Thursday, December 31, 2020
Sunday, December 27, 2020
How Photo Retouching Worked Before Photoshop
BY JOCELYN SEARS JULY 28, 2016
This is the first installment in a short series of articles on photo manipulation in the days before computers.
In 1841, the Englishman William Henry Fox Talbot patented the calotype—the first practical photographic process to create a negative that could generate multiple copies. Just five years later, in 1846, the first known act of photographic retouching was performed by a Welsh colleague of Talbot’s named Calvert Richard Jones, or perhaps by one of Jones’s associates. Jones had taken a photograph of five Capuchin friars on a rooftop in Malta, but while four of the friars were clustered together talking in a group, the fifth hovered a few feet behind them, framed awkwardly against the sky. Jones, or an associate, didn’t like the way this fifth friar was interrupting the scene, and so blotted out the figure on the paper negative using some India ink. In the positive print, the place where the fifth friar had stood became white sky.
Additional story at:
(photo/Reditt.com)
Wednesday, December 23, 2020
Saturday, December 19, 2020
Visting Dead Relatives on Google Street Images
Google Maps is meant to look up addresses, but it can also provide a window into the lives of the recently deceased.
Three years after her grandparents’ deaths, 19-year-old Luisa Hoenle looked up their old house on Google Maps. Feeling nostalgic if not a bit masochistic, the Switzerland-based art school student input their street address and then clicked on the Street View icon, which showed panoramic photos of the property.
Built decades ago by her grandfather Siegfried, the house had fallen into disrepair since his death from cancer in 2016, its once lush lawn now filled with withered and dying plants. But on Google Street View, Hoenle found older images of the home from before its decline. She scrolled through the photographs, reminiscing when she noticed something else: her grandfather.
Read more of this story from JESSIE SCHIEWE at https://www.okwhatever.org/topics/things/dead-relative-google-street-view
Puritan Virtue Names
If you are researching early Colonial records in your family, chances are you will find an unusual name, used by the Puritans.
The Puritans of the 16th and 17th centuries used many virtue names which have fallen mostly out of use today. There are however, a remaining use of Faith, Hope, Cherish, and Joy. The following list were used during the early Puritan years.
Abstinence
Accepted
Aid-on-high
Amity
Approved
Arise
Ashes
Assurance
Be-courteous
Be-faithful
Benevolence
Belief
Beloved
Be-strong
Be-thankful
Called
Charity
Clemency
Comfort
Concord
Confidence
Consider
Constance
Constancy
Constant
Continent
Deliverance
Delivery
Depend
Desire
Difficult
Diffidence
Diligence
Discipline
Discretion
Donation
Dust
Earth
Elected
Endure
Experience
Faint-not
Faith
Faithful
Faith-my-joy
Fare-well
Fear
Fear-not
Fear-the-Lord
Felicity
Fidel
Fight-the-good-fight-of-faith
Flie-Fornication
Fly-debate
Fly-fornication
Forsaken
Fortune
Freegift
From-above
Given
Give-thanks
Godly
God-reward
Grace
Gracious
Handmaid
Has Descendents
Hate-evil
Hatill (Hate-ill)
Helpless
Help-on-High
Honesty
Honour
Hope
Hope-for
Hopeful
Hope-still
Humanity
Humble
Humiliation
Humility
If-Christ-had- not-died-for- thee-thou-hadst- been-damned
Increase
Increased
Jesus-Christ-came- into-the-world- to-save
Job-raked-out-of-the-ashes
Joy
Joy-again
Joye-in-sorrow
Just
Justice
Kill-sin
Lament
Lamentation
Learn-Wisdom
Lively
Live-well
Love
Love-well
Magnify
Make-peace
Meek
Merciful
Mercy
More-fruit
More-trial
Moses
Much-mercy
Nehemiah
No-merit
Obedience
Original
Pardon
Patience
Peaceable
Perseverance
Piety
Praise-God
Preserved
Providence
Prudence
Purific
Purify
Recompense
Redeemed
Reformation
Refrayne
Rejoice
Rejoyce
Remember
Renewed
Repent
Repentance
Replenish
Resolve
Resolved
Restore
Return
Safe-deliverance
Safe-on-high
Salvation
Search-the-scriptures
Seek-wisdom
Silence
Sincere
Sin-deny
Small-hope
Sorry-for-sin
Sorrowful
Stand-fast-on-high
Steadfast
Submit
Supply
Temperance
Thankful
Thanks
The-Lord-is-near
The-peace-of-God
Thurgood
Tribulation
Troth
Truth
Unfeigned
Unity
Verity
Victory
Virtue
Wealthy
Weep-not
What-God-will
Wrestling
Zeal-for-the-Lord
Zeal-of-the-Land
Understanding Patronymics
A patronym, or patronymic, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (i.e., an avonymic), or an even-earlier male ancestor. A component of a name based on the name of one's mother or a female ancestor is a matronymic. Each is a means of conveying lineage. In such instances, a person is usually referred to by their given name, rather than their patronymic.
