|
|
|
OBCGS Members'
AIDS
TO RESEARCH
|
WHO
ARE THE ..?
Hessians
German troops used
by the British in the Revolutionary War, many of whom deserted and remained
in America.
Huguenots
French Protestants
that fled from persecution mainly from 1685 onward. They went to Prussia,
the German Palatinate and then came to America. Those in the French West
Indies escaped to the southeastern coast of America, others went to England
and Ireland.
Mennonites
A Swiss Protestant
sect founded in 1525 and migrated by way of Alsace, England and Russia
to America. They settled in Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Kansas.
Moravians
The United Brethren
is a Protestant group formed in Bohemia about 1415 and spread to Poland,
Germany and England.
Palatines
In 1688 Louis XIV
of France began persecution of German Protestants on the west bank of the
Rhine River. Queen Anne of England helped a group come to America in 1708.
More than 2000 arrived in New York in 1710 and settled along the Hudson
and Mohawk Rivers.
Quakers
The Society of Friends
was founded in England in 1648. Early restrictions brought them to New
Jersey in 1675. Some 230 English Quakers founded Burlington, NJ in 1678.
1681 was the year William Penn was granted the territory of Pennsylvania
and within two years there were about 3000 Quakers there.
Scotch-Irish
The descendants of
the Presybterian Scots that had been placed in the northern counties of
Ireland by British rulers in the early part of the 17th century.Most came
to America from 1718 until the Revolution. While first settling in Pennsylvania,
the movement was then to the south and then westward with the frontier.
Walloons
From southern Belgium
and their language is a French dialect. Corneilus May of Flanders, Holland
with about 30 -40 families came to America in 1624 where they established
Fort Orange, which is now known as Albany, NY.
|
|
What
are the Black Dutch?
Many have family
traditions that allude to an ethnic group referred to as the Black Dutch.
And questions abound about just who the Black Dutch were. There are
many theories about this. There are web sites devoted to this very
subject. However, here is an overview of some of the theories.
The one that seems
to be the most accepted is that it is not "Dutch" as in those of Dutch
descent, but Deutsch as in of German descent. A similar name is the Pennsylvania
Dutch which are actually of German descent. The theory is that the
Black Dutch are descended from the Germans that live in the Black Forest.
This area of Germany was at one time much larger than it is now and the
inhabitants are much darker than other Germans.
There are other
theories on this subject. While I am mentioning a few of them here,
let me caution that some of them still have many unanswered questions.
One of the other
theories is that when the Spanish were attacking the Dutch that there was
some intermarriage with the Dutch during the lengthy attack - which took
approximately 60 years. This theory though is not supported in the
church records. And it is important to keep in mind that the Spanish
and the Dutch were of two different religious beliefs. Also, the
term Black Dutch is not understood in Holland.
Another theory
traces its lines back to early immigrants who married Native Americans.
And still another adds an African American descent into the equation.
For an excellent article on the tri-racial research, it is a good idea
to read "Verry Slitly Mixt: Tri-Racial Isolate Families of the Upper South
-- A Genealogy Study" by Virginia Easley DeMarce and which was published
in the "National Genealogical Society Quarterly." This article appears
in volume 80 on pages 5-35. This article also includes a number of
surnames in it, though the author does caution that just because a surname
appears here does not guarantee that an individual can trace back to a
tri-racial lineage.
The one constant
on research of the Black Dutch is that they trace to the Upper South, appearing
in Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, and North and South Carolina.
Another excellent
article about the Black Dutch can be found in "American Genealogy Magazine."
This quarterly, published by Datatrace has great insight into the question
of the Black Dutch. The article in question can be found in Volume
12, number 1. If you cannot find this in your local library, you
can purchase it by contacting Datatrace, PO Box 1587, Stephenville, TX
76401.
|
|
ALASKA
GOLD RUSH:
If an ancestor participated
in the Alaska gold rush, consult Dawson City Museum and Historical Society,
P.O. Box 303, Dawson City, Yukon YOB 16Q. Be sure to include a postal reply
coupon to cover the return postage. |
|
WORLD
WAR I
A new collection
of microfilm has been added to the Family History Library, Salt Lake City,
UT -- a set of 24 million cards created during the WW I draft. There were
three registrations which included all men between the ages of 18 and 45.
The states Alabama through North Carolina are currently available on film.
