Hey, it's Saturday Night - time for some Genealogy Fun!
Your mission, should you accept it, is to:
* Read Megan Smolenyak's article 120 Years of Smolenyaks in America: A Note of Gratitude from a Great-Granddaughter
* Do you have an ancestor like Megan's great-grandfather that was the first one to come to America (or your present country of residence) that you would like to thank?
* If so, tell us about that ancestor - and why you are thankful for their effort.
* Write your own blog post, or leave a comment on this post, or on the Facebook entry for this post.
Here's mine:
I would like to thank Samuel Vaux (1816-after 1880), who left Somerset in England in the 1830-1839 time frame with his parents and siblings and settled in Erie county, New York. He married Mary Ann Underhill, and moved to Wisconsin, Missouri and Kansas and died after 1880. He was a farmer throughout his adult life. I know very little about his life, or even why his family emigrated to America, or why Samuel moved his family out of New York to points west. But I am really glad that he did!
Thank you to Marian Pierre-Louis for suggesting this SNGF topic!
I need someone to tweet this on Twitter for me. When this blog posts, I should be staggering off the A380 in Sydney after a 15 hour flight from Los Angeles.
Saturday Night Genealogy Fun will be on hiatus until early April due to my vacation. So you have Saturday Nights free - you can still have some Genealogy Fun - go ahead and tell us about it!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Surname Saturday - MARSHMAN (in Wiltshire)
On Surname Saturdays, I am posting family lines from my own ancestry. I am doing this in Ahnentafel order, and am up to number #41, who is Ann Marshman (1784?-1856).
My ancestral line back to Ann Marshman:
1. Randall J. Seaver
2. Frederick W. Seaver (1911-1983)
3. Betty V. Carringer (1919-2002)
4. Frederick W. Seaver (1876-1942)
5. Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962)
10. Thomas Richmond (1848-1917)
11. Julia White (1848-1913)
20. James Richman (1821-1912)
21. Hannah Rich (1824-1911)
40. John Richman, born about 1788 in Hilperton, Wiltshire, ENGLAND; died 25 April 1867 in Hilperton, Wiltshire, ENGLAND. He married 08 February 1811 in Hilperton, Wiltshire, ENGLAND.
41. Ann Marshman, born about 1784 in Devizes, Wiltshire, ENGLAND; died 31 July 1856 in Hilperton, Wiltshire, ENGLAND.
82. Mr. Marshman I presume.
83. Mrs. Marshman (I presume)
As you can see, this is a brickwall problem here. Here is what I know about Ann Marshman:
From English census records, Ann was born between 1781 (age 59 in 1841 census) and 1784 (age 67 in 1851 census).
An Ann Marshman, daughter of Richard and Rebecca (Phipps) Marshman, was baptized at Southbroom Church in Devizes in Wiltshire on 20 June 1784. Another Ann Marshman was baptized 30 October 1780 there, daughter of Thomas and Ann (____) Marshman.
John and Ann (Marshman) Richman had children named (in order) Elizabeth, Sarah, John, Ann, James, Thomas, Mary and Mary.
If traditional English naming practices were followed by John and Ann (Marshman) Richman, then her parents were James and Elizabeth Marshman (second son named James, first daughter named Elizabeth). However, one cannot be sure that the traditional practices were followed. In fact, it is very likely that they were not in this family. On the other hand, they named their third son Thomas and third daughter Ann, and did not name any child Richard or Rebecca.
Another clue may be that a Thomas Marshman was a witness to Ann's wedding to John Richman in Hilperton in 1811. This might be Ann's father, brother, uncle or cousin.
That's all I know! The other descendants of this couple (I've corresponded with several distant cousins in England) have not been able to find any records for the parents of Ann Marshman either.
Does any reader share this Ann Marshman? If so, do you have any evidence of her parentage?
My ancestral line back to Ann Marshman:
1. Randall J. Seaver
2. Frederick W. Seaver (1911-1983)
3. Betty V. Carringer (1919-2002)
4. Frederick W. Seaver (1876-1942)
5. Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962)
10. Thomas Richmond (1848-1917)
11. Julia White (1848-1913)
20. James Richman (1821-1912)
21. Hannah Rich (1824-1911)
40. John Richman, born about 1788 in Hilperton, Wiltshire, ENGLAND; died 25 April 1867 in Hilperton, Wiltshire, ENGLAND. He married 08 February 1811 in Hilperton, Wiltshire, ENGLAND.
