The second hour at the San Diego Genealogical Society meeting today was Beth McCarty's talk on "Finding Your Ancestor's Home in England." Beth's curriculum vitae and talk summary was posted here.
Being the naive sort of genealogist I am, I thought that this talk would be about finding the actual "home" of my ancestors, rather than a great review of all of the records that can be used to find the place they lived, the church they attended, and who their family members were. There was no mention of actual houses or domiciles.
Beth's review of the available British genealogy resources included --
* Nationwide Civil Registration Indexes for 1837 to the present. She highlighted the http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/ web site which has the birth, marriage and death indexes from 1837 to 1980, but are incomplete. These indexes are complete on microfilm at many regional FHCs, including San Diego. In her handout, she also listed http://www.1837online.com/ as a subscription site with the same records (of course, the site is now http://www.findmypast.com/). She offered the web site http://www.certificates.fsnet.co.uk/certificates.htm as a place to obtain the actual registration forms using a credit card (rather than sending a check in pounds sterling) with 5 day service and the lowest cost around.
* The LDS International Genealogical Index (IGI) has many pre-1837 church records in their database. You can check the LDS Parish and Vital Records Index and the Phillimore Atlas and Index of Parish Registers for the records available for each parish and if they are on the IGI or on FHL microfilm. She mentioned non-cornformist church records, which are listed in the Parish and vital Records Index.
* British and Irish biographies of prominent persons (doctors, judges, lawyers, gentlemen, members of Parliament, etc.) or those who worked for the foreign service, are available in a set of 101 sets of microfiche, all under FHL Microfiche number 6,342,001. There are 255 sources in this collection.
* Probate indexes and wills are in two sets - pre-1858 and post-1858. The British govenrnment controls the post-1858 records, and there is a Calendar of Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration made in the Principal Probate Registry, which is available on FHL microfilm under ENGLAND-PROBATE RECORDS-INDEX. Before 1858, the probate records were controlled by the Anglican Church Prerogative Courts of Canterbury (PCC) or York. The jurisdictions are very complex, to say the least! There are separate indexes for up to 1700, 1701-1749, 1750-1800, which are on microfiche but not at the FHL. The FHL does hold microfiche of the 1801-1836 manuscript indexes. There are many books that summarize or index English estates of American colonists.
* Beth mentioned English Court Records, Emigration and Origins, Occupational Records and Military Records in passing because she ran out of time.
Beth is a recognized expert in researching British records and it surely was evident when she discussed the intricacies of parish records, Civil Registration and probate records. She provided a four page handout with all of the reference books and web sites mentioned in the talk, plus more bibliography. She mentioned at the end of her talk the book Ancestral Trails. The Complete Guide to British Genealogy and Family History by Mark D. Herber as a veritable Bible of how to do research in Britain.
Frankly, I wish that Beth had been able to do two full hours of the British genealogy talk so that she could have provided more detail in the subjects she had to skim over, plus the chance to hear some questions and answers. She is very knowledgeable and an excellent speaker and obviously loves this subject!
Saturday, February 9, 2008
"Effective Use of LDS FHCs" with Beth McCarty
Beth McCarty from Orange, California was the featured speaker at the San Diego Genealogical Society meeting today. She had two subjects - the first was "Effective Use of LDS Family History Centers" in the first hour of the 2.5 hour meeting. Beth's curriculum vitae and talk summary was posted here.
As the Director of the Orange County Regional FHC, Beth has a wealth of knowledge about the resources offered at FHCs, and she shared them with the audience of about 90 attendees. She used overhead slides to show examples of the genealogy databases, books and microforms available at the FHCs and online at www.familysearch.org.
In this talk, Beth described the Ancestral File (AF), Pedigree Resource File (PRF), International Genealogical Index (IGI), Vital Records Index, Family History Library Catalog (FHLC), Research Outlines, Census Indexes, etc. She showed examples of the databases, how to find the submitters, and how to evaluate the quality of the information.
I learned a few new things from this talk, including
* You can see the full database submitted to the Pedigree Resource File on CDs at the FHC.
* Persons can still submit GEDCOMs to the Pedigree Resource File.
* The DAR Lineage Books are on microfiche and microfilm at the FHC.
* There is an Asian Microfilm Card Catalog for records in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc.
Beth didn't talk a lot about the rental of microfilms at FHCs for some reason - to me, the access to original source records from earlier times is one of the most useful resources for me in pursuing my family history. Other than going to each locality or the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, being able to access probate, vital, tax, town, military and other records on microfilm at the FHC is absolutely necessary to my genealogy work.