The rest will be available as soon as they have been microfilmed.
The
Forum Insider, Nov. 1992
|
| |
NEWSPAPERS:
A SOURCE OF FAMILY HISTORY
Articles and
notices found in newspapers are usually published about the time of the
event, making them a vital source. Errors may occur so the information
must be compared with other sources for accuracy.
The following
may be found in newspapers:
|
| OBITUARIES
which may give parents or ancestry of the deceased, religious affiliation,
close relatives, accomplishments, movements, activities. |
| MARRIAGE
NOTICES give information about the
event, names of parents and close relatives, residents, life events, religious
affiliations. |
| BIRTH
ANNOUNCEMENTS may provide information
about time and place of birth, parents and other relatives. |
| FAMILY
REUNIONS and social events may give
accounts of family gatherings, relative, visiting or trips to visit relatives,
other personal information. |
| NEWS
ITEMS such
as appointments, graduations, accomplishments, movements of people in a
community may ne important in preparing family history or biography or
tracing personal information. |
| ADVERTISEMENTS
may identify their professions or businesses. |
| LEGAL
NOTICES of land sales, tax rolls, probate
of wills, settlements of estates, divorce proceedings, reports of civil
and criminal cases may give information about the family. |
|
HOW
TO FIND NEWSPAPERS
Look on a map to
find the closest towns to the place of residence. Try to identify the place
where they may have shopped and/or the county seat. If there are no newspapers
published in a town or county of interest, try to identify a news center
for the area, even if it's in another town or county. Look for religious
newspapers if you know the religious affiliation because they might provide
information about your ancestor. Newspapers on microfilm are available
through inter-library loan. |
|
HOW
TO SEARCH NEWSPAPERS
Metropolitan papers
do not contain much personal news. Newspapers from smaller communities
may contain a wealth of information, especially if the person is politically
or socially active, an early settler, or a business owner. They tend to
be published weekly with one page of local news. Reading newspapers of
the time will provide background information about the historical period.
Vebtura
County Genealogical Quarterly, December 1996
|
IN
1900 FOLKS ONLY LIVED TO 47 -- The
average person lived only to age 35 during Julius Caesar's time, 2000 years
ago. By 1900 the typical American's life was still short, ending at age
47. But babies now born in the U.S. can expect to live to 77.
DEEDS
--
This
very interesting tidbit was passed along to me from taken from the "Minnesota
Genealogical Society Newsletter - "In the lower left hand corner of most
old deeds, you will find signatures of two to four witnesses. The first
one is always from the husband's side. The next one is always from the
wife's side. That is to protect her 1/2 dower right under the law. Nothing
you will ever use will give greater clues to maiden names than witnesses
on old deeds."
1752
- A DATE TO REMEMBER: In
the middle of the 18th century, two changes were made in the English calendar.
The first change - and the one of most importance to genealogists
- moved the official date of the new year from 25 March (Lady Day) to 1
January. This changed January, February and March from being the last three
months of the old year to being the first three months of the new year.
The second change - by "losing" 11 days from September, was from
the Julian calendar to the Gregorian. This brought England in line with
the rest of Europe, where the Gregorian system had been in use since 1582.
The changes made were made in England in 1752, as the new system was used
by some persons before its official introduction, great care must be taken
in transcribing dates in January, February and the first 25 days in March
before 1752. The correct procedure is to transcribe the date in both Old
Style and New. 5 Feb O S should be written as 5 Feb 1626/7.
Source:
Bluegrass ROOTS - Vol 20 #3 Fall 1993
see the
OBCGS page onCalendars
IMMIGRATION
SOURCE:
An unusual source at the New
York Municipal Archives is the microfilm co- vering ten volumes of records
from 1859 - 1894 titled "Bodies in Transit." Forms had to be completed
to aid in the pre- vention of com- municable diseases. A body arriving
in Manhattan via ship, train or local ferry had to registered. --The
Forum Insider, Oct. 1992
MICROFILM
HINTS
As the researcher
goes through rolls and rolls of microfilm, an easy way to keep track of
where we found those important listings is to write the source and reel,
page and line numbers at the appropriate place on a copy of the pedigree
chart. A glance will tell you where you need to search further.
|
Microfilm
-- Microfilm can be very hard to read. From use the images get lighter
and lighter. A simple trick is to carry with you sheets of different
colored paper. When you can't read the microfilm, place a colored
sheet where viewer projects image. This is usually in front of you.
