BLM, Fold3, and Research Process Webinars

We had scheduling challenges with my brick wall webinars (the BLM site was not responding during our presentation and I had a family emergency on 12 March). But we are back and on track. If you already registered and paid, you do not need to do so again--you are on the list.

Using the Bureau of Land Management Site-Wednesday 18 March 2015-7:00 pm Central

This presentation discusses search strategies for the Bureau of Land Management website--which hosts a database of federal land patent extracts and images. It will include a brief discussion of legal land descriptions in federal land states before discussing the several ways the site can be searched and queried. The presentation will conclude with several specific examples and how the site was queried for additional information. $6 includes registration and handout.

Navigating Fold3.com-Wednesday 18 March 2015--8:30 pm Central

Frustrated with finding databases and people on Fold3.com? This presentation will discuss search techniques for determining what Fold3.com has, what it doesn't and how to search the entire site and specific databases for individuals of interest. $6 includes registration and handout.

Is Your Process the Problem?-Thursday 19 March 2015--7:00 Central

Is your genealogical research process part of your problem? We will look at ways to organize your search, your problems, and your results in order to make the most effective use of your genealogical and financial resources. Geared towards beginning and intermediate researchers. $6 includes registration and handout.

Note:

If you already registered for these at the original time and cannot attend, you will get a complimentary download link to view the presentation and the handout. You do not need to pay again.

Registrants will receive a GotoWebinar link and a handout before the webinar begins. No special software is required to participate in the webinar, but a high speed internet connection enhances the participation experience. Questions can be addressed to Michael at mjnrootdig@gmail.com. 

Ancestry.com's Whispering Hints That Make My Ears Hurt

Let me preface this by saying that Ancestry.com's digital images of actual records are helpful to my search. But...

Their "hint"s are another matter entirely and make it clear why some of the user-submitted trees on Ancestry.com are full of errors. 

The "hints" on Ancestry.com for my ancestor Habbe Habben who died in 1665 in Holtrop, Germany, include:

• World War I Casualty Lists
• An 1864 military crew list
• An 1881 passenger list

I'm a little rusty on my world history, but I thought that World War I was a twentieth century experience.

I realize Ancestry.com wants to give me a "good user experience" and help me find things. I also realize they are concerned that my death year for Habben could be off.  However, a death date of 1665 would have to be pretty off for that same person to be serving in World War I.

I also realize sometimes these hints are taken from records that have been linked to trees by other users. I know Habbe Habben is not the most common name in the world and that some people can't be bothered worrying about accuracy imposed by things as ephemeral as dates.

But can't Ancestry.com set some parameters to not even show me these inane hints even if someone has linked them to the same person? If my Habbe Habben who I thought died in 1665 really lived until World War I, he could have been considerate enough to have lived through the 1980s when I could have asked him all sorts of personal questions.

Can't the search parameters on the "hints" be a little tighter?  It seems to me that record event dates two centuries after the person died is a little loose. Just a little.

Let's not blame the computer for these wacked out hints. It's not the fault of the computer that these hints are returned. Programmers control computers. Ancestry.com is not the new kid on the block just setting up shop. They've been at this a while. If they can index the entire 1940 census in a matter of months, create all those cell phone apps, and manage all that DNA data, they certainly can figure out how to tighten up a few search parameters.

It is "hints" like this that hint to me Ancestry.com just does not really understand the genealogy research process.

Or maybe they don't understand programming.

Fold3.com Acknowledges Wildcard Issue

Apparently it was not just me.

In "Wildcards at Fold3.com-Why Won't Foc*e Find Focke?" I mentioned a wildcard search at Fold3.com that apparently was not working. 

I received several emails from people who apparently thought I wasn't performing the search correctly. That wasn't true as the search approach I was using was precisely the same one that Fold3.com suggests on their search page (and which was shown in the images in my post). 

But Fold3.com realized the problem was not with me when I recevied this message via Twitter:

"Our engineers are looking into that wildcard issue you had with search. Thanks."

We'll post an update when we have one...stay tuned.

Sometimes website problems are not with the user!

Wildcards at Fold3.com-Why Won't Foc*e Find Focke?

Hopefully I'm just a little confused with Fold3.com. Hopefully there's just something I'm doing wrong that I'm not realizing.

