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“Map Guide to German Parish Registers – Oldenburg & Schleswig-Holstein” is back in print

Good news. The “Map Guide to German Parish Registers – Oldenburg & Schleswig-Holstein” is again in print in the soft cover schleswig-holstein-vol-4-30edition. If you have ancestors from the area, this book is sure to be or help in your genealogy research.

Each volumes of the series does the following:

  • Identifies the parish where an ancestor worshipped based on where they lived.
  • Gives the FHL microfilm number for the family’s parish records.
  • Identifies nearly every city, town, and place that included residents.
  • Visually identifies church parishes for Lutherans & Catholics in each district.
  • Identifies adjoining parishes in case an ancestor attended an alternate parish.
  • Aids in area searches, particularly across district or regional borders.
  • Provides visual identification of search areas in which to look for a family.
  • Helps in determining proximity of one area to another.
  • Aids in determining reasonable distances of travel from one area to another.
  • Identifies population centers in each parish.
  • Identifies archives, repositories, and other resources.
  • Aids in identification of the location of minority religions.

For deatils and an every-place index, see: http://www.familyrootspublishing.com/store/product_view.php?id=16

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Sleeping Well at Night

The following is another thought-provoking article by my Friend, Tom Fiske.

Today I received an email from a man named Vic who is writing a book. He thanked me for help that I have given him over the Thomas Fiskepast two years. And it is true. I gave him family photos and inside information that he could never have gotten any other way. I had the only copies. And the hero of his book, or at least one of the stars, was gay and had no descendants to leave information to.

I was glad to give Vic the information. It was given to me by a woman named Betty. I thought it was kind of poignant that I met the woman who loved my second cousin Bill all her life. Even though Betty was married and lived a fast-paced social life she loved a gay man who could not return her affection. They were kids together in Kansas City’s more upscale area, and always kept up with each other over the years until Bill died in 1967.

In one pile of papers Betty gave me, there is a hand-written note made by a wealthy New York City resident who said that Bill was dead and that he had notified one of the Roosevelts, Rosa Ponselle, André Kostelanetz, Lily Pons and other luminaries of the New York philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera set. Betty was one of that group with Cousin Bill. Such names were important in the 1940’s, 1950’s and 1960’s in New York City.

Bill treated Betty well and was always a gentleman toward her, as far as I could tell. Her husband was a lawyer for a world famous psychologist, so he was no novice among well-known people. Although in photos he does not seem pleased to be in Bill’s presence. Some kind of tension dwelt among them.

I wish I had known Bill. While he was a stranger to me, Bill’s mother and my mother were not only cousins, but friends. I lived a thousand miles away and never got to know cousin Bill or his mother.

At this point in my life I have written 9.75 books and know I will not get to write about Cousin Bill. There is no reason for me to squirrel away information the writer Vic needed for his book. Betty was glad to find me, a family member who wanted information about Bill, and I was glad to hand copies of it to Vic for his use. So the passage of such genealogical data could be described as a study in gratitude.

What would I have done if I were intending to write about Cousin Bill? I know that his former partner and the guy who inherited Bill’s wealth lives within 50 miles of me today. He won’t talk to me, but if he did, I might be inclined to write a saga about Bill, his rather wild ancestors and how the family line ran out with Bill in 1967. I thought about it long and hard, but decided to let it go in favor of other projects.

If I were writing about Bill, I would tell the author Vic that I was working on such a project and he would understand. Still, I might be willing to share some specific items with him, but much less than I wound up sharing. And my conscience would not be damaged.

After all, I don’t owe the rest of the world’s writers my materials. To share or not to share—that is the question. But it is not a moral imperative. I share a lot as it is. As time goes on I find I have shared a great deal of information without knowing it. I find my data in corners and crevices of the Internet. I do not put information on the ‘Net, so I know that someone else took it, called it his or her own, and left it out for all to see.

In spite of “forced sharing,” it seems to me that genealogists are a grateful lot, quite often helping each other with information about techniques and copies of things. As I think back some twenty years when computer information was not as freely available as it now is, I recall the folks at the local LDS family history library in Pasadena, California. It was bursting at the seams with books and films and people who were eager to help me get started. I have not forgotten how nice they were. While visiting there, I helped a lady find her Polish Jewish ancestors and even connected her with Leland Meitzler who published one or two of her research articles in his magazine. She was a better writer than I was, unfortunately, but I managed to overlook that because she had good information to share.

We sometimes owe our progress to other people. One of my genealogical maxims is “The secret to genealogy is finding the person who has done all the work.” When that person is generous, our jobs are much easier. Fortunately, I have found a bunch of those people. Even more fortunately, those people were right in their facts. So I can accurately say that I owe most of my progress to other people.