Patronymics are still in use, including mandatory use, in many places worldwide, although their use has largely been replaced by or transformed into patronymic surnames. Examples of such transformations include common English surnames such as Johnson (son of John).
In
England, names ending with the suffix "son" were often originally
patronymic. In addition, the archaic French
(more specifically, Norman)
prefix fitz (cognate with the modern French fils,
meaning "son"), appears in England's aristocratic family lines dating
from the Norman
Conquest, and also among the Anglo-Irish.
Thus there are names such as Fitzgerald and Fitzhugh. Of particular interest is
the name "Fitzroy", meaning "son of king", which was used
by illegitimate royal children who were acknowledged as such by their fathers.
In Dutch, patronymics were often used in place
of family names or as middle names. Patronymics
were composed of the father's name plus an ending -zoon for sons, -dochter
for daughters. For instance, Abel Janszoon
Tasman is "Abel son of Jan Tasman", and Kenau Simonsdochter Hasselaer:
"Kenau, daughter of Simon Hasselaer". In written form, these endings
were often abbreviated as -sz. and -dr. respectively e.g. Jeroen
Cornelisz. "Jeroen son of Cornelis", or Dirck Jacobsz.
The endings -s, -se
and -sen were also commonly used for sons and often for daughters too.
In the northern provinces, -s, as genitive
case, was almost universally used for both sons and daughters.
Patronymics were common in the Dutch United
Provinces until the French
invasion in 1795 and subsequent annexation in 1810. As the Netherlands were now
a province of France, a registry of births, deaths and marriages was
established in 1811, whereupon emperor Napoleon forced the Dutch to register
and adopt a distinct surname.[6] Often, they simply made the
patronymics the new family names, and modern Dutch patronymic-based surnames
such as Jansen, Pietersen and Willemsen abound. Others chose their profession
or habitat as family names: Bakker (baker), Slachter (butcher), van
Dijk (of dike) etc.
When
the first census of 1671 of the residents of Delaware, their existed naming
problems that had existed as early as 1638-1682 - is the fact that few of the
Swedes, Finns and Dutch actually had surnames. Most of them stayed with the
patronymic naming system which prevailed in their native countries. Thus, Eskil
Larsson's son Bärtil was known
as Bärtil Eskilsson and the latter’s son Anders, was known as Bärtilsson, which
became modified to Andrew Bartleson in the hands of the English scribes.
Nicknames
were also common. Thus, Gerrit Jansen, the Dutch blacksmith at New Castle, was
also known as Gerrit de Smith (his
occupation) and Gerrit van Beck (his
place of origin). In the patronymic tradition, however, his sons were known as
Gerritsen (later Garretson.
Similarly,
among the Swedes, Finns and Dutch, women kept their maiden names throughout
their life. Thus, the Dutch woman Sarah Neering was twice married. She was
still called Sarah Neering in the will of her second husband, Foppe Jansen
Outhout. A Swedish orphan named Christina Ollesdotter was known by that name
throughout her life, surviving two husbands, the Dutch soldier Walraven Jansen
de Vos and the Swedish barber-surgeon Timen Stiddem.
Under
the influence of English custom, most of the Swedes, Finns and Dutch had
adopted surnames by the end of thr 17th century. Sometimes the patronymic
formed the basis for the surname (e.g. Mårtensson to Morton, Gustafsson to Justice,
Jochimsson to Yocum). Sometimes the surname was invented, such as Långåker, meaning “long field” in Swedish, which
became Anglicized to Longacre.
(excerpt
Pg viii, 1671 Census of the Delaware, Peter Stebbins Craig)
My DNA Doesn’t Match Who I Thought I Was. Now What?
DNA testing is meant to give us insight into who we are and where we came from. It is meant to anchor us in a culture and a history and a location that provides stability and context to our lives. But often, it becomes the catalyst for a serious examination of our sense of identity.
DNA has managed to reign supreme when it comes to deciding who we are. Instead of turning to childhood memories of Grandma’s secret pasta recipe or stories of our ancestor’s adventures in ancient cities, we ask our DNA to help us know who we are. So when it tells us we are 42% Italian, somehow that is stronger proof than our own dark hair, olive skin, and penchant for pasta.
That means, when we see unexpected results in our supposedly irrefutable DNA test, we are faced with the need to reconcile what we thought about not just our heritage, but our very selves.
