Irish Genealogy: Help! The Faery Folk Hid My Ancestors!

THE RIGHT TO BE FORGOTTEN?

2012-01-26T14:45:00.000-05:00

     The Internet has been buzzing with talk about the new reforms that the European Union is making to its data protection standards. Of particular interest to family history researchers is the proposed "right to be forgotten." In its most basic definition, this right is the right to have one's personal data deleted. For instance, upon your request an online entity such as Facebook would have to delete, entirely, your account and the information you placed online, not hold them in a state of virtual limbo as it does presently.
     Much of the discussion about the right to be forgotten centers on two concerns: privacy rights and commercial interests. The European and American views on these two concerns differ, with the European courts seeming to lean towards ruling for the right to be forgotten. American law currently permits a more open personal data marketplace. However, as we have seen with the Social Security Death Index and many states' laws, concerns over the privacy of personal data is becoming an issue in the States as well.
      Do we own our own histories and life events, or are these facts partly owned by the larger framework of the family and society? Are the facts of a person's past life part of history itself and not a thing in that person's possession?
     I could discuss the legal and ethical issues of this exciting topic for pages. For now, I would like to point out the ramifications for the genealogical community. The obvious impact will be the effect this obliteration of data will have on future family historians. With more and more of our personal histories and life events being recorded online, will our descendants have no way of finding us if we have disappeared?
    Can we hide our data from marketeers but preserve it online for generations to come? Or is economic exploitation the price we pay for accessible genealogical data?
     The other effects on family historians are more subtle. Could the right to disappear extend to our ancestors? Does data regarding life events and information belong to the person or the entity collecting the data? For example, is a baptismal record the property of the church or the baptised person or the community at large? Can the right be extended to the collection of personal data, i.e., could personal data be protected from being collected--a "right to not appear" as opposed to a "right to disappear?"
     Is the right to be forgotten online the equivalent as burning the parish registers and the census? How slippery is the slope of this new right?
     So many questions!

DON'T MISS WHAT'S HAPPENING!

2012-01-24T11:59:00.000-05:00

Time to take a look at what's happening in the world of Irish genealogy!

The Council of Irish Genealogical Organisations has updated their "links" page, and what a great page it is! A one-stop Internet shop for Irish family historians: Council of Irish Genealogical Organisations
Have an ancestor in the Irish military? New resources for your research: Irish Military Archives
Ireland Reaching Out (Ireland XO) continues to update and expand its effort to connect Irish parishes with modern day descendants: Ireland XO
The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) will present "Religion" this Thursday, 26 January, at 6:30. See the PRONI website if you will be in Belfast and able to attend: http://www.proni.gov.uk/
Genealogy TV continues in the States with Season Three of Who Do You Think You Are? on February 3rd on NBC: WDYTYA? In March, look on your local PBS station for my favorite, Faces of America, an intelligent exploration of our roots as individuals and as an American nation (the first season is available on video): Faces of America

And don't forget to check...

Ireland Genealogy Projects Updates:

Ireland (Country) Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary with no native county stated 1842 (JOHNSTON, BRENNAN)
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/countrywide/military.htm
Antrim Genealogy Archives - Military
1840-1841 Royal Irish Constabulary men
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/antrim/military.htm
Armagh Genealogy Archives - Military
1840-1841 Royal Irish Constabulary men
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/armagh/military.htm
Dublin Genealogy Archives - Deansgrange Cemetery
Deansgrange Cemetery, St. Patricks Section, pt 10
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/dublin/photos/tombstones/deansgrange-ndx.htm
Dublin Genealogy Archives - Headstones - Mount Jerome, Dublin
Mount Jerome, Dublin - Parts 31 - 35
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/dublin/photos/tombstones/mt-jerome-ndx.htm
Fermanagh Genealogy Archives - Church
Derryvullan (CoI) Marriages 1847-1903 (Tirkennedy, Enniskillen)
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/fermanagh/church.htm
Tipperary Genealogy Archives - Military
1842 Royal Irish Constabulary men
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/tipperary/military.htm
Sligo Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
1842 Royal Irish Constabulary men
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/sligo/military.htm
Wexford Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
1842 Royal Irish Constabulary men
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/wexford/military.htm
Wicklow Genealogy Archives - Military
1842 Royal Irish Constabulary men
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/wicklow/military.htm
Wicklow Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Glenealy Cemetery
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/wicklow/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

WANT COMPANY?

2012-01-20T17:44:00.000-05:00

     You just ended a twenty year search for the townland of your great great great grandfather. You want to scream about it from the rooftop, but instead you call your brother and you share the good news. He returns a polite but perfunctory "that's really REALLY interesting" before he goes on to tell you about his daughter's soccer news. You sit there, newly found record in hand, and wish that someone would appreciate the magnitude of your discovery.
     Time to turn to your fellow family historians in your local Irish genealogy group.
     Don't have one? Start your own!
     Starting your own genealogy group is easier than you might imagine. Yes, the first few steps can be a bit intimidating, and you might have to weather a meeting or two alone, but if you persevere, your group will take root. All you need is a few fellow Irish family historians who are willing to meet once a month or so to discuss genealogy research.
     My local Irish genealogy group, the Irish American Family History Society, has been together over four years now. We grew from a handful of people who attended classes I gave in the South Jersey area to about 50 people from four states. Approximately 20-25 people attend each monthly meeting. Some of the members get together outside of the meetings to visit archives and cemeteries.
     Yesterday, I attended a meeting of an Irish genealogy group that began last year in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. That group, the Irish American Genealogy Group of Delaware County, now meets monthly at the Irish Immigration Center in Upper Darby. That group, too, began with one man, and is growing each month.
     Some tips for starting your own group:

Read your local newspapers, especially any Irish oriented papers, for news of any groups that might already meet.
If you can't find enough Irish researchers in your area, branch out to include other genealogy areas of interest. I personally believe that only another Irish family historian can truly relate to the difficulties of Irish genealogy research, but starting out with any other fellow genealogists can be a boon to your research.
Look into your local libraries, your condo, your development's clubhouse, your church, your town hall, and your local Irish clubs for a place to meet.
If there is a general genealogy society in your locale, inquire whether it might be interested in sponsoring a subgroup of Irish researchers.
Advertise in newsletters or bulletin boards (physical or virtual) available. Use social networking on the Internet to invite fellow researchers. Approach your local Irish cultural or sport groups to see if they can help you find members.
Check to see if your town sponsors groups or programs. If you are so inclined and have the skills and knowledge, offer to lead a genealogy workshop for a local continuing education or civic program. Offer to speak at Irish cultural groups about your interest in genealogy. You might snag a few interested beginners.
Don't be discouraged if the group takes time to grow. Back in the 1990's, I offered to hold a genealogy workshop for a township program. One woman registered. She said she would attend all six meetings if I would, and we did. In the years since, Cathy Walowy has surpassed her "teacher" in genealogy, as well as web design, skills. She is now my "go-to" resource for Polish/Ukrainian research and Internet questions. (See the link below and visit her amazing web page). Interest, not size, matters in a genealogy group.
If you are interested in forming a more formal group, the Federation of Genealogical Societies is your number one resource. (Link below).

LINKS

Cathy Walowy's Zbaraz Genealogy page
Irish American Family History Society
Federation of Genealogical Societies

RUBBING ELBOWS WITH THE RICH AND FAMOUS

2012-01-17T17:19:00.002-05:00

I was listening to recitations of Walt Whitman's poetry on YouTube the other evening, so naturally, I began musing about family history. Naturally? Well, I'll explain that connection in a bit. (What doesn't get my obsessed mind thinking about family history?).

I thought about the television commercial where a man relates how he discovered that his family lived near the Wright brothers. Today, most of our celebrity sightings are on film, television, and computers. We attend rock concerts in big stadiums where we watch the stars singing on big screens because they are small figures on a faraway stage--same for most sporting events and political rallies. But back in the day, shows and concerts and speeches were often more limited gatherings. Celebrities were more accessible to the common man, at least better seen with one's own eyes.

What celebrities or political figures might your ancestors have met? Did a grandfather fight for Irish independence with Michael Collins? Perhaps a great grandmother met Synge or Yeats at an Abbey Theatre performance? Watched a Buffalo Bill Wild West Show? Heard Lincoln speak?

As if you don't have enough research to do, here is another idea to keep you busy: research the entertainment venues of your ancestors' times and locations. Read the old newspapers to see what shows were in town and what celebrities or political figures might be visiting nearby. Even if you never find evidence of your ancestor's attending a rally or a show, you will have a clearer vision of their lives. You will get an idea of their dinner conversation. You can imagine what the ladies gossiped about over the fence while hanging laundry.

Walt Whitman tomb
Harleigh Cemetery, Camden, NJ

I had never thought of a possible connection between my ancestors and the poet Walt Whitman until the other night. Both Whitman and my Magee ancestors resided in Camden, New Jersey, in the 1880's. They did not live too far from each other in the downtown section of that small city across the river from Philadelphia. I never made the connection because I figured, well, surely they traveled in different social circles. But then I remembered that my great grandfather's sister, Margaret T. Magee, was a teacher and school principal who loved poetry. On my bookshelves are great great Aunt Margaret's volumes of poetry by Keats and Byron. Somehow, they survived being handed down through the years. I like to think they survived because they were so beloved by her. Would Margaret have been interested in the eccentric poet that lived a few streets away? Whitman was in his declining years, but still famous and controversial. What did she, obviously a fan of the Romantics, think of Whitman's free verse and his celebration of the common man? Did he visit her school? Did she attend his readings? I'll never know, but what fun I had imagining Margaret and me, together, listening to Whitman's poetry the other evening!

END OF LIFE DOCUMENTS

2012-01-14T17:16:00.000-05:00

     I've had a long list of rather fun topics to post the past few weeks, but life has a funny way of diverting my best intentions. So it is this week, as I muse about family records while helping relatives with some pressing legal issues.
     As an attorney, I have prepared many end of life documents over the years--health care directives and proxies, power of attorney forms, wills, and codicils. I realized today that I have neglected in the past to record, in my genealogy files, information from those documents for many of my own family members. At the time of a loved one's death, most of us are thinking as mourners, and we are not thinking of our genealogy files. Many people (myself included) destroy or discard documents such as powers of attorney and living wills once the maker is deceased. These documents, when no longer of legal force and no longer confidential, could contain valuable genealogical information.
     For instance, many of the witnesses on these records could be relatives. A brief note to the effect that Grandpa had a will or a codicil witnessed by Jane and John Kelly, and that Jane and John were his cousins (or next door neighbors), would preserve this information for future generations in your family.
     With the person's permission, you might even enter this information while the principal of the document is alive (or if you are the principal). I have had two cases in which wills were written long, long ago, and were not what lawyers call "self-proving." That is, the witnesses needed to be found and brought into court to attest that the signature was that of the decedent. The matter would have been solved more efficiently had someone in the family kept note of the identity, and other particulars, of the witnesses.
     Don't forget to save other documents such as social security and identification cards, death certificates, funeral receipts, and Mass cards.
     Isn't it true that both happy and sad life events overshadow our thoughts about the place these events have in our family history? I don't mean to sound callous, as if we should allow our family history pursuits to invade the solemn time of mourning, or the spontaneous celebrations of birth, or the joy of a wedding. But, if we think about these issues beforehand, we will automatically save and record our family's historical moments near to the time of their happening. Plus, we might take better care when "cleaning out" after a wedding or a loved one's funeral.

GENEALOGY IN THE NEWS: SOLVING CRIMES

2012-01-10T12:27:00.000-05:00

     The following article appeared on CNN today. The police investigating a murder case sent a DNA sample to a genealogist, who compared it to results from a genealogy DNA bank. The suspect, if the police theory is correct, is a Mayflower descendant with a certain surname. They are hoping to narrow the field of suspects with this information.
     As a former prosecutor, I applaud the innovative thinking involved in this case, and I wish the police success in catching this criminal.
     As a genealogist who believes DNA testing is the "future" of family history research, I have concerns that stories like this will scare away people who have worries about the privacy of their DNA results when done for genealogical purposes. I have cousins who are resisting getting their DNA tested, and if they do not, my extended family will lose, forever, the chance to have two male lines of DNA charted. Are their fears so unfounded? I thought so, until I read this article.
     From the police methods used here, whether or not a person's DNA is tested would not make a difference. The murderer's DNA would not necessarily be on record--it is his ancestors and relatives who will be responsible in the end for catching him.
     Good or bad development? Read and discuss: CNN COLD CASE DNA TRACKING

THE STEP THAT RESEARCHERS OFTEN FORGET

2012-01-09T11:55:00.000-05:00

"The Forgotten First Step" is the first in a series of posts I am writing for the website of the Certificate of Irish Heritage. Find out if you have forgotten to document fully a very important person in your family tree: THE FORGOTTEN FIRST STEP Certificate of Irish Heritage site

IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING. . .

2012-01-07T15:59:00.000-05:00

. . . how I write this blog, it is with the help of Oscar the Cat.

IGP UPDATES AND OTHER NEWS

2012-01-06T20:20:00.000-05:00

Update on the changes in obtaining Social Security Death Index information: Word is out that deceased persons' social security numbers are now being redacted in online databases. I attended a First Friday session at the Mid-Atlantic (Philadelphia) branch of NARA (US Archives), and other attendees reported that their results from the Ancestry.com SSDI database did not include the social security number. Others in the room claimed that they were able to retrieve results that included the number. As I reported last month, the Social Security Administration has begun to redact the names of parents on the applications. While important information is still available on the application forms, the absence of the parents' names and the Social Security number has taken away an important source of information from family historians.

