RootsWeb Review: RootsWeb's Weekly E-zine 19 January 2005, Vol. 8, No. 3, Circulation: 816,285+ (c) 1998-2005 RootsWeb.com, Inc. http://www.rootsweb.com/ * * * Editor: Myra Vanderpool Gormley, Certified Genealogist Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com Certification: http://www.bcgcertification.org/certification/ * * * Keep informed about the latest news, new databases, webpages and mailing lists at RootsWeb. Subscribe to the free weekly RootsWeb Review. http://newsletters.rootsweb.com/ Search/download past issues of the RootsWeb Review: http://e-zine.rootsweb.com/ * * * Is your e-mail address up-to-date at all RootsWeb sources? http://passwordcentral.rootsweb.com/ * * * Search and share family trees: WorldConnect: http://wc.rootsweb.com/ Learn how to find your ancestors: http://rwguide.rootsweb.com/ Post and read messages on all relevant surname, locality, and topic Message Boards and Mailing Lists: Message Boards: http://boards.rootsweb.com/ Mailing Lists: http://lists.rootsweb.com/ RootsWeb HelpDesk: http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/ =============================================================== IN THIS ISSUE: 1. NEWS AND NOTES 1a. Editor's Desk: "Perusing Family Legends and Myths" 1b. Using RootsWeb: "Learning the Mailing Lists Ropes" "Exploring Big Pictures to Find Ancestral Snapshots" 1c. Tips from Readers: "Recording Our Memories" 2. Connecting Through RootsWeb: "Mailing List to the Rescue" 3. New RootsWeb Mailing Lists 4. New Webpages at RootsWeb 5. New/Updated FreePages and HomePages 6. New User-contributed Databases 7. RootsWeb Review's Bottomless Mailbag: "Double Might Be Single After All" "E-mail Address Solution" "Surprises Abound in Research" "Passing Places of Scotland" "Checking Burial Plots in Victoria" "Real Worth Found in the Data" 8. Humor/Humour: "Deadly Reminders" 9. Subscriptions, Submissions, Advertising, Reprints =============================================================== IN THIS ISSUE: 1. NEWS AND NOTES 1a. Editor's Desk: Perusing Family Legends and Myths Many Americans have assorted legends and myths about their ancestors, ranging from the proverbial "three brothers came to the USA," to being descendants of European royalty or nobility, but are similar tales common to our Australian, New Zealand and Canadian cousins? What tales were told in the "old country" about those who emigrated? Have you been able to prove or disprove any of your family's fables, such as (fill in the blanks): --Kidnapped by (_____). --Stowed away on ship to (_____). --Disowned by rich or noble family because (_____). --Eloped and/or ran away with (_____) to (_____). --Proved that I am (am not) related to (_____) -- a famous person. --My black sheep ancestor really was a (horse thief, scoundrel, etc.) RootsWeb Review is interested in your research adventures in such matters, especially via RootsWeb and the Internet. You can read more about this topic and learn how others have proved and disproved family legends in these articles: "Rumors, Gossip, and Little White Lies," by Margaret Moen. http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library/article.aspx?article=88 "The Truth About Folk Heroes," by Jennifer Browning. http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library/article.aspx?article=7228 "Tracing Family Myths and Legends," by Marie Webster Weisbrod. http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library/article.aspx?article=2222 "Sources Used to Track a Family Legend," by Juliana Smith. http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library/article.aspx?article=2142 Send your family legend research stories to: Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com * * * 1b. USING ROOTSWEB: Learning the Mailing Lists Ropes When Nancy Newcomer received a rebuke from Steve Sterner after posting her first message to a RootsWeb mailing list in her first week at this exciting, or so she had thought, hobby of tracking down her family history on the Internet; she was brought to tears. She thought this hobby was supposed to be fun. However, when Steve apologized and offered to help Nancy get her bearings in this strange new world of online genealogical research, she soon was back on track. She resolved to knuckle down and learn more about what she was entering into before posting another list message. She vowed to be equipped next time around. Preparation was now her watchword. Steve told Nancy that the RootsWeb Review had published numerous articles about the mailing lists and how to subscribe to them and how to use them effectively. He pointed her to the RootsWeb Review archives: http://rwr.rootsweb.com/ and advised her to read these articles: GETTING ON THE LIST. http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/review/20030226.txt This article explains how to subscribe and unsubscribe from RootsWeb lists, when to use the list address and when to use the list request address. Also included are the basic mechanics of posting and replying to a list message. UTILIZING MAILING LISTS. http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/review/20020925.txt Covers the topic of finding and using the right list to suit your needs to help you get the answers