RootsWeb Review: RootsWeb's Weekly E-zine 13 September 2006, Vol. 9, No. 37 (c) 1998-2006 RootsWeb.com, Inc. http://www.rootsweb.com/ * * * Editor: Myra Vanderpool Gormley, Certified Genealogist Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com Certification: http://www.bcgcertification.org/certification/ * * * ROOTSWEB HELPDESK: Check here for announcements: http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/ * * * ROOTSWEB REVIEW ARCHIVES: Current and previous editions: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/review/2006/0913.txt http://e-zine.rootsweb.com/ ========================================================= IN THIS ISSUE: 1. 1a. EDITOR'S DESK: NEWS, NOTES, AND SOME SITES WORTH SEEING NEWS: Share Your Family's Immigration Legacy BOOK NOTES: Cumberland County, Pennsylvania SITES: Canadian Immigrants; Queen Anne's Revenge 1b. Tips from Readers: Identifying Gateway Ancestors 1c. Using RootsWeb: Taking the Right Fork in the Road 2. Connecting Through RootsWeb: Reuniting Families with Family Bibles 4. New/Updated FreePages and HomePages 5. New at RootsWeb 6. RootsWeb Review's Bottomless Mailbag: Saints and Feasts Days Googling for Counties Following the Second Husband Suggestions for Burned-out Coping with Reality Ancestors Exposed (so to speak) 7. Humor/Humour: Humorless Grown-ups 8. Subscriptions, Submissions, Advertising, Reprints ======================================================= IN THIS ISSUE: 1a. EDITOR'S DESK: NEWS, NOTES; SOME SITES WORTH SEEING NEWS: SHARE YOUR IMMIGRATION LEGACY They left their homes for a country they'd never seen. And once in America, they spent their lives working steadily toward dreams often realized only generations later--by you. What did your ancestors endure to come to America? Did you personally know your immigrant ancestors? How has your family realized your immigrant ancestors' dream? Tell us, in 150 words or less, your immigration legacy. Send entries by September 29 to: share@ancestry.com * * * BOOK NOTES: Pennsylvania. Cumberland County Cemeteries. The Genealogy Club of the Harrisburg Area YMCA, West Shore Branch, has compiled nine books of cemetery transcriptions encompassing almost all of the eastern end of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania (just across the Susquehanna River from Harrisburg). Information is on its website, http://www.rootsweb.com/~pawsygc/TranscriptionBooks.html * * * SOME SITES WORTH SEEING: Moving Here, Staying Here. The Canadian Immigrant Experience http://www.collectionscanada.ca/immigrants/index-e.html http://www.collectionscanada.ca/immigrants/021017-3000-e.html Queen Anne's Revenge: Blackbeard the Pirate and Beaufort Inlet, NC. http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/qar/history/historyintro.htm * * * 1b. TIPS FROM READERS: Identifying Gateway Ancestors By Joe Crouch in Lexington, Kentucky, USA In the mid- to late-1800s it was popular in Kentucky and Tennessee for biographical sketches to be written and published in newspapers or books. The biographer would come through, make notes based upon personal interviews and then go back to their home office, typeset the sketch, and publish it. One such book was the "History of Tennessee Illustrated." The biographical sketch on William H. CROUCH of Montgomery County, Tennessee, one of my collateral relatives, indicated that his parents, Harding CROUCH (born 16 June 1772) and his wife were both from England. Yet Harding CROUCH was the grandson of my particular apparent CROUCH immigrant ancestor -- Richard CROUCH of Goochland County Virginia who immigrated to Virginia from England in 1726. Another such book was the "History of Todd County, Kentucky" with a biographical sketch on George W. JESUP whose grandfather, James E. JESUP (born December 1762 in Wilton, Connecticut) is also listed as an Englishman. James E. JESUP of Wilton Connecticut was the great-great- grandson of James JESUP who came to New England prior to 1649. How could these individuals be listed as Englishman, yet both clearly were grandsons or great-great-grandsons of immigrants? The only apparent rational for this mistake, I believe, was that Harding CROUCH and James E. JESUP, like all other Colonial Americans born before American Independence from England, were legally and technically Englishman and thus subjects of the King of England. Thus the statements that the previous generation were Englishman and leading to the assumption that their parents came straight from England. I've seen other sketches where similar wording was used indicating the parent or grandparent was from England. However, one should not accept at face value the statements in those 19th-century biographical sketches that say their ancestors were Englishman or from England as they may have several generations more to go before they really were from England. [Editor's note: In a 20th-century biography about one of my pioneer Alaskan relatives, it was claimed that he was a "Dutchman." Ja! His immigrant Vanderpool ancestor arrived in New Netherland in 1644, but he was born in Missouri in 1865.] * * * 1c. USING ROOTSWEB: Taking the Right Fork in the Road Most of us have taken a sightseeing car ride into the country at some point. Taking off without a road map and just seeing where the roads will take us can lead to wonderful adventures. You begin on a straight and well-marked highway leading out of town and the road ahead is easy to follow. At first, there is no question as to which way to turn, but inevitably you reach a point in your journey where there is a fork in the