Saturday Night Genealogy Fun -- Which Ancestor Lived the Shortest Life?

 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)  Which of your known ancestors lived the shortest life?  Consider only the last eight generations and those ancestors with a known birth and death date.  Do you know the cause of death?  Was there an obituary?  How many children did s/he have?  How did you figure this out?

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

Here's mine:

I think my ancestor who lived the shortest life in the recent eight generations is:

#135. Abigail Peirce: born 12 April 1750 in Waltham, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States; died 2 February 1776 in Lincoln, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.  She married Jeremiah Knowlton (1745-1785) on 4 April 1771 in Waltham, Massachusetts.

So 25 years, 9 years, 21 days. 

I don't know the cause of death.  I have not found an obituary.  She had two children, including my 4th great-grandmother Abigail Knowlton (1774-1855).

I found no easy way to determine the answer to this question.  I fail at making Custom Reports in RootsMagic, although I'm sure one could be created to solve this problem.  I can create and add persons to a Group.  I can't export a Group list to a spreadsheet in RootsMagic, only to a GEDCOM file.  I could make a GEDCOM file of just my ancestors, and then try to use Margaret O'Brien's process described in Convert GEDCOM To Spreadsheet - Without Technical Knowhow.  If I had a spreadsheet, I could subtract birth from death dates and have a great solution.  I didn't try that but it looks complicated and possible.

In the end, I made an Ahnentafel report in RootsMagic, reviewed it line-by-line and found the shortest lifespan going name by name.

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2023/10/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-which.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 30 September to 6 October 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 6 October 2023, there are 3,242 historical record collections on FamilySearch (an increase of 0 from last week):

The new and updated collections this week from FamilySearch are:

--- Collections Updated ---

Argentina, Cemetery Records, 1882-2019 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2363123); 668,448 indexed records with 620,892 record images (was 662,810 records with 622,171 images), UPDATED 02-Oct-2023
Argentina, Chaco, Civil Registration, 1889-1946 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4450393); 98,796 indexed records with 98,446 record images (was 96,209 records with 95,877 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Argentina, Corrientes, Catholic Church Records, 1734-1977 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1974183); 483,902 indexed records with 207,943 record images (was 483,881 records with 207,943 images), UPDATED 02-Oct-2023
Argentina, Jujuy, Catholic Church Records, 1662-1975 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1974186); 195,663 indexed records with 69,981 record images (was 195,517 records with 69,981 images), UPDATED 04-Oct-2023
Argentina, Salta, Catholic Church Records, 1634-1972 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1974193); 387,816 indexed records with 144,293 record images (was 384,258 records with 144,293 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023

Argentina, Salta, Civil Registration, 1880-2000 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3006885); 617,136 indexed records with 537,432 record images (was 614,505 records with 533,866 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Argentina, Santa Fe, Catholic Church Records, 1634-1975 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1974196); 799,515 indexed records with 424,329 record images (was 799,515 records with 424,329 images), UPDATED 29-Sep-2023
Belgium, Brabant, Civil Registration, 1582-1914 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1482191); 63,824 indexed records with 6,411,594 record images (was 62,388 records with 6,411,594 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Belgium, Namur, Civil Registration, 1800-1912 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2138511); 647,610 indexed records with 372,768 record images (was 645,041 records with 372,768 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Bolivia Catholic Church Records, 1566-1996 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1922463); 9,353,450 indexed records with 1,649,601 record images (was 9,349,142 records with 1,649,601 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023

Brazil, Alagoas, Church Records, 1802-2016 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2820768); 1,182,576 indexed records with 174,700 record images (was 1,177,704 records with 174,062 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Brazil, Mato Grosso, Civil Registration, 1845-2013 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2001286); Index only (738 records), no images (was 668 records with 0 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Brazil, Minas Gerais, Civil Registration, 1879-1949 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3479702); 881,961 indexed records with 367,033 record images (was 879,665 records with 366,127 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Brazil, Paraná, Civil Registration, 1852-1996 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2016194); 3,074,906 indexed records with 1,689,031 record images (was 3,071,741 records with 1,689,031 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Brazil, Pará, Civil Registration, 1815-1995 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4473609); 150,237 indexed records with 45,006 record images (was 148,831 records with 44,238 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023

Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, Civil Registration, 1860-2006 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3741255); 1,705,983 indexed records with 871,287 record images (was 1,702,425 records with 866,739 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Civil Registration, 1829-2012 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1582573); 6,902,016 indexed records with 5,100,470 record images (was 6,901,985 records with 5,100,470 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Brazil, Santa Catarina, Civil Registration, 1850-1999 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2016197); 749,814 indexed records with 1,037,638 record images (was 747,835 records with 1,037,638 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Brazil, Sergipe, Catholic Church Records, 1785-1994 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2177298); 1,238,450 indexed records with 273,847 record images (was 1,237,319 records with 273,847 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Chile, Catholic Church Records, 1633-2015 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3405096); 8,038,889 indexed records with 1,013,662 record images (was 8,027,052 records with 1,012,191 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023

Colombia, Archivo Distrital de Bogotá, Cemetery Indexes, 1887-1995 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000131); 464,189 indexed records with 19,103 record images (was 434,403 records with 17,611 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Colombia, Catholic Church Records, 1576-2018 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1726975); 26,317,438 indexed records with 12,659,776 record images (was 26,315,917 records with 12,659,776 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Colombia, Civil Registration, 1553-2021 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4469480); 795,163 indexed records with 849,689 record images (was 795,159 records with 849,685 images), UPDATED 05-Oct-2023
Colombia, Costa, Church Records, 1778-2018 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4469405); 69,617 indexed records with 29,632 record images (was 60,134 records with 25,757 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Costa Rica, Catholic Church Records, 1595-1992 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1460016); 4,331,128 indexed records with 962,203 record images (was 4,329,851 records with 962,203 images), UPDATED 05-Oct-2023

Costa Rica, Civil Registration, 1823-1975 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1925429); 6,189,779 indexed records with 404,718 record images (was 6,189,722 records with 404,718 images), UPDATED 05-Oct-2023
Croatia, Church Books, 1516-1994 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2040054); 2,992,645 indexed records with 1,421,761 record images (was 2,992,501 records with 1,421,761 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Cuba, Church Records, 1584-1960 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4375851); 198,083 indexed records with 41,895 record images (was 197,341 records with 41,819 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Czech Republic, Church Books, 1552-1981 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1804263); 10,090,663 indexed records with 4,668,489 record images (was 10,008,900 records with 4,668,489 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Dominican Republic, Catholic Church Records, 1590-1975 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1918910); 2,270,216 indexed records with 238,265 record images (was 2,282,827 records with 238,265 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023

Find A Grave Index (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2221801); 236,381,424 indexed records with 236,381,424 record images (was 235,295,005 records with 235,295,005 images), UPDATED 05-Oct-2023
Finland, Tax Lists, 1809-1915 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2704794); 949,760 indexed records with 8,946 record images (was 946,416 records with 10,714 images), UPDATED 03-Oct-2023
Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia, Wuppertal, Civil Registration, 1810-1930 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000010); 64,664 indexed records with 63,557 record images (was 62,768 records with 61,713 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Gibraltar, Church Records, 1697-1991 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4453925); 24,475 indexed records with 2,907 record images (was 23,616 records with 2,834 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Guatemala, Chiquimula, Civil Registration, 1877-2008 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2790265); 447,355 indexed records with 349,968 record images (was 446,861 records with 349,606 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023

Guatemala, Guatemala, Civil Registration, 1877-2006 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2075150); 4,571,315 indexed records with 1,486 record images (was 4,571,249 records with 1,486 images), UPDATED 05-Oct-2023
Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Civil Registration, 1877-1994 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2451045); 991,400 indexed records with 17,993 record images (was 990,933 records with 17,993 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Guatemala, Izabal, Civil Registration, 1877-1994 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2443319); 414,474 indexed records with 9,848 record images (was 414,445 records with 9,848 images), UPDATED 05-Oct-2023
Haiti, Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince, Catholic Church Records, 1866-2017 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4279947); 64,913 indexed records with 13,511 record images (was 64,399 records with 13,443 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Indiana, Mortality Schedules, 1860-1880 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000098); 65,503 indexed records with 2,983 record images (was 62,344 records with 2,856 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023

