RootDig.com

Southern California Genealogical Society Webinar

2012-02-04T16:16:00.001-06:00

I had great fun giving a webinar for the Southern California Genealogical Society today. I was in Illinois, the coordinator was in Salt Lake City, and attendees were across the globe. Really fun.

Talking about creating charts and organizing information is always great fun even though it might not sound like it. Comments from attendees were really good--it's not easy lecturing to a large group when you've got a wall in front of you.

Attendees who emailed me will get a response later tonight when I've had a chance to put things together.

There's a list of my recorded webinars on the website for those who are interested. I always learn something every time I present and I hope attendees do as well. Sometimes it is difficult to include something so that "everyone" learns something, especially when attendees are at a variety of skill levels.

I'm looking forward to heading to Jamboree in June and seeing everyone again.

And if anyone has suggestions for upcoming webinars, please let me know. The nice thing about doing webinars is that it's easier to get people interested in a variety of topics when they can attend from anywhere--that's not something a person can always do at a conference.

Webinars Released on DeedMapper and Yet More Brick Walls

2012-02-03T18:20:00.002-06:00

The session on DeedMapper discusses how patents for John Rucker and several of his neighbors were located using the Library of Virginia website. The presentation discusses the downloading of the patents, reading them, inputting the descriptions into DeedMapper and attempting to fit them together using the plats created by DeedMapper. The digital media for this presentation can be purchased for $8.50.

The session on "Yet More Brick Walls from A to Z" continues our popular series on this topic--with yet another list of brick wall breakers--with discussion--from A to Z. The digital media for this presentation (handout and presentation) can be downloaded for $6.

Getting From FamilySearch's 1840 Census Index to the Image

2012-02-02T15:16:00.002-06:00

FamilySearch recently released their 1840 census index. As of this writing, the index is free, but the viewing of images requires an Ancestry.com account.

Never fear, the unindexed images are on www.archive.org and they are not too difficult to find. The person I was looking for was in Jackson Township, Coshocton County, Ohio, in 1840 on page 289 of microfilm roll 387.

At http://www.archive.org, I needed to locate this roll of film. Pretty easy. I searched for "1840 0387" in at www.archive.org (for some reason the roll numbers have an extra leading 0. My search terms and the results are shown in the image below.

The microfilm can be viewed on the computer directly or downloaded as a PDF file if you want the entire roll.

The problem (for some) will be navigating to page 289. The 1840 census is stamped in the upper right corner. It took a little doing, but eventually I got to page 289, and sure enough, there was James.

Not too difficult.
Turns out his brother-in-law was next door, but the census taker didn't ask those kinds of questions.

Questions about searching can be posted as comments and I'll try to answer them as best I can.

You can order my webinar on using Archive.org here.

SSDI Used for Deceased Children

2012-02-02T14:51:00.001-06:00

A legitimate concern over the public nature of the SSDI is that some individuals have used number of deceased children to get tax deductions. This seems to be a relatively simple problem to solve:

If the number of the child has been used for exemptions before, the SSN of the person claiming the child should be a number filed on a return with the child's SSN in the past. If the child's number and parent's number have not been on the same return in a previous year, the return should be immediately flagged.
The first time the child's number is used, there should be some protocol.

I'm not exactly certain of the execution of this idea, but it seems relatively easy to me that SSN numbers that have been used before should be on returns with at least one of the same parent numbers as in past returns.

Approving Comments to These Posts

2012-02-02T14:41:00.001-06:00

I set this blog to where I approve all comments before they are posted. This is done to prevent spam. Rarely do I fail to approve non-spam posts.

I recently chose not to post a comment by a reader to my SSDI Threats post--http://rootdig.blogspot.com/2012/01/threats-to-ssdi.html.

The statements made by the poster were saddening. However, the comments submitted made it impossible to validate any of the statements and the poster apparently created their blogger account the same day they made the post.

His Signature Looks Like He Filled Out the Form Himself

2012-02-01T15:19:00.001-06:00

This 1870 declaration of intent from Thomas Frame comes from Cook County, Illinois, where Frame settled in the 1860s.

A quick read of the document may lead the reader to conclude that Frame wrote his own name in the document--the signature on the right hand side looks very similar to Frame's name at the top of the document.

There is a simple explanation--the signature is not Frame's. Those who take time to read the complete document will realize a certified copy of Frame's actual declaration. The top half is the "handwritten copy" and the bottom half is the clerk's statement testifying to the fact that the copy is a true copy of the original.

It was 1870 and before there were photocopy machines. Always make certain that what you think is your ancestor's signature is actually his signature.

Nearly 11000 fan discount on Casefile Clues-$11 for 52 issues

2012-01-31T20:35:00.001-06:00

To celebrate getting really close to 11000 fans of Genealogy Tip of the Day on Facebook, we're offering a special on my genealogy newsletter, Casefile Clues.

Get 52 issue subscription to my Casefile Clues for only $11! Process your subscription securely here. Don't wait--it's been a while since we offered a subscription rate this low...around 20 cents an issue--Casefile Clues has no advertising either.

Want two free samples of Casefile Clues? You can download them via this link-only your email (name can be made up if you want) is needed for the free samples--no credit card or anything and no obligation.

Are They Around the Corner-Across the Alley or What?

2012-01-30T15:38:00.004-06:00

Proximity doesn't prove anything other than proximity but nonetheless genealogists use residential clues intheir research. The 1900 city directory for Chicago indicates that Thomas Frame is living as a painter at 2543 117th Place in Chicago. It is important to look at city directories for others with the same last name at the same address. There is a Ralph Frame at the 2543 117th Place address. There is even an Edward listed as a printer living at 2543 118th Street.

Joseph Watson, his likely brother-in-law, is shown here living at 2539 117th Street.

What next?

I need to convert these address to modern ones as there was a change in the numbering of Chicago addresses between the time of these directories and today.

I need to find these people in the 1900 census.

I can use the locations to potentially look for church records--assuming the family went to church.

I should search in directories before and after this one to locate additional references to the family and see when they appear/disappear, etc.

A more detailed discussion of these families will appear in an upcoming issue of Casefile Clues, but one location in a directory is a beginning--not an end.

A Lovely Sampler to Prove My Marriage

2012-01-29T21:06:00.001-06:00

I have always thought this was one of the neatest items in an American Revolutionary War pension--it helps that John Demoss is a relative of mine. This John Demoss is not the John Demoss of Harford County, Maryland who was about the same age. They were cousins and the Harford County one is my actual ancestor.

This Demoss served from Virginia and this is part of the documentation supporting his marriage to Lucy Chapel that is contained in his pension file.

You can see the image here in context if you have a Fold3 subscription. These pensions are National Archives Publication Number M804. This is pension W. 9832 from the state of Virginia.

You can search for your own Revolutionary War era ancestor in the pension records at Fold3.
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What's In A Federal Cash Land Sale File?

2012-01-29T09:46:00.003-06:00

Ever wonder what's in a federal cash land sale file? We've discussed these records in several issues of Casefile Clues but people often do not understand what typically is contained in these files and whether it's worth it to obtain copies of these papers for their own ancestors from the National Archives. The Bureau of Land Management website has the patents online for free...the supporting documentation from the cash sale of land files are housed at the National Archives. The fundamental webinar discusses the files and when they could and be helpful--and when they might not.

Genealogy fundamental webinar on the cash sale paperwork files--$2.00--twenty minute presentation and two handouts. Add to cart here. Immediate download as a Windows media file.
Using the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Website. This lecture discusses effective search techniques for the site, how to formulate your searches, how to trouble-shoot searches, a search template, and what records patents in the BLM site can lead to. You can purchase the recorded version of the webinar as a Windows media file and the handout as as PDF for $8.50.

Purchase both for $8.50 via this link.

How Off Can It Be?

2012-01-28T22:12:00.003-06:00

I'm working again on Thomas Frame, English immigrant to Chicago, Illinois. I think I have his naturalization index card which indicates he was naturalized in 1873:

The card comes from
Source Citation: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.;Soundex Index to Naturalization Petitions for the United States District and Circuit Courts, Northern District of Illinois and Immigration and Naturalization Service District 9, 1840-1950 (M1285); Microfilm Serial: M1285; Microfilm Roll: 59.

Of course, I need to view the actual record to confirm the name and date.

Thomas appears on Chicago Voter's Lists that are extant for the following years with entries as summarized below:

1888, Thomas Frame, 117th Street, native of England, naturalized "court of Cook County" in September of 1872.
1890, Thomas Frame, 117th Street, native of England, naturalized "court of Cook County" in September of 1872.
1890, Thomas Frame, 2539 117th Street, native of England, naturalized "court of Cook County" in 1872.

The "source information" at Ancestry.com for these records is not great, but it is:

Ancestry.com. Chicago Voter Registration, 1892 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2001.

Original data: Illinois State Archives microfilm (25 rolls).

The question is, do I have the same person?

How crucial is the difference in time? There is no other Thomas Frame in Chicago during this time period who was an English native. Was Thomas confusing a declaration date with his naturalization date?

I need to obtain the actual naturalization record and look at entries in city directories for the time period. There are no other Thomas Frames in the 1880 census besides this one. There's more work to be done, but it looks like I've got the right person--if additional details warrant we'll have a longer followup article in Casefile Clues.

Threats to the SSDI

2012-01-28T21:01:00.001-06:00

There is a move afoot in Congress to restrict access to the SSDI. Genealogists know that banks and other agencies use the Master Death File in an attempt to prevent fraud. The availability of this information does not increase fraud. Crooks have other means to defraud based upon identities. The restriction of the SSDI is being done as a knee-jerk reaction.

A copy of H. R. 3475 is here.
Information on the 2 February 2012 hearing is here. Societies and groups can file formal written responses here.

Let your representatives in Washington know that you do NOT support this bill. Remind them that:

information on many deaths is easily available in newspapers and obituaries as well.
the ability to easily determine who is already dead makes it easier for agencies to COMBAT fraud
this is a knee-jerk reaction

There is more information here as well http://www.fgs.org/rpac/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/talking-points-on-why-genealogists-need-social-security-death-index-final.pdf

To obtain your Congressional representatives addresses or find out whom your representative

is go to:

U.S. Senators: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

U.S. Representatives: http://www.house.gov/representatives/

Do Those Errors Help?

2012-01-26T15:41:00.000-06:00

This is a final payment voucher card for the Revolutionary War pension file of Alam Blain who was living in Ohio at the time of his death. The last date of payment and date of death are also contained in his pension file so that's not new information. However, if the file was incomplete or if papers were difficult to read, this would have come in handy.

There is also a crossed out rendering of his first name as well on this card. That name, Adam, gave me a variant to think about that I had not thought to look for before. It is not a phonetic variation as much as a incorrect reading of the handwriting on some of the documents.

These cards are in a series titled Index to Selected Final Payment Vouchers, 1818-1864 and available digitally at Fold3.

The Index to Selected Final Payment Vouchers 1818-1864 is available on Fold3.

A Gill Is Not Always For a Fish

2012-01-24T23:59:00.002-06:00

"1 Broken Mug one Gill Cup One bowl"

Some readers might wonder what type of cup a "gill cup" is. The gill is referring to the size of the cup, not some special design or anything else. A gill is a unit of measure equal to one half cup.

This image comes from Harford County, Maryland, Estate Inventories 1777-1804, page 270--the estate inventory of Ann Gibson. I'm working on typing the entire estate for an upcoming Casefile Clues issue. The inventory of Ann's chattel estate is interesting. Often googling items will help with interpretations.

Estate inventories are great fun.

Comment From Webinar Attendee

2012-01-23T10:42:00.001-06:00

Received this nice comment from a webinar attendee:

Thank you for putting these informative webinars together. I am learning new clues of how to do my research!

I appreciate the feedback. Remember that if you attend a webinar and have "issues" hearing it when it runs live, just let me know and we'll send a download link. Suggestions for future webinars are always welcomed. Just email me at mjnrootdig@gmail.com.

1920 US Census Forms in Spanish

2012-01-20T22:44:00.001-06:00

While working on a Casefile Clues article, I stumbled across this 1920 census form for part of Puerto Rico. I had never had cause to look at it before and was not aware that census forms for 1920 were in any language other than English. Guess you just never know.

New Webinar Recordings-Familysearch and Newspaper Research

2012-01-20T19:34:00.001-06:00

We are proud to announce the release of the recorded version of my two latest webinars:

Tips and Tricks for FamilySearch -(NEW!)-This webinar discusses ins and outs of using the "new" family search, searching by family structure, global searches, interpreting searches and troubleshooting. Also discussed are strategies when approaching an unindexed set of images, a new type of record series, or incomplete records. Aimed at advanced beginners and intermediate level researchers. The digital version of the presentation and handout can be ordered for $8.50.
Newspaper Research -(NEW!)-Aimed at advanced beginners and intermediate level researchers, this webinar discusses research techniques for searching newspapers in digital, microfilm, and original formats. Pitfalls of using digital newspapers are discussed, along with manual search techniques and what types of materials to look for besides obituaries and death notices. This presentation is not merely a list of online sites or an attempt to get subscribers to any specific database. The digital version of the presentation and handout can be ordered for $8.50.

If you were originally signed up for these and missed them, you should have received a complimentary download. Please let me know if you need the download.

Is it Thomas Frame or Frame Thomas?

2012-01-19T13:49:00.000-06:00

Another search at Ancestry.com has me confused. I'm hoping that I have just misinterpreted something.

I am searching for Thomas Frame in US passenger lists using a wildcard search tho* fra* to catch as many references as possible. The problem is that the results page is giving me Francis Thompson. It has switched the first and last name parameters even though I asked for "exact search."

I've included my search screen and my results page. Any ideas on what I am doing wrong, or am I just confused?

The Location of the Frames in Pennsylvania Probably Answered in Chicago

2012-01-19T00:12:00.004-06:00

I'm wrapping up an issue of Casefile Clues and for the first time I found something I myself can use in the Chicago, Illinois, Catholic records on FamilySearch.

This is the marriage entry from St. Anthony of Padua's Church in Chicago for Margaret Frame and Nicholas Simon who were married there on 8 October 1885. I've included an image of just their marriage and of the whole page.

What I'm particularly interested in is the information on Margaret. This is the first record I have found that provides her place of birth in Pennsylvania. We'll discuss its likely accuracy in a future issue of Casefile Clues.

What I am trying to do now is translate/transcribe the thing. I'm not super interested in Nicholas as the Frame family is my focus at this point. We'll discuss how the image was found later in Casefile Clues.

Stay Tuned!

No Blackouts Here--But Wait...

2012-01-17T15:15:00.002-06:00

None of my sites are going black tomorrow. I don't post anyone else's content on any of my blogs--all thoughts, comments, rantings, etc. are mine. Newsletter content is all mine as well.

I don't know where I stand on this bill being proposed, but I don't want people taking my material and re-posting it elsewhere. While I believe in free speech, I do believe that people have a right to protect material that they have created and worked hard to prepare. I don't think that being unable to "share" what someone else has written is anti-free speech. Write your own crap and say all you want but don't take my crap and say it is yours. Don't copy and paste what someone else has written as if you did it. Don't forward emails you didn't write (there are a MILLION reasons for that). Don't post crap to blogs that you copied and pasted from elsewhere. Create your own crap.

I want to have credit for my own stuff. That's not anti-free speech. Don't tell me that we all should be able to share whatever we want however we want. I don't buy it and I don't "share it" either.

