The Ancestry.com "Suggested Records" Features Helps Me Again

I don't often go back and check my close relatives (parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.) in Ancestry.com, but I guess that I should do it more often.   I did that today while working through the WebTags feature in RootsMagic and discovered a record for my father that previously had escaped my search.

Here is the 1920 U.S. Census Record Summary for my father:

Over on the right side of the screen is the "Suggested Records" list.  The last one on the list above is a 1940 U.S. Census entry for Frederick W. Seaver.

Was that my father?  I already had an entry for him in the 1940 U.S. Census living with his sister and her family in Leominster, Worcester, Massachusetts.  I clicked on the link and saw:

The name is right, the age is right, the birthplace is right, and the residence in 1935 is right.  What's he doing residing in a YMCA in Newton, Massachusetts?  Here's the image:

I abstracted the information in this census record for Frederick W. Seaver:

*  Name:  Frederick W. Seaver
*  Relation:  Lodger
*  Gender:  Male
*  Race:  White
*  Age:  28
*  Marital Status:  Single
*  Attended School?:  No
*  Highest Grade Achieved:  C-1
*  Birthplace:  Mass.
*  Residence in 1935:  Leominster, ----, Mass.
*  On a farm?  No
*  Was person at work on during March 24-30:  Yes
*  Number of hours worked during March 24-30:  48
*  Occupation:  Sales Manager
*  Industry:  Finance Co.
*  Class of worker:  PW
*  Number of weeks worked in 1939:  50
*  Amount of money salary or wages in 1939:  $1440
*  Did you receive more than $50 in earnings other than money wages or salary?  Yes

The source citation for this record is:

1940 United States Census, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Newton; ED 9-398, Page 81A, line 20, in Newton YMCA, Patrick J. Delaney household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 14 August 2013), citing National Archives Microfilm Publication T627, Roll 1614.

As far as I can tell, all of the information is accurate, and is pretty consistent with the other 1940 Census entry in My Father in the 1940 U.S. Census.

One lesson learned here is to:

*  Check the "Suggested Records" for leads to other records on Ancestry.com.  You never know what you're going to find.  I've written before that about 90% of these "Suggested Records" pertain to the person I'm searching.

*  Revisit records for your close relatives (you know, the ones that are all "done") and see if ancestry has snuck some records for them by you.

Of course, if the persons are enumerated and/or indexed wrongly, then you are not likely to find entries unless someone has added an Alternate Name to the index.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/08/the-ancestrycom-suggested-records.html

Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver

Using the Web Tags Feature in RootsMagic 6

A reader asked me in email if I had used Web Tags, one of the new features in RootsMagic 6.  I checked the RootsMagic TV YouTube Channel and didn't see anything about it.

I had not used Web Tags before, so I've done a little exploring and experimenting with it.  Here's the process I found for adding and using the Web Tags, and some comments on how to best use it.

1)  In an "Edit Person" screen in RootsMagic 6, the "Web Tags" button is on the top menu line above the "Person" heading of the right-hand panel:

2)  I clicked the "Web Tags (0)" button and the "Web Tags" screen opened:

There are four buttons on this screen - for "Add," "Edit," "Delete" and "Go."

3)  I clicked on the "Add" button, and the "Edit WebTag" screen opened:

The "Edit Web Tag" screen has five fields (shown above):

*  "Link from:"  Select from Person, Source, Citation, Place, or Research Log.
*  Person (if Person was chosen): the subject person is already entered (if Person was chosen)
*  Name:  A descriptive name for the web page
*  URL:  the web address for the record
*  Note:  any text desired.  Perhaps how a person searched for the record.

On the screen above, I entered information for my father for his entry in the 1920 U.s. Census.

4)  I added several other Census records, and then added the Find A Grave memorial web tag:

5)  After entering five of the web tags (all of the ones I found on Ancestry.com), I went back to the "Edit Person" screen in RootsMagic 6:

The "WebTags" button indicates that I have entered 7 WebTags for my father.

6)  I was interested in the Source and Citation WebTag feature.  I created a WebTag for the 1920 U.S. Census source citation:

After selecting "Citation" in the "Link from" dropdown menu, I added the Source (selected from the Master Source list) and the Citation (selected from the Citation list for that Master Source), typed in the Name of the item, and copied the URL from Ancestry.com.  The result is shown above.

