Friday, January 29, 2021

Genealogy News and Education Bytes -- Friday, 29 January 2021

 Welcome to Genealogy News and Education Bytes, posted on Tuesday afternoon and Friday afternoon, where we try to highlight the most important genealogy and family history news and education items that came across our desktop since the last issue.    


1)  News Articles:





2)  New or Updated Record Collections:



3)  Genealogy Education -- Conferences and Institutes






4)  Genealogy Education - Seminars, Webinars and Online Classes (times are US Pacific):





*  Upcoming Family Tree Webinar - Tuesday, 2 February, 5 p.m.:  Nurturing Your Family Trees: Online or On Your Device (or Both)? by Cyndi Ingle

*  Upcoming Family Tree Webinar - Wednesday, 3 February, 11 a.m.:  Me and My 1000+ DNA Cousins, by Diahan Southard

*  Archived Family Tree Webinar:  Genealogy Escape Room, by Thomas MacEntee

*  Archived Family Tree Webinar:  Finding Answers in Naturalization Records, by Amie Bowser Tennant

5)  Genealogy Education - Podcasts:

*  Fisher's Top Tips:  #245r - Before Photography




6)  Genealogy Videos (YouTube):

*  American Ancestors: The Federal Census: Moving Beyond the Population Schedule





*  Family History Ron:  Q&A with Family History Ron


*  FamilySearch:  FamilySearch is Live!



*  Genealogy Quick Start: LIVE - Moonshiners & Doing the Deed


*  Genealogy TV:  Member Connect on Ancestry


*  Lisa Louise Cooke's Genealogy Gems:  How to Use Church Records for Genealogy








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Copyright (c) 2021, 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.

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Findmypast Friday: Explore brand new crime records and more

 I received this from Findmypast today:

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Findmypast Friday
Explore brand new crime records and more

Is a bad apple lurking in your family tree? Findmypast latest new records could help you find out.

Crime records, life events and newspapers. Findmypast have a feast of family history treats for you this week. Here are the details on what's new.

England & Wales, Crime, Prisons & Punishment, 1770-1935

Findmypast have added over 92,000 additional court and prison indexes to this criminally-fascinating collection. This includes:
  • Herefordshire Prison Register Index 1849-1915 – over 17,000 new records
  • Court of Great Sessions in Wales 1730-1830 – over 20,000 new records
  • Bedfordshire Gaol Registers – over 51,000 new records
  • Kirkby Stephen Petty Sessions 1874-1901 – over 2,000 new records
Derbyshire Life Events

If you’ve got family roots in England’s East Midlands, Findmypast’s latest birth, baptism, marriage, death and burial records could help you trace them. New additions have been added to.
See Findmypast’s Derbyshire parish list to see exactly what's new and the timeframes covered.

Newspapers

This week, Findmypast have published six brand new titles along with updates to 15 others. Online for the first time are;
While significant updates have been added to;
  • Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald from 1976-1977, 1979-1983 and 1985
  • Faversham Times and Mercury and North-East Kent Journal from 1860-1861, 1863, 1865-1871, 1873-1887, 1889-1895, 1897-1905 and 1920
  •  Middlesex Chronicle from 1986-1988
  • Cotton Factory Times from 1900
  • Atherstone, Nuneaton, and Warwickshire Times from 1880-1881, 1883-1884 and 1889
  • Bridgend Chronicle, Cowbridge, Llantrisant, and Maesteg Advertiser from 1893
  • Liverpool Weekly Courier from 1880, 1898, 1900-1901 and 1903
  • Kenilworth Advertiser from 1880
  • Bridlington and Quay Gazette from 1880
  • Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette from 1880
  • Blackpool Gazette & Herald from 1880
  • Birkenhead News from 1880
  • St. Helens Examiner from 1880
  • Northern Weekly Gazette from 1880
  • Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette from 1880
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Disclosure: I have a complimentary subscription to Findmypast, and have accepted meals and services from Findmypast, as a Findmypast Ambassador. This has not affected my objectivity relative to Findmypast and its products.

The URL for this post is: https://www.geneamusings.com/2021/01/findmypast-friday-explore-brand-new.html

Copyright (c) 2021, 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.

