Where Is the Land the Estate Record Mentions?

This is part of the receipts from the estate of Thomas J. Rampley in Coshocton County, Ohio, in the 1820s. The $45  for "...Amount recd from Sale of real estate" had never made sense to me as I could not find any mention of Thomas in the local land or property tax records.

It could have been that the real estate mentioned in the estate record was in another location and that I simply needed to look outside Coshocton County.  That was on my long-term "to do list."

It turns out Thomas did not have real estate outside Coshocton County. Thomas had started the purchase of federal property in Coshocton County on credit and had not finished the purchase by his death. His estate had an interest in the property at the time of his death, but because the purchase had not been completed, he did not have title. The $45 is the same amount that is paid for his claim as indicated by records of the former General Land Office.

The lesson?

When I see amounts in an estate settlement that are received from real estate and cannot find local records documenting that real estate, and the time period and location is right, I should determine if the person involved had purchased federal land on credit. They could be living on the land and would be a resident of the county in which the land is located, but would not appear in the local land records or property tax records until they had completed the purchase.

I also need to consider that the person had land in another county.

Don't Be Indifferent About Transcriptions

Several years ago, I wrote about a 1922  baptismal entry from a Roman Catholic church in Chicago, Illinois. There were several conclusions based upon the transcription of that entry that I received from the church, along with other information I had from the family. Those conclusions were partially based upon the belief that the transcript (shown below) was complete:

The conclusions will not be stated here in their entirety, but essentially I concluded that Theodore Hoontes (an uncle of Anna Apgar by marriage) had traveled from Clinton County, New York, to be at the baptism and that the baptism had been performed in 1922 in preparation for the mother's marriage later that year in the Roman Catholic church.

Not exactly.

The transcript that I received was not complete.The records of this church were some that were recently released by FamilySearch on their website in their collection of Roman Catholic records from the City of Chicago.

Anna was baptized on the same day as her older siblings, Elizabeth, Lillian, and Louis Apgar. That detail was not on the transcription. And, the notation in the baptismal entry(made by the priest) indicated that the children had been attending school when it was discovered they were not baptized and that "the Sisters" had encouraged them to be baptized. The notation continues to say that the godfather Theodore Hoontes was not present at the baptism and that "Mrs. Esther McCasland," sister of the mother of the children, acted as sponsor. Mrs. Apgar is referred to by the priest as an "indifferent Catholic." She and Mr. Apgar were married by a Justice of the Peace in 1909 and he left the family in 1916.

Based upon this statement, my theory about the timing of the baptism will need to be revised. My theory that Hoontes was visiting Chicago at the time of the baptism is incorrect as well.

Lessons

Transcriptions can be incomplete and any conclusions that are based on transcriptions are always subject to revisions.

The Genealogy Proof Standard indicates that any "fact" is always subject to revision--particularly if additional information comes to light.

New or Updated On FamilySearch

The following items are posting as new or updated on FamilySearch today:


Ohio, Southern District Naturalization Index, 1852-1991

Indiana, Ripley, Osgood, Greendale Cemetery Records, 1861-2007

Missouri, Cole County Circuit Court Case Files, 1820-1926

Genealogy Tip of the Day Makes Top 40 Genealogy Blogs

Our sister site, "Genealogy Tip of the Day" made the list of Top 40 genealogy blogs and we are celebrating! Through 11:59 PM Central on 18 April 2013, purchase genealogy webinars and only pay 40% of the original price! Coupon code is forty.  Grow your genealogy skills today.

Our list of webinars is here:

http://rootdig.blogspot.com/2012/08/updated-list-of-genealogy-webinars.html

You can view the presentations at your convenience after they have been downloaded. It is not necessary to view them immediately and you can view them as many times as you want.


View the list of all 40 top blogs here
http://www.familytreemagazine.com/article/Top-40-Genealogy-Blogs-2013

Thanks!

Michael

Comparing a Fold3 Image with a Color Image From NARA-Part I

These two images are from testimony given by William Ehmen in the homestead application of Fokke Goldensetin in Dawson County, Nebraska. The first is from  Fold3.com and the second is from color scans I had made by a researcher at the National Archives.

