Remember the old slogans used in the past to start a movement? Remember "Feed The World" or "Yes, We Can"? Perhaps, now is the time to start changing the world of genealogy in how items are placed online.
Recently, I wrote about finding a new cousin only to see his family tree was what I had worked on with other cousins. If you missed it, read it at http://genitalesga.blogspot.com/2012/08/thankful-thursday-seek-and-ye-shall.html .
Have you ever wanted to reach out and strangle all the family seekers who just clone the information they see online? I know I have. I've been known to email folks who have taken my information or my writings and asked them to please, pretty please source their information. Some have taken the hint and others have just ignored my pleas.
Many sites online do say they haven't documented the information found.
To me, that is like buying a house or car unseen. How many people
willingly do that?
In writing the post on Seek and Ye Shall Find, Maybe, I was pleased to see the comments sent on this subject. (A big thank you to those who sent them.) One of the comments from Katherine suggested Ancestry and those other sites ask for sources.
I love the idea, but I'm not sure how it could work or if they are really interested in documentation. It would be a big project for all family researchers to source the information. Perhaps, there could be a separate tier for those genealogy buffs who are true researchers and document their information. Maybe something like Family Trees Plus or Sourced Trees. It shouldn't be too difficult to program a section for documentation or sources, especially for the old pictures.
Perhaps, we should start a ground movement to those sites who have genealogy information, like Ancestry or Find a Grave, to create a separate tier. Thoughts, anyone?
Ahh, genealogy. As for me, I will look at the information placed online by others, but will only include it in my information if it has been sourced. Or better yet, only if I can trace their sources. Just call it being curious, or is it the scientist in me?
©2012 AS Eldredge
Ahhh, genealogy. A glimpse of the past shows of what I am made.....
Showing posts with label online. Show all posts
Showing posts with label online. Show all posts
Monday, August 27, 2012
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Treasure Chest Thursday: There's a New Search Engine in Genealogy Town
Recently, I've seen a couple of references to the new online genealogy research tool, mocavo.com. While I don't know much about it from personal use, its presence may help to redefine the future for those of us who have been bitten with "the bug."
After hearing about the site, I thought I'd take a look and see what all the fuss is about. After typing in several names which I am interested in, I did find some old entries of mine from Genforum and some from Find a Grave. It is nice to see just genealogical connections on the site.
I hadn't found anything of use to me when I typed in my grandmother's uncommon maiden name. Not expecting much, I was surprised to her listed with her siblings and parents. As her parents came direct from Sweden and changed names when they landed, I was intrigued to find her name. Lucky for me, I clicked on the link and it took me to the site where her name is mentioned. No new information was spotted, but the name and email address of the submitter was there.
I've jotted off an email to the submitter to see if I can determine who they are and if they share my blood. I'll let you know.
Overall, current reviews are mixed, but here is Eastman's take on the site. I suspect the reviews will become more in favor of the site as new information is uploaded on the internet. It is certainly a great place to include in the search for your elusive ancestors.
The following article is from Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter and is copyright by Richard W. Eastman. It is re-published here with the permission of the author. Information about the newsletter is available at http://www.eogn.com.
Mocavo.com - a Genealogy Search Engine
I suggest you remember this web site: Mocavo.com. I bet you are going to hear a lot about it in the next few weeks and months. In fact, I'd suggest you try it right now. I've been using the site for a while during its testing and have been very impressed. This thing actually works! Today, Mocavo.com went public and is now available to everyone.
Mocavo.com is a genealogy search engine that is available to you at no charge. It searches hundreds of thousands of genealogy web sites, looking for the words that you specify. Web sites searched include thousands of genealogy message boards, society web pages, genealogy pages uploaded by individuals, state historical societies, family societies, Find-A-Grave, the Internet Archive (mostly scanned genealogy books from the Allen County Public Library), the Library of Congress, several sites containing scanned images of old photographs, and tens of thousands of distinct sites sites that contain various transcribed records of genealogical interest.
Unlike other search engines, Mocavo.com limits its searches solely to genealogy sites. That makes a big difference to many of us who are searching for names that also are common words or corporate names. For instance, if I search for my own surname, Eastman, on most any other search engine, I receive hundreds of thousands of "hits" from photography sites and other sites that have nothing to do with genealogy. Performing a search for "Eastman" on Mocavo.com returns thousands of "hits," all of them from genealogy sites and with very few references to photography. Even the few that refer to the Eastman Kodak Company were references found on genealogy sites. A search for my own surname did return a "hit" for one page about the "Eastman Sea Rover airplane," something I had never heard of previously. Even that one "hit" was from a genealogy message board, providing information about the ancestry of the airplane's designer. Regardless of your search terms, Mocavo.com always returns information found on web sites that contain significant genealogy information.
I suspect you will always have better luck searching for your own surnames of interest on Mocavo.com than on any other search engine.
As an example of how Mocavo.com works, I'd suggest you first go to the site and perform a search for Amos Shaw who was married to Sarah Maxey. I found the couple by a search of:
"amos shaw" "sarah maxey"
(Include the quote marks.)
That search found 41 "hits," but the one that was really productive was the fifth "hit" on the first page. That fifth "hit" may change up or down in the future, but you can always return to the correct page if you go to http://www.mocavo.com/visit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.findagrave.com%2Fcgi-bin%2Ffg.cgi%3Fpage%3Dgr%26GRid%3D9525960. It is a FindAGrave result with an amazing photograph of a lady who was born in 1793 and died in 1868. You can find a photograph of her husband (who died in 1859) one click away. Those are old photos! It is rare to find a photograph of someone born in the 1700s. You will find it much more difficult to find old photographs like this using Google searches for genealogy!
Now try a few searches on Mocavo.com with your own names of interest.
Of course, searches on Mocavo.com are not limited to names. As with any other search engine, you can search for towns, states, occupations, relatives, or any other text information you think might be included with an ancestor's name. Whatever you specify, the search will be limited to pages on genealogy web sites. For instance, I have long been looking for the origins of Washington Harvey Eastman who lived his adult life in Corinth, Maine. I performed the following search on Mocavo.com:
"Washington Harvey Eastman" Corinth
This returned only two results, both referring to the specific person I have been looking for (although they only provided information I had already seen previously). Searching for the same person without his town of residence produces many more "hits," most of them for other men with the same or similar names. Adding the town of reference quickly produces focused results.
With the exception of the sites being searched, Mocavo.com operates in much the same manner as Google and most other search engines. Mocavo always displays the full URL of the web site(s) found, along with a line of text from the site that contains the words you searched for. Clicking on the URL displays the original web site. Mocavo.com never "hides" anything; the original web site is always displayed in its entirety.
According to Cliff Shaw, the creator of Mocavo.com:
“Genealogy has always had the problem of information and potential clues being spread across thousands of disparate web sites and sources. Imagine a world where you have all of the Web’s free genealogy content at your fingertips within seconds. That is Mocavo.com.
“Mocavo.com has the capacity to index every single piece of free genealogy content found anywhere on the web, and will be growing by leaps and bounds in the coming months. We expect Mocavo.com to shortly offer all of the web’s free genealogy information, searchable and accessible to all – something that has never been done before. It’s set to become the go-to search engine for every family history enthusiast.”
