We had our special 5th Saturday program today, with 30 in attendance. After my welcome and a short summary of the upcoming CVGS programs and events for the next two months, Connie introduced our speaker - Alan Jones on "The Magic of Rootsweb."
Alan used a Powerpoint presentation, consisting mainly of screen captures, to lead us through the many web pages, search engines, databases and other features on the www.rootsweb.com site. He effectively highlighted the features he wanted to discuss with arrows and text boxes with big letters inside.
He covered the following Rootsweb features in considerable detail:
1) Mailing Lists - how to find a surname, locality or topic list (he recommended using the index list), subscribe to it, post on it, and find the list archives, with examples of success stories from his own research.
2) Message Boards - how to find a surname, locality or topic board, access it and post to it, with success stories from his own research.
3) WorldConnect database - how to access it, how to search for people (he recommended not using too much information unless it is a common name), and how to move around on the results pages. He talked about how to contact the contributor, see all of the names in the database using the Index link, how to download the GEDCOM database, and how to add a Post-em note.
4) Social Security Death Index - how to access it, search for people on the index using Advanced Search, how to make a Post-em note and how to download a pre-written letter to send to the Social Security Administration in order to get the SS-5 application.
5) UK Free BMD Index - what it is, how to access it, how to search with it, and how to use it to see the actual entry in the index.
6) The US Town/County Search - what it is, how to use it, how to search with it, and how to find information on Rootsweb concerning that county (click on the highlighted county name on the results list).
7) Web Pages at Rootsweb - there are many surname sites, locality sites, genealogy society sites, transcription sites, etc. at Rootsweb.
Needless to say, this was a quick tour through only some of the free information, contributed by researchers, available on the Rootsweb site. The 75 minutes went by real fast! Alan has a friendly style and uses some humor and research examples in his presentations.
Many attendees thought that this was one of the best presentations we have had - and it opened a lot of eyes as to what the Rootsweb team has been doing over the last 15 years!
Thank you, Alan, for a wonderful talk! We treated Alan to lunch with 6 CVGS leaders, and had a fun time discussing societies, internet genealogy, family stories and the like.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
New England Ancestors magazine - Summer 2007
The Summer 2007 issue (Volume 8, number 3) of the New England Ancestors genealogy magazine, published by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, came yesterday in the mail.
This issue has the following feature articles:
* A Guide to Genealogical Research in Vermont, by Scott Andrew Bartley, page 19
* Vermont and Beyond: A Kendall Family Migration Story, by Lynn Betlock, page 26
* Popham Colony: The First English Colony in New England, by Dr. Jeffrey Phipps Brain, page 31
* Samuel Morse, Great Migration Immigrant, by Robert Charles Anderson, FASG, page 34
* "An Awful and Tragic Scene:" The Independence Day Accident at Fort Constitution in New Hampshire, by Christopher Benedetto, page 37
* Writing a Family Sketch in Register Style, by Helen Schatvet Ullmann, CG, FASG, page 41
* New England African-American Resources: A Bibliography, by Kenyatta D. Berry, page 43.
There are also NEHGS news items, six regular columns, a list of books in progress and published, and a list of DNA studies in progress.
Even though I have a very rich southern New England ancestry of farmers, shoemakers, blacksmiths, soldiers and housewives, I rarely find anything about my ancestral families in this magazine. This issue was different - the sketch of Joseph Morse (which is in the latest volume of The Great Migration book) is for one of my immigrant ancestors.
I also appreciated the articles about Vermont research, the story about the Popham Colony in Maine in 1607, and the Ullmann article about Register style.
For me, the NEHGS subscription is a great bargain. I get the quarterly New England Ancestors magazine, the quarterly New England Historical and Genealogical Register, and access to the NEHGS web site at http://www.newenglandancestors.org/. There are many databases at the web site behind the subscription firewall - including Mass VRs to 1850s, Mass VRs 1841 to 1910, the America's Historical Newspapers, and many more. Some public libraries have an in-library subscription to the web site (in San Diego county, Carlsbad Library does).
If these articles interest you, you might check your local public library and see if current or back issues of this magazine are on the shelves.
This issue has the following feature articles:
* A Guide to Genealogical Research in Vermont, by Scott Andrew Bartley, page 19
* Vermont and Beyond: A Kendall Family Migration Story, by Lynn Betlock, page 26
* Popham Colony: The First English Colony in New England, by Dr. Jeffrey Phipps Brain, page 31
* Samuel Morse, Great Migration Immigrant, by Robert Charles Anderson, FASG, page 34
* "An Awful and Tragic Scene:" The Independence Day Accident at Fort Constitution in New Hampshire, by Christopher Benedetto, page 37
* Writing a Family Sketch in Register Style, by Helen Schatvet Ullmann, CG, FASG, page 41
* New England African-American Resources: A Bibliography, by Kenyatta D. Berry, page 43.
There are also NEHGS news items, six regular columns, a list of books in progress and published, and a list of DNA studies in progress.
Even though I have a very rich southern New England ancestry of farmers, shoemakers, blacksmiths, soldiers and housewives, I rarely find anything about my ancestral families in this magazine. This issue was different - the sketch of Joseph Morse (which is in the latest volume of The Great Migration book) is for one of my immigrant ancestors.
I also appreciated the articles about Vermont research, the story about the Popham Colony in Maine in 1607, and the Ullmann article about Register style.
For me, the NEHGS subscription is a great bargain. I get the quarterly New England Ancestors magazine, the quarterly New England Historical and Genealogical Register, and access to the NEHGS web site at http://www.newenglandancestors.org/. There are many databases at the web site behind the subscription firewall - including Mass VRs to 1850s, Mass VRs 1841 to 1910, the America's Historical Newspapers, and many more. Some public libraries have an in-library subscription to the web site (in San Diego county, Carlsbad Library does).
If these articles interest you, you might check your local public library and see if current or back issues of this magazine are on the shelves.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Transcribing records - my new way
Perhaps I am late in discovering this (I won't be surprised by how many will tell me that I am) "new" method to transcribe records that are in digital image form.
I described in my "Back to the FHC" post yesterday the Rhode Island probate records that I brought home yesterday on my flash drive from the FHC - 38 pages of really dark handwritten text. I knew they would be difficult to decipher and transcribe, and I dreaded the task. Last night, I worked a bit with one of my Photo Editing programs and found that I could lighten the images and improve the contrast significantly, and I "operated" on all of the images.
