Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

Ebbw Vale, Wales Landmark Could Be Family History Centre

A Valleys landmark is set to be transformed into a £12 million family history and genealogy visitor centre. Plans to refurbish the historic General Offices at the former Ebbw Vale steelworks into a top historical visitor’s attraction will include the relocation of the Gwent Records Office, which has one of the largest archives in Wales.

The priceless collection, which covers five kilometres of shelving at its current home in Cwmbran, has records dating back to the 1300s and will form the cornerstone of the unique history and genealogy centre.

(+) Casefile Clues: Repeated Surnames and First Names can be Confusing by Michael John Neill

The following is a Plus Edition article written by and copyright by Michael John Neill .

Note: This is a follow-up to Michael's earlier Plus Edition article "(+) Casefile Clues: Behind the Quitclaim Deeds by Michael John Neill" that is available at: http://plus.eogn.com/Default.aspx?pageId=113015&mode=PostView&bmi=90277.

My last column on the Habben family concluded with some loose ends. Why was Antje's husband not too concerned that she left him out of her will? Why did every in-law seem to have the same last name? And why did Antje have two sons with the same first name?

RootsTelevision "In Search of Our Roots" Contest

The following was written by Roots Television:

In Search of Our Roots Og is thrilled to announce that you have an opportunity to win an autographed copy of the just released, In Search of Our Roots by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.!

 

In the book, Gates recreates the quest to uncover the family trees of African-American celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey and Quincy Jones, as featured in the PBS series, African American Lives.

From the publisher:

In Search of Our Roots is a book of revelatory importance that, for the first time, brings to light the lives of ordinary men and women who, by courageous example, blazed a path for their famous descendants. For a reader, there is the stirring pleasure of witnessing long-forgotten struggles and triumphs–but there's an enduring reward as well. In accompanying the nineteen contemporary achievers on their journey into the past and meeting their remarkable forebears, we come to know ourselves.

ENTER TO WIN

All you need to do to enter is submit a comment on the blog post at http://rootstelevision.typepad.com/ogblog/2009/02/in-search-of-our-roots-contest.html. Tell us why you want to win the book, reasons you love RootsTelevision, or anything you're inspired to write! Entries will be accepted until midnight on February 28. Only one entry per person and per e-mail address, please.

The winner will be announced on this blog on March 9, so be sure to check back or subscribe to the feed so you don't miss out!

Good luck!

 

OneGreatFamily.com adds a “Conflict Ignore” Tool

The following announcement was written by OneGreatFamily.com:

February 10, 2009, Springville UT – www.OneGreatFamily.com today announced the release of a significant enhancement to its unique automated searching system. Dubbed “Conflict Ignore,” this groundbreaking feature is immediately available to all OneGreatFamily.com subscribers.

Video Interview with Jan Gow of the AFFHO Conference

I recently had an opportunity to attend a genealogy conference in New Zealand: the Australasian Federation of Family History Organisations. While there, I had the opportunity to talk with lots of genealogy experts. Roots Television recorded several of those conversations, included this video with one of the conference organizers, Jan Gow.

The conference was held in January, which is summertime in New Zealand. It was held on the beautiful campus of King's College, a boarding school for young men. In fact, many of the attendees stayed in the dormitories during the conference.

(+) From Lloyd’s Library: Sypher's New York Regiments and Gandrud's Alabama Records by Lloyd Bockstruck

The following is a Plus Edition article written by and copyright by Lloyd Bockstruck.

Five years ago the New York State Society of the Cincinnati sponsored New York State Society of the Cincinnati: Biographies of Original Members & Other Continental Officers. This was a comprehensive work devoted to 475 qualifying ancestors from the Empire State. Francis J. Sypher, the author, produced a scholarly treatment of this august body of men who served in the Continental Line. It is a major genealogical tool for New York Revolutionary War leadership.

Free Advertising Space for Professional Genealogy Researchers

I would like to announce a new section of the EOGN Discussion Forum: Research Services. Posts in this section of the message board should only be for the advertising of genealogy and history research services. If you are a professional researcher, you can have FREE ad space in this section. We invite you to post a message with your name, area(s) of expertise, and contact info. We suggest that you not announce your prices for research as that is probably better handled offline in e-mail, mail, or by telephone.

(+) Along Those Lines... by George G. Morgan: Fleshing Out the Past

The following is a Plus Edition article written by and copyright by George G. Morgan.

Genealogical case studies fascinate me. They provide examples of outstanding research methods and problem-solving techniques. They also illustrate how the standard and possibly unusual source materials can be used to document a genealogical problem.

Responsible genealogical research involves a great deal of documentation. We transcribe, photocopy, photograph, scan, print, and otherwise copy the documentary evidence we discover. We examine the data and subject it to in-depth analysis. We attempt to reconcile conflicting information with what we hope are independent pieces of evidence. We develop logical deductions and document the proofs that justify the conclusions. We ultimately will produce a written recap of our research conclusions, complete with a source citation for each piece of evidence.

Attend the NGS Conference for a Reasonable Price

In the 7 September 2008 edition of this newsletter, I wrote about my frustrations with the ever-escalating expenses of attending national genealogy conferences. The article was written  immediately after the 2008 conference of the Federation of Genealogical Societies, but a similar article could have been written immediately after any of the national conferences in recent years.

