...
This week's Tuesday's Tip is to: Use the focused County, State and Surname search engines on www.Linkpendium.com.
Many genealogy and family history researchers use the links on the front page of www.Linkpendium.com to search for links to information. Linkpendium says:
"Linkpendium's goal is to index every genealogy, geneology, :) family history, family tree, surname, vital records, biography, or otherwise genealogically-related site on the Internet. PLEASE HELP! When you find a useful new resource, go to the right Linkpendium page and click on the "Add your favorite Websites to this page" link. Thanks from all of us at Linkpendium!"
Linkpendium now has "State-by-State Search Engines" at http://searches.linkpendium.com/websearch.html. There are actually three Search boxes here:
* A County search - input a County name and a state abbreviation (the two-digit code; e.g., CA, TX, WI). If you input a County, you have to input the state abbreviation.
* A State search - input only the state abbreviation to obtain links to state genealogy web sites.
* A Surname Search that provides state-by-state links (and county-by-county links if there are a significant number of different counties).
Although a City search field is provided, it doesn't seem to work, at least for the ones I tried.
The County search is the real gem in this search. The results are categorized by subject and show the source of the link in parentheses. Subscription sites like Ancestry.com and Footnote.com are denoted with a $ sign.
The Surname search also provides a categorized list, and also links to web pages with the surname by state.
This Linkpendium search engine has tremendous potential to help researchers quickly find useful genealogy information for specific counties, states and surnames.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
AncestorSync is coming - I have questions
...
I didn't post or comment two weeks ago when AncestorSync was announced (the press release is here), but learned a bit by reading the press release and hearing about it from Earl Mott on the Geneabloggers Radio Show last Friday (Embracing Technology: Where to Turn Next).
The AncestorSync website looks like this (two screens below)
There are some interesting quotes on this page, including:
"AncestorSync™ allows you to seamlessly download, upload, or synchronize your family tree from your online pedigree to your personal genealogy software on your local computer, and back again. You choose your genealogy software, you choose your online pedigree, we'll do the rest."
and:
"You deserve to choose a genealogy software that fits your needs. We're working hard to cover all the bases. AncestorSync™ currently supports: Ancestral Quest, Legacy, Mac Family Tree, PAF, RootsMagic, The Master Genealogist and more on the way"
and:
"Online Pedigrees help you to collaborate with people from all across the world and find valuable source documents. Why would you limit yourself to only the resources you can find? We'll do the difficult part so you can do genealogy."
The site indicates that it currently supports the newFamilySearch Family Tree, Geni.com, and Our Family*ology online family tree systems.
The claims seem to indicate that: I can use AncestorSync to access my genealogy software (one on the list above) and an online database (one that I have a tree on and on the list above) and synchronize the information in one from the other.
This raises many questions in my mind, including:
* Is this a computer program that resides on the user's computer and accesses the online tree website, or is it a website that accesses the user's software, file folders, and the online tree site? It sounds like the latter - a "service that lets you synchronize the genealogy work from your online pedigree to your desktop program."
* Geni.com is a site with a freemium subscription - will users need a Pro subscription to use AncestorSync?
* Will AncestorSync eventually support other genealogy software programs like Family Tree Maker, Reunion, Family Tree Builder, etc.?
* Will AncestorSync eventually support other online family trees like Ancestry Member Trees, WeRelate, WikiTree, AppleTree, GeneaNet, and other online tree systems?
* Will the user be able to select the persons and facts/events to be synchronized? Will they have to select persons, facts and events?
* Will the user be able to upload whole databases to the online system, or vice versa? Can a user download a whole database into a new software file?
* Will all information in the genealogy software programs be able to be synchronized? E.g., name, dates, places, relationships, notes (with formatting), sources (with EE-quality fields), media (from user file folders or links to subscription sites), to-do list, research log, etc.
* Will the synchronization happen automatically (say when the program is closed, or when the online tree is closed), or will it have to be intentionally started (when the user pushes a button)?
* Will there be a separate version of AncestorSync for each online tree system with each software program (e.g., will there be, say, a specific Geni to RootsMagic program) or will the user be able to use it for any software program and online tree combination? If it's for a specific site and/or program, will each version cost money?
* Why should a user use AncestorSync with newFamilySearch when RootsMagic, Legacy and other software programs already can access and use newFamilySearch? What benefits are there fro owners of the FamilySearch affiliates?
* I can see why online family tree sites are interested in the AncestorSync service - they won't have to program their website to accept the different formats created by the software programs. Although most online trees already have GEDCOM uploads/downloads, the AncestorSync seems to offer synchronization without GEDCOM, which may have advantages.
* Is AncestorSync working with the genealogy software companies to develop their product?
* What product liability will the software companies have if someone uses AncestorSync to download some or all of a tree from an online tree website and the user's database becomes corrupted?
* If collaboration occurs in an online tree and wrong or corrupted data gets added to a user's database, or worse yet - the user's correct data is deleted - who is liable?
What other questions do my readers have about AncestorSync? Tell me in comments, or in email (rjseaver@cox.net) and I'll add them to my list above.
AncestorSync has a pre-order special of $10 according to the website:
"We're exited to introduce AncestorSync at NGS 2011. As part of an introductory offer, we are opening up pre-orders for AncestorSync™. The first wave of AncestorSync™ will come in June of 2011. Pre-Order to be among the first to utilize this fantastic tool."
The first year is only $10 - but the site does not say what the subscription price for subsequent years will be. The site notes that:
"Initial release of AncestorSync will include download only from the web. Full synchronization will be released later in 2011."
My opinion is that this synchronization system may provide significant advantages for users that want to keep their genealogy database stored on their home computers with one or more online family tree systems. The user then retains ALL of the reporting and charting features of the software programs (which are lacking in online trees) and yet get all of their information online (with all of the "cousin bait" benefits) with the backup benefits of having the tree stored online.
AncestorSync use should increase significantly when full two-way synchronization is available.
I didn't post or comment two weeks ago when AncestorSync was announced (the press release is here), but learned a bit by reading the press release and hearing about it from Earl Mott on the Geneabloggers Radio Show last Friday (Embracing Technology: Where to Turn Next).
The AncestorSync website looks like this (two screens below)
There are some interesting quotes on this page, including:
"AncestorSync™ allows you to seamlessly download, upload, or synchronize your family tree from your online pedigree to your personal genealogy software on your local computer, and back again. You choose your genealogy software, you choose your online pedigree, we'll do the rest."
and:
"You deserve to choose a genealogy software that fits your needs. We're working hard to cover all the bases. AncestorSync™ currently supports: Ancestral Quest, Legacy, Mac Family Tree, PAF, RootsMagic, The Master Genealogist and more on the way"
and:
"Online Pedigrees help you to collaborate with people from all across the world and find valuable source documents. Why would you limit yourself to only the resources you can find? We'll do the difficult part so you can do genealogy."
The site indicates that it currently supports the newFamilySearch Family Tree, Geni.com, and Our Family*ology online family tree systems.
The claims seem to indicate that: I can use AncestorSync to access my genealogy software (one on the list above) and an online database (one that I have a tree on and on the list above) and synchronize the information in one from the other.
This raises many questions in my mind, including:
* Is this a computer program that resides on the user's computer and accesses the online tree website, or is it a website that accesses the user's software, file folders, and the online tree site? It sounds like the latter - a "service that lets you synchronize the genealogy work from your online pedigree to your desktop program."
* Geni.com is a site with a freemium subscription - will users need a Pro subscription to use AncestorSync?
* Will AncestorSync eventually support other genealogy software programs like Family Tree Maker, Reunion, Family Tree Builder, etc.?
* Will AncestorSync eventually support other online family trees like Ancestry Member Trees, WeRelate, WikiTree, AppleTree, GeneaNet, and other online tree systems?
* Will the user be able to select the persons and facts/events to be synchronized? Will they have to select persons, facts and events?
* Will the user be able to upload whole databases to the online system, or vice versa? Can a user download a whole database into a new software file?
