Products of the Day at the Online Store
- LDS Family History Suite
- The Ultimate Scrapbook Creator Deluxe
PIONEERING DAYS OF SUMMER
From Columbus' 1492 landing in the Caribbean to the historic lunar mission of 1969, the quest to be a pioneer has been an indelible part of the human experience. In honor of those who broke new ground, pioneered a foreign land, or took the first tentative steps into a new life in America and around the world, Ancestry.com is offering access to its pioneer-related databases free of charge between the 22nd of July and the 27th of July. A listing of these databases is available at:
http://www.ancestry.com/dailynews/pioneer.htm
DATABASES OF THE DAY (Free for 10 Days!)
Prince William County, Virginia Wills (Part 1), 1734-1951
Created in 1731, Prince William County, Virginia is just fifteen miles from the nation's capital in the District of Columbia. This database is a name index to wills filed with the county. Researchers will find the name of decedent and reference information to aid in finding the original document housed at the county seat of Manassas. It contains information on over 2000 men and women. For those seeking information regarding the will of a Virginian ancestor, this can be a great aid in finding the original document.
Bibliography: Fridley, Beth. "Prince William County, Virginia Wills (Part 1), 1734-1951." [Database online] Orem, UT: Ancestry, Inc., 1999.
To search this database, go to:
http://www.ancestry.com/ancestry/search/3882.htm
Midwest Pioneers: Address on the Upper Peninsula
Alexander Campbell, a state representative from Marquette, presented this address on 6 February 1861 to the Michigan State Legislature, which resolved that 5,000 copies of it be printed and distributed. Campbell extols the resources and development prospects of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and attempts to balance prevailing assumptions about its frigid climate and long winters with positive descriptions of its dry, clean air and therapeutic value for invalids, particularly during the summer months. Among the area's natural advantages, Campbell cites natural harbors, abundant fisheries, mineral wealth (especially iron and copper), lumber (vast stands of hardwood timber), and agricultural potential. Though the winter air might be too bracing for those suffering from tuberculosis, Campbell believes it virtually eliminates the feverish colds and barking coughs of damper, more changeable climates. He argues, however, that highways and ports must be developed to improve transportation and export of the region's products.
Bibliography: Library of Congress. "Pioneering the Upper Midwest: Books from Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, ca. 1820-1910." [Database online] Washington: Library of Congress, 1999. Campbell, Alexander. "An Address on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan." Lansing, MI: --, 1861.
To search this database, go to:
http://www.ancestry.com/ancestry/search/3880.htm
York Daily Record (Pennsylvania), Obituaries, 1992-1999 (Update)
Bibliography: UMI Company. "Obituaries from the York Daily Record, 1992-1999." Orem, UT: Ancestry Inc., 1999.
To search this database, go to:
http://www.ancestry.com/ancestry/search/3490.htm
TODAY'S FEATURED MAP
Ireland, 1641-1892
To view this map, go to:
http://www.ancestry.com/whatsnew.htm
Maps & Atlases in the Online Store
http://shop.ancestry.com/ancestry/mapsatlases.html
Animap 2.0-2,000 Maps plus Place Finder Database on CD-ROM. http://shop.ancestry.com/ancestry/anplusv20win.html
IRISH VITAL RECORDS DATABASE ADDED AT ANCESTRY.COM
Ancestry's new 100,000-name database of Irish vital records is unique for two main reasons. First, it represents one of the first major databases of records from outside the continental United States. This posting represents the beginnings of a vigorous international content acquisition effort. Second, rather than just raw data, this database is accompanied by a significant amount of contextual and historical information. This information can help researchers understand the significance and the source of the data and also extend their research beyond the names available in the database.
This collection is the result of many years of research in Irish records. It contains records of births, marriages, deaths, burials, cemeteries, wills, immigration, census, and so forth. It includes records from many different locations in both Ireland and Northern Ireland and it includes over 120 unique sources. The records include information from as early as 1600 and as late as 1874. This collection seeks to allow users to search otherwise inaccessible or hard-to-find collections. Whenever possible, new records were created from end-of-line records, thereby extending the data into the past at least one more generation. For example, in a marriage which gives the names of the parents, a record was created for these parents as a separate entry if it was known that there were no earlier records for that area.
Ancestry hopes that this data will prove useful to many American researchers. As the compiler of the database, Dr. Lyman Platt, observed: "Between 1851 and 1901 3,846,393 people emigrated from Ireland. Figures for the years 1891-1900 show that 90% of these emigrants settled in the United States. It is estimated that at least fifty million Americans have one or more Irish lines at this time." Thus, even though 100,000 records is not a major percentage of the total population, it is a good beginning. For the time periods that many of the records cover, the database includes 20-30% of the population for that area at that time, and thus represents a significant research file for the millions of researchers in Irish records. Researchers should also note that Dr. Platt continues to add to the file at the rate of several thousand entries a month. These additions will be included in quarterly updates.