Over the next several weeks, we will be looking at several examples of  Fold3.com images versus color images made at the National Archives. This may be one case where color doesn't "add" too much to my use of the document, but I really think that color enhances the image and I think that the scans I received are more "crisp" than the  Fold3.com images. 

I also wish that when these records were being scanned, which is viewed by many as "preserving" them that those scans be made in color. 

[click on the image to view in a larger window]

image from homestead application of Fokke Goldenstein, Dawson County, Nebraska, obtained on Fold3.com

image from homestead application of Fokke Goldenstein, Dawson County, Nebraska, obtained from the National Archives

Personally, I think the color enhances my user experience. As we will see in later postings, color makes it easier to tell when multiple individuals have written on a document.

Stay tuned.

Enhancing the Seal

With the permission of the creator of the altered images, I have posted three attempts to enhance the seal on the copy of a naturalization record found in the homestead application of Focke Goldenstein in Dawson County, Nebraska.

The seal was not immediately apparent on the scan I obtained--but the document did indicate there was a seal on it and it was apparent the "seal" was not one of those drawn by hand. If it had been, I would have seen it much easier. The County Judge indicated that the certification was "given under my hand and seal." His "hand" refers to his signature.

The "seal" is in the circle which was drawn by me on the image below.

Of the three attempts, the last one (I think) makes the stamp the easiest to read.

attempt 1--not to be re-used without permission

attempt 1--not to be re-used without permission

attempt 1--not to be re-used without permission

It states "Seal of the County Court Dawson County Nebraska." The words "Seal of the County Court" run across the top of the circle and "Dawson County" is on the bottom of the circle with the word "Nebraska" above the words "Dawson County."

Careful readers will even be able to read part of the reverse side of the document.

I'm still waiting for that three-dimensional scanner.

These images were obtained from Goldenstein's homestead file

The altered images were posted with permission of the creator, who will remain anonymous, unless they wish to identify themselves. We thank them for helping us out!

Citation reminder: We are a strong believer in citing genealogical source material in the spirit of Evidence Explained. However, we choose not to include properly formatted citations in these blog posts. There's always enough information in the post to create a citation and full citations are included in my how-to newsletter Casefile Clues. 

Updated On FamilySearch

This database is showing as "new or updated" on FamilySearch--I know it's been there a while, so I'm guessing it is an update:


Nebraska, Marriages, 1855-1995

Where Are My Three-Dimensional Copies

One of the drawbacks of any image reproduction is that there may be details that simply do not come across. Two dimensional copies are just that, two dimensional.

Sometimes those bumps contain clues as well.

Do you see the raised seal on this image scan?

Maybe we need a three dimensional copier.

A "Copy" of An Illinois Naturalization Made in a Nebraska Court

This is the fourth set of copies I have from the homestead file of Focke and Anna Goldenstein in Dawson County, Nebraska. Hopefully it is the last set I ever get. 

I have:

• Paper copies made by my great-aunt in the 1970s when her husband was researching his genealogy to join the Sons of the American Revolution (my great-aunt went with him and looked up a few things on her own family).
• Paper copies I obtained myself in the early 1990s because I was unaware of the earlier set of copies made by my great-aunt.
• Digital copies from Fold3.com,
• This set of color images. 

In a post later this week, we will compare these images with those from Fold3.com. Fold3.com does not have color images and (as of this writing) the only names in the index are to the actual applicant who completed the homestead process But this record has got me thinking of questions for which I do not have answers.

There are three images shown in this post. The larger image is the entire front of the document. The two smaller images are what appears on the back of this one-page document.

Naturalization record of Focke J. Goldenstein, obtained in his homestead application file

Goldenstein had to prove his citizenship before his homestead application could be approved. This document apparently has the actual seal of the Dawson County, Nebraska Court on it.

The document appears to have been one printed on blank forms for use in Illinois. However, if Goldenstein had obtained this copy in Illinois, it should have had the actual seal from Knox County, Illinois, on it--instead of the word "Seal" written on it. In other homestead files where the applicant was a naturalized citizen, I've seen the actual naturalization papers or a certified handwritten copy made by a local official where the homestead application was being completed. Those copies are usually certified transcriptions where it is clear that the entire thing was handwritten from a copy the applicant had. This document does not quite appear to be a copy like that. It would be odd for the Nebraska court official to have blank forms for Illinois on hand.