When I search for Focke Goldenstein, there are 29 total matches. That's not surprising. Focke Goldenstein is not a common name.

While practicing for an upcoming Fold3.com webinar, I decided to perform a wildcard search for "foc*e" goldenstein. It should find "focke goldenstein" and any other matches to that search term. I should get at least as many matches for foc*e goldenstein as I do for focke goldenstein.

The surprise was on me. There were no matches. 

Hopefully I'm doing something wrong. If Focke Golenstein is in the database at Fold3.com (which it is based upon the first screen shot included in this post), then a search for foc*e goldenstein should locate it as well. 

These searches were conducted on 11 and 12 March 2015.

We'll post an update if needed.

• 14 March--Fold3.com acknowledges the issue. 

Have You Considered Blogging?

One of the "2015 Brick Wall" techniques I mentioned was blogging. There are several reasons why blogging can be good for your genealogical research:

• Writing up your research in a clear way for others to read and so that they can understand your thought process makes your research better
• Citing what you write--completely even if not academically correct, makes your research stronger
• Sharing your research can "get the word out"
• Blog posts are excellent "cousin bait"

That said, I'm not suggesting that blog posts be rambling, contain "connections" that make no sense, repeat undocumented conclusions, or merely copy information from other researchers or compiled sources. Bloggers need to be original and create their own content. I'd also suggest that posts include reasonably correct grammar and correctly spelled words. 

There are a few caveats:

• Blogging is not necessarily a permanent way to "preserve" your information.
• Blogging shares whatever you post with the world immediately and from a practical standpoint, you may lose "control" over what you post.
• Blogging is very public, others may not like what you post.

There are two sites where you can set up a blog at no charge with minimal technical experience:

• http://www.blogger.com
• http://www.wordpress.com

There are other sites--these are just two.

This post was meant to get those who have not really thought about blogging to consider giving it a try--or at least give it a second thought. You don't have to blog every day. In fact it is better to wait until you have something to actually say instead of thinking that you must blog every day. 

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

This post was written because a recent post turned up a distant relative--now I just need to respond to her email. 

Brick Wall Strategies for 2015 Webinar Released

Our brick wall webinar series was our most popular...so we added one more:

Brick Wall Strategies for 2015

Aimed at the advanced beginner and intermediate researcher, this presentation will focus on a variety of brick wall problem-solving strategies and is different from my "Brick Walls from A to Z" series. Discussion will be through specific example emphasizing the problem and the process used to work through it. We will also discuss knowing when you may be at the "end of the line." A basic knowledge of American resources is suggested. Download the recording and handout for $7.

They Are In the Book But Not Named

Back in the early days of my research, after attending a lecture or a seminar, I looked in a copy of the 1895 Sargent Genealogy for my elusive Ira Sargent. While published genealogies had their pitfalls, they were still a good source of clues if nothing else.

I didn't find my Ira Sargent listed. It wasn't of trying.

It turns out he is in the book.

He was there as entry 1128:

A son.

No wonder I didn't find him.

I'm not certain why the last three children of Clark and Mary (Dingman) Sargent were not named in the 1895 publication. My speculation is that they simply lost touch with the rest of the family when Clark moved west, frst to Ontario and later into Illinois. All of Clark Sargent's children were born in Ontario, Canada, and he died in Winnebago County, Illinois, in the late 1840s. Clark did settle where he had no known Sargent relatives and, given that he was younger when he died and that his wife Mary died shortly after a subsequent marriage and that her second husband raised the children, it is very possible that they simply lost all touch with their paternal side of the family upon Clark's death. It is even possible that Clark wanted to lose touch with his family.

But it got me to wondering.

How often is the person of interest in a publication, only to be unnamed?

And how many families lost touch with their "families of origin" as they moved west?

The Sargents did settle in Winnebago County, Illinois, where it appears they had no immediate relatives. That's somewhat unusual but not unheard of. However, they are not as unusual as one might think. There were other Canadians who settled in Winnebago County--including several from Ontario.

The Sargents didn't move west with family. They moved west with neighbors.

Mary Sargent's second husband was an Ontario native she met in Winnebago County, Illinois. In 1850 she and her new husband and her children are enumerated in Winnebago County in the federal census. By the 1856 Iowa State Census, Mary is dead and her husband is heading a household with four of his step children of two children of his own. By 1860 they have moved to Missouri.

