Thursday, February 20, 2025

Rabbit Holes With Randy -- A Photo Hint, a Petition, a Digital Microfilm, and Success

 Oh boy - a Rabbit Hole!!  Can I find my way out?  Lookee here - a Photo Hint on Ancestry.com from last week!  What is the source citation?

The Ancestry Photo Hint for Burgess Metcalf (1741-1816, a 5th great-grandfather of mine) was from another Ancestry Member Tree:


The Photo Hint indicated that this was a "Petition for Rd 1804 New Hampshire, U.S., Government Petitions, 1700-1826."  That was a pretty good description of the record - but what record collection was it from?  Was it an Ancestry record collection?

I searched Ancestry.com with several of the names on the record and only got the Photo Hint from several Ancestry Member Trees.  So it is not an Ancestry.com record.  I messaged the Ancestry Member Tree creator but have had no response for a week.

What about FamilySearch?  I checked the FamilySearch Family Tree for Burgess Metcalf and this record is not attached to his profile.  It will be soon, of course!  It's not on WikiTree either.

I looked at the record more carefully, and wondered "Where would I find a petition for a road in Piermont, New Hampshire?"  Aha - maybe it would be in a New Hampshire state government collection somewhere.  Aha 2 - check the New Hampshire collections in the FamilySearch Catalog! 

So I did and uncovered "New Hampshire, General town petitions, 1653-1944" in the Catalog.  There is a digital microfilm for "General town petitions, May 1803-Jun 1805" that may have the 16 November 1804 petition.  It has 866 images and there is no index.  However, it was filmed in approximate chronological order.  In five minutes I was able to find November 1804 and then it took another 30 minutes to find November 16 (because some items had no day, only the month).  And image 581 of 866 appeared:

Yep - that's the same image!  Then I thought about "Is this on FamilySearch Full-Text Search?" [I know, I should have thought of this first...before using the Catalog].

So I brought up FamilySearch Full-Text Search and entered "Piermont, Grafton, New Hampshire" in the place field, "1804-1804" in the year field and "Burges Medcalf" in the name field, and then clicked Search.  I had 35 matches, so I selected "Government Records" from the "Record Type" filter, and there were two records.  Voila - there it was!  The same image.  

I downloaded the PDF of the image with the transcription and the source citation and saved it.  

Here is the Full-Text Search source citation:

"New Hampshire, United States records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89QD-RQ6W?view=fullText : Feb 19, 2025), image 581 of 866.

My citation is:

New Hampshire legislative records, Burges Medcalf signature on petition of town of Piermont to state legislature, 16 November 1804; imaged, "New Hampshire, General town petitions, 1653-1944," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89QD-RQ6W?view=fullText : Feb 19, 2025), "General town petitions, May 1803-Jun 1805," image 581 of 866.

 Now I can turn this rabbit hole success into a Treasure Chest Thursday post next week (if I remember to use it!).  

Even better - a second ancestor of mine - Amos Underhill (1772-1865), the son-in-law of Burgess Metcalf, also signed the petition!

I deserve some carrots today for digging my way into and out of this Rabbit Hole!  

Hmmm - what about the other 34 records turned up by Full-Text Search?  More rabbit holes to dive into over the weekend.  Sounds like fun!

Kudos to the Ancestry Member Tree user who found this record initially!

What have you found recently using the FamilySearch Catalog and/or the FamilySearch Full-Text Search?  I think this will be my Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge this week - Readers beware!  

I love it when one Ancestry Photo Hint turns into two (or) more blog posts. 

Lesson Learned (again):  Check your Record Hints, Photo Hints, and Story Hints on Ancestry, MyHeritage and FamilySearch often!

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


Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on X, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  All comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately after posting.

Subscribe to receive a free daily email from Genea-Musings using www.Blogtrottr.com.

Posted by at 1 comment:
Labels: , , , , , ,

Randy's Famous Cousins - 8th Cousin 1x Removed Mamie Geneva (Doud) Eisenhower (1896-1979), the Wife of the 34th President of the United States

 This week's famous cousin is my 8th cousin 1x removed Mamie Geneva (Doud) Eisenhower (1896-1979), the wife of the 34th President of the United States, Dwight David Eisenhower.

Here is Mamie Geneva (Doud) Eisenhower's Family Search Family Tree short biography:

When Mamie Geneva Doud was born on 14 November 1896, in Boone, Boone, Iowa, United States, her father, John Sheldon Doud, was 26 and her mother, Elivera Mathilda Carlson, was 18. She married Dwight David Eisenhower on 1 July 1916, in Denver, Colorado, United States. They were the parents of at least 2 sons. She lived in Fort Lewis Military Reservation, Pierce, Washington, United States in 1940 and New York City, New York, United States for about 1 year. In 1953, her occupation is listed as first lady of the United States in Washington, District of Columbia, United States. She died on 1 November 1979, in Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, United States, at the age of 82, and was buried in Dickinson, Kansas, United States.

