Treasure Chest Thursday - Post 229: Quaker Church Marriage Record for Thomas Gach and Elizabeth Bloodgood in 1721

It's Treasure Chest Thursday - time to look in my digital image files to see what treasures I can find for my family history and genealogy musings.

The treasure today is the Marriage record of Thomas Gach (1702-1770) and Elizabeth Bloodgood (1703-????) in 1721, in the Quaker record book for Rahway and Plainfield Monthly Meeting.

The marriage entry for Thomas Gach and Elizabeth Bloodgood is on the right-hand page of the image above:

The transcription of the entry is:

Thomas Gach & Elizabeth Bloodgood Marriage permitted by Wood. Mtg. 6 mo 17 1721

The source citation for this entry is:

U.S. Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1994, Rahway and Plainfield [N.J.] Monthly Meeting, Register of Marriages, Births, and Deaths, 1687-1871, Marriages, page 3 (image 41 of 129), Thomas Gach and Elizabeth Bloodgood entry; indexed database and digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 July 2014).

These records are a transcription of the original records in the Rahway and Plainfield Monthly Meeting records.  The first page of the marriage entries says:

"The following marriages have been obtained from the Marriage Records or from the Minutes of the Monthly Meeting.  In the latter case, the date is that of the Meeting at which permission was granted to marry to the parties, or it is that of the Monthly Meeting following the marriage, when the committee appointed to attend the wedding reported the marriage as having been accomplished. 

"As a general rule, the date of the marriage may be assumed as about one week after the permission was given, or about three weeks prior to the report of the committee."

Interesting, that.  So the better date for this marriage is "after 17 August 1721" rather than 17 August 1721.

Thomas and Elizabeth (Bloodgood() Gach are my 6th great-grandparents.  Their daughter, Martha Gach (1729-????) is my 5th great-grandmother.  She married Samuel Fitz Randolph (1730-????) in 1750 in Woodbridge, and they had two daughters, including my 4th great-grandmother, Tabitha Randolph (1752-1841), who married Stephen Cutter (1745-1823) in 1768.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2014/08/treasure-chest-thursday-post-229-quaker.html

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver

My Descent From William I "the Conqueror," King of England

I posted Valerie Bertinelli is My Cousin on 14 August 2014 after the Who Do You Think You Are? episode which took Valerie's ancestry back to Edward I "Longshanks", King of England.

I recalled that I was also descended from William the Conqueror, according to the Gary Boyd Roberts book:

Gary Boyd Roberts, The Royal Descents of 600 Immigrants to the American Colonies or the United States, Who Were Themselves Notable or left Descendants Notable in American History, (Baltimore, Genealogical Publishing Co., 2004).

I recently entered the line from William the Conqueror to Mary Gye into my RootsMagic database.

Here is my Relationship chart from William the Conqueror to myself.  The "Gateway Ancestor" is Mary Gye (1580-1666), who married Rev. John Maverick (1578-1636):

So William the Conqueror is my 26th great-grandfather.  But my latest English royal in this line is Henry III, my 23rd great-grandfather.

It will be interesting to see if the Geni tree will show me this line.  Or WikiTree.  Or FamilySearch Family Tree.  Do they reflect the lines of descent that are in the published books?  I hope so!  

Are you my cousin from these early English Kings through Mary Gye?  Or any of her ancestors?

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2014/08/my-descent-from-william-i-conqueror.html

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver

"Hispanic Research Day in San Diego County" at San Diego Central Library on 6 September 2014

I received this announcement recently from Ceasar Castro:

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

Saturday, September 6, 2014 • 10 a.m to 1 p.m. 

San Diego Central Library • 9th Floor Genealogy Library 

330 Park Blvd. San Diego CA 92101 

http://www.sandiego.gov/public-library/ 

Directions: 619-236-5800 

Central Library Underground Parking: First 2 hours free with validation for library users. Cash only.  OR Offsite Parking in the Area Thousands of affordable public parking spaces are also available within walking distance of the Library.

