Genea-blogger John Newmark (who writes the excellent TransylvanianDutch blog) started his own Monday blog theme several years 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 probate records for Jonathan Oatley (1689-1755) of South Kingstown, Rhode Island. Jonathan had four children by his first wife, Deliverance --?-- (????-1734): Samuel Oatley (1726-1794); Rebecca Oatley (1728-????); Rhoda Oatley (1730-1757); Benedict Oatley (1732-1821). By his second wife, Mary --?-- (1702-1786), he had two children: Jonathan Oatley (1737-????); Joseph Oatley (1739-????). All children were born in South Kingstown.
Jonathan Oatley died testate, having written a will on 20 July 1755, less than two months before his death. The will reads (transcribed by Randy Seaver from South Kingstown (Rhode Island) Probate and Town Council Records, Volume 5, Pages 25-27, accessed on FHL Microfilm 0,931,834):
"In the Name of God amen, I, Jonathan Oatly of South Kingstown in the County of Kings County in the Colony of Rhode Island &c. yeoman being sick & weak of Body but of a sound mind & in perfect memory Do make & ordain this my last Will & Testament That is to say principally & first of all I commend my soul into the Hand of God who gave & my Body to the Earth to buried in decent Christian manner according to the Discretion of my Executor herein after named my just Debts & funeral charges being first paid by my said Executor, I give devise and bequeath of my Worldly Estate in the following manner & Form.
"Imprimis - I give & bequeath unto my well beloved wife Mary Oatly, my large black chest and all that part of my Household Stuff which she brought with her to me together with all my stock without Doors & any part of my House she shall incline to Improve for & During the Time of her widowhood. I likewise give her the sum of Fifty Pounds in Bills of publick Credit to be paid her by my sd Executor in Two years after my decease.
"Item - I give & devise unto my beloved son Samuel Oatley the sum of Five Pounds in Bills of Credit to be paid by my said Executor within two years after my decease.
"Item - I give & Devise unto my beloved son Benedict Oatly all my Housing & Homestead Bounded Northerly on an Highway Easterly & Southerly on land of Joseph Torry & Westerly on land of James Willson. To him his heirs and assigns forever, He paying to his mother in law & his Brother Samuel the legacies before mentioned and given, and all my Just Debts also I bequeath to him my great Bible.
"Item - I give & bequeath unto my beloved Daughter Rebecca Champlin the one half of all my Household goods not herein disposed of to her mother, to her, Her Heirs and assigns for ever I likewise give her the use & improvement of the other half Solong as Ephraim Drake (my daughter Rhoda's Husband) shall live at whose decease the one Half as aforesaid I give & bequeath unto my beloved daughter Rhoda Drake her Heirs & assigns. But it is to be understood & my will is that my daughter Rebecca (before any division is to be made) shall have one Feather Bed & Beding.
"Item - I give and bequeath unto my two sons Samuel and Benedict all my wearing apparel and what Cloath is in the House not made into any garment to be Equally divided Between Them -- and my Will is that all my Books not herein before disposed of be equally divided between my said Wife and my said son Benedict.
"Lastly, I do hereby constitute, ordain & appoint my Beloved son Benedict Oatly Sole Executor of this my Last Will and Testament Revoking & disanulling all former Wills and Testaments by me heretofore made Ratifying and Confirming this and this only to be my Last. In witness Whereof I have hereunto set my Hand & Seal the Twentyeth Day of July Anno the Domini one Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty five.
"Signed, sealed, published, pronounced,
& declared by the said Jonathan Oatly
to be his Last Will & Testament
in presence of us the subscribers.
................................................................................... Jonathan Oatly (seal)
Latham Clarke
Martha Clarke
William Steward."
On 8 September 1755, Latham Clarke and Martha Clarke personally appeared before the Town Council and declared under oath that they witnessed Jonathan Oatley of South Kingstown deceased sign, seal and declare the above to be his last will and testament and signed as witnesses to the act.
An inventory of the personal estate of Jonathan Oatly, late of South Kingstown, deceased, was taken by Latham Clarke and Benjamin Rodman, as showed by his executor Benedict Oatly and his widow Mary Oatly. The inventory of the personal estate, in two columns over two pages of the records, totaled 559 pounds, 12 shillings, 1 pence. The inventory was approved by the Town Council on 12 January 1756, and recorded by the clerk on 15 January 1756 (from South Kingstown (Rhode Island) Probate and Town Council Records, Volume 5, Pages 34-36, accessed on FHL Microfilm 0,931,834).
Only four children of Jonathan Oatley are mentioned in his will - all by his first wife. There is no mention of the two sons accorded to the second wife, Mary - Jonathan and Joseph. The married surnames of the two daughters, Rebecca Champlin and Rhoda Drake, are used, and Rhoda's husband, Ephraim Drake, is identified. I found interesting that Rebecca received sole use and improvement of the household goods until Rhoda's husband died, and then Rhoda was to receive her half.
My ancestry is through the son Benedict Oatley. It is interesting that the will names Jonathan's current wife as Benedict's "mother-in-law," implying that she is his stepmother.
The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/02/amanuensis-monday-probate-records-of.html
Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver
Monday, February 4, 2013
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Best of the Genea-Blogs - 27 January to 2 February 2013
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:
* Free Records! by Emily Garber on the (Going) the Extra Yad blog. Emily tells us about ordering microform images (for free) from the Family History Library.