Read more at FamilyTree, including steps to consider when testing does not match your expectations at https://www.familytreemagazine.com/dna/results/dna-identity/
Three Steps for Prioritizing Which DNA Matches to Research First
Which of your AncestryDNA or 23andMe matches are most important to your research? The answer is simple, but maybe not straightforward: the DNA matches that are going to answer your research question. You can follow these concrete steps to determine which DNA matches are the most important for your research.
Follow the Three Steps at www.familytreemagazine.com
(FamilyTree)
Thursday, December 17, 2020
Don't Forget! Always Cite Your Sources !
Top Five Reasons to Cite Your Sources in Your Genealogy
Are you citing your sources in your genealogy research? If you are not, you should be. Citing sources may seem like a chore, but there are some very important reasons to make sure you always do it. Here are the five top reasons why you should cite your sources in your genealogy work.
Listen to the podcast at https://ancestralfindings.com/genealogygold/
Other researchers who may use it, particularly those in future generations, to know it is accurate, so they will feel good about putting your research to use in their own family trees. You have probably come across research that you were not sure was correct. This is probably because the information seemed suspicious, and/or no source for the information was cited.
Additional text at https://ancestralfindings.com/top-five-reasons-to-cite-your-sources-in-your-genealogy/
Free Genealogy e-books to assist your research
I’m sure these ebooks will provide you with plenty of food for thought in your genealogy adventures. Donations are greatly appreciated.
Download various titles at Ancestral Findings https://tinyurl.com/y8qh7gew
Titles include:
America's First Ladies
American Folklore
Christmas Traditions
Genealogy Helps Vol. 1-13
The Lost Treasures of Francis Wainwright
The Origin and Meaning of Surnames
The Unsung Heroes of the Civil War
Who's Who in the American Revolution
Who's Who in the Wars of the Roses
The 1890's Veteran's Census-Substitutes for the 1890 US Federal Census
There are several good substitutes for the 1890 US federal census. Just because it is gone does not mean you can’t find out what your ancestors were doing during that time, or the twenty years between the 1880 and 1900 censuses. The 1890 Veterans Census, aka Veterans Schedule, is an excellent 1890 census substitute. This is what you need to know about it.
To learn more, listen to the podcast at https://ancestralfindings.com/genealogygold/
Additional text about the 1890 Veteran's Census go to: https://tinyurl.com/y8aoyqyz
Wednesday, December 16, 2020
Family Tree has revised its website
Explore articles on everything from research strategies to DNA testing, to heirloom preservation. Also, be sure to check out our collection of free downloadable forms and worksheets.
Take a browse, and you'll find links to Family History Interview Question Ideas, Create a Family History Website, Family Tree Podcast, and much more.
You won't be disappointed.
Monday, March 2, 2020
Tombstone Abbreviations
 |
| Hopewell Cemetery, Copiah County, Mississippi |
AF&AM - (masonic)
AFL – American Federation of Labor
AFL-CIO - American Federation of Labor – Congress of Industrial Organizations
AFSCME - The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees
AMORC - Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis
AOF - Ancient Order Of Foresters
AOH - Ancient Order Of Hibernians
AOKMC - Ancient Order Of Knights of Mystic Chain
AOUW - Ancient Order Of United Workmen
ALOH - American Legion of Honor
AUM - Ancient Order of Mysteries- Masonic Order
BPOE - Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
BPOEW - Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World
Congress of Industrial Organizations
CK of A - Catholic Knights of America
COOF - Catholic Order of Foresters
CTAS - Catholic Total Abstinence Society
CBKA - Commander Benevolent Knights Association
CCTAS - Crusaders-Catholic Total Abstinence Society
CSA - Confeserate States of America
DAR - Daughters of American Revolution
EBA - Emerald Beneficial Association
FAA - Free and Accepted Americans
F&AM - Free and Accepted Masons.
