The Genealogy & Family History Social Network

October 2009 Blog Posts (128)

Genealogical proof or merely evidence?

I find it common that genealogical researchers often confuse evidence with proof. For example, in looking for a birth date of an ancestor, the researcher finds a birth certificate. Although a birth certificate might be good evidence, it is not "proof" of the facts set forth in the document. Birth certificates have known to be wrong and errors are not uncommon. In the absence of any other evidence, the birth certificate may be persuasive as to the fact of birth, but still not be sufficient to… Continue

Added by James Tanner on October 16, 2009 at 6:54pm — 1 Comment

We, white family genealogists, must make good faith efforts to search our own records for slave names

My friend and cousin Derry sent this to me this morning and it fits in with what I have been thinking. This is what she wrote:

Hi Sally,

Glad to hear the article led you to create a blog. What a good idea.

We lived in Germany for several years during the 1960s. I was very

interested in the way the Germans went about educating their people

about the horrible events of WWII. Their newsreels and documentaries

spared no one's sensibilities. Not much… Continue

Added by Sally Sheridan on October 16, 2009 at 2:00pm — No Comments

Princess Ka'iulani of the Kingdom of Hawaii

Princess Ka’iulani of Hawaii

The Barbarian Princess Controversy?

On the anniversary of her birthday, 16 October 2009 will be the world premiere of a new movie about Princess Ka’iulani of Hawaii. She was born Victoria Ka’iulani Kalaninuiahilapalapa Kawekiu i Lunalilo Cleghorn on 16 October 1875, and was Queen Liliuokalani’s heir to the throne. Her father was Scots, and her mother was sister to the Hawaiian King. At this point in… Continue

Added by Heather Wilkinson Rojo on October 16, 2009 at 9:27am — No Comments

Genealogy and Climate Changes Affects

Climate changes affect Genealogy in many ways. People migrate due to changes, floods, famine etc.

Many people died on ships when crossing the ocean seas with the storms never heard of before at that time of the year appeared. People froze to death in NY City and other areas when a large drop in temperature brought all mode of travel to a halt and produce or milk or food could not be brought to the city dwellers. Country people generally, faired better because they had only themselves to… Continue

Added by Susi (Susan C Jones) Pentico on October 15, 2009 at 11:35pm — No Comments

Sandercock / Saundercock family forum

For the last three months I've been working a lot on the Sandercock families, most of which seem to originate in eastern Cornwall and western Devon in England. I've been trying to link all the ones I find into families. My own branch come from Cardinham in Cornwall, and Ive traced them back to the marriage of William Sandercock to Mary Verran in 1729.

Now I'm trying to bring all Sandercock researchers together, and there is a… Continue

Added by Steve Hayes on October 15, 2009 at 3:30pm — No Comments

Thoughts on finding out your birth name

I recently found out that the State of Colorado has some interesting new rules for adoptees. If you were Born/adopted between June 30 1951 and July 1 1967? you can access your adoption records. I am fortunate enough to be in the early part of the dates, just barely, I'm not sure on the exact end date of this group. I contacted, by phone, because I didn't believe what I read, Colorado Vital records and yes it was true so I spent 40.00 dollars that included the price of th money order and mailed… Continue

Added by carol bartholomew on October 15, 2009 at 3:09pm — 2 Comments

Family Helping Family

I was recently contacted by a distant cousin who had seen the family work I've done at ancestry.com. Now a LOT of my family has been dispersed through early parental deaths, loss of records, etc. etc. So many family members don't know much about the ancestral roots, old family stories and connections, and so forth. My distant cousin has really helped me "collect" a "narrative" by asking about specific family members long passed. Sometimes, you have so much "data" that it seems overwhelming to… Continue

Added by William S Dean on October 15, 2009 at 12:33pm — No Comments

Our ancestors as slave owners

I just read and commented on a ladies blog about her 3rd great grandfather being a slave owner and fathering children by his slave and then keeping them as slaves. It is beyond my comprehension how a person could do this. I've seen the movie Roots several times and it is a fantastic look into our past as a nation. But what amazed me is how the people of the time could have these high morals and go to church every week and turn around and beat and maim their slaves plus father children by a race… Continue

Added by Ken Jones on October 15, 2009 at 11:21am — 1 Comment

Professor Gates, Michelle's Great-Great-Great-Granddaddy and Mine

Dear Friends,

I have a shameful confession to make. I am the great great great granddaughter of slaveholders.

My ancestors held African people and their children in slavery.