* Constantly Surprising Me, From California to Massachusetts by Barbara Poole on the Life From the Roots blog. Barbara discovers more about her Poole ancestor by Googling his name - lots more!
* News from the SSDI Front by Judy G. Russell on The Legal Genealogist blog. Here we go again - Judy stays on top of this issue.
* The Internet as a Tech Tool to Find Offline Information by Caroline M. Pointer on the 4 Your Family Stories blog. Caroline has pointers for how to find resources that are not online, since it's not all on the Internet.
* 5 Little-Used Records for Genealogical Research by Michael Leclerc on the Mocavo Genealogy Blog. Michael identifies some record types we usually don't think of - but should be consulted if they're available.
* The Brick Wall Stories: Lucy Arnold, Part 4 by Diane Boumenot on the One Rhode Island Family blog. Diane gathered many deeds at the FHL and she's analyzing them carefully. I love the chart!
* 10 Innovative Ideas to Engage Your Family With Their Family History by Janet Hovorka on The Chart Chick blog. Excellent ideas - and check out Janet's new blog, Zap the Grandma Gap for the stories about their Christmas holiday trip to England.
* The New Faces of Genealogy by Denise Barrett-Olson on the Moultrie Creek Gazette blog. Denise interviews Jen Baldwin about the creation and development of the In-Depth Genealogist, a group blog.
* The Creative Process: One Brick From the Wall by Diane on the Nuts From the Family Tree blog. Diane tells a story about brainstorming - how can we apply this to genealogy?
* Is That Genealogy Record Abstract Correct? by Paula Stuart-Warren on Paula's Genealogical Eclectica blog. Paula shows that finding the original record really leads to more information. Great advice.
* Genealogical Proof Standard - Step 1 - A Reasonably Exhaustive Search by Michele Simmons Lewis on the Ancestoring's Ask A Genealogist blog. Michele provides an excellent description, plus some links for further reading.
These genea-bloggers wrote weekly pick posts and news summary posts this week:
* Monday Morning Mentions by Lynn Palermo on The Armchair Genealogist blog.
* Monday Recap for January 28, 2013 by Amanda on the Geni Blog.
* Follow Friday - Favorites for February 1, 2013 by Heather Kuhn Roelker on the Leaves for Trees blog.
* Follow Friday - Fab Finds for February 1, 2013 by Jana Last on Jana's Genealogy and Family History Blog.
* Warriors, Elopements, and Pranks! It's Follow Friday by Anne Gillespie Mitchell on the Finding Forgotten Stories blog.
* Genealogy News Corral: Special Black History Edition by Diane Haddad on the Genealogy Insider blog.
* Friday Finds - 02/01/13 by Julie Cahill Tarr on the GenBlog blog.
* Genealogy Blogs, News & Tidbits #5 by Deb Ruth on the Adventures in Genealogy blog.
* Blogs for Genealogists, February 1 by Michael Leclerc on the Mocavo Genealogy Blog.
* A Sunday Walk Around the Blogs by Dawn Watson on the Digging in the Roots blog.
* Weekly Genealogy Picks, Jan. 27-Feb. 2 by John Newmark on the TransylvanianDutch 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 1350 genealogy bloggers using Google Reader, but I still miss quite a few it seems.
Read past Best of the Genea-Blogs posts here.
The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/02/best-of-genea-blogs-27-january-to-2.html
Copyright(c) 2012, Randall J. Seaver
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:
* Free Records! by Emily Garber on the (Going) the Extra Yad blog. Emily tells us about ordering microform images (for free) from the Family History Library.
* Constantly Surprising Me, From California to Massachusetts by Barbara Poole on the Life From the Roots blog. Barbara discovers more about her Poole ancestor by Googling his name - lots more!
* News from the SSDI Front by Judy G. Russell on The Legal Genealogist blog. Here we go again - Judy stays on top of this issue.
* The Internet as a Tech Tool to Find Offline Information by Caroline M. Pointer on the 4 Your Family Stories blog. Caroline has pointers for how to find resources that are not online, since it's not all on the Internet.
* 5 Little-Used Records for Genealogical Research by Michael Leclerc on the Mocavo Genealogy Blog. Michael identifies some record types we usually don't think of - but should be consulted if they're available.
* The Brick Wall Stories: Lucy Arnold, Part 4 by Diane Boumenot on the One Rhode Island Family blog. Diane gathered many deeds at the FHL and she's analyzing them carefully. I love the chart!
* 10 Innovative Ideas to Engage Your Family With Their Family History by Janet Hovorka on The Chart Chick blog. Excellent ideas - and check out Janet's new blog, Zap the Grandma Gap for the stories about their Christmas holiday trip to England.
* The New Faces of Genealogy by Denise Barrett-Olson on the Moultrie Creek Gazette blog. Denise interviews Jen Baldwin about the creation and development of the In-Depth Genealogist, a group blog.
* The Creative Process: One Brick From the Wall by Diane on the Nuts From the Family Tree blog. Diane tells a story about brainstorming - how can we apply this to genealogy?
* Is That Genealogy Record Abstract Correct? by Paula Stuart-Warren on Paula's Genealogical Eclectica blog. Paula shows that finding the original record really leads to more information. Great advice.
* Genealogical Proof Standard - Step 1 - A Reasonably Exhaustive Search by Michele Simmons Lewis on the Ancestoring's Ask A Genealogist blog. Michele provides an excellent description, plus some links for further reading.