At this time, Mocavo.com finds mostly North American genealogy information. I suspect that will expand in the future as the site grows "by leaps and bounds every day."
Cliff Shaw has created a great genealogy search engine, the best I have seen. Try it. I suspect you'll be as pleased with Mocavo.com as I am. Go to http://www.Mocavo.com
I still plan on using other search engines for a lot for my other web searches. However, all my future genealogy searches will start on Mocavo.com. I've been using the site for a while during its testing and have been very impressed. I suspect you will always have better luck searching for your own surnames of interest on Mocavo.com than on any other search engine.
--
Ahh, genealogy. Always shaking those trees for my roots.
Update: I heard back from the submitter of my great grandparents' information. No kin here. They had just pulled something off the census. Disappointing.
©2011 AS Eldredge
After hearing about the site, I thought I'd take a look and see what all the fuss is about. After typing in several names which I am interested in, I did find some old entries of mine from Genforum and some from Find a Grave. It is nice to see just genealogical connections on the site.
I hadn't found anything of use to me when I typed in my grandmother's uncommon maiden name. Not expecting much, I was surprised to her listed with her siblings and parents. As her parents came direct from Sweden and changed names when they landed, I was intrigued to find her name. Lucky for me, I clicked on the link and it took me to the site where her name is mentioned. No new information was spotted, but the name and email address of the submitter was there.
I've jotted off an email to the submitter to see if I can determine who they are and if they share my blood. I'll let you know.
Overall, current reviews are mixed, but here is Eastman's take on the site. I suspect the reviews will become more in favor of the site as new information is uploaded on the internet. It is certainly a great place to include in the search for your elusive ancestors.
The following article is from Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter and is copyright by Richard W. Eastman. It is re-published here with the permission of the author. Information about the newsletter is available at http://www.eogn.com.
Mocavo.com - a Genealogy Search Engine
I suggest you remember this web site: Mocavo.com. I bet you are going to hear a lot about it in the next few weeks and months. In fact, I'd suggest you try it right now. I've been using the site for a while during its testing and have been very impressed. This thing actually works! Today, Mocavo.com went public and is now available to everyone.
Mocavo.com is a genealogy search engine that is available to you at no charge. It searches hundreds of thousands of genealogy web sites, looking for the words that you specify. Web sites searched include thousands of genealogy message boards, society web pages, genealogy pages uploaded by individuals, state historical societies, family societies, Find-A-Grave, the Internet Archive (mostly scanned genealogy books from the Allen County Public Library), the Library of Congress, several sites containing scanned images of old photographs, and tens of thousands of distinct sites sites that contain various transcribed records of genealogical interest.
Unlike other search engines, Mocavo.com limits its searches solely to genealogy sites. That makes a big difference to many of us who are searching for names that also are common words or corporate names. For instance, if I search for my own surname, Eastman, on most any other search engine, I receive hundreds of thousands of "hits" from photography sites and other sites that have nothing to do with genealogy. Performing a search for "Eastman" on Mocavo.com returns thousands of "hits," all of them from genealogy sites and with very few references to photography. Even the few that refer to the Eastman Kodak Company were references found on genealogy sites. A search for my own surname did return a "hit" for one page about the "Eastman Sea Rover airplane," something I had never heard of previously. Even that one "hit" was from a genealogy message board, providing information about the ancestry of the airplane's designer. Regardless of your search terms, Mocavo.com always returns information found on web sites that contain significant genealogy information.
I suspect you will always have better luck searching for your own surnames of interest on Mocavo.com than on any other search engine.
As an example of how Mocavo.com works, I'd suggest you first go to the site and perform a search for Amos Shaw who was married to Sarah Maxey. I found the couple by a search of:
"amos shaw" "sarah maxey"
(Include the quote marks.)
That search found 41 "hits," but the one that was really productive was the fifth "hit" on the first page. That fifth "hit" may change up or down in the future, but you can always return to the correct page if you go to http://www.mocavo.com/visit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.findagrave.com%2Fcgi-bin%2Ffg.cgi%3Fpage%3Dgr%26GRid%3D9525960. It is a FindAGrave result with an amazing photograph of a lady who was born in 1793 and died in 1868. You can find a photograph of her husband (who died in 1859) one click away. Those are old photos! It is rare to find a photograph of someone born in the 1700s. You will find it much more difficult to find old photographs like this using Google searches for genealogy!
Now try a few searches on Mocavo.com with your own names of interest.
Of course, searches on Mocavo.com are not limited to names. As with any other search engine, you can search for towns, states, occupations, relatives, or any other text information you think might be included with an ancestor's name. Whatever you specify, the search will be limited to pages on genealogy web sites. For instance, I have long been looking for the origins of Washington Harvey Eastman who lived his adult life in Corinth, Maine. I performed the following search on Mocavo.com:
"Washington Harvey Eastman" Corinth
This returned only two results, both referring to the specific person I have been looking for (although they only provided information I had already seen previously). Searching for the same person without his town of residence produces many more "hits," most of them for other men with the same or similar names. Adding the town of reference quickly produces focused results.
With the exception of the sites being searched, Mocavo.com operates in much the same manner as Google and most other search engines. Mocavo always displays the full URL of the web site(s) found, along with a line of text from the site that contains the words you searched for. Clicking on the URL displays the original web site. Mocavo.com never "hides" anything; the original web site is always displayed in its entirety.
According to Cliff Shaw, the creator of Mocavo.com:
“Genealogy has always had the problem of information and potential clues being spread across thousands of disparate web sites and sources. Imagine a world where you have all of the Web’s free genealogy content at your fingertips within seconds. That is Mocavo.com.
“Mocavo.com has the capacity to index every single piece of free genealogy content found anywhere on the web, and will be growing by leaps and bounds in the coming months. We expect Mocavo.com to shortly offer all of the web’s free genealogy information, searchable and accessible to all – something that has never been done before. It’s set to become the go-to search engine for every family history enthusiast.”
At this time, Mocavo.com finds mostly North American genealogy information. I suspect that will expand in the future as the site grows "by leaps and bounds every day."
Cliff Shaw has created a great genealogy search engine, the best I have seen. Try it. I suspect you'll be as pleased with Mocavo.com as I am. Go to http://www.Mocavo.com
I still plan on using other search engines for a lot for my other web searches. However, all my future genealogy searches will start on Mocavo.com. I've been using the site for a while during its testing and have been very impressed. I suspect you will always have better luck searching for your own surnames of interest on Mocavo.com than on any other search engine.
--
Ahh, genealogy. Always shaking those trees for my roots.
Update: I heard back from the submitter of my great grandparents' information. No kin here. They had just pulled something off the census. Disappointing.
©2011 AS Eldredge
Friday, March 18, 2011
Searching for Ancestors with Revolutionary Online Databases
The Daughters of the American Revolution have been collecting genealogy data since its 1890 beginnings. Women who have proven blood descent of American Revolution patriots have been working nonstop to digitize many of their records.
The general public can easily search DAR databases to locate names of known patriots, descendants, and documentation of over 20,000 typescript records, which have been donated by DAR members.
Begun in 1913, the collection of genealogical records consists of Bible, cemetery, county histories, and other types of genealogical records. By entering a name and state, titles of reports are displayed online. The details are available for a small fee.
In addition, volunteers are busily engaged in transcribing all DAR applications. The Analytical Card and Revolutionary War Pension indices have been digitized, thus providing a valuable resource not found elsewhere.
Growing daily with volunteer efforts, these databases can provide patriot names, descendants, land records, or other genealogical documentation useful to researchers.
The DAR is a great source to augment your genealogy research and record copies are available for purchase. Go to www.Dar.org. Click on genealogy to begin your search in their records. Who knows? You just may find revolutionary news of your own.
Ahh, genealogy. Did you know that over 2 million women have served in the defense of America since the times of the American Revolution? Do you have one in your line? I do. Perhaps it's time to honor her story.
2011 AS Eldredge
The general public can easily search DAR databases to locate names of known patriots, descendants, and documentation of over 20,000 typescript records, which have been donated by DAR members.
Begun in 1913, the collection of genealogical records consists of Bible, cemetery, county histories, and other types of genealogical records. By entering a name and state, titles of reports are displayed online. The details are available for a small fee.
In addition, volunteers are busily engaged in transcribing all DAR applications. The Analytical Card and Revolutionary War Pension indices have been digitized, thus providing a valuable resource not found elsewhere.
Growing daily with volunteer efforts, these databases can provide patriot names, descendants, land records, or other genealogical documentation useful to researchers.
The DAR is a great source to augment your genealogy research and record copies are available for purchase. Go to www.Dar.org. Click on genealogy to begin your search in their records. Who knows? You just may find revolutionary news of your own.
Ahh, genealogy. Did you know that over 2 million women have served in the defense of America since the times of the American Revolution? Do you have one in your line? I do. Perhaps it's time to honor her story.
2011 AS Eldredge
Friday, February 04, 2011
Online South Carolina Slave Records Keep Growing
A very special kudos to my genealogy buddy, Lowcounty Africana, for her dedication and ongoing spirit as she has built many pages for the free Footnote Collections on South Carolina Estate Inventories and Bills of Sale, 1732-1872.
She has transcribed the slaves' names of many of the early plantation owners and invites other family researchers to contribute pictures and documents to the pages.
Just in case you have roots in the lowcountry, you may want to check it out.
http://www.footnote.com/page/282783107_lowcountry_africana_south_carolina/
I keep watching in the hope you'll get around to finding an estate for one of my elusive ancestors.
Ahh, genealogy. Got to remember the past in order to learn and improve our future.
©2011 AS Eldredge
She has transcribed the slaves' names of many of the early plantation owners and invites other family researchers to contribute pictures and documents to the pages.
Just in case you have roots in the lowcountry, you may want to check it out.
http://www.footnote.com/page/282783107_lowcountry_africana_south_carolina/
I keep watching in the hope you'll get around to finding an estate for one of my elusive ancestors.
Ahh, genealogy. Got to remember the past in order to learn and improve our future.
©2011 AS Eldredge
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Easier to Search Old Newspapers from Athens, Georgia
Love seeing how more and more historic newspapers are going online so we can continue our genealogy research from the comforts of our homes when the weather outside is frightful!
Thought you'd be interested in seeing this great news from UGA:
Historic Athens newspapers now available online via digital library
An archive of historic Athens newspapers is now available online via the Digital Library of Georgia at the University of Georgia.
The Athens Historic Newspapers Archive provides online access to five newspaper titles published in Athens from 1827 to 1922. Consisting of more than 57,000 newspaper pages, the archive provides historical images that are both full-text searchable and can be browsed by date. The site provides users with a view into the history of Athens in its early years as the home to the first state-chartered university in the nation and its eventual growth into the largest city in northeast Georgia.
The archive includes the following Athens newspaper titles: Athenian (1827-1832), Southern Banner (1832-1882), Southern Watchman (1855-1882), Daily/Weekly Banner-Watchman (1882-1889), Daily/Weekly Athens Banner (1889-1922).
The Athens Historic Newspapers Archive is a project of the Digital Library of Georgia as part of the Georgia HomePLACE initiative. The project is supported with federal Library Service and Technology Act funds administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Georgia Public Library Service, a unit of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. Digitization also was made possible through a grant provided by the Francis Wood Wilson Foundation, Inc. The Athens Historic Newspapers Archive is available at http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/athnewspapers.
Other newspaper archives available through the Digital Library of Georgia include the Atlanta Historic Newspapers Archive (1847-1922), the Macon Telegraph Archive (1826-1908), the Columbus Enquirer Archive (1828-1890), the Milledgeville Historic Newspapers Archive (1808-1920), the Southern Israelite Archive (1929-1986), and the Red and Black Archive (1893-2006). These archives can be accessed at http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/MediaTypes/Newspapers.html
“Georgia HomePLACE is very pleased to support digitizing and presenting online content for the Athens Historic Newspapers Archive, a project of the Digital Library of Georgia, which is an initiative of GALILEO (Georgia’s Virtual Library),” said Ed Johnson, director of Georgia HomePLACE.
-----
Ahh, genealogy. What a great way to keep warm on these blustery winter days.
©2011 AS Eldredge
Thought you'd be interested in seeing this great news from UGA:
Historic Athens newspapers now available online via digital library
An archive of historic Athens newspapers is now available online via the Digital Library of Georgia at the University of Georgia.
The Athens Historic Newspapers Archive provides online access to five newspaper titles published in Athens from 1827 to 1922. Consisting of more than 57,000 newspaper pages, the archive provides historical images that are both full-text searchable and can be browsed by date. The site provides users with a view into the history of Athens in its early years as the home to the first state-chartered university in the nation and its eventual growth into the largest city in northeast Georgia.
The archive includes the following Athens newspaper titles: Athenian (1827-1832), Southern Banner (1832-1882), Southern Watchman (1855-1882), Daily/Weekly Banner-Watchman (1882-1889), Daily/Weekly Athens Banner (1889-1922).
The Athens Historic Newspapers Archive is a project of the Digital Library of Georgia as part of the Georgia HomePLACE initiative. The project is supported with federal Library Service and Technology Act funds administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Georgia Public Library Service, a unit of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. Digitization also was made possible through a grant provided by the Francis Wood Wilson Foundation, Inc. The Athens Historic Newspapers Archive is available at http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/athnewspapers.
Other newspaper archives available through the Digital Library of Georgia include the Atlanta Historic Newspapers Archive (1847-1922), the Macon Telegraph Archive (1826-1908), the Columbus Enquirer Archive (1828-1890), the Milledgeville Historic Newspapers Archive (1808-1920), the Southern Israelite Archive (1929-1986), and the Red and Black Archive (1893-2006). These archives can be accessed at http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/MediaTypes/Newspapers.html
“Georgia HomePLACE is very pleased to support digitizing and presenting online content for the Athens Historic Newspapers Archive, a project of the Digital Library of Georgia, which is an initiative of GALILEO (Georgia’s Virtual Library),” said Ed Johnson, director of Georgia HomePLACE.
