Another question for readers (I already know the answer): Why are those "t"'s crossed?
22 May 2013
Did They Cross Their Ts?
Another question for readers (I already know the answer): Why are those "t"'s crossed?
20 May 2013
Does Emberson Know Who He Married?
If records always agreed, there would be less of a need for professional genealogists.
The 1865 marriage record for Emberson Randles in Coshocton County, Ohio, indicated that he married Mary J. Rampley on 2 July 1862. The precise location of the marriage within the county is not given.
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| part of the marriage record for Emerson Randles and Mary J. Rampley, Coshocton County, Ohio, marriage records 1859-1867 (vol 2), page 369; digital image on FamilySearch. |
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| part of the 31 January 1898 reply of Emberson Randles (Company D, 51st Ohio Infantry) to the Commissioner of Pensions' request for personal information; digital image made from original record at the National Archives. |
Which should be believed?
That's a good question. Aside from the slight variation in the spelling of his name, the only real difference between these documents is the last name of the bride.Our initial conclusion might be that Mary was married previously and that Emberson was providing her "real maiden name" in his 1898 answers. To call this a conclusion is a bit strong--conjecture may be a better word.
However, initial conclusions (or conjectures) can be incorrect and there is actually nothing in either document to suggest that Mary was married twice. The 1865 marriage record does not list her as "Miss" or "Mrs."
One would initially give more credence to the marriage record. After all, it was created the closest to when the actual event took place. The problem is that the piece of information that is inconsistent between the two documents is not the date, the place or the officiant, but the name of the bride. If the date, place or officiant were different, one would be inclined to view the marriage record as being correct.
What the difference indicates is that more work on this family needs to be done. It would be odd for Emberson to get his date, place, and "who married him" correct and remember incorrectly the maiden name of his wife.
Mary J. Randles as Mary J. Reynolds--One Day Off and One County Away
An earlier post challenged readers to find the death certificate for Mary J. Randles using information on her "drop pensioner" card.
The actual certificate for Mary illustrates some simple errors that researchers encounter in terms of dates and names when researching records. The "drop pensioner" card would likely be considered to contain secondary information on Mary's date of death.
Mary's name was Mary J. Randles--her husband was Embertson Randles. The "drop pensioner" card indicated she was living in Malvern, Ohio, on 5 April 1932.
Searching for Mary took a little bit of time. The image with this post is her death certificate which was located on FamilySearch. These death certificates are indexed on the Ohio Historical Society's website. Mary was finally located by searching for women named Mary who died in April of 1932. When she could not be located in the county in which Malvern is located, adjacent counties were searched. That is how the index entry for this death certificate for Mary J. Reynolds who died on 4 April 1932 in Canton, Stark County, was located.
The name of the husband is "correct" and the name of the father matches information in her widow's Civil War pension application which is where the "drop pensioner" card was located.
The date of death only differs by one day--not a serious difference to be honest. Of course someone cannot die on two days and (without additional information) one would usually consider the death certificate to be more likely to be accurate than the date of death on the "drop pensioner" card.
The actual certificate for Mary illustrates some simple errors that researchers encounter in terms of dates and names when researching records. The "drop pensioner" card would likely be considered to contain secondary information on Mary's date of death.
Mary's name was Mary J. Randles--her husband was Embertson Randles. The "drop pensioner" card indicated she was living in Malvern, Ohio, on 5 April 1932.
Searching for Mary took a little bit of time. The image with this post is her death certificate which was located on FamilySearch. These death certificates are indexed on the Ohio Historical Society's website. Mary was finally located by searching for women named Mary who died in April of 1932. When she could not be located in the county in which Malvern is located, adjacent counties were searched. That is how the index entry for this death certificate for Mary J. Reynolds who died on 4 April 1932 in Canton, Stark County, was located.
The name of the husband is "correct" and the name of the father matches information in her widow's Civil War pension application which is where the "drop pensioner" card was located.