You can search the Irish Vital Records database at:
http://www.ancestry.com/ancestry/search/ivr/index.asp
"IRISH PLACE-NAMES AND FAMIILY NAMES"
Excerpted from the Introduction to "Irish Records: Sources for Family
and Local History," by James G. Ryan, Ph.D. http://shop.ancestry.com/ancestry/irishrecords.html
PLACE-NAMES
The majority of Irish place-names, and particularly townland names, are derived from the Gaelic, or Irish, language. Some components of these names, such as Bally- (town), -more (big), or -beg (small), are particularly common. A good description of the origins of Irish place-names is given in P.W. Joyce's "Irish Names of Places" (1893) and "Irish Local Names Explained" (1884, Reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1979). Because these names are ancient, there are often variations in the way in which they are spelled, particularly in earlier documents. Note, for instance, the variations in spelling between the names of many parishes and those of the corresponding Catholic parishes (e.g., Killadysert versus Kildysert).
It is not uncommon for researchers to know the name of the place of origin of their ancestor, and to find it is not listed in any guide. This may be because the name was taken down or remembered from the pronunciation used by an ancestor who may have been illiterate, Irish-speaking, or both. Thus the spelling will reflect the phonetics used. Examples include Mallah for Mallow, Carsaveen for Cahirciveen, etc. Some imagination is necessary to relate these names to their currently accepted forms. A knowledge of local accents is also very valuable in these situations.
There are several good sources for finding a place-name. In compiling censuses during the last century, for instance, indexes of townlands were compiled and have been published.
The "Alphabetical Index to the Towns and Townlands of Ireland" (Dublin: Alexander Thorn and Company, 1877) lists the townlands alphabetically and gives, for each, the parish, barony, county, and Poor Law Union to which it belongs. The parishes, baronies, and Poor Law Unions are also listed separately.
"General Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns, Parishes, and Baronies of Ireland . . . 1851" (Reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1984) is based on the 1851 census and gives much the same information as the above index.
Having found where an ancestor lived, some further background information on the area may be gleaned from the following publications:
"A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," by Samuel Lewis (London, 1837) lists all the parishes, baronies, towns, villages, and counties in Ireland with local administrative details, an account of agriculture and industry, major local houses ("seats") and their owners, and other local information.
William Shaw Mason's "A Statistical Account, or Parochial Survey of Ireland," (Dublin, 1814-1819), and "Parliamentary Gazetteer or Ireland" (Fullerton and Company, 1846) also provide very useful local information. Local history journals are also a good source of information on the history and other aspects of particular counties (see the section on Research Sources and Services below). The Irish Place-Names Commission in the Ordnance Survey Office, Phoenix Park, Dublin 8, (http://www.irlgov.ie/osi/Pages/main/services.htm) can usually assist in finding the accepted variant for difficult place-names where the above sources fail.
Maps are available for various periods and areas. Photocopies of "Griffith's Variation" maps are available from the Valuation Office, 6 Ely Place, Dublin 2. These show the boundaries of the holdings of each of those listed in the survey itself. A full set of nineteenth-century maps of a wide range of scales are also available for consultation at the National Library of Ireland (NLI). The modern maps available are in metric sizes, a useful series being the 1:50,000 size, which is approximately equivalent to the old "half-inch" maps. These are available for all of Ireland from the Ordnance Survey Office, Phoenix Park, Dublin 8, (http://www.irlgov.ie/osi/Pages/main/services.htm) or Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland, Colby House, Stranmillis Court, Belfast, BT9 8BJ, N. Ireland (http://www.doeni.gov.uk/ordnance/ordnance.htm). The archives of the Ordnance Survey are in the National Archives and the index can be searched online through their home page (http://www.nationalarchives.ie/os.html). These mainly contain documents and correspondence generated in the process of map-making. However, information on some landowners is inevitably included.
FAMILY NAMES
Irish family names are mainly derived from Gaelic and Norman names. English and Scottish names are also common, particularly in the northern countries, but also occur elsewhere in the country. Most Scottish names are also derived from Gaelic. Huguenot, Palatine, and Jewish names also occur. To complicate the situation, many English surnames of family names were adopted by Irish families during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries when Irish names were discouraged. MacGowan, for instance, became Smith, and McDarra became Oakes because these names either were English for, or sounded like Irish language words with these meanings.
A common feature of Irish names is the "O" or "Mac" prefix. During the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, when the Irish language died away in most of the country, there was a gradual dropping of the "O" and, to a lesser extent, "Mc" from names. During the latter half of the century, when awareness of Gaelic heritage grew, these prefixes were restored. When searching Irish names it is therefore wise to check both forms (e.g. Sullivan and O'Sullivan, Neill and O'Neill).
The spelling of Irish surnames also varies. Although this occurs to some extent in Ireland (Keogh, Kehoe; O'Mara, O'Meara; O'Loughlin, O'Lochlann, O'Loghlen), it occurs to a much greater extent among Irish emigrants overseas (Ryan, Ryun, Ryne, Rion, etc.; Geraghty, Garritty, Gerritty, etc.). Thus it is often necessary to establish the accepted local spelling of a name before searching. A modern Irish telephone directory (http://www.teldir.com/ie/) is one useful way to find the currently accepted forms of names. In general terms, the spelling form used currently in Ireland is more likely to be the form of spelling used in eighteenth and nineteenth century records. This is not always the case, however.
A good source for determining variants of family names is Edward McLysaght's "Surnames of Ireland" (Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1958), as well as his other books, "Irish Families" and "More Irish Families." Other sources include Robert Bell's "Book of Ulster Surnames," (Belfast, 1988); Robert E. Matheson's "Special Report on Surnames in Ireland together with Varieties and Synonyms of Surnames and Christian Names" (1901), reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Company of Baltimore (1968); and Rev. Patrick Woulfe's "Irish Names and Surnames" (1923), reprinted by the same company in 1993.
Excerpted from the Introduction to "Irish Records: Sources for Family and Local History," by James G. Ryan, Ph.D.
http://shop.ancestry.com/ancestry/irishrecords.html
Dr. James Ryan has been involved in researching Irish family records for more than fifteen years. His interest began with research on his own family, and he gradually began to perform research for others. Dr. Ryan holds B.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from University College, Dublin, and is currently head of BioResearch Ireland, Ireland's biotechnology development program. In this capacity he has compiled and edited many guides, directories, and bibliographies on a wide variety of topics. Dr. Ryan is the genealogy columnist for "Irish America" magazine; he has also written "Tracing Your Dublin Ancestors" and edited "Irish Church Records," both published by Flyleaf Press, Dublin.
IN THE NEWS ONLINE
Editor's Note: Some of the URLs for the articles may be too long to fit on one line in the Daily News, so you will have to cut & paste the second line of the URL in at the end to access the articles.
"Civil War Submarine Crew Found," by Bruce Smith (Washington Post)
http://search.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WAPO/19990721/V000154-072199-idx.html
(Thanks to Kathy Hall for pointing this out!)
THOUGHT FOR TODAY
"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."
- Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde, 1854-1900
"Lady Windermere's Fan" (1892)
PRODUCT OF THE DAY AT THE ONLINE STORE
LDS FAMILY HISTORY SUITE
http://shop.ancestry.com/ancestry/ldsfamhissui.html
Shape your own history. Genealogy is as much about as preserving today as it is discovering yesterday. This Family History Suite will be the most meaningful suite of products you have ever purchased to help you find your roots. Essentially you can search over 100 million records, right from your own PC. And with a free 1-year subscription of Ancestry.com and the latest version of the SSDI included, you can't go wrong.
Normally the LDS Family History Suite retails for $89.95, but today you can buy it in the Ancestry.com Online Store for only $71.95. This price will be effective until Monday, July 26, 8 AM Mountain Time.
Scrapbookers . . . Create the ultimate family scrapbook--online or off--with the ULTIMATE SCRAPBOOK CREATOR DELUXE. Now thru July 25th only $24.95 in the Ancestry Online Store. Reg. $39.95
Ancestry.com Online Store "Only the Best--For Less!"
http://shop.ancestry.com/ancestry/ulscrapcreat.html
You can see a full description, and order today's products through Ancestry's Online Store at:
http://shop.ancestry.com.
And don't miss our new CLEARANCE CORNER! Find great savings on
books, CDs, software, and scrapbooking supplies! Up to 40% OFF
on some items! Visit the CLEARANCE CORNER at: http://shop.ancestry.com/ancestry/clearcor.html
Stay tuned for more savings!
Join Ancestry.com and access 240 million names in 1600 databases. Annual memberships start at only $69.95 (That's less than $5.00 per month!) View our various membership plans at:
http://www.ancestry.com/membershipoptions.asp
Keep in touch with your family and share information and data with a FREE MyFamily.com site. Sign up now for your site at:
http://www.myfamily.com/
Search Ancestry's World Tree - the largest, free database of family files available on the Internet! Add your family tree today!
http://www.ancestry.com/worldtree/tree.htm
Best Wishes,
Juliana Smith, Editor, Ancestry Daily News
Rebekah Thorstenson, Associate Editor
Please feel free to circulate this newsletter to other genealogy
enthusiasts! We hope that you will also credit the Daily News as the source.
To subscribe to this newsletter, visit http://www.ancestry.com/whatsnew.htm
and type your Email address in the box provided, or send an email message
to: ancestry_daily_news@anclist001.ancestry.com with the word ‘subscribe’ in
the subject line. For comments or submissions to the Daily News email:
editor@ancestry-inc.com