-----
Ahh, genealogy. What a great way to keep warm on these blustery winter days.
©2011 AS Eldredge
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Founders to go Online
Thought you'd enjoy knowing this fun little tidbit from the National Archives......
National Archives to Put the Founders Online
The National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), the grantmaking arm of the National Archives, is pleased to announce a cooperative agreement with The University of Virginia (UVA) Press to make freely available online the historical documents of the Founders of the United States of America.
The NHPRC and UVA Press will create a new web site which provides access to the fully annotated published papers of key figures in the nation’s Founding era. The project is designed to include the papers of George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and Benjamin Franklin. The National Historical Publications and Records Commission will provide funding in the amount of up to $2 million for the UVA Press to undertake the work on the published papers.
Through this web resource, users will be able to read, browse, and search tens of thousands of documents from the Founding Era. A prototype web site including the contents of 154 volumes drawn from print editions of the papers of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison will be prepared by October 2011. The fully public version will be launched by June 2012 and will also include the 27 volumes of the Papers of Alexander Hamilton. By June 2013, the Founders Online expects to add the 39 published volumes of the Papers of Benjamin Franklin. The new resource will include the complete contents of 242 printed volumes, including all of the existing document transcriptions and the editors’ explanatory notes.
“This new archive of the Founding Era will revolutionize our understanding,” said David S. Ferriero, Archivist of the United States, “by creating for the first time a free and fully searchable collection of the Founders’ own words in the context of their time. As scholars and statesmen debate the meaning of documents such as the Constitution and Bill of Rights, they can turn to the originals and the wit and wisdom of the Founders’ own debates. And we can only express our gratitude for the effort of dedicated editors and scholars to create this work, a national monument to the founding of our nation.”
This award to help the University of Virginia Press create a new online presence for the papers of our nation's founders is great news for the University and for scholars everywhere," said University President Teresa Sullivan. "For ten years, the Press has built on the pioneering vision of U.Va. faculty to harness digital technology in the service of scholarship and education through the Rotunda imprint. As a public university, we applaud the leadership of the National Archives in bringing this important archive to life. Making these materials available to the public for free reflects the core values of the University and indeed of our nation's founding generation, whose words will now be readily available to teachers, students, and citizens.”
Historian Ron Chernow, author of the recent biography Washington: A Life, said, “Unfortunately, the Founders have become remote and abstract, when in fact they are rich, full-blooded, and fiery characters. This new site will not only help students learn more deeply and develop a visceral love and respect for this era, but it will stimulate interest in history for teachers, too, and will reconnect them to primary sources.”
In conjunction with entering into the cooperative agreement, Archivist David S. Ferriero also announced the appointment of three leading scholars to a special Founding Fathers Advisory Committee. The three members are Edward L. Ayers, President of University of Richmond, and leading scholar on the Civil War and American South; Mary Beth Norton, Professor of American History at Cornell University, and leading scholar on the social and political era of the 17th and 18th century America; and David Hackett Fisher, Professor of History at Brandeis, a leading scholar on the colonial era and Pulitzer Prize-winner author of Washington’s Crossing (2004). The Committee will advise the Archivist on the progress of the Founders’ editorial projects, and it is scheduled to meet at the National Archives on December 13, 2010.
Ahhh, genealogy. So much reading, so little time.....
©2010 AS Eldredge
National Archives to Put the Founders Online
The National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), the grantmaking arm of the National Archives, is pleased to announce a cooperative agreement with The University of Virginia (UVA) Press to make freely available online the historical documents of the Founders of the United States of America.
The NHPRC and UVA Press will create a new web site which provides access to the fully annotated published papers of key figures in the nation’s Founding era. The project is designed to include the papers of George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and Benjamin Franklin. The National Historical Publications and Records Commission will provide funding in the amount of up to $2 million for the UVA Press to undertake the work on the published papers.
Through this web resource, users will be able to read, browse, and search tens of thousands of documents from the Founding Era. A prototype web site including the contents of 154 volumes drawn from print editions of the papers of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison will be prepared by October 2011. The fully public version will be launched by June 2012 and will also include the 27 volumes of the Papers of Alexander Hamilton. By June 2013, the Founders Online expects to add the 39 published volumes of the Papers of Benjamin Franklin. The new resource will include the complete contents of 242 printed volumes, including all of the existing document transcriptions and the editors’ explanatory notes.
“This new archive of the Founding Era will revolutionize our understanding,” said David S. Ferriero, Archivist of the United States, “by creating for the first time a free and fully searchable collection of the Founders’ own words in the context of their time. As scholars and statesmen debate the meaning of documents such as the Constitution and Bill of Rights, they can turn to the originals and the wit and wisdom of the Founders’ own debates. And we can only express our gratitude for the effort of dedicated editors and scholars to create this work, a national monument to the founding of our nation.”
This award to help the University of Virginia Press create a new online presence for the papers of our nation's founders is great news for the University and for scholars everywhere," said University President Teresa Sullivan. "For ten years, the Press has built on the pioneering vision of U.Va. faculty to harness digital technology in the service of scholarship and education through the Rotunda imprint. As a public university, we applaud the leadership of the National Archives in bringing this important archive to life. Making these materials available to the public for free reflects the core values of the University and indeed of our nation's founding generation, whose words will now be readily available to teachers, students, and citizens.”
Historian Ron Chernow, author of the recent biography Washington: A Life, said, “Unfortunately, the Founders have become remote and abstract, when in fact they are rich, full-blooded, and fiery characters. This new site will not only help students learn more deeply and develop a visceral love and respect for this era, but it will stimulate interest in history for teachers, too, and will reconnect them to primary sources.”
In conjunction with entering into the cooperative agreement, Archivist David S. Ferriero also announced the appointment of three leading scholars to a special Founding Fathers Advisory Committee. The three members are Edward L. Ayers, President of University of Richmond, and leading scholar on the Civil War and American South; Mary Beth Norton, Professor of American History at Cornell University, and leading scholar on the social and political era of the 17th and 18th century America; and David Hackett Fisher, Professor of History at Brandeis, a leading scholar on the colonial era and Pulitzer Prize-winner author of Washington’s Crossing (2004). The Committee will advise the Archivist on the progress of the Founders’ editorial projects, and it is scheduled to meet at the National Archives on December 13, 2010.
Ahhh, genealogy. So much reading, so little time.....
©2010 AS Eldredge
Friday, March 12, 2010
Follow Friday: Some Leisure Reading for Genealogy Addicts
Those of us who are addicted to genealogy and who are always in the quest for new family treasure finds in books seem to spend a great deal of time reading. Sometimes, it is even in another language as we struggle to read the mountain of information sometimes found in the "ole Country."
In the event you develop eye strain from trying to read old newspapers, wills, faded pages of old, or another language, just relax. Take a break and enjoy the old issues of Ancestry Magazine. The complete old issues from January 1994- October 2009 can now be found online.
Want to discover tips which may help you in your personal quest? Want to read? Click http://books.google.com/books/serial/ISSN:1075475X?rview=1 to see the covers of the issues.