41. Ann Marshman, born about 1784 in Devizes, Wiltshire, ENGLAND; died 31 July 1856 in Hilperton, Wiltshire, ENGLAND.
82. Mr. Marshman I presume.
83. Mrs. Marshman (I presume)
As you can see, this is a brickwall problem here. Here is what I know about Ann Marshman:
From English census records, Ann was born between 1781 (age 59 in 1841 census) and 1784 (age 67 in 1851 census).
An Ann Marshman, daughter of Richard and Rebecca (Phipps) Marshman, was baptized at Southbroom Church in Devizes in Wiltshire on 20 June 1784. Another Ann Marshman was baptized 30 October 1780 there, daughter of Thomas and Ann (____) Marshman.
John and Ann (Marshman) Richman had children named (in order) Elizabeth, Sarah, John, Ann, James, Thomas, Mary and Mary.
If traditional English naming practices were followed by John and Ann (Marshman) Richman, then her parents were James and Elizabeth Marshman (second son named James, first daughter named Elizabeth). However, one cannot be sure that the traditional practices were followed. In fact, it is very likely that they were not in this family. On the other hand, they named their third son Thomas and third daughter Ann, and did not name any child Richard or Rebecca.
Another clue may be that a Thomas Marshman was a witness to Ann's wedding to John Richman in Hilperton in 1811. This might be Ann's father, brother, uncle or cousin.
That's all I know! The other descendants of this couple (I've corresponded with several distant cousins in England) have not been able to find any records for the parents of Ann Marshman either.
Does any reader share this Ann Marshman? If so, do you have any evidence of her parentage?
Friday, March 12, 2010
Family History Library Classes Online
I received an email this morning from http://www.familysearch.org/ that said that the Family History Library has put some instructional videos online here.
The following classes are provided online by the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. Learn the basic methods and key resources to start your family history:
* England Beginning Research
* Germany Research New!
* Ireland Research New!
* Italy Research
* Principios básicos para la investigación genealógica en Hispanoamérica (México)
* Research Principles and Tools New!
* Russia Research
* U.S. Research New!
Click on the links above to see the available videos.
These look like excellent tools to help beginning researchers with their genealogy research.
The following classes are provided online by the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. Learn the basic methods and key resources to start your family history:
* England Beginning Research
* Germany Research New!
* Ireland Research New!
* Italy Research
* Principios básicos para la investigación genealógica en Hispanoamérica (México)
* Research Principles and Tools New!
* Russia Research
* U.S. Research New!
Click on the links above to see the available videos.
These look like excellent tools to help beginning researchers with their genealogy research.
Megan Smolenyak's HuffPo Columns
Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak, fresh from the literary triumph of her Who Do You Think You Are? book, has several new columns up on the Huffington Post website, including:
* 120 Years of Smolenyaks in America: A Note of Gratitude from a Great-Granddaughter - a touching tribute to her immigrant Smolenyak ancestor.
* This Is Annie Moore at Ellis Island: $1,000 If You Can Prove Me Wrong - Megan is offering a reward if you can prove her wrong.
Read and enjoy!
* 120 Years of Smolenyaks in America: A Note of Gratitude from a Great-Granddaughter - a touching tribute to her immigrant Smolenyak ancestor.
* This Is Annie Moore at Ellis Island: $1,000 If You Can Prove Me Wrong - Megan is offering a reward if you can prove her wrong.
Read and enjoy!
Catching up with CVGS News
....
There are several posts over at the Chula Vista Genealogy Cafe blog that might be of interest to Genea-Musings readers, including:
* Hank Jones is coming to CVGS on 24 March - yes, the Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) is having this world-renowned genealogy speaker talk on "How Psychic Roots Became an Unsolved Mystery." Put Wednesday, 24 March at 12 noon in Chula Vista (Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library, 365 F Street) on your calendar for a fantastic program.
* CVGS Research Group 3/10/10 Summary - we had an excellent Research Group meeting on Wednesday - several challenging research problems, and many good questions and suggestions.
* CVGS at the Escondido Family History Fair - a summary of blog posts on the blogs authored by CVGS members
* New or Updated Genealogy Databases - March, Post 1 - new databases on Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org since mid-February. Post 2 coming soon!
That's the CVGS news - what's yours?