I give credit when I can and I obtain permission to reproduce the property of others. The fact that I did not find all my materials myself does not keep me up at night. I sleep well because I know who recognized the importance of the information and who melded it all together into one persuasive story. That takes a small amount of talent and sometimes courage to stick your neck out with a reasonable hypothesis when everyone else is hiding behind a collection of “I don’t knows” and “no real proofs.”

I even think I know the real author of this article. And I’m going to sleep well tonight.

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Check Out the New NBC “Who Do You Think You Are? Website

I see that NBC has a website posted their new “Who Do You Think You Are? series which premieres on March 5. If this doesn’t get you excited about the upcoming series, nothing will.

Josh Taylor & Sarah Jessica Parker at NEHGS in Boston. Josh says she straightened his tie... Sigh. (still shot from the video).. It includes a terrific video promoting the program. I think you’ll like it. And yes, the video is preceded by one of those irritating video ads…

And Megan just tweeted that she’s now gotten a copy of a new companion book that she’s written for the series… Cool…

Hold your curser over the illustration of Josh Taylor and Sarah Jessica Parker on the left for a bit of “Who Do You Think You Are? trivia. Then click on it to see the video.

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NEHGS Discovers that President Obama & Senator-Elect Scott Brown are Related

The following news release was received from Tom Champoux, Marketing Director, New England Historic Genealogical Society:

Click on the illustration to see it at the NEHGS website.

January 29, 2010 (Boston, MA) – Researchers at the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) in Boston have uncovered family lines that link President Barack Obama with Scott Brown, the newly elected republican senator from Massachusetts.

Obama’s mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, and Brown’s mother, Judith Ann Rugg, both descend from Richard Singletary of Haverhill, Mass, who died in 1687 at the age of 102. Singletary, like his two descendants Obama and Brown, held public office, serving as town selectman in both Salisbury and Haverhill, Massachusetts in the 1650s.

President Obama descends from Richard’s eldest son, Jonathan Singletary, who later changed his surname to Dunham. Scott Brown descends from Jonathan’s brother, Nathaniel Singletary. This kinship makes Obama and Brown 10th cousins.

The research was conducted by NEHGS staff genealogists Chris Child and David Allen Lambert. Child and Lambert also found that Brown is related to six other U.S. Presidents including George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, Richard Nixon, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, and Rutherford Hayes.

In 2008, NEHGS discovered that President Obama is related to seven U.S. Presidents, including George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, Lyndon Johnson, Harry S Truman, and James Madison, as well as actor Brad Pitt.

About NEHGS
Founded in 1845, New England Historic Genealogical Society is the country’s oldest and largest non-profit genealogical organization, with more than 23,000 members nationally. NEHGS collects, preserves, and interprets materials that help make accessible the histories of families in America. The NEHGS research center, located at 99 Newbury Street, Boston, one of the most respected genealogical libraries in the field, is home to millions of books, journals, manuscripts, photographs, microfilms, documents, records, and other artifacts that date back more than four centuries. The award-winning web site www.NewEnglandAncestors.org offers access to more than 110 million names in 2,400 searchable databases. NEHGS staff includes some of the leading expert genealogists in the country, specializing in early American, Irish, English, Italian, Scottish, Atlantic and French Canadian, African American, Native American, and Jewish genealogy.

Click on the illustration below to see it at the NEHGS website.

obama-brown-connections

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Wanted! U.S. Criminal Records

I just received a copy of Ron Arons’ new book, “Wanted! U.S. Criminal Records - Sources & Research Methodology.” Ron told me about six months ago that he was authoring and publishing the volume, and I’ve been eagerly anticipating its arrival. The subject is one that I’ve always found interesting, and have often lectured on the topic of “black sheep,” including criminal records in the presentations.

Wanted! covers a variety of criminal record types, principally Prison Records, Court Records, Parole Records, wantedPardon Records, Execution Information, Investigative Reports, and Police Reports. Following methodology information in the front pages of the volume, it is laid out alphabetically by state, with the District of Columbia, and National/Federal Records bringing up the back of the book. Each chapter features repositories where primary documents can be obtained. Physical, web, and email addresses for each repository are listed first, followed by a comprehensive listing of various records available at the repository. Symbols are used for the various record types, making specific record types easy to spot.

Many of the chapters end with fascinating documents from Ron’s own collection, found during a dozen years of researching his own criminal ancestor - and many others.

If you have an interest in the “black sheep” side of your family, this may be just the book for you.