I've always looked forward to receiving issues of the magazine. Now I can easily locate the ones I missed or misplaced. Happy reading!
In the event you develop eye strain from trying to read old newspapers, wills, faded pages of old, or another language, just relax. Take a break and enjoy the old issues of Ancestry Magazine. The complete old issues from January 1994- October 2009 can now be found online.
Want to discover tips which may help you in your personal quest? Want to read? Click http://books.google.com/books/serial/ISSN:1075475X?rview=1 to see the covers of the issues.
I've always looked forward to receiving issues of the magazine. Now I can easily locate the ones I missed or misplaced. Happy reading!
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Tuesday Tip: Remember to Give Credit
I've been chatting with a distant (aren't they all?) cousin over the last few days. It's really gotten me energized to dig more into the family. From time to time, we must all go back and review the data and look around to see if anything new has been posted.
Imagine my surprise this morning when I found my hard long research from several years ago, along with photos that I think I'm the only one to have, copied word for word on Find a Grave.
Think, fellow genealogy researchers, of others' research when posting their information online. Be sure to give them the credit for their words and pictures!
I quickly emailed the contributor of the information taken from my site and asked her to correct the entry. I just want the credit, and of course, the way for other cousins to find me.
The contributor quickly emailed back and profusely apologized. I figured they just didn't think when they copied and pasted the information and pictures.
Use it. Just use it properly by giving credit where the credit is due. Or better yet-- contact the owner of the site to see how the work should be credited, or if you should just use one line with a link to the site of the original information.
Oh - the contributor was kind enough to go back and edit the entries showing the source of the information posted. One chore down for this really cold day!
Imagine my surprise this morning when I found my hard long research from several years ago, along with photos that I think I'm the only one to have, copied word for word on Find a Grave.
Think, fellow genealogy researchers, of others' research when posting their information online. Be sure to give them the credit for their words and pictures!
I quickly emailed the contributor of the information taken from my site and asked her to correct the entry. I just want the credit, and of course, the way for other cousins to find me.
The contributor quickly emailed back and profusely apologized. I figured they just didn't think when they copied and pasted the information and pictures.
Use it. Just use it properly by giving credit where the credit is due. Or better yet-- contact the owner of the site to see how the work should be credited, or if you should just use one line with a link to the site of the original information.
Oh - the contributor was kind enough to go back and edit the entries showing the source of the information posted. One chore down for this really cold day!
Monday, January 04, 2010
And the Gift Keeps On Coming
I sort of fell into genealogy about 15 years ago and admittedly have a strong addiction. Just ask my family- close or distant blood!
I've been working with a gent for about four years now on my blood. He's been a real gem in my quest to learn, and to learn more about my blood. Click here to read a previous post on my buddy.
Well, today, he offered another gift. Oops, I should back up a few months.
My buddy and I have been searching for the proof that his blood runs in my veins. Finally, we found a living breathing male with the correct surname in both our families who were willing to take the DNA test. This would tell the tale.
The tale, or rather fact, of the matter is to our knowledge we share not one itty bitty drop of blood.
He has finally decided he didn't need to run the online tree of the family, so today, he offered it to me. I accepted. In a day or so, the newly owned tree will be available on ancestry for all to see. Of course, it's been there the whole time. It's just now going to be updated by a common gene seeker.
As for my buddy? He's gained a place in my heart and I will continue to refer to him as my "kinda cousin." After all, he's the one who was able to lead me in the right direction in my personal quest of Wall Street John.
Thanks, Bill, for the gifts of knowledge, time, and friendship. I look forward to continuing our "kinda cousin" relationship.
I've been working with a gent for about four years now on my blood. He's been a real gem in my quest to learn, and to learn more about my blood. Click here to read a previous post on my buddy.
Well, today, he offered another gift. Oops, I should back up a few months.
My buddy and I have been searching for the proof that his blood runs in my veins. Finally, we found a living breathing male with the correct surname in both our families who were willing to take the DNA test. This would tell the tale.
The tale, or rather fact, of the matter is to our knowledge we share not one itty bitty drop of blood.
He has finally decided he didn't need to run the online tree of the family, so today, he offered it to me. I accepted. In a day or so, the newly owned tree will be available on ancestry for all to see. Of course, it's been there the whole time. It's just now going to be updated by a common gene seeker.
As for my buddy? He's gained a place in my heart and I will continue to refer to him as my "kinda cousin." After all, he's the one who was able to lead me in the right direction in my personal quest of Wall Street John.
Thanks, Bill, for the gifts of knowledge, time, and friendship. I look forward to continuing our "kinda cousin" relationship.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Search at the DAR Library from the Comfort of Home
Just thought I'd pass this on.
In case you haven't dug in the Daughters of the American Revolution online library lately, genealogy buffs really should. Now you can search for Patriots (while keeping in mind this is not an all inclusive list) and for descendants who have joined under the known patriots.
New patriots are always being added to the DAR files as new members prove patriotic service of a beloved ancestor.
Check it out here: http://www.dar.org/library/online_research.cfm
And, yeppers, my fingers have logged in many an hour working as a volunteer on parts of this project!
In case you haven't dug in the Daughters of the American Revolution online library lately, genealogy buffs really should. Now you can search for Patriots (while keeping in mind this is not an all inclusive list) and for descendants who have joined under the known patriots.
New patriots are always being added to the DAR files as new members prove patriotic service of a beloved ancestor.
Check it out here: http://www.dar.org/library/online_research.cfm
And, yeppers, my fingers have logged in many an hour working as a volunteer on parts of this project!
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Treasures Await Your Online Pleasure in South Carolina
Many public libraries across South Carolina have given us all a great big gift in the form of an online index to obituaries. While not complete, it can make a huge difference as you search for your genealogy treasure in South Carolina.
I spent a few minutes in the Florence Library site and found the index was decent for recent years, but way too scant for the early years in the 1900s. Both Greenville and York County searches were also not to my satisfaction due to either the time contstraints of the obituaries listed or due to having to know more details. Richland and Newberry Counties have some obits as well, but I didn't search those as my family is not known to have deep roots there.
I'll keep checking off and on to see how much progress is being made on the index Please note that if you find your treasure, you will have to contact the library to have a copy made.
But, as we know in genealogy, you have to keep on the hunt for those treasures. Sometimes, they show up years later. When they do, the feeling, well, the feeling is like finding the proverbial pot of gold under the rainbow.
Here are the sites I checked for an index:
South Carolina United Methodist Advocate
York County History
South Carolina Death Index 1915-1958 - appears to require Windows only
Florence Library
Greenville County Library
I spent a few minutes in the Florence Library site and found the index was decent for recent years, but way too scant for the early years in the 1900s. Both Greenville and York County searches were also not to my satisfaction due to either the time contstraints of the obituaries listed or due to having to know more details. Richland and Newberry Counties have some obits as well, but I didn't search those as my family is not known to have deep roots there.
I'll keep checking off and on to see how much progress is being made on the index Please note that if you find your treasure, you will have to contact the library to have a copy made.
But, as we know in genealogy, you have to keep on the hunt for those treasures. Sometimes, they show up years later. When they do, the feeling, well, the feeling is like finding the proverbial pot of gold under the rainbow.