The date of death only differs by one day--not a serious difference to be honest. Of course someone cannot die on two days and (without additional information) one would usually consider the death certificate to be more likely to be accurate than the date of death on the "drop pensioner" card.
Where Did Mary Randles Die?
This is the card used by the pension department to "drop" pensioners from the roll upon their death.
It indicates a date of death for Mary J. Randles, the wife of Emberson Randles, who was receiving a pension based upon his service.
The problems is that searching for her death certificate produced no results--at least initially. We've challenged our Facebook Fans of Genealogy Tip of the Day to find it as well.
Mary's death certificate is online at FamilySearch. The Ohio Historical Society also has an index to Ohio death certificates for the time period of interest as well.
We'll have an update shortly--along with the story of how her death certificate was actually found.
Stay tuned--or try searching for her yourself.
It indicates a date of death for Mary J. Randles, the wife of Emberson Randles, who was receiving a pension based upon his service.
Mary's death certificate is online at FamilySearch. The Ohio Historical Society also has an index to Ohio death certificates for the time period of interest as well.
We'll have an update shortly--along with the story of how her death certificate was actually found.
Stay tuned--or try searching for her yourself.
18 May 2013
Six Stubs For Teeth
I am making my way through the pension file of Emerson Randles of Coshocton County, Ohio. Emerson married a Mary J. Rampley whose first "appearance" in any record is on when they marry. The hope is that there is something in the pension file that provides some clues as to her family of origin.
But pension files can contain all sorts of clues. In Emerson's testimony about his health, he mentions numerous places where he was stationed, involved in skirmishes, or imprisoned. All these locations are somehow tied to some sort of illness or injury, which is the real focus of most of the lengthy statement Emerson made in New Bedford, Ohio, on 18 June 1889. It is in this statement that Emerson states:
I had the scurvy so bad in Victoria Texas that I had to drink vinegar. My teeth began getting loose, and the gums to shrink soon after I came home and the teeth have dropped out one by one until I have only 6 stumps of teeth left, and they do not amount to anything.
This deposition was contained in Emerson's pension file which was located at the National Archives. The image used in this post was created from a digital scan made of the original deposition.
But it was interesting to learn about Emerson's teeth--that's an image one doesn't even get from photographs during this time period as mouths in pictures from this era are usually closed.
17 May 2013
Updated on FamilySearch-SSDI and OK Marriages
Updated on FamilySearch since our last update:
United States Social Security Death Index
Oklahoma, County Marriages, 1891-1959
United States Social Security Death Index
Oklahoma, County Marriages, 1891-1959
16 May 2013
New On FamilySearch
New or updated on FamilySearch since our last posting:
Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1934
Georgia, Fulton County Records from the Atlanta History Center, 1827-1933
Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1934
Georgia, Fulton County Records from the Atlanta History Center, 1827-1933
15 May 2013
A Sledd at Camp Douglas
There are lots of little clues in this oath of allegiance for Joseph Sledd which appears in Ancestry.com's "Union Provost Marshals' Papers, 1861-1867"
Joseph Sledd was of Bourbon County, Kentucky, when he made this declaration at Camp Douglas, Illinois, in February of 1865. Camp Douglas was a Union Army prisoner of war camp for Confederate soldiers.
Sledd's appearance in these papers means that there's probably more information on his military service. This reference may just be the beginning of information available on Joseph Sledd.
Sledd was a grandson of Thomas and Sally (Tinsley) Sledd, Amherst County, Virginia, residents who migrated to Bourbon County, Kentucky in the very early 1800s. Sledd apparently survived his time at Camp Douglas and later returned to Kentucky.
14 May 2013
Separating Out Farms in the 1880 Agricultural Schedule
This image is from part of the 1880 U. S. Census agricultural schedule for Montebello Township in Hancock County, Illinois.
Adam Trautvetter (the intent of the Adam Trautfether) is enumerated twice in this census. The first entry is for the property he owned. The second entry is for property than he rented for a fixed amount (as opposed to to renting for a portion of the crops). The name of the landowner is not indicated.
