RootsWeb Review: RootsWeb's Weekly E-zine 15 November 2006, Vol. 9, No. 46 (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/2006/1115.txt http://e-zine.rootsweb.com/ ========================================================= IN THIS ISSUE: 1. 1a. EDITOR'S DESK: NEWS, NOTES, AND SOME SITES WORTH SEEING News: Ancestry.com completes U.S. Passenger Lists; Book Notes: James Standridge, RW Soldier and His Descendants; Sites: Salem, Massachusetts Crew Lists; Deadfred; Show Me the Money!; 1b. Tips from Readers: Finding World War II-era Relatives 1c. USING ROOTSWEB: Making Most of Queries 2. Connecting Through RootsWeb: What's Your Story? 3. New User-contributed Databases 4. New/Updated FreePages and HomePages 5. New at RootsWeb 6. RootsWeb Review's Bottomless Mailbag: Asking for Ancestral Help to Find Graves Keep Your Eyes Open in Graveyards Spam Paranoia Counterproductive to Genealogists Inaccurately Named No Manners. No Excuses Stamping Out Some Naming Traditions 7. Humor/Humour: Officially Yours 8. Subscriptions, Submissions, Advertising, Reprints ======================================================= IN THIS ISSUE: 1a. EDITOR'S DESK: NEWS, NOTES; SOME SITES WORTH SEEING NEWS. Ancestry.com recently announced the completion of a three-year project to digitize and post online all available U.S. passenger lists from 1820 through 1960. This project covers more than 100 ports of arrival and 100 million names. The collection includes 7 million passenger list images and a thousand ship images. It's estimated that 85 percent of Americans can find at least one ancestor in this collection. You'll discover not only the immigrants, but all travelers -- handy for tracking "birds of passage" (those who moved between their homelands and the United States multiple times before settling here for good), ancestors who visited family back in the "old country," and even some ancestors or relatives who went on Caribbean cruises in the 1950s, for example, may show up in these lists. The Ellis Island records were re-indexed by Ancestry.com and do not contain the efforts of Ellis Island database (EIDB). By having another group re-index a record group, errors in the first one may not appear in the re-indexing. The major advantage to the Ancestry site is that it indexes arrivals after 1924, which is where the year the EIDB ends. To commemorate the launch of the collection, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/) offers free access to its entire "Immigration Collection" through the end of November. Click on "US Immigrant Collection" on its home page. You will need to register with the site in order to access the database. And, keep in mind that the free access is only to the new "Immigration Collection" -- not to everything else at Ancestry.com. These various databases identify more than 100 million passengers. Ancestry.com experts, including more than 1,500 paleographers (handwriting specialists), spent more than 1.8 million hours and typed 4.5 billion keystrokes to create the fully searchable passenger list index. The company notes that for the first time, people can look to a single centralized source online to find all readily available U.S. passenger list records. It also announced plans to release in December all Hamburg [Germany] Emigration lists 1850-1934 with, initially, an index for the years 1890-1912. Ancestry.com, which supports RootsWeb.com, has invested more than $100 million to acquire, digitize, and make searchable online the invaluable historical records such as the exclusive U.S. census collection (1790-1930), birth, marriage and death records, photographs, military records and more. It now has more than 5 billion names in the 23,000 searchable databases. * * * BOOK NOTES: STANDRIDGE. The Standridge National Family History Society announces the publication of "James Standridge, Revolutionary War Soldier and His Descendents," by Frances Jones, The book contains 650 plus pages, is fully illustrated with maps, photographs, and copies of documents. It also contains a full-name index. It may be ordered ($77 postpaid) from the author, 108 St. Leo Dr., Cahokia, IL 62206. * * * SOME SITES WORTH SEEING MASSACHUSETTS. Salem. Crew Lists: 1799-1879 Between 1799 and 1879 more than 7,900 voyages to foreign ports sailed from this New England port. Prior to sailing the shipmaster or captain of each vessel was required to file a crew list containing information about the vessel's destination and its crew. This website has an index to those crew lists, containing more than 75,770 names and providing access to crew members based upon age, complexion, birth place and residence place. http://www.mysticseaport.org/library/initiative/SalemIndex.cfm DEADFRED. Genealogy Photo Archive. Search for and share old photographs. http://www.deadfred.com/ SHOW ME THE MONEY! Five ways to compute the relative value of a U.S. dollar amount, 1790-2005 http://www.measuringworth.com/calculators/compare/ Five ways to compute the relative value of a UK pound amount, 1830-2005 