RootsWeb Review: RootsWeb's Weekly E-zine 18 April 2007, Vol. 10, No. 16 (c) 1998-2007 RootsWeb.com, Inc. http://www.rootsweb.com/ * * * ROOTSWEB HELPDESK: Check here for site maintenance announcements: http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/ * * * ROOTSWEB NEWSROOM: Check here for the latest RootsWeb news: http://blogs.rootsweb.com/newsroom/ * * * ROOTSWEB REVIEW ARCHIVES: Current and previous editions: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/review/2007/0418.txt http://e-zine.rootsweb.com/ ============================================================== IN THIS ISSUE: 1. Editor's Desk: News and Notes 1a. Response to UK Census Petition 1b. 1911 Census for England and Wales to Become Available in 2009 1c. Digital on Demand--The National Archives of Australia 1d. "Naughty Daughters," by Myra Vanderpool Gormley 1e. Book Notices (3) 1f. Using RootsWeb: Umlauts, Acutes, and Accents: Using Character Codes 2. Connecting Through RootsWeb: A Big Thank You New-Found Cousin 3. Bottomless Mailbag: More Preserved Fish Do You Know What a Sing Is? Instructions for Writing to NARA 4. New at RootsWeb 4a. New User-contributed Databases 4b. New/Updated Freepages and Homepages by Individuals 4c. New/Updated Freepages and Homepages by Counties, States, and Genealogical/Historical Societies 4d. New Mailing Lists 5. Humor/Humour 6. Subscriptions, Submissions, Advertising, Reprints ============================================================== IN THIS ISSUE: 1. Editor's Desk: News and Notes 1a. Response to UK Census Petition In the 21 February 2007 issue of the Review, the editor posted a query from a reader asking UK citizens to sign an e-petition asking the British government to release national census records every seventy years (as is the tradition in the U.S.), rather than every 100 years (as is the tradition in the UK). 23,601 individuals signed the e-petition; however, the government did not overrule the current law. In their official response, the government pointed out that the 1931 census had been destroyed by a fire and that the 1911 census, which is under the jurisdiction of the UK National Archives rather than the Office of National Statistics, is already being digitized. Non-sensitive information is scheduled to be released by 2009, with the full release of information scheduled for 2011. As for the 1921 census--we'll all have to wait until 2021. The following is the official government response to the petition: "Thank you for signing the e-petition calling for the closure period on census data to be reduced from its present 100 years to 70 years for the 1911, 1921 and 1931 censuses. The Government understands the frustrations this delay can cause, particularly to people who are researching their family history. But these frustrations have to be balanced against the assurances given to people at the time about confidentiality. This also has implications today, for public confidence in the privacy of information which people provide in future censuses. Clearly, the importance of the personal information provided in the census is that it enables a detailed and accurate picture to be built up of our society. This is of great assistance to Government and to the community as a whole in helping shape policies and set priorities for the future. But unless people believe that the personal data they provide--which includes details of their occupation and who is living with them--will remain confidential and secure as they have been promised, the danger is that they might feel reluctant to give sensitive information. It is for this reason that there is a policy of a 100-year delay before releasing the personal data in the census. The purpose is to minimise the risk of embarrassment both to those living and to their immediate descendants. The Government does not believe this policy should be altered or the explicit assurances given to people at the time broken. You might like to know, however, that the 1911 census was not taken under this Act. The census returns are held by the National Archives, not the Office for National Statistics. Plans are underway to set up an on-line search service of the 1911 census by 2009, although again personally sensitive material will not be released until 2011. The National Archives will also respond to certain requests for information on the 1911 census under the Freedom of Information Act. On a sadder note, the 1931 census records were destroyed by fire during the Second World War. We know this reply will disappoint many people, but hope you will understand that in the long-term, the reasons given are in the best interests of preserving the census for future generations." [Editor's Note: Thanks to Linda Garrett for making me aware of the UK government's response to the petition.] To read the official response, visit: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/CensusInfoFreed/ 