I is for Indexes - Breadcrumbs to our Ancestors

Have you taken a look at the Newfoundland Vital Records and 1935 and 1945 census images over at FamilySearch.org? If not, well sometimes it pays to procrastinate. The various registers and censuses have now been digitized and indexed (no more browsing through pages of information by district to find your ancestors). To learn more about these record sets visit the FamilySearch Wiki entry. 

This got me thinking that I should check out the big four subscription websites (Ancestry, FamilySearch, FindmyPast, and MyHeritage) to see what all is available for Newfoundland, and what has been indexed. MyHeritage does not have any Newfoundland specific records. FindmyPast has the 1871 Lowell's City Directory and it is indexed and searchable. Ancestry has a number of Newfoundland specific records and it appears that Ancestry either indexed the birth, marriage, and death registers scanned by FamilySearch itself or acquired the rights to the indexes from FamilySearch. The index results at Ancestry link directly to the FamilySearch scanned images. Ancestry also has indexed (among other records) the 1935 and 1945 censuses and has the digitized images.

Images from Ancestry.com 

Images from Ancestry.com

The indexes for Ancestry and FamilySearch contain the same information (in slightly different order). The following example is for the Newfoundland Birth Register.

• name of child 
• gender
• type of record
• birth date
• birthplace
• father's name
• mother's name
• entry line from register (included by FamilySearch)

Remember that an index is your finding aid and you will most definitely want to go beyond the index for the additional information. Keep in mind that the birth register often includes the following (items in bold are additional items):

• birth date
• place of birth
• parents' given names and father's surname
• father's occupation
• registration certificate number 
• baptism date 
• religious denomination 
• by whom baptized
• given name of child
• gender
• date of registration
• registration official
• remarks

Images from FamilySearch.org

Images from FamilySearch.org

Images from FamilySearch.org

Ancestry and FamilySearch have vital records (birth & baptism, marriage, death & burial) as well as census returns, histories, books, and directories. These indexes should help you locate the registers and census returns for your Newfoundland ancestors. And be sure to check out unindexed records (you will simply need to browse) at FamilySearch. You can certainly get started reconstructing specific families and specific communities in Newfoundland. Cheers!

H is for History

There is a difference between the terms genealogy and family history. Genealogy is defined as the study and tracing of lines of descent or development. Family History, as an extension of genealogy, is defined as the study of the life and times of the people concerned, whether that is a family, a community, or a society. It's been said that family history is about putting flesh on the bones of those ancestors we study. So, are you a genealogist, a family historian, or both?

I gave this some thought when I began my one-place study for Plate Cove East, Newfoundland in 2009 and later when I helped found the Society for One-Place Studies (SOPS) in 2013. What I continue to learn as I work on my Newfoundland families is that it is not enough to get the names, dates, and places for the people who lived in Plate Cove East*. That exercise would end up being static, dry, and not scratch the surface of the history of Plate Cove East. To do my one-place study justice, I need to learn its history. That starts with taking a big picture approach (Newfoundland) to get my bearings and it involves all types of history - cultural, economic, family, political, and social - before I focus on my community (Plate Cove East).

My lengthy list of history to study and process includes:

• a general history of Newfoundland
• political subdivisions of Newfoundland
• religions practiced and persecuted in Newfoundland
• earliest dates for all types of records and resources
• newspapers published in Newfoundland AND newspapers published elsewhere that shared news of Newfoundland
• the economic history of Newfoundland - and its connection to migration from specific parts of England and Ireland
• where, why, and how did the people who settled in Plate Cove East* arrive - migration from another country, migration from other parts of Newfoundland, and migration to other parts of Newfoundland
• the homes and businesses/trades built in Plate Cove East*
• the families in Plate Cove East*
• the religion(s) practiced in Plate Cove East*
• the records maintained - privately (by families, by the churches) and publicly (regional and provincial levels)
• the maritime industry - its ups and downs as it affected Plate Cove East*
• education, social activities, correspondence, diaries, music, and oral traditions of Plate Cove East*
• illness, disease, epidemics, causes of death, and tragedies in Plate Cove East*
• governmental record keeping (census, birth, marriage, death & burial, deeds, taxes, military service, voting lists, election results, etc.) in Plate Cove East*
• business records, directories, atlases, maps, drawings, photographs, recordings, and transcripts of interviews with community members

Gathering the documents, records, recordings, and transcripts requires visiting libraries, archives, courthouses, and businesses, walking the community and talking with residents (past and present), photographing and recording the sights of the community, as well as seeking this information from a variety of sources (different perspectives). And do keep in mind that what we attempt with a one-place study is to focus on history from the inside out, rather than the outside in - we are finding the stories of all of the people (both his story and her story), we are including the women, immigrants, ethnic groups, individuals and the families, labor and business, not just the community itself but also its interplay with the larger society.

I was able to do some of my preliminary work online through Newfoundland's Grand Banks website, the FamilySearch website, and through the Facebook group page for Plate Cove East. What was available ten years ago pales in comparison to what is available today. One example is the tremendous amount of digitization by the Maritime History Archive, the online facilities provided by Memorial University libraries, and the online facilities provided by the Family History Society of Newfoundland and Labrador. I was especially lucky that I was able to visit Newfoundland and spend several weeks at the Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Maritime History Archive, the Memorial University Libraries, the Folklore and Language Archive, the Bonavista Archives, the Basilica of St. John's Archives, the Registry of Deeds, and the informal archives of a certain resident of Plate Cove East, who invited me into her home and shared her knowledge of the community.

If you want to learn the history of your people, their community, their life and times - you can do no better than to immerse yourself in the various Archives associated with where they lived. Whether you research at a distance or in person, there is a treasure trove available - all the bits and pieces preserved - so that we can touch history. Perhaps you will be able to see your ancestors' signatures, read the contracts they entered into, learn more about their military service, understand how they built up their communities, learn about their experiences from their correspondence and diaries, view photographs to see their communities as they did. There are any number of ways to gather, analyze, and share their history. Whether you focus on a family (personal family history) or a community (location history) - why not get started putting your people in their places!