Wanted! U.S. Criminal Records - Sources & Research Methodology; by Ron Arons; 2009; 8.5×11; Soft Cover; 385 pp; ISBN: 978-1-935125-64-8; $49.99 plus $5 postage; Available from: Criminal Research Press, 4012 Whittle Ave., Oakland, CA 94601; www.ronarons.com

FCC Statement: Ron Arons is a friend of mine. The book which I reviewed was a gift from Ron. I happen to like the book…

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Advertising Sales Rep Position for the APG Quarterly Available

The following note was just received form Kathleen Hinckley. It looks like the Association of Professional Genealogists is looking for someone to act as a sales rep for advertising within the Quarterly. This could be a challenging and rewarding part-time job for someone. If I wasn’t so darned busy already, I’d apply myself…

APGQ is looking for a motivated advertising sales representative. The successful candidate will have a APG Quarterlycombination of ad sales experience, knowledge of the APGQ, and a familiarity with the genealogy community. Job duties include maintaining current advertiser relationships, developing new ones through a proactive sales approach, provide sales contracts to APG administrative staff, and work with staff to ensure correct and timely invoicing of all advertising. Sales representative will earn $100/issue, plus 20% of collected ad revenues. Interested candidates should send an introductory letter and resume to Kathleen Hinckley, Executive Director, admin@apgen.org.

DEADLINE - 07 February 2010

Kathleen W. Hinckley, CG
Executive Director
Association of Professional Genealogists
PO Box 350998
Westminster, CO 80035-0998

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Report from the Mesa, Arizona Family History Expo

This is now the second day of the Arizona Family History Expo. It’s been an eventful time thus far - for a number of reasons.

First off, we wondered if we were even going to get to Mesa. Dollarhide and I left Bountiful, Utah first thing Wednesday morning, driving directly to Flagstaff, Arizona. The trip was just a bit over 500 miles, and pretty uneventful. When we checked into the motel that night, the young man at the desk informed us that there would be a lot of snow overnight. So what? We’d seen a lot of snow before, or so we thought…

We woke up Thursday morning to a good 18 inches of white stuff on top of our truck, besides all the accumulated snow already on the ground. For several hours there was no thought of leaving, as nothing in the parking lot could move until they brought in plows and made a path through the cars. By the time we could move the truck we knew that I-17 and 89A going south out of Flagstaff were closed indefinitely. So we went west on I-40, turning south on highway 89, and driving down through Pauldon, Whittenberg and so on. The road was a nightmare, but we eventually made Mesa by about 5 pm, and were pretty well set-up at the Arizona Family History Expo by about 9. The last we heard, our friend, Myrt (DearMyrtle) was still stuck in Flagstaff. I understand that they were going to open I-17 going south out of Flagstaff last evening, so maybe we’ll see her today.

Friday was a good day. I spoke twice in the morning, joining numerous other speakers, including several well-known bloggers. I understand that attendance on Friday was about 1200 souls. Dollarhide & I worked the Family Roots Publishing Booth until 6 pm, had a bite to eat and crashed… Absolutely exhausted…

I expect Saturday to be a busy day, with even more attendees…

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Online Courses for British Genealogists

The following news release was received from Pharos:

19 January 2010 – For Immediate Release

Get the children involved! pharos-logo
Pharos provides unique help for family historians with innovatory new courses

Hannah Baker, B.A. (Hons) History, PGCE, has joined the Pharos teaching team. With many years of teaching experience and a degree in Medieval History, Hannah brings a lot of experience to Pharos Tutors. Hannah will be teaching a brand new course, entitled “Climbing Trees: How to get children interested in family history”.

Most people with a love of family history know how exciting discovering the lives of their ancestors is. Bringing this to life for children is a great way to share it. The course explains how to get young minds past the pages of records and data, and into a living, breathing world of the past.

The course includes many cheap “make and do” activities and shows how to tie family history research into enhancing children’s scholastic skills. The course starts April 19, 2010 and lasts for four weeks.

Pharos Teaching & Tutoring started only 4 years ago with just five courses and three teachers and is pleased to announce that 2010 will see a programme of over 30 courses with even more in the process of development. There is something for everyone, with an expanded list of subjects and time periods. All Pharos courses are short, reasonably priced and designed to fit in with busy lifestyles. Full information is on the Pharos website http://www.pharostutors.com

Updated Course list February – August 2010

  • 25 February – The National Archives Catalogue – Finding People – 3 weeks £32.99
  • 8 March – Migration in the British Isles – 3 weeks £32.99
  • 11 March – Developing and Writing Your Family History – 3 weeks £32.99
  • 31 March – The Poor, the Parish and The Workhouse: Records in the 18th and 19th centuries – 5 weeks £42.99
  • 6 April – Discover Your Devon Ancestors – 4 weeks £37.99
  • 14 April – Scottish Research Online – 5 weeks £42.99
  • 19 April – Climbing Trees: How to get children interested in family history – 4 weeks £37.99
  • 13 May – 20th century Surveys for Family and Local History – 4 weeks £37.99
  • 14 May – Organizing Your Genealogy – 3 weeks £32.99
  • 18 May – Tying the knot: Marriage and its records – 3 weeks £32.99
  • 23 June – Enclosure Maps and Records for Family Historians – 4 weeks £37.99
  • 6 July – Scotland 1750 – 1850: Beyond the OPRs – 5 weeks £42.99
  • 14 July – The Parish Chest: There was more to life than baptism, marriage and burial – 4 weeks £37.99
  • 2 August – Professional Genealogist: Become One, Become a Better One – 4 weeks £37.99

Pharos is the only British provider of online classes aimed specifically at helping researchers with British and Irish ancestry. Arrangements for courses are simple and flexible making it easy to get started, study in your own time without having to travel, get help from experienced teachers, and chat about family history with other students. Courses are aimed at beginners and experienced researchers alike.