You might want to try different shades of papers, to see which color works
best. -- Thanks to Carol Allen
|
RESEARCH
IN ENGLAND: When researching
in England, it may be helpful to know that: a "hamlet" has no Episcopal
church; a "village" has a church; a "town" has a royal charter to hold
markets; and a "city" has an Angelical bishop.
FEDERAL
ARCHIVES:When submitting a request
for military records you should include the wording, "Send Complete Medical
File"; medical records are not filed with the military records. If the
veteran was injured, hospitalized or received medical discharge, there
could be helpful information in the medical file, but you must request
it. (GS Newsletter, 2/92)
National
Archives Military Records
| Search
the following types of military records:
1. Military
Service Records - Muster cards show whether
a soldier was present, absent, sick, injured or killed during the war.
Physical descriptions, enlistment, discharge, casualty, p.o.w. and personal
papers may also be included.
2. Medical
Records -Include when and where
a soldier was admitted to hospitals, specific injuries and illnesses, treatments
and status upon discharge.
3. Records
of Movements and Activities - Compiled regimental histories show
how, when and where specific units performed during the Civil War. Battles,
skirmishes, marches, bivouacs and miscellaneous facts are described.
4.
Pension Records -Files often include documents from friends,
neighbors, employers, family, officers, comrades and the pension soldiers
themselves. Personal letters, affidavits and depositions illusrate the
lives of soldiers and their families.
Record sets are
available for specific wars. Here is a break down of U.S. wars and corresponding
types of records:
Revolutionary War - Pension and military service.
War
of 1812 - Pension and military service.
Indian Wars - Pension and military service.
Mexican War - Pension and military service.
Civil War (Confederate) - Military service and regimental activities.
Civil War (Union) - Pension, military service, medical and
regimental activities.
Spanish
American War - Pension and military service. |
|
ANDERSONVILLE
PRISON -- If any of your ancestors
were a prisoner of war, you might get help by writing to ANDERSONVILLE
NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE, Route 1 Box 85 Andersonville, GA 31711. Include
the prisoner's name, which war, state, unit and any militray information
you may have. Be sure to send a SASE. Andersonville now has a Prisoner
of War Museum for all wars the United States was involved in, with major
focus on the Civil War. --The Forum Insider Oct 1992
|
| DISAPPEARING
ANCESTORS: If you have an ancestor
who appears to have disappeared in the 1850's, try checking out the 1850
California State Census. Over 50,000 people traveled overland to the gold
fields while more went by ship. The 1852 State census of California is
especially valuable, as it asked for the person's residence. Most answered
with the name of the state from which they came. By 1855 23,000 of these
people had moved on or returned to their former homes. -- The
Forum Insider, April 1993 |
| IRISH
TAXPAYERS:
Those Irish who paid taxes
to the Church of Ireland or the government in Ireland in the years from
1820 to 1864 may be found in the index of Surnames of Householders in Griffith's
Primary Valuation the Tithe Allotment Books, commonly called the Householders
Index. This is available on microfilm through the LDS Church. You can find
out the value of the house and land, where it was located, who was the
landlord, a brief description of the place and more.
The
Forum Insider Jan 1993 Vol III #4
|
Finding
Hidden Treasures in Cemeteries
| Is there possibly
a cemetery nearby the old farm house where the family existed years ago?
The answer is probably yes. Find the one main old home location where the
parents of your lineage in that area lived, and there may be an old cemetery
there (Unless there is a church nearby, usually built or paid for in part
by the main family and thereby used as the family and others cemetery).
Where would the
cemetery be? Look for the lonely pine or pines in the middle of the clearing
or wooded area, usually placed to mark the grave sites, or picked out and
left there while the land was originally cleared and looked like a nice
resting place for them (and family) later. Remember, those families were
pretty practical in their lifestyle and living and did things using what
you and I would now days call common sense, so use some while looking around
for that burial place. If no trees stick out as evident, another place
would be a small fenced in area that would not have any signs as animal
pens, maybe some small pointed or flat stones around the edge or center
standing up instead of lying down like stones normally would be. These
particularly odd positioned stones, not being a natural way stones usually
lay, would be the head and or foot stones of the ones buried there. Look
really close and you may be able to see faint scratch or cut marks with
the names and dates of ones there. (Faint because they were scratched into
the stone earlier or weather has washed the surface partially away after
many years.) I have also noticed photos placed within the face of the stones
and covered with small glass, showing the face of the loved one buried
there.