These genea-bloggers wrote weekly pick posts and news summary posts this week:
* Monday Morning Mentions by Lynn Palermo on The Armchair Genealogist blog.
* Monday Recap for January 28, 2013 by Amanda on the Geni Blog.
* Follow Friday - Favorites for February 1, 2013 by Heather Kuhn Roelker on the Leaves for Trees blog.
* Follow Friday - Fab Finds for February 1, 2013 by Jana Last on Jana's Genealogy and Family History Blog.
* Warriors, Elopements, and Pranks! It's Follow Friday by Anne Gillespie Mitchell on the Finding Forgotten Stories blog.
* Genealogy News Corral: Special Black History Edition by Diane Haddad on the Genealogy Insider blog.
* Friday Finds - 02/01/13 by Julie Cahill Tarr on the GenBlog blog.
* Genealogy Blogs, News & Tidbits #5 by Deb Ruth on the Adventures in Genealogy blog.
* Blogs for Genealogists, February 1 by Michael Leclerc on the Mocavo Genealogy Blog.
* A Sunday Walk Around the Blogs by Dawn Watson on the Digging in the Roots blog.
* Weekly Genealogy Picks, Jan. 27-Feb. 2 by John Newmark on the TransylvanianDutch 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 1350 genealogy bloggers using Google Reader, but I still miss quite a few it seems.
Read past Best of the Genea-Blogs posts here.
The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/02/best-of-genea-blogs-27-january-to-2.html
Copyright(c) 2012, Randall J. Seaver
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - The Super Bowl!
It's Saturday Night -
time for more Genealogy Fun!
It's also Super Bowl Weekend in America - the whole country (well, almost) will watch the game between the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday afternoon at 6:30 p.m. EST (3:30 p.m. PST).
Your mission, should you decide to accept it (cue the Mission Impossible! music) is to:
1) What is your favorite National Football League team? [For those that are not American football fans, but a fan of another sports team, substitute your favorite team] Why are you a fan of this team? How long have you been a fan of your favorite team?
2) What is the genealogy of your favorite team? When did it start playing, what leagues has it played in?
3) Have you worked for the team in any capacity, or attended games? What is your best memory of your favorite team's history?
4) Predict the score of the Ravens-49ers game on Sunday.
5) Tell us in a blog post of your own, in a comment to this blog post, or in a status on Facebook, or in a Google+ Stream post.
Here's mine:
1) My favorite NFL team is the San Diego Chargers. This is logical, because I was born and raised in San Diego and have never left. The Chargers first season in San Diego was 1961. They just played their 52nd season in San Diego.
2) The Los Angeles Chargers were charter members of the American Football League (AFL) started in 1959, with hotel heir Barron Hilton (son of Barron Hilton) as the majority owner. AFL play started in 1960, and the team moved to San Diego before the 1961 season. The AFL-NFL merger was consummated in 1966, and the Chargers joined the National Football League in 1970. San Diego was in the 1995 Super Bowl at Miami after the 1994 season, but lost to the San Francisco 49ers, 49-26. San Diego has hosted three Super Bowls - the last one in 2003. There is more history in the Wikipedia article here.
3) My first "real" job was in the summer of 1963 working for the San Diego Chargers at their training camp. I wrote about it in My first real job. I attended Charger games from 1961 through 1973 with my brother, my friends, and my wife. Since then, we've watched it on TV. I refuse to jump on the bandwagon of any other football team - this one is mine, win or lose. I exult when we get in the playoffs, I die when we lose games we should win, I criticize the coaches and players and front office when they mess up. That's my prerogative as a lifelong fan.
My best memory is of the 1963 season, when my brother and I attended the AFL Championship game at Balboa Stadium in San Diego. The Chargers beat the Boston Patriots 51-10. That is the only league championship that the Chargers have won.
4) My prediction for the 2013 game: 49ers 24, Ravens 20
5) Done!
The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/02/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-super-bowl.html
Surname Saturday - WIGHT (England > Medfield, Mass.)
It's Surname Saturday, and I'm "counting down" my Ancestral Name List each week.
I am in the 7th great-grandmothers, up to number 559: Deborah WIGHT (1685-1730). [Note: the 7th great-grandfathers have been covered in earlier posts].
My ancestral line back through three American generations of this WIGHT family is:
1. Randall J. Seaver
2. Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983)
3. Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002)
4. Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942)
5. Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962)
8. Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922)
9. Hattie Louise Hildreth (1857-1920)
16. Isaac Seaver (1823-1901)
17. Lucretia Townsend Smith (1827-1884)
34. Alpheus B. Smith (1802-1840)
35. Elizabeth Horton Dill (1791-1869)
68. Aaron Smith (1765-1841)
69. Mercy Plimpton (1772-1850)
138. Amos Plimpton (1735-1808)
139. Mary Guild (1735-1800)
278. Nathaniel Guild (1712-1796)
279. Mary Boyden (1708-1776)
558. Thomas Boyden, born 16 March 1681/82 in Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States; died 27 September 1771 in Wrentham, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States. He was the son of 1116. Jonathan Boyden and 1117. Mary Clark. He married 29 April 1707 in Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States.
559. Deborah Wight, born 01 December 1685 in Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States; died before 1730 in Massachusetts, United States.
Children of Thomas Boyden and Deborah Wight are: Mary Boyden (1708-1776); James Boyden (1709-1779); Deborah Boyden (1711-1770); Beriah Boyden (1714-????).