Then I got to thinking about how I could make the transcribing task easier on the eyes and take less time. Here is what I came up with:
My previous method of transcribing documents into the Notes section of my genealogy program (whether from a digital image or from a xerox copy) was to:
1) Obtain a digital image of the document page.
2) Print it out on my printer in 8.5 x 11 size, and put it on my desk pullout tray
3) Open my genealogy software program to the person for whom I will transcribe the document into the Notes. Open up the Notes section.
4) Decipher the words on the printed page (often using a magnifying glass)
5) Type the words or phrases into the Notes section
6) Double check that I haven't skipped or duplicated the words or phrases - this required constantly moving my eyes and head from the paper to the screen and back. I usually cannot reliably remember more than 5 to 8 words at a time.
7) When done with one page, go to the next printed page.
8) Save the Notes in the genealogy program.
My "new" way to transcribe documents into the Notes section of my genealogy software program, from a digital image, is to:
1) Obtain a digital image of the document page
2) Using a Photo program (I used the Microsoft Digital Image Editor that came with Windows XP), adjust the brightness and contrast levels to make the document as readable as possible. Save the adjusted digital image.
3) Open my genealogy software program to the person for whom I will transcribe the document into the Notes. Open up the Notes section.
4) Scale down the screen window with the Genealogy and Notes to the top half of the screen.
5) Open the digital image in a Photo program (I used the Windows Photo and Fax Viewer that came with Windows XP) and magnify it to a comfortable reading level.
6) Scale down the screen window of the Digital Image to the bottom half of the computer screen so that the text you want to transcribe is visible below the window with the Genealogy and Notes.
7) Transcribe the information from the digital image to the Notes. This entails only an up-or-down eye movement. The image is much easier to read since it is magnified.
8) Adjust the digital image up or down (using the vertical scroll bars) to get to the next bit of text to be transcribed.
9) When done with one page, move to the next in the Photo program, magnify as required, adjust for text viewing, and continue transcribing.
10) Save the transcribed Notes in your Genealogy program.
Here is a screen image of my computer screen using this "new" method. (You can make a screen image by pressing the Ctrl key and the Print Screen key simultaneously, then pasting the image into a photo or other program.)
I described in my "Back to the FHC" post yesterday the Rhode Island probate records that I brought home yesterday on my flash drive from the FHC - 38 pages of really dark handwritten text. I knew they would be difficult to decipher and transcribe, and I dreaded the task. Last night, I worked a bit with one of my Photo Editing programs and found that I could lighten the images and improve the contrast significantly, and I "operated" on all of the images.
Then I got to thinking about how I could make the transcribing task easier on the eyes and take less time. Here is what I came up with:
My previous method of transcribing documents into the Notes section of my genealogy program (whether from a digital image or from a xerox copy) was to:
1) Obtain a digital image of the document page.
2) Print it out on my printer in 8.5 x 11 size, and put it on my desk pullout tray
3) Open my genealogy software program to the person for whom I will transcribe the document into the Notes. Open up the Notes section.
4) Decipher the words on the printed page (often using a magnifying glass)
5) Type the words or phrases into the Notes section
6) Double check that I haven't skipped or duplicated the words or phrases - this required constantly moving my eyes and head from the paper to the screen and back. I usually cannot reliably remember more than 5 to 8 words at a time.
7) When done with one page, go to the next printed page.
8) Save the Notes in the genealogy program.
My "new" way to transcribe documents into the Notes section of my genealogy software program, from a digital image, is to:
1) Obtain a digital image of the document page
2) Using a Photo program (I used the Microsoft Digital Image Editor that came with Windows XP), adjust the brightness and contrast levels to make the document as readable as possible. Save the adjusted digital image.
3) Open my genealogy software program to the person for whom I will transcribe the document into the Notes. Open up the Notes section.
4) Scale down the screen window with the Genealogy and Notes to the top half of the screen.
5) Open the digital image in a Photo program (I used the Windows Photo and Fax Viewer that came with Windows XP) and magnify it to a comfortable reading level.
6) Scale down the screen window of the Digital Image to the bottom half of the computer screen so that the text you want to transcribe is visible below the window with the Genealogy and Notes.
7) Transcribe the information from the digital image to the Notes. This entails only an up-or-down eye movement. The image is much easier to read since it is magnified.
8) Adjust the digital image up or down (using the vertical scroll bars) to get to the next bit of text to be transcribed.
9) When done with one page, move to the next in the Photo program, magnify as required, adjust for text viewing, and continue transcribing.
10) Save the transcribed Notes in your Genealogy program.
Here is a screen image of my computer screen using this "new" method. (You can make a screen image by pressing the Ctrl key and the Print Screen key simultaneously, then pasting the image into a photo or other program.)
I won't upload the image of this probate record page as I took it off the microfilm scanner. The above image is much brighter with much more contrast than the initial image I came home with - it was almost dark all over.
.
I used this method for about 2 hours this morning to work through three pages of the will of Nathaniel Horton. Using my previous method, I would have done the same work in twice the time.
.
Another benefit of using my "new" method is that I don't have to print out the pages and use up my inkjet cartridge contents and paper supply. I printed 38 pages yesterday that were very difficult to read before I used the photo program to brighten the pages. I learn by doing it wrong, it seems!
.
Another case where this method can be used is in transcribing newspaper articles on web sites that show images (e.g., NewspaperArchives, NewsBank, etc).
.
Obviously, you can cut and paste from word processing documents, PDF files and web pages right into the Notes section of a genealogy software program, and then edit the text as required.
.
OK, is this new or helpful to anyone? Anybody have other "efficiency" tips for doing things like this with document images?
Who is George W. Seaver?
Betty on the GENMASSACHUSETTS mailing list mentioned an article from The Lowell (MA) Sun newspaper dated 19 June 2007, titled "A Very Grave Mystery."
The article describes how children found a gravestone in the yard of their home, which had the inscription "George W. Seaver, Died May 6, 1871, Aged 29 Years" and had a Masonic emblem. The writer did some good research and found that George was a civil War veteran, was actually buried in a Lowell cemetery with his wife and parents and has a gravestone there. They even found an 1870 census entry for his father, William Seaver.
My own records show:
George W. Seaver was born 8 May 1842 in Lowell, Middlesex County, MA, the eldest son of William and Sophia (Warner) Seaver.