* I have always included Plate Cove's surrounding communities in my research because Plate Cove East residents' family, extended family, neighbors, business relations, church activity, education, friends, and marriage prospects are represented by these nearby small communities. To find my Newfoundland families through the years, I include residents from these communities as well. 

G is for Newfoundland's Grand Banks Website

Newfoundland's Grand Banks website
[click to enlarge]

If you want to research your Newfoundland ancestors and you are not in Newfoundland (heck even if you are in Newfoundland), you really must visit Newfoundland's Grand Banks website. This site contains genealogical and historical data for the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Do read their mission statement - it is a terrific reminder that genealogy and family history volunteers are amazing people and accomplish large and small acts of genealogical kindness every day. This website began when volunteers decided to transcribe and digitize the 1921 Newfoundland census. Then they moved on to church records, graveyard transcripts, will transcripts, census transcripts forward (the 1935 and 1945 census) and backward (23 earlier and partial censuses), obituaries, voter lists, business directories, vital records, maps, histories - you name it and a volunteer has been working on it.

Did I mention that all of the information added at this site is from original resource material and is made freely available to all? The volunteers, working through the six directors and many district coordinators, set to work reviewing, transcribing, checking, and publishing their work on a regular basis. I helped to transcribe the 1945 census for the communities of King's Cove, Open Hall, and Stock Cove - my way of paying it forward and contributing to this wonderful site.

Some of the great features of the Grand Banks website that you won't want to miss include:

• Message Board - do sign up for the message board and take a look at the current messages. Give some thought to your message - a name, a place and a time frame ("Andrew Keough, Plate Cove, 1830-1860" is more precise than "Keough, looking for my family"). Be concise, complete, and focus on a question that someone can answer. Most people are happy to help but since there are many messages, make sure yours stand out.
• B,D,M,W Tab - lots of great information here (birth, death, marriage, wills - arranged by district) but do not miss Stonepics database and Foreign Cemeteries found with Cemetery Transcriptions. Stonepics database index contains 221,470 entries for names found on headstones, war memorials, and monuments photographed in Newfoundland by the Stonepics Project. I have found so much information here to help in reconstructing my Newfoundland families.
• Official Lists Tab - check out all the census information available here. Did you know that Newfoundland did not join the Canadian Confederation until 1949? That is why the 1935 and 1945 Newfoundland censuses are available (at this site they have been transcribed and partial transcripts - columns 1-3 and 9-12 are available). At the FamilySearch website (another free website) the indexed digitized records are available. Be sure to check both resources.
• Historical and Districts Tabs - learn the history of Newfoundland and the various districts - are you researching in a particular area? Do you know where your people lived and why they might have migrated to other districts/communities? The resources for each district can be found here and you can work your way through official records, newspapers, church records, historical records, and some additional resources, like songs, books, and a community page. Get to know your district and communities!

And we just scratched the surface. Be sure to work your way through all the tabs on the drop-down menu at the top of the Home Page. Also scroll down the Home Page to see many more resources you can find at this site.

Genealogical Source Material - a goldmine!
[click to enlarge]

And there is also a great search feature - put in an ancestor's name or simply a surname, and results will keep you busy for hours!

A clear and helpful Home Page - with thanks to those contributing  AND a really helpful Search feature!
[click to enlarge]

The Grand Banks website is a true gem of genealogy site. Thanks to all the volunteers who have worked on it through the years and a special thanks to the current directors and coordinators - take a bow for an amazing effort that the rest of us get to use and enjoy! 

So what are you waiting for, check out Newfoundland's Grand Banks website.

Motivation Monday ~ A Recap for March & April

February and March were crazy busy as far as my genealogy research went. After watching a Legacy-hosted webinar on newspaper research with Thomas Kemp of GenealogyBank, I decided to check it out. I had really good luck and was able to back my way into solving one of my Irish family's brickwalls. On a second research front, a terrific Irish records site came on-line and was mentioned in a blog post that directed me to church records for Counties Cork and Kerry. A bit of reverse sleuthing and comparisons with previously found but unproven census records and another of my Irish family's brickwalls finally came down. Both finds need some more work, but I am light years ahead of where I was two months ago. A nice bonus is that I now have additional family members (siblings of my direct ancestors who are “new to me”) to research and connect with. Both of those finds will be the subject of their own posts in the near future. All I can say in my own defense (for my February and March blogging slump) is that I was so busy researching and working through the connections that I just let my blogging slide.

Spring has sprung, Easter brought with it that reminder of new life and rebirth so ~ I am wiping the slate clean, jumping back into the monthly genealogy goal meme, and posting my March Accomplishments & April Goals (thanks to Stephanie at Corn & Cotton for keeping me and many others motivated).