* Will all information in the genealogy software programs be able to be synchronized? E.g., name, dates, places, relationships, notes (with formatting), sources (with EE-quality fields), media (from user file folders or links to subscription sites), to-do list, research log, etc.
* Will the synchronization happen automatically (say when the program is closed, or when the online tree is closed), or will it have to be intentionally started (when the user pushes a button)?
* Will there be a separate version of AncestorSync for each online tree system with each software program (e.g., will there be, say, a specific Geni to RootsMagic program) or will the user be able to use it for any software program and online tree combination? If it's for a specific site and/or program, will each version cost money?
* Why should a user use AncestorSync with newFamilySearch when RootsMagic, Legacy and other software programs already can access and use newFamilySearch? What benefits are there fro owners of the FamilySearch affiliates?
* I can see why online family tree sites are interested in the AncestorSync service - they won't have to program their website to accept the different formats created by the software programs. Although most online trees already have GEDCOM uploads/downloads, the AncestorSync seems to offer synchronization without GEDCOM, which may have advantages.
* Is AncestorSync working with the genealogy software companies to develop their product?
* What product liability will the software companies have if someone uses AncestorSync to download some or all of a tree from an online tree website and the user's database becomes corrupted?
* If collaboration occurs in an online tree and wrong or corrupted data gets added to a user's database, or worse yet - the user's correct data is deleted - who is liable?
What other questions do my readers have about AncestorSync? Tell me in comments, or in email (rjseaver@cox.net) and I'll add them to my list above.
AncestorSync has a pre-order special of $10 according to the website:
"We're exited to introduce AncestorSync at NGS 2011. As part of an introductory offer, we are opening up pre-orders for AncestorSync™. The first wave of AncestorSync™ will come in June of 2011. Pre-Order to be among the first to utilize this fantastic tool."
The first year is only $10 - but the site does not say what the subscription price for subsequent years will be. The site notes that:
"Initial release of AncestorSync will include download only from the web. Full synchronization will be released later in 2011."
My opinion is that this synchronization system may provide significant advantages for users that want to keep their genealogy database stored on their home computers with one or more online family tree systems. The user then retains ALL of the reporting and charting features of the software programs (which are lacking in online trees) and yet get all of their information online (with all of the "cousin bait" benefits) with the backup benefits of having the tree stored online.
AncestorSync use should increase significantly when full two-way synchronization is available.
The New FamilySearch Family Tree - Post 7: Searching using RootsMagic 4
,,,
Previous posts in this series can be read in the New FamilySearch Family Tree Compendium. As mentioned in earlier posts, a researcher needs to have registered for a free FamilySearch account, and be granted access to newFamilySearch (currently, only LDS church members and selected non-members, like myself), in order to access the NewFamilySearch Family Tree. FamilySearch has stated that the system might be open to everyone in late 2011.
In this post, I'm going to demonstrate how to use RootsMagic 4 to search the NewFamilySearch Family Tree, and how to match a person in my RootsMagic database with a person in newFamilySearch.
From the Family View in RootsMagic4, I can go to File > FamilySearch Central, or use the FamilySearch icon on the menu bar, and click and see:
The screen above notes that I am logged into FamilySearch (you have to enter the registration information the first time you try this). There are four icons in the top row of the FamilySearch Central window - "Find Matches," "Share Data," "Import" and "AutoMatch." In this series, I'm not going to even try the "Import" or "AutoMatch" items - the last thing I want is much more unsourced and unverified information in my RootsMagic database!
I clicked on "Find Matches," and used the index "My RootsMagic People" on the left margin to find Isaac Seaver (1802-1870), the same person I've been working on in the last five posts in this series. I clicked on him and this screen appeared:
The system quickly found the correct Isaac Seaver (currently LHRX-R59). It highlighted in green the assertions in newFamilySearch that agreed with my RootsMagic information, and yellow for items that were different, including the death place (different text) and the mother's name.
There are three tabs on the screen above below the person's name - the screen above is in "Find Matches," and the other tabs are "Share Data" and "Discussions." We will go back to the other two tabs later. The second menu row in the "Find Matches" tab have buttons for "Match with FamilySearch," "Search for more matches" and "Add to FamilySearch."
I was curious about the "Search for more matches" button, so I clicked on that and saw a "Search New FamilySearch" window:
The entries for the person of interest was in Name, Birth, Marriage and Death fields from my RootsMagic database, and I could have edited or changed the fields and the data. This was the person I wanted to search for, so I clicked on "Search."
After several seconds a number of additional possible matches appeared:
This appears to be a list of all of the entries in newFamilySearch that have at least one exact (green) or approximate (yellow) match for the assertions. There were no other entries in newFamilySearch that I wanted to match my RootsMagic entry to.
At this point, I wanted to select the first Possible Match on the screen above and match that entry with my RootsMagic entry for Isaac Seaver (1802-1870). I clicked on the check box next to that match, and then clicked on the "Match with FamilySearch" button." My Isaac was then matched with the nFSFT entry for Isaac Seaver (1802-1870, currently number LHRX-R59):
In the screen above, you can see that my RootsMagic person (ID 36250) now is identified as LHRX-R59. In the index on the left margin, there is a FamilySearch icon beside Isaac Seaver's name.
The second Tab on the top menu row is for "Share Data," so I clicked on that tab and saw (two screens some overlap):
These screens compare my RootsMagic Person on the left and the matched nnewFamilySearch person on the right, with the green (exact) and yellow (approximate) matches to the information in both systems. There are check boxes for every item that is not matched. I could check items in the newFamilySearch list that would then appear in the RootsMagic list, or I could check a box in the RootsMagic list that would then appear in the newFamilySearch list and database, right from RootsMagic.
I wanted to add the Burial fact from RootsMagic to the newFamilySearch database, so I checked the Burial check box:
A small popup box appeared that said "What do you want to do with this fact?" and the only option was to "Add as a new event in FamilySearch." I clicked on the "OK" button and the Fact was added to the newFamilySearch list after several seconds:
Now I should go back into newFamilySearch and add the source for that fact (Isaac Seaver is buried in Whitmanville Cemetery in Westminster, Massachusetts).
The above exercise takes about one minute to complete without any interruption, assuming that the researcher doesn't have to choose multiple persons in newFamilySearch to match to their RootsMagic person. Each addition of a Fact to newFamilySearch takes about 10 seconds to complete.
What did not get transferred from my RootsMagic database:
* Facts that I chose not to transfer, like residence, occupation, census, military, etc. data.
* Notes - there is no facility for adding Notes from a person in RootsMagic to a Note in newFamilySearch.
* Sources - there is no facility for adding Sources or a Fact in RootsMagic to a Fact in newFamilySearch.
* Media - there is no facility for adding Media from a person in RootsMagic to newFamilySearch.
My guess is that there will eventually be these capabilities, and probably more that I haven't thought of, in the future.
However, that means that I, and others, that have Notes, Sources, Media and other data to persons already matched in newFamilySearch will have to go back in and perform these operations when the capability is available.
The RootsMagic user is in control of their information - they can add Facts that they choose to add. They can also select Facts from newFamilySearch to transfer into their RootsMagic database.
It is much, much, much easier to enter data into a newFamilySearch file using RootsMagic (and probably other programs too) than doing it one Fact at a time while on the newFamilySearch website. This process is very logical, and fairly complex, but experienced researchers and RootsMagic users should be able to master this process.
This is an excellent example of an entrepreneurial company (e.g., RootsMagic) working with FamilySearch to gain an Affiliate status so that they can leverage their product in the marketplace. It's an excellent sellingp oint, especially for LDS church members. As noted before, there are several software companies that have this capability at present, and there are others working on it.
In the next post, I'll demonstrate how to add a Person and their information in my RootsMagic database, who is not in newFamilySearch, to the newFamilySearch database.
Previous posts in this series can be read in the New FamilySearch Family Tree Compendium. As mentioned in earlier posts, a researcher needs to have registered for a free FamilySearch account, and be granted access to newFamilySearch (currently, only LDS church members and selected non-members, like myself), in order to access the NewFamilySearch Family Tree. FamilySearch has stated that the system might be open to everyone in late 2011.