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52 Ancestors - Week 367: #578 Samuel Prescott (1674-1758) of Lancaster, Concord and Acton, Massachusetts

Samuel Prescott (1674-1758) is number 578 on my Ahnentafel List, my 7th great-grandfather, who married #579 Esther Wheeler (1678-1756)  in 1698  in Concord, Middlesex County,  Massachusetts.

I am descended through:

*  their daughter #289 Dorothy Prescott (1702-1774)who married #288 James Hildreth (1698-1761) in 1721.
*  their son #144 Zachariah Hildreth (1728-1784) who married #145 Elizabeth Prescott (1734-1812) in 1753.
*  their son #72 Zachariah Hildreth (1754-1829) who married #73 Elizabth Ketyes (1759-1793) in 1777.
*  their son #36 Zachariah Hildreth (1783-1857) who married  #37 Hannah Sawtell (1789-1857)  in 1810.
*  their son #18 Edward Hildreth (1831-1899) who married #19 Sophia Newton (1834-1923) in 1852.
*  their daughter #9 Hattie Louisa Hildreth (1857-1920) who married  #8 Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922) in 1874.
*  their son #4 Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942) who married #5 Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962) in 1900.
*  their son #2 Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983) who married #3 Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002)  in 1942.
*  their son #1 Randall Jeffrey Seaver (1943-living)

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1)  PERSON (with source citations as indicated in brackets):  
   
*  Name:                      Samuel Prescott[1–9]    
*  Alternate Name:      Samuell Prescote[10]

*  Sex:                          Male    

*  Father:                     Jonathan Prescott (1646-1721)    
*  Mother:                   Dorothy Heald (1649-1674)  

2)  INDIVIDUAL EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
 
*  Birth:                      1674, Lancaster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[1–2]    

*  Deed:                     5 May 1698 (about age 24), granted 90 acres in Lancaster by father, Lancaster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[4]    
*  Deed:                     24 October 1707 (about age 33), bought 150 acres in New Grant of Concord from James Russell for £60; Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[5]    

*  Distribution:          21 February 1721/2 (about age 48), father's will proved; Lancaster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[6]    

*  Will:                      19 August 1756 (about age 82), will written; Acton, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[7]    

*  Death:                   25 July 1758 (about age 84), Acton, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[1-2,8–9]    

*  Probate:                1 January 1759 (about age 85), will proved; Acton, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[7]  

3)  SHARED EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
 
*  Spouse 1:              Esther Wheeler (1678-1756)    
*  Marriage 1:           5 May 1698 (about age 24), Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[1-3,10]    
*  Child 1:                 Esther Prescott (1699-1756)    
*  Child 2:                 Dorothy Prescott (1702-1774)    
*  Child 3:                Amos Prescott (1705-1785)    
*  Child 4:                Mary Prescott (1707-????)    
*  Child 5:                Sarah Prescott (1709-????)    
*  Child 6:               Dorcas Prescott (1712-1803)    
*  Child 7:               Abigail Prescott (1716-1754)    
*  Child 8:               Rebecca Prescott (1719-1762)    
*  Child 9:               Dinah Prescott (1723-????)  
      
4)  NOTES (with source citations as indicated in brackets):  

There are several books that document the life of Samuel Prescott.  The classical family genealogy, The Prescott Memorial, or a Genealogical Memoir of the Prescott Families in America, written by William Prescott MD, published in Boston in 1870 provides quite a bit of information on the descendants of John Prescott, but the information for Samuel Prescott is limited to a list of children[1].

The White Family Quarterly, edited by Almira Larkin White, provides a limited sketch of the Samuel Prescott family in Volume 3, number 4[2].  

Samuel Prescott was born before in about 1674 in Lancaster, Massachusetts to Jonathan and Dorothy (Heald) Prescott[1-2].  He was their third child but the first to survive infancy.  His mother died on 8 October 1674 in Lancaster, perhaps after childbirth.  Jonathan Prescott married three more times, moved to Concord, Massachusetts, and Samuel had six half siblings born in Concord.