For more information on courses at Pharos, email - info@pharostutors.com

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African American Newspapers 1827-1999 Added at GenealogyBank.com

I got a note from my friend, Tom Kemp, this morning, apprising me of the fact that GenealogyBank.com is now up to over 280 African-American newspapers in their online offerings. The following is from the website:

This fully searchable and expanding collection of newspapers provides details about the daily lives of millions of African-American NewspapersAfrican Americans from 1827-1999. No other online source provides such a detailed snapshot of the African American experience. Find family history records across the U.S. including obituaries, military records, advertisements, editorials, illustrations and much more.

Tom also noted that 61 newspaper titles went live this month and more will be added every few weeks. The newspapers are from across the country and cover more than 170 years.

GenealogyBank is a subscription site. However, searches are free. Your search results come back as “snippets” of digitized newspaper. To get beyond the “snippets,” you must subscribe.

FTC Statement: GenealogyBlog has an affiliate relationship with GenealogyBank.com. However, at the moment I’m not encoding my blogs, so I expect no remuneration for any promotion given GenealogyBank.com. I have a subscription to the site, use it often and recommend it to my readers.

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More British Databases Posted at The Original Record

The following databases have been added at The Original Record:

1130-1770 - Bodleian Library Charters and Rolls The Original Record
A large accumulation of documents preserved in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, formerly constituted the antiquarian collections of Anthony a Wood, Roger Dodsworth, Ralph Thoresby, Thomas Martin of Palgrave, Thomas Tanner bishop of St Asaph, Dr Richard Rawlinson, Richard Furney archdeacon of Surrey, and Richard Gough. A calendar of these was prepared by William H. Turner and published in 1878 under the title ‘Calendar of Charters and Rolls preserved in the Bodleian Library’. The word ‘charters’ is here used in a very general sense, including virtually any manuscript or copy of a manuscript, but the bulk of the contents consists of mediaeval deeds of conveyance. Turner’s calendar deals with each briefly, naming the principal parties and the nature of the deed, but hardly ever lists the witnesses. Many of these charters were undated (dating of deeds did not become standard until around 1350) or so damaged or defective (’mutilated’ is Turner’s usual description) as no longer to display a legible date. However, he contrived, from the style of the script and/or the nature of the contents, to estimate dates in such cases. He identified a few as forgeries, and these have been omitted from our indexes. The documents relate in the main to England, the Midlands, East Anglia and Yorkshire being particularly well represented, but there are some items from elsewhere in the British Isles and abroad. We have re-indexed the whole text by county and within that by decade (many of the dates in the original having been by regnal year).

1769-1771 - Board of Stamps Apprenticeship Books: Country Collectors’ Returns
Apprenticeship indentures and clerks’ articles were subject to a 6d or 12d per pound stamp duty: the registers of the payments usually give the master’s trade, address, and occupation, and the apprentice’s name, as well as details of the date and length of the apprenticeship. There are central registers for collections of the stamp duty in London, as well as returns from collectors in the provinces. These collectors generally received duty just from their own county, but sometimes from further afield: in 1770 a change was made to describe many of the collectors according to their county rather than their town, but no change was made to the rule that they might stamp indentures from all the surrounding area, so these labels are deceptive. The indentures themselves can date from a year or two earlier than this return. There are returns from Aylesbury, Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Brecon, Bridgwater, Bristol, Buckinghamshire, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Chester, Chichester, Colchester, Cornwall, Cowbridge, Denbigh, Derby, Derbyshire, Devizes, Devonshire, Dorsetshire, Dover, Durham, Edinburgh, Essex, Evesham, Exeter, Glamorgan(shire), Gloucester, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Huntingdon, Kent, Lancashire, Leicester, Leicestershire, Leominster, Lewes, Lichfield, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, Liverpool, Ludlow, Lynn, Norfolk, Northampton, Northamptonshire, Norwich, Nottingham, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Oxford, Oxfordshire, Pembroke, Penlline, Plymouth, Reading, Salop, Scotland, Shaftesbury, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, Somersetshire, Staffordshire, Sudbury, Suffolk, Sussex, Tiverton, Wells, Westmorland, Wiltshire, Winchester, Woodbridge, Worcestershire, Yarmouth, York, and Yorkshire, each of which has been indexed separately. IR 1/57

