As a mom I worry about all sorts of things and I am pretty sure worry comes with the job title.  As a genealogist an entire new layer of worry is added to that already extensive worry list. Now I ponder how I will make sure my kids, and grandkids, have the same love and respect for their family history that I have.

I was lucky that I grew up in the family I did.  My parents and grandmothers loved to tell stories about our family.  Their houses were decorated with heirlooms, pictures, and memories. Family dinners were peppered with old recipes adding to the flavors of the day. I have learned through the years that this is not the norm in most families.  Yes, I do have family members who have attempted to run away from me or who not-so-politely sat through what I thought was a very interesting story.  I am sure you all can think of several instances where this has happened to you.  My goal as a genealogist mom is to, as Janet Hovorka states in her new book, zap the grandma gap with future generations.

Zap the Grandma Gap, by Janet Hovorka, is a wonderful how-to-guide for anyone struggling with passing on their family history to younger generations.  Each chapter is filled with hints, tips, ideas, and wonderful personal stories to show you that it really isn’t that hard to connect.  All you need to do is relate to their life experiences and talk to them in ways that interest them.  Simple enough, right?

Your guide through the book is Super Grandma who has an arsenal of special accessories.  In each section you are introduced to a special gadget which allows her to connect her family to their story.  From her “Bullet Proof Vest” to her “Super Styling Boots” Super Grandma makes it easy for you to develop a strategy to pass on to your family all the knowledge and tidbits you have collected through the years.

My children are still at home, a captive audience you could say, but I don’t want to scare them off from the wonders of their family history.  I was happy to read that several of her suggestions on engaging children and making it fun are already happening in our house.  There are still pages more of ideas that I can use as they grow older plus ways to draw in the rest of my family.

Pulling on her experiences with her own family and her business the advice she gives is sound and well structured.  Janet lays out strategies to follow as you tackle the goal of sharing your knowledge with your relatives.  You don’t need to be afraid of being overloaded with craft ideas, high-tech jargon, or projects that there is no way an ordinary person could complete.  There is a simple middle ground between the creative and techie that allows you to choose the paths that work best for you and your family.

If you have children at home, or grandkids who visit, I would recommend this book to get you started down the path of sharing your family history in new and old ways.  It is well-organized, informative, and eye-opening at times. The ideas are innovative and helped me move into new ways of motivating and inspiring my kids.  Let’s just say that their summer break just got busy.

The In-Depth Genealogist has been such an important part of my family history journey. From the earliest days of a handful of friends writing articles for a newsletter over at Corn and Cotton Genealogy to the resource you know today, IDG has been first and foremost a labor of love for me. It has grown and evolved over the last year into something that still leaves me awestruck. We strived to be a place where all genealogists felt welcome when others may focus on dividing the community into labels such as “hobbyist” or “professional.” I think we’ve done a pretty good job so far! It has grown from a small group to a large family, and I love it.

However, as with all journeys, sometimes we notice that the path in front of us is heading in a different direction than we expected. I’ve been blessed over the last year to not only work with a great team growing The In-Depth Genealogist but to also grow my business, Corn and Cotton Genealogy. The time has come that I need to pour myself full time into my business. Starting this month, I’ll be stepping down as the Creative Director for IDG. Don’t think you’ve heard the last of me though! In addition to writing more guides in the Legacy Family Tree Quick Guide series, you’ll still see me writing articles for sites such as Archives.com and Homeschool Mosaics. I’m also working on a fun new project specially designed for those interested in learning how family history can be used to excite our children and extend their learning opportunities. (You’ll hear more about that in the coming months!) And, I’ll also be writing for the IDG blog and Going In-Depth each month! In fact, you’ll probably notice me more, because I will no longer be focused on the day-to-day operations of The In-Depth Genealogist, as I’ll have less responsibility “behind the scenes.” I am so very excited about the possibilities that lay ahead of me, and I hope you will be, too. IDG will never be far from my heart or mind.

If you’d like to stay connected with me personally, I encourage you to reach out to me on social media! I spend a lot of time there for myself, as well as clients, and I’d love to connect with you, too!

