Handwritten letters from the first President of the United States have gone on display at the National Library of Scotland. The following is a press release from the National Library of Scotland. The press release is as follows:
“The road to American independence is being mapped out at the National Library of Scotland (NLS) in a display which includes rare material written and signed by George Washington, the first ever US President.
The treasures display is opening on July 4 — US Independence Day — and comes at a time when independence is the big political question in Scotland. It is also only months before Americans go to the polls to elect their next President.
The War of Independence was marked by a clash of ideas where loyalty to a British monarch and the economic value of transatlantic trade competed with notions of liberty, independence, and republic.
Scots and those of Scottish descent played a prominent role. It has been estimated that more than a third of the 56 signatories to the American Declaration of Independence were men of Scottish descent. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: george washington, history, National Library of Scotland, NLS, online, Scotland, Scottish
If you have ancestors who hail from the beautiful areas of Plymouth or Devon in England, Findmypast.co.uk has added 6,386 baptism and burial records as follows:
“We’ve added 6,386 new parish records to our Plymouth and West Devon Collection
These new records make a fantastic addition to the records we published in May for 3.5 million people in Plymouth and Devon.
Learn new details of your ancestors’ baptisms and burials in these new records: Read the rest of this entry »
The following is a news release from Ancestry.com clearly illustrating the continued popularity of genealogy and family history research:
“PROVO, Utah, July 2, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ancestry.com (Nasdaq:ACOM), the world’s largest online family history resource, has added its two-millionth active current subscriber. The milestone recently was reached when Yvonne Ocheltree, of Collierville, Tenn., signed up to solve a long-standing family mystery about the secret identity of her maternal great-grandfather. With two million active paid subscribers, Ancestry.com, which launched in 1996, is one of the world’s most popular paid-subscription resources.
To mark the achievement, Ancestry.com has given Ms. Ocheltree a complimentary lifetime subscription to continue her research in a family history archive that now includes more than 10 billion historic records and images from more than 40 countries, dating back to 1270 A.D.
Tags: ancestry com, archives, genealogy collection, history, online, records, research, subscription service
| Origins.net is offering free access to the Prerogative Court of York Wills and Administration as follows: | |
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Tags: family history, free, Genealogy, genealogy collection, online, origins.net, prerogative court of york, records, research
Blockbuster movie The Hunger Games, filmed in North Carolina, has made a hot new tourist spot at Henry River Mill Village, Eastern Burke County, just off Henry River Road.
Once you leave Interstate highway 40 you drive about a mile and right before you enter Catawba County you’ll find what is labeled in the movie “District 12″.
The village has about 20 empty buildings and has been abandoned for about 50 years. Burke County’s tourism director said that they expected it to become popular, “you just never know how popular. Burke County tourism is up 300 percent from last June.”
Last year, filmmakers used the site to portray District 12 and since the March premier of the move, hoards of fans have trekked from all over the country to see Katniss Everdeen’s home town first-hand. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: district 12, Henry River Mill Village, Hunger Games, katniss everdeen, movie, tourist attraction
The National Genealogical Society (NGS) is in celebration of the July 4 weekend with an announcement of attractive member benefit. Fold3 is offering NGS members a great price-break when they purchase a Fold3 Annual Membership:
“The National Genealogical Society is proud to announce a partnership with Fold3, the premier military history website. NGS has worked with Fold3 to give its society membership an extremely attractive member benefit. Fold3 is offering NGS members its lowest price when they purchase a Fold3 Annual Membership of $39.95, which is a 50% savings off the regular price. In additional to the NGS member savings, Fold3 will donate 30% of the sale back to NGS to further its educational work.
NGS and Fold3 are announcing this partnership in celebration of the 4th of July this week. Fold3 features over 94 million historical records from US institutions including the National Archives. Military records, naturalization records, and city directories are just a few of the different collections found on Fold3. Joining Fold3 and locating an ancestor’s military or naturalization record is a fitting way to honor their legacy this 4th of July. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: civil war, Fold3, Genealogy, genealogy collection, history, NGS, price-break
Gone with the Wind, one of the best-selling novels of all time and the basis for the blockbuster 1939 movie was published June 30, 1936
Serious injuries forced Mitchell to quit her job as a reporter at the Atlanta Journal. Living in a small apartment with her second husband John R. Marsh, Margaret found she had too much time on her hands. Using the gift of a Remington typewriter from her husband she began telling the story of an Atlanta belle named Pansy O’Hara.
By tracing Pansy’s tumultuous life from the antebellum South through the Civil War and into the Reconstruction era, Mitchell drew on stories she had heard from her parents and relatives. Confederate war veterans she met as a young girl also served to give authenticity to the story.
Mitchell eventually gave the manuscript to Harold Latham, an editor from New York’s MacMillan Publishing, who encouraged her to complete the novel on the understanding that she change the heroine’s name to Scarlett to which she agreed. Scarlett is now one of the most memorable names in the history of literature. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: epic movie, gone with the wind, history, Margaret Mitchell, published 1936, Scarlett O'Hara
Ancestry.com has added fully indexed online records on the 1940 census for the following six states:
- Colorado
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Tennesee
- Vermont
- Virginia
Completion of these indexes now provides search availability of over 39 million records in ten states and the District of Columbia
Tags: 1940 census, genealogy collection, online, records, research
On July 1st each year, Canadians celebrate Canada Day. On July 1, 1867, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada were united as a single country. The union was an outcome of the Constitution Act, which granted Canada a large measure of independence from England.
Over the course of a century, Canada gradually shed its dependence on the United Kingdom, but didn’t become completely independent until 1982. That same year that Canada Day became an official holiday.
In honor of Canada Day, Ancestry.ca is offering free access to 40 million historical records today through July 2.
The following records include the years leading up to and following the Confederation and come from some of the largest collections on Ancestry.ca: Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: ancestry, Canada, free, free access, genealogy collection, online, records, research
During the last ice age, the sea level of our planet dropped and uncovered a vast land bridge between Asia and America This likely permitted the first bands of people to migrate from the Russian far east into what is now Alaska.
