Saturday Night Genealogy Fun -- Your Genealogy Database Statistics

 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)  If you have your family tree research in a Genealogy Management Program (GMP), whether a computer software program or an online family tree, figure out how to find how many persons, places, sources, etc. are in your database (hint:  the Help button is your friend!)

2)  Tell us which GMP you use, and how many persons, places, sources, etc. are in your database(s) today in a blog post of your own, in a comment to this blog post, or in a Facebook comment.

NOTE:  WE last did this in November 2021.

Here's mine:

I use RootsMagic 10.0.9 at present for my Genealogy Management Program of choice. Here is the Tools > Enhanced Properties List:

The information in this window says my current database has:

• People: 74,661
• Names:  90,078
• Alternate Names:  15,412
• Families:  30,274
• Events: 233,425
• Places: 28,225
• Sources: 2,660
• Citations: 147,848
• Repositories: 81
• Multimedia items: 1,267
• Multimedia links: 3,213
• Addresses: 10
• Tasks: 336
• Groups:  63

There are 121 sources with no citations (mainly Find A Grave sources that are unique to a person, so not a problem), and there are 21 missing media items (most of them refer to an image downloaded from my Ancestry Member Tree and they need to be deleted). 

I have a number of unused citations, places, media, and repositories.  I need to clean those up. 

I know that I have a lot of duplicate Places.  I need to clean those up too.

I took the opportunity to run the Database Tools (File > Test Integrity, Rebuild Indexes, Clean Phantom Records, and Compact).

Lastly, I saved a Backup File, and copied the database file (.rmgc) to Googly Drive, Dropbox, and my Flash Drive.  It gets updated every night on my iDrive account.

If I do this in other programs, the process is:

*  Family Tree Maker 2024 (and earlier):  in "Plan" Workspace, click "More" button
*  Legacy Family Tree 10: Help > General Information
*  Ancestry Member Tree:  Select your tree, then click on "Tree Pages," and select "Tree Overview."
*  MyHeritage Tree:  Click on "Go to Family Stats" on your home page.

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

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2025/08/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-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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ABC Biography of #46 Jonathan Oatley (1790-1872) of Rhode Island and Connecticut

 Using the ABC method described in Using Artificial Intelligence In the Ancestor Biography Creation (ABC) Process, here is another 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, Jonathan Oatley (1790-1872), #46 on my Ahnentafel List), including family members, record abstracts and sources, is 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 39: #46 Jonathan Oatley (1790-1872).

(AI ChatGPT4 image of Oatley family in 1840)

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 for Jonathan Oatley (1790-1872). Include 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:

Biography of Rev. Jonathan Oatley 

(1790-1872)

Early Life and Family Background

Jonathan Oatley was born on July 7, 1790, in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, during the early years of the new American republic. He was the first son and fifth child in a large family of eleven children born to Joseph Oatley (1756-1815) and Mary (Hazard) Oatley (1764-1857). Growing up in a bustling household, Jonathan was surrounded by siblings who would remain important throughout his life.

His siblings included his older sisters Polly (1781-1796), Hannah (1783-????), Betsy (1786-1811), and Nancy (1788-1873), as well as younger brothers and sisters: Joseph (1793-1883), Stephen (1796), Mary (1798-1873), Benedict (1800-1811), Susan (1803-1895), and Rouse (1806-1812). Tragically, several of his siblings died young, including Polly at just 15 years old, probably Hannah as a child, and both Benedict and Rouse in childhood, reflecting the harsh realities of early 19th-century life.

The Oatley family had deep roots in Rhode Island, and Jonathan's mother was a Hazard, connecting him to one of the prominent families in the region. This connection would prove significant throughout his life, as land transactions show his dealings with members of the Hazard family.

Marriage and Family Life

Jonathan's path to matrimony began in the Baptist Church at Exeter, Rhode Island, where he was baptized on February 6, 1813, at the age of 22. Just two weeks later, on February 20, 1813, Amy Champlin was baptized at the same church—a meeting that would change both their lives forever.

Amy Champlin was born on March 9, 1798, in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, making her eight years younger than Jonathan. She was the daughter of Joseph and Mary (Kenyon) Champlin, another established Rhode Island family. The young couple's courtship was swift, and they were married on May 29, 1813, in Exeter, just months after their baptisms.

Their union proved to be extraordinarily fruitful, blessed with fourteen children over the course of twenty-two years. Their first twelve children were born in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, while the family was still rooted in Jonathan's birthplace. The final two children would be born after the family's move to East Killingly, Connecticut.

Their Children

The Rhode Island Years (1815-1832):

• John Alfred Oatley (1815-1863): Their firstborn, who would marry Eliza A. Edson in 1837, six children, and settled in Connecticut.

