Saturday Night Genealogy Fun -- Elusive Ancestor Research

 Calling all Genea-Musings Fans:

It's Saturday Night again -

Time for some more Genealogy Fun!!

Here is your assignment, should you decide to accept it (you ARE reading this, so I assume that you really want to play along - cue the Mission Impossible music!):

1)  Who is one of your most elusive ancestors?  What research have you done to identify him or her?  What research do you need to do?

2)  Write your own blog post, or leave a comment on this post, or write something on Facebook.

Here's mine:

My most elusive ancestors are the biological parents of my 2nd great-grandfather, Devier James Lamphier AKA Smith (born 7 May 1839).  He was adopted by Ranslow and Mary (Bell) Smith of Henderson, Jefferson County, New York in the 1840 time frame.  The Ranslow Smith family moved to Dodge County, Wisconsin in the 1840s.  Ranslow Smith's 1866 will, and an 1866 name change in the Wisconsin state senate document that Devier's birth surname was "Lamphier" or "Lamphere." 

There were Lanfear families in Jefferson county, New York in the 1820 to 1850 census records.  I have investigated all of them, and the most likely candidate for a parent of Devier is a child of Isaac Lanfear (1777-1851) and Rosina (Lown) Lanfear (1781-1881) of Lorraine, Jefferson county, New York.  Lorraine is two towns away from Henderson.  Isaac and Rosina had at least ten children, and I have researched all of them to some extent.  I have DNA matches on AncestryDNA and MyHeritageDNA with persons who have Isaac and Rosina Lanfear as ancestors.  

My hypothesis is that one of the daughters of Isaac and Rosina Lanfear is the mother of Devier, and gave him up for adoption.  Of Isaac and Rosina's children, their daughters Polly (1817-1908, married Nelson Muzzy in 1846), Eleanor Lanfear (1818-1902, married Lester Loveland in 1843), and Malinda Lanfear (1823-1905, unmarried) are the three candidates for an out-of-wedlock birth of Devier in May 1839.  I think Malinda Lanfear is the most likely candidate since she was age 16 in May 1839 and never married.  

What do I need to do next? I should try to find obituaries of all of the children of Isaac and Rosina (Lown) Lanfear, and especially those who might be Devier's parent.   Perhaps there are clues in the obituaries.  I should try to find probate records of all of the children of Isaac and Rosina.  

What about the father?  I need to review my DNA matches on AncestryDNA and 23andMe and MyHeritageDNA to find candidate surnames that lived in or around Lorraine, Jefferson county, New York in the 1840 time frame.  Because the parents are third great-grandparents of me, I don't expect DNA matches to have more than 30 or 40 centiMorgans of shared DNA (i.e., 0 to about 0.6% of my DNA).  Because I don't know the father's surname, I don't have any ThruLines on AncestryDNA yet.  I need to search my DNA matches for persons who resided in Lorraine and catalog the potential surnames, hoping that several DNA matches share a surname from a family in Lorraine, New York.

That's my plan, and I need to get started on it!

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2023/09/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-elusive.html

Copyright (c) 2023, Randall J. Seaver

Note that all comments are moderated, so they may not appear immediately.  

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, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Added and Updated FamilySearch Record Collections - Week of 26 August to 1 September 2023

I am keeping track of the new and updated historical record collections at FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/list) every week.

As of 1 September 2023, there are 3,238 historical record collections on FamilySearch (a decrease of 1 from last week):

The new and updated collections this week from FamilySearch are:

--- Collections Deleted ---

Zimbabwe, Voter Registration, 1938-1973 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3740407); 335,998 indexed records with 334,357 record images, DELETED

--- Collections Updated ---

Alaska, Village Census Rolls, 1919-1972 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4465440); 12,607 indexed records with 928 record images (was 11,278 records with 1,360 images), UPDATED 25-Aug-2023
Argentina, Catamarca, Catholic Church Records, 1724-1971 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1974178); 232,197 indexed records with 102,718 record images (was 228,340 records with 102,718 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Argentina, Corrientes, Catholic Church Records, 1734-1977 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1974183); 479,047 indexed records with 207,943 record images (was 476,631 records with 207,943 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Argentina, Corrientes, Civil Registration, 1880-2000 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2821282); 784,695 indexed records with 677,858 record images (was 784,643 records with 752,626 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Argentina, Córdoba, Censuses, 1778-1874 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4475260); 192,466 indexed records with 1,336 record images (was 192,466 records with 5,520 images), UPDATED 25-Aug-2023

Argentina, Jujuy, Catholic Church Records, 1662-1975 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1974186); 191,024 indexed records with 69,981 record images (was 188,538 records with 69,981 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Belgium, Brabant, Civil Registration, 1582-1914 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1482191); 58,683 indexed records with 6,411,594 record images (was 57,396 records with 6,411,594 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Belgium, Namur, Civil Registration, 1800-1912 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2138511); 634,525 indexed records with 372,768 record images (was 631,929 records with 372,768 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Bolivia Catholic Church Records, 1566-1996 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1922463); 9,335,416 indexed records with 1,649,601 record images (was 9,332,094 records with 1,649,601 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Brazil, Alagoas, Church Records, 1802-2016 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2820768); 1,165,181 indexed records with 171,775 record images (was 1,163,212 records with 171,436 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023

