*** YouTube: A Great Bet for YOU!
*** Reform School: Did Your Ancestor “Attend?”
*** Naps Restaurant, Hamilton, Montana
*** Is There Doukhobor In Your Ancestry?
*** Red Plush: Story of the Moorhouse Family
“Are you taking advantage of all the videos posted on YouTube related to genealogy and family history research?” This question was asked in the UpFront with NGS blog back on June 8th. Did you realize that just like TV channels (NBC, ABC, CBS, etc) you have genealogy channels on YouTube…… you have LOC (Library of Congress), NARA (National Archives), LVA (Library of Virginia), FamilySearch and Ancestry, just for some examples. The NGS posting-person continued: “Something I like about videos is that I can listen to them in the background as I am doing other work. Then, if something catches my ear, I can pull up the viewer, rewind and then actually “watch” a segment of interest.” Something new for us to consider.
********************************
Did you have an ancestor who was sent to Reform School? According to Wikipedia, “In the U. S., a reform school was a penal institution, generally for teenagers.” In the United Kingdom such places were termed Industrial Schools. “Social reformers in America in the late 19th and early 20th century found fault with the ten-usual practice of treating juvenile offenders the same as adult criminals.” And so a system of Reform Schools was instituted and lasted well into mid-century. Bottom line, states the Wikipedia article, “for the most part, these institutions were custodial.” Meaning, there was no effort at “reforming” a young person. Did you have an ancestor who was sent to Reform School? We’d love to hear your story!
***************************
We had the best-ever Sweet Potato Fries last month at a little place called Naps in Hamilton, Montana (south of Missoula). Their website says they’ve been in the same spot for 15 years. Curious about the name, I asked. “We think it was named Naps by the original owner, a Mr. Napolitano.” Well that certain makes sense! There is always a story lurking. You just gotta ask.
************************
Was your Canadian ancestor a Doukhobor? Doukhobors are a sect of Russian dissenters, many of whom now live in western Canada. They are known for a radical pacifism which brought them notoriety during the 20th century. Today, their descendants in Canada number approximately 20,000, with one third still active in their culture. (This from the Canadian Encyclopedia). I did some reading about this group, their travels and trials, and found it most interesting (although I do not have a Doukhobor ancestor). I did find that one of the primary research aids is Doukhobor Ship Passenger Lists, 1898-1928, by Lapshinoff and Kalmakoff, and the Family History Library does have a copy of this book. The book contains names of over 5000 persons taken from over 30 lists and not just names but family groups, age, sex, occupation and ports of arrival and departure.
Also learned about the Doukhobor Gazetteer, “a comprehensive encyclopedia of geographical places associated with the Doukhobors in (12 countries!!).
These good people came to Canada because freedom was offered, as was land for homesteading. And Canada exempted them from military service.
***********************************
Found this 1941 book for 25-cents at a garage sale; the title made me dig out my quarter. Red Plush: The Story of the Moorhouse Family, by Guy McCrone. This description is from Amazon: Against the background of Victorian Glasgow, and later of glamorous Vienna, these three leisurely novels begin the story of the Moorhouse family. This book contains the story of the Moorhouse Family in three intertwined stories in one book: Book One: The City, Book Two: The Philistines, Book Three: The Puritans.
I’ve not tucked into it yet so I’m not sure if it’s biographical or fiction. But if you have a Moorhouse family in your ancestry and you would like this book, it will be on its way to you for only the cost of postage.
My great grandfather was sent to reform school for leading a gang of juvenile troublemakers on the streets of New Haven, CT during the summer of 1900. Nothing was known about my grandfathers dad, all we had to go on was the fact he died a very young man and was of Manx heritage. This mystery was my first “brick wall” as I settled in to work on my family history. To make a very long story short at age 14 he was sentenced for leading a gang of juveniles who’s crimes included burglary and was sent to the Connecticut Reform School at Meriden. He eventually lands in New Brunswick, NJ playing piano in the silent movie theaters and newspaper ads show him peddling piano lessons. There he marries my great grandmother and they have have one child my grandfather. My “reformed” great grandfather died at the tender age of 21 of Tuberculous. What a first step his story was as I began the climb up my family tree!