1b. 1911 Census for England and Wales to Become Available in 2009 The UK National Archives recently announced that they will be joining with ScotlandOnline to make a digitized copy of the 1911 England and Wales census available online. Digital images and transcriptions of non- sensitive information will become available starting in 2009, with the complete census slated to be online by 3 January 2012. Visit the UK National Archives site to read their press release on the topic: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/news/press/releases_2007.htm 1c. Digital on Demand--The National Archives of Australia Digital on Demand has made my TV-viewing experience much better. It has also made researching in the National Archives of Australia better too. For those of you who are unaware, the National Archives of Australia has what they call an on-demand digitization program. You find the records you want; then you order a digital copy for a small fee ($16.50 for files less than 100 pages). The digitized copy is made available on their RecordsSearch page; anyone can view it from then on. The record you request should be online within twenty working days. The archives also have an ongoing initiative to digitize important record collections, and you can nominate collections you think should be digitized next. Another great feature on their site is the online World War I Service Records. You can find service records that are available for any man or woman that served in World War I from Australia, for free. There are 376,000 service records available in the collection and digitizing them took three years. The archives call it their "Gift to the Nation." To read more about the National Archives of Australia on-demand digitization program, visit: http://www.naa.gov.au/the_collection/digitisation-service.html To visit the World War I Service Records ("Gift to the Nation"), visit: http://www.naa.gov.au/the_collection/gift-to-the-nation.html 1d. "Naughty Daughters," by Myra Vanderpool Gormley Past RootsWeb Review author, Myra Vanderpool Gormley, writes a regular column, titled "Digging Deeper," for "Ancestry" Magazine. You can read her March/April article, "Naughty Daughters Dangling on the Family Tree," online at: http://www.ancestrymagazine.com/2007/04/digging/naughty-daughters- dangling-on-the-family-tree/ You can also subscribe to the print version of Ancestry Magazine at the RootsWeb store: http://www.therootswebstore.com/ProductDetail.aspx?p=mfsku1561(shops) 1e. Book Notices (3) THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO ROOTSWEB.COM By Myra Vanderpool Gormley and Tana Pedersen Lord For those of you who missed the announcement in last week's Review, "The Official Guide to RootsWeb.com" is finally here. The book was written by former RootsWeb Review editor Myra Vanderpool Gormley, along with Tana Pedersen Lord, author of "The Official Guide to Family Tree Maker 2006." The book is a wonderful introduction to RootsWeb. You will learn tips and tricks and discover some "hidden" resources. You can pre-order a print book or immediately download an e-book at the RootsWeb store at: www.therootswebstore.com * * * MICHEAL RINEBARGER AND HIS DESCENDANTS By Pat Rinebarger This is a 330-page, leather bound, hand-stitched book. Micheal and his wife, Susan Miller, of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, raised a large family of eleven children to adulthood. The book includes all known descendants. Associated family names are MADER, KRISE, TIFFANY, ALBON, MARTIN, KNIFFEN, SPOON, COATS, SIDES, TIDBALL, HARTMAN, BURRIS, REARICK, FULKERSON, RIDLE, and DEPOY. The cost of the book is $45.53, including shipping and handling. To purchase a copy of the book or contact the author, write to rinebarger@aol.com or visit her website at: www.rinebarger.org. * * * BROWNING FAMILIES, VOLUMES I AND II By James Richey Volume I of this series is a reprint; the original was published in 2003. It is a revision and update of E. F. Browning's book of 1908, his southern lines only. It is 740 pages, hard bound and indexed, with lots of source material. The southern lines include those who settled in Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina in the 1600s and migrated south and west. Includes data on early LEWIS, HICKMAN, and MOORE families. The index has approximately 16,000 names and 200 family names. Volume II covers the years 1600 to 2000 in the BROWNING family. It builds on the first volume and adds new lines and source material. It is 740 pages, hard bound, and indexed. Price is $70.00 each. Both volumes for $130. Prices include delivery. Send check or money order, with mailing address to: Jim Richey 905 Sonesta Ave. #202 Palm Bay FL 32905 You can also send a request via e-mail: TeRealtor@aol.com 1f. Using RootsWeb: Umlauts, Acutes, and Accents: Using Character Codes By Mary Harrell-Sesniak maryh@volunteer.rootsweb.com One of the difficulties with genealogy is entering symbols and characters that are not available on a standard keyboard. A prime example is a name that requires an accent, such as René. Many people don't know what key to press after typing "Ren," but luckily there is an easy solution. Every character on the keyboard has a numeric code (number) assigned to it, and characters that aren't on the keyboard have their own assignments. For example, the capital letter X is assigned to ALT + 088 and Y to ALT + 089. The é that is needed to type René is assigned to ALT + 0233. Luckily we don't need to use the ALT + 088 sequences to type X into a program such as a word processor, but you will need it for the é. ALT + indicates that you need to hold the ALT key down, and without releasing it, press the assigned numbers on the numeric keypad, one by one. If a code starts with a leading zero, you will need to include it. Don’t use the number keys at the top of the keyboard; use of the number keypad is required. These have different codes assigned to them. I recommend using your left hand to hold down the ALT key while your right hand types the desired number. Release both when through. Thankfully, RootsWeb.com provides an excellent chart so you will not have to remember the codes. It is called the Character Codes of Umlauted Vowels and Symbols. To view the chart, go to http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/codes/vowels.html or follow these steps: 1. Go to www.rootsweb.com 2. Click the FAQs & Help-Related Resources link (under the Help menu) 3. Click the Character Codes link (under Codes and Abbreviations) Here are a few characters that are not included in the chart that you may find useful: £ - Alt + 0163 (or 156) ¼ - Alt + 0188 ½ - Alt + 0189 ¾ - Alt + 0190 At the bottom of this article, the RootsWeb Chart has been reprinted for your convenience. These character codes work in WorldConnect, the RootsWeb Surname List (RSL), the Surname Helper, and message boards, along with other commonly used genealogy and word processing programs. In most Microsoft products you can also insert special characters by going to the "Insert" menu and selecting "Symbol." When using a computer with Windows, you can also insert special characters by copying and pasting them from a character map. To access a character map in Windows, click the Windows "Start" menu in the bottom left-hand side of the screen, then select "All Programs." Select "Accessories," then "System Tools," and then "Character Map." If using a Macintosh operating system, you can access a character palette in Finder by clicking "Edit" on the main menu, then "Special Characters." You can copy and paste characters from the palette. Character Codes of Umlauted Vowels and Symbols for use with the ALT Key. À - 0192 Á - 0193 Â - 0194 Ã - 0195 Ä - 0196 Å - 0197 Æ - 0198 Ç - 0199 È - 0200 É - 0201 Ê - 0202 Ë - 0203 Ì - 0204 Í - 0205 Î - 0206 Ï - 0207 Ð - 0208 Ñ - 0209 Ò - 0210 Ó - 0211 Ô - 0212 Õ - 0213 Ö - 0214 Ø - 0216 Š - 0138 Ù - 0217 Ú - 0218 Û - 0219 Ü - 0220 Ý - 0221 Ÿ - 0159 Þ - 0222 ß - 0223 à - 0224 á - 0225 â - 0226 ã - 0227 ä - 0228 å - 0229 æ - 0230 ç - 0231 è - 0232 é - 0233 ê - 0234 ë - 0235 ì - 0236 í - 0237 î - 0238 ï - 0239 ð - 0240 ñ - 0241 ò - 0242 ó - 0243 ô - 0244 õ - 0245 ö - 0246 ø - 0248 š - 0154 ù - 0249 ú - 0250 û - 0251 ü - 0252 ý - 0253 ÿ - 0255 þ – 0254 * * * * * * * * * * 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 U.S.A., Canada, England, Scotland, Australia, Ireland, Germany, Holland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Italy. Prices start from $55 (U.S.). For a FREE! initial e-mail consultation visit http://www.ancestorseekers.com/research.rwr/ Or join us JUNE 24-29 at our EIGHTH SALT LAKE CITY RESEARCH TRIP--THE IDEAL GENEALOGY VACATION--a whole week at the Family History Library, accessing the world's largest collection of genealogical records with help and advice from accredited genealogist professionals. * * * PROFESSIONAL GENEALOGICAL SERVICES FROM LINEAGES, INC. Are you curious about who your ancestors were, where they lived, and the events that shaped their lives? If you don't have time to do the research yourself or simply hit a roadblock you need help clearing, Lineages can help! Since 1983 we've traced more than 100,000 family lines for our clients. We can trace your family's unique history and deepen your connection with your family's ancient past. Contact us at: http://www.lineages.com or (800) 643-4303. * * * * * * * * * * End of Advertisements * * * * * * * 2. Connecting Through RootsWeb: A Big Thank You By Laura Medlin Germantown, TN I just wanted to say thank you so much for this free site. My husband's grandmother just passed away and when the attorney told him we needed his grandfather's Social