• Joseph H. Oatley (1816-1898): Married Cynthia Taft in 1838, five children, and became a stone cutter like his father

• Almira O. Oatley (1817-1908): Married Warren Taft in 1840, two children, and lived a remarkably long life

• Nancy E. Oatley (1818-1892): Married Ira Edson in 1837, eight children, and remained in Connecticut

• Lorenzo Dow Oatley (1821-1900): Named after the famous Methodist preacher Lorenzo Dow, married to (1) Elizabeth Atalia Weatherhead in 1844, one child, and (2) Dolly Leavens Aldrich in 1847.

• Stephen Hazard Oatley (1822-1863): Named for his grandfather and mother's family, married Susan Maria Wood in 1843, six children, and died serving during the Civil War

• William Henry Oatley (1824-1899): Married to (1) Sarah Ann Randall in 1849 and (2) Jennie W. Butts in 1864, and returned to Rhode Island in later life

• Benedict Oatley (1825-1891): Named after his deceased uncle, married Caroline Olive Mowry in 1845, one child

• Amy Frances Oatley (1826-1864): Named after her mother, married Henry Arnold White in 1844, three children

• Jonathan Oatley (1828-1884): Named after his father, married Hannah Bishop in 1849, carried on the family traditions

• Mary Eliza Oatley (1831-1907): Married Earl Wright Pray in 1849, seven children

• Hannah Hazel Oatley (1832-1907): Married Asahel Edwin Chase in 1849, fourteen children, and moved to Massachusetts

The Connecticut Years (1836-1837):

• Olive F. Oatley (1836-1884): Born after the family's move, married Harris Olney Burton in 1856, two children

• George Whittier Oatley (1837): Tragically died at just five months old, buried in Bartlett Cemetery in Killingly.

Religious Calling and Ministry

Jonathan's spiritual journey led him to formal ministry in his late thirties. On April 18, 1829, "Brother Jonathan Oatley" received a letter of recommendation from the Exeter church, and he served as a delegate to an Ecclesiastical Council that July. By October 1829, the congregation voted to give him a letter of recommendation and dismission as he prepared to take on pastoral duties.

Around 1829, Jonathan was ordained and became pastor of the First Baptist Church of South Kingstown, Rhode Island. This was a significant responsibility in a community where the church served as both spiritual and social center. His pastorate lasted approximately three years, during which he ministered to his neighbors and friends in the community where he had been born and raised.

The Move to Connecticut

In 1834, when Jonathan was 44 years old, he made the momentous decision to uproot his large family from their Rhode Island roots. Along with Amy and their twelve children (ranging from 19-year-old John Alfred to 2-year-old Hannah Hazel), they embarked on the journey to East Killingly, Connecticut, about 50 miles distant.

This move represented both opportunity and challenge. Jonathan carried with him a letter of recommendation from the South Kingstown church and began serving as pastor of the Baptist Church in East Killingly around May 1, 1834. The family quickly integrated into their new community, joining the local Baptist congregation.

Life as a Craftsman and Minister

In Connecticut, Jonathan and his sons developed expertise as quarrymen and granite workers while also maintaining farming operations. This combination of skilled trades and agriculture was common for rural families of the era. The Oatleys owned a quarry near Killingly Old Pond, and the "Oatley Ledges" near East Killingly became well-known landmarks.

Their craftsmanship left a lasting mark on the community. The family created long granite steps for the church in "Kentuck," and when that church was eventually demolished, these steps were carefully preserved and relocated to serve the Union Baptist Church in East Killingly—a testament to the quality and durability of their work.

Trials and Restoration

Not all was smooth in the Oatley family's church life. In 1847, a significant crisis arose within the Baptist congregation. Church records reveal that "elder Jonathan Oatley, and his wife Amy, Joseph Oatley, William Oatley, Amy Oatley White, were at different times during the year 1847 excluded from the fellowship, ordinances, and watch-care of this church."

The specific nature of this conflict is not recorded, but church discipline was taken seriously in 19th-century Baptist communities. However, the story has a redemptive ending. On February 5, 1853, the same church unanimously voted to restore Jonathan, Amy, and their children "to the full fellowship of said Church." This restoration demonstrates both the seriousness with which the church viewed reconciliation and the respect the community ultimately maintained for the Oatley family.

Later Years and Loss

The 1850s and 1860s brought both joy and sorrow to Jonathan's later years. Census records show that by 1850, most of his children had married and established their own households, with only 14-year-old Olive still living at home. Jonathan was listed as a stone cutter at age 59, continuing his skilled trade.

