 10 December 1999 In this issue:
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Databases of the Day (Free for 10 Days!) Boston, New North Church Records, 1714-1799 Formed in 1714, the New North Church in Boston, Massachusetts was created from the Old North Church. This database is a transcription of various records from the church between its creation and 1799. Birth, baptism, marriage, and death records are included in this collection. Birth records reveal the child's name, parents' names, and date of birth. Marriage records show both spouses' names and marriage date. Some records reveal additional information, such as the individual's residence, other family members, and other helpful facts. For researchers of early Boston ancestors, this can be a useful and informative database. Bibliography: Wyman, Thomas Bellows. "New North Church Records, Boston, 1714-1799." n.p., 1867.
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Richmond, Virginia Newspaper Obituaries, 1804-1838 Laid out by William Byrd II in 1737, Richmond became the state capital of Virginia in 1780. This database is a collection of obituaries from the "Richmond Enquirer" and the "Richmond Whig." It contains the names of nearly 3,800 persons who died between 1804 and 1838. Records from the "Richmond Enquirer" cover the years 1804-1828 and obituaries from the "Richmond Whig" cover the years 1824-1838. Each record contains the decedent's name, date of publication, newspaper name, and page in the original record where the obituary can be found. For researchers of central Virginian ancestors, this can be a helpful resource. Bibliography: Virginia State Library. "Index to Obituary Notices in the Richmond Enquirer from May 9, 1804, through 1828, and the Richmond Whig from January, 1824, through 1838." McIlwaine, H.R., ed. Richmond, VA: Virginia State Library, 1923.
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William Keating, a professor of mineralogy and chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania, wrote a two-volume narrative of a 1823 scientific expedition in what later became Minnesota. This database is the second volume of the collection. Commissioned by the War Department, the expedition traveled up the Minnesota River, around Lake Winnepeg, and then east to Lake Superior. This volume focuses on the region's topography, geology, and climate. It contains detailed climactic data collected from several military outposts and a log of astronomical events in the early 1820s. Additionally, it provides a brief history of the area and an evaluation of the complex relations between the Native Americans of the area, the United States government, and intruding white settlers. For researchers of early Minnesota climate and history, this narrative can be a interesting and informative. Bibliography: Library of Congress. "Pioneering the Upper Midwest: Books from Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, ca. 1820-1910." [Database online] Washington: Library of Congress, 1999. Keating, William Hypolitus. "Narrative of an Expedition to the Source of the St. Peter's River, etc.," Vol. 2. Philadelphia: H.C. Carey and I. Lea, 1824.
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Herald (Rock Hill, SC), Obituaries, 1991-1999 (Update) Bibliography: UMI Company. "Obituaries from the Herald, 1991-1999." Orem, UT: Ancestry Inc., 1999.
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Map of the Day Europe, 1618-1660 (Principle Seats of War)
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ANCESTRY CHOSEN AS BEST GENEALOGY RESOURCE BY YAHOO! INTERNET LIFE MAGAZINE In the January 2000 issue of "Yahoo! Internet Life" magazine, Ancestry.com was rated in the 100 Best Sites for 2000, as the "Best Genealogy Resource." Congratulations to everyone on the Ancestry team whose hard work has earned Ancestry this prestigious award. |
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GEORGE G. MORGAN: "ALONG THOSE LINES . . ." "Photographic Detective Work" I just received the most wonderful gift! No, it's not Christmas or my birthday; it is the gift of a special box of photographs. My mother's last surviving sister just sold her home and moved into a retirement facility. In the process of scaling back on her possessions, a box of photographs turned up in the attic. The entire collection had belonged to my maternal grandmother and the contents date from between 1890 and 1920. As the family historian, I was my aunt's chosen trustee for this ancestral treasure trove. This week, my brother shipped this 10-pound box of history to me and I am in seventh heaven! Its arrival has brought me my first visual images of two sets of my great-grandparents and one set of my great-great-grandparents. Some of the many pictures in the box are labeled but many are not. In "Along Those Lines . . ." this week, I want to talk about some of the detective methods