There are several posts over at the Chula Vista Genealogy Cafe blog that might be of interest to Genea-Musings readers, including:
* Hank Jones is coming to CVGS on 24 March - yes, the Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) is having this world-renowned genealogy speaker talk on "How Psychic Roots Became an Unsolved Mystery." Put Wednesday, 24 March at 12 noon in Chula Vista (Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library, 365 F Street) on your calendar for a fantastic program.
* CVGS Research Group 3/10/10 Summary - we had an excellent Research Group meeting on Wednesday - several challenging research problems, and many good questions and suggestions.
* CVGS at the Escondido Family History Fair - a summary of blog posts on the blogs authored by CVGS members
* New or Updated Genealogy Databases - March, Post 1 - new databases on Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org since mid-February. Post 2 coming soon!
That's the CVGS news - what's yours?
Thursday, March 11, 2010
First Carnival of Genealogical Societies Published
....
The first Carnival of Genealogical Societies was published yesterday on the California Genealogical Society and Library blog, edited by Kathryn M. Doyle.
The first Carnival of Genealogical Societies was published yesterday on the California Genealogical Society and Library blog, edited by Kathryn M. Doyle.
The topic for the inaugural edition of the Carnival of Genealogical Societies is:
Doin' Things Right!
Shine a spotlight on a specific program, project, or publication at
Doin' Things Right!
Shine a spotlight on a specific program, project, or publication at
a genealogical society and tell us why it worked.
Tell an anecdote about how you benefited from
a particular genealogical society service.
Share a success story and be specific!
There were fifteen entries to this Carnival, and all of them have something helpful and, in some cases, critical to the success of genealogical societies. In particular, I found the post Doin' Things Right: The Society Welcome Mat posted at the California Genealogical Society and Library blog to be though provoking.
Chula Vista Genealogical Society members have three of the entries:
* Randy Seaver has CVGS - Doin' Things Right! - Ahnentafel Lists posted at Chula Vista Genealogy Cafe
* Ruth Himan has Carnival of Genealogical Societies is: Doin' Things Right! posted at Genealogy is Ruthless without Me,
* Susi Pentico has Genealogy Societies and Why to Join Them posted at Ancestor Seekers by the Root Bound.
There are several genealogy blogs on the list of fifteen that I haven't read before.
Treasure Chest Thursday - Church Marriage Record
It's Treasure Chest Thursday - time to "show-and-tell" some of the treasures found in the papers of my parents and their families. I scanned some of these papers in the February Scanfest, and recently converted some of them to JPG format.
Here is a marriage record from the St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Leominster, Massachusetts for the marriage of my grandparents, Fred Walton Seaver and Alma Bessie Richmond on 21 June 1900:
Here is a marriage record from the St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Leominster, Massachusetts for the marriage of my grandparents, Fred Walton Seaver and Alma Bessie Richmond on 21 June 1900:
The real prize for me in this document are the signatures of the two fathers of the couple - Frank W. Seaver and Thomas Richmond in the lower left-hand corner of the document.
Census Records on Footnote.com FREE for awhile
I received this press release via email from Footnote.com:
============================
FOOTNOTE.COM LETS PEOPLE CREATE AMERICA’S FAMILY TREE THROUGH THE ONLY INTERACTIVE U.S. CENSUS
-Finding Ancestors and distant relatives can be as easy as clicking a single button-
Lindon, UT - March 11, 2010 – In order to encourage more people to find their ancestors and connect with family, Footnote.com, the web’s premier interactive history site, is opening all of their U.S. census documents for free to the public for a limited time.
Unlike any other historical collection on the web, the Interactive Census Collection has the unique ability to connect people related to ancestors found on the historical documents. Simply by clicking the “I’m Related” button for a name on the document will identify you as a descendent and also list others that have done the same. Never before has it been as easy to connect with distant relatives through historical documents. To learn how to get started with the Interactive Census, visit: http://go.footnote.com/discover.
Finding a record featuring an ancestor’s name provides not only an emotional experience but also a connection with the past. On Footnote.com it’s more than just finding a name on a census record. Interactive tools allow people to enhance the documents by adding their own contributions including:
· Photos
· Stories
· Comments
· Other related documents
Each contribution is linked to a Footnote member and provides a means for people to find each other and exchange more information about their ancestors.
