Saturday Night Genealogy Fun -- Rabbit Hole!

 Calling all Genea-Musings Fans: 

 It's Saturday Night again - 

Time for some more Genealogy Fun!!

Your mission, should you decide to accept it (cue the Mission Impossible! music) is to:
 
1)  Have you been down a genealogy rabbit hole lately?  What was it, and what did you find?  [If not, go find a rabbit hole! Try your FamilySearch Notifications or Ancestry.com Photos or Stories.]

2)  Share your rabbit hole chase and results in your own blog post or in a Facebook, SubStack, BlueSky or other social media post.  Leave a link to your post on this blog post to help us find your post.

Here's mine:

On Friday, I received an email from FamilySearch with a Notification about new Memories.  I clicked on it and saw several notifications for my 6th great-grandfather, Johan Peter Ruth (1704-1771), who died in Cumru, Berks County, Pennsylvania Colony.  They were images of  pages uploaded by another FamilySearch user on FamilySearch Family Tree, and two of them were about probate records.  I checked my RootsMagic tree and noted that I don't have a probate record, so RABBIT HOLE here I come!

The images provided a summary, but did not provide the actual images of the probate records.  I immediately thought "I wonder if they are on FamilySearch Full-Text Search?"  They were not.

Plan B was "I wonder if someone has put them on the Internet?"  I Googled [Johan Peter Ruth Berks 1771] and was rewarded with several results, including FamilySearch Family Tree, WikiTree, and Jeff's Genealogy Info (https://jeffsgenealogy.info/MooreLine/g0/p606.htm).  That provided another summary of his life, including more info about his probate records.  And the page included a source citation for the probate record:  

 Pennsylvania Probate Records, 1683-1994. Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. County courthouses, Pennsylvania. URL:   https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1999196, #185 pr Penn Probate, Berks Co., file: "Estates 1752-1799 Resher, Gabriel-Seitzinger, Nich."; folder: "Ruth, Peter CU 1771", images 1501-1577. Eldest son's petition for real estate partition names Peter Ruth's widow and fourteen surviving children, image 1523.

This probate packet on FamilySearch Digital Microfilm is over 70 pages long.  The petition is on images 1523-1524.  The promise of the eldest son and administrator, Michael Ruth,  to my ancestor, George Ruth, is on images 1535-1536.  There is a multi-page iuventory of the personal estate (total over £1,300), and a description of  all of the real property (total over £5,300).  There were 14 children named as heirs, and a widow's thirds.  In the end, my 5th great-grandfather George Ruth was promised £358.  Now I know where the land was, and have excellent original evidence naming all of the children of Johan Peter Ruth and his two wives.   I downloaded six images from the probate file.

But that's not all!  I went to Ancestry.com to my family tree profile for Johan Peter Ruth, and clicked Search.  I wanted to see if I could find a 1704 birth or baptism record for Johan in Wallhausen, Rhineland Pfalz (?), and two marriage records.  I found a baptism record from Kindenheim in Bavaria that matched the date that Jeff's Genealogy Info had.  But wait - the parents of the Bavaria Johan Peter Ruth is different from what is quoted on FamilySearch and Jeff's site.  Uh oh.  Someone has either the baptism date and place wrong or has the parents wrong.  I'm sticking with the Wallhausen family for now.

I checked the FamilySearch Full-Text Search, FamilySearch Images, and FamilySearch Catalog for records of Wallhausen, Rhineland-Palatinate and found no records at all.  A search in Germany Births and Baptisms indicate a few Roudt or Ruth baptisms entries but none for this Johan Peter Roudt, assuming he was born in Wallhausen.  Perhaps he was not born or baptized in Wallhausen.  

Also on the list of Search results on FamilySearch was the image of the 1733 immigration record in Philadelphia that lists Peter Roudt as a passenger on the Pennsylvania Merchant of London  ship out of Rotterdam and Plymouth.  I didn't have that either. I downloaded the entire PDF of the passenger list on the FamilySearch Memories page.  

So the result of this rabbit hole (two hours of effort and critical thinking) was that I know a lot more about Johan Peter Ruth, that I had a baptism error on my tree (and pehaps on many other trees too), and that I need to transcribe the probate pages (because, apparently, nobody else has done that).

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2025/08/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-rabbit-hole.html

Copyright (c) 2025, 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, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com. Note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

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ABC Biography of #42 John Rich (1790-1868) of Hilperton, Wiltshire

 The Claude (now Sonnet 4) artificial intelligence tool can be used to write family-friendly biographies of my ancestors that might interest and engage my relatives and descendants to help them learn about and understand their ancestry. Using the ABC method described in Using Artificial Intelligence In the Ancestor Biography Creation (ABC) Process, here is one ancestor biography.

1) I wrote genealogical sketches for almost every known ancestor back through 9 generations in blog posts based on 38 years of genealogical research in my 52 Ancestors/Relatives Biographies series. The genealogical sketch for my 3rd great-grandfather, John Rich (1790-1868), #42 on my Ahnentafel List), including family members, record abstracts and sources, is 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 35: #42 John Rich (1790-1868).