Samuel Prescott married on 5 May 1698 in Concord, Massachusetts to Esther Wheeler[1-3,10].  She was the daughter of John and Sarah (Larkin) Wheeler of Concord.  Samuel and Esther (Wheeler) Prescott had nine children, the last seven born and recorded in the Concord town vital records.  They were:

*   Esther Prescott (1699-1756), married 1719 Robert Conant (1699-1773).
*  Dorothy Prescott (1702-1774), married 1721 James Hildreth (1698-1761).
*  Amos Prescott (1705-1785), married 1731 Ruth --?-- (1707-????).
*  Mary Prescott (1708-????), married 1729 Timothy Fletcher (1707-1780).
*  Sarah Prescott (1710-????), married about 1731 --?-- Randall (1706-????)
*  Dorcas Prescott (1712-1803), married 1738 Samuel Minot (1706-1766).
*  Abigail Prescott (1716-1754), married 1739 Isaac Fox (1713-1791).
*  Rebecca Prescott (1719-1762), married 1741 Gershom Davies (1714-1787).
*  Dinah Prescott (1723-????).

On 5 May 1698, the day of Samuel's marriage, Jonathan Prescott, yeoman of Lancaster,  gave land to his son Samuel Prescott, husbandman of Lancaster, "showing fatherly care."  The land included 20 acres of land in Lancaster, including a dwelling house and barn, 30 acres of upland and intervale land, and 40 acres of wood land.  The deed was registered in the Middlesex County, Massachusetts Deed Register on 19 September 1706[4].

On 24 October 1707, Samuel Prescott of Concord bought 150 acres of land in the New Grant of Concord for £60 from James Russell, merchant of Charlestown.  The deed was recorded in the Middlesex County, Massachusetts Deed Register on 24 October 1707[5].  This "New Grant" of Concord probably became the town of Acton at some point in time.  At some time, the Samuel Prescott family moved to what is now the town of Acton and lived out their lives there.

In the will of Jonathan Prescott of Concord (Samuel's father), written 23 November 1721 and proved 21 February 1721/2, Samuel received[6]:
"Item I give and bequeath to my son Samuel Prescott the sum of five pounds he having all Ready Received a childs full portion of my estate."
Esther (Wheeler) Prescott died in Acton, Massachusetts on 1 May 1756 at age 77.

Samuel Prescott died 25 July 1758 in Acton, Massachusetts at about age 84[1-2,8-9].  There is no known burial location.

He wrote his last will and testament on 19 August 1756. The probate papers are in Middlesex County Probate Records, Probate Packet #18,104[7].  The will reads:
"In the Name of God Amen I Samuel Prescott of Acton in the County of Middlesex in the province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England yeamon being of a Sound and Disposing mind though but weak and Infirme in Body Calling to mind my frailty Do make this my Last will and testament first I Committ my Soul to God who gave it and my body to the Earth to be Decently Buried at the Discretion of my Executor hereafter Named and as touching my worldly Estate I Dispose of the Same as follows.

"Imprimis  I Give unto my well Beloved and onely Son Amos Prescott all my Lands and Buildings in Acton with all my Husbandry tools and wearing Apparel my Iron morter and staff He paying out unto the Children of my Daughter Esther Conant deceased the Sum of six pounds and to my Daughter Dorothy Heldreth the Sum of three pounds Six shillings and Eight pence and to my Daughter Mary Fletcher the Sum of Six pounds and to my Daughter Sarah Randal the sum of Six pounds and to my daughter Dorcas Minott the Sum of Six pounds and to the Children of my daughter Abigail Fox deceased the Sum of Six pounds and to my daughter Rebeckah Daves the Sum of Six pounds and to pay them thirty Shillings apeace a year untill the whole be paid the first payment to be one year after my decease.

"Also I Give unto my daughter Davies my pew in Acton meeting House.

"Also I Give unto my Grand daughter Frances Prescott the Bed in which she hath Constantly Lodged  in Since my wives decease with the Bolster (and pillows sheets and Blankets and Coverlets Bed Stead and Cord there unto Belonging also my Great Brass Kittle.

"Also I Give unto my daughters above said (the Children of my daughter Conant and daughter Fox to have their equal shares) all the Remainder of my Estate to be Equilly devided Among them my Lawfull Debts Charge at Doctors and my funerall Charges to be first Reducted out.