The Wikipedia profile for Mamie Geneva (Doud) Eisenhower includes this information:

Mary Geneva "Mamie" Eisenhower (née Doud; November 14, 1896 – November 1, 1979) was the First Lady of the United States from 1953 to 1961 as the wife of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Born in Boone, Iowa, she was raised in a wealthy household in Colorado. She married Eisenhower, then a lieutenant in the United States Army, in 1916. She kept house and served as hostess for military officers as they moved between various postings in the United States, Panama, the Philippines, and France. Their relationship was complicated by his regular absences on duty and by the death of their firstborn son at the age of three. She became a prominent figure during World War II as General Eisenhower's wife.

As first lady, Eisenhower was given near total control over the expenses and scheduling of the White House. She closely managed the staff, and her frugality was apparent in White House budgeting throughout her tenure. She entertained many foreign heads of state in her role as hostess. She showed little interest in politics and was rarely involved in political discussion, though she did support soldiers' welfare and civil rights causes. She had poor balance due to Ménière's disease, giving rise to rumors of alcoholism. She was a popular first lady, and recognized as a fashion icon, known for her iconic bangs and frequent use of the color pink. The Eisenhowers were married for 52 years, until Dwight's death in 1969. She spent most of her retirement and widowhood at the family farm in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, before returning to Washington in her final years, where she died in 1979. Eisenhower was the last First Lady born in the 19th century.

Here is the Relative Finder chart showing my relationship to Mamie Geneva (Doud) Eisenhower:


My most recent common ancestor with 8th cousin 1x removed Mamie Geneva (Doud) Eisenhower are my 8th great-grandparents Samuel Carpenter (1638-1683) and Sarah Redaway (1644-1717).

Are you related to Mamie Geneva (Doud) Eisenhower?  Check out her profile on the FamilySearch Family Tree and click the "View Relationship" link at the top of the page.  Note that you have to have your profile connected to the FamilySearch Family Tree in order for this to work.

This shows that you never know to whom you might be related!!!  I'm having lots of Genealogy Fun.  Click here to see all of my famous cousins.

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


Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

Subscribe to receive a free daily email from Genea-Musings using www.Blogtrottr.com.
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , ,

Treasure Chest Thursday -- 1787 Land Warrant Application for Philip Jacob King of Manchester, York County, Pennsylvania

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

The treasure today is the 1787 land warrant application of Philip Jacob King in Manchester, York County, Pennsylvania:
The transcription of the information on this record is (handwritten text in italics):

THE Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, ss.

WHEREAS Philip Jacob King of the County of 
York hath requested to take up Fifty Acres of Land, 
including an Improvement adjoining George Wolf, Casper Knaub, Gust 
Herbaugh and other land of said King in Manchester Township

in the County of York (PROVIDED the Land is not within the last Purchase 
made of the Indians) for which he agrees to pay, immediately, into the Office of the Receiver General, for 
the use of this State, at the rate of Ten Pounds per Hundred Acres, in Gold, Silver, Paper Money of this 
State, or Certificates; agreeable to an Act of Assembly, passed the first day of April, 1784: Interest to com-
mence from the first day of March, 1765.  THESE are, therefore, to authorize and require 
you to survey, or cause to be surveyed, unto the said Philip Jacob King, at the 
place aforesaid, according to the method of Townships appointed, the said quantity of Acres, if not already sur-
veyed, or appropriated, and to make return thereof into the Secretary’s Office, in order for confirmation; for 
which this shall be your Warrant.

IN WITNESS whereof His Excellency Benjamin Franklin, Esq'r, President of the 
Supreme Executive Council, hath hereunto set his Hand, and caused the less Seal of the said Commonwealth to 
be affixed, the tenth day of April in the year 1787.

To John Lukens, Esquire, 
Surveyor General.

[Signed] B. Franklin

The source citation for this land warrant application is:

"Pennsylvania, Land Warrants and Applications, 1733-1952," online database and digital images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2350/records/140969 : accessed 19 February 2025), Philip Jacob King warrant application, 10 April 1787;  Original data: Warrant Applications, 1733-1952. Harrisburg, PA: Pennsylvania State Archives.

This is an Original Source record (because it is a form with handwritten information and a signature with Primary Information and Direct Evidence of the land warrant with the name of the grantee, the date of request, location of the land, acreage, cost and date of order to survey the land of Philip Jacob King  in Manchester, York County, Pennsylvania.  Apparently, this made him the legal owner of the 50 acres of land that he settled on in 1765.