FOE - Fraternal Order of Eagles
GALSTPtr - German American Legion of St. Peter
GAR - Grand Army of the Republic
GLAUM - Grand Lodge Ancient Order of Mysteries-Masonic Order
GUOOF - Grand United Order of Odd Fellows
IHSV - Red Cross of Constantine
IOI - Independent Order of Immaculates
IOKP - Independent Order of Knights of Pythias
IOOF - Independent Order of Odd Fellows
ISH - Independent Sons of Honor
IORM - Improved Order of Redmen
IWW - Industrial Workers of the World
JAOUW - Junior Order-Ancient Order of United Workmen
JOUAM - Junior Order-Order of United American Mechanics
KGL - Knight Grand Legion
KM - Knights Militant
KC - Knights of Columbus
K of C - Knights of Columbus
K of FM - Knights of Father Matthew
KFM - Knights of Father Matthew
K of H - Knights of Honor
K of L - Knights of Loyola
K M - Knights of Malta (Masonic)
KMC - Knights of the Mystic Chain
KPC - Knights of Peter Claver
KP - Knights of Pythias
K of P - Knights of Pythias
KSC - Knights of St. Columbkille
KG - Knights of St. George
KSTG - Knights of St. George
KSTI - Knights of St. Ignatius
K of SJ - Knights of St. John
KSTJ - Knights of St. Joseph
KSL - Knights of St. Lawrence
KSTM - Knights of St. Martin
K of STP - Knights of St. Patrick
KSTP - Knights of St. Paul
KSTP - Knights of St. Peter
KSTT - Knights of St. Thomas
K of STW - Knights of St. Wenceslas
KT - Knights of Tabor
K of T - Knights of Tabor
KWM - Knights of Wise Men
KGE - Knights of Golden Eagle
KHC - Knights of Holy Cross
KKK - Knights of Klu-Klux Klan
KOTM - Knights of Macabees
KSF - Knights of Sherwood Forest
KT - Knights Templars (Masonic)
LAOH - Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians
LK of A - Loyal Knights of America
LOM - Loyal Order of the M.O.O.S.E.
MOLLUS - Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States
MRA - Royal Arcanum
MWA - Modern Woodsmen of America
NOK - New Order Knights (see KKK)
OES - Order of the Eastern Star
OUAM - Order of United American Mechanics
PM - Patriarchs Militant (Independent Order of Odd Fellows)
POSA - Patriotic Order of the Sons of America
RIP - Rest in Peace
RMOKHSJ - The Religious and Military Order of Knights of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem
RSTV - Rite of St. Vaclara
RSTV - Rite of ST. Vita
RK - Roman Knights
SR - Scottish Rite (Masonic Order)
RAM - Royal Arch Masons
RO-AUM - Rosicrucian Order
SBCL - Saint Bonifazius Catholic Union
SBL - Society B. Lafayette
SCV - Sons of the Confederate Veterans
SAR - Sons of the American Revolution
SNA-AUM - Shrine of North America (Masonic)
SV - Sons of Veterans
TH - Temple of Honor-Independent Order of Odd Fellows
TMO – Traditional Martinist Order (Rosicrucian)
UCV - United Confederate Veterans
UDC - United Daughters of the Confederacy
VFW - Veterans of Foreign Wars
WOW - Woodsman of the World
(FAG FB post)
The 1890 Census - Not Everything Was Destroyed
The following is a Plus Edition article written by and copyright by Dick Eastman.
Beginning U.S. genealogists soon learn that the 1890 census records were destroyed in a fire in the basement of the Commerce Building on January 10, 1921. Many people who would like to see these records just shrug their shoulders and move on.
In fact, census fragments for 1890 in Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, and the District of Columbia survived and are available now.
Additional story at: https://blog.eogn.com/2019/07/15/the-1890-u-s-census-not-everything-was-destroyed/
Sunday, March 1, 2020
Hopewell Cemetery - Slay, Sojourner and Weathersby
For researchers working on Slay, Sojourner, and Weathersby families, the following are noted in the Hopewell Cemetery in extreme eastern side of Copiah County, Mississippi.
SLAY
JENNIE CORNELIA MAR 19 1909 FEB 6 1924
SLAY
A. C. "LONNIE" JUL 11 1870 JUN 18 1952
SLAY
A. CLIFFTON "CLIFF" DEC 26 1904
SLAY
ALICE OCT 23 1882 NOV 22 1914 MOTHER W/O A. C.
SLAY
DORA J. 1875 1917
SLAY
ELLA C. SEP 14 1811 NOV 10 1811 D/O A. D. & V. L. SLAY
SLAY
ETHEL ROSE JUL 31 1906 Married A. C. Dec 15 1929
SLAY
GERTUDE JUNE 24 18?? JUNE 24 18??.