Tragedy struck on February 8, 1865, when Amy died of phthisis (tuberculosis) at the age of 66. After thirty-one years of marriage, Jonathan found himself a widower. This loss marked the end of a remarkable partnership that had produced fourteen children and weathered the challenges of relocation, church conflicts, and the demands of frontier life. He had 55 grandchildren.

Despite his advancing age, Jonathan remained remarkably active. Family tradition holds that when he was 75 years old, he walked the considerable distance from Killingly, Connecticut, back to South Kingstown, Rhode Island, to visit his many friends and relatives—a journey of roughly 50 miles that speaks to both his physical vigor and his deep connections to his birthplace.

Final Years

By 1870, the 79-year-old Jonathan was living with his son Joseph and his family in East Killingly. Joseph, now 55, had followed his father into the stone cutting trade, carrying on the family business. The 1870 census shows Jonathan still listed as being "at home," suggesting he remained mentally alert and involved in family life.

Jonathan Oatley's remarkable life came to an end on August 10, 1872, in Killingly, Connecticut. He was 82 years, 1 month, and 3 days old—an exceptional lifespan for his era. His death certificate listed the cause simply as "old age," reported by Dr. E.A. Hill. His occupation was recorded as "Clergyman," reflecting how his community remembered him despite his years as a craftsman.

Legacy and Remembrance

Jonathan and Amy were laid to rest together in Bartlett Cemetery on Chestnut Hill in East Killingly, where they remain today. In a touching family tradition, before the caskets were lowered into their graves, the silver coffin plates were removed and given to family members as keepsakes.

Jonathan's gravestone bears a simple but dignified inscription:

REV.

JONATHAN OATLEY

was Born in S. Kingston, R.I.

July 7, 1790

and died in Killingly

Aug. 10, 1872

aged 82 years and 3 mos.

& 3 days

Historical Context

Jonathan Oatley's life spanned one of the most transformative periods in American history. Born just fourteen years after the Declaration of Independence, he lived through the eighteen presidencies of George Washington through Ulysses S. Grant. He witnessed the War of 1812, the expansion westward, the rise of industrialization, and the Civil War.

His move from Rhode Island to Connecticut in 1834 was part of a larger migration pattern as New Englanders sought new opportunities and land. The combination of his roles as minister, craftsman, and farmer reflects the diverse skills required for success in 19th-century rural America.

The Baptist faith that shaped Jonathan's life was experiencing significant growth during his lifetime, particularly on the American frontier. His service as a minister in both Rhode Island and Connecticut placed him at the center of communities where the church provided not only spiritual guidance but also social cohesion and moral authority.

Jonathan Oatley's life story—from his birth in the early Republic through his death in the Reconstruction era—embodies the experiences of countless American families who built communities, raised large families, practiced their faith, and left lasting legacies through their children and their work. His fourteen children and their descendants carried forward the Oatley name and the values he and Amy instilled, making him a true patriarch of an American family dynasty.

4) A poem and song lyrics to commemorate and celebrate the life of Jonathan Oatley (1790-1872) can be found in "Jonathan's Faith" -- 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 on Suno.com, and below:

5) An Audio Overview (essentially a podcast created by the Google NotebookLM AI tool) discussing the life of Jonathan Oatley (1790-1872) can be heard here (unfortunately, Blogger won't easily display audio files).  

6)  The Video Overview created by Google NotebookLM is:

7)  Other AI-assisted articles about Jonathan Oatley's life are in:

• Ask AI: "Ten Interview Questions to Ask Jonathan Oatley (1790-1872) About His Life Experiences, With Answers"
• Ask AI: "What Did Baptist Religious Practices in Connecticut Entail In the 1840 Time Frame?" And a "Temperance" Sermon

8) I edited the Claude biography text to correct minor inconsistencies and 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 when requested.

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

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-46-jonathan-oatley.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 9 to 15 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 15 August 2025, there are 3,410 historical record collections on FamilySearch (an increase of 0 from last week) on the Signed Out screen.  However, there are 3,489 historical record collections on the Signed In screen this week (I don't know how many there were last week).  Here is the Signed In screen:

The added, deleted, and updated collections this week from FamilySearch (from a list supplied by Marshall Clow):

--- Collections Deleted ---

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

--- Collections Added ---

England, Staffordshire, Dioceses Of Lichfield and Coventry, Wills and Probate, 1521-1860 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3491898); 479,109 indexed records with 215,254 record images, ADDED 19-Mar-2025
Fiji, General Register of Immigrants, 1870-1911 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3754690); 16,868 indexed records with 626 record images, ADDED 15-Jun-2024
Fiji, Immigration Passes, 1879-1916 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3744433); 60,698 indexed records with 30,911 record images, ADDED 15-Jun-2024
Fiji, Indian Death Records, 1899-1922 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3748258); 14,752 indexed records with 908 record images, ADDED 15-Jun-2024
Fiji, Plantation Register of Indian Immigrants, 1879-1919 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3753637); 76,711 indexed records with 2,288 record images, ADDED 15-Jun-2024