7)  When I clicked "OK" and went back to the "Edit Person" screen and the "WebTags" still said there were 7;  I think that's because I did it for a Citation instead of a Person.  I clicked on the 1920 Census Event, and then on the "Sources" button, then on the "Edit" button, and then on the "Detail Text" button:

The screen above indicates that there is one WebTag for this source citation.  That process is fairly burdensome - a lot of clicks for a WebTag entry and then it may not be found by a user or reader.

8)  Conclusions:  I have some conclusions from this trial run of WebTags:

*  The input process to the WebTag screen is self-explanatory and fairly easy to do.  The user has to type (or copy/paste) the "Name" of the WebTag, and then Copy/Paste the URL of the source.

*  I chose to use the Record Summary URL for the WebTag item rather than the image URL.  I think that puts the record into some context, especially for users or readers that are not overly familiar with the records.  I try to attach the downloaded record image to the Person using the Media button and attach it to the Event by Tagging it.

*  I decided to add the year of the event to the WebTag Name so that the WebTag list for the Person was in chronological order.  Otherwise, it is in alphabetical order.

*  I struggled to find the WebTag for the Source Citation I entered the first time, and really never found it.  I added the WebTag for the 1920 Census source citation using the WebTag button on the Sources > Edit > Detail Text screen.

*  I haven't tried adding a WebTag to a Place Name - perhaps it could link to a USGenWeb page or or WikiPedia page for the State, County or City/Town.

*  I wonder if the WebTags are transferred through a GEDCOM file to another program or an online family tree?  My guess is that RootsMagic has a custom GEDCOM tag and puts it in the GEDCOM file, but other platforms may not read it.

Have you used the WebTags feature in RootsMagic or another software program?  If so, what are your thoughts and conclusions about it?

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/08/using-web-tags-feature-in-rootsmagic-6.html

Copyright (c) 2013), Randall J. Seaver

Tombstone Tuesday - William and Catherine (Lewis) Hutchinson in Norfolk County, Ontario

I've run out of my own photographs of gravestones in cemeteries that I have visited, but I keep finding photographs of ancestors' gravestones online, mainly at Find A Grave, which now has over 103 million memorials.

The memorials for William Hutchinson (ca 1745 - 1826) and Catherine (Lewis) Hutchinson (1759-1845) show their gravestones in Fairview Cemetery, Haldimand-Norfolk Regional Municipality, Norfolk County, Ontario.

The inscriptions read:

CATHERINE

Wife of

Wm. Hutchinson

DIED

August 15, 1845

Aged 84 Years

WILLIAM HUTCHINSON

DIED

March 20, 1826

AE 81 Yr

I have written quite a bit about William Hutchinson - see William Hutchi(n)son (1745-1826) Family History - Post 1 and Post 2.

I have hopes of visiting this gravesite at some time in the future.  We almost stopped there on our 2004 vacation but didn't because my cousin Cheryl in Hamilton was not available to visit with, and we were going on to Niagara Falls.  Now I know where their graves are, thanks to Find A Grave.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/08/tombstone-tuesday-william-and-catherine.html

copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver

Searching for Hannah Brown's Parents - Post 4

In Searching for Hannah Brown's Parents - Post 3, and the previous posts, I am trying to find the parents of Hannah Brown, who married John Phillips (1722-????) in 1749 in Southborough, Mass. Hannah probably died before 1774, when John Phillips married Mary Richards (1733-????) in Southborough, Mass.  John and Hannah had children Sarah (born 1750) and Jonathan (born 1752) in Southborough, and children Joanna (born 1755), Martha (born 1757) and Elizabeth (born 1764).  Based on the age of her husband, her marriage date, and the date of the last birth of a child, I estimate that Hannah Brown was born between, say, 1715 and 1732.  

In Searching for Hannah Brown's Parents - Post 3, I reviewed the birth records, and marriage records for those not known to be attached to parents, for a number of Hannah Brown persons from eastern Massachusetts (including Middlesex and Worcester Counties).  There were a number of Hannah Brown persons born between 1715 and 1732, and married between 1735 and 1760.  Of course, it is possible that the Hannah Brown who married John Phillips did not have a birth recorded, or was married previously (but I think that's probably unlikely).