And if I drag my a$$ to a rural cemetery and take a picture of a tombstone and post it on my website, you shouldn't just post it to Findagrave as if you did it yourself or act like it was "okay" because you were "sharing." Please. If you are smart enough to download the image and upload it somewhere else, you are smart enough to EMAIL me and ask permission. Didn't your mother teach you anything?

If' I've got a shopping cart in the parking lot with groceries in it, should you take something out of the cart under the guise of "sharing?" I think not--it's called stealing. If I tell you to take something that's one thing. If I buy something and drop it off at the food pantry (let's call that putting it in the "public domain,") that's ok. If it's not ok to lift stuff out of my shopping cart in the Wal-Mart parking lot, why should it be okay to lift something from my website and use it as your own?

Off rant.

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Update: the failure to allow for due process DOES CONCERN me and I don't care what any old retired senators say. Start learning more here https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/

February 2012 Genealogy Webinar Schedule

2012-01-16T20:31:00.001-06:00

We are excited about our webinar offerings for February of 2012.

Our topics are:

Creating Your Own Genealogy Blog
Yet More Brick Walls from A to Z
Writing and Making Your Case
The Genealogical Proof Standard "for the rest of us"

Registration is $5 per session until 20 January 2012--$8 after that. Those who cannot attend will be able to download the webinar at no additional charge. To view system requirements and offering dates and times, visit http://www.casefileclues.com/webinars_neill.htm

Early Registration Deadline for Family History Library Trip in May 2012

2012-01-16T13:22:00.000-06:00

Our "early" registration for the Family History Library Trip ends tomorrow. For those who have had questions, this post includes part of an email I wrote in response to a trip question, along with the original announcement. We'd love to have you join us--email me at mjnrootdig@gmail.com with additional questions.

Here is part of a letter I sent to a recent person who asked for a few more trip details:
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Thanks for your note.

Trip registrants make their own airfare arrangements. The hotel has a complimentary shuttle from the airport as long as you arrive between 6 AM and 11 PM. Registrants also make their own reservations with the hotel, but we have arranged a group rate of $82 a night. The Plaza is next to the library and it is extremely convenient to get back and forth.

The hotel's website is:

http://www.plaza-hotel.com/

Participants arrive Wednesday, check in and we have a short group meeting in the hotel at 6:30 PM, a tour/overview of the library at 7 PM and time to research ask questions after that. Every morning (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Monday, Tuesday) we have morning presentations in the library at 8AM and then adjourn to the library when it opens at 9. I am in the library when it is open for drop in questions or longer consultations as needed.

Registrants are also encouraged to send me problems well before the trip so that I can make suggestions, get clarifications, etc. before we ever get to Salt Lake. We want people to be as prepared as they can before we ever get to Utah.

I actually arrive very late Tuesday night and those who arrive early in the day on Wednesday are welcome to start research--we've even scheduled consultations before the trip actually starts. The assistance, lectures, etc. are all a part of the trip fee.

If there are any other questions, please let me know.

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Original post:

We've made arrangements for our May 2012 Family History Library Trip. We're excited about our fifth annual trip to the Family History Library.

Trip members will arrive on Wednesday 23 May 2012 (meet at 6:30 PM) and depart for home on 30 May 2012. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday, we have morning sessions at 8:00 AM in the hotel. I consult with participants during the times the Family History Library is open. It is open on Memorial Day its normal Monday hours. Trip participants are encouraged to send me problems for pre-trip consultations as early as possible. We'll have additional details, but that's the gist of it. We keep our trip number at no more than twenty--you are not joining a herd of cattle on this trip--and our price is low!

We stay at the Salt Lake Plaza at a special group rate of $82 a night (plus tax). Join us!

You can reserve your spot for $50 (refundable until 1 Mar 2012) here. The deadline for paying just the deposit is 17 January 2012. After that registrations must include the total trip fee of $175.A PayPal account is not necessary, but this allows me to process credit card payments. The total trip fee is $175. The balance can be paid in March of 2012 for those who registered by paying the deposit.

Don't Wait! The early bird registration deadline ends 17 January and the registration fee is $225 after that date. Deposits made by 17 January 2012 will hold your $175 registration fee.

Is It Always Possible to Find that Reason?

2012-01-13T14:48:00.000-06:00

One clue to learning more about your ancestor is determining why he moved from one point to another. Sometimes the reasons are clear after a little study of local history if the reason he moved was because of the destination--called the pull factor. If you don't know where the ancestor was from, it may be more difficult to determine the reason why he left--called the push factor. It is difficult to read relevant local histories when you are unaware of where the ancestor was from.

Reasons might not always be stated in local histories. Your ancestor might have migrated because of family connections, the fact that a former neighbor had settled in the area, or that there was some type of employment that he could easily obtain. Sometimes the "connection" will be impossible to find. Generally genealogists are advised to research associates of the ancestor in his earlier days of residence in an area to get an idea of individuals he might have known "back home." Sometimes that is easier said than done.

And if you ancestor didn't move---there's a reason for that as well.

If you speculate on why an ancestor moved (or didn't) clearly indicate that your speculation is speculation. And remember, that many of our conclusions are speculation. Very few of our ancestors left behind detailed records explaining why they did what they did.

Often, we look at the records they left behind, use generalities gleaned from history, economics, and known social behavior, and weave a story. Sometimes that story is correct, but sometimes it is not. After all, ancestors leave behind pieces of themselves and when we use those records to tell their story, we often weave some of ourselves into the tapestry we create.

Who Married Your Ancestor's Siblings?

2012-01-12T12:23:00.002-06:00

A "quick" post on the Facebook wall for Genealogy Tip of the Day was too short and perhaps a little confusing, so I decided to make a longer post here.

Sometimes we are fortunate that a minister married our ancestors and from that name a denomination can be determined, or at least guessed at--depending upon whether or not we can find out the affiliation of the minister.

Don't forget that the marriages of your ancestor's siblings should also indicate who officiated at their marriages and if the religious affiliation of those individuals can be determined it may be that your ancestor was affiliated with the same church.

A little bit of a long shot, but a slightly different spin on the "researching the siblings can help." Sometimes that help is not direct.

Can the Minister Help With Two Places at Once?

2012-01-12T12:09:00.001-06:00

I think that Matilda (Jones) Rhodus is enumerated twice in the 1860 census. Once is with her father in Macon County, Missouri, and once is with her husband's family in Breckinridge County, Kentucky. The dates of the enumerations are far enough apart that it is possible (a brief discussion is here).

A bigger "problem" is determining what brought William Rhodus to Macon County, Missouri, where he married Matilda Jones in 1860. Apparently he did not have family in the Macon County area and (if the family in Breckenridge County, Kentucky, is his) the family from which he came stayed in Kentucky. People moved, yes. But to move where there are no relatives begs the question of why.

There is a possible answer. William Rhodus and Matilda Jones were married by O. R. Bouton. This is the O. R. Bouton apparently affiliated with the "Macon College" that was in Macon County for a short time. Bouton was affiliated with the Methodist church and his obituary is included as an image here (along with the the title page of the publication from which it was taken).

Bouton's biography indicates that before he was in Missouri, he was in Kentucky. At this point I have been unable to determine where in Kentucky Bouton preached. Census records on John Rhodus (the apparent father of the William Rhodus from Breckinridge County, Kentucky) indicate that John was affiliated with the Methodist church as a preacher. It is known that the family of Matilda Jones was heavily involved in the Methodist church.

The question is: "Did Bouton know John Rhodus in Kentucky and is he somehow connected with William Rhodus' migration to Missouri?"

There are some assumptions and items to keep in mind:

The William Rhodus of the Macon County, Missouri, area has to be the same one as the one in Breckenridge County, Kentucky--we made the case for this in an issue of Casefile Clues.
We need to know where where in Kentucky Bouton was assigned or preached. If it was near Breckinridge County, the connect is more solid--if not that's another story.

Key reminder: religion and ministers may have played a role in your ancestor's migration.

We'll have updates as time allows and as information is located.

January Genealogy Webinars

2012-01-10T12:02:00.000-06:00

January Genealogy Webinars

This is the finalized list of January webinars. Fundamental webinars are shorter (20 minutes). Other webinars run an hour in length.Visit the specific pages for details and registration information.

Fundamental Webinars (link here):

1850 Census-13 January -$1.99
1880 Census-13 January -$1.99
1930 Census-13 January -$1.99
Early 20th Century Death Certificate-13 January -$1.99
Highlights of Union Civil War Pension -20 January-$1.99
What's in a Federal Land Cash Sale File - 20 January-$1.99

Regular Webinars (link here):

Newspaper Research-20 January-$8.00
Tips and Tricks for FamilySearch-20 January-$8.00

DeedMapper Webinar using Virginia Land Patents on 28 January-$8.00

Making Inferences and Consistency

2012-01-09T20:45:00.001-06:00

Just a few thoughts on inferences, consistency....not an official "edict," but an outloud commentary more to keep me thinking than anything else. No sources are cited in this post, but that's really not the point in this case.

The latest issue of Casefile Clues just went out and one of the items discussed in it was the approximate date of birth for Sarah/Sally Tinsley, probably a native of Amherst County, Virginia. Births during this time period are often approximate ones as few Virginians left birth records in the late 18th century.

I used several items to approximate the time when Sarah was born:

1800 census age range
1810 census age range
1820 census age range
1830 census age range
1840 census age range
1850 census age
the letter of consent in her 1798 marriage which implied that she was under the age of 21.

Personally, I think that any census age is secondary information when provided by the person themselves. Sarah's knowledge of her age was based upon what someone told her. I'm not entirely certain how accurate those ages are, but the information she provided is direct evidence for her age (year of birth) as it specifically states that information.

The letter of consent signed by her father in 1798 is slightly different. It provides indirect information on Sarah's age as the letter does not specifically state her age--rather the existence of the letter at that point in time likely stems from the fact that Sarah was under the age of 21. Sarah's father, John Tinsley, would have had first hand knowledge of her age so in that sense his knowledge of the information regarding her age is primary.

The census records and the 1798 marriage consent letter all allow for the approximation of a range of Sarah's year of birth within a two to three year time frame. Of course the analysis hinges upon the fact that census records are reliable. However it must be noted that Sarah's ages in all census enumerations are consistent with each other and with her 1798 letter.

Consistency of the census records proves nothing other than consistency. That is, Sarah believed she was born in a certain year and always answered enumerator's questions from that same perspective.

The fact that the ages she gave in the census is consistent with the age implied by the consent letter is a different sort of consistency. In this case, the age implied by her father in 1798 is consistent with the age Sarah provide in the 1800-1850 census records.

Which simply means that John Tinsley told his daughter she was a certain age and she believed him.

Does this mean the age range for Sarah is wrong? Of course not.

But thinking of how things could be consistent and still be wrong is always a good thought exercise

Unless records on your family are entirely consistent.

Yesterday's Archive.org Webinar

2012-01-07T08:41:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I had my first webinar on Using Archive.org. We talked about the basics of file types and formats, but I'm not the sort of presenter who goes on and on about that sort of thing. We looked at ways to search for what is on Archive.org--both digital books and digital images of microfilm. The cataloging on Archive.org is not all that easy to use and various ways to find things were discussed.

The Allen County Public Library has allowed many of their out of copyright books to be digitized as well as their NARA microfilm. There is a wealth of material on Archive.org--all free. Digital images of books can be downloaded as PDF, text, EPUB, and a variety of other formats or readable online. Digital copies of microfilm can be downloaded as a PDF file or viewed online as a "book." The names on the microfilm are not indexed, but if you "know" where the person should be or already have that location, searching is not difficult. It is also nice to be able to download a whole roll of microfilm to your computer as well.

We've had good feedback about the webinar on Archive.org and I learned a few things myself while putting it together.

You can order the Archive.org webinar and handout here--for $8.50.

Illinois Research Webinar for Sale

2012-01-06T15:50:00.001-06:00

We've just released the recorded version of my Illinois Research webinar which discusses research in local records in the state of Illinois. Geared towards advanced beginners and intermediate researchers, it focuses on local records, what makes Illinois different, and larger statewide facilities. The media file and handout can be ordered for $8.50 here.

DeedMapper Webinar on Using Virginia Land Patents

2012-01-04T17:20:00.002-06:00

Our last new January webinar will be on January 28th at 11: 00 am Central time (noon Eastern and 9 Pacific).

It will be a demonstration on how I searched for Virginia Land Patents (on the Library of Virginia website) on a specific ancestor and then how those patent were platted in Deedmapper and fit together to establish a partial neighborhood for this ancestor. The property involved is in what is now Orange County, Virginia.

The webinar will discuss (through live demonstration) how the site searches were conducted for the specific ancestor and his neighbor, the downloading of the images, the transcription of the patents, the entry of the information into DeedMapper and the manipulation of the plats in order to determine their approximate relative locations.

This webinar is for those with some experience in online searches and land records. DeedMapper experience is not necessary, but this webinar is intended to provide assistance for those who use DeedMapper.

Early registration ($8) is suggested to help us gauge interest. Those who cannot attend the presentation live will be given an complimentary link to download the recording and handout once the recording has been processed.

The session will last about an hour with time afterwards for questions and discussion. Please view requirements below if you have not participated in a webinar before.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Questions? Email Michael at mjnrootdig@gmail.com

You need to make certain you have the system requirements to view and participate in the webinars for which you are registered. Having adequate equipment is your responsibility.

Requirements to view/participate:

On a PC

· Internet Explorer^® 7.0 or newer, Mozilla^® Firefox^® 3.0 or newer or Google^™ Chrome^™ 5.0 or newer (JavaScript^™ and Java^™ enabled)

· Windows^® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

· Cable modem, DSL or better Internet connection

· Minimum of Pentium^® class 1GHz CPU with 512 MB of RAM (recommended) (2 GB of RAM for Windows^® Vista)

Participants wishing to connect to audio using VoIP will need a fast Internet connection, a microphone and speakers. (A USB headset is recommended.)

On a Mac^®

· Safari^™ 3.0 or newer, Firefox^® 3.0 or newer or Google^™ Chrome^™ 5.0 or newer (JavaScript^™ and Java^™ enabled)

· Mac OS^® X 10.5 – Leopard^® or newer

· Intel processor (512 MB of RAM or better recommended)

· Cable modem, DSL, or better Internet connection

Participants wishing to connect to audio using VoIP will need a fast Internet connection, a microphone and speakers (A USB headset is recommended).

My Group Trip to Salt Lake-Cheaper Than I Thought

2012-01-03T13:12:00.003-06:00

I've been reviewing a variety of materials over the holidays in an attempt to get back on track as 2012 begins. Our trip is at the end of May and is significantly less expensive than others. The dates are 23 May through 30 May 2012.

$175 allows you to be a participant in our trip--all the morning presentations, pre-trip help (as much as you want), onsite consultations and on-the-fly help at the library.
We have negotiated a group rate with the Plaza Hotel in Salt Lake of $82 a night. At 7 nights, including tax this comes to $671. We'll give you specific registration information when you register.
This makes our total registration and hotel cost $846.

Other trips easily charge $1000 for registration and hotel. Our trip costs are reasonable--we do not include any meals in our rate, but I still feel that our prices are very modest. I don't have an advertising budget to cover or any other expenses to pay besides my own.