You can find me on:

Twitter: @cornandcotton

Facebook: Corn and Cotton Genealogy

Pinterest: Corn and Cotton Genealogy

I’ll see you down the road!

Stephanie

Of course, when that happens, it means perhaps you need to consider where in the locality you are going to research, whether that be by visiting or by using the Internet.

Where I grew up in Surrey was quite close to my ancestral stomping ground. Surrey borders Berkshire, Hampshire, Sussex, Kent and of course Middlesex.

I had always known that and of course living in the area took it for granted. A few years ago my husband and I ventured back to my native Surrey and had elected to stay in one of the budget hotels. We only needed somewhere to sleep as during the day I would be researching and hubby would be fishing.

Guildford is notoriously expensive in the hotel market, so we ventured down to Liphook which was the exact area where my Grandmother’s maternal line had lived.

I can not read a map with any degree of success, so we took a wrong turn, and headed under a railway bridge. Then suddenly I saw the County sign reading Sussex.

Quickly we stopped the car and I asked hubby how far we were out of Liphook. The answer was less than a mile. It was one of those moments when your heart races a little faster as you comprehend just what you have discovered. Please tell me that you have all had those moments, otherwise I had best see a Doctor!

We retraced our steps and made it to the hotel. Sorted ourselves out, we had to, we had only just arrived and then went off to walk around the area. I steered the walk back under that railway bridge and was into Sussex.

The next day at the Records Office I sought a map and looked again at the stopping ground of my Grandmother’s family. The excitement was caused by her Grandmother, who on every census since 1841 right up to 1901 (she died a few months after the Census was taken) she choose to name a different area within the confines of the Liphook and neighbouring Bramshot area as her place of birth.

It is worth mentioning that in 1841 the Census did not provide a specific location, merely within the County or not, so effectively a yes or no answer. Of course, a Y for yes had been placed in the box, when it should have been N!

I searched the local parishes that were across the border into Sussex, starting with Midhurst. I eventually chose Lurgershall and there she was:

“29^th December 1838, Mary Denyer, daughter of

Edward and Emaline Denyer, Lurgershall”

Source – Baptism Parish Records

It was a truly wonderful moment.

So, if your ancestor is not where they tell you they were look a bit further afield, with the thought process of 200 years ago, the world before cars, to a world when people walked several miles a day often across fields. Think what you would do in their shoes. If only I had taken my own advice, I could have saved myself several years of research headaches!

Until next time,

Julie

(For those of you with access to the conference syllabus, you can find this session on page 141.)

During the war, the Trans-Mississippi West theatre’s primary operations were in Missouri, Indian Territory, and New Mexico. Although the duration of the lecture was very interesting, one effort made by Mr. Sayre caught my attention; and that was providing numerous references to attendees for further reading. His bibliography included twenty-two sources. Some of those included:

1. The Galvanized Yankees (Brown, Dee Alexander. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1963.)
2. The Civil War in the American West. (Josephy, Alvin M. New York; A.A. Knopf, 1991.)
3. Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. (McPhersoon, James M. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988.)
4. The Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference. (Wagner, Margaret E., Gary W. Gallagher, and Paul Finkelman. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2002.)

Other interesting titles that were mentioned, but not provided in the bibliography included:

1. New Mexico and the Civil War. (Pittman, Dr. Walter Earl. The History Press, 2011.)
2. Civil War in the Indian Territory. (Cottrell, Steve. Pelican Publishing, 1995.)

One of the many tools provided for research of this nature was the concept of how to approach your search. Mr. Sayre suggested understanding, in this order:

1. The war. Utilizing general resources for understanding the war, the political and social climate of the time.
2. The organization. Look to The Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference (see above) for a broad overview of how the two sides of the conflict were internally organized and managed their forces.
3. The records. As the vast majority of records are held within the National Archives (NARA), understanding how NARA works, the records available, and what they offer for each state, territory and battle are essential.

Overall, I enjoyed the presentation a great deal, and was reassured on my own research process when Mr. Sayer repeatedly referred to the NPS Soldiers & Sailors website, along with others in that system, as a primary tool for Civil War research. If you have an interest in the topic, I would suggest that you attend the session if given the chance.

More to come from #NGS2013 very soon! Stay tuned!