Ireland Genealogy Projects Updates, part 2:
CLARE Genealogy Archives - Headstones
St Flannan's Cathedral, Graveyard (additional - Scanlan & Hare)
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/clare/photos/tombstones/markers.htm
CORK Genealogy Archives
Royal Irish Constabulary Patrick Ready (Riedy) 1848
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/cork/military.htm
DUBLIN Genealogy Archives - Headstones - Glasnevin, Dublin
Glasnevin Cemetery Part 10 (partial)
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/dublin/photos/tombstones/glasnevin-ndx.htm.
GALWAY Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
1842 Royal Irish Constabulary Enlistees
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/galway/military.htm
LIMERICK Genealogy Archives - Obituaries
Assorted From Norwich Bulletin
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/limerick/obits.htm
MAYO Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
1842 Royal Irish Constabulary enlistees
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/mayo/military.htm
MONAGHAN Genealogy Archives - Military
1842 & 1844 Royal Irish Constabulary enlistees
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/monaghan/military.htm
ROSCOMMON Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
1842 Royal Irish Constabulary
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/roscommon/military.htm
WATERFORD Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
Waterford 1845 Royal Irish Constabulary enlistees
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/waterford/military.htm
WATERFORD Genealogy Archives - Obituaries
Jeffrey Power & Mary Russell - 1827
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/waterford/obits.htm

THE GENEALOGY MARKET--WATCH YOUR WALLET

2012-01-02T16:04:00.000-05:00

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

     Of all the developments that I have witnessed in the genealogy world in last three decades, the most profound change has been the evolution of family history researchers into a commercial consumer group. We are now a target audience, a market segment--in short, customers. When I began serious genealogy research thirty years ago, my biggest budget items were notepads and stamps, plus an occasional long distance telephone bill. Now I have a huge genealogy budget, with "big ticket items," such as my online database subscriptions, costing hundreds each year. Throw in a research trip to Ireland every few years, annual dues to a few organizations, upgraded computer programs, DNA testing, webinars, and attendance fees at a conference or two, and genealogy becomes a very expensive undertaking.
     The rising costs are a problem in more than a budgeting sense. I am at the point where my budget now has an effect on my research. With many churches and online sites now charging for record requests, I have to weigh the costs of what records I request and when. I have poured so much money into the "pay per retrieved record" sites that I no longer go on "fishing expeditions." I miss my fishing expeditions, and my research has suffered. While casting a wide research net did not always catch an ancestor, some of my "dead end" searches have been very valuable in weeding out red herring ancestors and false leads. But if I am spending this much money, I want hits, not misses.
     I do understand the work and funds involved in researching records, especially for church secretaries with other pressing duties. I know that placing records online costs time and money. But what makes me angry is that I believe that novice family historians are affected adversely by the marketing methods of some genealogy suppliers.
     Current advertising campaigns entice genealogy consumers by stressing either 1) how easy genealogy is if you use their services or join their organization, or 2) how hard genealogy is without their aid. I am not targeting commercial sites, I have found some bothersome marketing slogans used by groups, organizations, and even individuals.
     The result is often off-putting for people who might otherwise pursue their family history. I've had more than one researcher tell me, "I went to so-and-so's talk, and he made genealogy sound so hard. I can't do it myself, and I don't have the money to hire someone (or join the organization or buy a computer product, etc.)."
     But what bothers me the most is the marketing that promises ease--if you subscribe to the site or you use a service, finding your ancestors is as easy as paying the fee. I've had multiple instances of persons handing me census returns, family trees, and church records of individuals who are not their ancestors.
     "But I paid for this!" "I did a search for 'John Magee' and this was the number one result!" "But this stuff was online, and I followed the bells and whistles as instructed!" "Someone in Ireland looked this up for me!"
     I have had a very hard time convincing most of these people that the "research" was plain wrong, and that their money was wasted.
     Contrary to modern marketing slogans, a family historian DOES have to know a few things about his or her ancestors before conducting research. We have to know enough facts about our family history to determine whether the results we obtain are truly those of our ancestors. We have to use our brains and our knowledge of record sources and family history to determine if a "hit" is a record of our ancestor's. So far, I know of no search engine or algorithm that can perform that function for us.
     Genealogy has become a consumer good, and like all purchasers, we have to be educated and aware if we value return on our dollar (or Euro or pound or loonie).

IGP UPDATES AND NEWS YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

2011-12-27T14:50:00.000-05:00

I'm not one for making New Year's resolutions, mostly because I am not one for keeping them well. I do have one major resolution that I intend to keep this year, and that is to create and publish a book of my Irish family history. I've been waiting to find the location in Ireland for my Magee and Maguire ancestors, but I realize that research is never ending, and at some point a published book will at least preserve my family history to date. I am always telling my audiences at my presentations not to put off that trip to Ireland or that family history project, so it is about time I take my own advice. So, this year, I am announcing my genealogical resolution publicly, so that I have witnesses to ensure I get my project done!

Happy New Year!

I wish for major family history discoveries for all of us in 2012!

IRELAND GENEALOGY PROJECTS UPDATE

Even though it is the busy holiday season, the folks at the Ireland Genealogy Projects have continued their valuable work putting free Irish records online. Below are their most recent updates.
DUBLIN Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Glasnevin - Part 9
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/dublin/photos/tombstones/glasnevin-ndx.htm
FERMANAGH Genealogy Archives - Church
Derryvullan (CoI) Births 1878-1916 (Tirkennedy, Enniskillen)
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/fermanagh/church.htm
LIMERICK Genealogy Archives - Obituaries
Assorted Obituaries
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/limerick/obits.htm
LIMERICK Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
1842 Royal Irish Constabulary
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/limerick/military.htm
LONDONDERRY/DERRY, Military & Constabulary
1842 Royal Irish Constabulary
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/derry/military.htm
LONGFORD Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
1842 Royal Irish Constabulary
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/longford/military.htm
LOUTH Genealogy Archives
1842 Royal Irish Constabulary
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/louth/military.htm
MAYO Genealogy Archives - Land Records
Encumbered Estate property of CHARLES BLAKE, Esq.(Coolcon and Garrymore) 1852
Encumbered Estate property of CHARLES BLAKE, Esq.(Carraskeane) 1852
Encumbered Estate property of CHARLES BLAKE, Esq.1852.(Clonkeen,
Curramore, Ballyglass, Knockanroe, Ballinphuil & Gortnanning)
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/mayo/land.htm

OFFALY (Kings) Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
1842 Royal Irish Constabulary
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/offaly/military.htm

AN ANCESTOR'S CHRISTMAS POEM: CLUES TO HIS ORIGINS?

2011-12-22T10:47:00.000-05:00

One of the most fascinating ancestor mysteries I have found is that of fellow researcher Rosemarie, whose grandfather Patrick Kearney left poems as his legacy. According to family lore, Patrick was born in the mid or late 1860's in County Kilkenny. He settled in Philadelphia by 1893, where he later married Delia Robinson from Co. Mayo. However, Rosemarie cannot trace his roots back to Kilkenny. We have been reading through Patrick's poems for clues as to his boyhood home.

On such poem is his Christmas poem. I am reprinting it below as a tribute to all our ancestors, at Christmas time and throughout the year. If any readers have any idea what church in Ireland (perhaps in Kilkenny?) is described in the poem, please contact me!

FOND REMEMBRANCES OF CHRISTMAS MORNING IN IRELAND

by Patrick Kearney

Christmas comes but once a year,
   It brings us peace and joy and cheer.
It rouses memories long since asleep
   Of scenes and friends far across the deep.
Scenes more glorious than any artist paints,
   Of the hills and valleys of our Isle of Saints
As a child, I remember the first Christmas morn
   That I head the story of how Our Lord was born.

I searched the house, as in a dream,
   The floor was swept , all things were clean.
I still can feel the glowing heat
   Cast by the fire of bog, deal and peat.
Outside 'twas dark and the clouds hung low,
   But it looked like Christmas, with so much snow
As we trudged along 'oer the country road
   Our hearts were weighed with a joyous load.

Merry Christmas to all, as each neighbor pass,
   The goal ahead was that early Mass.
They knew peace was there and good will toward men
   As when pronounced by the Angels at Bethlehem,
The Franciscan Church we now can see.
   In veneration we called it the Friary.
As I entered its portals I was too thrilled to pray
   As I gazed on the crib built by Father Day.

A more able pen than mine would fail
   To describe the scene at the Altar rail.
The stable was there true to life
    O'er which the Star of Bethlehem cast its luminous light.
The walls, the manger and the thatched roof
   And the floor were kicked the ass's hoof.
Water came bubbling, slow at first
   To cool and quench the Blessed Mother's thirst...

Oh! She looked so queenly, and yet so mild
   As she gazed upon our God, her Child.
As it's her dearest wish to be called our Mother,
   In all humility we can call Him brother.
I thought St. Joseph looked so sad,
   Oh! If I could cheer him wouldn't I be glad.
But I'm sure all his joy was kept within
   For that's characteristic of all great like him.

I looked in wonder at the rushing stream
Of water brought forth for our Heavenly
      Queen.
I had heard how water once flowed from a
      rock.
By the power of God through Aaron's
      knock.
And here was Our Lord in His first hour
   Performing a miracle of equal power.
Though there was no room for them at the Inn
   He proved that the world belonged to Him.

I suppose Christmas in Ireland will be always
      the same,
   They celebrate in spirit as well as name.
They're always reminded of their glorious past
   When religious persecution made them hold more fast
To the ancient Faith which naught could sever.
   Like it's Divine Founder it will go on for ever.
   I think I hear you say, 'he forgot the cow'
    Well, no, she was in the crib, so I must leave
      you now.
--Patrick Kearney

GENEALOGY GIFTS: IT'S NOT TOO LATE

2011-12-19T20:38:00.000-05:00

Time is short this week, I know, but technology can help you create last minute gifts of family history quickly. Some ideas from fellow researchers:

ancestor charts (the perennial favorite): Print out a family tree and frame it or have it laminated.
old photographs: Time to share those old family photos! Make a collage of old photos or frame one or two special ancestors. Or, scan and copy your entire photo collection.
family records: Have you found records that other relatives might appreciate possessing? For example, records of a cousin's parent? Make a gift of the records (don't forget to make yourself a copy first). You can create a binder for them in no time at all, or place them in a nice memento box if you are short on time. Not only will you be creating a gift, you will help to preserve family records by distributing them.
DVD's: If you are handy with video programs, make a short DVD from old family videos. Videos of family Christmas gatherings are especially appreciated during the holidays.
recipes: Are you the keeper of grandmom's secret recipe box? Time to share! Create a family recipe box or make a quick recipe binder.
gifts for the genealogy buff (or that person you want to infect with family history fever): Give a gift subscription for an online database or pay for a DNA analysis.
newspaper articles: Create a gift of newspaper articles for a relevant date, such as a person's date of birth.

Many of these gifts can be assembled quickly in a three ring binder if you are short on time and funds. Or, place them in a memory box or treasure chest. With gifts of family history, it's the thought--or record--that counts!

GOT HUSHED-UP FAMILY STORIES?

2011-12-13T15:12:00.000-05:00

Not finding an ancestor's records? There are many reasons why a life event might not be recorded, and these reasons might have been "hushed up" by the family. Your ancestors were human, and they might have done scandalous, illegal, or immoral things in their lives. If there is a problem with addiction or mental illness among their living descendants, you should consider the possibility that your ancestors coped with these problems in their lives, also. Don't forget that many illnesses and behaviors that carried a stigma or were illegal in past times may not be considered as scandalous today.
I have met researchers who become upset or embarrassed when I have raised the possibility of an out of wedlock birth in their tree or an ancestor who abandoned the family. These emotional reactions can create brick walls in our research. Don't allow your sensibilities to cloud your research!

Birth out of wedlock/kidnapping/abandonment. Consider these possibilities if name and age discrepancies occur in a family and cannot be easily explained.

   I've seen family trees where a "sister" was in fact a child of a sibling, and the "mother" a grandmother or aunt.
    I have heard of two instances in which a child was kidnapped by another relative or family friend when the child's mother died in childbirth (yes, kidnapped--taken right out of the cradle without the father's permission or knowledge!).
    I have researched a case in which some but not all of the children were placed in an orphanage by parents who were struggling financially.
     I have encountered a case in which the researcher assumed that a young woman and small child with the same surname as the household was a daughter in law. However, the young woman turned out to be a daughter who was a single mother and gave her child the family surname instead of that of the birth father.

Suicide. In the past in some churches, a victim of suicide could not be buried in church yard or consecrated grounds. In those cases, no record was kept by the church of the burial or death.
Bigamy. I have seen family trees containing men with two simultaneous families (and they were not early Mormons, either).
Desertion. I have had quite a few researchers tell me about their ancestor who was hard to find because the ancestor deserted the family.
Criminal/victim. I have spoken to researchers whose ancestors were murderers, and others whose ancestors were victims of murder. Usually, a researcher is "lucky" in both cases, because there are news reports and coroners' inquests that leave a paper trail. However, the families often covered up the story.
Illness. Both mental and physical illnesses or conditions were often covered up by families.
Name changes/ Family strife. Even today, I know individuals who have changed their names after an estrangement with their family or other life circumstance (such as a religious conversion). Many of us have encountered name changes in our family tree. There is often a story underlying the name change. The change was not always made by some "Ellis Island official," as the popular myth goes. On the contrary, I've read that the immigration officials were rather careful about the immigrants' names. Most name changes were done by immigrants after they settled in their new land--and often families were divided on the change.