"And I do hereby Appoint and make my Son Amos Prescott the Sole Executor of this my Last will and testament allowing no other to be my Last Will and testament.  In wittness whereof I have Here unto Set my hand and Seal this Nineteenth Day of August 1756 and in the thirtieth year of His majesties Reign.

"signed Sealed and Delivered by the said
Samuel Prescott as his last Will and testament
in presence of us

Jonathan Hosmer                          his
Daniel Fletcher               Samuel   P   Prescott   (seal)
William Barker Junr."                mark

On 9 October 1758, Deacon Jonathan Hosmer and Joseph Barker, both of Acton, and Captain Stephen Hosmer of Concord were appointed to a committee to apprise the Estate of Samuel Prescott, late of Acton.

An inventory of the real and personal estate of Samuel Prescott, late of Acton, was taken by the committee on 17 October 1758.  The estate totaled 328 pounds, 9 shillings, 3 pence, including 227 pounds, 9 shillings, 4 pence in real estate.  The real estate included a dwelling house (10 pounds), a barn (5 pounds), and one half of 163 acres and 104 rods of land (206 pounds, 9 shillings, 4 pence), and one pew in Acton meeting house (6 pounds).  The inventory was exhibited on 23 October 1758 and approved by the Court.

On 11 December 1758, Amos Prescott presented the last will and testament of Samuel Prescotyt, late of Acton, and the inventory to the Court.  The first two witnesses made oath to the Court that Samuel Prescott had been of sound mind when he made his last will and testament, but the third witness thought him uncapable.  The Court delayed the hearing for three weeks.  On 1 January 1759, the Court approved the will, the objections made being waived.  Amos Prescott was ordered to present an Account of his proceedings when required.

Amos Prescott charged himself with the money left and the debts of his father, paid the debts, funeral expenses and executorship charges, all of which amounted to 49 pounds, 3 shillings, 10 pence.  The Court accepted the Account on 5 May 1760.
     
5)  SOURCES

1. William Prescott, MD, The Prescott Memorial, or a Genealogical Memoir of the Prescott Families in America (Boston, Mass. : Henry W. Dutton & Son, 1870), page 50, Samuel Prescott family sketch.

2. Almira Larkin White (editor), "Children of John Prescott," White Family Quarterly (Haverhill, Mass. : Nichols, 1903-1905), Volume 3, Number 5 (October 1905), page 121, Samuel Prescott family sketch.

3. Henry S. Nourse (editor), The Birth, Marriage and Death Register, Church Records and Epitaphs of Lancaster, Massachusetts, 1643-1850 (Clinton, Mass. : W.J. Coulter, Printer, 1890), Appendix, page 451, Samuel Prescott and Esther Wheeler marriage entry, 5 May 1698.

4. Record books of the registry of deeds, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, 1649-1900; indexes: grantee (1639-1905) and grantor (1639-1950); 1780 rolls of microfilm, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah, "Deeds, 1706-1716, Vol 14-15," Volume 14, page 105, Jonathan Prescott to Samuel Prescott, executed 5 May 1698, recorded 19 September 1706.

5. Record books of the registry of deeds, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, 1649-1900; indexes: grantee (1639-1905) and grantor (1639-1950), "Deeds, 1706-1716, Vol 14-15," Volume 14, page 381, James Prescott to Samuel Prescott, executed 24 October 1707, recorded 24 October 1707.

6. "Probate Records 1648-1924 (Middlesex County, Massachusetts),"  Family History Library (Salt Lake City, Utah), on 886 FHL US/CAN Microfilms,  Probate Packet #18,082, Jonathan Prescott, 1721, accessed on FHL Microfilm 0,421,496.

7. "Middlesex County, Mass.: Probate Papers, 1648-1871," digital images, American Ancestors (http://www.AmericanAncestors.org : accessed 8 April 2018), Packet 18,104, Samuel Prescott of Acton, 1758 (10 images); citing  original records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives, with digitized mages provided by FamilySearch.org.

8. "Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988," indexed database and digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com), "Acton Births, Marriages and Deaths," Page 36 (Image 21), Samuel Prescott entry, 25 July 1758.

