Saturday, July 23, 2016

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - How Many Place Names in Your Family Tree 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, please!):

1) 
Go into your Genealogy Management Program (GMP; either software on your computer, or an online family tree) and figure out how to Count how many places (e.g., towns, counties, states, countries) you have in your family tree database.


2)  Tell us which GMP you're using and how you did this task.

3)  Tell us how many place names are in your database and, if possible, which Place has the most entries.  If this excites you, tell us which surnames are in the top 5!  Or 10!!  Or 20!!!

4)  Write about it in your own blog post, in a comment to this blog post, in a status or comment on Facebook, or in Google Plus Stream post.

NOTE:  If you can't figure out how to do this in your GMP (Genealogy Management Program), use the Help button and search for "count places" then follow directions.  

Here's mine:

I was going to use RootsMagic 7 because that's where I'm doing my current additions, deletions and editing and is my most up-to-date collection.  In RootsMagic 7, go to Reports, then Lists and scroll down to "Place List."  Well, that didn't work - after a long time, I got a report with over 3,000 pages...and I couldn't see the contents.  But I asked for all of the events...big mistake I think.  When I asked for just a list of places I got 204 pages of alphabetical places, but no statistics.  Drat.  A look at File > Properties told me I had 9,385 place names but didn't break it down any further.  
I looked in the Help file for [place list statistics] and received no useful articles.  

So I made a GEDCOM file and imported it into Legacy Family Tree which has a lot of file statistics.  Here is a screen shot of the Family File Statistics with the Location Count:



I have 8,596 unique place names on my list (which does not include place details like cemeteries or residences). The top 10 are:

1.  England - 1,716 events
2.  Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States - 1,484 events
3.  Massachusetts, United States - 1,459 events
4.  New York, United States - 1,428 events
5.  Eastham, Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States - 1,303 events
6.  Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States - 1,124 events
7.  Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States - 1,072 events
8.  Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States - 1,037 events
9.  Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States - 995 events

I don't know why it didn't give me 10, or let me ask for more.  I'm not a Legacy expert, but I love their statistics!

I also don't know why the Legacy Family Tree number of place names is different from the overall number of place names in RootsMagic.  It may have something to do with place details or unused place names.


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Copyright (c) 2016, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.


Surname Saturday - BALLOU (England to colonial New England)

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 #1445, who is Lydia BALLOU (1649-1722) 
[Note: the earlier great-grandmothers and 8th great-grandfathers have been covered in earlier posts].

My ancestral line back through two generations of this BALLOU 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)


10.  Thomas Richmond (1848-1917)
11.  Julia E. White (1848-1913)

22.  Henry Arnold White (1824-1885)
23.  Amy Frances Oatley (1826-1864)

44.  Jonathan White (1805-1850)
45.  Miranda Wade (1804-1850)

90.  Simon Wade (1767-1857)
91.  Phebe Horton (1772-1820)

180.  Simon Wade (1731-1800)
181.  Deborah Tracy (1731-1800)

360.  Nathaniel Wade (1709-1754)
361.  Ruth Hawkins (1711-1789)

722.  William Hawkins (1679-1712)
723.  Elizabeth Arnold (1683-1758)

1444.  William Hawkins, born about 1647 in Providence, Providence, Rhode Island, United States; died 06 July 1723 in Providence, Providence, Rhode Island, United States.  He was the son of 2888. William Hawkins and 2889. Margaret Harwood.  He married 14 June 1678 in Providence, Providence, Rhode Island, United States.
1445.  Lydia Ballou, born about 1649 in Providence, Providence, Rhode Island, United States; died before 17 March 1722 in Providence, Providence, Rhode Island, United States.  

Children of William Hawkins and Lydia Ballou are:
*  William Hawkins (1679-1712), married 1704 Elizabeth Arnold (1683-1758)
*  Sarah Hawkins (1680-1759), married (1) 1700 Eleazer Arnold (1674-1712); (2) 1731 Maturin Ballou (1685-1760).
*  Stephen Hawkins (1683-1711), married 1706 Hannah Coggeshall (1676-1731).
*  John Hawkins (1685-1755), married 1714 Mary LNU (1688-????).

2890.  Robert Ballou, born about 1623 in England; died before 18 June 1668 in probably Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States.  He married 
2891.  Susannah LNU, born about 1626 in England, died after. June 1668 in probably Providence, Providence, Rhode Island, United States.

Children of Robert Ballou and Susannah are:
*  Lydia Ballou (1649-1722), married (1) 1665 George Gardiner; (2) 1678 William Hawkins (1647-1723).
*  female Ballou (1651-1651).

Information about the Ballou family was obtained from general references.  There don't appear to be any books or periodicals for this Ballou family.  He died before 18 June 1668 when his will was proved in Boston, Massachusetts.  He named his wife and his son-in-law, George Gardiner, and bequeathed money to his two unnamed daughters and one unnamed son.


