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Archive for February, 2011
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Kim Cattrall’s grandfather disappeared 70 years ago in Depression-era Liverpool, England. On tonight’s episode of Who Do You Think You Are? Kim travels to England to discover the reasons behind his disappearance, which still haunts Kim’s mother and aunts decades later.
Family historians take note: Kim starts her journey with little more than her grandfather’s name. By the end, she connects with new family members and unravels the details of her grandfather’s life.
The show, sponsored by Ancestry.com, airs tonight at 8/7c on NBC. Can’t wait? Watch a preview at http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/.
Saturday morning, visit http://www.ancestry.com/wdytya2011e4 for tips on solving your own family mystery.
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The Consular Reports of Marriage, 1910–1949, database that went live this month is a fun one if you happen to have an ancestor among the certificates and correspondence contained in the files. I say these reports are fun because, while there’s a story behind any record, these stories come with the extra flair of a foreign locale…and a wedding.
These records document overseas marriages in which at least one party was an American citizen. They were created by American embassies and consulates and include both certificates documenting and correspondence regarding marriages that people were trying to arrange or that had taken place.
Why China?
That’s all pretty straightforward. Now on to the story part. Here is the certificate for Elaine Strang and Frederick Donaldson, who married on 27 July 1916.
Ms. Strang, of Dowagiac, Michigan, and Mr. Donaldson of Oberlin, Ohio, were joined in matrimony by Reverend Lewis Hodous, whose authority comes via “the laws of the State of Ohio.” The bride and groom’s hometowns are, maybe, 250 miles apart. So what are they all doing in Foochow, China? And did they bring their own minister along?
On a Mission
My first thought: a Wolverine marrying a Buckeye might be reason enough to tie the knot on neutral ground far from home.
Google said otherwise. Mrs. Elaine Strang Donaldson is listed in the Annual Report of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions amongst the missionaries in the Foochow Mission. Here’s her 1912 passport application, which tells us she’s a teacher and plans on returning to the States within seven years:
The M.A.C Record (Michigan Agricultural College) of 23 May 1916 reported Fred Donaldson’s leaving to take up his own post in China—and marry Miss Strang, whose father was an M.A.C. alum.
The November 1916 issue of Mission Studies “Published monthly by the Woman’s Board of Missions of the Interior of the Congregational Church” even provides details of the wedding:
Coming Home
By 1930, the Donaldsons were back in the States, now with a family in tow.
Working back a step, we find the Donaldsons leaving Hong Kong aboard the S.S. President Grant, sailing via Yokohama, Japan, and arriving in Los Angeles in April 1927, on their way to a new home in Massachusetts.
A change of calling? A new chapter in any event. And if you have missionaries, merchants, or mercenaries in your family tree who traveled abroad, a look at the Consular Reports of Marriages could be the first page in your own foreign family love story.
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In a blog post on February 7th, I wrote about how to navigate in the pedigree view on the People workspace. This week we’ll talk about to use the family group view. The family group view displays a single-family unit—a couple, their parents, and their children. In this view you can add spouses and children and also navigate through your tree.
The family group view
Adding a Spouse
To add a spouse for an individual, click the Add Spouse link (see fig. 1). Then enter the spouse’s name and click OK.
You’ll notice that the family group view displays only one spouse at a time. If an individual has multiple spouses, you can display the other spouse in the family group view by clicking the spouse button and choosing the individual from the drop-down list (fig. 2). Note: You can also add additional spouses using this drop-down list.
Figure 2
Adding a Child
To add a child for the couple, click the Add Child link (fig. 3). Then enter the child’s name and click OK.
Figure 3
Above the list of children, you’ll see three buttons (fig. 4). You can use these to change the order in which children are displayed.
Figure 4
To change the sort order of a specific child, select the child in the family group view; then, click the up or down arrow buttons until they appear in the desired order. To sort children by birth order, simply click the Sort children by birth button. If you haven’t entered a birth date for a child,
Navigating in the Family Group View
You can also use the family group view to navigate through your tree. If you click the “parent” button above an individual (fig. 5) the family group view changes to display these individuals in the primary position.
Figure 5
You can also click the arrow button to the left of a child’s name (fig. 6) to display him or her in the primary position of the family group view.
Figure 6
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For the first time, people in England and Wales will be able to submit census responses online. Beginning March 4, Brits will be able to unlock the digital questionnaire by entering an access code that will be mailed to each household. Read
more about the 2011 UK census here.
Our special Civil War issue isn’t on newsstands until March 8, but we have a sneak
peek of it on our website. See the Civil War as your ancestors did — through the
lens of the era’s photographers. View
our slideshow on FamilyTreeMagazine.com.
We’re deciding which states to cover in our Genealogy Crash Course live webinar series
and we want your input. We’ve already served up expert tips and tricks for Georgia,
Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania. What are your requests? Weigh
in by filling out our survey here.
The Academy Awards are this weekend, and CBS is celebrating with a slideshow of highlights
from Oscars past. Click
here to see the photos.
