A Step Up?

Marblehead, MA Harbor

Walking along the historic streets (and cemeteries) in New England towns such as Concord and Salem, Massachusetts is a treat for someone who loves history.

I have no ancestors from New England, but I am still fascinated by those who walked these streets 400 years in the past.

Walking through these towns with teens has a way of keeping my genealogy and history interests in perspective.

I was admiring a lovely old building in Salem, MA when DD informed me the building was a home for "Aged Women".

DD: "Just for you, Mom."  (She said with a grin.)

Me: "What!"

DD: "Well, it's a step up from when we dropped  you off in the cemetery this morning!"

Ouch! That hurt!  :)

A Great Read!

I love to read.

I come from a family who likes to read.

My great grandmother (Winnie Haley Carr) used to churn butter with one hand and hold a book in the other!  While I haven't churned butter while reading, I have stirred a pot.....

This summer I picked up a copy of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. (This book is the summer reading book for East Carolina University.)  It is an extraordinary story of a woman whose cells were taken during a medical procedure without her knowledge in 1951. These cells became known as the Hela cells and became the basis for many medical research advances including the polio vaccine, gene mapping and even cloning.

The science is fascinating. The issues of medical ethics, rascism and family dynamics gave me much to ponder.  Sometimes the reading was difficult.  Life for Henrietta and that of her family was never easy.

I think the most intriguing aspect of the book is that it appealed to me as a genealogist.  Rebecca Skloot used many of the same genealogical research techniques I as genealogist use in order to uncover the story of Henrietta and that of her family.  She interviewed experts in the medical field.  She interviewed members of Henrietta's family including her extended family.  She researched the time and place where Henrietta grew up. She visited the Lack home place in Clover, VA.

She was persistent.  Because of her persistence, Henrietta's story is known.

While not a "genealogy" book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks  has a place in my genealogy library.

A Mom, A Teen and A Blog

I came across Mission Impossible - Making Genealogy Fun For My Teen recently.  As the mother of teens the title most definitely caught my attention.

Michelle  of Mission Impossible is documenting her year long journey of finding ways to make her son's family history project more interesting to him.  From the National Polka Festival to learn about cultural heritage to planning upcoming oral interviews of family, this mom has her work cut out for her. I'm looking forward to reading more about Michelle's (and her son's) journey.

I Am So Excited!

I just listened to the newest episode of Genealogy Gems podcast by Lisa Louise Cooke.  I posted here about meeting Lisa recently at the NGS conference in Cincinnati.  Listening to the Genealogy Gems podcast really inspired me to start my blog.

When I met Lisa, she interviewed me about my blogging experience.  Guess what!  That interview is on the latest episode of the podcast.  How exciting is that?! Just in case you are wondering, that is my Haley family line that I was referring to in the interview.

So, click on over to Genealogy Gems and listen to Lisa's podcast.  There is a great interview with Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.  Also, pick up a few gems on using apps for the ipad.

I'm Three Today!

Three years ago I started this blog with the simple purpose of telling my ancestors' stories.  I had no idea of the people I would meet - both new friends and new cousins.  What fun it has been! Thank you for sharing your stories with me.  I look forward to sharing more with you.

My Third Birthday

If You Thought Genealogy Was Boring...(Part 3)

....then you:

• Haven't discovered that your father went to school with the genealogy research assistant at the courthouse where you are researching.
• Haven't stood on your GG grandparents' farmland on a beautiful day.
• Haven't wondered who was crazier... your ancestors for what they did or YOU for trying to figure out why!
• Haven't gotten excited to learn your long awaited for microfilmed tax lists have arrived!

Enjoy!

Adding Understanding To Our Ancestors' Lives

I came across the blog 19th-century American Women recently.  As the title implies, this blog focuses on women and how their lives changed during the 19th century.  Barbara the author obviously loves history and offers glimpses into different aspects of women's lives - everything from a well kept table to Christmas memories of women living during the Civil War.  When possible, the women's stories are told in their own words.

It's a fun (and informative) read.

Before Computers....

I "met" a lovely woman recently by phone.  A mutual friend introduced us. She is in her 90's and has been a genealogist for many years. She's even written books on her family history.

All her research has been done without the computer.

She's spent many hours in archives and in courthouses.

She's spent many hours on the road.

She's met many people along the way.

She's come face to face with her ancestors when just stopping to ask for directions. (That was an amazing story!)

I'm inspired.  I'm getting out from in front of my computer and planning my next on-site courthouse research.

It's time to get dusty again.

How about you?

