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How do You Determine the Associates of Your Ancestor?

28 Dec By

On the recent Salt Lake Christmas Tour, I had the chance to consult a few times with a very knowledgeable woman trying to identify her ancestor’s associates in Augusta County, Virginia prior to 1790. This was no small task. She needed this original cluster of people so she could see who was from Ulster and if her ancestor may have known them there. However, she needed to first move the pack from Augusta County back into some unknown county in Pennsylvania. Remember, this is frontier and very dangerous. Families did not travel alone.

It was in Pennsylvania, she was most likely to identify the original group from Ulster. So we put our heads together and began brainstorming what we could use to reconstruct her ancestor’s neighborhood and associates from Virginia to Pennsylvania.

We came up with land records. Whose land did her ancestor’s land adjoin in Augusta County? That is accomplished by studying the county deeds. Court cases were discovered. With whom was her ancestor involved in court cases? That could help. Then I looked at the published tax lists and realized that the years we needed were divided by district. This in effect divided the county by geographic areas, preserving the theoretical “neighborhood” in which her ancestor lived.

Our solution for her continued efforts was to see where her surname was found in Pennsylvania in the land grant and published tax lists. Then those lists were compared with the residents being taxed in her ancestor’s Augusta County, Virginia tax district. During that time period, was there a common pattern of people coming into Augusta County, Virginia from a particular county in Pennsylvania? That would solve the Virginia to Pennsylvania part of the research.

Once the Pennsylvania county was identified, then she would have townships in which to work. That would automatically help identify her ancestors “neighborhood” and theoretical associates from Ulster geographically within the county. Then she would start the entire process over again. However, this time looking for the original cluster of families who arrived from Ulster along with her ancestor. To identify where some of the group came from would in effect identify from where her ancestor hailed. That’s a good day in frontier American research!

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

 

 

When to Jump Over the Water in Your Research

21 Dec By

I just finished consulting with the participants of the wonderful Salt Lake Christmas Tour that comes every year to the Family History Library. It’s been a wonderful experience for more than 20 years.

This year, from teaching classes and consulting non-stop all week, I found myself giving the same advice: “Don’t be so quick to jump over the water in your research.” This principle applies to Catholic and Protestant immigrant research. By way of illustration, I will focus on an early Scots-Irish example.

If tracing a family from Ohio back to Ulster, one must realize that there were possibly stops along the way. The people in the 1700s and early 1800s were on the frontier and traveled in clusters or packs, as I like to call them. It was dangerous times, and families did not travel alone. To eventually find a place of origin in Ulster, research needs to consider the entire pack. To find out where one in the pack was from would be to discover where your ancestor originated. This is great if groups of Ulster Scots families traveled together; however, the stops along the way must be considered.

The theoretical Ohio family in 1810 may have been in East Tennessee by 1800, North Carolina by 1780 and only then back to Ulster sometime in the 1760s. In this case, the original Ulster pack of associates breaks down along the way. If you do not know where in East Tennessee, then trace the frontier group (the pack) from Ohio back to East Tennessee first. Then identify that same or somewhat different group of people, including your ancestor, back from East Tennessee to North Carolina. If that is where the original group settled from Ulster, then it is in North Carolina where you begin to reconstruct the original Ulster pack of immigrants.

If you do not already have a place in Ulster already, then you need to refrain from trying to jumping from Ohio directly back to Ulster. Customarily, the straight jump over the water approach will not work. Identifying the original group of immigrants in North Carolina, and then tracing them back to Ulster is typically how it works.

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

 

Grand Lodge of Ireland Membership Records Online

1 Dec By

A major Irish record source has now come online at Ancestry.com. It is titled “Ireland, Grand Lodge of Freemasons of Ireland Membership Registers, 1733-1923,” and consists of 24 volumes of scanned and indexed records. The originals are housed at the Grand Lodge of Ireland (GLI) library in Dublin.

I have used these records for many years, and now having them online is a dream come true. The GLI is the second oldest in the world, founded in 1725. It serves individual lodges throughout the 32 counties of Ireland and, today, Northern Ireland. In addition, many lodges outside of Ireland would have warrants through the GLI, which makes this more than an Irish resource. This also includes militia units and British Army regiments.