“TV programs including ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ on NBC and ‘Faces of America’ on PBS will surely increase the interest in family history in the United States,” explains Russell Wilding, CEO of Footnote.com. “We believe that using our Interactive Census Collection is a great way for those who are new to genealogy to get started.”
In addition to providing the basic information about ancestors with the census documents, Footnote.com has been working with the National Archives and other institutions to digitize and index over 63 million historical records that include:
· Military documents
· Historical newspapers
· City directories
· Naturalization records
“Using the records on Footnote to go beyond the names and dates is like adding color to your tree,” says Roger Bell, Footnote’s Senior Vice President of Content and Product. “The more details you add, the more colorful your family tree becomes.”
To search for an ancestor and experience family history like never before, visit: http://go.footnote.com/discover.
Additional Resources
Follow us on Twitter – http://twitter.com/footnote
Join us on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/pages/Footnotecom/52981708480
About Footnote, Inc.
Footnote.com is a subscription website that features original historical documents, providing visitors with an unaltered view of the events, places and people that shaped the American nation and the world. At Footnote.com, all are invited to come share, discuss, and collaborate on their discoveries with friends, family, and colleagues. For more information, visit http://www.footnote.com.
Footnote.com Contact:
Justin Schroepfer
Marketing Director
(801) 494-6517
Justin@footnote.com
===============================
Thank you to Justin for sending this information.
Footnote.com has the complete 1860 US Census and the complete 1930 U.S. Census - full images and indexes. The indexes are different from Ancestry.com's indexes. They are working on adding all of the other US census images and indexes in a long-term project.
The press release doesn't state when this free access to the census collection will end.
Disclosure: I am not a Footnote.com employee or affiliate, and have received no remuneration for posting this press release. I am a satisfied Footnote.com fully paid subscriber.
============================
FOOTNOTE.COM LETS PEOPLE CREATE AMERICA’S FAMILY TREE THROUGH THE ONLY INTERACTIVE U.S. CENSUS
-Finding Ancestors and distant relatives can be as easy as clicking a single button-
Lindon, UT - March 11, 2010 – In order to encourage more people to find their ancestors and connect with family, Footnote.com, the web’s premier interactive history site, is opening all of their U.S. census documents for free to the public for a limited time.
Unlike any other historical collection on the web, the Interactive Census Collection has the unique ability to connect people related to ancestors found on the historical documents. Simply by clicking the “I’m Related” button for a name on the document will identify you as a descendent and also list others that have done the same. Never before has it been as easy to connect with distant relatives through historical documents. To learn how to get started with the Interactive Census, visit: http://go.footnote.com/discover.
Finding a record featuring an ancestor’s name provides not only an emotional experience but also a connection with the past. On Footnote.com it’s more than just finding a name on a census record. Interactive tools allow people to enhance the documents by adding their own contributions including:
· Photos
· Stories
· Comments
· Other related documents
Each contribution is linked to a Footnote member and provides a means for people to find each other and exchange more information about their ancestors.
“TV programs including ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ on NBC and ‘Faces of America’ on PBS will surely increase the interest in family history in the United States,” explains Russell Wilding, CEO of Footnote.com. “We believe that using our Interactive Census Collection is a great way for those who are new to genealogy to get started.”
In addition to providing the basic information about ancestors with the census documents, Footnote.com has been working with the National Archives and other institutions to digitize and index over 63 million historical records that include:
· Military documents
· Historical newspapers
· City directories
· Naturalization records
“Using the records on Footnote to go beyond the names and dates is like adding color to your tree,” says Roger Bell, Footnote’s Senior Vice President of Content and Product. “The more details you add, the more colorful your family tree becomes.”
To search for an ancestor and experience family history like never before, visit: http://go.footnote.com/discover.
Additional Resources
Follow us on Twitter – http://twitter.com/footnote
Join us on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/pages/Footnotecom/52981708480
About Footnote, Inc.
Footnote.com is a subscription website that features original historical documents, providing visitors with an unaltered view of the events, places and people that shaped the American nation and the world. At Footnote.com, all are invited to come share, discuss, and collaborate on their discoveries with friends, family, and colleagues. For more information, visit http://www.footnote.com.
Footnote.com Contact:
Justin Schroepfer
Marketing Director
(801) 494-6517
Justin@footnote.com
===============================
Thank you to Justin for sending this information.