Pickles, Books and John White

Last week was an exciting week around here.  It all started with.....

Pickles.  DH found out he won the "pickle guessing" contest at the NC state fair earlier this month.  You know the contest - the one where you guess how many baby pickles are in the enormous jar.  We are all anxiously awaiting the arrival of his pickle prize pack. (Try saying that three times fast!)  I'm just hoping the prize pack does not arrive in an 18 wheeler delivery truck.

The excitement progressed onto....

Books.  I was notified later in the week that I had won a daily prize from BlogHer for participating in the NaBloPoMo.  This is the challenge I have taken to post to my blog every day for the month of November.  I am waiting for books from Penguin (Publishers) to arrive.  I love to read and am thrilled to have won books.

And then....

John White.  You knew there had to be some genealogy in here somewhere.  I was contacted by another White researcher who provided some wonderful clues to research regarding my ancestor John White of Surry County, NC.

Top all of this off with fall leaf color at its peak.  It truly was an exciting week!

A Favorite Resource

For those of you who research in North Carolina, I wanted to share with you a resource I use regularly.  It is the 2009 edition of Guide to County Records in the North Carolina State Archives published by the North Carolina  Office of Archives and History.    This is a wonderful resource that lists the original and microfilmed records of each NC county that are housed at the NC Archives.  As I develop my research plans, I consult my copy to determine which records the archives have.  That way, I can be more efficient with my actual time in the archives.

For example, when I was researching the Howard/Harward family living in Moore County, NC in the mid-late 1800's, I consulted my guide.  I quickly learned that Moore County is a "burned" county. Land records and many court records prior to the courthouse fire in 1889 were mostly lost, so I knew not to spend time looking for these.  I did discover that one tax book from 1852-1860 survived the fire.  This surviving record was one of a few to survive the fire and fortunately I was able to place my ancestors in a specific location in the county for that time period.  I was able to complete this part of my research fairly quickly since I knew what to look for ahead of time.

Do any other NC researchers use this regularly?

(I ordered my copy from here.)

Baby Care 1940's Style

Back in the summer I became the curator of sorts (if you will) of several generations worth of family history material.  Among my grandmother's things I found this large envelope.

I opened it to find this:

A Baby care manual published by The Parent's Institute, Inc. out of New York. (That really is a cute baby on the front cover!)

This is the table of contents of all the articles in the manual - articles that are not really that different from the magazines today.  For example there is Caring for you newborn infant, This is the Way a Baby Grows, and Guard Against Children's Diseases.  My favorite was the article on a new mother's schedule.  According to the article, after caring for the baby and the home a new mother should have an hour of "free time" in which to entertain friends or do something for herself.  Entertaining never crossed my mind in those "newborn days"!

Actually, this manual appears is in excellent condition.  Almost untouched. I wonder if my grandmother even used it.  

Family Interviews

I had FB message from a cousin last week telling me about an elderly cousin who was a teenager when my great grandmother Mattie Maddox Howard died.  She remembers Mattie.

How have I let this cousin slip off my "family history interview" radar? I'll be making plans shortly to interview this lovely lady.

I have come to realize there are many in the family lines that still need to be interviewed. Some for a first time. Some for a second (or third) time.   I recognize that I am fortunate to have so many relatives to interview.

It's time to step out of the archives and/or away from the computer databases.  It's time to tap into the family sources.  It's time to learn what the records cannot tell me.

Cousins- I'm going to need your help with this.  I've started a list, but let me know who you think I should interview about the family history.

I challenge my fellow genealogists to seek out family members to interview this holiday season.

Advice From The Expert

I was fortunate to spend the day at the North Carolina Genealogical Society's fall workshop today.  Barbara Vines Little spent the day speaking on colonial research.  I have heard Barbara speak on other occasions and was eagerly looking forward to hearing her speak again.  Her specialty is colonial research in Virginia.

Colonial Virginia. 1760's.  King and Queen County.  That's precisely where my Howard (or is it Harward?) line is stuck.

As far as Virginia research goes, King and Queen County is not a good place to be stuck.  It is a burned county.  Twice.  There are no records for the time period I am researching.

At the first break I approached Barbara to inquire if there were possibly any ways to research this time and place in history that I had not thought of.  When I explained the county and time period I was interested, she smiled and said, "You have my sympathy."  (I get that a lot in my colonial VA research!)

But all is not lost.  Barbara went on to give me some ideas and areas for research that could possibly lead to clues about the Howards (Harwards).  These areas of further research may be long shots, but I'll never know until I look.

If this next phase of my research doesn't find any results..... DNA anyone?