(AI-created image by OpenAI ChatGPT4)

2) For the Claude AI biography, I attached the PDF of the genealogical sketch for the specific ancestor using the plus (+) icon, and then prompted the AI tool with: "You are an expert genealogist. Please create a biography based on information in the attached file, including parents, siblings, spouses and children (with birth and death dates and places), summarize life events, and add historical facts as appropriate, but do not add or embellish any extra genealogical details. Use section headings. Expand the information in each section to add more details. The tone should be engaging and suitable for family members."

3)  Here is the Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4 biography:

John Rich (1790-1868): A Life in Wiltshire

Early Life and Family Origins

John Rich entered the world in the autumn of 1790 in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, a bustling market town known for its thriving woolen cloth industry. He was baptized on November 14, 1790, at the parish church of St. James with St. Stephen in Trowbridge, marking the beginning of a life that would span nearly eight decades in rural England.

John was the eldest child of William and Betty (Noad) Rich, born into a working-class family during the height of the Industrial Revolution. As the firstborn, he would have carried special responsibilities within the family structure typical of the era. His parents went on to have five more children: Mary (born 1793), Robert (1797-1864), Lucretia (born 1802), and Martha (1805-1814). Tragically, young Martha died at just nine years old, a common occurrence in an age when childhood mortality was devastatingly high.

Marriage and New Beginnings

On February 14, 1815—Valentine's Day—John married Rebecca Hill in a ceremony at Hilperton Parish Church. The wedding was conducted by curate J. Bailes, with the couple married by banns, a traditional English practice where the intended marriage was announced in church for three consecutive Sundays before the ceremony. Both John and Rebecca signed the marriage register with their mark rather than their signatures, indicating they were likely unable to write—a common situation among the working class of the early 19th century.

Rebecca Hill was born just months before John, baptized on April 25, 1790, in Hilperton. She was the daughter of John and Ann (Warren) Hill, making her a local girl from the same community where the couple would build their life together. The witnesses to their marriage were George Hill, likely a relative of Rebecca's, and Isaac Hiscock.

A Growing Family

John and Rebecca established their household in Hilperton, where they would raise their large family. The couple had eleven children, though tragedy would touch their lives repeatedly, as was common in an era before modern medicine. Their children, all born in Hilperton, included:

• James Rich (born 1817) became their eldest surviving son. He would later venture to Wales, marrying Ann Gray in Cardiff in 1839 and having five children. After Ann's death, he remarried Eliza Cowham in 1871, though this second marriage produced no children. James lived a long life, dying in Cardiff in 1885.

• Ann Rich (born 1818) married James Gaisford on March 25, 1838, in her home parish of Hilperton. The couple had eleven children together before Ann emigrated to America, where she died in Minonk, Illinois, in 1882, far from her birthplace.

• John Rich (born 1818) died at the tender age of four, sometime before 1822.

• William Rich (born December 1821) died at just four months old in April 1822.

• John Rich (born 1822) survived to adulthood, marrying Lydia Scott on December 23, 1838, and having six children. He lived until about 1870, dying in Bradford-on-Avon.

• Jesse Rich (also born in 1822, likely John's twin) married Jane Rose in 1849. They had ten children, and Jesse lived in Hilperton until his death in 1871.

• Hannah Rich (born April 16, 1824) married James Richman in 1845 and had nine children. She later emigrated to America, settling in Putnam, Connecticut, where she died in 1911 at the remarkable age of 87.

• Emma Rich (christened in March 1827), probably died young.

• Elizabeth Rich (christened in March 1827) married James Carpenter in 1847 and raised ten children.

• William Rich (born March 11, 1830) married Caroline Linzey in 1851 and had eight children. He also emigrated to America, dying in Putnam, Connecticut, in 1914.

• Samuel Rich (born February 28, 1833) was the youngest child. He married Deborah Ann Thornton around 1864 in Connecticut and had two children, dying in Putnam in 1897.

Working Life in Industrial England

John Rich was a hand loom weaver, a skilled craftsman in an industry that was rapidly changing during his lifetime. The early 19th century marked a period of dramatic transformation in the textile industry, with mechanization gradually replacing traditional hand weaving. Despite these changes, John continued working as a hand loom weaver throughout his life, representing the persistence of traditional craftsmanship even as factories began to dominate production.

The 1841 census records show John, then 47, living with his wife Rebecca and five of their children still at home: James (18), Elizabeth (16), Hannah (15), William (10), and Samuel (7). By this time, some of his older children had already married and established their own households.

John leased land from Grace Shrapnell in Hilperton Marsh, consisting of a house and garden plot. The property was located on the south side of what is now Horse Road, opposite St. Mary's Close—a modest holding that provided the family with a home and space for a kitchen garden, essential for supplementing their diet.

The Great Migration

By the 1851 census, John's household had shrunk considerably. At age 58, he was still working as a hand loom weaver, living with 63-year-old Rebecca and their two youngest sons, William (21, also working as a weaver) and Samuel (18, who had found work as an India rubber worker—a sign of the new industrial opportunities emerging in the area).