She mentioned the New FamilySearch web site only in passing, and didn't mention the new databases at the Record Search web site or even FamilySearch Indexing. She did mention the digitization project and that perhaps 30% of the "owners" of the content on the microforms would not approve of the digitization of their content. That is unfortunate! She mentioned access to Ancestry.com on the FHC computers, but not access to Footnote, WoldVitalRecords, godfrey Library, HeritageQuestOnline, etc.
During her talk, Beth asked for raising of hands if the audience had accessed the databases or resources she was discussing. I was surprised that more people in the audience don't access www.FamilySearch.org on a regular basis, haven't explored the FHLC for resources, and haven't ordered and reviewed microfilms at the FHC.
All in all, this was an excellent talk for a beginner to intermediate level researcher, although advanced researchers received useful information. Beth is a knowledgeable researcher and an excellent speaker. Hopefully, her talks will encourage some of the audience to get back into the FHCs to do research in original source records.
As the Director of the Orange County Regional FHC, Beth has a wealth of knowledge about the resources offered at FHCs, and she shared them with the audience of about 90 attendees. She used overhead slides to show examples of the genealogy databases, books and microforms available at the FHCs and online at www.familysearch.org.
In this talk, Beth described the Ancestral File (AF), Pedigree Resource File (PRF), International Genealogical Index (IGI), Vital Records Index, Family History Library Catalog (FHLC), Research Outlines, Census Indexes, etc. She showed examples of the databases, how to find the submitters, and how to evaluate the quality of the information.
I learned a few new things from this talk, including
* You can see the full database submitted to the Pedigree Resource File on CDs at the FHC.
* Persons can still submit GEDCOMs to the Pedigree Resource File.
* The DAR Lineage Books are on microfiche and microfilm at the FHC.
* There is an Asian Microfilm Card Catalog for records in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc.
Beth didn't talk a lot about the rental of microfilms at FHCs for some reason - to me, the access to original source records from earlier times is one of the most useful resources for me in pursuing my family history. Other than going to each locality or the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, being able to access probate, vital, tax, town, military and other records on microfilm at the FHC is absolutely necessary to my genealogy work.
She mentioned the New FamilySearch web site only in passing, and didn't mention the new databases at the Record Search web site or even FamilySearch Indexing. She did mention the digitization project and that perhaps 30% of the "owners" of the content on the microforms would not approve of the digitization of their content. That is unfortunate! She mentioned access to Ancestry.com on the FHC computers, but not access to Footnote, WoldVitalRecords, godfrey Library, HeritageQuestOnline, etc.
During her talk, Beth asked for raising of hands if the audience had accessed the databases or resources she was discussing. I was surprised that more people in the audience don't access www.FamilySearch.org on a regular basis, haven't explored the FHLC for resources, and haven't ordered and reviewed microfilms at the FHC.
All in all, this was an excellent talk for a beginner to intermediate level researcher, although advanced researchers received useful information. Beth is a knowledgeable researcher and an excellent speaker. Hopefully, her talks will encourage some of the audience to get back into the FHCs to do research in original source records.
Letters from home - Post 4
This is the third letter in the stack of Letters from Home to Austin and Della (Smith) Carringer, residing in San Diego, California after 1887. An explanation of the family situation is here.
==========================
From D.J. Smith in Wano, Kansas to wife Abby (Vaux) Smith in San Diego California. No envelope available.
Spring Ranch Oct 15th 1888
Dear Wife. Here I am tonight after dark and do not feel much like writing at all, not that I do not wish nor that I am sick, but I feel tired, I tell you. I put in a very buisey week every day last weak Monday I sliped of and did not let the folks here know, but I was lectionering and would be in town every night but Charley's folks. Went to Cedar Bluffs met Dave and Cammell that bang. Delleys claims delayed me on the Papers, so we went to McCook that night, got there at 9 AM. Mati was playing on the piano when I got to the door then she hollered PaPa and sed that she was so happily surprised we talked and visited until after midnight.
Then went to bed but did not sleep much, she is well and looks well, after Dinner Dave and myself went to Cedar Bluffs got Cammell papers all right and drove after dark to Oberlin do up the business next forenoon, saw Mrs. Linder she is in the store yet, she wanted your address Davey had given it all but the number of the box so I gave that and she sed she was going to write you, oh yes I saw Em Patrick she was there to Ed Beckwith's. She is looking fine. Her face is as smooth as any ladeys, we took an early Dinner had Hairpin drove 12 miles to Cedar Bluffs in one hour and a quarter, we was so buisy talking that we was there before we knew it.