These hushed-up stories are often the mortar in our genealogical brick walls. If an ancestor seems to be a mystery, perhaps he or she was, in fact, involved in one!

IRELAND XO NEW SITE: REACHING OUT TO YOU!

2011-12-08T18:20:00.000-05:00

I have been following the Ireland XO (Ireland Reaches Out) initiative on this blog. This project aims to trace those persons who emigrated from Irish parishes, thereby meeting halfway, in effect, the descendants of the Irish Diaspora who are tracing their ancestors back to Ireland. The number of Irish parishes taking part in the project has grown over the past year. Now the project is reaching out to family historians by providing online resources and bulletin boards. The online site is currently a "beta" version, but holds much promise as a prime resource for online Irish genealogy research. Check out the new features via the link below:
IRELAND XO

GLASNEVIN BURIAL RECORDS ONLINE

2011-12-08T18:12:00.000-05:00

If your ancestor is one of the 1.1 million people buried in Dublin's Glasnevin Cemetery, you are in luck. The Glasnevin Trust has placed the cemetery records online, as well as those for Dardistown, Goldenbridge, Newlands Cross, and Palmerstown. Altogether, there are records dating back to 1828 for 1.5 million people. The Trust has been working for 20 years to make this project a reality. Another boon for Irish family historians!

LINKS

IRISH INDEPENDENT ARTICLE ABOUT GLASNEVIN RECORDS

GLASNEVIN TRUST WEB SITE

HANDS EXTENDED ACROSS TIME

2011-12-05T14:16:00.001-05:00

Beginning in January, I will also be writing a monthly piece for the Certificate of Irish Heritage website. (Won't be getting paid, so this is not a commercial announcement! Just pleased to be able to reach a wider audience with my posts). Today, they are featuring a short piece I wrote about our ancestors' calling to us across the ages. I hope you enjoy it!
ARTICLE: HANDS CLASPED ACROSS TIME article on Certificate of Irish Heritage site

At Peggy Lagan's cottage, Innishatieve, Co. Tyrone 1995

IGP UPDATES

2011-12-05T13:48:00.002-05:00

DONEGAL Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
1842 Royal Irish Constabulary Enlistees
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/donegal/military.htm
KERRY Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary Records
1842 Royal Irish Constabulary Enlistees
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/kerry/military.htm
KILKENNY Genealogy Archives - Military
1842 Royal Irish Constabulary Enlistees
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/kilkenny/military.htm
KILDARE Genealogy Archives - Military
1842 Royal Irish Constabulary Enlistees
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/kildare/military.htm
FERMANAGH Genealogy Archives - Military Records
1842 Royal Irish Constabulary Enlistees
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/fermanagh/military.htm
TIPPERARY Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Aglish & Gortnahoe Headstones
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/tipperary/photos/tombstones/markers.htm
TIPPERARY Genealogy Archives - Photos
Twomileborris Cemetery Photo
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/tipperary/photos.htm
WESTMEATH Genealogy Archives - Land
William Hankinson's Ledger Fearmore Townland, 1852-1884
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/westmeath/land.htm
WESTMEATH Genealogy Archives - Bible
John & Bridge Coughlin Bible (from Moat)
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/westmeath/bible.htm
WICKLOW Headstone Index
Glenealy Parish Church Cemetery (additional headstones)
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/wicklow/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

THE LIFETIMES GAME: REMEMBER WHEN?

2011-12-02T10:26:00.000-05:00

     Because of the hectic nature of the winter holidays, family history research is often pushed aside. Shopping, decorating, wrapping, cooking and church services take center stage in our lives in the month of December. But, for many families, Christmas is the only time of the year that family members come together en masse. Don't lose the chance to steer the conversation towards reminiscing. Recalling family memories together is not only a bonding experience, but could lead to family history discoveries.
     You might consider making a game night out of the experience. In October, I had the pleasure of meeting Carol and Mary Jane McPhee at a Toronto book festival. The two sisters have created a game called "LifeTimes: The Game of Reminiscence." The game consists of 125 cards with vintage photos and 500 "Remember?" prompts that invite storytelling and conversation. Currently, the game comes in a 1950's edition, and I am hoping the sisters expand it into other decades (although perhaps many of us will want the 60's kept secret!). Most of the prompts can be used for other time periods, as well, so even if you want to explore other decades, you can do it fairly well with the 50's set.
     Each card has a general theme for the prompts. For example, the card that contains the saying "Be home when the street lights come on" has the following prompts: "What was your family's signal for bringing the kids in?" "Try and recall a game played by the children in your neighborhood," and "What were some fears parents had for their children? Are these fears different today?"
     Carol and Mary Jane created the game to help their mother with memory loss. They wanted to develop a "positive tool" to get their mother "more relaxed and to a happy place." They soon found that the game resonated not only with their mother and other elderly persons, but with their friends and even younger generations.
     I can envision so many ways a family historian can use these cards. They are excellent writing prompts for anyone writing their memoirs or personal essays. They are also great memory jogging tools. I have often found myself stymied when interviewing family members for movies or oral histories. Some relatives close up like clams, and the questions on these cards are sure to pry some interesting stories out of them. I like reading over some of the cards in private and losing myself down memory lane.
     The game is available to order online, and can be shipped to Canada and the USA.

LINK

LIFETIMES: THE GAME OF REMINISCENCE

(Disclaimer: I am not associated in any way with LifeTimes or the McPhee sisters, nor have I received any payment or reward for this review).

NEWS: FIND MY PAST IRELAND OFFERS FREE FAMILY TREE BUILDER

2011-11-28T14:14:00.000-05:00

     Findmypast Ireland is an online database of Irish vital and genealogical records. It is not a free service, but has subscription plans and pay-as-you go options. In November, Findmypast Ireland introduced a free family tree builder (registration required). I have been "playing around" with the program and offer these observations:
1. I know many, many family history researchers, even very advanced genealogists, who keep paper records only and do not have their family history data on a computer program or online. Since I have used genealogy software programs since they first appeared, I consider genealogy tree building programs indispensable. Using genealogy programs is easiest in the early stages of one's research, so I would advise beginning family historians to use a program in conjunction with their paper files from the start.
2. The simplicity of the Findmypast Ireland family tree builder is both a strength and a drawback. The "bells and whistles" on many of the programs today make my head spin. I find most genealogy programs today to be almost unnavigable. The Findmypast family tree builder is so simple, I don't think it will scare away beginners. If you are looking for a free, simple way to record your family data, their builder is a nice way to begin. The format is easy and uncluttered, and the learning curve for using the builder is almost zero.
     The simplicity is also its main drawback. While I like the clean interface and the lack of daunting controls and formats, I would like to see a bit more attention paid to fields for source citations. I don't see a way to upload a GEDCOM file to the builder. I believe I will have to type in my names and data one-by-one. This task might be too daunting for those of us who have been collecting family history for a long time.
     Findmypast Ireland promises to expand the capabilities of the program. I hope when they do so, they can find a way to keep the interface simple and easy to master. I would hate to see such an easy to use program become a quagmire like many of the other programs.
3. Your tree will be available to you online. It is not a program that is downloadable to your own computer.
4. I don't see privacy safeguards. Please consider privacy considerations before entering the name of or data for any living person.
5. So, if you are a beginner looking for an easy way to begin recording your Irish family tree online, I would advise looking into this builder. It might work for intermediate researchers also who don't mind taking the time to fill in the data fields. I don't think I myself will have the patience to take the time to fill in the data for all my ancestors I intend to monitor the site as it expands its capabilities to see if the builder becomes one I can use.

LINKS

FIND MY PAST FAMILY TREE

(Disclaimer: I am not associated with findmypast Ireland nor have I received any compensation for this review. The comments above are mine and are based on my experiences using the Findmypast Ireland family tree builder.).

ON A PERSONAL NOTE: ROOTS

2011-11-23T13:05:00.000-05:00

"Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got till it's gone?"

Joni Mitchell, Big Yellow Taxi

     I never realized I would miss Thanksgiving so much. I knew I couldn't spend the Christmas holidays away from my family, but I thought I could easily stay in Canada for Thanksgiving and save the travel headaches and airfare. After all, the day would be like every other workday here in Toronto, and I would not feel as though I was missing anything.
     I was wrong. I am missing it already, and it is only Wednesday.
     I thought buying a turkey and pumpkin pie would suffice, but I was wrong..
     People outside the United States, I have found, don't quite "get" the significance of Thanksgiving in the States. They understand only that it is another holiday with a big dinner, or that the day is a prelude to Black Friday shopping. I don't think I myself "got' it until this week, when I realized that, while I will have my turkey dinner and pumpkin pie, I will not have my family with me, and I will not be in South Jersey. I won't have my roots, neither personal or geographic.
     Thanksgiving is all about roots. Americans hunger for roots, perhaps because we are immigrants and descendants of immigrants, descendants of go-west-young-man-ers and climb-up-the-social-ladder-ers. We, personally or ancestrally, at one time pulled up our roots and stepped into the world, looking to reinvent ourselves or lose our pasts or follow opportunity. Ahh, but those roots regenerate--either in our hearts or in the hearts of our descendants.
     Americans will travel great distances and go through tremendous difficulties in order to be with certain people or be in a certain place on Thanksgiving. They will wait hours in airports and will inch along gridlocked interstates. They will spend thousands on airfare and travel expenses. Many will reach out to strangers to share a human touch on this day. They will do all this even though they know Aunt Sue will make them wince at least once, Grandpa will snore in the armchair, and their bratty nephew will kick the chair legs and tease his sister throughout dinner.They are not spending all that time and money and patience and emotion simply to eat dry turkey and catch a few televised football games.
     It's all about the need to go back, to touch base, to feel roots.
     Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

LATEST BUZZ: U.S. SOCIAL SECURITY SS-5 APPLICATIONS

2011-11-22T13:19:00.000-05:00

There has been lots of buzz in the American genealogy community lately about new rules regarding the U.S. Social Security SS-5 applications. Researchers who have ordered the applications in the past few months have received their copies with the parents' names redacted.
Researchers are upset about this redaction, with good reason. I have learned more from the U.S. Social Security SS-5 applications than perhaps any other record. Social Security applications have broken right through three of my research brick walls. Not only have I obtained birth dates, places of origin, and addresses from the applications, but, most importantly, I have gained a step on the genealogy ladder by learning the names of the applicants' parents.

     To obtain the parents' names, the rules now require "acceptable proof of death for a number holder who is at least 100 years of age" or "the number holder exceeds 120 years of age." I am reprinting the relevant Social Security statement below. This statement lists the documents that are "acceptable proof."
     The names of the parents can also be obtained if you submit acceptable proof of death of the parents.
    Well, these rules certainly create one more unnecessary "Catch-22" for family history researchers. I would never have been able to trace at least three of my ancestral lines back to Ireland and Poland had I not been given the names of my ancestors' parents on the SS-5 applications.
     I could rant on for pages, but will simply say that this is another overly broad use of the excuse of "privacy" concerns on the part of the government.
     Below is the relevant language and also the link to the source.

"Our current policy does not allow us to release (the mother’s, the father’s, the parents’) name(s) without proof of (his, her, their) death unless we have acceptable proof of death for a number holder who is at least 100 years of age, or the number holder exceeds 120 years of age. Acceptable proofs of death include:

a certified copy of a public record of death of the number holder; or
a statement of death by the funeral director; or
a statement of death by the attending physician or the superintendent, physician, or intern of the institution where the person died; or
a certified copy of the coroner’s report of death or the verdict of the coroner’s jury; or
a certified copy of an official report of death or finding of death made by an agency or department of the U.S. which is authorized or required to make such a report or finding in the administration of any law of the U.S.; . . .

. . . If you can provide acceptable proof of death for ###’s (mother, father, parents, as appropriate), we can release the withheld information to you. The proof of death for the parent(s) must contain enough information for us to determine that the proof of death refers to the same individual(s) shown on the requested SS-5."
https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0203350005

NEWS ALERT #2: IGRS CONCERNED OVER IMPACT OF MERGER

2011-11-18T10:17:00.000-05:00

I am reprinting below a press release from the Irish Genealogical Research Society (IRGS) concerning a proposed merger of the National Archives into the National Library. When I read this release, I was amazed at how something such as a merger between two record-keeping entities could have a profound effect on genealogy research. I admit that sometimes I don't pay enough attention to news about institutional and government matters, but I have been trying to educate myself better in this regard because, over time, I have realized that these matters eventually affect my research and my access to records.

From the IGRS:

Archive and library reform moves worry genealogists

The Irish Genealogical Research Society (IGRS) is concerned that a so-called merger of the National Archives “into” the National Library could diminish these vital heritage services.

Steven Smyrl, IGRS chairman, says that while the IGRS recognises the need for savings across the board in Irish public services, it is concerned that with two bodies under one director, competition for resources could be fierce.

“The proposed area of control is simply too vast, whether or not, as the Government proposes, both institutions are to retain their separate identities. The Government’s plan is further complicated by reference to the possible sharing of services between the National Library and the National Museum which could dilute the services still further.”

Smyrl acknowledges that there are savings to be made through the pooling of public services resources. “Conservation and administration are just two such areas that immediately spring to mind, but while libraries and museums might appear to be similar they are actually very different service providers.

“Staff trained in the care and control of archive materials require quite different skills to those working in a library and economies of scale will not be found by requiring flexibility from staff to work across borders in the proposed new set-up. It is crucial that specialist knowledge and training be recognised as essential in service delivery at national institutions. The historians, academics, researchers and genealogists using them rely heavily upon the staff’s expertise and knowledge.