Philip Jacob Konig (1738-1792) was born 15 February 1738 in Niederhorbach, Rheinland-Pfalz, the son of Johann Nicolaus Konig and Maria Margaretha Stuber.  He died before 25 February 1792 in Manchester, York, Pennsylvania when his estate was probated.  He married (1) Maria Barbara Wilhelm (1740-1779) on 1 April 1763 in Lancaster, Lancaster, Pennsylvania Colony, and they had seven children.  He married Maria Catherina Ziegler (1749-1826) in about 1779, and they had three children.

Philip Jacob Konig and Maria Barbara Wilhelm are my 5th great-grandparents, through their son Philip Jacob Konig (1764-1829) who married Catherine Ruth (1770-1813) in 1789.

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

Disclosure:  I have a paid All-Access subscription to Ancestry.com now.  Ancestry.com has provided a complimentary subscription and material considerations for travel expenses to meetings, and has hosted events and meals that I have attended in Salt Lake City, in past years.


Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on X, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  All comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately after posting.

Subscribe to receive a free daily email from Genea-Musings using www.Blogtrottr.com.
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , ,

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Genealogy Education Bytes - Week of 13 to 19 February 2025

 Welcome to Genealogy Education Bytes, posted on Wednesday afternoon for the past week, where we try to highlight some of the most important genealogy and family history education items that came across my desktop since the last issue.


1) Upcoming Conferences and  Institutes 

* Conference Keeper Calendar - has many links to register for  and/or view conferences and institutes

*  RootsTech 2025 (Free/$$) - 6 to 8 March 2025 - Virtual (Free) and In-Person ($$) (Salt Lake City, Utah)

*  Australasian Conference 2025 - Connections: Past, Present, Future ($$) - 21 to 24 March 2025 - In-Person (Brisbane, Australia)

*  i4GG 2025 Conference ($$) - 28 to 30 March 2025 - In-Person (San Diego, calif.) and Online Streaming.

*   OGS 2025 Conference "Light Up Your Genealogy" ($$) - 30 April to 3 May 2025 - In-Person (Sandusky, Ohio)

*  NGS 2025 Family History Conference "Tales & Trails" ($$) - 23 to 25 May 2025 - In-Person (Louisville, Ky.)

2 ) Upcoming Seminars, Webinars and Online Classes (times are US Pacific):

* Conference Keeper Calendar - has many links to register for and/or view webinars and classes.

*  FamilySearch Library Classes and Webinars (Free)

*  GenWebinars ($$)

*  Houston Genealogical Forum (HGF) Artificial Intelligence Seminar ($$) -- Saturday, 1 March, 10 a.m. CST.  In-Person or Online -- speaker is Blaine Bettinger.


*  Family Tree Webinars (free for a week) - Friday, 21 February, 9 a.m.:  Research Your Roots in Alsace Lorraine by Gail Blankenau

*  Family Tree Webinars (free for a week) - Friday, 21 February, 11 a.m.:  Soldiers, Squatters and Settlers by Christine Woodcock

*  Family Tree Webinars (free for a week) - Tuesday, 25 February, 11 a.m.:  Enhance your family tree accuracy with MyHeritage’s Timeline and Consistency Checker by James Tanner.

*  Family Tree Webinars (free for a week) - Wednesday, 26 February, 11 a.m.:  Shootout at the Rhododendron Lodge: Reconstructing Life-Changing Events by Judy G. Russell

*  Family Tree Webinars (free for a week) - Friday, 28 February, 9 a.m.:  From Spit to Screen: The Journey of Your DNA Sample by Paul Woodbury.

*  Family Tree Webinars (free for a week) - Friday, 28 February, 11 a.m.:  Streamlining Genealogical Research Plans with AI: A Step-by-Step Guide by Diana Elder.

3) Recent Podcasts:


 
*  Genealogy Happy Hour:  Census and Sensibility



4) Recent YouTube Videos:

*  Aimee Cross - Genealogy Hints:  Hidden Records at Family Search



*  BYU Library Family History:  

*  Carole McCullough Geneablogger:  Tech Tip 9 Exploring Google docs with ChatGPT and Claude
*  Carole McCullough Geneablogger:  Tech Tip 10: Implementing special features of Perplexity



*  Crista Cowan | The Barefoot Genealogist:  13 or more Stories That Live In Us videos

*  DearMYRTLE's Archive:  Mondays with Myrt - 17 February 2025



*  Family History on the AI Fast Track:  10 AI Uses Every Genealogist Should Know


*  FamilySearch:  Who I Am | Official Music Video 
*  FamilySearch:   Fall in Love with RootsTech 2025



*  GeneaVlogger:  Building YOUR Family Tree!


*   Int'l Institute of Genealogical Studies:  The Secret to Building an Immigration Research Plan
*  Int'l Institute of Genealogical Studies:  Methodology Feb 2025

*  Legacy Carvers:  The Case of the Empty Homestead

*  Lisa Louise Cooke's Genealogy Gems:  AI & Genealogy: Revolutionizing Research or Risking Privacy?