The mid-1850s brought significant changes to the Rich family as several of John and Rebecca's adult children made the momentous decision to emigrate to the United States. Ann, Hannah, William, and Samuel all left England for America, seeking better opportunities in the rapidly expanding nation across the Atlantic. This was part of a larger wave of British emigration during the mid-19th century, driven by economic hardship, land scarcity, and the promise of prosperity in America.

Later Years and Final Days

The 1861 census found John and Rebecca, now in their seventies, living alone together in Hilperton. John, at 70, was still described as a woolen cloth weaver, demonstrating remarkable longevity in his trade. Rebecca, at 75, had weathered the challenges of raising eleven children and seeing many of them venture far from home.

Rebecca died first, sometime before March 7, 1862, when she was laid to rest in Hilperton churchyard. She had lived to see the dawn of the Victorian era and witnessed tremendous changes in British society, from the Napoleonic Wars through the Industrial Revolution.

John lived as a widower for six more years in their longtime home in Hilperton Marsh. He died at the age of 79 and was buried on June 8, 1868, joining Rebecca in the Hilperton churchyard. His death marked the end of a life that had spanned from the era of King George III through the early reign of Queen Victoria.

Historical Context

John Rich's life unfolded during one of the most transformative periods in English history. Born in the final decade of the 18th century, he witnessed the Industrial Revolution reshape English society. His trade as a hand loom weaver placed him at the center of these changes, as traditional textile work gradually gave way to mechanized production.

The Rich family's story reflects broader patterns of 19th-century English life: large families, high infant mortality, the persistence of traditional crafts alongside industrial change, and the great wave of emigration to America that saw millions of British citizens seek new lives across the Atlantic. John and Rebecca's children scattered across two continents, from Wales to Connecticut, creating a diaspora that would carry the Rich family name into the New World while John and Rebecca remained rooted in the Wiltshire countryside where they had been born and raised.

Their legacy lives on through their descendants, who carried the values, memories, and family traditions of rural England to their new homes in America, creating an enduring link between the old world and the new.

4) A poem and song lyrics to commemorate the life of John Rich (1790-1868) can be found in "John Rich's Legacy" -- A Family History Poem, Song and Podcast Created by Artificial Intelligence. The song created from the song lyrics can be played in that blog post, and in "John Rich's Legacy" on Suno.com, and below:

5) An audio overview (essentially a podcast created by the Google NotebookLM AI tool) discussing the life of John Rich (1790-1868) can be heard in: https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/f2d27bc9-a811-4b9e-aabe-0227ea8cc776?artifactId=12ac6ddc-059c-4fb4-b5e2-d2a09428146a. Here's a YouTube video with the podcast:

6) I edited the Claude biography text to add more family detail and correct minor errors. Every large language model (LLM) AI tool writes descriptive text much better than I can write. I was an aerospace engineer in my former life, and my research reports and genealogical sketches reflect "just the facts gleaned from my research." The AI tools are very perceptive, insightful and create readable text in seconds, including local and national historical events and social history detail.

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Links to my blog posts about using Artificial Intelligence are on my Randy's AI and Genealogy page. Links to AI information and articles about Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy by other genealogists are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.

Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2025/08/abc-biography-of-42-john-rich-1790-1868.html

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

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Added and Updated FamilySearch Record Collections - Week of 26 July to 1 August 2025

 Each week, genealogy record collections are added, removed, and/or updated on FamilySearch and listed on the Historical Record Collection list at https://familysearch.org/search/collection/list.

As of 1 August 2025, there are 3,411 historical record collections on FamilySearch (an increase of 2 from last week):

The added, deleted, and updated collections this week from FamilySearch:

--- Collections Added ---

--- Collections Deleted ---

*  Italy, Lecco, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1911-1947 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3031547); 90 indexed records with 90 record images, DELETED

--- Collections Added ---

*  Philippines, Bicol, Church Records, 1738-1989 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000336); 100 indexed records with 48 record images, ADDED 30-Jul-2025

*  Philippines, Ilocos, Church Records, 1718-2007 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000330); 1,984 indexed records with 17,070 record images, ADDED 30-Jul-2025

--- Collections Updated ---

Brazil, Foreigner Files, 1653-2022 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000160); 132,751 indexed records with 2,196,449 record images (was 132,501 records with 2,193,444 images), UPDATED 01-Aug-2025
Colombia, Migration Records, 1885-2014 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000159); 6,569,351 indexed records with 6,309,938 record images (was 6,569,331 records with 6,309,575 images), UPDATED 01-Aug-2025
Croatia, Church Books, 1516-1994 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2040054); 6,442,319 indexed records with 1,421,761 record images (was 5,517,033 records with 1,421,761 images), UPDATED 31-Jul-2025
Honduras, Civil Registration, 1841-1968 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2135627); 581,580 indexed records with 337,976 record images (was 581,219 records with 337,976 images), UPDATED 01-Aug-2025
Italy, Latina, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1867-1946 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2684446); 69,173 indexed records with 144,647 record images (was 69,159 records with 144,647 images), UPDATED 31-Jul-2025