1771-1774- Board of Stamps Apprenticeship Books: Country Collectors’ Returns
Apprenticeship indentures and clerks’ articles were subject to a 6d or 12d per pound stamp duty: the registers of the payments usually give the master’s trade, address, and occupation, and the apprentice’s name, as well as details of the date and length of the apprenticeship. There are central registers for collections of the stamp duty in London, as well as returns from collectors in the provinces. These collectors generally received duty just from their own county, but sometimes from further afield: in 1770 a change was made to describe many of the collectors according to their county rather than their town, but no change was made to the rule that they might stamp indentures from all the surrounding area, so these labels are deceptive. The indentures themselves can date from a year or two earlier than this return. There are returns from Abergavenny, Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Brecon, Bristol, Buckinghamshire, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Chester, Chichester, Cornwall, Cumberland, Denbigh, Denbighshire, Derbyshire, Devonshire, Dorsetshire, Durham, Essex, Glamorgan(shire), Gloucester, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Herefordshire, Huntingdonshire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicester, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Liverpool, Monmouth, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Northumberland, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Oxfordshire, Pembroke, Pembrokeshire, Plymouth, Salop, Scotland, Shropshire, Somersetshire, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Sussex, Westmorland, Wiltshire, Worcester, Worcestershire, and Yorkshire, each of which has been indexed separately. IR 1/58

1856 - Post Office London Court Directory
The Post Office London Directory for 1856 includes this ‘Court Directory’, listing alphabetically by surname and christian name the upper class residents of the capital with their postal addresses. ‘In order to afford space for the addresses, the abbreviation “esq.” for esquire has no longer been appended to each name in the Court Directory. It should be understood that such should be added to the name of every gentleman in the following pages to which no inconsistent addition is affixed.’ Decorations, honours &c. are generally given. Some gentlemen appear who are also listed (as professional men, &c.) in the commercial section. Those with second residences in the provinces usually have the country address given as well.

1862-1924 - Clifton College Register
Clifton College near Bristol was established in 1862. This edition of the Clifton College Annals and Register for the Old Cliftonian Society by F. Borwick was published in 1925. Boys are listed alphabetically by term of entry, with full names, surname first, in bold. Father’s (or widowed mother’s) name is given (surname and initials) in capitals, and address. Then there is the name of the house (N. T., North Town; S. H., School House; S. T., South Town), first and last forms, distinctions in school work and games, and month of leaving. Where known, the editor then gave a career summary with month of death; or, if still living, address as in 1925 (in italics).

1867 - Institute of Civil Engineers Membership List
The Institute of Civil Engineers was established by charter of George IV in 1828. The four classes of the institution were the Members, Associates, Graduates and Honorary Members. This membership list, corrected to 1 January 1867, lists members, associates and graduates alphabetically by surname and christian name, with date of election (or, for members who had previously been associates, date of election as associate (A) and date of transfer to member (M)), and address.

1901-1905 - Queen’s South Africa Medal: Royal Horse Artillery
The nominal roll for the Queen Victoria’s South Africa Medal - awarded (after her death, in the event) to all who had served honourably in the various campaigns in the Boer War - was compiled from these returns from the individual units. Two sets of form were completed. The main one, as in the sample scan, dates from 1901 and gives regimental number, rank, and full name (surname first), followed by a series of columns relating to different actions - Belmont, Modder River, Paardeberg, Dreifontein, Wepener, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Belfast, Wittebergen, Defence of Kimberley, Relief of Kimberley, Defence of Mafeking, Relief of Mafeking, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, Rhodesia, Talana, Elandslaagte, Tugela Heights, Defence of Ladysmith, Relief of Ladysmith, Laing’s Nek, and Natal; each entitled the man to a separate clasp to the medal, and a tick or a Yes in the appropriate column indicates the man’s actual physical presence in that battle. A final column for remarks is important in those cases where the man was no longer in the unit, by removal, death or desertion. The second form that sometimes occurs was returned in 1905, and covers men entitled to the Second South African War Medal and Clasps. It lists men by number, rank and name, checks whether they had claimed the Queen’s South Africa Medal, and then enquires as to their suitability as to three Colony Clasps, which could be awarded for service in the Cape, Orange Free, or Transvaal; whether entitled to Date Clasps (South Africa 1901 and South Africa 1902); whether also entitled to the King’s South Africa Medal; any other corps in which served in South Africa; and remarks (such as becoming non-effective, forfeiture, &c.) WO 100/39

1926 - The Medical Directory
This was split into several sections. The London section covered all medical practitioners resident within the London postal district; the rest of England (except Monmouthshire) was covered by the Provinces; there were separate sections for Scotland and (the whole island of) Ireland, practitioners resident abroad, and those in the armed forces (including the Indian military). Each year a schedule was sent to each doctor to be returned to the publishers, so as to keep the directory up to date. In the directory the doctor’s name is given first, in bold, surname first, in capitals; then current address. Next are the qualifications; the italic abbreviations in parentheses following the qualifications indicate the medical school at which they were gained. Then there is a list of posts and honours within the profession, starting with those then current; previous posts are preceded by the word ‘late’. Finally, brief details are given of any publications.