When the glaciers receded, the new arrivals drove south to the Great Plains and went on to people the Americas. Their descendants founded pueblo cities and built empires in the Andes.
Prominent scholars have argued that Europeans, known 18,000 years ago as the Solutreans of France and Spain, were the first people to settle the Americas.
By the time Christopher Columbus made landfall in 1492, he had missed discovering the New World by a span of time so great it would have been beyond his comprehension. I have also read that there is evidence that the Celts were also in North America before Columbus. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: cherokees, DNA, Egypt, Genealogy, history, moundbuilders, native americans, solutreans, the mound people
Findmypast has published 4,625 new parish records for Yorkshire, England:
“Any of you with Yorkshire roots will want to search these records to see if they hold new information to add to your family tree.
The Ryedale Family History Society provided findmypast.co.uk with these records, in association with the Federation of Family History Societies.
See the table below for more information about the records:
| Type of records | Number of records | Date range | Coverage |
| Baptisms | 2,176 | 1790-1886 | Allerston, Birdsall, Rillington |
| Marriages | 1,446 | 1754-1837 | Allerston, Birdsall, Helmsley, Malton |
| Burials | 1,003 | 1813-1888 | Allerston, Birdsall, Lockton |
Search the parish records now“
Tags: England, family history, online, parish records, research, Yorkshire
Popular family history and genealogy research website MyHeritage has a new search engine called SuperSearch, now in Beta, specifically to help researchers locate historical records.
SuperSearch has been in development since early 2011 and MyHeritage says that it’s one of the most comprehensive products they’ve ever developed.
It’s being touted as an exciting moment for genealogyand family history researchers everywhere who can now search over 4 billion records such as birth, marriage, death, burial, census, military, immigration,yearbooks, plus scans of the original documents.
Here’s a one-minute video that will give you an idea of what it’s all about:
You can also click on www.myheritage.com/research to kick the tires. Its main search page is used for global searches.
Tags: family history, Genealogy, genealogy collection, MyHeritage, online, records, research, search engine, SuperSearch
Findmypast has just published 2 million new Welsh parish registers as follows:
“These new records follow the first release of Welsh parish registers earlier this year. This is the first time that the complete Welsh parish baptism, marriage and death records have been made available online.
You can now search 5,924,611 records of Church in Wales parish registers on findmypast.co.uk:
Baptisms: 2,083,430 records covering 1538-1912 – see detailed coverage (PDF)
Marriages: 1,226,650 records covering 1539-1927 – see detailed coverage(PDF)
Banns: 557,078 records covering 1603-1927 – see detailed coverage (PDF)
Burials: 2,057,453 records covering 1539-2007 – see detailed coverage(PDF) Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: burial records, findmypast.co.uk, genealogy collection, history, online, Wales, welsh
The inspiration for some of Shakespeare’s greatest work in the form of rare artefacts will be on display in a major new exhibition at the British Museum.
There will be 190 exhibits in the showing, which include important paintings from national and private collections The huge exhibit will feature
The blockbuster show will feature 190 exhibits, including important paintings, manuscripts, and rare jewels from national and private collections. Also included is an album–First Folio of Shakespeare’s plays—on loan from the National Library of Scotland. The album belonged to Sir Michael Balfour, a wealthy Scottish Diplomat and a courtier to King James VI and I.
The objects linked to Shakespeare’s include a previously unseen page, featuring a racy image of a Venetian woman, from a 16th-century souvenir album. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: BP exhibition, history, National Library of Scotland, shakespeare, shakespeare inspiration, the british museum, venetian
Ancestry.com says:
“Recent research from Oxford University shows a wide range of genetic influences throughout the British Isles, hinting at a long history of invasions and settlement by groups from across the European continent throughout history. Now where have we heard that before?
Oh, that’s right! AncestryDNA™ has seen similar results in the data from our new DNA test. It seems we’re on the same page.
The Oxford study, conducted by Professors Walter Bodmer, Peter Donnelly and their colleagues, was reported by The Telegraph, London’s Sunday Times and other publications. Their study, according to the article, “analysed the differences at 500,000 points in the DNA of 2,000 people” to compose a genetic map of the region.
According to Donnelly, only a couple of groups, namely the Cornish and Welsh, have populations that can be genetically characterized as distinctly British. Most other populations in Great Britain show more recent ties to groups such as the Anglo-Saxon Germans, Danish Vikings, and Scandinavians. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: DNA, ethnicities, family history, Genealogy, history, unexpected ethnicities
A year after mechanical engineer Gottlieb Daimler sold his first luxury gasoline-powered automobile to the sultan of Morocoo in 1899, he formed Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) in his hometown of Cannstatt, Germany.
A prominent Austrian diplomat and businessman Emil Jellinek, was enthusiastic about the car and ordered one from Daimler in 1897 but the 6-horsepower 2-cylinder engine was to slow for him. He soon replaced it with two faster models with 4 cylinder engines.
Jellinek began to sell Daimlers to high society customers and started to drive in racing events. This included Nice Week on the French Riviera, in 1988. He entered the races using the pseudonym “Mercedes,” which was the name of his eldest daughter. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: cars, emil jellinek, gottlieb daimler, mercedes, wilhelm maybach
New indexed records and digital images have been added to the FamilySearch.org database as follows:
“FamilySearch published new, free records online for Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Czech Republic, England, Georgia, Indonesia, Italy, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, and the United States. The 1940 US Census Community Project continues to progress quickly. Online volunteers have now indexed 80 million names out of the historic 1940 census. Follow the progress online or search the 20 completed states at FamilySearch.org/1940census. BillionGraves also contributed about a million indexed records. Search these diverse collections and 2.8 billion other records for free at FamilySearch.org. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: archives, family history, familysearch org, genealogy collection, online, research
I thought that this infographic from Frugal Dad via LinkedIn today is an interesting et cetera:
“This infographic created by Jason at Frugal Dad shows that almost all media comes from the same six sources.
That’s consolidated from 50 companies back in 1983.