In this post, I want to review the probate records that I collected back in the 1990s from Middlesex and Worcester Counties.  Here's what I've found:

*  Thomas Brown of Concord died 1718, leaving a wife Hannah, and children Ephraim, Luke, Timothy, Hannah.  Daughter Hannah was Hannah Cordis (?) when the estate was distributed in 1783.  The widow Hannah married Simon Davis. This family was on my list of possibles, with Hannah born in 1716 and married to Joseph Davis in 1743 (which is wrong - see below).

*  Jabez Brown of Stow died in 1747, with a will written 13 March 1747 and proved in 1747.  He named his wife Sarah, only son Joseph, and daughters Ruth Lawrence and Hannah Brown.  His wife, Sarah, died in 1757 wrote a will in 1757 which as proved in 1760. She named son Joseph, three sons of Ruth Lawrence, and a great-grandson, and Hannah Brown, her only surviving daughter.  This probably means that this is not the Hannah Brown married to John Phillips and having children in the 1757-1760 time frame.  I did not have this Hannah Brown on my birth list.

*  Jonathan Brown of Concord died in 1745 in Littleton, with an insolvent estate, which was administered in 1747.  His son, Aaron Brown was administrator.  The commissioner awarded money to Thomas Brown (probably Jonathan's brother) for boarding and clothing of Lois Brown, daughter of the deceased (age 3), and noted that Thomas Brown (age 8), son of Jonathan Brown, chose Samuel Stanhope as guardian.  Jonathan and Sibyl (Dudley) Brown had a daughter Hannah Brown recorded in 1728, but she  is not listed in this record.  There were at least 12 children born to Jonathan and Sibyl from 1719 to 1745, but only three are mentioned in this probate record.  The account of the administrator was approved by the court on 23 November 1749, after the marriage of Hannah Brown to John Phillips on 3 May 1749.  Since the estate was insolvent, and no guardianship was involved, Jonathan and Sibyl (Dudley) Brown remain, in my mind, candidates to be the parents of my Hannah Brown.

*  John Brown of Concord died intestate in 1750, and his estate was administered 16 April 1750 with his wife Elizabeth as administrator.  The distribution names children eldest son John Brown, to pay to his brother Joseph Brown, brother Josiah Brown, sister Rebecca Brown, sister Elizabeth Davis (married to Stephen Davis), sister Grace Wheat (married to John Wheat), and Hannah Davis (married to Joseph Davis).  So this is the Hannah Brown married to Joseph Davis - not the Hannah Brown daughter of Thomas and Hannah Brown of Concord.  This John Brown was the son of Thomas and Rachel (Poulter) Brown of Concord, who were also the parents of Jonathan Brown (1698-1745) who married Sibyl Dudley.  Obviously, this is not the Hannah Brown who married John Phillips in 1750, since she was married to Joseph Davis in 1750.

There may be other candidates for my Hannah Brown in the Worcester and Middlesex County Probate Records.  I have only the probate index for Browns for Worcester County, and several possibles, which don't indicate a candidate Hannah to me.  That list of Browns is extensive and, since the probate packets are not microfilmed (only the court clerk records are microfilmed by volume), reviewing all of them will be a long and difficult process.  I haven't started it!  I abstracted all of the probate records in Middlesex County for persons dying between 1700 and 1800, but I only did the names from Hannah to the end of the Browns.  I need to do the same thing for the Brown given names before Hannah (i.e., A to H).  Again, I haven't started this process.  Fortunately, the probate packets are filmed which makes this task easier.

Relationships are very complicated sometimes, and using only probate records are not always definitive or successful.

What about onomastics?  I noted early on that the only son of John and Hannah (Brown) Phillips was named Jonathan, and Jonathan and Sibyl Brown are still a candidate for Hannah's parents.  However, of the other Phillips children's given names - Sarah, Joanna, Martha and Elizabeth - only Joanna is in John Phillips' birth family, and Sarah was John's grandmother's given name.  It would have been great if they had named a daughter Sibyl or something uncommon!