In this post, I'm going to demonstrate how to use RootsMagic 4 to search the NewFamilySearch Family Tree, and how to match a person in my RootsMagic database with a person in newFamilySearch.
From the Family View in RootsMagic4, I can go to File > FamilySearch Central, or use the FamilySearch icon on the menu bar, and click and see:
The screen above notes that I am logged into FamilySearch (you have to enter the registration information the first time you try this). There are four icons in the top row of the FamilySearch Central window - "Find Matches," "Share Data," "Import" and "AutoMatch." In this series, I'm not going to even try the "Import" or "AutoMatch" items - the last thing I want is much more unsourced and unverified information in my RootsMagic database!
I clicked on "Find Matches," and used the index "My RootsMagic People" on the left margin to find Isaac Seaver (1802-1870), the same person I've been working on in the last five posts in this series. I clicked on him and this screen appeared:
The system quickly found the correct Isaac Seaver (currently LHRX-R59). It highlighted in green the assertions in newFamilySearch that agreed with my RootsMagic information, and yellow for items that were different, including the death place (different text) and the mother's name.
There are three tabs on the screen above below the person's name - the screen above is in "Find Matches," and the other tabs are "Share Data" and "Discussions." We will go back to the other two tabs later. The second menu row in the "Find Matches" tab have buttons for "Match with FamilySearch," "Search for more matches" and "Add to FamilySearch."
I was curious about the "Search for more matches" button, so I clicked on that and saw a "Search New FamilySearch" window:
The entries for the person of interest was in Name, Birth, Marriage and Death fields from my RootsMagic database, and I could have edited or changed the fields and the data. This was the person I wanted to search for, so I clicked on "Search."
After several seconds a number of additional possible matches appeared:
This appears to be a list of all of the entries in newFamilySearch that have at least one exact (green) or approximate (yellow) match for the assertions. There were no other entries in newFamilySearch that I wanted to match my RootsMagic entry to.
At this point, I wanted to select the first Possible Match on the screen above and match that entry with my RootsMagic entry for Isaac Seaver (1802-1870). I clicked on the check box next to that match, and then clicked on the "Match with FamilySearch" button." My Isaac was then matched with the nFSFT entry for Isaac Seaver (1802-1870, currently number LHRX-R59):
In the screen above, you can see that my RootsMagic person (ID 36250) now is identified as LHRX-R59. In the index on the left margin, there is a FamilySearch icon beside Isaac Seaver's name.
The second Tab on the top menu row is for "Share Data," so I clicked on that tab and saw (two screens some overlap):
These screens compare my RootsMagic Person on the left and the matched nnewFamilySearch person on the right, with the green (exact) and yellow (approximate) matches to the information in both systems. There are check boxes for every item that is not matched. I could check items in the newFamilySearch list that would then appear in the RootsMagic list, or I could check a box in the RootsMagic list that would then appear in the newFamilySearch list and database, right from RootsMagic.
I wanted to add the Burial fact from RootsMagic to the newFamilySearch database, so I checked the Burial check box:
A small popup box appeared that said "What do you want to do with this fact?" and the only option was to "Add as a new event in FamilySearch." I clicked on the "OK" button and the Fact was added to the newFamilySearch list after several seconds:
Now I should go back into newFamilySearch and add the source for that fact (Isaac Seaver is buried in Whitmanville Cemetery in Westminster, Massachusetts).
The above exercise takes about one minute to complete without any interruption, assuming that the researcher doesn't have to choose multiple persons in newFamilySearch to match to their RootsMagic person. Each addition of a Fact to newFamilySearch takes about 10 seconds to complete.
What did not get transferred from my RootsMagic database:
* Facts that I chose not to transfer, like residence, occupation, census, military, etc. data.
* Notes - there is no facility for adding Notes from a person in RootsMagic to a Note in newFamilySearch.
* Sources - there is no facility for adding Sources or a Fact in RootsMagic to a Fact in newFamilySearch.
* Media - there is no facility for adding Media from a person in RootsMagic to newFamilySearch.
My guess is that there will eventually be these capabilities, and probably more that I haven't thought of, in the future.
However, that means that I, and others, that have Notes, Sources, Media and other data to persons already matched in newFamilySearch will have to go back in and perform these operations when the capability is available.
The RootsMagic user is in control of their information - they can add Facts that they choose to add. They can also select Facts from newFamilySearch to transfer into their RootsMagic database.
It is much, much, much easier to enter data into a newFamilySearch file using RootsMagic (and probably other programs too) than doing it one Fact at a time while on the newFamilySearch website. This process is very logical, and fairly complex, but experienced researchers and RootsMagic users should be able to master this process.
This is an excellent example of an entrepreneurial company (e.g., RootsMagic) working with FamilySearch to gain an Affiliate status so that they can leverage their product in the marketplace. It's an excellent sellingp oint, especially for LDS church members. As noted before, there are several software companies that have this capability at present, and there are others working on it.
In the next post, I'll demonstrate how to add a Person and their information in my RootsMagic database, who is not in newFamilySearch, to the newFamilySearch database.
Amanuensis Monday - Cornelius Feather's 1851 Affidavit
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Genea-blogger John Newmark (who writes the excellent TransylvanianDutch blog) started a Monday blog theme many months ago called Amanuensis Monday. What does "amanuensis" mean? John offers this definition:
"A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another."
The subject today is the affidavit that Cornelius Feather (1777-1852) dictated in the Revolutionary War Pension File of his brother, John Feather (Revolutionary War Pension File number W3236, pages 14 and 15, accessed on www.Footnote.com, in the New Jersey collection, citing NARA Microfilm Publication M804, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. I have 37 page images from this Pension File):
"State of Pennsylvania
County of Mercer S.S.
"Personally appeared before the subscriber a Justice of the Peace in and for said County - Cornelius Feather aged 74 years a resident of East Salem township in said county - who being first duly sworn according to law doth depose and say that he is a Brother to John Feather deceased late a revolutionary Soldier and pensioner of the United States at the rate of $39.89 per annum who died in Mercer county in the month of May 1838 leaving a widow whose maiden name was Mary Wheeler - who died on the 18th day of March eighteen hundred & forty seven (1847) in said County of Mercer - deponent states that his Father Stephen Feather emigrated from Middlesex County State of New Jersey about 2 years after the close of the revolutionary War to Westmoreland County Pennsylvania and that William Wheeler who was the reputed father of said Mary was a neighbor to his said father in Middlesex Co State of New Jersey and emigrated in company with his said father to the vacinity of Carlisle Cumberland county & state of Pennsylvania - the aforesaid John Feather and Mary his wife being in the same company and that said Wheeler settled at that time as he believes in the State of Virginia and in the following winter his said Brother John left Westmoreland Co for the State of Virginia and returned in the following Spring to Westmoreland County & State of Pennsylvania together with his said wife Mary and lived in lawful wedlock with her up to the time of his aforesaid death - deponent also states that seven children are now living who were born to the said John Feather and Mary his wife 5 of which were born prior to the year seventeen hundred and ninety four whose names are Hannah Hunter Jane Neely John Feather Betsey and Nancy Feather and subsequent to 1794 was born Polley Stewart and Stephen Feather - deponent states that about the year 1798 the said John was a boy of eight or 9 years old in company with him to see a large boddy of soldiers who were on march near a Camp on Carnahane hill in the west part of Westmoreland County - who were soldiers engaged in the Whisky insurection so caled of 1794.
"Sworn to and subscribed ............... Cornelius Feather
on this 23rd day of April 1851
before me - I als certify that
deponent Cornelius Feather is a
credable witness M.A. Leeck J.P."
This affidavit is dictated by my 4th great-grandfather, Cornelius Feather (1777-1852) in support of a pension claim by the children of his brother John Feather (1760-1838) and his wife Mary (Wheeler) Feather. It provides useful information about the lives of John and Mary (Wheeler) Feather, and identifies the father of John and Cornelius.
There is an emphasis on children born before 1794 in this affidavit and in several other affidavits filed by other children of John and Mary Feather. The reason is that the family had no written proof of the marriage before 1794 (a requirement for the pension, apparently) and had to use sworn depositions to justify their claim.