Mexico, Querétaro, Catholic Church Records, 1590-1970 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1881200); 3,044,311 indexed records with 1,380,077 record images (was 3,040,420 records with 1,380,077 images), UPDATED 31-Jul-2025
Philippines, Camarines Sur, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Caceres, Parish Registers, 1716-1977 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1457939); 777,556 indexed records with 136,616 record images (was 776,803 records with 136,616 images), UPDATED 01-Aug-2025
Philippines, Civil Registration (Archives Division), 1902-1945 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2018411); 100,622 indexed records with 185,883 record images (was 100,524 records with 185,883 images), UPDATED 01-Aug-2025
Philippines, Eastern Visayas, Church Records, 1716-2014 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000329); 108,876 indexed records with 188,460 record images (was 23,944 records with 26,491 images), UPDATED 30-Jul-2025
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Church Census Records (Worldwide), 1914-1960 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3438701); 3,267,371 indexed records with 2,315,738 record images (was 3,267,352 records with 2,316,029 images), UPDATED 30-Jul-2025

United States City and Business Directories, ca. 1749 - ca. 1990 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3754697); 67,626,211 indexed records with 1,296,835 record images (was 67,626,211 records with 1,250,586 images), UPDATED 31-Jul-2025

--- Collections with new images ---

Argentina, Buenos Aires, Civil Registration, 1861-2018 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000041); 1 indexed records with 111,640 record images (was 1 records with 111,638 images), last updated 07-Jun-2024
Argentina, Military Records, 1911-1936 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000280); 1 indexed records with 2,924,926 record images (was 1 records with 2,924,923 images), last updated 31-Oct-2024
Brazil, Maranhão, Civil Registration, 1827-2022 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4469402); 1 indexed records with 905,390 record images (was 1 records with 905,389 images), last updated 07-Jun-2024
Dakota Territory, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1932393); 4,693 indexed records with 2,315 record images (was 4,693 records with 87 images), last updated 20-Apr-2012
Georgia, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1932370); 1,776,643 indexed records with 1,210,312 record images (was 1,776,643 records with 1,208,312 images), last updated 20-Apr-2012

United Kingdom, Outgoing Passenger Lists, 1890-1960 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4229516); 24,113,046 indexed records with 232,906 record images (was 24,113,046 records with 14 images), last updated 20-Oct-2021
United States, Civil War Confederate Papers of Citizens or Businesses, 1861-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1937233); 2,040,863 indexed records with 23,296 record images (was 2,040,863 records with 2,654 images), last updated 26-Sep-2011
Utah, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1932426); 231 indexed records with 231 record images (was 231 records with 1 images), last updated 20-Apr-2012

--- Collections with images removed ---

Alabama, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1932139); 1,213,534 indexed records with 5,000 record images (was 1,213,534 records with 1,213,534 images), last updated 20-Apr-2012
Arizona, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1854310); 1,173 indexed records with 1,165 record images (was 1,173 records with 1,173 images), last updated 20-Apr-2012
Arkansas, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1932365); 532,541 indexed records with 5,000 record images (was 532,541 records with 532,541 images), last updated 20-Apr-2012
Delaware, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1932394); 179,813 indexed records with 5,000 record images (was 179,813 records with 179,813 images), last updated 20-Apr-2012
Florida, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1932369); 285,975 indexed records with 5,000 record images (was 285,975 records with 285,975 images), last updated 20-Apr-2012

France, Paris, Marriage Records, 1860-1918 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3253164); 270,180 indexed records with 269,686 record images (was 270,180 records with 270,180 images), last updated 09-Apr-2020
French Polynesia, Civil Registration, 1780-1999 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2549721); 113,620 indexed records with 521,547 record images (was 113,620 records with 526,921 images), last updated 24-Jun-2025
Italy, Alessandria, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1800-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2197595); 12,437 indexed records with 8,712 record images (was 12,437 records with 8,713 images), last updated 23-Jun-2025
Italy, Vercelli, Vercelli, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1802-1813, 1838-1942 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1939214); 1,682 indexed records with 17,676 record images (was 1,682 records with 17,847 images), last updated 29-May-2025
Kentucky, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1932398); 1,256,188 indexed records with 5,000 record images (was 1,256,188 records with 1,256,188 images), last updated 20-Apr-2012

Louisiana, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1932372); 778,925 indexed records with 5,000 record images (was 778,925 records with 778,925 images), last updated 20-Apr-2012
Maryland, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1932373); 43,508 indexed records with 5,000 record images (was 43,508 records with 43,508 images), last updated 20-Apr-2012
Mississippi, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1932375); 1,269,794 indexed records with 5,000 record images (was 1,269,794 records with 1,269,794 images), last updated 20-Apr-2012
Missouri, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1932374); 348,259 indexed records with 5,000 record images (was 348,259 records with 348,259 images), last updated 20-Apr-2012
Nevada, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1932420); 25,709 indexed records with 3,065 record images (was 25,709 records with 25,709 images), last updated 20-Apr-2012

