Genea-Musings

Thursday, January 5, 2017

New Historical Records on MyHeritage During 2016

The MyHeritage Blog post titled "A Look Back at 2016" by Esther, posted 4 January 2017, provides a summary of the new features, highlights and experiences during 2016 at MyHeritage. It's worth reviewing in some detail. I have blogged in some detail during 2016 about some of these new features and highlights.

Near the bottom of the post is a list of some of the new record collections added by MyHeritage during 2016. It's difficult to find what is new on MyHeritage because they don't have a list that highlights what is new and updated, other than the occasional blog post for a specific collection.

Here is the Historical records list from the article, followed by some statistics for 2016:

"We released many exciting new historical record collections throughout 2016, including many exclusive collections, online for the very first time:

"StatisticsHere are some statistics from the past year at MyHeritage:

802 million new historical records added.
727 million new family tree profiles added.
61 million new photos added.
76 employees joined the company in 2016 (we went up from 249 to 325)."

This is helpful and interesting.

I noted that they added the Chronicling America collection; MyHeritage closed down the NewspaperARCHIVE collection during 2016, perhaps due to licensing issues, which was a loss to subscribers.

I am happy to see the Canada census collections because I don't have an Ancestry.com World subscription.

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Disclosure: I have a complimentary MyHeritage subscription, and have received material compensation for services from MyHeritage.

The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2017/01/new-historical-records-on-myheritage.html

Copyright (c) 2017, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

1751 Death Record of Melatiah Metcalf in Keene, N.H. -- Treasure Chest Thursday Post #347

This week's treasure is the 1751 death record of Melatiah (Hamant) Metcalf in Keene, Cheshire County, New Hampshire:

The extracted data from this record is:

* Name: Melatiah Metcalf
* Place of Death: Keene, N.H.
* Date of Death: Dec. 30, 1751
* Age, Years: 46
* Place of birth: [blank]
* Sex: F[emale]
* Married, widowed, Single or Divorced: M[arried]
* Cause of Death: [blank] Wife of Capt. Michael Metcalf
* Place of Burial: [blank]
* Name of Father: [blank]
* Maiden Name of Mother: [blank]
* Birthplace of Father: [blank]
* Birthplace of Mother: [blank]
* Occupation of Father: [blank]
* Name and Address of Physician: [blank]
THE STATE OF HEW HAMPSHIRE
I hereby certify that the above transcript is a correct transcript
as required by Chap. 21, Session Laws, 1905.
Frank H. Whitcomb, Atty.
* Clerk of: Keene, N.H.
* Date: Sept. 2, 1905

The source citation for this record is:

"New Hampshire Death Records, 1654-1947," digital image, FamilySearch International (http://FamilySearch.org), 2010, “Death certificates, 1901-1937", Melatiah Metcalf entry, 1751; citing New Hampshire Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics.

This document is a Derivative Source - the Original Source is a Keene, New Hampshire town record which is not yet available online. This is Primary Information, since it was derived from an Original Source. It is Direct Evidence since it provides a name, a relationship to the spouse, and the date and place of death explicitly.

Melatiah Hamant was born on 26 May 1704 in Medfield, Massachusetts, the daughter of Timothy and Melatiah (Clark) Hamant. She married Michael Metcalf (1706-1771) in 1726, and they had eight children between 1729 and 1745. Michael and Melatiah (Hamant) Metcalf are my 6th great-grandparents, through their son Burgess Metcalf (1741-1816) who married Jerusha --?-- (1750-1817) in about 1770.

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The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2017/01/1751-death-record-of-melatiah-metcalf.html

Copyright (c) 2017, Randall J. Seaver

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

WikiTree Now Has Surname Index Pages

I received the latest WikiTree News newsletter today, and it has some interesting items. Here is one item of interest:

There are now WikiTree surname index pages - for instance, the Seaver Genealogy page.

The Quick links for members include:

* Table view
* Alpha order
* Date order
* Error report
* Find matches
* Follow activity
* Genealogists
* Include current last name
* Limit to watchlist
* Merging and matching
* Pending merges
* Orphaned
* Unconnected
* Unsourced
* Recent Activity

At the top right of the page is a list of related surnames with the number for each on WikiTree. There are 579 SEAVER entries on WikiTree. On the right side of the screen is a search box, and below that are photographs from the profiles, and below the photos are links to records for marriage records, death records, census records, and newspaper records from the MyHeritage record collections.