Then Dave went home and I had to stay there until 10 next morning but then I went down the creek and gathered a good lot of box elder and ash seed before dark, got home Thursday noon all OK, but Cammells did not pay my expenses as they should as I spent my time and saved them going and I suposed as they talked that they would. Expenses was 10.75 I sent Dave the 300 and have not got but 85 of the balance of them yet but will try and get the balance this week and then will send Austin the draft. They are sick of the deal as they paid that other claim ...... at 100 and down to 75 cash price, but that does not matter they had ought to be willing to pay my expenses for I saved them twice the amount by doing the business for them. I gave Matie a Denver paper that Mr. Binkleman's sister gave me last Sunday with Mrs. Killpatrick's death in they took her remains east, perhaps Rufe and Betty may stop at McCook when they return if they came on the B&M. Well, Ma, as I said before I got home Thursday noon all OK.
I picked some corn next day and yesterday afternoon sold horses for Mr. Buck sold 20 odd and one week from next Sat I will sell as many more for him. I will send you one of the bills in this. I took a little cold Friday night the first I have had since I left California but am better of it tonight. I am working to get my work all up this month but will not make it out but I have got clear off the Gray Backs you better bett, how is that for high and I got your papers day before yesterday but have not had time to read them but will take it this weak and got a good letter from Austin and Delly Monday before I left for Oberlin and one from you to and let the children read them.
Ma I am feeling better Davey thinks he will sell the stock and rent the barn and then he will come here with me. Ma the way money is I am afraid that there would be money lost in running a car load of butter and eggs and chickens out there but I want Austin to talk with difrent tones and see and write me and to see if a fine matched team waying 12 or 1300 lbs each would sell for. Oh how I would like to come but I am afraid I can't match the samtifee to see if the 10 dollars excus comes off as want to for you will hear it long before I would. Oh if Dave only sells as he thinks he may and then I will have company.
I am so lonesome and no one here I have had a hard time since July. I expect to serve notice on these people tomorrow to vacate in 30 days. I will tell you all when I see you but do not worry for I will take cair of no one they shan't beat nor steel no more from me if I can help it. Now sweet dreams and 100,000 kisses and as many hugs By By yours,
DJ Smith
==========================
DJ Smith is a lonely man down in northwestern Kansas with winter coming on, and can hardly wait to see any of his relatives. The business part of the letter is complex - I have no idea what he's doing except he's working for the Cammells and thinks he should be paid for his work. I didn't know that DJ had come to California - it must have been after Austin and Della married in September 1887.
So many questions, so few answers, and not much hope of finding more answers.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Is the LNU family in your database?
A post on the Advanced Research mailing list linked to a Rootsweb Review article from 2003. The article is is priceless... Here it is:
"In Search of the Wild LNUs
"A long time ago in a kingdom far away there lived a fair maiden by the name of Fnu MNU. She married a handsome young knight named Sir Arthur LNU and thus she became Fnu (MNU) LNU. Wait! Stop! Does this sound a bit like a page out of YOUR family tree?
"Are you spending sleepless nights prowling the Web in search of your elusive MNU and LNU ancestors? Or perhaps you've encountered them in someone's GEDCOM file on WorldConnect at RootsWeb, and after doing more searches have come to the conclusion that there are many researchers out there hunting those wild and crazy LNUs.
"Well, it's time to let you in on one of genealogy's best kept secrets: LNU, MNU, and FNU are not real names. They are acronyms. (Acronyms are combinations of the first letters/syllables in a group of words to form a new grouping of letters that can be pronounced as a word.) They are:
"First Name Unknown (FNU),
Maiden Name Unknown (MNU), and
Last NameUnknown (LNU).
"They are first cousins to the mysterious UNK ancestors that you might have spent time tracking down until you realized that UNK was short for "unknown."
"Researchers have used these acronyms and other symbols and abbreviations for years, with little or no uniformity from file to file, to indicate the unknown or missing names. The meaning of these acronyms is often unclear and can be mistaken for actual names by new -- and not so new -- genealogists. After all, we all have a few oddly spelled names in our trees, so what's a MNU or two?
"On another note, be careful should you encounter any DITTO ancestors in your line. DITTO is an actual surname, but it is frequently mistaken as a surname by those reading an enumerator's "ditto" entry to denote that the name is the same as the one listed above it. (DITTO and DITTOE are Anglicized forms of a Huguenot name of unexplained etymology. The names are found in North America by 1700. Ditto also is a short form of the Italian personal name Benedetto.)
"All of this name confusion serves to reinforce the notion that while user-compiled genealogies are a valuable tool in research, you need to examine original records to verify or refute what the compiled records indicate. When possible examine the records for yourself.