road and you are forced to choose whether the best path to follow is the left fork or the right one. Genealogists also often face forks in the road at some point in tracing their family tree. Starting with yourself and working your way back one generation at a time is the accepted method of researching your ancestors. The first few generations, closest to you in time and memory, and where there is easy access to vital records, generally pose no challenges. But then you come to a point where you are looking for a generation further back in time where few, if any, vital records are available. This is the point in your research where you must rely on less direct evidence in deciding which of several John Q. SMITHs you have found on census records and tax lists, deeds and wills, is the John Q. SMITH who is the father of your 3rd-great-grandfather, John Q. SMITH, Jr. You may amass many pieces of evidence that lead down one path or another and you must, at some point, choose which evidence is the best evidence and which John Q. SMITH belongs in your family tree. This is the point at which you must bring good old common sense and judgment into play. If your John Q. SMITH, Jr. lived in Somerset, England it is, of course, more likely that a John Q. SMITH, Sr. also living in Somerset, is the father of your John than a John Q. SMITH living in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia or Pretoria, South Africa; unless, you have evidence that indicates your SMITHs once lived in one of these areas. Making geographic leaps of faiths in genealogical research can lead you down the wrong path. The point where you reach the fork in the road and must weigh evidence and make judgment calls is often the most difficult step in your family history documentation. Listing all of the evidence for one path versus all of the evidence for the other one and looking at them side by side can be most helpful. Discussing the issues with other researchers who love a good challenge can also help. Sharing in a discussion of research methods and resources frequently can result in another genealogist making suggestions not only concerning the value of the evidence you have presented, but also offering advice about other evidence you might try to locate -- and giving you other ideas to consider. Rather than playing genealogical solitaire in finding the answers to your dead ends, try sharing your research dilemmas with others on RootsWeb mailing lists where the discussion centers on research issues. If you are a novice at family history research you might try: http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Research_Techniques/RESEARCH-HOWTO.html If you are a more advanced family historian the Advanced Research list members might have tips in your search: http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Research_Techniques/ADVANCED-RESEARCH.html The moderated GENMTD (Genealogical Methods) list might be your cup of tea. It is gatewayed to the soc.genealogy.methods Usenet Newsgroup: http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Newsgroup_Gateways/GENMTD.html If you favor message boards for posting your research queries, there are a variety of boards that offer research resources located here: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec?htx=board&r=rw&p=topics.researchresources Whichever resources you choose, you are assured of finding others willing and able to make suggestions in your search. With a little help from other family history researchers you can be confident you're taking the correct fork in the road on the way to finding your ancestors. * * * * * * * * * * Advertisements * * * * * * * * * * GET HELP WITH YOUR BRITISH GENEALOGY BRITISH ANCESTORS will search the records of your English and Scottish ancestors stored in archives throughout England and Scotland, most of which are unavailable on the Internet. Friendly service, affordable prices and free research assessments. For a FREE! no-obligation research assessment visit http://www.britishancestors.com/ For help in finding ancestors from the USA, Canada, Australia, Ireland, Germany, Poland, Russia, Holland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Italy, request a FREE! initial e-mail consultation from http://www.ancestorseekers.com/research/rwr/ or join us October 23-27 for our sixth Salt Lake City Research Trip -- the ideal genealogy vacation! * * * * * * * * * * End of Advertisements * * * * * * * * * * 2. CONNECTING THROUGH ROOTSWEB: Reuniting Families with Family Bibles By Earlene Scott Genealogy is a passion and a hobby. I love hunting for my own family gems but take equal pride in purchasing old Bibles with family records in them at estate sales, flea markets, and garage sales. I don't purchase them for myself but seek to reunite them with present-day descendants. Hopefully my efforts will spark interest in others to also purchase these old Bibles and search for a remnant of family that will be grateful to have such valuable heirlooms returned to them. How is it possible to find total strangers, discuss their family with them, find evidence of direct lineage and help them break through some brick wall? Thank goodness for my subscription to Ancestry.com! Immediately after purchasing a Bible I return home to spend half the night looking for the right family. Usually I can find some connection through census records. If that doesn't work and primary records such as birth, death, marriage, etc. reveal little or nothing I search for the family on RootsWeb.com. Usually the message boards offer help in