Manifests--Sinatra and Gardner 1951

Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner returned to the United States in December 1951 on board a Pan American flight from Frankfort, Germany that arrived in New York City. These images came from the Ancestry.com passenger lists database or can be searched manually on the actual National Archives microfilm. Here is a picture of Sinatra and Gardner supposedly taken the day after they landed in New York.

Manifests--Mark Twain in 1877

Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) is shown as arriving in the United States in 1877 on the Steamship Bermuda. The boat landed in New York and Clemens is listed as shown on the partial manifest image, in this post not under Mark Twain. These passenger manifests are part of the Ancestry Immigration Collection or can be viewed on microfilm via the National Archives. The advantage to using Ancestry is that they have indexed the records. Clemens must have been on a speaking tour in 1877 when he made this trip.

Of course, Mark Twain was born in Missouri and has already been located in several US census records.

World War I Draft Card--Groucho Marx

The World War I Draft Registration found Groucho Marx living in Chicago, Illinois under his actual name of Julius Marx. He is listed as an actor, but his card is difficult to read. This card comes from the World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 database at Ancestry.com. I didn't know his middle name was Henry ;-)

World War I Draft Card--Irving Berlin

Irving Berlin's World War I Draft Card lists him as living at 30 West 70th Street in New York and self-employed as a composer. The 29 year old indicates a birth place of Mogilov, Russia. Those wishing to see the complete card can do so here. This card is a part of the World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 at Ancestry.com.

Quit Claims?

Ever wonder what the difference is between a quitclaim deed and a warantee deed?
In a nutshell the seller (grantor) on a quitlcaim deed is giving up any claim he or she has to the property in question. Usually on a quitclaim deed the seller has a questionable claim or the buyer is 100% certain the seller has a claim (usually because the seller is an heir to the property and the buyer is as well). On a warantee deed, the seller is guaranteeing that he has clear title.

We have posted two articles on our site regarding quitclaim deeds and their use in genealogical research. Both article one and article two can be linked to on our site.

Can You Read It?

This is a name of a child from a birth record in Wiesens, Ostfriesland, Germany in the 1820s.

Go ahead and post a guess.

Can You Read It?

This name comes from an early 1900s probate file in Chariton County, Missouri. This name appears on the list of heirs.

Go ahead and post a guess.

Can You Read It?

This name comes from the 1885 agricultural census for Dawson County, Nebraska. For those who want to give it a try, the last name is written first, then the first name.

Hugh Grant in 1850--better known as Ulysses

A reader reminded me that US president Grant is enumerated twice in the 1850 census. This enumerated "Hugh Grant" is with the other military staff. The other enumeration on our site lists Grant with his in-laws, the Dent family, in St. Louis.

Special Prices At Ancestry.com

Ancestry is currently running specials on their memberships...good prices. They won't last forever and if you've been putting off subscribing now (with winter set in) might be a good time to subscribe. Specials are:

US Deluxe is $99 a year, or $19.95 a month.
World is $199 a year, or $29.95 a month.

Pretty good prices considering you sit at home at 3 in the morning and research (what you wear is at your discretion--libraries and archives are less flexible about clothing).

Ancestry's site has more information on the price reductions.

Just remember, to keep track of what you sign up for. The only thing to keep in mind is what it costs to actually visit libraries--for those of us who do genealogy "after work" being able to use ancestry.com whenever we have time is a significant advantage (no driving, parking, etc.).

As a note, I only mention on this site databases, software, or books I have actually paid for myself and use myself. If there's something you do not see here, it means that either I haven't found it useful for me or it covers a geographic area in which I have no interest. One can't buy every program or book that comes along and I don't like to suggest things to people if I haven't purchased them and used them myself.

Making Certain You Have It All...

The online 1880 census census databases at FamilySearch and at Ancestry.com both are great finding aids (although each works slightly differently). However both are not 100% complete transcriptions. The 1880 enumeration for the family of Anna Fecht in Prairie Township, Hancock County, Illinois, does not include the fact that three of the family members had the measles at the time of the enumeration-children John, George, and Anna. The measles was not a huge clue, but it was neat to know and sometimes the omissions are greater than the one shown here.

The transcription also indicates that the relationship of Henry Fecht to Anna Fecht is "other." On the actual census, Henry's relationship is not given and the space is left blank.