Announcing the inaugural Hispanic Research Day in San Diego County. This is an opportunity for Hispanic Researchers to receive personalized assistance from a veteran genealogist in a state-of-the-art library. Whether you are new to genealogy or have been searching for years, expert guidance can save you months, if not years, of time. Bring your pedigree charts and family history sheets and/or your laptop to save time.

Your host/expert is Ceasar Castro was born and raised in San Diego County and whose ancestors are from Baja California. Ceasar was introduced to genealogy in 2008 and eventually tracked his Castro ancestors to the early 1700s when the first Castros arrived in Baja California. He has a blog (castrobajacalif.blogspot.com) on this Castro family line.

Castro is a member of the San Diego Genealogy Society, the Chula Vista Genealogy Society, the San Diego Computer Genealogy Society, the Southern California Genealogy Society (SCGS) and the Genealogical Society of Hispanic America – Southern California (GSHA-SC). He is a graduate of San Diego State University and has a Masters degree from Purdue University. He is well known in the San Diego area for his informative presentations, one of which is “California and the Mexican-American War From a Genealogical Point of View” [contact Ceasar Castro at castro.baja@gmail.com].

This event is co-hosted by the Genealogical Society of Hispanic America – Southern California (GSHA-SC) and the San Diego Genealogical Society (SDGS).

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The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2014/08/hispanic-research-day-in-san-diego.html

FGS President D. Joshua Taylor Named Honorary Mayor of La Villita

I received this press release from the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) today:

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

D. Joshua Taylor Named Honorary Mayor of La Villita

during FGS 2014 Conference for the Nation’s Genealogists

August 27, 2014, San Antonio, TX – D. Joshua Taylor, president of the Federation of Genealogical Societies, will be presented with an Alcalde naming him Honorary Mayor of LaVillita on Friday evening, August 29, during “A Night in Old San Antonio” celebration. 

Genealogists, historians, librarians, and archivists from all over the United States and beyond have convened at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center to participate in a four-day event that includes over 70 speakers and 130 sessions and workshops from August 27-30. Local co-hosts are the Texas State Genealogical Society and the San Antonio Genealogical and Historical Society.

Upon being notified of this Alcalde presentation, Taylor commented, “As a genealogist, I am pleased to accept this honor on behalf of the ancestors who were responsible for the vibrant city San Antonio is today.” Taylor continued, “As one of the oldest European settlements in Texas, San Antonio exemplifies the commitment and vision of those who have gone before us.”

Conference Highlights

• Conference Sessions: A wide variety of genealogy-related lectures and workshops for all experience levels. Attendees will be able to learn about Texas and neighboring states research, African-American and ethnic origin research, military research, genetics, technology, migration, methodology and more.

• Exhibit Hall – Free admittance for the public: The large exhibit hall will feature the latest software, books, maps, databases and gadgets on the market for genealogists and family historians, as well as information about genealogical organizations. 

Representatives of FGS member societies will staff their booths in the special Society Showcase area. There will be a series of 30-minute presentations during Exhibit Hall hours to help researchers learn more about resources, software, technology and more.

• Platinum sponsors include leading family history companies: Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, and Findmypast.com. Corporate sponsors are Dell and Lexmark. 

Other participating and supporting organizations include Family Chronicle magazine, Association of Professional Genealogists, Board for Certification of Genealogists, National Genealogical Society, New England Historic Genealogical Society, The Polish Mission of the Orchard Lake Schools, Texas State Genealogical Society, and The National Huguenot Society.

• Saturday Only Registration for $49: For those unable to attend the multi-day conference there is a special one-day rate of $49 for Saturday Only.

There are more activities and research opportunities too numerous to list. However, you can learn all about the 2014 FGS Conference at http://www.fgsconference.org. Be sure to also visit or subscribe to the FGS Conference Blog at http://www.fgsconference.org/blog for more information. Onsite registration is open each day at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.

About the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS)

The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) was founded in 1976 and represents the members of hundreds of genealogical societies. FGS links the genealogical community by helping genealogical societies strengthen and grow through resources available online, FGS FORUM magazine (filled with articles for the family history community), and Society Strategy Series papers, covering topics about effectively operating a genealogical society. FGS also links the genealogical community through its annual conference -- four days of excellent lectures, including one full day devoted to society management topics. To learn more visit http://www.fgs.org. 