Ireland, Catholic Parish Registers, 1740-1900 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2820100); 4,335,209 indexed records with 139,164 record images (was 4,268,728 records with 150,254 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Italy, Cuneo, Alba, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1866-1941 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1483030); Browse 373,052 Images only, no index (was 0 records with 373,052 images), UPDATED 02-Oct-2023
Italy, Ravenna, Ravenna, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1866-1929 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1947700); 42,245 indexed records with 1,759,182 record images (was 42,103 records with 1,759,182 images), UPDATED 30-Sep-2023
Italy, Sassari, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1803-1942 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4464417); 48,371 indexed records with 16,654 record images (was 48,215 records with 16,602 images), UPDATED 05-Oct-2023
Italy, Treviso, Treviso, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1871-1941 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1947831); 5,645 indexed records with 427,232 record images (was 5,523 records with 427,232 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023

Italy, Venezia, Venezia, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1871-1930 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2043809); 23,563 indexed records with 628,744 record images (was 22,547 records with 628,744 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Luxembourg Census Records, 1843-1900 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2037957); 437,122 indexed records with 1,115,931 record images (was 350,761 records with 1,115,931 images), UPDATED 05-Oct-2023
Luxembourg, Church and Civil Registration, 1601-1923 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000012); 2,071,465 indexed records with 816,488 record images (was 2,062,593 records with 690,839 images), UPDATED 29-Sep-2023
Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1925 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1928860); 11,722,858 indexed records with 742,594 record images (was 11,653,179 records with 742,594 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Mexico, Michoacán, Catholic Church Records, 1555-1996 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1883388); 5,764,347 indexed records with 5,283,986 record images (was 5,764,330 records with 5,283,986 images), UPDATED 04-Oct-2023

Mexico, Puebla, Catholic Church Records, 1545-1977 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1837906); 8,901,309 indexed records with 6,124,553 record images (was 8,893,445 records with 6,124,553 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Mexico, Querétaro, Catholic Church Records, 1590-1970 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1881200); 3,030,570 indexed records with 1,380,077 record images (was 3,030,170 records with 1,380,077 images), UPDATED 05-Oct-2023
Nicaragua, Catholic Church Records, 1740-1960 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1494432); 825,758 indexed records with 86,119 record images (was 825,752 records with 86,119 images), UPDATED 29-Sep-2023
Ohio, Stillbirths, 1918-1953 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000024); 111,013 indexed records with 110,883 record images (was 110,039 records with 109,909 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Paraguay, Civil Registration, 1842-2012 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000049); 81 indexed records with 80 record images (was 2 records with 2 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023

Pennsylvania, Eastern District Petitions for Naturalization, 1795-1931 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1913395); 542,592 indexed records with 326,903 record images (was 476,209 records with 326,903 images), UPDATED 05-Oct-2023
Peru, Arequipa, Catholic Church Records, 1660-2020 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4447275); 416,336 indexed records with 81,922 record images (was 410,148 records with 79,721 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Peru, Catholic Church Records, 1603-1992 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1877097); 20,857,841 indexed records with 4,192,353 record images (was 20,853,199 records with 4,192,353 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Philippines, Camarines Sur, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Caceres, Parish Registers, 1716-1977 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1457939); 375,273 indexed records with 130,474 record images (was 375,273 records with 130,474 images), UPDATED 04-Oct-2023
Philippines, Catholic Church Records, 1615-1985 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2861657); 6,222,375 indexed records with 2,258,645 record images (was 6,222,375 records with 2,258,645 images), UPDATED 03-Oct-2023

Portugal, Setúbal, Catholic Church Records, 1555-1911 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1935451); 1,085,446 indexed records with 829,309 record images (was 1,085,030 records with 829,309 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Puerto Rico, Catholic Church Records, 1645-1969 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1807092); 3,295,162 indexed records with 191,547 record images (was 3,292,178 records with 191,547 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Russia, Lutheran Church Book Duplicates, 1833-1885 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1469151); 330,083 indexed records with 128,317 record images (was 326,496 records with 128,317 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
South Africa, Western Cape, Deceased Estate Files, 1951-1958 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4319131); 371,537 indexed records with 341,975 record images (was 371,249 records with 341,970 images), UPDATED 02-Oct-2023
Spain, Madrid, Municipal Census Records, 1910-1920 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000004); 1,942,349 indexed records with 455,140 record images (was 1,942,349 records with 460,968 images), UPDATED 03-Oct-2023