I wrote, "My five nights at the Marriott [in Philadelphia] cost me $1,174.55! Was it worth it?" I also wrote about the cost of the conference tickets, the conference hotel's outrageous restaurant prices, parking fees, and the other expenses involved. The four-day conference cost me a total of more than $1,400, not including travel to Philadelphia. I don't feel that I received full value for the money that I spent. I also vowed that:

"Starting with the next major genealogy event, I hope to list lower-priced hotels in the convention center area and will strongly encourage newsletter readers to stay at the more reasonably-priced hotels. I hope to list room rates, Internet connection fees, and parking fees at each of the nearby hotels."

(+) Casefile Clues: Partitioning the Relatives by Michael John Neill

The following is a Plus Edition article written by and copyright by Michael John Neill. 

It is always easier for the genealogist when the relative dies with an estate and no children. This generally causes more records to be created. In the case we look at this week, the deceased did leave a wife, but no descendants. The records settling his estate mention his extended family significantly even though he left a wife.

Why You Need a Second (and Better) E-mail Address by Dick Eastman

One of the worst situations I know of is having your e-mail provided by your Internet provider. If your e-mail address ends in “@” followed by your Internet provider's corporate name, your e-mail is being held hostage.

A case in point is going on in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont right now. Many of my friends in those states have been using Verizon as their Internet provider, and most of them had e-mail addresses ending in "@verizon.net." Verizon recently sold off the company's DSL and phone networks in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont to Fairpoint Communications in a deal worth $2.72 billion. The deal involved 1.6 million local access lines in the three states. Once the sale was completed, the problems began.

FamilySearch Indexing Update: 6 February 2009

The following was written by FamilySearch:

FamilySearch volunteers wrapped up 14 online indexing projects already in 2009 and continue to make good progress on the 38 open projects. Great work! There are two new projects from the 1930 Mexico Census this week, and the Colorado 1920 U.S. Census project is also new.

Ancestry and FreeBMD Partner to Launch Fully Indexed GRO Birth Indexes

The following announcement was written by The Generations Network, parent company of Ancestry.ca:

(TORONTO, ON – February 6, 2009) - In an industry first, the Ancestry global network of family history websites, which includes Ancestry.ca, has in partnership with FreeBMD made 134 million General Records Office (GRO) UK birth records for England and Wales, dating from 1837 to 2005, available online for the first time, fully searchable by name, registration date and district. This collection, along with Ancestry’s international collection of 7 billion historical records, will be available to Ancestry.ca World Deluxe members.

Census of Canada, 1891

The following announcement was written by Library and Archives Canada:

Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is pleased to announce the launch of a new online database, Census of Canada, 1891. Through this online database researchers can access digitized images of original census returns featuring the name, age, country or province of birth, nationality, religion, and occupation of Canada's residents at the time of the 1891 Census.

Speakers for the 2009 SCGS Genealogy Jamboree Announced

This list looks like a "Who's Who" of genealogy lecturers. The following was written by the Southern California Genealogical Society:

The 40th Annual Genealogy Jamboree, hosted by the Southern California Genealogical Society, promises to be an exceptional event for genealogists of all experience levels. This year's Jamboree will be held Friday through Sunday, June 26-28, 2009, at the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel and Convention Center, in Burbank, California.

Online Dictionary of Irish Architects

Martin Cullen TD, Ireland's Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism officially launched the Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 – 1940, at the Irish Architectural Archive last week. The Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940, is a free on-line database which can be accessed on www.dia.ie.

Cemeteries in Parking Lots

The Roadside Resort web site has an interesting article about cemeteries that are in the middle of parking lots. In most cases, new parking lots were built around existing cemeteries. The article includes pictures and even links to Google Maps and Windows Live that will provide maps and even satellite images of each location.

Ancestry.ca Celebrates Canada’s Black History with a Collection of Online Records

The following announcement was written by Ancestry.ca:

In honour of Black History Month, historical records allow almost 800,000 black Canadians enhanced opportunity to uncover their heritage

(Toronto, ON – February 4, 2009)  Ancestry.ca, Canada’s leading online family history website, celebrates Black History Month with an unprecedented array of online historical records that trace the lives of black Canadians dating back to pre-Confederation, including records from the First World War’s Second Construction Battalion, the only all-black military battalion in Canada’s history. These records are a treasure trove of information for almost 800,000 black Canadians living today.

(+) A Digital Film and Slide Converter by Betty Clay

The following is a Plus Edition article written by and copyright by Betty Clay.

One of my closets is filled with camera stuff that belonged to my husband. There are probably a dozen trays of slides, boxes filled with roll film, shelves of projectors and viewers, and other things he placed there twenty years ago and which I’ve never moved. I’ve complained to my children that those slides and film strips really should be digitized, before they disappear forever. Like most adult children, they had other things to do with their time; so, they handled the problem in their usual way: they gave me a slide and film strip converter for Christmas, and now I’m on my own.

OGS 2010 Call for Papers

The following announcement was written by the Ohio Genealogical Society:

Guiding Your Way Through the Past
OGS Annual Conference 22-24 April 2010
Toledo, Ohio

The Ohio Genealogical Society is accepting proposals for their annual conference, 22-24 April 2010 at the Seagate Convention Center, Toledo, Ohio. Sessions will be one hour long, which includes a ten-minute question and answer period. Topics for two-hour workshops will also be accepted.