locating someone interested in a particular family name. Such was the case just last week. I purchased a German Bible printed in 1830 in Philadelphia, written in old German Script. The first handwritten notations were also in German, made by Friedrich STAUFFER, the original owner and purchaser of the Bible. He wrote that he paid 10 thaler [taler] and 50 grosschin for the Bible in 1830. He recorded his own birthday as 28 December 1776 and that he married Chadarina BILMAYER 25 April 1797. Chadarina's birth is recorded as 22 May 1772 and her death as taking place in 1851 when she was 79 years, 2 months, and 5 days old. No places were given for these events. Births of their six children are also recorded -- all in German. At least two more generations of children are also named but the entries are recorded in English with a few German phrases or words included. My journey to find the descendants led me to Ohio data since the Bible was purchased at an estate sale in Ohio. However, the previous owner's son stated that his mother had a habit of picking up old things that interested her but that the Bible was not part of their family history. Searching the Internet I located a STAUFFER message board but no prime leads for direct family connections. However I placed an inquiry on the board and several people replied telling me about a STAUFFER Cemetery in Wayne County, Ohio. It happen to have a website devoted to its efforts to preserve the old STAUFFER Pioneer Cemetery and a number for the Wayne County Library. There a helpful employee provided me with the name of a local researcher of the STAUFFER family. I contacted him and with his help began locating sites that connected with the family. Bingo! That was the final clue needed to locate a fourth-great-grandson of the original owner. In between the e-mails back and forth with him others interested in STAUFFER genealogy contacted me with interest of obtaining the Bible. I have shared copies of the data with them via mail. However, my greatest desire is to find descendants and return the Bible to them. The final journey is almost complete and with the help of the United States Postal Service, the Bible is back in STAUFFER hands within the week. The Bible as an old book is not valuable. The covers are ratty, the pages stained and yellowed. It is those pages between the Old and New Testaments that are priceless. I do not charge for this service or hobby, the phone calls or search fees. I do ask the family to pay my exact costs of purchasing the Bible and mailing it. That payment allows me to continue enjoying my hobby and purchase the next Bible that becomes available so that I can hopefully return it to someone who will love and cherish it. Now, does anyone have in interest in a Bible printed in 1833 in Cincinnati? It belonged to the John BROWN Family of Batavia, Ohio who intermarried with the HARRIS Family in southeastern Ohio. Early dates for marriages include the 1830s and other entries for deaths and births. This Bible has women's hair saved as well as numerous funeral notes and newspaper clippings. I can't wait to see if any of my e-mail inquiries to someone who posted on RootsWeb back in 2004 is still interested. You never know how or when you will find the rightful owner, but the hunt is fantastic, especially when the connection is made. None of this would have been possible in the days before computers and the wonderful Christmas present my husband gives me every year -- a new subscription to Ancestry.com. * * * Did you leap over some brick walls or cleverly figure out where your grandmother was hiding in a census? Do tell! Dazzle us with your brilliant sleuthing or uncanny luck. We're all ears. Send your tales of genealogical adventure to: Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com 3. New User-Contributed Databases at RootsWeb http://userdb.rootsweb.com/submit/ ---------------------------------------------- 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/ KANSAS. Osborne County. Portis. 1932 Portis High School; 29 records; Carrie White http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ 4. New/Updated Freepages and Homepages -------------------------------------- Can your cousins find your website at RootsWeb? Has it ever been mentioned here or do you have a new, updated, or substantially revised website at RootsWeb (it will have "freepages" or "homepages" in the URL)? Send the URL (its Web address), along with a brief description, including the major pertinent surnames and what is available on your site, to: Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com JOHNSON. Patricia Craig Johnson's Home Page -- "Stories of my ancestors and other people I have known and my American Revolutionary Patriots." Surnames: GOULDEN, JENSEN, LUSK, NORTH, THOMAS, JOHNSON, McLAUGHLIN, FORREST, LILLARD, KUHLMAN, DENISON, BAKER, SANFORD, COLLINS, CRAIG, FIZZELL, and PRYOR. http://freepages.family.rootsweb.com/~patrician/ STEINBRECHER. Family tree of STEINBRECHERs of southeast Michigan. Other surnames include: ARMSTRONG, AULT, BECKSTEAD, CRAMMOND, CROSSLEY, DIXON, GEBHARDT, GEIKAS, HOTCHKISS, LENTON, LISK, RIDDELL, STEVENSON, WILKINS, WILKINSON, APPLEGATE, BALLERINI, CARNEY, MAXWELL, NELSON, ROY, SNYDER, STEVENSON, WOODARD, and YOUNG. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~steinie/ WALTERS, BLAIR. Descendants of George WALTERS and Caroline BLAIR of Maryland, Virginia, and Ohio. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~mwilliams48/ WORLD WAR II 464TH B-24 BOMBER UNIT. General Order No. 4096 is the first unit citation of the 464th Bomb Group (H), which was stationed in Italy during World War II. http://freepages.family.rootsweb.com/~gregkrenzelok/generalorder4096.html 5. New 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/~xxxxxx[accountname] ITALY itasanta -- Sant'Angleo a Cupolo (Province of Benevento) U.S.A. arindepe -- Independence County (Arkansas) armille2 -- Miller County (Arkansas) AHGP invigoce -- Vigo County Cemeteries (Indiana) kylyonce -- Lyon County Cemeteries (Kentucky) milcdar -- Lansing (Michigan) Chapter DAR nycpavil -- Pavilion City (New York) widcags -- Dane County Area Genealogical Society (Wisconsin) Key: AHGP -- American History and Genealogy Project DAR -- Daughters of the American Revolution * * * New Mailing Lists at RootsWeb Request a New Mailing List: http://resources.rootsweb.com/adopt/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- For information and an index to the more than 29,800 RootsWeb-hosted genealogy Mailing Lists and for easy subscribing (joining) options go to: http://lists.rootsweb.com/ MAILING LISTS STILL MOVING TO NEW SYSTEM The RootsWeb.com mailing lists continue to move to a new list management system. No new lists will be created until this move is completed. Not all of the lists are being moved at one time so it will take weeks to complete the process. Additional information about the update and a current schedule can be found at http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/migrate_sched.html How will it affect you? Your current subscription(s) will transfer automatically to the new system so there will be no need to re-subscribe to your list(s). However, because the sending and receiving of list e- mail will be handled by a new system, you may notice a few changes to your list(s). Digest subscribers will notice a small difference in the layout, volume and issue numbers of the list digests. As in all such endeavors there have been and probably will be some glitches along way. RootsWeb appreciates your patience during this transition and hopes that the mailing lists will continue to be a valuable tool in your genealogy research. 6. 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]. Saints and Feasts Days By Miriam Dapra Kathleen Carrizal-Frye (in last week's RootsWeb Review) related that she finds it difficult to believe that Mexican parents could name a son "Jose de la Circumcision Gonzalez." Being a Catholic, I find it easy to believe -- particularly if the boy was born on January 1. That day used to be, in the Catholic calendar, the feast of the circumcision of Jesus. Catholics around the world have often named their children after the saint or the feast coinciding with the child's birthday (for example, "Navidad" (birth) on Christmas, "Joseph" on March 19 or "Patrick" on March 17). * * * Googling for Counties By Connie Trier I have made use of Google.com when researching the counties my ancestors lived in. County maps are another great help. With Google I type the "county name" (i.e. "Snohomish County") +state +history. This almost always yields results. I can find out when the county was created, and usually what county or counties it was once a part of. To find maps at Google.com -- "county name" +state +map Since I come from a state with large counties, I was surprised that my great-great-grandfather lived in several Michigan counties in his lifetime. When I found a Michigan map and looked at the counties and towns I realized he never moved more than five miles. He lived in a corner where three counties met. * * * Following the Second Husband By Myra Herron I love reading the stories of other brick walls coming down. In the HERRON family, it took two of us snoops to tear down a brick wall that was my great-grandmother's second husband. All we knew was that he was called Daddy CLARK (her name had been Catherine HERRON and when her husband, George, had died, she married this Mr. CLARK). We knew -- from family stories -- that he was Catholic and her family wasn't and that he didn't last long. She threw him out after a few years with a few livestock and no good wishes. I had started a family newsletter and had enlisted the help of a cousin that was a writer/historian. She lived in the area where they had lived, and I had access to Ancestry.com. Between the two of us, with many e- mail discussions, and searches online and in the local library, we found an obituary that mentioned a Mr. CLARK that had died, and left a widow in Wilson (That was the township that Catherine lived in). We determined that Daddy CLARK must have been Michael CLARK. He was Irish, had traveled all over the world, and was well-known in Alpena, Michigan. He also had owned a large farm near the HERRON farm and might have thought that the widow HERRON would welcome him with open arms. He didn't count on the HERRON fortitude. He basically drove out some of the older children and the younger ones did not like him at all. Neither did Catherine, evidently. She turned him out and he went to live with his son-in-law in town. Neither of them believed in divorce, even though one census listed her as divorced. When Daddy CLARK died, all Catherine got was a bare mention in the obituary as the "widow in Wilson" without even her name. I found the censuses that showed him in Alpena County and we found the 1903 plat maps showing their two farms. Ruth COCHRANE, my cousin, found their marriage certificate and the obituary. We then tracked him and his two children, putting together a story about Michael "Daddy" CLARK for the HERRON Flights newsletter, to