Brazil, Cemetery Records, 1850-2021 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2137269); 994,681 indexed records with 150,972 record images (was 994,677 records with 150,972 images), UPDATED 30-Aug-2023
Brazil, Mato Grosso, Civil Registration, 1845-2013 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2001286); Index only (527 records), no images (was 527 records with 0 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Brazil, Minas Gerais, Civil Registration, 1879-1949 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3479702); 872,009 indexed records with 363,067 record images (was 868,972 records with 362,028 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Brazil, Paraná, Civil Registration, 1852-1996 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2016194); 3,061,496 indexed records with 1,689,031 record images (was 3,058,129 records with 1,689,031 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Brazil, Pará, Civil Registration, 1815-1995 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4473609); 113,554 indexed records with 35,322 record images (was 108,686 records with 33,884 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023

Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, Civil Registration, 1860-2006 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3741255); 1,693,703 indexed records with 865,421 record images (was 1,690,437 records with 863,497 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Brazil, Santa Catarina, Catholic Church Records, 1714-1977 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2177296); 788,139 indexed records with 166,596 record images (was 788,139 records with 166,596 images), UPDATED 31-Aug-2023
Brazil, Santa Catarina, Civil Registration, 1850-1999 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2016197); 714,393 indexed records with 1,037,638 record images (was 706,988 records with 1,037,638 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Brazil, Sergipe, Catholic Church Records, 1785-1994 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2177298); 1,231,208 indexed records with 273,847 record images (was 1,229,761 records with 273,847 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Canada, Registers of Chinese Immigration to Canada, 1885-1949 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4138687); 106,793 indexed records with 4,011 record images (was 106,721 records with 4,007 images), UPDATED 29-Aug-2023

Chile, Catholic Church Records, 1633-2015 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3405096); 8,000,787 indexed records with 1,008,279 record images (was 7,988,180 records with 1,006,381 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Colombia, Archivo Distrital de Bogotá, Cemetery Indexes, 1887-1995 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000131); 153,691 indexed records with 7,355 record images (was 58,191 records with 3,029 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Colombia, Catholic Church Records, 1576-2018 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1726975); 26,307,863 indexed records with 12,659,776 record images (was 26,305,062 records with 12,659,776 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Colombia, Civil Registration, 1553-2021 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4469480); 815,391 indexed records with 849,428 record images (was 815,158 records with 849,359 images), UPDATED 31-Aug-2023
Colombia, Costa, Church Records, 1778-2018 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4469405); 7,618 indexed records with 3,562 record images (was 1,989 records with 957 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023

Costa Rica, Catholic Church Records, 1595-1992 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1460016); 4,330,385 indexed records with 962,203 record images (was 4,329,996 records with 962,203 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Croatia, Church Books, 1516-1994 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2040054); 2,992,011 indexed records with 1,421,761 record images (was 2,991,844 records with 1,421,761 images), UPDATED 30-Aug-2023
Czech Republic, Church Books, 1552-1981 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1804263); 8,338,850 indexed records with 4,668,489 record images (was 8,195,638 records with 4,668,489 images), UPDATED 31-Aug-2023
Denmark, Copenhagen City, Civil Marriages, 1739-1964, Index 1877-1964 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2341913); 330,017 indexed records with 112,568 record images (was 321,793 records with 112,568 images), UPDATED 28-Aug-2023
Dominican Republic, Catholic Church Records, 1590-1975 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1918910); 2,277,063 indexed records with 238,265 record images (was 2,275,384 records with 238,265 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023

Ecuador, Catholic Church Records, 1565-2011 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1923402); 6,149,490 indexed records with 1,454,787 record images (was 6,149,481 records with 1,454,787 images), UPDATED 27-Aug-2023
Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia, Wuppertal, Civil Registration, 1810-1930 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000010); 55,024 indexed records with 54,238 record images (was 52,435 records with 51,690 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Gibraltar, Civil Records, 1777-1990 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000043); 337,679 indexed records with 217,204 record images (was 336,744 records with 217,019 images), UPDATED 31-Aug-2023
Guatemala, Alta Verapaz, Civil Registration, 1877-1994 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2102016); 1,059,625 indexed records with 17,770 record images (was 1,059,032 records with 17,770 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Guatemala, Chiquimula, Civil Registration, 1877-2008 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2790265); 443,111 indexed records with 347,450 record images (was 442,668 records with 347,135 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023

Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Civil Registration, 1877-1994 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2451045); 986,776 indexed records with 17,993 record images (was 985,612 records with 17,993 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Guatemala, Izabal, Civil Registration, 1877-1994 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2443319); 412,923 indexed records with 9,848 record images (was 412,896 records with 9,848 images), UPDATED 31-Aug-2023
Haiti, Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince, Catholic Church Records, 1866-2017 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4279947); 61,112 indexed records with 12,749 record images (was 59,881 records with 9,090 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Iowa, World War I Bonus Applications, 1923-1927 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000051); 115,705 indexed records with 114,377 record images (was 113,659 records with 113,765 images), UPDATED 29-Aug-2023
Ireland, Catholic Parish Registers, 1740-1900 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2820100); 3,984,753 indexed records with 146,488 record images (was 3,917,879 records with 143,830 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023