Other papers in this pension file detail more of the lives of John and Mary (Wheeler) Feather, and John's father, Stephen Feather, including John's own statement of his military service and the family migration from New Jersey to Pennsylvania. These affidavits are the only information that I have about Stephen Feather, apparently of Middlesex County, New Jersey.
Genea-blogger John Newmark (who writes the excellent TransylvanianDutch blog) started a Monday blog theme many months ago called Amanuensis Monday. What does "amanuensis" mean? John offers this definition:
"A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another."
The subject today is the affidavit that Cornelius Feather (1777-1852) dictated in the Revolutionary War Pension File of his brother, John Feather (Revolutionary War Pension File number W3236, pages 14 and 15, accessed on www.Footnote.com, in the New Jersey collection, citing NARA Microfilm Publication M804, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. I have 37 page images from this Pension File):
"State of Pennsylvania
County of Mercer S.S.
"Personally appeared before the subscriber a Justice of the Peace in and for said County - Cornelius Feather aged 74 years a resident of East Salem township in said county - who being first duly sworn according to law doth depose and say that he is a Brother to John Feather deceased late a revolutionary Soldier and pensioner of the United States at the rate of $39.89 per annum who died in Mercer county in the month of May 1838 leaving a widow whose maiden name was Mary Wheeler - who died on the 18th day of March eighteen hundred & forty seven (1847) in said County of Mercer - deponent states that his Father Stephen Feather emigrated from Middlesex County State of New Jersey about 2 years after the close of the revolutionary War to Westmoreland County Pennsylvania and that William Wheeler who was the reputed father of said Mary was a neighbor to his said father in Middlesex Co State of New Jersey and emigrated in company with his said father to the vacinity of Carlisle Cumberland county & state of Pennsylvania - the aforesaid John Feather and Mary his wife being in the same company and that said Wheeler settled at that time as he believes in the State of Virginia and in the following winter his said Brother John left Westmoreland Co for the State of Virginia and returned in the following Spring to Westmoreland County & State of Pennsylvania together with his said wife Mary and lived in lawful wedlock with her up to the time of his aforesaid death - deponent also states that seven children are now living who were born to the said John Feather and Mary his wife 5 of which were born prior to the year seventeen hundred and ninety four whose names are Hannah Hunter Jane Neely John Feather Betsey and Nancy Feather and subsequent to 1794 was born Polley Stewart and Stephen Feather - deponent states that about the year 1798 the said John was a boy of eight or 9 years old in company with him to see a large boddy of soldiers who were on march near a Camp on Carnahane hill in the west part of Westmoreland County - who were soldiers engaged in the Whisky insurection so caled of 1794.
"Sworn to and subscribed ............... Cornelius Feather
on this 23rd day of April 1851
before me - I als certify that
deponent Cornelius Feather is a
credable witness M.A. Leeck J.P."
This affidavit is dictated by my 4th great-grandfather, Cornelius Feather (1777-1852) in support of a pension claim by the children of his brother John Feather (1760-1838) and his wife Mary (Wheeler) Feather. It provides useful information about the lives of John and Mary (Wheeler) Feather, and identifies the father of John and Cornelius.
There is an emphasis on children born before 1794 in this affidavit and in several other affidavits filed by other children of John and Mary Feather. The reason is that the family had no written proof of the marriage before 1794 (a requirement for the pension, apparently) and had to use sworn depositions to justify their claim.
Other papers in this pension file detail more of the lives of John and Mary (Wheeler) Feather, and John's father, Stephen Feather, including John's own statement of his military service and the family migration from New Jersey to Pennsylvania. These affidavits are the only information that I have about Stephen Feather, apparently of Middlesex County, New Jersey.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
CVGS Program on Wednesday, 25 May: "My Ancestors Came From England"
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The May 25th program meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society will be at 11:30 a.m. in the Auditorium of the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street). The program will start promptly at 11:30 a.m. Please note the TIME CHANGE for this event only!
The Program Speaker will be Fred Spong on "My Ancestors Are From England, And That's All I Know."
The program description and author's credentials:
The possibility of finding an ancestor in English records diminishes significantly if you do not know the town and county that he or she came from.
This presentation will discuss the avenues that can be utilized if the town and county of the ancestor are unknown. There are a number of resources available that may direct the researcher to the correct ancestor and they will be discussed.
Fred Spong is a retired physician who has been doing genealogical research for about 13 years. He is a past-President of the North San Diego County Genealogical Society, and is a delegate to the Federation of Genealogical Societies.
Please note the time change – 11:30 a.m. for the start of Fred's presentation. The Conference Room doors will open at about 11 a.m. for attendee registration, handout distribution, and a snack. The business meeting will occur after the presentation this month.
The May 25th program meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society will be at 11:30 a.m. in the Auditorium of the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street). The program will start promptly at 11:30 a.m. Please note the TIME CHANGE for this event only!
The Program Speaker will be Fred Spong on "My Ancestors Are From England, And That's All I Know."
The program description and author's credentials:
The possibility of finding an ancestor in English records diminishes significantly if you do not know the town and county that he or she came from.
This presentation will discuss the avenues that can be utilized if the town and county of the ancestor are unknown. There are a number of resources available that may direct the researcher to the correct ancestor and they will be discussed.
Fred Spong is a retired physician who has been doing genealogical research for about 13 years. He is a past-President of the North San Diego County Genealogical Society, and is a delegate to the Federation of Genealogical Societies.
Please note the time change – 11:30 a.m. for the start of Fred's presentation. The Conference Room doors will open at about 11 a.m. for attendee registration, handout distribution, and a snack. The business meeting will occur after the presentation this month.
Best of the Genea-Blogs - 15-21 May 2011
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Hundreds of genealogy and family history bloggers write thousands of posts every week about their research, their families, and their interests. I appreciate each one of them and their efforts.
My criteria for "Best of ..." are pretty simple - I pick posts that advance knowledge about genealogy and family history, address current genealogy issues, provide personal family history, are funny or are poignant. I don't list posts destined for the genealogy carnivals, or other meme submissions (but I do include summaries of them), or my own posts.
Here are my picks for great reads from the genealogy blogs for this past week:
* I Have a Complaint Concerning Many Genealogists by Dick Eastman on the Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter blog. Dick addresses the "genealogy data should be free" issue - he has a great analogy!
* Shouldn’t we all be “Primary Care Genealogists”? by Michael Hait on the Planting the Seeds blog. The answer is YES - read why and how.
* Cloud Genealogy by Daniel Dillman on the Indiana Dillmans blog. Daniel covers the pros and cons of using cloud-based services for genealogy research and preservation.
* Understanding the FamilySearch Wiki -- Introduction to Wikis, -- Part Two Introduction to Wikis, Understanding the FamilySearch Wiki -- Namespaces by James Tanner on the Genealogy's Star blog. James tells us what a wiki is, and how to use them.
* How to Rock as a Genealogy Lecturer by Dee on the Ancestrally Challenged blog. Some good advice here for speakers and teachers.
* Is Mills Style Necessary? by the writer of The Ancestry Insider blog. This is part of a series on Sources - my opinion is YES.
* Thoughts on Digital Newspapers by Jennifer on the Rainy Day Genealogy Readings blog. Jennifer has wise thoughts - we all should heed them.
* How to Make Conferences 73% More Fun by Kerry Scott on the Clue Wagon blog. Kerry has wonderful words of wisdom here about how the introverted genealogist can feel comfortable at conferences.
* Fling it in the folder - my digital filing system by Jill Ball on the Geniaus blog. Jill describes her logical and useful digital filing system. I like it!
Several other genea-bloggers wrote weekly pick posts this week, including:
* Follow Friday: This Week’s Favorite Finds by Jen on the Climbing My Family Tree blog.
* Best Bytes for the Week of May 20, 2011 by Elizabeth O'Neal on the Little Bytes of Life blog.
Did I miss a great genealogy blog post? Tell me! I am currently reading posts from over 900 genealogy bloggers using Google Reader, but I still miss quite a few it seems.