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The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2016/07/surname-saturday-ballou-england-to.html

Copyright (c) 2016, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.




Friday, July 22, 2016

More About Rev. W.R. Seaver in the News

Soon after I posted Seavers in the Newspapers - Who is W.R. Seaver? (20 July 2016), I received an email from C. Coons noting that there is an article in The Sedalia [Mo.] Weekly Bazoo newspaper dated 16 February 2016 on page 6, which is available in digital format on Elephind.com.  

I went searching on Elephind and easily found the article which was actually on Chronicling America:



Further down the page, I saw the article:


It is a long article, taking the rest of the column.  I captured parts of it using the Windows 7 Snipping Tool, and pasted the images into a word processing document, then adjusted the size of all five parts to fit on one page.  I then used the Snipping Tool to capture the whole article as an image and saved it to my file folder for Reverend William R. Seaver.  Here is the article image (three columns shown for convenience):



The transcription of the article is:

A REVEREND'S REMARKS

Sedalia of Today, and Sedalia
of Fifteen Years Ago

Minister Seaver's Past Work and
Plans for the Future

Yestyerday afternoon a representa-
tive of the Bazoo had an informal
talk with Rev. W.R. Seaver, who is
giving a course of lectures in this city,
and as the gentleman was formerly a
pastor in one of the churches of Seda-
lia, he was asked to express an opin-
ion as to what he thought of the
growth of the place.  He stated that
he was much surprised to see the
many changes which had taken place
since he counted himself a Sedalian,
some fifteen years ago.  "Why," he
remarked "where we now are (Mr.
Moses' residence, corner of Thirteenth
and Ohio), it was almost a prairie and
none of these fine residences I see
around me have been built."

Sedalia, he said, had changed much
and the changes were for the better.
He believed that the town had kept
pace with her neighbors and was des-
tined to become an important commer-
cial center.

When asked in regard to his travels
since his residence in Sedalia, he said
that when he left here he went to
Muskegon, Mich.  The change was
then made, not because he was weary 
of Missouri, but rather because of his
failing health.  After sojourning in
that city for a number of years he
felt that he could do more good by
accepting a call which he had received
to go to St. Joseph, Mo., and once
again he found himself in the state he
had previously abandoned.  Again
his health failed him, and once more
he betook himself to Michigan, set-
tling on this occasion in Traverse City.
After laboring in that city for a time
he accepted a call to go to Pontiac,
and there he is now stationed, being
pastor of one of the finest Congrega-
tional churches in the state.

When asked if he contemplated
making any other changes, Mr. Sea-
ver replied that he did not.  He was
happy in his charge and believed that
he would remain there until he aban-
doned his profession, so far as having
charge of a congregation
was concerned.  He did not 
wish it to be inferred from this that
he by any means contemplated giving 
up preaching, as he expected and
hoped that so long as he lived he
would preach; but he was fast ap-
proaching that period in life when he
felt that he should seek some relaxa-
tion from active service.  Should 
everything go along as he hoped, it
was his intention to take a trip to
Europe next summer, and would
probably spend about six months in
travel, viewing, as best he can, the
chief places of historical note.

The reporter asked how many lec-
tures he included in his repertoire and
he replied that he now had nine com-
plete ones, while he had others in
course of preparation.  In his tours 
through the county he tried to vary
his subjects as much as possible and
deliver those which he thought would
be the most acceptable to the people
who attended them.  His tour this
winter would be a very extensive
one, as it was absolutely necessary to
be back at Pontiac, Mich., by the 9th
of March, where he had an important
engagement.  From here Mr. Seaver
goes to St. Joseph, where he delivers
two or three lectures, after which he
will go to Ellsworth, Kan., where he 
will also lecture.  Here the most of
his children reside, and with them he
will remain until he starts for home.

Mr. Seaver stated that his lecture
tours had proven very successful so
far and he had the satisfaction of
knowing that after delivering one in a
town he could always return and re-
ceive a warm welcome.

Those of our old citizens who re-
member Mr. Seaver when he was a 
resident of this city will not but lit-
tle change in his personal appearance.
The hand of time has pressed gently
upon him, and although his hair is
grayer than it was fifteen years ago,
yet his face retains that same pleasant
appearance it did then.  He has gained
somewhat in flesh, which is particu-
larly noticeable in the face.  The litho-
graphs which are displayed around
the town represent him well.

The source citation for this record is:

"A Reverend's Remarks," The Sedalia [Missouri] Weekly Bazoo, 16 February 1886, page 6, column 3; Chronicling America (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov: accessed 22 July 2016); original image provided by State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia, Mo.

There is a wealth of information available in digitized newspapers, and this one was free to find and access.

My thanks to C. Coons for finding this article and passing it on to me.  I get by with a lot of help from my readers!


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Copyright (c) 2016, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.