“The IGRS welcomes the Government’s initiative to see where savings can be made but advises caution if irreparable damage to public service is to be avoided.“

NEWS ALERT #1: IGP UPDATES

2011-11-18T10:00:00.000-05:00

I can barely keep up with all the news in the world of Irish genealogy these days! Here are the latest additions to the Ireland Genealogy Projects Archive:

Antrim Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
1842 Royal Irish Constabulary
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/antrim/military.htm

Armagh Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
1842 Royal Irish Constabulary
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/armagh/military.htm

Carlow Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
1842 Royal Irish Constabulary
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/carlow/military.htm

Cork Genealogy Archives
Cork 1842 Royal Irish Constabulary
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/cork/military.htm

Clare Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
1842 Royal Irish Constabulary
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/clare/military.htm

Cavan Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
1842 Royal Irish Constabulary
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/cavan/military.htm

Dublin Genealogy Archives - Headstones - Glasnevin,
Glasnevin Part 8
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/dublin/photos/tombstones/glasnevin-ndx.htm

Galway Genealogy Archives - Land
Encumbered Estate property of CHARLES BLAKE, Esq. (Tonroe) 1852
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/galway/land.htm

Mayo Genealogy Archives - Land
Encumbered Estate property of CHARLES BLAKE, Esq. (Tourard,
Killeenrevagh, Gortskehy) 1852
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/mayo/land.htm

Monaghan Genealogy Archives - Headstones.
First Presbyterian Church, Ballybay
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/monaghan/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

Roscommon Genealogy Archives - Cemetery Records
Walsh Family, old churchyard, Drum, Athlone
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/roscommon/cem.htm

Tipperary Genealogy Archives - Miscellaneous Records
Pawnbrokers 1827- 1837
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/tipperary/misc.htm

Tipperary Genealogy Archives - Photos
Monsea Cemetery & Church Ruins
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/tipperary/photos.htm

Tipperary Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Moycarkey Graveyard (5 images)
Patrick Collins, Davy Thomas, Jeremiah Gleeson - (single headstones)
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/tipperary/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

Wexford Genealogy Archives - Headstones.
Gorey; Christ Church Graveyard (Church of Ireland)
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/wexford/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

Wexford Genealogy Archives - Directories
New Ross & Wexford 1820-1822 Directories
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/wexford/dir.htm

Wexford Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
1845 Royal Irish Constabulary
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/wexford/military.htm

Wicklow Genealogy Archives - Military
Wicklow 1845 Royal Irish Constabulary
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/wicklow/military.htm

GIFTS OF FAMILY HISTORY

2011-11-15T15:14:00.000-05:00

With today's technology, it is not too late to begin to create holiday gifts of family history. There are quite a few projects that can help you preserve your family history, create an heirloom, or share family memories. Family history gifts usually generate hours and perhaps days of discussions and memories. I am listing just a few ideas for holiday gifts I have gathered from my fellow family historians.
1) Genealogy charts and reports, naturally.
2) Family history books and scrapbooks. There are a variety of publishers online who do a beautiful job of producing top quality photo and text books. The programs have become simpler to use, and you can create your family photo or text book quicker than you would think possible. If funds are tight, you can take your family history to a local office supply store and copy and bind your pages there.
3) Sharing photographs. One gift that is usually a big hit is a gift of photographs. In many families, one or two members seems to have inherited the bulk of the family photographs. If you are that lucky person, consider sharing those photographs--nowadays you don't have to part with them to do so! There are so many ways to share old photographs today. In an afternoon or two, you can scan and upload those old photos to a photo book publisher and have them bound into a book or made into physical photos for you. Many of these photo publishers, such as Blurb and Shutterfly, have ideas on their websites for other gifts you can create, such a calendars and notebooks. Besides sharing a precious family history resource, your gift will help to ensure that future generations will view and appreciate the old photographs.
4) Create a family crest or coat of arms. I know a few family historians who have created family crests or coats of arms, then placed those creations on gifts such as mugs or shirts or plaques.Some of these creations that are touching stories in themselves, incorporating symbols of family history and unity.
5) Needlepoint, painting, and other arts and crafts. My imagination is perhaps too limited to list all the ways the family history can be incorporated into crafts and art.
6) Movies and videos and DVDs. Many people have given up attempting to transfer the old family movies and VHS tapes into current technology, and families will lose precious memories as a result. Getting these memories into digital form is a wonderful gift. Better yet, if you can learn to edit video (and it is much easier than you would think), create a family history DVD complete with commentary and information. I've found that many family members whose eyes glaze over when I roll out my ancestor charts will play a family history DVD over and over.
I am sure I am missing many great gift ideas and would love to hear from readers who have created family history gifts of their own.

(Disclaimer: I have not received any payment, gift, or benefit of any kind for mentioning any companies or commercial Internet sites in this post. I have mentioned any such companies only because I have used their services myself).

IRISH GENEALOGY NEWS AND IGP UPDATES

2011-11-10T09:44:00.000-05:00

Online Irish genealogy is so busy nowadays, I am finding it hard to leave the computer! Another video lecture from the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) and updates to the Irish Genealogical Projects' (IGP) databases are the news of the day.

PRONI NEWS

PRONI announced yesterday that another Exploring Local History lecture is now available on their new You Tube channel series. This lecture, "Poverty," by Olwen Purdue, should not be missed, especially by those who are researching Board of Guardian sources. The link to the video: PRONI VIDEO ON POVERTY

IGP NEWS

GENERAL IRELAND Genealogy Archives
Assorted Indentures: Crawford & Rowley, Peacock & Lloyd, Taylor & Nixon
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/countrywide/misc.htm

CAVAN Ireland Genealogy Archives
Drumgoon Cemetery (partial only)
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/cavan/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

DUBLIN Genealogy Archives
1861-1862 Banns from St. Thomas
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/dublin/church.htm

GALWAY Genealogy Archives - Land
Encumbered Estate Property of James CUFF (Ballinamana) 1851
Encumbered Estate Property of James CUFF (Escar) 1851
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/galway/land.htm

GALWAY Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
Galway 1845 17K Oct 2011 Richard Leonard Royal Irish
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/galway/military.htm

LAOIS Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
Queens - 1845 Royal Irish Constabulary
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/laois/military.htm

LEITRIM Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
1845 Royal Irish Constabulary
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/leitrim/military.htm

LONGFORD Genealogy Archives - Church Records
Granard Baptisms 1881 (1 page only)
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/longford/church.htm

LONGFORD Genealogy Archives - Headstone Photos
Newtowncashel R.C. Headstones (partial)
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/longford/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

LOUTH Genealogy Archives - Headstone Photos
Melifont Abbey (views)
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/louth/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

LOUTH Genealogy Archives
Louth 1845 4K Oct 2011 Richard Leonard Royal Irish Constabulary
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/louth/military.htm

MAYO Genealogy Archives
Ballina, Ardnaree Friary (5 images)
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/mayo/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

MAYO Genealogy Archives - Land Records
Encumbered Estate of James CUFF, Esq. (Crowhill, Castlepark,
Oldcastle, Upper & Lower Shanwar) 1851
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/mayo/land.htm

MAYO Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
Mayo 1845 Leonard Royal Irish Constabulary
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/mayo/military.htm

MEATH Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
1845 Royal Irish Constabulary
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/meath/military.htm

MONAGHAN Genealogy Archives - Military
1845 Royal Irish Constabulary
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/monaghan/military.htm

MONAGHAN Genealogy Archives - Headstones.
Ballybay, 2nd Presbyterian
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/monaghan/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

ROSCOMMON Genealogy Archives - Headstones.
Killeenan Headstones
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/roscommon/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

ROSCOMMON Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
1845 Royal Irish Constabulary
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/roscommon/military.htm

SLIGO Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
1845 Royal Irish Constabulary
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/sligo/military.htm

TIPPERARY Genealogy Archives - Military
1845 Royal Irish Constabulary
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/tipperary/military.htm

TYRONE Genealogy Archives - Military
1845 Royal Irish Constabulary
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/tyrone/military.htm

WESTMEATH Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary Records
1845 Royal Irish Constabulary
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives

NETWORKING

2011-11-07T15:10:00.000-05:00

     Family historians have recognized the potential for Internet networking since back in the day when Al Gore invented the Internet. We began reaching out to each other in the early web communities, especially after Internet services such as AOL began offering genealogy bulletin boards and chat rooms. Groups such as Rootsweb and Genweb began to concentrate on getting databases online and on bringing groups of genealogists together. Genealogy web pages began to link up via "web circles," enabling researchers surfing for information to click and skip from one genealogy web site to another. Bulletin boards turned into mailing lists, widening the number of email contacts for researchers. Google and Yahoo groups with specific genealogy interests became abundant and full of fellow researchers ready to connect and share (and commiserate about their brick walls!).
     The natural progression of the family history community has now infiltrated online social networks. Actually, I am a bit surprised that it has taken this long for the genealogical community to become social network savvy. The past year or so has seen a huge increase in the presence of Irish genealogical groups, institutions, and researchers on social sites such as Facebook and Google+. I've also seen an explosion of people in the genealogy community linking together via the social/business network LinkedIn.
     What has changed for me in using these networks is the amount of information I am getting from these connections. My Facebook newsfeed is now a virtual Irish genealogy newsletter. I can hardly keep up with the volumes of information being placed on Facebook pages by organizations such as the Irish Genealogical Society and the National Library of Ireland. In the past few months, Facebook has become my "go-to" source for Irish genealogy news.
     In fact, the amount of news has become so overwhelming, I am trying to figure out ways to prevent it from crowding out the news from friends and family. From what I know of Google+, the "circle" idea seems like a great solution. There are already many genealogy "circles" floating in the Google+ world.
     LinkedIn is a networking site with a more professional direction. I've been able to keep up with the world of professional genealogy via its groups.
    These networks can be valuable for research purposes also. I have heard many stories of cousins and long lost relatives connecting via Facebook. Many Facebook users conduct searches for families using surnames and communities as keywords for their "friends" searches.
     A cousin of mine in Poland found me using that route, and I have been able to connect to distant cousins in my Irish tree and in my husband's Jewish family via Facebook. . I have also been able to "friend" fellow researchers and keep current on their lives and research. I would estimate that half my Facebook use is now genealogy related. Especially in Irish family research, personal connections are very important, so don't dismiss online social network as simply a way to display photos and announce your whereabouts. Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and other social network sites can become serious family history research tools.

LINKS

These links are to Facebook pages. If you are not a registered Facebook user, you may not be able to retrieve the page. Be sure to be signed into your Facebook account to access these links. "Like" the page or "Join" the group to receive their posts in your newsfeed.

HELP! THE FAERIE FOLK HID MY ANCESTORS!

GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF IRELAND

IRELAND REACHING OUT/ IRELAND XO

THE WILD GEESE--IRISH HISTORY

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF IRELAND

BUILDING AMERICA'S RAILROADS: SACRIFICE OF THE IRISH IMMIGRANTS

2011-11-03T19:25:00.000-04:00

    Disappointing news was announced this week for all of us who have been monitoring the events at the Duffy's Cut "dig," near Immaculata, Pennsylvania. While the massive grave of Irish immigrant railroad workers, some murdered and others perhaps dead of cholera, is nearer to being uncovered, the proximity of the bodies' remains to current Amtrak tracks will prevent the team of researchers from digging any further. The goal of the team to give the men a proper burial in Ireland will go unrealized. Thus, the tragedy of these 57 hard-working men continues to this day.
     In 1832, these men, mostly from Donegal, Tyrone, and Derry, signed on to help build America's railroads soon after they arrived in Philadelphia. In their short time in America, they put in long days in harsh conditions for little compensation. Suddenly, all were dead, supposedly of cholera. Their bodies were quickly buried at the worksite. About ten years ago, two brothers (and historians), Frank and Bill Watson, set out to prove their theory that many of these men were murdered. Anti-Irish, anti-immigrant sentiment was high in the Philadelphia area at that time. They have since uncovered evidence of murder in the artifacts and bones that have been unearthed. Of particular interest to Irish family historians, the project has been working toward identifying the men and tracing their family connections to Ireland (see my previous post on the subject via the link below).
     I have been informed by some family researchers that a mass grave of Irish immigrant railroad workers also exists in McLean County, Illinois. Near the railroad tracks in Funk's Grove, a six foot tall Celtic cross marks the ground where over 50 Irish men died in 1852. Like the men of Duffy's Cut, these men supposedly died of cholera. But, some historians argue that cholera was not present in the county at that time--another mystery, another Irish American tragedy.
     I wonder how many Irish men are buried along our railroad tracks? How many Irish Americans have no idea that their ancestors are lying beneath the rails on which they travel?

LINKS

DUFFY'S CUT WEBSITE

IRISH PHILADELPHIA ARTICLE ON DUFFY'S CUT WITH PHOTOS

MY PREVIOUS BLOG POST ABOUT DUFFY'S CUT

TILE FILMS: DEATH ON THE RAILROAD

ABC (AP) NEWS STORY ON THE FATE OF DUFFY'S CUT

IRISH ECHO ARTICLE ON DUFFY'S CUT

IRISH ECHO ARTICLE ON FUNK'S GROVE

BMWE JOURNAL ARTICLE ON FUNK'S GROVE TRAGEDY

PRONI LAUNCHES YOUTUBE CHANNEL

2011-11-01T12:40:00.000-04:00

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), in conjunction with Open University Ireland (OUI) has launched a new YouTube channel PRONIonline. The first video series is on the topic of "Exploring Local History." How wonderful that Irish family historians around the world can now attend PRONI lectures, and for free!