We will have more on this document in later posts. We've not even touched the following issues:

• Why was Goldenstein's age at immigration important?
• Why did he naturalize in Knox County, Illinois?
• Who were his witnesses?

All of those questions have implications for the genealogist--and, for the most part, I know the answers to those questions. It is just the nature of this "copy" of Goldenstein's naturalization that has caused a few questions to arise in my mind. 

And, here's our citation:

Citation reminder: We are a strong believer in citing genealogical source material in the spirit of Evidence Explained. However, we choose not to include properly formatted citations in these blog posts. There's always enough information in the post to create a citation and full citations are included in my how-to newsletter Casefile Clues. 

4 Fundamental Webinars Released

These presentations are short--approximately 20 minutes in length. The intent is to cover a narrow topic quickly for those who benefit best from presentations that are not an hour long. Presentations are clear and to the point--handouts included.

• 1940 Census Citations--$2.25
• 1900-1930 Census Citations-$2.25
• 1880 Census Citations--$2.25
• 1840 Census Citations--$2.25

If you pre-reordered these, you should have received links for download. Please email me at mjnrootdig@gmail.com if you have not. There are two more in this series that are scheduled for release early this week. 

It Is Not Enough To Say "No"

I have always believed that it was not enough in any type of summary about an ancestor to simply make a statement like, they were "not located in the 1870 census" or they were not located "in Civil War pension records." I realize that there are professional genealogists who think that the research process does not need to be included in the research report. I think it does matter. Readers of the report need to know on what basis the "couldn't find him" statement was made and it is impossible to do that unless the report includes what records were accessed and how those records were searched. Knowing that is more than just about evaluating the research--it also helps to evaluate the researcher.

Do I need to tell readers of the report that I accessed the index at 3:00 a.m. while in my sleep attire? No But I do need to tell readers that I believe George Trautvetter did not receive a Civil War pension because I looked in the following places in the following ways:

• Pension Payment Card Index--searched the digital version of the cards at www.familysearch.org for name variants as listed in name variant list.
• Unit Index to Pensions--searched the digital version of the cards at www.fold3.com for name variants as indicated in name variant list.
• Name variant list--here I would list all the variants of Trautvetter that I search for in indexes of this type.

If these were part of an actual research report, I would include the actual titles of the finding aids and would flesh out the website information more than I have here. The name variant list would include spelling variants of the name that I use when searching any finding aid, whether in print or digital format.

It is not long and it is not difficult to write. But it sure beats simply saying "didn't find it" in a research report on George Trautvetter. It is imperative that we include complete accurate citations when material is located--that's done to assist the reader of the report in analyzing the search process. 

But is also imperative, in my opinion, that we include details of our search process when there is "no" result. 

New or Updated on FamilySearch

New or updated on FamilySearch since our last update:

Illinois, Chicago, Catholic Church Records, 1833-1925

Massachusetts, State Census, 1855

Missouri, County Naturalization Records, 1883-1927

New England, Petitions for Naturalization, 1787-1906

Ohio, Probate Records, 1789-1996

United States Social Security Death Index

Vermont, Addison County and District Probate Files, 1845-1915

Half of Webinar Sales Donated To Cyndislist

I've known Cyndi Howells of Cyndislist fame for over fifteen years--back when she was one page. She's recently had a variety of expenses associated with her site recently, so I've decided to help her out.

Half of all webinar purchases made after you visit this page go directly to Cyndislist to help with upgrade fees and various other expenses. There is never a charge to use Cyndislist. You can even type in coupon code "cyndislist" to get $2.50 off your order.

But don't wait, this offer ends on 15 April  2013

New On FamilySearch-Alabama Estate Files

New on FamilySearch since our last update:

Alabama, Estate Files, 1830-1976

Local Names of Illinois Military Organizations During the Civil War

Do you have an ancestor in an Illinois Civil War unit with a "non-standard" name. This list of "local names of military organization" for Illinois units appeared in Volume 1 of the Illinois Adjutant General's Report, published in 1900.