Consider joining us this year for a fun time, where we research and we learn. Some of are taking Amtrak to Salt Lake City--riding on the California Zephyr. It leaves from Chicago and heads west through Salt Lake, making stops in Omaha, Denver, and other locations on the way. I'll be riding the train on the way out and on the way home and already have one tripper who is doing the same. We'd love to have additional participants join us on this part of the trip. The scenery is wonderful and there is no driving. I join the train in Galesburg, Illinois.

If you have questions about the trip, please email me at mjnrootdig@gmail.com.

Genealogy Freebies

2012-01-02T10:42:00.001-06:00

Here is a summary of freebies we have:

2 free copies of Casefile Clues--simply enter in your email address and "submit" order. There is no credit card or other personal information required.
My Brick Walls Webinar (and handout)--click here to process order. Coupon code is "brickwall" no credit card or personal information except email address is required.
You can subscribe to Genealogy Tip of the Day (free) by entering in your email address in the box on the right hand side of the blog page at http://genealogytipoftheday.blogspot.com/
You can subscribe to Genealogy Transcriber (free) and play along with others reading the handwriting at http://genealogytranscriber.blogspot.com/. There is a subscription box on the right hand side of the page.
You can subscribe to Genealogy Search Tip (free) by entering in your email address in the box on the right hand side of the blog page at http://genealogysearchtip.blogspot.com/.

Feel free to share with your friends, blog readers, etc. etc.

Thanks!

Only 1 Genealogy Resolution for the New Year

2011-12-31T13:55:00.000-06:00

Instead of making a long old list of genealogical goals for the new year, the completion of specific projects, how about simply resolving to write down the assumptions you have made about a person, family, time period, etc. before trying to work on any brick wall problem.

That might make the completion of your genealogy goals easier-regardless of what they are..

A Professional Genealogist

2011-12-28T17:58:00.002-06:00

I've been ignoring much of the conversation on the Association of Professional Genealogists' Mailing list lately. And I think it's going to stay that way.

I'm not even going to comment here on the discussion--blog readers most really likely don't care to read paragraph after paragraph on the topic. So I will keep it short.

I don't take research clients. I don't think that's a problem. And I don't think it makes me unprofessional.

I don't have a degree in history, sociology, political science, library science, etc. I don't think it's wrong that I have the "wrong" degree either.

There are quite a few people who subscribe to my free blogs and to Casefile Clues. Those people qualify as clients on some level. The numbers don't really matter. And while I don't have a degree as listed above, I did manage to stumble though college and complete an MS in mathematics 4.5 years out of high school. And I will say that I saw my fair share of "proof" and "proofs" in more math classes than I can easily recall. You didn't get through Real Analysis without the ability to clearly and completely organize your proof argument.

I'm going to stay out of the discussion about the future of the profession, professionalism, etc. I got stacks of actual work to do as a part of my genealogical "profession."

That probably makes a statement right there.

August 2012 Allen County Library Research Trip

2011-12-28T17:42:00.001-06:00

We have released details of our August 2012 group research trip to the Allen County Public Library in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, 1-5 August. Join us! Details are here http://www.casefileclues.com/acpl2012.htm

January 2012 Genealogy Webinar Schedule Announced

2011-12-23T09:35:00.002-06:00

Our series of January 2012 genealogy webinars have been announced:

Illinois Research
Using Archive.org
Newspaper Research
Tips and Tricks for FamilySearch.org

Sessions are an hour long and registrants who are unable to attend will receive complimentary download links.

Details and registrations can be processed on our website at http://www.casefileclues.com/webinars_neill.htm. Registration is limited.

1870 Census Search Fixed!

2011-12-20T13:27:00.000-06:00

Regular readers know that I've been complaining about the advanced search based upon locations not working on Ancestry.com. I mentioned it a while back on my Genealogy Search Tip blog.

I received confirmation today that it is working--and tried it out myself by looking for people with the last name of Green in Linn County, Missouri. You can click here to take you directly to the search results

This is a big improvement and I'm glad this is now working--the ability to preform searches such as these significantly adds value to the Ancestry.com site. This is especially true for those of us who are looking for people in broader areas with unknown first names, in addition to other search needs.

A partial screen shot is shown below. Those who tried the search before it was fixed will remember that results were coming in from Kentucky, Pennsylvania and elsewhere.

Remember that sometimes when things aren't working, it is user error and sometimes it's not. Thanks to Ancestry.com for fixing the problem.

We'll keep our eyes peeled for other search irregularities. It happens, but it is nice to know that when it does, some squeaking can get it fixed.

Grandpa and Grandma Married 76 years

2011-12-19T16:54:00.000-06:00

Notice of "Trautretter-Niell" Nuptials from the Mendon [Illinois] Dispatch

My grandparents (Cecil and Ida [Trautvetter] Neill) would have been married 76 years on 17 December 2011. The story was they eloped in Keithsburg, Illinois (the antithesis of a Gretna Green if ever there was one) and returned home to live with their parents until the spring when they would set up housekeeping in the spring of 1936.I'm not certain how long they lived near Stillwell as they also lived near Plymouth before moving to Carthage shortly before my father was born.

Grandma never told me why they went to Keithsburg to get married, only that Grandpa just got it in his head to go up there. That never made sense to me as from what I was told of my Grandpa Neill doing things on a whim wasn't quite his way. Grandma did tell me that they were chiavari'd by that night--but the newspaper only mentions a wedding dinner.

Grandma told me that she and Grandpa split a bottle of pop and a Snickers bar to celebrate after the ceremony. Times were hard and they didn't have much money. To be honest I didn't even think Snickers bars existed in 1935, but Wikipedia indicates that they did.

It's hard to imagine Grandma as blond, but I'm certain she wasn't always gray-haired. They most likely took an old farm truck or car to Keithsburg. Driving from Loraine (where Grandma was living when she got married), to Keithsburg in 1935 in the middle of December must have been a fun trip.

What is "Reasonably Close?"

2011-12-19T16:47:00.000-06:00

I've been thinking about what "reasonably close" means in terms of genealogical research.I have been working on a relative of my wife's in central Missouri: William Rhodus, born around 1830 in Kentucky. He has been located in 1870, 1880, and 1900 census records. I think I have him in the 1860 census as well and I think the match is "reasonably close."I used that phrase in Casefile Clues (William's mentioned in an upcoming issue), but I really am not certain exactly what that phrase means?

How many items about William Rhodus serve to distinguish him from other individuals, his name, his date of birth, his place of birth, his wife, etc.? And how many of those elements much match a potential candidate in order for the candidate to really be considered the William Rhodus and be "reasonably close."

Is it 3 out of 4 items? 5 out of 6 items? Over 75%? I'm not precisely certain and I'm not really certain that "reasonably close" can really be defined. We'll be discussing more later as I think it is an important topic.

Rev. O. R. Bouton Hitches a Couple in Macon County, Missouri

2011-12-18T18:51:00.002-06:00

This post is more a series of "notes" to myself so that I don't lose these discoveries I made on this minister while using Google Books. Those who have never used the books at Google (http://books.google.com) are really missing out.

This minister married two of my wife's ancestors in Macon County, Missouri, in 1860. A little Googling for him brought several references, two of which are reproduced here. I also got his entire name after I Googled him, the license only listed his name as O. R. Bouton. It may look like nothing major, but there are some clues here that may explain a few things about the couple he married. Casefile Clues readers will get an additional update in an issue or two. These things were discovered while cleaning up footnotes for the present issue.

This clip comes from this book:

There is a mention of Boughton in a Boughton family history as well, which also mentions when he assumed the presidency of Macon College:

The complete Bouton history can be seen here:We'll have update after I draw some conclusions. I don't normally use blog posts as "scratchpads," but tonight it's the easiest place to put things before I get too distracted with them.

Images are Sometimes Tied to the Wrong Database

2011-12-17T17:38:00.000-06:00

There are not many individuals in Ancestry.com's database with the name of Jurgen Goldenstein. One of them is my uncle (brother to Tjode [Goldenstein] Habben, 1882-1954, my great-grandmother). The other one is likely a cousin.

A search of Ancestry.com indicated several hits in military records for Jurgen which was not surprising. One struck my attention because Jurgen was born in 1903/1904. The reference indicated Jurgen had a muster date of December 1913 in the Marines. I knew my uncle was in the Marines, but the muster year of 1913 would have to imply there was yet another Jurgen.

Alas, there was not. When I viewed the "original image" the heading still said 1913, but it was clear that the records that I was viewing were from later than that as events taking place in 1934, 1937, and 1938 are mentioned. It is not clear from the way Ancestry.com has linked the images, just what roll of microfilm this record is from. I'm guessing it really is for my uncle, but I'll have to do a little digging to make certain. This is the time frame when uncle Jurgen served, but I'll have to correlate everything to make certain this isn't another Jurgen. I really doubt that is the case.

I've submitted the error report to Ancestry.com, but heaven only knows how long it will take for it to be fixed. Double check and even when Ancestry.com indicates the source of the image that can be incorrect.

Original Image?
Ancestry.com's results screen has a link for "View Original Image." I'm not certain that term is really correct, but that's a blog post for another day.

Save $3 on Pre-1850 Census Webinar Recording

2011-12-17T08:45:00.003-06:00

I had great fun with the pre-1850 census presentation yesterday. Anything where numbers are analyzed is always good. Today if you use the coupon code "census" at checkout, you can get $3 off the download version of presentation and handout (Pre-1850 census presentation only). You can order here http://rootdig.blogspot.com/p/webinars.html Don't be intimidated by pre-1850 census records...

What Type of Minister Is This In 1850

2011-12-16T22:39:00.003-06:00

I know the "MEC" stands for Methodist Episcopal Church. I'm trying to decide what that letter in front of the word "Minister" is and what it stands for.
This is part of the 1850 census enumeration of John Rhodus in Breckinridge County, Kentucky. He may have a connection to a William Rhodus on whom I'm been working, but I'm curious about the occupation he has in 1850. The complete image is below.

My Death Benefit Location Comments are Being Shared

2011-12-16T20:48:00.003-06:00

I've complained about how Ancestry.com's trees merge the last benefit from the SSDI into the person's death place when integrating the SSDI entry into an online tree at Ancestry.com. My original blog post is here--nothing has changed since it was posted.

I took the simple tact that it was accurate.

The "team" thought it would be helpful to have the death benefit location be put as the death location to "help" researchers.

My comments have been passed on to the folks who work on the development of the trees.

It would be helpful to have the information import accurately.

If I want someone to think for me, I'll start following politics.

Sarah and Susannah-Two 18th Century Virginia Women and Their Property

2011-12-16T14:31:00.003-06:00

Sarah and Susannah-Two 18th Century Virginia Women and Their Property -(NEW!)-This presentation discusses the will of a 18th century Virginia woman and how another family "moved" a widow's life estate from one county to another. Priced at $8.50 for immediate download. Includes recording and PDF of handout.

Creating Families from Pre-1850 Census Records-Recorded Webinar

2011-12-16T11:40:00.003-06:00

Creating Families from Pre-1850 Census Records -(NEW!)-This presentation discusses how to analyze pre-1850 census records in order to determine the family structure that is suggested by those records. Enumerations for one household between 1810 and 1840 are analyzed in order to determine the number of children, ranges on their years of birth, and ranges on years of birth for the oldest male and oldest female in the household. Priced at $8.50 for immediate download. Includes recording and PDF of handout.

Pre-1850 Census and 18th Century Virginia Women Webinars

2011-12-15T17:53:00.000-06:00

We have two webinars tomorrow-16 Dec-sign up for both today for only $10. Registrants after 6 AM tomorrow CST will get recorded version--not live.http://www.casefileclues.com/webinars_neill.htm

Topics-pre-1850 census and two 18th century Virginia women.

Bedspread Bear

2011-12-15T11:13:00.001-06:00

This is a bear that was made about 7 or 8 years ago from a chenille bedspread that belonged to my Grandmother Ida (Trautvetter) Neill (1910-1994). I want to say that Grandma always had that spread on the bed in the west bedroom of her house, but I can't remember to be honest.

What I do know is that my mother saved the bedspread from a fate that often awaits bedspreads on farms in the Midwest: my dad has used it to cover a tractor in the shed.

Ancestry.com's SSDI Won't Give Social Security Numbers of People Not Dead Ten Years

2011-12-14T11:46:00.001-06:00

It's old news now, but this is posted on the search page of the Social Security Death Index at Ancestry.com:

"Why can’t I see the Social Security Number? If the Social Security Number is not visible on the record index it is because Ancestry.com does not provide this number in the Social Security Death Index for any person that has passed away within the past 10 years."

Others have commented, so I won't repeat that here, but I don't think really does one whit to stop identity theft.

Upcoming Events for December and Recorded Sessions

2011-12-14T10:47:00.002-06:00

Here's a list of upcoming online events for December:

December 2012 full-length webinars--pre-1850 Census analysis and Two Virginia Women's Property
Genealogy Fundamentals--20-25 minute sessions--$1.99 each-topics below:

Elements of a deed
Early 19th Century Will
1930 Census
1880 Census
1850 Census
Early 20th Century Death Certificate
What’s in a Federal Land Cash Sale File
Highlights of a Union Civil War Pension

Recorded copies of previous webinars can be ordered here--12 so far!

Death Benefit Location is Not Death Location

2011-12-14T00:08:00.000-06:00

I'm in a discussion with Ancestry.com over the fact that the trees automatically import the last residence location from the Social Security Death index into the death place of the individual.

I was asked for my suggestion as to how should the death benefit location be handled. Seems pretty easy to me--the last residence location should be labeled as the last residence location because that is what it is.

It doesn't matter if the majority of times it is the same as the death location.

If I were to follow this logic, then for all those ancestors for whom I have an infant christening record, I should just use the location of the church as the place of birth.

I don't think so.

Recording of Using "Old Search" at Ancestry.com

2011-12-13T21:04:00.002-06:00

We've uploaded our recorded webinar and PDF handout for "Using the Old Search at Ancestry.com" which was completed today. Your order can be processed here for only $2.25.We discuss toggling back and forth between new and old search and some of the features of the old search and reasons why I continue to use it.

The webinar doesn't show my face--instead you hear my voice and see the screen as I perform searches. Fortunately the computer and internet were working well for me today. Obviously to do the searches yourself, you'll need your own Ancestry.com account. We kept the price low on this one to make it affordable for those who've been confused about "old search."

Registered attendees for today's webinar who missed it can get the download at no charge--just email me.
Thanks!

Ancestry.com Not Displaying Some Social Security Numbers on SSDI

2011-12-13T10:57:00.000-06:00

Ancestry.com (as of 10:53 AM CST today) is displaying some Social Security numbers in its death index, but not all.

I haven't played with it enough yet, but I'm guessing there is some sort of year cut off. I noted the following:

Dorothy Ufkes, died September 2008--no number
John Ufkes, died December 2003--no number
Grace Johnson, died June 2000--number shown
Ida Neill, died July 1994-number shown
Tena Ufkes, died November 1986--number shown
Cecil Neill, died December 1968--number shown

I'm guessing, based on my UNSCIENTIFIC sampling (these are my children's great and great-great-grandparents) that the "cutoff" is between June of 2000 and December 2003.

I'd do more experimenting, but other duties call.

But it appears that we are definitely seeing change in what information is being presented from the SSDI from the Ancestry.com family.

SSDI gone from Rootsweb....

2011-12-13T10:28:00.000-06:00

They pulled the SSDI from Rootsweb, citing "sensitivities" of the nature of the data.

The SSDI is still free at FamilySearch.

The SSDI is still free at GenealogyBank.