Learn More about FGS 2014 and Stay Connected

• Visit the conference website at http://www.fgsconference.org.
• Find the latest news on the conference blog at http://www.fgsconference.org/blog.com.
• Like the conference on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/FGSgenealogy.
• Follow the conference on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/FGSgenealogy and hashtag 
#FGS2014

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The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2014/08/fgs-president-d-joshua-taylor-named.html

Ed and Janet and Fred and Betty - Post 322 for (Not So) Wordless Wednesday

I am posting family photographs from my collection on Wednesdays, but they aren't "Wordless" - I am incapable of having a wordless post!

Here is a photograph from the Seaver/Carringer family photograph collection from my 40 years of photo albums, boxes and piles of family photographs:

The people in this photograph are, from the left:

*  Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983), my father
*  Betty Virginia (Carringer) Seaver (1919-2002), my mother
*  Janet (Roukes) Seaver (1913-2002), Ed Seaver's wife
*  Edward Richmond Seaver (1913-2004), my father's brother

This photograph was taken in the summer of 1982 at the Seaver home on Point Loma in front of the fireplace.  

This may be one of the last pictures I have of my father.  He and Ed always had a great time when they got together, telling stories and talking about their childhood in Leominster and their World War II buddies and exploits.  This was taken while Ed and Jan still resided in Leominster (Linda and I visited them in 1982 there).

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2014/08/ed-and-janet-and-fred-and-betty-post.html

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver

FamilySearch Obituary Collection is Expanding

I check the FamilySearch historical collection list page every day for new entries (click on the "Last Updated" link), and I found a good one today:

The United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014 collection (with over 529,000 records) was added to the list on 22 August 2014.  

The description of this database is:

"Index to obituaries from thousands of newspapers throughout the United States. Records are being published as they become available. This collection is created in partnership with www.GenealogyBank.com."

There is a fuller description of this database and how to use it in  https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/United_States,_GenealogyBank_Obituaries_(FamilySearch_Historical_Records)

I entered the last name "seaver" in the search field on the screen above and saw 169 results:

For each result, there is information about the birth year, death date, and obituary date.  There may also be some relationship information.

The second one down looked interesting - one of the "other" relationships was Sigmund Freud!  I clicked on the link for Margaret A. Aikins Seaver Pratt (two screens):

As you can see, there is a lot of information indexed from the obituary, including clear relationships for the other persons mentioned in the obituary.

At the top of the page, the blue "Attach to Family Tree" permits me to attach the FamilySearch page to a person in the FamilySearch Family Tree (after I sign in).

Down at the bottom of the screen is a source citation to this FamilySearch record, including the link to the result page above.

The image for this obituary is on the GenealogyBank subscription site.  The screen above provides a link to the website.  I have a GenealogyBank subscription, so I was able to see the obituary content, which is a transcription, not the actual newspaper page:

I have Margaret Aikins in my database, married to John Tassey Seaver (1893-1940).  Now I know that they divorced, that she married Jacob Pratt in 1959, and she was a clinical psychologist who authored the Runner-Seaver Personality Analysis Test.  I've not heard of it before!  John Tassey Seaver was my 8th cousin twice removed, so I am not directly related to Margaret.

You never know what you're going to find when you search a new online historical record database!

This is only one of the relatively new Obituaries collections (remember the "Dead Men Tell No Tales, But Their Obituaries Do!" theme from RootsTech?) available on FamilySearch.  Apparently, FamilySearch Indexing has been working on these for some time (I don't recall seeing it on the Indexing list, though!).

There are probably a lot more obituaries coming from this resource, since GenealogyBank lists over 47 million in their Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977-today) collection.

I appreciate the willingness of FamilySearch and GenealogyBank to collaborate on this effort.  It's a win for FamilySearch because they broaden their reach into relatively recent and already digitized newspapers.  It's a win for GenealogyBank because it exposes their resources to FamilySearch users who may have been unaware of it previously, and who may choose to subscribe.  A pay-per-obituary process might work well for GenealogyBank!

