the image above:


The transcription of the entry is:

Thomas Gach & Elizabeth Bloodgood Marriage permitted by Wood. Mtg. 6 mo 17 1721

The source citation for this entry is:

U.S. Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1994, Rahway and Plainfield [N.J.] Monthly Meeting, Register of Marriages, Births, and Deaths, 1687-1871, Marriages, page 3 (image 41 of 129), Thomas Gach and Elizabeth Bloodgood entry; indexed database and digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 July 2014).

These records are a transcription of the original records in the Rahway and Plainfield Monthly Meeting records.  The first page of the marriage entries says:

"The following marriages have been obtained from the Marriage Records or from the Minutes of the Monthly Meeting.  In the latter case, the date is that of the Meeting at which permission was granted to marry to the parties, or it is that of the Monthly Meeting following the marriage, when the committee appointed to attend the wedding reported the marriage as having been accomplished. 

"As a general rule, the date of the marriage may be assumed as about one week after the permission was given, or about three weeks prior to the report of the committee."

Interesting, that.  So the better date for this marriage is "after 17 August 1721" rather than 17 August 1721.

Thomas and Elizabeth (Bloodgood() Gach are my 6th great-grandparents.  Their daughter, Martha Gach (1729-????) is my 5th great-grandmother.  She married Samuel Fitz Randolph (1730-????) in 1750 in Woodbridge, and they had two daughters, including my 4th great-grandmother, Tabitha Randolph (1752-1841), who married Stephen Cutter (1745-1823) in 1768.


Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver


Wednesday, August 27, 2014

My Descent From William I "the Conqueror," King of England

I posted Valerie Bertinelli is My Cousin on 14 August 2014 after the Who Do You Think You Are? episode which took Valerie's ancestry back to Edward I "Longshanks", King of England.

I recalled that I was also descended from William the Conqueror, according to the Gary Boyd Roberts book:

Gary Boyd Roberts, The Royal Descents of 600 Immigrants to the American Colonies or the United States, Who Were Themselves Notable or left Descendants Notable in American History, (Baltimore, Genealogical Publishing Co., 2004).

I recently entered the line from William the Conqueror to Mary Gye into my RootsMagic database.

Here is my Relationship chart from William the Conqueror to myself.  The "Gateway Ancestor" is Mary Gye (1580-1666), who married Rev. John Maverick (1578-1636):







So William the Conqueror is my 26th great-grandfather.  But my latest English royal in this line is Henry III, my 23rd great-grandfather.

It will be interesting to see if the Geni tree will show me this line.  Or WikiTree.  Or FamilySearch Family Tree.  Do they reflect the lines of descent that are in the published books?  I hope so!  

Are you my cousin from these early English Kings through Mary Gye?  Or any of her ancestors?

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2014/08/my-descent-from-william-i-conqueror.html

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver


"Hispanic Research Day in San Diego County" at San Diego Central Library on 6 September 2014

I received this announcement recently from Ceasar Castro:

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Saturday, September 6, 2014 • 10 a.m to 1 p.m. 

San Diego Central Library • 9th Floor Genealogy Library 
330 Park Blvd. San Diego CA 92101 
Directions: 619-236-5800 

Central Library Underground Parking: First 2 hours free with validation for library users. Cash only.  OR Offsite Parking in the Area Thousands of affordable public parking spaces are also available within walking distance of the Library.


Announcing the inaugural Hispanic Research Day in San Diego County. This is an opportunity for Hispanic Researchers to receive personalized assistance from a veteran genealogist in a state-of-the-art library. Whether you are new to genealogy or have been searching for years, expert guidance can save you months, if not years, of time. Bring your pedigree charts and family history sheets and/or your laptop to save time.

Your host/expert is Ceasar Castro was born and raised in San Diego County and whose ancestors are from Baja California. Ceasar was introduced to genealogy in 2008 and eventually tracked his Castro ancestors to the early 1700s when the first Castros arrived in Baja California. He has a blog (castrobajacalif.blogspot.com) on this Castro family line.

