Saturday, April 7, 2018

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun -- Your World Birth Number

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)  Use the Population Counter on the BBC News website to determine your place in the current world population, and your place in all of history (of course, these are estimates...see the website for how they calculated this).  Enter your birth date into the fields and click on "Go."

2)  Tell us about your results in your own blog post, as a Comment on this blog post, or as a status line in Facebook or a Stream post on Google Plus.  Please leave a link to your blog post as a comment on this post.


Here's mine:

The site says that when I was born (23 October 1943) that I was the 2,374,409,904th person alive at that time.  I was also the 75,084,100,723rd person ever born.  

My first thought was "what about other persons born on my birthday?"  Well, they get the same numbers.  My next thought was "how many persons were born on that day?"  I entered the next day into the calculator and got the 75,084,337,415 person - so the answer is 236,692 persons.  

How about my mother and father?  Dad was number 72,629,532,035 (15 October 1911) and Mom was number 73,173,516,367 (30 July 1919).  

What about persons born today?  The counter says there are 7,487,913,745 alive today, and 84,087,597,178 persons ever born alive on 7 April 2018.  So over 9 billion people have been born since the day I was born.  

My next thought was "Can my RootsMagic family tree database, my Ancestry Member Tree, or the FamilySearch Family Tree handle 84 billion people?"  The FSFT currently has over 1 billion names, but some of those are duplicates.  Will there ever be an online family tree with EVERY person who ever lived in it?  I doubt it.  

Another thought: "Will we ever get to the point where each person that ever lived will have a unique identification number?"  Obviously, it will have to have at least twelve digits!  Who will assign the numbers?  Who will keep track?  Who will be able to remember their number?

There are several other charts that can be seen by clicking the "Next" button  - one for your Country (USA has 484 births per hour, 288 deaths per hour, and adds 113 immigrants every hour, for a 0.9% population growth rate per year).  Average life expectancy in the USA is 78 years, with Females at 80.5 years and males at 75.4 years.  Isn't that great?  Oh no, I am now 74.5 years old this month, so I have less than one year to finish up my genealogy work!  And, hopefully, I will live on borrowed time - the expectancy is from birth.


NOTE:  This site was created in 2011, and may not have been updated since then.  It's still interesting, though!


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Copyright (c) 2018, 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 -- HALSEY (England to colonial Massachusetts)

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


I am working in the 9th great-grandmothers by Ahnentafel number, and I am up to Ancestor #2101 who is Anne HALSEY (1591-1659). 
[Note: the earlier great-grandmothers and 9th great-grandfathers have been covered in earlier posts.]

My ancestral line back through one generation in this HALSEY 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)


130.  Samuel Whitney (1719-1782)
131.  Abigail Fletcher (1720-1783)

262.  John Fletcher (1692-1749)
263.  Mary Goble (1694-1734)

524.  Samuel Fletcher (1657-1744)
525.  Elizabeth Wheeler (1664-1744)


1050.  Thomas Wheeler (1621-1704)
1051.  Sarah Merriam (1626-1677)

2100.  Thomas Wheeler, born about 1590 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England; died 23 August 1654 in Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, United States.  He was the son of 4200. Thomas Wheeler and 4201. Mary LNU.  He married 05 May 1613 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England.
2101.  Ann Halsey, born before about 1591 probably in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England; died 20 October 1659 in Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, United States.

Children of Thomas Wheeler and Ann Halsey are:
*  Ann Wheeler, born before 30 January 1614 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England; died before 14 July 1615 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England.
*  Alice Wheeler, born before 15 June 1616 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England; died before 1637 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England; married John Billington 16 October 1634 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England; born before 14 February 1613 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England; died before 26 September 1671 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England.
*  Hannah Wheeler, born before 15 February 1618 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England; died in  ; married (1) James Bennett about 1639 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States; born about 1615 in England; died August 1659 in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States; married (2) Joseph Middlebrook about 1673 in probably Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, United States; born about  1626 in England.
Thomas Wheeler, born before 08 December 1621 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England; died 24 December 1704 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States; married (1) Sarah Merriam 14 October 1648 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States; married (2) Sarah Beers 23 July 1677 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.
*   Elizabeth Wheeler, born before 04 November 1622 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England; died young.
*  John Wheeler, born before 27 February 1625 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England; died before 05 April 1690 in Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, United States; married (1) Judith Turney about 1661 in probably Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, United States; born before 13 June 1633 in Sudbury, Suffolk, England; died before 1673 in Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, United States; married (2) Elizabeth Rowland about 1673 in Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, United States; born about 1651 in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States; died March 1703 in Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, United States.
*  Sarah Wheeler, born before 10 August 1628 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England; died 21 August 1669 in probably Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, United States; married Thomas Sherwood about 1646 in probably Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, United States; born before 23 January 1630 in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England; died 01 January 1687 in Stratford, Fairfield, Connecticut, United States.