Most of the page consists of the list of persons with the surname on WikiTree. Living people cannot be accessed, but those not living can be. The list seems to be in the order of "last edited" with the most recently accessed at the top of the list.

For a one-name study researcher, this Surname list would be an excellent tool to find additional persons for the one-name study.

A search on a list like this might turn up duplicate profiles, which could then be merged to remove the duplicate profile.

If you have profiles that you manage on WikiTree, you should take a look at these Surname Index pages. I think they're great.

WikiTree is free to use, and to add data to the interconnected family tree. This is an OUR tree, not a MY tree system. Duplicate profiles can be merged. A GEDCOM upload can be used, but the profiles are double checked with possible existing profiles before they are added to the WikiTree.

I have added over 6,000 profiles, but they all need to be edited. I note that there is a link in the WikiTree news item for a Gallery of Examples on what a good WikiTree profile looks like.

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The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2017/01/wikitree-now-has-surname-index-pages.html

CVGS Saturday Workshop on 7 January Features Randy Seaver on GPS and RES

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) January 7th Saturday Workshop will be from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Community Room at the Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road in Bonita CA 91902).

The subject will be:

“Finding Your Elusive Ancestor: The Genealogical Proof Standard and Performing a Reasonably Exhaustive Search” presented by Randy Seaver.

This event is free for all to attend. A description of the presentation is:

“Are you familiar with the five elements of the Genealogical Proof Standard GPS)? It deals with information, sources, evidence, analysis and proof, and was developed by the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG). It is the 'standard' methodology for professionals proving assertions of genealogical facts. The first element of the GPS is 'to do a reasonably exhaustive search.'

“In this presentation, Randy will explain the GPS, take a whirlwind tour through traditional and online resources that should be included in an exhaustive search, discuss his favorite search strategies and techniques, and describe a Case Study of one of his elusive ancestors that illustrates the concepts of the GPS.”

Please register for this event on the CVGS website -- www.cvgenealogy.com -- so that we can plan on refreshments and handouts.

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The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2017/01/cvgs-saturday-workshop-on-7-january.html

Visiting Old World Wisconsin - Post 2-- Post 446 of (Not So) Wordless Wednesday

During our 2011 vacation to Springfield, Illinois and surrounding states, we had one day in Eagle, Wisconsin and explored Old World Wisconsin, and Ranslow's Smith's Four-Mile Inn. I wrote about it in Day 13 on the Seaver Midwest Genealogy Tour (posted 18 September 2011).

I took many pictures inside the house, but some of them didn't turn out (and my camera battery died during this day). Here are some of the kitchen photos on the main floor of the house:

1) This is the main wood-burning oven and stove for the house. You can see a stove top and an open oven in the photo below:

2) In one corner of the kitchen is an open cabinet with jugs, bowls, bottles, other large and small containers. There are barrels on the floor with coffee and other foodstuffs:

3) In another corner are shelves with baking materials, and a counter for mixing ingredients.

4) Another corner of the kitchen has a pass-through opening into the dining room (which I'm looking through). The young lady in the kitchen is in period dress (1870s they said) and demonstrated all of the kitchen duties and utensils:

Linda spent quite a bit of time in the kitchen talking to the young woman above. She knew quite a bit about all of the owners of the Four-Mile Inn. I wish that I had spent more time listening to the docent, and had captured some of the stories she told. Oh well...another visit calls me!

I will have more photos from inside the Four-Mile Inn next week.

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The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2017/01/visiting-old-world-wisconsin-post-2.html

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Pruning and Grafting the FamilySearch Family Tree

I received my weekly email from FamilySearch today with the "Recent changes in Family Tree" for those persons I am "watching" in FamilySearch Family Tree. These are pretty much ancestors that I monitor to see if anything useful has been added (like a source or another relationship) or if something detrimental has been added. The email informed me that only 38 changes had been made last week - no doubt reduced due to the holidays.

Here is the top of my "Recent changes" list for today:

1) So I clicked on the link for Mary Ann Underhill LH55-WJJ to see if there was anything new. There was - a source citation for the marriage of her daughter Mary Almeda "Vause" to James G. "Woodard":

Cool. I didn't have their marriage record. I clicked through to the marriage record (an index, no image available on FamilySearch) and saw the date, 3 November 1861 in Burnett, Dodge County, Wisconsin:

I added the marriage record to my RootsMagic database for Mary Almeda Vaux and James G. Woodward. This is the second marriage record for this Vaux family where the surname is spelled "wrong" - note that the item is for "Mary Ann Vause" (the mother) with her husband "Samuel Vause" and the daughter "Mary Almeda Vause."