fill in the blanks about him -- the unloved second husband. We have never seen a picture of him that we know of, but at least now we all know who he was. One more brick wall gone. We're still working on Catherine's first husband, trying to learn his story. One brick wall at a time, I guess. * * * Suggestions for Burned-out By Laurel Busch As a fellow genealogy volunteer, I sympathize with Burned-out Volunteer. I do have some suggestions, though. First, don't be a martyr, and don't worry about being rude by discussing out-of-pocket costs. Don't wait for people to ask if you have expenses -- they probably assume you will bring it up if there are any. (A lot of people make copies in workplaces without paying for them or have copiers at home). Get the person who's asking for help to agree in advance to reimburse you for the costs. If you run into deadbeats who agree to pay and then "forget" about it, get everyone to pay in advance. It probably doesn't occur to anyone that you want to be reimbursed even if you do have out-of-pocket expenses. Every time I have ever offered to reimburse anyone who has mailed copies to me, that person has declined. I and many other amateur genealogists "pay" people who have helped them by helping other people and figuring it all comes out even in the end. Another suggestion is to do as much as possible by e-mail. If it's possible for you to scan documents and send them as e-mail attachments, do that. As for people who don't acknowledge what you send them, you have my wholehearted sympathy. My motivation for helping people is expecting them to be happy with what I send them. At least half the people I help deny me the pleasure of knowing they enjoyed the information because they don't even acknowledge they received it, much less whether it was helpful. In my opinion, the customary "thanks in advance" is nowhere near sufficient. One thing I have done to screen out ingrates is to begin by sending people only part of the information I have (whatever is easiest for me to retrieve and send). If they don't write back, I haven't wasted much effort on them. If they do write back, they get everything I have. Burned-out Volunteer, I hope you will begin helping people on your own terms so genealogists will not lose your very valuable services. * * * Coping with Reality By Maggie X I whole heartily agree with Burnt-out Volunteer's statement. And ever so pleased she/he has finally got it off her/his chest. I, for one, have been very grateful for research done by volunteering researchers. There are many people out there only too willing to help because they enjoy doing so. Where do you draw the line on too much free help given. I believe this needs to be discussed with the person who has asked you to do a lookup for them. Some tell you before they start that you will have to pay for postage or if looking at documents e-mail back with the cost of purchasing them. This way no one can be taken for a ride. I have also had it happen to me in the past where I have produced photos and copies of family matter and sent it to various people who may be a direct link to my family line and received not so much as a thank-you note. So I understand how Burnt-out Volunteer feels. I have never abused the privilege of getting help from anyone and have always offered to pay for any information given. If the person doesn't want the money I always ask for an address and send them a small gift of appreciation. The gift and postage can cost more than the original postage would have been but my motto is if someone has gone out of their way to help you, it is only right you should show some appreciation. There are the hard heartless types that are going to keep abusing the privilege and spoil it for others, but that's just the way some people are. For every one of those there are many others who are sincere and we do make their day. * * * Ancestors Exposed (so to speak) By Paul Patridge A few years ago, I was indexing an 1850 census record for North Carolina. Beside a family listed in the census, the enumerator had written these words: "This family lives in the woods with very few clothes and are [sic] totally ignorant." I'm not sure I would like to claim this family as ancestors in my family history! [Editor's note: So that's where my rellies were hiding!] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7. Humor/Humour: Humorless Grown-ups --------------------------------- Thanks to: Richard Weller I well remember being reprimanded for giggling as a child worshipping in a church in England over 60 years ago when for three weeks the banns of marriage were published of John FOX and Janet GOOSE and when Honor HILL was, following her marriage, to become Honor MOUNTAIN. * * * Found a humorous sign, amusing entries in census, parish, church, etc. records? Send them to: Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com 8. 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/ If you use a spam-filtering program, in order to receive the RootsWeb Review please make sure that you're allowing e-mail from: newsletter@reply.myfamilyinc.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. The announcement of books and products is provided as a community service and is not an endorsement in any way. 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 and please include your full name and e-mail address in the text. * * * ROOTSWEB REVIEW ADVERTISING CONTACTS. Ad Sales Worldwide: Shana Davis, creative@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: 13 September 2006, Vol. 9, No. 37. * * * *