My conclusion at this point:  I have one pretty strong candidate for Hannah's parents - Jonathan and Sibyl (Dudley) Brown, but I have not performed a reasonably exhaustive search in town, church, land or probate records in Worcester County and Middlesex County, let alone in another county.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/08/searching-for-hannah-browns-parents_12.html

Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver

Dear Randy - How Do I Download a GEDCOM File From My Ancestry Member Tree?

I received this question from one of my OASIS "Beginning Computer Genealogy" class students yesterday.  She had created a free Member Tree on Ancestry.com and then had downloaded one of the free genealogy software programs, and wanted to create family tree charts and family group sheets in the software.

First, I had to explain that GEDCOM means GEnealogical Data COMmunication.  A GEDCOM file can be used to export a family tree from one platform and import it into another platform.  The platform could be a software program on your computer, or an online family tree.

I'll use one of my Ancestry Member Trees as the example:

1)  On the Pedigree (or Family) view of the tree, note the "Tree pages" link at the top left, next to the Member Tree name (on the screen below, to the right of the words "Randy Seaver's ancestors - July 2013:"

2)  Run your mouse over the "Tree pages" link and a dropdown menu will appear:

3)  Click on the "Tree settings" link on the screen above, and the "Tree Settings" page will appear:

On the right hand panel (that has "Your home person in this tree" at the top), there is a "Manage your tree" section with the words "Export your family tree data as a GEDCOM file to your computer."  There is a green "Export tree" button.

4)  Click on the green "Export tree" button, and the GEDCOM file will start to be created:

You cannot see the file yet.

5)  When the GEDCOM file has been created, the words in the "Manage your tree" area changes:

The green button now says "Download your GEDCOM file."

6)  I clicked on the button and the GEDCOM file was downloaded to my Downloads file folder on my computer.

On your computer, it may go to another file folder.  You need to know where the file went in order to import it into your genealogy software program.

Importing the GEDCOM file into a genealogy software program, or into a family tree program, is the next step, and the process depends on the specific program or online tree system.

Many of us forget that basic computer operations like file saving and finding, downloading and using genealogy software, and basic genealogy concepts like pedigree charts and family group sheets, are not familiar to genealogy learners and even to many online researchers. The genealogy "big tent" needs to include everyone and help them learn and use all available means - online and traditional resources, online trees and software, charts and reports, and more.  This is where genealogical societies can really help - basic genealogy instruction in classes or small group meetings, discussion and practice, and one-on-one consultations.

I am really proud that my student, after 4 classes and 8 hours, has added over 150 persons to her Ancestry Member Tree, has downloaded a software program, and wants to create nice charts and reports to display her research.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/08/dear-randy-how-do-i-download-gedcom.html

Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver

Amanuensis Monday - Probate Records of John Mousall (1595-1665) of Woburn, Mass.

Genea-blogger John Newmark (who writes the excellent  TransylvanianDutch blog) started a Monday blog theme called Amanuensis Monday. What does "amanuensis" mean? John offers this definition:

"A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another."

The subject today is the probate records of John Mousall (1595-1665) of  Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.  He married Joanna --?-- (~1600 to ~1665) before 1625 in England and they had two children:

*  John Mousall (1626-1698), married 1650 Sarah Brooks (1630-1705)
*  Eunice Mousall (1628-1684), married 1649 John Brooks (1623-1691)

John Mousall of Woburn died testate.  His will was dated 19 June 1660, and was proved on 4 April 1665.  The original will is in Middlesex County (Mass.) Probate Records, in Probate Packet #15,617 (accessed on FHL Microfilm 0,421,473).  The probate packet includes a will and an inventory.  The will reads (transcribed from the microfilm by Randy Seaver; also transcribed and printed in the book Middlesex County Records of Probate and Administration, March 1660/61 - December 1670, compiled by Robert H. Rodgers, published Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001).  The will reads:

