While many people go into DNA testing expecting to get answers, you need to be prepared to find out information that you aren't going to like. Before DNA, when there was a non-parental event, it mostly went unnoticed in families. With DNA testing, finding out you are not biologically related to a near cousin when adoption is not involved, can be quite upsetting.
This just happened in my family. I ended up not being related to someone who should be my 2nd cousin. Where did that leave us? One of us is the result of a non-parental event. I was quite shocked, picturing my mother or my grandmother having an affair seemed mind-blowing. I am my mother's oldest child and my father is his mother's oldest child. I was born 11 months after my parent's wedding but my father was born 6 months after his parent's wedding.
In the other case, the child was the last child in the family and when I checked the 1940's census, the parents were separated. How does one resolve an issue like this?
One thing that Ancestry DNA offers is the common ancestors you share with someone else you match. Through this process, I found another member of this family who I matched but my other cousin did not. I was very relieved to be able to exonerate my mother and my grandmother of having a non-parental event.
This is just one type of thing that you may find when you check your DNA. It is a lot of fun, helpful and interesting but it can also cause anxiety and unearth things that perhaps, should be best left unknown. Be forewarned and prepared for what may end up being a shock.
Monday, February 27, 2017
Monday, February 20, 2017
NERGC 2017 Update
If you haven't reserved your spot at this year's NERGC in Springfield, Ma. you still have until February 28, 2017, to take advantage of the early bird rates. After that date, it will be full price. The conference will take place April 26-29 at the MassMutual Conference Center with hotel rooms being offered at conference rates at the Marriott and the Sheraton. Hope to see you there.
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Looking at old newspapers
Old newspapers are such a valuable resource for any genealogist. You will be amazed at the type of information that you can find in a newspaper.
All the obvious ones, births, deaths, marriages, engagements may show up but there are also court information if you ancestors were involved in any type of dispute or criminal case. Land records may also show up in the newspapers.
One thing that is often overlooked is financial information. Our ancestors lived through difficult times and they may have had suits filed against them for debt or they may even have had to file for bankruptcy. While we may not want to find this sort of information, it may very well be a part of your history.
The advertisements in the newspaper can also be informative, they may include names and information.
The social pages can tell you a lot about what your ancestors were doing at any particular time.
You may find out that great grandma was visiting her sister in Simsbury or that her niece from New York had arrived for a visit.
You can also find announcements of ship arrivals. While I can't find my grandmother at Ellis Island, I can find a record in the New York newspaper announcing the arrival of the ship she and her family were on. Also, check the weather, it is important to place your ancestor in the context of the times they lived in.
Where to find newspapers is always problematic, not all of them have survived but if you are willing to pay there are websites that allow you to search them. On the local level, check the library in town. I spent many hours perusing the Penny Press (the predecessor of the Middletown Press) looking at references to my family. Godfrey Library also has copies if you are looking in Connecticut.
Newspapers are a valuable resource of the times our ancestors lived in and you may find documentation of events in their lives about which you had no previous knowledge and which are not documented anywhere else. It is certainly worth looking into and if nothing else you will learn a lot about the times and places where your ancestors lived.
All the obvious ones, births, deaths, marriages, engagements may show up but there are also court information if you ancestors were involved in any type of dispute or criminal case. Land records may also show up in the newspapers.
One thing that is often overlooked is financial information. Our ancestors lived through difficult times and they may have had suits filed against them for debt or they may even have had to file for bankruptcy. While we may not want to find this sort of information, it may very well be a part of your history.
The advertisements in the newspaper can also be informative, they may include names and information.
The social pages can tell you a lot about what your ancestors were doing at any particular time.
You may find out that great grandma was visiting her sister in Simsbury or that her niece from New York had arrived for a visit.
You can also find announcements of ship arrivals. While I can't find my grandmother at Ellis Island, I can find a record in the New York newspaper announcing the arrival of the ship she and her family were on. Also, check the weather, it is important to place your ancestor in the context of the times they lived in.
Where to find newspapers is always problematic, not all of them have survived but if you are willing to pay there are websites that allow you to search them. On the local level, check the library in town. I spent many hours perusing the Penny Press (the predecessor of the Middletown Press) looking at references to my family. Godfrey Library also has copies if you are looking in Connecticut.
Newspapers are a valuable resource of the times our ancestors lived in and you may find documentation of events in their lives about which you had no previous knowledge and which are not documented anywhere else. It is certainly worth looking into and if nothing else you will learn a lot about the times and places where your ancestors lived.
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
St Alban's List: If your ancestors came from or through Canada
The name implies that these records are just for the crossing from Canada into Vermont but they are more expansive than that.
Many people passed through Canada in the mid and late 19th century, for these people there are no records. Many Europeans from Britain, Scandinavia, Northern Europe and Russia arrived during this time. As the US began to impose stringent rules on its ports of entry, many immigrants chose to go to Canada first and then pass easily into the United States across its open northern border.
In 1894 the US government was finally able to convince steamship companies in Canada to treat all passengers destined to the United States as if they would be landing at a U.S. port of entry. This meant completing a U.S. ship passenger manifest form and selling tickets only to those who appeared admissible under U.S. law. Canadian railroads agreed to carry only those immigrants who were legally admitted to the United States to U.S. destinations.
US Immigration Service had inspectors at Canadian ports of entry to collect the manifests and to inspect the immigrants who were bound for the United States.