New Mexico, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1932418); 118,866 indexed records with 5,000 record images (was 118,866 records with 118,866 images), last updated 20-Apr-2012
New York, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1932388); 60,000 indexed records with 5,000 record images (was 60,000 records with 60,000 images), last updated 20-Apr-2012
North Carolina, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1932376); 1,773,886 indexed records with 5,000 record images (was 1,773,886 records with 1,773,886 images), last updated 20-Apr-2012
Oregon, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1932421); 53,945 indexed records with 5,000 record images (was 53,945 records with 53,945 images), last updated 20-Apr-2012
Tennessee, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1932378); 1,117,605 indexed records with 5,000 record images (was 1,117,605 records with 1,117,605 images), last updated 20-Apr-2012

Texas, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1932381); 956,501 indexed records with 5,000 record images (was 956,501 records with 956,501 images), last updated 20-Apr-2012
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Record of Members (Worldwide), 1836-1970 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3714676); 1,455,791 indexed records with 88,199 record images (was 1,455,791 records with 96,436 images), last updated 05-May-2025
United States, Census, 1950 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4464515); 157,892,854 indexed records with 52,721,669 record images (was 157,892,854 records with 52,722,241 images), last updated 16-Jun-2024
United States, Civil War Confederate Applications for Pardons, 1865-1867 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1936545); 79,992 indexed records with 833 record images (was 79,992 records with 79,992 images), last updated 26-Sep-2011
United States, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1932383); 275,550 indexed records with 1,154 record images (was 275,550 records with 275,550 images), last updated 20-Apr-2012

United States, Civil War Service Records of Union Colored Troops, 1863-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1932431); 2,319,767 indexed records with 3,682 record images (was 2,319,767 records with 2,319,767 images), last updated 03-Apr-2012
United States, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1864-1866 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1932430); 119,672 indexed records with 164 record images (was 119,672 records with 119,672 images), last updated 20-Apr-2012
United States, Revolutionary War Compiled Service Records, 1775-1783 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1849623); 1,997,022 indexed records with 1,000 record images (was 1,997,022 records with 1,997,022 images), last updated 15-Sep-2010
Virginia, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1932382); 2,252,877 indexed records with 5,000 record images (was 2,252,877 records with 2,252,877 images), last updated 20-Apr-2012
Wales, Pembrokeshire, Parish Registers, 1538-1912 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1419323); 320,664 indexed records with 378,643 record images (was 320,664 records with 378,649 images), last updated 03-Nov-2023

West Virginia, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1932429); 686,688 indexed records with 5,000 record images (was 686,688 records with 686,688 images), last updated 20-Apr-2012
West Virginia, Deaths, 1804-1999 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1417434); 2,220,736 indexed records with 82,476 record images (was 2,220,736 records with 2,407,839 images), last updated 16-Nov-2023

--- Collections with new records ---

--- Collections with records removed ---

United States, Public Records, 1970-2009 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2199956); Index only (875,605,656 records), no images (was 875,605,657 records with 0 images), last updated 24-Jan-2025
United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000290); Index only (413,872,360 records), no images (was 413,872,361 records with 0 images), last updated 22-Jun-2024

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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!

Marshall notes that there are:

• 1 removed entries
• 2  added entries 
• 11 updated entries
• 40 entries with more or fewer images 
• 2 entries with more or fewer records

The FamilySearch website says there are 3,411 total entries on the list (without signing in). Marshall's list says there are 3,411 (without signing in).  They are in-sync this week.

There are now 3,919 searchable image collections on FamilySearch Full-Text Search this week, an increase of 9 from last week. It is not possible to see which collections are new.

There are now 26,801 browsable image collections on FamilySearch Images this week, an increase of 3 from last week. It is not possible to see which collections are new.

See previous FamilySearch-related blog posts in   https://www.geneamusings.com/search/label/FamilySearch

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2025/08/added-and-updated-familysearch-record.html

Copyright (c) 2025 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 X, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Note that all comments are moderated, so they may not be posted immediately.

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Added and Updated Ancestry.com Record Collections - Week of 26 July to 1 August 2025

The following genealogy record collections were added to the Ancestry.com Card Catalog page by Date Updated during the period from 26 July to 1 August 2025:

The ADDED and Updated collections include:

• England and Wales, Death Index, 1989-2024; 7,674,312 indexed records without record images, Updated 7/31/2025. This collection is an index of deaths recorded in England and Wales between 1989 and 2024. The information for the index was compiled from funeral directors' records and obituaries. 
• Scotland and Northern Ireland, Death Index, 1989-2024; 953,672 indexed records without record images, Updated 7/31/2025. This collection contains an index of records for people who died in either Scotland or Northern Ireland between 1989 and 2024. 
• Maine, U.S., Church Records, 1811-1911; 18,439 indexed records with record images, ADDED 7/28/2025. This collection contains records from churches in Maine dated between 1811 and 1911.
• Hawaii, U.S., Birth Certificates and Indexes, 1841-1949; 791,368 indexed records with record images, Updated 7/28/2025. This collection contains birth records and delayed birth records produced in Hawaii between 1859 and 1949.
• Dordogne, France, Censuses, 1831-1896; 5,695,109 indexed records with record images, Updated 7/28/2025. This collection contains census records from Dordogne between the years of 1831 and 1896.
• Dordogne, France, Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 1540-1896; 19,540,326 indexed records with record images, Updated 7/28/2025. This collection contains civil registries of births, marriages, and deaths between 1540 and 1896 from Dordogne, France.
• Ireland, Infants born in Irish Workhouses Index, 1872-1874; 14,179 indexed records without record images, ADDED 7/28/2025. This collection is an index of information related to infants in Irish workhouses between 1872 and 1874. 
• UK, Recommendations for Honours and Awards, 1935-1943; 170,047 indexed records without record images, Updated 7/28/2025. This collection is an index of information related to honours and awards for military personnel in the British armed forces and the armed forces of allied nations between 1935 and 1990. 
• Ireland, Poor Law Union Removals From England, 1857-1879; 6,883 indexed records with record images, Updated 7/28/2025. This collection contains records of the removal of Irish people from Poor Law Unions in England and Wales between 1857 and 1879. 
• Palatine German Immigration to Ireland and U.S., Hank Z Jones collection, 1654-1878; 76,437 indexed records with record images, Updated 7/28/2025. This collection contains the family trees of immigrants from the Palatinate region (part of present-day Germany) of the Holy Roman Empire between 1654 and 1878.