~ Jen

But there is another, just as valuable option. There are many conferences around the world – not necessarily genealogy conferences – do it very well. It’s called un-conferencing, and it can take many forms. Sitting here in the airport waiting for my flight, I do not believe that the NGS 2013 Family History Conference in Las Vegas has any un-conference events on the official schedule. However….

There are several events that are taking place in the exhibit hall, the internet café, and other sites around the conference center that have been able to partner with the team at NGS to utilize this event to showcase their products, collaborative projects and educational opportunities, and much more. The team at The In-Depth Genealogist is incredibly excited to be leading one such event: #genchat LIVE! from NGS 2013! We are grateful to the Conference Committee and to the incredible generosity of sponsors Findmypast and FamilySearch for the complimentary internet service; allowing us to make all of this possible.

In the exhibit hall, there is one group of people we know of specifically that are bringing this un-conferencing experience to their booth. Pentandra is providing what appear to be extremely comfy red chairs for many of us to take advantage of. They are planning a series of scheduled conversations, on a variety of topics, and are hoping to create an engaging and dynamic space for people to share, collaborate and generally come together during the conference. Instead of listening to that wonderful speaker, you will be able to participate in a whole new way; and provide your knowledge, suggestions and ask your questions.

As a collaborative team, we found this idea to be incredibly appealing, so we’ve jumped in with both feet and are working with the folks at Pendandra to host at least two conversations, possibly three, over the coming days in their inviting setting. If you are attending the conference, please check over your schedule to see if you might be able to join us! We’d love to meet you, interact on these topics and much more.

Here’s is what we are offering:

Thursday, May 9, 2013, 11:00am: Generation Y and Genealogy

Saturday, May 11, 2013, 1:00pm: The Role of the Official Blogger

Think you can make it? We would really enjoy having you in our conversation and will certainly appreciate all commentary, opinions, thoughts, and expressions of ideas. If you cannot? We will do our best to blog about each conversation and the ideas that are generated. We recognize this is a rather vague promise, but we are taking a bit of license on this; we are just as excited about these topics as everyone else in the industry and certainly hope to contribute and learn an equal amount from our peers.

At various times during the day, we were sitting in the Internet Café, people watching. We were mingling with volunteers, other conference participants, bloggers and even a speaker here and there. We were able to catch J Paul Hawthorne, Randy Seaver, Denise Levenick, Stefani Evans (the conference chair), Craig Scott, Valerie Elkins… even a glimpse of D Joshua Taylor from across the lobby. We made it to the APG Roundtable in the evening, and heard comments from Michael Hait, J Mark Lowe, and many more. All in all, a pretty good round of people considering the conference has not even officially begun yet!

What really stuck out, though? It was Mary Jane and Julie.

Who are Mary Jane and Julie? They are genealogists. Isn’t that about all that matters this week?

We met Mary Jane and Julie while waiting for our table for dinner at Burger Bistro, just around the corner from the registration desk. We started chatting, and the conversation was entertaining, enlivened, and interesting. When the hostess came to seat us, we invited our new friends to join us, because… well… why not? We all have a common interest, we had some lively conversation going, and we could sit and share a meal.

We learned that one of these lovely ladies is practically neighbors with one of our own at IDG. We learned that we shared a common interest in Irish research, the DAR and military history. We were able to swap ideas and stories with one another, and we had an amazing time doing it. We laughed, almost until we cried. We had people at nearby tables making jokes, and the waitress got in on it too, for a bit.

We had another moment today that really stood out. Sitting for lunch at a casual little spot away from the casino a bit… we were going through our materials we had just received at registration. The employee behind the counter suddenly comes out with, “How do you do all that?” He was referring to genealogy in general, the idea of researching one’s ancestors. Another fantastic conversation had begun, and as we finished our discussion with him and shook his hand, it was a moment of true clarity. One of those times you feel like you have been truly graced with an opportunity. We can only hope we made an impact, and hope he calls his cousin down in Louisiana and starts working on his tree.

On Wednesday, the conference will really get going, and we are excited to be a part of it, and we are ready for it. We are ready to soak in as much as we can, to learn, to grow as genealogists and to cultivate an environment in which we can excel. Most of all, though, we are ready for more great interactions like we had today. More time just “chatting,” more time being with other like-minded folks and causing just a bit of a ruckus.