1118. Ephraim Wight, born before 27 January 1645/46 in Dedham, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States; died 26 February 1722/23 in Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States. He married 02 March 1667/68 in Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States.
1119. Lydia Morse, born before 13 April 1645 in Dedham, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States; died 14 July 1722 in Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States. She was the daughter of 2238. Daniel Morse and 2239. Lydia Fisher.
Children of Ephraim Wight and Lydia Morse are: Lydia Wight (1669-1741); Esther Wight (1671-????); Ephraim Wight (1673-1744); Miriam Wight (1675-1746); Nathaniel Wight (1678-1748); Daniel Wight (1680-1744); Bethia Wight (1683-1756); Deborah Wight (1685-1730); Ruth Wight (1688-1747).
2236. Thomas Wight, born about 1607 in England; died 17 March 1673/74 in Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States. He married about 1627 in England.
2237. Alice, born bout 1608 in Isle of Wight, Hampshire, England; died 15 July 1665 in Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States.
Children of Thomas Wight and Alice are: John Wight (1627-1653); Thomas Wight (1629-1690); Anne Wight (1634-????); Mary Wight (1638-1693); Samuel Wight (1640-1716); Ephraim Wight (1646-1723); Henry Wight (1646-1680).
Resources used for this Wight family included:
* Dedham and Medfield town Vital Record books
* William S. Tilden (editor), History of the Town of Medfield, Massachusetts, 1650-1886 (Boston, Mass. : Geo. H. Ellis, 1887)
* William Ward Wight, A Record Of Thomas Wight Of Dedham And Medfield And Of His Descendants 1635-1890 (Milwaukee, Wis. : Swain & Tate Printers, 1890)
The URL for this post is:
Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver
I am in the 7th great-grandmothers, up to number 559: Deborah WIGHT (1685-1730). [Note: the 7th great-grandfathers have been covered in earlier posts].
My ancestral line back through three American generations of this WIGHT family is:
1. Randall J. Seaver
2. Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983)
3. Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002)
4. Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942)
5. Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962)
8. Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922)
9. Hattie Louise Hildreth (1857-1920)
16. Isaac Seaver (1823-1901)
17. Lucretia Townsend Smith (1827-1884)
34. Alpheus B. Smith (1802-1840)
35. Elizabeth Horton Dill (1791-1869)
68. Aaron Smith (1765-1841)
69. Mercy Plimpton (1772-1850)
138. Amos Plimpton (1735-1808)
139. Mary Guild (1735-1800)
278. Nathaniel Guild (1712-1796)
279. Mary Boyden (1708-1776)
558. Thomas Boyden, born 16 March 1681/82 in Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States; died 27 September 1771 in Wrentham, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States. He was the son of 1116. Jonathan Boyden and 1117. Mary Clark. He married 29 April 1707 in Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States.
559. Deborah Wight, born 01 December 1685 in Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States; died before 1730 in Massachusetts, United States.
Children of Thomas Boyden and Deborah Wight are: Mary Boyden (1708-1776); James Boyden (1709-1779); Deborah Boyden (1711-1770); Beriah Boyden (1714-????).
1118. Ephraim Wight, born before 27 January 1645/46 in Dedham, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States; died 26 February 1722/23 in Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States. He married 02 March 1667/68 in Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States.
1119. Lydia Morse, born before 13 April 1645 in Dedham, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States; died 14 July 1722 in Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States. She was the daughter of 2238. Daniel Morse and 2239. Lydia Fisher.
Children of Ephraim Wight and Lydia Morse are: Lydia Wight (1669-1741); Esther Wight (1671-????); Ephraim Wight (1673-1744); Miriam Wight (1675-1746); Nathaniel Wight (1678-1748); Daniel Wight (1680-1744); Bethia Wight (1683-1756); Deborah Wight (1685-1730); Ruth Wight (1688-1747).
2236. Thomas Wight, born about 1607 in England; died 17 March 1673/74 in Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States. He married about 1627 in England.
2237. Alice, born bout 1608 in Isle of Wight, Hampshire, England; died 15 July 1665 in Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States.
Children of Thomas Wight and Alice are: John Wight (1627-1653); Thomas Wight (1629-1690); Anne Wight (1634-????); Mary Wight (1638-1693); Samuel Wight (1640-1716); Ephraim Wight (1646-1723); Henry Wight (1646-1680).
Resources used for this Wight family included:
* Dedham and Medfield town Vital Record books
* William S. Tilden (editor), History of the Town of Medfield, Massachusetts, 1650-1886 (Boston, Mass. : Geo. H. Ellis, 1887)
* William Ward Wight, A Record Of Thomas Wight Of Dedham And Medfield And Of His Descendants 1635-1890 (Milwaukee, Wis. : Swain & Tate Printers, 1890)
The URL for this post is:
Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver
Friday, February 1, 2013
Dear Randy: What Record Collection Would You Like To Have Indexed?
I was asked this question recently by a genealogy colleague at the recent SDGS David Rencher seminar:
"What record collection would you really like to have digitized and indexed?"
I didn't have to think a long time about my answer, because I've been saying it for years:
"I think that many difficult "brick wall" research problems will be solved once land records and probate records are digitized from microfilms, and the indexes of their indexes are searchable."
We are maybe 25% there (my estimate) with the digitizing of the pre-1920 (approximately) land and probate records for a number of States (and in some cases counties). But few, if any, of those record collections are indexed, and my guess is that most of them will not be indexed for a very long time, if ever, because of the sheer volume of names and images.