The window below should take you to the section of the book on GoogleBooks.

Is That Ernie?

Transcription is a thankless task and difficult to do.

But one need to keep the time period in mind. Ancestry.com's index lists this name underlined in red as "Ernie Trautvetter." I'm thankful they read the last name as "Trautvetter."

But Ernie as the first name? While I've done no studies, Ernie as a first name in 1864 would be highly suspect, especially for someone born in 1824.

It appears this name should be transcribed as "Emil," which is the correction I submitted.

Another time where ignoring first names while searching is a good idea.

And why when transcribing information it is always good to think about the plausibility of the name being what you think it is. Sometimes getting a "feel" for those old names comes only with practice.

Citation reminder: We are a strong believer in citing genealogical source material in the spirit of Evidence Explained. However, we choose not to include properly formatted citations in these blog posts. There's always enough information in the post to create a citation and full citations are included in my how-to newsletter Casefile Clues. 

Update on ELCA Records at Archives.com

My earlier email to the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) archivist did elicit a response and he indicated similar concerns to the ones that I had and also indicated he had expressed those concerns to Archives.com.

I'm still waiting for a response from Archives.com.

These are wonderful records, but the way they have been made available digitally does a disservice to those of us who would like to use them effectively in our research. At this point, I'm almost hesitant to blog about my findings in these records.

Color me not overly happy.

New On FamilySearch

New on FamilySearch since our last update:

New Mexico, County Marriages, 1885-1954

Oregon, Tillamook County Records, 1854-1967

New Free Sample of Casefile Clues

If it's been a while since you've taken a look at my how-to newsletter, Casefile Clues, we've put a new sample up for download. Simply hit "checkout with PayPal," you'll be prompted for an email to send you the link (you can make up a name if you wish--I'll never know), but you will not be asked for a credit card or other information of that type.

There Are More Fountains than I Thought

Sometimes perspective helps.

A relative for whom I was searching was enumerated as Fountain in the 1850 U.S. Census. His place of birth was born in Germany.

To give myself a little perspective, I performed a few searches in the 1860 U. S. Census at Ancestry.com. I really should have searched the 1850, but the commentary is still valid and I gained the perspective I wanted about how common the name was--or wasn't.

It is easy to see from the number of individuals with various first names, that Fountain was fairly unusual in 1860.  I was fairly certain the name was not all that common, but sometimes analysis shows that assumptions are incorrect.The first names chosen for this informal analysis were done at random. There was no statistical method to this little exercise.

First name	Matches in 1860 US Census Ancestry.com database
John	1,523,058
Mary	1,905,790
Thomas	343,857
George	519, 179
Samuel	209,527
Elizabeth	593, 181
Sarah	803,097
William	820,962
Hannah	158,625
Anna	189,644
Fountain	752

In 1860, there were only two Fountains born in Germany. Based upon that, I concluded that "Fountain" was a very rare German first name or could have been an Anglicization, a spelling error, or a transcription error. Based upon this brief analysis, I concluded that the 1850 census reference to a German native named "Fountain" was probably incorrect. 

There may be more clues in  Ancestry.com than just first and last names.

Can A Picture Prejudice the Jury?

An Indiana judge ruled in 1905 that the publication of an artist's sketch of an adult defendant in an ongoing court case could not be published. Part of the reasoning stemmed from the fact that the case had received a significant amount of coverage in the local newspaper before the trial.

On 10 January 1905, Judge Rasch approved a restraining order forbidding the Evansville Courier and Press from publishing a likeness of Gustave Trautvetter.

Date: Wednesday, January 11, 1905  

Paper: Evansville Courier and Press (Evansville, IN)

from  Genealogybank.com

The judge's order:

Date: Wednesday, January 11, 1905  

Paper: Evansville Courier and Press (Evansville, IN) 

from  Genealogybank.com

Genealogy note: There is always the chance that this order was transcribed incorrectly and, if this were a case I was researching the newspaper account would not substitute for the actual court records. Note that the order is supposedly dated January of 1904 according to the paper. Was that the newspaper's error or the clerk's?

