Global Genealogy News

US controversy about DNA testing in California

2008-06-21T14:41:00.003+01:00

DNA testing is becoming big business in genealogy circles with many people considering paying for their DNA to be tested to give them information about their distant origins.

This week, Dick Eastman reported on his well known blog that California is having a bit of trouble with its health officials who have decided that companies can no longer do DNA tests for individuals without there being a medical reason for it. Apparently its quite common there for people to have themselves or their infants tested to try and get individualised health advice. That could be difficult as predicting the health needs of anyone just by looking at some of their DNA markers might not be very reliable.

At first, people were worried that the ban would extend to DNA tests done for genealogy purposes, but a comment on the blog from someone who has contacted the health official concerned seems to refute this.

DNA genealogy is becoming bigger in the UK now, with many sites growing to allow exchange of information and many companies in the UK also offer tests.

DNA genealogy is just one of the areas of expertise offered by Kathryn Senior, Director of Freelance Copy, a UK based copywriting company offering scientific, technical and general business copywriting services.

DNA testing links long dead iceman to living relatives

2008-06-21T14:32:00.003+01:00

DNA tests done on preserved tissue from Kwaday Dan Ts'inchi – a name that means "Long Ago Person Found" confirmed that he was related to people from the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations community.

Chief Diane Strand of the Champagne and Ashihik First Nations organised the DNA tests on 241 people, all of native descent and local to British Columbia, Alaska and the Yukon. The results showed that 17 of them had very similar DNA markers to the iceman.

This sort of project uses modern technology to bring the past to greater relevance to people today and strengthens cultural bonds in native communities. Recently, scientists also used DNA technology to examine the remains of vikings buried for 1000 years - read the full story...

Durham Records Online puts Sunderland burial records online

2008-06-21T14:21:00.002+01:00

Durham Records Online is a great site that I came across only very recently. If you have ancestry in the northeast of England, this is well worth a look.

Some of the most recent records to be added are 130 000 burial records from Sunderland which have been transcribed and fully and can be searched for free on the site, althought viewing the records does require purchase of credits.

Durham Records Online confirms that the following records are included:

Sunderland Holy Trinity burials 1719-1812
Monkwearmouth St. Peter burials 1683 - 1919 and its successor burial ground, Mere Knolls Cemetery at Fulwell from 1856 to 1904.
Southwick Holy Trinity burials 1844 - 1988 and its successor burial ground, Marley Pots Cemetery 1884 - 1901.
Bishopwearmouth St. Michael & All Angels burials 1569 - 1856. (Most burials 1839-1856 were at Rector's Gill (aka Galley's Gill) cemetery)
Bishopwearmouth Cemetery from its opening in May 1856 to the end of 1876.

According to information from Durham Records Online, the burial records provide information on whether the person buried was a Roman Catholic until 1864. After that the nummber of burials increased, so the practice of adding this information was stopped.

Quakers and Jews were buried in designated areas of the cemetary and was one of the first cemeteries in the north east to have a separate Jewish section. For that reason, burials of Jews from all over the north east took place here.

The cemetery transcription is not yet complete but is in progress and more records will be added towards the end of 2008.

For family historians, these records are very rich in useful information - giving the address of the person buried, the names of their father, mother and children in some cases, or their husband or wife. Sometimes the professions of relatives are also included.

Latest Scottish genealogy news

2008-06-21T14:05:00.002+01:00

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Cheshire tithe map project latest news

2008-06-19T23:31:00.002+01:00

The Cheshire tithe map project is now complete and the online maps are now searcheable for most parts of Cheshire. The maps have been digitized and can be viewed in detail, and the tithe apportionments have been made available as searcheable name indexes.

This is a very valuable resource for family historians with Cheshire ancestors.

Acid free storage materials now at Family Tree Folk

2008-06-16T23:27:00.002+01:00

Family Tree Folk now supplies acid free storage wallets for certificates, and the binders to keep them in.

The long certificate binders suitable for storing original, old style certificates are available and we have two different types of acid free pocket. The standard polypropylene, which come in packs of 10, and the ultra clear polyester certificate wallets, which are in packs of 5.

We also have A4 certificate binders which fit the A4 landscape acid free pockets or the A4 portrait acid free pockets. These will be on the website very soon!

To keep your certificates organised, we also have acid free card inserts for the certificate pockets and acid free tabbed dividers.

For those important explanatory notes we have acid free paper in an attractive cream vellum, acid free pens and acid free glue.

To store your precious family history documents safely, think acid free.

Strangward family history site relaunched

2008-04-21T09:04:00.001+01:00

This site replaces the old Strangward site, which as now been deleted from the dircon.co.uk server. It will be upgraded and updated during 2008.

I have been researching my family history since 1999. It has become addictive! This website is intended to communicate with other people researching the same surnames or families, but also as a resource for local history, or just an interesting place to surf.

Strangward in an unusual surname of English/Welsh origin. I trace my line of Strangwards through my grandmother to a family that expanded in and around Huntingdon during the late 1600s, 1700s and 1800s. My great grandparents, Lucy and Thomas Strangward moved to Pontefract in West Yorkshire, from Huntingdon, in the 1890s.

There is also a Strangward family based around Hereford and the Welsh borders. I think the origins of the name lie here, and that the two families are connected, but have yet to prove this.

News from the family records centre in London

2008-03-11T16:11:00.002Z

11 March 2008 - the news was announced that the closure of the Family Records Centre will take place after close of the day on the 15th March 2008. This will come as a blow to people in London used to using the service, which wil now be replaced by services available at the National Archives in Kew. This will include the census returns. Wills proved after 1858 will continue to be available at thePrincipal Registry of the Family Division, First Avenue House, 42-49 High Holborn, London, WC1V 6NP Phone 020 7947 6000.

Certificates for births, marriages and deaths will be available to buy Online, at www.gro.gov.uk• By post from GRO, PO Box 2, Southport. Merseyside, PR8 2JD • By telephoning the GRO at +44 (0)845 603 7788 • From the local register office in the district where the event was registered.

To search the GRO indexes, you can go online to www.findmypast, or ancestry.co.uk if you have a subscription, or free of charge, in person, at the Greater Manchester County Record Office during April 2008), at Birmingham Central Library during April 2008, at Bridgend Reference and Information Library during April 2008, at Plymouth Central Library also during April 2008 and at theNational Archives at Kew during March 2008. Many other libraries have bought the GRO index fiche over the last few years - contact your local library or main county library for details.

See the following for more information about what happens after March and at progress to make the GRO indexes available free online.

Update to Cheshire Tithe map project

2008-03-10T15:02:00.003Z

The project to digitise the tithe maps of Cheshire has now made almost 500 tithe maps available online, with searcheable indexes. In February they added details for the following places in Chesire:

Acton (Acton), Ashley, Bidston, Bredbury, Brereton cum Smethwick, Broxton, Cuddington, Dodcott cum Wilkesley, Elton, Hapsford, Hatherton, Hattersley, Hollingworth, Hoole, Hunsterson, Kinderton cum Hulme, Kingsley, Lower Whitley, Marston (Great Budworth)Marton, Ness, Norbury, Offerton, Overpool and Netherpool, Oxton, Partington, Pickmere, Rostherne, Sproston, Stapeley, Stockton, Stublach, Swettenham, Tranmere, Walgherton, Willington.

The online maps and data enable researchers to find out where their ancestors lived, or for the occupier of an old house to find out who lived their in the 1850s. You can discover what the land was used for, even if your house wasn't built then. The site also offers the change to compare the old maps with modern maps and aerial photographs.

Update on findmypast.com

2008-03-10T14:55:00.001Z

Findmypast is growing rapidly and becoming a fantastic resource for genealogists interested in British family history. It is currently negotiating with UK family history societies to use some of their excellent transcribed data for burials and census details to combine with digitised images for their site, all in association with the Federation of Family History Societies.

The company recently merged with Scotland Online, the company that won the contract to digitise the 1911 census - which is now in progress and which should become searcheable online sometime in 2009. Not long now...

2008 electoral roll

2008-02-27T14:01:00.003Z

The 2008 UK electoral roll is now available on some commercial sites. It pays to look at different sites to find out which is the best value for how many searches you need to do.

As well as the big players, the genealogy site, Findmypast has also introduced an electoral roll search service, which can be done using the site credits. This is probably one of the cheapest was to do electoral roll searches.

Remember though, that about 40% of people on the real electoral register opt out of the one that can be published by companies offering searches. If you can't find someone, they could have opted out of the edited version of the electoral roll and you can't access their information.