While the records themselves may be somewhat basic, especially in the early volumes, information will include name and lodge number. Later records will include advancement information, resignation, transfers, occupation, and personal notes such as deaths. Regardless of what personal information is provided, the lodge number, such as Lodge #18 (Newry, County Down) may be the most valuable. The individual lodge covered a geographic area. If you do not know where in Ireland your ancestor lived, then the lodge location narrows your search considerably.

There are some quirks to this source. For example, after the 1830s, it was mainly, although not exclusively, a Protestant source. Prior to the Papal Bulls being published in Ireland in 1826 condemning the Freemasons, lodges were mixed Catholic and Protestant. Also, the class of people who were Freemasons were not the poor. Consider that a man had to have enough money to at least pay the dues! It was very common for the middle-class and upper-class segment of Irish society to be Freemasons.

A final word. These are only membership records. Once you have identified a lodge number, then the GLI library will have correspondence involving that individual lodge. These “Deputy Grand Secretary Correspondence Files (1820-1880)” may provide some additional details on members. This makes the Ancestry.com database your key into other records still held with the GLI.

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

What Can You Expect from Professional Research?

13 Nov By

Perhaps the main question asked about professional research is the cost and what can be expected. It is important to understand when you hire a professional, you are purchasing time and expertise – not results! Genealogy is knowledge based. You are seeking an answer to some question, so the results are intangible. There are no guarantees, unless the line has already been researched and the information is available. Otherwise, the answer to your question only avails itself if records exist, ancestors appear in those records, and the researcher is skilled in their craft. There is no crystal ball in this profession, only hard work.

How much does it cost to hire a professional genealogist? There is no uniform pay scale and professional rates vary from around $25 to $100+ per hour. What a professional charges does not necessarily translate into the skill level of that researcher.

All genealogist typically work in blocks of time; usually, 10, 20, 30, 40, etc. With difficult cases, I tell prospective clients to consider 20 or 30 hours at a time. That way, both the client, and the researcher are protected. If more time is needed, that can be discussed once the initial time is exhausted and everybody knows what he or she are up against.

A genealogist should provide you with some type of a calendar of sources consulted and whether the results were positive or negative. A footnoted research report is standard. The calendar and report provides you with proof as to how your funds were utilized. This also allows the researcher to pick up efforts again if you as the client decide to reorder.

It is also standard for the genealogist to provide you with copies of pertinent documents. These are usually linked into the footnoted report by way of a document or reference number.

Genealogy can be a very intimate experience and you want to make sure you form a business relationship with someone you trust. As long as the researcher informs you what to expect, then you as the client will not have unrealistic expectations. For example, if the Irish Catholic parish register you need only begins in the 1820s, then don’t expect the lineage to be extended back into the Middle Ages. Not going to happen! As long as you, as the consumer, know what to expect, then there should be no surprises.

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

How Do You Find a Qualified Professional Genealogist?

5 Nov By

As a professional genealogist, I have to hire other professionals in the field. So the advice I’m giving you is from personal experience. How do I find researchers with whom I can trust?

I find that if a library refers a list of researchers to me, I then do some research of my own. I look at the researcher’s website, credentials if applicable, and areas in which they feel comfortable working. I send e-mails with my initial inquiry and then I judge how the genealogist responds to me.

A professional may come back and decide not to take on your case. That is to be respected if it is outside their area of comfort. However, in your initial letter of inquiry, always mention that if they were unable to take on the case would they recommend someone.

If a professional tells me what realistically can and cannot be done, I am most appreciative. If the researcher shares with me local sources that I was unaware of; then I am practically sold. If they assure me they will not duplicate my research already done, then I’m ready to write the check out.

There are organizations, which will certify genealogists. Among them are the Board for Certification of Genealogists and The International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists . As stated above, archives and local genealogy societies typically have lists of researchers, even if they are not allowed to recommend anyone specific. These can all be excellent resources.

It is important to remember, just because a researcher has received credentials through a reputable organization, like the ones mentioned above, this does not guarantee that person has a regular caseload of clients or the experience to do your research. These types of organizations do not provide work, only credentials to those who pass their rigorous tests. The amount of work a professional actually does, hone their skills and provide them with valuable experience.

Sometimes, I find “word of mouth” is the best way to find a trustworthy genealogist. If I need something in England, for example, I ask other professionals who they use working out of a particular record office. That method has worked well for me. I don’t have to worry about the qualifications of that researcher as they have already been tried and tested on another colleague of mine.