Security Number for something to do with her will, he didn't known where to turn. However, we were able to use the free Social Security Death Index (SSDI) on your site to get what we needed. Your site made our grief much easier. Thank you again. To access the SSDI on RootsWeb, visit: http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/ * * * New-Found Cousin By Raymond F. MacMahon raymacmahon@bellsouth.net This Monday, 2 April, about 7 p.m., the phone rang and a voice said, "I am the great-grandson of Thomas G. McMahon." My heart almost stopped because this was my very first contact with any of the missing branches of the McMahon family. Halfway through our conversation his cell phone disconnected and I almost panicked. "All these years of searching and hoping and the phone has to go dead," I thought. However, he called back and promised to send more information by e-mail. Turns out we are second cousins once removed and his second great-grandfather was my great-grandfather. He had entered his grandfather's name in Google and my name turned up as searching for the same name. My sister, our cousins, and I hope to get together with his family sometime in the future. 3. 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.] ------------------------------------------------------------- More Preserved Fish By Joyce Maxwell Jmax745@yahoo.com In last week's humor/humour section there was mention of a man named Preserved FISH, from Newport, Rhode Island, who married an Elizabeth AUSTIN. There is a Preserved FISH in my tree too, also from Newport, Rhode Island. He was married to Elizabeth SLOCUM, daughter of Giles SLOCUM and Ann BORDEN. Elizabeth was the sister of Ruth SLOCUM, who married Edward EASTON, and the EASTONs, COGGESHALLS, TAYLORS, SOULES, GREENS, etc. connected through the years many times. Goes to show they weren't all the stuffy Pilgrim types. Some of them had a sense of humor. [Editor's Note: I looked your Preserved Fish up in the WorldConnect databases on RootsWeb and it appears that his father's name was also Preserved Fish. What a name to pass on.] * * * Do You Know What a Sing Is? By Wally Caviness My grandfather John Franklin Caviness was an organ and piano salesman in the 1890s. He would go around the rural communities in central Missouri and put on "Sings" at local schools or churches. People of the surrounding area came to the school or church to hear him play the organ or piano. He would ask them to "Sing" church songs with him as he played. He met his future wife, Emma Magdalene Barton, of Bourbon, Crawford, Missouri, at a "Sing" that he put on at a school where she taught. Now you know what a "Sing" is. * * * Instructions for Writing to NARA By Sue Axton The 7 March 2007 issue of the Review discusses the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) proposal to increase its fees for photocopying records; notably, it mentions their proposal to increase fees for copies of Civil War pension files from $37 to $125. I went to the NARA site to find a place to make a comment on the fee increase, but the site is almost impossible to figure out. Maybe you could give step-by-step instructions in a future newsletter. Also, maybe you could encourage people to write their representatives. I am not against a reasonable fee to cover the cost of paper and ink, but $125 for Civil War pension records is way out of line. That puts the cost out of reach for most researchers. I would pay an extra fee if the records I request would be put online for everyone to access. As long as they are going to the trouble of copying them once, how hard would it be to put them on the website? [Editor's Note: Comments on the NARA proposal for a photocopying fee increase must be made by 27 April, so if you have comments submit them soon. The following are step-by-step instructions for submitting your comments: 1. Go to www.regulations.gov. 2. Under "Search for," select "Documents Open for Public Comment." 3. Under "Agency," select "National Archives and Records Administration*." 4. Under "Document Type," select "All Document Types." 5. In the "Keyword or ID" field, type "NARA-07-0001-0001". 6. Select "Exact Phrase." 7. Click the "Submit" button. You can read the proposed rule by clicking the PDF icon in the "Views" column. You can add your comments by clicking the yellow balloon icon in the "Comments" column. Also, you can e-mail comments to your government representative at: http://www.house.gov/writerep/.] To view the 7 March 2007 Review announcement about the proposed NARA fee increase, visit: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/review/2007/0307.txt 4. New at RootsWeb 4a. 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. NEW YORK. Genesee County. Batavia "Daily News," Genesee County, New York, January-December 2006. 