Find out more by visiting the Family Tree Folk news page http://www.familytreefolk.co.uk/page_11007.html

Princess Diana genealogy book to be published August 2007

2007-07-04T23:24:00.001+01:00

A new book that details the ancestry and family history of the late Princess of Wales is to be published in America in August. The book shows that Princess Diana is related to some prominent Americans - Thomas Jefferson, Susan B Anthony and Nancy Reagan and it traces her ancestry to some of the early settlers in New England.

Find out more

York Family History Fair

2007-07-04T23:01:00.001+01:00

York Family History Fair, one of the biggest in the UK will be held at the Knavesmire Stand at York Racecourse 2008 . Last years fair, as usual, was very busy and well attended with over 90 exhibitors. Final figures of how many came through the doors are not yet out but the really wet weather obviously did not keep people away.

Parts of the UK have experienced flood conditions over the last few weeks and further rain in the week before York had been a worry. Although it did rain for some of the day, no flooding occurred in York and everyone had a great day.

The next fair on the Family Tree Folk calendar is The West Midlands Family History Fair at Worcester on August 11; it opens at 10am and runs until 4pm. We will be there with our unique range of Family History gifts. If you live further south, there is also the fair at Weston Super Mar on July 14th and the FHS of Buckinghamshire Open day at Aylesbury on July 28th.

Union of Parliament documents open to the public

2007-07-02T22:56:00.000+01:00

An exhibition has opened at the House of Lords in London to mark the Union of Parliaments in 1707. It is open to anyone visiting the Palace of Westminster. The exhibition will transfer to the Scottish Parliament, where it will be open to the public from 21 September to 18 November 2007.

The exhibition features five key documents: the Scottish and English copies of the Treaty concluded in 1706, known as the Articles of Union; the Acts of the two parliaments consenting to union, and the ‘Exemplification of Union’, an illuminated copy of the Act passed at Westminster, which Queen Anne gifted to the Scottish Parliament that year. Three of the five documents are on loan from the National Archive of Scotland.

'Making the Act of Union 1707' is a unique opportunity to see historic documents that are not normally on display to the public, and have never before been seen together.

York Family History Fair 30 June 2007

2007-06-28T21:50:00.000+01:00

Fast approaching is the York Family History fair this Saturday - BIG YORK - as it is often called by family historians in the UK. This year, there are worries because, despite being the end of June, this is hardly high summer.

On the 25 June the north of England, particularly Sheffield and Doncaster, just a few miles south of York suffered terrible flooding after 4 inches of rain fell in 24 hours.

York has a big river but often floods so the flood defences have been improved in recent years and York has been OK.

We are hoping that people will still flock to the family history fair - it will be lovely and dry in the Knavesmire Stand and there will be loads of things to take your mind off the weather!

Family Tree Folk will be there for the first time, so come and say hello and buy someone you know a family history gift or card from our range.

Australia remembers Gallipoli

2007-04-27T11:33:00.000+01:00

The sacrifice and loss of life of the First World War is not forgotten and, this week, a huge crowd of Australians assembled to see the dawn of the 92nd anniversary of the landing of troops at Gallipoli, at the Anzac Cove. Documentaries were shown in the hours before sunrise, flags were at half mast and, at dawn, a ceremonial remembrance service took place.

The full story of the campaign were revealed, with readings telling of how the landing troops were under constant fire, were ill-prepared for their first meeting with the Turks, and how many of them were killed before they could make it to the shore. In total there were half a million casualties and 130 000 killed.

Drawing a genetic map of Britain

2007-04-24T12:58:00.000+01:00

Genetic map of the UK sheds light on history of Ancient Britons and modern day disease

A study funded by the Wellcome Trust and aimed at developing a genetic map of Britain has begun to shed light on how the ancient populations of Britain – the Celts, Anglo Saxons and Vikings – moved into and across the country. Initial findings, presented in the Channel 4 series Face of Britain, support the notion that the Viking invasion of Britain was predominantly from Danish Vikings, with particularly Orkney being invaded by Norse Vikings.

Volunteers from across the UK have been donating samples of their blood to help scientists at the University of Oxford study genetic differences, known as genetic variation. Some of this variation contributes to inherited differences in susceptibility to many common diseases, such as cancer and heart disease.

Working with researchers across the country, Professor Walter Bodmer and colleagues have already collected some 1,500 samples from volunteers and are looking to more than double that figure. In particular, they are interested in collecting blood samples from volunteers living in rural areas whose four grandparents were born in the same location, within a radius of approximately 30 miles. "Our aim is to characterise the genetic make-up of the British population and relate this to the historical and archaeological evidence," says Professor Bodmer.

"We are collecting samples from people in rural areas with all four grand parents from the same area so as to avoid the recent mixing up of populations in urban areas and to reach back in time as far as possible. "Our samples will provide a valuable control for studies on disease susceptibility which depend on comparing the frequency of genetic markers in disease groups with that in control groups. If we are able to eliminate genetic markers linked to geography rather than disease, then we should be able to minimise the risk of finding spurious associations." The researchers have already carried out some analysis of the samples they have already collected and will be presenting their initial results on Face of Britain.

By studying the Y chromosomes from their male volunteers, the researchers have been able to show where the Viking invasions of Britain originated. One variant of the Y chromosome, known as M17, is found in 20% of people from Norway, but is very rare elsewhere in Western Europe. However, in the Orkney Islands, almost one in three men have this variant, supporting the belief that Norse Vikings settled there.

In contrast, the M17 variant is not found in areas where the Danish Vikings settled, suggesting that Norse and Danish Vikings were significantly different. In other findings to be presented in the series, the researchers have found that two rare versions of the gene MC1R occur with a much higher frequency in areas where the Celts were settled than where the Anglo Saxons settled. These rare versions of the gene, found predominantly in Scotland, Wales, Ireland and regions of south west England, are associated with red hair.

People wishing to find out more about the project or to take part in the study can register online at the People of the British Isles website.

'The Face of Britain' is showing on Channel 4 from Saturday 14 April for three weeks. The episode to be screened this weekend (21 April) focuses on the Anglo-Saxons.

Genealogists wanted for Channel 4 program

2007-04-23T09:33:00.000+01:00

CHANNEL 4'S CODEX PROGRAM ARE LOOKING FOR A TEAM OF GENEALOGISTS

In a major collaboration with the British Museum, Channel 4 presents anexciting code-cracking quiz program - Codex - that will test your knowledgeof history.

As the British Museum curators turn off the lights for anotherday, Tony Robinson and the competitors race through the darkened rooms inpursuit of its mysteriesCodex is returning for a second series and this time looking for teams whowill be competing against each other to win. For one of the programs theyare specifically looking for a team of genealogists. They are looking for a team of three people who need to know each other.

Teams can be made up of colleagues, family members or friends.Filming will take place during June at the British Museum in London.For more information on the program visitwww.channel4.com/history/microsites/C/codex/index.html

To receive an entry form contact Kate Brooks and Will Thorne of the CodexContestant Team on Tel 020 7855 7463 or email mhtml:%7B1DFCC25F-8330-4FF2-9FE2-F2386717CE37%7Dmid://00000070/!x-usc:mailto:codex@diverse.tv

New Scottish genealogy centre

2007-04-17T21:17:00.000+01:00

World interest predicted with opening of genealogy centre in the Blue Toon
by Chris Lamont of the Buchan Observer, Scotland

HISTORIANS from all over Scotland, the UK and the world, with Aberdeenshire lineage, will soon be able to trace their family history when the region's first genealogy centre opens in Peterhead.

The centre is being established by the Peterhead Tourism Initiative (PTI) which has been working hard to secure funding for the project.

It will be hosted in a room at the Arbuthnot Museum at Peterhead's St Peter Street where a wealth of documentation can already be found.

It is believed the project will attract new visitors to the North-east and will tie in with the Scottish Executive's Homecoming project scheduled for 2009.

Anne Allan of the PTI said: "There isn't such a thing in Aberdeenshire and with Peterhead being the biggest town it is the obvious place to have it.

"There is a lot of work to be done getting the room ready to move into but there are already a lot of books and records in the library downstairs.

"We will start off in a small way and built it up, and I was hearing recently that genealogy and family history is one of the fastest growing sectors in the tourism industry."

The PTI hopes to use tax records dating back to the 1690s, burial records from 1841 and registrars' births, deaths and marriage records from 1855 onwards to build up clear family histories.