Mary Ann (Underhill) Vaux (1815-1883) is my 3rd great-grandmother.

2) Also on my "Recent changes" list was John Kemp (1768-1861) LCPF-7S2. Someone had added a son John James Kemp (1824-????) to the family, and had added three christening sources for the son from 1824 in Brighton, Sussex, England, born to John Kemp and Mary.

However, John Kemp LCPF-7S2 married Mary Dafoe (1776-1832) in 1795, and resided his whole life in Ontario, Canada, with their family of at least nine children born between 1795 and 1812. John Kemp LCPF-7S2 is my third great-grandfather.

I removed the purported son John James Kemp (1824-????) from the family, and deleted the three sources added recently for his christening from the profile for the father, John Kemp LCPF-7S2.

3) Then I noticed that my John Kemp (1768-1861) LCPF-7S2 had a second marriage with Eleanor Marton and a number of children by her while married to Mary Dafoe.

I checked my RootsMagic database, and saw that it was another John Kemp (1788-1861), son of Joseph Kemp and Catherine Bovee, who was the husband of Eleanor Marton.

I fixed it, but it wasn't easy. I removed the marriage of John Kemp LCPF-7S2 from Eleanor Marton and her children (I had to do this on Eleanor's profile. Then I added the correct John Kemp (1788-1861) LRC3-W5Z to the marriage. Somehow, the children were lost in the process. Oh well - I'm sure someone will fix it. As long as they don't put the wrong John Kemp back as the father.

4) Such is life in the FamilySearch Family Tree. Sometimes you get a nugget of information, like the Vaux marriage record; other times, someone has messed up a family - in this case, two different messes that needed to be wiped up.

Now I have another 9 set of changes to make sure nobody has messed up my ancestors. A FamilySearch Family Tree watcher has to stay vigilant!

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The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2017/01/pruning-and-grafting-familysearch.html

Write Your Life Story in 2017: #52Stories Project Will Make Your Task Easier

I received this press release yesterday from FamilySearch:

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Write Your Life Story in 2017:

#52Stories Project Will Make Your Task Easier

SALT LAKE CITY, UT 1 January 2017)--Maybe your New Year’s resolution is to write your personal history to share with your family and leave for future generations. The task, however, can seem daunting. Where do you start? FamilySearch can help with its #52Stories project.

Each week in 2017, FamilySearch, the world’s largest genealogical organization, will publish topic questions designed to trigger your memories. You just need to focus on the topic and write a response.

It doesn’t matter if you write a few paragraphs, a single page, or several pages. You can write in a journal or in a document on your computer, or you can make a video or audio recording. When 2017 concludes, you will have 52 stories about your life to enhance your personal history. “This 2017 personal history challenge, called the #52Stories project, is an expanded version of a similar, very successful challenge offered by FamilySearch four years ago,” said Wendy Smedley, FamilySearch project manager for social media. “This year, however, instead of having a list of only 52 questions, the writer can choose his or her 52 questions from a list of 144 questions.”

You don’t have to look far for a great series of memory triggers. The #52Stories Project has divided the year into 12 themes, from “Goals & Achievements” to “Education & School” to “Holidays & Traditions,” providing 12 different questions for each theme. That’s a total of 144 questions, giving you plenty of options to choose from as you build your library of #52stories. The questions are available for download in fun, colorful themed pages, and you’ll also see a different question highlighted each week on Instagram (@FamilySearch) and the FamilySearch Facebook Page.

January’s theme is goals and achievements. Sample questions include:

What goals are you actively working toward right now?
What was the greatest achievement of your life?
What is something you taught yourself to do without help from anyone else?
What role has failure played in your efforts to achieve your goals?

Your 52 stories, or your ancestors’ stories, can also be shared for free in a FamilySearch Memories profile, preserving these stories for future posterity. FamilySearch will not make these stories public while the person is living but will make them available for future generations after the person is deceased. New York Times bestselling author Bruce Feiler and faith leaders such as President Spencer W. Kimball of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have emphasized that recording and sharing glimpses of your life and your ancestors’ lives is an invaluable aspect of building strong families.