However, if the INDEXES to the land and probate records were indexed, then researchers could more easily find the actual probate and land record images without fighting through the indexes to these records. The indexes are very NAME RICH!
Let me show you an example:
This is one page out of 689 pages of one volume of the Erie County Grantee deed indexes, in the New York Deeds, 1630-1975 record collection, for surnames R to Z for the years 1808-1859. The grantees are not in alphabetical order in this volume - the entries are by surname first letter and then date recorded order, so it is very difficult to find every entry for a person over a period of time. I had to search all of the Vs to find the entries for my Vaux family in this volume - over about 30 pages - and I am still finding them! Then I have to search the Grantor Index, and then search in later years also, because not every deed was recorded at the time it was executed. You can see the magnitude and difficulty of the problem. It's hard to do for the Vaux surname - it's almost impossible for Brown, Johnson, Smith, etc.
I counted over 200 Deed Index volumes for Erie County alone. The Deed Index volumes are about 25% of the volumes for the Erie County NY Deeds. There may be almost 5 million lines in the Deed Indexes for Erie County. There are deed records for 60 New York counties in this particular New York collection, with a total of over 8 million images. Not all New York counties are covered here, either.
I know that "old-timers," like me, who have had to deal with these records on rented FHL microfilms, or in moldy courthouse basements with dust-choking volumes, are saying: "These new Internet genealogists are sure spoiled - we had to do this at the FHC or at the courthouse. These newfangled digitized images are making this task way too easy - they can do it at home for free in their PJs."
Yep - that's what we all want in our wildest dreams - to be able to do a better job in a shorter amount of time before we, or our clients, die or get frustrated by the complexity and slowness of the process. Gathering the indexed names is the hard part - it's relatively easy to find the actual record once we have a volume and page number for the record.
Without indexes of the Grantee and Grantor indexes for land records, I'm afraid that these records will go relatively unused by almost all genealogy researchers because it is too difficult to find names in the Grantee/Grantor indexes. The same goes for probate records, which would probably be easier to do since there aren't usually multiple entries for persons in probate records.
FamilySearch did and continues to do yeoman work finding these records, microfilming them and digitizing them, and now what needs to be done is indexing the Indexes so that researchers can more easily find records of their ancestral families. We are indebted to FamilySearch for this work.
This "Indexing the Indexes" task would be a great volunteer indexing task for local and county genealogical societies to perform, and would provide exposure to, and insight into how to use, these record collections to many more researchers.
I would like to know if we can expect to see Indexes of the Grantor and Grantee Indexes for land records, and of probate packet lists for probate records. If so, I'll hold off doing this work for my ancestral families ... but if not, we all need to get to work on these digitized records, and teach our genealogy colleagues how to access them and use them.
What Record collection would you like to have Indexed? What would make your research job much easier?
The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/02/dear-randy-what-record-collection-would.html
Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver
"What record collection would you really like to have digitized and indexed?"
I didn't have to think a long time about my answer, because I've been saying it for years:
"I think that many difficult "brick wall" research problems will be solved once land records and probate records are digitized from microfilms, and the indexes of their indexes are searchable."
We are maybe 25% there (my estimate) with the digitizing of the pre-1920 (approximately) land and probate records for a number of States (and in some cases counties). But few, if any, of those record collections are indexed, and my guess is that most of them will not be indexed for a very long time, if ever, because of the sheer volume of names and images.
However, if the INDEXES to the land and probate records were indexed, then researchers could more easily find the actual probate and land record images without fighting through the indexes to these records. The indexes are very NAME RICH!
Let me show you an example:
This is one page out of 689 pages of one volume of the Erie County Grantee deed indexes, in the New York Deeds, 1630-1975 record collection, for surnames R to Z for the years 1808-1859. The grantees are not in alphabetical order in this volume - the entries are by surname first letter and then date recorded order, so it is very difficult to find every entry for a person over a period of time. I had to search all of the Vs to find the entries for my Vaux family in this volume - over about 30 pages - and I am still finding them! Then I have to search the Grantor Index, and then search in later years also, because not every deed was recorded at the time it was executed. You can see the magnitude and difficulty of the problem. It's hard to do for the Vaux surname - it's almost impossible for Brown, Johnson, Smith, etc.
I counted over 200 Deed Index volumes for Erie County alone. The Deed Index volumes are about 25% of the volumes for the Erie County NY Deeds. There may be almost 5 million lines in the Deed Indexes for Erie County. There are deed records for 60 New York counties in this particular New York collection, with a total of over 8 million images. Not all New York counties are covered here, either.
I know that "old-timers," like me, who have had to deal with these records on rented FHL microfilms, or in moldy courthouse basements with dust-choking volumes, are saying: "These new Internet genealogists are sure spoiled - we had to do this at the FHC or at the courthouse. These newfangled digitized images are making this task way too easy - they can do it at home for free in their PJs."
Yep - that's what we all want in our wildest dreams - to be able to do a better job in a shorter amount of time before we, or our clients, die or get frustrated by the complexity and slowness of the process. Gathering the indexed names is the hard part - it's relatively easy to find the actual record once we have a volume and page number for the record.
Without indexes of the Grantee and Grantor indexes for land records, I'm afraid that these records will go relatively unused by almost all genealogy researchers because it is too difficult to find names in the Grantee/Grantor indexes. The same goes for probate records, which would probably be easier to do since there aren't usually multiple entries for persons in probate records.