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

By my count, there are 2 NEW record collections ADDED this past week, per the list above.  There are now 33,836 collections available as of 1 August, an INCREASE of 2 from last week. 

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Disclosure: I pay for an All-Access subscription from Ancestry.com. In past years, Ancestry.com  provided a complimentary All Access subscription, an autosomal DNA test, material considerations for travel expenses to meetings, and hosted events and meals that I attended in Salt Lake City.

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2025/08/added-and-updated-ancestrycom-record.html

Copyright (c) 2025, 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, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com. Please note that all Comments are moderated so they may not appear immediately.

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Ask AI: "Please Describe Norman Seaver's Revolutionary War Service"

The Artificial Intelligence tools (like ChatGPT, Claude, CoPilot, Gemini, Grok, Meta, Grok, and Perplexity) can provide much useful and nearly instant information about subjects in a concise format, especially when they have been pre-trained on a large volume of information about the subjects.

Over twenty of my ancestors served in the Revolutionary War between 1775 and 1783.  The service records of these men are documented in the military records and pension files available in books, on Ancestry.com, Fold3.com, FamilySearch.org, and other websites.

My 5th great-grandfather, Robert Seaver (1734-1787) resided in Westminster, Massachusetts in the 1770s, and served as a sergeant of his local militia company in 1775 which marched to Cambridge on the Lexington and Concord alarm on 19 April 1775.  He also served two different periods in Rhode Island as part of different companies and regiments in the 1777-1779 time frame.  I wondered what his military experience was like, and what was accomplished by his company and regiment in those service terms.  See 52 Ancestors - Week 105: #128 Norman Seaver (1734-1787) for details of Norman's life.

I asked the free Artificial Intelligence LLMs OpenAI ChatGP T4, Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4, X Grok 3, and Google Gemini 2.5 Flash to provide information about Robert's service.  

1)  My Prompt was (based on what I know about Norman's service from my genealogical sketch):  

"My 5th great-grandfather Norman Seaver (1734-1787) of Westminster MA was briefly in the Massachusetts militia in April 1775 (marched to Lexington MA); in April to December 1777 (served in Providence RI); and in June to December 1778 (served in North Kingstown RI).

"For the 1775 service, Norman was a Sergeant in Captain Noah Miles company which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775 to Cambridge and joined Colonel John Whitcomb's regiment there for eleven and one half days of service.

"For the Rhode Island service, Norman served as an Ensign in Captain Francis Willson's company in Colonel Danforth Keyes regiment from June 27 to July 27, 1777, with the roll dated Providence; he served in the same company and regiment from December 1, 1777 to January 3, 1778, with the roll dated Providence.

"As a First Lieutenant in Captain Ebenezer Belknap's company in Colonel Nathaniel Wade's regiment, he was engaged on April 1, 1778 and discharged January 3, 1779, serving in Rhode Island. Muster rolls dated North Kingston, Rhode Island were taken on November 6 and December 1, 1778, and muster rolls at East Greenwich, Rhode Island were dated September 28, November 6, November 10, December 1, and December 30, 1778, with his term to expire on January 1, 1779.

"Please describe what the companies did in the time that Norman served with them. What was life like for Norman in those places and times?"

(AI image created by Google Gemini 2.5 Flash)

2)  The Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4 response (expanded for more detail):

Your 5th great-grandfather Norman Seaver served during some of the most critical early years of the American Revolution. Let me search for more specific information about the military activities and conditions during his service periods.

The Lexington Alarm - April 1775: The Birth of the Continental Army

The Immediate Response

When the alarm bells rang and express riders galloped through Westminster on April 19, 1775, Norman Seaver and his fellow militiamen were responding to what would become known as "the shot heard 'round the world." As a Sergeant in Captain Noah Miles' company, Norman would have been among the first to muster his men, check their equipment, and begin the urgent 50-mile march from Westminster through Concord and Lexington to Cambridge.

The march itself was grueling - militia companies from across Massachusetts converged on roads leading to Boston, creating massive traffic as thousands of armed men, supply wagons, and livestock all moved toward the same destination. Norman's company would have marched in military formation when possible, but the roads were clogged with other units, civilian refugees fleeing Boston, and messengers carrying news back and forth.