Here are the sites I checked for an index:
South Carolina United Methodist Advocate
York County History
South Carolina Death Index 1915-1958 - appears to require Windows only
Florence Library
Greenville County Library
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Back in Time Today- with South Carolina Archives
We genealogy buffs are always looking for more to satisfy our seemingly unquenchable thirst for knowledge of the past. Let's all remember that our country will be celebrating the 222nd anniversary of the framing of the Constitution later this week. So, take a moment and step back into that time. Right now, my quest for my roots is on hold as I am starting my county wide tour of speaking on the Constitution to my local schools. With that said, I say the following article this morning and thought some of my readers would enjoy knowing more about some early South Carolina records.
It's good to see that not all records were destroyed during the "Recent Unpleasantness". I haven't had the time to go digging around for my roots at these online archives yet, but I shall.
The following article is from Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter and is copyright by Richard W. Eastman. It is re-published here with the permission of the author. Information about the newsletter is available at http://www.eogn.com.
South Carolina Archive Documents Online
The South Carolina Department of Archives and History has a rather simple, but impressive, web site. The site includes images of many orignal documents as well as indexes that allow the documents to be found quickly.
The documents available include:
Title Number of Items
Confederate Pension Applications 1919 - 1938 10,242 items
Criminal Journals 1769 - 1776 2,087 items
Index to Multiple Record Series ca. 1675 -1929 173,042 items
Legislative Papers 1782 - 1866 53,489 items
National Register of Historic Places 1,415 items
Plats for State Land Grants 1784 - 1868 51,809 items
School Insurance Photographs 1935 - 1952 2,662 items
Will Transcripts 1782 - 1855 11,059 items
TOTAL: 305,803 items
You can search the on-line index for documents by entering a personal name, geographic location, topic or a combination of these search factors. You may also specify a time span.
Images of records available are made possible by the support of an IMLS/LSTA grant administered by the South Carolina State Library.
You can access the South Carolina Archive Documents at http://www.archivesindex.sc.gov.
It's good to see that not all records were destroyed during the "Recent Unpleasantness". I haven't had the time to go digging around for my roots at these online archives yet, but I shall.
The following article is from Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter and is copyright by Richard W. Eastman. It is re-published here with the permission of the author. Information about the newsletter is available at http://www.eogn.com.
South Carolina Archive Documents Online
The South Carolina Department of Archives and History has a rather simple, but impressive, web site. The site includes images of many orignal documents as well as indexes that allow the documents to be found quickly.
The documents available include:
Title Number of Items
Confederate Pension Applications 1919 - 1938 10,242 items
Criminal Journals 1769 - 1776 2,087 items
Index to Multiple Record Series ca. 1675 -1929 173,042 items
Legislative Papers 1782 - 1866 53,489 items
National Register of Historic Places 1,415 items
Plats for State Land Grants 1784 - 1868 51,809 items
School Insurance Photographs 1935 - 1952 2,662 items
Will Transcripts 1782 - 1855 11,059 items
TOTAL: 305,803 items
You can search the on-line index for documents by entering a personal name, geographic location, topic or a combination of these search factors. You may also specify a time span.
Images of records available are made possible by the support of an IMLS/LSTA grant administered by the South Carolina State Library.
You can access the South Carolina Archive Documents at http://www.archivesindex.sc.gov.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Old South Carolina News to Become New Again
GT Note: This is just so neat for genealogy buffs and for those who are interested in history. Read the story below to see how newspapers from 1860 to 1922 will come new again-- only this time, it's online!
Project putting old news online
S.C. newspapers from 1860 to 1922 going in database
BY DIANE KNICH
The Post and Courier
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
South Carolinians will soon find it easier to read newspaper accounts about the start of the Civil War, discriminatory Jim Crow laws and Gov. Benjamin Tillman's South Carolina Dispensary, which was once the only entity legally authorized to sell alcohol in the state.
The University of South Carolina's S.C. Digital Newspaper Project.....http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/sep/09/project-putting-old-news-online/
Project putting old news online
S.C. newspapers from 1860 to 1922 going in database
BY DIANE KNICH
The Post and Courier
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
South Carolinians will soon find it easier to read newspaper accounts about the start of the Civil War, discriminatory Jim Crow laws and Gov. Benjamin Tillman's South Carolina Dispensary, which was once the only entity legally authorized to sell alcohol in the state.
The University of South Carolina's S.C. Digital Newspaper Project.....http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/sep/09/project-putting-old-news-online/
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Great News for Swedish Researchers!
Anyone who has ever tried to dig deep into their Swedish ancestors knows what a trick that can be. In my genealogy story, my maternal great grandparents were the proverbial just off the ship types, even though they didn't marry until they were in America. Tracing their families back has proven to be difficult, but wildly satisfying. With the help of an American friend, whose ties go back to my "family" cemetery in Pittsburgh, I've found family and learned so much of the early naming customs and history of Sweden. I've also been rewarded with new Swedish cousin penpals through this search and enjoy learning more about my Swedish roots.
I hope some of these new records will be transcribed into English for those of us who don't read Swedish!
Hejda.
The following article is from Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter and is copyright by Richard W. Eastman. It is re-published here with the permission of the author. Information about the newsletter is available at http://www.eogn.com.
Volunteers to Bring Historic Sweden Church Records Online
The following announcement was written by FamilySearch:
FALKÖPING, Sweden—FamilySearch and Svensk Arkivinformation (SVAR), a division of the National Archives of Sweden, announced today the launch of the largest online indexing initiative undertaken to-date. The two groups unveiled plans to engage Swedish volunteers throughout the world to help create a highly searchable, free online index to the historic parish registers of Sweden—200 years of recorded Swedish history as documented in the Sweden church records—comprising over 400 million names.
In 1608 the Archbishop of Sweden asked the clergy to begin making records of births, christenings, marriages, and burials of all the residents of Sweden. By 1686, they were conducting regular examinations of the population of each parish. The church records (often called “parish registers” or “church books”) span over two centuries and chronicle the vital life events of an estimated 418 million people who moved in and out of parishes in Sweden.
“The church records are a key source for genealogists seeking Swedish ancestors because nearly everyone who lived in Sweden was recorded in a church record,” said David Rencher, FamilySearch chief genealogical officer. “The challenge now is to make those records, which are written in Swedish, available to researchers worldwide,” concluded Rencher.
“We are very pleased with the excellent cooperation we have enjoyed for many years between FamilySearch and the National Archives to microfilm and scan the Swedish church records. Now we are going to create an index that will revolutionize the genealogy research in Sweden. The simplicity of finding and reading about one’s ancestors on the Web in the millions of scanned records will attract many beginners of all ages,” said Anders Nordström, director of SVAR. “To the academic researcher, this is an entirely new means. It makes it possible to do research within disciplines on a micro level, an extent that was never possible before now,” added Nordström.
The way Swedes passed on a family name throughout the centuries is another reason why the indexing initiative is so important to family historians. “Imagine being in a Swedish community 200 years ago and 10 out of 100 people have the same first and last name as you. That’s how small the naming pool was in Scandinavia,” said Jeff Svare, FamilySearch Scandinavian collection management specialist.