NOTE: This infographic is from last year and is missing some key transactions. GE does not own NBC (or Comcast or any media) anymore. So that 6th company is now Comcast. And Time Warner doesn’t own AOL, so Huffington Post isn’t affiliated with them.
But the fact that a few companies own everything demonstrates “the illusion of choice,” Frugal Dad says. While some big sites, like Digg and Reddit aren’t owned by any of the corporations, Time Warner owns news sites read by millions of Americans every year.
Here’s the graphic: Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: infographic, media
ScotlandsPeople has posted the following announcement:
“We have changed the pricing and payment method for purchasing Wills & Testaments documents on the ScotlandsPeople website. Instead of purchasing a Will & Testament through a separate transaction, these documents can now be viewed using ScotlandsPeople credits. As an introductory offer we have also reduced the cost from £5 GBP to 10 credits, which is roughly £2.33 GBP!
“The pricing for Wills & Testaments was originally based on the average cost for posting out purchased copies to customers. At that time, this was the best way of arranging the price, as the number of pages per document can vary and so did the total cost.
“So, in 2005, the records were launched on the ScotlandsPeople website at a cost of £5 GBP for a full colour, authentic facsimile of the original document, regardless of the number of pages. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: cut in prices, family history, online, records, research, Scotland, scotlandspeople, wills and testaments
Given our history, it’s really not hard to imagine that African Americans have a significant line-up European ancestors.
However, it’s a lot more interesting and enlightening for each individual who is actually able to learn who they are through actual research and evidence of their family roots. Given the availability of research materials online it’s no longer an insurmountable task.
The first lady must be feeling the same sense of wonder that we all do when our voyage of discovery bears fruit.
Michelle Obama finally uncovered the mystery of her genealogy after becoming first lady: not only did she discover that her great–great-great-grandmother, Melvina, was a slave in Georgia, she bore several children to a Caucasian man on a farm in the mid-1800s.
New York Times reporter Rachel Swarns has published a book on the subject titled, American Tapestry: The Story of Black, White, and Multiracial Ancestors of Michelle Obama, in which Ms.Swarns further explores Obama’s multiracial bloodline that extends through the South during Reconstruction to Chicago’s South Side during the 1920s swinging jazz era. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: american tapestry, book, chicago sun times, family history, first lady, history, michelle obama
Findmypast.co.uk has just published 25,000 new records as follows:
“We’ve just added more than 25,000 new Royal Household records to our collection:
Establishment Lists for Master of the Household’s Department 1835-1924: 7,158 records
Establishment Lists for the Royal Mews 1717-1924: 18,281 records
The new records represent an addition to the Royal Household records we published earlier this month. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: family history, online, records, research, royal household, United Kingdom
Findmypast.co.uk has just published about 70,000 new parish records for Sheffield, England, as follows:
“We’ve just published almost 70,000 new parish records for Sheffield on findmypast.co.uk
The records span the vast period 1767 to 1986 and will be essential to anyone with ancestors from Sheffield.
The Sheffield & District Family History Society provided findmypast.co.uk with these records, in association with the Federation of Family History Societies.
See the table below for further details of the records:
| Type of records | Number of records | Date range | Coverage |
| Baptisms | 13,102 | 1858-1940 | Sheffield, Yorkshire |
| Marriages | 24,772 | 1848-1986 | Sheffield, Yorkshire |
| Burials | 31,470 | 1767-1802 | Sheffield, Yorkshire |
Search the parish records now“
Tags: family history, Genealogy, online, records, research
DNA analysis is making more progress with every day that passes and it’s easy to believe that we will soon be able to pinpoint our genetic ancestry with a clarity that would have seemed impossible only a handful of years ago.
Genetics has already transformed many of our notions of ethnic identity to the point that many people have changed their own ethnic self-identification because of a DNA test.
While it won’t reach a point in the near future that would cause you to change what you check off on an official form, it will certainly be an interesting topic of discussion with friends and family.
Until two or three years ago, most ancestry tests for individuals relied on short stretches of DNA in cell-powering organelles called mitochondria, which you inherit through the mother, or via the father’s Y chromosome passed down from father to son.
Because DNA mitochondrial tests are widely used by family historians—they’re less costly—some the companies who offer them should be explicit when describing ancestral tests and the limits of what customers will learn. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: chromosome, condoleezza rice, DNA, finding your roots, henry louis gates, mitochondrial, whole genome testing, Y-chromosome
Beavers mate for life and according to Discovery News beavers are among the best dads in the animal kingdom.
One beaver widower who lost his long-time mate called “Dad” lives in a Martinez, California beaver colony was suddenly left with three young kits to care for when his partner died suddenly of an infection. They had previously raised 12 other kits together.
Well Dad stepped up to the plate! He not only built the family home, but also regularly repaired it, gathered food, and completed other beaver duties. In addition to taking on the care-giving basics, Dad gave the kit beavers back-rides, taught them how to dive, and brought them gourmet tender new shoots for dinner.
Young beavers usually leave home when they are 2-3 years old. If Dad’s trio decides to move, he’ll likely accompany them to find suitable new territory. This type of primo care is not uncommon in the beaver world.
Click on the video to see dad at work and kit getting a back-ride:
Click on the link MartinezBeavers.org to learn more.
Tags: beaver video, father's day
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has recently published an updated Open Government Plan for 2012-2014 designed to guide their efforts “in transparency, participation, and collaboration”.
Although I can’t agree with the transparency, participation, and collaboration mantra for all government organizations, I believe that NARA always puts its best foot forward. Unlike some other government entities, they’ve accomplished some interesting tasks. In spite of government budgets, we can appreciate the great services they provide to the public.