The URL for this post is:

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver

Tuesday's Tip - Check Out the WikiPedia List of Online Newspaper Archives

This week's Tuesday's Tip is to:  Check Out the WikiPedia List of Online Newspaper Archives at  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:List_of_online_newspaper_archives.

The Wikipedia listing of online digital newspapers includes this description:

This is a list of free and pay wall blocked digital online newspaper archives. Most are scanned from microfilm into pdf, gif or similar graphic formats and many of the graphic archives have been indexed into searchable text databases utilizing optical character recognition (OCR) technology. Some newspapers do not allow access to the OCR-converted text until it is proofread. Older newspapers are still in image format, and newer newspapers are available as full text that can be cut and pasted. Most text is in ASCII, some are using Unicode for diacritical marks not available in ASCII. Google now indexes many newspaper archives.

Some local public libraries subscribe to certain online newspaper archives. For instance, some UK public libraries subscribe to The Times Digital Archive (1785–1985), and any member of one of these libraries is able to access this resource free from their home computer using their library card number. In many instances, library access may be restricted to in-building use, in the confines of the library itself, and not a service otherwise available away from that structure to cardholders.

The Wikipedia listing of online digital newspapers has a list of countries (and other jurisdictions, like states or provinces) in the "Contents" list: 

Down the countries list is the United States.  I clicked on the link for United States and saw the list of States with the online newspaper archives available:

Down near the end of the United States listings is a listing for "Multistate" which includes larger digital newspaper collections like Chronicling America, GenealogyBank, NewspaperARCHIVE, ProQuest, Ancestry.com, etc.

Readers should check this list regularly for new additions as more newspapers are added over time. Note that the newspapers on this list may be current or historical.

You never know when you might need information from online historical newspapers for your genealogical research.  You may find a gem in these lists.  It may be freely accessible, or not.

The URL for this post is:

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver

Genealogy Videos You May Have Missed

Here are some genealogy-oriented videos that you may have missed, and are available for FREE today (but maybe not always).

1)  Russ Worthington's presentation on FamilyTreeWebinars (http://www.familytreewebinars.com/) - Find A Grave - The World's Largest Cemetery Database. (free until 27 August)

2)  Ancestry.com "Between the Leaves" Series with Juliana Smith, Crista Cowan, Anne Mitchell and Amy Crow:

*  Phone Calls From Heaven

*  Getting Younger Generations Interested in Genealogy

*  Conferences and Offline Resources

3)  Who Do You Think You Are? Season 5 Videos on TLC:

*   Rachel and Kayleen McAdams 

*  Jesse Tyler Ferguson

*  Cynthia Nixon

4)  DearMYRTLE's YouTube Channel:

*  Mondays With Myrt, August 11, 2014

*  Mondays With Myrt, August 25, 2014

*  MSExcel for Genealogists

*  More Excel for Genealogists

See the www.GeneaWebinars.com calendar for upcoming scheduled webinars, Hangouts on Air and video presentations.  Be sure to register to see them live.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2014/08/genealogy-videos-you-may-have-missed.html

copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver

Amanuensis Monday - Post 232: 1797 Upper Canada Land Petition of John, Abraham and Daniel Defoe

Genea-blogger John Newmark (who writes the excellent TransylvanianDutch blog) started a Monday blog theme years ago called "Amanuensis Monday."  John offers this definition for "amanuensis:" 

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

The subject today is a 1797 land petition filed by Abraham, John and Daniel Defoe with the Government of Upper Canada on their father's service during the American Rebellion (two images):

The transcription of the petition is:

To His Honor Peter Russell Esq^re

President Administration of the Government

of Upper Canada &c. &c. &c.

                                         In Council

The Petition of John, Abraham and

Daniel Defoe --

                                Humbly Sheweth

That their Father the late John Defoe served

during the American Rebellion as a Cap-

tain in a Corps of Rangers Commanded

by Col. Robert Rogers & that after the peace

he left New York with his Family with an

intention of Settling in this Province and

was taken Ill at St. John's in lower Canada

where he died in the year 1794 ~

                 your Petitioners therefore Humbly

request that your Honor will be pleased to

grant them the land their Father was or might

have been entitled to.

