All Questions
0
votes
0answers
10 views
Variant of a french surname 'Dubé'
I been tracking down my family history before they settled in North America, i was very fortunate to be able to track down my mother side. But my fathers side not so fortunate, we know its french in ...
4
votes
3answers
42 views
What does it mean for woman to have the title of Mistress in a marriage record?
I found a marriage record* where the woman has the title of "Mistress". What does that title mean in this case? I know that title of "Mistress" has multiple meanings.
The woman was previously married ...
1
vote
2answers
38 views
Name variants for Schufeldt?
I have an ancestor Charity Schufeldt (1792-1851, married Wait Hurlburt) that I am researching. To aid in my search, I'm looking for name variants for Schufeldt. So far I have Schufeldt, Zufelt, ...
2
votes
1answer
70 views
Layman instructions for reading a Modified Register Report
I have searched the web for instructions that may help a non-genealogist read a Modified Register Report (NGSQ System), but none of them show how to fully utilize the number system. They all seem to ...
2
votes
0answers
23 views
How to preserve deteriorating gravestones, and enlist family support to do so?
My question relates to what can be done to preserve deteriorating gravestones of ancestors, particularly in a South Australian context.
I already know it is important to locate and photograph them, ...
4
votes
1answer
65 views
What might “serpent” on 19th century Australian gravestone indicate or suggest?
This is not a great photo but it comes from the gravestone of my great-great-great-granfather James Smyth Stacy, a Boot and Shoe Maker, who was buried in Adelaide (South Australia) in 1864.
A symbol ...
4
votes
2answers
47 views
How could I automaticaly analyse relationships in large set of vital records?
My family research right now is based on digitalized 19th century vital records. These, of course, are scans of the original, not text. There is, though, a third party project where people have ...
4
votes
1answer
47 views
Can a person adopt their own parent or grandparent?
A recent question on Finding Loops in GEDCOM files got me to wonder if there are some loops that are valid.
Of course there is science fiction, where a person goes back in time and parents their own ...
3
votes
1answer
42 views
Locating a Massachusetts marriage record circa 1760 for Robert Gray and Margaret parents of John Gray (b 1763, Worcester MA)
Rice, Franklin P.
Page 116 of "Worcester Births, Marriages, and Deaths (Worcester Society of Antiquity, 1894)" has:
GRAY, John, s. of Robert, Jr. and Margaret, (born) Aug. 16, 1763. [Baptism ...
3
votes
2answers
90 views
Brick Wall: Searching for Grandfather - C&EI Railroad Employee in 1948 - who the heck was he?
I will do my best not to make this a novel. My mother never knew her father. She was the product of a very "brief" relationship that took place when my 16 year old grandmother was visiting her ...
7
votes
5answers
205 views
How can I find loops in GEDCOM files?
I have a Gramps database that probably has an ancestral loop, i.e. a person who is his or her own ancestor. I say that, because the program freezes when I try to find a path between that person and ...
2
votes
4answers
127 views
Data Model for Family Tree Maker 2012 (sources and source citations)
I have been asked to document an explanation of how Family Tree Maker 2012 links sources, source citations, media and 'facts', to assist somebody who is very visually/structure oriented to describe to ...
1
vote
2answers
48 views
World Family Tree Vol. 1, Ed. 1 - valid source?
In searching for an ancestor I googled and found ancestry.com trees. On those trees I found citations to 'World Family Tree Vol. 1, Ed. 1'. Is this a valid secondary source or is this just effectively ...
8
votes
4answers
104 views
Ancestry.com tree correctness for Anthony White, B 1700 Luenbeg, Scotland. Wife - Mary Ralston
I realize that ancestry.com is a mix of user input and archived records, but as a programmer I firmly believe in the GIGO theory (Garbage in, garbage out).
I have gone through hints and trees, and I ...
6
votes
2answers
65 views
Is city ward information provided in U.S. census records useful?
Many, if not most, of the 20th century U.S. census records include fairly precise address information for those living in cities and towns. Even many 1880 census records include at least street-level ...
4
votes
0answers
31 views
How to handle smartmatches on myheritage.com - true similar interests vs trolling for huge trees?
I participate in myheritage.com. It has a feature called smartmatches that show you where they surmise other trees have common ancestors with your tree. I find this feature both useful and annoying. I ...
3
votes
2answers
76 views
Jacob FIsher and Sarah Hodges (married 7 Oct 1773 in Sharon, MA) - who were their childen?