to your questions. KNOCK, KNOCK ... ANYBODY THERE? http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/review/20030903.txt Pertains to reaching the right people and posting the best possible message in the right place to get the assistance you need. MAKING THE MOST OF MAILING LISTS. http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/review/20021002.txt All the dos and don'ts of making the lists work for you are covered in this goldmine of a tip for newbies and old-timers alike. Nancy read these articles and found the information invaluable. She bookmarked the October 2, 2002 "Making the Most of Mailing Lists" article for future reference. She felt much better prepared to enter the world of mailing list participation this time around. Sometimes good things come out of bad experiences and that could be said to be the case for Nancy Newcomer. She could have given up in frustration--but instead she is learning how to make the most of online genealogical research, starting with the mailing lists at RootsWeb. * * * Exploring Big Pictures to Find Ancestral Snapshots Many of the records family historians use to establish the dates of birth, marriage and death as well as relationships of ancestors are found in church or religious records. In addition, many church and religious groups migrated to particular geographic areas as a community and learning about these communities where they settled can aid you in researching your own family line. What do you know about the religious practices and records available for your ancestors? Did you know that in addition surname and locality- based mailing lists and message boards, RootsWeb also provides a vast array of lists for religions and religious topics for historical and genealogical research? Links to the various religion topic mailing lists are here: http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Religion/ Whether your ancestors were Mennonites, Quakers, Schwenkfelders, or Turkish Jews -- you probably can find a list that will help you learn about your ancestors' beliefs, their communities, and migration patterns -- and the records you can expect to find pertaining to them. Topic message boards as diverse as Shinto, Buddhist, and Amish are also available. Start here: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec?htx=board&r=rw&p=topics.religious * * * 1c. Tips from Readers: Recording Our Memories By Sandra J Smith Some of us are not lucky enough (or are too old!) to have parents and grandparents alive, but with our passing our memories too will be gone. I decided some months ago that my 15-year-old grandson and perhaps his descendants might be interested in my memories in the distant future, none of which appear in my extensively documented family tree. So I have started jotting down memories on the computer, with the aim of recording at least a couple each week and already it has grown into a 25-page document. How I would have loved to have had a 25-page document of my grandparents' memories. I don't attempt to put it in any sort of order, but just label each section. For example, I have just done a section on Christmas and recalled all the wonderful Christmases of my childhood. Memories of visiting my grandparents include descriptions of their home and the rooms and furniture besides the routines that dominated their lives before washing machines, refrigerators, and dare I say it --the TV. The section on my parents also include tales they told me of their childhoods. I hope in this way to put the "flesh on my bones" for any budding family historian of the future. Today is tomorrow's history. 2. Connecting Through RootsWeb. Thanks for sharing your stories. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Mailing List to the Rescue By Pat Almquist For more than five years, I have searched for my husband's maternal grandmother's family. Her name was Augusta Elizabeth PEIL. She was born and married in Holyrood, Ellsworth County, Kansas but I could not find anything on her. Neither Ellsworth County not the State of Kansas had a record of her birth since she was born in 1888. After placing a query on your GERMANY-PASSENGER-LISTS mailing list I received three replies in less than 24 hours and was directed to her father, Christ PIEL (note the different spelling) in the 1900 Ellsworth County, Kansas census, showing his 12-year old daughter Lizzie! That old saying, "Two heads are better than one" certainly is true in this instance. Thanks to all who assisted me. [Editor's Note: See: The Great Hang-up: Spelling of Names: http://www.rootsweb.com/~rwguide/lesson8.htm Some Mailing Lists pertaining to Germanic research: http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/intl/DEU/GERMANY-PASSENGER-LISTS.html http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Ethnic-German/] * * * Do you have an online or other "connecting" story to share? Send to: Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com 3. New Mailing Lists at RootsWeb Request a New Mailing List: http://resources.rootsweb.com/adopt/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Brand-new mailing lists can be found under OTHER/MISCELLANEOUS until moved to their proper categories. For information and an index to the more than 28,800 RootsWeb-hosted genealogy Mailing Lists and for easy subscribing (joining) options go to: http://lists.rootsweb.com/ NEW SURNAME MAILING LISTS ANASTASI, ANAYA BRETHEN, BROOKING CAIRD, CONGREAVE DANLEY, DAUER, DEGURSE, DUPRAW GUST LANGENBERG, LANNON, LOUDERMILK MCCARNEN, MCGOON, MONEYPENNY NETHERWOOD, NORLEY OBERTEAN, OBERTEIN REDDOCH, RUDEBUSH SATNOLY, SCHAAR, SEAR, SEHER, STORRIE, SWATZEL VANDERGRIFF XIMENES ZAMBRANO NEW REGIONAL MAILING LISTS NOR-AUST-AGDER -- Aust-Agder, Norway NEW ETHNIC AND SPECIAL INTEREST MAILING LISTS OH-BCGS -- Belmont County (Ohio) Genealogical Society TN-32NDINF-CSA -- Discussing the 32nd Tennessee Infantry 4. New Webpages at RootsWeb To Request a Free Web Account: http://accounts.rootsweb.