"The 19th of the 4th month 1660,

"That I John Mousall Senr of Woborn in the county of Middesex in new England husbandman being in p-fect memory altho weake in body: do make this my last will and testament to dispose of that goods and lands that God hath given mee:  and my two Sons John Mousall and John Brookes I make joynt executors of this my last Will and testament: and I give to my beloved wife Joanna Mousall all my moveables only (two) three Iron potts I give to my Son Brookes three children after her decease and to my grand child Sara Brookes I give my booke of mr Hildersam upon the 51 psalme:  and I give to my grand child unis Brookes my booke titled, mr Nortons authordox evangelest: and I give to my son John Mousall my best sute of apparrell: and to my beloved wife Joanna Mousall I give two of my best cowes and two ewe sheep: and my executors are to keep these cowes and sheep for her winter and summer so long as she liveth:  and all her fire wood: and foure pounds a yeare to be payd by my executors either in money or in marchatable corne of equall sorts if shee require it: and I give to my son John Brookes one cow and one sheep toward the finishing of the new roome Joyning to his house: and my wife is to have a peaceable living in it provided shee stay in it:  and I give to Epraim Bucke and Hannah Lepenwell either of them an ewe lamb att or before the end of ther time: provided they carry it respectfully to my wife: att the Judgment of the overseers of my will: and I give to my reverend pastor Mr Thomas Carter one ewe sheep: and I give my great meddow to my two sons equally but in case my son Mousall dy without children he is at liberty to give it to his wife so long as shee livith:  and after my son Mousall's decease and decease of his wife, haveing no heir it shall returne to my son Brookes children.  And I give to my beloved wife Joanna Mousall, the 3d part of the fruit of the orchard for her life and the little hemp yard and garden the backside of the old house, and all the corne that is now growing upon the land I now posses: and I give to my grandchild Joanna Brookes my little bible: and I give to my beloved wife Joanna Mousall 3 swine: and the rest of my lands I give to my two sons equally as they have agreed and have in possession: and the rest of my goods leave to my two sons my legacyes and funerall being discharged:  and I also make my Brother James Thomson and Allen Convers the overseers of this my Will: and I give unto them Twenty shillings a peece to be payd to them by my executors within six months after my decease: witness whereof I have interchangably set to my hand the day and yeare above written:

James [mark] Thompson                                                  John Mousall Senr.
Allen Converse"

The inventory of the estate of John Mousall Senior, Deacon of the Church of Christ at Wobourn deceased, was apprised by William Johnson and James Convars.  All of the housing and lands were valued at 200 pounds.  The personal estate included livestock, kitchen pots and utensils, furniture, bedding, tools, supplies, cloth, clothing, books, and debts, and totaled 68 pounds and 11 shillings.  The debts total 23 pounds, 4 shillings and seven pence.  The inventory was sworn in Court by the executors, John Brooks and John Mousall, on 4 April 1665.

John and Joanna (--?--) Mousall are my tenth great-grandparents, through their daughter Eunice Mousall who married John Brooks.  Their daughter, Sarah Brooks (1652-1720) married 1671 Ephraim Buck (1646-1721).

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/08/amanuensis-monday-probate-records-of_12.html

Copyright (c) 2103, Randall J. Seaver

Ancestry.com Member Tree Changes

As many users have experienced (at least I have the last two nights), Ancestry.com has been removing or reducing access to the Public and Private Member Family Trees for maintenance.  The hope we all had was that improvements were being made.  I think that is what happened this weekend.

Ancestry.com has changed how Public and Private Member Tree screens look, and how navigating to different features work, and has made it easier (I think!)  

When I logged in this afternoon to one of my Public Member Trees, I was greeted with a statement to the effect of "Ancestry has been working to improve your family tree experience.  Click this link to see the new format."  [I didn't take note of the exact words, and once I clicked it, I couldn't get back to it.]

1)  Before I clicked the link, the pedigree chart view for my tree looked something like this (from an earlier screen shot taken on 8 July):

If I clicked on the right arrow to the right of the 5th generation names, I could expand the tree three more generations in the blank space.

2)  In the new pedigree chart view, there is now information about a highlighted person on the right-hand side of the screen:

On the right-hand side of the screen, the highlighted person has three tabs:

*  "Timeline" - shows all of the Events for the person.  for each Event, there are icons for Sources and Photos.  Clicking on the Sources and Photos icons shows them in the right hand panel, and they have links to the source citations or media in the Person Profile.
*  "Family" - shows the parents, siblings, spouses and children of the person.  The names are linked - click on them and you see them in the first position in the Member Tree with their Profile information in the right hand panel.
*  "Hints" (with a red number) - shows the unresolved hints.  More on this below:

All of the tabs have a scroll bar on the right side of the panel.

