Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

What Is "Second Cousin Once Removed?"

A term often found in genealogy is "removed," specifically when referring to family relationships. Indeed, almost everyone has heard of a "second cousin once removed," but many people cannot explain that relationship. Of course, a person might be more than once removed, as in third cousin, four times removed.

The Average Lifespan of a Webpage

Genealogists typically think of sources of information that last forever. For instance, we have been taught to always cite our sources. That is, to tell where we found the information. The primary reason is so that other genealogists who follow behind us can verify the information, should they wish to do so. That works well for census records and other paper documentation that will probably be preserved in some format for centuries. However, what about citations that point to sources that will probably disappear within 100 days?

Writing in the Library of Congress' web site, Nicholas Taylor, Information Technology Specialist for the Repository Development Group, provides some interesting statistics:

What is the average lifespan of webpage? Predictably, estimates vary and vary over time. A 1997 special report in Scientific American claimed 44 days. A subsequent 2001 academic study in IEEE Computer suggested 75 days. More recently, in 2003, a Washington Post article indicated that the number was 100 days.

Don't Do It: Five Alternative Uses for a Vacuum Sealer

A newsletter reader sent me a link to an online article that made me shudder when I read it. The article claims:

"Do you have an old book that has been passed down from generation to generation? These books break down over time due to oxygen, moisture, and other hazards. By sealing the book, you’re also giving it added protection in the event of a flood, fire (smoke), or accidental damage."

I am no expert in preservation, but I believe the last thing you want to do to a valuable old book or photo or other document is to seal it in an airtight plastic bag, especially a bag that is not labeled "archival quality." Sealing in a cheap plastic bag can cause much more damage than it prevents!

Skewing - A Technique for Signature Identification

How do you read a signature that is heavily slanted with the letters seemingly run together? Genealogists have that problem when trying to identify signatures but numismatists (coin and money collectors) also have the same problem when trying to identify signatures on banknotes and checks.

The answer?

Now Available: The Insider’s Guide to Illinois Genealogy

The following announcement was written by the Illinois State Genealogical Society:

Illinois State Genealogical Society Debuts New Guide for Family Historians with Prairie State Ancestors

September 8, 2011 – Springfield, IL. The Illinois State Genealogical Society (ISGS) proudly announces the debut of the Insider’s Guide To Illinois Genealogy – a handy reference guide for family historians and genealogists. With the Insider’s Guide researchers will find everything they need to get started to find Prairie State ancestors.

What is Forensic Genealogy?

I posted an article yesterday about the formation of the Council for the Advancement of Forensic Genealogy. Several newsletter readers asked, "What is Forensic Genealogy?"

The word "forensic" means “relating to the use of science or technology in the investigation and establishment of facts or evidence." In this case, forensic would mean to use science or technology in addition to traditional records. In short, Forensic Genealogy is the use of something OTHER THAN standard records to add to your family history.

Use of Wildcards in Online Searches

Bob Vornlocker recently published an article in the German Genealogy Group newsletter that describes problems and a potential solution when searching for surnames in the various online databases. Bob kindly gave me permission to re-publish the article here.

The following is written by and copyright by Bob Vornlocker. Please do not republish elsewhere without the author's permission:

Until two years ago, I spent many years searching for my Vornlocker roots. My paternal family tree ended with my father's grandfather, Johann Vornlocker, who emigrated to the USA in the 1880's. As for his his wife, a Pfister(er) who emigrated to the USA from from Herbolzheim, I successfully traced her back to the early 1600's with not much variation in surname - Pfister, Pfisterer and Pfisters, not including female names ending in "in". My father's maternal grandfather, a Skidmore, I traced back to the 1500's, with the surname variation of Skidmore, Scidmore and Scudamore and his wife, a Ryder/ Rider whose ancestors I traced to the 1600's in the Netherlands.

NGS Announces a New Video: Jan Alpert's “Getting Started”

The National Genealogical Society has a new video available to you at no charge. This one features past NGS president Janet A. Alpert on "Getting Started." Jan reflects on her experience of how genealogists begin their journey and progress through multiple levels of interest and research activity.

Researchers who are just starting the journey and could use a road map or those who are well on the way will appreciate hearing Jan's thoughts.

The Myth of Wearing White Gloves

Archivists and curators have long required the use of white cotton gloves for handling very old paper or old books, when the paper is brittle and threatens to crumble. In fact, on recent episodes of the popular television series Who Do You Think You Are? the guests and even some of the experts shown in the program were criticized for not wearing cotton gloves when handling old documents. However, experts now say that the use of white gloves not only provides a false sense of security but even can induce more damage than handling the same documents with bare hands! On the other, um, hand, simple frequent washing and drying of the hands may be the better solution.

Accuracy of Genealogy Information on the Internet

NOTE: This article contains personal opinions.

Today I read an online message from a reader of this newsletter in which she bemoaned the quality of genealogy information found on the Internet. She went on at some length to say that the information found online is full of inaccuracies, is posted by people who don't know what they are doing, and that "genealogy information found on the Internet should never be trusted."

I was sympathetic to what she wrote until that last part. NEVER be trusted?

