Sticky Notes

What You Might Have Missed: May 20th edition

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:42:30 -0400

Here are some great blog posts and videos that you might have missed this past week. Enjoy!

Blog Posts

Archives.com

New Collections for South Carolina, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin

Videos

What You Might Have Missed: Week of May 13

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:37:30 -0400

Here are some great blog posts and videos that you might have missed this past week. Enjoy!

Blog Posts

Ancestry.com

Ancestry Reference Desk

Search Tips: Location Filters

Newspapers.com

Best Strategies: Clippings

Videos

Ancestry.com

What You Might Have Missed: Week of May 6

Mon, 06 May 2013 11:08:26 -0400

Here are some great blog posts and videos that you might have missed this past week. Enjoy!

Blog Posts

Ancestry.com

Ancestry Reference Desk

Fold3

This Month in History: Selective Service Act of 1917

Newspapers.com

Lusitania Sunk by German Submarine May 7, 1915

Videos

Ancestry.com

Archives.com

Best Friends Forever: Using Yearbooks on Archives.com

What You Might Have Missed: April 19

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:35:00 -0400

Here are some great articles and videos you might have missed this past week. Enjoy!

Blog Posts

Ancestry.com

AncestryDNA and Katie Couric bring birth mother and son together – 41 years later

Ancestry Reference Desk

Newspapers.com

Strategies for Searching on Newspapers.com

Videos

Ancestry.com

What You May Have Missed: April 15th edition

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 14:48:20 -0400

Over the last two weeks, there has been a lot of great articles and videos available from the Ancestry.com world.

Here is what you might have missed.

Articles

Ancestry.com Blog

Fold3

Confederate Civil War Records Free on Fold3 in April

Archives.com Expert Series

Archives.com Blog

Ancestry Reference Desk

Videos

Ancestry.com

Archives.com

Your Story: 1930 Census Helps Reunite Family with Photo Album

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 11:23:00 -0400

My father died in Orlando, Florida, in 2004 and was buried on his 89th birthday. His widow, my stepmother, passed away eight years later. As her four children began cleaning out our parents’ home, they discovered photos and an album they did not recognize. They handed their finds off to me since I am the family historian and it was assumed that since none of them knew the people in the photos, they must be from our family.

The album was from the early 1900s and had several photos on each page, each carefully laid out and glued in place. There were several picture postcards, some from a small town in Georgia and others from a town in Florida, and there was also a clipping of an obituary that listed both towns. But not a word or name written in it anywhere, and I didn’t recognize a single face.

There was also a loose snapshot of a young couple with two small children. Only this time, the children’s names were on the back. I guessed at the age of the photo—probably from the 1930s.

I searched the 1930 census for the children and found them in St. Petersburg, Florida. Now I had their parents’ names. I searched Ancestry.com for an online family tree that included at least one of the parents. Bingo! When I contacted the owner of the tree, I found out that she lived about two hours away, near Knoxville, Tennessee. The little girl in the snapshot was her mother, who is still living in Florida. I began scanning the album and emailing images for her to identify. It turned out that the photos were all from my stepmother’s stepfather’s family. I was delighted when I could finally bundle up the album and send it on to loving hands.

Thank you Ancestry.com
Robin

Ancestry Reference Desk: Grow Your Research Skills

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 21:03:58 -0400

Do you use Ancestry.com or Fold3 in the library?

Are you looking for How To articles and videos to help restart or expand your research?

Would you like some pointers on how to get the most out of records and images you find in your research?

Check our new Ancestry Reference Desk.

You can also follow us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AncestryReferenceDesk or twitter: @ancestryrefdesk

Ancestry Reference Desk is the place to learn everything you want to know about using Ancestry.com at the library, other public places, as well as tips and tricks you can use at home.

We will show you what to do before you go to the library, what you can expect to find there, and how to organize what you find when you get home.

Ask Ancestry Anne: Who were Silas Allington's parents?

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 19:31:00 -0500

Question: I have connected with several other members of Ancestry.com to try and find more about my husband’s great great-grandfather, Silas Allington. We all have the date of his birth, January 26, 1850 (we think in New York), and the date of his death, March 15, 1897, in Chillicothe, Illinois. We all agree that he was married to Emeline Potter. This is all documented on his grave stone. The problem is that we all have differing or no information as to who his parents were and beyond. We have all hit a roadblock. Can you help us go further?

Answer: I think I have found a path that you can follow.

Let’s start with what you know and work back. Silas’ tombstone, in Chillicothe City Cemetery in Peoria County, Illinois, states that he was born Jan 26, 1850 and he died March 15, 1897. He has a wife, Emma that was born October 20, 1852 and who died May 10, 1923.

So where to begin?

Silas should be in the 1850–1880 censuses.
Emma is most likely in the 1880 through 1920 census with her married name. Maybe 1870 census.
Given Emma’s death date, we can look her up in a death index for Illinois.