Read past Best of the Genea-Blogs posts here.
Hundreds of genealogy and family history bloggers write thousands of posts every week about their research, their families, and their interests. I appreciate each one of them and their efforts.
My criteria for "Best of ..." are pretty simple - I pick posts that advance knowledge about genealogy and family history, address current genealogy issues, provide personal family history, are funny or are poignant. I don't list posts destined for the genealogy carnivals, or other meme submissions (but I do include summaries of them), or my own posts.
Here are my picks for great reads from the genealogy blogs for this past week:
* I Have a Complaint Concerning Many Genealogists by Dick Eastman on the Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter blog. Dick addresses the "genealogy data should be free" issue - he has a great analogy!
* Shouldn’t we all be “Primary Care Genealogists”? by Michael Hait on the Planting the Seeds blog. The answer is YES - read why and how.
* Cloud Genealogy by Daniel Dillman on the Indiana Dillmans blog. Daniel covers the pros and cons of using cloud-based services for genealogy research and preservation.
* Understanding the FamilySearch Wiki -- Introduction to Wikis, -- Part Two Introduction to Wikis, Understanding the FamilySearch Wiki -- Namespaces by James Tanner on the Genealogy's Star blog. James tells us what a wiki is, and how to use them.
* How to Rock as a Genealogy Lecturer by Dee on the Ancestrally Challenged blog. Some good advice here for speakers and teachers.
* Is Mills Style Necessary? by the writer of The Ancestry Insider blog. This is part of a series on Sources - my opinion is YES.
* Thoughts on Digital Newspapers by Jennifer on the Rainy Day Genealogy Readings blog. Jennifer has wise thoughts - we all should heed them.
* How to Make Conferences 73% More Fun by Kerry Scott on the Clue Wagon blog. Kerry has wonderful words of wisdom here about how the introverted genealogist can feel comfortable at conferences.
* Fling it in the folder - my digital filing system by Jill Ball on the Geniaus blog. Jill describes her logical and useful digital filing system. I like it!
Several other genea-bloggers wrote weekly pick posts this week, including:
* Follow Friday: This Week’s Favorite Finds by Jen on the Climbing My Family Tree blog.
* Best Bytes for the Week of May 20, 2011 by Elizabeth O'Neal on the Little Bytes of Life blog.
I encourage readers to go to the blogs listed above and read their articles, and add their blogs to your Favorites, Google Reader, RSS feed or email if you like what you read. Please make a comment to them also - all bloggers appreciate feedback on what they write.
Did I miss a great genealogy blog post? Tell me! I am currently reading posts from over 900 genealogy bloggers using Google Reader, but I still miss quite a few it seems.
Read past Best of the Genea-Blogs posts here.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - it's Wordle Time!
Hey genea-kids, it's Saturday Night - time for lots of Genealogy Fun!
Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to:
1) Go to the Wordle site - www.wordle.net and create your own unique Wordle - it's a word cloud. You can use either a clump of text, enter your own words (say, surnames, or given names), use a blog page address, or something else. Your choice! Be creative with the fonts, colors, backgrounds, and layout.
2) Save it as an image (I used Print Screen, pasted it to a Word document, used the Windows snipping tool to edit it, and saved it to a file). Tell us how you did it.
3) Show us your handiwork! Add the image to a blog post of your own or on a web page of your own. Tell me in a comment here where it is.
Note: If you want to email it to me (rjseaver@cox.net), I'll put it up here on Genea-Musings for you as an update to this post.
Here's mine:
Here's one for Genea-Musings (www.geneamusings.com):
I guess I know what I've been writing about recently, eh?
Here'sd one for my Geneaholic blog (www.geneaholic.com):
I like having all of my words horizontal (probably because I'm an engineer) so that they are readable without turning my head 90 degrees.
I showed you mine - now show me yours!
Updated 4 p.m. Sunday:
1) Randy Majors (www.randymajors.com) sent his Wordle to me, saying " Guess I've been focused on lots of Google Seaches and DNA test Matches and such lately:"
2) Doris Wheeler sent her Palatine 300th Anniversary Wordle as a PDF file. She said that they "used it last year on t-shirts for family members. We have 38+ ancestors who arrived with the 1710 Palatine movement, so the names have personal meaning." I converted it to an image:
Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to:
1) Go to the Wordle site - www.wordle.net and create your own unique Wordle - it's a word cloud. You can use either a clump of text, enter your own words (say, surnames, or given names), use a blog page address, or something else. Your choice! Be creative with the fonts, colors, backgrounds, and layout.
2) Save it as an image (I used Print Screen, pasted it to a Word document, used the Windows snipping tool to edit it, and saved it to a file). Tell us how you did it.
3) Show us your handiwork! Add the image to a blog post of your own or on a web page of your own. Tell me in a comment here where it is.
Note: If you want to email it to me (rjseaver@cox.net), I'll put it up here on Genea-Musings for you as an update to this post.
Here's mine:
Here's one for Genea-Musings (www.geneamusings.com):
I guess I know what I've been writing about recently, eh?
Here'sd one for my Geneaholic blog (www.geneaholic.com):
I like having all of my words horizontal (probably because I'm an engineer) so that they are readable without turning my head 90 degrees.
I showed you mine - now show me yours!
Updated 4 p.m. Sunday:
1) Randy Majors (www.randymajors.com) sent his Wordle to me, saying " Guess I've been focused on lots of Google Seaches and DNA test Matches and such lately:"
2) Doris Wheeler sent her Palatine 300th Anniversary Wordle as a PDF file. She said that they "used it last year on t-shirts for family members. We have 38+ ancestors who arrived with the 1710 Palatine movement, so the names have personal meaning." I converted it to an image:
Surname Saturday - KENT (New Jersey)
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It's Surname Saturday, and I'm "counting down" my Ancestral Name List each week. I am up to number 229, who is the mother of #114 Philip Jacob Row (1752-1817). I don't know who she is, and I don't know the names of them others of #231, #233, or #235 either. The next name on my ancestral name list is #237, Mary Kent (1726-????), another of my 5th-great-grandmothers. [Note: The 5th great-grandfathers have been covered in earlier posts].
My ancestral line back to Mary Kent is:
1. Randall Jeffrey Seaver (1943-....)
2. Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983)
3. Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002)
6. Lyle Lawrence Carringer (1891-1976)
14. Charles Auble (1849-1916)
15. Georgianna Kemp (1868-1952)
28. Daniel Auble (1817-1894)
29. Sarah Knapp (1818-ca1900)
58. William Knapp (1775-1856)
59. Sarah Cutter (1785-1878)
118. Stephen Cutter (1757-1823)
119. Tabitha Randolph (ca 1750-1841)
236. William Cutter, born about 1722 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States; died 14 February 1780 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States. He was the son of 472. Richard Cutter and 473. Mercy Kelsey. He married before 1744 in probably Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States.
It's Surname Saturday, and I'm "counting down" my Ancestral Name List each week. I am up to number 229, who is the mother of #114 Philip Jacob Row (1752-1817). I don't know who she is, and I don't know the names of them others of #231, #233, or #235 either. The next name on my ancestral name list is #237, Mary Kent (1726-????), another of my 5th-great-grandmothers. [Note: The 5th great-grandfathers have been covered in earlier posts].
My ancestral line back to Mary Kent is:
1. Randall Jeffrey Seaver (1943-....)
2. Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983)
3. Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002)
6. Lyle Lawrence Carringer (1891-1976)
7. Emily Kemp Auble (1899-1977)
14. Charles Auble (1849-1916)
15. Georgianna Kemp (1868-1952)
28. Daniel Auble (1817-1894)
29. Sarah Knapp (1818-ca1900)
58. William Knapp (1775-1856)
59. Sarah Cutter (1785-1878)
118. Stephen Cutter (1757-1823)
119. Tabitha Randolph (ca 1750-1841)
236. William Cutter, born about 1722 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States; died 14 February 1780 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States. He was the son of 472. Richard Cutter and 473. Mercy Kelsey. He married before 1744 in probably Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States.
237. Mary Kent, born about 1726 in probably Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States; died in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States.