If I cannot find a trusted researcher by “word of mouth” then I’m left with the list of researchers furnished by an archive, library or genealogy society. Still not a bad option as I would doubt respectable libraries and archives would want people on their list who are less than professional.

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

 

When Are You Ready to Subscribe to a Database Website?

19 Oct By

When you are considering subscription websites I would recommend you do your research first in order to get the most value for your money. If you have limited funds to dedicate to your genealogy addiction, then perhaps my insights may be helpful. Here is what I have come to understand:

  •  Many subscription websites have a working relationship with other subscription websites. If it looks like a subscription website has an overabundance of newspapers, for example, then they may have a working relationship with a subscription newspaper website. So you only pay for one subscription instead of two or three. That saves money in the long run.
  • FamilySearch, which is free, has working relationships with subscription websites. So what you actually find on a subscription website, may be free on FamilySearch! Both Ancestry.com and Findmypast have working relationships with FamilySearch. Working partnerships between websites benefits everyone.
  •  If you have a library card with a local or university library, see what they subscribe to as part of their electronic references. You may find that they have the Ancestry Institution edition, which is different than the personal subscription. Once again, you save money as these institutions already subscribe for their patrons.
  •  How often do you use particular databases? As a professional, working on numerous cases each week, I use many databases every day! However, if you are not a professional, will a subscription be worth your investment? If not, use free databases first, judge the benefits, and then make the decision whether a paid subscription is worth your investment.
  •  Some websites will sell subscriptions by the month, semi-annual or annually. RootsIreland.ie is a perfect example. If you don’t know how often you will use it, then try a month subscription. Do the same with any website which gives you an option or promotional deal. If you have a positive experience, then you may want to consider an extended subscription, typically priced at a cheaper rate.

I frequently tell people that a subscription website is much cheaper than plane tickets, lodging, car rental and gas to just about any place. It is all how you look at it. I find that a properly researched subscription, which fits your needs, actually saves you money and time in the long haul.

Happy Hunting.

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

 

The Speaker’s Perspective

3 Oct By

On August 11th I had the privilege of presenting two classes at the Ohio History Connection in Columbus. This is the state archive. In other words, it was no small gig!

L to R: Liz Plummer, Tom Rieder, Lisa Long, Amanda Rindler
L to R: Liz Plummer, Tom Rieder, Lisa Long, Amanda Rindler

There were about 150 in attendance. My topics were were “Getting Your Irish Ancestors Over the Water” and “Beginning Irish Research.” From my perspective, I was impressed at how professional the staff at the archives was and how they did everything possible to take care of my needs. So from the speaker’s relationship with the hosts, I rate them very highly. The group in attendance was comprised of all levels of family historians. They ranged from novices to professional genealogists. That makes any speaker squirm a bit as a balance has to be struck between not being too technical or insulting.DSC_0605_resize

This group was a bit complicated because in addition in the audience were a number of staff from the Genealogy Department of the Columbus Metropolitan Library and the Franklin County Genealogical & Historical Society, both of whose members spent their time to help advertise my classes. On top of that were some of the movers and shakers of the annual Dublin Irish Festival, held in Dublin, Ohio, outside of Columbus – also family historians.

So how does any speaker evaluate the needs of such a diverse class of participants? Not easy. My first task was to try and balance a little bit of everything in the two hours allotted. If I had to venture an educated guess, a typical Ohio class would consist of up to 50% to 75% Scots-Irish Protestant needs verses the rest Irish Catholic needs. So 1700s Scots-Irish research had to be considered along with 1840s and 1850s Potato Famine immigrants.DSC_0612_resize

DSC_0604_resizeMy observation was that the class was very well prepared. What I did notice was many came expecting me to give them that one magic answer to solve their research problems. That was not necessarily going to happen as Irish and Scots-Irish research can be very complicated. From my teaching experience, I have learned sometimes by just listening to the questions asked and the answers given, the smoking gun may actually present itself.

DSC_0616_resizeAll that being said and done, it was a marvelous experience and the class was very top notch. The diversity in the class actually brought the discussion up a level. My hope is I struck a balance and ignited some new strategies in the minds of the researchers to help them address their particular issue. As I remind classes, I can feed them sources all day long, but unless they know strategies on what to do with those sources, their research may just remained blocked. While at times Irish research can be as simple as “pushing a button” it is just as often just not that simple.