Sri Lanka, Civil Registration, 1768-1990 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2209866); 2,880,561 indexed records with 3,055,975 record images (was 1,734,448 records with 1,987,056 images), UPDATED 05-Oct-2023
St. Lucia, Church Records, 1751-1793 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4449051); 40 indexed records with 8 record images (was 17 records with 4 images), UPDATED 04-Oct-2023
Uruguay Civil Registration, 1879-1930 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1837849); Index only (1,016,987 records), no images (was 1,010,153 records with 0 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Venezuela Civil Registration, 1873-2003 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1823609); 1,059,759 indexed records with 586,312 record images (was 1,058,882 records with 586,312 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Venezuela, Archdiocese of Caracas, Catholic Church Records, 1638-2020 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4465438); 154,554 indexed records with 61,913 record images (was 153,152 records with 61,616 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023

Virginia, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Birth Records, 1853-1896 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000046); 1,904,753 indexed records with 41,261 record images (was 1,900,497 records with 41,133 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023
Zimbabwe, Archdiocese of Bulawayo, Catholic Church Records, 1896-2022 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000106); 8,028 indexed records with 59,692 record images (was 7,564 records with 56,953 images), UPDATED 06-Oct-2023

--- Collections with new images ---

Germany, Rhineland, Diocese of Trier, Catholic Church Records, 1704-1957 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2790268); 2,967,130 indexed records with 307,151 record images (was 2,967,130 records with 301,152 images), last updated 03-Nov-2020
Norway, Oslo, Census, 1912 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4445453); 34,146 indexed records with 4,571 record images (was 34,146 records with 3,777 images), last updated 20-Sep-2023
Uruguay, Passenger Lists, 1888-1980 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2691993); 3,641,119 indexed records with 157,673 record images (was 3,641,119 records with 152,920 images), last updated 19-Nov-2020

--- Collections with images removed ---

France, Calvados, Census, 1876 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4279948); 44,012 indexed records with 1,723 record images (was 44,012 records with 1,724 images), last updated 08-Aug-2023
French Polynesia, Civil Registration, 1780-1999 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2549721); 79,288 indexed records with 142,639 record images (was 79,288 records with 152,342 images), last updated 22-Sep-2023
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 6,354 images), last updated 07-Apr-2021

--- Collections with records removed ---

United States Public Records, 1970-2009 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2199956); Index only (875,610,106 records), no images (was 875,610,108 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/2023/10/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.

Added and Updated Ancestry.com Record Collections - Week of 30 September to 6 October 2023

 The following genealogy record collections were listed on the Recently Added and Updated Collections on Ancestry.com during the period from 30 September to 6 October 2023: 

The Updated and ADDED collections include:

*  UK, RAF Officer Service Records, 1918-1919; indexed records with record images, ADDED 10/05/2023

*  Poland, Jewish Survivors in Poland, 1945-1947 (USHMM); indexed records without record images, ADDED 10/05/2023

*  Spain, Border Police Files, 1940-1964 (USHMM); indexed records without record images, ADDED 10/05/2023

*  Poland, Central Committee of Jews, 1944-1950 (USHMM); indexed records without record images, ADDED 10/05/2023

*  1950 United States Federal Census; indexed records with record images, Updated 10/05/2023

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

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

By my count, there were 4 NEW record collections ADDED this past week, per the list above.  There are now 33,335 collections available as of 6 October, an INCREASE of 3 from last week.  Apparently, 1 record collection was removed this past 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/2023/10/added-and-updated-ancestrycom-record.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.

52 Ancestors - Week 499: #956 Thomas Gach/Gage/Gauge (c1660-1703) of Westchester, New York and Woodbridge, New Jersey

Thomas Gach/Gage/Gauge (c1660-1703) is  #956 on my Ahnentafel List, my 7th great-grandfather, who married  #957 Elizabeth (Hunt) Vail (1656-1747)  in about 1698, probably in Westchester, New York.