9. Town of Acton, Massachusetts, Vital Records of the Town of Acton, Massachusetts to the Year 1850 (Boston, Mass. : New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1923), Deaths, page 290, Mr. Samuel Prescott entry, 25 July 1758.

10. George Tolman (compiler), Concord, Massachusetts Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1635-1850 (Concord, Mass. : Committee on Printing, 1894), page 46, Sam'll Prescote and Ester Wheeler marriage entry, 5 May 1698.

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NOTE:  In 2014, Amy Johnson Crow suggested a weekly blog theme of "52 Ancestors" in her blog post  52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks on the No Story Too Small blog.  I have extended this theme in 2021 for an eighth year to 416 Ancestors in 416 Weeks.  The list of 52 Ancestors biographies from my great-grandparents to the 7th great-grandparents (in work) is in   https://www.geneamusings.com/p/ancestor-biographies.html.

Copyright (c) 2021, 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

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Thursday, January 28, 2021

Seavers In the News -- Mrs. Rachel B. Seaver Died in Boston in 1857

  It's time for another edition of "Seavers in the News" - a weekly feature from the historical newspapers about persons with the surname Seaver that are interesting, useful, mysterious, fun, macabre, or add information to my family tree database.

This week's entry is from the Boston [Mass. ] Investigator newspaper dated 15 July 1857:

The transcription of the article is:

"Obituary

"Died -- In this city, on the 8th inst., after a painful and a lingering illness (occasioned by cancer,) Mrs. Rachel B. Seaver, widow of the late James N. Seaver, and daughter of the late Mr. Adna Bates, aged 50 -- The remembrance that departed friends have led useful and upright lives furnishes consolation to rational and reflecting minds when death removes from them the objects of their affection and regard.  In this respect, the memory of Mrs. Seaver is soothing to her relatives and friends.  Her whole live was passed in good and honest pursuits, according to her conscientious convictions of truth and duty. She practically illustrated, in a remarkable degree, the sterling virtues of integrity, kindness, and justice, and thus proved by her deeds that her "life was in the right." In respect to religious opinions, she was a Christian, and, we can safely add, in the best sense of the term. Charitable and forgiving in her creed, and pure and truthful in her disposition, her piety was sincere, unaffected, and honestly entertained in the workings of an intelligent and inquiring mind improved and disciplined by much reading and reflection. But she was not merely a passive believer.  Her religion was practical and of the Samaritan kind which went about doing good. -- Many of the poor and unfortunate in this city will henceforth look around in vain for their benefactress, and while they bless her memory, mourn the absence of her kind face and open hand,  Through all the sufferings of her sickness, and amid the intensest paid, her trust and resignation never forsook her; the patient and quiet submission to her severe lot showed a wonderful strength of mind that could thus triumph over the ravages of a most painful disease and the absolute certainty of approaching death; and when the final hour came, she met it with the calmness and tranquility of one who had always walked in the light of an unaccusing conscience and the strength of a solid character. "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold."

The source citation is:

"Obituary, " Boston [Mass.] Intelligencer newspaper, Wednesday, 15 July 1857, page 3, column B, Rachel B. Seaver obituary;  GenealogyBank   (https://genealogybank.com : accessed 28 January 2021).

This obituary provides a death date and place, husband's name, father's name, and an age, plus several paragraphs of praise for this woman.

Rachel (Bates) Seaver (1807-1857) was the daughter of Adna and Rachel (Briggs) Bates of Cohasset, Massachusetts.  She married James N. Seaver (1805-????) on 21 March 1830 in Boston, Massachusetts.  They had one son that I have been able to find in the records:

*  James Thomas Seaver (1832-1895), who married Elizabeth Davis Smith (1828-1899) in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

I have been unable to place James N. Seaver as a son of a Seaver couple, although I suspect that he is the James Seaver (1804-????) who was the son of Nathaniel and Hannah (Loker) Seaver of Boston, Massachusetts.  The editor of the Boston Investigator newspaper was Horace Seaver (1810-1889), who was a famous atheist, "free thinker" and abolitionist in his day.  Horace also was a son of Nathaniel and Hannah (Loker) Seaver.  This obituary may be for his sister-in-law whom he likely knew well.  

I wrote about my search for the search for James Thomas Seaver's parents in Seavers in the News - Post 6: Almost Finding James T. Seaver's Parents back in July 2014.