Interesting turn of events. Too much work today for an opinion. But if banks and insurance companies aren't swift enough to make certain applicants are not DEAD, well.....

Old Search Webinar on Ancestry.com

2011-12-12T18:13:00.002-06:00

We've talked about the "old search" on Ancestry.com. That blog post shows you how to get it on your own Ancestry.com site (assuming you have a personal Ancestry.com account).

I like the old search and tomorrow (Tuesday 13, December-at 1:30 PM--PACIFIC) afternoon is free on my schedule, so I've decided to set up a demonstration of what the old search will do, how to use it and some neat aspects of it. There's a reason why some of us like it. And the price of $1.50 can't be beat (we do have to pay the webinar hosting service something--they don't let us do these things for free). We will go through examples of using the old search--demonstration is the best way.

You can register and reserve your seat here for only $1.50. Confirmations with website link will be sent Tuesday morning.

Join us...and learn how to use the old search before it is too late!

Register for All 8 Genealogy Fundamental Webinars in December

2011-12-12T16:32:00.001-06:00

We are excited about our short, twenty minute Genealogy Fudamental webinars. Individual registrations are $1.99 each.

Register via this link to get all 8 fundamental webinars for $15. If there are ones you cannot attend, you'll get the handout and a link to download the recording. Grow your genealogical research skills this year!

Topics and dates are below. Visit our website to register for individual sessions separately.

Date	Time	Topic	Description
18 Dec 2011	2:00 PM CST	Elements of a Deed (Federal Land States--basically Northwest Territory and west)	Each part of two land records in a federal land state will be discussed (a warrantee deed and a quit claim deed), focusing on the purpose of each part, interpretation, and analysis. Next research steps will be discussed along with citation models.
18 Dec 2011	4:00 PM CST	An Early 19^th Century Will (from Maryland)	We will look at a will from Maryland in the early 1800s, discussing the interpretation of bequests, transcription, and terminology consideration. Next research steps will be discussed along with citation models.
19 Dec 2011	6:00 PM CST	The 1930 Census	This presentation discusses how to interpret each item in the 1930 census, using 3 families as examples. Next research steps will be discussed along with citation models.
19 Dec 2011	7:30 PM CST	The 1850 Census	This presentation discusses how to interpret each item in the 1850 census, using 3 families as examples Next research steps will be discussed along with citation models.
20 Dec 2011	6:00 PM CST	The 1880 Census	This presentation discusses how to interpret each item in the 1880 census, using 3 families as examples Next research steps will be discussed along with citation models.
20 Dec 2011	7:30 PM CST	An Early 20^th Century Death Certificate	We will analyze each piece of information on this record, discuss which pieces are primary, secondary and most likely to be correct. Multiple documents will be discussed. Next research steps will be discussed along with citation models.
21 Dec 2011	10:00 AM CST	Highlights of Union Civil War Pensions	We will look at items commonly in a Civil War pension file for a US veteran. Examples will come from typical files, not unusual ones. Learn what to typically expect in one of these files. Next research steps will be discussed along with citation models.
21 Dec 2011	Noon CST	What’s in a Federal Land Cash Sale File	Ever wonder what is in the cash sale land file? Is it worth ordering from the National Archives? We will look at three examples to give you an idea of what you can expect. Next research steps will be discussed along with citation models.

Visit our website to register for individual sessions separately.

2011-12-12T13:31:00.002-06:00

For anyone who is wondering, the purpose of this genealogical blog really is fairly clear: whatever crosses my research path that I feel worth mentioning, along with my opinion where I feel appropriate.

I'll only be mentioning websites, databases, etc. that I use in my own research. You won't see Hungarian, Russina, or Eastern European things mentioned here usually as my children have no ancestry from that region.

We'll mention things that I find irritating, enlightening, maddening, or interesting. That's a somewhat eclectic combination. My other blogs are pretty much opinion free--this one is not. Rootdig has no sponsors, although we do have some advertising. But, I'm not beholden' to anyone and you'll find no recycled press releases here either.

I don't jump on the latest bandwagon, am not always impressed with the latest gadgets, and don't get all goo-goo eyed over the latest bauble. I don't include "genealogy news," unless I think it impacts me or my research--there are other genealogy news websites.

And when I write something negative about something, I usually don't get emails--which either means no one who disagrees with me read it or thinks I generate enough traffic to worry about. Either way is fine with me!

Back to work.

What Ancestry.com Can Give Genealogists for Christmas--THE OLD SEARCH

2011-12-12T11:18:00.002-06:00

I've decided what Ancestry.com can give genealogists for Christmas--keeping the "old search."

Readers of my Genealogy Search Tip of the Day blog know that "new" search on Ancestry.com does not search based upon location correctly for advanced searches. Ancestry.com admitted it does not work and several users confirmed my results--despite emails insisting that it did work.

I gave up and went back to the old search. The old search works. It does what it is supposed to. This is the screen for my search for people with the last name of Green living in Linn County, Missouri, using the old search.

Guess what I got? Results from Pennsylvania? Kentucky? NO!

I got results from Linn County, Missouri, and ONLY Linn County, Missouri. Only 45 results!

This was what I needed from my search and results that the "new" search (I won't use the word "improved" as a modifier because it's not appropriate). Getting the results I requested is necessary for my analysis. Interestingly enough, one of the names is "Aloony," which I hope is not someone's attempt to make a comment about me (grin!).

I was a little happy about getting the results I searched for.

If you like the "old" search--let Ancestry.com know loud and clear! Heck you can even email them a link to this post if you want. The address for this post is:http://rootdig.blogspot.com/2011/12/what-ancestrycom-can-give-genealogists.html

Genealogy Search Tip of the Day has a post on how to get to the old search. Feel free to share it with others.

Thanks to Linda M who reminded me that the old search works just fine. And my apologies to my high school English teacher for all the exclamation marks (she told me once that excessive use of them was immature--which I think it is). I rarely use them at all, but will in this post to accentuate the fact that I'm pleased the old search does what it is SUPPOSED to do.

It's Not Working and There's No Books

2011-12-11T20:17:00.001-06:00

Ancestry.com's exact advanced searches still do not work ( at least for 1870--just checked).

This blogger finds it ironic that FamilySearch's denial of book vendors for RootsTech raises a huge furor while there is little concern that the search interface at Ancestry.com is working incorrectly for some searches. RootsTech is FamilySearch's conference and (whether I agree with the decision or not), they can decide to run it how they see fit. Those that do not like it can choose not to attend.

However, Ancestry.com's exact advanced searches USED to work and now don't. To me, that's a more irritating problem because the search interface implies that certain search parameters can be set and the user can expect them to be matched. Book vendors I can find. Books I can order. Searches that don't work they way they are supposed to ARE a problem.

Just my two cents.

Genealogy Fundamental Webinars

2011-12-11T19:30:00.001-06:00

Necessity is often the mother of invention.

Hosting our genealogy webinars is not free and requires a monthly account regardless of how many times it is used. The holidays are not good time to get extensive work done, especially work that requires extensive preparation. Several years ago, I prepared a series of genealogy fundamental items, using course materials I developed years ago as a starting point.

We've decided to use these fundamental materials to create a series of short (20 minutes long) sessions on a variety of specific document types. We won't discuss how the items were located, rather on how the information they contain, what it means, how to interpret it, where to go next, and how to cite. That's enough and that's enough for these short sessions.

They are geared towards genealogists without a lot of experience or those who wish to return to some basic skill development.

More details, including topics, can be seen our our website. Our registration fee is only $1.99 per session.

Casefile Clues for the Holidays!

2011-12-11T14:00:00.001-06:00

Give yourself or that genealogy friend the gift that lasts all year--Casefile Clues. It is the perfect gift for that hard to buy for genealogist.

If you are giving a friend a gift subscription, please indicate their name/email address in the comments/notations field when making your order--or simply email me that information at mjnrootdig@gmail.com after your order has been processed.

Thanks....and Happy Holidays!

Genealogy Transcriber

2011-12-10T19:53:00.001-06:00

I've gotten a couple of emails about the Daily Genealogy Transcriber, so I thought I'd mention it here as this blog is where I normally post opinions and other ilk of that genre.

My original purpose behind the Daily Genealogy Transcriber was to help genealogists see how indexers and transcribers may make "mistakes." It really was not intended to be a guide to complete, entirely accurate transcription. Most of us deal with misreadings, errors, and honest mistakes by indexers every day (and thanks to them for indexing things for us!). Because of that, seeing how things can be read incorrectly, I think is an advantage to any genealogist who uses digital indexes to records.

Because of that, I often do not post the entire image--sometimes I do, but not always. The idea is to see how things get read "cold." That can't always be done if one has the entire series of records.

If the document or record is on your family, should you use other entries to help interpret the entry? Yes. Should you use other documents and sources to help you in your interpretation? Yes.

But at Transcriber, we're trying to help genealogists see how "errors" get in digital indexes and those indexers often do not have other documents on the family to help them in their analysis.

You can look at today's entry here.

Naturalization Records in US pre-1920 Webinar Recording

2011-12-09T14:31:00.001-06:00

United States Naturalization (NEW!) Records pre-1920 - This presentation is an overview of naturalization records in the United States prior to 1920, focusing on locating and understanding the records. Women's citizenship and derivative citizenship are also included. The recorded webinar and handout can be ordered for immediate download for $8.50.

If you paid to attend and were unable, please email me for the complimentary download link.

Married to An Alien

2011-12-09T12:25:00.001-06:00

From the Ancestry Daily News, 11/28/2001

Married to An Alien
A lady born in New York State is listed as an alien--why?!?

The problem centers around the history of women in regards to naturalization. I must admit the census entry confused me. The wife was a native of the state of New York State and was listed in the 1920 census as an unnaturalized alien. There is an "x" in the box for her year of immigration to the United States.

All other records clearly indicated the individual in question, Mary Verikios, had been born in New York State. While looking at other individuals on the same census page, I noted that a female neighbor born in Wisconsin was also listed as an alien with no date of naturalization or immigration. The commonality was that both ladies were married to men who were immigrant aliens. This connection warranted further study. It turned out that for these two ladies (and thousands of others), their choice of a husband impacted their citizenship.

The census entries for both women indicate they were probably married around 1910. I learned that under the law in effect at that time, both women would have lost their citizenship upon their marriage to an alien. To further compound the problem, courts during this era and for some time before frequently held that women derived their citizenship status from that of their husband. There were exceptions (single women filing homestead claims were sometimes naturalized whether they were a widow or had never been married).
The history of naturalization in the United States is somewhat complex. The complexity is aggravated for women by the fact that the laws regarding naturalization and females were ambiguous, especially before 1907. For a significant portion of American history, a woman's citizenship status was derived from the status of her husband. In many cases immigrant women were naturalized "by default" upon their marriage to a citizen or upon their foreign-born husband obtaining citizenship. This derivative type of citizenship is the reason there are few naturalization records for immigrant women for most of American history. For those who were "naturalized by marriage" there generally is no mention of them in any records before 27 September 1906, when Congress standardized the naturalization process and required names of spouse and children on naturalization paperwork. Also, until women received the right to vote, there was little reason for many to bother with the expense and procedure of naturalization. However, there are occasionally naturalization records for women in the 1880s, 1890s and later. Many of the children "naturalized by default" via their father's naturalization, but not listed specifically, later went through the naturalization process themselves.

To reduce confusion, here is a brief chronology relevant to the problem at hand:
1906
The Basic Naturalization Act was passed on 27 September 1906, which standardized the naturalization process throughout the United States. Records after this date are more consistent than those before. No longer could just any court perform a naturalization.
1907
On 2 March 1907 an act was passed wherein a wife's citizenship status was determined by the status of her husband. Here is where the confusion begins to get worse. For women who immigrated after this act (and before later changes were enacted), there was no real change from before (unless their husband was already a U.S. citizen). However, it was different for U.S.-born citizen females who married an alien after this date. These women would lose their citizenship status upon marriage to an alien. Many of these women would later become citizens again upon their husband's naturalization. Women who married men who were racially ineligible to naturalize lost their ability to revert back to their pre-marriage citizenship status.
1922
On 22 September 1922, Congress passed the Married Women's Act, also known as the Cable Act. Now the citizenship status of a woman and a man were separate. This law gave each woman her own citizenship status. This act was partially drawn in response to issues regarding women's citizenship that occurred after women were given the right to vote. From this date, no marriage to an alien has taken citizenship from any U.S.-born woman. Females who had lost their citizenship status via marriage to an alien could initiate their own naturalization proceedings.
1936
This act effected U.S. citizen women whose marriage to an alien between the acts of 1907 and 1922 had caused them to lose their citizenship status. These women, if the marriage to the alien had ended in death or divorce, could regain their citizenship by filing an application with the local naturalization court and taking an oath of allegiance. Those women still married to their husband were not covered under the act and these individuals would have to go through the complete naturalization process.
1940
In 1940, Congress allowed all women who lost their citizenship status between 1907 and 1922 to repatriate by filling an application with the local naturalization court and taking an oath. The complete naturalization process was no longer necessary for any woman whose marriage between 1907 and 1922 caused her to lose her citizenship status.

How Does This Impace Marie?

Here's where it gets a little confusing.

Marie's husband, Peter Verikios, was naturalized in 1934. Marie and Peter divorced in 1940. Marie subsequently married another U.S. citizen a few years later. None of these events made a difference in Marie's status after she married Peter, for they all took place after the Cable Act of 1922, which separated a woman's citizenship status from that of her husband. Her marriage to Peter between 1907 and 1922 was the "problem" in regards to her citizenship status.

Where Should I Go?

It might be worth looking into possible records whereby Marie regained her citizenship status. Given the confusion that surrounded the citizenship status of women, there might be no record at all. In this case, since Marie's origins in New York State are somewhat foggy, accessing the records may shed some light on her life before she came to the Chicago area.

That one little "X" in the 1920 census really gave me a history lesson.

Sources:
Smith, Marian L., "'Any woman who is now or may hereafter be married . . .' Women and Naturalization, ca. 1802-1840," National Archives and Records Administration Web Site: (http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1998/summer/women-and-naturalization-1.html), originally published in 'Prologue: Quarterly of the National Archives and Records Administration,' Summer 1998, vol. 30, no. 2

Szucs, Loretto D., They Became Americans: Finding Naturalization Records & Ethnic Origins, Salt Lake City, Utah, Ancestry, Inc., 1998.

Every Little Detail

2011-12-09T07:00:00.001-06:00

reprinted from the Ancestry Daily News
Michael John Neill - 6/15/2005

Every Little Detail

They say "the devil is in the details."While I'm never certain who this mysterious "they" is, one thing is for certain: The details can create headaches or opportunities, depending upon whether they are noticed and how they are interpreted.

Those Short Phrases

Three or four words "squeezed" in at the very bottom of a document may be the largest clue of all, even if the handwriting is microscopic. Mrs. Barbara Pickert marries in Hancock County, Illinois, in 1859. A slip of paper included in with the marriage indicates in tiny script at the very bottom of the page that Mrs. Pickert "has no lawful husband living."I almost ignored the reference. Barbara's first husband Peter Bieger (or Pickert) was known to have been dead by late 1855. It was initially thought that the reference was to him. The longer I thought the more odd it seemed that the phrase "no lawful husband living" was used when the shorter term of "widow" would have sufficed. Later research revealed that Barbara was apparently married for a short time in 1856 to a George Fennan who abandoned her--hence the phrase "no lawful husband living."