I am descended through:

*  their son #478 Thomas Gach (1702-1770) who married #479 Elizabeth Bloodgood (1702-177) in 1721.

*  their daughter #239 Martha Gach (1729-????) who married #238 Samuel Fitz Randolph (1730-????) in 1750.

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

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

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

*  Name:                            Thomas Gach[1–2]

*  Alternate Name:             Thomas Gage[1]

*  Alternate Name:             Thomas Gauge[1,3]

*  Sex:                                Male

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

*  Birth:                             about 1660, probably New York, United States[2]

*  Death:                            before 23 April 1703 (before about age 43), Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States[3]

*  Probate:                        23 April 1703 (about age 43), will proved; Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States[1,3]

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

*  Spouse 1:                      Elizabeth Hunt (1657-1747)

*  Marriage 1:                   about 1698 (about age 38), probably Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States[2]

*  Child 1:                        Mary Gach 1700-1760

*  Child 2:                        Thomas Gach 1702-1770

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

Thomas Gach (or Gage or Gauge) was born in about 1660, perhaps in Westchester County, New York or Massachusetts[2].  The parentage of Thomas Gach/Gage is uncertain.  The book John Gage of Ipswich, Mass. and His Descendants compiled by Clyde V. Gage[1] says that he was the son of Jonathan and Hester (Chandler) Gage of Bradford, Massachusetts.  A birth date of about 1680 is claimed for Thomas, but that places him well after the death of Jonathan Gage in 1674/5, and has Thomas marrying a woman over 20 years his senior in 1700.

It is apparent that this Thomas Gage/Gauge married Elizabeth (Hunt) Vail, the widow of Samuel Vail (who died in 1695 in Westchester) with seven small children, in about 1698, probably in Westchester[1-2].  Her birth date of about 1657 has been reported by other researchers, and she married first to Samuel Vail in 1677 and had seven children by him.

It is much more likely that Thomas Gauge was born in the 1655 to 1665 time frame in an unknown place.  He might have been a brother or cousin of Jonathan Gage, whose widow Hester (Chandler) Gage married John Wilson and resided in Woodbridge, New Jersey after 1680.

Thomas and Elizabeth (Hunt) Vail had two children:

*  Mary Gach (c1700-1760), married 1726 William Bloodgood (1698-1756).

*  Thomas Gach (c1702-1770), married 1721 Elizabeth Bloodgood (1702-1770).

The following information was obtained from the book Pioneer Families of Northwestern New Jersey, by William C. Armstrong[1]:

"Elizabeth [(Hunt) Vail] married (2nd.) Thomas Gach (Gauge) of Westchester, N. Y., a ship builder, who owned a house and land in Westchester.

"Thomas Gach, Sr., and Elizabeth moved from Westchester, N. Y., to Woodbridge, N. J., about the year 1701. As her 3rd husband, Elizabeth (Hunt, Vail, Gach) married John Griffith on 20 October, 1709. And it is as Elizabeth Griffith, of Woodbridge, N. J., that she makes her last Will and Testament on the 21 June, 1739.

"The Vail Papers (Vol. 18:44) quote from the Westchester Town Records, the "sale of a house and 8 acres of land formerly owned by Thomas Gach, in Westchester" -- sold by Joseph Appleby to Samuel Vail (son of Elizabeth and Samuel (2) Vail) 28 February, 1705-6. Thomas Gach and wife removed from Westchester, N. Y., to Woodbridge, N. J., about the year 1701. We infer this from a deed of sale of 'a house and lot at Woodbridge, N. J., 14 April, 1701, sold by Thomas Codrington and wife to Thomas Gauge, late of Westchester, N. Y., Shipwright.' (v. N. J. Archives, 1st Ser. Vol. 21: 140).

"Thomas Gauge died between the 28th March, 1703 and 23 April, 1703, the dates of his will.

"It states he lived in Woodbridge; was a ship carpenter; it names Elizabeth as Executor, son Thomas and apparently other children, also names his 'son-in-law, Thomas Veale' (v. N. J. Arch. 1st Ser. Vol. 23:182; also Middlesex Co. Wills). His inventory amounted to 171-6-0, including half interest in a boat equal to £30.