FamilySearch did and continues to do yeoman work finding these records, microfilming them and digitizing them, and now what needs to be done is indexing the Indexes so that researchers can more easily find records of their ancestral families. We are indebted to FamilySearch for this work.
This "Indexing the Indexes" task would be a great volunteer indexing task for local and county genealogical societies to perform, and would provide exposure to, and insight into how to use, these record collections to many more researchers.
I would like to know if we can expect to see Indexes of the Grantor and Grantee Indexes for land records, and of probate packet lists for probate records. If so, I'll hold off doing this work for my ancestral families ... but if not, we all need to get to work on these digitized records, and teach our genealogy colleagues how to access them and use them.
What Record collection would you like to have Indexed? What would make your research job much easier?
The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/02/dear-randy-what-record-collection-would.html
Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver
Review: Legacy QuickGuide on Ontario Genealogy
Legacy Family Tree has commissioned a series of four-page booklets on various aspects of genealogical research. Each laminated guide contains four pages of valuable information covering a variety of genealogy research topics. Legacy QuickGuides are written by genealogists and family historians who are experts in the subject areas. These QuickGuides are oriented towards the online researcher - there are several pages of website links on selected subjects for the specific topic covered by the QuickGuide.
You can see the list of available Legacy QuickGuides at http://www.legacyfamilytreestore.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=71. They are available as laminated four-page folders ($7.95 each) or as downloadable PDF files ($2.95 each).
The Introduction to this QuickGuide says:
"Researching Ontario ancestors can be confusing especially before 1869. Understanding the history of Ontario is key to finding the correct records. The Ontario Genealogy Legacy QuickGuide™ contains useful information to get you started including the best places to find key record groups such as census, vital records, military, and other records."
The subjects covered in the Ontario Genealogy QuickGuide includes (4 pages):
* Factoids
* Research Strategy
* Additional Resources
* Geographic Terminology
* Basic Ontario Resources
* Migration Routes and Motivations
* Timeline of Ontario History
* Ontario History Resources
* Adoption Records
* Birth Records
* Death Records & Obituaries
* Cemetery Records
* Court Records
* Marriage Records
* Divorce Records
* Church Records
* Military Records
* Census Records
* Land Records
* Immigration & Naturalization
* Newspapers
* City & Business Directories
* Geography & Maps
* Books & Periodicals
* Organizations
* Archives & Libraries
* Miscellaneous
For most of the subjects listed above, the items listed for each subject are website titles with links to the websites. In some cases, there are shortened URLs for websites with long eddresses.
This Legacy QuickGuide is very useful for beginners and seasoned researchers alike. The Ontario history timeline and the Research Strategy sections are especially helpful. The other subject areas, with links to websites, are oriented towards the online genealogist. I am sure that I will use this QuickGuide to help me find records of my Ontario ancestors.
The laminated version of this QuickGuide is very handy for researchers going to repositories or society meetings - it is light and easy to carry in a briefcase or computer case. I much prefer the PDF version because I can save it to my computer (and laptop, tablet, and smart phone using Dropbox or another cloud service) and have it available in digital format for instantaneous usage by clicking the links provided rather than typing the links into my web browser.
Order you copy of the Ontario Genealogy QuickGuide (PDF only) at the Legacy Family Tree Store.
Disclosure: I was provided a complimentary copy of the PDF version of this Legacy QuickGuide on the condition that I provide a timely review of each QuickGuide provided. Look for more in the near future!
The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/02/review-legacy-quickguide-on-ontario.html
Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver
Follow-Up Friday - Helpful and Interesting Reader Comments
It's Friday, so I'm dipping into my Comment bag for the week to see what my readers have to share that is helpful and interesting (at least to me!).
1) On Using RecordSeek to Add Sources to the FamilySearch Family Tree (25 January 2013):
* GeneJ commented: "Although my work on FamilyTree has been mostly for naught, I found the source process bulky and the terminology, awkward.
"(1) For me, the most straightforward part of the process involved adding a "source" to a person or couple (ala, union/marriage). As such, it is not a reference note citation, nor is it really a bibliographic citation. For lack of a better notion, it seems more like a source label.
"(2) I found no way 'tech/user friendly' way to associate the sources added to the birth, marriage, death (etc.) events as they are added. The best work around I could develop was to write a reference note into a dialog box that appears at the end of that add/edit event process. (The profile pages in FamilyTree are non-responsive right now, or I would provide a little blow by blow.)
"The dialog entries (as in no. 2) are only retained in 'history.' "
"Now that I hear Microsoft is no longer planning on supporting some of these old versions of Windows, I guess I'll have to get my act together and do some comparative shopping. It's not that procrastination is my middle name; I just have too many notes-to-self from decades of research that I hate to give up."
1) On Using RecordSeek to Add Sources to the FamilySearch Family Tree (25 January 2013):
* GeneJ commented: "Although my work on FamilyTree has been mostly for naught, I found the source process bulky and the terminology, awkward.
"(1) For me, the most straightforward part of the process involved adding a "source" to a person or couple (ala, union/marriage). As such, it is not a reference note citation, nor is it really a bibliographic citation. For lack of a better notion, it seems more like a source label.
"(2) I found no way 'tech/user friendly' way to associate the sources added to the birth, marriage, death (etc.) events as they are added. The best work around I could develop was to write a reference note into a dialog box that appears at the end of that add/edit event process. (The profile pages in FamilyTree are non-responsive right now, or I would provide a little blow by blow.)
