Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

Halvor Moorshead Retires

Halvor Moorshead is well known in genealogy circles as the owner/publisher of Moorshead Magazines - which includes Family Chronicle, Internet Genealogy, History Magazine, and the new Discovering Family History. Halvor has sent an e-mail message to many of his friends and acquaintances announcing that he is retiring.

Nobody should wonder about the future of the magazines, however.

Findmypast.com Adds Six More Counties to the 1871 Census

The following announcement was written by Findmypast.com:

Six new counties have now been added to the 1871 census of England and Wales on findmypast.com - these are Cardiganshire, Cumberland, Monmouthshire, Northumberland, Warwickshire and Westmorland. There are now 40 complete counties online at findmypast.com, equating to 93% of the population surveyed in this census. The remaining 14 counties will be added in early March as part of findmypast.com's mission to offer a full set of England and Wales censuses online by the end of 2008.

LostCousins.com adds "Upstairs, Downstairs"

The following announcement was written by LostCousins:

Upstairs, downstairs - where were YOUR ancestors?

"Upstairs, Downstairs" was one of the most successful TV series of the 1970s, winning awards on both sides of the Atlantic as it told the tale of the Bellamy family and their servants. But what was an enjoyable drama for us could have been grim reality for our ancestors, because in late 19th century England over a quarter of girls aged 15-19 were live-in servants and for most of them their only hope of escape from a life of drudgery was to marry.

Archive CD Books Australia and Gould Genealogy Partner With FamilyLink.com, Inc.

The following announcement was written by Archive CD Books Australia and Gould Genealogy:

First large genealogical collection from Australia to be online at WorldVitalRecords.com

Provo, UT -- 02/29/2008 -- Archive CD Books Australia and Gould Genealogy have partnered with FamilyLink.com, Inc. to make 344 Australian and New Zealand databases more accessible to a worldwide audience at WorldVitalRecords.com (a service of FamilyLink.com, Inc.).

(+) Kekule Numbering System

Genealogists often use terms that are not familiar to “outsiders.” Most of these terms become familiar soon after we get involved in searching for our family trees. We soon speak of pedigree charts, enumerators, Henry numbers, fan charts, and more. However, one term we do not hear often pops up occasionally: Kekule Numbers.

The German mathematician Stephan Kekulé of Stradonitz (1863-1933) was a genealogist as well as the son of famed mathematician and chemist Friedrich August Kekulé. He used a numbering system to show relationships in text format. In German-speaking countries, lists of names created with Stephan Kekulé’s numbers are still referred to by his name: Kekule numbers. 

Video: Allison Stacy, Editor of Family Tree Magazine

At the recent Family History Expo in St. George, Utah, I had a chance to spend some time with Allison Stacy, Editor of Family Tree Magazine. She is an experienced genealogist, a journalist and an editor. Allison discussed the many articles being published in Family Tree Magazine, a "how-to" publication that features articles about genealogy basics, how to find records, product reviews, web site reviews, etc.

(+) Hearsay, You Say? by George G. Morgan

The following article was written by George G. Morgan:

I sent a package of genealogical information to all my first cousins on my mother’s side of the family a few months ago. They were all very interested, and it quickly became obvious that they had all thoroughly read the more than 50 pages of the descendant’s report and notes enclosed. How do I know that? That’s because almost all of the cousins called me within about ten days. All were complimentary about the detailed research, but some of them took exception to some of the information included. I expected that, but I was really surprised that they had also read the citations for the facts I had included. Read on, and you will understand what this process included and the responses I received.

Slave Manifests Offer Link to Ancestors

Fourteen thousand slave manifests have been unveiled at the Atlanta Black Family History Symposium at the National Archives for the Southeast Region in Morrow, in Clayton County, Georgia. The documents track slaves in the late 18th century and the 19th century who came to Savannah, Mobile, Charleston, Beaufort, or Jekyll Island. There are also some manifests from Africa.

Matt Wright Becomes Editorial Director at FamilyLink.com

I suspect that quite a few readers of this newsletter know Matt Wright. Those folks may not know that Matt has switched employers. The following announcement was written by FamilyLink.com:

After eight years at Ancestry.com Matt Wright recently joined FamilyLink.com as director of editorial and print products, bringing with him a wealth of genealogical experience, expertise and connections in the industry.

Video: Legacy Family Tree with Ken McGinnis

Ken McGinnis is Vice-President of Millennia Corporation, publishers of Legacy Family Tree, one of the leading genealogy programs for Windows. He and partner Dave Berdan have been publishing Legacy Family Tree for twelve years. Their program is easy-to-use and appeals to computer and genealogy novices and experts alike. It also has a great price: the Standard Version is FREE while the DeLuxe Edition sells for $29.95.

I had a chance to talk with Ken at the recent Genealogy and Family Heritage Expo in St. George, Utah. Ken described many of the features of Legacy Family Tree. He also brought along a large "billboard" that illustrated many of the reports available.