"What can you do to make your files clear as to the abbreviation or acronyms you use to indicate any unknown given names, maiden names, or surnames? There are no perfect solutions or worldwide standards. Some compilers, especially those who use genealogy software, put a question mark to indicate that a name is not known, but this is not recommended as some creative family historians use one question mark, while others use two or three, and a ? for a name might mean one thing to you and something else to another researcher
"A recent unscientific search at WorldConnect http://wc.rootsweb.com/ revealed the following are being used as names:
"Unknown-- 2,742,761
LNU/Lnu -- 14,134
UNK/Unk -- 39,332
FNU -- 139
MNU/Mnu -- 3,357
?? -- 78,201
?,? -- 605,694
??? -- 140,665
___ (underscores of variable lengths) -- 6,244
- (one hyphen) -- 6,491
MRS/Mrs (as a given name) -- 555,699
[--?--] -- 3,125
"Obviously there is no standard for indicating that a name is not known-- hence the confusion. The search even turned up an ancestor by the name of Unk FNU -- with FNU probably used as an acronym for Family Name Unknown. Not surprisingly there was no birth date or place for her and one wonders why such information is even included. It serves no purpose.
"Unknown maiden names should be indicated by using square brackets with a single em dash (or two hyphens, if the software, typesetting or word-processing programs will not accept or use em dashes), or use a question mark amid the em dashes -- e.g. Catherine [--] or Catherine [--?--].
"The same format can be used when the given name is unknown or in doubt. The latter happens sometimes when you learn your female ancestor married someone whose surname is known, but not his given name. Such references can be recorded as [--?--] Smith. Some of the popular genealogy software has to be forced to use this format.
"In formal genealogical writing, the English tradition of putting a woman's maiden name in parentheses -- Elizabeth (Smith) Jones -- is commonly used by many genealogists. Therefore nicknames should not be put in parentheses, but rather enclosed in quotation marks. Example: Catherine "Cathy" [--?--] Jones.
Again, your genealogy software program may or may not handle nicknames in this format or might require some tweaking. For those female ancestors with middle names that might be (or mistaken for) surnames, such as Mary Morgan Kirby, it is important to indicate that Kirby is her maiden name. If her nickname was Polly, and she married a Smith her name should be recorded so that in a family history publication it appears as: Mary "Polly" Morgan (Kirby) Smith.
"Remember you do not have to fill in every field in your genealogy software. If you do not know the given or maiden name of a woman, either leave the field blank or use [--?--]. Her given name is not MRS, and certainly not Mrs. King William of England.
"Using acronyms or various symbols when names are unknown is not a good idea because you want to make it clear that the name is unknown so as not to send others and generations of future researchers on an endless and futile search for the wild LNU. Don't put your cousins in the position of having to ask 'What's MNU? Or who is Unk FNU?' "
The above was previously published in RootsWeb Review: Vol. 6, No. 35, 27 August 2003. Rootsweb Review permits publication of articles not otherwise expressly prohibited by the author or editor.
Seriously, how unknown names are entered into a database is important. I'm in the process of changing all of my UNKNOWN names into the recommended --?-- when I find them. I'm not putting them in brackets though - maybe I should. More work...
"In Search of the Wild LNUs
"A long time ago in a kingdom far away there lived a fair maiden by the name of Fnu MNU. She married a handsome young knight named Sir Arthur LNU and thus she became Fnu (MNU) LNU. Wait! Stop! Does this sound a bit like a page out of YOUR family tree?
"Are you spending sleepless nights prowling the Web in search of your elusive MNU and LNU ancestors? Or perhaps you've encountered them in someone's GEDCOM file on WorldConnect at RootsWeb, and after doing more searches have come to the conclusion that there are many researchers out there hunting those wild and crazy LNUs.
"Well, it's time to let you in on one of genealogy's best kept secrets: LNU, MNU, and FNU are not real names. They are acronyms. (Acronyms are combinations of the first letters/syllables in a group of words to form a new grouping of letters that can be pronounced as a word.) They are:
"First Name Unknown (FNU),
Maiden Name Unknown (MNU), and
Last NameUnknown (LNU).
"They are first cousins to the mysterious UNK ancestors that you might have spent time tracking down until you realized that UNK was short for "unknown."
"Researchers have used these acronyms and other symbols and abbreviations for years, with little or no uniformity from file to file, to indicate the unknown or missing names. The meaning of these acronyms is often unclear and can be mistaken for actual names by new -- and not so new -- genealogists. After all, we all have a few oddly spelled names in our trees, so what's a MNU or two?
"On another note, be careful should you encounter any DITTO ancestors in your line. DITTO is an actual surname, but it is frequently mistaken as a surname by those reading an enumerator's "ditto" entry to denote that the name is the same as the one listed above it. (DITTO and DITTOE are Anglicized forms of a Huguenot name of unexplained etymology. The names are found in North America by 1700. Ditto also is a short form of the Italian personal name Benedetto.)