Tombstones and Resumes

I thought about entitling this post :

Now Why Couldn't My Ancestors Do That?!

(I think you will see why is a minute.)

I found the historic cemeteries in Charleston, SC absolutely fascinating.   So many of the gravestones provided an incredible wealth of information on the person they represented. It like having a resume on the gravestone. For instance:

This is the gravestone for Captain James Ross, buried in the Presbyterian Church on Meeting Street in the historic district of Charleston.  The transcription of the stone is as follows:

HERE REST

The Mortal Remains of 

CAPTAIN JAMES ROSS

A native of the Town of Lerwick,

North Britain.

For upwards of Thirty Years,

He commanded vessels out of this Port,

And for the last Sixteen Years

Resided here permanently

As a Member of the Board of Port Wardens

And most of that time as its Chairman

The duties of which he discharged

Most faithfully

____________________of his existence

He was in the fullest sense

An Honest Upright and Noble hearted Man.

He died in this City
On the 8th October 1856
Aged 70 Years, 8 Months,
And 9 Days.
Justly and sincerely lamented
By a numerous acquaintance
And many sincere Friends.

This gentleman's name, age, place of birth, death dates, place of residence, and his occupation are all listed.  The information on Captain Ross's stone can also lead the researcher to other records for the city that mention him.  Records leading to other records is always a good thing.

Tombstone Tuesday - Gravestones and Their Stories

On my recent trip to Charleston, SC I spent a lot of time wandering the historic cemeteries.  I was drawn by the stories these cemeteries told just by the gravestones that were there.  The artwork and symbolism can tell so much about the person (and the family) buried there.

 As I wondered the cemeteries, I wondered what I could learn about a person or family by just what was in the cemetery.  No computer look-ups. No prior knowledge of the family.  No other information than what was literally in front of me.

And that's when I found myself in front of the James and Elizabeth Ladson family plot in St. Michael's Church on Meeting Street. This gravestone in particular caught my attention.

This gravestone has six (6) Ladson children listed!  It was a bit difficult to read in the cemetery and in the photograph, but modern technology (i.e. Picasa) helped me decipher it.

• Robert Gilmore Ladson - died 26 May 1828, aged 1 year 53 days
• Frederick Fraser Ladson - died 29 Jun 1830,aged 4 years 6 months
• Judith Eliza Ladson - died 2 Jul 1830, aged 9 years 11 months
• Eliza Caroline Ladson - died 23 Jun 1835, aged 10 months 6 days
• Charlotte Josephine Ladson - died 25 Jul 1837, aged 6 months 2 days
• James Ladson - died 6 Jul 1839, aged 17 years

Five of the children died before the age of 10 years. All died in the early summer months.  

Why?

Here are a few of my theories:

• Charleston, SC is very hot and muggy during the summer months.  It is also very "buggy".  (Wear bug repellent when exploring this city's cemeteries!  I learned the hard way.)  Mosquitoes and other bugs can carry illnesses.  Perhaps this was a contributing factor in these children's deaths.
• With the young age of the the first five children listed, could there be a genetic disorder present in this family? Or at the very least, a genetic predisposition toward weak a immune system.
• Early medicine being what is was, the children may have died from common childhood illnesses.

In addition to the six children above, Elizabeth Ladson lost at least one other daughter in early adulthood as well as her husband.  There is no doubt about it.  Life was hard for this family.  It is hoped that in the midst the grief, joy was also found.

Genealogy Buddies

Enjoying Lunch in Charleston

This week I tagged along with DH to a conference in Charleston, SC.  After all, I couldn't resist all the history in that historic city.  I spent a lot of time wandering the streets looking at the historic houses and the cemeteries. I suppose it is a sign of genealogical maturity that I spent more time in the cemeteries than I did in the shops!

One of  the highlights was having lunch with Vicki of my ProGen study group.  We enjoyed a very southern lunch of delicious Po' boy catfish sandwiches. (If you find yourself in the South sometime, be sure and try one.)  Vicki and I talked genealogy almost non-stop.  How fun to talk genealogy with someone whose eyes do not glaze over at the mention of the word ancestor.

The Not So Usual

I was talking with a  friend recently recently about genealogy.  (Really, what else is there for 40-something women to discuss?)  She's someone I actually "converted" and helped get started researching her family.  We talked about her results and the records that she used.  It got me thinking about the records I use.

 Like many genealogists I use census records, land records, wills/probates.... These are what I call my "regular" records.  The record sets I start with when beginning a new search. But what about the less used records? Specifically the "not so normal records."