How Long Have I Known You?

There may be references in a record or document that have no bearing on the case, but that do have bearing on the family being researched. Court testimony from an 1877 court case indicated that Christian Williams had known my ancestor Mimke Habben for at least twenty years. Mimke immigrated to the United States in the 1860s. If I had not known where Mimke was from in Germany, my research should have concentrated on Christian. Since Christian had known my ancestor since at least 1857, they had known each other in Germany. Court testimony and military pension papers are great sources for finding references to individuals who have known your ancestor for a specified period of time.

What Does It Mean?

In a guardianship record from Kentucky in 1814, my ancestor is referred to as an infant. In 1815 she marries. Before anyone draws any inappropriate conclusions, it should be noted that the guardianship record is using the legal definition of infant. Consequently the 1814 reference to Melinda Sledd as an infant only indicates she is under the legal age of majority, not that she is a newborn. Viewed in this light her 1815 marriage to Augusta Newman is no longer viewed as suspect.

Are They Sharing Luggage?

When one of my ancestral families immigrated in 1853, the passenger manifest indicated that they and another couple were sharing a set of luggage. The clue was not obvious--just a bracket on the far right-hand side of the manifest indicating that three bags belonged to the families of George Trautvetter and George Mathis. I kept the Mathis family in mind as I researched and eventually discovered that George Mathis' wife was George Trautvetter's niece.

How Does One Notice These Clues?

Sometimes it can be difficult to pick up on subtle references or turns of a phrase. The way to avoid overlooking these clues is to make certain that:

You know the definitions of all words in the document.

You determine if any words have specific legal definitions different from the way the word is used outside the legal system.

There are additional things that can be done.

Obtain the Original Document

Transcriptions may occasionally leave out pertinent details. The Trautvetter and Mathis families located on the passenger lists were originally located in the series Germans to America. This finding aid, while a great help, did not include the notation that the two families were sharing luggage. Of course, this was a significant clue only discovered by viewing the actual manifest.

Type the Document

Transcribing a document, forces the transcriptionist (you) to look at every word more closely. It is easy to overlook clues when you are reading silently. I know of one genealogist who received a transcription of a document that had an error. She could not determine what the error was. When typing up the transcription as part of a report on the entire family, she realized how the likely error occurred and was able to make additional headway with her research. Reading the document over and over did not bring about the revelation.

Read the Document Out Loud

While this may not make you immediately popular with others in your household, it can make it easier to notice details based upon the way words could have sounded to your ancestor. Sometimes when we read something aloud or hear it read something "clicks" that did not click before.

Read the Document Backwards

Again this forces the reader to look at every word. While the document probably won't make too much sense this way, it may cause you to notice a word or phrase that you had previously overlooked. And that is the entire point.

Create a One-Page Summary of Your Problem

Those who go with me on my research trips are encouraged to submit a one-page problem for me to review. While the limitation to one page makes for less to read, it forces the genealogist to narrow their problem and determine what details are important. While there are situations where one page is not sufficient, the hope here is to make the person look at all the details and decide which details are crucial to the problem.
The mark, the twist of phrase, the scribbled reference at the bottom of the page--it may be meaningless, but maybe not. But if you never notice it and analyze it, you will never know!

John Ehmen's Headstone in Camp Point, Illinois

2011-12-08T13:03:00.001-06:00

I'm going to have to research John Ehmen a little more.

This is the Application for a Headstone for him that appears in a database recently released on the FamilySearch website.

This application is really interesting in that it provides his date and place of birth in the upper left hand corner and provides his death date and location as well. Of course, all that information is secondary, as is the fact that he was in a hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

Why he was in Galesburg is a mystery at this point. I'll have to add that to the list. I'm thinking that this individual may be good fodder for an upcoming Casefile Clues article.

Source:
United States. Quartermaster General. Applications for Headstones for U.S. Military Veterans, 1925-1941. Record Group 92, NARA publication M1916. United States. Federal Archives and Records Center. Washington D.C.

Released from the Chain Gang

2011-12-08T10:46:00.001-06:00

I am usually on the lookout for signatures for Daily Genealogy Transcriber.

This is part of a World War II draft card from a databaseof cards for "young men" that was recently released on Ancestry.com. Ancestry.com refers to it as the U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1898-1929 database.

Part of the card I was going to use is shown here--apparently this person had just been released from the County Chain Gang.

It just goes to show that you never know what you will find. I decided not to post the whole name or the whole card--just in case the person was still alive. He was born in 1921 and a quick search of the SSDI failed to locate him.

New, But HOW?

2011-12-07T11:02:00.001-06:00

Can someone tell me "how" the 1880 United States Federal Census on Ancestry.com is "new?" The database and the images have been on the site for years. Is it "new" enough that I should try again for people I cannot locate? Is it newer or better images (the ones before were pretty good)? Don't get me wrong, I am a big fan of Ancestry.com, but this "new" stuff with NO explanation of "how" it is new is highly irritating.

I went to the blog for Ancestry.com and got no information there either. A sentimental post about Pearl Harbor (which was nice), but nothing about the 1880 United States Census being "new" or modified.

Who Are These People--Probably Near Basco, Hancock County, Illinois

2011-12-07T10:30:00.001-06:00

[reposted 8 Feb 2010]

I only know the identity of one of the people in this photo. It's not her parents.

The young lady on the far right is Tena/Trientje Janssen Ufkes (1895-1986).

Tena was born in Bear Creek Township in February of 1895 and died in Carthage, Hancock County, Illinois, in 1986.

I do not know who the others are in the picture. This photograph was one that my grandparents had. Tena's son John H. Ufkes (1917-2003), was my grandfather.

Any suggestions as to who the others are would be greatly appreciated.

December Webinars-4 for $25

2011-12-06T17:42:00.001-06:00

We have four webinars upcoming in December before we break for the holidays:

DeedMapper
Pre-1920 Naturalization Records
Analyzing pre-1850 American Census Records
Sarah and Susannah: Two 18^thCentury Virginia Women and their property

The schedule is here and you can register for individual sessions there.

If you'd like to sign up for all of them, you can do so at the total price of $25 (save $7--that's lucky!) by using this link on this page. The $25 for all four rate is NOT on the main webinar page. If you can't attend, have connectivity issues, or other problems, you can get the downloadable version of the webinar after it has been recorded and processed.

Signed up for an earlier one, but missed it? Email me at mjnrootdig@gmail.com and we'll send you the download link at no charge.

Palatines Indianapolis Genealogy Conference June 2012

2011-12-06T17:00:00.001-06:00

I will be one of two featured speakers at the annual National Societies of Palatines to America conference in Indianapolis from 14-16 June 2012. I'm looking forward to making my presentations there and hope blog readers will join me if they live in the area and have an interest. You don't have to be a society member to attend the conference.

My topics are:

Crossing the Pond
Online Search Techniques
Germanic Research with Ancestry.com
German Genealogy Websites
Creating Your Own Blog
What's New for German Researchers on FamilySearch
Determining Your Own Migration Chain

Warren Bittner will also be presenting additional German topics.

Mark your calendar now. I'm looking forward to meeting attendees and blog readers as well.

Update on Non-Working Advanced Searches At Ancestry.com

2011-12-06T13:19:00.001-06:00

I just tried it again and there is no change in the way advanced searches are not working at Ancestry.com as discussed earlier on my Search Tip of the Day blog.

I did receive an answer from Ancestry.com--one of their executives. The response was pleasant and indicated they were working on the problem, but my comments about beta testing, things being put out too quickly, the need for a little better testing, were not even mentioned, which makes me think that the process will not change.

I'll keep checking to see if the search has been fixed, but I am no longer holding my breath that it will be anything relatively quick.

Personally I still think there's too big of a rush to put out new things and not enough concentration on the "old-timers."

And I'm starting to think my complaints actually fell on deaf ears and that Rootdig.com doesn't generate enough traffic for Ancestry.com to even worry about.

Oh well. I'll still be researching my genealogy in thirty years. The executives at Ancestry.com will have moved onto other things long before that.

And that's the problem.

Reposting Philip Troutfetter's Arrest

2011-12-05T13:31:00.001-06:00

Troutfetter is Bagged in Boston

[reposted from 2008]

You have to love headlines.

This one comes from a 1902 Colorado's Gazette-Telegraph, which was located on GenealogyBank. Philip Troutfetter was said to have been involved in the Cuban postal frauds, but it appears that he only associated with one of the men involved and was not actually involved himself.

Source: Date: 1902-04-11;
Paper: Gazette-Telegraph

A second clipping from the Springfield Republican also mentions Troutfetter. We've blogged about Philip before, but occasionally run across a new clipping that mentions some snippet of his life I've not discovered elsewhere. He was never convicted and died at his parents' home in rural Kansas in the early 1900s.

The second clipping is from:

Date: 1900-07-26;

Paper: Springfield [Mass] Republican

The original clippings appear on GenealogyBank.

104 Issues of Casefile Clues for $25

2011-12-05T10:13:00.001-06:00

We are wrapping up our second year of Casefile Clues issues--104 issues of genealogical information, advice, methodology, and "how-to" information. Casefile Clues accepts no advertising, is not trying to sell you anything and concentrates on excellence in writing and research. Normally a year of Casefile Clues is $17, but we're offering our first two years of issues as a set of $25 total. Each issue averages 8 pages.

Purchase all year 1 and year 2 issues for $25. Issues delivered via email as PDF files.

Year 1 Issue Topics

Reposting as I messed up all the navigation on the blog:

Here are Year 1 issue titles (in reverse order)

52--Benjamin Butler in 1880 and 1870--correlating an 1880 and 1870 census enumeration when the head of household has a different first name
51--Clarifying Clara--a widow's War of 1812 Bounty Land application
50--Special Examiner's Report--Discussion of testimony taken by a Special Examiner in a Union Civil War Pension File
49--Levi Rhodes' War of 1812 Pension--A discussion and and an analysis of a War of 1812 pension issued in 1871.
48--Determining Your Own Chain of Migration--Ways to determine the unique migration chain that your ancestor took
47--Finding the Ellen--Finding someone in an 1870 census when she's a child and I don't have the names of the parents. Discusses proximity searches, eliminating false matches, etc.
46--Ira Located--the correct marriage record for Ira Sargent was located. This issue includes the image and a complete transcription, an analysis, additional searches that were conducted, and where to go next.
45--Organizing My Search for Ira--discusses brainstorming to locate the parents of Ira Sargent, how and why records were prioritized, and how records would be searched.
44--Philip Troutfetter in the Special Collections of the Kansas State Historical Society--fraud, postal investigations, and abandoned wives--all from one relative.
43--Unacquiring Property--ways your ancestor might have "disposed" of his real estate.
42--Multiple Johns--two brothers with the exact same name--apparently.
41--Brick Walls from A to Z--the title says it all--ideas for breaking those brick walls
40--Finding John--analysis, including charts and maps, in an attempt to find a missing 1870 census enumeration.
39--Multiple Marias--Analyzing more than one 1893 obituary for a Swiss immigrant in Iowa.
38--From their Mouth to Your Screen. Discusses all the "filters" information passes through.
37--Pullman Car Company Employment Records. Discusses several employment records from the Pullman Car Company in Chicago. Discusses William Apgar, Thomas Frame, Louis DeMar.
36--Where are they in 1840? Analyzes an individual who is "missing" from an 1840 census. Includes a discussion of how he was "found" and how land records actually solved the problem. Discusses Abraham Wickiser.
35--A 1910 Birth. Analyzes primary and secondary sources for a date and place of birth in 1910 and how differences might not be all that different. Discusses Ida Trautvetter.
34--Ready to Go? Discusses some things to contemplate regarding your genealogy material before you die.
33--Where there is a Will there is Confusion. Analyzes an early 19th century will from Maryland and what the different bequests likely mean and what potentially brought them about. Also discusses different ways some things can be interpreted. Discusses John DeMoss.
32--When There is No Probate. Some things to think about when there is no probate file.
31--Analyzing the Mortgage. Discusses an 1870 era mortgage in Illinois. Discusses John Ufkes and Rolf Habben.
30--Behind the Scenes Chaos. Discusses the importance of thinking about what "caused" a record to be recorded.
29--Un-American Activity. Discusses an invesigation by the fore-runner of the FBI into a German-American family in World War I. Discusses the Fecht family.
28--Do You Ear What I Ear? Discusses things to remember about how things are heard.
27--Analyzing Andrew Trask. Discusses work on an Mass. native (born ca. 1814) who lived in St. Louis, southern-Illinois, and western Illinois where he died in the 1880s. Focuses on analyzing and working on later records to discern patterns, etc. Discusses Andrew Trask.
26--Using Google Books.
25--Finding Valentine. Steps in locating a man whose only real mention is in an 1870 era estate settlement. Discusses how I organized my search for him.
24--The Brick Wall is in Your Head. Talks about ways you may have made your own genealogical brick wall.
23--You Ask and I Wonder. Things that pop in my head when a person asks a certain genealogical question.
22--Crossing the Pond.
21--One Clipping Leads to More.
20--Organizing 1870 Census Search--thoughts on organizing online census searches.
19--Public Sale--Analyzing an old sale bill.
18--Analyzing the Biography--Charting and Organizing what You Know Using a Biography
17--Working with the Professional. Getting started with the professional genealogist who is performing Chicago area work for me.
16--A Lot from Barbara's Lot. Clues from a series of records on a small lot in a town in rural Illinois betwen 1856 and 1905.
15--Finding Gesche's Girls. Tracking down an "evaporating" German native who "condensed" somewhere in the United States.
14--Jumpstarting Your Research. Just some ideas to get you started.
13--Brick Walls and the Census Taker
12--The Heirs Complete the Homestead
11--Is the Wrong Name Correct?
10--Connecting the Iras. Working to determine if two men of the same name are the same man.
09--Pre-1850 Census Analysis. Analzing pre-1850 census records for a family to determine the household structure. Discusses Thomas and Sarah Sledd.
08--Platting Out Thomas Sledd's Heirs. Platting out the estate division of the Thomas Sledd estate in Kentucky in the 1830s. Discusses Thomas Sledd family.
07--Looking for Ira's Lucretia. Working on my "brick wall" Ira through his sister Lucretia. mid-to-late nineteenth century work.
06--The Civil War Pension file of Riley Rampley. An overview of a Union Civil War pension record.
05--Finding a Chicago Christening. How a 1913 era Chicago christening record was found. Discusses Anna Apgar.
04--Multiple Parents
03--Preemption Claim. The Missouri pre-emption land claim of John Lake. Discusses John Lake.
02--Passport Records. Discusses an early twentieth century passport application. Discusses Robert Frame.
01--Lessons from an Estate Record. Analyzes an 1870 era Illinois set of estate records.