"The dialog entries (as in no. 2) are only retained in 'history.' "
My comment: The FamilySearch Family Tree now permits users to "Tag" a source to Name, Gender, Birth, Christening, Death and Burial, but not to events like Census records or Probate Records. You have to click the specific Source on the "Sources" list and then click on the "Tag" link to open a dropdown window to check a box. Writing a reference note works well, too, and may be more useful if the event date or place is questionable or if there are evidence conflicts.
2) On (Not So) Wordless Wednesday - Post 109: San Diego Beach Fun (30 June 2010):
* Leslie Crews said: "Hi there! Just wanted to add a note that the "unknown girl" in your photo is most definitely Gladys Nolan (who is also my maternal great-grandmother). If you happen to have any other photos of Gladys in your photo collection of the Carringer family, I'd love to see some."
My response was: "Would you please email me at rjseaver@cox.net and we can chat about Emily and Gladys?"
Once in awhile, I get a comment like this on one of my daily theme posts, and this one has a lot of potential for both Leslie and myself. Gladys was my grandmother's best friend throughout her life from high school on. Blogging about your family - works - sometimes you have to wait awhile!
3) On Genealogy Software Versions 10 Years Ago... (28 January 2013):
* Jacqi Stevens noted: "I had to laugh when I saw the title to your post tonight, and the question, 'Is it time to upgrade?' I'm still using my old Family Tree Maker version 4.40 for Windows 95, from January 14, 1998. Can you tell my upgrade is way overdue?
"Now that I hear Microsoft is no longer planning on supporting some of these old versions of Windows, I guess I'll have to get my act together and do some comparative shopping. It's not that procrastination is my middle name; I just have too many notes-to-self from decades of research that I hate to give up."
My comment: FTM 4.4? Wow! True confession: I still use FTM 16 for some reports! Why will you have to give up your "notes-to-self?" If they are in the Notes in your FTM file, they should transfer to Notes in whatever program you decide to use.
* Dan Garnitz said: "Reading this made me think about the first software package I used for genealogy. Most of what I used when I started are no longer around. If I think back another 10-15 years to the mid 80s - early 90s. Software that ran in DOS. I think I was using ROOTS III for quite awhile there. At some time in those years, I used Brothers Keeper, PAF, and Cumberland Family Tree as I recall, just can't recall when I changed from one to the other and why I changed. I finally settled on Family Origins from Parsons, and then RootsMagic, which I still use to this day on my Windows machine."
My comment: Talk about a hit parade of genealogy software - Dan's tried almost all of them! CGSSD ran this type of chart for over 20 years - it would be fun to see the chart in, say, 1993, and 1998, and 2008 to give us some benchmarks.
Has anyone done a family tree of genealogy software?
4) On A Cure for Genea-boredom -- GenealogyBank! (30 January 2013):
* Joe Lowry commented: "I'm glad GenealogyBank has been useful for you. I have to say that I have found so little stories. I've tried probably 100 relatives and ancestors and found maybe five articles. Most of my family is from Pittsburgh and Cleveland and GenealogyBank's coverage of this region is dismal."
My comment: I completely understand - I rejoiced when GenealogyBank added San Diego newspapers. You have to really search for the historical newspaper provider (free or subscription) lists to determine which has the content you want. Also check the specific newspaper and local library websites to see if they have digital archives.
Note to GenealogyBank: I hope you have the Pittsburgh and Cleveland areas on your "to-do" digitizing list!
5) On a post that will remain nameless, this spam comment appeared:
* "I read and walked for miles at night along the beach, writing bad blank verse and searching endlessly for someone wonderful who would step out of the darkness and change my life. It never crossed my mind that that person could be me."
My comment: This commenter has a fine future writing their own blog or at least a bad novel.
The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/02/follow-up-friday-helpful-and.html
Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver
Thursday, January 31, 2013
CVGS Research Group meeting had its picture taken...
We had a visitor from the Bay area on 9 January at the Research Group meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society, and she just published her report on the meeting. Please read Lavinia's visit with the Chula Vista Genealogical Society on the California Genealogical Society and Library Blog.
She even took our picture...
This Research Group is now ten years old, and our members still have research problems to solve. The members also have much more genealogy knowledge and experience than when they started, and they are very willing to share it with the attendees. It is meetings like this that keep members tuned into the genealogy world, and provide an opportunity for them to seek help for their problems and offer help to other researchers.
CVGS welcomes any person interested in genealogy and family history to our meetings - hands-on workshops are on the first Saturday, the Research Group is on the second Wednesday, the Computer Group is on the third Wednesday, and the regular society program meeting is on the last Wednesday. The CVGS website is www.CVGenealogy.org and the blog is at http://CVGenCafe.blogspot.com. Not bad for a local society with just over 100 members!
My thanks to Lavinia for the kind words, and I'm glad that she enjoyed her time with us. And thanks for the picture!
The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/01/cvgs-research-group-meeting-had-its.html
Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver
She even took our picture...
This Research Group is now ten years old, and our members still have research problems to solve. The members also have much more genealogy knowledge and experience than when they started, and they are very willing to share it with the attendees. It is meetings like this that keep members tuned into the genealogy world, and provide an opportunity for them to seek help for their problems and offer help to other researchers.