Italy, Como, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1806-1951 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1939355); 12,966 indexed records with 15,667 record images (was 0 records with 15,667 images), UPDATED 25-Aug-2023
Italy, Ravenna, Ravenna, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1866-1929 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1947700); 35,253 indexed records with 1,759,182 record images (was 34,410 records with 1,759,182 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Italy, Sassari, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1803-1942 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4464417); 46,739 indexed records with 16,101 record images (was 45,949 records with 15,812 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Italy, Treviso, Treviso, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1871-1941 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1947831); 4,913 indexed records with 427,232 record images (was 4,683 records with 427,232 images), UPDATED 30-Aug-2023
Italy, Venezia, Venezia, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1871-1930 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2043809); 21,191 indexed records with 628,744 record images (was 20,815 records with 628,744 images), UPDATED 29-Aug-2023

Luxembourg Census Records, 1843-1900 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2037957); 88,518 indexed records with 1,115,931 record images (was 78,840 records with 1,115,931 images), UPDATED 29-Aug-2023
Luxembourg, Church and Civil Registration, 1601-1923 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000012); 1,697,608 indexed records with 662,894 record images (was 921,407 records with 269,155 images), UPDATED 31-Aug-2023
Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1925 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1928860); 11,634,591 indexed records with 742,594 record images (was 11,579,424 records with 742,594 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Mexico, Oaxaca, Catholic Church Records, 1559-1988 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1909191); 8,691,482 indexed records with 3,458,764 record images (was 8,706,797 records with 3,458,764 images), UPDATED 30-Aug-2023
Mexico, Puebla, Catholic Church Records, 1545-1977 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1837906); 8,853,115 indexed records with 6,124,553 record images (was 8,839,426 records with 6,124,553 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023

Mexico, Querétaro, Catholic Church Records, 1590-1970 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1881200); 3,028,272 indexed records with 1,380,077 record images (was 3,027,810 records with 1,380,077 images), UPDATED 31-Aug-2023
Nicaragua, Catholic Church Records, 1740-1960 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1494432); 823,702 indexed records with 86,119 record images (was 823,621 records with 86,119 images), UPDATED 30-Aug-2023
Ohio, Stillbirths, 1918-1953 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000024); 77,967 indexed records with 105,111 record images (was 76,928 records with 104,072 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Peru, Arequipa, Catholic Church Records, 1660-2020 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4447275); 373,856 indexed records with 58,250 record images (was 365,786 records with 66,609 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Peru, Catholic Church Records, 1603-1992 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1877097); 20,880,637 indexed records with 4,192,353 record images (was 21,178,693 records with 4,192,353 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023

Peru, Huánuco, Catholic Church Records, 1660-2020 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4439346); 52,184 indexed records with 29,897 record images (was 54,701 records with 29,897 images), UPDATED 31-Aug-2023
Portugal, Setúbal, Catholic Church Records, 1555-1911 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1935451); 1,083,894 indexed records with 829,309 record images (was 1,083,519 records with 829,309 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Puerto Rico, Catholic Church Records, 1645-1969 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1807092); 3,373,114 indexed records with 191,547 record images (was 3,370,456 records with 191,547 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Puerto Rico, San Juan, Cemetery Records, 1888-1988 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4376727); 63,283 indexed records with 29,862 record images (was 56,549 records with 20,765 images), UPDATED 29-Aug-2023
Romania, Civil Registration, 1865-1903 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4325043); 817 indexed records with 394 record images (was 796 records with 382 images), UPDATED 29-Aug-2023

Russia, Lutheran Church Book Duplicates, 1833-1885 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1469151); 315,278 indexed records with 128,317 record images (was 312,740 records with 128,317 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Spain, Madrid, Municipal Census Records, 1910-1923 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000004); 1,210,581 indexed records with 278,061 record images (was 901,924 records with 177,706 images), UPDATED 30-Aug-2023
Sweden, Jönköping Church Records, 1581-1935; index 1633-1860 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1930273); 142,968 indexed records with 721,027 record images (was 135,457 records with 721,027 images), UPDATED 25-Aug-2023
Uruguay Civil Registration, 1879-1930 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1837849); Index only (973,426 records), no images (was 958,421 records with 0 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Venezuela Civil Registration, 1873-2003 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1823609); 1,053,713 indexed records with 586,312 record images (was 1,051,541 records with 586,312 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023

Venezuela, Archdiocese of Caracas, Catholic Church Records, 1638-2020 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4465438); 137,717 indexed records with 57,877 record images (was 134,007 records with 57,444 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Virginia, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Birth Records, 1853-1896 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000046); 1,884,807 indexed records with 40,687 record images (was 1,881,194 records with 40,577 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023
Zimbabwe Death Registers, 1890-1977; Index to Death Register, 1892-1977 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1837900); Browse 74,045 Images only, no index (was 27,312 records with 74,045 images), UPDATED 28-Aug-2023
Zimbabwe Death notices, 1904-1976 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1838530); Browse 328,546 Images only, no index (was 19,013 records with 328,546 images), UPDATED 28-Aug-2023
Zimbabwe, Archdiocese of Bulawayo, Catholic Church Records, 1896-2022 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000106); 682 indexed records with 5,648 record images (was 131 records with 522 images), UPDATED 01-Sep-2023

