tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27550532123251547352024-03-12T20:47:23.649-04:00Family History NetsourcesHere we highlight helpful family history or genealogical resources found on the net.Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04328923101757151811noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2755053212325154735.post-62467940341939268312007-06-21T02:24:00.000-04:002007-06-21T02:35:19.371-04:00Advice on Obtaining the Marriage License<span style="font-size:130%;">Here is some interesting advice for people seeking a marriage license from the clerk's office in Worcester, Massachusetts circa 1889:<br /><br />"The applicant for a license is advised to put on a bold face and at once make known his errand to the young lady assistant, to whom he is sure to be referred if he applies to the city clerk, for the latter rarely fills out the blanks. If the candidate for matrimonial honors feels himself too bashful to undergo the ordeal he will be furnished with a form which he can fill out himself.<br /><br />"As some of the newspapers publish intentions to marriage daily, it will be well for those who do not desire publicity before hand, not to procure the license until the day the ceremony is to be performed."</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-3819586527187672";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
google_ad_format = "728x90_as";
google_ad_type = "text_image";
//2007-05-20: genealogy
google_ad_channel = "0746645953";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04328923101757151811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2755053212325154735.post-74521802144257735892007-06-09T02:00:00.000-04:002007-06-09T02:03:38.003-04:00Weep for Me, Get the House; Move On, Then Get Out<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: black;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102);">Sometimes we can really get to know someone by what they write. Last wills and testaments are a good example. The following is an exerpt from a will written by one Richard Tarr in 1729:</span><br /> <br /> <span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102);">I give bequeath unto Elizabeth my dearly beloved wife all my whole Estate in Houses Land Chattle and moveables of all sorts whether in Gloucester or elsewhere In possession or Reversion with all my Rights in any undivided lands in Gloucester aforesd or Elsewhere during the whole term that she shall remain my widow freely and absolutely to be disposed of by her as she shall see fit….But in case she shall Cause to marry again the Whole of my Estate reall and personal I do give and bequeath unto my Children to be equally divided among them; and that immediately upon her marriage Excepting such part of my Estate as the law will give her.</span><br /> <br /> <span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102);">In other words, "Be happy after I am gone...but don't get too happy."</span><br /><br /></span></b><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-3819586527187672";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
google_ad_format = "728x90_as";
google_ad_type = "text_image";
//2007-05-20: genealogy
google_ad_channel = "0746645953";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04328923101757151811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2755053212325154735.post-78865404194775224412007-05-30T02:46:00.000-04:002007-05-30T03:10:24.271-04:00Free Books--No Strings AttachedThis isn't a Google ad. I like Google but my fondness increased just a bit more because of a feature from their general web page called Google Books. The plan that Google has worked out includes amassing an impressive collection of on-line books--titled that have been out of print and are in the public domain.<br /><br />This collection is a wonderful asset to the family historian because many biographies, community histories, diaries, travelogues, and regional family concerns are available. Many of the volumes can be downloaded and read with adobe reader!<br /><br />Steps to get to the motherload:<br />1. go to <a href="http://www.google.com">google.com</a><br />2. find the search offerings available besides "web search". Usually found under the "more" category.<br />3. Click on "books"<br />4. type a subject in the search box. Try <strong>historical dictionary</strong>.<br />5. You now have a choice of <strong>limited preview </strong>or <strong>full view</strong>. Click on the full view option.<br />6. View the dictionaries available. Click on a book that interests you.<br />7. You always have the option to read the volume on-line.<br />8. If the book is available for download, you will see a download button on the right panel.<br />9. You can download your book and read at your leisure.<br /><br />This is an excellent resource. I found a book last night about Early Settlers in New England. I found a listing of a direct ancestor with names and birthdates of his family--impressive since I did not have a birthdate for one of the children!<br /><br />Good hunting!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-3819586527187672";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
google_ad_format = "728x90_as";
google_ad_type = "text_image";