, North Rhine-Westphalia, Diocese of Münster, Catholic Church Records, 1580-1975 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4124957); 2,062,298 indexed records with 200,907 record images, ADDED 15-Jun-2024
United States, Passport Applications from the Philippines, Filed at U.S. Territories and Possessions, 1907-1925 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000417); 8,835 indexed records with 8,812 record images, ADDED 14-Aug-2025

--- Collections Updated ---

Argentina, Buenos Aires, Catholic Church Records, 1635-2017 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1972912); 2,764,002 indexed records with 978,396 record images (was 2,763,902 records with 978,396 images), UPDATED 12-Aug-2025
Argentina, Passenger Lists, 1901-1922 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000241); 1,166,863 indexed records with 42,959 record images (was 1,166,833 records with 43,125 images), UPDATED 14-Aug-2025
California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2001287); 6,523,413 indexed records with 2,841,076 record images (was 6,523,394 records with 2,841,076 images), UPDATED 14-Aug-2025
Ecuador, Census, 1737-1990 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000097); 990,661 indexed records with 19,795 record images (was 990,640 records with 19,794 images), UPDATED 15-Aug-2025
England Marriages, 1538–1973 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1473015); Index only (12,296,731 records), no images (was 12,263,899 records with 0 images), UPDATED 14-Aug-2025

England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1473014); Index only (47,658,050 records), no images (was 47,562,536 records with 0 images), UPDATED 14-Aug-2025
England, Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1473016); Index only (15,063,697 records), no images (was 15,007,376 records with 0 images), UPDATED 14-Aug-2025
England, Northumberland, Parish Registers, 1538-1950 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2353070); 2,765,757 indexed records with 280,015 record images (was 2,773,863 records with 280,015 images), UPDATED 14-Aug-2025
French Polynesia, Civil Registration, 1780-1999 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2549721); 113,680 indexed records with 513,792 record images (was 113,620 records with 521,547 images), UPDATED 14-Aug-2025
Italy, Ancona, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1544-1945 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2310701); 200,273 indexed records with 146,753 record images (was 180,319 records with 126,848 images), UPDATED 12-Aug-2025

Italy, Asti, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1803-1814, 1911-1935 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2146198); 69,235 indexed records with 279,461 record images (was 69,207 records with 279,461 images), UPDATED 12-Aug-2025
Italy, Cremona, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1744-1942 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1987747); 1,374,515 indexed records with 1,325,362 record images (was 612,735 records with 1,325,362 images), UPDATED 12-Aug-2025
Italy, Forlì-Cesena, Forlì, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1800-1815, 1866-1930 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2068333); 883,826 indexed records with 2,090,185 record images (was 139,112 records with 2,090,185 images), UPDATED 12-Aug-2025
Italy, Genova, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1796-1812, 1838-1859, 1866-1899 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1928859); 554,444 indexed records with 445,302 record images (was 450,441 records with 445,302 images), UPDATED 12-Aug-2025
Italy, Lecce, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1901-1941 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2310702); 352,223 indexed records with 3,307,040 record images (was 300,403 records with 3,307,040 images), UPDATED 12-Aug-2025

Italy, Prato, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1866-1923 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2057689); 143,986 indexed records with 227,429 record images (was 143,984 records with 227,429 images), UPDATED 15-Aug-2025
Italy, Reggio Calabria, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1784-1943 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2068331); 934,607 indexed records with 2,245,171 record images (was 971,487 records with 2,245,171 images), UPDATED 13-Aug-2025
Italy, Savona, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1806-1813, 1838-1936 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2016218); 526,772 indexed records with 1,279,025 record images (was 155,757 records with 1,279,025 images), UPDATED 12-Aug-2025
Italy, Toscana, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1804-1874 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1932364); 5,610,582 indexed records with 3,042,917 record images (was 2,496,692 records with 3,042,917 images), UPDATED 12-Aug-2025
Italy, Vercelli, Vercelli, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1802-1813, 1838-1942 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1939214); 144,153 indexed records with 665,028 record images (was 18,586 records with 17,858 images), UPDATED 13-Aug-2025