Zimbabwe, Catholic Church Records, 1897-2022 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4475014); 9,401 indexed records with 64,543 record images (was 13,651 records with 64,543 images), UPDATED 31-Aug-2023

--- Collections with new images ---

Democratic Republic of the Congo, Census, 1984 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3288450); 1,626,276 indexed records with 541,554 record images (was 1,626,276 records with 521,825 images), last updated 28-Jul-2023
Germany, Rhineland, Diocese of Trier, Catholic Church Records, 1704-1957 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2790268); 2,967,130 indexed records with 306,256 record images (was 2,967,130 records with 297,309 images), last updated 03-Nov-2020
Kiribati, Vital Records, 1890-1991 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3756784); 168,381 indexed records with 29,988 record images (was 168,381 records with 28,461 images), last updated 14-Dec-2021
New York, Church Records, 1660-1954 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2787817); 127,105 indexed records with 6,339 record images (was 127,105 records with 5,531 images), last updated 07-Apr-2021
South Africa, Pietermaritzburg Estate Files 1846-1950 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2573604); 441,574 indexed records with 316,616 record images (was 441,574 records with 316,359 images), last updated 05-Aug-2020

--- Collections with images removed ---

Uruguay, Passenger Lists, 1888-1980 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2691993); 3,641,119 indexed records with 132,252 record images (was 3,641,119 records with 151,688 images), last updated 19-Nov-2020

--- Collections with records removed ---

California Birth Index, 1905-1995 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2001879); Index only (24,589,454 records), no images (was 24,589,456 records with 0 images), last updated 01-Mar-2012
Iowa, Delayed Birth Records, 1850-1939 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2527591); 1,019,743 indexed records with 1,921,140 record images (was 1,019,744 records with 1,921,140 images), last updated 13-Jun-2023
United States Public Records, 1970-2009 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2199956); Index only (875,610,113 records), no images (was 875,610,115 records with 0 images), last updated 19-Aug-2020

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My friend and SDGS colleague, Marshall, has come up with a way to determine which collections are ADDED, DELETED or UPDATED, and to alphabetize the entries in each category. Thanks to Marshall for helping me out here!

In order to select a specific record collection on FamilySearch, go to https://familysearch.org/search/collection/list and use the "Filter by collection name" feature in the upper left-hand corner and use keywords (e.g. "church england") to find collections with those keywords.

Each one of the collections listed above has a Research Wiki page (use the "Learn more" link). It would be very useful if the Wiki page for each collection listed the dates for when the collection was added as a new collection and the dates for major updates also.

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2023/09/added-and-updated-familysearch-record.html

Copyright (c) 2023 Randall J. Seaver

Note that all comments are moderated, so they may not be posted immediately.

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, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

The New Ancestry.com Member Tree Fan Chart

Everyone else has one it seems - and now Ancestry.com does too!  This feature is still in Beta development, so look for it in your Ancestry Member Tree and try it out when you get it.

From your Ancestry Member Tree, select a person and click on the  Tree icon on the left side of the screen and choose "Fan (Beta)":

The Fan View pops up (it took a few seconds) with the Family Lines view (I chose the "Fan Settings" button and selected 7 generations):

In the Fan Settings, the user can also select "Hints":

Or select "Photos":

Or select "Sources":

Go for it!!!

The different views can be very helpful in determining where you need to add Photos or Sources.  For instance, I didn't realize that I have relatively few photos of my maternal grandparents in my Ancestry Member Tree.

I noted that the tree shows names for Potential Ancestors" too.  

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

Disclosure: I receive a complimentary all-access subscription from Ancestry.com, for which I am thankful. Ancestry.com has provided material considerations for travel expenses to meetings, and has hosted events and meals that I have attended in Salt Lake City, in past years.

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2023/09/the-new-ancestrycom-member-tree-fan.html

Please note that all Comments are moderated so they may not appear immediately.  

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, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Added and Updated Ancestry.com Record Collections - Week of 26 August to 1 September 2023

The following genealogy record collections were listed on the Recently Added and Updated Collections on Ancestry.com during the period from 26 August to 1 September 2023: 

The Updated and ADDED collections include:

*  Scotland, Burial Monument Inscriptions, 1507-2019; indexed records with record images, Updated 8/31/2023

*  Shoshannah Gallowski Fine papers, 1945-1948 (USHMM); indexed records without record images, ADDED 8/31/2023

*  Berlin, Germany, Marriages, 1874-1936; indexed records without record images, Updated 8/31/2023

*  UK, Registers and Indexes of Births, Marriages and Deaths of Passengers and Seamen at Sea, 1891-1922; indexed records with record images, ADDED 8/31/2023

*  UK and Ireland, Newspapers.com™ Obituary Index, 1800s-current; indexed records without record images, Updated 8/30/2023

*  Ireland, U.S., Royal Hospital Kilmainham Pensioner Discharge Documents, 1724-1924; indexed records without record images, Updated 8/30/2023

*  Canada, Newspapers.com™ Obituary Index, 1800s-current; indexed records without record images, Updated 8/30/2023

*  Ireland, Index of Religious Census, 1766; indexed records without record images, ADDED    8/30/2023