Here are a few that I use:

Road Records/Petitions
This is a set of records I came across at the NC State Archives.  I first posted about it here.  Road petitions presented in the county court are a great source for placing your ancestor in a particular location.  In this case, my ancestor's neighbors were listed and provided information on the neighborhood.  It is not unusual for those neighbors to be relatives.

Original Wake County Road Petition

Scrapbooks
I recently posted on some my ancestors' scrapbooks in my collection and how I use them.  These can be a treasure trove of information.  Scrapbooks add color to their lives and tell their stories when they can no longer give the voice to the story.

Elton Carr's Scrapbook

Tax Records
I have said it before, but I have to say it again.  Personal property and land tax records can help place an ancestor in a location when they do not appear in the census.  These are also helpful when trying to pinpoint an ancestor's location in between census years.

Church Histories:
Church histories are often written in anticipation of a church anniversary.  These histories can come in various forms including books/booklets or an expanded bulletin.  Photographs of ancestors can be found in these.  The genealogist can also get a sense of what the community was like and who was living in the area.  Collateral lines are often found among the fellow worshipers.

What "not so usual" records to you use?

99 Things

Genealogy bloggers have been participating in the 99 Things meme this week.  I first saw this on Tonia's blog Tonia's Roots and at Valerie's blog Family Cherished.  I don't often participate in memes, but I wanted to get in on this one.  Tonia refers to it as a sort of "bucket list" for genealogists. I think she's right!

So, here goes....


Things you have already done or found - bold type
Things you would like to do or find - italics
Things you have not done or found/don't care to - (or that I know hasn't happened in my family).