Children of William Cutter and Mary Kent are:
i. Stephen Cutter, born 10 February 1744/45 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States;
died 21 June 1823 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States; married Tabitha Randolph
about 1769 in probably Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States.
ii. Richard Cutter, born about 1746 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States; died 20
August 1770 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States; married Catherine Laing.
August 1770 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States; married Catherine Laing.
iii. Sarah Cutter, born about 1748 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States; married
John Brown; born about 1734; died 23 April 1797 in New Jersey, United States.
John Brown; born about 1734; died 23 April 1797 in New Jersey, United States.
iv. Mary Cutter, born about 1750 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States;
v. Hannah Cutter, born about 1753 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States; married
William Bloodgood.
vi. Kelsey Cutter, born about 1756 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States; died 07
March 1798 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States; married Hannah Marsh 22 May
1777 in Morristown, Morris, New Jersey, United States; born about 1759 in Middlesex, New Jersey,
United States; died 08 January 1830 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States.
March 1798 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States; married Hannah Marsh 22 May
1777 in Morristown, Morris, New Jersey, United States; born about 1759 in Middlesex, New Jersey,
United States; died 08 January 1830 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States.
vii. Samuel Cutter, born about 1761 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States; died 01
May 1805 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States; married Sarah Bloomfield before
1791 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States; born 02 December 1769 in Woodbridge,
Middlesex, New Jersey, United States; died 02 January 1852 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey,
United States.
May 1805 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States; married Sarah Bloomfield before
1791 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States; born 02 December 1769 in Woodbridge,
Middlesex, New Jersey, United States; died 02 January 1852 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey,
United States.
viii. Keturah Cutter, born about 1765 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States; died 13
September 1794 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States; married Joshua Rockhow;
born about 1760 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States; died 14 February 1801 in
Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States.
born about 1760 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States; died 14 February 1801 in
Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States.
My notes for Mary Kent say:
"Mary Kent's parents are unknown. It is possible that she was the daughter of Stephen Kent, and the
granddaughter of another Stephen Kent who resided in Woodbridge, Middlesex County, New Jersey.
However, there are no records to prove this supposition."
There were Kent families in the Woodbridge area of New Jersey in the early 1700s. They are descended
from Stephen Kent (1605-1679) and Ann (????-1660). Stephen was the son of Thomas Kent (1563-
1605) and Ellen Pyle, who settled in Newbury, Massachusetts.
The English ancestry of this Kent family was discussed extensively in:
Jane Fletcher Fiske, "The English Background of Richard Kent, Sr. and Stephen Kent of Newbury,
Massachusetts, and Mary, wife of Nicholas Easton of Newport, Rhode Island," New England Historical and
Genealogical Register, Volume 162, Number 4 (October 2008), Pages 245-254, and Volume 163, Number
1 (January 2009), pages 51-65.
However, the line was not extended to the descendants.
A book that covers some of the descendants (but my Mary Kent is not included) is:
L. Vernon Briggs, "Genealogy of Different Families Bearing the Name of Kent in the United States,"
Rockwell and Churchill Press, Boston, 1898.
Friday, May 20, 2011
The New FamilySearch Family Tree - Post 6: Adding Sources to Assertions
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Previous posts in this series can be read in the New FamilySearch Family Tree Compendium.
In this post, I'm going to attempt to add source citation information to the vital records for Isaac Seaver (1802-1870) into the New FamilySearch Family Tree while online in the tree database.
Starting from the "Details" page for Isaac Seaver (PIN LHRX-R59), I clicked on the "Edit" link for the Birth Fact that I wanted to add a source for. That screen looks like this:
On the screen above, I clicked on the "Add a Source" link. This new window opened, and I filled in as many of the form fields as possible, as shown below:
In this Source form, there are fields for selections of Source Type (e.g., government record, published book, etc. -- you have to pick one to add anything else), Source Detail (the type of record, e.g., birth, death, etc.) and Media Type (e.g., paper, website, microfilm, DVD, etc.).
I added as much information as I could, and clicked on the "Done" button (below the bottom of the screen above. The complete Source citation appeared in the window:
All of my information is in the "Source" field above. It says:
"Source type: Published information, Source detail: Birth record or certificate, Media type: Book, Title: Vital Records of Westminster, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 , Author: Systematic History Fund, Publication information: Worcester, Mass.: F.P. Rice, 1908, Repository type: Library, Repository name: Family History Library, Repository city: Salt Lake City, Repository state: Utah, Repository country: United States, Page number: 83, Actual text: SEAVER, Isaac, s. Benjamin and Marthy, Dec. 20 1802, Comment: This book has birth records from the Westminster town records., Contributor: randyseaver1, Contributor of repository: randyseaver1"
That took about three minutes, by my estimation. I copied and pasted the information from my RootsMagic 4 database, then cut/pasted it into the different form fields.
That was so much fun that I did the same thing for the Death record. The summary Source screen for the Death is:
The source information for the death record is:
"Source type: Government record, Source detail: Death record or certificate, Media type: Website, Title: "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1910," online database, Author: New England Historic Genealogical Society, Publication information: American Ancestors (http://www.AmericanAncestors.org), Repository type: Archive, Repository name: Massachusetts State Archives, Repository city: Boston, Repository state: Massachusetts, Repository country: United States, Page number: Deaths: Volume 231, Page 338, Comment: This data is on FHL US/CAN Film 960197 , Contributor: randyseaver1, Contributor of repository: randyseaver1"
I also entered the source information for the marriage record:
Here is the source information entered for the Marriage record:
"Source type: Published information, Source detail: Marriage record or certificate, Media type: Book, Title: Vital Records of Westminster, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 , Author: Systematic History Fund, , Publication information: Worcester, Mass.: F.P. Rice, 1908, Repository type: Library, Repository name: Family History Library, Repository city: Salt Lake City, Repository state: Utah, Repository country: United States, Page number: 186, Actual text: SEAVER, Isaac and Abigail Seaver, int., Nov. 29, 1832, Comment: Abigail Seaver had maiden name Gates, and was previously married to Isaac's brother, Benjamin Seaver, who died in 1825., Contributor: randyseaver1, Contributor of repository: randyseaver1"
Back to the "Details" page and I clicked on the "Individual Sources" link at the bottom of the screen and saw:
They're all there! Cool. Success the first time!
The Source citations are not exactly Evidence! Explained quality, are they? But all of the information that I entered is present, and a researcher could find the records cited.
There are some drawbacks with the current Source form. It is fixed and inflexible, geared to published books and journals, although many Source Detail types can be entered fairly easily. There are no "Master Sources" like in the genealogy software programs - the user has to add the information (author, title, publication, repository, page, etc.) for each assertion in every field every time.
The ideal situation would be something like genealogy software has - a set of "Master Sources" and "Repositories" entered by each user, along with standardization suggestions. Then the user would have to enter the information only once, and then have to enter the "Page number" information for each use of the Master Source. Creation of an Evidence! Explained quality Footnote would be good to have also.
I'm going to take the weekend off in working in the New FamilySearch Family Tree, but I'll post again about it next week. I think using RootsMagic 4 to enter persons into the nFSFT is next!
Previous posts in this series can be read in the New FamilySearch Family Tree Compendium.
In this post, I'm going to attempt to add source citation information to the vital records for Isaac Seaver (1802-1870) into the New FamilySearch Family Tree while online in the tree database.
Starting from the "Details" page for Isaac Seaver (PIN LHRX-R59), I clicked on the "Edit" link for the Birth Fact that I wanted to add a source for. That screen looks like this:
On the screen above, I clicked on the "Add a Source" link. This new window opened, and I filled in as many of the form fields as possible, as shown below:
In this Source form, there are fields for selections of Source Type (e.g., government record, published book, etc. -- you have to pick one to add anything else), Source Detail (the type of record, e.g., birth, death, etc.) and Media Type (e.g., paper, website, microfilm, DVD, etc.).