http://www.measuringworth.com/calculators/ukcompare/ Colonial (U.S.) currency -- all about money with currency examples and explanatory essays. Fun reading! http://www.coins.nd.edu/ColCurrency/ * * * 1b. TIPS FROM READERS: Finding World War II-era Relatives By Liam Martin I have been searching for seven years for details of my uncle's naval record to no avail when I came across this site: http://www.unithistories.com/ I supplied the webmaster with some details viz. "Interested in my uncle James MARTIN from Londonderry who joined the Royal Navy as an Education Officer (and Navigator) in 1920 and left in 1940. He served in the China Squadron, the New Zealand Division, Pacific and European Waters. He died at the age of 94 in April 1991 in Coleraine, N. Ireland." The full naval record of my uncle now appears at: http://www.unithistories.com/officers/RN_officers_nonWW2.html#M This may be of some use to folks who had relatives under arms in Europe in and around the WWII era. Track down until you reach J. Martin. Hovering the cursor over the picture of James Martin at this URL produces more information and clicking on it gives relevant data from the family website "Postman Bill." The details and pictures of the four naval craft that my uncle sailed on during his 18-year career in the Royal Navy can be found here: HMS Hermes: http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/ships/Hermes.html HMS Neptune: http://www.hmsneptune.com/history1.php HMS Diomede: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Diomede_%281919%29 HMS Cambrian: http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/cambrian_class.htm#HMS%20Cambrian * * * 1c. USING ROOTSWEB: Making Most of Queries Have you ever posted a query on a RootsWeb mailing list or message board and just watched it sit there and never receive a reply? There may be any number of reasons that you have not received answers to your questions or been unable to obtain any assistance. First, perhaps there actually is no one out there reading the list or board who knows the answer to your most elusive genealogical query -- not yet at least. Be patient. However, there are also other reasons, problems you can readily overcome, that could explain why no one is replying to your posts. By far the most common reason for lack of a response to your plea for information is that you have not provided sufficient data in your query for anyone to assist you or to spot a possible connection to their own research. If you are asking for a lookup, provide a specific source you would like someone to check. Include what you know about your ancestor -- his name, when and where he lived, and the names of other family members. Clearly state what information you hope to learn. For example, if you want to learn the ancestor's parents' names say so. If you're looking for his wife's maiden name, say so. If you have already searched specific records for the information you hope to learn, include what resources you have already checked. For instance, if you have looked at the 1880 census, include this fact so that lookup volunteers won't waste their time repeating efforts you have already made. Don't get hung-up over the spelling of your ancestor's name when posting a query and don't be "stuck" in the mire of family lore that the SMITHs were English. They may have been German and someone may point you to matching SCHMIDTs they found in various sources. Look into the possibility that the lookup volunteers may have broken down a brick wall for you and don't be hardheaded when it comes to considering any and all options suggested. Make certain you have posted your query on the most relevant board or list possible. You won't find experts on Irish townlands and the resources available for them on a list for Boston, Massachusetts, just because your Irish ancestors immigrated to Boston and because you happen to already subscribe to that list. Always make sure your message is pertinent to the discussion on a list or board because that is where you will find the experts and lookup volunteers who have access to the resources for your area of interest. Another bugaboo is a subject for your post which doesn't provide any reference to the content included in the message. Most people who follow lists and boards lead busy lives and quickly scroll through the posts in search of a few messages where they can offer assistance. Posts with uninformative subjects such as "searching," "genealogy," "my great- grandfather," and "help" don't attract the attention of the very persons who may well have information for you. A subject such as "Seeking the parents of Abraham SMITH of Boston, Massachusetts, 1790-1865" does. Avoid abbreviations. Was that abbreviation CA intended to mean California or Canada? Also, include complete information about locations. If you are posting a message on the SMITH message board and you include the fact that your SMITHs once lived in "Montgomery" you are not making it clear to the reader whether you mean Montgomery, Alabama; Montgomery County, Pennsylvania -- or one of the 17 other U.S. states with a Montgomery County. Or maybe you are referring to Montgomeryshire, Wales? Always be specific when mentioning a locality and spell it out. Finally, once you have created a rough draft of your board or list post, review it carefully and try to put yourself in the position of the reader on the receiving end -- someone who knows nothing about the ancestors you are describing. Make sure the data and query would be understood by a "perfect stranger" because one of them just might turn out to hold the answer for which you were searching or might possess a publication in which they could find the answer for you. Post good queries and you will get good answers. Mailing lists: http://lists.rootsweb.com Message boards: http://boards.rootsweb.com/ * * * * * * * * * * * * * Advertisements * * * * * * * * * * REQUEST A SEARCH FOR YOUR ANCESTORS AT THE FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY ANCESTOR SEEKERS researchers at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City will search this vast collection for your ancestors from the USA, Canada, Australia, Ireland, Germany, Poland, Russia, Holland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Italy. If you commission the work (there's no obligation to do that!) prices start from $55 (US). For a FREE! initial e-mail consultation visit http://www.ancestorseekers.com/research/rwr/ For help in finding ancestors from England or Scotland request a FREE e-mail assessment from http://www.britishancestors.com/ or join us FEBRUARY 18-23 for our Seventh Salt Lake City Research Trip -- the ideal genealogy vacation! * * * Have you thought about your health? We have. Join AARP Today. Join AARP today to belong to a network of 37 million people with the same interest at heart: getting the most out of life. Anyone over 50 can get all the great benefits of membership in AARP for only $12.50 a year. Plus, free membership for your spouse or partner! Some of our benefits include AARP The Magazine, access to AARP-sponsored insurance plans, access to the AARP Legal Assistance Network, opportunities to volunteer in your community, and much more. At AARP, we work on the issues that matter to you. Get the latest information on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, economic security and health care. Our goal is to deliver value to our members through information, advocacy and service. Click here to join AARP today! http://www.aarp.org/sk/membership.html?keycode=M5PAA9 * * * * * * * * * * End of Advertisements * * * * * * * * * * 2. CONNECTING THROUGH ROOTSWEB: What's your story? Have you made a big breakthrough this year? Did you leap over some brick walls or cleverly figure out where your grandmother was hiding in a census? Do tell! Has some kind soul provided you with help or information about your family? Dazzle us with your brilliant sleuthing or uncanny luck. We're all ears. Send your tales of online genealogical adventure (short ones preferred) to: Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com * * * 3. New User-Contributed Databases at RootsWeb 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. ARKANSAS. Clark County. African-American Marriages, 1867-1990, Phifer (surname); 396 records; Bennie L. Phifer III http://userdb.rootsweb.com/marriages/ LOUISIANA. Bienville Parish. Driskill Cemetery; 20 records; Pine Grove Cemetery, 61 records; Maxine Blake Morgan http://userdb.rootsweb.com/cemeteries/ MICHIGAN. Lenawee County. New Weston Cemetery; 299 records; Margie K. and Michele O. http://userdb.rootsweb.com/cemeteries/ NEW HAMPSHIRE. Hillsborough County. Obituaries; 195 records; Helen C. Coughlin http://userdb.rootsweb.com/obituaries/ NEW JERSEY. Hudson County. Jersey City. Graduates grammar school No. 28, 31 January 1908; 58 records; Mary Bier Wilson http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ PENNSYLVANIA. Franklin County. Chambersburg. Zion Reformed Church; 489 records; Joseph Barnhart http://userdb.rootsweb.com/cemeteries/ VIRGINIA. Charles City County. 1810 census; 450 records; Sharon Pulsipher http://userdb.rootsweb.com/census/index/ 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 * * * If your genealogical or historical related site is located somewhere other than at RootsWeb.com, you can add the link here: http://resources.rootsweb.com/~rootslink/addlink.html * * * CAROLINAS. Waxhaw is an area on the South Carolina and North Carolina border that includes the town of Waxhaw in Union County, North Carolina. It takes in some of Lancaster County, South Carolina and Union County, North Carolina. There are parts of surrounding counties that are included in this area also. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~waxhaw/ LONGSWORTH: It seems that most, if not all Longsworths in America are descendants of Solomon Longsworth of Maryland, and this web site attempts to trace the family. The site is based on a 1951 family history published by Mary Longsworth Breese. Contributors are encouraged to provide updates, additions and corrections. http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~hal/Longsworth/ * * * 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] AUSTRALIA auscentr -- Central Darling (New South Wales) auscooma -- Cooma-Monaro (New South Wales) CANADA nbtvglhg -- Tobique Valley Genealogy and Local History Group (New Brunswick) U.S.A. azccdar2 -- Coconino (Arizona) Chapter DAR ilgrcdar -- George Rogers Clark (Illinois) Chapter DAR nccpaff -- PAFfinders of Cary (North Carolina) Key: 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 30,000 RootsWeb-hosted genealogy Mailing Lists and for easy subscribing (joining) options go to: http://lists.rootsweb.com/ No new mailing lists were reported this week. * * * 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]. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Asking for Ancestral Help to Find Graves By Betty Braune I am convinced that the spirits of our ancestors will assist us in our genealogical quests if we open our minds to it, and if our intentions are good ones. I have been helped numerous times throughout more than 50 years of family history research, and I am positive I have been helped in locating graves at least three times. I had looked for the Cardwell Cemetery in Caldwell County, Texas for five years. I knew the general area of the cemetery's location, but I could never find it. One day when I had plenty of time I drove up that gravel road, turned my car around, and got out and walked. I had not walked very far before I spied a tombstone amid dense undergrowth of all manner of thorny vines. I stood there, wondering how on earth I could penetrate that growth, much less find the graves of my g-g-grandparents. I said, aloud, "Oh, Grandpa CARDWELL, how will I ever find you in all this mess?" But, I took a tiny path that seemed to offer the least resistance, and where do you think it led? It ended at the stones of my g-g-grandparents! I had also looked for my great-grandparents' SCHMIDT's graves in Caldwell County for several years. I thought I had walked every square foot of that cemetery and finally decided that my uncles were wrong and they did not have a stone after all. I went to the city's library and looked at the cemetery book there. I wrote down the names of about 10 people buried in the same "block" as my ancestors. I went back to the cemetery and drove around until I saw a block with most of those names. I got out and walked. Again, nothing. Feeling terribly frustrated, I said aloud, "Grandpa SCHMIDT, where ARE you?" As I was going back to my car, I tripped and lost my balance. I caught myself on my hands, and Peter SCHMIDT's stone was right under my nose. They have flat stones that had become somewhat sunken into the earth, thus not visible unless one literally stumbled upon them. I looked for something that I could have tripped on and there was nothing. I couldn't have tripped there if I had been trying! The third time was a couple of years ago when I made an unscheduled trip to Edwards County, Texas. I knew my g-grandparents ROACH were buried in Rocksprings Cemetery, so I found a store and bought some silk flowers for their graves. When I turned into the cemetery, however, my feathers fell as I looked at that huge, well-kept expanse. There was nothing but tombstones as far as I could see. I knew I needed help from someone if I was going to find them in the short time I had to do it. So, once again, I called upon them to help. "Grandpa ROACH, I will need a lot of help to find you in here," I said. I proceeded slowly down the main road. Suddenly, a rabbit appeared out of nowhere and dashed in front of my car. I stopped. When I looked to my right to be sure the rabbit was out of harm's way, there were the stones of my great-grandparents -- not more than 25 steps away. In all three instances, I asked them for help, aloud, and addressed them by name. In all instances, I had flowers for them. I have a good friend who does not work on genealogy and snickers at the very idea that an ancestor can provide any assistance. She asked, "What are you going to do if your ancestor's spirit is not home when you come calling?" I replied, "I'll do the same thing I do when you aren't at home. I'll come back later." * * * Keep Your Eyes Open in Graveyards By Fran Bolton I want to warn others of my creepy-crawly experience in a cemetery. My young children and I were visiting their recently deceased father's grave in a small country cemetery in a tiny town in Texas when a huge snake slithered across our path. Later, we read the historical marker at the cemetery, which noted that the earliest known grave was that of a 10-year-old boy, who died in 1842 of -- guess what? A rattlesnake bite! * * * Spam Paranoia Counterproductive to Genealogists By Stacey Kirsch in Wood Dale, Illinois I am writing in response to the letter by Coryn Cornelissen in Zaandam- Holland titled "Ugly Americans: Oh, Where Have Our Manners Gone?" I write not to defend, but to offer an alternative point of view. I do