1928 - Corporate Secretaries
The Chartered Institute of Secretaries of Joint Stock Companies and other Public Bodies was founded in 1891 and incorporated by royal charter in 1902. This membership list (corrected to 2 October 1928, and printed in the annual Proceedings), arranged alphabetically by surname and initials, gives the year of being elected Associate (A.) and/or Fellow (F.), and current professional office. As of 31 August 1928 there were 2201 fellows and 3907 associates.

1933 - Wives of Old Wellingtonians
Wellington College, near Wokingham, was originally founded for the education of sons of military officers. A register of boys entering the school from First Term 1859 to Michaelmas 1933 was compiled by F. G. Lawrence for the Old Wellingtonian Society. In each entry the boy’s name is given in full, in bold, surname first; age at entry (usually 11 to 14); then, in brackets, the name of the dormitory or house to which he belonged, in italics, with the years of his stay; then his father’s name (usually surname and initials, but not christian name) with military decorations where appropriate. School prefects and captains are noted as such; if the boy played cricket for the school, XI with the years; academic honours, scholarships, &c.; a brief biography; and date of death, or (where known) address in 1933. Year of marriage is given, and sometimes the wife’s name and/or her father’s name. Clearly, those boys who kept contact with the school and/or had distinguished military careers have detailed entries; others disappeared into oblivion on leaving. This is the index to the maiden names of the wives, who may or may not have survived to 1933.

1955 - Kelly’s (Gore’s) Directory of Liverpool and District
The directory includes this alphabetical list of residents and traders, with names, addresses, and (where applicable) telephone numbers. Covering a large area around Liverpool, the directory includes Bootle, Birkenhead and Wallasey, and thus the populous areas of southwest Lancashire and of the Wirral peninsula of Cheshire.

The Original Record now has over 9.3 million entries directly available online. They offer a free unlimited search. All records are hand-indexed (no OCR). Users my purchase sets of scans, or buy open access to the surname(s) of your choice, including variants.

FTC Statement: GenealogyBlog has no affiliate relationship with The Original Record, and the above information is posted here because I think our readers will be interested in knowing what’s newly available at the site.

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Registration Now Open for the 41st Annual SCGS Jamboree - June 11-13, 2010

Registration is now open for the 41st Annual SCGS Genealogy Jamboree. I’ll be there, giving 4 lectures, and exhibiting at the Family Roots Publishing Co. booth. The Jamboree promises to be a fantastic experience this year! Following is the news release from SCGS.

It’s Time For Jamboree!! SCGS Jamboree 2010

Registration is now open for the 41st Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree, which will be held Friday through Sunday, June 11-13, 2010, at the Marriott Los Angeles Burbank Airport Hotel and Convention Center in Burbank, California.

The 2010 Jamboree follows the longstanding tradition of delivering the perfect mix of lecture sessions, exhibitors, networking and social activities. This year’s Jamboree offers nearly 130 quality classes conducted by the most knowledgeable and experienced genealogy speakers from the US, Canada and points beyond. The geographic focus for this year’s Jamboree is North America - Canada, Mexico, and all regions of the United States. DNA and technology will also receive special emphasis in 2010.

The exhibitors represent the leading organizations and commercial companies who provide products and services to today’s genealogists and family historians, as well as local, regional, and national genealogical societies.

WHAT’S NEW IN 2010?
1. Thursday Evening Registration. Many of our attendees requested that they be allowed to pick up the syllabus and other registration materials on Thursday evening. We listened, and in 2010 we will have a Jamboree check-in period on Thursday evening. Thursday night’s check-in will be for pre-registered attendees only, and no walk-in registrations will be processed when the registration desk opens Friday at noon.

2. More Seats. In response to last year’s post-conference satisfaction survey, we are expanding our seating capacity by adding a pavilion that will be situated behind the Convention Center, adjacent to the lawn. The pavilion will hold 300 seats, will be fully air conditioned, with wireless internet access. Jamboree will take over the Marriott Hotel as well as the Convention Center and hold sessions in both buildings as well as the pavilion.

3. Mini-courses. We will be running a track of hands-on computer lab workshops throughout the weekend. About 20 people per course will bring their laptops and go through hands-on workshops on using Excel, Word, blogging software, Skype, Google Earth, etc. These mini-courses are open only to paid Jamboree registrants. A special online registration for mini-course attendees will open on May 1.

4. Free Friday Forenoon sessions will ensure that in these economically challenging times, expense will not be a barrier to learning. Several concurrent sessions, each lasting three hours, include a Genealogy Librarian’s boot camp, a repeat of last year’s highly popular Kids’ Family History Camp, and beginner and advanced beginner genealogy sessions. Registration is required to attend the Free Forenoon Friday sessions.