It's doubtful that the Sargent children had any contact with close relatives of their mother or father.

Which might explain why few stories of the family were passed down to the current generation and possibly why when the Sargent genealogy was compiled in the 1890s there probably was not any contact made with the children of Clark Sargent.

FamilySearch Update: Maine Vital Records

The following FamilySearch database is showing as updated since our last posting:

Maine, Vital Records, 1670-1907

BLM and Brick Wall Strategies Webinars Tomorrow-10 March

My BLM and Brick Wall Strategies webinars are tomorrow-10 March.

FamilySearch: US Education Supt. Records; Chinese Pass. to San Diego, and NY Passenger Soundex

The following databases are showing as new or updated on FamilySearch:

United States, Records of the Superintendent of Education and of the Division of Education, 1864-1879

California, San Diego, Chinese Passenger and Crew Lists, 1905-1923

New York, New York, Soundex to Passenger and Crew Lists, 1887-1921

How "updated" they are I can't say, but the last one has already been online for a while.

A Warning About Warnings Out

An earlier post ("Aunt Caty Warned Out of Addison in 1814") mentioned a "warning out" a relative received in Addison, Vermont, in 1814.

Like many records, there's a little more here than just what is on the surface. The "warning out" didn't mean that Aunt Caty was drug out of town in January of 1814 with her children in tow and her belongings dragging behind her in a cart. It was most likely a warning that she was a newcomer to Addison and was potentially a person who would not be able to support herself. Warnings out have a long history dating back to the early days of the American colonies and stemmed from English practice. The essence of the intent behind the system was that the village not have new residents move in who had no means of support. 

Caty's brother-in-law, Samuel Sargent, was "warned out" of Addison in 1812--also in February. It may be that Samuel actually never left and his residence there was the reason Caty moved there herself after her husband died. Maybe. There's nothing in these records to indicate that however and I'll need to do more work to determine if Samuel Sargent was still living in Addison at the time when Caty was "warned out."

These records, like all records, require an understanding of their intent and their implementation. But don't just assume that your ancestor was "dumped at the village line" as a result of the warning out.

An additional reminder that sometimes just "Googling" to find information on a topic may not be sufficient. My own Google searches for this topic located several online references that provided a very superficial treatment of these records. Understanding the purpose and background of any record is crucial to the interpretation of it. Readers with an interest in the topic may wish to refer to Josiah Henry Benton's Warning Out in New England (Boston, 1911, W. B. Clarke Company).

We're working on a longer post with some references and additional readings on these records. Stay tuned.

Aunt Caty Warned Out of Addison in 1814

In February of 1814, Caty Roe was "warned out of Addison, Vermont, and told to "Depart Said Town."

The order to ask her to leave was dated 14 January 1814 and signed by Addison's selectmen Gideon Spencer, Levi Hanks, and William Picket. William Whitford, Constable, attempted to serve notice on Caty.

Except she wasn't home on 14 January 1814 when the notice was served. She was "gon[e] to Burlington and Expected to return tomorrow." Whitford left the notice with Solomon Crowfoot who was living at her "last usual place of abode."

What Caty was doing in Burlington in 1814 is another story and one that I don't know. It is nearly thirty miles from Addison and most likely not an easy trip in the winter for a single woman. What Caty's connection was to Crowfoot (if any) is not known at this time. Preliminary research does not indicate that he is a member of her extended family, but it is possible.

The warnings out were usually issued to newcomers who were either undesirable or had no means of support. Caty was a widow and her financial situation at the time of her warning out is not known. It's possible the town of Addison did not want a family without means of support living there. Whether she immediately left Addison is not known, but she is known to have lived in other locations in Vermont.

Her sister, Sarah (Gibson) Sargent's husband, Samuel was warned out of Addison in 1811. Whether he actually left is another matter.

What I need to check are town vital records to determine where the children of Samuel and Sarah (Gibson) Sargent were born and where Caty Roe's children were born. The Sargents were having children around the time of Samuel's warning out. Roe was not. That would help to provide a partial  migration chronology for both the Sargents and for Roe.

They might have been warned out of more than one Vermont town.

---------------------------------
See our first update here.