Between 1895 and 1906 the US also put inspectors at northern land border crossings. People who arrived by boat received a certificate of admission which they had to present to the guards at the US border when their train was stopped. Before 1906, only foreign born immigrants are tracked but after that time also those born in Canada who were traveling to the United States.
If your ancestors came through Canada during this time period they should be in the records. The records were kept until 1956. Ancestry.com has records of Canadian border crossing from 1825-1960 and for Detroit until 1963. Records can also be found at Familysearch.org/
Many people passed through Canada in the mid and late 19th century, for these people there are no records. Many Europeans from Britain, Scandinavia, Northern Europe and Russia arrived during this time. As the US began to impose stringent rules on its ports of entry, many immigrants chose to go to Canada first and then pass easily into the United States across its open northern border.
In 1894 the US government was finally able to convince steamship companies in Canada to treat all passengers destined to the United States as if they would be landing at a U.S. port of entry. This meant completing a U.S. ship passenger manifest form and selling tickets only to those who appeared admissible under U.S. law. Canadian railroads agreed to carry only those immigrants who were legally admitted to the United States to U.S. destinations.
US Immigration Service had inspectors at Canadian ports of entry to collect the manifests and to inspect the immigrants who were bound for the United States.
Between 1895 and 1906 the US also put inspectors at northern land border crossings. People who arrived by boat received a certificate of admission which they had to present to the guards at the US border when their train was stopped. Before 1906, only foreign born immigrants are tracked but after that time also those born in Canada who were traveling to the United States.
If your ancestors came through Canada during this time period they should be in the records. The records were kept until 1956. Ancestry.com has records of Canadian border crossing from 1825-1960 and for Detroit until 1963. Records can also be found at Familysearch.org/
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Check out organizations
Your ancestors did not live in a vacuum, they had neighbors and family. They interacted with people in a variety of ways. One of them may have been through organizations.
Check the area where your ancestor lived for fraternal organizations, religious organizations, ethnic organizations, men's lodges, clubs, political groups and don't forget the women. They may have been part of women's organizations as well. Whether or not there are records is questionable but at the very least you should be able to get some ideas from the newspapers.
Knowing who your ancestors were spending their leisure time with can only add more flesh to your bare bones genealogies.
Check the area where your ancestor lived for fraternal organizations, religious organizations, ethnic organizations, men's lodges, clubs, political groups and don't forget the women. They may have been part of women's organizations as well. Whether or not there are records is questionable but at the very least you should be able to get some ideas from the newspapers.
Knowing who your ancestors were spending their leisure time with can only add more flesh to your bare bones genealogies.
Monday, January 2, 2017
Interesting genealogy blogs
The Internet has opened up many new sources of research material. Bloggers are offering researchers some shortcuts to information they have already discovered. Whether you are looking for those who share your interests or even your own family, searching the Internet for blogs can lead to hours of entertainment and there is always the possibility that someone will have the way to break down some of your brick walls. Defining what are the best genealogy blogs is impossible since everyone has different interests but these are all ones that are entertaining.
Civil War Days and Those Surnames, according to the writer of this blog Dennis Selegquist this site deals with surnames of the wars of the United States, up to the Civil War, and the civilians of the same era. It will also cover the surnames of the Colonial era. This site is to help all searchers find a lead to their family lines (including Native American ancestors). This site will cover the years from 1700 to the early 1900s.
The blog certainly does list plenty of names and it covers a wide variety of war-related events. It is well written and contains pictures and easy to read text. Biographical information is plentiful and since it has been in existence since 2006, there are lots of entries to go through. If you think you have ancestors who fought in almost any conflict, take the time to give this blog a look. The author has three other sites as well.
If you love the obscure, the unusual and the just plain unique, Detour Through History is a great blog for you to enjoy. This blog is so much fun you will want to read all the entries even if no one from your family is included. According to the author of the blog, it is an effort to catch bits and pieces of history slipping from the "finger-tips of memory." The author is an avid blogger and has several others. This is one of the most enjoyable blogs you will ever read and if you get lucky, one of your ancestors many have taken a detour through history.
Tangled Trees is another interesting blog that has a wide variety of entries dating from 2009. There is an index along the left-hand side that lets you go to a particular entry that you think might be of interest. The subject matter is wide and the blog is well done. Among the entries are one about the Battle of Germantown and an entry on the Old Dominion Steamship Company.
If the thought of tracing your ancestry using DNA excites you, The Genetic Genealogist offers the latest news in the field. The blog has been around since 2007 and offers genealogist yet another tool to add to their arsenal. The author Blaine Bettinger has a Ph.D in Biochemistry with a concentration in genetics. His own genealogy interests have led to his wanting to share what he has learned from other genealogists. Very interesting blog for those looking to tap into their origins.
These are just a few of the hundreds of genealogy blogs that are out there. Many blogs are of a personal nature and deal with one family and person research. If one of them happens to match your interest you may have found what all genealogist are looking for, the answer to your missing links.
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Happy Holidays
Like most other people, I am very much in holiday mode and also in snowbird mode. I will not be adding any new posts until I land in Florida but I have some great ideas so stay tuned. Just one tip, use the holidays to talk to the relatives. Pick everyone's brain. You have no idea if you don't ask who has memories or knowledge that can help you out. Talk about old pictures, family get-togethers from older family member's childhood. This is a golden opportunity to get some great hints that can send you off in new directions.
Happy Holidays to everyone and I will see you all the second week in January.
Happy Holidays to everyone and I will see you all the second week in January.
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