George appears in the 1850 and 1860 US Census records with his parents in Lowell, Massachusetts.
George W. Seaver, a fireman residing in Lowell, Massachusetts, enlisted in the Union Army on 21 May 1861 at the age of 19. He was in the 7th Regiment, Independent Battery of the Massachusetts Light Artillery. He received a disability discharge on 6 November 1862 in Suffolk, Virginia. He was promoted to full Corporal (American Civil War Soldiers Database, accessed on www.ancestry.com).
The unit he served with was organized at Lowell as Richardson's Light Guard, an Independent Infantry Company and mustered in May 21, 1861. The unit left the State for Fortress Monroe, Va., May 22, and garrison duty there as Infantry till December 25, 1861. Detached on Light Artillery duty December 25, 1861, and duty at Fort Monroe till May, 1862. Designated 7th Massachusetts Battery March 17, 1862. During his service, the unit participated in the occupation of Norfolk and Portsmouth, Va., May 10, 1862; Duty at Fort Monroe May 13 to June 19, and at Newport News, Va., till July 25; Moved to Yorktown, Va., and duty there till September 29; Moved to Suffolk September 29-October 2, and duty there till June, 1863 (information from The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System at http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/soldiers.cfm)
George W. Seaver (resident of Lowell, age 27, a mechanic, born in MA, parents William and Sophia, 1st marriage) married Nancy J. Dame (resident of Lowell, age 26, born MA, daughter of Dan'l B. and Betsey, first marriage) married in Lowell MA on 4 December 1869 (MA VR 218.220, available on NEHGS www.newenglandancestors.org)
In the 1870 US census, the George W. Seaver family resided in Lowell, Middlesex County, MA. The household included George W.Seaver (age 28, clerk in store, born MA, male citizen over age 21) and Nancy J. Seaver (age 27, no occupation, born MA). They lived in the home of James and Sarah Richardson (1870 US Census, Massachusetts, Middlesex County, Lowell Ward 4, Family #455, Lines 5-6, Page 75 (top left), 134 (stamped), on National Archives Microfilm Series M593, Roll 628, Page 134, Image 268, accessed on www.ancestry.com).
George W. Seaver died 6 May 1871 in Lowell MA. He was 29y 1m 28d old, born in Mass., parents William (b. NH) and Sophia E. (n. MA), married, died of "veraloid" (MA VR 239.165, available on NEHGS www.newenglandancestors.org). A search at www.antiquusmorbus.com for "veraloid" did not find any definition of this cause of death.
The administration of the estate of George W. Seaver of Lowell MA, filed in 1871, is in File #9843(Middlesex County, Massachusetts Probate Index, 1871-1909 (Part A-K), accessed on www.ancestry.com).
George and Nancy had no children - poor George died soon after their marriage. Nancy J. (Dame) Seaver (resident of Lowell, age 50, born Lowell, parents Daniel B. and Elizabeth Dame, second marriage) married, secondly, to Nathan J. Marshall (resident of Boston, age 53, real estate, born Merrimack NH, parents Joseph and Lucy, second marriage) on 27 July 1893 in Lowell MA (MA VR 434.211, accessed on NEHGS site www.newenglandancestors.org).
The article describes how children found a gravestone in the yard of their home, which had the inscription "George W. Seaver, Died May 6, 1871, Aged 29 Years" and had a Masonic emblem. The writer did some good research and found that George was a civil War veteran, was actually buried in a Lowell cemetery with his wife and parents and has a gravestone there. They even found an 1870 census entry for his father, William Seaver.
My own records show:
George W. Seaver was born 8 May 1842 in Lowell, Middlesex County, MA, the eldest son of William and Sophia (Warner) Seaver.
George appears in the 1850 and 1860 US Census records with his parents in Lowell, Massachusetts.
George W. Seaver, a fireman residing in Lowell, Massachusetts, enlisted in the Union Army on 21 May 1861 at the age of 19. He was in the 7th Regiment, Independent Battery of the Massachusetts Light Artillery. He received a disability discharge on 6 November 1862 in Suffolk, Virginia. He was promoted to full Corporal (American Civil War Soldiers Database, accessed on www.ancestry.com).
The unit he served with was organized at Lowell as Richardson's Light Guard, an Independent Infantry Company and mustered in May 21, 1861. The unit left the State for Fortress Monroe, Va., May 22, and garrison duty there as Infantry till December 25, 1861. Detached on Light Artillery duty December 25, 1861, and duty at Fort Monroe till May, 1862. Designated 7th Massachusetts Battery March 17, 1862. During his service, the unit participated in the occupation of Norfolk and Portsmouth, Va., May 10, 1862; Duty at Fort Monroe May 13 to June 19, and at Newport News, Va., till July 25; Moved to Yorktown, Va., and duty there till September 29; Moved to Suffolk September 29-October 2, and duty there till June, 1863 (information from The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System at http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/soldiers.cfm)
George W. Seaver (resident of Lowell, age 27, a mechanic, born in MA, parents William and Sophia, 1st marriage) married Nancy J. Dame (resident of Lowell, age 26, born MA, daughter of Dan'l B. and Betsey, first marriage) married in Lowell MA on 4 December 1869 (MA VR 218.220, available on NEHGS www.newenglandancestors.org)
In the 1870 US census, the George W. Seaver family resided in Lowell, Middlesex County, MA. The household included George W.Seaver (age 28, clerk in store, born MA, male citizen over age 21) and Nancy J. Seaver (age 27, no occupation, born MA). They lived in the home of James and Sarah Richardson (1870 US Census, Massachusetts, Middlesex County, Lowell Ward 4, Family #455, Lines 5-6, Page 75 (top left), 134 (stamped), on National Archives Microfilm Series M593, Roll 628, Page 134, Image 268, accessed on www.ancestry.com).
George W. Seaver died 6 May 1871 in Lowell MA. He was 29y 1m 28d old, born in Mass., parents William (b. NH) and Sophia E. (n. MA), married, died of "veraloid" (MA VR 239.165, available on NEHGS www.newenglandancestors.org). A search at www.antiquusmorbus.com for "veraloid" did not find any definition of this cause of death.
The administration of the estate of George W. Seaver of Lowell MA, filed in 1871, is in File #9843(Middlesex County, Massachusetts Probate Index, 1871-1909 (Part A-K), accessed on www.ancestry.com).