Life in the Cambridge Camps

Minutemen and militia had already set up siege lines around the port by the time that the Committee of Safety began to take charge, on 21 April 1775. When Norman's company arrived and joined Colonel John Whitcomb's regiment, they found themselves part of a massive, chaotic, but determined gathering of New England fighting men.

Daily Routine: As a Sergeant, Norman's day began before dawn with roll call and inspection of his men's weapons and equipment. The siege lines around Boston required constant manning, so his company rotated between guard duty, camp maintenance, and drilling. The men constructed earthworks and redoubts, often working through the night to strengthen their positions.

Living Conditions: The initial camps were primitive - men slept in hastily constructed lean-tos, requisitioned tents, or simply under the stars wrapped in blankets. Norman, as a non-commissioned officer, would have shared quarters with other sergeants and corporals. Food was a constant challenge; each man was expected to bring his own provisions, but these quickly ran out, forcing reliance on whatever supplies the Massachusetts Committee of Safety could procure.

Military Challenges: Conditions within the town were harsh for all who remained; although the British maintained control of Boston Harbor, provisions dwindled while they waited for supply ships to arrive. The American forces faced the opposite problem - they had to feed and supply an army that had grown organically from 16,000 to over 20,000 men with no formal supply system.

Norman would have witnessed the transformation from local militia to something approaching a professional army. Men from different towns and regions had to learn to work together, establish common procedures, and submit to unified command - a process that was often contentious and difficult.

Rhode Island Service - 1777-1778: The Northern Theatre's Forgotten Front

The Strategic Situation

Norman's Rhode Island service occurred during one of the war's most complex periods. The British occupation of Newport created a strategic threat to New England's southern flank and provided the Royal Navy with an excellent base for operations. American forces in Rhode Island faced the challenge of containing a well-fortified enemy position while preparing for potential offensive operations.

First Rhode Island Tour (June-July 1777, December 1777-January 1778)

As Ensign in Captain Francis Willson's Company, Colonel Danforth Keyes' Regiment

Norman's promotion to Ensign marked his entry into the officer corps. As the lowest-ranking commissioned officer, he would have been responsible for carrying the company's colors, assisting in drill and discipline, and serving as a liaison between the enlisted men and higher-ranking officers.

Providence Garrison Life: Providence served as the primary American base for Rhode Island operations. The town was transformed into a military hub, with soldiers quartered in private homes, public buildings, and purpose-built barracks. Norman would have lived in officer's quarters, likely sharing rooms with other ensigns and lieutenants. The officers' mess provided better food than the enlisted men received, but provisions were still often scarce during winter months.

Military Operations: During this period, American forces conducted extensive reconnaissance of British positions on Aquidneck Island (where Newport is located). Norman's regiment would have participated in patrol duties along the mainland coast, gathering intelligence on British ship movements and troop dispositions. The December 1777 to January 1778 service period was particularly challenging due to harsh winter conditions and the need to maintain constant vigilance against British raids.

Second Rhode Island Tour (April 1778-January 1779)

As First Lieutenant in Captain Ebenezer Belknap's Company, Colonel Nathaniel Wade's Regiment

Norman's promotion to First Lieutenant represented significant advancement and increased responsibility. First Lieutenants were typically second-in-command of their companies and handled much of the day-to-day administration and training.

The Sullivan Expedition Context: Norman's service during this period coincided with major military operations. Major General John Sullivan was appointed to command American forces in Rhode Island with orders to coordinate with the French fleet in an ambitious assault on British-held Newport. This represented one of the first major Franco-American joint operations of the war.

North Kingstown and East Greenwich Operations: The multiple muster rolls taken at different locations indicate Norman's regiment was highly mobile during this period. North Kingstown served as a forward base for operations against Newport, while East Greenwich was used as a staging area and supply depot. The frequent movement between these locations reflects the dynamic nature of the campaign.

Daily Life as a First Lieutenant: Norman's responsibilities were extensive. He conducted morning and evening roll calls, supervised drill and training, managed company supplies and equipment, and served on various duty rosters including officer of the day, court martial panels, and reconnaissance missions. He would have been responsible for ensuring his men maintained their weapons, kept their uniforms in good repair, and followed camp regulations.

Living Standards: As a First Lieutenant, Norman would have enjoyed significantly better accommodations than enlisted men. He likely had private quarters or shared rooms with only one other officer. His meals were prepared by company cooks or, when available, local civilian contractors. Officers were expected to maintain their own uniforms and equipment to higher standards, which required personal expenditure often not fully reimbursed by the Continental Congress.

The Harsh Realities of Military Life

Health and Medicine: Disease was a constant threat. Smallpox, typhus, and dysentery regularly swept through military camps. Norman would have been responsible for monitoring his men's health and ensuring they followed camp sanitation rules. Medical care was primitive - regimental surgeons did what they could, but many men died from diseases that would be easily treatable today.

Supply Challenges: The Continental Army's supply system was notoriously inadequate. Norman would have spent considerable time requisitioning supplies, writing reports on equipment shortages, and improvising solutions to keep his men fed, clothed, and armed. Officers often used their personal funds to purchase necessities for their men, creating financial hardships that lasted long after the war.