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------- Some of these webpages might not yet be accessible. They are created by volunteers, so if one that interests you isn't up yet, please check again in a few days or next week. http://www.rootsweb.com/~[accountname] Note that the ~[tilde] before the Web account name is required. For example, Genealogical Society of Riverside, California website is at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~cagsor/ U.S.A. arcchpa -- Conway County (Arkansas) Historical Preservation Association cagsor -- Genealogical Society of Riverside (California) gabrook2 -- Brooks County (Georgia) gagrady2 -- Grady County (Georgia) gatcdar -- Thronateeska (Georgia) Chapter DAR gathoma2 -- Thomas County (Georgia) inwayne -- Wayne County (Indiana) ksschs -- Sheridan County (Kansas) Historical Society moudc -- Daughters of Confederacy (Missouri) ohsd1812 -- Daughters of War of 1812 (Ohio) State txedecd -- Elizabeth Denton English (Texas) Chapter DAR wakcgs -- Kittitas County (Washington) Genealogical Society Key: APG—Association of Professional Genealogists DAR—Daughters of the American Revolution DRT—Daughters of the Republic of Texas OGS—Ohio Genealogical Society SUV—Sons of Union Veterans (American Civil War) USD—Daughters of the War of 1812 UDC—United Daughters of Confederacy (Confederate States of America) 5. New/Updated Freepages and Homepages -------------------------------------- Has your website ever been mentioned here or do you have a new, updated, or substantially revised website located at RootsWeb (it will have "freepages" or "homepages" in the URL)? Send the URL (Web address), along with a brief description, including the major pertinent surnames and what is available on your site, to: Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com * * * HASKINS. Haskins family research; mostly in Iowa and Illinois. It includes pedigree and family group charts, addresses, and links. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~dollface/Haskins/Haskins.html RONDEAU (Minnesota and Canada), RONDO (Minnesota), ANDERSON (Canada), ANDERSEN (Canada, Nebraska, Denmark), BECKET, BECKETT (Canada, USA, UK), McPHERSON (Nova Scotia, Alberta, British Columbia, Scotland) and McLEOD (Nova Scotia, Scotland) http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~andersonfamily/ U.K. MERSEYSIDE. Main towns and villages in Merseyside include: Bebington, Birkdale, Birkenhead, Bootle, Bromborough, Crosby, Formby, Heswall, Hoylake, Kirkby, Knowsley, Ledsham, Litherland, Liverpool, Moreton, Newton-le-Willows, Port Sunlight, Prenton, Prescot, Rainford, Rainhill, Southport, St. Helens, Thatto Heath, Thornton Hough, Upton, Wallasey, and West Kirby. Other topics include: bankrupts, bigamy, births, crimes, deaths, deaths and inquests, divorce, emigration, entertainment and sport, epidemics, graveyards and MIs, history, marriages, military, mining, missing persons, murder, passenger lists, schools, shipping, snippets, Southport, St. Helens, trades and occupations, and wills and bequests. Under "NEW SNIPPETS" are recent updates including a humorous one from "Southport Visiter," Sept. 24th, 1852: "A corpulent lady, on her way to California, writes back to one of her acquaintances her experience of travelling . . . 'Our cabins have two boxes in it called berths, though coffins would be nearer the thing, for you think more of your latter end at sea a great deal.'" (read rest of the adventure on the website): http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~dadds/MERSEYSIDE.index.html 6. New User-Contributed Databases at RootsWeb ---------------------------------------------- SHARING OPPORTUNITY. Does your alma mater, old military unit, church, parish, province, county or state have material available that you think would be of interest to genealogists and historians? Do you have any compiled lists of names or databases (other than your personal genealogy) that you would like to share and that you think would be of value and interest to others? In most cases, RootsWeb would be proud to host such material. http://userdb.rootsweb.com/submit/ The following databases have come online recently. They are searchable, but not browseable. Search: To look for specific data or occurrence of text in a file. Browse: To view the entire contents of a file or a group of files. KENTUCKY. Barren County. Glasgow. Glasgow High School Class of 1928; 32 records; E F Kerley http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ NEW HAMPSHIRE. Grafton County. Haverhill. New Hampshire death records compiled from town reports, 1887-1901; 576 records; Connie Verratti http://userdb.rootsweb.com/deaths/ NORTH CAROLINA. Durham County. Durham. Watts School of Nursing, Graduates 1897-2004; 2,914 records; Gail Bullock for Watts School of Nursing http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ 7. FROM ROOTSWEB REVIEW'S BOTTOMLESS MAILBAG [Editor's note: The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the editor or of RootsWeb.com]. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Double Might Be Single After All By Cynthia B Biasca David Abernathy in "Seeing Double in Colorado" (in a recent RootsWeb Review) drew the conclusion that the census was wrong. I think it highly possible that the census was correct and that the families who were roomers with the SPENCERS moved to the family of the WALLACES between the time the first family was contacted by the census taker and the time the second family was registered. I have come upon that several times in my own research of the BRADT family. Noticing the date the census taker canvassed each family might reveal this possibility. * * * [Editor's Note: Thanks to the dozens of readers who wrote with this or similar suggestions regarding e-mail addresses] E-mail Address Solution By Mary Anne in New Jersey When I began doing online genealogy and realized that a change in my e- mail address could cause me to miss important connections via RootsWeb mailing lists, I decided to open an e-mail account at one of the free online providers -- in my case, I used Yahoo. I use this address only for genealogy e-mails, it is not related to my ISP (Internet Service Provider), won't change if I get a cable modem or DSL service and barring Yahoo going out of business, I will never be caught with an untraceable e-mail change. * * * Surprises Abound in Research By Pat Myers Brown A few years ago, we traveled from Deale, Maryland, where we reside, to Belmont County, Ohio, where I was born to do some research on my father's family, about whom I knew little. Anyway, we went to the court- house and in our searching I found my paternal grandparents' marriage certificate and a death certificate for my father's older brother. Until then I did not know that there was another brother. While I was doing this, my husband, who had never done any research before, went to another location and found my paternal great-uncle's naturalization papers. After this part of the search, we decided to visit my father's church that he attended as a child. The pastor and secretary were most helpful in supplying us with copies of early records for my father's family. Then we decided to visit my grandmother's church in Wheeling, West Virginia, which is right across the Ohio River from Bridgeport, Ohio. When I use to spend my summers with Grandma and Grandpa GUY in Wheeling, we would attend their church -- St. Luke's Episcopal -- on what is known as Wheeling Island. It was within walking distance from their house. I noticed that the color of this old church had changed, but for some reason it still looked the same to me. We knocked on the door of St. Luke's and the pastor's wife answered and invited us in. We told her that we were doing research and she said that she didn't do any, but her husband did and she expected him at any moment. When he arrived we had a good conversation with him about research and I mentioned that the church building looked different from what I remembered as a child. He told us that about 12 years before the church had burned and all that was saved was the big front door and part of the steeple and one picture. He asked me if I could identify anyone in the picture. And yes, I could. It was a picture of my Grandma GUY when she taught Sunday School and this picture was of her and her class dressed for a Halloween party. I was so overjoyed that a few tears began to roll down my cheeks. Not only was it a picture of my grandma, but previous to that, I only had a snapshot or two of her, so that picture from the church is very special to me. The pastor and his wife agreed that I should have the picture. I was speechless and really didn't know what to say, except "thank you. As you can tell, this research trip was fruitful and overwhelming. It was so rewarding to be in the right place at the right time. Thanks for letting me share my happy experience. * * * Passing Places of Scotland By Ted Hudson in Centreville, Virginia, USA In the Highlands and islands of Scotland, many of the rural secondary roads are single lane, even though traffic goes both ways. These roads have bulges, or wide places, every so often, so that vehicles going in opposite directions can pass each other. At each one of these wide spots, the authorities post a sign that says "Passing Place." Twenty years ago, while I was on a hiking and sightseeing tour with the Sierra Club, we drove on one of these on the road to Elgol on the Isle of Skye. Presently we came to one of these bulges. Immediately adjacent to it was a small chapel in the middle of a rural cemetery, clearly marked with the sign, "Passing Place." "Stop the car!" I shouted. As the youngest in the