CVGS welcomes any person interested in genealogy and family history to our meetings - hands-on workshops are on the first Saturday, the Research Group is on the second Wednesday, the Computer Group is on the third Wednesday, and the regular society program meeting is on the last Wednesday. The CVGS website is www.CVGenealogy.org and the blog is at http://CVGenCafe.blogspot.com. Not bad for a local society with just over 100 members!
My thanks to Lavinia for the kind words, and I'm glad that she enjoyed her time with us. And thanks for the picture!
The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/01/cvgs-research-group-meeting-had-its.html
Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver
Huntington Beach Genealogy BASH is 2 March 2013
I want to share this news with my Genea-Musings readers - I hope that everyone in Southern California considers coming to the BASH sponsored by the Orange County, California Genealogical Society (OCCGS) in Huntington Beach, California. Here is the publicity for the event:
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In 2013, OCCGS is celebrating our 50th Anniversary and putting on our Inaugural Event, called the “Genealogy BASH and Book Faire”.
About OCCGS
We have about 400 active members. We work very closely with the city of Huntington Beach and their library system as we maintain the Central Library’s “Genealogy” collection. This collection has over 19,000 books and other genealogical information in a dedicated area within the Central Library. OCCGS members donate their time, effort and money to maintain and expand the genealogical information available to the public.
The BASH Particulars
| Event Name: | Genealogy BASH and Book Faire |
| Date: | Saturday, March 2, 2013 |
| Time: | 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. |
| Speaker sessions start at 9:15 a.m. | |
| Location: | Huntington Beach CA Central Library |
| 7111 Talbert Avenue | |
| Huntington Beach, CA 92648 |
Event Plans
- The library is large and has seven meeting rooms and a theatre. The meeting rooms can seat approximately 50 people for each speaking session and the theatre has over 300 seats. There will be 4 speaking sessions.
- Expert Speakers: We have eight of Southern California’s best speakers presenting in 20 different lectures. Our speakers are:
- Barbara Renick
- Jean Wilcox Hibben
- Norma Keating
- CeCe Moore
- Gina Philibert-Ortega
- Randy Seaver
- Linda Serna
- Dawn Thurston
- Free Classes for Beginners: A major goal of the OCCGS BASH is to introduce new people to the rewarding pastime of family history research, hence beginner classes and selected events will be available free of charge during the BASH on March 2.
- Genealogy Exhibitors: Our title sponsors, FindMyPast.com and FamilySearch will have experts available to answer questions on their products and services. There will also be several other genealogy-related exhibitors to answer your questions. Visit them for FREE!
- Book Faire: OCCGS maintains and adds to the genealogy collection at the library. We receive many donated books and periodicals that are duplicates of our holdings, and we sell these at bargain prices. It's FREE so come in, see what we have, and add books to your genealogical library.
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Registration is required - see the registration page at http://occgs.com/mtg_event/bash/registration.html. The registration fee is $40 for OCCGS members and $50 for non-members. There is an additional charge for a box lunch if requested.
Needless to say, I am honored to be part of this event, and look forward to making two presentations. The list of presentations is at http://occgs.com/mtg_event/bash/session_summaries.pdf, and speaker biographies are at http://occgs.com/mtg_event/bash/speakers_bios.pdf .
I hope to see many of my Genea-Musings readers at this event.
The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/01/huntington-beach-genealogy-bash-is-2.html
RootsTech 2013 Keynote Speakers Will Be...
I just received an email from the RootsTech 2013 permitting the Official Bloggers to announce the Thursday (21 March) Keynote speakers...
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INTRODUCING THURSDAY’S KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AT ROOTSTECH
DENNIS C. BRIMHALL
Dennis Brimhall is
currently the President and CEO of FamilySearch International.
FamilySearch International is a worldwide organization helping
individuals find, preserve, catalogue, and search genealogical
information. FamilySearch
International is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. He was formerly the President and Chief Executive Officer of
University of Colorado Hospital
from 1988 to 2005. A native of Provo, Utah, Mr. Brimhall earned an
undergraduate degree in zoology from Brigham Young University in 1972
and a master’s degree in management from the Kellogg School of
Management at Northwestern University in 1974. Mr. Brimhall
and his wife Linda have four children and live in Dammeron Valley,
Utah.
SYD LIEBERMAN
Syd is a nationally
acclaimed storyteller, an author, and an award-winning teacher. Many of
his best-loved stories deal with growing up in Chicago and raising a
family in Evanston, Illinois. Syd is also known for
his original historical pieces. He
has received commissions to write stories for some of America’s leading
institutions and agencies, including the Smithsonian; Historic
Philadelphia, Inc.; NASA;
and the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center. His
work has garnered awards from the American Library Association,
Parents' Choice, and Storytelling World. Syd was one of six tellers
featured on the television special The Call
of Story. He has also performed numerous times at the Timpanogos and
National storytelling festivals.
D. JOSHUA TAYLOR
D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS
is the Business Development Manager – North America for brightsolid
online publishing, the creator of findmypast.com. A nationally known and
recognized professional genealogist, lecturer,
genealogical author, and researcher, Taylor is the current president of
the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS)
and the
former Director of Education at the New England Historic Genealogical
Society. Taylor holds an MLS (Archival Management) and an MA (History)
from Simmons College, and is the recipient of
numerous awards and honors, including the Federation of Genealogical
Societies Award of Merit, and the Rubincam Youth Award from the National
Genealogical Society. Taylor was also a featured genealogist on NBC's
Who Do You Think You Are?.
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No word on topics...but we can guess!
The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/01/rootstech-2013-keynote-speakers-will-be.html
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