"All of this name confusion serves to reinforce the notion that while user-compiled genealogies are a valuable tool in research, you need to examine original records to verify or refute what the compiled records indicate. When possible examine the records for yourself.
"What can you do to make your files clear as to the abbreviation or acronyms you use to indicate any unknown given names, maiden names, or surnames? There are no perfect solutions or worldwide standards. Some compilers, especially those who use genealogy software, put a question mark to indicate that a name is not known, but this is not recommended as some creative family historians use one question mark, while others use two or three, and a ? for a name might mean one thing to you and something else to another researcher
"A recent unscientific search at WorldConnect http://wc.rootsweb.com/ revealed the following are being used as names:
"Unknown-- 2,742,761
LNU/Lnu -- 14,134
UNK/Unk -- 39,332
FNU -- 139
MNU/Mnu -- 3,357
?? -- 78,201
?,? -- 605,694
??? -- 140,665
___ (underscores of variable lengths) -- 6,244
- (one hyphen) -- 6,491
MRS/Mrs (as a given name) -- 555,699
[--?--] -- 3,125
"Obviously there is no standard for indicating that a name is not known-- hence the confusion. The search even turned up an ancestor by the name of Unk FNU -- with FNU probably used as an acronym for Family Name Unknown. Not surprisingly there was no birth date or place for her and one wonders why such information is even included. It serves no purpose.
"Unknown maiden names should be indicated by using square brackets with a single em dash (or two hyphens, if the software, typesetting or word-processing programs will not accept or use em dashes), or use a question mark amid the em dashes -- e.g. Catherine [--] or Catherine [--?--].
"The same format can be used when the given name is unknown or in doubt. The latter happens sometimes when you learn your female ancestor married someone whose surname is known, but not his given name. Such references can be recorded as [--?--] Smith. Some of the popular genealogy software has to be forced to use this format.
"In formal genealogical writing, the English tradition of putting a woman's maiden name in parentheses -- Elizabeth (Smith) Jones -- is commonly used by many genealogists. Therefore nicknames should not be put in parentheses, but rather enclosed in quotation marks. Example: Catherine "Cathy" [--?--] Jones.
Again, your genealogy software program may or may not handle nicknames in this format or might require some tweaking. For those female ancestors with middle names that might be (or mistaken for) surnames, such as Mary Morgan Kirby, it is important to indicate that Kirby is her maiden name. If her nickname was Polly, and she married a Smith her name should be recorded so that in a family history publication it appears as: Mary "Polly" Morgan (Kirby) Smith.
"Remember you do not have to fill in every field in your genealogy software. If you do not know the given or maiden name of a woman, either leave the field blank or use [--?--]. Her given name is not MRS, and certainly not Mrs. King William of England.
"Using acronyms or various symbols when names are unknown is not a good idea because you want to make it clear that the name is unknown so as not to send others and generations of future researchers on an endless and futile search for the wild LNU. Don't put your cousins in the position of having to ask 'What's MNU? Or who is Unk FNU?' "
The above was previously published in RootsWeb Review: Vol. 6, No. 35, 27 August 2003. Rootsweb Review permits publication of articles not otherwise expressly prohibited by the author or editor.
Seriously, how unknown names are entered into a database is important. I'm in the process of changing all of my UNKNOWN names into the recommended --?-- when I find them. I'm not putting them in brackets though - maybe I should. More work...
Ada Woodward - isn't she beautiful?
I posted this picture back in October 2006 here. Then, I didn't have the actual picture in my hands. I just found it today while digging through my box of Carringer treasures. The writing on the back solves a mystery - who were her parents?
The writing on the back of the picture says:
"Ada Woodward, 13 years old, Nov 1898.
"Nellie Woodward's girl, her father Charlie Woodward played organ at our wedding in Wano Kan 1887, Sep. 11th. Her brother Gene was a little older, after they went away from there he died of Dyptheria."
In the 1900 census, she was age 15, and resided in Belleville, Republic County, Kansas with her grandparents, Frank and Celia Munger, along with her sister Nellie, age 10.
I don't know what happened to beautiful Ada Woodward. I hope that she had a wonderful life and passed on the genetic makeup that her Redfield and Vaux ancestors passed to her.
One of the pictures in the family collection is of Ada Woodward, age 13, taken in November 1898 - according to the handwriting on the back of the picture.
The writing on the back of the picture says:
"Ada Woodward, 13 years old, Nov 1898.
"Nellie Woodward's girl, her father Charlie Woodward played organ at our wedding in Wano Kan 1887, Sep. 11th. Her brother Gene was a little older, after they went away from there he died of Dyptheria."
In the 1900 census, she was age 15, and resided in Belleville, Republic County, Kansas with her grandparents, Frank and Celia Munger, along with her sister Nellie, age 10.