George and Nancy had no children - poor George died soon after their marriage. Nancy J. (Dame) Seaver (resident of Lowell, age 50, born Lowell, parents Daniel B. and Elizabeth Dame, second marriage) married, secondly, to Nathan J. Marshall (resident of Boston, age 53, real estate, born Merrimack NH, parents Joseph and Lucy, second marriage) on 27 July 1893 in Lowell MA (MA VR 434.211, accessed on NEHGS site www.newenglandancestors.org).
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Footnote.com Launches Original RevWar Documents
DearMYRTLE provided the press release from www.Footnote.com concerning the launch of selected records from the Revolutionary War period. The press release notes:
"As part of the launch, Footnote.com is making a significant portion of their millions of original Revolutionary War documents available for free from today until the end of July. Included in these records are secret journals, intercepted letters from the British military and letters written by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and other founding fathers. Click here to see samples of these Revolutionary War documents."
I read that, and jumped to conclusions. Then I went to the site and tried to access some Revolutionary War Pension files and it says I need to sign up for the premium content. I am not a premium member -- yet! I'm thinking about it.
Apparently, they have selected the documents that are freely available.
They are offering a FREE 7-day trial with access to all of www.Footnote.com content - at http://www.footnote.com/freetrial.php. If you can't wait to see what they have available, go for it!
"As part of the launch, Footnote.com is making a significant portion of their millions of original Revolutionary War documents available for free from today until the end of July. Included in these records are secret journals, intercepted letters from the British military and letters written by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and other founding fathers. Click here to see samples of these Revolutionary War documents."
I read that, and jumped to conclusions. Then I went to the site and tried to access some Revolutionary War Pension files and it says I need to sign up for the premium content. I am not a premium member -- yet! I'm thinking about it.
Apparently, they have selected the documents that are freely available.
They are offering a FREE 7-day trial with access to all of www.Footnote.com content - at http://www.footnote.com/freetrial.php. If you can't wait to see what they have available, go for it!
Memories of 1950's Hungary
One of the wonderful outcomes of tagging games like the Thinking Blog meme is that I usually find some great blogs with wonderful, touching and informative posts to read and add to my Bloglines list.
Such is the case with one of the blogs tagged by Steve Danko - "How to Survive Suburban Life" at http://suburbanlife.wordpress.com/.
While this Canadian grandmother often posts about her current life, the real story gems, for me anyway, are the memories from her childhood in Hungary (before, during and after the 1956 uprising) and the ensuing emigration to Canada.
Her stated purpose for doing this is so that she can pass these memories on to her granddaughter. The girl will be very lucky to have them.
The stories she tells give the reader the "you are there" feeling. They are vignettes of only one day, or even part of a day. I love the memory posts.
Please go read her posts, and comment on them! There is so much on the Internet that it is difficult to keep up with it. Thanks to Steve for the initial link!
Such is the case with one of the blogs tagged by Steve Danko - "How to Survive Suburban Life" at http://suburbanlife.wordpress.com/.
While this Canadian grandmother often posts about her current life, the real story gems, for me anyway, are the memories from her childhood in Hungary (before, during and after the 1956 uprising) and the ensuing emigration to Canada.
Her stated purpose for doing this is so that she can pass these memories on to her granddaughter. The girl will be very lucky to have them.
The stories she tells give the reader the "you are there" feeling. They are vignettes of only one day, or even part of a day. I love the memory posts.
Please go read her posts, and comment on them! There is so much on the Internet that it is difficult to keep up with it. Thanks to Steve for the initial link!
Back at the FHC
The friendly folks at the FHC called the other day to tell me that the two films I ordered on June 9th had arrived and would be there until August 4th. Since they will be closed next week, I figured I had better go down today.
I did check to see if the links to the partners of FamilySearch (Footnote, WorldVitalRecords, KindredKonnections, Godfrey Library, HeritageQuestOnline, and the National Archives) were working yet. The links to HQO and the NA work, but the others do not. Why am I so impatient? - it's been 3 weeks!
The two microfilms were probate records of Scituate RI and Foster RI. I had identified two ancestors that had these records in those towns, so I searched them out. Thank God for indexes - even handwritten ones - they saved me a lot of time trying to read terrible handwriting on very dark pages. I managed to collect records for:
1) Nathaniel Horton - who died in 1819 in Foster RI - there is a will, a codicil to the will, an inventory, three additions to the inventory, the executor's account, and the distribution to the heirs. These records prove that Phebe Wade, the wife of Simon Wade, was the daughter of Nathaniel Horton.
2) Richard Pray - who died in 1755 in Scituate RI - there is a will and an inventory. This record names daughter Sarah Pray, who married Nathaniel Horton in 1756. Unfortunately, she married after her father made his will. There was also a town notice accepting Rachel Pray and her children as inhabitants in 1741.
3) Nathaniel Wade - who died in 1754 in Scituate RI (my list of probates did not show him in Scituate, but in Glocester RI). There is a will and inventory for him, which names his wife Ruth and all his children, including his first son, Simon Wade, who married Deborah Tracy.
So I got a bit more than I bargained for! Serendipity is a good thing!
The background color on the images (captured from microfilm) are so dark that it is difficult to read the writing. When I printed some of them out, my color inkjet cartridge ran out of ink, and actually put a pink background on some pages ... and that made the writing clearer! I'm going to experiment with one of my photo programs and see if I can put a yellow background on these images.
The other thing I'm going to experiment with when I transcribe the records is to put the magnified image of the page in a background window on my computer screen and type into the word processor in a smaller foreground window above the page image. I think this will work fine!
I need to finish transcribing the probate records I have before I go collect more from other FHL microfilms. That is not nearly as much fun as blogging, commenting on magazine articles, or even working on the FTM class syllabus.
I did check to see if the links to the partners of FamilySearch (Footnote, WorldVitalRecords, KindredKonnections, Godfrey Library, HeritageQuestOnline, and the National Archives) were working yet. The links to HQO and the NA work, but the others do not. Why am I so impatient? - it's been 3 weeks!