The centre is to be run on a voluntary basis though, and before any tracing can take place all the available records must be indexed and arranged in a manageable database.

News on 1911 census release

2007-04-11T11:30:00.000+01:00

The National Archives is delighted to announce that Scotland Online will partner the UK government’s official archive in the forthcoming project to put the 1911 census for England and Wales online.

Scotland Online was established in 1995, and is one of the UK’s leading Internet business solutions providers. In 2002, in partnership with the General Register Office for Scotland (GROS), Scotland Online established what is now one of the world’s leading genealogy websites ScotlandsPeople www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk.

The 1911 census (document references RG14 and RG78) is huge - it currently occupies 2 kilometres of shelving at The National Archives. Comprising over eight million householder schedules and a further 38,000 enumerators’ summary books, it details information relating to approximately 35 million people then living in England and Wales.

Once digitised the census will take up an equally large ½ a petabyte of computer memory or, physically, 800 data tapes. The digital scanning alone in preparation for digitisation will create 18 million images - 14 times the number of images created in advance of the 1901 census being launched online in 2002.

From 2009 there will be a phased release of the information in the 1911 census starting with the major conurbations. This will include images and transcription data, but with sensitive data redacted in line with the Information Commissioner’s recent ruling. From 3 January 2012 the public will have full access to the entire 1911 census, including the information not accessible in 2009. Researchers anywhere in the world will be able to search across the fields of the census by name, address or The National Archives reference, and download high-resolution digital images.

Search google books for family history

2007-04-10T22:27:00.000+01:00

Google books is aiming to digitize as many out of print books as possible and make them available freely online. It has scanned many old books already and a lot of these are freely available to download as pdf files. The site allows books that have been digitized to be searched - which is a great tool for family historians.

I put in a search term for Huntingdon, Hereford, the surname Strangward and came up with some useful hits of books that I could download. One was the Camden Visitation of Huntingdonshire, others were books published in America by Strangwards who had emigrated there from Huntingdonshire.

The site is fairly controversial as it has scanned and indexed some books still in copyright. Publishers have had something to say about that, but the people behind Google Books seem to be getting the right advice and staying within copyright law. Eventually, some people think that all library books will be freely available, searcheable and downloadable via the internet.

In the meantime, Google books might be a genealogy resource you hadn't thought of.

Ancestry Canada launches new border crossing records

2007-04-06T22:29:00.000+01:00

Ancestry.ca Launches Canadian Border Crossings Collection From 1895 to 1956

Superman Creator, Joseph Shuster, Among More Than 4 Million Names, 1 Million Images and thousands of photographs of Canadian Immigration Records

Ancestry.ca, the largest Canadian family history website, today announced the addition of the first and only online collection of more than 4 million names of individuals who crossed the U.S.-Canadian border between 1895 and 1956. These historical records are the latest addition to Ancestry.ca, which also hosts the fully indexed 1851, 1901, 1906 and 1911 Censuses of Canada and the recently added French-Canadian Drouin Records Collection.

An often-overlooked but major immigration channel, the U.S.-Canadian border typically offered easier entrance to the United States and Canada than significant sea ports of entry. This new collection includes immigrants who first sailed to or settled in Canada before continuing to the United States as well as U.S. and Canadian citizens crossing the border.

"This collection contains a wealth of information for those researching their Canadian ancestors who may have arrived in Canada by crossing the U.S. border or who left Canada and crossed over to the United States," said Megan Smolenyak, Chief Family Historian for Ancestry.ca. "Similar to a ship's manifest, these records detail information such as the date of birth, names of
family members, previous residence information and in some cases the name of the border crossing location. Tracing my roots, I was able to locate my husband's ancestors including his grandmother who came to the U.S. the same day she married her naturalized American husband."

Ancestry.ca transcribed the names in the collection from more than 1 million documents, some containing passport-type photos of immigrants. The records were culled from more than 100 land-ports of entry, from Washington to Maine. Among the busiest ports of entry on both sides of the border were Niagara Falls, Buffalo, Detroit, Montreal, Vancouver and Halifax.

The border crossing collection also showcases a number of nationalities crossing the U.S.-Canadian border. Russians, Italians and Chinese were among the most common nationalities of people crossing the Canadian border to settle in the United States.

Among notable border crossers is Superman creator, Joseph Shuster. Born in Toronto, Shuster moved to the United States as a child, eventually becoming a U.S. citizen. His 1941 return to Canada, crossing at Buffalo, NY, is documented in the Ancestry.ca collection.

Essex record office increases prices

2007-04-06T22:24:00.000+01:00

FEARS have been raised that people in Colchester will lose interest in important historical documents because of rising charges.

The price hikes at Essex Records Office in Chelmsford, which the county council claims are in line with inflation, come as Colchester's own records office closes.Patrick Denney, a local and family history expert and an EADT history correspondent, said the recent interest in researching family history could be greatly affected by the centralisation of services at Chelmsford and the price rise.

“At the very least, I'm hoping the council will keep their word and provide access to these records digitally in the (Colchester) town library,” he said.“I was very saddened by the fact it was going because I take my students along there.”

He said the digital transfer of the records on to microfilm and microfiche was a long process and might not be completed “in our lifetime”.“I think, in reality, what will happen is that people won't bother going and local and family history will suffer as a result,” he added.

Printing, scanning and photocopying at the records office will now cost 3.5% more and Mr Denney said it came at a time when researching people's family history was becoming more popular.He added: “Everyone will suffer if they put their prices up. Whether this is directly related to the move, I don't know.”Colchester Borough Council's Theresa Higgins, a member of the civic committee, said people would inevitably turn to the internet to do research, and the new facility would lose out.

She said: “I suspect what they're (Essex County Council) doing is their general round of price increases. It's unfair in two respects because people will now have to travel down and if they want to get copies they will have to pay more. The user has to pay more now.”

She said that by using the internet for research, the service will not only lose the income from the now-closed Colchester site but also the 3.5% across the board price increases could trigger a general loss in business.

A spokesman for Essex County Council said: “We increase the charges every year and recoup the costs of providing the scanning, photocopying and printing services. “The rise is normally in line with inflation and this year the rise is not related to the Colchester move. Any costs with that process were already budgeted for.”

The Colchester office at Stanwell House closed at the end of last month and the Chelmsford site, on Wharf Road, will be closed between from Tuesday until Saturday, April 14 to help speed up the transfer. The documents will be available at their new home from Monday, April 16 and the microfilm and microfiche previously held at the Stanwell House site will be accessible at Colchester Library from April 10.elliot.furniss@eadt.co.uk

FACTFILEn The cost of photographic prints now ranges from £12.70 for a 7in by 5in black and white print to £98.80 for a 24in by 20in colour print.n 35mm colour slides cost £10.85 each and an A4 photocopy is now priced at £0.40p per sheet.n The hourly rate for the search service has risen to £20.70, with the two-hour rate costing £41.40.n An A4 photo-quality, digitally scanned print will cost £7.20, with an additional charge for the price of the scan.

Free database records available until April 6 2007

2007-03-27T00:02:00.000+01:00

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Provides More than 10.2 Million Records to WorldVitalRecords.com

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) provides more than 10.2 million records to WorldVitalRecords.com, including Irish famine passenger and ship records, World War II Army enlistment records, Korean War dead and wounded Army casualties records, and other military records. The records will be free to access until April 6.

Provo, UT, March 26, 2007 --(PR.COM)-- National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), one of the largest archives in the United States, has provided WorldVitalRecords.com with the first shipment of online genealogical records, including the Irish Famine passenger and ship records, World War II Army Enlistment Records, Korean War Dead and Wounded Army Casualties records, and other military records, totaling more than 10.2 million records.

The first shipment of the NARA records was launched March 16th and will be free to access at WorldVitalRecords.com until April 6. The World War II Army Enlistment records cover 1938 – 1946. This series contains records of approximately nine million men and women who enlisted in the United States Army, including the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps. The Korean War Dead and Wounded Army Casualties database includes 109,975 records from February 1950 to December 1953. The Records of Deceased, Wounded, Ill, or Injured Army Personnel, Including Dependents and Civilian Employees database covers January 1961 to December 1981 and contains 293,858 records.

The Famine Irish Passenger Record File (FIPAS) database contains a list of 604,596 persons who arrived in the Port of New York from 1846-1851, as well as the ships on which they arrived. Approximately 70 percent of the passenger records list as the native country.