I will be the first to agree that there is a lot of inaccurate SECONDARY information on the Internet. But let's not overlook the fact that the Internet also brings us images of ORIGINAL source records as well.

Hiring a Professional Researcher

I received a sad message from a newsletter reader. Here is a somewhat abbreviated copy of her message:

I need to know what to do. Last year, I hired one of the genealogy speakers at a local conference to research one of my genealogy lines. She accepted $400 from me as an initial payment, telling me she would get back to me in several months with the research. When I did not hear from her by October, I emailed her asking what she had found. She emailed back and said she had done nothing and had forgotten about it. I told her not to bother and to refund my money--she agreed. I have not heard from her although I have sent her 4-5 emails requesting my money. She ignores me. What should I do?

My answer: Contact the Association of Professional Genealogists. The APG web site can be found at http://www.apgen.org/. You will want to read the Code of Ethics at http://www.apgen.org/ethics/index.html

Niue Island Disaster - a Lesson in Records Preservation

Like many other archives, the small island nation of Niue preserved their records on paper. Unfortunately, a category 5 cyclone devastated Niue, 1500 miles northeast of New Zealand, in 2004. The cyclone destroyed almost all the paper records. The island's museum, the repository of almost all Niue records, was a total loss. You can see what was left of the museum in the image below.

Comment About Contradictory Genealogy Claims

A newsletter reader wrote with a question that is asked often. I have paraphrased her questions a bit for readability purposes:

Using the hints function of Ancestry.com's Ancestry Family Trees it's possible to copy information from other public trees, but I've noticed there's no way to pinpoint the original source of undocumented data to ask how they came about their conclusion.

How Many Ancestors Do You Have?

A newsletter reader asked a simple question this week that generates a longer answer:

How many individuals does it take to make up 42 generations? Is there a website or other source that would help me calculate the answer?

The Family History Library - in Salt Lake City and Near You

The following article is written primarily for genealogy newcomers. It explains one of the most valuable tools available to you today: how to access the millions of records held by the Mormon Church. In fact, you do not need to travel to Salt Lake City to use these resources.

The Family History Library in Salt Lake City contains a huge amount of information of interest to family genealogists, including you. It contains the largest collection of genealogy material ever assembled under one roof: 142,000 square feet on five floors. What’s more, if a trip to Utah isn’t your cup of tea, you may find that most of this information is also available within a short ride from your home.

Finding and Obtaining Copies of Jewish Records in Poland

Philip Trauring has written an article that I suspect will interest anyone with Polish ancestry. He writes:

Many Jewish researchers will find that some members of their family originated in what is now, or once was, Poland. This post is targeted at Jewish researchers, but anyone who has roots in Poland may find (at least parts of) this information useful.

A Genealogy Intro

I was asked to write an "introduction to genealogy" for another web site. I thought it might be appropriate to also post it here. While most people reading this newsletter already know the information presented here, I will invite you to print it or send it via e-mail to anyone who expresses an interest in genealogy or asks why you have such an interest. Also please feel free to reprint this article in newsletters, newspaper articles or anyplace else that you feel might be appropriate. (I would appreciate your giving credit to the author, however. Thanks.)

Do you have a curiosity about your family tree? Many people do. Some may have their interest piqued because of an heirloom, an old picture, or perhaps an unresolved family mystery. The reasons people get hooked on genealogy are many and varied, but each person's search is unique. After all, the search for your ancestors really is a search for yourself.

If you think that family history research requires hours of rummaging through libraries, trekking through cemeteries, and writing letters to government bureaus, you're in for a pleasant surprise. Finding your family tree is simpler than what many people imagine. To be sure, you may encounter some intriguing obstacles. However, most of them can be overcome.

Special Censuses Counted More Than People

How much corn, potatoes, flax, sugar and honey did your great-great grandfather farmer produce in 1860? How successful was your great grandfather's small manufacturing business in 1880? How many men and women did he employ and what did he pay them? Where would a researcher find such revealing information about their ancestors? In the census — but not the one we usually refer to as "the census."

Sharon Tate Moody has written a great introduction to U.S. Special Censuses that I would suggest we all read. You can find her article in the Tampa Bay Online web site at http://goo.gl/2NbpE

From the In-box: Question About Online Genealogy Databases

A newsletter reader asked a question today. It strikes me that perhaps others have the same question so I decided to answer it here where everyone can see the answer.

Here is the question I received:

I am new to the genealogy game and am considering subscribing to a genealogy search service such as ancestry.com, archives.com, footnote.com, etc. Do all these services feed off the same databases? Is subscribing to one enough? Are there services that are complementary? To be more specific, if I were to subscribe to Ancestry.com would there be much benefit to subscribing to Archives.com also?

Thanks for any advice you can provide.

Great question! I suspect the answer is not obvious to anyone who is new to genealogy.

An Interesting Way to Cite Sources from Internet Sites

Every genealogist and family historian, from beginner to professional, will at some time confront the issue of source citations. Although great advances have been made in recent years to standardize and simplify citations, it is still too difficult. Mark Tucker has created a video that shows how citing online sources can be easier.