Castro is a member of the San Diego Genealogy Society, the Chula Vista Genealogy Society, the San Diego Computer Genealogy Society, the Southern California Genealogy Society (SCGS) and the Genealogical Society of Hispanic America – Southern California (GSHA-SC). He is a graduate of San Diego State University and has a Masters degree from Purdue University. He is well known in the San Diego area for his informative presentations, one of which is “California and the Mexican-American War From a Genealogical Point of View” [contact Ceasar Castro at castro.baja@gmail.com].

This event is co-hosted by the Genealogical Society of Hispanic America – Southern California (GSHA-SC) and the San Diego Genealogical Society (SDGS).

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The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2014/08/hispanic-research-day-in-san-diego.html


FGS President D. Joshua Taylor Named Honorary Mayor of La Villita

I received this press release from the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) today:

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D. Joshua Taylor Named Honorary Mayor of La Villita
during FGS 2014 Conference for the Nation’s Genealogists



August 27, 2014, San Antonio, TX – D. Joshua Taylor, president of the Federation of Genealogical Societies, will be presented with an Alcalde naming him Honorary Mayor of LaVillita on Friday evening, August 29, during “A Night in Old San Antonio” celebration. 

Genealogists, historians, librarians, and archivists from all over the United States and beyond have convened at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center to participate in a four-day event that includes over 70 speakers and 130 sessions and workshops from August 27-30. Local co-hosts are the Texas State Genealogical Society and the San Antonio Genealogical and Historical Society.

Upon being notified of this Alcalde presentation, Taylor commented, “As a genealogist, I am pleased to accept this honor on behalf of the ancestors who were responsible for the vibrant city San Antonio is today.” Taylor continued, “As one of the oldest European settlements in Texas, San Antonio exemplifies the commitment and vision of those who have gone before us.”

Conference Highlights

• Conference Sessions: A wide variety of genealogy-related lectures and workshops for all experience levels. Attendees will be able to learn about Texas and neighboring states research, African-American and ethnic origin research, military research, genetics, technology, migration, methodology and more.

• Exhibit Hall – Free admittance for the public: The large exhibit hall will feature the latest software, books, maps, databases and gadgets on the market for genealogists and family historians, as well as information about genealogical organizations. 

Representatives of FGS member societies will staff their booths in the special Society Showcase area. There will be a series of 30-minute presentations during Exhibit Hall hours to help researchers learn more about resources, software, technology and more.

• Platinum sponsors include leading family history companies: Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, and Findmypast.com. Corporate sponsors are Dell and Lexmark. 

Other participating and supporting organizations include Family Chronicle magazine, Association of Professional Genealogists, Board for Certification of Genealogists, National Genealogical Society, New England Historic Genealogical Society, The Polish Mission of the Orchard Lake Schools, Texas State Genealogical Society, and The National Huguenot Society.

• Saturday Only Registration for $49: For those unable to attend the multi-day conference there is a special one-day rate of $49 for Saturday Only.

There are more activities and research opportunities too numerous to list. However, you can learn all about the 2014 FGS Conference at http://www.fgsconference.org. Be sure to also visit or subscribe to the FGS Conference Blog at http://www.fgsconference.org/blog for more information. Onsite registration is open each day at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.

About the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS)

The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) was founded in 1976 and represents the members of hundreds of genealogical societies. FGS links the genealogical community by helping genealogical societies strengthen and grow through resources available online, FGS FORUM magazine (filled with articles for the family history community), and Society Strategy Series papers, covering topics about effectively operating a genealogical society. FGS also links the genealogical community through its annual conference -- four days of excellent lectures, including one full day devoted to society management topics. To learn more visit http://www.fgs.org

Learn More about FGS 2014 and Stay Connected

• Visit the conference website at http://www.fgsconference.org.
• Find the latest news on the conference blog at http://www.fgsconference.org/blog.com.
• Like the conference on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/FGSgenealogy.
• Follow the conference on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/FGSgenealogy and hashtag 
#FGS2014

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The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2014/08/fgs-president-d-joshua-taylor-named.html