Research

• The 1940 Census
• March ~ I prepared my 1940 Census To-Do Lists using the Legacy Census Tool. I broke down the to-do lists by county and state. Knowing that some of my family remained in the same towns and counties in Nebraska and Illinois I decided to focus on these areas as well as my grandparents (both located in Seattle, Washington and for whom I had their 1940 addresses).
• April ~ I found and downloaded the various census pages and as of today I have found 105 members of my extended family on the 1940 Census. I could not have done this without the following:
• I cleaned up my Legacy database and standardized all my census entries so I had 1930 census information for my extended family. This was an excellent exercise to prepare for the 1940 Census and also to review my earlier census entries and clean up my sources.
• Steve Morse, Joel Weintraub and the volunteers who worked on the OneStep 1940 Census program – thank you for such great programs and tutorials – I learned so much from using these programs and was able to drill down to the correct enumeration districts. You are all The Best!
• The various websites that uploaded the digital images of the 1940 Census – it was an embarrassment of riches ~ The National Archives, FamilySearch, Archives, MyHeritage, and Ancestry  ~ all worked hard to make so much available from day 1 ~ just brilliant! I used several of the sites and was able to noodle my way to finding the census pages.
• DearMyrtle ~ every evening Monday through Friday she hosted a webinar roundup that entertained, explained, shared stories, answered questions and kept the genealogy community involved in the hoopla that was the 1940 Census release. I was thrilled to listen to and watch the presentations by Joel Weintraub, the representatives from Archives, the National Archives, and Ancestry, the examples provided by Russ Worthington, the finds shared by attendees, and the discussion among the attendees on Twitter. There was a lot going on and it was clearly a labor of love ~ thanks DearMyrtle and RootsMagic for hosting the webinars.
• Kiley Family
• March ~ In response to my request and a small fee, I received my great great grandmother’s obituary from Obits of Nebraska. Ellen's obituary mentioned two sisters who attended her funeral as well as two nephews who officiated. I found the priests in the federal censuses and worked my way back to their families with Ancestry.com and GenalogyBank.com.  The nephews’ surname was Cannell and I found the Cannell family in Rockford and Burritt, Illinois.  From a combination of newspaper articles and obituaries, I determined that my great great grandmother Ellen Kiley came to America from Ireland with her widowed mother and (at least) two siblings, Jane Kiley (who married John Cannell, settled in Burritt, had seven sons, and later died and was buried in Rockford) and Catherine Kiley (who remained single, moved to, and later died and was buried in St. Louis). Of course the surname is spelled Kiley, Kiely, Kieley, and Keeley depending on the article or document!
• April ~ I need to follow up on the Kiley and Cannell families and transcribe and source all the material I found in March. I am in the process of adding it (with appropriate sources) to my Legacy database. I am also contacting current Cannells to hopefully find out more information about both the Kiley and Cannell families. 
• Murphy Family
• I need to follow up with extended family members in Nebraska and Washington both for family records and 1940 Census research. To any Murphys in Johnson County, Nebraska ~ let’s work on filling in some blanks. My email is over at the right so please get in touch. John ~ thanks for your comment I emailed you directly and would love to hear from you!

Organization

• March & April ~ I am continuing to organize my digital materials (photographs, census images, images saved in my Ancestry Shoebox, images saved from Genline of Sweden, images from DigitalArchives of Norway, and county and town research and images downloaded from Irish websites as well as all my Newfoundland research). Now that I have a system in place it is a process of working on this a bit each day ~ this is an ongoing project but I do see light at the end of the organization tunnel!

Blogging

• April ~ I need to get back on board with Amy Coffin’s 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy. I need to finish my blog post about my grandfather Ernest William Lidman. I need to blog on a weekly basis ~ remember the Nike mantra ~ just do it!

Education

• March ~ There were lots of webinars to choose from in March and I attended the following:
• Introduction to Irish American Catholic Records with Michael Brophy on March 3 ~ This was a interesting presentation, with lots of insights and some tips to help me get farther with my Irish American research.
• 1940 Census with Thomas MacEntee on March 7 ~ A nice preparation webinar and he answered many questions to help us prepare for the census release.
• Using the Census Tool in Legacy with Geoff Rasmussen on March 9 ~ Thank you for this great tool and for the quick and responsive updates, you made my preparation so much easier!
• Using US Federal Records to Locate the Towns of Your Irish Ancestors with Donna Moughty on March 12 ~ An excellent presentation and I got lots of helpful tips to help me dig a little deeper with my brickwall Irish families.
• How to Use a Blog for a Research Log with Drew Smith on Mar 19 ~ This was a disappointing webinar from a usually reliable presenter. Drew discussed blogs in detail but it was clearly for beginners. There was no serious discussion of the research log aspect listed in the webinar title and which is why I (and others) attended the webinar. 
• Tips & Tricks for Webinar Presenters with Thomas MacEntee on Mar 21 ~ Thomas does a good job and this webinar was helpful to understanding how the process works (or rather should work) and is a real must watch for anyone planning on giving presentations.
• Digital Writing & Genealogy with Lisa Alzo on March 30 ~ Lisa always does a great job and this webinar was no exception. Some really helpful tips and plenty of great examples.
• April ~ It has all been about the 1940 Census Release but there are also some additional subjects out there for webinars.
• I attended 4 of 5 days of DearMyrtle’s roundup of all things Census (missed Thursday’s webinar but listened to it after the fact).  These were all-around great and very useful. We received some terrific best practices tips from all the major players.
• I plan to attend the following webinars during the remainder of April:
• Going Digital with Josh Taylor on April 10
• Genealogy on the Go – the Families App with Malcolm Green on April 11 (through Legacy)
• Using Legacy Family Tree to Support Family Groups/Associations with Geoff Rasmussen on April 14 (through Legacy)
• Reverse Genealogy: Finding the Living with Megan Smolenyak (through Legacy)

Giving Back

• I signed up as a 1940 Ambassador.
• March ~ I signed up to index the 1940 census when available, indexed the practice census sheet and watched the FamilySearch presentations so I would be ready to go when the census pages were uploaded and available.
• April ~ During the past week, I indexed census pages from Delaware, Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota and Oregon (I have indexed 1120 names and have a 98% accuracy rating ~ thanks to those enumerators who printed or had good penmanship). It is interesting and fun. More importantly, if we all volunteer we will have an index up and available for researchers and genealogists. It is a nice way to give back and thank those who indexed the previous censuses I have relied upon to find my families! I plan to index 3 batches each day (120 names) first thing in the morning. Are you signed up and indexing? If not, why not give it a try.

Onward and upward ~ I need to stay on track to reach my 2012 goals. If the first week is any indication, April is going to be a big and busy genealogy month!  What have you been up to? Any great finds? If you recognize any of the surnames and/or locations mentioned here, please contact me. Cheers!

Tuesday's Tip ~ Blogging ~ It Does A Genealogist Good!

A blog post, a Google search, some emails, and we have blast off 
(hopefully through that brick wall)!

Last week I had the great good fortune of connecting with a previously unknown relative (my second cousin once removed) ~ all thanks to the Internet.  I wanted to share the story with you and hopefully motivate you to make use of technology and get out there and blog!