I added as much information as I could, and clicked on the "Done" button (below the bottom of the screen above. The complete Source citation appeared in the window:
All of my information is in the "Source" field above. It says:
"Source type: Published information, Source detail: Birth record or certificate, Media type: Book, Title: Vital Records of Westminster, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 , Author: Systematic History Fund, Publication information: Worcester, Mass.: F.P. Rice, 1908, Repository type: Library, Repository name: Family History Library, Repository city: Salt Lake City, Repository state: Utah, Repository country: United States, Page number: 83, Actual text: SEAVER, Isaac, s. Benjamin and Marthy, Dec. 20 1802, Comment: This book has birth records from the Westminster town records., Contributor: randyseaver1, Contributor of repository: randyseaver1"
That took about three minutes, by my estimation. I copied and pasted the information from my RootsMagic 4 database, then cut/pasted it into the different form fields.
That was so much fun that I did the same thing for the Death record. The summary Source screen for the Death is:
The source information for the death record is:
"Source type: Government record, Source detail: Death record or certificate, Media type: Website, Title: "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1910," online database, Author: New England Historic Genealogical Society, Publication information: American Ancestors (http://www.AmericanAncestors.org), Repository type: Archive, Repository name: Massachusetts State Archives, Repository city: Boston, Repository state: Massachusetts, Repository country: United States, Page number: Deaths: Volume 231, Page 338, Comment: This data is on FHL US/CAN Film 960197 , Contributor: randyseaver1, Contributor of repository: randyseaver1"
I also entered the source information for the marriage record:
Here is the source information entered for the Marriage record:
"Source type: Published information, Source detail: Marriage record or certificate, Media type: Book, Title: Vital Records of Westminster, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 , Author: Systematic History Fund, , Publication information: Worcester, Mass.: F.P. Rice, 1908, Repository type: Library, Repository name: Family History Library, Repository city: Salt Lake City, Repository state: Utah, Repository country: United States, Page number: 186, Actual text: SEAVER, Isaac and Abigail Seaver, int., Nov. 29, 1832, Comment: Abigail Seaver had maiden name Gates, and was previously married to Isaac's brother, Benjamin Seaver, who died in 1825., Contributor: randyseaver1, Contributor of repository: randyseaver1"
Back to the "Details" page and I clicked on the "Individual Sources" link at the bottom of the screen and saw:
They're all there! Cool. Success the first time!
The Source citations are not exactly Evidence! Explained quality, are they? But all of the information that I entered is present, and a researcher could find the records cited.
There are some drawbacks with the current Source form. It is fixed and inflexible, geared to published books and journals, although many Source Detail types can be entered fairly easily. There are no "Master Sources" like in the genealogy software programs - the user has to add the information (author, title, publication, repository, page, etc.) for each assertion in every field every time.
The ideal situation would be something like genealogy software has - a set of "Master Sources" and "Repositories" entered by each user, along with standardization suggestions. Then the user would have to enter the information only once, and then have to enter the "Page number" information for each use of the Master Source. Creation of an Evidence! Explained quality Footnote would be good to have also.
I'm going to take the weekend off in working in the New FamilySearch Family Tree, but I'll post again about it next week. I think using RootsMagic 4 to enter persons into the nFSFT is next!
More on Free-Form Citations and Template Source Citations
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In my post yesterday, Dear Randy: What are Free-form Citations, and why are you using them?, I defined my reasons for using Free-Form Source Citations rather than Evidence! Explained quality Template Source Citations in my genealogy family tree database in RootsMagic 4. Interested readers in my complete archive of source citation posts can read through the list at The Seaver Source Citation Saga.
I promised to show some examples of the two and describe my method for developing the Free-Form Sources, and will provide two in this post.
In RootsMagic 4, the user can choose from a wealth of different Master Source citation templates that are built around the examples in Evidence! Explained (and several other sources). Each EE-quality source has a unique master source form with fields to be filled out by the user, and then each source citation has a set of fields for the unique citation - the page number or other identifier for the fact.
The EE-quality sources for published books and periodicals are fairly straightforward, and Free-form master source citations can be created for them fairly easily.
In this post, I will show EE-quality sources for a vital record certificate and for an online database from a multi-database website. These two are more complicated, and more difficult to create in a Free-Form source citation.
1) Here is the EE-quality source template for a vital records birth certificate, showing the fields filled in:
With the fields filled in, the three different source citations for this entry are:
Footnote: San Diego County, California, birth certificate no. Department of Public Health No. NC-867 (1943) (31 October 1943), Randall Jeffrey Seaver; San Diego County Clerk's Office, San Diego, Calif.
Short Footnote: San Diego County, California, birth certificate no. Department of Public Health No. NC-867 (1943), (31 October 1943), Randall Jeffrey Seaver.
Bibliography: California. San Diego County. Birth Certificate. San Diego County Clerk's Office, San Diego, Calif.
2) The Free-form source citation for a Vital Records birth certificate is below:
With the fields filled in, the three different source citations for this entry are:
Footnote: San Diego County, California, Birth Certificate, Department of Public Health No. NC-867 (1943) (31 October 1943), Randall Jeffrey Seaver.
Short Footnote: San Diego County, California, Birth Certificate, Department of Public Health No. NC-867 (1943) (31 October 1943), Randall Jeffrey Seaver.
Bibliography: California. San Diego County. Birth Certificate. San Diego County Clerk's Office, San Diego, Calif.
There are differences between these two sets of citations:
a) The EE-quality Footnote and Short Footnote source citations read "birth certificate no. Department of Public Health No. NC-867 (1943) (31 October 1943)" while the Free-form Footnote and Short Footnote source reads "Birth Certificate, Department of Public Health No. NC-867 (1943) (31 October 1943)."
b) The EE-quality Footnote source reads "Randall Jeffrey Seaver; San Diego County Clerk's Office, San Diego, Calif." while the Free-form Footnote source reads only "Randall Jeffrey Seaver."
I could not modify the EE-quality source to delete the word "no." after "birth certificate." Since the Repository is in the database, I don't think that it is that important in the Footnote. I like the Free-form citations better, but they aren't "perfect" suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed journal or book. But my Free-form source citation is "near EE-quality" in my view.
3) The EE-quality source template for an online database (I chose the Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1910 database for which I have hundreds of citations) is shown below:
With the fields filled in, the three different source citations for this entry are:
Footnote: "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1910," online database, New England Historic Genealogical Society, American Ancestors (http://www.AmericanAncestors.org: downloaded 5 March 2009), Marriages: Volume 502, Page 297, Leominster, Worcester County entry Frederick W. Seaver and Alma Bessie Richmond; citing original records in the Massachusetts Archives.
Short Footnote: American Ancestors, Marriages: Volume 502, Page 297, Leominster, Worcester County entry Frederick W. Seaver and Alma Bessie Richmond.
Bibliography: "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1910." Online database. New England Historic Genealogical Society. American Ancestors. http://www.AmericanAncestors.org: 2009.
4) Here is the Free-form source citation screen for this database:
With the fields filled in, the three different source citations for this entry are:
Footnote: "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1910," online database, New England Historic Genealogical Society, American Ancestors (http://www.AmericanAncestors.org), citing original data at Massachusetts State Archives, Marriages: Volume 502, Page 297, Leominster, Worcester County entry for Frederick W. Seaver and Alma Bessie Richmond.
Short Footnote: "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1910," online database, New England Historic Genealogical Society, American Ancestors, Marriages: Volume 502, Page 297, Leominster, Worcester County entry for Frederick W. Seaver and Alma Bessie Richmond.
Bibliography: New England Historic Genealogical Society. Online database. American Ancestors. http://www.AmericanAncestors.org.
The only difference between these two sets of source citations is the "downloaded 5 March 2009" in the EE-quality Footnote. I could have added it to the Page number in the free-form Detail field, but I don't have that information available for hundreds of source citations that refer to this Master Source.
So, again, it isn't perfect EE-quality, but it's nearly perfect.
Eileen asked how I perform this process. Here's my method of creating a Free-form Master Source based on an EE-quality Master Source template:
1) For one specific source, I create an EE-quality source citation for that source but name it with an EE-prefix - the second one above was named "EE- Massachusetts VRS 1841-1910 - AmericanAncestors." This is my "model" for the Free-form source.