SLAY
J. C. APR 3 1894 DEC 26 1920 FATHER
SLAY
JEANETTE (TOOSIE) SEP 18 1911 APR 3 1988 W/O WILLIAM
SLAY
JENNIFER RENEE JUL 3 1975 JUL 5 1975
SLAY
JOHN C. 1867 1927
SLAY
LENORA SEP 8 1863 NOV 2 1870 D/O N. & M. SLAY
SLAY
MARY C. FEB 14 1813 SEP 30 1814 D/O N. & M. SLAY
SLAY
MR. ALONZA C. JUNE 18 1952 AGED 81 YEARS
SLAY
THOMAS J. SR. SEPT 17 1847 APR 1 1885
SLAY
WILLIAM HOMER SEP 25 1906 JAN 7 1982
SOJOURNER
ALBERT CLIFTON MAR 13 1885 APR 29 1936
SOJOURNER
B. H. OCT 6 1829 AUG 26 1900
SOJOURNER
FRAKLIN WILLIAMS MAR 21 1904
SOJOURNER
HOLLIE F. JR. JAN 21 1932 SEP 11 1995
SOJOURNER
HOLLIE FRIDAY SR. OCT 1 1895 DEC 22 1974
SOJOURNER
HOMER D. JAN 17 1897 MAY 22 1942
SOJOURNER
JOHN C. MAR 4 1858 DEC 15 1863 S/O M. U. & A. E. (Unreadable 1998)
SOJOURNER
LEVISA AUG 8 1791 JAN 8 1866 MOTHER W/O REDRICK
SOJOURNER
M. U. JAN 29 1833 JUNE 2 1913
SOJOURNER
MARTIN C. 1868 1945
SOJOURNER
MARY E. 1872 1954 MOTHER W/O MARTIN
SOJOURNER
NORMAN PARKER JAN 12 1936 SEP 24 1974
SOJOURNER
OSA V. AUG 14 1896 AUG 6 1906
SOJOURNER
REDERICK FEB 1 1795 AUG 20 1868 FATHER
WEATHERSBY
ANNIE RENO MAR 14 1890 APR 19 1948 Mother, W/O James Isom W.
WEATHERSBY
GILLIAN 1870 1927
WEATHERSBY
JAMES ISOM FEB 16 1882 JUNE 10 1950 FATHER
WEATHERSBY
LILLIAN MURRAY 1870 1944
WEATHERSBY
LOUIS I. APR 7 1914 AUG 9 1990
Slay tombstones in the New Hazlehurst Cemetery
New Hazlehurst Cemetery
(old section)
Hazlehurst Cemetery is
located in the town of Hazlehurst in Copiah County, Mississippi. It is one of the older cemeteries in the
county. It can be reached from Interstate Highway 55 by taking exit 61 and
going east for 0.7 miles. Then turn
right on old highway 51 and go south through town. After you pass the Courthouse in the center
of town go 0.3 miles and turn right on Fair Street. Go one block, and the cemetery is on the left. The oldest recorded grave is 1858. The new section of Hazlehurst cemetery is
across the street from the old section.
Slay Beryl D. November 3, 1904 March 3, 1969 Husband of
Ruth T. Slay
Slay Cora Sexton August 4, 1881 September 14, 1944 Wife of
Maurice L. Slay
Slay Diane D. May 29, 1950 November 3, 1999 Wife of Ronnie E.
Slay
Slay George Dewey November 21, 1898 June 20, 1975 Husband of
Maggie Stuart Slay
Slay Harold A. April 15, 1907 August 3, 1994 Husband of Nell
Myers Slay
Slay Harold
Alexander April 15, 1907 August 3,
1994
Slay Hulon N. July 17, 1896 November 15, 1945
Slay James Milton May 26, 1871 December 18, 1918 Son of Erasmus
& Catherine Slay
Slay Jessie L. December 29, 1911 June 12, 1991
Slay Maggie Stuart May 2, 1914 February 13, 1988 Wife of George
Dewey Slay
Slay Marguerite
Love July 8, 1913 August 3, 1960 Wife of
Robert D. Slay
Slay Mary Kate Sexton
December 9, 1886 December 5, 1933
Slay Mary Love April 22, 1886 December 5, 1933 Wife of Oscar
J. Slay
Slay Maurice L. May 27, 1870 December 25, 1923 Husband of
Cora Sexton Slay
Slay Nell Myers May 12, 1913 July 18, 1980 Wife of Harold A.
Slay
Slay Oscar J. April 30, 1886 December 5, 1933 Husband of
Mary Love Slay
Slay Robert D. Husband of Marguerite Love Slay
Slay Robert Wesley June 19, 1921 January 31, 1927
Slay Ronnie E. May 25, 1947
Husband of Diane D. Slay
Slay Rosa 1876 1937 Wife of Sandy Slay
Slay Ruth T. September 6, 1920 Wife of Beryl D. Slay
Slay Sandy 1864 1922 Husband of Rosa Slay
Slay William
Selman August 15, 1952 August 19, 1952
Friday, February 28, 2020
Birdie's Fresh Apple Cake - a priceless antique
This recipe is a family favorite, passed down through the generations. In fact, it is over 100 years old. The original slip of paper, though torn and tattered - is priceless to me. There have been very minor adjustments, from the original.