Over the past two years, they’ve implemented most of the 70 items they set out to complete in the 2010 Open Government Plan, including major initiatives in records management, declassification, and FOIA, as well as redesigning Archives.gov and FederalRegister.gov. Included in the new list of items is to move Archives.gov the cloud. Cloud computing is a trend that can’t be ignored—everybody’s doing it. NASA the U.S. space agency has already moved several of its applications to the cloud and NASA’s CIO said that her organization estimates that it’s saved almost a million dollars over the year after it moved the applications. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 2012 plan, cloud-computing, history, NARA, national archives, online, records, research, Washington DC
Here’s a timely reminder from Ancestry about free access to War of 1812 records at Fold3:
“On June 18, 1812, the United States declared war on Great Britain officially launching the War of 1812. In the 200 years since, it has become a forgotten war, perhaps best remembered by school children as when The Star-Spangled Bannerwas written. Yet, the War of 1812 was strategically important to the future of American diplomacy, a reinforced independence from Great Britain, and the country’s westward expansion.
Several events provoked President James Madison to request action from Congress to enter a war with one of the world’s most powerful nations, less than thirty years after the Revolutionary War ended. Uppermost was the unlawful impressment of American sailors into a British Navy eager to replenish its ranks during the lengthy Napoleonic Wars. Great Britain also restricted America’s right, as a neutral country, to trade with France. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: family history, Fold3, Genealogy, genealogy collection, history, online, records, research, War of 1812
Prisoner of War records for WWI and WWII are now available for research at Findmypast as follows:
“Search for your ancestors in new WWI and WWII Prisoner of War records published today on findmypast.co.uk
These records hold vital information about men taken prisoner of war during both World Wars. Naval and Military Press provided findmypast.co.uk with these records.
Prisoners of War 1914-1918 Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: family history, Genealogy, genealogy collection, history, online, prisoner of war, records, research
I very recently added a post to SpittalStreet.com about the sale of a vampire-slaying kit and decided to further the paranormal experience with a tale about ghost hunters in Barnstable, Massachusetts.
Most people have had an unusual experience at least once in their lives and although I have never seen a ghost, I’m willing to keep an open mind on this one.
According to Derek Bartlett, a former marine and founder of non-profit society Cape and Islands Paranormal Research Society, Barnstable Village, is the most haunted place on the Cape per square foot. There’s no formal education needed to be a ghost hunter, all you need is an open mind and a willingness to learn plus a lot of reading power.
Bartlett told Boston.com that he’s been punched, kicked and forced to the ground by unseen hands during the last eight years. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: barnstable, ghost, ghost tours, haunted history tours, history
The American Revolution Center, a non-partisan organization, owns an amazing collection of manuscripts, rare books, paintings, sculpture, textiles and weapons has now unveiled plans to build The Museum of the American Revolution, where the collection will be displayed as a living memorial. The collection is currently highlighted on their website listed below. The most recent press release is as follows:
“Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) June 12, 2012
Only steps from Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, in the most historic part of the country’s most historically significant city, The American Revolution Center today unveiled the architectural design for The Museum of the American Revolution.
The museum, to be built at 3rd and Chestnut Streets, will house the original artifacts, manuscripts, rare books and works of art owned by The American Revolution Center, the non-profit educational organization that is building the museum. The museum will tell the full story of the American Revolution and explore its ongoing legacy, providing context to the many regional and national museums that present key aspects of our nation’s founding era. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: history, independence hall, online, philidelphia, research, the museum of the american revolution
FamilySearch.org says:
“One of the most often used and impressive features ofFamilySearch.org is the massive collection of genealogy records. FamilySearch has the largest collection of genealogical collections in the world with billions of records available to the public free of charge.
FamilySearch has recently released two new videos that discuss this massive collection of genealogical records. The first video explains how FamilySearch gives you access to many of the world’s records of birth, marriage, death, censuses, and so forth. The second video explains some excellent research tips on how to get the most when searching for an ancestor in the Historical Records Collection. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: family history, Genealogy, genealogy collection, genealogy videos, history, online, records, research
Every time I try to move away from Google and try another method to research information or revisit an approach, I wind up returning to Google.
The idea of trying another research channel was my response to the recent privacy issues aired as a result of Google’s method of collecting personal information.
Google is it for me. There’s no way of getting around the fact that they’re all collecting and if you have a problem the only way out is not to go online.
I use and have used a lot of tools including Google Office—the alternative to Microsoft Office—where you store documents in the cloud which conveniently makes your documents are available on any machine that has an internet connection. The advanced sharing tool is a great feature.
I’ve just tried out the Hot Searches in Google Trends and have found it surprisingly useful when looking for answers. This is a good tool to use when looking for answers and current information about what’s happening around the country. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: google searches, google trends, looking for answers, search trends, up-to-date news
It’s amazing what fear of the unknown can conjure up. About to be put up for auction in Britain is an 1890s vampire-slaying kit described as “almost complete and in good condition” and expected to fetch up to $2,000.
The vampire-slaying tools are housed in a blue velvet lined mahogany box with the inner cover set with a gilt metal and a mahogany crucifix. Vampire were/are apparently allergic to silver and the lock on the box is made of silver in the form of a cross.
Included in the kit is a wooden mallet and four oak stakes, glass vials of holy water and garlic paste. Also included is an 1830 vintage percussion cap pistol plus a steel bullet mold.
As legend would have it, vampire were apparently vulnerable to many things and the essentials are in the box. They were unable to touch consecrated ground so the vials of holy water and earth are an appropriate part of the kit. There’s also a handwritten psalm.
According to Britain’s Daily mail the box was given to the vendor by a rich and, quite evidently, eccentric uncle who own many weird artifacts, including books on the occult.
If you’d like more details click on Daily Mail.
Tags: auction, folklore, history, holy water, kit, legend, online, records, research, United Kingdom, vampires
Arlington National Cemetery will soon be the first national burial site to go digital via a smartphone app due to be on the market in the fall. With the power of GPS technology visitors will be able to more easily find loved ones buried in the cemetery.
Also included is an online component which will allow anyone with Internet access to find graves of loved ones via a “virtual visit” thanks to the Army having developed a high-system that combines aerial photographic maps with digital records.
The idea will very likely catch on and the Department of Veterans Affairs, currently managing 131 national cemeteries, is already considering a similar system.
The motivation to provide these high-tech services is the result of Arlington’s effort to place the mismanagement scandal in the past. I’ve blogged several times about the scandal, which started two years ago, when Army Inspector General investigation reported double-booked grave sites, graves with no headstones, unidentified urns dumped in a mass grave and millions of dollars wasted on information management systems.