you can use to identify the people in some of these unlabeled photographs. FAMILY GET-TOGETHERS AND INTERVIEWS The most obvious way to help identify the people in old photographs is to ask your older relatives. The upcoming holidays can provide a great opportunity to bring people together and discuss "the olden days." While you have aunts, uncles and grandparents together, you might want to consider setting some time aside to look at old pictures. Your relatives can help you identify the people in the pictures, where they were taken and the occasion. In other cases, you might consider carefully making a copy of a questionable photograph and sending it to a relative and asking their help in identifying the subjects. A self-addressed, stamped envelope can encourage a response. Remember that old photographs can be light-sensitive and that photocopying can damage some photographs. Therefore, if you have a question about a specific photograph, you might want to seek advice from a professional photographer before you make a copy. USING TYPE OF PHOTOGRAPH TO DETERMINE TIMEFRAME Part of the detective work in identifying people in photographs is to determine the age of the photograph itself. For instance, there are a number of types of older photograph types. Your job is to determine what type it is: Daguerreotype (image on copper sheet, 1839 to 1860s); Ambrotype (image on glass, 1854 to 1865); tintype (image on black iron sheet, sometimes tinted, 1856 to 1930s); carte de visite (1860 to 1880s); and cabinet card (mid-1860s to early 1900s). A Web site with an excellent primer on the subject is at http://www.classyimage.com/picdate.htm. USING CLOTHING TO DETERMINE TIMEFRAME OF PHOTOGRAPHS The age of a photograph can often be approximated by evaluating the clothing worn by the subjects. Photographic portraits were special occasions, often calling for posing in one's best, most fashionable attire. Several books on the subject may help you evaluate the costumes of the subjects of your photographs and help you approximate the timeframe. These include:
Dalrymple, Priscilla Harris. American Victorian Costume in Early Photographs.
Gernsheim, Alison. Victorian and Edwardian Fashion: A Photographic Survey.
Olian, Joanne, ed. Victorian and Edwardian Fashions from 'LA Mode Illustree. You might also want to check for other books at your library regarding the photographic history of fashions in the location where your ancestors lived. COMPARISONS OF PHOTOGRAPHS Some photographs in the collection I just received are labeled. My great-grandparents, Green Berry HOLDER and Ansibelle Penelope SWORDS, for instance, married in on 27 December 1866 and produced 12 children. The most exciting photograph of the lot is a family portrait taken on the front porch of the family home in Rome, GA, after the turn of the century. The children are all grown, ranging in age between 16 and 33. I easily recognized my grandmother's young image in the picture, and can easily determine who are my great-grandparents. The images of my grandmother's 11 siblings are a different story, however. Although I know all of their names and dates of birth, how can I determine which of these people is whom? Comparing other pictures can sometimes be the answer. In this case, there is another picture of the six daughters which has been labeled, "The Misses Holder," and has their names (top and bottom rows, left to right). Being the same vintage as the family portrait, I can now identify all six of the daughters in the picture. There are other unlabeled photographs of some of the individual sisters, and by comparing the faces with other labeled photographs I can now identify - - and label - - these previously unidentified images. Now, what about the six brothers? I am not as fortunate here. There are only a few odd photographs of these men, and these are generally unlabeled. There are some photographic postcards in this collection made and postmarked in 1902-1903 as one of the brothers, his sister, and his wife traveled to Arizona for his health. They are poor quality and require examination under a strong magnifying glass, but they do reveal the identity of one of the brothers. The other five brothers will require some additional research. Another tip-off for the brothers are wedding bands. I happen to know the marriage dates of all these brothers. Therefore, if I can see the left hands of some of the brothers, I can categorize them as married or unmarried. Since the convention at the time was for married men to wear wedding bands, this may help me narrow the identification process. It isn't a certainty, mind you, but it may help. FAMILY RESEMBLANCE? Sometimes an examination of the subject's physical attributes will suggest a resemblance to another family member. Eyes, nose, ears, mouth, teeth, height, hair shade (tone/color), complexion tone and other physical traits may help you connect