Horace (and perhaps James N.) Seaver is my 5th cousin 5 times removed, with common Seaver ancestors of  my 9th great-grandparents Robert and Elizabeth (Ballard) Seaver.  

There are over 10,000 Seaver "stories" in my family tree - and this was one of them.   Life happens, accidentally and intentionally, and sometimes a person is a good Christian admired by many. I am glad that I can honor Rachel (Bates)Seaver today.  

You never know when a descendant or relative will find this blog post and learn something about their ancestors or relatives, or will provide more information about them to me.

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

Disclosure:  I have a paid subscription to GenealogyBank.com and have used it extensively to find articles about my ancestral and one-name families.


Copyright (c) 2021, 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.

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Treasure Chest Thursday -- 1698 Marriage Records of Samuel Prescott and Esther Wheeler in Concord and Lancaster, Massachusetts

  It's Treasure Chest Thursday - a chance 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 entry for Samuel Prescott and Esther Wheeler in 1698 in the Lancaster, Massachusetts town record book:

The marriage entry is the 22nd from the top of the "Appendix" marriage listings:

The marriage record transcription is:

"Samuel Prescott and Esther Wheeler, May 5, 1698"

The source citation for this record is:

Henry S. Nourse (editor), The Birth, Marriage and Death Register, Church Records and Epitaphs of Lancaster, Massachusetts, 1643-1850 ( Clinton, Mass. : W.J. Coulter, Printer, 1890), page 11, "Middlesex County Records," Births, Ann Moore birth entry, 17 5th month 1666.

This is an abstract from a copied town record book for Lancaster, Massachusetts, so it is a Derivative Source with Primary Information and Direct Evidence of the marriage of Samuel Prescott and Esther Wheeler.

There is also a record of this marriage in the Concord, Massachusetts Births, Marriages and Deaths book:

The marriage record is the 18th record from the top of the page:

The transcription of the record is:

"Sam'll Prescote & Ester Wheeler both of Concord were marryed by y'e
Rever'nd Joseph Estabrooke may y'e 5th 1698."

The source citation for this record is:

George Tolman (compiler), Concord, Massachusetts Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1635-1850 (Concord, Mass. : Committee on Printing, 1894), page 46, Sam'll Prescote and Ester Wheeler marriage entry, 5 May 1698.

This is an abstract from a copied town record book for Concord, Massachusetts, so it is a Derivative Source with Primary Information and Direct Evidence of the marriage of Samuel Prescott and Esther Wheeler..

Samuel Prescott (1674-1758) was the son of Jonathan and Dorothy (Heald) Prescott of Lancaster, and Esther Wheeler (1678-1756) was the daughter of John and Sarah (Larkin) Wheeler of Concord, Massachusetts.  They married on 5 May 1698 in Concord, but it was also recorded in the Lancaster book.

Samuel and Esther (Wheeler) Prescott are my 7th great-grandparents, through their daughter Dorothy Prescott (1702-1774) who married James Hildreth (1698-1761) on 20 December 1721 in Chelmsford, Massachusetts.

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Copyright (c) 2021, 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.

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Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Checking Out Ancestry.com's New "Deep Dive" Feature in the 1940 U.S. Census

 I recently received access to the new Ancestry.com feature for "Deep Dive tour" for the 1940 United States Census.  Here is a quick look at this feature for my father in the 1940 U.S. census:

Here is the record summary for one of the two census entries for my father, Frederick W. Seaver.  In this record, he is age 28 in Leominster, Massachusetts, indexed as Frederick W. Lawon by the Ancestry indexers (I added an alternate name 9 years ago):   

The light-blue box at the top of the page notes "There's more to discover in this record.  Dive deeper into the life of Frederick W. Lawon in 1940.  Start tour"

I clicked the "Start tour" link and was presented with a series of 12 pages that highlighted information in this particular census record.  For instance, the first one is a summary of the census record:

The box says "This is a 1940 U.S. Federal Census document about Frederick.  Let's find out if this record matches the Frederick in your tree."  

Clicking on "Next" takes me to the second screen:

The box says "We will walk you through the information in this document so that you can decide if this matches the Frederick in your tree and to determine what it tells you about their story."