The parents of Ann Halsey appear to be unknown, even though there is a baptism date listed for her in many online family trees.  There seem to be two potential sets of parents:

1) Thomas Halsey and Phebe Barrett of Cranbrook, Bedfordshire, but there appears to be no baptism record for Ann in Cranbrook.

2)  Robert Halsey and Ellin Alley, there is a baptism record for An Hasye in Flamstead, Hertfordshire on 30 May 1591.

FamilySearch Family Tree lists both of them as parents of Ann Halsey.  Many Ancestry Member Trees list Thomas and Phebe with the 1591 baptism date.  

I don't know which one, if either, is correct.  The marriage of Thomas Wheeler and Ann Halsey in Cranbrook is not in the IGI.  It may have been found by a Wheeler researcher in parish records.

I have not researched Ann Halsey's origins or parents.  If someone has a reference to her birth, baptism or marriage I would appreciate knowing it. 

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2018/04/surname-saturday-halsey-england-to.html

Copyright (c) 2018, 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, April 6, 2018

Genealogy News Bytes - 6 April 2018


Some of the genealogy news items across my desktop the last three days include:

1)  News Articles:


 
Ancestry ProGenealogists launch Heritage Tours to Ireland, Italy, Germany and Sicily

*  Dutch Genealogy News for March 2018

*  TLC’s “Long Lost Family” Season 3 Premieres on Sunday, April 8

2)  Record Databases:

 
New Records Available To Search This Findmypast Friday, 6 April 2018

*  New Records on FamilySearch: Week of April 2, 2018

*  MyHeritage Adds New Historical Records in March 2018

3)  Genealogy Education:

 GeneaWebinars Calendar

 FamilySearch Classes Presented at RootsTech 2018 Now Online


*  Free Family History Library Classes and Webinars for April 2018

*  Upcoming Family Tree Webinar - Tuesday, 10 April 11 a.m. PDT:  Genealogy for Advanced Users: Grow Your Family Tree Online, by Uri Gonen


*  Upcoming Family Tree Webinar - Wednesday, 11 April, 5 p.m. PDT:  Georgia: Gateway to Westward Expansion, by Rorey Cathcart

*  Archived Family Tree Webinar:  CompGen: Germany's Genealogy Mega Site, by Teresa Steinkamp McMillin

*  Archived Family Tree Webinar:  Sharing The Joy: Projects That Will Captivate The Non-Genealogists In Your Life, by Lisa Louise Cooke

*  Archived Family Tree Webinar:  Legacy 9 Unlocked (part 3): Adding a Census Recordby Geoff Rasmussen

*  DearMYRTLE YouTube Channel:  The Archive Lady - Mar 2018 Where are the Records?

*  DearMYRTLE YouTube Channel:  Mondays with Myrt - 2 Apr 2018

*  DearMYRTLE YouTube Channel:  Breadcrumbs & Sources with Tony Proctor

*  The In-Depth Genealogist YouTube Channel:  The Race Continues...

*  Family History Fanatics YouTube Channel:  Research Over My Shoulder Ep. #1 - Ophelia Woodruff

*  Findmypast YouTube Channel:  Findmypast's Unique Catholic Heritage Archive

4)  Bargains:

*  Genealogy Bargains for Friday, April 6,  2018


5)  Neat Stuff:

*   
X marks the spot: Archaeologists find America's largest pirate mass grave - final resting place of Black Sam's crew who drowned when their ship was wrecked off Cape Cod 300 years ago

*  DNA Test Reveals Woman's Father Is Actually Parents' Fertility Doctor

Did you miss the last Genealogy News Bytes - 3 April 2018?