I hope you enjoy the pictures graciously sent to me by the Ohio History Connection.

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

Using PERSI on Findmypast

12 Sep By

Periodical Source Index (PERSI) the creation of the Allen County Public Library (ACPL) in Fort Wayne, Indiana, inventories titles of genealogical periodicals from around the world. It is not an index to what is in the articles, simply an inventory of titles and subjects.

The ACPL has the world’s largest collection of genealogical periodicals. It is larger than the huge periodical collection at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. ACPL’s collections are so large that people take research trips specifically to Fort Wayne to utilize them.

PERSI is now hosted by Findmypast. Whenever a database switches hosts there is always a learning curb. Here’s how I approach the current quirks in the Findmypast database:

  • I go to the “Search” button at the top and then click on the “A-Z of Record Sets.”
  • Then I type in “Periodical Source Index” and it will come right up.
  •  Once in the database, I find “article keyword” or “optional keyword.” It actually works better than “subject.” I’ve found the “subject” doesn’t always pull up all the articles on a topic. These have to be worked along with the geographical search.
  • A word of caution about the places. I try not to be too specific, a state/province and a county work just fine. Also, be aware you have to wait for the standardized place name, such as Illinois, to come up and then click it. Don’t rush through this.

Once you have narrowed your search geographically and by “keyword” all articles should reveal themselves. This is the magic of PERSI. Now you find a copy of that particular volume and issue of the journal. PERSI will give you major repositories that house a given journal.

As a professional genealogist, I use PERSI on a regular basis. There I find articles that transcribe cemeteries, tax lists, church registers and more. Many of which are not on microfilm or published in a book somewhere. It is like a hidden library that nobody but PERSI ever told you about! There is no way to know how helpful a particular article will be until you find a copy of and study it.

Give PERSI a try at Findmypast and see if you can make some discoveries of your own.

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

Where the Spirits Paint: Camp Chesterfield, Indiana

26 Aug By

On August 12, 2015, I had the privilege of visiting Camp Chesterfield, Indiana. The night before, I presented two lectures at the Ohio History Connection (the state archive) in Columbus which took me to the Mid-West anyway.

Entrance to Camp Chesterfield
Entrance to Camp Chesterfield

For years, my friends have heard me ask if they would take me to Camp Chesterfield. This year they graciously agreed!

My cohorts in crime were Russ Pollitt, Jayne Davis and her husband Denny. Russ is the head of the Genealogy Department at the Columbus Metropolitan Library  and a vice president of the Ohio Genealogical Society. Jayne is a professional genealogist and president elect of the Franklin County Genealogical & Historical Society in the Columbus area. Denny was along to support and torment us when he wasn’t looking up obituaries or volunteering in the Archaeological Department of Ohio State University.

To say the least, this was not a bad group in which to go exploring, whether old records or the inner-journey.

Camp Chesterfield is the home of the Indiana Association of Spiritualists, founded in 1888. Located near Anderson, Indiana, it has quite a history with all things relating to the physical mediumship within Spiritualists. During our tour of the art museum we saw spirit precipitated paintings from the late 1800s and early 1900s. In addition, there were examples of spirit chalk writing on slate boards, spirit trumpets, spirit photography and trance mediumship.  Portraits of spirit guides who have helped the mediums and look after Camp Chesterfield and old photos of the early Spiritualists of the camp were on display.  We were treated to a discussion on ectoplasm secreted from the medium’s body while in a trance state.

Center of Camp Chesterfield
Center of Camp Chesterfield

It was a smorgasbord of the spirit. Physical mediumship is alive and well at Camp Chesterfield. Spiritualism with New Age and Eastern Religion practices have also found a home there.

Buddha statue in a garden
Buddha statue in a garden

The focus of the museum was on the history and personalities that made Camp Chesterfield – well, Camp Chesterfield!

The medium who gave us the tour warned me that she better not see any of the museum pictures on the Internet. I understood; these were originals we were seeing.   Flash photography was definitely out! In order to preserve the historic collections, artifacts and old records, Camp Chesterfield has received a grant. Their museum items and documents are being scanned and will be placed online.