LINK

PRONIonline EXPLORING LOCAL HISTORY, Introduction and part 1.

OICHE NA SHAMHNA

2011-10-31T10:09:00.001-04:00

Since Halloween is rooted in ancient Celtic traditions, I wanted to wish all Irish family historians a frightfully happy Halloween! If you want to learn more about how our ancestors celebrated Shamhna, also known as Samhain, simply use some of the following words in your favorite Internet search engine: Halloween, Irish, Celtic, Hallow's Eve, Samhain, Shamhna. Also, the Irish American Magazine has an excellent article by Edythe Preet on the ancient roots of the holiday (link below). I cannot find a photo of an Irish ancestor in Halloween garb, but I do have one of my Polish babcia (grandmother). So, in honor of all our ancestors everywhere who enjoyed the frights of Halloween night, I am posting it below.
P.S. Please send any Cadbury Flakes you might find in your Halloween sacks for me. Thank you.

Sophie Jakubowski Burdalski about 1940

LINKS

IRISH AMERICAN MAGAZINE/IRISH CENTRAL ARTICLE ON CELTIC TRADITIONS

MY CERTIFICATE OF IRISH HERITAGE HAS ARRIVED!

2011-10-28T11:02:00.001-04:00

My Certificate of Irish Heritage arrived this week. I love it! As my Derry "daughter" Caitriona would say, "It's brilliant!" I'll be honest, I did not expect much, and the certificate and framing exceeded my expectations. The framing is excellent, I would highly recommend ordering a frame with the certificate. The price was very reasonable, and I probably could not have gotten a better framing job in the States for the price. My husband now wants a certificate, and he isn't even Irish (well, he IS an honorary Irishman. Hmm, maybe the Irish government should look into giving Honorary Certs.).

I put the certificate in my study across from my desk so that it encourages me in my Irish family history research. Instead of blathering on, I will let my readers see for themselves. The links to the site and to my other posts about the Certificate are below the photos.

I chose to honor Richard Large, my great grandfather, because I have his baptism record from the St. Mary Church of Ireland in Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny. I also honored Peggy Reilly, whose poignant 1847 letter from Innishatieve, County Tyrone, set me on my journey to uncover my family history. I thought these two ancestors together told the story of my family roots: South and North, Protestant and Catholic, male and female, miner and farmer. Although they aren't the "oldest" ancestors on my tree, their two stories fueled my love of Irish genealogy.

LINKS

CERTIFICATE OF IRISH HERITAGE

MY PREVIOUS POSTS REGARDING THE CERTIFICATE

WILL YOU BE READY FOR THE 1940 US CENSUS?

2011-10-25T12:46:00.000-04:00

    What will happen on April 2, 2012? If you are a family historian doing US research, that date is circled in red on your calendar. That is the date when the Internet will crash because every genealogy researcher in the US will log onto the National Archives (NARA) to search the newly released 1940 census!
     When the census is released on April 2nd, the digital copy will be viewable, free of charge, on personal computers or at NARA public access computers.
     Not every researcher will be prepared to search the census. The 1940 census will be placed online by NARA, but it will not be searchable by variables such as names. If you are like me, you are so accustomed to searching the census online by surname that you have almost forgotten those squinty-eyed days of scanning reels of microfilms to find your ancestors in pages of street-by-street listings. While our computers will replace the dark rooms and microfilm readers, if we want to find our 1940 ancestors in a somewhat efficient manner online, we will need at least three important pieces of information: name, address, and enumeration district number (ED).
     Researchers would be wise to begin collecting 1940 addresses now. Ask relatives for house numbers, street names, or, at least, neighborhood names. Go to local historical societies, libraries, and online genealogy databases to find 1940 city directories.The NARA site (link provided below) suggests additional sources of addresses: draft records, naturalization records, and the 1930 census (if your relatives did not change residences).
     Once you have an address, you can obtain the ED number through NARA maps and resources online. Another useful site is Steve Morse's One Step page on the 1940 census. Steve Morse has a short, informative tutorial on his One Step site that can help you prepare to search the 1940 ceneus. Links to these handy sites are below.
     I once found my grandmother's family in the 1915 NJ state census by beginning on page 1 and scanning each page. This feat (on a microfilm reader back in the days before Al Gore invented the Internet) took me two days and cost me a migraine. I will be better prepared with addresses and ED numbers in April!

LINKS

NATIONAL ARCHIVES 1940 US CENSUS

NARA TIPS FOR PREPARING FOR THE 1940 CENSUS

STEVE MORSE'S 1940 CENSUS PREP TUTORIAL

DO YOU TATTOO? WEARING YOUR FAMILY HISTORY

2011-10-20T10:58:00.000-04:00

Sue, a fellow family historian, has been on the trail of her ancestor Osceola Powell for years. Osceola is her "brick wall," and Sue's research has taken her down interesting genealogical trails. She suspects that her Osceola might have a connection with the Seminole leader Osceola, also known as Billy Powell.

Signature of Osceola Powell, Sue's ancestor

Last week, Sue decided that it was time to commemorate her ancestor. She also decided to do it in a way that would "shake things up" and allow her to "strike out in an unexpected direction." So, how did she decide to honor her ancestor? A light bulb clicked on in Sue's mind after she read a news story about young parents' getting tattoos with the names of their children. Hmmmm, Sue had Osceola's signature on his daughter's birth registry. What to do with that signature?

Genealogy + creativity + skin + ink ( + a little bit of pain) resulted in....

Yep! It's permanent!

I have relatives and friends with tattoos of the Irish flag and the Celtic cross. Why not an ancestor's name or likeness? Maybe a coat of arms, official or self-created? I think Sue is onto a new trend in genealogy.Can you imagine--tattoo booths at all the major conventions?

ROYAL IRISH CONSTABULARY RECORDS AND IGP UPDATES

2011-10-17T16:50:00.000-04:00

     Time again to report that more FREE records have been placed online by the volunteers at the Irish Genealogy Projects (IGP). But first, I want to make a point about the Royal Irish Constabulary records collection that the IGP has been so diligently transcribing.
     That most pre-Famine Irish "stayed put" in their general localities has become a bit of a truism in Irish genealogy. Many of us do find that, once we discover an ancestor's townland or parish, we can trace the family back several generations in the same place. However, those researchers who discover a member of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) among their ancestors often have an added problem. Because of the resentment displayed in many areas of Ireland toward the men who entered this service, and due to concerns over policing the populace, the practice was to station the men in a location far away from home. Sometimes, the rest of the family shunned the RIC man and stayed in their home location, but many times family members followed the RIC man to a new location and new life.
     For a good fiction book on the subject of the dislocation, both emotional and geographic, of an RIC man, read Sebastian Barry's acclaimed novel, The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty.
     Luckily, records of the RIC do exist, and having the IGP place these online is a tremendous help to researchers. This month, the IGP has added more RIC records to its online databases. Other record groups have been added as well.

IGP UPDATES

DERRY/LONDONDERRY Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary

1845 Royal Irish Constabulary records

http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/derry/military.htm

DUBLIN Genealogy Archives - Headstones

Glasnevin Part 7

http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/dublin/photos/tombstones/glasnevin-ndx.htm

FERMANAGH Genealogy Archives - Church

Irvinestown & Pettigoe; Births at Irvinestown & Pettigoe Presbyterian Church

www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/fermanagh/church.htm

KERRY Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary Records

1845 Royal Irish Constabulary records

www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/kerry/military.htm

KILDARE Genealogy Archives - Military

1845 Royal Irish Constabulary records

www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/kildare/military.htm

KILKENNY Genealogy Archives - Military

1845 Royal Irish Constabulary records

www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/kilkenny/military.htm

LEITRIM Genealogy Archives

Dromahaire, St. Patrick's Church of Ireland Cemetery

www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/leitrim/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

LIMERICK Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary

1845 Royal Irish Constabulary records

www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/limerick/military.htm

LONGFORD Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary

1845 Royal Irish Constabulary records

http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/longford/military.htm

MONAGHAN Genealogy Archives - Headstones.
Ballybay, 2nd Presbyterian

www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/monaghan/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

OFFALY (Kings) Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary

1845 Royal Irish Constabulary records

www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/offaly/military.htm

IRELAND REACHES OUT: IRELANDXO

2011-10-14T15:28:00.000-04:00

     I posted earlier this year on the new Ireland Reaching Out program. This initiative aims to identify, by parish, those persons who left Ireland, then to trace their descendants. Envision the hand of Irish genealogy reaching out from Ireland to grasp the hands of Irish family historians working around the world, and you can picture "Ireland Reaching Out." The program, also known as IrelandXO, began with participating parishes in Co. Galway. In June, IrelandXO, together with these parishes, held a Week of Welcomes for descendants and family historians, complete with tours and genealogical assistance.
     The Week of Welcomes was a success, and the program continues to grow. A meeting was scheduled for this week to broaden the number of Irish parishes participating. The Irish Times reports that at least 25 parishes across Ireland have expressed an interest in working with the project.
     The IrelandXO project has also issued a call for volunteers to help in the genealogical work involved. Read more about the project and the volunteer opportunities by clicking on the links below.

LINKS

IRELANDXO WEB SITE

IRISH TIMES ARTICLE ON IRELAND REACHING OUT INITIATIVE

NEW COUNTY WATERFORD RECORDS ONLINE

2011-10-12T10:54:00.000-04:00

In their recent press release, the Irish Family History Foundation (IFHF) announced that 535,00 Roman Catholic baptismal records for Co. Waterford parishes are now available online. For a long time, access to Co. Waterford records was difficult for overseas researchers to obtain, so these additional online records will be welcome news to many Waterford family historians.
The IFHF database continues to be the largest source of Irish records available online. However, be aware that the IFHF does charge for access to its records. As I have noted in previous posts, although the initial search is free, the IFHF will bar from accessing the site those researchers who perform an excessive amount of free searches without purchase of a record. Please review very carefully the payment schedule, and the terms and conditions of the use of the database. If you search the "labels" on the right hand column of this blog, you can access my earlier posts regarding the IFHF database.

LINKS

IFHS COUNTY WATERFORD DATABASE

FAERIE FOLK BLOG POSTS RE: IFHF

IRISH HISTORY: THE WILD GEESE.COM

2011-10-11T13:48:00.000-04:00

     Irish genealogy cannot be separated from the history of Ireland and of the Irish Diaspora. Knowing even a small bit about Irish history can help guide you to those elusive records. For example, knowing that a rebellion occurred in 1798 led me to lists of rebels and landowners that I might not have found otherwise. Knowing when the waves of Irish emigration occurred, and what counties had the highest rates of emigration at certain times, can help guide you to an ancestor's location in Ireland. At the very least, knowing the times in which your ancestor lived can help you to understand his or her own personal story.
     Growing up in the United States, I did not learn much Irish history at all. In my Catholic elementary school, we learned a bit about St. Patrick every March. In my public high school, the Irish famine was the only Irish history topic covered. Most of my education about Irish history was contained in the telling of family tales. My own family's history mirrors much of Irish history in that religious strife divided my ancestral Large and Kavanagh families. When I was a young girl, my father and grandmother would tell me stories of strife between the families of my great great grandparents' because of their religious differences. In the late 1960's, I would sit in my grandmother's living room and watch the violence in the North on the news. Grandmom (whose own grandmother was from County Tyrone) would say, "That's us. That's where we are from." For me, Irish history and family history could not be separated.
     How does a family history researcher, not educated in Ireland, learn about Irish history? I know a few researchers who complain that the subject is so vast, they simply give up trying to learn. But, at the least, researchers can learn enough Irish history to aid their research and write their family stories. Start with learning in the form that suits you best. I know some researchers who like to absorb a bit of Irish history and culture through novels and historical fiction. Others read the great tomes by Tim Pat Coogan. Of course, many of us surf the web for information.
     I often browse TheWildGeese.com website to add to my own knowledge of Irish history and emigration. I like the wide array of topics covered by The Wild Geese and have found genealogical record sources by following up on some of the historical tidbits I have read on the site. The site is branching out into genealogy with a blog directed at Irish family historians. The links are below.
     I was very excited this past week to be interviewed for their newsletter. You can find the interview and the newsletter at the link below. The newsletter is free and sent via email. (I must disclose that I did win a $10 gift certificate to the Wild Geese shop when I signed up for the newsletter. Sign up and maybe you, too, will have a bit of Irish luck!).

LINKS

THEWILDGEESE NEWSLETTER INTERVIEW WITH DEBORAH LARGE FOX

THEWILDGEESE Genealogy Blog

THE WILD GEESE WEB SITE

IRELAND FOR THE SENSES

2011-10-07T10:23:00.000-04:00

     This topic demonstrates one of the limitations of the Internet. The Web allows us to see, and sometimes hear, but we cannot touch or smell or taste Ireland while surfing the Internet. Perhaps one day our computers will come equipped with those scratch and sniff strips or some sort of odor emitting device like the movie theatres had for those John Waters' films.
     Ireland is a feast for the senses, which is one reason family historians should make the trip, even if they have not found their ancestor's location. Simply smelling the earth, tasting the black pudding, or touching the stone walls can provide your senses with impressions of an ancestor's life and experiences.
     On my first trip to Ireland in 1995, I noticed the smells.Wet earth and wet grass and wet hay. Peat burning on the hearth in County Clare. Musty castles. Cow dung. More cow dung. Beer and ale suds. Even food smelled differently. I could smell the heavy, pungent scent of the farm fresh streaky bacon, puddings, and sausages long before I entered the breakfast room.
     Even familiar food had a different taste. Ketchup was more tangy. The bacon had an earthy flavor, far stronger than the packaged brands I bought in South Jersey. While Americans usually think of corned beef and cabbage as Irish foods, my second thought of food in Ireland (my first, of course, is black pudding) is salmon. I ate salmon everywhere--smoked salmon with brown bread, salmon with pasta, salmon in soup. Even lox on a bagel in a Jewish deli now reminds me of Ireland.
     Smelling and tasting Ireland brought my ancestors to life in a way no microfilmed record ever could!