If you’d like to read the entire article about the App click on Sci-Tech-today.com.
Tags: app, arlington national cemetery, GPS, high tech, history, online, research
A lot of us miss seeing and listening to brutally frank comments from Simon Cowell on American Idol. Let’s face it, the show hasn’t been quite the same since he picked up his marbles and moved on.
Simon Cowell, one of the richest individuals in the world of entertainment, is the fourth post in Roy Stockdill’s series on the genealogy of famous people for the Findmypast.co.uk.blog.
Mr Stockdill’s research reveals Cowell’s very interesting family roots established in London’s East End, which more than likely contributed to his ability to think outside of the box and successfully shift his paradigms on the fly.
Personality quirks aside, I think most of us can agree he has more than proved to be an amazingly successful businessman and entrepreneur with an ability to spot genius.
If you’d like to read about Simon’s interesting genealogy, click on Famous Family Trees:
Tags: family history, famous family trees, Genealogy, online, records, research, Simon Cowell
The DNA Consultants Blog is a great source of inspiration and information and yesterday’s post is an interesting read.
Long before the days of DNA testing scientists, Thomas Jefferson and Constantine Rafinesque, demonstrated the genetic similarity between native Americans and Turkic peoples of the Altai region of southern Siberia.
I thought the comment at the end of the article very likely to be true. “How long will it take American history books to catch up to this new proof? We predict: never. The jingoistic Smithsonian has its own versions of things and these are ingrained into anthropological dogma as deeply as Manifest Destiny. Interestingly, Turkish and Muslim historians have already entered it as a basic fact of history. They have long claimed American Indians as their genetic cousins.”
There’s a lot of information in the article which provides information as well as numerous links. I’ll provide the link to the Consultants blog post below.
The article also discusses a new book written by American genealogist author and DNA investigator, Donald N. Yates titled “Old World Roots of the Cherokee: How DNA, Ancient Alphabets and Religion Explain the Origins of Americas Largest Indian Nation.” Read the rest of this entry »
More than 7,500 new parish records for North West Kent are available at findmypast.co.uk as follows:
“Anyone with Kent ancestors will be keen to search the records for new details to add to their family tree.
The North West Kent Family History Society provided findmypast.co.uk with these records, in association with the Federation of Family History Societies.
Details of the records are as follows:
| Type of records | Number of records | Date range | Parish / place |
| Baptisms | 1,604 | 1685-1812 | Darenth |
| Marriages | 1,815 | 1686-1848 | Bromley, Darenth |
| Burials | 4,170 | 1686-1869 | Charlton, Darenth |
Search the parish records now“
Tags: England, family history, Genealogy, genealogy collection, history, kent, research
Shares of Ancestry.com rose today after a news report that the company is looking for a buyer. I’m not surprised—this is probably the best time to consider selling. According to the consistently reliable Bloomberg Ancestry.com “is weighing a sale and is working with Frank Quattrone’s Qatalyst Partners LLC to find buyers.” Although Ancestry is declining to comment, it’s probably a good thing that the news has hit the street.
Always on the side of the American people, it’s somewhat alarming to learn that Wall Street surged today as traders grew more hopeful that central bankers will take decisive action to buoy the world’s sputtering economy. Another stimulus… What?
Click on Bloomberg to read the report about Ancestry.com
Tags: ancestry com, buyers, genealogy collection, history, online, records, research, sale of ancestry
It’s amazing to know that 13.5 million people lived in New York in 1940. It was the country’s biggest state at that time and the census pages are chock full of fascinating folks. Ancestry.com has now just launched the 1940 U.S. Federal Census Index for the Empire State, which now joins the District of Columbia, Maine and Nevada.
Some immediately recognizable folks are listed below and there are many more including your own family members who may still be among the living if they lived in New York in, Washington DC, Maine or Nevada in 1940:
“New York
Katherine Hepburn “The Great Kate” was in New York acting in the stage version of The Philadelphia Story, which had closed its year-long run at the Shubert Theater just a few days before the census was taken. She wouldn’t be in New York for long though, as she needed to be back in Hollywood where the movie version of The Philadelphia Story began filming in July of that year. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 1940 census, ancestry com, family history, federal census index, Genealogy, genealogy collection, New York, online, records, research, Washington DC
The Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree has gained in popularity during the past four years. This year the conference is scheduled to take place in Burbank, from Friday, June 8th through Sunday, June 10th.
There are two Pre-events scheduled on Thursday June 7, one Family History Writers Conference and two, the Tech-Track. They look like terrific events and you can click on the links if you’d like to learn more.
Now here’s some great news. The SCGS has made the decision to stream live 10 educational sessions free of charge on Saturday and Sunday.
See below for the list of interesting sessions and links. The times listed are Pacific Daylight Time:
“In keeping with SCGS’s tradition of delivering exceptional genealogical education over the Internet, we are proud to announce that the 2012 Genealogy Jamboree will offer ten streamed sessions over two days, Saturday and Sunday, June 9 and 10. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: family history, free sessions, Genealogy, history, online, online sessions, research, southern california genealogy jamboree
FamilySearch.org has reached a milestone with their 1940 Census project. To date 51.88% of the census has been indexed. It doesn’t mean that 50% of the census has a searchable index. Unfortunately end users won’t see that for a while. It has taken 2 months to reach the current status thanks to the legion of people who work together to achieve the goal.
Below are the latest statistics for the project: Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 1940 census, family history, family search, Genealogy, genealogy collection, history, online, records, research
Fold3 is a subscription website that provides convenient access to US military records, including the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served. It’s a very useful site for Historians, Family Historians, Researchers, Teachers and much more.
For my readers who live outside the U.S. the Fold3 names is derived from a traditional flag folding ceremony in which the third fold is in remembrance of those who served in defense of their country and maintain peace throughout the world.
This year 2012 is a popular time for researching ancestors who served in the War of 1812, which started 200 years ago on June 18 when the United States declared war on Britain.