Birdie's Fresh Apple Cake
2 Cups sugar
3 Cups flour
1/2 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt (optional)
1 Cup finely chopped pecans
1 Cup Wesson oil
3 eggs
3 apples (finely chopped, med-large size Red Delicious)
1 tsp vanilla
Mix flour, soda, salt and sugar together. Add pecans, eggs, vanilla, Wesson oil and apples. Beat gently at medium-speed with electric mixer.
Bake at 350 in a bundt pan with PAM or equivalent butter spray, for one hour.
Moist and yummy, and does not require a frosting. I would love to hear your thoughts, and perhaps this will be one you also pass down to your friends and family.
Legacy announces converting Black and White photos to Color !
This is a SUPER addition to Legacy. Run don't walk, and go to:
Your Black & White Photograph to Full Color in 1 Step
February 12, 2020
Brand new - use this incredible new tool to automatically colorize your black and white photographs. Watch how here: https://news.legacyfamilytree.com/legacy_news/2020/02/your-black-white-photograph-to-full-color-in-1-step.html
The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Genealogy
Special thanks to DNA Testing Guide, for directing me to their website - I hope readers find this useful.
The idea of doing genealogy research might make you cringe because you imagine yourself spending hours trapped in a library or a town hall as you dig through dusty books and tall shelves. You can now do much of the research that you like from home.
The internet made it easy for you to access the public records of town halls and community centers located thousands of miles away.
Additional information on What Can Genealogy Tell You ? and more, go to:
https://www.dnatestingguides.com/blogs/the-ultimate-beginners-guide-to-genealogy/
(DNA Testing Guide)
Learning the DNA Lingo
a repost from 06 April 2016, but an excellent refresher
Taking a DNA test for genetic genealogy research? We’ll help you understand some of the scientific terms you'll come across.
Autosomal DNA (also called atDNA or admixture DNA): genetic material inherited equally from mother and father. It's genealogically useful for ancestry back through about five to seven generations. Beyond that, you may not have inherited enough DNA from any one ancestor for that person to be represented in your autosomal DNA.
Centimorgan (cM): a measurement of the distance between genetic markers on the DNA based on the expected frequency of recombination with each generation. On average, one cM equals one million base pairs. In general, the more centimorgans you share with a genetic match, the closer your relationship (although individuals related through multiple ancestors also may share a high number of centimorgans).
Chromosome: a threadlike strand of DNA that carries genes and transmits hereditary information.
Genome: All the genetic material in the chromosome set of an organism. 46 chromosomes make up the human genome.
Genotype: The genetic makeup of a particular individual.
DYS (DNA Y-chromosome Segment): DYS followed by a number identifies a short segment of Y-chromosome DNA, also called a Short Tandem Repeat (STR) or a marker. A Y-DNA test reveals how many repeats of a particular nucleotide sequence are found at that DYS marker. For example, DYS390 is one of the most commonly tested Y-DNA markers, and values for the marker typically range from 19 to 28 repeats.
Genetic cousins: Individuals whose DNA test results match one another. You may have cousins who aren't genetic cousins—that is, you and your cousin don't match on DNA tests because you didn't inherit enough of the same DNA from the same ancestor.
Haplogroup: a collection of related haplotypes with a common ancestor. The haplogroup (also called a clade) is usually defined by a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) mutation that arose in an ancestor hundreds or thousands of years ago, and is found in all of the descendant haplotypes.
Haplotype: an individual’s set of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or DYS markers. Males who are recently related through their paternal line will have similar haplotypes and belong to the same haplogroup. The more diverse two haplotypes are, the more time has passed since their most recent common ancestor.
Genealogy Tips: Searching for Your Ancestors Using Nicknames
Try Nicknames
Do you have a nickname? Maybe your nickname is based on your actual given name. Perhaps it has to do with a characteristic or physical trait you possess. You may have earned your nickname playing sports or in the workplace. Sometimes a nickname may make absolutely no sense. In my case, my paternal grandfather gave me a nickname shortly after I was born based on his miss-hearing of my actual middle name. That nickname would make no sense to anyone (and no, I won’t tell you what it is) but it was always the name he used to refer to me.
A person can gain a nickname for all kinds of reasons, including: ease of pronunciation; to distinguish between two family members with the same name; and in some cases to call out a negative trait.
A very informative feature from GenealogyBank. Continue reading at: https://tinyurl.com/ua45sxy
Gilbert Town: Its Place in North Carolina and Revolutionary War History
William Gilbert, of Scotch-Irish (Ulster-Scot) heritage, came to America and settled first in Philadelphia, where he met and married Sarah McCanless, who was born there in 1737. They traveled to Charleston, South Carolina, from Philadelphia and then came to Old Tryon County.