3)  Here is the Family tab view:

4)  Here is the Hints tab view:

In the screen above, I have 59 Hints to resolve for this person in my tree.  They are listed in the right-hand panel one by one.  In most of them, I have the choice to "Review" or "Ignore.  "

I decided to "Review" the first Hint, and the familiar comparison screen showing the indexed Record information on the left and my tree information for the person on the right opened:

After reviewing the Hint, and perhaps selecting information from the record to include in my tree, I could choose to "Save to your tree" by clicking the Orange button.  If I don't click the orange button, I need to go "Back" or choose "Cancel."

Whatever choice I make, I'm back to the Hint screen, and can select "Ignore" or just leave it and go to the next one.  To accept the Hint on the "Review" screen, I have to click on the "Save to your tree" button.

5)  I chose to "Save to your tree" the first Hint on the list, and after I did that, the Hint stayed in my Hint list but with a green background.

However, that Hint disappears from the list the next time you click on the Person in the tree.  Accepted and Ignored Hints are on the Hints tabs in the Person Profile screen.

6)  I was curious how to navigate easily to the full page Person Profile, so I ran my mouse over the person's name in the Tree and a pop-up with five icons appeared:

The five icons shown on the screen above (next to Frederick Walton Seaver) are for:

*  "Person Profile"
*  "View Tree"
*  "Search Record Collection"
*  "Quick Edit"
*  "Add Relative"

7)  I clicked on the "Person Profile" icon and was at the familiar Person Profile page where I can see the person's vital records, Media Gallery, Timeline and Family Members on one screen:

I can also click on the Person's name in the right-hand panel on the Pedigree View screen and go to the "Person Profile" page.

8)  What about the "Family view" screen?  It has the same feature on the right-hand side of the screen:

9)  My first impression after using this was:  "They've made it a lot easier to attach Hints to a Person Profile - it seems faster to attach several Hints now."  But it probably isn't...I still have to "Review" and "Save" and wait for it to happen.

My second impression was:  "Hmmm, maybe that's not a really good idea.  Don't we want users to thoughtfully add Hints to their tree, and add sources too?"  But then, adding the Hint does add a source (albeit of not Evidence Explained quality).

A conclusion is that they have just added many of the links that are on the Person Profile page to the "Pedigree View" page, but not to the "Family View" page.

This presents more options for users to get really confused by the new navigation methods if they see the message and click on it, especially for sporadic or occasional users.  Ancestry does provide the option to switch back to the "old" tree view (I know I saw it on the bottom of the "Family view" page), but now I can't find how to get back to the "new" view above!  I tried signing out and in and that didn't work.  I thought it might be in Tree pages but it wasn't.  Help - I'm stuck in an "old" view and can't escape!   Hmm, 10 minutes later the note was on the Hint "Review" page asking for feedback, - but it didn't work for me.

Now I'm wondering if the Ancestry App on my iPhone and Android tablet have changed.  I'll check on it and report on anything really interesting in a future post.

My last wonderment was how many slides is this going to take in my "Growing Your Ancestry Member Tree" presentation, and what will I need to cut to fit the time limits?

My jury is still out on this new feature.  What do my readers think about it?

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/08/ancestrycom-member-tree-changes.html

Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver

Best of the Genea-Blogs - 4 to 10 August 2013

Hundreds of genealogy and family history bloggers write thousands of posts every week about their research, their families, and their interests. I appreciate each one of them and their efforts.

My criteria for "Best of ..." are pretty simple - I pick posts that advance knowledge about genealogy and family history, address current genealogy issues, provide personal family history, are funny or are poignant. I don't list posts destined for daily blog prompts or meme submissions (but I do include summaries of them), or my own posts.

Here are my picks for great reads from the genealogy blogs for this past week:

*  Effective FamilySearch Search Techniques - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3  and Part 4 by the writer of The Ancestry Insider blog.  Mr. AI reviews a Robert Kehrer presentation at the recent BYU Conference about how FamilySearch "scores" and orders the search results, .