Useful info about the 1820 US census

2007-03-25T23:31:00.000+01:00

Census of 1820 saw several format changes
Tamie Dehler
Special to the Tribune-Star

The fourth census of the United States, the 1820, made several changes to the format of the previous three enumerations and represented, up to that time, the census that asked for the most information from the American population.

It was to begin on Aug. 7, 1820, and the enumerators were given 13 months, or until Sept. 7, 1821, to complete their task. The household counts were to represent the family members and visitors who were in that household on Aug. 7, 1820. Like the previous three censuses, babies born after the census date, but in the household when the census taker came around later, were not to be counted. And likewise, members of the household who were alive on Aug. 7 but died after that date were still to be counted even if they were dead by the time the census taker came around.

Besides the usual age categories for free white males and females that were used on the 1800 and 1810 census (under 10 years; of 10 and under 16 years; of 16 and under 26 years; of 26 and under 45 years; and 45 and over), the 1820 census included an additional age category for white males: between 16 and 18 years. This category is sometimes confusing to family researchers.

When working with the 1820 census, we must remember that any numbers in the 16-18 column do not represent additional family members and should not be included in the total count for the household. This is because all males aged 16 to 18 were actually counted as household members in the “of 16 and under 26” column. The 16-18 category was added simply to assess how many of those young men were of age to join the military. So any man in the 16-26 category who was actually between 16 and 18 years old was tallied separately for military purposes.

In addition, the 1820 census contained new columns for “foreigners not naturalized” and “all other persons except Indians not taxed.” Instead of just single columns for “all other free persons” and “slaves,” the 1820 census divided male and female slaves and “free colored persons” into the following age categories: under 14 years; of 14 and under 26 years; of 26 and under 45 years; of 45 and upwards. The 1820 census also included tallies of all persons engaged in manufacturing, agriculture and commerce. There was a separate manufacturing schedule that asked for the owner’s name, the location of the establishment, the number of employees, the kind and quality of machinery, the capital invested, the articles manufactured, the annual production and general remarks. These schedules are not included on the ordinary census microfilms, but are part of National Archives Record Group 29, and include 27 separate rolls of microfilm.

The 1820 census is available for the following states on microfilm series M33 on 142 rolls: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia (which then included West Virginia). The existing 1820 census for Tennessee is incomplete.

While the census schedules for the Nashville (western) district of Tennessee still survive, the following 22 counties in eastern Tennessee have been lost or destroyed: Anderson, Bledsoe, Blount, Campbell, Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hamilton, Hawkins, Jefferson, Knox, McMinn, Marion, Monroe, Morgan, Rhea, Roane, Sevier, Sullivan and Washington.

Want to know what the latest genealogy products are?

2007-03-20T18:23:00.000Z

Frustrated by the lack of opportunity for giving family historians information about products that they might like because of antiquated rules about not mentioning a website and not appearing to 'advertise', I am starting a new forum, specifically for this purpose.

It will be open to small genealogy suppliers - Ancestry need not apply - and will be completely free. Join up now and help it to grow.

http://com4.runboard.com/bgenealogyproducts

Ancestry.com databases no longer free to LDS centres from April 1

2007-03-19T23:23:00.000Z

This message is being distributed to local LDS family history centres worldwide from the central one at Salt Lake City:

"Re: Discontinued Access to Ancestry.com Databases

For many years, Ancestry.com has provided free access to patrons of family history centers around the world. Ancestry has informed the Church that as of April 1, 2007, it will discontinue this free access to the full Ancestry.com service.

Free access through Ancestry.com to the following databases will continue:
1. Index and images for the 1880, 1900 and 1920 U.S. censuses
2. Full name indices for the British 1841-1891 censuses (England and
Wales)
3. World War I draft cards indices as created and miscellaneous other
databases

Free access is likely to be discontinued for the remainder of the Ancestry.com databases including:
1. Index and images for the 1930 U.S. census
2. Index and images for the 1901 British census (England, Scotland, and
Wales)

At this point, Ancestry.com is not offering an option for family history centers to independently purchase commercial or library site licenses.

Patrons, of course, may choose to subscribe directly to Ancestry.com.

Free access to online databases is important and we therefore intend to add many new databases to FamilySearch.org. Much of the data preparation will be accomplished through the online indexing program available at FamilySearchIndexing.org.

Volunteers have already begun indexing the 1900 U.S. census and other projects. Other censuses and vital record collections will be indexed as soon as the 1900 U.S. census project is completed. The more volunteers that participate, the sooner access can be provided. Since access to databases on FamilySearch.org is free to all, we anticipate that this will be of great interest to individuals around the world. We are also exploring opportunities to provide broader access to additional databases from other online service providers.

Please inform patrons regarding our plans to provide access to records and invite them to help by participating in the FamilySearch Indexing projects.

We will communicate as more information becomes available. "

To find out more about the indexing projects - now thought likely to be completed in about 10 years or less rather than 30 years, see http://www.familysearchindexing.org/fsi-admin/navctrl.jsf?pname=currentProjects

National Archives of Australia - Tracking down the past

2007-03-19T16:44:00.000Z

Family history buffs and other researchers can learn more about tracking down the past in a series of new help sessions at the National Archives in Canberra.

The Archives will have expert staff on hand to show members of the public what the collection offers and how information seekers can find what they need.

The one-hour sessions will cover the types of documents and other items held in the Archives collection, which includes a wealth of war service and immigration records.

The National Archives of Australia preserves important Commonwealth records, which are eligible for release to the public after 30 years. As well as defence and immigration papers, the collection includes details of government, employment, security and business dealings over the years.

The new help sessions will provide family historians and other researchers with step-by-step instruction on how to search the collection and how to request original documents for viewing in the National Archives reading room in Canberra.

After the session, the reading room will remain open until 9pm (the normal Tuesday hours) so those attending can have a practice run with supervision.

The first session is at 4pm on Tuesday 20 March 2007.
Places are limited and bookings are essential to register, email events@naa.gov.au or phone (02) 6212 3900. "

New slavery exhibit

2007-03-17T17:49:00.000Z

New portal offers insight into slavery 200 years ago

The National Archives today launched a new online exhibition on its award winning website. The online exhibition at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/slavery has been created to serve as an informative resource for schoolchildren, budding amateur historians and complete novices interested in the history surrounding the bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act.

The Act was passed on 25 March 1807, 26 years before the Emancipation Act (1833) which led to the gradual abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire. The online exhibition draws together a range of historical documents and information describing Britain’s involvement in slavery and the slave trade, and finally its eventual abolition. This is linked to the extensive records held within The National Archives, including:

Slave registers containing personal details of enslaved persons.

Colonial Office records describing how slavery shaped the history of Britain’s former colonies

Records of British African companies describing Britain's early relationships with Africa and the supplying of Africans to the Americas

Britain's naval and diplomatic records relating to the suppression of the slave trade.

The aim of the site is to become the first starting point for anybody interested in learning more about the subject. It contains links to significant collections and other online resources available from The National Archives and other archives, as well as links to the popular Archive Awareness Campaign, whose theme for 2007 is Freedom and Liberty.

The National Archives has also produced six new research guides, in collaboration with key experts and interested community leaders. These introduce new researchers to the material on slavery held in The National Archives (as well as other archives) and how they can locate and research it.

New resource from TNA about crime and punishment in Victorian times

2007-03-12T09:54:00.001Z

From the Victorian age to the Internet age
09 March 2007

The National Archives has worked with a group of young people to create an innovative web-based resource looking at crime and punishment in the Victorian era. The 26 young people, aged 11 to 19 worked with the team at The National Archives to create a play in the style of a radio documentary.

Go to the Prisoner 4099 exhibition

The result of their hard work features in a new online resource Prisoner 4099 which launches on 9 March 2007 and can be accessed through The National Archives' award-winning Learning Curve website. The play focuses on the case of William Towers, a boy from Richmond in Surrey. In 1872, at the age of only 12, William was imprisoned and sentenced to one month´s hard labour. His heinous crime was stealing two pet rabbits.

The young people gathered together original source materials from the archives consisting of newspaper articles, Government papers and letters. Once they had analysed the information, they decided to produce a radio documentary interpreting all the information gathered and using their imaginations to bring the characters to life. The documentary was then uploaded to the Learning Curve site, along with supplementary information, to provide a valuable teaching resource on crime and punishment in the Victorian era.

The children selected the Towers case because it was a subject they could relate to. It brought home the unfair and harsh treatment child prisoners were subjected to in Victorian times. The author and poet Oscar Wilde highlighted the problem as a national issue when he wrote an angry letter to the editor of The Daily Chronicle after he was released from prison in 1897. This letter also features on the site.