Thinking About Research Process for John Gibson

I've decided to take another stab at the family of John Gibson (born in Stow, Massachusetts in 1751) and who I wrote a while ago after finding a reference to him in a Gibson family history.

The author of that family history apparently loses John after a land transaction in 1799 where he sold his property in Ashby, Massachusetts, and indicated that it was thought that John left the area after that point in time.

And, for unexplained reason, the author indicated that John Gibson died after 10 April 1811. The author makes no reference as to why they knew John was alive on that date. In all honesty, I need to read more completely the Gibson genealogy from which the information on John was obtained to see if there is any other reference to that 1811 date--it may be that he signed or appears in some sort of probate or other estate settlement document. But that's only a guess.

Apparently at some point, some genealogist has taken the "last alive by date" for John and converted it into a death date. That date is given as John's death in numerous online references, all seemingly copied from the initial date converter.

I've not thrown out the online references to John and his children. Just because a compilation has one fact apparently interpreted incorrectly does not mean that other information in those compilations is incorrect. Those compilations have given me solid leads on John's children, specifically:

• Catherine Gibson, born 1783 in Ashby
• John Gibson, born 1778 in Ashby

I'm using the information in those online compilations on those two children as clues to obtain further information from "non-compiled" sources. I am also constantly reviewing that data to determine if the information is reasonable and consistent. And as I do that, I'm tracking from where the information was obtained. That does slow down the research process, but it makes later continued analysis and reference easier. 

Another of John's children, Sarah (born in 1744 in Ashby) is believed to have married Samuel Sargent. I'm also hoping to find documentation to solidify that "belief." 

Part of the rationale for tracking these children of John Gibson is that some of the records on Catherine, John, and Sarah Sargent mention where they lived and where their children were born. 

These locations are then being used as possible places to search for John Gibson in an attempt to see where he went after he apparently left Ashby. Chances are hopefully he'll turn up near where one of his children live.

And then maybe I'll find estate, probate, or land records on him that may more concretely tie him to his children and maybe even solidify that died after 10 April 1811 death date. 

Some schools of thought would suggest that I research the children completely, then put that information together, see what it says and go from there. Given that I'd really like to find John after 1799 and that records on him may help me confirm where his children ended up, I'll keep working the approach that I'm using now. 

Because I'm hoping to firm up the "belief" that John's daughter Sarah married Samuel Sargent--after all, that's my actual line of descent.

FamilySearch: Panama Canal Zone Employment Records-1905-1937

The following database is showing as new or updated on FamilySearch  since our last posting:


United States, Panama Canal Zone, Employment Records and Sailing lists, 1905-1937

An 1811 Slave Murder in Virginia

Sometimes the things we find in our past are not pleasant and often the unpleasant items are not ones that are passed down as stories from one generation to another. Such is the case of a Virginia slave who was murdered by a probable relative of my Sledd family.

Every so often, I try and determine who this "Sledd man" was that murdered a slave in Virginia in 1811. The Sledd name is not common and the individual referenced is from the same two county area (Bedford and Amherst) as where my Sledd family was from.

It was a vicious punishment of the slave by Sledd to which the article in the Examiner refers. The treatment of the slave (which was not even Sledd's slave but instead belonged to a neighbor) was brutal. Sledd received two years in the Virginia State Penitentiary for the crime.

Newspaper accounts indicate the case was heard in Bedford County, but offer no specifics as to Sledd's name.

It's probably time to access the local criminal records that would cover Bedford County--which I've mentioned doing before. 1810 census records, property tax and personal tax records may give me candidates for this Sledd man. I should also locate local newspapers as those references to the case may help to identify Sledd.

As mentioned in an earlier post, this may be a case that cannot be solved by online sources.

And unfortunately, the slave woman--poor soul--will never be identified.

One Mile to School in 1933 for the Ufkes Children--and No Hills According to the USGS Site

There's a site of historical USGS maps that may help you disprove that story of Grandpa walking uphill to school both ways....

While working on an unrelated post, I was reminded of the historical USGS topographic maps that have been posted online.

The image on this post comes from the 1933 map for Carthage, Hancock County, Illinois. The only modification I made to the map was the "Fred & Tena Ufkes farm" notation (and the black line pointing to their house). My great-grandparents, the Ufkeses, would have been living there in 1933. All the Ufkes children (including my grandfather) attended the Union School which is shown in the northwestern corner of section 24 of Bear Creek Township. Not too far of a walk and a fairly flat one from the map (which I already knew).