Digital Photo by Filomena Scalise



• Last Sunday I received an email asking me about some family members who were listed as my relations on this blog (my monthly roll call for birthdays and anniversaries).  He mentioned some other relatives and asked if I had a listing for them. 
• That afternoon I responded with a few screenshots (using the Microsoft Snipping Tool) of my Legacy Family Tree database program showing our common ancestor and his family as well as my family.  I asked if the screenshots confirmed his information and waited to hear back.  
• On Monday he responded by confirming our "connection" and providing me with some more current family information and telling me his family remained in Nebraska.
• On Tuesday I responded by sharing some of my more current family information and also giving him a summary of information about the family members who moved from Nebraska to Washington.  I also asked him if he knew anything about where our original family in Ireland was from as well as possibly exchanging additional information. 
• He responded by sharing some more about his family and telling me ~
• "We still own land originally homesteaded by the Murphys in the 1870s." 
• He found my blog when he did a search of his name - which brought up not his name (living people consideration) but related deceased family as well as the particular towns and counties in Nebraska. 
• He shared more about family members who moved from Nebraska to Utah and Oregon 
• He mentioned that many Murphy family ancestors are buried in the town cemetery and that he was willing to check them out for me when the weather improved. 
• He offered to work on some dates and names and look up some addresses for me.
• On Wednesday (after checking out the FamilySearch Wiki, Wikipedia, NARA and the Nebraska Historical Society websites), I followed up on the "homestead" issue.  The sites mentioned that the original paperwork might provide some insight into James Murphy's place of birth, immigration and naturalization, all items that I have not been able to find.
• He responded by providing me the legal description of the land that his family owns and offering to check his title abstract!  He also informed me that certain of the families in our collective past were awarded Pioneer Farm Family Awards by AK-SAR-BEN.
• After googling AK-SAR-BEN (Nebraska spelled backwards) I found out about the Knights of AK-SAR-BEN Foundation and their various agricultural and civic deeds.
• On Thursday I offered to work with my genealogy database to prepare a report with the information I have entered to-date for his and other family members' review and comment (my work in progress).  What a great opportunity to fill in some blanks, confirm or dispute information, add to my knowledge of the family and hopefully gain lots more information and stories about our extended family.
• Later that same day, he sent me the first page of the title abstract for the property which lists:
• the legal description of the land;
• the original entry between the USA government and our original Ireland to America ancestor James Murphy dated in 1872 listing the land records office and the registration information; and
• the patent between the USA government (by President U.S. Grant) and James Murphy dated in 1873 listing the Act of Congress and the homestead certificate number.
• I went to the NARA site and downloaded the National Archives Order for Copies of Land Entry Files (Form 84).  The information required to acquire copies of the Entry Files consists of the following:
• Name of entry man
• State land located
• Approximate date of entry
• Legal description of the land by Section, Townland and Range
• Type of land entry
• Patent final certificate number
• Name of land office
• A completed NARA Form 84 plus $40 should provide me with the Entry File for James Murphy! The entire process can be done online and the processing time is between 60-90 days ~ what an unexpected gift!
• The abstract contained additional information regarding the land:
• James' oldest son later quit-claimed his interest in the farm to his mother ~ this was my great grandfather who later moved with his wife and young family to Washington.
• James' wife later quit-claimed her interest (except for dower rights) to her minor children ~ another way to identify and confirm family members and follow the land through the years.
• On Saturday I filled out the NARA form and sent a quick question to NARA about in person research versus online request for records.  I also worked on the draft family report which I plan to send off on to my Nebraska relative later today.
• This morning I received a response from George at NARA explaining the in person research process: 

 You are more than welcome to do land-entry research by visiting our facility on Pennsylvania Ave.
 Note that we prefer that records are requested in person and you are required to get a researcher's ID before we pull records; the second can only be done in person.
 We also have set time for retrieving records, at 10:00, 11:00, 1:30 and 2:30 five days a week, with an additional pull time of 3:30 Wed-Fri.  For the first visit we recommend that researchers show up at least 45 minutes before one of the pull times.
 Our research room is also open late Wed.-Fri. and is open from 9:00-5:00 on Saturdays (though there are currently no Saturday pulls).
 The cost for using our copiers in person is twenty-five cents a page, though digital photography is allowed in the research room.
 If you have any further questions fill free to ask.

• Since I have the choice and can easily travel to Washington, D.C., I may just make the trip to see the file in person.  Whether online or in person ~ what a difference a week makes!

~Five Final Thoughts ~





Digital Photo by Salvatore Vuono

 

1. Blog, Blog, Blog ~ Put some information about family members online.  My monthly blog roll lists birthdays and anniversaries of family members together with dates, RINs and MRINs (all from by genealogy database program).
2. Have an email address or account so people who visit your blog can get in touch with you.
3. Correspond with people who visit your blog ~ you may find some family, they may have information which will break down brick walls, and you will be able to do the genealogy happy dance! 
4. The Internet can open doors ~ I researched online with the Nebraska Historical Society, FamilySearch Wiki, NARA; all provided lots of information and additional links for:
• the history of the State as well as towns in Johnson County, Nebraska;
• migration routes between New York and Nebraska (and onward to Washington);
• record types at the Nebraska Historical Society;
• property records in Nebraska;
• land records research at NARA and the history of the Homestead Act of 1862;
• USGenWeb school, marriage and cemetery abstracts and transcripts for Johnson County, Nebraska; and
• a catalog of early Nebraska newspaper obituaries through O'Bits of Nebraska.
5. A road trip to Nebraska is definitely on my agenda ~ an opportunity to connect with family, see the original homestead, learn more of our history, hopefully get some stories and the opportunity to scan documents and photographs.

So, what are you waiting for?  Place some information online, share your family stories and find some additional family members.  Slainte!

Motivation Monday - Research Plans

We have all heard it before ~ in order to really focus on our research we should write up and use Research Plans.  In addition, we need to take that Research Plan and focus our research on that particular issue and not meander online or get distracted by ancillary research. 

A few points to consider:

• Think of a research question you want to answer;
• Write up the research question and your plan for answering the question;
• Consider the types of research (online and bricks & mortar) you need to conduct to answer the question;
• Set a time limit for conducting the research (use your genealogy database program to-dos or your genealogy calendar) and set benchmarks;
• A great blog entry I read on Clue Wagon was about spending 4 hours of time researching a particular person ~ check it out.
• After researching your question, write up your results and next steps in a Research Report.
• Give your Research Plan and Research Report to a genealogist friend to review (and offer to do the same for your friend); and
• Hopefully you will gain some insight into your research question (or solve it!) and you will continue to gain more experience by really focusing on your research.