5. The “Small World” round table discussion has been expanded to three hours and moved to Friday morning. The session affords an excellent opportunity to network, to explore research tactics for specific geographic regions of the world, and to exchange tips and techniques on an informal basis. A complete list of round table discussion topics will be announced at a later date. There is no charge to attend the Small World session, but registration is required.

6. Ancestry Scanning. Ancestry will be bringing a number of high-speed scanners and scheduling free, 15-minute scanning sessions. Ancestry has provided this service at other conferences, and we are thrilled that they will be scanning documents and photos for Jamboree attendees.

As in years past, registration discounts are available for SCGS members and early-bird registrants (before May 1).

For all of the details, visit our website at www.scgsgenealogy.com and click on the Jamboree brochure.

See you at Jamboree!

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The New 1950 Census Substitute at Ancestry.com

One of the resources that we were informed about on January 8 when the bloggers visited Ancestry.com was the 1950 census substitute. Ancestry.com announced this last week that the resource was now posted.

This “substitute” for the yet-to-be-released 1950 census is made up of about 2500 city directories. My first foray into the collection was made right after the Ancestry.com announcement. After a half hour or so, I was so frustrated that I moved on to more important things to be done that day. This morning, I went back and spent as hour or so searching, as well as browsing through the collection, with much more success.

My frustration came about because I was searching for specific individuals that I thought might be found within the collection. I kept getting false hits during my searches because the given name and surname of the person I was looking for were often “close” to each other on the page, but were not on the same line, leaving me grinding my teeth.

This morning I tried searching by surname within specific areas with a lot more luck. I also found that browsing page by page through directories for specific towns was successful.

I did a search on the surname “Meitzler” in New York State in the 1950 Census Substitute. I got three hits. The following image is of the results page.
1950-census-sub-meitzler

By clicking on the Meitzler entry for 1946 Irondequoit, New York, I got a page that included my Uncle Frank Meitzler, his wife Ora, and their adult children Elmore, Doris, and Irene. Following is a screen shot of a page from Polk’s Irondequoit Directory for 1946.

Frank & Ora Meitzler 1946 directory

Search for your ancestors in the 1950 Census Substitute at Ancestry.com.

FTC Statement: GenealogyBlog has affiliate agreements with Ancestry.com, although I have yet to ever get a check from Ancestry, as I don’t take the time to encode my blog in such a way that I will receive any credit if someone subscribes. Ancestry.com paid for my lunch and dinner, as well as my transportation by van from SLC to Provo, and return on Blogger’s Day, January 8, 2010. They also paid for my dinner at the annual Ancestry.com dinner January 9, 2010. I am an avid Ancestry.com supporter, not because it profits me personally, but because I believe genealogists are well-served by the company. I haven’t always felt that way, but that’s another story…

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British Births, Marriages & Deaths at Sea Are Posted at BMDRegisters.co.uk

The following is from the British National Archives Website:

bmdregisters

BMDRegisters.co.uk has added records of births, deaths and marriages of passengers at sea to its online service.

The records give detailed information compiled from ships’ logs by the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen and its predecessor. The registers cover 1854 to 1908 and include over 150,000 individuals. They were previously available only on microfilm at The National Archives.

  • BT 158 - Registers of Births, Deaths and Marriages of Passengers at Sea 1854-1890
  • BT 159 - Registers of Deaths at Sea of British Nationals 1875-1888. The name of this series is misleading as it includes other nationalities
  • BT 160 - Registers of Births at Sea of British Nationals 1875-1891

It is free to search on the website but there is a charge for downloading images of original records.

Background
From 1874, the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen was required to report births and deaths at sea aboard all ships registered in Britain or its colonies and on foreign-registered ships carrying passengers to or from the UK, to the Registrars General of England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland (the General Register Offices).

There are separate volumes for England, Scotland and Ireland, corresponding to the general register office to which the details were to be reported. The registers for Scotland and Ireland contain details where the deceased was a ‘Scotch or Irish subject of Her Majesty’. The registers for England include all events not reported to the GROs for Scotland and Ireland and thus contain entries for foreign nationals as well as those for English and Welsh subjects.

Disasters at sea
Included in these records are 288 death records for the Royal Charter, which was traveling back from Australia in October 1859 when it became caught in a storm just miles from home off the coast of Anglesey. The ship was carrying a great number of prospectors who had gone to Australia to find their fortune, so when the ship sank on 26 October it took over 67,000 ounces of gold with it. Many inhabitants of nearby coastlines became rich overnight as the gold began to wash up on the shores.

Also included are the casualties of the biggest marine disaster of the 19th century, the sinking of the White Star Line’s passenger ship SS Atlantic, which struck rocks off the coast of Nova Scotia on 1 April 1873. Of the 562 people who died, 508 are recorded within BT 158 and BT 159.