Oh, and if you hear a good ‘ol proper hog call, that’s probably Mary Jane and Julie. Go say hi. Tell them we sent you, and tell them thanks; because in their full time jobs they are both NICU nurses, and the world needs more people like them.

Quaker, Mennonite and Dunkard communities had been established in eastern Pennsylvania since early colonial times. Once the draft was instituted in 1862 they sought exemption due to their long-practiced and deeply-held religious beliefs. The Pennsylvania Constitution at this time in history allowed for conscientious objection due to religious dogma. Yet it required the objector to make a public oath of his faith and pay a fee that went to the relief of wounded soldiers. Many men could not make a government instituted oath due to their beliefs so they signed a written affirmation of their faith and their objection to military service.

The Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania has compiled the depositions of those potential soldiers drafted by Pennsylvania who sought exemptions. The index can be found at http://genpa.org/collection/pennsylvania-civil-war-conscientious-objectors. Information in the depositions include names, ages, residences and occupations of those seeking refuge from military service.

Located mainly in Lancaster, Bucks, Chester, Philadelphia and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania the groups represented as conscientious objectors came from the Amish, Mennonite, Quaker and Dunkard communities. Also included but lesser known were the Schwenkfelders and the Christadelphians religious groups. All of these groups stated they felt bearing arms in an act of war was against Christ’s teachings in the New Testament.

If you have ancestors who lived in eastern Pennsylvania during the Civil War or could have been a member of one of these religious groups you may want to check this database. It’s arranged alphabetically by surname and lists the objectors’ county and township as well. Once you’ve located your ancestor in the index you can get a copy of his signed deposition for a fee. Contact the Reference Section, Pennsylvania State Archives, 350 North Street, Harrisburg, PA 17120-0090 www.phmc.state.pa.us.

The Pennsylvania Civil War Conscientious Objectors index is unusual. It may be the only database of it’s kind listing the names of those who sought refuge from military service due to their religious beliefs. Certainly another tool as you research your Civil War ancestor who might have been living in Pennsylvania during the war.

Good Luck!

That feeling of being overwhelmed needs to be controlled or your research will start to resemble a bird’s nest, which is what my husband, calls the tangled mess of his fishing line.

Perhaps rather than randomly searching, you let the data come to you.

Here are just a few suggestions, that I have had some great success & discoveries with:

• eBay
  • Even if you choose never to use the auction site, at least register and explore this as a research option. Under the “My eBay” section at the top right of the page (once you have logged in) is the facility to add specific words to a saved search. This can be the name of a place or a surname. Then every time some lists for sale an item with the specific word an email is sent to you and sometimes you can strike it lucky. As my credit card will confirm I have had some real success!

• Google Alerts
  • Using the facility of Google Alerts you have a quick and fairly painless method of being made aware of when something using your search criteria is published on the internet. You can use this again to keep track of surnames and places that are connected to your ancestry. Indeed, you can utilise it for anything you have an interest in. As with eBay, I have been made of some really good pages published online which have given me and opportunity to pursue a line of enquiry.

• Abe Book Search
  • Using this facility can be rather useful and I have had varying degrees of success. Visit the website, I have chosen the UK site because at the bottom of the page you can set Country preferences. From here you can create an account and then each time a book is listed with your search preferences it is emailed to you. The rarer the book the wider the net will need to be cast. I suggest that to receive listings for a particular name as both an author and within the subject search under keyword.

• UK BookWorld.com
  • The same can happen at this site, although this is predominately within the UK. You will need to create an account and then set up search options and again, an email will plop into your inbox with hopefully some fascinating details

My suggestion is to utilise a free email address, such Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo and then you can keep the various emails until you want to search through them. I would not leave it too long, as you may miss out on a real gem!

Of course you do not have to buy all the options you see, use the searches to identify sources and then tap into your library or the free e-books. Or utilise the search facility to perhaps tap into another organisation.

This is all about not reinventing the wheel, use whatever is available to you and adjust it for your own research and discovery purposes.

Disclaimer – Neither the author or The In-Depth Genealogist have received any monies for the content on this post. It has been written purely as a research opportunity.