Let’s start with 1880, where we find them in Chillicothe, Peoria, Illinois:

Silas was born about 1851 in New York, and his parents were born in New Jersey.
Emma was born about 1853 in New York, her parents were born in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Willie was born about 1875 in New York as were his parents.
Freddie was born about 1878 in New York as were his parents.
It is possible that Silas and Emma were married in New York about 1873 or 1874; we can make that guess because Willie was born in 1875.
They moved to Illinois sometime between 1878 and 1880.
I found no other Allingtons are in Peoria or surrounding counties in 1880.

Next I look for the death record for Emma.

She is in the Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths Index, 1916 -1947:

The birth and death information match the tombstone. The index states her father’s name was Potter and her mother’s name was Amelia. I suggest you find the actual record from Peoria County, Illinois. There may be more clues on the actual death certificate.

Our best guess at the moment is they were married in New York, around 1873. We are not likely to find them in the 1870 census living together.

I have yet to find a Silas in the 1870 census in New York, but I have found a really good candidate in 1850 and 1860.

According to his tombstone, Silas was born in January 1850 in New York, prior to the census in 1850, so he should be in there. I found only one candidate, a 1 year old Silas in Elmira, Chemung, New York:

In 1850, Jonathan is listed as being born in New York; in 1860 he is listed as being born in New Jersey. Is Jonathan the father of Silas? Is this the right Silas?

Jonathan dies in 1869. Here is a snippet of the will that I locate in a tree on Ancestry.com that lists his next of kin:

In 1869, Jonathan leaves his estate to his one son, his five daughters whom he does name directly and his grandson Samuel Maxwell. In the will he does not mention his wife. In the paperwork, her name is left blank, so I suspect that Abigail has died sometime between 1860 and 1869.

The previous page on the will, lists Silas Allington, Caroline Davis, Samuel Maxwell all of Elmira, New York; Eliza Hill of Van Etten, New York; and Harriet Ving or King and James Bennett of Illinois. The surrogate for the Will states that he doesn’t know where Harriet or James live in Illinois. This doesn’t add up to 5 daughters, but there are enough names in here to associate it to what we see in the 1850 and 1860 census.

I’ve also found Emma Potter, very close to Elmira in 1860 in Horseheads, Chemung, New York. She is living most likely her parents, Morris and Amelia Potter, which matches the Illinois death record:

I find an Emeline Potter in Horsehead in 1870 working for a Smith family:

Is this your Emmeline? Possibly. I could not find Silas in 1870. And I could not find any marriage records online for New York. If he is still in Elmira, it is very close to Horseheads and so we have them possibly geographically close to each other. They had to meet somewhere!

So I believe that Jonathan and Abigail Allington are excellent candidates for Silas’ parents. I would try and find the following:

A marriage record for Silas and Emma/Emeline
Birth records for the children born in New York
Obituaries for any Allington you are researching here
A death record for Silas

I would also track the other children of Jonathan and Abigail as well as the people in Jonathan’s will. They may have left you a clue which will prove or disprove this theory.

Happy Searching!

— Ancestry Anne

Ask Ancestry Anne: It's Time for Wedding Bells!

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 06:00:53 -0500

Women’s History Month continues. Today’s prompt:

Do you have marriage records for your grandparents or great-grandparents? Write a post about where they were married and when. Any family stories about the wedding day? Post a photo too if you have one.

I’m pretty sure this is a photo taken about the time of my great grandparents wedding. Wyatt Paul Gillespie and Laura Cecile Donald were married January 24, 1894 in Lexington, Virginia.

Tall men and short women seem to be a theme in my family. :-)

When I was researching this couple, I learned the value of looking for the marriage record and then looking to see if their names appeared elsewhere in the database. Well, guess what. Wyatt’s did. I talk about in Returned not used: How I Almost Wasn’t

OK, now it’s your turn! Post a URL to a blog post where you talk about a wedding in your tree or tell us a story in the comments.

Happy Searching!

— Ancestry Anne

Ask Ancestry Anne: Some Inspirational Quotes to Get Your Week Started

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 11:19:46 -0500

Courtesy of Archives.com

Ask Ancestry Anne: Who Were You Named For? Or Use the Favorite Woman in Your Life!

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 06:00:49 -0500

Women’s history month continues. Today’s prompt:

Do you share a first name with one of your female ancestors? Perhaps you were named for your great-grandmother, or your name follows a particular naming pattern. If not, then list the most unique or unusual female first name you’ve come across in your family tree.

I am Anne Elizabeth, and I was named for both my grandmothers, Ann Irene Feazell and Jennie Elizabeth Payne.

I have always been confused why my grandmother spelled her name Ann and mine is Anne, but that is what it is. Oh, and she always went by Judy.