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Copyright (c) 2018, 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.

New Records Available To Search This Findmypast Friday, 6 April 2018

I received this information from Findmypast today:

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


New Records Available To Search This Findmypast Friday

There are over 8.6 million new records available to search this Findmypast Friday, including;

England & Wales, Electoral Registers 1920

Over 6.7 million records – discover where your ancestors were living in a 1920 census substitute created from our exclusive collection of England & Wales electoral records. These newly indexed records can be searched by name, year, constituency, polling district and keyword. 

Canadian Headstones Index

Over 1.8 million records – Search this index of Canadian headstones to discover when and where your ancestor died. This collection has been obtained through CanadianHeadstones.com, presented by the Ontario Genealogical Society. Additional information about these records can be found on the source's website.

Sussex Registers & Records

Explore two fascinating publications – Parish Registers of Hove & Preston (1538-1812) and   Parochial History of Chiddingly (1407-1847), to uncover baptisms, marriages, burials, memorial inscriptions, local histories and biographies of early figures from the county's history.

Warwickshire Registers & Records

Explore two fascinating publications – Historical Warwickshire, Its Legendary Lore, Traditionary Stories, and Romantic Episodes (published 1876) and History of Coventry (published 1870), and learn more about the history, legends and lore of William Shakespeare's birth county.

Surrey Registers & Records

Explore five publications – covering Beddington, Chipstead & Titsey, Gatton & Sanderstead, Richmond and Wimbledon. These compilations of parish registers date back to the mid-1500s and contain baptisms, marriages and burials from a variety of parishes across the county.

Suffolk Registers & Records

Explore seven publications – covering Bury St Edmunds, West Stow & Wordwell, Rushbrook, Ickworth, Denham and Chillesford. The collection includes Wills & Inventories, Hearth Tax returns and Parish records dating back to 1539.

New South Wales, Railway Employment Records

Over 700 records – Explore a register of salaried officers working for the New South Wales Government Railways and Tramways (1856-1890) and a personnel register for Darling Harbour (1909-1932) to uncover details of your ancestor's career on Australia's railroads.

Cardiganshire Burials

Over 1,514 Llanwenog monumental inscriptions 1768-1996 have been added to our collection of Cardiganshire Burials. The records will reveal a combination of your ancestors birth year, death date, burial date, burial location, residence, death place and relatives' names.
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Disclosure:  I have a complimentary subscription to Findmypast, and have accepted meals and services from Findmypast, as a Findmypast Ambassador.  This has not affected my objectivity relative to Findmypast and its products.

Copyright (c) 2018, 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.

52 Ancestors - Week 221: #312 Isaac Buck (1706-1780) of Woburn, Massachusetts

Isaac Buck (1706-1780) is #312 on my Ahnentafel List, my 6th great-grandfather, who married #313 Ruth Graves (1711-????) in 1729 in Reading, Massachusetts.



I am descended through:

*  their son #156 Isaac Buck (1732-?????) who had a relationship with #157 Mary Richards (1733-????) in 1757.
*  their son, #78 Isaac Buck (1757-1846) married #79 Martha Phillips (1764-????) in 1780.
*  their daughter, #39 Sophia Buck (1797-1882 married  #38 Thomas J. Newton (ca 178800-????) in about 1834.
*  their daughter #19 Sophia Newton (1834-1923) married #18 Edward Hildreth (1831-1899) in 1852.
*  their daughter #9 Hattie Louisa Hildreth (1857-1920) married #8 Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922) in 1874.
*  their son #4 Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942) married #5 Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962) in 1900.
*  their son #2 Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983) married #3 Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002) in 1942.
*  their son #1 Randall Jeffrey Seaver (1943-living)

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

*  Name:                         Isaac Buck[1–7]
   
*  Sex:                            Male
   
*  Father:                        Ephraim Buck (1676-    )    
*  Mother:                      Esther Waget (1677-1748)  

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

*  Birth:                          about 1706, Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[1]    