I belong to one of the current ProGen Study Groups and January's assignment was to draft a Research Plan (assignments are turned in monthly and critiqued by other members of the Study Group as well as discussed during our monthly online chat).  Thanks to a member of my Study Group who was on the ball and turned in her assignment early (thank you Micki), I had an opportunity to read and use (as a template) her rather excellent Research Plan.

The research problem I chose was "to find the marriage date and place for my great great grandparents ~ Michael Daniel O'Murphy and Honora Agnes Butler."  According to information provided by their youngest granddaughter, the couple met and married in New York City in 1861.  Nice story, but I don't have any primary source information to support this "fact." 

Their published obituaries state that each was born in Ireland, each immigrated to the United States, they met and married in New York (although they list different wedding dates!) and the family bible entries list their first five children as born in New York City between 1861 and 1868.  Various later censuses show these children's birthplace as New York.  To-date I have not been able to find any immigration record or New York census record for either Michael or Honora (in the time period of 1840-1855). 

I have not spent much time on this family as we had birth, marriage and death dates and places from Murphy relatives for the more recent family (grandparents and great grandparents).  However, since I am now attempting to document the information I have received from family and do the necessary research to prove our family history and carry it back to Ireland, I need to learn more about Michael and Honora.  Writing up a Research Plan is one example of following through on my "work smarter not harder" genealogy goal for 2011.

These screenshots show the draft of my Research Plan, including "Known" Facts, Research Plan (lots of to-dos here!) and Summary of Findings (to be filled in once I conduct the research). 

I have done some research in Canadian, Norwegian and Swedish records, as well as records' research in Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, and Washington.  However, I have not done any research in New York records so I will need to read up on what is available and how to get to it. A terrific resource to start with is the FamilySearch Wiki for New York.  Why not check out your own "State of interest?"

Sounds like a good online research project during February and perhaps a research trip in the Spring.  Alternatively, if we share any of the above family members and you can shine any light on Michael and Honora's early years ~ I would love to hear from you!

SLIG 2011 ~ Irish Family History Research ~ Day 5

Friday morning ~ the last day of SLIG ~ we were in the home stretch as far as SLIG went and a quick check of the schedule showed we were in for a big time!  David Rencher was giving three of the lectures and Tom Jones was going to share how he reconstructed a lineage from Irish records fragments ~ this was going to be one busy day.

• Irish Poor Law System
• Rencher explained the Poor Relief Act of 1838 and how the system worked in practice.  In the back of my mind I  was aware that one of the jurisdictions referenced in Irish records was the Poor Law Union (PLU).  I was not aware of what it meant, how it worked, and the effect of the PLU on our ancestors. 
• This lecture served as another example of how important it is to immerse yourself in the history and culture of the area you research.
• The Act was modeled after the English version of the Act and was administered through the Church of Ireland parishes.
• The purpose of the Act was to "provide for" the poor and destitute by setting up a tax system on land occupiers, building local workhouses, interviewing the poor as to their need, placing them in workhouses, arranging for their removal (either from a parish or from the Country), and keeping track of them.
• During this time period (1830s-1860s) several famines and droughts hit Ireland.  The English government's corresponding decisions, actions and failure to act devastated the Irish population and affected Ireland for generations to come.  An excellent (thoroughly researched, heavily sourced and unflinchingly brutal) book in this regard is The Great Hunger by Cecil Woodham-Smith (follow the link to find it at a library near you).
• Since this course was for genealogists and its purpose was to provide sources for Irish family history research, Rencher only mentioned in passing the fact and results of the famine.  I direct genealogists/researchers to the following websites because I believe a study of the history of this appalling event is crucial to understanding its effect on the Irish people (to the present day).
• Check out Dr. William Rogers' course outline for the Great Hunger at Drew University ~ his course reading list and introduction are quite informative.
• The Wikipedia article on The Great Hunger gives an excellent outline of the causes and effects of this tragedy (be sure to check the accompanying notes and bibliography).
• Quinniplac University's The Great Hunger website provides an excellent introduction to its amazing collection of famine related items (workhouse minutes, parliamentary papers, books, photos, and art).   
• Records were maintained so research in your particular townland should give you a fuller picture of your ancestor's time and circumstances (whether your ancestor appears in the records or not).
• Rencher discussed in detail the possible classes of records and where they could be located:
• Pre-1838 Records ~
• Vestry Minute Books
• Bastardy Bonds
• Pew Schedule/Assignments
• Examinations
• Post-1838 Records (as the system became more institutionalized) ~
• Board of Guardian Minute Books
• Admission Books
• Dismission Books
• Locating the Records
• In Ireland, these records are deposited in the County library.  In Northern Ireland the records are at PRONI.  Rencher provided an appendix that listed the PLU records by Board of Guardian number, County and Repository.
• Rencher ended his lecture by telling us that all of the Irish were in some way affected by PLU from whatever side ~ I took that to mean whether your ancestors were landowners or tenants, city dwellers or rural dwellers, native Irish or transplanted Scots or English, church members or church administrators, families who experienced the workhouses, families removed from their land, individuals and families forced to emigrate, or families who remained.

• Irish Probate Records and Genealogical Collections
• Rencher reminded us that, as in all aspects of genealogy, an understanding of jurisdictions is key to Irish probate records.  
• Rencher discussed the history of Irish probate law and discussed in detail the types of records to be found.
• Wills
• Administrations
• Grant Books
• Day Books
• Inventories
• Rencher discussed the use of original indexes to probate court records  and pointed out the the FHL has an excellent microfilm collection of many probate indexes.
• Many original probate records (say it with me now ...) were destroyed in the Four Courts explosion and subsequent fire of 1922.  However, as is often the case, abstracts or transcripts may exist.  Additionally many wills are registered in the Registry of Deeds in Dublin.  Finally, if an individual had property in other places in addition to Ireland, records would have been maintained in those additional places (think England and Scotland).
• A large portion of the lecture was devoted to a discussion of sources of Irish probate records including:
• Transcript Collections (over 20 collections were detailed and discussed)
• Pedigrees
• Two specific items to check (if your ancestors had probates) are the Prerogative Will Index and the Diocese Index.
• Rencher also suggested checking out the Irish Genealogical Society International (IGSI) website which has an excellent online catalog and quarterly journal. Rencher even had copies of previous IGSI journals that he passed out ~ yeah a free gift!
• Rencher provided an extensive bibliography as well as appendices listing the pre- and post-1858 probate jurisdictions.  Two books suggested that provide an overview of Irish probate records are:
• ffolliott, Rosemary "Wills and Administrations A Prime Source for Family Research," in Irish Genealogy - A Record Finder, Donel Begley, editor. Dublin: Heraldic Artists, Ltd., 1981.
• Greham, John. Tracing Your Irish Ancestors, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc. 2006.
• As always, be sure to check out the FHL catalog for a wealth of probate records available to researchers right here at home (before you make the trip to Ireland).