group, I was the only one amused by the juxtaposition, which I memorialized with a photo. (The cemetery itself was touching -- I found the grave of a World War I soldier killed at age 19 in 1917 or so.) * * * Checking Burial Plots in Victoria By Linda Edwards in the Yarra Valley of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia I read with interest in the piece "Starting a Family Tradition Pays Off" of finding family graves together at a cemetery in USA. I had a similar experience in Australia. I went looking one day last year for my husband's grandparents. As I had the burial plot papers I knew where to look. I hoped for a photo record of any stone for the history. After a lot of searching mainly to work out the numbering system, I finally located what I thought was the plot among a row of mainly unmarked graves. I wrote down the few stones in this row with their numbers and drove to the new cemetery, which according to the information on the gate administered the older one now, too. The girl was helpful and confirmed from what I had -- that, yes, I had the right plot. She printed out the information and asked did I know they now had their records online too, for searching? Thanking her I returned home and went online. Searching through the family I found they had bought six plots beside each other but only one -- a grandchild -- had any stone on it. So side by side were not only two sets of grandparents, but also aunts, uncles and their children. It pays to check. Some Victoria cemeteries I have found online include: http://www.fcmp.com.au/ http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~cranbourne/ http://www.necropolis.com.au/ http://www.zades.com.au/geelong/gdcem.htm * * * Real Worth Found in the Data By Richard Welch in Farmington, New Mexico, USA As part of my family research, I also collect photographs, documents, and other objects that relate to my ancestors. This includes family Bibles. Believe it or not, I have found some on sites such as "Books We Own" and they are now my cherished possessions, so it's possible to find them and return them to their "family." I also regularly search the online auction services for family Bibles, but it never ceases to amaze me that many of the sellers seem to feel that the family that owned the Bible and put in names and dates is not important. I hate to say it and I mean no disrespect, but old Bibles are common as mud and can be found in virtually every antique shop in the country. What's really important with an 18th- or 19th-century Bible, to me at least, is the family data written inside. Wouldn't it be nice if the sellers of these Bibles, instead of putting in the search listing "contains family genealogical information" or something along those lines, would simply include the family name so the search engine could find it quickly? Wouldn't that be great? As an aside, I know of one auctioneer who has a policy to never sell a Bible at his auctions. He feels it's disrespectful and prefers to get them to the family where they belong -- not to make a few bucks from selling them. 8. Humor/Humour: Deadly Reminders --------------------------------- Thanks to: Kathryn Rogers who found this sign in the Castlebrook Cemetery, Rouse Hill, NSW, Australia: The Garden of Trust Do not leave valuables in your car Thanks to: Ellis Grist who saw these notices on a signpost at the entrance of a small town in Massachusetts, USA: Welcome to Derry Watch for pedestrians We recycle Thanks to: Joyce Tabler in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, who found this on a gravestone in the cemetery in Melita, Manitoba, Canada: I told you I was sick * * * Found a humorous sign or entry in census, parish, church, etc. records? Send to: Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com 9. Subscriptions, Submissions, Advertising, Reprints ----------------------------------------------------- SUBSCRIPTIONS. To manage your e-mail communications (i.e. to subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter, or to sign up for others), visit our newsletter management center any time at: http://newsletters.rootsweb.com/ The RootsWeb Review is a free publication of MyFamily.com, Inc., 360 West 4800 North, Provo, UT, 84604 * * * The RootsWeb Review does not publish or answer genealogical queries, and the editor regrets that she is unable to provide any personal research assistance or advice. RootsWeb Review welcomes short (500 words or less) articles, humor, stories, or letters, and reserves the right to edit all submissions. All mail sent to the RootsWeb Review editor is considered to be for publication — send in PLAIN TEXT (please, no attachments) to: Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com * * * ROOTSWEB REVIEW ADVERTISING CONTACTS. Ad Sales Operations Mgr. Shana Davis sdavis@myfamilyinc.com U.S. Worldwide Sales: Sacha Yenkana syenkana@myfamilyinc.com * * * REPRINTS. Permission to reprint articles from RootsWeb Review is granted unless specifically stated otherwise, provided: (1) the reprint is used for non-commercial, educational purposes; and (2) the following notice appears at the end of the article: Previously published in RootsWeb Review: 19 January 2005, Vol. 8, No. 3. * * * *