Year 2 Issues Of Casefile Clues

Topics from the first 51 issues of year 2 are shown below (order them here):

Volume 2-Number 1--Problem-Solving--a variety of techniques for breaking through those brick walls.
Volume 2-Number 2--A 1907 Committal--An insanity record.
Volume 2-Number 3--A 1921 Divorce--looking at a 1921 era divorce from Chicago
Volume 2-Number 4--Leaving John's Hands: Documenting Post-Death Land Transfers
Volume 2-Number 5--The Acquisition of John Michael Trautvetter's 228 Acres
Volume 2-Number 6--The Original Versus the Record Copy
Volume 2-Number 7--Multiple Marriage Mayhem:
Starting the Search for Emma (Sargent) Pollard Ross Oades Pollard Snavly Olenbaugh
Volume 2-Number 8--A Handful of Problem-Solving Strategies
Volume 2-Number 9--Two-Thirds of an Acre from Uncle John: A Partition Suit Proves a Sibling Relationship
Volume 2-Number 10--A Minimal Estate Gives Some Direction: The 1886-1888 Probate of Benjamin Butler
Volume 2-Number 11--Signing What We Could Not Read--immigrants unable to read English sign a 1870 era document that is incorrect and a lawsuit results.
Volume 2-Number 12--Dad Raised my Daughter--A newspaper account of a court case in the 1880s discusses an early 1870 out-of-wedlock birth.
Volume 2-Number 13--Using the 1860 Census to Formulate a Passenger List Search Strategy
Volume 2-Number 14--Search Strategy for Benjmamin Butler in pre-1870 Census Records--this looks at ways to find the missing 1850 and 1860 census enumerations for man who "appears" in Iowa in 1870.
Volume 2-Number 15--Pre-1850 Census--analyzing 1810-1840 census entries for Thomas Chaney in Bedford County, Pennsylvania.
Volume 2-Number 16--Names in the Probate--analyzing various names in a probate settlement from 1903. Nicknames and diminutives were part of the problem.
Volume 2-Number 17--Bridging a Twenty-Year Census Gap-1870 to 1860. Showing that an 1870 Iowa, 1880 Missouri, and an 1850 Michigan enumeration are for the same man.
Volume 2-Number 18--Four Passports and a Foreign Death: George Washington Drollette. Analyzes four early 20th century passports and a US State Department death report from 1933.
Volume 2-Number 19--Diplomatic Employment Applications. Analyzes and summaries letters of support for employment with the US State Department between 1901-1906.
Volume 2-Number 20--Just One Wife Who Shaves Her Age. Records hinted that a man might have had more than one wife. Despite age discrepancies and first name variations, we've likely proven that there was just one wife.
Volume 2-Number 21--1930 Census: Primary, Secondary, Original, Derivative, Direct and Indirect. You'll never look at a census entry the same way again-also shows how in this case, New York became Kentucky
Volume 2-Number 22--Finding the Biegers in 1850. Organizing our search and our negative search results in an attempt to find a German immigrant living in Cincinnati in 1850.
Volume 2-Number 23--Separating Two George Butlers--working on two men born in Michigan in the same year with a father of the same name.
Volume 2-Number 24-A Minor Naturalization
Volume 2-Number 25-Genealogical Potpourri
Volume 2-Number 26-Looking for Benjamin-Formulating a Census Search
Volume 2-Number 27-An 1849 Cash Land Sale
Volume 2-Number 28-From 1820-1870 Analyzing Enoch Tinsley's Census Entries
Volume 2-Number 29-Middle Name Issues: Finding Henry J. Fecht in 1870 and Passenger Lists
Volume 2-Number 30-The Master Reports--An Assignment of Homestead and Dower in the 1890s
Volume 2-Number 31-The Parents Sell 10 Acres-an 1880 era land transaction
Volume 2-Number 32-Clues from a Pig Murder--an 1820 era Kentucky Court Case
Volume 2-Number 33-Civil War Pension Application-Why My Name's Different
Volume 2-Number 34-Staying Focused on Divorces and a German Immigrant
Volume 2-Number 35-Strategies for a 1820 New York Birth
Volume 2-Number 36-First Appearing in an 1847 Marriage
Volume 2-Number 37-The Chattel Property Will from Maryland
Volume 2-Number 38-Emmar Osenbaugh Civil War Pension-Proving 6 Husbands(1st Part)
Volume 2-Number 39-1870-1880 Era Guardianship Proves All the Children
Volume 2-Number 40-Moving Mother-Transferring a Life Estate in 1769
Volume 2-Number 41-War of 1812 Bounty Land Application and Surrendered Warrant
Volume 2-Number 42--An 1875 Poor Farm Admission for the Smith Family
Volume 2-Number 43-An 1811 Tennessee Will
Volume 2-Number 44-More Problem-Solving
Volume 2-Number 45-Emmar Osenbaugh's Civil War Pension Part II
Volume 2-Number 46-Comments on 1856 Missouri Revised Statutes
Volume 2-Number 47-A Will Denied--and Why
Volume 2-Number 48-Blank Children and Three Completers on a Birth Record
Volume 2-Number 49-Petitioning to Administrate an Intestate Probate in 1869
Volume 2-Number 50-Fighting the Will of Trientje Sartorius
Volume 2-Number 51-With Little to Probate: The Estate of Wesley Jones
Volume 2-Number 52-Iam What I Am: An 1860 Census Enumeration

He is A Green Green Berry

2011-12-04T17:35:00.001-06:00

He certainly is the berries.

This is the apparent enumeration for Greenberry Green in Josh Bell County, Kentucky. He is indexed on Ancestry.com as Berry Green Green. It looks like everyone in the household appears with the "double surname" as well.

Those who think that "Josh Bell" is incorrect as the county name would be wrong. Bell County, Kentucky, was known as Josh Bell County in its early days.

Lessons here:

Compound first names can be split into separate names.
Ancestry.com doesn't always get those place name incorrect.

I'll have to add that trick to my next webinar.

More Brick Walls from A to Z--Recorded Version

2011-12-02T14:22:00.001-06:00

More Brick Walls from A to Z -(NEW!)-This presentation is a continuation on the popular "Brick Walls from A to Z" that was released earlier. The alphabet has been reused for additional ideas and quick suggestions for getting past those brick walls--aimed at all levels--with the intent of jumpstarting people's research. Introductory recording price of $6 won't last long. Includes recording and PDF of handout.

More Brick Walls from A to Z ta 1 PM 2 December

2011-12-02T10:47:00.001-06:00

Today at 1 PM Central, I am presenting "More Brick Walls from A to Z" as an online webinar. It runs until 2 PM. Handout is included. There's still room if this post is up--$8.

Process Your Registration Here

Ancestry.com Survey

2011-12-01T16:42:00.001-06:00

This is the survey screen that came up when I logged onto Ancestry.com today. I found the first question a little silly, but that's just me.

They are offering $50 Amazon.com gift cards to those who take part in the 20 minute phone survey, which will run in the near future I guess. The only part of the questionnaire that I did not include here was the part with my phone number and email.

Any bets on whether I get called to take part?

But It Is Not Working...

2011-12-01T14:47:00.001-06:00

I've been getting comments, public and private, about my recent post about the searches at Ancestry.com not working and the fact that I am getting too many hits--hits that don't match my search terms. I've even been told that I shouldn't complain because I'm getting something. I've also been told that I don't understand how exact searches work. Ancestry.com has confirmed that (as of the time this post is being written) that the searches are working incorrectly.

There's a problem with being told that I shouldn't complain. Actually more than one problem.

The first is that the search is not working the way it is supposed to. That makes it difficult (impossible?) to construct effective searches and troubleshoot. If I don't know the way a search is working, how am I to construct my search?

Secondly if the search is not working and I get "no results" for "my person" how do I really know anything? I realize names can be spelled/written incorrectly, transcribed in a wrong way, etc. But IF the name is in the database correctly, my search (if constructed correctly) should locate the reference.

I'm a big fan of manual searches when necessary. However, if I'm searching an entire state in a census year manual searches are not practical.

I also don't buy the "I should be happy I'm getting something" line of thought either. I should be getting what I searched for--I don't think that is unreasonable.

And I'm not even going to get started on the concept that I shouldn't complain.

Now back to other work ;-)

---------------------------------
I forgot to have comments turned on when I originally posted this. The new blogger has it slightly hidden and I forgot to turn them on. Sorry about that.

Ancestry.com Open Letter Update

2011-12-01T12:34:00.001-06:00

This is an update to my post on Search Tip of the Day regarding restricted searches at Ancestry.com and my "Open Letter" posted on Rootdig.

I did receive a response from a "high level" person on the search team regarding my search difficulties and the email I sent (which was pretty much the same as the open letter posted here).

My search difficulties were confirmed and I was told that they have known of the difficulties and they are working to correct them. In my response I mentioned the difficulties I have encountered with how the online "trees" incorporate information from the Social Security Death Index and the UK Quarterly indexes to deaths as well.

I'm cautiously optimistic.

I also made some unsolicited (imagine that!) suggestions regarding their beta testing procedures as well. I really don't think those procedures are all that well thought out, but I'll refrain from making additional comments here. I also realize that I'm not a corporate type, really not what you'd call a "team" player, and pretty much avoid subtle comments unless I'm being sarcastic (grin!). However, searches that don't work properly frustrate me and I know they frustrate other users as well.

I've never understood why search queries of Ancestry.com databases have to be so complicated. But that's just me.

I've never been on one of those "invites" to the Ancestry.com headquarters; chances are I won't be on the list any time soon ;-)

We'll have an update and feel free to let me know about other "irregularities" with search on the site.

Recording of US Passenger List Webinar at Ancestry.com

2011-12-01T12:25:00.001-06:00

If you missed the US Passenger list at Ancestry.com webinar last night, you can order the recording and handout here for immediate download. Regular price is $8.50.For the next 24 hours, use coupon code passport and get it for $5.

The webinar focuses on search techniques for Ancestry.com's digital images of National Archives microfilm, along with a few tricks for navigating the card catalog.

Using US Passenger Lists at Ancestry.com for 2 December

2011-11-30T21:26:00.001-06:00

Tonight was our first version the "Using US Passenger Lists at Ancestry.com" webinar. Unfortunately the recording did not take so those who missed it can't get the recording.

We've got to make the recording and have rescheduled it again for 11:30 AM central time on Decemeber 2. You'll be sent the PDF handout and if for some reason your schedule changes or you can't log in, you'll get a complimentary link for the recorded version.

Register now for only $5.

Purchase already recorded webinars here.

Habbens at Castle Garden and Ancestry

2011-11-30T18:16:00.001-06:00

Habbens at Castle Garden and Ancestry

[reposted from 2007 for tonight's webinar]

This is the entry for the Habben family athttp://www.castlegarden.org/. Note that except for the youngest child "U" everyone has their complete name spelled out. Other than Trientse, whose name was Trientje, and Meinke (father and son) whose name was Mimke, the names are on the mark. This is apparently the same data that was used to create the Germans to America series which is where I first found the Habben family. Note: I "connected" two pages of hits together to make the one image shown here.

The second image comes from Ancestry.com and is for the same family. On this manifest (apparently the quarterly reports of immigrants), first letters of some names are only given. This manifest is difficult to read and one can see how the name might have been interpreted in a way other than Habben.
This data from Ancestry.com is from
Source Information:
Ancestry.com. New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2006.
Original data:
Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M237, 675 rolls); Records of the U.S. Customs Service, Record Group 36; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1897-1957; (National Archives Microfilm Publication T715, 8892 rolls); Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
Note: I "connected" two pages of hits together to create the image shown here.

A copy of the manifest (from the microfilm) appears as the last image on this post.

Now I am slightly confused. The Castlegarden.org database shows ten members of this family as immigrants. Ancestry.com (as well as the image) shows 11. The child who is "L" on the manifest image and the Ancestry.com index does not appear in the castlegarden.com database.
Trientje's age is also off on the http://www.castlegarden.org/entry.
As a note, the names of all the children are "correct" order, at least when comparing the manifest entry with the list of children I have from church records in Wiesens, Ostfriesland, Germany from where the family originated. The "inft" was actually Antje, born 26 August 1867, shortly before the family left Germany.

Note: More to come...

Michael-2nd great-grandson of Jan Habben, son of Mimke and Antje.

CastleGarden.org Problem?

2011-11-30T13:49:00.001-06:00

Anyone else get this error message on www.castlegarden.org? This is a message I received when trying to load the page at around 1:30 PM central today.

I received similar messages on Chrome and Firefox.

Internet Explorer let me right through....

An Open Letter to Ancestry.com

2011-11-30T11:09:00.001-06:00

[This is the text of an email I just sent to Ancestry.com. It is unedited and somewhat less polished than usual, but I just wanted it sent. As a brief bit of history, I have used Ancestry.com since the website went live and wrote articles for Ancestry Magazine before there ever WAS an Ancestry.com]

Hello.

I am not certain what happened, but the searches at Ancestry.com are not working correctly. I (and) others have had problems for the past few days. I get search results that do NOT match my exact search terms--which is extremely frustrating. Sometimes I make conclusions based upon the lack of results from these searches and this is extremely maddening.

Personally, I would rather the searches WORK on a regular basis for the web-based PC user than see all these cell phone and other "mobile" apps being released. I realize the bottom line is important, but I think there is an overemphasis on the "newbie" and attracting new users that the power-users, professionals and others are sometimes left out in the cold to defend themselves.

It also appears that those who beta test things are only performing simple perfunctory searches.

Sorry for the negative tone of this email. I use Ancestry.com daily and benefit from it greatly, but creating workarounds on a regular basis is a pain. Those of who theoretically "know what we are doing" can do this. Those users who have less experience are the ones I am worried about.

Searches that do not work do not leave a very positive user experience.

Please forward as appropriate. As you know, I am a loyal Ancestry.com user and fan and have been since the very day the website went live.

Michael

I also sent this link briefly describing my experience:

http://genealogysearchtip.blogspot.com/2011/11/restricted-to-locations-not-working-at.html

Genealogy Is An Art

2011-11-29T11:43:00.001-06:00

I was trained as a mathematician, so on one level the title of this post really bothers me.

On the other hand, it is true-at least partially. It is also true that mathematics is an art as well. An art, grounded with rules, laws, theorems, and postulates. But even "art" has rules, rules of color, composition, and form. Rules can be worked with, or worked around, and usually therein lies the "art."

I've been working on an article on a family in Missouri in the 1860s. The family really doesn't matter. Putting together the material does. I have a conclusion, soundly reasoned, but which could (if new information arises) be shown to be incorrect. Hopefully that doesn't happen. The logic lies in the validity of my conclusion and the soundness of my argument.

Where is the "art?"

The art is in constructing the argument in a fashion that makes sense to the reader and sense to the writer as well. The art is the very process by which evidence was analyzed, summarized, and synthesized into a conclusion. Genealogists are not boiling chemicals in test tubes, waiting for a specific reaction at a specific temperature. Genealogists are not mathematicians looking to prove a great theorem by induction or some other method.

Genealogy is an art and it is a science. Some days it is more on than another.

I'm not certain which day it is today.

Santa Claus in 1930

2011-11-28T09:55:00.001-06:00

This is the image of Santa Claus in the 1930 Census in Saline County, Missouri. This image has not been altered (grin).

The image below is Santa with his parents in 1900 in Liberty, Saline County, Missouri.

We're working on census images from other years.

For those doubters--his grave is on FindaGrave.

Is Your Brick Wall in Your Head?

2011-11-27T18:57:00.001-06:00

Reprinted from the Ancestry Daily News
Michael John Neill – 7/14/2004

Is Your Brick Wall in Your Head?

Genealogy brick walls--those problems we think are insurmountable-- are frustrating. Occasionally the brick walls are of our own making, and those walls are the ones we are looking at this week. Some ancestors left behind confusing records, but it is possible that we have muddied the road ourselves. Today's column focuses on some questions to ask yourself in an attempt to knock a hole in that brick wall.

Is the Tradition Really True?

Are you holding on too tightly to that beloved family tradition from Aunt Helen? The one that apparently was a state secret. Even though she lived in rural Kansas, she whispered it to you, fearful that the neighbor five miles up the road would hear.