In the 1800's, one of my ancestors (probably more) fathered at least one child whom he continued to hold in slavery. Her name was Martha. As she grew into adulthood and had children, he kept them, his grandchildren, as his slaves, too. Once I started researching it, I found that many of my… Continue

Added by Sally Sheridan on October 14, 2009 at 11:00pm — 5 Comments

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY with a rose

Added by Susi (Susan C Jones) Pentico on October 14, 2009 at 10:42pm — No Comments

help with FamilySearch Research Wiki

In a letter sent out to all Family History Consultants and Center Directors, FamilySearch made the following invitation, quoting from the letter:

The FamilySearch Research Wiki is a collaborative Web site where individuals can find answers to family history research questions
Read more...

Added by James Tanner on October 14, 2009 at 8:32pm — No Comments

Family rumor disproved

For many years there has been a rumor in my family that my grandmother had been adopted from her father's cousin's family in New Mexico. My grandmother wrote a letter to my uncle in 1976 which mentioned this rumor (she never believed that it was true), and the family was discussing the rumor at my mother's Fourth of July barbecue this past summer, so this is something that has been speculated about for more than thirty years, possibly longer. Long ago, when my grandmother needed to get a… Continue

Added by Beth Gatlin on October 13, 2009 at 11:36pm — 2 Comments

Sir William Pepperell of Kittery, Maine

Pepperell Family of Kittery, Maine

Photo by Rich Beauchesne seacoastonline.com

The William Pepperell Family

The original settlers of the Maine and New Hampshire coast were known as the “Piscataqua Pioneers.” Early settlements in Strawbery Bank, Portsmouth, Kittery and the Berwicks blended together before boundaries were settled between the colonies. York County, Maine was actually York County, Massachusetts, and the… Continue

Added by Heather Wilkinson Rojo on October 13, 2009 at 6:06pm — No Comments

Updated Contact Information

I discovered that the email address I used to sign up with this service is no longer operational. I have updated with a new address. I apologize to anyone who may have tried to contact me and heard nothing back due to my not receiving the messages.

Added by Debora Kerr on October 13, 2009 at 11:31am — No Comments

Memory and Craft

I was recently watching “Craft in America“, PBS’s excellent series covering the major influences that play a part in each artist’s craft. The particularly episode I watched was episode V – Process, that looked at how an artist achieves the skill to become proficient. It profiled several artists about how they have learned their techniques. Artist Tom Joyce, was talking about how he has learned technique from a very old blacksmith. They showed them together, this very old man sitting in a chair… Continue

Added by Stefani Twyford on October 13, 2009 at 10:41am — No Comments

Ten Million (or more) Books

You may or may not have heard of the settlement of the Google Books lawsuit, but if you have any interest in the future of books or libraries, you may wish to read about it in the Official Google Blog.

For many years, Google has had an ambitious project to digitize all of the world's books. Yes, all of them. In 2005, the Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers filed a class action lawsuit against Google challenging the project. The settlement of that lawsuit just… Continue

Added by James Tanner on October 13, 2009 at 5:41am — No Comments

Friends of Dawn Evans Stringer attention Memorial Chat this coming Sunday night!!!!

We are wanting to host a memorial service for Dawn Evan Stringer this coming Sunday after Jim Avery chat on Sunday. We are encouraging as many people who knew Dawn here on Genealogy Wise to attend it. If you cant make it just post a note on here and we will share it with the group.

thank you very much

patsy

Just found her fill Obtituary online from Access NorthGa.Com

Dawn Elizabeth Stringer, 47

Passed Away: 10/11/2009Barrett Funeral Home of Cleveland… Continue

Added by patsy adkins on October 12, 2009 at 10:00pm — No Comments

RootsMagic 4 has new update (4.0.6.0)

Bruce Buzbee of RootsMagic on October 12, 2009, announced an update to the popular RootsMagic 4 program. Quoting from the RootsMagic Bolg, the new, fixed and updated items are:
Read more...

Added by James Tanner on October 12, 2009 at 1:40pm — No Comments

Digitization at the National Archives (NARA)

The National Archives (NARA) in Washington, D.C. as well as its many branch repositories, contains only about 1% to 3% of the documents and materials "created in the course of business conducted by the United States Federal government." (Fortunately, I might add). See About the National Archives. Only those documents of historical or legal importance (as judged by the government itself, of course) are kept in the vast storage areas. There is no practical way to describe the variety and… Continue

Added by James Tanner on October 12, 2009 at 8:20am — No Comments

Organizing

I'm beginning to organize the data that I've collected over the last four years. Papers, papers, papers, and binders full of information. Beginning to to feel overwhelmed and running across the same information two or three times. Going to spend some time making sense of everything I have and find a proper home for them. I was working with too many family members at one time and will concentrate on ONE family unit at a time. That is my pledge/promise for today.

Added by Davina Harrison on October 12, 2009 at 4:01am — 2 Comments