The two microfilms were probate records of Scituate RI and Foster RI. I had identified two ancestors that had these records in those towns, so I searched them out. Thank God for indexes - even handwritten ones - they saved me a lot of time trying to read terrible handwriting on very dark pages. I managed to collect records for:
1) Nathaniel Horton - who died in 1819 in Foster RI - there is a will, a codicil to the will, an inventory, three additions to the inventory, the executor's account, and the distribution to the heirs. These records prove that Phebe Wade, the wife of Simon Wade, was the daughter of Nathaniel Horton.
2) Richard Pray - who died in 1755 in Scituate RI - there is a will and an inventory. This record names daughter Sarah Pray, who married Nathaniel Horton in 1756. Unfortunately, she married after her father made his will. There was also a town notice accepting Rachel Pray and her children as inhabitants in 1741.
3) Nathaniel Wade - who died in 1754 in Scituate RI (my list of probates did not show him in Scituate, but in Glocester RI). There is a will and inventory for him, which names his wife Ruth and all his children, including his first son, Simon Wade, who married Deborah Tracy.
So I got a bit more than I bargained for! Serendipity is a good thing!
The background color on the images (captured from microfilm) are so dark that it is difficult to read the writing. When I printed some of them out, my color inkjet cartridge ran out of ink, and actually put a pink background on some pages ... and that made the writing clearer! I'm going to experiment with one of my photo programs and see if I can put a yellow background on these images.
The other thing I'm going to experiment with when I transcribe the records is to put the magnified image of the page in a background window on my computer screen and type into the word processor in a smaller foreground window above the page image. I think this will work fine!
I need to finish transcribing the probate records I have before I go collect more from other FHL microfilms. That is not nearly as much fun as blogging, commenting on magazine articles, or even working on the FTM class syllabus.
Ray Gurganus' Genealogy Program
There is an ongoing discussion on the EmergingTech mailing list about the "Our Family Tree" genealogy web site at http://www.gurganus.org/ourfamily/login.cfm.
Ray Gurganus is a web site and database developer who has created his own collaborative genealogy database program, which is similar in functionality to The Next Generation of Genealogy Software, PhpGedView and PedigreeSoft. He describes it as:
"I have put up, and am constantly developing, a collaborative website for sharing genealogy information between researchers. A short list of features includes: 100% free, no ads, storing all branches in one common tree, pedigree charts, descendant charts, discussion posts, Google map integration, duplicate checks, feasibility checks, and so on. I'm aiming to bring genealogy into the 21st century of internet technology, doing many of the things that other systems and databases don't do. A more thorough description is available online at http://www.gurganus.org/ourfamily ->View -> Help."
The discussion on the mailing list centered on the look and feel of the web site - how does it look, how does it work, and Ray requested comments on ways to improve the site.
While Ray's site is not as developed as the commercial software mentioned above, it is remarkably complete. Ray has over 80 other people putting their genealogy data into this database.
When you go to Ray's genealogy home page at http://www.gurganus.org/genes/genealogy.cfm, you can select from a number of options, including contributed datasets, a search of all data, county lists, etc. If you click on one of the datasets, you can then select a person in that database. Select a person, and the information about that person and his/her family appears. From this screen, you can then click on the "His Pedigree," "Her Pedigree," "Descendants," and other links. There are links for notes, documents, sources, researchers, etc. The locations of family members are color coded.
My comments to Ray (in blue), and his responses (in red), were:
Randy: First, let me compliment you on a LOT of hard work that you have done to get this site set up the way you have done it. I appreciate your fortitude to ask people to critique it and comment on it. While your pages are busy and colorful, they are also well organized and intuitive for an experienced researcher. I could navigate them easily and could move up and down in your families, clicking buttons - I knew what I was going to get (at least after doing it once). The drop-down menus work really well. The highlighting under the mouse is impeccable. I love the functionality of the site.
Ray: Based on other responses, I'm working on toning down the colors... but for other people who might post to the site, they can choose their own colors if they want. So it's not all in my control.
Randy: Something like this would seem ideal for a large family web site with many contributors (which is what you have), or for a regional web site (e.g., all of the families of Beaufort County NC, or all of the guests at a cemetery, etc).
Frankly, if I had any connections to your data families, I would join your project! But I don't, and I want to ask you some questions:
Ray: Don't let that stop you. It's completely open to anyone who would like to use the system, even if not directly related to mine. I figure if you dig back far enough, we're all related. So it doesn't matter. :) Plus, you could recruit your own research partners, and collaborate among yourselves.
Randy: 1) How do you enter data? Can a GEDCOM or other file type be uploaded? Or is data entry all by hand? Can you cut and paste notes, sources or other text information?
Ray: For my own data, I personally prefer re-keying so that I'm completely aware of what is going in, and not just dragging along someone else's junk. But as part of re-keying, copy & paste is fine wherever you like. You get to see the data entry pages once you register, and go to add a person. Without registering, the only thing you can do is to post discussion messages.
I am working on a GEDCOM upload, because I figure that not having this would be a barrier to some people who would join otherwise. The biggest concern with uploading is in creating duplicates of people who are already in the system, and I'm shooting for 0% duplicates. So part of the import process will be the system checking for possible duplicates beforehand, encouraging users to use the duplicate checker afterwards, and me harassing people who create duplicates.
Randy: 2) Can someone start this process with a blank database and add to it? If so, how would one do that on a different web host and domain?
Ray: Not at this time. My main goal is to [have] everyone contributing towards one common tree (even if branches don't yet connect), rather than planting new trees. This also helps in my general administration and adding new features, as it's only one installation. But since anyone can add as-yet unconnected branches, segregated from other branches, and custom colors, it's about the same as starting with a blank database.
If someone wants their own domain name for it, I suppose they could point their domain to my site, and I could direct the domain into their starting page.
Randy: 3) Is there a capability to include extensive notes about a person - like a biography? I didn't see anything like that, but perhaps I didn't look far enough.
Ray: When adding/editing a person's record, there is one big notes field which can contain about 65,000 characters, which should be more than enough for anything you want to put in it. Each person can also have an unlimited number of documents (deed abstracts, censuses, wills, etc.), as I prefer keeping historical records separate from the general free-form notes.
Randy: 4) Is the web site design and functionality all your work?
Ray: Yes... I work as a web & database developer, this is where work spills over into play (and some times in the other direction, where things I do here inspire what I do in my day job).
Randy: 5) Are you going to market this site capability at any time?
Ray: That depends on what you mean by "market". I have done some, and will do more publicity posts to county & surname lists and message boards, posting to lists like this one, and nudging researchers in other correspondence. But no intentions to market as a commercial product. It is and hopefully always will be free.