Ohio, Naturalization Records, 1848-1951 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000084); 783,292 indexed records with 687,276 record images (was 139,266 records with 111,773 images), UPDATED 12-Aug-2025
Philippines, Catholic Church Records, 1520-2014 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2861657); 12,213,164 indexed records with 2,867,383 record images (was 12,210,026 records with 2,867,383 images), UPDATED 12-Aug-2025
Ukraine, Zaporizhia, Poll Tax Census (Revision Lists), 1811-1858 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2465061); 634,287 indexed records with 62,154 record images (was 634,285 records with 62,154 images), UPDATED 14-Aug-2025

--- Collections with new images ---

Argentina, Buenos Aires, Civil Registration, 1861-2018 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000041); 1 indexed records with 111,648 record images (was 1 records with 111,643 images), last updated 07-Jun-2024
Argentina, Military Records, 1911-1936 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000280); 1 indexed records with 2,924,935 record images (was 1 records with 2,924,934 images), last updated 31-Oct-2024
Brazil, Alagoas, Civil Registration, 1876-2023 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4469403); 1 indexed records with 453,967 record images (was 1 records with 453,958 images), last updated 07-Jun-2024
Brazil, Sergipe, Civil Registration, 1866-2021 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4470324); 1 indexed records with 268,800 record images (was 1 records with 268,798 images), last updated 07-Jun-2024
England, Lancashire, Manchester, Electoral Registers, 1820-1939 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000365); 25,351,205 indexed records with 502,108 record images (was 25,351,205 records with 467,581 images), last updated 27-Sep-2024

United States, Revolutionary War Compiled Service Records, 1775-1783 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1849623); 1,997,022 indexed records with 1,997,022 record images (was 1,997,022 records with 1,000 images), last updated 15-Sep-2010

--- Collections with images removed ---

Canada, Census, 1931 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000196); 2,466,494 indexed records with 2,467,568 record images (was 2,466,494 records with 2,467,571 images), last updated 16-Jun-2024
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Census, 1984 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3288450); 27,147,966 indexed records with 5,435,037 record images (was 27,147,966 records with 5,466,979 images), last updated 30-May-2025
United States, Census, 1950 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4464515); 157,892,854 indexed records with 52,719,967 record images (was 157,892,854 records with 52,720,798 images), last updated 16-Jun-2024

--- Collections with new records ---

Canada, Births and Baptisms, 1661-1959 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1520604); Index only (208,912 records), no images (was 205,508 records with 0 images), last updated 01-Apr-2021
Canada, Marriages, 1661-1949 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1520608); Index only (235,103 records), no images (was 234,469 records with 0 images), last updated 01-Apr-2021
Canada, Nova Scotia, Births and Baptisms, 1702-1896 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1810407); Index only (140,676 records), no images (was 138,957 records with 0 images), last updated 28-Mar-2025
Canada, Nova Scotia, Marriages, 1711-1909 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1810409); Index only (18,622 records), no images (was 18,221 records with 0 images), last updated 28-Mar-2025
England, Staffordshire, Church Records, 1538-1944 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2364451); 4,852,180 indexed records with 278,569 record images (was 4,850,444 records with 278,569 images), last updated 14-Jun-2024

Germany, Baden, Stebbach, Church Book Extracts, 1675-1951 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2422968); 3,468 indexed records with 194 record images (was 0 records with 194 images), last updated 14-Jun-2024
Germany, Births and Baptisms, 1558-1898 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1473000); 27,302,387 indexed records with 29,147,064 record images (was 27,051,637 records with 29,147,064 images), last updated 19-Mar-2025
Germany, Deaths and Burials, 1582-1958 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1494474); Index only (3,202,706 records), no images (was 3,191,279 records with 0 images), last updated 16-Aug-2022
Germany, Marriages, 1558-1929 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1473009); Index only (6,399,173 records), no images (was 6,327,999 records with 0 images), last updated 12-Jan-2023
Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia, Paderborn, Catholic Church Records, 1612-1909 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3219562); 2,358,751 indexed records with 266,792 record images (was 2,352,574 records with 266,792 images), last updated 15-Jun-2024

Germany, Prussia, East Prussia, Catholic and Lutheran Church Records, 1551-1992 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4110912); 4,950,434 indexed records with 874,413 record images (was 4,940,571 records with 874,413 images), last updated 12-Jun-2024
Puerto Rico, Catholic Church Records, 1645-2021 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1807092); 3,460,390 indexed records with 191,547 record images (was 3,339,815 records with 191,547 images), last updated 23-May-2025
Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1418-1996 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4138674); 20,924,181 indexed records with 2,024,045 record images (was 20,891,903 records with 2,024,045 images), last updated 15-Jun-2024
United States City and Business Directories, ca. 1749 - ca. 1990 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3754697); 203,771,075 indexed records with 1,296,241 record images (was 67,626,211 records with 1,296,241 images), last updated 01-Aug-2025
United States, Marriages, 1733-1990 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1675543); Index only (17,717 records), no images (was 17,716 records with 0 images), last updated 22-Jul-2021