Do you have any more tips that you can share with other readers?

Until next time,

Julie

Newly added collection documents hundreds of years of significant life events and media headlines 

LOS ANGELES (May 1, 2013) – Findmypast.com, an international leader in online family history, has published more than 23 million new records and 121 million pages of U.S. and world newspapers to its already extensive collection of historical records. New records, including Irish birth, marriage and death records, highlight important life events for our ancestors. Researchers can find their ancestors in a newspaper article among thousands or find their grandfather’s military service documented through World War II Enlistment Records. Those with a criminal in their past can find their ancestors throughout the extensive United Kingdom’s Courts, Crimes and Convicts record set.

The United Kingdom criminal records collection is the largest collection of historical criminal records from England and Wales to be published online, and is published in association with the National Archives (U.K.). These unique records offer a fascinating look at the colorful details of the criminal side of society from 1770 to 1934.

Another collection, the U.S. Veteran’s Gravesites, contains 7.6 million death records of people who served or are related to those who served, and are buried in various Veterans Affairs National Cemeteries, state veteran’s cemeteries, or other military gravesites. This collection offers a chance to trace the family members who answered the call to service, and is especially useful for genealogists who may not have a clear picture of details surrounding a particular ancestor.

“The new U.S. and world newspapers on findmypast.com broaden the scope of our collection to countries such as Denmark, France and even South Africa,” said D. Joshua Taylor, lead genealogist for findmypast.com. “This gives users an amazing opportunity to explore the events their ancestors lived through.”

The full collection of records recently added by findmypast.com includes:

United States

• ·         U.S. and World Newspapers
• ·         U.S. Veteran Grave Sites
• ·         Montana Deaths
• ·         WWII Enlistment Records
• ·         Ohio Deaths
• ·         Ohio Marriages
• ·         Ohio Divorces
• ·         Connecticut Deaths

United Kingdom

• ·         Westminster Parish
• ·         Canterbury Parish Records, Kent
• ·         British Newspapers
• ·         UK Courts, Crimes and Convicts
• ·         Suffolk Testator Index, 1847-1857
• ·         British Business Index
• ·         Lincolnshire Parish Apprentice
• ·         Indentures
• ·         Nether Hallam, Sheffield 1831 Census
• ·         Freemen of Ipswich, Suffolk
• ·         Dental Surgeons Directory 1925
• ·         Corfe Castle and District 1790 Census
• ·         Bury Workhouse Creed Registers
• ·         GWR Shareholders
• ·         Dorset Hemp and Flax Growers
• ·         Glamorgan Schools Admission Registers
• ·         Land Tax Billingshurst
• ·         Pigots Directory of Herefordshire 1830
• ·         Parish Apprentices for Somerset
• ·         Bury Workhouse Discharge Registers
• ·         Northamptonshire and Rutland Probate Index
• ·         Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills Index 1750-1800
• ·         London Probate Index 1750-1858
• ·         Royal Fusiliers Collection 1863-1905
• ·         West Kent Probate Index 1750-1858
• ·         Manchester Regiment city battalions 1914-1916
• ·         Waterloo Roll Call 1815
• ·         Royal Air Force Muster Roll 1918
• ·         Divorce Index
• ·         Parish Apprentices for Dorset
• ·         Parish Apprentices for Somerset
• ·         Bury Union Workhouse (Jericho Institution) Admission Registers
• ·         Prison ship (Hulk) Registers 1811-1843
• ·         Oldham Pals 1914-1920
• ·         Oldham Pals Roll of Honour
• ·         Northamptonshire and Rutland Probate Index
• ·         Parish Apprentices for Somerset
• ·         London burials
• ·         Bank of England Wills Extracts 1717-1845
• ·         Clergy List 1896
• ·         Civil Service Evidence of Age
• ·         Bury Workhouse Discharge Registers
• ·         Royal Artillery honours & awards
• ·         Military Nurses
• ·         Army Deserters (1828-1840)
• ·         Distinguished Conduct Medal Citations
• ·         Peninsular Medal Roll 1793-1814
• ·         Napoleonic War – Regimental indexes 1806
• ·         1861 Worldwide Army Index
• ·         Royal Red Cross Register
• ·         WWII Escapers and Evaders
• ·         Surrey Recruitment Registers, 1908-1933
• ·         Royal Naval Division, 1914-1919
• ·         Royal Artillery Military Medal awards
• ·         Napoleonic War – Army of Reserve
• ·         Cheshire Electoral Registers
• ·         Royal Marine Medal Roll, 1914-1920
• ·         CLIP Crewmembers
• ·         Manchester Workhouse Registers, 1800-1911
• ·         Manchester Naturalization Society, 1896-1909
• ·         Derybshire Marriages
• ·         Derbyshire Baptisms