Footnote.com has the complete 1860 US Census and the complete 1930 U.S. Census - full images and indexes. The indexes are different from Ancestry.com's indexes. They are working on adding all of the other US census images and indexes in a long-term project.
The press release doesn't state when this free access to the census collection will end.
Disclosure: I am not a Footnote.com employee or affiliate, and have received no remuneration for posting this press release. I am a satisfied Footnote.com fully paid subscriber.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Give their face a place - Ada Woodward
One of the pictures in the Carringer/Smith family collection is of Ada Woodward, age 13, taken in November 1898 - according to the handwriting on the back of the picture.
Look at the long hair. I wonder what color it was? Look at the eyes. I wonder what color they were? Look at the face - absolutely beautiful. Stunning in fact.
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 14, and resided in Belleville, Republic County, Kansas with her grandparents, Frank and Celia Munger, along with her sister Nellie, age 10.
I have been unable to find Ada Woodward after the 1900 US Census. 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.
Posted for the "Give Their Face a Place" theme for footnoteMaven's Smile for the Camera Carnival.
SDGS Program on Saturday, 13 March: Wayne Anderson
...
The next San Diego Genealogical Society (SDGS) program meeting is Saturday, 13 March at St. Andrews Lutheran Church in San Diego (8350 Lake Murray Blvd, near Jackson Drive) from 12 noon until 2:30 p.m.
There are two presentations by Wayne Anderson -- “When the Absence of Information was a Clue” and “Times and Chronologies of an Extended Family.”
"Have you come across a published or online family tree that contains information about a distant relative and wondered how much of it was true, or found yourself scratching your head when trying to sort out relationships among multiple family lines in a particular area?
"Our presentation will use case studies that deal with getting beyond a brick wall and illustrate process and methodology in an attempt to prove the conclusion with sound genealogical research principles.
"Our presenter, Wayne Anderson, began genealogy in 1999. He is married and has two daughters. He is an active member of the North San Diego County Genealogy Society and Temecula Valley Genealogy Society. He has done presentations for NSDCGS, TVGS and San Diego chapter POINTers (Italian Genealogy organization). Wayne has a BA in history from the University of Dubuque, Iowa, and graduated from the State Department of Foreign Language Institute with an emphasis in Vietnamese. He has a MA in International Studies (Vietnam) from American University, Washington D.C., and is a retired Lt. Col. USAF, and Vietnam Veteran."
The SDGS day on Saturday, 13 March begins at 10 a.m. with a Basic Genealogy Class and a RootsMagic Users Group meeting from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m, also at St. Andrews Lutheran Church.
I will be away from San Diego for this program, so there will not be a summary afterward from me. The SDGS Newsletter will have a summary article, however.
Check the SDGS website and SDGS blog for more information about all SDGS programs.
The next San Diego Genealogical Society (SDGS) program meeting is Saturday, 13 March at St. Andrews Lutheran Church in San Diego (8350 Lake Murray Blvd, near Jackson Drive) from 12 noon until 2:30 p.m.
There are two presentations by Wayne Anderson -- “When the Absence of Information was a Clue” and “Times and Chronologies of an Extended Family.”
"Have you come across a published or online family tree that contains information about a distant relative and wondered how much of it was true, or found yourself scratching your head when trying to sort out relationships among multiple family lines in a particular area?
"Our presentation will use case studies that deal with getting beyond a brick wall and illustrate process and methodology in an attempt to prove the conclusion with sound genealogical research principles.
"Our presenter, Wayne Anderson, began genealogy in 1999. He is married and has two daughters. He is an active member of the North San Diego County Genealogy Society and Temecula Valley Genealogy Society. He has done presentations for NSDCGS, TVGS and San Diego chapter POINTers (Italian Genealogy organization). Wayne has a BA in history from the University of Dubuque, Iowa, and graduated from the State Department of Foreign Language Institute with an emphasis in Vietnamese. He has a MA in International Studies (Vietnam) from American University, Washington D.C., and is a retired Lt. Col. USAF, and Vietnam Veteran."
The SDGS day on Saturday, 13 March begins at 10 a.m. with a Basic Genealogy Class and a RootsMagic Users Group meeting from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m, also at St. Andrews Lutheran Church.
I will be away from San Diego for this program, so there will not be a summary afterward from me. The SDGS Newsletter will have a summary article, however.
Check the SDGS website and SDGS blog for more information about all SDGS programs.
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