============================
If you have comments or questions, I'm sure Ray would appreciate hearing from you. There is an email address on his web site.
Frankly, I was floored that someone could do this much good work and be essentially "under the radar" of my genealogy world. Many of us could contribute data to this type of web site and utilize it. To me, the critical issue is being able to upload a GEDCOM file rather than enter all data by hand - I have thousands of people in my databases and really don't want to enter them again.
I think that this is a good example of what the social networking sites like Ancestry Member Trees, FamilySearch's Pedigree Viewer, Geni, WeRelate and FamilyLink may become (well, maybe they already are, but I haven't worked in them enough 0 at least some of them allow GEDCOM uploads).
What do you think? Would you participate in this type of web site?
Ray Gurganus is a web site and database developer who has created his own collaborative genealogy database program, which is similar in functionality to The Next Generation of Genealogy Software, PhpGedView and PedigreeSoft. He describes it as:
"I have put up, and am constantly developing, a collaborative website for sharing genealogy information between researchers. A short list of features includes: 100% free, no ads, storing all branches in one common tree, pedigree charts, descendant charts, discussion posts, Google map integration, duplicate checks, feasibility checks, and so on. I'm aiming to bring genealogy into the 21st century of internet technology, doing many of the things that other systems and databases don't do. A more thorough description is available online at http://www.gurganus.org/ourfamily ->View -> Help."
The discussion on the mailing list centered on the look and feel of the web site - how does it look, how does it work, and Ray requested comments on ways to improve the site.
While Ray's site is not as developed as the commercial software mentioned above, it is remarkably complete. Ray has over 80 other people putting their genealogy data into this database.
When you go to Ray's genealogy home page at http://www.gurganus.org/genes/genealogy.cfm, you can select from a number of options, including contributed datasets, a search of all data, county lists, etc. If you click on one of the datasets, you can then select a person in that database. Select a person, and the information about that person and his/her family appears. From this screen, you can then click on the "His Pedigree," "Her Pedigree," "Descendants," and other links. There are links for notes, documents, sources, researchers, etc. The locations of family members are color coded.
My comments to Ray (in blue), and his responses (in red), were:
Randy: First, let me compliment you on a LOT of hard work that you have done to get this site set up the way you have done it. I appreciate your fortitude to ask people to critique it and comment on it. While your pages are busy and colorful, they are also well organized and intuitive for an experienced researcher. I could navigate them easily and could move up and down in your families, clicking buttons - I knew what I was going to get (at least after doing it once). The drop-down menus work really well. The highlighting under the mouse is impeccable. I love the functionality of the site.
Ray: Based on other responses, I'm working on toning down the colors... but for other people who might post to the site, they can choose their own colors if they want. So it's not all in my control.
Randy: Something like this would seem ideal for a large family web site with many contributors (which is what you have), or for a regional web site (e.g., all of the families of Beaufort County NC, or all of the guests at a cemetery, etc).
Frankly, if I had any connections to your data families, I would join your project! But I don't, and I want to ask you some questions:
Ray: Don't let that stop you. It's completely open to anyone who would like to use the system, even if not directly related to mine. I figure if you dig back far enough, we're all related. So it doesn't matter. :) Plus, you could recruit your own research partners, and collaborate among yourselves.
Randy: 1) How do you enter data? Can a GEDCOM or other file type be uploaded? Or is data entry all by hand? Can you cut and paste notes, sources or other text information?
Ray: For my own data, I personally prefer re-keying so that I'm completely aware of what is going in, and not just dragging along someone else's junk. But as part of re-keying, copy & paste is fine wherever you like. You get to see the data entry pages once you register, and go to add a person. Without registering, the only thing you can do is to post discussion messages.
I am working on a GEDCOM upload, because I figure that not having this would be a barrier to some people who would join otherwise. The biggest concern with uploading is in creating duplicates of people who are already in the system, and I'm shooting for 0% duplicates. So part of the import process will be the system checking for possible duplicates beforehand, encouraging users to use the duplicate checker afterwards, and me harassing people who create duplicates.
Randy: 2) Can someone start this process with a blank database and add to it? If so, how would one do that on a different web host and domain?
Ray: Not at this time. My main goal is to [have] everyone contributing towards one common tree (even if branches don't yet connect), rather than planting new trees. This also helps in my general administration and adding new features, as it's only one installation. But since anyone can add as-yet unconnected branches, segregated from other branches, and custom colors, it's about the same as starting with a blank database.
If someone wants their own domain name for it, I suppose they could point their domain to my site, and I could direct the domain into their starting page.
Randy: 3) Is there a capability to include extensive notes about a person - like a biography? I didn't see anything like that, but perhaps I didn't look far enough.
Ray: When adding/editing a person's record, there is one big notes field which can contain about 65,000 characters, which should be more than enough for anything you want to put in it. Each person can also have an unlimited number of documents (deed abstracts, censuses, wills, etc.), as I prefer keeping historical records separate from the general free-form notes.
Randy: 4) Is the web site design and functionality all your work?
Ray: Yes... I work as a web & database developer, this is where work spills over into play (and some times in the other direction, where things I do here inspire what I do in my day job).
Randy: 5) Are you going to market this site capability at any time?
Ray: That depends on what you mean by "market". I have done some, and will do more publicity posts to county & surname lists and message boards, posting to lists like this one, and nudging researchers in other correspondence. But no intentions to market as a commercial product. It is and hopefully always will be free.
============================
If you have comments or questions, I'm sure Ray would appreciate hearing from you. There is an email address on his web site.
Frankly, I was floored that someone could do this much good work and be essentially "under the radar" of my genealogy world. Many of us could contribute data to this type of web site and utilize it. To me, the critical issue is being able to upload a GEDCOM file rather than enter all data by hand - I have thousands of people in my databases and really don't want to enter them again.
I think that this is a good example of what the social networking sites like Ancestry Member Trees, FamilySearch's Pedigree Viewer, Geni, WeRelate and FamilyLink may become (well, maybe they already are, but I haven't worked in them enough 0 at least some of them allow GEDCOM uploads).
What do you think? Would you participate in this type of web site?
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Genealogy Research is NOT Bunk!