*  Australia, World War II Military Service Records, 1939-1945; indexed records without record images, Updated 8/30/2023

*  U.S., Newspapers.com™ Obituary Index, 1800s-current; indexed records without record images, Updated 8/30/2023

*  Australia and New Zealand, Newspapers.com™ Obituary Index, 1800s-current; indexed records without record images, Updated 8/30/2023

*  Ireland, Ulster, Census of Protestant Householders, 1740; indexed records without record images, ADDED 8/30/2023

*  Colorado, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-current; indexed records without record images, ADDED 8/28/2023

*  Alabama, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-current; indexed records without record images, ADDED 8/28/2023

*  Utah, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-current; indexed records without record images, ADDED 8/28/2023

*  Iowa, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-current; indexed records without record images, ADDED 8/28/2023

*  Czech Republic, WWII Fallen Soldiers, 1939-1945; indexed records without record images,   ADDED  8/24/2023

*  Australia, Petty Session Records, 1854-1922; indexed records without record images, ADDED    8/24/2023

*  Meuse, France, Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1792-1902; indexed records without record images, ADDED 8/24/2023

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

The complete Ancestry.com Card Catalog is at   https://search.ancestry.com/search/CardCatalog.aspx.  

By my count, there were 11 NEW record collections ADDED this past week, per the list above.  There are now 33,303 collections available as of 1 September, an INCREASE of 11 from last week.

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

Disclosure: I receive a complimentary all-access subscription from Ancestry.com, for which I am thankful. Ancestry.com has provided material considerations for travel expenses to meetings, and has hosted events and meals that I have attended in Salt Lake City, in past years.

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2023/09/added-and-updated-ancestrycom-record.html

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52 Ancestors - Week 495: #944 William Cutter (1650-1723) of Cambridge, Massachusetts

William Cutter (1650-1723) is  #944 on my Ahnentafel List, my 7th great-grandfather, who married  #945 Rebecca Rolfe (1662-1751) in about 1679 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

I am descended through:

*  their son #472 Richard Cutter (1682-1756) who married #473 Mercy Kelsey (1698-1760) in 1722.

*  their son #236 William Cutter (1722-1780) who married #237 Mary Kent (1726-????) in 1744.

*  their son #118 Stephen Cutter (1745-1823) who married #119 Tabitha Randolph (1752-1841) in 1769.

*  their daughter #59 Sarah Cutter (1785-1878) who married #58 William Knapp (1775-1856) in 1804.

*  their daughter #29 Sarah G. Knapp (1818-1904) who married David Auble (1817-1894) in 1844

*  their son #14 Charles Auble (1849-1916) who married #15 Georgianna Kemp (1868-1952) in 1898. 

*  their daughter #7 Emily Kemp Auble (1899-1977) who married #6 Lyle Lawrence Carringer (1891-1976) in 1918.

* their daughter, #3 Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002) who married #2 Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983) in 1942.
*  their son, #1 Randall J. Seaver (1943-....)

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

*  Name:                       William Cutter[1–6]

*  Sex:                           Male

*  Father:                       Richard Cutter (1621-1693)

*  Mother:                     Elizabeth --?-- (1620-1662)

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

*  Birth:                         22 February 1649/50, Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[1–2,6]

*  Will:                          1 June 1722 (age 73), will written; Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[4]

*  Death:                       1 April 1723 (age 74), Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[1,5–6]

*  Burial:                       after 1 April 1723 (after age 74), Old Burying Ground, Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[1,6]

*  Probate:                    29 April 1723 (age 74), will proved; Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[4]

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

*  Spouse 1:                  Rebecca Rolfe (1662-1751)

*  Marriage 1:               about 1679 (about age 30), Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[1,3]

*  Child 1:                     Elizabeth Cutter 1680-1748

*  Child 2:                     Richard Cutter 1682-1756

*  Child 3:                     Mary Cutter 1685-1685

*  Child 4:                     Hannah Cutter 1688-1764

*  Child 5:                     John Cutter 1690-1776

*  Child 6:                     Rebeccah Cutter 1693-1718

*  Child 7:                     William Cutter 1697-1756

*  Child 8:                     Samuel Cutter 1700-1737

*  Child 9:                     Sarah Cutter 1702-1788

*  Child 10:                   Ammi Ruhamah Cutter 1705-1746

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

William Cutter was born 22 February 1649/50 in Cambridge, Massachusetts Bay, the son of Richard and Elizabeth (--?--) Cutter[1-2,6].  

William Cutter married Rebecca Rolfe before 1681 in Cambridge[3].  She was the daughter of John and Mary (Scullard) Rolfe of Cambridge, and originally from Newbury, Mass.  They had ten children, all recorded in the Cambridge town records[1]:

*  Elizabeth Cutter (1660-1748), married 1705 John Harrington (1684-1750).

*  Richard Cutter (1682-1756), married (1) 1706 Mary Pike (1687-1721); (2) 1722 Mercy Kelsey (1698-1760).

*  Mary Cutter (1685-1685).

*  Hannah Cutter (1688-1764), married 1708 Ephraim Winship (1688-1757).

*  John Cutter (1690-1776), married 1709 Lydia Harrington (1690-1755).

*  Rebeccah Cutter (1693-1718), married 1711 Joseph Adams (1687-1774).

