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Always Check FamilySearch

6 Aug By

I read a blog recently that was discussing some old records at an archive, which were being restored so researchers can continue to use them. I was puzzled. Then I read the responses to the blog from subscribers stating how wonderful it would be to have these records available. Some stated the records might help them solve difficult research problems. I was puzzled again.

I was Puzzled

Why was I puzzled? The reason was these records have been on microfilm at the Family History Library, in Salt Lake City, since 1976! Always, consult the FamilySearch Catalog to see if the records you want are there. Often blogs touting a new index or records are now available, have missed the fact that these documents have been accessible for decades.

Perhaps the reason for this is many people do not use or even know about FamilySearch. As a non-profit, it is not commercially advertised nor in the public’s awareness. Yet, it is the second largest online genealogy collection. The Family History Library, as a research center, remains the world’s largest genealogy repository of books, periodicals, microfilm, microfiche and digitized images.

Always Question Blogs

If you ever have a question as to whether something is available, look at the FamilySearch Catalog. You can consult the various record keeping jurisdictions for a locality such as country, state/province, county, town and parish level. If you still don’t find what you are searching for use the Keyword Search or Title Search. This library’s collections are so vast, that often maneuvering through the FamilySearch Catalog becomes part of the research process itself.

So next time something is posted as being new and wonderful, second guess it and go straight to FamilySearch. You may find that the blog could be incorrect, but you have just been handed information about a record source that is already available to you.

If you would like help with your genealogy please call 385-214-0925.

Cemetery Databases Online

22 Jul By

Genealogists have created some amazing printed cemetery transcripts. However, what if your cemetery of interest has not been transcribed, indexed and published? Often an Internet search will provide a transcription of the tombstones or the burial registers online. These can also be amazing but what if the cemetery transcript cannot be found through a simple Internet search?

Question Database Contents

I begin my search in three major websites dedicated to tombstone research. I use Interment.net, Find A Grave, and BillionGraves. These are remarkable websites, and can act as a launching point for deeper research efforts. However, be aware you still may not find what you are seeking. Even when you do there are some hard and fast questions you need to ask.

  • Have all the tombstones been transcribed in the cemetery? Often these databases are partial listings.
  • Was all the information from the tombstone included in the extract? It’s difficult to judge without seeing the stone.
  • Is there a picture to accompany the transcript? Where available on these websites, they can be especially helpful.

Contacting Cemeteries

In cemeteries that have section, lot and plot numbers, you can contact the cemetery itself and see if any other information exists or if they can provide a picture of the tombstone. I have discovered that it is important to always offer a donation if there is no charge. The staff is going out of their way to answer genealogy requests, which takes them away from their pressing duties of operating a cemetery and dealing with bereaving families.

In urban cemeteries it is common for many people to be buried in one plot, but possibly only one or two tombstones were ever erected. With the grave coordinates the cemetery staff should be able to tell you if anybody else is buried in the plot. These could be relatives or friends from Ireland. Then again, they could have no connection other than someone bought space in the plot for a needed burial.

Cemetery research can be as wild as it is fascinating. It can reveal much about our ancestors and the community in which they lived and died.

If you would like help with your genealogy please call 385-214-0925.

Plunging the Depths of Your Presbyterian Ancestors

11 Jul By

Why do people do what they do? In a staunch religious family, the reasons often have to do with their beliefs. Not only does faith in a particular set of doctrines inform the believer, but it shapes their worldview. This is especially powerful if that belief is considered unique truth.

In the case of our Presbyterian ancestors, they were shaped by a specific interpretation of the Bible. They saw themselves as a chosen Covenant People with a special mission.

The Calvinist Family Tree

The Calvinist branch of Protestantism consist of many regional and cultural expressions. These include Presbyterian (Scottish and Scots-Irish), Reformed (Dutch, German, Hungarian), and Congregational (English Puritans). In some parts, Calvinism became mixed into various Baptist, Methodist and evangelical groups. By understanding their belief system, we can grasp who Calvinists were and how their beliefs played a part in forming their family histories. This is especially important if you are writing a family history. You will want to get all the facts correct!

Calvinist Systematic Theology Works

Below you will find my favorite hard-core Calvinist theological reference books. Keep in mind theology informs culture just as much as culture informs theology. So emphasis do change over the centuries in the interpretation of practice and belief. My list will detail systematic theology books, which give all the details! Any of the works below are worth your investment.