My other grandmother, Jennie Elizabeth Payne, had a life that I knew nothing about until I it uncovered in census records and other documents. I blogged about it in How Eight Children Ended Up Living Alone in 1930

And now it’s your turn. Who were you or your wife, your mother, your sister named for? Post a URL in the comments, or tell us your story.

Happy Searching!

— Ancestry Anne

Ask Ancestry Anne: How did they meet?

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 06:00:00 -0500

Women’s History Month continues. Today’s prompt:

How did they meet? You’ve documented marriages, now, go back a bit. Do you know the story of how your parents met? Your grandparents?

You know, I don’t. Sad to say.

I do know the story, well maybe the myth, of how my Aunt Martha and Uncle David met. According to family legend, she was a drum majorette, which is true, and he saw her and fell for her. He arranged to meet her and the rest was history.

OK, help me out here. Somebody give us a good boy meets girl story and they fell in love. Bonus points for happily ever after!

Post your URL to a blog post in the comments or tell us the story.

Happy Searching!

— Ancestry Anne

Ask Ancestry Anne: Do You Have A Photo of A Female Ancestor?

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 06:01:13 -0500

Women’s History Month continues. Today’s prompt:

Post a photo of one of your female ancestors. Who is in the photo? When was it taken? Why did you select this photo?

For me that’s easy. I have this great picture of my Great Grandmother Laura Cecile Gillespie Donald with her dog. You can read about in Wisdom Wednesday — Granny’s Dog (OK, it’s not my snappiest title. :-) )

So now it’s your turn. Post your blog links, or tell us about your favorite picture of a female ancestor.

Happy Searching!

— Ancestry Anne

Ask Ancestry Anne: You Didn't Ask, But It's Women's History Month!

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 11:41:12 -0500

It’s Women’s History Month, and it’s time to explore the “fairer side” of our family tree.

Lisa Azlo, who writes the blog The Accidental Genealogist, has written a series of blogging prompts for the month, and maybe it will inspire us to dig a little deeper in our trees. To play along, post a url to a blog post you’ve written, or reminiscence in the comments.

You can find the blogging prompts at: Fearless Females: 31 Blogging Prompts to Celebrate Women’s History Month.

Today’s prompt:

Do you have a favorite female ancestor? One you are drawn to or want to learn more about? Write down some key facts you have already learned or what you would like to learn and outline your goals and potential sources you plan to check.

It’s really hard to pick one, isn’t it? I have many that inspire me and make wonder more about their lives.

Elizabeth Jane Wallace, my g-g-grandmother always pops to mind. She was born in 1844 in Rockbridge County, Virginia, the daughter of Charlton Wallace and Martha Jane Cash. She married James Calvin Donald on March 20, 1860 in Rockbridge.

James, like many other Virginians, went off to fight in the Civil War, for the Confederacy. From time to time, it appears that he was able to come home, most notably in March of 1864. (His unit is documented as being in Lexington at this time.) In June of 1864, he is captured and spends the rest of the War in Camp Chase, a Yankee prison camp, being released in March of 1865.

In Dec 1864, Elizabeth and James’ first child, James Henry Donald is born. I can only imagine how 20 year old Elizabeth felt. Her husband is in a prison camp; most of their married life he was away at war. Was she scared? How was she getting by? Life in the south was grim at best in 1864 and even most ardent believer in the Confederate cause must have known the war was coming to the end.

Did she even know if her husband was alive at that point?

When we look at how the Civil War impacted our ancestors, it is often on the male side of our tree. Who fought and what happened to them.

But our female ancestors lived through the war as well. And the birth of Elizabeth’s first child gives me a glimpse of who she was and how her life was impacted on a very personal level by large historical events.

So who inspired you? Who do you want to learn more about?

Happy Searching!

— Ancestry Anne

Ask Ancestry Anne: How is Cousin Bait Working for You?

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:20:21 -0500

I did a Livestream, Cousin Bait: Blogging to Find Your Family in January. The video and slides are available if you are interested.

I was fortunate to make a connection, not with a cousin, but with a lovely lady, Martha, who went to high school with my father. She sent me relevant yearbook pages for both my father and my grandfather. My grandfather is in the upper left corner: Most Dependable.

I talk about it on my blog in The Gift of Yearbook Pages.

I’m curious to hear if anyone else has had some success with blogging and finding new connections.

Happy Searching!

— Ancestry Anne

Ask Ancestry Anne: Where is The Source Citation Information?

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 16:51:40 -0500

On a few of our census records, the source citation information was inadvertently turned on the “record page.” We are in the process of getting those back on the record page.

In the meantime, you can find the information on the image page, on the source panel. To see the source panel, first go to the image, and open the panel by click on the grey arrow on the right hand side.

Once the panel is open, you will see the information you see for the source citation.

We are currently updating all the UK and the US 1800 and 1790 census. If you see something else, please feel free to leave me a comment.

Ask Ancestry Anne: I'm Bored! Give Me Something To Do!

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 11:24:51 -0500

It’s Friday. You are at work. Your mind is wandering. Work is not keeping you focused. (Don’t worry, I won’t tell.)

You can’t drag out your own genealogy. Maybe you could sneak a peak at a few genealogy blogs and get inspired.

Thomas MacEntee who runs the ever popular Geneabloggers sponsors daily blogging prompts to inspire those who write blogs. For example, today is Friday, and the prompts are:

Friday

If you have that “foodie” obsession, check out Family Recipe Friday and you’ll find:

If you click on the Follow Friday link it will lead you to a list of people who use that blogging prompt:

I usually do a Follow Friday column so that I can give a quick shout out to those that have inspired me throughout the week. Check out Ancestors From Outer Space and Constructive Criticism or Moonshine, Civil War, Newspapers and an Assassin to see what I’ve been reading.

Happy Searching!

— Ancestry Anne

Ask Ancestry Anne: Want to Learn Something New?

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 20:05:14 -0500

Looking to learn more about how to use Ancestry.com? Check out our Tuesday and Thursday livestream presentations. And if you can’t view them when we do the original presentation, catch the video later. Here’s how.

Signing up for events

Go to the Ancestry.com face book page: https://www.facebook.com/Ancestry.com

Click on the arrow:

This will expand that area. Now you can click on Events:

And you’ll see what we’ve got planned:

Click on one of the Events:

Then click on Join and Facebook will send you a reminder:

Missed a presentation?

Not a problem. Go to our livestream channel: http://www.livestream.com/ancestry and you can see our past presentations.

Maybe you’ll learn that trick that will help you break down that brickwall!

Happy Searching!

— Ancestry Anne

Ask Ancestry Anne: How Do I Rename a Tree on Ancestry.com

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 13:22:57 -0500

Question: Cecile St. John sent in a question about syncing trees and changing trees names. In short, she is wondering why if she changes the name on her Family Tree Maker 2012 tree and syncs it, why doesn’t it change on the Ancestry.com site. And how does she change it?

Answer: In short, I don’t know why it doesn’t update. :-) But I do know how to change it!

One of my trees has the odd name, “gilberts new tree” which now that I look at it seems kind of strange.

I click on Tree Pages and then on Tree Settings:

Now I see:

I type something more meaningful into the box labeled Tree Name:

The message “The tree information has been updated” tells me I was successful.

This is also where you can change your Privacy Settings.

You can choose from a Public Tree, a Private Tree, or a Private Tree that is not indexed. A Private Tree means others can find it, but have to ask (hopefully politely!) to look.

Choosing the check box “Also prevent your tree from being found in searches” means no one will know that it is there.

Happy Searching!

— Ancestry Anne

Sticky Notes

What You Might Have Missed: May 20th edition

Blog Posts

Ancestry.com

Ancestry Reference Desk

Archives.com

Videos

Ancestry.com You Tube Channel

Archives.com You Tube Channel

What You Might Have Missed: Week of May 13

Blog Posts

Ancestry.com

Ancestry Reference Desk

Newspapers.com

Videos

Ancestry.com

What You Might Have Missed: Week of May 6

Blog Posts

Ancestry.com

Ancestry Reference Desk

Archives

Fold3

Newspapers.com

Videos

Ancestry.com

Archives.com

What You Might Have Missed: April 19

Blog Posts

Ancestry.com

Ancestry Reference Desk

Newspapers.com

Archives

Videos

Ancestry.com

Archives

What You May Have Missed: April 15th edition

Articles

Ancestry.com Blog

Fold3

Archives.com Expert Series

Archives.com Blog

Videos

Ancestry.com

Archives.com

In Case You Missed It: Week ending March 31st

Your Story: 1930 Census Helps Reunite Family with Photo Album

Ancestry Reference Desk: Grow Your Research Skills

Ask Ancestry Anne: Who were Silas Allington's parents?

Ask Ancestry Anne: It's Time for Wedding Bells!

Ask Ancestry Anne: Some Inspirational Quotes to Get Your Week Started

Ask Ancestry Anne: Who Were You Named For? Or Use the Favorite Woman in Your Life!

Ask Ancestry Anne: How did they meet?

Ask Ancestry Anne: Do You Have A Photo of A Female Ancestor?

Ask Ancestry Anne: You Didn't Ask, But It's Women's History Month!

Ask Ancestry Anne: How is Cousin Bait Working for You?

Ask Ancestry Anne: Where is The Source Citation Information?

Ask Ancestry Anne: I'm Bored! Give Me Something To Do!

Ask Ancestry Anne: Want to Learn Something New?

Ask Ancestry Anne: How Do I Rename a Tree on Ancestry.com