In 1777 and 1778, he was assessor of taxes and, in 1778, collector of taxes. Mr. Gilbert held the office of justice of the peace in Old Tryon County, taking his seat in July, 1778. In 1779, he represented Tryon in the North Carolina House of Commons.
On February 8th, 1779, he was forced to resign his commission as justice of the peace on the charge of duplicating his vouchers as commissary of militia of Tryon County. His guilt or innocence can never be known. Despite the charge, when Rutherford County was formed from Old Tryon, Gilbert represented the new county in the North Carolina House of Commons. He was selected in 1779, 1780, 1782, and 1783.
Gilbert was appointed justice of the peace for Rutherford County in 1781. At the October, 1781, term of the Rutherford County Court, he was chosen chairman of the court. The court vindicated him of the legislative charge of duplicating his vouchers by an order in October 1781, reading "On motion of William Gilbert, Esq., and testimony produced to the satisfaction of the court, it is ordered that the opinion of the court be entered on the records, to-wit: It is the opinion of the court that the said William Gilbert is not guilty of the charge laid against to the General Assembly, and we do certify that the said William Gilbert never plundered, nor was guilty of plundering, to our knowledge."
Gilbert was charged with treason, because Ferguson used the Gilbert home as his headquarters. Lyman Draper in his definitive history, King's Mountain and Its Heroes, on page 159, states Gilbert "was a Loyal friend of King George." In 1897, Flournoy Rivers wrote in a Nashville newspaper that "Draper seemed to have presumed that Gilbert was a Loyalist simply because Major Ferguson camped at Gilbert Town, as though an invading army would ever quarter on a friend while in an enemy's country. As a fact, the Assembly was then sitting at Hillsborough and Gilbert, being the county's representative in the House of Commons, was most likely absent there, and Ferguson, in his absence, most probably quartered on [Gilbert] as an object lesson by way of making treason odious, as it were."
North Carolina records indicate that on October 25th, 1775, Gilbert and others, including the Committee of Safety, signed the "Association Oath," expressing profound regret that "his Brittannic Majesty had been so ill-advised as to encroach on the undoubted rights of the colonists as Englishmen, with the firmly expressed intention of sustaining both the Continental and Provincial Congresses."
Despite his successful defense of the charges of treason, Gilbert continued to have legal problems after the war, being engaged in numerous lawsuits, and eventually lost his property. In 1786, 1787, and a portion of 1788, he lived in Charleston, South Carolina. He later returned to Gilbert Town to live at the home of his son-in-law, James Holland, where he died in 1790. He was buried on Ferguson's Hill above Gilbert Town.
Gilbert's wife, Sarah McCanless Gilbert, lived until 1822. She went with the James Holland family in 1790 to Maury County, Tennessee, and is buried at Holland's Ford on the Duck River.
James Holland married Gilbert's daughter Sarah. He represented Rutherford County in the North Carolina House of Commons and the Senate. He was elected to the first board of trustees of the University of North Carolina.
(Nancy Ellen Ferguson)
Early Vermont Settlers: new Fort Dummer sketches
An excerpt from a 1724 letter containing a plan of Fort Dummer (Thomas Stoddard)
Today we’ve added eight new sketches to Early Vermont Settlers, 1700-1784, highlighting families who lived at Fort Dummer. The new sketches include Major John Arms, Valentine Butler, Joseph Kellogg, Col. Josiah Willard, Col. Josiah Willard, Jr., Nathan Willard, Wilder Willard, and William Willard. We’ve also added “Fort Dummer Soldiers“, a document containing shorter notes regarding the lives of soldiers who served at Fort Dummer (but did not become residents of Vermont). See the first page of “Fort Dummer Soldiers” for more information on who is included and why. Scholars of this region and time period should also consult Scott Andrew Bartley’s article, “The Connecticut River Valley Before Settlement and the Soldiers of Fort Dummer,” in Vermont Genealogy, (24 [2019]: 135-162).
Scott Andrew Bartley’s study project tracks heads of families who lived in Vermont prior to the Revolutionary War. His sketches so far have focused on Windham and Windsor counties.
The latest cluster of sketches focus on families who lived in Fort Dummer, the precursor to Brattleboro, Vermont. Fort Dummer was established during Dummer’s War, a series of conflicts between settlers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and Native Americans. The main conflict of Dummer’s War centered around boundaries–what belonged to the American colonists? What land belonged to the Native Americans? What land belonged to the British? These conflicts took place from 1722-1725 along the Kennebec River in Maine, in Nova Scotia, and in western Massachusetts. Brattleboro was established in 1753 as part of the New Hampshire land grants (when both New Hampshire and New York laid claim to the present state of Vermont).