The article titled "The Family Tree, Pruned" by Richard Conniff, which appeared in the July 2007 issue of Smithsonian Magazine, (no link to the article is available) has caused a stir in the semi-staid world of genealogy and family history. The front page of the magazine quoted Mr. Conniff as saying "...Genealogy is Bunk."
The article highlights some of the "pop culture" aspects of genealogy - the claims to and glorification of royal or notable ancestry, the invention of pedigrees, the purportedly fictional Roots story, the reported stalking in pursuit of DNA, the "we are all related to each other" argument, and other episodes in genealogy lore. I found the article humorous and fairly dismissive of genealogy as a hobby or vocation. He's entitled to his view. I disagree with it.
I decided I had better understand the words here, so I looked up:
1) Genealogy = A study of family and identification of ancestors and their pertinent information (birth, death, etc.) .
2) Bunk = nonsense: a message that seems to convey no meaning. A ludicrously false statement (IMHO, these are the ones closest to the use in the quote).
My opinions on this subject include:
1) The search for one's ancestry and family history is honorable and is interesting and fulfilling to most people that pursue it. Performing this search and investigating a family's history can be educational and exhilarating, and can put a person in contact with other people who share the ancestry and can add to the collective family knowledge.
2) Knowing the names, relationships, birth, marriage and death dates and locations for ancestors is just the start of the ancestral search. Understanding the history of the times, the social interaction between ancestors and other people, and life events of the ancestors (education, employment, service, interests, hardships, accomplishments, etc.) provides social context and a sense that each individual had some worth and contributed to their community and country.
3) The ranks of genealogists range from amateurs interested in finding only grandma's gravestone to academics and professionals who are trained and certified in the field. Most self-proclaimed genealogists are in between those poles - they have some education, some experience, and lots of enthusiasm and interest in finding out about the lives of their ancestors.
4) Just as there are bad "actors" in our present society, there were bad "actors" throughout history, and probably in every family. Some researchers revel in the discovery, and others are ashamed by it. Likewise, some researchers pursue their links to royals or notable people, and when they find them they brag about them. Some people in our modern society brag about knowing celebrities, or worship them from near or far, and connect their identity to them. It's human nature, eh?
5) Many genealogists make misteaks. The errors are mainly due to lack of information, too much conflicting information, and, in rare cases, intentional distortion or fabrication of facts and stories. All other professions have the same problem - in politics, engineering, journalism, science, medicine, law, and education negative issues are often highlighted and publicized. Nobody's perfect - not me, you or Mr. Conniff.
6) The increased volume of online genealogy data - in free and commercial databases, on social networks, and on web sites - has increased the frequency of the "finds" of links to celebrities or notable people, and therefore added to the "pop culture" perception of genealogy. What used to take weeks to find or obtain (e.g., a census record, a naturalization record, a military pension file), or required a visit to the musty archives in courthouses in a faraway state, now may take only minutes using online databases and services. Technology is wonderful, but most researchers understand that they have to critically evaluate all information in the context of time and place.
7) The use of DNA in genealogy research is actually helpful in determining whether one is descended from a distant ancestor. If males of a given surname do Y-chromosome testing and have the same results, then they may prove that they are descended from a common ancestor. If they can identify that common ancestor (say, a 9th great-grandfather) through traditional research methods in recent history, then the paternity of those males since that common ancestor has been proven. DNA testing may prove, by test results not matching - a "non-paternity event" - that two persons are not related to each other.
8) Up until the 1960's, the traditional family of mom and dad with the kids, a car and a TV, with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins living nearby, was the norm. Many families are now separated by divorce, location, attitudes, etc. I am not surprised by the yearning of many people to know "who am I?" "where did I come from?" and "how did I get here?" Genealogy research helps satisfy those yearnings.
Genealogy research offers opportunities to reconnect with lost family members and help people feel connected to their heritage. The study of one's ancestry and family history can be enlightening and uplifting for those that choose to pursue it and accept the outcomes.
So -- is Genealogy Bunk? NO! By all indications, NO. It is not false or nonsensical. It makes sense when done well and can be a means to learn more about family members, history and sociology. I still think that genealogy research is FUN and fulfilling.
The article highlights some of the "pop culture" aspects of genealogy - the claims to and glorification of royal or notable ancestry, the invention of pedigrees, the purportedly fictional Roots story, the reported stalking in pursuit of DNA, the "we are all related to each other" argument, and other episodes in genealogy lore. I found the article humorous and fairly dismissive of genealogy as a hobby or vocation. He's entitled to his view. I disagree with it.
I decided I had better understand the words here, so I looked up:
1) Genealogy = A study of family and identification of ancestors and their pertinent information (birth, death, etc.) .
2) Bunk = nonsense: a message that seems to convey no meaning. A ludicrously false statement (IMHO, these are the ones closest to the use in the quote).
My opinions on this subject include:
1) The search for one's ancestry and family history is honorable and is interesting and fulfilling to most people that pursue it. Performing this search and investigating a family's history can be educational and exhilarating, and can put a person in contact with other people who share the ancestry and can add to the collective family knowledge.
2) Knowing the names, relationships, birth, marriage and death dates and locations for ancestors is just the start of the ancestral search. Understanding the history of the times, the social interaction between ancestors and other people, and life events of the ancestors (education, employment, service, interests, hardships, accomplishments, etc.) provides social context and a sense that each individual had some worth and contributed to their community and country.
3) The ranks of genealogists range from amateurs interested in finding only grandma's gravestone to academics and professionals who are trained and certified in the field. Most self-proclaimed genealogists are in between those poles - they have some education, some experience, and lots of enthusiasm and interest in finding out about the lives of their ancestors.
4) Just as there are bad "actors" in our present society, there were bad "actors" throughout history, and probably in every family. Some researchers revel in the discovery, and others are ashamed by it. Likewise, some researchers pursue their links to royals or notable people, and when they find them they brag about them. Some people in our modern society brag about knowing celebrities, or worship them from near or far, and connect their identity to them. It's human nature, eh?
5) Many genealogists make misteaks. The errors are mainly due to lack of information, too much conflicting information, and, in rare cases, intentional distortion or fabrication of facts and stories. All other professions have the same problem - in politics, engineering, journalism, science, medicine, law, and education negative issues are often highlighted and publicized. Nobody's perfect - not me, you or Mr. Conniff.