The artist's self-portrait sufficed.

The Evansville Courier and Press printed instead this sketch the artist made of himself with his hands tied behind his back and his sketch book tied shut:

Date: Wednesday, January 11, 1905  

Paper: Evansville Courier and Press (Evansville, IN)

from  Genealogybank.com

The argument made by Trautvetter's lawyers was essentially that Trautvetter had already received enough notoriety regarding the case and that the picture would only add to that and that it would unduly influence the jury. Trautvetter was accused of assaulting a 12-year old child that was living with him and his wife. 

The paper was allowed to print the picture on 14 January 1905 because the jury, deadlocked by one juror, declared they could not reach a verdict and the judge ordered a new trial.

This is the picture that caused all the fuss. Trautvetter and his wife are shown in the foreground in the picture below.

Date: Saturday, January 14, 1905  

Paper: Evansville Courier and Press (Evansville, IN) from  Genealogybank.com 

How prejudicial is the picture? Only one juror in the trial that ended on 13 January 1905 thought Trautvetter was guilty.

We'll have an update on the actual result second trial. My interest in Gustave is extremely peripheral as he is not a known member of my Trautvetter family and I only came across this reference on Genealogybank.com while searching for references to my own family.

Arriving in 1817 from Maryland or Virginia

The problem with looking in just one book is that one book can always be wrong--completely or partially. 

Two histories of Coshocton County, Ohio, mention my ancestor Thomas Rampley (he is actually referred to as Thomas "Ramphey" in both publications making one wonder if there was not a certain amount of copying going on). Both agree that Thomas arrived in 1817-- but they differ in the details.

The 1876 reference, shown above, indicates that Rampley came with John Demoss and Crispin Tredaway and their respective families to Coshocton County's Jackson Township in the fall of 1817. Demoss and Rampley were brothers-in-law. Rampley did make an initial payment on federal property in November of 1817 when he is styled as "of Coshocton County, Ohio." The men mentioned above were from Harford County, but just because there are some facts in this reference that are correct does not mean that other facts are necessarily on the mark.

An 1881 history also mentions Thomas Rampley.

The 1881 history, shown above, mentions Demoss and Rampley as early Jackson Township settlers as did the earlier reference. It indicates they arrived in the same year as did the other publication, but here it is indicated they were from Virginia instead of Maryland and Tredaway (actually Treadway) is not mentioned.

Of course, it possible that the Maryland families travelled through Virginia to get from Maryland to Ohio. Geographic realities cannot be ignored and it may be that the reference is technically not incorrect.

By the time these county histories were published, most of the Rampley family had left Ohio for points west. It could also be that information about them came from people "who used to remember them." Second or third hand information is always suspect. And, we don't know who provided information for any of these histories.

Which is why we should obtain references from as many as we can, keeping in mind that any one publication can be wrong.

German Script--Funeral Text Question

The image below comes from the funeral section of the church register of the Immanuel Lutheran Church, near Basco, Hancock County, Illinois, page 334-335.

This is the section of the entry that apparently mentions the Bible text on which the funeral was based. The heading has been included along with the two entries for the Jans Janssen funeral (part of the next entry is shown as well).

I know what the verses are--from First Timothy and Galatians. My question is what is the abbreviation in front of the verse references?

The second text is also referenced on the tombstone:

New On FamilySearch

New (or updated) on FamilySearch since our last update:

Maryland, Probate Estate and Guardianship Files, 1796-1940

Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Estate Files, 1686-1915

Montana, Chouteau County Records,1876-2011

New England, Petitions for Naturalization, 1787-1906

Texas, Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Membership Applications, 1892-2010

Utah, State Archives Records, 1848-2001

Virginia, Isle of Wight County Records, 1647-1917

Washington, County Records, 1856-2009

Doubling the Letter With a Line

Ever encountered lines over letters in a transcription or ledger? 

Remember that they mean the letter was doubled as with these names from a church register in rural Nebraska.

The problem is that sometimes when these names are transcribed, they are entered into databases as either Johana or Johan instead of Johanna or Johann.