10,059 records. Leilani Spring. http://userdb.rootsweb.com/news/ SOUTH DAKOTA. Hand County. Cedar Cemetery in Como Township. 27 records. Ronette and Jenny. http://userdb.rootsweb.com/cemeteries/ SOUTH DAKOTA. Hand County. Ebeneezer Baptist Cemetery in Spring Lake Township. 27 records. Ronette and Jenny. http://userdb.rootsweb.com/cemeteries/ SOUTH DAKOTA. Hand County. Holden Cemetery. 121 records. Ronette and Jenny. http://userdb.rootsweb.com/cemeteries/ SOUTH DAKOTA. Hand County. Howell Cemetery in Howell Township. 127 records. Ronette and Jenny. http://userdb.rootsweb.com/cemeteries/ SOUTH DAKOTA. Hand County. Mondamin Cemetery. 27 records. Ronette and Jenny. http://userdb.rootsweb.com/cemeteries/ SOUTH DAKOTA. Hand County. St. Joseph's Cemetery. 253 records. Ronette and Jenny. http://userdb.rootsweb.com/cemeteries/ WASHINGTON. Pierce County. Kiwanis Club of Northwest Tacoma, 1958 Membership Roster. 72 records. Lori Wicks. http://userdb.rootsweb.com/groups/ 4b. New/Updated Freepages and Homepages by Individuals To Request a Free Web Account: http://accounts.rootsweb.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------- 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, the title of the website, the name of the author, and a BRIEF description of the site, including major surnames, 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 * * * SNELL and CHRISTIANSEN Family Histories. By Alyn Olson. Includes a history of Hedwig and Heber SNELL, from Utah and of English ancestry; and of Mable and Ole CHRISTIANSEN. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~famolson 4c. New/Updated Freepages and Homepages by Counties, States, and Genealogical/Historical Societies To Request a Free Web Account: http://accounts.rootsweb.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------- Some of these Web pages 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] * * * Note that the ~[tilde] before the Web account name is required. For example, the Colonial Louisiana website is at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~lacoloni/ * * * SMD = Society of Mayflower Descendents USGW = USGenWeb AHGP = American History and Genealogy Project WGW = WorldGenWeb U.S.A. gascsmd -- Southeastern Colony (Georgia) SMD lacoloni -- Colonial Louisiana USGW meknox -- Knox County (Maine) USGW mschicem -- Chickasaw County Cemeteries (Mississippi) ohhamil2 -- Hamilton County (Ohio) AHGP txandre2 -- Andrews County (Texas) AHGP txarche2 -- Archer County (Texas) AHGP usgwwcrp -- USGW Water Company Records Project AUSTRALIA qlddarli -- Darling Downs, Queensland (Australia) WGW qldtoowo -- Toowoomba, Queensland (Australia) WGW 4d. New Mailing Lists To 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/ NEW SURNAME MAILING LISTS AUE EISLER ESCHNER FOYE LAHRE MCCONCHIE MCONCHIE PFIFFNER PREDGO STRAHL NEW REGIONAL MAILING LISTS No New Regional Mailing Lists NEW ETHNIC AND SPECIAL INTEREST MAILING LISTS CAN-MARITIME-LIFE -- A mailing list for the sharing of information related to the lives of ancestors in Canada's East Coast Maritimes. 5. Humor/Humour The current Commissioner of Agriculture for Kentucky, U.S.A., is named Rich(ard) Farmer. --Thanks to Leon Pauley Versailles, Kentucky * * * Here is a humorous incident that happened to me and my mother. My father had died the previous year and she (at eighty-two years old) was having health problems. On one of my visits over the weekend, I took my mother, who needed to use a wheelchair, to visit my father's grave, which was a few hours away. We got there in the afternoon, parked the car, and sat for awhile. After getting back into the car, intending to leave, we realized the gate had been closed and locked while we were inside. We drove around the cemetery but all the gates were locked. The only opening was a small gate I could just walk through. The nearby cemetery office was also closed. Not having a cell phone, I walked to the closest house to see if they could find someone to open the gate. I finally found a neighbor who knew the caretaker and called to tell him of our dilemma. He lived about forty-five minutes away but eventually came and opened it up for us. I thought my mother would be upset, but she wasn't--she always had such a great sense of humor. We laughed many times after that about the possibility of spending the night in the cemetery. Since then, I always check to make sure I know the hours a cemetery will be closed. --Thanks to Barbara Anderson * * * 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. We also welcome other humorous genealogy-related submissions. 6. 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: rootswebreview@email.rootsweb.com The RootsWeb Review is a free publication of The Generations Network, 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: Tami Deleeuw, tdeleeuw@tgn.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: 18 April 2007, Vol. 10, No. 16.