//2007-05-20: genealogy
google_ad_channel = "0746645953";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04328923101757151811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2755053212325154735.post-59454834991562595762007-05-26T01:45:00.000-04:002007-05-26T04:02:58.663-04:00You Are What You WearIt is always good to have success in one's genealogy research. But once names are uncovered, it is also important to study the culture of the community where the ancestor lived. This note covers a rich cultural aspect of people who lived in the Virginia Colony during the 17th and 18th centuries.<br /><br />Williamsburg, as a part of the Virginia Colony, played an important role in the early years of European settlement. From 1699 to 1780, Williamsburg was the cultural and political capitol of the largest of the American colonies.<br /><br />The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation hosts a website providing a wonderful glimpse into this region of Virginia. One area that stands out is their treatment of colonial costume. An informative and well designed site provides the reader with in-depth coverage of the clothing that people wore in the eighteenth century in this area.<br /><br />The reader can learn and see the various forms of dress that men, women, and children wore. The clothing choices of the people were tied directly to their racial and socioeconomic status. Several articles well describe this dichotomy.<br /><br />The site provides a solid overview of the millinery business in that community. There is a good discussion of how people dressed for every occasion. Again it speaks to class, race, and status. An interesting component of dressing included coverage on <strong>childbed linen</strong>.<br /><br />Childbed linen is a nice name for infants' clothing. There were three items deemed essential by the powers who decided what infants would wear, viz. a cap, robe, and shirt. There were different expectations as to quality and quantity of clothes based on one's status in the community.<br /><br />If you have ancestors from the Virginia Colony this site might be invaluable to you. For others, it is just a good read about how society judges people by the clothes worn. Gee, I'm glad its not this way in our time!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.history.org/history/clothing/intro/index.cfm">http://www.history.org/history/clothing/intro/index.cfm</a><br /><br />Happy Trails!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-3819586527187672";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
google_ad_format = "728x90_as";
google_ad_type = "text_image";
//2007-05-20: genealogy
google_ad_channel = "0746645953";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04328923101757151811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2755053212325154735.post-68092117535052576732007-05-23T00:55:00.000-04:002007-05-23T02:28:31.083-04:00Grave Terminology - the Lite Version<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVAACNQZ3m1B6VTSQhkZWZGVwZfEEoPe3bLzHdyQu13rYdYwLCt5xxEAinobPK9PCn5xQ2_SMhXKdVIdvrOQSIUlo4YSBMWkZbbprJ-XjP-A7VGIl2UdgOy6Z-kIY0zwlHHjmyuFR0c0an/s1600-h/LC-D4-18445+Tomb+Thom+Jefferson.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067622401563509746" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVAACNQZ3m1B6VTSQhkZWZGVwZfEEoPe3bLzHdyQu13rYdYwLCt5xxEAinobPK9PCn5xQ2_SMhXKdVIdvrOQSIUlo4YSBMWkZbbprJ-XjP-A7VGIl2UdgOy6Z-kIY0zwlHHjmyuFR0c0an/s320/LC-D4-18445+Tomb+Thom+Jefferson.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Do you know the difference between an obelisk and a ossuary? Don't worry, most people would need a little help. Fortunately, help is on the way. I am referring to the website called <em>The Limited Encyclopedia of Grave Terminology</em>. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;">The author, Joel Gazis-Sax, has taken time to inject just a bit of sublime humor into the definitions. For example: <strong>obituary</strong> is defined as "a form of embalming by means of the written word."</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Funeral </strong>is defined as "the cause of a short-term cash flow problem for the living."</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;">It is a delightful site to visit. The list of terms contains all of the most common cemetery-related words and is sprinkled with a good measure of not-so-common words. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><br /><div><a href="http://www.alsirat.com/silence/cemterms/index.html"><span style="font-size:130%;">http://www.alsirat.com/silence/cemterms/index.html</span></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Hope you enjoy the site!</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-3819586527187672";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
google_ad_format = "728x90_as";
google_ad_type = "text_image";
//2007-05-20: genealogy
google_ad_channel = "0746645953";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04328923101757151811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2755053212325154735.post-33034210996365170492007-05-21T10:09:00.000-04:002007-05-21T11:23:03.076-04:00Social Security Death Index - Free Look-ups<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vETI9I2OCem1r_8rePbhfnKRqVoZCR_iinISSO5dCkpLElb52PSMqxmmTE2zv0BeR4hjE0tuh1d6Bmsb3Ud-DqfyQqTT715IAj1H3M7z02CkIPm9ON3qtgkjz_ZW-hac80Vg0-m8CDAv/s1600-h/Lot7477+no0157+P%26P+miners+and+wagon.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067034746958201826" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vETI9I2OCem1r_8rePbhfnKRqVoZCR_iinISSO5dCkpLElb52PSMqxmmTE2zv0BeR4hjE0tuh1d6Bmsb3Ud-DqfyQqTT715IAj1H3M7z02CkIPm9ON3qtgkjz_ZW-hac80Vg0-m8CDAv/s320/Lot7477+no0157+P%26P+miners+and+wagon.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><p>A very powerful resource, the Social Security Death Index, contains birth and death information on millions of United States citizens. While the social security program was started in the 1930's during the Great Depression, computerized records did not exist until 1962 (the earliest date records are kept in the death index).</p><br /><p>These records can be found on several web sites but one particular source, Rootsweb, seems to have the most up-to-date listing. There is about a two-week lapse between notification of death to the Social Security Administration and adding the individual to the death index.</p><br /><p>The following site provides a good overview of the social security records:</p><br /><p><a href="http://www.rootsweb.com/~rwguide/lesson10.htm">http://www.rootsweb.com/~rwguide/lesson10.htm</a></p><br /><p>The actual database can be found at the listing below. It is recommended that you use the advanced search feature to help narrow the results. This resource gets four stars and is bookmarked in my essential research sources.</p><br /><p><a href="http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi">http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi</a></p><br /><p>A great resource!</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-3819586527187672";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
google_ad_format = "728x90_as";
google_ad_type = "text_image";
//2007-05-20: genealogy
google_ad_channel = "0746645953";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04328923101757151811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2755053212325154735.post-35207888598368060272007-05-20T19:48:00.000-04:002007-05-20T20:36:27.525-04:00Maiden Launch<span style="font-size:130%;">Well, I haven't come across many people who dislike talking about family history. It is no surprise that genealogy is a very popular activity. To some, it is an addiction! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Finding ancestors has been a hobby of mine for some thirty years. But the advent of the computer and the Internet has made it a whole new type of hobby. I doubt it would be possible for one person to locate and view half of all the web sites and e-mail lists that crop up each year.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I would like this blog to be a resource for people to share resources they have found that were helpful. The success of the site depends on those sharing their discoveries.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">As such, I would like to share a site I recently found regarding Florida Confederate Pension Applications. If you have ancestors who lived in Florida after the Civil War, this site might be a boon for you.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">In order for a Florida veteran of the civil war (or his widow) to collect a pension, a great deal of paperwork had to be submitted. To quote from the web site at the Florida State Archives:</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><blockquote><p align="justify">The series includes files on approved and denied pension claims from 1885 to 1954. Most files contain the original application, any supplemental applications, proof of service and residency, and occasional correspondence between the applicant and the Board. Veterans' applications generally include name, date and place of birth, unit dates and places of enlistment and discharge, brief description of service, wounds received, sworn statements on proof of service by comrades, War Department service abstracts, and place and length of Florida residency. Widows' applications generally include, in addition to the above, her full name, date and place of marriage to the veteran, and date and place of the veteran's death. Widows' applications are filed under the name of the veteran. </p></blockquote><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">The information can be retrieved soldier's name, widow's name, or service number. All of the application material has been digitized and can be accessed freely. Official copies can be purchased on line with a credit card. The web address is:</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><a href="http://www.floridamemory.com/Collections/PensionFiles/">http://www.floridamemory.com/Collections/PensionFiles/</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Happy hunting!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-3819586527187672";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
google_ad_format = "728x90_as";
google_ad_type = "text_image";
//2007-05-20: genealogy
google_ad_channel = "0746645953";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04328923101757151811noreply@blogger.com