• Methodology for Reconstructing Lineages from Irish Record Fragments
• If you have not had an opportunity to attend a lecture by Thomas W. Jones ~ try to find one!  He is an amazing speaker and after you listen to him noodle through a genealogical problem you will come away with a new appreciation for the research process done right!
• Of course the underlying theme of any Jones lecture is that lineages can be reconstructed.  However, there are four requirements to do the research accurately and thoroughly:
• persistence
• organization
• extensive research
• systematic analysis
• Jones walked us through his personal research on the Geddes men in County Tyrone, Ireland.  He discussed in detail the steps required to reconstruct a lineage ~
• Conduct an Exhaustive Search
• go from the known to the unknown ~ think "big picture" broad search, do not limit your time period, add years on either end
• make sure you include all name variants
• do cluster research
• search all known surviving records
• extract all information  ~ cast a wide net
• Correlate the Findings
• use tables or spreadsheets to be able to manipulate your data
• Establish Identities
• look for similarities
• look for differences ~ you can't afford to be a lazy or complacent researcher
• Group Identities into Generation
• use chronology ~ look for math errors and locations too far to make sense
• Propose Relationships
• determine family and extended family relationships ~ land records and probates are especially helpful for identifying members but also consider name lists
• consider naming patters
• consider location
• remember to include your negative evidence
• Use the Genealogical Proof Standard to Justify Your Conclusion
• a reasonably exhaustive search
• complete and accurate source citations
• analysis and correlating evidence from each applicable source
• resolve conflicting evidence
• explain your proof conclusion
• Jones gave an excellent (of course) bibliography to assist us in learning about the process and methodology he covered in his lecture.
• He also supplied us with one of his spreadsheets so we could follow along with his analysis of the Geddes' men.
• Jones' lectures are always so packed with information that you just need to sit back, listen and follow along.  Thankfully he provided us with great written materials to review. 

• Preparing for a Family History Experience in Ireland
• Rencher returned for what was billed to be the last lecture of the day (and the course) and it was a a relaxed discussion of preparing for a trip "across the pond."
• Rencher outlined the most important aspect of planning a trip to Ireland ~ What do you hope to accomplish?
• Identify place (where your ancestors lived)
• Identify people (are there siblings, parents who stayed or living relatives today to meet up with)
• Research pedigrees
• Visit your homeland and take in the history and culture of the area
• For each of the above objectives, Rencher outlined the plan to accomplish that goal.
• He reminded us to be realistic about what we can accomplish, how to accomplish it, and the amount of time and effort to accomplish our objectives.
• Planning a trip requires time and effort and includes "doing your homework" in regard to transportation, accommodations, travel guides, research facilities, opportunities to relax and take in the sights.
• Rencher pointed out that group research travel is an option ~ someone to guide you with your research in a new place is always helpful.
• He also reminded us to have a "Plan B" (you have heard of Murphy's Law haven't you?)  and realize that you will not accomplish everything in one trip (I haven't even done that with local research).
• If you are realistic in the planning stages, you will know what to expect and have a better time ~ Rencher's parting words were to "have fun."

• Review & Questions
• Ouimette returned to close out the course and answer any remaining questions.  Not to be outdone by Rencher's gift of previous IGSI journals, Ouimette stepped it up and brought parting gifts (what a great guy!).
• His handout entitled The Irish Collection at the Family History Library ~ Ouimette also discussed the handout in detail (really an additional bonus lecture ~ notes below)
• Ouimette began by telling us that the FHL has the largest and most comprehensive collection of Irish genealogy in the world.  He then spent the next hour outlining the collection (and proving his claim)!
• He discussed the ten most significant records collections available at the FHL.  While I was aware of certain of the records, until this course I was unaware of the importance of a few of them.
• Canceled land books, 1850s-1920s
• Townland and tenement valuation  manuscripts, 1830-1864
• Registry of Deeds, 1708-1929
• Ouimette discussed the catalogue system at the FHL and set out how the Irish collection is cataloged by topic ~ over 75 topics were provided in our written materials.
• The key point of this lecture (yes an added bonus lecture ~ like an additional music track) was to really make us think about all the possible record types/topics that need to be consulted in order to find documentation regarding our ancestors.
• Ouimette did an excellent job of discussing how to find the major records in the FHL catalog.  Keep in mind that records are catalogued by author, title, subject and locality so there are many paths to follow to find the records.
• Ouimette pointed out that Irish records can be difficult to locate at the FHL because "most original manuscript collections are not conveniently arranged by civil parish." That said, Ouimette then suggested how we could make our searches accurate, thorough and (hopefully) successful.
• Check out Ouimette's book Finding Your Irish Ancestors: A Beginner's Guide at page 143 for a table explaining Irish sources at the FHL.  
• Ouimette reminded us to continue to check out two online resources:
• FamilySearch.org's Record Search pilot where many Irish records are being indexed and are searchable online and 
• Irish Research Wiki at FamilySearch.org which has a wealth of Irish content and research guidance.
• Finally to whet our appetite for all research Irish, Ouimette discussed the large amount of records on microfilm as well as materials that have been scanned but not yet catalogued in the FHL Catalog.  So much material, so little time!
• Ouimette provided us with a one page sheet Research Methodologies for Tracing Irish Immigrants ~ giving us another reminder of the importance of the Genealogical Proof Standard!
• But that's not all folks ~ he also gave us a one page sheet Irish Given Names and Surnames with scads of variants to open our minds to all the possibilities out there for names.
• He gave us a really nice laminated brochure from Failte Ireland Tracing Your Ancestors in Ireland.  If you get a chance, try to locate one of these (a really nice and helpful 6-page summary of all things Irish genealogy).