Family stories are a great gift that helps build individual identity in children and children’s children. These stories allow you to preserve and share the story of your life and your ancestors’ lives, your triumphs over adversity, your recovery after a fall, your progress when all seemed bleak, and your rejoicing when you finally achieved your goals.

Find or share this news release online in the FamilySearch Media Room.

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The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2017/01/write-your-life-story-in-2017-52stories.html

Treasure Chest Tuesday - 1910 U.S. Census Record for Herman Schaffner Household in San Francisco, Calif.

This week's Tuesday treasure is the 1910 United States Census record for the Herman Schaffner family enumerated in San Francisco, San Francisco County, California:

The Schaffner household snippet:

The extracted information for this household, residing at 1134 Castro Street in San Francisco:

* Herman Schaffner - head, male, white, age 58, widowed twice, born New York, parents born Germany/Germany, able to speak English, a secretary, works for Fraternal - Knights of Pythias, able to read and write, owns home free of mortgage

* Paul F. Schaffner - son, male, white, age 31, first marriage, married 4 years, born California, parents born New York/Massachusetts, able to speak English, a clerk, works for oil company, able to read and write

* Edna Schaffner - daughter-in-law, female, white, age 26, first marriage, married 4 years, 1 child born, 1 living, born California, parents born Maryland/Australia, able to speak English, no occupation, can read and write

* Frederick Schaffner - son, male, white, age 21, single, born California, parents born New York/Massachusetts, able to speak English, a clerk, works for dried fruit company, can read and write

* Muriel E. Schaffner - granddaughter, female, white, age 1-1/12, single, born California, parents born California/California

The source citation for this record is:

1910 United States Federal Census, San Francisco County, California, population schedule, 34th Assembly District, Enumeration District 107, Page 2B, Dwelling #34, Family #37, Herman Schaffner household, online database and digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication T624, Roll 98.

Herman Schaffner is the head of household, with son Paul, Paul's wife and daughter, and Paul's brother in the household. Mary Ann (Paul) Schaffner, the wife of Herman, died in 1908 in San Francisco. Herman and Mary Ann (Paul) Schaffner are my wife's great-grandparents, and their eldest son, Paul Schaffner (1878-1934), who married Edna McKnew in 1906, are my wife's maternal grandparents, through their daughter Edna who was born in 1913.

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The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2017/01/treasure-chest-tuesday-1910-us-census.html

Monday, January 2, 2017

From a Hint to an Identity for Della B.

In my RootsMagic database, and my Ancestry Member Tree, is a woman named Della B., born about 1891 in Massachusetts, who was married to Frank Ellsworth Seaver (1896-1968) of Hudson, Massachusetts. I didn't have a maiden name, a birth date or birth place, or marriage date and place, or a death date and place.

The records I have for Della B. are the 1930 and 1940 U.S. Census records in Hudson, Massachusetts with her husband Frank Seaver.

1) I received a Hint for Della B. today on Ancestry.com for an entry in the U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims Index:

I clicked on the Hint and saw the summary from the record for Della Beatrice Seaver:

This provided a birth date (11 June 1892), a birthplace (Marlboro, Mass.) and a death date (5 Apr 1944), but no death place and no name of parents or spouse.

2) I did a search in Ancestry.com for Del* born in 1892 in Marlborough, Mass. and found a Della Labin listed in the Massachusetts Birth Records, 1840-1915, born 11 June 1892 in Marlborough, daughter of Louis and Lucy (Duplessis) Labin.

An entry in the Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 was for Delia Labou, born 1892 in Marlborough, Mass.

3) I went to American Ancestors, and found the entry in the Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1910 record collection and found her birth record indexed as Delia Labou, born on 11 June 1892 in Marlborough, daughter of Louis and Lucy (Dyplessis) Labou. Here is the record:

4) I can see that it could be Labou, Labin, Labour, Labbie, Labbee or something else. My judgment is that all three birth records are for the same person.

A search of the Massachusetts birth, marriage and death records for L*is Lab* found a John Louis Larbour in the World War I Draft Registrations, and an 1897 marriage record for Josephine Larbour, daughter of Louis and Lucy Duplessis.

I found no census records for L*is La*b* or his wife Luc* La*b* from 1860 to 1950. Apparently, they were never enumerated.

5) I am going to use Larbour for the maiden name for Delia. If I'm wrong, perhaps a descendant or a relative will correct me.

I noted that a birth name of Delia and a census record and death record for Della is not disqualifying. Also there is no record of a middle name, but I have B. from the 1930 and 1940 census records, so Beatrice it is.