LINKS

SCRATCH HERE TO SMELL BLACK PUDDING (just kidding!)

CERTIFICATE OF IRISH HERITAGE part 2

2011-10-05T10:39:00.000-04:00

As I noted in a previous post, the Certificates of Irish Heritage were to be available late September--and they are! I ordered mine yesterday. When I saw that the certificate contains the names of up to two Irish ancestors, I thought that having one would be an appropriate way of honoring my Irish ancestors. As my main honoree and documented ancestor, I chose my great grandfather, Richard Large, who was born in Gurteen, Co. Kilkenny in 1826 and left Ireland for Canada and the US in 1844. My second ancestor named on the certificate will be my third great grandmother, Peggy Lagan, who was born in Innishatieve, Co. Tyrone, about 1805. It was Peggy's 1847 letter to her children in Philadelphia that began my journey to trace my family back across the pond. In this way, I honor one ancestor who emigrated and one who stayed. Richard suffered the heartbreak of leaving his home, and Peggy suffered the heartbreak of watching her children leave, forever, her cottage beneath the sycamore tree in Innishatieve.
The process of ordering a certificate was very easy. I suggest having all your dates at hand and your necessary documents scanned before beginning. Of course, I didn't and, of course, I spent double the time on the order.

LINK

CERTIFICATE OF IRISH HERITAGE

(Disclaimer: I am not in associated in any way with FEXCO, the company providing the certificates on behalf of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade).

FAMILY HISTORY MONTH

2011-10-03T12:22:00.000-04:00

     October is celebrated as Family History Month in the United States. In honor of Family History Month, many of the commercial online genealogy sites offer free or reduced rate services. So, if you are looking to save money or to try out a commercial site, it would be wise to keep your eyes open for bargains and offers this month. Many libraries and archives across the country have special exhibits or programs in honor of Family History Month. Check them out!
     Take a minute this month to think about your family history research goals for the year. Set new goals for the coming year or start that new project you have been putting off. Another great way to celebrate is to dust off those "miscellaneous" files and search for clues you might have missed.
    You can also mark Family History Month by joining a genealogy group or society. You will find that having other researchers in your life helps your research tremendously and provides a social outlet in what can be, at times, a hobby that requires too much "alone" time.

off the town square in Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny

And, don't forget to raise a pint in honor of the ancestors! Better yet, plan that trip to Ireland so you can raise the pint in the land of your ancestors!

ANCESTRY.COM VS THE NLI?

2011-09-29T18:22:00.000-04:00

     The news buzz around the Irish genealogy world the last couple of weeks has been the controversy over the addition of Irish Roman Catholic parish records to Ancestry.com's database. The question being asked is whether Ancestry.co.uk infringed the legal rights of the NLI regarding the microfilms containing those records. The NLI possesses the microfilm collection of the Catholic parish records.
See IRISH TIMES: National LIbrary Inquiry into Legality of Records Release
    The copyright and other legal issues involved are difficult and fact-dependent, so I will not comment on the allegations made by the NLI. The Library has been attempting for some time to digitize the collection of Catholic parish records, and to place them online free of charge for the public's use. Currently, a free database has been established under the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht ( http://www.irishgenealogy.ie/ ), but the records available are very limited.
     Be cautioned, however, that the Ancestry.com database available to paying subscribers is very limited, even though it is titled broadly. For example, the collection titled "Ireland, Catholic Parish Baptisms 1742-1881" contains mostly records from Counties Meath (40 percent) and Roscommon (15 percent). My concern is that researchers who do not read the full description of the database will be misled into believing, when they cannot find their ancestor on the database, that the record for the ancestor does not exist at all, when it is simply not included in the collection.
     I will admit that, in my excitement over accessing the Catholic parish records online, I spent quite a long time fruitlessly searching the Ancestry.com collection for Clough parish records that I knew existed on the NLI microfilms. Why wasn't I finding them in the Ancestry database? My much-more-thorough-fellow-researcher Jack, from the Castlecomer mailing list, directed me to the collection description (Jack saves me from many a research blunder). But mistakes are great learning tools, and this one reminded me to ascertain exactly what records are in any collection before I start plugging information into a search engine!

PRONI ISSUES CALL TO EXPLORE LOCAL HISTORY

2011-09-29T10:47:00.000-04:00

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) and the Open University Ireland have teamed together to offer a free public lecture series on Irish local history at PRONI's new headquarters in Belfast's Titanic Quarter. The lectures will take place on the last Thursday of each month, beginning today, September 29th, at 6:30 p.m. For more information:
http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/news-dcal-220911-call-to-explore
Family research must involve local history research. Not only does the knowledge of the history of the locality and of the times in which our ancestors lived help our genealogy research, it provides us with a clearer snapshot of our ancestors' lives.

Footnote to the Heritage Certificate Post

2011-09-23T10:05:00.000-04:00

Please click on the comment left by "Anonymous" after this week's post regarding the Heritage Certificate. The comment is a succinct explanation of the requirements for the certificate. Thanks, Anonymous!

THE BUZZ THIS WEEK: IRISH HERITAGE CERTIFICATES

2011-09-21T21:27:00.000-04:00

The news this week is the launch of the Certificate of Irish Heritage. This certificate will be an official recognition by the Irish State of the Irish ancestry and heritage of those persons, not born in Ireland, who can document their connection to an ancestor born in Ireland. Note that this certificate does not confer citizenship. The certificate seems to have many aims for the Irish government, such as promoting tourism and maintaining ties to descendants of the Irish diaspora around the world.

If my great grandmother Theresa Bowe
wants to be listed on my Certificate of Heritage,
she had better lead me to her birth records real quick!
Come on, Theresa, where are you??

The criteria for obtaining the certificate are rather loosely stated. From early press releases, it seems that a wide variety of records, from birth and baptism records to census records and ship manifests, will be accepted as proof of ancestry. The cost will be 40 Euro, and the process can be completed online with a credit card.
Although I am somewhat sceptical about the value of this certificate and the point of getting one, I am guessing that, one day soon, I will be visiting the site with my credit card because I just can't resist having one. I just love my family history records and certificates and can't help pursuing one more! A note to early Christmas shoppers: you will be able to purchase Heritage Certificate gift cards for others. They must supply their own documentation, however.

LINKS

Official web site for the Certificate of Irish Heritage : Note that this site will not be up and running until late September www.heritagecertificate.ie/

Irish Independent article announcing first certificate given to 9/11 hero: http://www.independent.ie/national-news/first-heritage-certificate-goes-to-firefighter-who-died-in-911-2882515.html

Irish Independent announcement: http://www.independent.ie/national-news/application-open-to-anybody-with-irish-ancestor-2882514.html

Irish Central article detailing steps to getting your Certificate of Irish Heritage: http://www.irishcentral.com/news/How-to-apply-for-your-Certificate-of-Irish-Heritage-130222958.html

UPDATE TIME: IRISH GENEALOGICAL PROJECTS

2011-09-15T13:46:00.000-04:00

The tireless volunteers at the Irish Genealogical Projects have been busy adding more free records to the online databases. Their latest efforts include the records below.

ARMAGH Genealogy Archives - Cemetery

Newtownhamilton; St. Michael's RC Cemetery

http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/armagh/cem.htm

ARMAGH Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary

1845 Royal Irish Constabulary

http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/armagh/military.htm

CARLOW Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary

1845 Royal Irish Constabulary

http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/carlow/military.htm

CAVAN Genealogy Archives - Cavan Military & Constabulary

1845 Royal Irish Constabulary

http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/cavan/military.htm

CLARE Genealogy Archives - Headstone Photos

Kilquane Cemetery, Kilvoydane Cemetery, Dysart Cemetery

http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/clare/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

CLARE Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary

1845 Royal Irish Constabulary

http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/clare/military.htm

CORK Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary

1845 Royal Irish Constabulary

http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/cork/military.htm

DOWN Genealogy Archives

Belfast, Knockbreda Parish Church of Ireland (Walled) Cemetery Pt 2

http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/down/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

DUBLIN Genealogy Archives - Cemeter

Glasnevin Cemetery,Glasnevin 11, Dublin, Ireland. (partial only)

http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/dublin/cem.htm

DUBLIN Genealogy Archives - Headstones - Glasnevin, Dublin

St Fintan's, Sutton, Dublin County

Glasnevin Headstone Photos, Part 6

http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/dublin/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

FERMANAGH Genealogy Archives - Headstones

Drummully St. Mary's Church (CoI) & Aghalurcher Cemetery (partial)

http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/fermanagh/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

FERMANAGH Genealogy Archives - Church

Ballyshannon Methodist Circuit.Churches Births recorded at

Ballyshannon, Pettigoe, Bundoran & Ballintra 1835-1932

Ballyshannon Methodist Circuit.Churches Marriages recorded at

Ballyshannon, Pettigoe, Bundoran & Ballintra 1872-1930

Derryvullen North (CoI) Births 1803-1839 Part 1

Derryvullan North (CoI) Births 1840-1871 Part 2

http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/fermanagh/church.htm

GALWAY Genealogy Archives - Photos

Davis, Margaret Photo

http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/galway/photos.htm

LEITRIM Genealogy Archives - Headstones

Fenagh Church of Ireland (partial)

http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/leitrim/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

LONGFORD Genealogy Archives - Church Records

Deaths in the Parishes of Templemichael and Ballymacormick 1812 added

http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/longford/church.htm

WEXFORD Genealogy Archives - Headstones.

Hollyfort near Gorey; St. John's Church of Ireland

http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/wexford/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

BE THE STRING

2011-09-11T14:13:00.000-04:00

     I am late with my posting this week. Besides moving to Canada last week, we had to attend the funeral of my father in law. The rabbi at the service related a story about family ties that I would like to share, because the tale made me think of the work that we do as family historians.
     A man was dying in his bed with his family surrounding him. He told his son to retrieve the bundle of sticks, bound by a sting, by the hearth. The son brought the bundle into the room.
     "Now, break the wood in half," the dying father instructed.
     The son attempted to break the thick bundle over his knee, without success. The father told his daughter to try. No success. Then, each of the family members tried to snap the thick bundle of sticks, but no one could break them.
     "Bring the bundle here," the father said.
     The son did as he was told, and placed the bundle on the old man's bed. The father untied the string. One by one, he snapped each stick in half.
     "The sticks are the family members," the man said. "Individually, they can be broken. But when tied together with family love and loyalty, they are unbreakable. Never untie that string."
     The story speaks to us as family historians. We work hard to collect our twigs and branches. We place them in a bundle, and our work is the string that binds the family history together. We also strengthen the bundle when we bind our living relatives together by maintaining contact and holding family reunions. Be the string!

GENEALOGY NEWS--FOLD3

2011-09-05T10:40:00.000-04:00

Footnote.com recently changed its focus to military records, and has renamed itself "Fold3" to reflect that change. (The third fold in the flag folding ceremony honors the sacrifices of our veterans). I explored the site briefly, and I believe that Fold3 has retained the former non-military Footnote databases, such as naturalization records and city directories. The search engine remains unwieldy as ever--a factor that has often caused me to give up my Footnote searches and membership in exasperation.

LINKS

FOLD3

(I am not endorsing Fold3 or Footnote).

P.S. to "Ever Get Lost in a Cemetery?" (24 August 2011)

2011-08-26T09:40:00.000-04:00

Just found out about a NEW online database of County Kerry cemetery records: KERRY LOCAL AUTHORITIES GRAVEYARD RECORDS

EVER GET LOST IN A CEMETERY?

2011-08-24T22:54:00.000-04:00

No matter how many times I visit family graves, I hunt through rows of markers and stones to find a specific grave. Finding a grave is especially difficult in those cemeteries that allow only markers flush with the ground. No matter how many times I visit the graves of my father and brother, I walk back and forth, sometimes in a panic, wondering where my memory has gone.. All I can see is a flat expanse of ground with no upright markers. I go armed with a cemetery map, complete with landmarks like trees and row markers, but pinpointing the row, especially in a big cemetery, is often difficult.

My great-grandfather's unmarked grave,
found with the help of
a kindly groundskeeper

I have often had to request the help of cemetery employees to help me locate a specific plot, especially at huge urban cemeteries. While I must admit to a few less than favorable encounters with genealogy-phobic front office personnel, the groundskeepers I have met have gone out of their way to help me locate specific plots. One groundskeeper went so far as to look up plot information that the front office clerk, citing bogus privacy concerns, would not reveal to me. This wonderful man then drove me, in his truck, to my ancestor's grave. At a another cemetery, a groundskeeper stayed a half hour past closing time to help me find my great grandfather's unmarked grave. Once, at an old Philadelphia cemetery, three cemetery workers, none of whom spoke English, took time from their chores to find the location of my Magee family graves, all unmarked. They joined in my moment of prayer and reflection as I placed flowers on the plots.