Page 27 of the Sharon, Massachusetts Vital Records show Jacob Fisher and his wife Sarah had a son Jacob born 30 Apr 1776:
Jacob, s. of Jacob and Sarah, Apr. 30, 1776
Page 94 of those records show a ...
5
votes
0answers
58 views
Who are the Ancestors of William Yensull?
William Yensull (also spelled Yensule or Yencule) became a Naturalized Citizen of the United States on April 20th, 1896. Based on his Naturalization Certificate, issued in the Illinois county of ...
7
votes
3answers
73 views
Strategy for distinguishing between two possible baptisms, and thus people, parents, etc
My partner has an ancestor, Peggy Crossley, probably born around 1750, who married Henry Rawlinson in Burnley, Lancaster (source) in October 1767.
I have two candidate baptismal records that seem ...
8
votes
4answers
62 views
Dixie Kiefer died on a mountain. Should I include the mountain's name in the place of death?
I discovered this weekend that Dixie Kiefer is my first cousin three times removed. Dixie was a well known, respected, and battered Navy commander. After surviving the sinking of the Yorktown and at ...
5
votes
1answer
48 views
Elizabeth Shaw Whaley (1813-1870)
I have undocumented family genealogy records that Elizabeth Shaw Whaley:
was born 6 FEB 1813 in Montville, Connecticut to William Patten Whaley and Philena Haughton
married Elijah Genubeth Strong ...
4
votes
1answer
58 views
Information on how to create a text descendancy chart
I often run across 'descendancy charts' --- as plain ASCII text. Mostly of the form:
DECENDENTS OF JOSEPH WILLIAM SMYTHE
1 SMYTHE, Joseph William b: 18 Feb 1858 in LA d: 26 Jan 1947 in Cecil, LA
...
5
votes
1answer
45 views
What is the significance of “shared centiMorgans”?
I've had my autosomal DNA tested and the site I've used (FamilyTreeDNA) tells me that I have a "Shared centiMorgan length" of 48.08 with my closest match and the "longest block" is 28.89. FamilyTree ...
6
votes
1answer
54 views
Help finding emigration records for Annie Smith
My Great Grandmother emigrated to Australia from the UK after the death of her husband so that she could be closer to the majority of her children who had travelled there earlier.
My Grand father ...
2
votes
2answers
50 views
New York Death record
I have a Spanish great uncle who travelled from Havana to New York in 1917. Was subsequently drafted for WW1 that year. In WW2 at the age of 56 in 1942 I have a record that he was also drafted and in ...
5
votes
1answer
58 views
What's the best way two people that share a surname can determine they're not closely related?
My girlfriend and I both share the same last name and our families claim they are both from the same Korean surname "clan". This is a huge sticking point for her father. I know so far with certainty ...
4
votes
2answers
42 views
How do I setup arbitrary relationships in gramps?
I've just started using GRAMPS to plot out something people might find silly: family trees of comic book characters.
Now I know this probably isn't something people would od here, but it mostly ...
11
votes
3answers
82 views
Statistical Genealogy, or Knowing what is an extraordinary claim
It is often said in genealogy (or any field of research, really) that “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence”. Fair enough. But how does one know what is an extraordinary claim? We can ...
4
votes
3answers
39 views
What steps should I take to retrieve lost sources?
I've lost my sources for an individual. Either I never wrote it down or it's been lost by my software (probably the former).
I realized this when I came back to this individual the other day and saw ...
2
votes
1answer
30 views
Can anyone find the definition of Parts on FamilySearch Indexing Projects?
FamilySearch publishes "Project Completion Percentages" on the page "FamilySearch Indexing Updates". (That may or may not be the only or best place). On that page we find, for instance, that "US ...
6
votes
1answer
24 views
My Brickwall with a possible lead (however with discrepencies)
I have hit a brickwall in my family research but have a possible lead. However, there are some discrepancies in this lead. I have gone to extra-ordinary lengths to research this and I am almost at ...
3
votes
5answers
109 views
What are the benefits of starting a genealogy blog?
It seems that there are a million genealogy blogs (waaaaaay too many to follow). I'm sure that many are begun and then abandoned, but I can't help feeling that I'm missing something... Is there a ...
5
votes
1answer
68 views
Would an immigrant to the US pre-1800 be hiding beans? (When were food restrictions first placed on immigrants to the US)?
I am looking into "Mitchell Family Beans," purplish beans pinto like with brown spots (see below). These have been passed down a couple generations in a Mitchell family of Idaho (formerly Missouri). ...