There is cross over between Calvinist and Baptist-Calvinist theological works. I am limiting my bibliography to one-volume Calvinist systematic theology works. Whether a theological work is Presbyterian, Reformed or Puritan (Congregational) in background, all have solid information. The books below will provide you with answers to questions and by default will give insight into your ancestors in areas such as baptism, Covenant Theology, church administration, the family, marriage, communion, and the core Calvinist worldview.

Bibliography of Calvinist Systematic Theologies

Bavinck, Herman and John Bolt, ed. Reformed Dogmatics: Abridged in One Volume (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academics, 2011). This is an abridgement of Herman Bavinck’s (1854-1921) massive four volume work written in The Netherlands and considered by many to be the one of the most important Reformed theological works of the twentieth century. The editor, Dr. Bolt, is professor of systematic theology at Calvin Theological Seminary.

Beeke, Joel R., Living for God’s Glory: An Introduction to Calvinism (Orlando, Florida: Reformation Trust, 2008). This work outlines the very heart of Calvinism for the modern reader. Dr. Beeke is president and professor of systematic theology and homiletics at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary and pastor in the Heritage Netherlands Reformed Congregation.

Beeke, Joel R. and Mark Jones, A Puritan Theology: Doctrine for Life (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Reformation Heritage Books, 2012). A groundbreaking treatment of English Puritan teachings. This work represents the most comprehensive exposition on English Puritan theology. Dr. Beeke is president at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary and Mark Jones is a minister in the Presbyterian Church in America.

Berkhof, Louis, Systematic Theology: New Combined Edition (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1996). Dr. Berkhof, was a Dutch-American theologian, and pastor in the Christian Reformed Church. He was a professor at Calvin Seminary and is one of the often quoted Calvinist theologians. This edition combines his classics Introductory Volume to Systematic Theology (1932) and Systematic Theology (1938).

Boice, James Montgomery, Foundations of the Christina Faith: A Comprehensive & Readable Theology (Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1986). Dr. Boice was pastor of the 10th Street Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. This work combines four of his theological books.

Frame, John M., Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief (Phillipsburg, New Jersey: P & R Publishing, 2013). Dr. Frame holds the J.D. Trimble Chair of Systematic Theology and Philosophy at Reformed Theological Seminary. An abridgement of his four volume systematic theology, this work is highly readable and understandable.

Horton, Michael, The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2010). Dr. Horton, is a pastor in the United Reformed Churches in North America, and Professor of Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Seminary California. In this award winning book, he wrote what some consider to be one of the most important contemporary Reformed systematic theology books.

Reymond, Robert L. 2d rev. ed. A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1998). Dr. Reymond, was former Dean of Faculty and Professor of Systematic Theology at Knox Theological Seminary. He was a minister in the Presbyterian Church in America. .

If you would like help with your genealogy please call 385-214-0925.

 

 

White Folk in the Colonial Food Chain

27 Jun By

The English Colonial records of North America and the Caribbean have unfamiliar terms referencing the European population. Confusion arises because we have no context for the lives of the population in the 1600s and 1700s.

This was a world where people were graded economically. Racism was based on social status, not skin color. The economy of colony and wealth building was graded from the few at the top to those in bondage at the bottom. Under this system, slaves (servants, apprentices) could be African, European, Native American or from the Indian Sub-Continent (called East India Indians).

Four Categories of Whites in Colonial North America

There were four main categories for the incoming Europeans, and will be found in court, land, and church registers. However, it is not always clear what is inferred. Just be aware that terminology changes by locality and time period.

  • White Freeman Who Owned Property: Is defined as a white male over 21 who owned real or personal property of a particular value. He was endorsed by a majority of other Freemen in the community. He had the right to vote and pay taxes.
  • White Freeman: A free male over 21, not bound, was considered a White Freeman. In the Southern colonies it was freed slaves or anyone who voted or paid taxes.
  • White Apprentices: A broad term applied to bondage, such as indentured servant, redemptioner, free-willer, and apprentices. Terms such as apprentice and servant, obscured what the terms of bondage may have really meant.
  • White Slave: This is a person who was bound to a master. Chattel slavery, which was for a lifetime, grew out of the indentured servant system. Slaves could be prisoners, religious or political dissidents, orphans or social outcasts. In the English colonies, African slavery would replace European slavery.