It always pays to go to the original. Sometimes transcribers make mistakes (because they are human) and sometimes things are not transcribed.

World War I Draft Card--Louis Armstrong

The handwriting of 18 year old musician Louis Armstrong is easily read on his World War I Draft Registration Card. The future jazz great was still living in Louisiana with his mother who is listed as his nearest relative on this draft card. This card is part of the World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 database at Ancestry.com.

World War I Draft Card--Harry Houdini

Harry Houdini's World War I Draft Registration Card indicates his middle name was "Handcuff." Regardless of whether or not that is true, it does make for an interesting card. Houdini's actual card includes his signature and indicates that he had a weak left hand. The World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 are a part of Ancestry.com's genealogy databases. Houdini's card can be viewed on our site.

Can You Read It?

This comes from an 1853 passenger list manifest of a German immigrant arriving in New Orleans.

Go ahead and post a guess.

1870 census--John Rockefeller

In 1870, John Rockefeller was already on his way to establishing his fortune. The census taker found him in Cincinnati, Ohio, living with his wife and two young children in addition to a variety of servants. The complete enumeration for Rockefeller can be viewed on our site. The 1870 census can be searched at Ancestry.com.

1860 Census--Theodore Roosevelt

Future president Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt is enumerated in 1860 in New York City with his family. There has been a notation made by someone in the census department. Elliott Roosevelt (listed below Theodore) was the father of Eleanor Roosevelt Roosevelt, wife of FDR.

The family's complete enumeration can be viewed here.

1860 Census--Buffalo Bill Cody

Enumerated in Kansas with his mother and siblings as William F. Cody aged 14. The complete image along with citation has also been posted on our page. The father had died by the time of the 1860 census.

The Censustaker is at the door...

Census records can contain many errors, but in addition to variants of spelling , pronunciation, and handwriting, think about what might have really happened when that census taker came to your ancestor's door.

• Who answered the questions?
• What did they really know?
• Did the census taker really care?
• Were they actually lying?
• etc.

We've posted an article on our site The Census Taker Cometh that might get you to thinking about what really happened when the censustaker came around.

Can You Read It?

This comes from a early twentieth century pension file in Hancock County, Illinois. This individual was born in the 1820s in New Jersey.

Go ahead and make a guess...

What is the point of the handwriting site?

A few have asked what is the point of guessing at the writing samples on our handwriting site and do I know the answers? To answer the last question, I do know what the names are supposed to be and will be posting those after each image has remained up for a little while and those who want to guess have made their guesses.

The answer to the first question is just partially fun--some of us (myself included) like to try our hand at reading various types of handwriting. The other point is the importance learning how to read writing with which we are unfamiliar. All of us have occasionally encountered a name or a phrase that we have had a difficult time reading and we perhaps had no clue what script it was written in. Sometimes we can read the word from the context of other words on the document, particularly on a census or a deed book, etc. The problem comes in when an ancestor signs a document, and none of the other writing on the document is in his handwriting. Sometimes his name will be written on the document elsewhere and once in a while it will not be. Hopefully posting the images along with the answers will help those who are having difficulties.

And I'm open to suggestions as well.

Can You Read It?

This entry comes the record of baptisms in Tjarstad, Ostergotland, Sweden in 1822.

Go ahead and post a guess.

1920 Census--Fred Astaire

By 1920, the family of Fred Astaire has left Nebraska for New York City, where they are enumerated. The family is also listed with the last name of Astaire instead of Austerlitz. The complete enumeration for the family can be viewed here.

1900 Census--Spencer Tracy

Actor Spencer Tracy is a mere babe in the 1900 census enumeration with his parents in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1900. The young family only has two children at this point, the actor and his older brother, Carroll. The complete enumeration for this family can be seen here.

1870 Census--Harriet Beecher Stowe

The author of Uncle Tom's Cabin is enumerated with her family in 1870. Not many females are listed in 1870 with an occupation, but Stowe is listed as an "authoress" and her husband is appropriately listed as a clergyman. The complete enumeration for the Stowes, along with a citation, can be viewed on our site.

Can You Read It?

This name comes from an early nineteenth century marriage record from Nevele, Belgium.

Feel free to post a guess.