*  Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective:  How to Download Your Images from MemoryWeb me
*  Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective:  Viewing Metadata with Vivid-Pix Restore
*  Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective:  Reading Metadata with Flickr

*  MyHeritage:  Introducing Ancient Origins





5) Did you miss the last post in this series - Genealogy Education Bytes -  6 to 12 February 2025?   Read past Genealogy Education Bytes here.

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

NOTE:  If  I missed something important in this time period, please let me know in a comment or an email. 

Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share your comment on X, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at   randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Note that all comments are moderated and may not appear immediately. 

Subscribe to receive a free daily email from Genea-Musings using www.Blogtrottr.com.
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , ,

MyHeritage Introduces Ancient Origins: Advanced DNA Analysis That Traces Origins Back 10,000 Years

 I received this information from Daniel Horowitz of MyHeritage today:

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

I am super excited to share that MyHeritage has just launched a major and groundbreaking new DNA product: Ancient Origins, a feature that complements our DNA ethnicity reports and traces your origins up to 10,000 years into the past. Ancient Origins allows MyHeritage DNA customers to discover the ancient populations they descend from, such as Imperial Romans, Norse Vikings, Phoenicians, and Ancient Egyptians. MyHeritage is currently the only major genealogy service to offer such high-resolution ancient DNA ethnicity analysis.



Ancient Origins is the result of a new partnership between MyHeritage and Illustrative DNA, a startup company that is at the forefront of ancient ethnicity analysis. It compares an individual’s DNA to ancient DNA samples and populations from the Neolithic Period through the late Middle Ages, providing greater depth to the understanding of one’s ethnic makeup.

This is a rich feature that offers many different kinds of reports, including breakdowns from several different historical periods. See, for example, my Ancient Origins results from the Bronze Age:



We have also created a cool video:


I invite you to check out your own results and read more about Ancient Origins on our blog. 

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

Disclosure: I receive a complimentary subscription to MyHeritage, and have received other material consideration in past years. I uploaded my autosomal DNA raw data to their DNA product. This does not affect my objective analysis of MyHeritage products. I am a paid subscriber to Family Tree Webinars and love it.

The URL for this post is: https://www.geneamusings.com/2025/02/myheritage-introduces-ancient-origins.html

Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share it on X, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Note that all comments are moderated, so they may not appear immediately.

Subscribe to receive a free daily email from Genea-Musings using www.Blogtrottr.com.

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , ,

Abbey Ardelle "Della" Smith (1862-1944) in About 1885 -- (Not So) Wordless Wednesday #858

 This is one of the most interesting family photographs I have:

This is a tintype photograph in a paper folder of my great-grandmother, Abbey Ardelle "Della" (Smith) Carringer (1862-1944).  

I don't know the date of this photograph, but Della looks like she is in her early 20s.  I think the photograph was taken in Concordia, Kansas, which her family left in 1885.  So it may be a photograph from 1885 when she was 23 years old. 

ChatGPT4 dated the photograph as 1885 to 1890 based on the clothing and hairstyle.  Here is that analysis:

This is a tintype photograph of Della Smith (1862–1944). Based on the fashion details and photographic format, I estimate the photo was taken in the mid-to-late 1880s. Here’s why:

  1. Clothing Style:

    • The high-collared, dark dress with puffed sleeves suggests a fashion style from the mid-to-late 1880s. This was a period when structured, tailored bodices and elaborate hats were popular.
    • The fitted bodice and slight puff at the shoulders indicate the transition toward the exaggerated sleeve styles of the 1890s.

  2. Hairstyle and Hat:

    • The elaborate hat with decorative elements (possibly feathers or ribbon) matches styles worn in the 1880s.
    • Her hair is neatly pulled back, which was common for women of that era.

  3. Photographic Format:

    • Tintypes were widely used from the 1850s through the early 20th century, but they were most common in the 1860s–1880s.
    • The red mat framing the image suggests it was from the later period when decorative mounts became more stylish.

This photograph is a part of my family history.  

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


Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.    I moderate all comments and they may not appear immediately - please write only one comment.

Subscribe to receive a free daily email from Genea-Musings using www.Blogtrottr.com.

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Genealogy News Bytes - Week of 12 to 18 February 2025

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


1)  Genealogy and Family History News Articles:









2)  DNA-Related News Articles



4)  Genealogy Software/App News


5)  New or Updated Genealogy Digital Record Collections:







6)  Did you miss the last post in this series?  See Genealogy News Bytes - 5 to 11 February 2025.

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


Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

Subscribe to receive a free daily email from Genea-Musings using www.Blogtrottr.com. 

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)