Sara Griffiths, Outreach and Inclusion Manager at The National Archives, said:
"This was a fantastic project to work on, bringing together a number of different organisations and truly engaging the young people by bringing history to life. The fun they had researching and recording the play made the whole project worthwhile."

The Prisoner 4099 project was previewed on Radio 4's 'In Touch' programme on 6 March 2007. It includes extracts of the play and interviews with some of the young people involved.

Birth rate in Scotland on the increase

2007-03-09T09:13:00.000Z

More than 55,000 Scots were born in 2006 - the highest number of births in Scotland since 1998, the Registrar General announced today as he published the 2006 Preliminary Return which provides provisional figures for births, deaths and marriages registered during the year.
Provisional figures for the full year show a continued increase in births and a slight decline in the number of deaths, with big decreases in two of Scotland’s top three biggest causes of death – heart disease and strokes.

Duncan Macniven, Registrar General for Scotland, said:
“For the first time since 1994 more births than deaths were registered last year. There were 1,304 more births in 2006 than in 2005, making the annual births for 2006 (55,690) the highest since 1998.

The number of deaths in 2006 (55,089) was slightly less than in 2005. At 248, the number of deaths of children aged under one was the lowest ever recorded.

Cancer, which accounted for 27 per cent of deaths, coronary heart disease (17 per cent) and strokes (10 per cent) remain the three biggest causes of death. However, compared with 2005, the number of deaths from coronary heart disease fell by eight per cent and deaths from strokes dropped by five per cent.

There were 29,896 marriages – three per cent fewer than in 2005 and the fifth-lowest since Victorian times (1997 was lowest with 29,691).

In the first full year since the Civil Partnership Act 2004 came into force 1047 civil partnerships (580 male and 467 female) were registered. This brings the total number of civil partnerships in Scotland to 1131. Of these partnerships 633 were between men and 498 between women.
Divorces increased by 19 per cent, from 10,940 to 13,013. This big increase is a result of changes introduced by the Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006 which came into effect on 4 May 2006. The Act reduced separation periods for divorce with consent to one year (previously two years) and without consent to two years (previously five years). The effect of this change is likely to decrease over the next few years.”

Family History Fairs this weekend

2007-03-06T21:50:00.001Z

This Saturday, March 10th is the Pudsey Family History Fair at the Civic Hall in Pudsey - Family Tree Folk and lots of other folk will be there with their newest and most exciting products and publications.

Saturday is also the day of the York Family History Society Fair in Little Earswick near York.

Sunday 11 March is the date of the Merseyside and Cheshire Family History Fair at Bebington on the Wirral. Family Tree Folk will be there too! Busy weekend...

Family Records Centre - Talks

2007-03-06T21:50:00.000Z

This coming Tuesday - 13 March 2007 in London

"Tracing Your Ancestors at the FRC
A step-by-step case study of the Darwin family, using genealogical sources available at the Family Records Centre. These sources include, amongst others, birth, marriage & death indexes and certificates; census indexes and returns, probate & death duty indexes and some of the main websites for family history research. Ideal for newcomers to family history."

The Boeing Company Provides $5 Million for the National Archives Experience

2007-03-06T21:44:00.000Z

USA news: Boeing Learning Center and Expanded Traveling Exhibition Program to Bring National Archives’ Educational Resources Nationwide

Washington, DC…The Foundation for the National Archives announced today that The Boeing Company has awarded a $5 million gift to expand the National Archives Experience to a national audience and share the National Archives’ rich resources with Americans across the country.

The gift will enable the National Archives to complete its center for educational outreach, which will be known as the Boeing Learning Center. In addition, the gift will fund the launch of an expanded traveling exhibition program, beginning with the critically acclaimed Eyewitness: American Originals from the National Archives. The gift also will enable the development of an interactive educational website for online visitors worldwide."

National Archives Issues Sixth Volume Of George W. Bush Public Papers

2007-03-06T21:43:00.000Z

National Archives Issues Sixth Volume Of George W. Bush Public Papers

Washington, DC…Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein announced today that the sixth volume of the “Public Papers of President George W. Bush, 2003 Book II” is now available for sale. The 1080-page hardcover volume was compiled by the Office of the Federal Register, an agency of the National Archives and Records Administration.

The book covers the period July 1 to December 31, 2003. It contains the text of public speeches, news conferences, messages and statements, and communications to Congress. All materials are indexed by subject and name and listed according to document category. Four appendices are included, which provide supplementary materials such as the President's public schedule, nominations submitted to the Senate, and lists of other White House releases and documents published in the Federal Register."

Building works at General Register House and how these might affect users - The National Archives of Scotland website

2007-03-06T21:41:00.000Z

News from the Scotalnd archives: General Register House, Edinburgh

Due to the building works taking place in and around General Register House on Princes Street, from Friday 27 April 2007, there will be changes which will have major implications for readers wishing to visit General Register House, including both the Historical and Legal Search Rooms. The key changes and their implications can be summarised as follows:

Closure of Princes Street entrance to General Register House
From Friday 27 April 2007 at 12:00 the Princes Street entrance to General Register House will be closed until further notice. The main method of entry to the Historical and Legal Search Rooms from this date on will be through the 'Sasine Office' entrance at the rear of General Register House. "

More British Newspapers to go online in 2007

2007-03-06T21:27:00.000Z

News from the British Newspaper library about digistising newspapers published between 1800 and 1900:

"It has been necessary to rescope this project during 2006. This means that the revised date for project launch is now planned for the middle of 2007. "

The newspaper digitisation project will offer users in Higher Education (HE) and Further Education (FE):

Free access to a virtual library of nationally, regionally and locally important digitised British newspapers from 1800 to 1900.
Free access to a broad range of valuable learning materials, many of them unique, and hitherto available only in London-based Reading Rooms, in hard copy or in microform.
The ability to search across the different newspaper titles to draw together materials relating to a wide range of research and learning topics.
Sample image of a headline from The Globe.

Objectives
To digitise up to two million pages of British national, regional and local newspapers from microfilm and to offer access to that collection via a sophisticated searching and browsing interface on the Web.

Mission
The project will unlock hidden resources for the study of the nineteenth century and the Victorian period, seen through the pages of the British Library's extensive holdings of national, regional and local newspapers. The content will focus on London national newspapers, English regional newspapers, home country newspapers from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and titles in specialist areas such as Victorian radicalism and chartism.

The project will reach out through the Web to UK HE and FE, offering a number of search interfaces, and reflecting the British Library's vision of `helping people to advance knowledge to enrich lives.

2007 Electoral Roll for UK released

2007-03-04T13:14:00.000Z

192.com releases 2007 Electoral Roll

London, UK (PRWeb) March 2, 2007

192.com is retaining its status as the UK's most powerful people finder as it made this year's Electoral Roll data available Tuesday 27th February. The 2007 Electoral Roll adds 29 million new names and addresses to 192.com (http://www.192.com/ ), bringing the total number of current and historical records available to over 200 million.

The new records enable people looking for lost friends and family to quickly and easily find their current address. In addition, this annual update also gives businesses access to an important official record used for confirming an individual's identity when transacting online.

In 2002, when the Government first allowed people to opt out of appearing on the commercial version of the Electoral Roll, the number of records available initially declined sharply to 34 million. However, the figures for the last three years confirm that the trend for 'opting out' has reached a plateau. Keith Marsden, managing director at 192.com, commented: "This is a welcome development. People need to realise that the commercial version of the Electoral Roll is used as a key source of data to help identify individuals as they shop online - an important part of the fight against online fraud. If individuals can't be found on databases such as the Electoral Roll they are likely to have their order declined."

The main reason for people removing their contact details from the public domain is to avoid unwanted direct mail or telemarketing calls. Marsden gave this advice to the public: "You don't have to opt out of the Electoral Roll or go ex-directory to eliminate direct marketing. Simply register with the Telephone Preference Service and Mail Preference Service, and they will ensure you only receive the calls and letters that you want."

The Electoral Roll remains an important source of current information when trying to reconnect with family (http://www.192.com/Genealogy/ ) and friends. In the run up to Valentine's Day, for example, 192.com gave 20,000 people free credits, and 78 per cent chose to use them to look for people they'd lost touch with.

A survey conducted at the end of 2006 found that 62 per cent of Britons rely on the Internet for information about people and businesses, finding that it's quicker and cheaper than phonebooks or phone directory enquiry services.