Placement, size
and number of stones tell a story. All the larger ones probably adults
and the one or two largest probably to the parents or Mom of the group.
Small ones, especially in short indentations in the ground, are usually
children. Ones buried at the back corner of the cemetery is usually
a black sheep of the family or husband of one of the kin and the controlling
kin of the cemetery did not like them, etc. Draw a small sketch of what
you find so you can get an idea of who and why they were placed in the
locations found, etc. Nice info to have to add to just names and numbers
you have already collected.
How to find the
names? Good question, look for older people around that may have been friends
of some of the family members, played games with them during the week years
ago and see if they have one of the old family Bible, for names. Or maybe
a year book of years ago, or maybe knows of where a school teacher still
lives and may have some old records in their home. Also, churches sometime
keep old records of baptisms and maybe an old General Store nearby has
records of charges by those names earlier. Oh, by the way, while you are
asking neighbors and friends, also ask them of the possibilities of another
cemetery nearby. |
TIPS
FOR GATHERING FAMILY INFORMATION
1.
Interview your living relatives,parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins,
etc. in your family. Ask them birthdates and places, marriage dates and
places and who the person married, death dates and places. Always begin
with current dates and work backwards. When you get stuck move to the next
line or investigate the brothers or sisters of your ancestor. Some of the
best information is gained by researching the brothers and sisters.
2. Birth certificates
on individuals almost always show parents and sometimes other valuable
information.
3. Marriage certificates
show ages, parents, witnesses and other various information.
4. Death certificates
show death dates, birth dates, parents and much more information including
causes of death, etc.
5. Local newspaper
provide copies of obituary notices which are a wealth of knowledge.
6. Church records
on your family: Baptismal, Marriage, Membership, etc. show as much as vital
records in some cases.
7. Cemeteries
that you know your ancestors are buried in can provide information, and
look for other family members. Write down all info off of the tombstone.
8. Family pictures
albums often provide information.
9. Census records
have been take since 1790. Begin with the 1920 Census and work backwards.
This will help fill in missing pieces and find family members. Libraries
and historical societies usually have census records on microfilm.
10. Your local
library or historical societyis the place to begin your research.
You can often find many of your ancestors in local history books.
11. Use the search
engines on the Internet. Enter the names you are looking for; many connections
are found using this method.
12. Make
a sheet called a Family Group Sheet on each person in your family.
Take the info that you get on each ancestor and enter it on a separate
sheet.
13. Check Court
House records for your ancestors; check deeds, probate (wills, estate,
intestate), voters records, any kind of legal papers that would have been
filed in a courthouse. |
|
How
to type Umlauts & Accents
|
Note:
This file was found "along the way" and saved for my personal use, but
since it works, I though it might be helpful to share it. Here's
an e-mail link to the original poster of this bit of info:
John Crossley, Sacramento, California
|
| To type letters
with umlauts or accents, hold down the ALT key and type the appropriate
numbers on the numeric keypad (will not work with numbers across
top of keyboard).
[Webmaster
Note: I found that the "Num Lock" key must be on in using Word Perfect
-- experiment for your word processor]
Useful for German:
ä-132 ë-137 ö-148 ü-129
ß-225 Ä-142 Ö-153 Ü-154
Useful for French:
à-133 è-138 é-130
ç-135 â-131 ê-136
ô-147 û-150
And for the Macintosh
users among us: press then ä- option-u a ë- option-u e ö-
option-u o ü- option-u u ß- option-s Ä- option-u shift-A
Ö- option-u shift-O Ü- option-u shift-U
and for the French
à- option-` a è- option-` e é- option-e e ç-
option-c â- option-i a ê- option-i e ô- option-i o û-
option-i u
This is not a
complete list; many others exist in MS-DOS. These work in MS-DOS, QBasic,
word processors, and most other programs. There are 256 HTML tags for Icelandic
harp, etc, but alt-numeric pad does not work for them. I have not found
any method for inserting these HTML character entities except: View, Edit
Source Document. |
|