Or, despite her insistence to the contrary, maybe her grandfather did not own eight hundred acres of prime Indiana farmland and maybe he was born into abject poverty.

Remember, you may find clues in these stories, but they may be small ones.

Do You Have the Right Place?County boundaries have changed, and that is not the only potential geographic problem. Is it possible you are mixing up the name of the county with the name of the town? Remember that if a state has a county and town with a same name, the town may not be located in the county of the same name. Keokuk, Iowa, is located in Lee County, Iowa--not Keokuk County, Iowa, as one might expect. There are numerous other examples.

International boundaries can create difficulties as well. My daughter was looking on Mapquest,www.mapquest.com, for Limavady, Ireland, because she was creating a map for a project. After insisting to me that Limavady was not in Ireland and that I must be wrong (something children love to do), I realized that she should be searching for Limavady in the United Kingdom, not in Ireland, as Limavady is in Northern Ireland. Boundary and geo-political changes in other parts in other parts of the world can create similar problems.

Do You Have the Right Spelling? Sometimes family historians “hold tight” to that one particular spelling, insisting that it is the “only one” and that those with a “wrong” spelling either cannot be the same person or are not related. As much as it irritates me, my last name is occasionally listed as “Neil,” “Neal,” “O'Neill,” and a variety of other spellings--particularly in old records. The sooner one learns to accept these variants and to search for them, the fewer brick walls they will have. And remember, if your ancestor was illiterate, he couldn't read how his name was written anyway.

Do You Know What You Are Doing? Our friends and relatives may occasionally wonder if we know what we are doing, but there is a serious side to this question. If you are researching in an area where you are unfamiliar with the history, culture, or records, you are at a serious disadvantage. You are also significantly increasing the chances of interpreting something incorrectly and researching in the wrong direction.

A few years ago in this column, we discussed the importance of learning about the time period and culture when a mid-eighteenth century will from Virginia was analyzed. The female writer of the will did not mention any real estate and her inventory did not list any real estate because at the time women were not allowed to own property and consequently could not bequeath any real property in a will.

It is always an excellent idea to learn about the time and place in which our ancestors lived.

Do You Know What the Word Means? Are you absolutely certain you are interpreting a word in the proper historical and social context? Is the word a legal term with which you are not familiar? An incorrect interpretation may send you down the wrong path.

Are You Disorganized? For some of us, this is a loaded question. The stacks of paper on our desktop attest to our organizational skills. Research that is highly unorganized and done in a haphazard fashion is apt to be inefficient and unsuccessful. It is also important to organize the information one has located in order to see patterns and trends that will not be obvious when the records are analyzed individually.

Do You Have the Right Person? Sometimes more than one individual with the same name lived in the same location, and the two can easily be confused by a researcher two hundred years later. Is your confusion resulting from “merging” two different people together? First cousins (particularly males who share the same paternal grandfather) can easily have the same first and last name. If the last name is Smith or Jones, there can easily be several unrelated contemporary people with the same name in the same location.

Do You Have the Correct Pronunciation? If your ancestor's native language was not the language of the country where he lived and not the language in which his records were written, confusion can result. The town of Kisa, Sweden, can very easily be pronounced to where it sounds like “Cheesuh,” As a result, the name of the village might be spelled starting with the letters “Ch” instead of “K.” If your ancestor's place of birth on a death record cannot be located, consider that the spelling on an English language record may be how a native English speaker interpreted a non-English word. Obtaining a guide to how letters are pronounced in a foreign language can be good start to overcoming this type of stumbling block.

Did Someone Get Remarried? Multiple marriages of ancestors can create brick walls. If your ancestor was widowed or divorced, there is always a chance that he or she married again. Keep in mind that hard times and lack of financial support may have easily resulted in a marriage of convenience, if not outright necessity. This subsequent marriage may have meant the addition of stepchildren to the family and the informal changing of the last names of some children. All of these things can result in confusion for the researcher five generations later.

Do You Have Hidden Assumptions? It is easy to make assumptions, and often they are necessary to get our research started. The downside to assumptions is that if we are not careful, they can migrate from the “land of assumption” to the “land of fact.” Assumptions that have accidentally become facts often do not go back to being assumptions.

To clean out your assumptions and become more aware of some you might have been overlooking, write down everything you “know” about an ancestor or a problem. Then find the sources you have to prove each statement. Are there statements for which you have no direct proof? Is it possible to verify these statements using a combination of documents and reasonable logic? If not, then you have assumptions left. Is it possible that some of these assumptions are incorrect? Even if they are not, a careful analysis may indicate that the remaining assumptions at least need to be modified.

Give Them a Rest After all, most of your ancestors are dead and they are not going anywhere anytime soon. One final approach (and a favorite of mine) is to work on another family and then come back to the brick wall person a few weeks (or months) later. Sometimes time is the greatest destructive force that can be applied to a brick wall.

Recorded Genealogy Webinars

2011-11-27T15:59:00.001-06:00

CyberMonday Special--through 11:59 PM 28 November--25% discount. code: monday

Miss my recent webinars? The recorded version and the PDF version of the handout can be purchased for viewing at your convenience. Presentations are generally an hour long. Each one is normally priced at $8.50--that's the best rate for recorded webinars around--we don't have overhead costs to cover and there is no mailing or postage. Download is immediate!

Using US Census on Ancestry.com (NEW!)--This presentation discusses search tips and ideas for using the US Census at Ancestry.com. There is also discussion on organizing your search before you start typing names and information in search boxes. You can purchase the recorded version of the webinar as a Windows media file and the PDF handout for $8.50. Add to cart here.
Brick Walls from A to Z--This lecture is based upon my article "Brick Walls From A to Z" and is geared towards the somewhat experienced beginner to intermediate researcher. Just a list of ideas to get beyond your brick walls discussed alphabetically. Handout included. Add to cart here.
Local Land Records in Public Domain States--This lecture discusses obtaining, using, and interpreting local land records in areas of the United States from Ohio westward where land was originally in the public domain. This lecture is geared towards those who have some experience with land records--advanced beginning and intermediate researchers. $8.50 includes handout and hour-long lecture. Add to cart here.
DeedMapper (NEW!) Geared for the person who is not familiar with DeedMapper--which maps properties described in metes and bounds, allows users to map multiple parcels on the same map, manipulate plats, insert background images. This works through one example and discusses other features of the program. Add to cart here.
Barbara's Beaus and Gesche's Girls--Case study of two German immigrants to the American Midwest in the mid-19th century. For $8.50 you will be able to download the media file and the PDF version of the handout. Add to cart here.
Court Records-Pig Blood in the Snow. This lecture discusses American court records at the county level where cases were typically originally heard. Discusses cases of main genealogical relevance along with searching techniques. For $8.50 you will be able to download the media file and the PDF version of the handout. Add to cart here.
Seeing the Patterns-Organizing Your Information. This lecture discusses the problem-solving process and a variety of ways to organize your information with the intent of getting the research to notice overlooked clues, patterns, trends, and information. $8.50 includes handout and hour-long lecture. Add to cart here.
Determining Your Own Migration Trail/Chain (NEW!). You can purchase the recorded version of the webinar as a Windows media file and the handout as as PDF via this link for $7. This lecture discusses ways to find the names of your ancestor's associates and ways to determine how your ancestor fit into a larger chain of migration. Geared towards advanced beginners and intermediate researchers.$8.50 includes handout and hour-long lecture
Using the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Website (NEW!). You can purchase the recorded version of the webinar as a Windows media file and the handout as as PDF for $8.50. This lecture discusses effective search techniques for the site, how to formulate your searches, how to trouble-shoot searches, a search template, and what records patents in the BLM site can lead to. Add to cart.
The Missing 1840 Census Enumeration (NEW!). This webinar discusses a couple "missing" from the 1840 Census in Ohio and how they were eventually found and the indirect evidence used. A good overview of using land records to solve a "non-land record" problem with some points along the way about organization and visualization. Suggestions for additional research are also discussed. Add to cart.

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Upcoming webinar schedule is here.

You can also subscribe to my weekly newsletter Casefile Clues. It is sent as a PDF file and comes to your email.

NOTE-A PayPal account is NOT necessary. Just click the PayPal button and on the next page hit the button for "don't have a PayPal account" and use a credit card.

More are coming. My webinars and other genealogy webinars are listed on http://blog.geneawebinars.com/ it out.

Last 5 2011 Webinars for $30

2011-11-27T11:54:00.001-06:00

Sign up for our last 5 webinars in 2011 for only $30. Offer ends on 28 November. Dates and topics are:

30 November--Using US Passenger Lists at Ancestry.com
2 December--More Brickwalls From A to Z
9 December--American Naturalization Records before 1920
11 December--Creating Families from pre-1850 Census Records
16 December--Sarah and Susannah-Two 18th Century Virginia Women and Their Property

Those who miss or can't attend will receive complimentary links to download the webinar after the recording has been posted.

Details are here:

http://www.casefileclues.com/webinars_neill.htm

This link is the only one that will register at the $30 payment:

The $30 link is not on the webpage that describes the webinars.

Post Card From 1878

2011-11-26T17:30:00.001-06:00

This card was written to Herman Harms of Tioga, Hancock County, Illinois, by his brother-in-law, John Ufkes in 1878.

Dear brother and sisterin law

At first our greetings. We hope you all are in the pink. Weare also doing very well now. Come to visit us, if you are able to do so. Jannand Langmann (?) are also willing to once visit you. Write in return verysoon..

Greetings John (?)

[the writer was actually John Ufkes of Basco, Hancock County, Illinois]

The reverse side of the card showing the "postmark" of Basco, Ill.

Interviewing Grandma

2011-11-25T09:05:00.001-06:00

[reprinted from June of 2003]

from the Ancestry Daily News
Michael John Neill – 6/4/2003

Interviewing Grandma
Summer, along with family trips and reunions, is quickly approaching. This week we take a short look at obtaining oral information from relatives. While its accuracy is sometimes questionable, for most of us oral history is a great starting point to our family history. Even for those of us who've been researching for some time, there still are questions we probably need to ask. All family historians would do well to remember that oral history, when it still exists only in a person's mind, is the most fragile family history source we have.

An excellent way to preserve the interview (at least for the short term) is to record the interview on audio or videotape. While a transcription should be made, the tape frees the interviewer from taking copious notes during the interview.

Tips for Recording Oral Histories
1. Schedule the oral history session in advance. This gives the person time to reflect, and hopefully to remember more detail. It also gives the person time to locate family materials in their home.

2. Bring an audio or video recorder, and a pen or pencil and paper. If you want to use a recording device, make sure you get permission from the person you're interviewing before you show up on their doorstep, camera in hand. Take some notes even if you record the interview (you may need to refer to them during the interview if nothing else) and practice using the recorder before the interview.

3. Bring a list of questions in advance and consider sending some of them to the interviewee in advance as well. If you're taking notes on paper, leave space for the answers or number the questions and then number the answers on a separate sheet. You can also take notes on a laptop computer as long as your typing skills are sufficient.

4. Don't be afraid to let the interviewee get off the subject. You may get unexpected good stories this way. If necessary, gently steer your interviewee in the right direction if their digression has truly taken them far afield.

5. Don't push for answers. This may only aggravate the person and cause them to cease answering questions.

6. If it is clear that a question has upset the interviewee, back off. You might have inadvertently brought up a family skeleton. Unless you are trying to solve your great-grandfather's unsolved murder, remember that you are not conducting a police interrogation.

7. Exact dates can be difficult to remember. Try to have the person put the event in perspective relative to other events in their life—their marriage, the death of a parent, a war, etc. Forcing them to guess at dates is not in your best interest and approximate dates within the context of a chronology can perhaps be pinned down later with other records and historical sources.

8. When contacting the person, ask if they have any old pictures or family mementos. Bring along any you have as well. These may be fodder for additional conversation.

9. Keep the session reasonably short. Three hours at one sitting is probably too much. Send the person a follow-up thank you note, enclosing an SASE in case they care to jot anything else down and send it to you.

10. Consider taking a scanner or a digital camera. This may be an excellent way to make copies of photographs or documents that your interviewee may not wish to leave their house.

Avoid getting overly personal. There are some things a person would like to take to their grave with them.

Suggested Questions—Just to Get You Started

Childhood

Where and when were you born?

What do you recall about your childhood?

Where did you live and go to school?

How long did you attend school?

What do you remember best about your parents?

What did you and your siblings do in your spare time?

Did the family move around quite a bit?

What is your favorite childhood memory?

What styles of clothing did children wear then?

Family Traditions

Did your family have any special traditions?

Are there any family recipes that are particularly special?

Are there any heirlooms that have been passed down from one generation to another?

Growing Up

When did you leave home?

Why did you leave and where did you go?

How long did you attend school?

Did you have a favorite aunt/uncle?

How did your life change when you left home? Did you feel grown up? Were you a little scared?

When did you get married?

How did you meet your spouse?

Historical Events

Which significant historical events have taken place during your lifetime?

Did your parents have strong political feelings?

Were there wars, natural disasters, or political changes?

How did these events affect you?

Who was (is) your favorite president?

How was your life different after the war?

For whom did you cast your first vote?

Immigration (if relevant)

How old were you when you immigrated?

Who came with you?

Were you scared? How did you feel as you undertook this journey?

Were did you come from and where and when did you arrive?

How did you travel? How did you travel from the coast inland? How long did the trip take?

What was the biggest change you faced?

Did you have a difficult time adjusting?

Why did you or your family immigrate?

Did you ever wish you had never left?

What was the biggest adjustment you had to make?

Occupation

What did your parents do for a living?

Did your mother work outside the home?

Was your family financially comfortable?

How old were you when you got your first job?

What jobs have you had during your life?

Which job was your favorite?

Physical Characteristics

What physical characteristics do people in your family share?

Which family member do you resemble?

Earlier family members

Did you know your grandparents or great-grandparents?

What were their names?

Where did they live?

Why did they move from one location to another?

Religion

What part did religion play in your family?

What church did the family attend?

Were you very religious?

Did you go to religious services on a regular basis?

Other Possible Topics
Education, Politics, Military Service, Recreation, Family Pets, Traveling, Dating, Clothing, Family Recipes, Family Medical History, Marriage and Raising a Family, and just about anything else that is of interest to family members. Remember that the impact of national and regional events on the lives of your family members can bring out excellent information as well.

Some Additional Thoughts:

If the family moved, ask what caused the family to move?

If a parent died young, ask how this impacted the family?

If a sibling or relative was in a war, ask how this impacted the family?

Don't just ask for dates, names, and places. Ask for reasons or reactions. The reason or reaction can be more interesting than the specific event itself.

Ask "why" where appropriate, but avoid being overly personal.

No Leading Questions
Do not suggest the answer to the person answering the question. Questions like "Grandma was born in Ohio wasn't she?" can easily be answered "yes" when the person is actually not certain. Your goal is to get at an accurate rendering of what the person remembers. Asking for clarification to something you misunderstood is fine, suggesting an answer is not.

Ask!
Hopefully the courthouse, the library, and the cemetery will be around for a while. Grandma might not be. If she has information in her head you haven't tried to get out, make an effort. Now I have a few relatives myself I need to interview, including a few first cousins of my parents and grandparents. Don't forget the "shirttail" kin as well.