The front cover of the brochure

 




The back cover of the brochure


It definitely appears there is a wealth of materials available to assist us in our research ~ with our questions answered and our course evaluations filled out, it was time to close out our Irish Family History Research Course ~ Slainte!

SLIG 2011 ~ Irish Family History Research ~ Day 4

With the religious and civil registration records out the way, we set our sights on census and land records. By Day 4 the group was dragging a bit ~ I think many of us spent part of our evenings checking out the records discussed during the day ~ just a bit of "records overload."  I'm glad the FHL closes at 9:00 pm each evening so we can get some sleep before another day of lectures!

• Irish Census and Census Substitutes
• Ouimette began the day by summarizing the history of the national censuses in Ireland.  Surprisingly enough although several censuses have been taken, far fewer have been kept!
• Nominal censuses of 1821, 1831, 1841 and 1851 were accidentally destroyed.
• Nominal censuses of 1861, 1871, 1881 and 1891 were intentionally destroyed.
• Nominal censuses of 1901 and 1911 are available to researchers .
• Later censuses are currently closed to the public.
• Fragments and, in some instances, transcriptions exist for some of the "destroyed" censuses.
• Ouimette suggested that we keep in mind that historians and researchers at the time did the same things we do today ~ review documents and abstract, transcribe and/or copy them.  Sometimes these abstracts and transcriptions are found in estate records, libraries and archives.
• When censuses are unavailable (due to destruction) researchers need to work with census substitutes.  In this instance, Ireland has a number of census substitutes, including:
• Tithe Applotment Books 1823-1828
• Griffith's Valuation 1848-1864
• Cancelled Land Books 1850s-mid 1900s
• I had not heard of cancelled land books before and it is worth you while to check out the FamilySearch wiki on this topic to learn more about them.
• Local Censuses and Name Lists
• Directories
• School Registers
• Ouimette commented that it is necessary to take a "big picture approach" to finding out about our ancestors ~ if they did not own land, they oftentimes worked land as tenants and records exist; children attended school; individuals and businesses appeared in directories; local and church censuses were conducted ~ keep an open mind about the types of records available during your ancestor's time.
• The FHL microfilmed the 1901 and 1911 censuses.  They are also online at the National Archives of Ireland. 
• Be sure to check out the books mentioned in the Day 1 blog entry as they provide excellent background information to the censuses and census substitutes.
• Additionally the Tracing Your (County) Ancestors series by Flyleaf Press (one for each County) offer suggestions for census substitutes available by locality.

• Methodology for Interpreting and Evaluating Name Lists
• Rencher explained the use of Name Lists in genealogical research.  Name lists include things like voting lists, tax rolls, school registers, church records, militia records ~ just think of the types of lists we are all on today and you will get the idea.  Rencher discussed in detail the important points to keep in mind when searching these lists: 
• What was the purpose of the list;
• Who prepared the list;
• What type of information was taken; and
• What does the list (or record) tell us
• Rencher reminded us that oftentimes what we find in our research is an index to or a transcript of a Name List.  We need to use the index or transcript as a finding aid and take the next step to locate the original. 
• Finally we need to evaluate the Name Lists ~ we need to follow these lists through time and perhaps we will be able to link individuals and/or families. 
• While it is important to find records, Rencher reminded us that it is more important to analyze what we have found and see if it helps us solve our genealogy puzzles.
• The class got to put into practice what we learned by working with a couple of name lists and answering questions ~ it was a great way to apply our new found knowledge and I learned a little something about Hearth Money Rolls and Householders Lists! 
• Rencher provided us with a one page sheet entitled "Ireland Checklist of Census Substitutes."    Rencher told me that he plans to add this to the FamilySearch wiki for Irish research and mentioned that I could post it to my blog (coming soon).   Be sure to check it out ~ there are several classes of records I had not heard of before!  

• Land Valuation Records
• Since one of the most important classes of records in Irish research is land records, Ouimette devoted the next hour to a detailed discussion of the four main records:
• Tithe Applotment Books 1823-1838
• Townland and Tenement Valuation Manuscripts 1830-1864
• Griffith's Valuation 1848-1864
• Cancelled Land Books 1850s-mid 1900s
• The importance of the Tithe Applotment Books is that these records list rural families in the years before the diaspora and serve as a substitute for the early censuses.  Be sure to read about the purpose and execution of these records.
• In order to prepare Griffith's Valuation, preliminary surveying and valuating work was done (and recorded) on each property in Ireland.  These Valuation Manuscripts provide a wealth of information.  Ouimette discussed the records in detail and identified where the records are maintained.  Added bonus ~ GSU microfilmed thousands of these books and they are at the FHL!
• Griffith's Valuation is a listing of all householders and landholders in Ireland at a particular point in time.  Supplements and updates to Griffith's have been published.  Keep in mind that this information is a snapshot which should be viewed in conjunction with the other land records information discussed.
• Cancelled Land Books are basically the records since Griffith's Valuation (if you do any Norwegian research, it is a bit similar in idea to the farmbooks in that the original information was taken down and updated over time on the basis of the property rather than the person).  This is a great and often overlooked source of information.
• When did a family move into an area?
• When did a family move out of an area?
• When did a family emigrate?
• Who are the surrounding (cluster) families in the area?
• Who is the major landowner in the area? ~ Perhaps there are estate papers somewhere!
• Yet again the FHL has microfilms for most localities .  The originals are located at the Valuation Office in Dublin or at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland in Belfast ~ is there a research trip in your future?
• Ouimette reminded us to make use of the Ordnance Survey maps.  The historical maps are quite detailed, correlate with the time frame of the land records discussed in the lecture, and best of all ~ are available online.  