*  William Cutter (1697-1756), married 1724 Anna Rice (1683-1753).

*  Samuel Cutter (1700-1737), married 1720 Ann Harrington (1703-1777).

*  Sarah Cutter (1702-1788), married 1722 Ebenezer Cutter (1698-1750)

*  Ammi Ruhanah Cutter (1705-1746), married 1738 Dorothy Bradbury (1706-1776).

William and Rebecca were admitted to the Cambridge church on 28 July 1700.  A cherished relic, the family Bible, bears evidence of frequent use[1].

His residence was in that part of Cambridge which became the district of Menotomy, and on the banks of the stream flowing from Lexington into the Mystic River.  On the occasion of John Rolfe's decease, on 1 October 1681 he received an acre of land.  On 10 April 1684, he purchased of John Rolfe, Jr. four additional acres on which he built the house, afterwards his son John's.  This land was the "west corner" of the Rolfe's homestead, and with the purchase William had "liberty to build a dam for the convenience of the mill" near his house, together with "the half part of a sawmill" on Sergeant Francis Whitmore's estate.  He dwelt in the house until he sold it for 60 pounds to his son, John, on 9 April 1717, with 10 acres of land "adjoyning the place called the 'Rocks', and lying on both sides of the mill brook."[1]

He removed to the comfortable, old-fashioned two story house, which was probably built by John Rolfe in about 1671, which is remembered by the descendants of William Cutter as the family mansion.  It was purchased in 1844 by Albert Winn Esq., and demolished thereafter. While undergoing demolition, a fireplace beam was removed from the chimney, inscribed 1671[1].

William was a carpenter or housewright by profession, and somewhat of a husbandman, and dealt in real estate, as the multitude of deeds and other documents bear evidence.  He did not confine his land speculations to his immediate neighborhood, but sometimes extended his operations to other localities, and in several instances, gave mortgages.  He appears to also have been a miller and carried on the mill business erected on the stream near his house[1].

William Cutter was respectably affluent.  His will and inventory are curious and interesting documents.  The former exhibits good sense and paternal care;  the latter minutely enumerates the pecuniary value of his "moveable estate."  Choice passages of scripture, inscribed in his handwriting on the fly leaves of the family Bible, reveal his general religious sentiments[1]. 

William Cutter died 1 April 1723 in Cambridge at age 73[1,5-6].  He was buried beside his parents at Old Cambridge, where his gravestone reads[6]: 

"Here lyes ye Body of Mr. William Cutter; who decd April ye 1st 1723 in ye 74th year of his age."  

William's widow, Rebecca, married John Whitmore, Senior, a Deacon and highly trustworthy citizen of Medford, on 3 June 1724.  She gave 6 pounds towards defraying the expense of communion utensils for Menotomy church in 1739, and died 23 November 1751, in her 90th year.  Deacon Whitmore died 22 February 1739-40, aged 84 years.

The will of William Cutter mentions his dear and loving wife Rebeckah, four sons Richard, John, William and Samuel Cutter, youngest son Ammi Ruhamah Cutter, daughter Elizabeth Harrington, daughter Hannah Winshipp, son-in-law Joseph Adams (husband of daughter Rebeckah, now deceased), and daughter Sarah Cutter.  The will was written 1 June 1722, and was proved 29 April 1723.  Wife Rebeckah and sons Richard, John, William and Samuel Cutter were named executors.  The debts and legacies totaled 799 pounds, 11 shillings, two pence.  The moveable estate totaled 224 pounds, 3 shillings 8 pence[4].

In the Name of God Amen this first day of June in the year 1722, I William Cutter of Cambridge in the county of Mid'x in the provence of the Massachusetts Bay in New England yeoman, being of Perfect mind and memory, Praise be to Almighty God, Do make and Ordain this my Last Will and Testament in manner and form as followeth. First and Principally I do commend my Soul into the hands of God Almighty, hoping throgh the Merritts death and passion of My Saviour Jesus Christ to Obtain full and free pardon of all my sins And to inherit Eternall Life, and my Body I commit to the earth to be Buried at the Decresion of my Executors hereafter mentioned. And as touching my Temporal Estate which almighty God has bestowed on me, I Give and Depose as followeth. First, that all my Just Debts and funerall Charges be paid and discharged. 

Item I Give to my dear and loving Wife Rebeckah Cutter the full improvement of a third part of my lands, and the Est end of my now Dwelling house during her Natural Life, and a third part of my moveable Estate to be at her own despose for ever.