For further information about the Electoral Roll and 192.com's services, please visit http://www.192.com/ About 192.com: 192.com is the de facto standard search engine for finding people, business and places in the UK.

History society manages to turn its fortunes around

2007-03-04T12:53:00.000Z

Future’s good for history

A history society on the brink of closure last year has hung on and managed turn things around for 2007. News from the Barnes and Mortlake History Society...

A borough society, saved from the chop by its determined members just a year ago, is celebrating record-breaking member numbers and a bright future.
Members of the Barnes and Mortlake History Society voted overwhelmingly against previous chairman Sue Boyd's proposal to dissolve the society last year.

Things are now looking up, and, with a new chairman - and more than 400 members - the society looks secure.

Chairman Mike Smith said new research and genealogy groups had been set up and technological advances had also been made with the establishment of a society website.
He commented: "We have had more than 100 people at each of our last three meetings which is very good.

"We are now bigger than most other history societies and have topped 400 members for the first time in our society's history.

"We have really turned the corner. My feeling last year was if we could hang on for another two years we would be okay. The effort had not been there before and there was a bit of a running down feeling. I have worked very hard over the past 12 months and the hard work has paid off."
The society's new website - barnes-history.org.uk - should also be up and running in the next few days, something Mike hopes will attract even more interest in the group.

He said: "I had wanted to do the website for several years. It's hard work setting it up, but if people have a question one of the first things they normally turn to is the internet."

A full programme of events is lined up for 2007, kicking off with the AGM and social evening on Thursday March 15.

To find out more about membership, contact Jean Porter on 020 8392 8505. Subscription is £10 a year for individuals and £15 for couples.

The first meeting of the new genealogy group will be on Wednesday March 7 - for more information contact Paul Rawkins on jpanda3rawks@yahoo.co.uk

Emerald Ancestors and Irish genealogy

2007-03-04T12:49:00.000Z

Emerald Ancestors provides affordable, high quality, online historical records for professional genealogists and family researchers investigating their Irish Family Tree.

"We are a Northern Irish based company and pride ourselves on delivering historical information that is not readily available elsewhere online. Through extensive research we attempt to identify vital records that remain difficult to access from outside of Northern Ireland and only publish information that we believe is of significant genealogical or historical value to our customers.

We are continually updating our website as further records are transcribed by our team of genealogists and we would welcome any feedback or suggestions on future developments for our site."

Looks like a very useful Irish site.

Searchable Irish databases for Irish genealogy

2007-03-03T17:53:00.000Z

News and information update for those researching with ancestory in Ireland.

Irish Family Research.co.uk provides you with the opportunity to locate Online information about your Ancestors and other possible relatives who shared your Ancestors' Surname(s), via the hundreds of Searchable Databases available Online. Each Database has been transcribed from Rare 19th Century Genealogical Materials, most of which are exclusive to Irish Family Research.co.uk.

In recent times the most-talked about Database is of course the Memorials of the Dead, which lists details of Headstones dating back to the early 1500s, which were fast disappearing in the 19th Century, and most of which do not exist today.

The Searchable Databases below will provide Full, Premium & Professional Members with full details of all entries corresponding with the Name Searched. Search results will vary depending on the type of search undertaken. For example, a Search under any of the Residents and Trade Directories will provide details of the name, address and occupation together with the page number where the entry may be found. A search under any of the Griffiths Valuations will provide details of the name of the Person Searched (if recorded), name of Landlord, Townland & Parish, Ordinance Survey Map Reference Number, Description of Property, Area, and Rateable Value.

In addition to the Searchable Databases, Premium & Professional Members can take advantage of our Look-Up Service, where many Residents Directories not yet transcribed, are available for look-ups.

The site has a number of Free Databases - these are available by clicking on the "Free Trial Databases" Link on our Homepage.

World vital records free datasets

2007-03-02T15:42:00.000Z

On March 1, 2007, WorldVitalRecords.com launched 100 databases, the largest collection of vital records it has ever launched in one day.

Many of these datasets have come from books located at the Everton Library that have recently been scanned. Others include records from the SmallTownPapers® Collection.
A few of the datasets that will be available on March 1st include the following:

Marriages and Deaths Dutchess County, New York 1778 - 1825
Mayflower Descendents in Cape May County 1620 - 1920
Stratford-on-Avon, Marriages 1558-1812
CAN Index of Birth Notices. Compiled from the Sault Daily Star 1901-1910
CAN Index of Birth Notices. Compiled from the Sault Daily Star 1911-1915
CAN Index of Birth Notices. Compiled from the Sault Daily Star 1916-1920
CAN Index of Birth Notices. Compiled from the Sault Daily Star 1921-1925
CAN Index of Marriage Notices. Compiled from the Sault Daily Star 1916-1920
CAN Index of Marriage Notices. Compiled from the Sault Daily Star 1921-1925
CAN Index of Death Notices. Compiled from the Sault Daily Star 1901-1910
CAN Index of Death Notices. Compiled from the Sault Daily Star 1911-1915
CAN Index of Death Notices. Compiled from the Sault Daily Star 1916-1920
CAN Index of Death Notices. Compiled from the Sault Daily Star 1921-1925
UT Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine Vol 1
UT Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine Vol 3
UT Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine Vol 4
UT Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine Vol 5
UT Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine Vol 6
PA Crumrine History of Borough and Township Records Washington County, Pennsylvania
Samuel MacMillan Manuscript
Raymond M. Bell Anthology
NY New York Directory 1786
History of the Kimball Family
History of Bethel
History of Dover
Rhode Island vital records
Rochester vital records
Shrewbury vital records
MA Concord, MA Births
MA Concord, MA Marriages
MA Concord, MA deaths
Stratford burials
CAN Birth notices from the Renfrew Mercury 1871-1900
CAN Marriage notices from the Renfrew Mercury 1871-1900
CAN Death notices from the Renfrew Mercury 1871-1900
CAN Birth notices from the Renfrew Mercury 1901-1910
CAN Marriage notices from the Renfrew Mercury 1901-1910
CAN Death notices from the Renfrew Mercury 1901-1910
ME Gardiner, Maine vital records
VA Virginia Marriages Vol. 1
VA Virginia Marriages Vol. 2
VA Virginia Marriages Vol. 3
VA Virginia Marriages Vol. 4
VA Virginia Marriages Vol. 5
VA Virginia Marriages Vol. 6
VA Virginia Marriages Vol. 7
VA Virginia Marriages Vol. 8
VA Virginia Marriages Vol. 9
VA Virginia Marriages Vol. 10
VA Virginia Marriages Vol. 11
VA Virginia Marriages Vol. 12
VA Virginia Marriages Vol. 13
VA Virginia Marriages Vol. 14
VA Virginia Marriages Vol. 15
ME The Press of Maine
AL Pinson News (Pinson, Alabama)
AL Tuskegee News (Tuskegee, Alabama)
AZ San Manuel Miner (San Manuel, Arizona)
AZ San Pedro Valley News-Sun (Benson, Arizona)
AZ Superior Sun (Superior, Arizona)
CA Portola Reporter (Portola, California)
CA Westwood PinePress (Westwood, California)
CO San Miguel Basin Forum (Nucla, Colorado)
CO Trinidad Times Independent (Trinidad, Colorado)
CO Wellington Tribune (Wellington, Colorado)
GA Manchester Star-Mercury (Manchester, Georgia)
GA Meriwether Vindicator (Greenville, Georgia)
GA Talbotton New Era (Talbotton, Georgia)
IA Sioux County Index-Reporter (Hull, Iowa)
IA West Lyon Herald (Inwood, Iowa)
ID Weiser Signal American (Weiser, Idaho)
IL Mt. Zion Region News (Mt. Zion, Illinois)
IL News Record (Cerro Gordo, Illinois)
IN North Manchester News-Journal (North Manchester, Indiana
IN Terry Turner’s Starke County NewsHawk (Hamlet, Indiana)
IN Warren Weekly (Warren, Indiana)
KS Prairie Post (White City, Kansas)
KS Wabaunsee County Signal-Enterprise (Alma, Kansas)
KS Western Star (Coldwater, Kansas)
MA Post Gazette (Boston, Massachusetts)
MA Vineyard Gazette (Edgartown, Massachusetts)
ME New Gloucester Independent (New Gloucester, Maine)
ME Original Irregular (Kingfield, Maine)
MI Montmorency County Tribune (Atlanta, Michigan)
MN Sentinel Tribune (Westbrook, Minnesota)
MN Tyler Tribute (Tyler, Minnesota)
MS Southern Herald (Liberty, Mississippi)
MS Stone County Enterprise (Wiggins, Mississippi)
MT Phillips County News (Malta, Montana)
NC Southerner (Welcome, North Carolina)
NC Sylva Herald & Ruralite (Sylva, North Carolina)
ND Mouse River Journal (Towner, North Dakota)
ND Valley News & Views (Drayton, North Dakota)
ND Walsh County Press (Park River, North Dakota)
NM Raton Range (Raton, New Mexico)
OK Nowata Star (Nowata, Oklahoma)
OK Stillwater Journal (Stillwater, Oklahoma)
OK Valliant Leader (Valliant, Oklahoma)
OR Pendleton Record (Pendleton, Oregon)
SD Marion Record (Marion, South Dakota)
SD Montrose Herald (Montrose, South Dakota)
TX Stonewall County Courier (Aspermont, Texas)
TX Trammel Trace Tribune (Tatum, Texas)
TX Wood County Democrat (Quitman, Texas)
UT Leader (Tremonton, Utah)
WA Mattawa Area News (Mattawa, Washington)
WA Newcastle News (Newcastle, Washington)
WA Quad City Herald (Brewster, Washington)
WA Sammamish Review (Sammamish, Washington)
WA South County Sun (Royal City, Washington)
WA Woodinville Weekly (Woodinville, Washington)
WV Preston County Journal (Kingwood, West Virginia)
WV Times Record (Spencer, West Virginia)
WV Wirt County Journal (Elizabeth, West Virginia)