• Estate, Land, and Property Records
• I did not think I would get much out of this lecture as my ancestors were most probably tenant farmers in Ireland (or the children of tenant farmers).  Rencher surprised me at the start of his lecture by stating that "estate records are among the best sources for documenting the poorer classes in Ireland." Then he proceeded to walk us through the key points:
• Various types of estates existed in Ireland
• landed estates
• crown estate
• encumbered estates (the effect of foreclosure (it's not new!) due to various depressions)
• The types of records maintained and relating to the estate
• by the landowner
• by the governing and taxing bodies
• leases on the property
• identification of landowners
• Availability of records - Rencher told us that the best way to determine if records existed for our locality was to check out the Manuscript Sources for the History of Irish Civilisation.  He mentioned that these records can be researched by locality.
• Rencher gave us tips and additional resources for finding estate, land and property records.
• He mentioned that only ten percent of the population is represented in the Registry of the Deeds.  This is one area of land records research that is quite different from American research.  It pays to spend some time learning the terminology and history of land records research in Ireland.

Four days down and one to go ~ we had learned so much but I felt I was reaching that tipping point!  Time for some fresh air, a long walk, and some caffeine.


Digital Photo by Simon Howden



SLIG 2011 ~ Irish Family History Research ~ Day 3

Taking a look at the schedule for Wednesday I knew I was going to get some religion ~ Irish Church records were front and center for three of the four lectures! 

(Digital Photo by Simon Howden)

Some general notes ~ An important point to be aware of is that there is a difference between civil and religious parishes in Ireland and that the Catholic parishes/dioceses and Church of Ireland parishes/dioceses are separate and do not overlap. 

• Be sure to check the FamilySearch wiki for your ancestor's County in Ireland to learn more about these jurisdictions and their particular locations in detail. 
• Be sure to take a look at local County research guides (published as a series) as they provide an interesting and informative overview of the history and culture for your particular area.

• Catholic Church Records
• Ouimette provided an excellent overview of the Roman Catholic Church in Irish history and culture.  We had an abbreviated history lesson starting with St. Patrick and moving in greater detail from 1541 through the 1870s.  
• The Roman Catholic Church has flourished in Ireland even in the face of (and perhaps in direct contravention to) English rule and religious persecution.  It is imperative to understand the political and cultural history of Ireland to truly understand our ancestors.
• Roman Catholic records were maintained on the parish level and registers were regularly kept for births/baptisms and marriages.  It was less common to have death/burial registers.  The Catholic parishes did not consider their records "public records" and did not forward them to Dublin and/or they only sent copies while maintaining the originals. 
• Ouimette laid out the types of records to be found and how to identify your ancestor's Catholic parish.
• Keep in mind that Latin was the "lingua franca" of the Church and oftentimes records will contain some written Latin.  Ouimette provided us with several of the standard terms and the FamilySearch wiki has an excellent table laying out words and terms that may be found in various registers.
• Original parish registers continue to be held on the parish level and microfilm copies of certain of the registers are available at the National Library of Ireland in Dublin. 
• Approximately one-third of the NLI microfilms are available at the FHL.
• Ouimette also suggested that County Heritage Centres (some better than others) have indexes available online.

• Church of Ireland Records
• Rencher took over at this point to give us an overview of the Church of Ireland's place in Irish history and the status of its records.
• Rencher provided a timeline of important historical dates as well as a summary of the records maintained by the Church of Ireland (COI).
• Although many of the COI's registers were destroyed in the Public Records Office explosion and fire of 1922, substitutes as well as some indexes to these records are available and Rencher provided suggestions on additional avenues of research.  
• Rencher provided two great charts (I like color!) laying out the schematic history of the COI diocesan organization both historically and today.  These charts were quite helpful in understanding the administrative strucure of the COI.
• In addition to birth, marriage and burial records, other COI records exist and were summarized as follows:
• Vestry Minutes
• Bastardy Bonds
• Pew Schedules/Assignments
• Parish Deeds
• Be sure to search out published Parish histories and registers.
• A key point Rencher made was that oftentimes pre-1922 records had been extracted and/or indexed and this is another avenue of records to be researched.
• He provided an excellent bibliography and an appendix showing a map of COI dioceses.
• Finally, it is important to remember that due to persecution of Catholics and the fact that COI was the established State church, no matter your ancestor's religion, you should always check COI records.

• Presbyterian Church Records
• Dean Hunter returned to provide an overview of the Presbyterian Church records in Ireland.
• The Presbyterian Church was the dominant church in Ulster as its adherents were the Scottish who arrived in the North of Ireland under the English plantation scheme.
• Hunter provided a background of the types of records to be found as well as their locations in Belfast.
• He suggested that preliminary research be conducted online through the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI).
• Additionally he provided a lengthy bibliography to assist researchers looking into Presbyterian records.

• Irish Civil Registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths
• Ouimette was back to outline the standard vital records research as it applies to Ireland. He provided a history of civil registration in Ireland and put it an the timeframe that it may be applicable to our ancestors.
• He outlined the types of records available:
• Original manuscripts
• Published indexes
• Microfilm copies maintained at the FHL
• Digitized images and searchable indexes
• Birth Registers
• Marriage Registers
• Death Registers
• Ouimette explained how to acquire copies of entries from the various registers and how to use the registers as a "springboard" to other records.
• He advised that you should always learn why a record was created ~ it is important to gain an understanding of what things you should be looking for in a record, who might have copies of it, and how it was used.
• We have to know the jurisdiction(s) we should be looking in for the record (as well as surrounding jurisdictions).
• Always use a year range and surname variants in your research ~ keep an open mind as far as dates and spelling go because it was not important to our ancestors and it was only more recently standardized.
• Keep in mind that indexes and registers are not perfect and sometimes very good reasons existed for "errors" in dates.
• As an example after registration was mandated by law, penalties were levied for late registration.  People often used dates that complied with their later reporting dates and did not trigger a fine.
• Be sure to look not only in national registers but also local registers.
• Indexes for many Irish civil registrations are now online at FamilySearch.org. 

I had always heard that there is a dearth of Irish records for the genealogist but after today's sessions I came away more aware of the wealth of records that are out there.  It does seem to be a more involved process to find them and acquire the birth, marriage and death information of my ancestors.  Since I enjoy puzzles and like the thrill of the hunt, today's sessions gave me some ideas on where to start my search.