Item My will is that my four sons, Richard Cutter, John Cutter, William Cutter and Samuel Cutter have all my home lands lying both in Cambridge and Charlstown to be Divided equally amongst them according to quantity and quallity, and what I have given by a deed of Gift unto my son Richard shall be accounted as part of his proportion of land, and I give to my son Richard my Barns and I give him my dwelling house after the decease of my wife, and my will is that my lands shall be so divided as shall be made commodious and convenient to their houses, and that my son William Shall Choose his house lot in my land Lying in the Bounds of Charlstown and adjoyning to my home place. And that all my Other lands uplands and meadows lying in Charlstown Cambridge and Lexington be divided into four parts to each of my above sd sons thir equal part of quantity and quality. All which I Give to my above sd Sons and to their heirs and assigns for ever they paying the Leagacies hereafter mentioned and performing the things. Item my will is that my house-plot Lying in Cambridge that I bought of Cousin Chamney shall be to my youngest Son, viz.: Ammi Ruhamah Cutter (which with the Learning I bestow on him Shall be the full of his portion) which sd house-plot I give to him and his heirs and assigns forever, and my Will is that my Executors hereafter Named shall provide and at thir equal Cost aford suitable maintenance for the bringing up my son Ammi Ruhamah through the Schools of learning until he take his Second Degree in the Colledge, and afford or give to him so many Books as shall be thought necessary by the president or fellows of the Colledge, and I give him a young horse fit for riding when he has commenced Master of the value thirof out of personall Estate. 

And I Give to my Son William Cutter that part of sd meadow which I bought of my brother Ephriam Cutter, and the other three acres more or less which was my Fathers to be Divided between my other three Sons, viz. Richard, John and Samuel; there equal part. And my Will is that my Mills now standing on my homested together with all the previledges and apurtenances and utencils therto belonging be divided as followeth. I confirm unto my Son John Cutter the fourth part which I conveyed unto him by a deed, and it is my will that the other three quarters be divided between my other three sons to each a equal quarter, viz. Richard, William and Samuel Item I Give to my Daughter Elizabeth Herington Forty Shillings. And I give unto her Children Fourty eight Pounds to be divided Equally amoungst them, and paid by my Executors to each wone as he or she shall come of age, which with what I have formerly Given Shall be the full of her and her heirs portion.

Item I Give to my Daughter Hannah Winshipp fifty pounds to be paid at two payments – twentty pounds within a year after my Decease, and thirtty pounds more within three year after my Decease which with what I gave her formerly is her portion.

Item I Give to my Son in Law Joseph Adams twenty pounds to be paid by my Executors within two years after My decease, and I Give to his Children born of my Daughter Rebackah (his first wife now deceased) Thirtty pounds to be equally divided and paid to them as they come of age - by my Executors – which with what I formerly have given shall be the full of thir portion.

Item I Give to my Daughter Sarah Cutter Eighty Pounds, to be paid by Executors, Twenty Pounds to be paid at her Marriing and Sixty Pounds more within five years after my decease which shall be her and her heirs full portion.

And my will is that in the divisions of my Sons Lands they Shall have a due respect for each others conveniency, and if any of my sons shall see cause to sell any of thir land they shall give the refusall therof to their brethren and any such Son neglecting so to do shall forfit such land or the value therof.

And my Will is that if any of my Children or of my Sons in Law Shall Enter into a cause of law to brake and make Void this my Last Will and Testament they or any of them Shall Hierby forfit all right to any of my Estate, and that my body be decently buried in the Buriing place in Cambridge. And I Do Nominate my dear and loving wife Executrix and my sons Richard Cutter, John Cutter, William Cutter and Samuel Cutter Executors of this my last will and Testam't and do hereby disannull Revoke and make void all other and former Wills and Testaments by me made heretofore. In Witness hereof I the sd William Cutter have set to my hand and seal the day and year above written being the Eight'th year of the Reign of our sovereign Lord Gorge by the grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King &c.

Signed Sealed and Declared

in presents of us

Jno Bordman   } sworn                                                                           William Cutter 

Simon Holden } in the country service, but 1 other 2 swore also

John Smith      } sworn

                                          April 29 1723

                   Present the widow and all the Children (Sons)

                   herein named Except Richard (the Eldest Son)

                   John Herington (who married Eliza) a Daughter

                   and Jn'o. Will'm & Sam'l Consent their mother shall receve

                   her Thirds in ther moveables without any Deductions,   

                   the ???? ??????????

5.  SOURCES

1. Dr. Benjamin Cutter, The History of the Cutter Family of New England  (Boston, Mass. : 1871), pages 21-22, #3 William Cutter family sketch.

2. Thomas W. Baldwin (compiler), Vital Records of Cambridge, Massachusetts to the Year 1850 (Boston, Mass. : New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1915), Births, page 181, William Cutter entry, 22 February 1649.

3. "U.S. New England Marriages Prior to 1700," indexed database with digital images, Ancestry.com  (https://www.ancestry.com), page 201, William Cutter and Rebecca Rolfe marriage entry, Cambridge, before 1681; Original data from Torrey, Clarence A., New England Marriages Prior to 1700 (Baltimore, MD : Genealogical Publishing Co., 2004).

4. "Middlesex County, MA: Probate Papers, 1648-1871," digital images, American Ancestors (https://www.AmericanAncestors.org :, accessed 19 December 2014), Case File 5,669 (13 pages), William Cutter of Cambridge, 1723; original records in Middlesex County, Massachusetts Probate Court, Cambridge, Mass.

5. Thomas W. Baldwin (compiler), Vital Records of Cambridge, Massachusetts to the Year 1850, Deaths, page 521, William Cutter entry, 1 April 1723.

6. Find A Grave, indexed database and digital image,  (https://www.findagrave.com), Old Burying Ground (Cambridge, Mass.), William Cutter (1649-1723) memorial # 59133787.

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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 in 2014.  I have extended this theme in 2023 to 520 Ancestors in 520 Weeks.