These historical maps on the http://historicalmaps.arcgis.com/usgs/ site are a wonderful resource and a great way to locate former one-room schools. Churches are also indicated. There's one to the very very small "+" to the right of "farm." Cemeteries may also be noted as well, sometimes unnamed. There cemetery affiliated with the church near the Ufkes farm is approximately one mile north of the church and is indicated with an + with a box around it.

He Was Born in T: Being More Specific than the Database Won't Help

Too much information can be a problem in many ways. It can be a particular problem when querying genealogical databases created from original documents that may have information entered in a non-standard way.

Transcribers are encouraged to transcribe documents as they are written and not to transcribe them they way they think they should be.

That's what happened with the database entry in Ancestry.com's "Sweden, Selected Indexed Household Clerical Surveys, 1880-1893." for Samuel Johnson who was born in Tjarstad, Sweden, in 1867.

Searching for him with his birth place as that village brought back no results as shown below.

 That's because the only information listed for him as a place of birth is "T" and so that is what was transcribed.

I imagine the pastor from Tjarstad who compiled the Household Clerical Survey became tired of writing Tjarstad over and over--so he abbreviated it with a "T."

And that's how it got put in the index.

And that's how it should be done. 

Note: Samuel was searched for as an exercise simply for this blog post---and I discovered two entries for him in the Household Clerical Survey as a result.

Lesson number one: Avoid being overly specific in creating database searches. Sometimes too much information is too much.

Lesson number two: sometimes it pays to search for people you've already located. One never knows what might turn up.

1880 Era Household Clerical Register for Samuel--Part I

Ancestry.com recently announced an update to "Sweden, Selected Indexed Household Clerical Surveys, 1880-1893." As of this writing, the database is incomplete--Ancestry.com makes that clear.

But at this point, I'm happy as the database contains indexed entries for Tjärstad in the Östergötland province. Users of the database should confirm that their locations of interest are included in the index.

A not-so-quick search turned up the relative of interest: Samuel Otto Johansson Sund.

For those who have not used these records, the Household Clerical Surveys contain significant genealogical detail and are often cross-referenced to other records. Samuel is working on the farm of Jonan Mansson (line entry 6). I know this is the Samuel of interest as the date of birth and place of birth is consistent with records on him in the United States, although his name is slightly different--the addition of the Anders.

The "T" is relative here--and refers to Tjarstad, the parish in which this record was created. Like many records abbreviations may liberally used and are relative to the location and time period. The entry also references Samuel's migration to North America, which is known to have taken place during the time period of this register--an additional clue that I've got the right person.

Samuel was also vaccinated against smallpox and that's noted in the register.

We are working on a complete transcription/translation of this Household Clerical Register for Samuel.

Readers with Swedish ancestors may wish to take a look at Sweden, Selected Indexed Household Clerical Surveys, 1880-1893. on Ancestry.com. Like any database, the index is not perfect, but the ability to perform searches across all of Sweden is a significant ability.

Stay tuned.

FamilySearch Update: IN Crew Lists; GA Pass. Lists; MS Freedmen; OH County Marriages

The following databases are showing as updated or new on FamilySearch:

Indiana, Gary and East Chicago Crew Lists, 1945-1956

Georgia, Brunswick Passenger Lists, 1904-1939

Mississippi, Freedmen's Department (Pre-Bureau Records), 1863-1866

Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1997

United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014

It Can Happen in an Instant

 Many things are relative.

The use of word "instant" (often abbreviated as "inst.") is one of those things.

Newspapers are one of the places where the genealogist first encounters "instant" in the sense of meaning "this month."

"Instant" does not necessarily mean in the past.

The 1865 newspaper reference indicated that the troops would start home on the "10th instant," meaning the 10th of that month--in this case June. In this case the date being referred to was in the future.

The 1805 reference "On the 2d inst." indicated that the event referenced happened on the second of that month. In this case the event being referred to was in the past.

It's all about context.

But "instant" means the same month--usually the month in which the item was published.

And that "instant" can be in future or in the past.

Just as long as it's in the same month.

