Genealogy is like a jigsaw puzzle, but you don't have the box top, so you don't know what the picture is supposed to look like. As you start putting the puzzle together, you realize some pieces are missing, and eventually you figure out that some of the pieces you started with don't actually belong to this puzzle. I'll help you discover the right pieces for your puzzle and assemble them into a picture of your family.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
More Additions to Wikipedia Newspaper Archives Page
• Cuba: seventeen volumes of the Cuba Review (it's amazing what you can find on the Internet Archive!)
• England: issues 1–384 of The Strand (more from the Internet Archive)
• New Zealand: DigitalNZ, a new collection that includes newspapers (but I didn't see a list of what's there)
• Oklahoma: Gateway to Oklahoma History, with newspapers in Cherokee, Choctaw, English, and German
• USS Cumberland Sound: six issues of Crew's News, the ship's newsletter
• Accessible Archives: a pay site with historical black, abolitionist, and women's newspapers, along with some Pennsylvania and South Carolina papers
I think I found an article about someone I'm researching in the Cuba Review. Now I need to look at those South Carolina newspapers and see if they can solve a brick wall for me . . . .
Monday, February 25, 2013
Legislative History of Prince Edward Island Online
Obviously, this is a great resource if you had relatives who served in the legislature. But there are also gems such as the list of machine operators and others who were paid by the Department of Public Works (and the amounts they were paid) during the fiscal period of September 30, 1911 to December 31, 1912, on page 90 of a report by that department. The names include Charles Diamond, Joseph A. Gallant, William Folland, Gallant Gideon, Ernest Currie, and S. W. Crabbe (see the image above). So if you had any relatives who lived in Prince Edward Island, search for their names and see what you find.
Judging from the text displayed in the "snippet" results (e.g., "Gontin ued"), it appears that the records were digitized using optical character recognition (OCR) software, which means letters can be misread if the original document was not in perfect condition. A report about the online archive mentions that some of the materials were extremely fragile. If you don't find someone you think should be there, you may need to use creative search techniques.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
U.S. National Archives Regional Residency Fellowship Program
The 2013 Regional Residency Fellowship Program gives researchers the opportunity to conduct original research using records held at National Archives regional locations in Boston, Massachusetts; Denver, Colorado; Fort Worth, Texas; Riverside, California; San Francisco, California; and St. Louis, Missouri. The program offers researchers an opportunity to explore often overlooked records held by the National Archives and to learn what many other researchers have discovered -- you do not need to go to Washington, D.C. to do research at the National Archives.
For 2013, one fellow will be assigned to each of the participating National Archives facilities, for a total of six fellowships. Each fellow will receive a $3,000.00 stipend, funded by the Foundation, to assist with travel and research expenses.
Fellowship recipients are expected to complete a research project that results in a publishable work product. In addition, within one year of receiving the fellowship, each recipient will be asked to prepare a short report for publication by the National Archives that describes the research experience: the discovery, methods, and use of the records at the chosen facility.
The use of social media to share information about the experience is encouraged. Fellows also will be asked to conduct a staff briefing at the end of their research visit to share information regarding what was found during the research process.
Academic and independent historians, public and local historians, and writers are encouraged to apply. Current National Archives employees and contractors and their immediate family members are not eligible.
Proposals may be submitted by e-mail or postal mail and must be received by March 15, 2013. Awards will be announced May 1, 2013.
For application instructions and more information about the program, visit:
http://blogs.archives.gov/
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Civil War Materials from Michigan Online
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| McClellan and Group, 1860's |
In the archives are several collections of letters from Michigan families that the university has acquired over the years. Students and volunteers have been transcribing the letters, and these are being added to the online material. If you had any family in Michigan who served in the war, perhaps there's a letter in the collection. An article from Michigan Radio has excerpts from some of the letters, including a "steamy" relationship (or what passed for steamy in the 1860's).
I particularly enjoyed browsing the photograph collections. Among them were William Seward, John Fremont, Admiral David Farragut, John Wilkes Booth, and Abraham Lincoln with his son Tad. There are several unidentified men; maybe you'll recognize someone from your family.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
European Christian Burials in Malabar, India
The book lists burials at St. John's Anglican Church and Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church in Kannur, St. John’s Anglican Church and Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Church at Thalassery, and St. Theresa’s Church and cemetery at Mahe. Burials at the German Basel Mission cemeteries at Kannur and Thalassery are also included.
There is information about European regiments and native troops stationed at the Cannanore Cantonment and details on deaths in the armed forces. Most entries have information on the cause of death.
The book was published by the South India Research Associates (SIRA), a network of researchers and scholars registered in New York. It has two maps and many photographs. The current publication is a limited deluxe edition with historic illustrations. It can be ordered through info.sira@yahoo.in; the order will be processed through Thejas Books in Calicut. A less expensive second printing is scheduled to be available on Flipkart in India and Alibris internationally in the near future.
Dr. Roberts has finished a second book, this one on churches and planter burials in the Nilgiri Hills. Plans are to release it in early 2014. He is now working on other areas of Malabar, including Portuguese burials and the Dutch Cemetery at Kochin.
Some of Dr. Roberts' research led him to Thrissur, where the tombstone of a man with a family connection to Christopher Columbus is now located. The article mentions that all this information being collected could be good for tourism, as people look for where their ancestors are buried. Gee, you think?
World War II Home Front Stories
Some of the topics they are looking for stories about are the Civilian Defense Corps, rationing, unions, work in defense factories, V-mail, volunteering, and victory gardens.
For more information contact museum curator Veronica Rodriguez at (510) 234-1544 x6643 or veronica_rodriguez@nps.gov.
Friday, February 15, 2013
2013 San Francisco History Expo
This year's Expo will be on Saturday and Sunday, March 2 and 3, at the Old Mint, 88 Fifth Street, San Francisco. Hours are 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Saturday and 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Sunday.
Last year the Expo added a genealogy-focused room, with the San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society, California Genealogical Society, and SFGenealogy. Our three groups will be together again this year. Come by, visit our tables, and learn a little about San Francisco Bay area family history!
The event is totally free, though the organizers hope you'll help offset the costs by making a small donation or buying a raffle ticket. More information is available at http://www.sfhistoryexpo.org/.
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