Virginia, Births and Christenings, 1584-1917 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1708660); Index only (1,599,404 records), no images (was 1,548,224 records with 0 images), last updated 18-Mar-2020
Virginia, County Marriage Records, 1771-1989 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2134304); 1,176,839 indexed records with 2,733 record images (was 796,003 records with 2,733 images), last updated 12-Jun-2025
Virginia, Deaths and Burials, 1853-1912 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1708697); Index only (695,554 records), no images (was 676,999 records with 0 images), last updated 29-Jan-2020
Virginia, Marriages, 1785-1940 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1708698); Index only (1,095,706 records), no images (was 898,194 records with 0 images), last updated 06-Feb-2020
Virginia, Military Discharge Records, 1860-1981 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4380168); 5,399 indexed records with 1,654 record images (was 4,907 records with 1,654 images), last updated 15-Jun-2024

Virginia, Vital Records, 1715-1912 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4149585); 2,210,665 indexed records with 95,805 record images (was 1,870,509 records with 95,805 images), last updated 03-Mar-2025

--- Collections with records removed ---

California, Birth Index, 1905-1995 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2001879); Index only (24,589,402 records), no images (was 24,589,403 records with 0 images), last updated 01-Mar-2012
United States, Public Records, 1970-2009 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2199956); Index only (875,605,282 records), no images (was 875,605,413 records with 0 images), last updated 02-Aug-2025
United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000290); Index only (413,871,557 records), no images (was 413,871,810 records with 0 images), last updated 22-Jun-2024
United States, World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1968530); 32,592,965 indexed records with 24,999,338 record images (was 32,593,864 records with 24,999,338 images), last updated 21-Jul-2025

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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
• 7  added entries 
• 23 updated entries
• 9 entries with more or fewer images 
• 25 entries with more or fewer records

The FamilySearch website says there are 3,489 total entries on the list (after signing in). Marshall's list says there are 3,489 (after signing in).  They are definitely in-sync this week.

There are now 3,894 searchable image collections on FamilySearch Full-Text Search this week, an increase of 1 from last week. It is not possible to see which collections are new.

There are now 26,737 browsable image collections on FamilySearch Images this week, a decrease of 1 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

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

The URL for this post is:  

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 9 to 15 August 2025

  The following genealogy record collections were added to the Ancestry.com Card Catalog page by Date Updated during the period from 9 to 15 August 2025:

The ADDED and Updated collections include:

• Web: Western Australia, Australia, Burial Records, 1899-2024; 700,434 indexed records without record images, ADDED 8/14/2025. The data in this third-party database was obtained from the source’s website. Ancestry.com does not support or make corrections or changes to the original database. 
• Web: Kent County, Michigan, U.S., School Census, 1903-1925; 230,787 indexed records without record images, Updated 8/13/2025. All data in this third-party database was obtained from the source’s website. Ancestry.com does not support or make corrections or changes to the original database. 
• U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-2016; 926.153.116 indexed records with record images, Updated 8/13/2025. This collection includes images of yearbooks from schools and colleges throughout the United States that were published between 1900 and 2016.
• Canada, Selected School Yearbooks, 1901-2005; 2,763,108 indexed records with record images, Updated 8/13/2025. This collection contains yearbooks from schools and colleges throughout Canada that were published between 1901 and 2014.
• Wiltshire, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-1924; 393,011 indexed records with record images, Updated 8/11/2025. This collection contains images of Church of England burial records for the years 1813–1922 from Wiltshire, England.
• Wiltshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1924; 1,016,765 indexed records with record images, Updated 8/11/2025. This collection contains images of Church of England marriage registers as well as bonds and allegations for the years 1754-1916 from Wiltshire, England.
• Wiltshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1924; 1,828,097 indexed records with record images, Updated 8/11/2025. This collection contains images of Church of England baptism records for the years 1813–1922 from the county of Wiltshire, England.
• U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Swedish American Church Records, 1800-1952; 3,675,015 indexed records with record images, Updated 8/11/2025. This collection includes part of the single largest collection of Swedish American church records. Records are from select affiliates of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
• Cher, France, Censuses 1796-1921; 4,217,138 indexed records with record images, ADDED 8/11/2025. This collection contains census records from Cher, France, between the years of 1796 and 1921. Most records are in French, but some are in Latin.

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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 33,847 collections available as of 15 August, an INCREASE of 2 from last week.  