FamilySearch: US, Burial Registers for Military Posts, Camps, and Stations,1768-1921

The following database is showing on FamilySearch since our last update:


United States, Burial Registers for Military Posts, Camps, and Stations,1768-1921

I think this is "new," but I'm not certain

Henry or Herman?

Census enumerators make mistakes. In 1900 Henry/Hinrich Sartorius was enumerated as Herman Sartorius.

The census enumerator may have confused Henry with his son of the same name--or perhaps his late brother. Both men were named Herman.

Henry's middle name was Ameling, so that doesn't explain the error.

Sometimes people just get one or two things mixed up. It happens.

Situations like this are one time when a manual search of the record itself or a last name only search of the database may be necessary.

A Telephone, A Mail Route, and Proximity to Schools: Selling a Farm in 1915

The classified ads in a newspaper can provide more clues about something than simply who was selling what and when.

This 1915 advertisement from Quincy, Illinois' Daily Journal contains a "for sale" notice for a farm owned by my ancestor, Henry Sartorius.

I don't know just from this advertisement whether Henry lived on the farm at the time of his death or not and I don't know how long he owned it.

County land records would tell me when the farm was purchased, but it's not going to tell me whether or not Henry actually lived there. Henry was for the time fairly well-set financially (we will see this in a future post) and it's possible that the farm was purchased for a son or son-in-law to operate. The property may or may not have been purchased from Thomas Coffield as farm names sometimes tend to hang around--sometimes after several others have owned the property.

The property is in section 6 of Camp Point Township--a slight distance from where Henry lived for most of his time in Adams County. Henry lived in Northeast Township in 1910 and had lived there sometime before that. Of course that length of residence elsewhere doesn't mean he wasn't living in Camp Point Township at the time of his death. Henry's death certificate would indicate his residence at the time of his death and the "heirs of Henry Sartorius" indicates that this sale was being transacted after his death.

The house did have a telephone, was on a rural mail route and was within 1/4 mile of a school. Apparently in 1915 those were advantages to be had in rural Adams County.

Webinars: Brick Walls, BLM, Fold3, and Research Process

The week of 9 March means no classes, so we've decided to put on these genealogical presentations instead:

• Brick Wall Strategies for 2015
• Using the Bureau of Land Management Website
• Using Fold3.com
• Is Your Process the Problem?

Join us and grow your genealogical research skills!

See bottom of post for general directions. Can't attend live? Registrants receive a complimentary download after the webinar has been recorded. Live attendees can also request a complimentary download after the presentation. Our instructional style is laid-back, yet informative and thorough.

Brick Wall Strategies for 2015--Tuesday 10 March 2015-1:00 Central

Aimed at the advanced beginner and intermediate researcher, this presentation will focus on a variety of brick wall problem-solving strategies and is different from my "Brick Walls from A to Z" series. Discussion will be through specific example emphasizing the problem and the process used to work through it. We will also discuss knowing when you may be at the "end of the line." A basic knowledge of American resources is suggested. Download the recording and handout for $7.

Using the Bureau of Land Management Site-Tuesday 10 March 2015-3:00 Central

This presentation discusses search strategies for the Bureau of Land Management website--which hosts a database of federal land patent extracts and images. It will include a brief discussion of legal land descriptions in federal land states before discussing the several ways the site can be searched and queried. The presentation will conclude with several specific examples and how the site was queried for additional information. $6 includes registration and handout.

Navigating Fold3.com-Thursday 12 March 2015--1:00 Central

Frustrated with finding databases and people on Fold3.com? This presentation will discuss search techniques for determining what Fold3.com has, what it doesn't and how to search the entire site and specific databases for individuals of interest. $6 includes registration and handout.

Is Your Process the Problem?-Thursday 12 March 2015--3:00 Central

Is your genealogical research process part of your problem? We will look at ways to organize your search, your problems, and your results in order to make the most effective use of your genealogical and financial resources. Geared towards beginning and intermediate researchers. $6 includes registration and handout.

Note:

Registrants will receive a GotoWebinar link and a handout before the webinar begins. No special software is required to participate in the webinar, but a high speed internet connection enhances the participation experience. Questions can be addressed to Michael at mjnrootdig@gmail.com. 

Group Family History Trip to Salt Lake Approaching!

There's still room, but today's the deadline for "early" registration for my trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake--details here.