Our new monthly bundles are jam-packed with products to help you trace your roots
— all at one low price. We only have two left of the Ultimate African-American Genealogy
Collection, and once they’re gone, they’re gone. Learn
more about the Ultimate Collection here.
Family Tree Firsts blogger Nancy Shively traveled to Florida to meet cousins she discovered
while doing genealogy research. Read
her story on FamilyTreeUniversity.com.
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Ever wish you could get the inside scoop on researching Ohio ancestors? Or ask experts
your burning questions about a Buckeye State brick wall? Or had a clue how to research
forebears that settled in the Western Reserve? We’ll grant your wishes in our Ohio
Genealogy Crash Course live webinar.
During our live webinars, audio is delivered over your telephone or computer speakers.
Power Point presentations and desktop or document sharing are presented over the Internet.
This is like a talk-radio program with visuals on the Web. You’ll be able to have
a live Q&A chat with the speakers.
From the Ohio webinar you’ll learn:
- Essential Ohio history
- Details on vital records and immigration in the state
- What ethnicity-based records your ancestor may have left
- The best websites for Ohio research
Registration for the live session includes:
- Participation in the live presentation and Q&A session
- Access to the webinar recording to view again as many times as you like
- PDF of the presentation slides for future reference
- A PDF of our Ohio State Research Guide
The webinar is March 16, 7 p.m. EST, and will run for one hour. If you register before
March 1, you’ll receive 20 percent off. Click
here to register for the Ohio Genealogy Crash Course live webinar.
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We’re excited about our new Ultimate Collection program. Each
month we’ll release a new collection of carefully selected, discounted
products to help you achieve your genealogy goals. A limited number of
copies of each collection will be available, so get ‘em while the
getting’s good.
For February, we’ve put together the Ultimate
African-American Genealogy Collection in honor of Black History Month. This multimedia
collection brings you our most invaluable advice from African-American genealogy experts
at an unbeatable price.
The Ultimate African American Genealogy Collection contains:
• Family Tree University independent study course Finding African-American Ancestors
in Newspapers CD
• African-American Genealogy Guide digital download
• July 2009 Family Tree Magazine digital issue with a primer on African-American
research
• Georgia Genealogy Crash Course on-demand webinar with resources and advice for slave
ancestry
• Family Tree Magazine 2011 Genealogy Desk Calendar
If all the items were purchased separately, the price would add up to $212.95, but
we’ve bundled them together for $49.99. Save
more than $120.00 by purchasing the Ultimate African-American Genealogy Collection
on ShopFamilyTree.com. But hurry, there’s only six more available for February.
Once they’re gone, they’re gone.
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We’re celebrating the return of NBC’s “Who
Do You Think You Are?” with a giveaway. While celebrities explore their genealogy
on the show, we want to give you the opportunity to explore your own genealogical
history with our Discover
Who You Are Sweepstakes!
Each week in February we will announce a lucky winner on our Facebook
fan page and the Genealogy Insider blog. Our third lucky winner:
So what’s the prize? Four lucky winners will get Discover
Your Roots Kits, which include a bookazine for genealogy beginners, a Family Tree
University course, a subscription to Family Tree Magazine, our State Research
Guides CD and the Family Tree Pocket Reference eBook—a $205 value!
You can enter each week in February, by doing one or both of the following things:
-
Comment here on the blog during “WDYTYA.” You could write about a technique or resource
you learned about from the show, or (if you missed the show) something you’re looking
forward to learning about your own genealogy. -
“Like” Family
Tree Magazine on Facebook, and comment on or “like” our statuses about “WDYTYA.”
We’ll pick a winner each Monday and post their name here and on Facebook.
This contest will run until Feb. 27, 2011. Official
rules can be found here.
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Spoiler Alert: If you don’t already know what happened during Rosie O’Donnell’s
episode of “Who Do You Think You Are?” you are about to find out.
Rosie O’Donnell often asked her grandmother about a specific photo hanging in her
house, but her grandmother was tight lipped about the woman. O’Donnell knew she was
somehow related to her, but didn’t know much beyond that. So she began her “Who Do
You Think You Are?” journey by researching the mystery woman.
She starts looking in the 1900 census, finding her great-grandparents Michael and
Ellen Murtha. The census indicates Michael was born in French Canada and his parents
were born in Ireland. O’Donnell steps back father to the 1880, but shows Michael living
in Brooklyn with a different woman — his first wife Anna.
This leads O’Donnell to Manhattan, where she finds the death certificate for Anna
Murtaugh, a variation of the Murtha surname. The cause of death is listed as an explosion
of an oil lamp. O’Donnell searches neighborhood newspapers for write-ups about the
incident, discovering Anna was holding her infant daughter during the explosion.
Catholic church baptismal records revealed Anna’s daughter to be Elizabeth Murtha,
who lived through the accident and eventually had many children and grandchildren.