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Spiritualist Chapel

For a genealogist, the trip to the “cemetery” was amazing. Small plaques marked the cremated remains of the mediums who have been interred over the years. Not only did these mediums live at Camp Chesterfield, but they then became part of its very soil.

Houses with signs advertising the abilities of the occupant
Houses with signs advertising the abilities of the occupant

Please take time to view my photographs of the grounds of this community. Camp Chesterfield is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was an amazing trip and I applaud them for their record preservation. I wonder what else is hidden in the byways and side streets of America?

Dwight Radford

Trail of Religion with busts of the founders of world relgions
Trail of Religion with busts of the founders of world religions
Camp Chesterfield Hotel
Camp Chesterfield Hotel with Russ Pollitt of the Columbus Metropolitan Library and the Ohio Genealogical Society

Who Joined New Religions?

21 Aug By

Who Joined New Religions?

Sometimes we forget that every newly created church or religion had to start somewhere, at some time, with some group of people. It is the group of people I would like to explore to demonstrate some genealogy principles. I want to detail who the early memberships were for some historically important movements.

Throughout history, new religious movements rise to reform, revitalize, or even replace older ones. Putting dissatisfied people in the right place at the right time, under the right social conditions and entirely new movements are created.

Below you will find a very short discussion of some key movements. From a genealogy perspective, knowing what kind of people merged into a new movement, clues you into what records you should be exploring to uncover more about these earliest converts.

Adventists: The Millerites would spread from the last revival fires in Upstate New York. Millerites would separate from local Baptist, Christian Connexion, Congregational, Methodist and other denominations in 1843/44 in expectation of Christ’s Second Coming. After the “Great Disappointment” of 1844, the post-Millerite Adventists would separate into Sunday and Sabbath keeping denominations. The emerging Seventh-day Adventist Church, organized in 1863, would attract many post-Millerite Adventists who had already transitioned, and stabilized, with the Shakers and Spiritualism.

Disciples or Christians: Although rooted in the Cane Creek, Kentucky Great Revival of 1801, the Disciples and Christians of the movement would unite as one force in 1832. Scholars refer to them as the Stone-Campbell Movement. Their message of restoring the ancient church as described in the pages of the New Testament found fertile ground on the American Frontier of the Mid-West and South. It drew from all Protestant denominations, especially the Baptists. In the 1830s, a good percentage of the Baptist congregations in Kentucky and many in Tennessee would switch over to become a congregation known as the Disciples of Christ, Christian Church or Church of Christ. The name was more of a description than a church name.

Latter Day Saints: Founded in 1830 in Upstate New York, the early membership was drawn from seekers caught up in the last revival fires of the Second Great Awakening. Early Mormon membership would attract former Baptists, Universalists, Unitarians, Methodists, Quakers, Presbyterian and Congregationalists. They would also attract those involved in frontier folk-religion and folk-magic from the period. Although there were Mormon missions in Ireland since 1840, most Irish converts would join in Scotland and England, where they had already immigrated. They were of Protestant background.

Methodists: The Methodist would officially emerge out of the Church of England in 1795 and Church of Ireland in 1817. They had been functioning as study groups. In Ireland, some study groups had also been functioning within the Presbyterian Church. The first independent Irish Methodist congregations were in North America.

Plymouth Brethren: More appropriately called the Christian Brethren, Gospel Hall Brethren or just Christians, this Irish-born movement, provided a systematic approach to doctrines which are now associated with fundamentalist Protestantism. Their earliest membership, from the 1830s would draw from the Church of Ireland. They would later draw from conservative Protestants of all denominations, especially in Ulster.

Society of Friends: Drawing its early membership from the Church of England, Quakerism would spread to Ireland by the 1650s. There, English settlers would convert to the new radical faith. While strongly English, the Irish Quaker records do have many Gaelic and Scottish names on the membership rolls. The Quakers have a long history of immigration to North America.

Spiritualists: Officially recognized as a new religion in 1848, this new Upstate New York faith would draw from the reform minded people. In this aspect, they were similar to the early Millerites. This would include New England Transcendentalists, Congregationalist, Universalists, Shakers, post-Millerite Adventists, dissident Quakers, Suffrage and Abolitionist, and later reform-minded Utah Mormons.

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

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