Unbreakable genealogy magnifiers

2007-03-01T12:07:00.000Z

New for March on our site, Family Tree Folk (http://www.familytreefolk.co.uk/page_10854.html) are unbreakable genealogy magnifiers.

We have three sizes of flexible, unbreakable fresnel magnifiers - credit card size (£1.49), bookmark size (£2.49) and full A4 page size (£4.99).

These are great for magnifying census sheets, or parish register copies (or originals) or any hard to read printed or hand written records. Slip them into your bag or wallet. Much less cumbersome than glass magnifiers.

I like the bookmark one best - fits easily into a file pocket and is easy to angle and read a whole line at once. Check them out! http://www.familytreefolk.co.uk/page_10854.html

Genealogy internet discussion via Skype Sat 3 March

2007-02-28T12:13:00.000Z

There will be a Skype cast genealogy and family history discussion on Saturday 3 March at 9PM UK time.

You can join Robert Dalgleish and the other genealogists in the free UK Skypecast on Saturday 3 March at 9 PM UK time. That is at 4 PM Eastern U.S. time or 1:00 Pacific Standard Time. You can convert that date and time to your local time zone at http://www.worldtimeserver.com/convert_time_in_GB.aspx?y=2007&mo=3&d=3&h=21&mn=0.
At that time, you can join the UK Genealogy Skypecast at https://skypecasts.skype.com/skypecasts/skypecast/detailed.html?id_talk=469808.

Non-parochial, foreign and maritime Births, Marriages and Deaths digitisation project

2007-02-24T19:44:00.000Z

Under the Licensed Internet Associateship scheme The National Archives has signed a license with Genealogy Supplies Limited to scan the existing microform and place online the following series records:

RG 4 General Register Office: Registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths surrendered to the Non-parochial Registers Commissions of 1837 and 1857.
RG 5 General Register Office: Birth Certificates from the Presbyterian, Independent and Baptist Registry and from the Wesleyan Methodist Metropolitan Registry
RG 6 General Register Office: Society of Friends' Registers, Notes and Certificates of Births, Marriages and Burials
RG 7 General Register Office: Registers of Clandestine Marriages and of Baptisms in the Fleet Prison, King's Bench Prison, the Mint and the May Fair Chapel
RG 8 General Register Office: Registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths surrendered to the Non Parochial Registers Commission of 1857, and other registers and church records
RG 32 General Register Office: Miscellaneous Foreign Returns
RG 33 General Register Office: Foreign Registers and Returns
RG 34 General Register Office: Miscellaneous Foreign Marriage Returns
RG 35 General Register Office: Miscellaneous Foreign Death Returns
RG 36 General Register Office: Registers and Returns of Births, Marriages and Deaths in the Protectorates etc of Africa and Asia
BT 158 Board of Trade: Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen and predecessor: Registers of Births, Deaths and Marriages of Passengers at Sea
BT 159 Board of Trade: Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen: Registers of Deaths at Sea of British Nationals
BT 160 Board of Trade: Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen: Registers of Births at Sea of British Nationals

The aim is to have some records online towards the end of this year. As part of the license there will be free onsite access for our readers.

Readers are advised that we have had to temporarily suspend the ordering of digital or microform copies of these records until December 2007. It is not possible to provide a detailed scanning schedule but the removal of microfilms for scanning is being managed in batches and we are working to minimise any disruption to availability. You may wish to check that whether the series/pieces you wish to order are affected.

This digitisation project does not affect the access to the microfilms available for examination either in the reading rooms at Kew or the Family Records Centre, Islington.

For the first time this fascinating series will be fully searchable by name, further opening up what is already a well used resource at The National Archives, and giving you easy access to a digital copy of the records."

British army World War One service and pension records go online

2007-02-24T19:32:00.000Z

Ancestry.co.uk launches British Army World War One service and pension records – second most viewed collections at The National Archives

Definitive World War One collections - 2.5 million names by the end of 2008
Medical, service, conduct and death records for British soldiers
Detailed case studies available ON REQUEST

Ancestry.co.uk in partnership with The National Archives today launched online the first phase of the War Office (WO) service and pension records collections for approximately 2.5 million British soldiers who served from 1914 through to 1920.

Known as the WO 363 British Army Service Records and WO 364 British Army Pension Records, the collections will be released in a number of phases from today, starting with the early pension records. The online resource will provide vital details for family history researchers, military enthusiasts and family members wishing to learn more about the military service and experience of their ancestors.

Although five million soldiers from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales fought in World War One, around 60 per cent of the service records for these soldiers were destroyed during a German bombing raid on the War Office in London in September 1940.

The originals for all surviving records, many badly damaged during the bombing raid, have been conserved by The National Archives and comprise the two collections to be made available online for the first time by Ancestry.co.uk, fully indexed and including original images.
Searching the name index will be free and pages from the original files available for viewing by subscribed members or with Pay per View.

Although the collections vary in detail, users will be able to discover key information in both, including physical description, regimental number, service history, locations served, date and place of birth, former occupation, next of kin and promotions.

The pension records, which relate to soldiers discharged on account of sickness or injuries sustained during the War, include the medical records relating to the disability for which a pension was granted.

The service records describe the careers of soldiers who completed their service, were killed in action, executed or died of their wounds or disease, and provide full details of their service, and where recorded, death.

ZOOOF - The Family Network

2007-02-23T11:01:00.000Z

"With ZOOOF you can discover, expand and maintain your family ties!

You and me, we are all connected! With ZOOOF, the Family Network, you will make an astonishing voyage of discovery around the world. Rediscover your close relatives, honor your ancestors, write your own biography, share the birth of a child, learn about your family's history and discover the many religions, convictions and colours.
Find family ties with your heroes, your friends and the past. Help us build the world's largest family!"

Public beta!
It is the end of the 'invitation only' period. We want to thank the first group of users for their constructive feedback! Our wish list is big and we will introduce each month new features and tools and we keep on improving our current webbased software. Within two months we will also have the option to upload genealogy files! Give it a try.

This news from the Netherlands based Zooof site that, like geni.com, plans to link people by their degrees of relatedness. After a trial period that was invitation only, the site is now public and anyone can join.

Do you have Irish roots?

2007-02-22T10:43:00.000Z

Genealogy research into an Irish ancestry has its own special problems because of the massive destruction of census and other records in a fire in 1922. So, if you have Irish roots, you need all the help you can get.

A special Irish genealogy day is being arranged for March 10 in London with expert advice on tracing your Irish family history.

The day features talks by experts from the National Records Office in Kew, Britain's Family Records Centre as well as a host of others.

The event entitled Across The Irish Sea takes place at the Phoenix Centre in Mount Pleasant from 10am to 4.30pm and will give the chance for people to find out all they need to know about starting to investigate their Irish family background.

Delegates will also have the opportunity to meet representatives from a number of organisations with an interest in Irish family history including The Irish Genealogical Research Society, Irish Genealogy Ltd, Custom Ireland, The Church of Latter-Day Saints, Eneclann Ltd., The Family Records Centre and Tourism Ireland.