MacFamilyTree 5.1 Public Beta

Synium Software has released a fully functional public beta of the company's latest version of its flagship product, MacFamilyTree. Mac users can download the new beta release as a free demo. The new version adds fan charts and a media browser and has been substantially improved in media handling, diagramming, and editing of genealogy data.

The company's announcement states that fan charts were among the most frequently requested features. The new release adds fully configurable charts that are easy to edit. Standard settings give you quick results, while you may still fit the fan charts to your needs with just a few clicks.

RootsMagic Cruise Early Bird Registrations are About to Close

Interested in taking a genealogy cruise? There are several to choose from. One of the cruises is available right now for $50 off per person.  To qualify for the RootsMagic Cruise Early Bird Discount, you must be booked and deposits paid no later than this coming Monday, February 25th.

Disembarking September 28, this year's speakers will include:

Elizabeth Shown Mills
George G. Morgan (well known in this newsletter)
Diana Crisman Smith
Gary M. Smith
Dick Eastman (also well known in this newsletter)

My Interview of DearMYRTLE

One of the things I enjoy most about genealogy conferences and expos is the opportunity to talk with people. I learn a lot from talking both with long-time friends as well as with newcomers. If the RootsTelevision video crew is around, we often record these conversations.

At the recent Genealogy and Family Heritage Expo in St. George, Utah, I had a chance to talk with long-time friend Pat Richley, a.k.a. "DearMYRTLE." She is a delightful person and always has something interesting to say, as you can see by the video at http://www.rootstelevision.com/players/player_conferences.php?bctid=1423436174.

New Genealogy Guide for Finland Research

The following announcement was written by FamilySearch, part of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City:

SALT LAKE CITY - FamilySearch announced today the release of a free new research tool that will help those with Finnish roots to find their ancestors. The research guide, Finding Records of Your Ancestors, Finland, features easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions, colorful graphics, and tear-out worksheets. A free copy can be viewed or printed online at FamilySearch.org.

The Finding Records of Your Ancestors, Finland helps take the guesswork out of Finnish genealogical research by simplifying the process and giving users a specific, proven strategy to use. In an inviting workbook style, the guide will show users which records to search, what to look for, and what tools to use. It colorfully outlines the steps and tools needed to navigate Finnish records to find ancestors. Users will learn where to start, how to find and use Finnish records, and what unique elements to look for in the records. The booklet provides expert advice every step of the way in a highly illustrative, user-friendly manner.

Archon: A Free, Easy-to-Use Web Tool Kit for Archivists

Archivists at the University of Illinois Library believe they have built a better tool kit. Their new online collections management program called Archon has more than a few attractive features – not the least of which is that it was developed for “lone archivists with limited technological resources and knowledge,” said Scott Schwartz, one of the developers of the software program and the archivist for music and fine arts at Illinois.

Archon is a web-based tool for archivists and manuscript curators. It automatically publishes archival descriptive information and digital archival objects to a user-friendly website. With Archon, minimal web programming is needed.  Archon's powerful scripts will automatically make everything in the system searchable and browsable on your repository's website without writing style sheets or even HTML code.

Former Archivist Faces 20 Years for Theft

Lester Weber is accused of stealing items from Mariners' Museum in Newport News and selling them on eBay. The former chief archivist for The Mariners' Museum made his first appearance in federal court Tuesday on charges that he stole $160,000 worth of museum property and sold it on eBay.

ETHS History Award Nominations Sought

The following announcement was written by the East Tennessee Historical Society:

The East Tennessee Historical Society (ETHS) is seeking nominations from across East Tennessee for awards of excellence in the field of history.  Each year, the society recognizes individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the preservation, promotion, and interpretation of the region’s history.

Privacy International Files Complaint Against Ancestry.com/The Generations Network

London-based Privacy International (PI), a human rights group that serves as a watchdog on surveillance and privacy invasions by governments and corporations, has filed a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office. The complaint questions Ancestry.com's new DNA services.

Privacy International believes that Ancestry.com's new DNA service should be stopped immediately until the company clearly defines the service and describes how it is being handled. Privacy International states that questions must be answered satisfactorily before people can have confidence in this new service. Until then, P.I. believes the service presents a number of substantial dangers for customers.

Video: Family History Expo in St. George, Utah

I recently had an opportunity to attend the Family History Expo held in St. George, Utah. This very popular event always attracts large crowds and the 2008 event was no exception.

While at the Expo, I had an opportunity to talk with Holly Hansen, President of My Ancestors Found, the organizers of the event. Holly described the planning that went into the Family History Expo, some of the other events the company sponsors, and even dropped a hint or two about how to attract lots of new genealogists to an expo of this sort.

Discovering Family History: ­ a New Beginner’s Magazine

The following announcement was written by the publishers of Family Chronicle and Internet Genealogy:

Discovering Family History, a new genealogy magazine targeted at beginners, will shortly start publishing. A 24-page preview is included in the March/April issue of Family Chronicle and the April/May issue of Internet Genealogy. A full 56-page preview issue can be downloaded at http://www.discoveringfamilyhistory.com/.