In honor of this time Fold3 is opening up its War of 1812 records free of charge during this month. Here’s an outline of what you can research among the 400,000 records and images until June 30th: Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: family history, free access to records, Genealogy, history, online, records, research, War of 1812
The Scots have a rare humor when it comes to death and if you’ve heard some to the irreverent Scottish jokes about the subject you’d understand. Don’t get wrong my generation also had a healthy respect for the dead. We always enjoyed those visits to the cemetery on Sunday’s, which usually included a walk around Sherrifmuir (Battle of Sheriffmuir 1715—Jacobite rebellion), or racing up the steps in the Wallace Monument at Causewayhead near Stirling in record time.
When I came across an amusing article written by Bill Dollarhide titled Death Records: A Check List of Ten Documents Every Genealogist Should Acquire, I found it both informational and amusing. A “must have” for folks on the hunt for death records. Four of the list of ten documents have a humorous comment called Dollarhide’s Rules—I loved rule number two.
What’s important to remember is all ten sources should be obtained for every ancestor on your pedigree chart. It also serves to remind us that death is a great equalizer. Everyone is important.
Here’s a copy of the article you’ll also find a link to the Genealogy Blog website, it’s a great site to visit for useful information: Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: death records, Genealogy, national archives, records, research
The following press release from Ancestry.com gives details of U.S. Marine Corps activities during World War II and the Korean War. Many iconic celebrities are part of the collection, including: Ted Williams, Bea Arthur, accused JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, Steve McQueen, F. Lee Bailey, Gene Hackman, Dan Rather, Jim Lehrer, Harvey Keitel, Ed McMahon and Mills Lane:
“ Ancestry.com, the world’s largest online family history resource, today announced that more than 27 million new records and images detailing U.S. Marine Corps activities during World War II and the Korean War are now available on Ancestry.com. The records of many notable celebrities, including baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams, actress Bea Arthur and accused JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald are part of this valuable collection. Revealing details about many iconic figures in American history who served in the U.S. Marine Corps can be found, as well as the compelling stories of Marines – infamous, famous or simply family – who helped shape history from 1940 to 1958. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: ancestry com, family history, Genealogy, genealogy collection, history, online, press release, records, research
If you’ve ever wondered if any family member worked in the Royal Household or, you’ve heard someone in the know talk about it, Findmypast.co has added royal staff records to their ever growing database. The following news release includes a link where you search free of charge, but transcripts and scanned images of the original documents can be viewed with PayAsYouGo credits or a full subscription:
“ Have you ever wondered who works in a Royal Household, or whether you might have a connection to someone who served the Royal Family? In celebration of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, family history website findmypast.co.uk, in association with the Royal Archives, has today launched the Royal Household Staff Lists, a detailed collection made available online for the first time. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: britain, british monarchy, diamond jubilee, Genealogy, history, household staff, online, research, royal staff, UK, United Kingdom
Google Places is no more. Almost a year ago Google announced that the company would merge or integrate Google Places and Google+ Pages. Well, it is all happening today with Google Places pages entirely replaced by Google+ Local pages.
Today, about 80 million Google Place pages have been automatically converted into 80 million Google+ Local pages. It is to be expected that some users and business owners will take time to get used to the idea but it is considered to be a dramatic change for the better.
Some of the changes implemented are: Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Google, local pages, local search, online, search, social media
With a name like “Big Ben” one might think we’re talking about a North American grizzly bear. Big Ben is actually a famous clock on top of 320-foot-high St. Stephen’s tower. Those classic pictures of the British Houses of Parliament in London wouldn’t be the same without that famous tower-clock. If you’d been around to view the seat of the British government before 1859, Big Ben wouldn’t have been part of that famous landscape.
The famous clock rang out over the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London, for the first time on May 31st, 1859.
When fire destroyed the bulk of the Palace of Westminster, formerly the seat of the British Parliament in October 1834, the most impressive feature of the design for the new palace was a clock on top of a tower.
While many clockmakers thought it impossible, Sir George Airy, the royal astronomer, wanted the clock to keep perfect time with twice-a-day checks with the Royal Greenwich Observatory (GMT-Greenwich Mean Time). Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: big ben, clock tower, England, famous clock, history, houses of parliament, London, research
Findmypast Ireland has made a second batch of records available from the Irish Petty Sessions books as follows:
“Today we launch online the second batch of records from the Petty Sessions order books (1850-1910), one of the greatest untapped resources for those tracing their Irish roots.
The original Petty Sessions records are held at the National Archives of Ireland were scanned by Family Search and have now been transcribed and made fully searchable by findmypast.ie. They cover all types of cases, from allowing trespass of cattle to being drunk in charge of an ass and cart. These were the lowest courts in the country who dealt with the vast bulk of legal cases, both civil and criminal. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: courts, family history, findmypast.ie, genealogy collection, ireland, online, petty sessions, records, research
The first million dollar allocation as part of a plan to restore historical monuments around the world is being distributed by American Express in conjunction with The World Monument Fund. The plan is to provide million dollar restoration to six historic landmarks located in Brazil, Mexico, India, New Zealand, Japan and the United Kingdom. Respected for its efforts to improve New York buildings, Mascon Restoration, a trusted reconstruction company, supports the focus on structural preservation and reminds the public that local New York landmarks are also at-risk.
The news release from PRWEB today is as follows: Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: global, history, india, Mexico, million dollar restoration, New Zealand, plan, research, restoration, United Kingdom
I’ve found the International Genealogical Index (IGI) available at FamilysSearch.org very useful in the past. It has been a mix of community indexed sources and community contributed records. Apparently this mix meant that the records weren’t equally reliable. The problem is in the process of being resolved with the creation of two separate collections searchable from the IGI collection page. If you click on the link now you’ll find that the IGI collection page isn’t available yet— I’ve bookmarked the page and will keep checking.