This was fun and instructive - I was able to find everything but a death place for Della Beatrice (Larbour) Seaver; it was probably Hudson, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, where she resided in 1940. I absolutely failed to find any vital records for her parents, Louis and Lucy (Duplessis) Larbour(?).

The lesson here is to not give up on finding a maiden name for those persons for whom you don't have a maiden name. Sometimes you have to search a bit out of the box.

UPDATE: Reader Lois Willis found 1900 and 1910 census records for Delia Larbor or Labour, and Leah Smith found a 1944 death record that said her maiden name was Labour. Thank you for the help! See their notes in Comments.

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The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2017/01/from-hint-to-identity-for-della-b.html

Copyright (c) 2017, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

GenSoftReviews Announces its Users Choice Awards for 2016

I received this yesterday from Louis Kessler:

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GenSoftReviews Announces its Users Choice Awards for 2016

GenSoftReviews.com is the site users go to rate and review their genealogy software and to find out about other genealogy software to try. The site lists 980 programs, and users have contributed over 4,300 ratings and reviews.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 1, 2017

The 8th annual Users Choice Awards have been announced at the GenSoftReviews website based on 750 reviews submitted by users during 2016.

44 programs were eligible having a minimum of 10 reviews and at least one review in 2016. Of those, 27 programs achieved a user-assigned average score of at least 4.00 out of 5, and each win a 2016 GenSoftReviews Top Rated Genealogy Software award.

The Winners include:

17 Windows programs: Family Book Creator, GenSmarts, Aldfaer, Ahnenblatt, Brother’s Keeper, Family Historian, Ancestral Quest, Personal Ancestral File, Ages!, Clooz, RootsMagic, Generations, Relatively Yours, Family Tree Builder, Family Tree Maker (up to Version 16), Heredis for PC, and The Master Genealogist
2 Mac programs: iFamily for Mac, and Reunion
3 programs built for Windows, Mac and Unix: Evidentia, Familienbande, and GenealogyJ
5 Online programs: Famberry, Genealogie Online, The Next Generation, webtrees, and MyHeritage
0 Handheld programs.

The top program for 2016 was Family Book Creator, by Stefan Harms, a plugin for Family Tree Maker that lets you create a family book from your Family Tree Maker database. Family Book Creator received a perfect rating of 5.00 out of 5 based on 16 user reviews. Second was Evidentia, a source-centric genealogy tool by Ed Thompson, that ended the year with a weighted user rating of 4.97 out of 5 based on 13 reviews. Third was GenSmarts, a program by Underwood Innovations to help you do your genealogical research. GenSmarts scored 4.97 out of 5 on 15 reviews.

Eight programs won their first Users Choice Award: Family Book Creator, Aldfaer, Ages!, Generations, Relatively Yours, Heredis for PC, GenealogyJ, and The Master Genealogist.

Two former winners returned to the winner’s circle this year: GenSmarts and iFamilyforMac, who did not have a review and were not eligible in 2015.

Programs that dropped off the list from 2015 include Ultimate Family Tree and Heredis for iOS, that slipped just under the 4.00 criteria, and Heredis for Mac that did not receive a review in 2016.

Six programs have won a Users Choice Award all 8 years since the award was established in 2009. They are The Next Generation, Brother’s Keeper, Personal Ancestral File, RootsMagic, Reunion, and Family Tree Builder.

Five programs that are no longer supported were still liked enough by their users to win a 2016 award: Personal Ancestral File, Generations, Relatively Yours, Family Tree Maker (up to Version 16) and The Master Genealogist. For three of these, Generations, Relatively Yours, and The Master Genealogist, this is their first Users Choice Award.

GenSoftReviews uses a time-weighted average score. The weight of every user rating goes down 50% every year, so newer opinions are better reflected in the average score.

Congratulations go to all the 2016 winners. They are producing a product that their users like. GenSoftReviews hopes all genealogy software developers will use the feedback these reviews provide to improve their programs for their users.

For more information and a complete listing of current and past winners, see the GenSoftReviews Users Choice Awards page.

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About Louis Kessler

Louis Kessler has been a genealogist and a programmer for over 40 years. He developed and maintains the GenSoftReviews site. He is also the author of his own genealogy program known as Behold that can be found at www.beholdgenealogy.com

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The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2017/01/gensoftreviews-announces-its-users.html

Copyright (c) 2017, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.