Whites could move up from one grade to the next one. For example, an indentured servant or slave can become a freeman and eventually a landed freeman owning slaves.

This was their world and their values. If you judge them by our standards, you may miss what a particular record is trying to convey.

If you would like help with your genealogy please call 385-214-0925.

 

 

 

The Syndicated Newspaper Article

19 Jun By

We are blessed to live in a time when newspapers are being scanned and, within reason, indexed. Although sometimes the indexing capacity is not as accurate or clear-cut as we would like, we still have to keep in mind the way we did research a decade ago!

I was working on a case where a murder was involved. This was in the late nineteenth century. It was a pretty bad one where the husband kills his wife and then disappears. When caught, he was tried and convicted. In my mind, that entire process from murder to conviction, spoke of a news worthy drama which would certainly make the local newspaper.

Consulting Historic Newspaper Websites

To say the least, I was disappointed when I discovered the newspaper I needed was not yet added to the collections on GenealogyBank or NewspaperArchive. However, I reasoned, there was potentially enough drama involved perhaps it was syndicated to other newspapers around the country.

I was exactly right. So taking those two main newspaper websites, I began plugging in familiar names and places as keywords in the search engines for the websites. Bingo! I found references to the murder, the manhunt and the eventual trail and conviction. It was syndicated in many newspapers around the country. Some of the states did not even border the one where the crime was committed.

Filling in the Gaps Through Syndicated Articles

Now with all the newspaper facts at my fingertips, I could begin to fill in and clarify the family lore. The information also opened up a broad range of sources. Did anybody hear me say “prison records?” Yes, one source leading to another.

Although I did not have access online to the newspaper I actually wanted; I was able to successfully substitute it with syndicated articles from other newspapers around the country. That makes for a good day in family history research!

If you would like help with your genealogy please call 385-214-0925.

Unveiling the Secret Society

13 Jun By

Sometimes we give up looking for records especially if they are not easily accessible on the computer. Below I will present how understanding the context of an organization can lead to all kinds of amazing finds. Once the context is understood then the records seems to fall into place. The example chosen is the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (HOGD), which included some very powerful and influential Irish members.

In the late nineteenth century, the HOGD arose as the most influential Western Occult organization in Great Britain. During this period, it was common for people to explore mysticism and occultism through various lodge-type organizations. Occult during this period simply meant hidden as opposed to apocalypse which meant revealed. The modern popular usage of “occult” as satanic or evil was not how members of these organizations understood their activities. They were simply seeking secret (hidden) knowledge.

The Context of the HOGD

Founded in 1888, the HOGD emerged out of the late nineteenth century occult revival. They were a secretive society. Their influence can still be felt under the surface of any number of New Age, and metaphysical groups.

Some of the more notable Irish members include Sarah Allgood (1879-1950), Irish stage actress and later film actress in America; Maud Gonne (1866-1853), revolutionary and actress; Bram Stoker (1847-1912), author of Dracula; John Todhunter (1839-1916), Irish poet and playwright; and W.B. Yeates (1865-1939), Irish poet and writer. Another, of Irish descent, was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), author of Sherlock Holmes, doctor, scientist and Spiritualist.

To understand the philosophies rooted in the old HOGD would be to indirectly understand more about your ancestors.

The HOGD as a Secret Society

HOGD was founded by three men who were Freemasons and members of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia. They created the Golden Dawn system. This magical lodge had initiations. Women were admitted as equals with men. Its foundation document was the Cipher Manuscripts which outlined the rituals and teachings merging Hermetic Qabalah, astrology, occult tarot, geomancy and alchemy. Members would progress through orders based upon the teachings they had completed.

The founders claimed to be in contact with the Secret Chiefs, who formed a cosmic spiritual hierarchy and oversaw the affairs of humanity. Thoughts about whether these Secret Chiefs were human, supernatural personages or simply symbolic representations seems to have varied among the membership.

Lodges were established in England, Scotland, France and the United States. Its high point was the mid-1890s when the HOGD was well established in Great Britain, drawing several hundred members from all classes in Victorian society. However, by the end of 1899, dissatisfaction with leadership arose, and in 1901 the original Isis-Urania Temple in London, founded in 1888, withdrew and became independent. Others would follow and splinter groups would be formed with the original HOGD imploding. No temples from the original chartered lineage survived past the 1970s. Several organizations have since revived the Golden Dawn teachings and rituals.