one photograph with another family unit. This is never a foolproof method, of course, but always view an unidentified photograph with the question in mind, "Does this person remind me of someone else?" MAKING THE CASE FOR GOOD DETECTIVE WORK Working with photographs involves being open-minded and attentive to details. Sometimes, by developing hypotheses and carefully testing them, you may be able to improve your possibilities of identifying the subject in an unlabeled photograph. The age of photograph, markings on the photograph, how it is mounted or framed, the apparel worn by the subject, family resemblance, comparisons with other photographs and other clues may take you well on the way to making that important identification. It may take some time, but it is certainly worth the effort. Take advantage of the family gatherings this holiday season to ask your older relatives' help with photograph identification. In the meantime, I'll be doing the same work on the HOLDER family, and enjoying every minute of it! Happy hunting! George
Editor's Note: For more information on identifying the subjects of old photos, a great resource on the subject is:
Copyright 1999 George G. Morgan. All rights reserved. "Along Those Lines . . ." is a weekly feature of the Genealogy Forum on America Online (Keyword: ROOTS). Visit George Morgan's Web page at: http://ahaseminars.com/atl. You may send e-mail to atl@ahaseminars.com. George Morgan would like to hear from you but, because of the volume of e-mail, is unable to personally respond to each letter individually. He also regrets that he cannot assist you with your personal genealogical research. George is also the author of "The Genealogy Forum on America Online," which is available in the Ancestry Online Store at: http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog/product.asp?pf%5Fid=1101046&dept%5Fid=10102000 |
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FAMILY HISTORY FAVORITE AWARD In recognition of excellence in providing the genealogical community with these valuable research tools, Ancestry.com is happy to announce the following "Family History Favorites."
TENNESSEE STATE LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES
- Acts of Tennessee 1796 - 1850 : Index to Names - Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1831 - 1850 - Southern Claims Commission (disallowed and barred claim files) - Index to Tennessee Death Records 1908-1912 - Partial Index to Tennessee Death Records 1914-1925 |
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ANCESTRY QUICK TIP "Because I've learned, over the years, that sometimes you find a direct ancestor by research of siblings of direct ancestors, I always want to have information with me when I do library research, for instance. In the front of my binder I have a printed copy of my pedigree, then a family group sheet for all the families in my pedigree, including the siblings. But, I print the family group sheets of my direct ancestors on colored paper, and the family group sheets of the siblings (collateral lines) on white paper. This makes it much easier to locate the sheets of direct ancestor families among the total number of group sheets."
Thanks to Carolyn Scott of Auburn, WA for today's Quick Tip. If you have a tip you would like to share with other researchers, send it to: editor@ancestry-inc.com |
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THOUGHT FOR TODAY "No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another." - Charles Dickens |
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You can see a full description, and order today's products through Ancestry's Online Store at: http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog For more product news, plus insider and exclusive savings offers from Ancestry.com, subscribe to Product Watch at: http://www.ancestry.com/productwatch Join Ancestry.com and access 500 million names in 3,000 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/banner.asp?id=ancnewsfooter 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 Jennifer Browning, Associate Editor Please feel free to circulate this newsletter to other genealogy enthusiasts! We hope you will credit the Daily News as the source. To subscribe to this newsletter, visit http://www.ancestry.com/whatsnew.htm and type your e-mail address in the box provided, or send an e-mail message to: ancestry_daily_news@anclist001.ancestry.com with the word 'subscribe' in the subject line. For comments or submissions to the Daily News, e-mail: editor@ancestry-inc.com The editor regrets that she cannot respond to every e-mail, but periodically will feature letters to the editor in the Daily News. Ancestry.com reserves the right to edit for content and clarity. Ancestry http://www.ancestry.com Sales: 1-800-ANCESTRY Technical support: (801) 426-3650 Fax: (801) 426-3501 Email: support@ancestry-inc.com |