To find out how to book tickets and further information on the day log-on to the website www.familyrecords.gov.uk/frc/e xtra/conferences.htm. Organisers advise people to book as early as possible. "

Climb back into family tree | The Daily Telegraph

2007-02-22T10:40:00.000Z

Climb back into family tree The Daily Telegraph:

"YOUNG people are researching their family trees in record numbers, according to genealogists.
The trend has been attributed to reality television, the internet and greater opportunity to travel overseas to places where ancestors lived."

This is an interesting report that says younger people are now getting into researching their family history. The surge of enthusiasm has been set off by television programs such as "Who do you think you are?" and the massive expansion of records available on CD and the internet, making researching more attractive to younger people used to using technology and used to expecting to find information quickly.

Gone are the days of writing off to record offices and getting a reply back six weeks later with a practically illegible photocopy of a parish register. Today, researchers can access high quality scans of original images online and print out at home instantly. The quality of information is the same - probably better in some ways - but its a great deal quicker.

I think the general trend towards more interest in the past and more interest in finding out about the family's background and ancestry is a good one. However, no matter how accessible records are, researchers still need some basic grounding in good research methods. Spending an an evening downloading census information about the wrong family is still an evening wasted...

Belfast forum

2007-02-22T10:24:00.000Z

News from Christopher Peake of the Belfast Forum.

Belfast Forum is a fairly new site which is all about Belfast. A few RootsChatters joined in June last year when the membership stood at 70. It started in November 2005 so was averaging 10 members per month. The membership is now well over the 700 mark and last month 100 members joined. This month looks as though there will be the same number. The members come from many places including Australia, Canada, Great Britain and Ireland and the United States of America.

The forum has a section for genealogy topics and Belfast history - worth visiting if you have ancestors who lived in or near Belfast.

Pardoned pair added to war memorial

2007-02-21T11:38:00.000Z

Source Press Association
Sunday February 18, 2007 8:53 AM
"Two First World War soldiers shot for cowardice but pardoned 90 years later are to be formally recognised on a war memorial."

The names of Private Harry Farr and fellow soldier James Swaine have finally been engraved on to Wealdstone war memorial in north-west London.

Their names will be unveiled in a ceremony after they were among 306 soldiers shot for military offences during the First World War to receive posthumous pardons last year. "

This story highlights the awful problems that shell shock, now called post-traumatic stress disorder, caused in World War I when nobody realised what it was. Harry Farr's family have campaigned long and hard for his pardon and, when it was finally granted in August 2006, 90 years after he was shot at dawn for cowardice, they must have been pleased. However, as the account in this site reveals

http://www.shotatdawn.org.uk/page13.html

his widow will never be spared the years of agony that she suffered, not able to tell anyone of the shame of having a husband who had been shot for cowardice.

The BBC news site reported the pardons last year and give more details of the other soldiers concerned.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/4798025.stm

On Course For Family History (from Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

2007-02-21T09:37:00.000Z

By Ali Davies
The Bradford Family History Society is running a genealogy course as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations.

The course is suitable for those beginning genealogy and for those wishing to keep up with new ways of accessing information.

The course, which takes place at Bradford Central Library, costs £5 for non-members and £2.50 for members.

advertisementTea and coffee and a discussion will follow the guest speaker.
The course begins on Monday, February 26, for five consecutive Monday evenings.
Membership of the society costs £6 per year and enables members to attend 23 meetings a year at half-price as well as a year's supply of the quarterly journal, The Bod-Kin.

For more information, or to reserve a place on the course, contact (01274) 433688."

How about a family tree with 1.8 million members?

2007-02-19T12:23:00.000Z

The world's largest family tree gets an update

The family tree of Confucius has recently been updated - and now includes a total of 1.8 million descendants. The tree is managed by the Confucious Genealogy Compliation Committee who have, for the first time, decided to include females, people who live outside Asia and members of ethnic minorities.

The fifth updated genealogy of Confucius has taken about ten years to compile. It will be printed in 2009 to mark the 2560th birthday anniversary on Confucius. In 2005, the Guinness Book of World Records included the previous version of Confucius' family tree as the longest on record, spanning 83 generations.

And we think of family history and genealogy as a new hobby!

New Presidential Timeline Web Site

2007-02-17T19:14:00.000Z

New Presidential Timeline Web Site

"New Presidential Timeline Web Site Highlights Pivotal Events in 20th Century American Presidencies

Washington, DC…The new web site, www.presidentialtimeline.org, will officially launch on George Washington’s birthday, Monday, February 19. The Presidential Timeline, filled with digitized artifacts and historical archives from all of the U.S. presidential libraries, has been created through the efforts of the 12 presidential libraries of the National Archives and Records Administration, the Learning Technology Center of The University of Texas at Austin’s College of Education and the UT Library system.

The interactive Timeline is based on the administrations of 20th century American presidents and is unique in giving educators, archivists and the public one spot where the 12 presidential libraries’ impressive array of digitized assets can be accessed."

TNA to digitise UK Cabinet papers 1914-1975

2007-02-17T19:11:00.000Z

News The National Archives wins £800,000 grant to digitise UK Cabinet papers 1914-1975:

"The National Archives wins £800,000 grant to digitise UK Cabinet papers 1914-1975
08 February 2007

The National Archives has won a major grant from the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC), the UK funding council devoted to supporting pioneering information technology programmes in education.

The grant of nearly £800,000 will be available to The National Archives over the next two years for a new project, British Governance in the 20th Century. The award will fund the creation of online resources and information for researchers, students and teachers to illustrate how British governments dealt with the major events of the twentieth Century. This will involve digitising over 500,000 papers from the Cabinet, including the minutes and memoranda of Cabinet itself from the First World War to the late 1970s. The project will only involve historic papers, from files that are already open at The National Archives and are over 30 years old. Funding will begin in March 2007.

Competition for JISC grants was fierce, with 49 different bids from 120 partner institutions. The grants are given for the digitisation of major resources which are of national importance. The JISC programme represents a total investment of nearly £22 million in the digitisation of high-quality online content in a wide range of media, including sound, film, images, journals, newspapers, maps, theses, pamphlets and cartoons. For information visit http://www.jisc.ac.uk

Geni - Everyone's Related

2007-02-17T19:03:00.000Z

Geni - Everyone's Related:

From the Geni.com website:

"Geni is a unique approach to solving the problem of genealogy, which is the question of how everyone is related.

Geni lets you create a family tree through our fun simple interface. When you add a relative's email address, he or she will be invited to join your tree. That relative can then add other relatives, and so on. Your tree will continue to grow as relatives invite other relatives.

Each family member has a profile which can be viewed by clicking their name in the tree. This helps family members learn more about each other and stay in touch. Family members can also share information and work together to build profiles for common ancestors.

Geni is a private network. Only the people in your tree can see your tree and your profile. Geni will not share your personal information with third parties.

Geni was founded by former executives and early employees of PayPal, Yahoo! Groups, Ebay, and Tribe. It is backed by venture capital firm Founders Fund. "

This is a new site that is being advertised as a way to get round subscribing to online sites for records to research you ancestors spending loads of money in the process. The big disadvantage is that family history research needs to be verified - oral history and information from relatives is great, but it needs to be checked out with official records. BUT, who needs to pay the high fees on every site? It is possible to do research more cheaply, but you have to get out of your computer chair to do it. Lots of libraries in the UK offer free access to Ancestry and other databases and it is still possible to view original records as fiche and microfilm at record offices and LDS family history centres.

There is always a choice...

Find out more about Family Tree Folk at www.familytreefolk.co.uk

National Library of Wales Map Collection

2007-02-16T23:34:00.000Z

National Library of Wales Map Collection:

The Map Collection

The collection of maps, atlases, charts and early geographies in the Library, is the largest such collection in Wales. The collection deals with all kinds of mapping including town plans, estate and farm plans and sea charts. It continues to grow through legal deposit, purchase and gift.

The collection of maps, atlases, charts and early geographies in the Library, is the largest such collection in Wales. The collection deals with all kinds of mapping including town plans, estate and farm plans and sea charts. It continues to grow through legal deposit, purchase and gift.

The National Library of Wales is acknowledged as the principal centre for researching Welsh genealogy, and you are welcome to use its sources and facilities for researching the history of your own family.Learn more about the Library's collections, each of which has something to offer the family historian. Keep an eye on this website which will continue to grow with the rapidly increasing amount of information it provides about the collections and their contents.

Find more genealogy news at www.familytreefolk.co.uk