Clicking "Next" takes me to the third screen:

The street address for this household is highlighted, and the box says "Address: Frederick lived at 918 Main Street in Leominster, Massachusetts.  [Street view link].  Leominster was a town with a population of 22,226."

Clicking "Next" takes me to the fourth screen:

The home ownership and value entries for the head of household was highlighted, and the box says: "Home Ownership:  The 'O' indicates that Frederick's brother-in-law owned this home and it was valued at $6,800 ($129,200 in today's dollars)."

Clicking "Next," the fifth screen is:

The names and relationships of the household members were highlighted and the box says: "Household: These are the household members as recorded by the census taker.  You can tell that Ruth S. answered the census questions because there is a circled 'X' next to her name."

The next few screens show:

*  Ages of the household members

*  Education of household members

*  Birthplaces

*  Occupation [the dive didn't list the actual occupation, just the place where he worked.  My father was listed as a "Loan bant comp" (Loan bank company?) and the occupation was highlighted as an "Investigator" but not listed in the text note.]

*  Hours worked

*  Income, highlighting number of weeks worked and the yearly earnings in 1939

The last screen is:


The name of my father is highlighted and the box says "Do you want to save this record to someone in your tree?" with "Yes" or "No" as the choices.

If I click "Yes" then I can choose my father from my Ancestry Member Tree, or start a new person in a tree. If I choose to add a new person, a form is shown with pre-filled name, birth year and birth state:

It added the person to my active Ancestry Member Tree. 

I don't know how extensive this feature will be in the future.  I thought I heard that it would be applied to the 1911 England and Wales census and the 1921 Canada census but I haven't seen those yet.  It could be applied to other census records and to more record collections that supply personal and family information (e.g., other census years, the Social Security Applications and Claims Index (which has no related image), the World War I and II draft registrations cards, etc.).

Is it useful for genealogists and family historians?  Seasoned researchers know how to search for and to find all of those items from the 1940 U.S. Census, but many novice researchers may appreciate the help provided - they still have to do a search.  The feature doesn't waste my time if I don't click on the "Start Tour" link.  So I think it can be useful.

I have no idea if all Ancestry subscribers have this feature, or if I'm one of the "lucky" ones.  

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Disclosure: I have a complimentary all-access subscription from Ancestry.com, for which I am thankful. Ancestry.com has provided material considerations for travel expenses to meetings, and has hosted events and meals that I have attended in Salt Lake City, in past years.

The URL for this post is: https://www.geneamusings.com/2021/01/checking-out-ancestrycoms-new-deep-dive.html

Copyright (c) 2021, 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.


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The Frederick W. Seaver Family of San Diego, Plus a Cousin, in 1958 -- Post 654 of (Not So) Wordless Wednesday

 I can't help it, I can't do a wordless post! This is one of my favorite photographs:

In summer 1958, my aunt and uncle Walter and Evelyn (Seaver) Wood drove from Leominster, Massachusetts to San Diego with my grandmother, Alma Bessie (Richmond) Seaver and Walter and Evelyn's granddaughter, Diana.  They stayed for about a week with the Marshall and Dorothy (Taylor) Chamberlain family in San Diego, where Bessie's sister, Emily (Richmond) Taylor lived.  So it was a grand reunion of my father with his sister and mother after 16 years away from Massachusetts.  This was the first and the last time that my brothers and I met our paternal grandmother.

In this photograph, taken in the backyard of the Chamberlains home at 4601 Terrace Drive in San Diego, are (from the left):

*  My brother Stanley Richmond Seaver (age 11+)

*  My brother, Scott Frederick Seaver (age 2+)

*  My father, Frederick Walton Seaver (age 46+)

*  My first cousin once removed, Diana Soule (age 11)

*  Me (age 14+) - note: with hair!

*  My mother, Betty Virginia (Carringer) Seaver (age 39)

I have very few photographs of my whole birth family because we took very few photographs between 1960 and 1983, when my father died.  I think that my grandfather, Lyle Carringer took this photo of us.   

This photo (originally with faded colors) has been enhanced and restored using the MyHeritage photo tools.  

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

Copyright (c) 2021, 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

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