There are two similar names on the bottom of this page as well (the Hansens)--one was a landowner and one was not. I originally wondered if this was a "repeat name" as well. It is not. A reading of the 1880 population schedule for Montebello Township indicates that there are enumerations for households headed by both a Sullivan and a William Hansen, indicating that the bottom entries are for different men. There was only one Adam Trautvetter in the 1880 census for Montebello Township.
I looked at quite a few agricultural enumerations in Hancock County and did not locate any "duplicate" entries similar to Trautvetter where the rented ground was separated out for a separate enumeration from the owned property. I also did not notice enumerees who indicated they had both owned and rented property. It might have been an unusual practice in 1880 in this area to farm both owned and rented property. I don't have an answer to that question. Adam's uncle Adam was deceased by 1880.
The instructions for the enumerator that I was able to locate did not answer the question: "was it standard practice to separate out owned from rented property in the 1880 agricultural census?"
I do not have an answer fr whether the double listing was common. What I did get a feel for when looking at the entries was how much of the county was farmed by the owner and how much was farmed by tenants.
One has to look at more than just the numbers--those tick marks mean something as well.
Adam Trautvetter (the intent of the Adam Trautfether) is enumerated twice in this census. The first entry is for the property he owned. The second entry is for property than he rented for a fixed amount (as opposed to to renting for a portion of the crops). The name of the landowner is not indicated.
There are two similar names on the bottom of this page as well (the Hansens)--one was a landowner and one was not. I originally wondered if this was a "repeat name" as well. It is not. A reading of the 1880 population schedule for Montebello Township indicates that there are enumerations for households headed by both a Sullivan and a William Hansen, indicating that the bottom entries are for different men. There was only one Adam Trautvetter in the 1880 census for Montebello Township.
I looked at quite a few agricultural enumerations in Hancock County and did not locate any "duplicate" entries similar to Trautvetter where the rented ground was separated out for a separate enumeration from the owned property. I also did not notice enumerees who indicated they had both owned and rented property. It might have been an unusual practice in 1880 in this area to farm both owned and rented property. I don't have an answer to that question. Adam's uncle Adam was deceased by 1880.
The instructions for the enumerator that I was able to locate did not answer the question: "was it standard practice to separate out owned from rented property in the 1880 agricultural census?"
I do not have an answer fr whether the double listing was common. What I did get a feel for when looking at the entries was how much of the county was farmed by the owner and how much was farmed by tenants.
One has to look at more than just the numbers--those tick marks mean something as well.
My Relatives--Adam and Eve
Many genealogists claim to be descended from Adam and Eve. Genealogies with claims of this type, stretching back to the beginning of time, usually have claims stretching fact into fiction as well.
I'm not claiming to be descended from Adam and Eve. But I am claiming to be related to them. Well actually, I'm only related to Adam. Eve is a relative by marriage.
This 1880 census enumeration lists the family of Adam and Eve--Trautvetter. The couple lived near Hamilton in Hancock County, Illinois, where Adam farmed. The couple's stone house still stands. And for the record, Eve's maiden name was Young/Yung. How ironic is that?
Adam Trautvetter was a first cousin to John Michael Trautvetter, my great-great-grandfather. This means that I'm not descended from Adam and Eve, but am merely a cousin. I've yet to make contact with any descendants of Adam and Eve, but I know there are quite a few out there.
Note that Adam's mother is living with him in 1880--one doesn't usually expect to get back before Adam and Eve, but genealogical research is always surprising .
13 May 2013
His Estate Inventory Indicates He Is A Baptist
Estate inventories can tell researchers quite a bit about their families. Lists of your deceased ancestor's personal goods provide a glimpse into the mundane details of their lives, particularly during that era when every pot, pan, and book are inventoried. The genealogical clues usually concentrate on economic status and occupation.
Every once in a while something different will appear on a list of items, like this one from the estate of Samuel Sargent in Marlborough, Cheshire County, New Hampshire in 1819.