Websites
Cyndi's List
www.cyndislist.com/oral.htm

Sample Copies of Casefile Clues

2011-11-24T23:55:00.001-06:00

We've initiated new download procedures for free samples of Casefile Clues.

Visit this page, click "checkout" and enter your email (name is actually optional).

You will not be asked for a credit card or any other information.

Your email will not be shared.

Recent Webinars in M4V format

2011-11-23T11:58:00.001-06:00

Recorded Copies of Recent Webinars in M4V format

Miss my recent webinars? The recorded version and the PDF version of the handout can be purchased for viewing at your convenience. Presentations are generally an hour long. Each one is normally priced at $8.50--that's the best rate for recorded webinars around--we don't have overhead costs to cover and there is no mailing or postage.

If you need M4V format, email me at mjnrootdig@gmail.com, tell me what webinars you'd like and I'll send an invoice.

If you CAN view windows media files, order here for immediate download.

Using US Census on Ancestry.com (NEW!)--This presentation discusses search tips and ideas for using the US Census at Ancestry.com. There is also discussion on organizing your search before you start typing names and information in search boxes. You can purchase the recorded version of the webinar as a Windows media file and the PDF handout for $8.50.
Brick Walls from A to Z--This lecture is based upon my article "Brick Walls From A to Z" and is geared towards the somewhat experienced beginner to intermediate researcher. Just a list of ideas to get beyond your brick walls discussed alphabetically. Handout included.
Local Land Records in Public Domain States--This lecture discusses obtaining, using, and interpreting local land records in areas of the United States from Ohio westward where land was originally in the public domain. This lecture is geared towards those who have some experience with land records--advanced beginning and intermediate researchers. $8.50 includes handout and hour-long lecture.
DeedMapper (NEW!) Geared for the person who is not familiar with DeedMapper--which maps properties described in metes and bounds, allows users to map multiple parcels on the same map, manipulate plats, insert background images. This works through one example and discusses other features of the program.
Barbara's Beaus and Gesche's Girls--Case study of two German immigrants to the American Midwest in the mid-19th century. For $8.50 you will be able to download the media file and the PDF version of the handout.
Court Records-Pig Blood in the Snow. This lecture discusses American court records at the county level where cases were typically originally heard. Discusses cases of main genealogical relevance along with searching techniques. For $8.50 you will be able to download the media file and the PDF version of the handout.
Seeing the Patterns-Organizing Your Information. This lecture discusses the problem-solving process and a variety of ways to organize your information with the intent of getting the research to notice overlooked clues, patterns, trends, and information. $8.50 includes handout and hour-long lecture.
Determining Your Own Migration Trail/Chain (NEW!). You can purchase the recorded version of the webinar as a Windows media file and the handout as as PDF file. This lecture discusses ways to find the names of your ancestor's associates and ways to determine how your ancestor fit into a larger chain of migration. Geared towards advanced beginners and intermediate researchers.$8.50 includes handout and hour-long lecture
Using the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Website (NEW!). You can purchase the recorded version of the webinar as a Windows media file and the handout as as PDF for $8.50. This lecture discusses effective search techniques for the site, how to formulate your searches, how to trouble-shoot searches, a search template, and what records patents in the BLM site can lead to.
The Missing 1840 Census Enumeration (NEW!). This webinar discusses a couple "missing" from the 1840 Census in Ohio and how they were eventually found and the indirect evidence used. A good overview of using land records to solve a "non-land record" problem with some points along the way about organization and visualization. Suggestions for additional research are also discussed.
PREORDER--Using US Passenger lists on Ancestry.com (NEW!)--will ship on 19 November 2011-

More are coming. My webinars and other genealogy webinars are listed onhttp://blog.geneawebinars.com/ it out.

My Tilley-Howland Mayflower Lineage

2011-11-22T21:21:00.001-06:00

This is one other Mayflower lineage--again through my great-grandmother Trautvetter.

1) John Tilley (1571 Henlow, England--first winter at Plymouth ) and Joan Hurst  (1567/8 Henlow, England--first winter at Plymouth )
2) Elizabeth Tilley (1607 Henlow, England-1687 Swansea, MA)  and John Howland  ( )
3) Hope Howland  (1629 Plymouth-1683 Barnstable, MA ) and John Hale Chipman  (1621 Dorchester, England-1708 Sandwich, MA )
4) Lydia Chipman  (1653 Barnstable, MA-1730 Barnstable, MA ) and John Sargent  (1639 Charlestown, MA-1716 Malden, MA )
5) Samuel Sargent (1688-Malden, MA-1721 Malden, MA )  and Elizabeth Pratt  (1693 Malden, MA-1760 Chelsea, MA )
6) Thomas Sargent (1720 Malden, MA-1795) and Tabitha Tuttle (1724 Chelsea, MA -1804 Hubbardston, MA)
7) Samuel Sargent (1748 Hubbardston, MA -1819 Marlboro, NH) and Deborah Sylvester (1751 Leicester, MA-1791 Marlboro, NH)
8) Samuel Sargent (1774 Ashby, MA-1841) and Sarah Gibson (1774 Ashby, MA-1847)
9) Clark Sargent (1805-1847 Winnebago County, IL) and Mary Dingman
10) William Ira Sargent (abt. 1845 Ontario-1916 Peoria County, IL) and Ellen Butler
11) Ida Mae Sargent (1874-1939 Quincy, IL) and George Trautvetter (1869 Tioga, IL-1934 Jacksonville, IL)
12) Ida Trautvetter (1910 Hancock County, IL-1994 Carthage, Hancock, IL) and Cecil Neill (1903 Stillwell, Hancock, IL-1968 Keokuk, IA)
Ida Trautvetter Neill was my paternal grandmother. I've got at least one more Mayflower lineage I may get around to posting as well.

One Mayflower Lineage--Allerton

2011-11-22T14:26:00.001-06:00

Given the time of year, I'll re-post this post from last year. This is one of my Mayflower lines, none of which I knew about until I was able to finally able a couple of years ago to find the marriage record of Ira Sargent and Ellen Butler--generation 10 below.

1) Isaac Allerton (1586-1659 New Haven, CT) and Mary Norris (1588-1622 Plymouth, MA).

2) Remember Allerton (1614 Leiden, Holland-?) and Moses Maverick (died 1686 Marblehead, MA)

3) Abigial Maverick ( 1644 Salem, MA-1685 Salem, MA) and Samuel Ward (1638 Hingham, MA-1690 Quebec)

4) Martha Ward (1672 Salem, MA-1723 Ipswich, MA) and John Tuttle (1666 Ipswich-1715 Ipswich, MA)

5) Samuel Tuttle (1691 Boston, MA-1742 Chelsea, MA) and Abigal Floyd (1691 Chelsea, MA -1773 Chelsea, MA)

6) Tabitha Tuttle (1724 Chelsea, MA -1804 Hubbardston, MA) and Thomas Sargent (1720 Malden, MA-1795)

7) Samuel Sargent (1748 Hubbardston, MA -1819 Marlboro, NH) and Deborah Sylvester (1751 Leicester, MA-1791 Marlboro, NH)

8) Samuel Sargent (1774 Ashby, MA-1841) and Sarah Gibson (1774 Ashby, MA-1847)

9) Clark Sargent (1805-1847 Winnebago County, IL) and Mary Dingman

10) William Ira Sargent (abt. 1845 Ontario-1916 Peoria County, IL) and Ellen Butler

11) Ida Mae Sargent (1874-1939 Quincy, IL) and George Trautvetter (1869 Tioga, IL-1934 Jacksonville, IL)

12) Ida Trautvetter (1910 Hancock County, IL-1994 Carthage, Hancock, IL) and Cecil Neill (1903 Stillwell, Hancock, IL-1968 Keokuk, IA)

Ida Trautvetter Neill was my paternal grandmother. I've got at least one more Mayflower lineage I may get around to posting as well.

The Garden of John DeMoss

2011-11-22T09:43:00.001-06:00

"For Value received of my SonJohn Demoss Junr..."

This is part of what is on the back of a patent for property in Harford County, Maryland.

This property was apparently settled by John Demoss . in 1789 when it was surveyed. It was patented to John Demoss Jr. in1802 as "Demosses Garden."

The patent itself is interesting, but the acknowledgement here that John Demoss was the father of John Demoss Jr. solidifies the connect between the two men. One can never assume that a Sr. is the father of a Jr. In this case, the father leaves no will or estate settlement which is what a person would typically use to make parent-child connections when real estate is owned.

Not all patents include information on parent-child relationships on the reverse. In this case, John had the property surveyed, but before the patent could be issued, he transferred it to John. There's no REAL reason that the relationship between the two men had to be stated. I was fortunate that it did.

I'm wondering if John Sr. actually owned no real estate at his demise and that's the reason for no will or estate settlement. It also looks like John Sr. had no other children, or at least none that survived to adulthood. This statement is supposition on my part and only based on the fact that there are no Demosses in the area of approximately John's age and "generation."

I'm working on an analysis of John Demoss' property for an upcoming issue of Casefile Clues.

The image below is a screen shot indicating the source. In the newsletter, we include complete citations. Sometimes on the blog we don't. Clicking on the image will pull up a larger version.

William Rampley's Bridge Relief in 1837

2011-11-21T19:53:00.001-06:00

Turns out that the "relief" that William Rampley requested in 1837 centered around the building of a bridge in Harford County, Maryland.

Petitions to the state legislature could result from many things--I was hoping for a mention of a pension, but no go.

The payment for the building of a bridge is still interesting. The image from the Laws of Maryland follows:

This comes from the Session Laws 1837, Volume 601, page 48--located on the Maryland State Archives website.

1831 Relief of William Rampley

2011-11-21T19:38:00.001-06:00

A search on Genealogy Bank indicated that there was an act passed in the December 1837 session regarding a William Rampley. This item was located by performing a Genealogy Search on their site.

The item regarding William Rampley is 51 on this list.

The item was actually published in 1838, a few months after the act was passed. I'm not exactly certain what the Act was--we'll put that on the list and see. The Maryland State Archives may have additional information. Stay tuned.

And remember that you never know what you'll find in the newspaper.

Source:

Date: 1838-04-28;

Paper: Easton Gazette

Ostfriesian First Name Poem

2011-11-19T22:19:00.001-06:00

I first encountered this poem while searching the issues of the Ostfriesische Nachrichten for something or other in the 1903 issues. To find a poem comprised entirely of Ostfriesen first names was highly unusual, so I made a copy and transcribed it.

I've always loved the sound of the Platt first names--interestingly enough, my great-grandmother's name of Tjode is not on the list, but most of my other Ostfriesian ancestor's names are. The name of Uf(f)ke, from which my mother's maiden name is derived as a patronym is not on the list either, but most others are. My maternal ancestors all hail from Ostfriesland, most from in and around Wiesens, Holtrop, Wrisse, etc.

Any errors in the transcription are mine.

From the 1 September 1903 issue

of the Ostfriesche Nachrichten [Breda, Iowa]

Ostfriesen Names

Men's Names

Berend, Borjes, Himel,

Tonjes, Dorjes, Ihmel,

Oeke, Eike, Wielf,

Esdert, Gerjet, Stielf,

Untel, Garbrand, Wiebrand,

Ifebrand, Haat, Siebrand.

Evert, Ulfert, Eilert, Klaas,

Luppe, Mehme, Onke, Staas,

Onntje, Tiele, Harm, Tettrino,

Janto, Lubbert, Rickert, Krino,

Geffe, Remier, Dicke, Meimert,

Eielt, Swittert, Swirt, undWeinert.

Pupt und Koert,

Ulpt und Loert,

Jibbe, Jabbe,

Hibbe, Habbe,

Reipert, Focke,

Geike, Ocke,

Koob und Sweert,

Jan und Geerd.

Wirtje, Watje, Woltje, Wene,

Uptet, Eiffe, Henffen, Hene,

Suntje, Jurke, Steffen, Ee,

Silke, Liebte, Engelke, Thee,

Meine, Hootje, Harber, Hedlef,

Sjamme, Lutet, Aalef, Detlef.

Hilfert, Uelert, Ulert, Girk,

Tinnelt, Remert, Lammert, Dirk,

Eicke, Wilcke, Brunte, Weert,

Zobe, Zebe, Ehren, Leert,

Wiebt, Wobias, Wenert, Meus,

Folkert, Frerich, Uidt,Thaleus.

Lutjen, Casjen, Soke,

Melchert, Garrelt, Foke,

Luhre, Ucke, Tamme,

Ubben, Fehde, Mamme,

Ede, Jelde, Onne,

Danje, Eute, Bonne.

Tato, Fiepto, Thilko,

Onno, Otto, Wilko,

Odo, Poppe, Renko,

Jarto, Enno, Menke,

Fieke, Ockje,

Dirtje, Focktje,

Almt, Gertje,

Olligtie, Weertje,

Moderte, Elske,

Jenningtje, Knellste.

Thalke, Sarke, Lamke,

Reenste, Brechtje, Samke,

Eie, Roolfte, Ecke,

Tonna, Wilmke, Becke,

Meemte, Lootje, Lientje,

Jantje, Harmke, Mientje.

Jabbo, Hano, Emme,

Habbo, Nanno, Hemmo,

Jibbo, Dodo, Eicko,

Hibbo, Uno, Henko.

Meiel, Weffel, Ottig, Meine,

Melmer, Bohle, Seven, Heine,

Tebbe, Eiffe, Eve, Ecke,

Hauwe, Weintje, Jellste, Decke.

Jbeling, Eitl, Bemer, Bene,

Folkert, Jellrich, Hinrich,Meme,

Tone, Jilde, Borchert, Fiehe,

Hennsmann, Oltmann, Tard undHene,

Louth, Cozard, Siefke, Enne,

Julf, Eggo, Remmer, Menne,

Sede, Brune, Freert, Eteus,

Mennte, Mimke, Roolf, Poppen

Women's Names

Wibke, Wocbke, Wubcke,

Roste, Imte, Lubke,

Swantje, Feentje, Haute,

Geelte, Tiede, Bauke,

Aaltje, Jilfte, Petje,

Tjabbend, Lieste, Gretje.

Bilda, Wea,

Wiemda, Kea,

Thea, Mina,

Hilka, Stina,

Tjalde, Manna,

Truda, Sunna,

Bena, Sina,

Hemke, Tina,

Berenda, Peta,

Lumka, Reta.

Antje, Geske, Gebke, Baufte,

Abte, Tatje, Rante, Aafte,

Hiemke, Hinte, Rerte, Theeste,

Rinnett, Wendel, Engle, Reeste,

Meifte, Jellfte, Greitje,Hientje,

Amke, Anke, Hille, Stientje.

Barber, Sieber, Dever, Hemke,

Bartje, Moder, Meite, Wemke,

Eimde, Lubje, Sieverte, Feike,

Sjante, True, Boke, Jeike,

Bete, Rinne, Betje, Lumke,

Aalfte, Tatje, Infe, Wumke,

Tede, Diene, Elmerich,

-------------

I have often used the poem to help me tell whether a first name is a male or female name, although after some years of experience, I am pretty good at name differentiation without having to refer to the poem.

Platt first names are unusual and I'm glad to have the poem as (in some cases), it helps me to get an idea of how a certain name was said.

The author is not listed on the poem.

And as my ancestors used to say, "Eala Frya Fresena."

"Lever dood as Slaav"

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Feel free to link to this post. The URL is: http://rootdig.blogspot.com/2011/11/ostfriesian-first-name-poem.html

Please do not just copy and paste the poem.