Happier times
As the majority of the ships included were passenger ships, which would travel across the world to and from America, the UK and Australia, people met, fell in love and often married onboard. Babies born at sea were often named after the ship, such as the daughter of welsh miner William Brown, born on 2 December 1883 onboard the Waroonga, who was named Elizabeth Waroonga Brown.

Search for your British ancestors who been born, married or died at sea.

FTC Statement: GenealogyBlog has no affiliate relationships with the the British National Archives or BMDRegisters.co.uk.

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New at Family Tree Connection

The following small databases have been added at Family Tree Connection:

CONNECTICUT familytreeconnection

Montville First Congregational Church 1875 Manual - Manual of the First Congregational Church, Montville, Conn, 1875.

Connecticut College for Women 1929-1930 Catalogue - Sixteenth Annual Catalogue of Connecticut College. Announcements for 1930-1931. Published at New London, Connecticut, March 30, 1928. Fifteenth Series, Third Number.

Connecticut College for Women 1927-1928 Catalogue - Fourteenth Annual Catalogue of Connecticut College. Announcements for 1928-1929. Published at New London, Connecticut, March 30, 1928. Thirteenth Series, Third Number.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Revolutionary War Invalid Pensioners 1807 Report - Letter from The Secretary of War transmitting A Report in Relation to Invalid Pensioners: Made in Pursuance of the Act of the 10th of April last intituled ‘An act to provide for persons who were disabled by known wounds in the revolutionary war.’ January 14, 1807. City of Washington.

HAWAII

Fort Armstrong 1931 Christmas Dinner Menu - Christmas Dinner 1931, Fort Armstrong, [Kaakaukukui Reef, Hawaii]. Includes roster.

ILLINOIS

McLean County 1924-1925 School Directory - McLean County [Illinois] School Directory [of Staff], 1924-1925.

MAINE

Portland Second Parish Congregational Church 1787-1912 Manual - History and Manual of the Second Parish Congregational Church (Payson Memorial), Corner Congress and Pearl Streets, Portland, Maine, 1878-1912. With a List of Members.

MASSACHUSETTS

Quinobequin Lodge I.O.O.F. 1918 By-Laws - Constitution, By-Laws and List of Membership of Quinobequin Lodge No. 70, of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Jamaica Plain, Mass.

Boston Discharged Soldiers’ Home 1865 Report - Third Annual Report of the Discharged Soldiers’ Home with the Constitution, By-Laws, and a List of the Officers. Springfield Street, Boston, Mass.

Bradford Academy 1847 Catalogue - Catalogue of the Officers and Members of Bradford Academy, Bradford, Massachusetts, For the year ending July, 13, 1847.

MISSOURI

St. Louis Shoe and Leather Club 1918 Roster - Official Reference Book of the St. Louis Association of Superintendents and Foremen, The St. Louis Shoe and Leather Club, Containing a List of Officers and Members, a History of the Association, a History of the Shoe Industry, Views of the City of St. Louis and in the Local Trade, as well as a List of Shoe Manufacturers in the United States. List of Members Compiled to December 21, 1918.

PENNSYLVANIA

Charles M. Swain Lodge, F. & A. M., 1907 By-Laws - By-Laws of Charles M. Swain Lodge, No. 654, F. & A. M., Philadelphia, PA. Approved by the R. W. Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, December 1, 1907.

TEXAS

Dallas Commerce Street Church of Christ 1890 Directory - Directory of the Commerce Street Church of Christ, Dallas, Texas. M. M. Davis, Preacher. Where the wife is a member of this Church and the husband is not, the husband’s occupation is given with their home address. Where both are members, the business address is listed after the husband, and the home address after the wife.

UNKNOWN PLACE

The Relief Signal, Number 42, March 1918 - The Railwaymen’s Relief Association of America Official Journal, The Relief Signal, Number 42, March 1918. Includes a listing of Claims Paid.

The Relief Signal, Number 37, May 1917 - The Railwaymen’s Relief Association of America Official Journal, The Relief Signal, Number 37, May 1917. Includes a listing of Claims Paid.

FTC Statement: GenealogyBlog has an affiliate relationship with Genealogy Today & Family Tree Connection.

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Heading for the Arizona Family History Expo in Mesa next week!

Arizona Family History Expo-2010 Patty and I spent the week manning a FRPC exhibit (store?) set up in the Heritage Room at the Salt Lake Plaza Hotel. Thus the light blogging… It’s been a very busy week here. We will be here until 10 pm this evening and then tear down and prepare for the Mesa Arizona Family History Expo. Dollarhide and I are driving down on Wednesday, setting up on Thursday, exhibiting on Friday & Saturday - then driving home on Sunday. It’s gonna’ be very tiring I fear.

A whole lot of folks are speaking at the Arizona Family History Expo this year. About 40 presenters will be giving lectures on numerous genealogical topics. Click here to learn more about the speakers. I just happen to be one of them.

So join us in Mesa! January 23-23, 2010 - this next week.

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