I have also been helped by those in the genealogical community who share information they have collected from cemeteries. There are many family researchers who are devoted to transcribing names and dates on headstones. Many of these transcription collections are now available online. These dedicated people are of great help to those of us who cannot travel to distant cemeteries.

Many researchers upload information to Internet cemetery projects such as Find A Grave or Resting Spot. Find A Grave contains inscription information and a place to leave online flowers or notes. Some of the pages provide photos of the headstone. Resting Spot is a new online project that uses GPS technology to pinpoint the location of plots--a great service for those of us who "lose" their ancestors' plots. Using a GPS function on a cell phone, a family historian can send the GPS coordinates of a cemetery plot to the Resting Spot project and have it recorded for future use and also for the use of fellow researchers. The app is not currently available for all cell phones, so check the Resting Spot web site to determine if you can participate in this project.

LINKS

FIND A GRAVE WEB SITE

RESTING SPOT WEB SITE

IRISH GENEALOGICAL PROJECT (some of the county projects have cemetery records)

MORE GENEALOGY IN LITERATURE: SARAH'S KEY

2011-08-17T19:19:00.000-04:00

Themes of genealogy and family history have been examined in recent books and movies (see my earlier posts on the topic via the links below). One novel that deals with family history and family secrets, Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay, has been released as a movie this summer. The Oscar buzz is already circulating about the movie and about Kristin Scott Thomas' performance.
While the plot revolves around a journalist's search for the truth behind a round up of Jews in Paris during July of 1942, the deeper themes deal with the personal costs of hiding family secrets and burying family history. The book raises these questions:
Do we know who we are if we do not know our family's history?
Do hidden family secrets affect subsequent generations?
Why do families keep secrets?
Why is the search for a family's history so unsettling to some people?
Why do some people not care at all about their family history? Why do others care so much?

LINKS

IMDB page for the movie SARAH'S KEY

My previous blog posting about the novel THE HANGMAN

My previous blog posting about GENEALOGY IN THE MOVIES

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO!

2011-08-11T13:29:00.000-04:00

I have written previously about the importance of preparing well for a research trip. I wanted to update my advice after being contacted by two researchers who were totally unprepared for their upcoming trips to Ireland. Much of the advice is applicable to any destination.
Many family historians waste valuable time and effort on research trips, especially trips to Ireland, by not educating themselves beforehand about the genealogical resources at their destination. If you go to Dublin thinking you will find all the records you need at the National Library of Ireland (NLI) or "the archives," you are bound to be disappointed. I've known frustrated researchers who spent valuable vacation time in Dublin researching records that they could have obtained online or at a local Mormon Family History Center near their home. Others have wasted a day walking from one Dublin facility to another, searching for the correct repository. The following checklist will help you plan any research trip wisely, whether you are visiting a historical society in Pennsylvania or the NLI in Dublin..

RESEARCH TRIP CHECKLIST

1. Review your notes and family records. Pinpoint what information you need (birth date for great grandfather Harry? Marriage date for Ann and John Row in Carlow?). Don't simply carry a family chart with you, hoping that a librarian or archivist will help you pinpoint what records you need. Some facilities have ample workers and volunteers to help patrons, others are understaffed. Always be prepared to do your own digging.

2. Determine what sources might contain that information. Church records? Civil vital records? Census? Freeholder's List? Valuation map?

3. Determine where these sources are kept for the location you need. For instance, if you need baptism records for the parish of Clough, determine if they are available online, at a resource near your home such as a Family History Center, in a Dublin repository, in a County Kilkenny library, or at the local parish church. Know before you go!

4. Determine if those records are available for the time frame you need. For Irish records, James G. Ryan's Irish Records: Sources for Family and Local History is a great help in this regard. Most repositories have online catalogs of their holdings--knowing before you go has never been easier!

5. Research the location, hours, and visitor requirements of the repository you plan to visit before you make your travel plans. When I worked at a local historical society, I was amazed at the number of researchers who had traveled a great distance, only to arrive on a date or at a time the society was closed. I also encountered several visitors who brought cameras or copying equipment despite the society's restrictive policies. A quick phone call or a check of the web site saves disappointment (and arguments and tears in public).

6. Know exactly what facility or repository you need. Don't assume that every record you need is at the "library." Don't assume that there is some vast "archive" in Dublin. Know theproper names for the facility you need and will visit. There are "archives" and "Archives." I know several researchers who lost valuable time visiting the National Archives in Dublin when they really needed to be at General Register Office (GRO).

Preparation is the KEY to a successful research trip!

ON A PERSONAL NOTE: A SAD DEPARTURE

2011-08-04T19:48:00.000-04:00

     Today was a very sad day for me. I attended my last Irish American Family History Society (IAFHS) meeting before moving to Toronto. I know it will not be my last meeting ever with these wonderful people, but missing even one meeting will be hard for me. I have learned so much from everyone in the society--I have stolen many, many ideas from the members as material for this blog and for my talks!
     The IAFHS meetings are unique. We don't sit in rows facing forward. Rather, we sit in a modified Camelot fashion--in a rectangle or in rows facing each other as much as possible. King Arthur knew what he was doing when he instituted his round table. Face-to-face meetings promote discussion and familiarity. The group is the most convivial group I have ever joined. Not only do I leave each meeting with knowledge in my noggin, I always leave with a smile on my face. I like to think it is because we all have a wee bit of the Irish in us! Great craic!
     I would like to thank each and every member, but I am so afraid of leaving someone out. So I say THANK YOU to you all--you know who you are, and you know how much you mean to me.
     I will miss giving my genealogy talks and classes in the tri-state region. The people I have met through this wonderful world of genealogy have been a blessing to my life. They have uplifted my spirits, made me laugh, made me think, and shared personal stories that I will treasure always. The are many angels in the world disguised as family history researchers.
     In particular, I would like to thank the following groups and institutions for hosting many of my talks. As with the IAFHS meetings, I learned more from the audiences than they did from me.

THANK YOU to

National Archives, Mid-Atlantic Branch, Philadelphia, PA

Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania

Mid-Atlantic Family History Conference

Genealogical Society of Bergen County, NJ

Gloucester County Historical Society, NJ

Central Jersey Genealogy Club

Leisure Village West Genealogy Club, Manchester, NJ

A Family History Event, Wilmington DE

Cherry Hill, NJ, Recreation Department

Cherry Hill, NJ, Library

Mount Laurel, NJ, Library (a special thanks to Stefanie and to great audiences at Mt. Laurel)

LDS Family History Center, Cherry Hill, NJ (special thank you to Paul and to the volunteers)

Old York Road Genealogical Society (PA)

Brehon Law Society, Philadelphia

LAOH Pottstown

Salem County (NJ) Genealogical Society

RCA Lunch Club

LINKS

Join a genealogy group! If you can't find a local group, start one! Don't give up, even if you have only one or two others at a meeting. The benefits to your research will be enormous; the camaraderie, invaluable.

IRISH AMERICAN FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY
CENTRAL JERSEY GENEALOGICAL CLUB
OLD YORK ROAD GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY (Bucks, Montgomery, Philadephia Counties, PA)
GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF BERGEN COUNTY (NJ)
GENAEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF SALEM COUNTY (NJ)

SMILE FOR THE CAMERA

2011-07-27T17:08:00.001-04:00

I was packing my small collection of medieval manuscript pages for my upcoming move, and I thought of genealogy. (Almost anything can produce thoughts of genealogy among the obsessed!!). These pages were written long before photography, but the monks did not simply copy reams of text. They added illustrations in the borders, or made fancy letters with vivid colors, or added gold for glitter--anything to attract the eye to the page. This "eye appeal" is important in genealogy also. I have found that the best way to engage my relatives in the family history is with photographs. Their eyes glaze over when I show them my charts and records, but pop a photo or two in the mix, and their eyes light up! What's the quickest way to get a crowd around you at a family reunion? Bring a photo album!

My dad James Large and me about 1957

I know what many readers are thinking: "Fine advice, that, if only I possessed photographs of my ancestors!"
I am in the same boat. My parents did not own a camera. The dearth of my own childhood photos has made me treasure those photos and home movies I have been able to obtain from other relatives. Luckily, sharing photographs and home movies has never been easier. (The main problem today is getting obstinate relatives to share--the excuse of not wanting to allow the photographs themselves to "travel" is no longer valid, but some people are still stingy about sharing, even of copies over the Internet. It is one of the most common complaints I hear.).

my great grandmother
Mary Ann Tracy Magee
and my Grandmom May
Magee Large

When I don't have a photo to "spice up" my charts or books, I try to include photos of places and buildings that were important to the family history. Churches, workplaces, local parks, houses,
schools, cemeteries are all suitable subjects to be included in a visual family history. Check out sites like eBay that sell postcards. Postcards are great visuals to spice up your family history book or collection.
Posting photographs on the Internet is a growing branch of genealogical research. For some time now, some Jewish genealogy groups have posted virtual "walls" of photographs to help identify Holocaust victims and survivors. Other genealogy groups also have "walls." The Irish Genealogical Project has photo pages, too. Check out some of the links below. You might find an ancestor one day.

LINKS

DEAD FRED GENEALOGICAL PHOTO ARCHIVES This site is a "MUST visit" for family historians. Dead Fred has a searchable database of identified and mystery photographs. You just might have a cousin who posted an ancestor's photo. Check it out!
SUBMIT PHOTOS TO THE IRISH GENEALOGICAL PROJECT and don't forget to search your county of origin for photos
ARCADIA PUBLISHING publishes local history books, most of them chock full of photographs. While I have yet to find an ancestor in one, I have found photos of a priest who performed some of their weddings, and of street scenes where they resided. (Please note, I do not have any interest, financial or otherwise, in Arcadia Publishing. I am merely a purchaser of their books).
YAD VASHEM PHOTOGRAPH ARCHIVE strives to remember and to identify victims of the Holocaust through photographs
JOURNEY TO RECITE THE KADDISH IN UZLYANY is the blog I keep for my husband's Fox ancestors. I have incorporated photographs into the blog.
GENEABLOGGERS Many of the bloggers who belong to this genealogy blogging group post photographs on "Wordless Wednesdays." If you go to the main page on a Wednesday, and scroll down the page, there is usually a list of "wordless" bloggers.

IRISH FESTIVALS AND GENEALOGY: PERFECT TOGETHER!

2011-07-20T20:27:00.000-04:00

Co-ordinating your genealogy research trip to Ireland with a local festival not only adds to your fun, but can advance your family history research. Festivals are a perfect venue for participating in the culture of your ancestors, as well as for providing an opportunity to connect with the locals. People everywhere tend to be friendly and outgoing when they are eating, drinking, dancing, playing music, and having fun--so, even if you are a shy sort, you can't help but make a few new acquaintances.

Kilkenny Arts Festival

I know several researchers who made genealogical discoveries through the people they met at local festivals in Ireland. Their advice? Be friendly and mention your roots in the area to the locals you meet ("mention," that is, don't be boorish!).. Don't do all the talking, but take the time to question, listen, and learn. A festival is a showcase of local talent, arts, customs, or wares, and if you are a willing audience, you will find locals who are willing to share their knowledge of the local history.

We attended the Kilkenny Arts Festival (August) during one of our trips. At the time, my girls were ten and twelve years old, and the festival was a nice break for them (they were growing quite tired of cemeteries and libraries). I did sneak in some genealogy time with a visit to the heritage centre at the Rothe House.

Fun for kids at the Kilkenny Arts Festival
(Jill loved her elaborate face paint!).

So, don't forget to research the calendar of events in the areas you will be visiting. The types of festivals are boundless, some are quite unique. Religious, musical, art, farm, racing, food festivals--Ireland has them all! See the links below to find one that interests you!

LINKS

TONS OF FESTIVAL LISTS AND INFORMATION FROM IRELAND.COM
KILKENNY ARTS FESTIVAL
TOURISM IRELAND SCHEDULE OF FESTIVALS
EVENTS IN NORTHERN IRELAND
RICK STEVE'S LIST OF SELECTED IRISH FESTIVALS
CLANCY BROS. FESTIVAL, CO. TIPPERARY

GENEALOGICAL SOIL

2011-07-13T23:06:00.001-04:00

Today, I am going to talk dirty. As in genealogical dirt. Earth. Soil. Stepping in the very mud our ancestors stepped in, toiled in, lived on, and tilled.

When I visited Co. Tyrone in the summer of 1995, I had hoped to find the townland of my Lagan ancestors. Through a stroke of Irish luck, I found the Kerr family, whose ancestors were neighbors of my Lagan's. I discovered that the Kerr family members were local historians who preserved the history of the families of the townland of Innishatieve. They helped me trace many generations of my Lagan's and Reilly's. Not only did they escort me through the townland, they took me to the very spot where my Peggy Lagan's stone house once stood.

It is difficult to put into words the visceral feeling one gets while standing on the soil of ancestors. This connection to the past is not the cerebral connection that we researchers experience when discovering new records. Standing on the ancestral dirt, literally, involves many senses. I connected with my ancestors through my feet, standing on the same earth; through my eyes, seeing the same sights; through my ears, hearing the breeze stir the sycamore leaves; through my nose, smelling the green fields; and through my skin, touching the stones they once placed their hands upon.

So, take a genealogical trip this summer. If you can't get to Ireland, visit a local place with significance to your family history--a town your grandmother knew, a church your great grandfather attended. Look about you with their eyes, sit still for a moment and listen and breathe. Your ancestors are speaking through the years.