Tracing the line forward, O’Donnell is reunited with Elizabeth’s grandchildren, her
second cousins. They confirm that the mysterious photo is Elizabeth’s mother Anna.
After solving that mystery, she travels to Quebec to search parish records for Anna’s
husband and O’Donnell’s great-grandfather Michael Murtha, listed as Michael Murtaugh
in baptismal records. Michael’s parents are listed as Andrew Murtaugh and Anne Doyle.
O’Donnell searches a local newspaper to find the obituary for Anne, which lists her
birthplace as Kildare, Ireland. For more on searching newspapers, see our Finding
You Family in Old Newspapers on-demand webinar.
O’Donnell then heads to Ireland to find out more about the Murtaughs. Many people
emigrated from Ireland at the height of the potato feminine, and Andrew and Anne were
among them.
Searching Poor Law Union minute books for a mention of the family, O’Donnell discovers
two men sponsored the Murtaughs passage to Canada. The Poor Law Union only provided
assisted immigration for severely impoverished families during the feminine. To qualify
for assisted immigration, a family would have to live in a work house for at least
a year. For more on tracing your Irish roots, see our Irish
heritage research guide.
“WDYTYA” airs Fridays at 8pm EST on NBC. Check the Genealogy Insider blog for a brief
recap of each episode, and post a comment to be entered to win in our Discover
Who You Are sweepstakes!
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In this edition of my guest post for the Genealogy Insider I’m reporting from the
Who Do You Think You Are? Live event in London, England, which runs Friday Feb 25
through Sunday Feb 27, 2011.
While I could spend time telling you about the huge booths and displays of the genealogy
giants like Ancestry.uk, FamilySearch, or Find My Past, I think it would miss the
mark on conveying what is truly unique about this particular event. It’s the “little
guy” – the local society, volunteer organization and fledgling online start-up – that
fills the vast majority of the exhibit hall where the bulk of the action occurs. Here
are just a few that stood out as I made way up and down the aisles:
Discover Ireland – www.DiscoverIreland.ie
“Genealogy Butler” and Professional Genealogist Helen Kelly sat down with me at the
Discover Ireland booth to talk about the countless number of people that they have
helped trace their Irish ancestors and then make the journey to the homeland. Their
free booklet “Tracing Your Ancestors” in Ireland walks family historians through doing
research on their own in the U.S, heading online to tap into digital records, hiring
professional help as needed, and tips for making the trip and walking the green grass
of Ireland in person. “We have to be quiet sometimes,” says Kelly, “…we have to sit
in the landscape and then the stones can speak to us.” Kelly made a compelling case
for making the journey “back to the community that nurtured your ancestors.” While
many things have changed, you can still experience the accents, landscape and culture
that enveloped your ancestors. Kelly summed it up this way, “We are not just part
of our people, we are also part of our landscape.” Stay tuned to my Genealogy Gems
Podcast at www.GenealogyGems.com where
you will hear my entire conversation with this inspirational expert on discovering
Ireland!
Western Front Assocation If
you have an ancestor who served during The Great War, The Western Front Association
may have just the resources and expertise you are looking for. Founded by historian
John Giles in 1980, the association has grown to include thousands of members around
the world. Their Historical Information Officer is available to help with research
questions, and their publications and unique record holdings make them a unique resource
for a focused area of family history research.
As I approached their booth, a nice lady named Nancy welcomed me in and explained
the simple yet vital purpose of the War Memorials Trust: to monitor the condition
of war memorials and to encourage protection and conservation when appropriate. They
also strive to provide expert advice to those involved in war memorial projects across
the UK, to act as the specialist organization for war memorial conversation issues
and to facilitate repair and conservation through grants. I was pleased to see organizations
in attendance that play a vital role in empowering all of us to help preserve our
precious history.
Do you have a bobby in your background? If so, The Metropolitan Police have a resource
for you! The Met Collection encompasses artifacts previously hidden from view. The
permanent public display at the Met Collection heritage centre rotates from the 17,000
items that make up the collection including uniforms, photos, police equipment, and
a vast database of records. You can visit the collection in person at The Annex, Empress
State Building, Empress Approach, Lillie Rd., London SW6 1TR (a 2 minute walk from
the Brompton tube station,) or visit them online at the Friends of the MPHC website
at www.fomphc.org.uk
With such a variety of fascinating topics and experts to learn from, it’s no wonder
that over 17,000 people have bought tickets to attend the three-day event. Next week
I’ll have a complete wrap up for you on the Who Do You Think You Are? Live event.
To learn more about this yearly phenomenon go to Who
Do You Think You Are? Live
Surname Forum Activity
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I am trying to find information on Ann Manley daughter of Jesse James Manley 1900-1970 and Callie Kilpatrick 1907-1974. I believe she was born in Polk Co., Florida. Ann married and had two children. She might have lived in Brockport or Brocton Mass and have been married to a man named Eddie. My family can’t remeber her husband’s last name so we are running into dead ends.
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