Australia and New Zealand

• ·         New Zealand Electoral Rolls, 1878
• ·         A Return of the Freeholders of new Zealand, October 1882
• ·         Crown Land Sales in Queensland 1842-1861
• ·         Crown Land Sales in Queensland 1860-1911
• ·         Return of Crown Lands 1854
• ·         Australian Imperial Expeditionary Forces Roll of Honour
• ·         New Zealand War Medal Roll

Findmypast.com’s expertise at digitizing historical records and uniting communities provides the tools to help people connect with their past and present.

These collections of records and newspapers are available across all international sites. All new record additions to any one international site are also added to all other international sites.

To learn more about findmypast.com or to get started on your own family history search:

• ·         Like findmypast on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/findmypastus
• ·         Follow findmypast on Twitter at https://twitter.com/findmypastus
• ·         Follow findmypast on Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/findmypastus/

About findmypast.com

Findmypast.com (owned by brightsolid) is the U.S. site of findmypast, an international leader in online family history. Findmypast connects people to core and unique U.S., English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish, Australian and New Zealand records dating back as far as 1200.

About brightsolid

Findmypast.com is owned by brightsolid online publishing, a British-owned world leader in online genealogy,with over 45 years’ experience in family history and a record of online innovation in the field of family history nearly two decades long. With nearly 18 million registered users across its family of online genealogy brands, brightsolid hosts more than a billion genealogical records from across the globe. The company reported a 75 percent growth in turnover and a 47 percent growth in gross profits in its most recent published accounts and was voted Best Genealogy Organization in the Online Gene Awards.

Genius Scan is an app available through The Grizzly Labs.  They have created several apps for iOS, Android, and Windows mobile devices.  This scanning app has a myriad of features that I think could be extremely useful and beneficial to the genealogy community.  Plus, at under $3.00 a purchase, I think it is a real steal.

First off, using this app is as easy as taking a picture, but it is so much more than a simple camera app.  Using your camera function you take a picture of the page, receipt, handwritten note, whiteboard, or other object you are interested in saving. These images are then made into PDF’s.  From there you can save multiple images into one document as well as crop and straighten each one so that it is easier to read.  Sharing your documents is easy too.  You have options for sending your PDF to the cloud, emailing it, or downloading it to your computer via WiFi.  All of the scans are also kept in the Genius library so you will have access to them at any time.  Then tag the PDFs for easy searches in the future as well.

The feature of this app that I think could come in the handiest is its ability to correct the perspective of an image.  For instance, say you would like to take a scan from a very large book.  You know those books, the ones that are so large they can’t lay flat for standard copiers.  With this app it will scan the page and then adjust the perspective so your PDF is the image face on.  No tilting or trying to read words that appears to be fading into the distance!  Or, if you are attending a lecture and you are sitting at the side of the hall from your seat you can take a scan of the board and have the perspective corrected to allow you to read it better at home.

I have been impressed by its ability to scan in color or in black and white.  You can choose one or the other or set your preference as the default. However, the black and white scans are true black and white.  No grey scale or funny lines in the PDF, just a crisp black and white scan.  There is also an enhancement feature that you can turn on or off that will make color scans crisper and deepen the colors.

Since downloading this app I have found myself using it almost daily on run of the mill ordinary items to on the fly genealogy research.  Being able to take multiple images, sometimes from several sources, and link them together into one document which I can then send as a single PDF has been the biggest benefit to me.  I no longer take several pictures and cross my fingers that they will end up in the correct order when I get home.

Now, go try it for free and find out what could you scan today.