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2023/09/52-ancestors-week-495-944-william.html

Copyright (c) 2023, Randall J. Seaver

Note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

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, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.   

Findmypast Friday: Norfolk Memorials, Irish Army Census and Newspapers

 I received this information from Findmypast today:

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Find the final resting place of your Norfolk ancestors this Findmypast Friday

Norfolk Memorials

Local resident Louise Cocker has been hard at work, photographing Norfolk headstones to both preserve them for the future, and make them easier to explore. A further 30,149 new additions have been added this week. The information you'll find does understandably vary from headstone to headstone, but typically, you can expect to see a first name, last name, and year of death, alongside a confirmation of which cemetery the grave was found in. However, you could be lucky enough to also find information such as a full date of birth or death, clues to the cause of death and even information about any relatives also buried there.

Irish Army Census 1922

Improvements have been made to this existing collection. The transcriptions have been expanded to include information such as rank, address, attestation dates, marital status, next of kin and other extra details from the original records. What's more, you can now also search the collection using some of this information, allowing you to narrow your search even further.

Newspapers

Three new titles, updates to a further 31, and over 265,138 new pages make up this week’s newspaper release.

New titles:

• kelmersdale Reporter, 1963, 1965-1972, 1976-1978
• Sutton & Epsom Advertiser, 1908-1914, 1916-1928
• Western Echo, 1899-1903, 1906-1915

Updated titles:

• Atherstone News and Herald, 1887-1888
• Bath Journal, 1772-1773, 1775-1776, 1779-1783, 1786-1789, 1791-1798, 1800-1809, 1813, 1815-1816, 1820-1821
• Belfast News-Letter, 1957-1958
• Cambridge Chronicle and Journal, 1770-1812
• Cambridge Daily News, 1908
• Cornishman, 1990-1991
• Frome Journal, 1989
• Gloucester Citizen, 1991, 1994, 1996-1998
• Hinckley Echo, 1901-1902, 1904-1905, 1907-1908, 1913, 1916, 1918, 1942
• Holyhead Mail and Anglesey Herald, 1921-1929, 1931-1950
• Huddersfield and Holmfirth Examiner, 1864
• Ilfracombe Chronicle, 1879
• Leeds Evening Express, 1860-1861, 1865-1870
• Macclesfield Times, 1933, 1943, 1952
• Manchester Evening News, 1977-1979
• Medway News, 1993
• Paddington Mercury, 1995
• Portsmouth Evening News, 1960-1961
• Rochdale Observer, 1972, 1979, 1983, 1986, 1991
• Royston and Buntingford Mercury, 1990
• Runcorn Weekly News, 1979, 1983
• Sherborne Mercury, 1749-1750, 1752-1758, 1760, 1763-1764, 1766, 1772-1777, 1798, 1814, 1819, 1821, 1826, 1828
• St. Ives Weekly Summary, 1911
• Stalybridge Reporter, 1914-1916
• Streatham News, 1909-1916, 1931-1937
• Sunday Sun (Newcastle), 1926
• West Surrey Times, 1919
• Westerham Herald, 1882
• Widnes Weekly News and District Reporter, 1964-1971, 1973-1979
• Wokingham Times, 1945

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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.

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2023/08/findmypast-friday-norfolk-memorials.html

Copyright (c) 2023, Randall J. Seaver

Note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

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, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Treasure Chest Thursday -- Before 1681 Marriage Record of William Cutter and Rebecca Rolfe in Cambridge, Massachusetts

  I looked in my digital image files to see what treasures I can find for my family history and genealogy musings for Treasure Chest Thursday.

The treasure today is the before 1681 marriage record of William Cutter and Rebecca Rolfe in Cambridge, Massachusetts Bay:

The marriage record is near the end of the C surnames in the middle of the page:

The transcription of this marriage record is:

"CUTTER, William (1650-1723) & Rebecca [ROLFE] (1662-1751), m/2 John WHITMORE 1724; b 1681; Cambridge."

The source citation for this  marriage record is:

"U.S. New England Marriages Prior to 1700," indexed database with digital images,   Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com), page 201, William Cutter and Rebecca Rolfe marriage entry, Cambridge, before 1681; Original data from Torrey, Clarence A., New England Marriages Prior to 1700 (Baltimore, MD : Genealogical Publishing Co., 2004)

This record is a Derivative Source, with Secondary Information and Indirect Evidence of the marriage of William Cutter and Rebecca Rolfe in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

William Cutter (1650-1723) was born 22 February 1649/50 in Cambridge, Massachusetts to Richard and Elizabeth (--?--) Cutter.  He died 1 April 1723 in Cambridge.  William married Rebecca Rolfe (1662-1751) before 1681 in Cambridge; she was born 9 February 1661/2 in Newbury, Massachusetts, the daughter of John and Mary (Scullard) Rolfe.  They had 10 children.

William and Rebecca (Rolfe) Cutter are my 7th great-grandparents.  I am descended through their son Richard Cutter (1682-1756) who married in 1722 to Mercy Kelsey (1698-1760) in Woodbridge, New Jersey as his second wife.

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2023/08/treasure-chest-thursday-before-1681.html

Copyright (c) 2023, Randall J. Seaver

All comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

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, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.