*  Careers in Genealogy - 2013 by Thomas MacEntee on the Hack Genealogy blog.  Thomas reviews how he has structured his genealogy career.

*  The 20 Photo-Related Apps on My iPad by Caroline Pointer on the 4 Your Family Story blog.  Caroline collects apps, and lists them with short descriptions.

*  Three Steps for Sharing Your Research by Michael Leclerc on the Mocavo Genealogy Blog.  Michael lists ways to share your research work.

*  A Review of Naturalization Records by Bill Dollarhide on Leland Meitzler's GenealogyBlog.  Bill provides a great description of naturalization record types.

*  Was That Important to Your Ancestor? by Thomas MacEntee on the Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner Family History blog.  An excellent article on how to find and work with family history items.

*  Individual Records for Each Individual in FamilySearch.org? by James Tanner on the Genealogy's Star blog.  James analyzes some of the FamilySearch statements about searching for records, attaching sources and records in the Family Tree.

*  Surprise! A Stash of Family Papers Has Been Discovered! by Heather Wilkinson Rojo on the Nutfield Genealogy blog.  Heather visited a cousin and they had a great time discovering an organized family history.

*  Loving the 1921 Canadian Census Images Online! by Lorine McGinnis Schulze on the Olive Tree Genealogy blog.  Lorine found her parents, grandparents and a set of great-grandparents on the first day of access, but it took seven hours to do it.

*  When a Family Member Transitions by Jeff on The Webtrees Genealogist blog.  Jeff's great-grandmother passed away recently, and he shares his feelings and a video played at her service.  Beautiful!

These genea-bloggers wrote weekly pick posts and news summary posts this week:

*  Follow Friday ~ Favorites for August 9, 2013 by Heather Kuhn Roelker on the Leaves For Trees blog.

*  Follow Friday ~ Fab Finds for August 9, 2013 by Jana Last on Jana's Genealogy and Family History Blog.

*  News and Blog Posts for Genealogists, August 9, 2013 by Michael Leclerc on the Mocavo Genealogy Blog.

*  Ruth's Recommendations by Ruth Blair on The Passionate Genealogist blog.

*  Friday Finds - 09/09/13 by Julie Cahill Tarr on Julie's Genealogy & History Hub blog.

Readers are encouraged to go to the blogs listed above and read their articles, and add their blogs to your Favorites, Feedly, another RSS feed, or email if you like what you read. Please make a comment to them also - all bloggers appreciate feedback on what they write.

Did I miss a great genealogy blog post? Tell me! I am currently reading posts from over 1400 genealogy bloggers using Feedly, but I still miss quite a few it seems.

Read past Best of the Genea-Blogs posts here.

The URL for this post is:   http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/08/best-of-genea-blogs-4-to-10-august-2013.html

Copyright(c) 2012, Randall J. Seaver 

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Spin the Ancestor Roulette Wheel!

Hey genea-folks, 

it's Saturday Night again, 

 time for more Genealogy Fun!

 

Your mission this week, should you decide to accept it, is to:

1) What year was one of your great-grandmothers born?  Divide this number by 125 (use a calculator!) and round the number off to a whole number. This is your "roulette number."

2) Use your pedigree charts or your family tree genealogy software program to find the person with that number in your ancestral name list (some people call it an "ahnentafel" - your software will create this - use the "Ahnentafel List" option, or similar). Who is that person, and what are his/her vital information?

3) Tell us three to five facts about that person in your ancestral name list with the "roulette number."

4) Write about it in a blog post on your own blog, in a Facebook status or a Google Stream post, or as a comment on this blog post.

5) NOTE:  If you do not have a person's name for your "roulette number" then "spin" the wheel again - pick another great-grandmother, a grandfather, a parent, a favorite aunt or cousin, yourself, or even your children!

Here's mine:

1)  I picked my great-grandmother, Abbie Ardell (Smith) Carringer (1862-1944).  Her birth year divided by 125 is 14.9, rounded up to 15.

2)  #15 on my Ancestor List is Georgianna (Kemp) Auble (1868-1952).   She was born in Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada on 4 August 1868 to James Abram and Mary Jane (Sovereen) Kemp, and died on 8 November 1952 in San Diego, San Diego County, California.  She married Charles Auble (1849-1916) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on 19 June 1898.  