Samuel had one pew on the floor in the "Baptiste Meetinghouse," one pew in the gallery and half another pew on the floor. The values of the pews were also shown--the first pew shown here was value at $14.
Other papers in the file refer to Samuel as being of Dublin, New Hampshire. I'll have to do a little bit of work to determine which Baptist church this was, whether or not it is still in existence, and whether any records are extant.
Note: Samuel Sargent is my 5th great-grandfather.
Every once in a while something different will appear on a list of items, like this one from the estate of Samuel Sargent in Marlborough, Cheshire County, New Hampshire in 1819.
Samuel had one pew on the floor in the "Baptiste Meetinghouse," one pew in the gallery and half another pew on the floor. The values of the pews were also shown--the first pew shown here was value at $14.
Other papers in the file refer to Samuel as being of Dublin, New Hampshire. I'll have to do a little bit of work to determine which Baptist church this was, whether or not it is still in existence, and whether any records are extant.
Note: Samuel Sargent is my 5th great-grandfather.
12 May 2013
Preservation Past You
For some genealogists the search for information is not complete until that information and the conclusions derived from that information has somehow been preserved. A recent tip on Genealogy Tip of the Day, "Don't Rely On Your Will," simply stated my belief that preserving genealogical information is not as simply as putting a clause in your will indicating where your material is to be dumped (err..placed) after your death. Dumping your material on someone else is not an effective preservation strategy.
The question remains: "What should be done with your material to maximize the chance that it lasts as long as possible in a way that can be utilized by others?" We'll be including some quick, short ideas in upcoming Genealogy Tip of the Day posts and may work on some longer posts on the topic for this blog and are always welcoming of suggestions as this is a topic that is near and dear to the hearts of many researchers.
The question remains: "What should be done with your material to maximize the chance that it lasts as long as possible in a way that can be utilized by others?" We'll be including some quick, short ideas in upcoming Genealogy Tip of the Day posts and may work on some longer posts on the topic for this blog and are always welcoming of suggestions as this is a topic that is near and dear to the hearts of many researchers.
11 May 2013
A Warning About Warnings Out
Research in a new area often causes the researcher to utilize new materials with which they are unfamiliar. At least it should cause the researcher to utilize materials that are outside their comfort zone.
As time allows I continue to research on my newly discovered New England ancestors. After twenty-five years of not knowing much at all, I discovered a few years ago that my Midwestern great-grandmother's ancestry is centered in New England, including families that were on the Mayflower.
In an attempt to document members of this family, I've been working on a Samuel Sargent who lived in Addison, Vermont in the very early 1800s. He appears in the town records as having received what is termed a "warning out."
As time allows I continue to research on my newly discovered New England ancestors. After twenty-five years of not knowing much at all, I discovered a few years ago that my Midwestern great-grandmother's ancestry is centered in New England, including families that were on the Mayflower.
In an attempt to document members of this family, I've been working on a Samuel Sargent who lived in Addison, Vermont in the very early 1800s. He appears in the town records as having received what is termed a "warning out."
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| from Volume 5, Births, Marriages, Deaths, Deeds, Town Records for Addison, Vermont, page 1--obtained on FamilySearch.com. |
The image above contains the reference to Samuel, who along with his wife Sarah, appears in the Addison records as having several children before the date of this document. The summons make no mention of why Samuel was warned.
I've got several things to learn about these records and about Samuel in order to better understand this record:
- Could there be any other records regarding this "warning," perhaps newspaper records?
- What were some things that could cause the "warning."
- What was the purpose of the whole "warning out" process?
- Was a "warning" the same as being "kicked out?" The answer is no.
- Is this really my Samuel Sargent or were there other Samuels in the area at the same point in time?
- Are there any other references to Samuel Sargent or other Sargents in these records?
- How are the records indexed?
Citation reminder: We are a strong believer in citing genealogical source material in the spirit of Evidence Explained. However, we choose not to include properly formatted citations in these blog posts. There's always enough information in the post to create a citation and full citations are included in my how-to newsletter Casefile Clues.
10 May 2013
Calderburgh Is Not Jackson Township
This is the database result for Amos Markley in the 1830 Census index at Ancestry.com. It indicates he lives in Caldersburgh, Coshocton County, Ohio.
The problem is that the indexer just used the "first" township that appeared on the census page. There are parts of two regions shown on this 1830 census page for Coshocton County-Calderburgh and Jackson Township.
The difference may be minor, but it always pays to actually read the image and being careful when reading that image and importing that information into your "tree."
This is one way that users get discrepancies in their information. It would be easy to conclude that Abraham was living somewhere that he was not.
Abraham is one of the men who purchased items from an 1823 estate sale in Coshocton County which I'm researching for an upcoming issue of Casefile Clues.
The problem is that the indexer just used the "first" township that appeared on the census page. There are parts of two regions shown on this 1830 census page for Coshocton County-Calderburgh and Jackson Township.
This is one way that users get discrepancies in their information. It would be easy to conclude that Abraham was living somewhere that he was not.
Abraham is one of the men who purchased items from an 1823 estate sale in Coshocton County which I'm researching for an upcoming issue of Casefile Clues.
09 May 2013
Updated On FamilySearch
This database is showing as "updated" since our last update:
New York, County Marriages, 1908-1935
I'm not certain if the percentage of counties has really changed.
New York, County Marriages, 1908-1935
I'm not certain if the percentage of counties has really changed.
08 May 2013
One More Thought On the Appearing Mary
One more possibility on Mary Rampley who "appears" in Ohio in 1865:
One of my unstated assumptions about Mary Rampley was that her first name was "correct" on the marriage--or that it was the name she went by before her marriage.
This is turning into another good example of why writing is good for your genealogy research.
Mary might not be the first name under which I "know" her or have her listed in my records. It could be that I have information on her in my files before her 1865 marriage, but that it is under a different first name.
One of my unstated assumptions about Mary Rampley was that her first name was "correct" on the marriage--or that it was the name she went by before her marriage.
This is turning into another good example of why writing is good for your genealogy research.
Thinking Out Loud About Citing FindaGrave
I'm still working on a comfortable framework for citing material I find on FindAGrave.
It seems to me that there are really two types of material on FindAGrave and that it might be worth my while to make some distinction between the photographs I find there and the textual material I find on the site. Keep in mind, I may revise this viewpoint.
Photographs are fairly self explanatory and if they are high quality I can make a transcription myself from the picture--although my citation must clearly indicate that I viewed a picture and not the actual stone. We will assume that the stone is listed on FindAGrave in the right cemetery, although occasionally there are issues with that as well.
The textual material on FindAGrave memorials varies from simple statements that the person is buried there, to an actual transcription of the stone, to additional information on the individual that is not on the stone at all and is secondary in nature. The difficulty with the textual material is that if there is not a photograph of the stone as a part of the memorial, I do not know if the transcription is accurate. If the textual material is lengthy, I might not know where the transcription ends and something else begins. The extra information is helpful (I want to make that clear), at least as a clue or as a lead, but if my goal is to cite what is on the stone (using FindAGrave) it muddies that water. My citation to any textual material on FindAGrave must indicate that that textual information came from the site and not the stone.
Stay tuned...
It seems to me that there are really two types of material on FindAGrave and that it might be worth my while to make some distinction between the photographs I find there and the textual material I find on the site. Keep in mind, I may revise this viewpoint.
Photographs are fairly self explanatory and if they are high quality I can make a transcription myself from the picture--although my citation must clearly indicate that I viewed a picture and not the actual stone. We will assume that the stone is listed on FindAGrave in the right cemetery, although occasionally there are issues with that as well.
The textual material on FindAGrave memorials varies from simple statements that the person is buried there, to an actual transcription of the stone, to additional information on the individual that is not on the stone at all and is secondary in nature. The difficulty with the textual material is that if there is not a photograph of the stone as a part of the memorial, I do not know if the transcription is accurate. If the textual material is lengthy, I might not know where the transcription ends and something else begins. The extra information is helpful (I want to make that clear), at least as a clue or as a lead, but if my goal is to cite what is on the stone (using FindAGrave) it muddies that water. My citation to any textual material on FindAGrave must indicate that that textual information came from the site and not the stone.