6) The increased volume of online genealogy data - in free and commercial databases, on social networks, and on web sites - has increased the frequency of the "finds" of links to celebrities or notable people, and therefore added to the "pop culture" perception of genealogy. What used to take weeks to find or obtain (e.g., a census record, a naturalization record, a military pension file), or required a visit to the musty archives in courthouses in a faraway state, now may take only minutes using online databases and services. Technology is wonderful, but most researchers understand that they have to critically evaluate all information in the context of time and place.
7) The use of DNA in genealogy research is actually helpful in determining whether one is descended from a distant ancestor. If males of a given surname do Y-chromosome testing and have the same results, then they may prove that they are descended from a common ancestor. If they can identify that common ancestor (say, a 9th great-grandfather) through traditional research methods in recent history, then the paternity of those males since that common ancestor has been proven. DNA testing may prove, by test results not matching - a "non-paternity event" - that two persons are not related to each other.
8) Up until the 1960's, the traditional family of mom and dad with the kids, a car and a TV, with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins living nearby, was the norm. Many families are now separated by divorce, location, attitudes, etc. I am not surprised by the yearning of many people to know "who am I?" "where did I come from?" and "how did I get here?" Genealogy research helps satisfy those yearnings.
Genealogy research offers opportunities to reconnect with lost family members and help people feel connected to their heritage. The study of one's ancestry and family history can be enlightening and uplifting for those that choose to pursue it and accept the outcomes.
So -- is Genealogy Bunk? NO! By all indications, NO. It is not false or nonsensical. It makes sense when done well and can be a means to learn more about family members, history and sociology. I still think that genealogy research is FUN and fulfilling.
CVGS Research Group today
Our CVGS monthly Research Group meetings are always lively affairs, with members hoping to get help to solve their research problems, and some brimming with enthusiasm over research successes. Today's meeting had 10 researchers in attendance.
After introductions (we had two visitors and a new member), the meeting started with my presentation of the Genealogy News for June. We then moved onto the research problems and successes.
Martha is having trouble finding Hampshire County VA (now WV) records from the 1790 time frame. We suggested that, if she knows the town(s) where her ancestor lived, she figure out the progression of counties that the town(s) were in over the time frame 1750 to 1900. Then look for records for her ancestor in those counties for the time period that the town was in the county. The county USGenWeb site may have the information, and the LDS Family History Library Catalog may have records on microfilm available for rent.
Next up was new member Shirley, who came well-prepared and provided a two-page handout describing her research problem. She, and other family members, have done years of work trying to identify the parents of Evan Harer (born ca 1790 in VA (?), died 1873 in CA) and his siblings - family stories say they were John and Sarah (Watkins) Harer. They have exhaustively searched records in the places where the Harer children lived, but have been unable to find more information on their parentage. We suggested that she read some of the available books (e.g., here) and online articles (e.g., here and here) about "Cluster Genealogy" and review articles in the NGS Quarterly for examples. By identifying and following the people the Harer's associated with, she may find clues that identify the parents.
Dick regaled us with stories about his Uncle Jim, who was a postal thief and safecracker in the 1920's. He has received information about his uncle from newspaper articles and prison records through the National Archives in Kansas City MO, Laguna Niguel CA and Seattle WA. He submitted a request to the "Get Grandpa's FBI File" web site and got a response, but thinks most of it will duplicate the 400 pages he already has received. He passed the fascinating newspaper article around the group - Uncle Jim was quite a guy, and Dick remembers him from his childhood.
Bobbie described their trip to the Seattle area, where they found a gold mine of info on the Gottlieb Wolter family, who emigrated from Baden to North Dakota to Sultan in Washington state (northeast of Seattle). They found his grave, a history booklet with a plat map, an aerial picture of the farm, and visited the farmstead. In the process, they met the town mayor, the current farm resident, and the museum director, all of whom helped them immensely. Bobbie passed around the pictures, the map, and told stories of the serendipitous events on the trip - for instance, the museum was open only two days a month, and they were there on one of the days!
I really appreciate the sharing of research problems by our attendees, and the helpful suggestions made by the group. This is one of the monthly meetings that sets CVGS apart from other San Diego area societies.
After introductions (we had two visitors and a new member), the meeting started with my presentation of the Genealogy News for June. We then moved onto the research problems and successes.
Martha is having trouble finding Hampshire County VA (now WV) records from the 1790 time frame. We suggested that, if she knows the town(s) where her ancestor lived, she figure out the progression of counties that the town(s) were in over the time frame 1750 to 1900. Then look for records for her ancestor in those counties for the time period that the town was in the county. The county USGenWeb site may have the information, and the LDS Family History Library Catalog may have records on microfilm available for rent.
Next up was new member Shirley, who came well-prepared and provided a two-page handout describing her research problem. She, and other family members, have done years of work trying to identify the parents of Evan Harer (born ca 1790 in VA (?), died 1873 in CA) and his siblings - family stories say they were John and Sarah (Watkins) Harer. They have exhaustively searched records in the places where the Harer children lived, but have been unable to find more information on their parentage. We suggested that she read some of the available books (e.g., here) and online articles (e.g., here and here) about "Cluster Genealogy" and review articles in the NGS Quarterly for examples. By identifying and following the people the Harer's associated with, she may find clues that identify the parents.
Dick regaled us with stories about his Uncle Jim, who was a postal thief and safecracker in the 1920's. He has received information about his uncle from newspaper articles and prison records through the National Archives in Kansas City MO, Laguna Niguel CA and Seattle WA. He submitted a request to the "Get Grandpa's FBI File" web site and got a response, but thinks most of it will duplicate the 400 pages he already has received. He passed the fascinating newspaper article around the group - Uncle Jim was quite a guy, and Dick remembers him from his childhood.
Bobbie described their trip to the Seattle area, where they found a gold mine of info on the Gottlieb Wolter family, who emigrated from Baden to North Dakota to Sultan in Washington state (northeast of Seattle). They found his grave, a history booklet with a plat map, an aerial picture of the farm, and visited the farmstead. In the process, they met the town mayor, the current farm resident, and the museum director, all of whom helped them immensely. Bobbie passed around the pictures, the map, and told stories of the serendipitous events on the trip - for instance, the museum was open only two days a month, and they were there on one of the days!
I really appreciate the sharing of research problems by our attendees, and the helpful suggestions made by the group. This is one of the monthly meetings that sets CVGS apart from other San Diego area societies.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)