If you were Anders Andersson, your father could have been Anders. Your brother could have also been named Anders, as well as your uncle. To help distinguish which Anders Andersson you were referring to at the time, locals added the name of the farm (residence) of an individual to keep them straight. “Otherwise, when you’re trying to search for Anders Andersson today, your ancestor falls into the proverbial fog of same-named people and you don’t know who they are without the additional context,” added Svare. The FamilySearch index will include the residence or farm name from the individual’s vital record. This information has been extracted to assist patrons in identifying their Swedish ancestor.
The goal is to engage the Swedish community in creating a highly searchable, free online index to the Sweden church records. When complete, the index will be the single largest point of access to information contained in the historic parish registers of Sweden. The free index will link to images of the original records hosted by the National Archives of Sweden (SVAR). In addition to the free public index that will be made available, SVAR might charge a nominal fee for public patrons who want to view or print the images.
FamilySearch is the global leader of online indexing. It launched its online indexing program in 2008, and tens of thousands of volunteers recently helped reach another major milestone by indexing their 250 millionth name. FamilySearch currently has 65 online indexing projects underway.
For this project, FamilySearch will create digital images of the Sweden church records provided by SVAR. Volunteers worldwide will then use FamilySearch’s Web-based indexing tool to view the digital images and extract only the desired information from the image. That data will then be processed and published online in searchable indexes linked to the digital images.
Volunteers need only Internet access and the ability to read Swedish to contribute to this historic effort. A unique quality control process ensures a highly accurate, finished index. Each document is transcribed by two different indexers, wherever they are in the world. Any discrepancies in their two extractions are then forwarded to a third volunteer—an arbitrator—who makes any needed corrections between the two interpretations.
The project will start with records from Örebro, Uppsala, and Södermanland counties. Indexing will begin with the earliest year available for each parish and continue through 1860. A typical downloaded “batch” (group of records) will take a volunteer about 30 to 40 minutes to complete. The indexing utility has built-in tutorials and helps. Anyone interested in volunteering for the Sweden Church Records project can do so at indexing.familysearch.org.
I hope some of these new records will be transcribed into English for those of us who don't read Swedish!
Hejda.
The following article is from Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter and is copyright by Richard W. Eastman. It is re-published here with the permission of the author. Information about the newsletter is available at http://www.eogn.com.
Volunteers to Bring Historic Sweden Church Records Online
The following announcement was written by FamilySearch:
FALKÖPING, Sweden—FamilySearch and Svensk Arkivinformation (SVAR), a division of the National Archives of Sweden, announced today the launch of the largest online indexing initiative undertaken to-date. The two groups unveiled plans to engage Swedish volunteers throughout the world to help create a highly searchable, free online index to the historic parish registers of Sweden—200 years of recorded Swedish history as documented in the Sweden church records—comprising over 400 million names.
In 1608 the Archbishop of Sweden asked the clergy to begin making records of births, christenings, marriages, and burials of all the residents of Sweden. By 1686, they were conducting regular examinations of the population of each parish. The church records (often called “parish registers” or “church books”) span over two centuries and chronicle the vital life events of an estimated 418 million people who moved in and out of parishes in Sweden.
“The church records are a key source for genealogists seeking Swedish ancestors because nearly everyone who lived in Sweden was recorded in a church record,” said David Rencher, FamilySearch chief genealogical officer. “The challenge now is to make those records, which are written in Swedish, available to researchers worldwide,” concluded Rencher.
“We are very pleased with the excellent cooperation we have enjoyed for many years between FamilySearch and the National Archives to microfilm and scan the Swedish church records. Now we are going to create an index that will revolutionize the genealogy research in Sweden. The simplicity of finding and reading about one’s ancestors on the Web in the millions of scanned records will attract many beginners of all ages,” said Anders Nordström, director of SVAR. “To the academic researcher, this is an entirely new means. It makes it possible to do research within disciplines on a micro level, an extent that was never possible before now,” added Nordström.
The way Swedes passed on a family name throughout the centuries is another reason why the indexing initiative is so important to family historians. “Imagine being in a Swedish community 200 years ago and 10 out of 100 people have the same first and last name as you. That’s how small the naming pool was in Scandinavia,” said Jeff Svare, FamilySearch Scandinavian collection management specialist.
If you were Anders Andersson, your father could have been Anders. Your brother could have also been named Anders, as well as your uncle. To help distinguish which Anders Andersson you were referring to at the time, locals added the name of the farm (residence) of an individual to keep them straight. “Otherwise, when you’re trying to search for Anders Andersson today, your ancestor falls into the proverbial fog of same-named people and you don’t know who they are without the additional context,” added Svare. The FamilySearch index will include the residence or farm name from the individual’s vital record. This information has been extracted to assist patrons in identifying their Swedish ancestor.
The goal is to engage the Swedish community in creating a highly searchable, free online index to the Sweden church records. When complete, the index will be the single largest point of access to information contained in the historic parish registers of Sweden. The free index will link to images of the original records hosted by the National Archives of Sweden (SVAR). In addition to the free public index that will be made available, SVAR might charge a nominal fee for public patrons who want to view or print the images.
FamilySearch is the global leader of online indexing. It launched its online indexing program in 2008, and tens of thousands of volunteers recently helped reach another major milestone by indexing their 250 millionth name. FamilySearch currently has 65 online indexing projects underway.
For this project, FamilySearch will create digital images of the Sweden church records provided by SVAR. Volunteers worldwide will then use FamilySearch’s Web-based indexing tool to view the digital images and extract only the desired information from the image. That data will then be processed and published online in searchable indexes linked to the digital images.
Volunteers need only Internet access and the ability to read Swedish to contribute to this historic effort. A unique quality control process ensures a highly accurate, finished index. Each document is transcribed by two different indexers, wherever they are in the world. Any discrepancies in their two extractions are then forwarded to a third volunteer—an arbitrator—who makes any needed corrections between the two interpretations.
The project will start with records from Örebro, Uppsala, and Södermanland counties. Indexing will begin with the earliest year available for each parish and continue through 1860. A typical downloaded “batch” (group of records) will take a volunteer about 30 to 40 minutes to complete. The indexing utility has built-in tutorials and helps. Anyone interested in volunteering for the Sweden Church Records project can do so at indexing.familysearch.org.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
UK 1911 Census Online
Here's a boost for those searching their family genealogy in the United Kingdom.
Entire 1911 Census now Available Online for the First Time
Research commissioned by 1911census.co.uk reveals nearly a quarter of the population (23%) have now actively researched their family tree*, with 2.9 million people having visited 1911census.co.uk to research their own ancestors’ census records since the website went live in January this year**. The pastime is now just as popular as participating in team sports and overtaking other popular hobbies such as making Twitter posts and blogging (11%) and bingo (13%).
Following the initial release of the Southern English records in January 2009, the website now hosts the complete 1911 census records for people living in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. What’s more, for the first time in a British census, full details are available of British Army personnel and their families stationed overseas. There were 135,866 people serving in the British Army and 36,804 people serving in the Royal Navy across the British Empire in 1911, including 69,785 serving in India.