*  Residence:                 1754 (about age 48), rated in Framingham; Framingham, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[3]    

*  Residence:                25 March 1756 (about age 50), Southborough, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[4]    

*  Warning Out:            5 May 1756 (about age 50), Isaac Buck family warned out of Southborough; Southborough, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[5]    

*  Deed:                        19 October 1757 (about age 51), Southborough, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[6]    

*  Death:                       19 May 1780 (about age 74), Framingham, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[7–8]  

3)  SHARED EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):

*  Spouse 1:                 Ruth Graves (1710-    )[2]    


*  Marriage 1:              3 December 1729 (about age 23), Reading, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[2]    

*  Child 1:                   Thomas Buck (1730-    )    
*  Child 1:                   Isaac Buck (1732-    )    
*  Child 1:                   Hester Buck (1734-    )    
*  Child 1:                   Susanna Buck (1736-1830)    
*  Child 1:                   Ebenezer Buck (1738-1827)    
*  Child 1:                   Joseph Buck (1740-    )  

4)  NOTES (with source citations as indicated in brackets):    
 Isaac Buck was born in about 1706, the sixth and last child of Ephraim and Esther Waget of Woburn, Massachusetts[1].  Isaac's father probably died shortly after his birth, but his mother lived until 1748.

Isaac married Ruth Graves on 3 December 1729 in Reading[2] (where Ruth was living), which was also recorded in Woburn (where Isaac was living).  They had at least six children - Thomas, Isaac, Hester, Susanna, Ebenezer and Joseph - between 1730 and 1740 in Wilmington, Massachusetts.  Only Thomas and Hester were recorded in Wilmington; the others were probably born there but the births were not recorded.

A published memoir book[1] says:

"(V)  Isaac Buck, son of Ephraim Buck (IV) was born about 1705 in Woburn Mass. or vicinity.  He was living at Woburn when he married at Reading Mass, Dec 3 1729, Ruth Graves.  Isaac Buck moved to Southboro and with his wife Ruth sold their rights in the estate of her father, Joseph Graves, late of Southboro, Mass, October 19 1757.  Among their children were:  Isaac, born about 1730; Esther, married at Southboro, May 4 1762, Elisha Bruce Jr.; probably others."

Isaac Buck was rated in the town tax records in Framingham in 1754[3].  

Some time before 25 March 1756, the Isaac Buck family moved from Framingham to stay in the house of Joseph Richards in Southborough. The article "Southborough Massachusetts Notifications" says[4]:

"I have taken into my house...a famaley Last from Framingham the Name of Isaac Buck and his wife Ruth and their Children Susanna and Joseph, March ye 25th:1756.  Joseph Richards."

On 5 May 1756 the Southborough Town Council directed the constable to warn Isaac Buck, his wife Ruth, and two of their children, Susanna and Joseph, to get out of town forthwith[5]. This was a formal notification, customary of the times, which would legally relieve the town of any responsibility to support the Bucks, who were called "a poor family in low circumstances." 

Ruth Buck was in Framingham in 1763.  Ebenezer Buck was in Framingham in 1764.  Joseph Buck of Framingham married Hephzebah Bruce in Hopkinton in 1768[3].

In a deed dated 19 October 1757 and recorded by the court on 29 October 1765, land was granted by Isaac and Ruth Buck to Joseph Graves which had been willed to Ruth (Graves) Buck by her father, Thomas Graves, in Southborough[6].  The deed was witnessed by Isaac Buck Jr and Ebenezer Buck.

An aged man of the name of Isaac Buck was said to have died in Framingham on the morning of the dark day in 1780[7] (19 May 1780, according to The Weather Doctor[8]).

There is no probate record for either Isaac Buck or Ruth (Graves) Buck in the Worcester County or Middlesex County Probate record indexes.

The burial location of both Isaac and Ruth (Graves) Buck is unknown.  Perhaps they were buried on a farm in or near Framingham.
   
5)  SOURCES

1. Ellery Bickell Crane (editor), Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Worcester County, Massachusetts (New York : The Lewis Publishing Company, 1907), Volume 2, page 363, Isaac Buck sketch.