Discipline and Morale: Maintaining discipline among citizen-soldiers was a constant challenge. Norman would have participated in courts martial, supervised punishments, and worked to maintain unit cohesion despite irregular pay, inadequate supplies, and the stress of military life far from home.

Communication with Home: Letters to and from family were vital for morale but irregular. Norman would have written reports to his superiors and personal letters to family when paper and opportunity allowed. The postal system was unreliable during wartime, and many letters never reached their destinations.

The Broader Impact

Norman's service represented the sacrifices made by thousands of ordinary New Englanders who transformed themselves from farmers and tradesmen into soldiers. His progression from Sergeant to First Lieutenant reflects both personal competence and the army's desperate need for experienced officers. The locations where he served - from the improvised camps around Boston to the more organized operations in Rhode Island - show how the Continental Army evolved from a militia force into something approaching a professional military organization.

His service also illustrates the geographic scope of the Revolutionary War in New England. While major battles like Bunker Hill and Saratoga grab historical attention, the day-to-day work of maintaining siege lines, conducting patrols, and preparing for operations was equally important to the ultimate American victory.

3)  The Claude Sonnet 4 response to the prompt was interesting and probably is accurate because the pre-trained resources are well known.  I asked the same questions of ChatGPT4, Grok, and Gemini and received similar responses.  I chose Claude for this blog post because it seemed the most informed and most conversational. 

I like how the LLMs work - they answer the question, they organize the answers into sections, and they provide descriptive text that makes sense.  They are well-trained on historic events and social history.   

This took me about 30 minutes to ask the question of the four AI LLMs, record the responses, and review them for accuracy.  I could have studied the history books (if I could access them) and the websites online, or in libraries, and it would take weeks to compile the information, and then write it up.  

4)  Using AI tools to answer history and geography-related questions is like having an instant library in my computer.  Using AI tools to write biographies and memories, and to tell fictional family stories, is like hiring a writer to turn my genealogical research and sketches into readable blog posts, websites, or books.

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Links to my blog posts about using Artificial Intelligence are on my Randy's AI and Genealogy page.  Links to AI information and articles about Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy by other genealogists are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.

Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2025/08/ask-ai-please-describe-norman-seavers.html

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 X, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Note that all comments are moderated, so they may not appear immediately.

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Findmypast Friday: Celebrate Your Ancestors' Legacies With New Memorial Records

I received this information from Findmypast today:

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There are additions from across the British Isles this week.

This Findmypast Friday, we've added over 42,000 unique Irish memorial records, as well as a brand new collection of Scottish Gazetteer records. Here's everything that's new this week.

Ireland, Memorials of the Dead

This brand new collection consists of 42,328 Irish memorial records, spanning 1888 to 1939.

British Isles Gazetteers, Scottish Gazetteers

This week's second new record set comes from the encyclopaedic Scottish Gazetteer. There are 13,088 records from the 19th century to explore.

New pages from Belfast to Brighton

204,443 pages joined the archive this week, with eight new titles and 20 updated publications.

New titles

• Brighton Examiner, 1874, 1876–1880
• Coventry Independent, 1875–1876, 1878, 1880–1882
• Enfield Gazette, 1889, 1913, 1915–1918
• Isle of Man Courier, 1889, 1891–1896, 1899–1909, 1912–1918
• Mid-Surrey Times, 1876–1898, 1900–1904
• Preston Guardian, 1887, 1889–1891, 1893, 1899, 1901, 1914
• Ripley Advertiser, 1873, 1876–1878, 1882

Updated titles

• Aberdeen Free Press, 1882–1883, 1887
• Belfast Telegraph, 1884–1885, 1901
• Cork Examiner, 1882–1886
• Dundalk Democrat, 1873–1890
• East African Standard, 1906–1915, 1918–1924
• Glasgow Evening Citizen, 1891, 1893–1894
• Glasgow Evening Post, 1868–1869
• Inverness Courier, 1987
• Kentish Independent, 1910–1918, 1923–1929, 1932–1965
• Limerick Chronicle, 1869–1870, 1879–1899, 1912–1918
• Maidstone Telegraph, 1940, 1946–1947, 1949, 1951–1957, 1960–1962, 1964–1965
• Middlesex & Surrey Express, 1897
• Preston Herald, 1859, 1878–1881
• Roscommon Herald, 1859–1862, 1864–1870, 1879–1880, 1882, 1884, 1886–1896
• South Wales Daily News, 1914–1918
• Surrey Comet, 1911, 1913–1914, 1916–1918
• Sussex Express, 1964
• Waterford Citizen, 1862–1870, 1872–1876
• Wexford Constitution, 1868, 1873–1874, 1876–1882, 1884–1887
• Woking News & Mail, 1897–1898, 1900, 1910–1911, 1916

More on this topic:                       scottish records

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See all of my posts about Findmypast at   https://www.geneamusings.com/search/label/FindMyPast

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/2025/08/findmypast-friday-celebrate-your.html

Copyright (c) 2025, 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, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com. Note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

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