Christine Webber, psychotherapist and lifecoach, says: “Being able to find out how our grandparents and great-grandparents lived gives our own lives some extra perspective, and also helps us to understand ourselves better. The ability to delve into what our relatives were doing almost a hundred years ago is fascinating. It also helps us to get a sense of our own place in history. I think that getting in touch with your own roots is a very valuable and healing thing to do. So, this is a most exciting development.”
And it’s not just the older generation who are embracing the chance to discover more about their roots. Over a fifth (21% of under 35s and 35-55 year olds) have researched their family history in the past 12 months. People are turning to genealogy for a wide variety of reasons, from wanting to find out more about family stories that have been passed down through the generations (28%), to being inspired by TV shows like ‘Who Do Think You Are?’ and after a family event such as the birth of a new child (12%).
Women, however, are still leading the way when it comes to family history research as over one quarter (26%) are actively researching their family history, compared to only one fifth of men (20%).
The 1911census.co.uk website service has been developed by UK-based family history website findmypast.com, owned by brightsolid, in association with The National Archives***. Completed by 36 million householders on Sunday, 2 April 1911, the census records show the name, age, place of birth, marital status and occupation of every resident in every home as well as their relationship to the head of the household and the online records include images of our ancestors’ own handwriting. For the first time the enumerators’ summary books for the whole of England and Wales have also gone online today, recording details of all properties in the country in 1911 – a great resource for anyone interested in local history or house histories. The 1911 census records have been released three years earlier than the scheduled 2012 date as a result of public demand for the 1911 census, which will be a key resource for family historians.
Debra Chatfield, Marketing Manager at findmypast.com, says: ‘“We’re delighted that the final records have been uploaded from the 1911 census including the military records and the records for Wales, the Isle of Man and Channel Islands. We hope many generations will gain a huge amount of valuable information about their ancestors by consulting the records and that they’ll discover new chapters of their family history that they previously knew very little or nothing about.”
Oliver Morley, Director of Customer and Business Development at The National Archives, commented: “It’s wonderful to see that so many people are discovering a new passion for family history through the 1911 census. Bringing this project to completion has been one of the most exciting events for us this year, and to know that so many people have been able to access part of their personal history online shows how valuable it can be to make these records available via the web.”
**Findmypast.com internal data
***In line with data protection legislation, certain sensitive information relating to infirmity and to children of women prisoners will be held back until 2012. The 1911 census is a special case at the request of the Information Commissioner all records of infirmity as listed on the records (e.g. ‘deaf’, ‘dumb’, ‘blind’, ‘lunatic’ etc.) have been obscured and will not be available to view until January 2012.
Entire 1911 Census now Available Online for the First Time
Research commissioned by 1911census.co.uk reveals nearly a quarter of the population (23%) have now actively researched their family tree*, with 2.9 million people having visited 1911census.co.uk to research their own ancestors’ census records since the website went live in January this year**. The pastime is now just as popular as participating in team sports and overtaking other popular hobbies such as making Twitter posts and blogging (11%) and bingo (13%).
Following the initial release of the Southern English records in January 2009, the website now hosts the complete 1911 census records for people living in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. What’s more, for the first time in a British census, full details are available of British Army personnel and their families stationed overseas. There were 135,866 people serving in the British Army and 36,804 people serving in the Royal Navy across the British Empire in 1911, including 69,785 serving in India.
Christine Webber, psychotherapist and lifecoach, says: “Being able to find out how our grandparents and great-grandparents lived gives our own lives some extra perspective, and also helps us to understand ourselves better. The ability to delve into what our relatives were doing almost a hundred years ago is fascinating. It also helps us to get a sense of our own place in history. I think that getting in touch with your own roots is a very valuable and healing thing to do. So, this is a most exciting development.”
And it’s not just the older generation who are embracing the chance to discover more about their roots. Over a fifth (21% of under 35s and 35-55 year olds) have researched their family history in the past 12 months. People are turning to genealogy for a wide variety of reasons, from wanting to find out more about family stories that have been passed down through the generations (28%), to being inspired by TV shows like ‘Who Do Think You Are?’ and after a family event such as the birth of a new child (12%).
Women, however, are still leading the way when it comes to family history research as over one quarter (26%) are actively researching their family history, compared to only one fifth of men (20%).
The 1911census.co.uk website service has been developed by UK-based family history website findmypast.com, owned by brightsolid, in association with The National Archives***. Completed by 36 million householders on Sunday, 2 April 1911, the census records show the name, age, place of birth, marital status and occupation of every resident in every home as well as their relationship to the head of the household and the online records include images of our ancestors’ own handwriting. For the first time the enumerators’ summary books for the whole of England and Wales have also gone online today, recording details of all properties in the country in 1911 – a great resource for anyone interested in local history or house histories. The 1911 census records have been released three years earlier than the scheduled 2012 date as a result of public demand for the 1911 census, which will be a key resource for family historians.
Debra Chatfield, Marketing Manager at findmypast.com, says: ‘“We’re delighted that the final records have been uploaded from the 1911 census including the military records and the records for Wales, the Isle of Man and Channel Islands. We hope many generations will gain a huge amount of valuable information about their ancestors by consulting the records and that they’ll discover new chapters of their family history that they previously knew very little or nothing about.”
Oliver Morley, Director of Customer and Business Development at The National Archives, commented: “It’s wonderful to see that so many people are discovering a new passion for family history through the 1911 census. Bringing this project to completion has been one of the most exciting events for us this year, and to know that so many people have been able to access part of their personal history online shows how valuable it can be to make these records available via the web.”
**Findmypast.com internal data
***In line with data protection legislation, certain sensitive information relating to infirmity and to children of women prisoners will be held back until 2012. The 1911 census is a special case at the request of the Information Commissioner all records of infirmity as listed on the records (e.g. ‘deaf’, ‘dumb’, ‘blind’, ‘lunatic’ etc.) have been obscured and will not be available to view until January 2012.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Lost in Death in South Carolina
South Carolina research has always been difficult. I don't know if it resulted from Sherman's March to the Sea or the numerous fires which seem to have taken toll of old records.
Today, I found a notice from a couple of months ago for a database which has scanned copies of death certificates from the 1821-1955 online! So, I happily spent a couple of hours getting some old documents to help flush out my family files.
There were even some "aha" moments in my finds. I can't wait to share my latest finds with some of my dear Low Country kinfolk.
If you're interested in this site, just check out Ancestry.com. The database is one of their recent ones.
It pays to continue to search for documents. Just like family, they sometimes will show up when least expected!
Enjoy your hunt.
Today, I found a notice from a couple of months ago for a database which has scanned copies of death certificates from the 1821-1955 online! So, I happily spent a couple of hours getting some old documents to help flush out my family files.
There were even some "aha" moments in my finds. I can't wait to share my latest finds with some of my dear Low Country kinfolk.
If you're interested in this site, just check out Ancestry.com. The database is one of their recent ones.
It pays to continue to search for documents. Just like family, they sometimes will show up when least expected!
Enjoy your hunt.
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