2. Thomas W. Baldwin (compiler), Vital Records of Reading, Massachusetts to the Year 1850 (Boston, Mass. : New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1912), Marriages, page 298, Isaac Buck and Ruth Graves entry, 1729.

3. William Barry, The History of Framingham, Massachusetts, Including the Plantation, From 1640 to the Present Time (Boston, Mass.: James Munroe and Company, 1847), Isaac Buck details.

4. "Southborough Massachusetts Notifications," The American Genealogist, Volume 67, page 215, October 1992, Isaac Buck family taken in by Joseph Richards.

5. Clerk of the Town of Southborough MA, "Records of the Town of Southborough 1727 - 1773", Family History Library (Salt Lake City, Utah), FHL Microfilm US/CAN 0,861,129, item 2, page 192, Isaac Buck family warned out of Southborough, Mass.

6. "Massachusetts, Land Records, 1620-1986," digital images, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org :, Worcester County, "Worcester Deeds, 1765-1767, Vol 55-56," Volume 55, pages 61-62 (images 46/47 of 618), Isaac and Ruth Buck to Joseph Graves deed.

7. William Barry, The History of Framingham, Massachusetts, Including the Plantation, From 1640 to the Present Time, page 199, death of Isaac Buck.

8. "New England's Dark Day," website, The Weather Doctor (http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/almanac/arc2004/alm04may.htm), 19 May 1780 was "the dark day" in New England.

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NOTE:  Amy Johnson Crow suggested a weekly blog theme of "52 Ancestors" in her blog post 
 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks on the No Story Too Small blog.  I have extended this theme in 2018 to 260 Ancestors in 260 Weeks.


Copyright (c) 2018, 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.

Thursday, April 5, 2018

Seavers in the News - Lillian (Seaver) Swanson Dies in 1965 in Oregon

It's time for another edition of "Seavers in the News" - a semi-regular feature from the historical newspapers about persons with the surname Seaver that are interesting, useful, fun, macabre, or add information to my family tree database.

This week's entry is from the Walla Walla [Wash.] Union-Bulletin newspaper dated 27 September 1965:




The transcription of this obituary is:

"DEATH TAKES MRS. SWANSON At Age of 84

"MILTOMN-FREEWATER (Special) -- Mrs. Lillian May Swanson, 84, of route 1, died Sunday in a local convalescent hospital.

"Mrs. Swanson was born Nov. 25, 1880, in Algona, Iowa.  She came to the Grande Ronde area in 1889, with her family and moved to Milton-Freewater in 1900.  She married John Swanson north of Milton-Freewater, May 28, 1903, he died in 1944.  Her maiden name was Seaver.

"She is survived by a son, Howard Swanson and a daughter, Mrs. Mary Davis, both of Milton-Freewater; a sister, Mrs. Mary McBride of Tacoma.  She is survived by four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

"The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Munselle-Rhodes chapel with the Rev. Harry Martin officiating.  Interment will be in the Milton-Freewater Cemetery."

The source citation for this obituary is:

"Death Takes Mrs. Swanson at Age 84," obituary, Walla Walla [Wash.] Union-Bulletin, 27 September 1965, page 5, column 2, Mrs. Lillian May Swanson obituary; Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 April 2018), Newspapers and Periodicals Collection.

I had Lillian May (Seaver) Swanson (1880-1965) in my RootsMagic family tree database, along with her husband.  She was the daughter of Alonzo H. Seaver and Julietta Daniels.  Lillian died in Milton-Freewater, Oregon where the family resided for many years.

I did not know where she died or was buried, and didn't have the names of her children, or of the husband of her sister, Mary Isabell (Seaver) McBride, in my database.

I am not related to Lillian May (Seaver) Swanson, to my knowledge.  Her great-grandparents were Adam and Nancy (Hooker) Seaver of New York, Iowa and Kansas  I have not been able to connect Adam Seaver (1811-1889) to another Seaver family.

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Copyright (c) 2017, 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.