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

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_052279096.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 Claude: "What Did My Father Do As A Life Insurance Agent From 1946 to 1971?"

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.

1)  My father, Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983) was a Prudential Life Insurance agent from 1946 to 1971 in San Diego.  I wondered what his job entailed, and told Anthropic Claude what I thought I knew about the job based on my memories.

(Frederick W. Seaver in the 1950s, from family sources, colorized by MyHeritage)

2)  My Prompt was:  "Please explain what a life insurance agent for Prudential like my father did in his work from 1946 to 1971.  I know that he had an office in Point Loma in San Diego where he worked several days a week, reporting to a supervisor along with other agents.  I know that he had a "route" (a "debit"?) in Pacific Beach in San Diego that he was assigned.  I know that he had to find new clients (policyholders), get contracts signed, receive monthly cash payments by visiting the clients, transfer the money to the company, and reconcile the money received and paid in his "debit" book to submit to the company.   My sense is he worked several days each week finding new clients (door-to-door?) and meeting existing clients.  Some days he worked from home, and worked in the evening, to work on the debit books.  How much was he paid in, say, 1955?  Did he receive a finder's fee or a reward for getting new clients?"

The Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4 response was:

Your father worked as a "debit agent" for Prudential, which was a very common and important role in life insurance from the 1940s through the 1970s. This system was how most working-class and middle-class Americans purchased life insurance during that era.

The Debit System

A "debit" was a specific geographic territory assigned to an agent, containing existing policyholders who paid small weekly or monthly premiums. Your father's Pacific Beach route would have included hundreds of households where he collected payments door-to-door. The term "debit" came from the accounting practice - each unpaid premium was a debit on the company's books until collected.

Daily Work Routine

Your understanding is quite accurate. A typical week involved:

Collection Days (3-4 days/week): Walking or driving his Pacific Beach route, visiting each policyholder's home to collect premiums (usually 25¢ to $2 per week). He'd update their receipt book and his debit book with each payment.

Prospecting Days (1-2 days/week): Door-to-door canvassing for new customers, often following up on leads or referrals. This required significant skill in building rapport and explaining insurance benefits to families who often had limited education about financial products.

Office/Administrative Time: Reconciling collections, depositing money, meeting with supervisors, and completing paperwork. Much of this administrative work happened at home in the evenings.

Compensation (circa 1955)

Based on industry standards of that era, your father likely earned:

• Base salary: $50-75 per week (roughly $600-900 in today's dollars)
• Commission on new business: 25-50% of the first year's premium
• Renewal commissions: 5-15% on existing policies
• Collection fees: Small percentage of premiums collected

Total annual income for a successful debit agent in 1955 would have been approximately $4,000-6,000 (equivalent to $45,000-70,000 today). Top performers could earn more.

Rewards and Incentives

Yes, Prudential had extensive incentive programs:

• Production bonuses for writing new policies
• Persistency bonuses for keeping policies active
• Annual conventions and trips for top performers
• Recognition programs with pins, plaques, and company publications featuring successful agents

The Social Role

Debit agents like your father served as financial advisors to working-class families who had little access to banks or investment advice. They built long-term relationships, often helping families through difficult times by arranging payment plans or explaining policy benefits. Many agents worked the same territory for decades, becoming trusted community figures.

This system began declining in the 1960s-70s as bank branches expanded, direct mail marketing grew, and Americans became more comfortable with financial transactions by mail rather than face-to-face collection.

3(  My second prompt was:  "Was it a weekly collection or a monthly collection? What was the average life insurance policy value at death in 1955 for a family earning $5000?"

The Anthropicx Claude Sonnet 4 response was:

Based on my knowledge of the debit insurance system and the limited search results, I can provide you with the specific details you're asking about:

Collection Schedule: Weekly, Not Monthly

The collections were weekly, not monthly. This was fundamental to the "industrial" or "debit" insurance model. Prudential's early policyholders paid premiums as low as "three cents a week" (Prudential Financial - Wikipedia) according to historical records. Your father would have visited each household on his Pacific Beach route every week on the same day - for example, all his Monday customers on Mondays, Tuesday customers on Tuesdays, etc.

The weekly system served several purposes:

• Made insurance affordable for working-class families earning weekly wages
• Ensured regular contact to prevent policy lapses
• Provided steady cash flow for the insurance company
• Built personal relationships between agent and policyholder

Policy Values in 1955

For a family earning $5,000 annually in 1955 (which was actually above the median household income of about $4,400), typical industrial life insurance policies were quite modest:

Common policy amounts:

• $500-$1,000 for the primary breadwinner
• $250-$500 for the spouse
• $100-$300 for each child

These amounts seem small by today's standards, but they served specific purposes:

• Cover funeral expenses ($300-$500 was typical)
• Provide 3-6 months of family living expenses
• Pay off small debts or medical bills

Premium costs: A $1,000 policy might cost $0.50-$1.00 per week, making it affordable for working families.