lookups for many people as a volunteer on the Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness (www.raogk.org) website. Sometimes I receive a reply of thanks for what I find, or even a "thanks for trying" when what they ask for is unavailable. Other times I hear nothing at all and it bothered me, too, until I realized that some of those people have their spam filters set much too high and likely never saw what I sent to them -- so how could they know to thank me? Sometimes I send another query to make sure they received what I sent and occasionally I'll get a reply apologizing for not responding sooner (and thanking me, of course), but often I hear nothing because again, their spam filter has tossed out (blocked) my e-mail. I'm sure some of those people are out there thinking bad things about me for "ignoring" their requests. It is unfortunate that the level of paranoia about spam has gotten even higher than the amount of the spam itself. I would urge anyone who posts genealogical queries or asks for information lookups from volunteers to please check your spam filter settings to make sure that the replies will get through. Isn't it better to suffer through deleting some spam messages rather than missing a key piece of information that someone has researched for you? And, of course, do say "thank you" when that information arrives. * * * Inaccurately Named By Bernice Spier My husband's BIRDSONG grandmother on the 1900 census listed her youngest child -- at the time -- as "Finis." (Her name was Viola.) Then she had two more children. * * * No Manners. No Excuses By Janet White in Arizona, USA My family and I lived in the Netherlands, among the Dutch people, for four years and I can't begin to tell you the number of times I went on bus tours there and in neighboring countries and was embarrassed to be an American because of the rude, obnoxious, loud Americans on the tours. Some had no patience for people (shopkeepers) who didn't speak English, or if they felt crowded or pushed (people over there aren't used to having their "personal space" around them) or if they had to wait in line for something. Some of my fellow citizens acted as if these wonderful and friendly people owed them special treatment. Where are our manners? We expect those who come to America to learn some English, but when the shoe is on the other foot, no way. (By the way, I took two courses in Dutch just so I wouldn't have to feel quite so foolish with my pantomiming in the shops. Usually it is only the older generation and the housewives who were not required to learn English when they were in school that do not understand English in Holland. I admit that my "Nederland" accent was probably worse than speaking English, but at least I tried [niet gemaaklijk] -- not easy. I have done genealogical research for people many times during the past 20 years and shared with them, only to have them take my research (GEDCOMS) and call it theirs (sometimes even without a thank you). What has happened happened to us and when did we Americans become such a rude and selfish bunch? Where have our manners gone? * * * Stamping Out Some Naming Traditions By Pat Rankins in Huntsville, Alabama, USA My mother's maiden name was WRIGHT. Two of her brothers were born after the WRIGHT brothers' famous flight, so her mother named them, Orville and Wilbur. My husband was named Mark Anthony. His brother was Julius Caesar. He also a sister named America which, if we had had another daughter, he wanted her named for this sister. Imagine calling that child in from play. "America! America!" People would have thought I had lost my mind. * * * 7. Humor/Humour: Officially Yours ----------------------------------------------------- Thanks to: Peter F. Wells, who writes: In my current project involving New Hampshire Death Records prior to 1901, I continue to find interesting entries. One death was attributed to "Rum and Cider." Well, I had always heard we should not mix our drinks. Then there was the death attributed to "obscure bowel disease." I guess we will never know. These death records were transcribed from the town books by the town clerks onto card forms provided by the state and the cards now constitute the official records for the state. The information from one such card is as follows: Name -- Sarah Edwards Died at Chester, New Hampshire on January 16, 1895. Age at death: 8 years 11 months 10 days. Born at Boscawen, New Hampshire Sex: female; color: white; marital status: widowed; Occupation: Housewife Cause of death: Old Age Name of Father: Richard Underhill Maiden name of Mother: Betsey Certified by" Cyrus F. Marston, clerk of Chester, N.H. I asked at the appropriate desk and was told that the state would be happy to issue a certified copy of this record for the usual $12. * * * Found a funny or "proper name for the job" in old records or an amusing entry 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. AdSales 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: 15 November 2006, Vol. 9, No. 46. * * * *