1729 Marriage Record of Isaac Buck and Ruth Graves in Reading, Mass. --- Post 406 of Treasure Chest Thursday

It's Treasure Chest Thursday - a chance 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 1729 marriage record of Isaac Buck and Ruth Graves in the Reading, Massachusetts vital record book:


The Buck-Graves marriage is:


The transcription of this record is:

"[BUCK], Isaac of Woburn, and Ruth Graves, Dec. 3, 1729.*"

The asterisk notes that an intention was not recorded.

A similar record was found in the Woburn vital records book.

The source citation for this record is:

Thomas W. Baldwin (compiler), Vital Records of Reading, Massachusetts to the Year 1850 (Boston, Mass. : New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1912), Marriages, page 298, Isaac Buck and Ruth Graves entry, 1729.

Isaac Buck (1706-1780) and Ruth Graves (1711-?????) married on 3 December 1729 in Reading.  They had six children, but only two were recorded in a town or vital record.  

Isaac Buck and Ruth Graves are my 6th great-grandparents.  I am descended from son Isaac Buck (1732-????) who had a relationship with Mary Richards (1733-????).  

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Copyright (c) 2018, 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.


Wednesday, April 4, 2018

AmericanAncestors.org Has New Menus

I received an email from AmericanAncestors today saying that their website has new menus.  You can read the announcement at https://dbnews.americanancestors.org/2018/04/04/new-menus-on-american-ancestors/.

I wanted to see for myself, so I went to the AmericanAncestors.org home page and saw:


There are buttons in blue across the top of the page for:

*  Search - Databases and special collections
*  Services - Consult or hire research experts
*  Learn - Improve your research skills
*  Library - Access our leading research center
*  Events - Lectures, tours, exhibits & more
*  News - Updates and latest publications
*  Bookstore - Books and products from NEHGS
*  Join/Renew

I am most interested in the online databases offered on the site, and clicked on the "Search" button and a popup box appeared on the left side of the screen (two screens below):


I have the choice to:

  • Search All Databases – the standard Advanced Search page to search across over 450 databases with 1.4 billion records
  • Category searches – the recently announced category specific search pages, are available for a tailored search experience to each category of databases; such as Vital Records
  • Browse Databases A to Z – previously on a separate menu, the database lets you find a specific database to use for your research
  • Special Interest Databases –the externally provided searchable databases, made available to NEGHS members
  • Articles Guides and Study projects – provides access to the ongoing study projects that are used to create unique searchable databases and publications
  • Library Catalog – lets you search through the entire NEHGS library catalog
  • Digital Book and Manuscript Collection – the place to search through our digital collections from the NEHGS Library and the Jewish Heritage Center.
I clicked on the "Search all databases" link and the page with a number of fields appeared:


This appears to be the same page I saw several days ago and for several years past.  I think that the "Help" and "Search by category" links on the right side of the screen above are new.

I entered "seaver" in the "Last name" field, and saw:


There are 1,927,739 matches in many databases to search through.  The top matches are for "Iowa Marriages, 1809-1992," followed by Worcester County Probate records, so there doesn't seem to be any real order to the listing.

I decided to sort the list by "Probate records" so I selected "Court, Land and Probate Records" from the Category list on the left-hand side of the screen above.


There are only 4701 records in this category.  I specifically want "New York: Abstracts of Wills, Admins, and Guardianships, 1787-1835:"


There are 790 records in this sub-category.  I clicked on the first one for Luther Seaver to see what it was:


The screen above is the summary page for the record for Luther Seaver in Queens County, New York.  There is a citation below the frame with the summary information and the link to view the record.  It provides a link to the summary page, but doesn't mention the record type, county, the name of the person or the year of the record.

I clicked on the link to "View" the record and saw:


It turns out that Luther Seaver was a witness to the will of a James Bennet.  Oh well. I wonder which Luther it was in my database?  That's a research question for another time.

I chose to search for only a surname - and this would be useful if I was mining a specific collection.  I usually search by first name, last name, and record type, often with a year range and general location in order to reduce the matches from non-useful years and places.

I don't know that this new Menu system will be more helpful to my research, but at least I'm aware of it.

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Disclosure:  I have been a paying subscriber to the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) since 1992 (I think).  I have not received any compensation from NEHGS for writing about or using their products over the years.  I have found many very useful documents on their website.


Copyright (c) 2018, Randall J. Seaver

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