"Elizabeth had at least two Gach children, viz: Mary and Thomas. Mary Gach married William Bloodgood, 1727. (v. Shotwell Family, p. 186; also Vail Papers, Vol. 16:13). Thomas Gach, mentioned in his mother's will, was an active member of the Woodbridge M. M. until disowned for quarreling with his brother. He was clerk of the Town of Woodbridge for many years, (v. Woodbridge and Vicinity, p. 71).

"Elizabeth, the widow of Samuel (2) Vail and later the widow of Thomas Gach, of Woodbridge, married (3rd.) John Griffith, 20 October, 1709."

The will of Thomas Gauge was written 28 March 1703 and proved 23 April 1703 in Woodbridge.  The abstract reads[3]:

"Gauge, Thomas, of Woodbridge, ship carpenter.  Wife Elizabeth executrix.  Son Thomas, apparently other children, son-in-law Thomas Veale.  Real and personal estate."

The witnesses were John Adie and Thomas Pike.  An inventory of the personal estate was taken in 1703: 71 pounds, 6 shillings, including half of a boat 30 pounds;  made by John Pike and Thomas Pike.

5.  SOURCES

1. William C. Armstrong, Pioneer Families of Northwestern New Jersey (Lambertville, N.J. :  Hunterdon House, 1979), pages 294-297, Elizabeth (Vail) Gach sketch.

2. Clyde V. Gage, John Gage of Ipswich, Mass. and his descendants : an historical, genealogical and biographical record, as developed from sources explained herein (Worcester, N.Y. : C.V. Gage, 1964), pages 83-84, #1004 Thomas Gage family sketch.

3. William Nelson, Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey:: First Series Volume I -- 1670-1730 (Paterson, N.J.: The Press Printing and Publishing Company, 1901), page 182, Thomas Gauge will abstract; digital images,  Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com).

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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/2023/10/52-ancestors-week-499-956-thomas.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: Discover electoral registers, death records, and more

 I received this information from Findmypast today:

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Discover electoral registers, death records, and more this Findmypast Friday

UK Electoral Registers & Companies House Directors

Over 12 million records have been added to this existing collection, taking it right up to 2023. As with previous years, you’ll find a person’s name, address, and confirmation of whether they are the director of a company.

Index to Death Duty Registers 1796-1903

Updates have been made to over 1 million records in this collection, with refined dates and an improved search experience. Plus, there are over 63,000 new records available to explore.

1851 England, Wales & Scotland Census

A further 4,756 records have been added for the Yorkshire hamlet of Yapham, with both transcriptions and images available.

Newspapers

One new title, updates to a further eight, and over 141,165 new pages make up this week’s newspaper release.

New titles:

• Felixstowe Times, 1925-1936

Updated titles:

• Derry Journal, 1886-1890, 1925, 1943-1949, 1956-1974, 1978-1980, 1982-1988
• Galway Observer, 1912-1923, 1925-1927
• Manchester Evening News, 1993
• Northern Daily Telegraph, 1914
• Northern Echo, 1872
• Skelmersdale Reporter, 1964
• South Wales Daily Post, 1990
• Worcester Daily Times and Journal, 1912

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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/2023/10/findmypast-friday-discover-electoral.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.

My Latest AncestryDNA Ethnicity Estimate and Communities

 AncestryDNA has updated everyone's Ethnicity estimate and associated Communities.  My last report on this was in April 2022 (see Will the AncestryDNA Ethnicity Estimate Ever Settle Down?) - but I may have missed a later report.  

1)  Here is my September 2023 Ethnicity Estimate:

The breakdown is:

• England and Northwestern Europe:  60% (green)
• Sweden & Denmark:  19% (blue)
• Norway:  9% (orange)
• Germanic Europe:  7% (purple)
• Scotland:  7% (brown)
• Wales:  2% (teal)

The Ethnicity Estimate has changed a bit since April 2022, when it was:

• 68% England & Northwestern Europe
• 13% Scotland
• 10% Sweden & Denmark
• 7% Norway
• 2% Wales.

In the latest estimate, I got my Germanic Europe ethnicity back.