The Community Indexed IGI is a database of sources that were indexed by the genealogical community volunteers from Church and vital records. Each record is organized into their specific collections, such as Birth, Marriages and Christenings 1538-1935. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: family history, familysearch org, Genealogy, genealogy collection, IGI, online, records, research
Family Search has a lot to offer and it’s free. There’s a new feature called My Source Box. It’s a useful new place to bookmark a source record and organize them into folders. People with access to the Family Tree can locate a record and add it to the source box for addition to the Tree, immediately or later on. If you can’t access the tree you can still bookmark or store records for later use.
To use the source box you need to be signed in to the FamilySearch.org system. If you’d like instructions on how to:
- Add a Source to the Source Box
- Going to Your Source Box
- Create a Folder
- Rename a folder
- Remove a folder
- Create a source citation of your own
Click on My Source Box
Tags: family history, familysearch org, files, genealogy collection, online, records, research, source, source box
Memorial Day is our federal holiday that originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen. It is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service.
The ever popular patriotic song God Bless the U.S.A., written and recorded by Lee Greenwood, serves to remind us of the sacrifice by our military to keep us free. When we consider today’s challenges, it also services to remind us that we must always remain FREE.
Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. Enjoy the video.
The National Archives at San Francisco officially opened 40,000 case files on immigrants to the United States on May 22, 2012. The research room was dedicated to U.S. Representative Tom Lantos who pushed to have the files re-designated as records of permanent historical value.
Transferred from the U.S. Cititzenship and Immigration Servives (USCIS), the files were known as the “Alien Files” but usually referred to as A-Files are the first of millions of case files that will eventually be opened to the public.
Before the USCIS there was the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). In 1940, the INS started issuing Alien Registration Numbers to resident aliens. Then, in 1944, the INS these numbers were assigned to a new series of immigration case files called A-Files.
These files are an amazing resource for family historians who are descendants of immigrants because they contain a wealth of information, such as, photographs, personal correspondence, vital records, interview transcripts, and visa applications. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 100 year rule, genealogy collection, history, immigrant files, NARA, online, records, San Francisco
It would be hard to miss the promotion by FamilySearch.org of BillionGraves.com which is owned and operated by AppTime.
Family Historians and Genealogists will love the constantly expanding database of records and images from cemeteries around the world. Digitized images of each gravestone will be tagged with GPS coordinates to make finding your ancestors an easy process using you’re your mobile phone.
The database is growing daily and information is provided by an army of volunteers from around the world who have the goal of collecting the coordinates of one billion graves. This makes it a great fit to be included in FamilySearch.org
The following information was posted on FamilySearch: Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: billiongraves.com, family history, familysearch, Genealogy, mobile app, online, org, records, research
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMD) has announced the addition of 14 Portuguese-language newspapers published in California from 1855–1940 to its Portuguese-American Digital Newspaper Collection.
As part of a collaborative project with the special collections J.A. Freitas Library, which is a special collections library owned and operated by the Supreme Council of P.F.S.A. in California who provided the original newspapers.
The unique collection was digitized to safeguard the integrity of the historical documents using a patented process that optimizes both the text and illustrations.
This is an amazing resource for the study of the Portuguese-American experience. As in all things genealogy, in the past researchers had to travel to view the various archives and spend hours researching paper sources and microfilm and it’s now available online free of charge. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: california, dartmouth, family history, Genealogy, history, newspapers, portuguese american, Portuguese immigrants, UMD, university
A wooden hulled vessel believed to have sunk in an estimated 4000 feet of water about 200 miles off the Northern Gulf Coast shore by ocean researchers who were exploring the depths of the Gulf of Mexico.
The shipwreck was laden with artifacts, such as, anchors, navigational instruments, glass bottles, cannons, boxes of muskets and ceramic plates.
The artifacts and the hull’s copper sheathing indicate that the vessel was sea worthy in the early to mid 1800s.
The wreck was originally identified as an “unknown solar contact” during a 2011 oil and gas survey for Shell Oil, but was only recently investigated in a recent 56-day expedition in little known regions of the Gulf funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: discovery, gulf of mexico, history, NOAA, shipwreck
The 1940 census has caused quite a stir in the genealogy and family history community. I’ve written about it several times with progress updates and I thought it has just about been covered by everyone.Wait up! there’s more.
The fact that 1940 census has had amazing coverage in national publications is truly impressive. The best article I’ve read up until now is the recent contribution from Reuters, which emphasizes emphasis the historical value and shares the point of view of one of the 100,000 online data entry volunteers. Yes, that’s 100,000. It’s a collaborative effort to transcribe the census information into a searchable index between Archives.com (recently purchased by Ancestry.com) NARA, FamilySearch.org, findmypast.com and ProQuest.
So what was happening in 1940? Actress Ginger Rogers won an Oscar, Al Pacino was a baby, James and Mary were the most popular baby names, the average annual salary was $1,299, and McDonald’s opened its first restaurant. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 1940 census, article, family history, Genealogy, genealogy collection, gold mine, online, project, records, reuters
If you’re ancestors hailed from the counties of Suffolk and Kent in England you’ll be interested to know that Findmypast.co.uk has published more than 180,000 new parish records for Suffolk and North West Kent as follows:
“The Suffolk Family History Society and North West Kent Family History Society provided findmypast.co.uk with these records, in association with the Federation of Family History Societies.
Further details of the records are as follows:
| Type of records |
Number of records |
Date range | Parish / place |
| Baptisms | 117,821 | 1754-1905 | Suffolk – see detailed coverage (PDF) |
| Marriages | 13,763 | 1754-1812 | Suffolk – see detailed coverage (PDF) |
| Burials | 48,896 | 1788-1983 | Kent – Northfleet, Dartford, Gravesend |
Search the parish records now”
Tags: England, family history, findmypast.co.uk, Genealogy, genealogy collection, history society, kent, online, records, research, Suffolk
I’m sure the venue for next year’s National Genealogical Society’s in Las Vegas will be a popular one. The press release is as follows:
“Arlington, VA, 17 May 2012. The National Genealogical Society (NGS) announced at their Family History Conference in Cincinnati last week that the 2013 NGS Family History Conference, Building New Bridges, will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, from 8–11 May 2013. The conference hotel and venue will be the LVH−Las Vegas Hotel & Casino (formerly known as the Las Vegas Hilton). The hotel and conference center are under one roof offering excellent convenience for attendees. To ensure a reservation, attendees may reserve their accommodations now and must request the NGS conference rate when making a reservation. The LVH will accept reservations beginning 14 May 2012 via telephone 1-800-635-7711 or online at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/accommodations. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: building new bridges, conference, family history, las vegas, NGS, research
I’ve just read an interesting article posted online by the Irish Times regarding Y-DNA with which I agree. There’s a lot of sales patter and technical jargon out there, but the principle behind genealogical Y-DNA testing is simple and logical.