Stay tuned...
Crying, Clerking, and Whiskey at the Vendue
This image comes from the settlement of the estate of Thomas J. Rampley who died in Coshocton County, Ohio, sometime in 1823.
There are three references to the "vendue," specifically payments for the vendue that was held after Thomas' death.
There is a payment to Crispin Treadway for crying the vendue, to James Madden for clerking at the vendue and another payment for whiskey at the vendue. A vendue is simply another word for auction and it's a reference to the sale of household goods and farm items that took place after Thomas' death. "Crying" is simply indicating that Crispin was the auctioneer.
Whiskey at the auction was not unheard of during this time period. Whether it had a positive impact on prices or brought additional purchasers to the auction is another matter entirely.
A new word and new practice discovered in one document!
There are three references to the "vendue," specifically payments for the vendue that was held after Thomas' death.
There is a payment to Crispin Treadway for crying the vendue, to James Madden for clerking at the vendue and another payment for whiskey at the vendue. A vendue is simply another word for auction and it's a reference to the sale of household goods and farm items that took place after Thomas' death. "Crying" is simply indicating that Crispin was the auctioneer.
Whiskey at the auction was not unheard of during this time period. Whether it had a positive impact on prices or brought additional purchasers to the auction is another matter entirely.
A new word and new practice discovered in one document!
New or Updated on FamilySearch-New York County Naturalization Records
New or updated on FamilySearch since our last update:
New York, County Naturalization Records, 1791-1980
New York, County Naturalization Records, 1791-1980
07 May 2013
My Genealogy Blogs
For those of you who did not know, this is not my only genealogy blog. Here's list with the links. Enjoy!
How Can I Fit Mary in the Rampleys?
One of the drawbacks to having an unusual last name is that people "stand out" when they cannot be placed in the family and researchers wonder who they are. Smiths do not stand out. Rampleys do. Mary is one of those individuals that has never been placed within the family.
Thomas and Christianna (DeMoss) Rampley and their children moved into Coshocton County, Ohio, in 1817. Married only fourteen years at the time, they had more children in Ohio until Thomas died sometime in 1823. It is believed that Mary fits into the Rampley family, but the question is where.
It is believed that, given her marriage in 1862, Mary is a grandchild of Thomas and Christianna. There are actually several possibilities:
- Mary J. Rampley is a granddaughter of Thomas and Christianna Rampley. The Rampleys had two sons, James and John. James would have been married thirty-two years by the time Mary marries and had been in Illinois for nearly fifteen years. It doesn't seem likely that he is her father. John was in Indiana when he married in 1848 and it is possible that he was her father and that she remained in Ohio after he left. The Rampleys had several daughters and it is possible that Mary J. was their daughter before they married.
- Mary J. Rampley was not actually a Rampley but was married to one before her marriage to Randles.
- Mary J. Rampley comes from the Rampley family members who remained in Harford County, Maryland after Thomas and Christianna left and that, while a relative, is not a descendant of Thomas and Christianna.
- The name "Rampley" is wrong on the license.
Theories do not do much good until research is completed.
At this point, the best item to utilize is the Civil War pension for Emerson Randles and his eventual widow Mary.
The General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 (available in several locations online) contains this card:
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| General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 index card for Emerson Randles |
Given that Mary received a pension, her widow's application may provide more details about her that shed light on her origins. And given that pension files can contain a wide variety of information, I think it's the next source I should utilize in searching for Mary.
Frankly, the last time I looked for any information on Mary was over twenty years ago when access to indexes and finding aids such as these was more limited.
Note: the author is a descendant of Thomas and Christianna.
Frankly, the last time I looked for any information on Mary was over twenty years ago when access to indexes and finding aids such as these was more limited.
Note: the author is a descendant of Thomas and Christianna.
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