Early Membership

Because the HOGD attracted such influential people; researchers and historians have been fascinated with the organization. This is where academics have done the foundational research for the genealogist. There is no shortage of articles online or published about the HOGD, all of which will mention names.

Sally Davis is compiling biographies on the members of the HOGD. She draws from and expands on R.A. Gilbert’s The Golden Dawn Companion (Northampton: The Aquarian Press, 1986).

Gilbert lists members in the original HOGD or its many daughter Orders between 1888 and 1914. His HOGD membership list is taken from the administrative records and its Members’ Rolls. Basically it is a large parchment on which all new members signed their names when they were initiated. This information is now in the Freemasons’ Library at the United Grand Lodge of England. Records were kept by this secretive society and they are deposited in a major London repository. Davis’ additions tap into many records used by the average genealogist.

Conclusions about Secret Society Research

The HOGD seems to have been founded in the right place and at the right time. It collected the currents of late nineteenth century Victorian society. HOGD, academics and researchers have completed the legwork for the genealogist. The family historian, with a context for what the organization was all about, will be able to intelligently finish biographical sketches. Being able to document the HOGD early membership proves it wasn’t so secretive after all!

If you would like help with your genealogy please call 385-214-0925.

 

 

 

The Blended Family

26 May By

When studying a family unit in the census, it can be easy to miss a “blended family.” A blended family denotes his children, her children and, possibly, their children. Blended families can be obscure if civil or church marriages are incomplete,destroyed or non-existent in an area. They also may be uncertain when death records and tombstones are absent. Here are some tried and tested clues to consider:

  •  Among the Irish, a man could marry three times and all of his wives may be named Mary. Noting the ages of the various Marys or gaps in the children’s ages can provide more evidence.
  • Gaps in the ages of the children are a giveaway. However, historically there was a high rate of infant mortality, this can also explain gaps with no blended families involved.
  • Common-law marriages can conceal the presence of a blended marriage. This occurred with some regularity in bygone times. When it is not obvious, how do you know if you are looking at a blended family when the paper trail makes it look otherwise? Which children belong to whom?
  •  In the case of children from blended families, with what surname do you see them listed in the census schedules? They may all be under the stepfather’s surname, making it look like they are his biological children. If the father dies and the stepmother remarries, then his children may be under the name of her new husband. Be careful and never assume anything.
  •  If two children in the same family have the same first name, (ex. two Thomases or two Catherines) but a few years apart in age, this may be a clue to a blended family. One of the Thomas children may be a stepson.

While these principles may appear as common sense, it’s important to remember blended families can be complex. This is especially true when civil or church marriages are not evident. Happy hunting!

If you would like help with your genealogy please call 385-214-0925.

 

 

 

 

Index to Methodist Ministers

1 May By

The Methodist Church in Ireland spread rapidly after separating from the Church of Ireland in 1817-18. Methodists called for the individual to experience Jesus personally. This radical message in essence bypassed the professional clergy in the Anglican parishes throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Tracing Ministers

Pivotal to spreading the Methodist message were ministers who would preach to all classes in societies making no distinction. For this reason, the common people would find the message appealing, as it provided hope in often desperate circumstances.

If you have a Methodist minister in your family, you will be interested in the “Index to Methodist Ministers” database hosted by The University of Manchester library. The database covers 1819-1968. The source is “Ministers and Probationers who Have Died in the Work” which appeared in the back of the 1968 edition of Ministers and Probationers of the Methodist Church, printed by the Methodist Publishing House in London. A link from Ancestry.com under the database “UK, Methodist Ministers Death Index, 1800-1963” sends you to the Manchester database.

This serial was published periodically with updated ministerial lists in each edition. The periodical ran from 1819 to 1968. The database acts as a finding aid to Methodist clergy in the United Kingdom and Ireland.  

The Codes Used in the Ministerial Database

The index is alphabetical and although it provides only basic information, it is enough to allow research to continue. The names in the index are coded as follows:  P (Primitive); U (United) and W (Wesleyan). Other codes include:  Est. (Clergymen of the Established Church); I (Ministers in the late Primitive Wesleyan Methodist Conference in Ireland before the Amalgamation in 1878); W1 (Died in the 1914-18 War); and WW2 (Died in the 1939-45 War).