So now I know the names of Ada's parents - and now I wonder what happened to them. Nellie (Redfield) Woodward was a daughter of Celia (Vaux) (Redfield) Munger, as was her sister Ada Redfield. Charles Woodward is a total mystery - he may have been a son of James and Mary (Vaux) Woodward - Mary was Celia's sister. But there is a Frank Woodward in Belleville, Kansas on the same census page as the Munger family - Charles may be their son. If they died in Belleville, then there may be a newspaper clipping or a cemetery plot there.
I don't know what happened to beautiful Ada Woodward. I hope that she had a wonderful life and passed on the genetic makeup that her Redfield and Vaux ancestors passed to her.
I keep learning this lesson - "write down everything you find in a permanent place so that you don't have to keep looking for it!" The problem is, of course, once you write it down then you have to remember where you put it. I try to put everything I can into the notes in my database, but I am not 100% successful in this effort!
Letters from home - Post 3
This is the second letter in the stack of Letters from Home to Austin and Della (Smith) Carringer, residing in San Diego, California in 1889. An explanation of the family situation is here.
=========================
From D.J. Smith in St Francis KS to wife Abby (Vaux) Smith in National City CA. Envelope has return address of Lock Box 202, addressed to Mrs. D.J. Smith, National City, San Diego Co, California. Postmark on front is St Francis KS dated Oct 15 1888, postmark on back National City Cal Oct. __ 1888. 2 cent stamp. Note on back of envelope: Sent Davie the $300.
Spring Ranch, Sunday Sept 1st 1889
Abbey,
Size doesn't always count. An elephant is bigger than you but give me you. Devier.
When fortune knocks, you want to be where you can open the door yourself.
Many self-made men have for wives and daughters Taylor-made women. Your father was a Taylor and you a Taylor's daughter.
Let me kiss him for his mother is proper to kiss a man for his ma. You will only stick to the plan. It oftener happens that some how or other Mother gets kissed for the man, how is that Dad.
Dad. Devier David where did I lay down my speckatels. Just under your nose Dad. Don't be so indiferent my son. You shouldn't trifle with the Old Man.
A chip off the old block. Austin how much does little Devier David love his father - hear Little D D one hundred percent. No discount. Fast collars with exchange on Spring Ranch. Austin, oh my father's own granson, say that again.
How is that for Austin. Delley, how much does he way, Austin I mean. I know what the boy ways from Pa and Gran Pa. By by to all and I will hitch up Hairpin and go and mail these. Kisses to all.
========================
DJ Smith seems to write letters with a stream of thought method, and much of it makes little sense to me. He seems to "talk" to each person and has a little joke in each sentence.
I'm confused by the dates. When I transcribed this several years ago, the letter said 1889 but the envelope clearly said 1888. I just looked at the letter again, same thing! But he is speaking about his grandson, Devier David Carringer, who was born in August 1889 to Austin and Della Carringer. There is no other Devier David that I know of. The logical explanation is that someone put the letter in the wrong envelope at some time. Hairpin is, of course, DJ's horse.
=========================
From D.J. Smith in St Francis KS to wife Abby (Vaux) Smith in National City CA. Envelope has return address of Lock Box 202, addressed to Mrs. D.J. Smith, National City, San Diego Co, California. Postmark on front is St Francis KS dated Oct 15 1888, postmark on back National City Cal Oct. __ 1888. 2 cent stamp. Note on back of envelope: Sent Davie the $300.
Spring Ranch, Sunday Sept 1st 1889
Abbey,
Size doesn't always count. An elephant is bigger than you but give me you. Devier.
When fortune knocks, you want to be where you can open the door yourself.
Many self-made men have for wives and daughters Taylor-made women. Your father was a Taylor and you a Taylor's daughter.
Let me kiss him for his mother is proper to kiss a man for his ma. You will only stick to the plan. It oftener happens that some how or other Mother gets kissed for the man, how is that Dad.
Dad. Devier David where did I lay down my speckatels. Just under your nose Dad. Don't be so indiferent my son. You shouldn't trifle with the Old Man.
A chip off the old block. Austin how much does little Devier David love his father - hear Little D D one hundred percent. No discount. Fast collars with exchange on Spring Ranch. Austin, oh my father's own granson, say that again.
How is that for Austin. Delley, how much does he way, Austin I mean. I know what the boy ways from Pa and Gran Pa. By by to all and I will hitch up Hairpin and go and mail these. Kisses to all.
========================
DJ Smith seems to write letters with a stream of thought method, and much of it makes little sense to me. He seems to "talk" to each person and has a little joke in each sentence.