2) For the same specific source, I create a Free-form source citation for that source but name it specifically. for example, as "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1910 (AmericanAncestors.org)" One of the reasons I like RootsMagic to create source citations is the ability to create "shorthand names" for the sources (Legacy permits this too, but FTM 2011 does not). I digress.
3) To create the Free-form citation, I go back to the EE-quality source and Copy the Footnote created. I close that, then go to the Free-form source and Paste the EE-quality Footnote into the "Footnote" field. I Cut the specific citation data (the Page number, or the other information) from the Footnote and Paste it into the "Page number" field. I do the same thing for the "Short Footnote" and "Bibliography" entries - Copy them from the EE-quality source citation and Paste them into the Free-form source fields for "Short Footnote" and "Bibliography." For some that I'm really used to, I just copy the "Footnote" entry, Paste it into the "Short Footnote" and "Bibliography."
4) There is always some cleanup required when I do the Copy and Paste process. In the Free-form source, I can edit out extraneous punctuation, and add more detail wherever I want.
5) I can then use the "EE - Master Source" format for any other similar Free-form Master Source just by editing the details copied from the EE-Master Source." For example, for another American Ancestors database, I would create the Free-form source for it, copy the EE - Mass Vital Records" Footnote, and edit it with the correct database name.
That's my process. It works for me. If it works for you, fine.
To re-iterate the most significant reason for doing this is to create near-EE-quality source citations in a Free-form that will transfer via GEDCOM to another genealogy program or to an online family tree without getting mangled in the process. My process does it - I haven't found any other process that does.
In my post yesterday, Dear Randy: What are Free-form Citations, and why are you using them?, I defined my reasons for using Free-Form Source Citations rather than Evidence! Explained quality Template Source Citations in my genealogy family tree database in RootsMagic 4. Interested readers in my complete archive of source citation posts can read through the list at The Seaver Source Citation Saga.
I promised to show some examples of the two and describe my method for developing the Free-Form Sources, and will provide two in this post.
In RootsMagic 4, the user can choose from a wealth of different Master Source citation templates that are built around the examples in Evidence! Explained (and several other sources). Each EE-quality source has a unique master source form with fields to be filled out by the user, and then each source citation has a set of fields for the unique citation - the page number or other identifier for the fact.
The EE-quality sources for published books and periodicals are fairly straightforward, and Free-form master source citations can be created for them fairly easily.
In this post, I will show EE-quality sources for a vital record certificate and for an online database from a multi-database website. These two are more complicated, and more difficult to create in a Free-Form source citation.
1) Here is the EE-quality source template for a vital records birth certificate, showing the fields filled in:
With the fields filled in, the three different source citations for this entry are:
Footnote: San Diego County, California, birth certificate no. Department of Public Health No. NC-867 (1943) (31 October 1943), Randall Jeffrey Seaver; San Diego County Clerk's Office, San Diego, Calif.
Short Footnote: San Diego County, California, birth certificate no. Department of Public Health No. NC-867 (1943), (31 October 1943), Randall Jeffrey Seaver.
Bibliography: California. San Diego County. Birth Certificate. San Diego County Clerk's Office, San Diego, Calif.
2) The Free-form source citation for a Vital Records birth certificate is below:
With the fields filled in, the three different source citations for this entry are:
Footnote: San Diego County, California, Birth Certificate, Department of Public Health No. NC-867 (1943) (31 October 1943), Randall Jeffrey Seaver.
Short Footnote: San Diego County, California, Birth Certificate, Department of Public Health No. NC-867 (1943) (31 October 1943), Randall Jeffrey Seaver.
Bibliography: California. San Diego County. Birth Certificate. San Diego County Clerk's Office, San Diego, Calif.
There are differences between these two sets of citations:
a) The EE-quality Footnote and Short Footnote source citations read "birth certificate no. Department of Public Health No. NC-867 (1943) (31 October 1943)" while the Free-form Footnote and Short Footnote source reads "Birth Certificate, Department of Public Health No. NC-867 (1943) (31 October 1943)."
b) The EE-quality Footnote source reads "Randall Jeffrey Seaver; San Diego County Clerk's Office, San Diego, Calif." while the Free-form Footnote source reads only "Randall Jeffrey Seaver."
I could not modify the EE-quality source to delete the word "no." after "birth certificate." Since the Repository is in the database, I don't think that it is that important in the Footnote. I like the Free-form citations better, but they aren't "perfect" suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed journal or book. But my Free-form source citation is "near EE-quality" in my view.
3) The EE-quality source template for an online database (I chose the Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1910 database for which I have hundreds of citations) is shown below:
With the fields filled in, the three different source citations for this entry are:
Footnote: "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1910," online database, New England Historic Genealogical Society, American Ancestors (http://www.AmericanAncestors.org: downloaded 5 March 2009), Marriages: Volume 502, Page 297, Leominster, Worcester County entry Frederick W. Seaver and Alma Bessie Richmond; citing original records in the Massachusetts Archives.
Short Footnote: American Ancestors, Marriages: Volume 502, Page 297, Leominster, Worcester County entry Frederick W. Seaver and Alma Bessie Richmond.
Bibliography: "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1910." Online database. New England Historic Genealogical Society. American Ancestors. http://www.AmericanAncestors.org: 2009.
4) Here is the Free-form source citation screen for this database:
With the fields filled in, the three different source citations for this entry are:
Footnote: "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1910," online database, New England Historic Genealogical Society, American Ancestors (http://www.AmericanAncestors.org), citing original data at Massachusetts State Archives, Marriages: Volume 502, Page 297, Leominster, Worcester County entry for Frederick W. Seaver and Alma Bessie Richmond.
Short Footnote: "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1910," online database, New England Historic Genealogical Society, American Ancestors, Marriages: Volume 502, Page 297, Leominster, Worcester County entry for Frederick W. Seaver and Alma Bessie Richmond.
Bibliography: New England Historic Genealogical Society. Online database. American Ancestors. http://www.AmericanAncestors.org.
The only difference between these two sets of source citations is the "downloaded 5 March 2009" in the EE-quality Footnote. I could have added it to the Page number in the free-form Detail field, but I don't have that information available for hundreds of source citations that refer to this Master Source.
So, again, it isn't perfect EE-quality, but it's nearly perfect.
Eileen asked how I perform this process. Here's my method of creating a Free-form Master Source based on an EE-quality Master Source template:
1) For one specific source, I create an EE-quality source citation for that source but name it with an EE-prefix - the second one above was named "EE- Massachusetts VRS 1841-1910 - AmericanAncestors." This is my "model" for the Free-form source.
2) For the same specific source, I create a Free-form source citation for that source but name it specifically. for example, as "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1910 (AmericanAncestors.org)" One of the reasons I like RootsMagic to create source citations is the ability to create "shorthand names" for the sources (Legacy permits this too, but FTM 2011 does not). I digress.
3) To create the Free-form citation, I go back to the EE-quality source and Copy the Footnote created. I close that, then go to the Free-form source and Paste the EE-quality Footnote into the "Footnote" field. I Cut the specific citation data (the Page number, or the other information) from the Footnote and Paste it into the "Page number" field. I do the same thing for the "Short Footnote" and "Bibliography" entries - Copy them from the EE-quality source citation and Paste them into the Free-form source fields for "Short Footnote" and "Bibliography." For some that I'm really used to, I just copy the "Footnote" entry, Paste it into the "Short Footnote" and "Bibliography."
4) There is always some cleanup required when I do the Copy and Paste process. In the Free-form source, I can edit out extraneous punctuation, and add more detail wherever I want.
5) I can then use the "EE - Master Source" format for any other similar Free-form Master Source just by editing the details copied from the EE-Master Source." For example, for another American Ancestors database, I would create the Free-form source for it, copy the EE - Mass Vital Records" Footnote, and edit it with the correct database name.
That's my process. It works for me. If it works for you, fine.
To re-iterate the most significant reason for doing this is to create near-EE-quality source citations in a Free-form that will transfer via GEDCOM to another genealogy program or to an online family tree without getting mangled in the process. My process does it - I haven't found any other process that does.
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