For reference purposes, my perceived genealogical ancestry, based on where my ancestors in each line resided in about 1500 CE (this had to be an educated guess!) are:

• 68%  British Isles
• 24%  Germany/Switzerland
• 1%  Holland/Belgium
• 1%  France
• 6%  Unknown (perhaps some are French, Dutch, Scandinavian, Belgian, English, Native American, or other places)

If I lump England & Northwestern Europe, Scotland and Wales together, my latest Estimate says British Isles = 69%.  But Germany/Switzerland is only 7% in the latest Estimate.  Sweden, Denmark and Norway are 28%, but I have only a handful of Scandinavian ancestors in the 1500 time.  Of course, Scandinavians settled in the British Isles in the period after 500 CE until about 1100 CE.  

My Ethnicity Estimate by parent is:

My father had about 100% British Isles ancestry in 1500, and my mother had about 36% British Isles and 64% Germany/Switzerland/Holland/Belgium and France ancestry in about 1500.

Of course, the Ethnicity Estimate is based on where my ancestors resided before 1000 CE.

2)  My Communities in North America are:

• Early New England Settlers (brown)
• Early Connecticut & New York Settlers (blue)
• Northern New England Settlers (green)
• Southern New England Settlers (pink).

These Communities are, I think, fairly accurate.  However, the Early Connecticut and New York settlers should include my mother's New Jersey (Dutch and Palatine) and Pennsylvania (Germanic) ancestors who all came to America before 1750.

3)  I still live in a state of confusion over my Ethnicity Estimates!

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Disclosure:  I received a complimentary test kit from AncestryDNA back in 2011 (I think).  I have had a complimentary Ancestry subscription since about 2015, and have received material considerations (subscriptions, travel, hotel, meals, etc.) over the past 15 years as a Geneablogger.

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2023/10/my-latest-ancestrydna-ethnicity.html

Copyright (c) 2023, 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.

Treasure Chest Thursday - 1747 Death Record of Elizabeth (Hunt) (Vail) (Gach) Griffith (1657-1747) of Woodbridge, New Jersey

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 1747 death record of Elizabeth (Hunt) (Vail) (Gach) Griffith in the Rahway and Plainfield  Quaker Records:

The death record is the first record at the top of  the right-hand page:

The transcription of this death record is:

"Name of the Deceased:  Elizabeth Griffith

Connection of the Deceased:  Widow of Vail Gach & Benjamin Griffith & Mother of John Vail

Place and Time of Death:  9 Mo 3 1747 Aged 90 Years and 6 Months

Place and Time of Burial:  

Age:  90"

The source citation for this  death record is:

"U.S. Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1994, Rahway and Plainfield [N.J.] Monthly Meeting," New Jersey > Union > Rahway and Plainfield Monthly Meetings, Births 1705-1901, Deaths 1705-1908, page 189, Elizabeth Griffith entry, age 90 years 6 months; indexed database and digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com).

This record is a Derivative Source, with Secondary Information and Direct Evidence of the death of Elizabeth Griffith in Woodbridge, New Jersey.  The original records are Quaker Meeting Records held at Swarthmore NY, Guilford NC, Earlham IN, and Haverford, PA universities.

Elizabeth Hunt was born about February 1657, in Westchester County, New York.  She married, first, Samuel Vail (1654-1695) in about 1677 in Southampton, New York.  They had 7 children.  
She married, second, Thomas Gage/Gach (c1660-1703) in about 1698 probably in Woodbridge, New Jersey.  They had two children.  She married, third, Benjamin Griffith (c1653-1713), in Woodbridge.  They had no children together.

The death date in the records is "9 Mo 3 1747" which indicates 3 November 1747 in the current calendar.

Thomas and Elizabeth (Hunt) (Vail) Gage/Gach are my 7th great-grandparents.  I am descended through their son, Thomas Gach (c1702-1770), who married Elizabeth Bloetgoet/Bloodgood (1702-1770) in 1721.  married 

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2023/10/treasure-chest-thursday-1747-death.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.

Genealogy Education Bytes - Week of 28 September to 4 October 2023

  Welcome to Genealogy Education Bytes, posted on Wednesday afternoon for the past week, where we try to highlight the most important genealogy and family history education items that came across our desktop since the last issue.

1) Upcoming Conferences, Institutes and Seminars

* Conference Keeper Calendar

*  Southern California Genealogical Society: "SCGS 53rd Jamboree: Cherishing Your Family Inheritance" - Hybrid - 6-7 October 2023 

*  East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference - Hybrid - 6-8 October 2023.