I'm confused by the dates. When I transcribed this several years ago, the letter said 1889 but the envelope clearly said 1888. I just looked at the letter again, same thing! But he is speaking about his grandson, Devier David Carringer, who was born in August 1889 to Austin and Della Carringer. There is no other Devier David that I know of. The logical explanation is that someone put the letter in the wrong envelope at some time. Hairpin is, of course, DJ's horse.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Want to have lots of children? Marry a third cousin!
Science Daily has an intriguing article dated 8 February 2008 - titled "Third Cousins Have Greatest Number of Offspring, Data from Iceland Shows." It summarizes a paper titled "An association between the kinship and fertility of human couples" that was published in the journal Science February 8, 2008.
The statistics show:
"For example, for women born between 1800 and 1824, those with a mate related at the level of a third cousin had an average of 4.04 children and 9.17 grandchildren, while those related to their mates as eighth cousins or more distantly had 3.34 children and 7.31 grandchildren. For women born in the period 1925-1949 with mates related at the degree of third cousins, the average number of children and grandchildren were 3.27 and 6.64, compared to 2.45 and 4.86 for those with mates who were eighth cousins or more distantly related.
"The findings hold for every 25-year interval studied, beginning with those born in the year 1800 up to the present day. Because of the strength and consistency of the association, even between couples with very subtle differences in kinship, the authors conclude that the effect very likely has a biological basis, one which has yet to be elucidated."
Isn't that interesting? The average number of children born to a union went down between 1824 and 1949, but the comparison held. Read the whole article.
Iceland has wonderful and nearly complete records and was pretty much a genetically closed society for a long time, so this is really a useful study to geneticists and demographers.
Now do you see why I'm looking for distant living cousins? I don't have any in Iceland, unfortunately!
The statistics show:
"For example, for women born between 1800 and 1824, those with a mate related at the level of a third cousin had an average of 4.04 children and 9.17 grandchildren, while those related to their mates as eighth cousins or more distantly had 3.34 children and 7.31 grandchildren. For women born in the period 1925-1949 with mates related at the degree of third cousins, the average number of children and grandchildren were 3.27 and 6.64, compared to 2.45 and 4.86 for those with mates who were eighth cousins or more distantly related.
"The findings hold for every 25-year interval studied, beginning with those born in the year 1800 up to the present day. Because of the strength and consistency of the association, even between couples with very subtle differences in kinship, the authors conclude that the effect very likely has a biological basis, one which has yet to be elucidated."
Isn't that interesting? The average number of children born to a union went down between 1824 and 1949, but the comparison held. Read the whole article.
Iceland has wonderful and nearly complete records and was pretty much a genetically closed society for a long time, so this is really a useful study to geneticists and demographers.
Now do you see why I'm looking for distant living cousins? I don't have any in Iceland, unfortunately!
Music from before our time
I found a wonderful web site recently, thanks to the latest Internet Genealogy magazine.
The "Popular Songs in American History" web site at http://www.contemplator.com/america/ has a wealth of songs through the ages - not just American written or sung. Some are sentimental, some are romantic, some are raunchy, some have a twist, some are silly. Before electricity, playing music and singing songs in a family or in a group was the prime entertainment in homes, churches and public places. Except in Puritan colonial New England, I guess.
What I really like is that you can hear the tune (without singing), see the lyrics, read some information about the song and its background, have some some related links that connect to the history of the area or time, and see the source of the lyrics and music.
There are about 200 songs at this site, separated into historical time frames. There are also links to English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh songs.
This is a wonderful web site! I've only listened to about 20 songs, but I really like The Deceived Girl, Sally in Our Alley, Free America, Rosalie the Prairie Flower, and Grandfather's Clock.
Do you have a favorite? Tell me...I don't want to miss anything.
The "Popular Songs in American History" web site at http://www.contemplator.com/america/ has a wealth of songs through the ages - not just American written or sung. Some are sentimental, some are romantic, some are raunchy, some have a twist, some are silly. Before electricity, playing music and singing songs in a family or in a group was the prime entertainment in homes, churches and public places. Except in Puritan colonial New England, I guess.
What I really like is that you can hear the tune (without singing), see the lyrics, read some information about the song and its background, have some some related links that connect to the history of the area or time, and see the source of the lyrics and music.
There are about 200 songs at this site, separated into historical time frames. There are also links to English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh songs.
This is a wonderful web site! I've only listened to about 20 songs, but I really like The Deceived Girl, Sally in Our Alley, Free America, Rosalie the Prairie Flower, and Grandfather's Clock.
Do you have a favorite? Tell me...I don't want to miss anything.
Letters from home - Post 2
This is the first letter in the stack of Letters from Home to Austin and Della (Smith) Carringer, residing in San Diego, California in 1888. An explanation of the family situation is here.