The Y-DNA chromosome is passed along intact from father to son. A random mutation is likely to occur and that mutation is then passed along from the male in whom the mutation arose. The test itself quite simply identifies the most recent common ancestor, which is often turns out to be 27 generations ago in well-known databases.
From what I gleaned from a couple of folks who’ve taken the Y-DNA test, one might be naïve to believe that the results would only produce people with the same last name. For various reasons, people have changed their last name over time and then, of course, we have what genealogists apparently call “non-paternal” events.
In the United Kingdom alone, I would consider the possibility that the Scots left their “calling cards” in the north of England in the 1500s and likewise the English did the same when they travelled to Scotland to hammer the Scots. Don’t be surprised to find your Y-DNA results are listed in a database with a multifarious selection of last names. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: DNA, dna databases, dna test, family history, Genealogy, history, most recent common ancestor, online, research, Y-DNA
The following news release from Ancestry.com and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum World Memory Project marks the first anniversary of their partnership. There are three new collections including information on Poles, Jews, and other victims with more than 1.3 million records indexed from the museum’s archives:
“WASHINGTON, DC/PROVO, UTAH, May 10, 2012 — Records from three new collections from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s archives are now searchable online through the World Memory Project, a joint effort by the Museum and Ancestry.com. The new records include information on Jewish and non-Jewish victims of Nazi persecution. With the assistance of over 2,500 contributors from around the world, more than 1.3 million records from the Museum’s archives have been indexed through the project—and a portion already made searchable—since the partnership began one year ago. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: ancestry com, Genealogy, history, holocaust, holocaust memorial, holocaust memorial museum, online, project, records, Washington DC, world memory project
When one thinks of Lawrence of Arabia the epic 1962 movie starring Peter O’Toole usually springs to mind. The movie characterizes Lawrence’s experience in Arabia during World War I, in particular his attacks on Aqaba and Damascus, as well as, his involvement in the Arab National Council.
Known to the world as Lawrence of Arabia, the enigmatic Thomas Edward Laurence (T.E. Lawrence) was a champion to many. He was a British Army misfit, a legendary war hero, author and archaeological scholar.
Much of what is known about Lawrence is gleaned from the movie script, which focuses on Lawrence’s emotional struggles with war time violence, his personal identity, and his divided allegiance between his native Britain and its army and his newfound comrades within the Arabian desert tribes.
Thomas Edward Lawrence was born in Tremadog, Caernarfonshire, Wales, in 1888. In 1896, his family moved to Oxford, where he studied architecture and archaeology at England’s famous Oxford University, for which he made a trip to Syria and Palestine (controlled by the Ottoman Turks), in 1909. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: arabia, britain, history, lawrence of arabia, online, Ottoman Empire, t.e. lawrence, turkey, world war one
Dr. Paul R. Billings, renowned genomics expert has been added to the Board of Directors at Ancestry.com. The press release is as follows:
“PROVO, Utah, May 16, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ancestry.com Inc. (Nasdaq:ACOM), the world’s largest online family history resource, today announced that renowned genomics expert Dr. Paul R. Billings has been appointed to the Company’s Board of Directors, increasing the Board’s size to nine members. Billings was also appointed a member of the Company’s Audit Committee.
“Dr. Billings makes a great addition to our Board at a time when our focus on genetic genealogy is just at its beginning stages,” said Tim Sullivan, President and CEO of Ancestry.com. “Paul’s addition shows our company’s reinforced commitment to the science of DNA that we are convinced will provide a new way for customers to make amazing discoveries that they can share with family and friends.” Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: ancestry com, board of directors, family history, Genealogy, genomics, online
Devonshire, England, is a beautiful place, if you have ancestors who hailed from Devon the following 3.5 million records from Findmypast.co.uk will help you find them. For a small area 3.5 million is a lot of records:
“Search new Plymouth and Devon parish records covering 3.5 million people and five centuries on findmypast.co.uk
These records include baptisms, marriages and burials from 1538 to 1911, making it easier than ever before to trace your Devonshire ancestors before the first census and the start of birth, marriage and death records in the 19th century. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Collection, Devon ancestors, family history, findmypast.co.uk, Genealogy, online research, Plymouth & West Devon Record Office, Plymouth ancestors, Plymouth and Devon parish records, Plymouth and West Devon Collection
Priceless Catholic church collections to be returned to north-east Scotland after more than 50 years
The college at Scalan
Two priceless Catholic collections originally housed in the Blairs Seminary outside of Aberdeen, Scotland, are being returned to the area after 54 years to be housed this time at the University of Aberdeen. This is a big event given the dark history of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland. In fact, the archives cover some of the most turbulent centuries in the history of the Catholic Church.
The collection includes manuscripts, books and letters from the archives of the Catholic church and letters from Mary, Queen of Scots, are of “national and international significance”. Mary was a Catholic and refused to renounce her Catholic faith. Catholicism was outlawed following the Scottish Reformation in 1560.
Many of the artifacts were, at one time hidden at the Catholic Church’s “secret” seminary in Glenlivet on Speyside near Aberdeen (Glenlivet is known today as home to one of the famous whiskey distilleries-Scotch). The seminary was a refuge for the training of young students for the Catholic priesthood during the Jacobite rebellion. The Catholic church was always stronger in the north and Scalan College survived as a major source of Catholic teaching until the end of the 18th century. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: aberdeen university, catholic church, distilleries, glenlivet, history, priceless collections, scotch whiskey, Scotland
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