This list is similar to the “Index of Methodist Ministers Who Served in Ireland” being compiled online by the Methodist Historical Society of Ireland. Their codes include: M (Methodist); MNC (Methodist New Connexion); P (English – Primitive); PW (Primitive Wesleyan); W (Wesleyan); WMA (Wesleyan Methodist Association); Est. (Clergymen of the Established Church); WW1 (Died in the 1914-18 War); and WW2 (Died in the 1939-45 War).

Using the Information from the Database

Once you have identified a minster contact the Methodist Historical Society of Ireland or The University of Manchester for more biographical information.

If you would like help with your genealogy please call 385-214-0925.

 

 

Calendar of Wills and Administrations, 1858-1920

9 Apr By

The FamilySearch website has a very useful and free of charge database for identifying probate material. “Ireland, Calendar of Wills and Administrations, 1858-1920” is an index to the published calendars. The original published books are alphabetized within each year. The database on FamilySearch means you can search for an extended amount of time, even when you only have sketchy information.

The published calendars cover all counties up through 1917. After that there are separate calendars. This index to calendars is also duplicated, and free of charge at the National Archives of Ireland website.

The Scope of the Search

Much like other websites, the database search capability does pose some difficulties. Searches tend to have standardized fields, most of which do not apply. For this reason you might want to put in the limited information; such as name, county of death and range of dates.

You may be surprised who left wills. For example, these calendars start in 1858, a decade after the massive deaths and immigrations due to the Potato Famine. The reduction in the population meant land and wealth was freed up for many who stayed. So although your ancestor may have immigrated, siblings may have stayed and took over family holdings.

If you know a townland where the family lived, then you should be able to determine relatives who stayed. However, do not rely on a townland name when using the database search fields. You still will need to go into the calendar itself, which is scanned as part of this database.

The Search Does Not Stop with the Index

Once you have found entries in the index that are of interest to you, then you will need to click onto the image. At that point, you are linked to the image of the book itself.  It will provide a basic abstract of the original will or administration.

From the abstract you will need to look at the microfilm of the original document. This will be a manuscript, which can be found at the Family History Library.  The originals are housed at the National Archives of Ireland. By referencing the manuscript, you will have all the information in the document. The exception is the Principle Registry, which records do not survive.

Reconstructing the Family History

The index can be used in conjunction with the Griffith’s revision books, church registers, and the 1901 and 1911 censuses. In short, a more complete picture of your family history can be reconstructed through this will database.

If you would like help with your genealogy please call 385-214-0925.

Militia Service Records, 1806-1915

30 Mar By

FamilySearch in cooperation with FindMyPast has scanned and indexed the militia records of the United Kingdom housed at The National Archives, Kew. This major collection is series War Office (WO) 96.

What was the Militia?

The militia was part of the military. The militiamen were drawn locally and generated their own records. The militia units would serve outside their home area when needed.  They were a supplement to the British Army.  

After the United Kingdom was created in 1801 the “Militia of the United Kingdom” became the reserve military forces.  By the 1820s compulsory enlistment was abandoned and the militia became a voluntary force. The men would receive basic training at an army depot, then return to civilian life, reporting back for periodic training.

Contents of a Militia Service Record

The hosting of these records through FamilySearch is free and can be searched by name, birthplace, birth year, and military service place. It is also searchable on the FindMyPast website. A typical record is a fill in the blank form. Important information that may not be indexed but could possibly be found includes:

  • Name
  • Parish/Town/County of Birth
  • Whether a British Subject
  • Parish/Town/County of Residence
  • Parish/Town/County of Residence in the Last 12 Months
  • Age in Years and Months
  • Marital Status
  • Physical Appearance and Health
  • Religious Denomination
  • Militia Unit
  • Service Record
  • Next-of-Kin
  • Date

The forms can be several pages long. This collection includes 555,558 indexed records from throughout the UK during the period. If you type in “Ireland” as a birthplace, for example, 71,225 records become available through the indexing. However, you can narrow a search by Irish county of birth. Be aware that number is greatly increased if you include men of Irish descent born in other parts of the Empire, such as India, but were living in the UK when they enlisted.

Importance of the Records

For young men in the nineteenth century, the militia would have been attractive as a supplement to their civil pay. For that reason, you may find information about your family, even if you have no knowledge of anyone serving in the larger British Army.

If you would like help with your genealogy s please call 385-214-0925.

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