========================
From Davie Smith in McCook, Nebraska to mother Abby (Vaux) Smith in San Diego. Envelope with return address of Blue Front Livery Stable, D.D. Smith proprietor, McCook Nebraska. Addressed to Mr. Austin Carringer, National City Cala. 2 cent stamp. postmark on front dated Aug 31 1888, McCook Neb, postmark on back dated Sep 5 1888, National City, Calif.
Letterhead of D.D. Smith, proprietor of Livery, Feed and Sale Stable,
McCook Neb Aug 31st 1888
Dear Mother and all,
Your letters received some time ago and found us all well.
I received the BB Bal all OK and think it is fine. Every one that seen it thought it was elegant.
Well I got a letter from DJ several days ago and he thought he had sold your timber claims for you for cash. Now if you folkes don't want to use the money for any thing this winter I will take it off you and pay 1-1/2 per cents a month and send out to you each month if it suits you folks. Write me at once and let me know. I will buy up grain while it is cheap for a years use. Now if I get it of you can get it for you any time in the spring by 30 days notice ahead when you need it.
Buck tells me that DJ cropps are not extra this year as his corn was not taken care of. Matie seems to be satisfied here but as soon as I can ... will visit that country.
Love to all, Davie.
=============================
This letter is all about business. This family had an abiding interest in business, making money, saving money, being responsible, planning ahead, etc. You can see it throughout these letters, and throughout Della's Journal that I've published during 2007 in weekly installments.
DJ Smith must have been down at the ranch in St. Francis. I don't know where the timber claims were - perhaps in St. Francis or in McCook. Davie offers 1.5% a month to use their money - a pretty good deal!
"Matie" is Mary Ann Smith, Della's and Davie's sister, daughter of DJ and Abby (Vaux) Smith, who also lives in McCook.
More to come!
========================
From Davie Smith in McCook, Nebraska to mother Abby (Vaux) Smith in San Diego. Envelope with return address of Blue Front Livery Stable, D.D. Smith proprietor, McCook Nebraska. Addressed to Mr. Austin Carringer, National City Cala. 2 cent stamp. postmark on front dated Aug 31 1888, McCook Neb, postmark on back dated Sep 5 1888, National City, Calif.
Letterhead of D.D. Smith, proprietor of Livery, Feed and Sale Stable,
McCook Neb Aug 31st 1888
Dear Mother and all,
Your letters received some time ago and found us all well.
I received the BB Bal all OK and think it is fine. Every one that seen it thought it was elegant.
Well I got a letter from DJ several days ago and he thought he had sold your timber claims for you for cash. Now if you folkes don't want to use the money for any thing this winter I will take it off you and pay 1-1/2 per cents a month and send out to you each month if it suits you folks. Write me at once and let me know. I will buy up grain while it is cheap for a years use. Now if I get it of you can get it for you any time in the spring by 30 days notice ahead when you need it.
Buck tells me that DJ cropps are not extra this year as his corn was not taken care of. Matie seems to be satisfied here but as soon as I can ... will visit that country.
Love to all, Davie.
=============================
This letter is all about business. This family had an abiding interest in business, making money, saving money, being responsible, planning ahead, etc. You can see it throughout these letters, and throughout Della's Journal that I've published during 2007 in weekly installments.
DJ Smith must have been down at the ranch in St. Francis. I don't know where the timber claims were - perhaps in St. Francis or in McCook. Davie offers 1.5% a month to use their money - a pretty good deal!
"Matie" is Mary Ann Smith, Della's and Davie's sister, daughter of DJ and Abby (Vaux) Smith, who also lives in McCook.
More to come!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
The Genealogy Parade is here!
Bill West asked his fellow intrepid and creative genea-bloggers to submit entries to a Genealogy Parade, and about 15 of us took him up on it.
The "Genealogy on Parade" post is on Bill's West in New England blog, and it has a fine display of floats, marching bands, a grand marshal and the like. Flutaphones played a large part in this parade, but that's another story.
Please go "watch" the parade and read all of the fine posts displaying imagination and honoring our ancestors.
Thank you, Bill, for a fun time! Wasn't it cold out there on the street? Inquiring minds want to know how many people lined the sidewalks of your town to witness this dazzling display of flutaphone wizardry and float creation?
The "Genealogy on Parade" post is on Bill's West in New England blog, and it has a fine display of floats, marching bands, a grand marshal and the like. Flutaphones played a large part in this parade, but that's another story.
Please go "watch" the parade and read all of the fine posts displaying imagination and honoring our ancestors.
Thank you, Bill, for a fun time! Wasn't it cold out there on the street? Inquiring minds want to know how many people lined the sidewalks of your town to witness this dazzling display of flutaphone wizardry and float creation?
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