Steel Smith‘s sketch (from Windsor) was also updated.
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
Archdiocese of Boston: new searchable records from Foxborough and Georgetown
St. Mary's church in Foxborough from 100 Years of Progress, page 753
Today we’ve added six new volumes to Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920 from St. Mary in Foxborough and St. Mary in Georgetown. This update adds over 6,400 records and over 24,000 names to search.
St. Mary's in Foxborough became an independent parish in 1880. Prior to this date, various priests from a few different parishes would come to say mass in this area. They had a church in this town as early as 1859.
In 1873 the church of St. Mary's in Georgetown was dedicated. For some time, it was a mission of the church in Haverhill. As the Catholic population in this area grew, St. Patrick's in Groveland began as a mission of this parish.
We’d like to thank Sam Sturgis for his help making these parishes available online.
The new volumes are listed below:
St. Mary (Foxborough) Baptisms and Marriages, 1880-1901
St. Mary (Foxborough) Baptisms, 1896-1901
St. Mary (Georgetown) Baptisms and Marriages, 1874-1890
St. Mary (Georgetown) Baptisms and Marriages, 1874-1890 (copy)
St. Mary (Georgetown) Baptisms and Marriages, 1891-1898
St. Mary (Georgetown) Various, 1898-1916
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
https://wp.me/p8jE0N-Em
photo/https://www.stmarysfoxboro.org/
How Two 1950's Kids Playing on the Railroad Tracks Found a National Treasure
By Bethanee Bemis, Harry R. Rubenstein
SMITHSONIANMAG.COM
February 12, 2020
Sixty years later, curators at the National Museum of American History talked to the brothers who found a relic of the 1800 Adams and Jefferson election
In 1959, the Smithsonian Institution received a letter from Mrs. James “Shirley C.” Wade offering to sell a linen banner bearing an ink portrait of the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. An eagle carried the Jefferson portrait victoriously aloft framed in a halo of seven-pointed stars. From the bird’s beak streamed a ribbon proclaiming: “T. Jefferson President of the United States. John Adams is No More.”
The imagery was crafted in the foment of a bitter campaign that was barely resolved by a voting system so flawed (a problem later clarified by the 12th amendment) that it required congressional intervention to deliver Jefferson’s victory. During the campaign, Jeffersonian Republicans accused John Adams of conspiring to establish a new monarchy aligned with the British, and the Federalist supporters of Adams warned that the godless Jefferson would bring an end to religion in the republic. The candidates’ campaigns were so contentious in their rhetoric and accusations that historians often referred to them as an extreme example of how low presidential contests can be.
Fascinating story from Smithsonian magazine at: https://tinyurl.com/vuzfstn
Dozens of Historic Mexican Cookbooks Are Now Available Online
The University of Texas San Antonio’s vast collection makes traditional Mexican and Mexican-American cooking accessible
The oldest Mexican cookbook in the University of Texas at San Antonio’s (UTSA) collection was never meant for public consumption. Handwritten in 1789 by Don?a Ignacita, a woman who probably served as the kitchen manager for a well-to-do family, the manuscript includes recipes for such specialties as “hidden vegetable stew,” or potaje escondido, and an orange-hued soup called zopa de naranja.
Volumes like this 200-year-old specimen—many boasting scribbled notes and stains on their owners’ favorite recipes—form the heart of the university’s collection. Now, thanks to a renewed digitization campaign, around half of the school’s approximately 100 manuscript cookbooks are available for anyone to browse online, reports Nils Bernstein for Atlas Obscura.
“I’ve had students in tears going through these, because it’s so powerful to see that connection with how their family makes certain dishes and where they originated,” UTSA Special Collections Librarian Stephanie Noell tells Atlas Obscura. “I want anybody with an internet connection to be able to see these works.”
Additional story at: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dozens-old-mexican-cookbooks-now-available-online-180974186/
Finding a Stronger Sense of Self through family history
I Spent a Month Uncovering My Family History, and I Found a Stronger Sense of Self
As part of a monthly resolution challenge, I wanted to learn more about my family's past and how it could shape my future.
BY KELSEY HURWITZ
Feb 21, 2020
This article is part of WomansDay.com’s series on mini monthly resolutions and challenges. The first challenge is all about discovering and recording your family history.
An idea seems to persist that family history, like the study of history in general, is mostly about the discovery of names and dates. But tracing your family history should be about so much more than filling in the branches of a family tree. For genealogist and historian David Allen Lambert, it’s all about the dash. “The years on someone’s gravestone are when they lived,” he told Woman's Day. “The dash represents how they lived.”
Additional story at: https://www.womansday.com/life/a30928747/mini-monthly-resolutions-family-history/
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