                                        And they as in duty

Fredericksburg                 bound will ever pray

10th October 1797            John Defoe

                                        Abraham Defoe

                                        Daniel Defoe

The transcription of the card is:

UE  No. 12

The Petition of  }

John Defoe       }

Rec^d 8 Nov 97    C R.

Recd  18 Nov 97

Mr Defoe having

died in Lower Canada

His Heirs cannot

have claim on this

Province praying

lands he formerly

might have been

considered entitled to.

??      ??

The source citation for this document is:

Upper Canada, "Upper Canada Land Petitions, 1763-1865," digital image, Library and Archives Canada (http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/ : accessed 11 August 2014), John, Abraham and Daniel Defoe, 1797, Microfilm C-1743, "D" Bundle 3, 1796-1797, Petition 12 (images 4 and 5 of 1294); citing RG 1, L 3, Volume 150.

Abraham Dafoe (1755-1815) is my 5th great-grandfather.  His daughter, Mary Dafoe (1776-before 1851) married John Kemp (1768-after 1861).  

Apparently, John, Abraham and Daniel Dafoe, three sons of John Ernst Dafoe (1723-1795) petitioned for land in Upper Canada on account of their father's service in the Roger's Rangers on the British side in the American Revolution.  This petition was denied because John Dafoe died in Lower Canada (i.e., Quebec) rather than Upper Canada (i.e. Ontario).  

The value of the petition is that it names three sons of John Defoe, provides John Dafoe's death year and place, and his service with Roger's Rangers.

The URL for this post is:

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver

Best of the Genea-Blogs - 17 to 23 August 2014

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:

*  Vengeance Served Cold (Over My Dead Body...) by Brenda Dougall Merriman on the Brenda Dougall Merriman blog.  Brenda's biography of Roswell Mount is not just records.

*  Recap: I4GG by Judy G. Russell on The Legal Genealogist blog.  Judy summarizes her experiences and thoughts on last week's Institute of Genetic Genealogy.

*  It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World! by Dianne Nolin on the Genealogy: Beyond the BMD blog.  Dianne recounts her mother's memory of visiting the insane asylum, and provides resources for research into asylums.  

* Interview with Dan Bucatinsky: A Behind the Scenes Look at Who Do You Think You Are? by Thomas MacEntee on the GeneaBloggers blog.  So that's how it's done!

*  The 5 Biggest Mistakes I Made with My Genealogy by Gena Philibert-Ortega on the GenealogyBank Blog.  Gena highlights her 5, I can relate!

*  What's Happening to Civility and Cooperation in Genealogy Research? by Christine Blythe on the Empty Next Genealogy blog.  Interesting question; Christine provides some of her recent experiences.

*  Sanitizing Genealogy for General Consumption by James Tanner on the Genealogy's Star blog.  James thinks the image of genealogists presented by advertising is not correct.

*  Epilogue... or Prologue? by Michael Lacopo on the Hoosier Daddy? blog.  Michael summarizes his family history research on his mother's family...but then you read the last sentence.

*  5 Things I Learned in School About Genealogy by Michael Leclerc on the Mocavo Genealogy Blog.  Michael's five things resonate with me, how about you?

*  What I Did On My Summer Vacation by Cheri Hudson Passey on the Carolina Girl Genealogy blog.  Cheri had some fun this past summer.

*  Grandchlidren, Ancestors and YouTube by Lee Drew on the Lineagekeeper's Genealogy Blog.  Wow, see what Lee and some of his grandchildren created.

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

*  Mondays Muse for 18 August 2014 by Eowyn Langhoff on the WikiChicks blog.

*  Whaddya Miss? Tuesday, August 19, 2014 by Tami Osmer Mize on the WikiChicks blog.

*  Friday Finds - 08/22/14 by Julie Cahill Tarr on Julie's Genealogy & History Hub blog.

*  What We Are Reading: August 22 Edition by Amy Johnson Crow on the Ancestry.com Blog.

*  This Week's Creme de la Creme by Gail Dever on the Genealogy a la Carte blog. 

*  Saturday Serendipity (August 23, 2014) by John D. Tew on the Filiopietism Prism 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 1540 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/2014/08/best-of-genea-blogs-17-to-23-august-2014.html

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver