Member Login | My Account | Guest Registry

Getting Started | Learning Center | Reference | Publications | Articles & Columns

Shaking Your Family Tree

MAY 21, 1998
	NEW CDS AID RESEARCHERS by Myra Vanderpool Gormley, C.G.
A couple of brand-new CDs may be just what you need to untangle some branches of your family tree -- if they are Native American or Irish, that is. For Native American researchers, particularly those whose ancestors belonged to the Five Civilized Tribes (Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw and Seminole), there is a new Windows CD called the Native American Collection. It includes searchable databases for the Dawes Final Rolls (including an index to the applications for enrollment, 1896-97, and rejected names), the Chilocco Indian School alumni records and scanned images of valuable books about many Native Americans and Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). The CD also contains a historical photo collection of the Five Civilized Tribes and a letter-generator you can use to request case studies and microfilm from the National Archives. Information detailing the microfilm collections of the National Archives and the Oklahoma Historical Society is also provided. The Native American Collection CD is available from GenRef, Inc., 874 West 1400 North, Orem, UT 84057-2916; ($62.95 postpaid). Through GenRef's collaboration with the Friends of the Oklahoma Historical Society, a large portion of the proceeds from the sale of these CDs goes back to Oklahoma Historical Society. Irish researchers, especially descendants of those who came to North America in the 19th century, discover that there is a shortage of surviving records in the Emerald Isle. Determining exactly where in Ireland one's ancestor came from (a county is seldom enough) can be a research challenge. Almost all of the Irish census returns for 1821 to 1851 were burned in a fire that destroyed the Public Record Office in 1922, and its enumerations for 1861 to 1891 were deliberately destroyed by the government. What can be used to identify the immigrant ancestor's exact place of origin is "Griffith's Valuation.'' Between 1848 and 1864, all the land in Ireland was surveyed for the purpose of establishing the local tax to be paid by each landholder or leaseholder. "Griffith's Valuation'' lists each land or householder in the country, giving the townland and description of the property, and also lists the landlord and the annual valuation. An Index to Griffith's Valuation is now available. Produced on CD by Genealogical Publishing Co. and Broderbund, it omits the acreage, valuation and description of the property, but gives the full name of the householder, his county, parish, and townland of residence, with a reference to the microfiche version of the record on which the index is based. The Index to Griffith's Valuation is fully searchable on this CD. The marginal notes, such as occupation, name of dwelling, skills associated with the individual and religious affiliation, are included, if they were found in the records. Such information can be of great value to a genealogist, helping to identify one Andrew Kelly from the other. Griffith's Valuation (CD 7590) is available for $59.99 plus $3.50 postage and handling from Genealogical Publishing Co., 1001 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21202-3897; (800) 296-6687; URL: (http://www.genealogical.com). A CD-ROM drive is required, and you need either Family Tree Maker Version 3.02 or higher or Family Archive Viewer Version 3.02 or higher. The latter viewer is free with the purchase of the CD, but is not available for Macintosh. (c) 1998, Los Angeles Times Syndicate Myra Vanderpool Gormley and Julie Case are co-editors of Missing Links, a free weekly genealogy e-zine. To subscribe, send your request to: Missing Links Newsletter Return to Myra Vanderpool Gormley Main Page Return to Columns Main Page
Copyright 1998, 1999, Ancestry.com Inc. and its subsidiaries. Terms and Conditions | Privacy Statement