The emphasis was on guaranteed acceptance and burial coverage rather than income replacement. Many families carried multiple small policies rather than one large policy. Your father likely sold dozens of $500-$1,000 policies rather than a few large ones.

This system prioritized accessibility and consistent coverage over maximum protection, reflecting the financial realities and limited options available to working-class families in the 1950s.

4)  Anthropic Claude searched its' pre-trained information and online resources, provided the answers I needed, and validated my memories of my father's work life.  I am very tempted to ask Claude to "Please create a dialogue of my father knocking on a potential life insurance customer's door and trying to sell an insurance policy."

5)  Now I understand the job better and why my father had to work every day, either in the office, on his debit, and at home, and why the adding machine on his home desk was the most important tool he had.  I did not know any of the job description or financial details that I asked about.  I didn't know that they were weekly collections, I've always thought that they were monthly.  I've always thought that he was a pretty good salesman. I know his income in 1961 and it is reasonably close to the 1955 estimate above with inflation factored in.  

We lived in the Burlingame neighborhood of San Diego, just east of Balboa Park.  My father's debit was in north Pacific Beach and south La Jolla.  That was about 14 miles each way to and from his debit (I'm guessing that, before the freeway system of the 1960s, he went up 30th Street to University Avenue, west on University to Washington Street, west on Washington to Pacific Highway, north on Pacific Highway to Grand Avenue, west on Grand to Ingraham Street, north on Ingraham to Turquoise Street and then to his debit along La Jolla Blvd - probably a 40 minute ride or more in the 1950s).   He (or the company?) bought a new car every three years or so in the 1950s.  Four trips a week to Pacific Beach, and one trip to the office, plus weekend trips for the family adds up to at least 10,000 miles a year.

6) 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.  

7)  Do you know the details oif your father's or mother's job in the 1950s and 1960s?  Ask AI ! 

Now I'm wondering about my mother's English teaching experiences in the early 1940s when she was just out of college and before she married my father.

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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-claude-what-did-my-father-do-as.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: Explore Moving New Military Records

I received this information from Findmypast today:

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

Delve deeper into British Army stories with this week's new and updated collections.

We've bolstered our military record collection with over 500,000 new additions this week. With records spanning over 300 years, uncover the experiences of your heroic ancestors.

Military Service Memorial Collection

This new set consists of 588,288 military records, spanning almost 400 years, from the English Civil War to modern conflicts like the Iraq War.

British Army, Royal York Rangers

We also improved an existing record set this week, adding 1,322 new additions from the 1880s to our York Rangers collection.

New pages from Walsall to Wiltshire

We've added five new titles including Fireside Companion and the Bradford Socialist Vanguard this week.

New titles:

• Bradford Socialist Vanguard, 1908-1910, 1912-1920
• Coventry Reporter and General Advertiser, 1886, 1888-1893, 1895, 1898-1911
• Fireside Companion, 1879-1888
• Walsall Football News, 1920-1939
• Wiltshire News, 1913, 1916, 1918-1929, 1938-1945, 1949, 1960, 1962

Updated titles:

• Bedford Record, 1924–1965
• Caernarvon & Denbigh Herald, 1836
• Colonial Guardian (Belize), 1898–1913
• Coventry Times, 1855
• East Kent Times, 1855–1856
• Home News for India, China and the Colonies, 1871–1878
• Illustrated Berwick Journal, 1928–1957
• Irish Field, 1881–1887
• Irish News and Belfast Morning News, 1896, 1912–1916, 1918
• Leamington Advertiser and Beck’s List of Visitors, 1865, 1873
• Leinster Leader, 1882–1883, 1888, 1890, 1990, 2002
• Marlborough Times, 1900–1914
• Morning Advertiser, 1820–1821, 1889, 1910
• Northern Chronicle and General Advertiser for the North of Scotland, 1920–1929, 1940–1949, 1953–1969
• Northern Times and Weekly Journal for Sutherland and the North, 1918, 1922–1929, 1940–1949
• Preston Guardian, 1844–1846, 1862–1865
• Sussex Daily News, 1889, 1894, 1897
• Warder and Dublin Weekly Mail, 1822–1831
• Waterford Citizen, 1876–1884, 1886–1888, 1890–1896
• Weekly Times & Echo (London), 1868–1885, 1902–1907
• Yorkshire Evening News, 1911

More on this topic: military 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-explore-moving-new.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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