*  2023 APG Professional Management Conference: "Reset, Refresh, Refine Your Genealogy Career" - Hybrid - 19-20 October 2023

*  New York State Family History Conference: "Navigating New York: From Queens to the Queen City" - Hybrid - 2-4 November 2023

*  FHF Really Useful Family History Show - Virtual - 17-18 November 2023

*  SLIG 2024: The Family History Law Library - Virtual - 22-26 January 2024

*  2024 Institute for Genetic Genealogy (i4GG) Conference - 10-year Anniversary - Hybrid - 10-11 February 2024

*  RootsTech 2024 - In-Person (Salt Lake City) and Online - 29 February - 2 March 2024.

2 ) Upcoming Seminars, Webinars and Online Classes (times are US Pacific):

* Conference Keeper Calendar

* Legacy Family Tree Webinar Series

*  FamilySearch Library Classes and Webinars for October 2023

* MyHeritage 2023 Webinar Series

* Legacy Family Tree Webinar’s 2023 Mexico Research Series

* Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree 2023 Webinar Series

* Utah Genealogical Association Pro Talk Webinar Series

* RootsTech 2023 On-Demand Sessions

*    Family Tree Webinars - Friday, 6 October, 11 a.m.:  Tracing West Indian Ancestors: Strategies & Resources  by Diane Warmsley.

*   Family Tree Webinars - Tuesday, 10 October, 6 p.m.:  The Latest Photo Feature from MyHeritage by Tal Ehrlichman

*   Family Tree Webinars - Wednesday, 11 October, 5 p.m.:  Help! How do I separate genealogical fact from fiction? by Carol Baxter.

3) Recent Podcasts/Radio Shows:

*  Ancestral Findings:  AF-802: Betty Aberlin: The Mister Rogers Biographies | Ancestral Findings Podcast

*  Ancestral Findings:  AF-803: History of Salt and Pepper Shakers | Ancestral Findings Podcast

*  Ancestral Findings:  AF-804: The Story Behind Our Famous Baseball Bat | Ancestral Findings Podcast

*  Extreme Genes:  Episode 475 - Hidden Histories Hiding In Congregational Church Records / Kentucky Brick Wall...

*  Research Like a Pro:  RLP 273: Brick Wall Ancestor: Clemsy (Cline) Weatherford

*  The Geneaslogy Guys:  The Genealogy Guys Podcast #420

4) Recent YouTube Videos:

*  Aimee Cross - Genealogy Hints:  Ancestor Hunting - Watch Me Build A Family Tree

*  Allen County Public Library:  Genealogy Resources at the Kansas State Archives

*  Allen County Public Library:  A Genealogist's Guide to Sanborn Maps

*  American Ancestors:  What's New at American Ancestors September 2023

*  BYU Family History Library:  Surviving Your Visit to a Cemetery: Cemetery Etiquette – James Tanner (24 Sep 2023)

*  BYU Family History Library:  Swedish Naming Patterns – Cynthia Hallen (24 Sep 2023)

*  BYU Family History Library:  Finding New Insights in Old Records – Peggy Ryskamp (28 September 2023)

*  Family Locket:  Finding the Historical Laws for a Locality Guide

*  FamilySearch:   RootsTech 2024 is open for Registration!

*  Genealogy TV:  Best Genealogy Tips & Tricks (Free Webinar Replay)

*  Hitting the Bricks With Kathleen:  8 Videos (Episodes 1 to 7)

*  Legacy Tree Genealogists: How Do You Start Working With a Genealogist?

*  Lifelines Research:  Setting The Record Straight: Episode 17 - Tithe Maps and Apportionments...

*  Lifelines Research:  Setting The Record Straight: Episode 18 - A (Very) Brief History of Myddelton Street...

*  Lisa Lisson:  Census Records for Genealogy - It's all about Community!

*  Storied_Social:  The Family Treehouse Episode #007

5) Did you miss the last post in this series - Genealogy Education Bytes - 21 to 27 September 2023?

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2023/10/genealogy-education-bytes-week-of-28.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 your comment on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at   randy.seaver@gmail.com.