3
votes
4answers
38 views
How to record “at sea” as a location
In my database, locations are "all" entered in the form City, County, State, Country (mostly the US). But I have two I am not sure how to handle. One relative was born "at sea" (between England and ...
3
votes
3answers
62 views
What does the occupation “Works in Woods” mean?
In an 1880 US Census entry, the occupation of Daniel Card is listed as "Works in Woods." What does that mean?
Where I grew up, the word "woods" was a synonym for forest so I immediately thought ...
3
votes
3answers
55 views
Is there a budget worksheet for tracking how much $$ is spent on genealogy activities?
I have been pursuing genealogy research for my personal family lines now for a few years, and I am a little stunned at how quickly the $$ dollars can add up. Here are a few things that I spend money ...
5
votes
3answers
57 views
If a father's first wife dies and he remarries, is the first wife considered a step-mother?
If a father's first wife dies (with or without children) and he remarries and had kids, is the first wife considered a (deceased) step-mother to the new wife's children, or simply "dad's 1st wife"?
3
votes
1answer
45 views
What word appears after after the birthdate of this Scottish record?
I hope this is not something obvious... I have tried to figure out what the word following the birthdate here is: "Patrick Dunlop shepherd in Brukside and Jean Wood his spouse had a son baptized named ...
2
votes
3answers
44 views
Conflict between Kent Online Parish Records and FamilySearch.org database - which to believe?
I have an ancestor, William Vollins or Vallins, who I believe was the son of Richard Vollins and Mary (Bowler), b 1777 in St Mary Cray, Kent (near Orpington). There are many other Vollins/Vallins ...
3
votes
1answer
16 views
Do any records of the building of the First Parish Church of Norwell exist?
The First Parish Church of Norwell has records back to 1642 and has
scanned all of the church records to facilitate historical and genealogical research.
See ...
5
votes
1answer
20 views
Is there a society for the descendants of Mayflower passenger William Bradford?
Wiliam Bradford (March 19, 1590 – May 9, 1657) came over on the Mayflower, was governor,
and was one of the original clebrebrants of Thanksgiving.
Descendants are eligible for joining the Mayflower ...
6
votes
1answer
56 views
Are there checklists or templates made for visiting the Family History Library in Salt Lake City?
I am on my first research trip to Salt Lake City and my first few days in the FHL has been quite a learning experience. I watched the into video and met a number of very friendly, helpful volunteers ...
10
votes
5answers
71 views
How can I catalog, preserve, and share ephemera?
I just moved in to live with my grandmother. There is a ton of ephemera around, especially from the good old days when local newspapers reported on everything from illness to vacation. How can I ...
5
votes
1answer
73 views
What is the best practice for posting certificates online?
I have been slowly acquiring birth, marriage and death certificates. Is there a best practice or accepted procedure for posting the United States certificates online, including to Geanealogy.se (to ...
5
votes
2answers
68 views
How do I find LDS digital file 4548813?
I called the Family History Library in Salt Lake City to ask about an index for the film #1042404 - 1851 Scotland, Ayrshire, Kilmarnock - Census, and they told me that they have the film, but that it ...
5
votes
1answer
48 views
Birth or adoption record for adopted ancestor
My great-great-grandmother Leona was born in the early 1860s. She was adopted as a young child (we think less than five years old) when her mother died; her father was apparently unfit in some ...
4
votes
2answers
43 views
Brierton/Brereton Spelling Causing issues
I have been searching, in vain, for my gr.gr.gr. Grandfather, Samuel Brierton. All information I have says that he was born in Pennsylvania abt. 1800, parents were born in Wales and he then doesn't ...
4
votes
2answers
88 views
GEDCOM NOTE_RECORD vs. embedded note
I'll start off with a little GEDCOM background information before firing off my questions.
The GEDCOM 5.5.1 specification distinguishes record structures (which have xref-ids) from substructures ...
3
votes
2answers
62 views
Finding a Ship Record from 1902
Where do I begin? I know my great-grandfather, Josef Boksa, 2/28/77 was born in Warsaw. And recently found his naturalization papers from 1917. It lists the date of his arrival as 8/16/1902 and that's ...
0
votes
1answer
58 views
Where is the transcription effort for various census and other large record sets documented?
I am looking for a description of the process that was used to transcribe data in the various censuses (US, UK, etc.). I would like to know some basic statistics about the process:
When was it done ...