1. Belong to a genealogical society (three, in fact)
2. Joined a group on Genealogy Wise.
3. Transcribed records.
4. Uploaded headstone pictures to Find-A-Grave or a similar site.
5. Documented ancestors for four generations (self, parents, grandparents, great-grandparents)
6. Joined Facebook.
7. Cleaned up a run-down cemetery.
8. Joined the Genea-Bloggers Group.
9. Attended a genealogy conference. (Love these!)
10. Lectured at a genealogy conference. Thinking about it.
11. Spoke on a genealogy topic at a local genealogy society/local library’s family history group.
12. Joined the National Genealogical Society.
13. Contributed to a genealogy society publication.
14. Served on the board or as an officer of a genealogy society (I coordinate the WCGS publications on Lulu.com.  Does that count?).
15. Got lost on the way to a cemetery. (Didn't get lost, but came pretty close!) 
16. Talked to dead ancestors. (All the time. Makes people wonder about me!)
17. Researched outside the state in which I live. (Mostly Virginia - My ancestors didn't get too far.)
18. Knocked on the door of an ancestral home and visited with the current occupants.  (Thought about it, but the big dog chained in the front yard convinced me otherwise.)
19. Cold called a distant relative. (I did send a letter ahead of time introducing myself.) 
20. Posted messages on a surname message board. (Frequently)
21. Uploaded a gedcom file to the internet.
22. Googled my name (and those of ancestors – it turns up great info sometimes)
23. Performed a random act of genealogical kindness.
24. Researched a non-related family, just for the fun of it.
25. Have been paid to do genealogical research.
26. Earn a living (majority of income) from genealogical research.
27. Wrote a letter (or email) to a previously unknown relative.
28. Contributed to one of the genealogy carnivals. (Had my own!)
29. Responded to messages on a message board.
30. Was injured while on a genealogy excursion. I'd like to keep it that way!
31. Participated in a genealogy meme. Yay! I just got this one.
32. Created family history gift items: watch my blog for more coming on this.
33. Performed a record lookup.
34. Took a genealogy seminar cruise. Definitely on my list!
35. Am convinced that a relative must have arrived here from outer space.
36. Found a disturbing family secret. Not so far.
37. Told others about a disturbing family secret.
38. Combined genealogy with crafts.  More on this later.
39. Think genealogy is a passion obsession not a hobby.
40. Assisted finding next of kin for a deceased person. (Unclaimed Persons)
41. Taught someone else how to find their roots. (I love doing this!)
42. Lost valuable genealogy data due to a computer crash or hard drive failure. (Don't want to think about that.)
43. Been overwhelmed by available genealogy technology –sometimes it’s borderline but it’s a great way to learn. I find learning new things exciting, but I do get overwhelmed after a day or two of conferences and brain doesn’t fit in my head anymore.
44. Know a cousin of the 4th degree or higher.
45. Disproved a family myth through research. (No, we are not part Cherokee!)
46. Got a family member to let you copy photos.
47. Used a digital camera to “copy” photos or records.
48. Translated a record from a foreign language. This would be hard - I only speak one language.
49. Found an immigrant ancestor’s passenger arrival record.
50. Looked at census records on microfilm, not on the computer.
51. Used microfiche.
52. Visited the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. 
53. Used Google+ for genealogy (still struggling with the whole social media thing!)
54. Visited a church or place of worship of one of your ancestors.
55. Taught a class in genealogy. Hope to do this in the future.
56. Traced ancestors back to the 18th Century. 
57. Traced ancestors back to the 17th Century.
58. Traced ancestors back to the 16th Century.  (I'll get there!)
59. Can name all of your great-great-grandparents.
60. Know how to determine a soundex code without the help of a computer (Does the cheat sheet at the archives count?)
61. Have found many relevant and unexpected articles on internet to “put flesh on the bones”.
62. Own a copy of Evidence Explained by Elizabeth Shown Mills.
63. Helped someone find an ancestor using records you had never used for your own research.
64. Visited the main National Archives building in Washington, DC – so going there someday soon.
65. Have an ancestor who came to America as an indentured servant.
66. Have an ancestor who fought in the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 or Civil War. Yes to all 3!
67. Taken a photograph of an ancestor’s tombstone.
68. Can “read” a church record in Latin. (have managed to decipher some, but only with a dictionary, reference book or Google) So far, my ancestors did not attend churches using Latin.
69. Have an ancestor who changed his/her name, just enough to be confusing. (Two, in fact,)
70. Joined a Rootsweb mailing list.
71. Created a family website. (Part of my blog)
72. Have a genealogy blog.
73. Was overwhelmed by the amount of family information received from someone. I am more than willing to suffer this problem.
74. Have broken through at least one brick wall (but someone keeps putting up more).
75. Done genealogy research at a court house. (Some of my favorite research!)
76. Borrowed microfilm from the Family History Library through a local Family History Center(s).
77. Found an ancestor in an online newspaper archive. 
78. Have visited a NARA branch.
79. Have an ancestor who served in WWI or WWII.
80. Use maps in my genealogy research (how can one not?).
81. Have a blacksheep ancestor. (ahem..."Uncle Pell")
82. Found a bigamist amongst my ancestors. 
83. Attended a genealogical institute. Definitely on my to-do list!
84. Taken online genealogy (and local history) courses. 
85. Consistently (document) and cite my sources. (I'm much better about this!)
86. Visited a foreign country (i.e. one I don’t live in) in search of ancestors. I can't seem to get "across the pond".
87. Can locate any document in my research files within a few minutes (how many is a “few”?)
88. Have an ancestor who was married four times. 
89. Made a rubbing of an ancestor’s gravestone.
90. Followed genealogists on Twitter. 
91. Published a family history book. Just did this, but shhh....it's a surprise!
92. Learned of a death of a fairly close family relative through research.
93. Offended a family member with my research. At least I hope not!
94. Reunited someone with precious family photos or artifacts.
95. Have a paid subscription to a genealogy database. 
96. Submitted articles for FamilySearch Wiki. 
97. Organized a family reunion. Anyone want to help?
98. Used Archives in countries where my ancestors originated.
99. Converted someone new to the love of all things genealogy. Guilty as charged!

What fun to see all that I have accomplished and what all I want to accomplish!  I can't wait to get started on the "blue" list.


Thanks to all those in the blogging community who have participated.  I've really enjoyed reading these posts.

How Did You....

.....find my blog?

Since I started Are You My Cousin? a couple of years ago, I have met a number of new cousins - cousins from many different family lines.  I am always amazed when a new cousin contacts me. I shouldn't be.  By now I've been contacted by a quite a few new cousins.

So I have a question for my cousins:

How did you find my blog?


Were you pointed in this direction by another family member/cousin?  Did you just google a name from our family tree?

I'm just curious....but then again, you knew that.  After all that's part of why I do genealogy!

If You Thought Genealogy Was Boring...(Part 2)

....then:

• You've never embarrassed yourself by doing the happy dance in the public library. Fortunately, that did not show up as a YouTube video.
• You've never introduced your cousins to the family tree - in a cemetery!
• You've never met a gentleman in a rural cemetery early in the morning who just happens to be able to tell you stories of your GGG grandfather.
• You've never had to "dig up" your great grandfather.  Read more about that here.

Apparently a lot of my "non-boring" experiences happen in cemeteries!  (I won't think too long on that.)

If you missed Part 1 of this series, go here to read more of my "non-boring" genealogy experiences.