3)  Five Facts about my great-grandmother, Georgianna (Kemp) Auble:

*  I called her "Nana" - as did my mother.  She was the earliest born person that I remember being with.

*  Georgianna had only one child - my grandmother, Emily Kemp (Auble) Carringer (1899-1977) in Chicago, Illinois where the Charles Auble family resided from 1898 to about 1911.

*  Georgianna and Charles Auble moved to San Diego in about 1911 where Georgianna's brother, James A. Kemp resided.  She resided in San Diego for the last 40 years of her life.

*  Georgianna died by slipping on a rug on 28 October 1952 at 7:30 p.m. at her home (825 Harbor View Place) in San Diego, and fractured her hip.  She was taken to a hospital where she died of acute myocardial failure.

*  Georgianna (Kemp) Auble shared her mitochondrial DNA with her daughter, her granddaughter, and her three great-grandsons.  We are in the K1b2b haplogroup. Unfortunately, it dies out with us, since we have no sisters.

4)  I did it!

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/08/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-spin.html

copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver

Surname Saturday -- LNU (colonial Rhode Island)

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

I am in the 7th great-grandmothers and I'm up to Ancestor #707, who is Sarah LNU (1659-????) [Note: the earlier great-grandmothers and 7th great-grandfathers have been covered in earlier posts].

My ancestral line back through one American generation of this LNU family line is:

1.  Randall J. Seaver (1943-living)

2. Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983)
3. Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002)

4. Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942)
5. Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962)

10.  Thomas Richmond (1848-1917)
11.  Julia White (1848-1913)

22.  Henry Arnold White (1824-1885)
23.  Amy Frances Oatley (1826-1864)

44.  Jonathan White (1806-1850)
45.  Miranda Wade (1804-1850)

88.  Humphrey White (1758-1814)
89.  Sybil Kirby (1764-1848)

176.  Jonathan White (1732-1804)
177. Abigail Wing (1734-1806)

352.  William White (1708-1780)
353.  Abigail Thurston (1700-????)

706.  Jonathan Thurston, born 04 January 1659 in Newport, Newport, Rhode Island, United States; died 15 April 1740 in Taunton, Bristol, Massachusetts, United States.  He was the son of 1412. Edward Thurston and 1413. Elizabeth Mott.  He married before 1678 in Rhode Island, United States.
707.  Sarah, born about 1659 in Rhode Island, United States.

Children of Jonathan Thurston and Sarah are:

*  Edward Thurston (1679-1739), married (1) 1706 Susanna Pearce (1688-1711); married (2) 1712 Sarah Carr (1685-????).
*  Elizabeth Thurston (1682-1717), married 1703 Jonathan Wood (1680-1759).
*  Mary Thurston (1685-1740), married 1706 George Brownell (1682-1756).
*  Jonathan Thurston (1687-1749), married (1) 1722 Pheby Holmes (1694-1739); married (2) 1740 Mehitable Claghorn (1708-1745).
*  Rebecca Thurston (1689-1735), married 1711 Edward Richmond (1665-1741).
*  Content Thurston (1691-????), married 1715 Henry Wood (1683-1738).
*  Sarah Thurston (1693-????), married 1712 Benjamin Sawdy.
*  John Thurston (1695-1755).
*  Eleanor Thurston (1696-????), married Peters.
*  Hope Thurston (1698-1716).
*  Abigail Thurston (1700-????), married 1729 William White (1708-1780)
*  Patience Thurston (1702-????), married 1723 Thomas Southworth.
*  Amey Thurston (1705-????)
*  Peleg Thurston (1706-????).
*  Jeremiah Thurston (1710-????).
*  Susanna Thurston (1712-????), married 1732 Carr (1710-????).
*  Joseph Thurston (1714-1741), married 1738 Mercy Burgess (1722-1746).
*  Job Thurston (1717-1780), married 1766 Mary Gibbs.

Wow - 18 children over 38 years - were they all by this one wife?  Or perhaps there were two Sarah LNUs?

Sarah --?-- is another of my Last Name Unknown persons.  Can anyone help me out here?

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/08/surname-saturday-lnu-colonial-rhode.html

Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver