Wordless Wednesday

 

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Surname Search in FamilySearch Full-Text Search Will Collections

And we're playing with FamilySearch Full-Text Search again this week for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun with Randy Seaver!

Come on, everybody, join in and accept the mission and execute it with precision. 

1.  How many "Wills" for your grandparents' or great-grandparents' surnames are in the FamilySearch Full-Text Search feature (see https://www.familysearch.org/search/full-text)?

2.  List the surnames and how many entries there are when you do an exact name search.  What does this tell you?  Have you found wills for all of your ancestors with these names?

3.  Share a link to your blog post, or your Facebook Status post, on this post.

I used Randy's method of searching so I would have results I could compare directly:

* On the Full-Text Search page, I put my surname in quotes (to make it exact).
* I then used the "Record Type" filter to select "Legal Records."
* Then on the "Legal Records" filter, I selected "Wills" to show only the records in that category.

Something to note is that not all records that appear under "Wills" are actually wills.

And my list is:

• Armstrong:  42,662 results

• Brainin:  4 results

• Dunstan:  386 results

• Gaunt:  1,203 results

• Gauntt:  201 results

• Gordon:  65,123 results

• Gorodetsky:  0 results

• Mackler:  137 results

• Meckler:  107 results

• Mekler:  4 results

• Novitsky:  2 results

• Nowicki:  40 results

• Sellers:  15,657 results

I listed thirteen names because I accounted for some variables.  My paternal grandmother's maiden name was Gauntt, but along with various family members spelling it Gaunt, before standardized spelling one person's name could appear either way.  My maternal grandmother's maiden name was Gordon, but her father's name was originally Gorodetsky.  My paternal grandfather's name was Meckler, but I have seen his father's name as Mekler, and later in his life my great-grandfather spelled it Mackler.  My paternal grandfather's mother's maiden name was Nowicki, but other family members who immigrated to the United States (including her father) often spelled it as Novitsky (to maintain the correct pronunciation).

What do these results tell me?  Well, I was not that surprised to see no results for Gorodetsky (suggesting that immigrants with that surname routinely changed it), but a little surprised at only four results for Brainin.  I didn't think the name was that uncommon.  I did not expect Mackler to have more results than Meckler or Mekler, and I definitely didn't expect Nowicki (the original spelling, which I suspect Americans often mispronounced) to top Novitsky.  Perhaps these relative numbers will change as more documents are added to the collection.

I expected that Gordon, Armstrong, and Sellers would have the most results.  I also expected the Gaunt spelling to have more than Gauntt (the spelling my grandmother and her family used).  I'm sure that most, if not all, of the Gordon results are unrelated to my family, as that name only began with my great-grandfather.

Let's see, which wills do I have for my ancestors?  The only one that comes to mind is for my great-grandfather Morris Meckler/Mackler.  I have not prioritized obtaining wills.  I suspect many of my ancestors died intestate, based on information I have.  But I should go out hunting for more wills.

I did see one Gauntt result that almost definitely is related to my family, as it included people in Burlington County, New Jersey.  None of the names is in my family tree at this point, though, so it's a collateral line.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: What Maps Have You Found Recently?

Today's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun from Randy Seaver will be extra fun, because the topic is one I love a lot!

Come on, everybody, join in and accept the mission and execute it with precision.

1.  Do you collect maps of the places that you have ancestors or family?  I do!  I love maps.  And have so many places!

2.  Tell us about a recent map find for your genealogy and family history (it could be any time) and where you found it.  Share the map and a comment on your own blog, or in a Facebook Status  post, and share a link on this post.

I collection maps and atlases in general, especially vintage ones that show earlier names of locations.  I love looking at and reading maps.  I guess I have to fudge a little bit for today's challenge, though.  I have found several maps recently that caught my attention, but I think only one of them has something to do with my own genealogy and family history.  But they're interesting!

360 Cornwall

This is a virtual map of Cornwall with more than 250 locations featured with aerial 360° views.  While it appears to be designed primarily as a way to attract tourist interest, the locations include heritage sites, and it looks cool.  And since my Dunstan family line, which so far I have only in Manchester, is supposed to have originated in Cornwall, that makes this related to my family history.  It's available online and as both Apple and Android apps.  (I chose the image of Penzance because I've actually been there.)

Aerial Montana

Another site with aerial photography is Aerial Montana, which features a map with indexed locations of photographs dating from the 1930's through the 1970's.  The photographs were taken by the U.S. Forest Service of land in the Forest Service Northern Region, primarily western Montana and northern Idaho.  While the photograph collection has tens of thousands of aerial images, the focus has been on digitizing those from the 1930's and making them available.  The map indicates latitude and longitude of about 31,000 images, of which 3,500 are currently online.  An article with background information about the collection can be found here.

Missoula, Montana, 1937

Civil Code in French-speaking Jurisdictions Worldwide

You might not expect to find a map in a Law Library of Congress blog post, but that's where this one came from.  There are apparently 29 jurisdictions in the world that include French as an official language.  The map shows which of those locations still use the French civil law system and how they apply it, whether by itself or in combination with another legal system.  Two countries, Mauretania and Niger, use French civil law and sharia law, which is an interesting combination.  I found this map fascinating because most of the places that are using the French civil law system are former colonies, so it shows history also.

Synchronized Napoleonic Map

I have read about people using Google Maps overlays with historic maps, including in family history.  This is the same idea, with the focus on a 1797 map about southern Germany produced during the Napoleonic wars.  The article to which I've linked, which was published on a Hungarian university site, states that "Hungary is a main provider in the publication of . . . georeferenced maps of the Napoleonic era."  I don't know if that's accurate or if they said it because they're promoting themselves.  I found the topic particularly interesting because I used to be an editor for a magazine about the Napoleonic wars.

Wordless Wednesday

 

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Your Favorite Genealogy-related YouTube Channels

This week for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun, Randy Seaver has us watching online videos, or at least discussing them.

Come on, everybody, join in and accept the mission and execute it with precision.

1.  Do you watch YouTube videos on a regular basis?  What are your favorite YouTube channels for genealogy research?

2.  Tell us about your favorite YouTube channels in your own blog post, in a comment on this post, or in a Facebook Status  post.  Please leave a link on this post if you write your own post.

Well, as usual, I'm an underachiever compared to Randy.  I am subscribed to only 29 YouTube channels total.  I am still not a huge fan of watching videos online, even after all these years of Zooming, so I have to admit I do not watch "regularly."

Of those 29 channels, four are not related to genealogy at all.  (What?  Something in my life that isn't genealogy??)  Of the remaining 25, my favorites are:

• Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center.  They cover such a wide range of genealogical topics at ACPL that there is bound to be something related to your research.  I love that almost all of their presentations are available freely on YouTube afterward.

• Truckee Meadows Community College Library Open Genealogy Lab.  This is another place that has a wide range of topics.  When you sign up for their notification list, you also receive the summary after the presentations, including links that were shared, and announcements about upcoming talks from other organizations.

• Los Angeles Public Library Genealogy Garage.  Where else can you find recorded presentations on Armenian, Black, Chinese, Jamaican, and Scottish research?

• Partnership of Historic Bostons.  I enjoy these because while it's a narrow focus (Boston), it covers so much and the topics are so interesting.  I don't even have any Boston research right now, but I love their talks.

• Backlog Archivists and Historians.  I like Backlog's perspective.  These are professional archivists covering interesting subjects related to genealogy, such as handwriting.

• JewishGen.org.  Since Jewish research is one of my focuses, it makes sense that I would have a couple of Jewish channels on my list.  JewishGen is still considered the home of Jewish genealogy online, especially since it improved its coverage of non-Ashkenazi Jews.  Most of its weekly talks are later made available on the YouTube channel.

• YIVO Institute for Jewish Research.  This is focused on Ashkenazi Jews and topics beyond genealogy, but with more than 800 videos, there is so much you can learn here.

Like Randy, I prefer video to Podcasts, but overall I prefer reading to video.  I learn much better when I see the words.

Wordless Wednesday

 

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: What Is Your Significant Other's Matrilineal Line?

Well, this is an interesting challenge today from Randy Seaver for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun.

Come on, everybody, join in and accept the mission and execute it with precision.

1.  Have you worked on the matrilineal line of your significant other?  Who are the mothers of the mothers of your significant other?

2.  Tell us about that matrilineal line in your own blog post, in a comment on this post, or in a Facebook Status post.  Please leave a link on this post if you write your own post.

I haven't researched the family history of my ex for some time now, but I did get a few generations back.

My ex is Hugh Kartar Singh (1951– ), born in Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, California, son of Karm Singh (about 1906–1984) and Mary Margaret McKenney (1914–1993).  His matrilineal line, as far as I have researched it, is:

• Mary Margaret McKenney (1914–1993), born in Brockton, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, daughter of Hugh Vincent McKenney (about 1886–1961) and Honora McSweeney (about 1879–1958).

• Honora McSweeney (about 1879–1958), born in Ireland (probably in Ballyvourney, County Cork), daughter of John McSweeney (about 1826–1911) and Catherine O'Leary (about 1834–1921).

• Catherine O'Leary (about 1834–1921), born in Ireland (possibly in Ballyvourney, County Cork), daughter of Arthur O'Leary (?–?) and Nora (Honora?) Twomey (?–?).

And that's all I have.  No research into Irish records as of yet and no DNA info.  My older stepson was interested in his family history for a while, but that petered out and so far has not yet reignited.  My younger stepson has not shown any interest to date.  And so far none of the grandchildren has expressed an interest.

Wordless Wednesday