Below: a short video I made of my1995 visit to Peggy's home:

(In memory of Michael Kerr, God Rest His Soul)

UPDATES ON IRISH GENEALOGY

2011-07-11T16:40:00.000-04:00

     I missed posting this past week because I was in Toronto, trying to find a place to live. The sheer volume of paper and forms and requirements just to move across the US/Candian border is mind-boggling. Immigration is much easier for me than it was for my great great grandmother Bridget Large, but it is still a headache!
     Seems like a bit of quiet has descended upon the Irish genealogy world this summer. Even the email lists are rather quiet!
     However, as always, the good folks who volunteer with the Irish Genealogical Project are busy as usual. Below are the updates to their databases:
GENERAL IRELAND Genealogy Archives - Education-Alumni Dublineses - additional
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/countrywide/education.htm
ANTRIM Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
-Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Antrim 1844
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/antrim/military.htm
ARMAGH Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
-Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Armagh 1844
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/armagh/military.htm
CARLOW Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
-Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Carlow 1844
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/carlow/military.htm
CAVAN Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
-Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Cavan 1844
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/cavan/military.htm
CLARE Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
-Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Clare 1844
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/clare/military.htm
CORK Genealogy Archives
-Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Cork 1844
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/cork/military.htm
DOWN Genealogy Archives - Military and Constabulary
-Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of DOWN 1844
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/down/military.htm
DONEGAL Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
-RIC Enlistments, Natives of Co. Donegal, 1844
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/donegal/military.htm
DUBLIN Genealogy Archives - Headstones & Military
-Mount Jerome, Dublin - Part 23 & 24
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/dublin/photos/tombstones/mt-jerome-ndx.htm
-Glasnevin Cemetery, (officially known as Prospect Cemetery), Part One,
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/dublin/photos/tombstones/markers.htm
-Deansgrange Cemetery, North Section Part 3
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/dublin/photos/tombstones/deansgrange-ndx
DUBLIN Genealogy Archives - Military
-Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Dublin 1844
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/dublin/military.htm
FERMANAGH Genealogy Archives - Military & Church Records
-Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Fermanagh 1844
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/fermanagh/military.htm
-Ballinamallard - Births recorded at Ballinamallard Methodist Church 1879-1919
-Ballinamallard - Marriages recorded at Ballinamallard Methodist Church
1882-1937
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/fermanagh/church.htm
Jun 30 2011
KERRY Genealogy Archives
-Kilgobbin Church Of Ireland, Near Camp, Kerry, Ireland - Quirke (partial)
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/kerry/cem.htm
LEITRIM Genealogy Archives - Land
-In the Matter of the Estate of JOHN WILLIAM JOHNSTON et al, Lot No. 1, 1858
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/leitrim/land.htm
LIMERICK Genealogy Archives - Photos
-Spillane, Peter 1900 - Ancestory photo
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/limerick/photos.htm
LONGFORD Genealogy Archives - Church & Cemetery Records
-Deaths in the Parishes of Templemichael and Ballymacormick 1802-1810 (updated
to 1810)
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/longford/church.htm
-Ardagh, St. Patrick's, (Church of Ireland)
-Drumlish Old Cemetery 2002
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/longford/cem.htm
MONAGHAN Genealogy Archives - Military & Cemetery
-Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Monaghan 1846 (partial)
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/monaghan/military.htm
-Abbey Graveyard, Clones
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/monaghan/cem.htm
SLIGO Genealogy Archives - Land Records & Cemetery
-Encumbered Estate of THOMAS HOWLEY - Lot 1 (Quigue)
-Encumbered Estate of JOHN WILLIAM JOHNSTON, AND SEVERAL OTHERS - Lot 2 (Correa)
-Encumbered Estate of THOMAS HOWLEY - Lot 3 (Owenbeg)
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/sligo/land.htm
-Ballymote Carrowanty Cemetery
-Ballymote Churchyard of the Immaculate Conception
-Collooney Cemetery 2006
-Gurteen Cemetery 2001
-Templeronan Cemetery, 2004
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/sligo/cem.htm
TIPPERARY Genealogy Archives - Photos & Newspapers
-Butler, James 1900 (Ancestor Photo)
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/tipperary/photos.htm
-Insolvents in Ireland - Tipperary 1836
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/tipperary/newspapers/tip-insolvents-1836.
WESTMEATH Genealogy Archives - Cemetery
-St. Feichin Churchyard New Cemetery, Fore, Co. Westmeath
-St. Feichin Churchyard Old Cemetery, Fore, Co. WestmeathGenealogy Archives
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/westmeath/cem.htm
WEXFORD Genealogy Archives Miscellaneous & Church
-Freemen who registered to vote in March 1835, pt 1, A-W
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/wexford/misc.htm
Some Abstracts from Parish Registers of Taghmon, Wexford - mostly CARTY
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/wexford/church.htm

Genealogy in the Movies

2011-07-01T14:14:00.000-04:00

     Genealogy has become so popular that Hollywood has taken note of it and is using it as a plot device! In the recent comedy Little Fockers, Robert DeNiro plays a family historian who is obsessed with the future of his family dynasty. He has an elaborate family tree on the wall of his study. The ancestral name is "Byrne," so I am assuming an Irish connection (by the way, both DeNiro, famous for his portrayals of Italian characters, and Ben Stiller, who plays the Jewish main character, have Irish roots).
     The movie made me think about other movies that contain genealogy themes. The Shipping News is my favorite, both for its exploration of the theme of ancestry and its fabulous musical score. Quoyle, the main character played by Kevin Spacy, moves to his ancestral home in Newfoundland and discovers the dark side of his family history. While not strictly an "Irish" family, the town and seafaring characters reflect the Celtic heritage found in that part of Newfoundland.
     ( Watch the Trailer for THE SHIPPING NEWS )
     While not strictly genealogical in theme, the movies Far and Away and Gangs of New York can be helpful to family historians who would like to understand the hardships that their Irish ancestors may have encountered in coming to and settling in the United States in the 1800's.
     I shouldn't forget (or maybe I should!) to add The MatchMaker, in which Janeane Garofalo plays an assistant to a U.S. senator. The senator is facing re-election and is in need of Irish American votes, so he sends his assistant to Ireland to "dig up" his Irish roots and to find present-day Irish relatives. While you won't learn much about Irish genealogy from this very "light" comedy, you might like some of the shots of Ireland.
     So, get out the popcorn and rent some DVDs with a genealogy theme! (By the way, I am not guaranteeing that you will LIKE any of these movies, just noting their connection to Irish genealogy!) Readers, know any more genealogy movies?

MY IMMIGRATION ADVENTURE: A DESCENDANT RETURNS TO CANADA

2011-06-24T18:37:00.000-04:00

     I am going through big changes in my life this summer, changes that have made me stop and reflect on the lives of my ancestors. In September, I will be moving from the Philadelphia area to Toronto, Canada. My Large ancestors from County Kilkenny lived in Canada for a short time before continuing to Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, so I will be reversing their route.
     My emigration will be much more bureaucratically onerous than that of Bridget Kavanagh Large in 1844. My husband and I need letters stating our purpose for visiting Canada each time we go there to prepare our new home. My last flight home involved a long afternoon wait at customs and an additional full body scan at the airport (not that I mind the security measures, I am happy to cooperate). The paperwork we will need to work and live in Toronto gives me a headache--bank accounts, car registrations, car insurance, health insurance, social security numbers, mail forwarding, doctors records, medical exams, visas, work permits, cat permits, veterinarian papers.
     Bridget didn't need any such paperwork in 1844.
     But she had a much harder emigration journey than my one hour plane ride or ten hours in the car. In the spring of 1844, Bridget received funds and permission to emigrate from Lord Wandesforde, the lord of the estate in the area of Castlecomer, County Kilkenny. She was a poor widow traveling with her seven children. She braved the cold Atlantic in a "coffin ship." When she arrived in Canada, she needed food and supplies for her family, and the Canadian government provided her with the essentials she needed to survive. I have found records detailing the provisions that she received from Canada in Kingston. I wonder, would she have survived without this assistance from the Canadian government? She was so poor in Ireland that she had to beg Lord Wandesforde for blankets for her children.
     Below is the list of provisions given to immigrants, including "Widow Large" at Kingston, Ontario, in 1844. This list is from the Canadian Archives. I believe some of the others listed might be Co. Kilkenny people.

     Bridget's great great granddaughter will be traveling in an air conditioned and heated car. My cat Oscar will probably have a more comfortable emigration journey than did Bridget, although I am willing to bet that Oscar will be complaining more loudly. I will have the opportunity to take several trips to Toronto to select a home. Helping me will be two relocation professionals who will drive me around the city and supply me with maps and information. I wonder if Bridget had anyone meet her when she arrived in Kingston? Family legends claim that the both the Large and Kavanagh families had disowned Bridget and her husband Thomas when they married, because of religious and social differences. One tale tells of an aunt on the Large side, who tried to take the sons away from Bridget in Canada, forcing the family to flee to Pennsylvania. I have not yet been able to verify this story, but I am hoping that my time in Canada will help me to research and complete Bridget's story.
     So, even though I have been too busy with my upcoming move to do much genealogy research, I find I am thinking of my ancestors often during my immigration process. I am certainly learning to appreciate more and more the psychological and emotional trauma that our ancestors must have experienced when leaving Ireland for a new land. I can hardly bear to leave my family, friends, and Irish genealogy group behind. How horrid the conditions in Ireland must have been in 1844 to cause Bridget to set off across the ocean with her seven children, with only the hopes that the government or some kind soul would feed them when they landed!

DISAPPEARING ACTS

2011-06-16T19:43:00.000-04:00

     I have found a very common frustration among family historians. A researcher finds a new cousin, or another researcher with common research interests, then that new contact becomes incommunicado. POOF! Disappears into thin air! In many of the stories I hear, this new contact seemed very enthusiastic about genealogy or about finding a new family connection. Usually, this person received far more information than he or she shared. Many times, this person hints about or claims to possess valuable family information. So, why the disappearing act?
     I think, although the stories are the same, the reasons people hide are too diverse to generalize. Some people get excited about meeting a new relative, then think twice about getting involved with more family members. Others want the information, but they are possessive about their own records and photos, and simply don't want to share. Some envision themselves as THE family historian, and don't like sharing the title. And, some are just plain cantankerous!
     The disappearances I don't quite understand myself are the fellow researchers who don't respond or who disappear after getting the help they need. I am hearing more and more complaints from people who have had their DNA tested, have contacted their matches, and don't hear back. These matches are people who also have had their DNA tested for genealogical purposes and who signed a consent form to be contacted. They also paid a hefty sum to get their DNA tested for genealogical purposes. Why don't they follow through?
     I see this lack of responsiveness as a real and growing problem in genealogy. I know quite a few family historians who are now much more possessive about their work product and records because they were "burned" too many times by people who took their work and disappeared. Access to records and communication with relatives and fellow researchers are the key tools relied upon by family historians. Sharing and helping each other is crucial to us.
     What to do?
     Short of pestering, burglary (just kidding!!), and becoming more possessive ourselves, there is little we can do to force someone to communicate. In the law, there is an old legal principle that it is easier to restrain a person from doing an act than it is to force a person to act. Some people respond to repeated requests, others are put off by what they perceive as pestering and shut up tighter than a clam shell.
     The most effective methods reported by other researchers seems to be bribery and third-party involvement. I know some researchers who will not share all of their work product with a new contact. They use the promise of "more information to come" as an encouragement for the other person to share. I have also heard successful stories of other relatives or friends interceding with the recalcitrant person to obtain the needed information.
     But I do find it hard, myself, not to feel a bit "burned" when a contact drops out of sight, especially after getting my information and sharing none in return.

TALES AND TABOOS

2011-06-09T14:25:00.000-04:00

     Once a month, a group of family history researchers from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York (and sometimes Delaware) meet in Voorhees, NJ, as the Irish American Family History Society. (IAFHS) The formal name belies a casual, fun atmosphere with great craic! Our June meeting had a titillating topic: "Tales and Taboos." We shared stories about our ancestors, stories which were often covered up by family members. We discovered that knowing and researching these stories are important because they can either help or hinder our research. For example, I had an ancestor listed on a census as a widow, with one child, living with her parents. So, I began digging. Turns out that she was not a widow--she and her husband fought frequently early in their marriage, and she left her husband often. I guess she was pretty mad at him the day the census taker came! But if I hadn't dug into family gossip, I would not have discovered the error in my records!
     I will list some of the common "tales and taboos" that might create brick walls in our research. Often, there is an explanation for why we are thrown off track, and that explanation makes for a great tale!
     MURDER AND MAYHEM! I've met quite a few researchers whose ancestors were murderers or murder victims. Not all of these homicides resulted in convictions. Sometimes they were listed as "accidental deaths," especially if they happened in a workplace or tavern. Many times, our ancestors died in workplace accidents or catastrophes that would be considered criminal today. Don't forget to check death certificates for any hint that a coroner's inquest might have occurred. You might be able to obtain the inquest records or find newspaper articles about the circumstances surrounding an ancestor's untimely death.
     KISSING COUSINS! The degree of relationship acceptable for marriage has changes through time and place. In many societies, marriages between first cousins and between uncles and nieces were accepted. Bigamy was not limited to the Mormons--I have heard many stories from researchers who found that their ancestors had two or more spouses without getting divorced. Can't find a marriage record for your great grandparents? You might consider that they might not have bothered making their relationship "legal!"
     BUN IN THE OVEN! My vote for the all-time-brick-wall-making-event is birth date. Children conceived by or born to unmarried parents have been the subject of fudged dates and relationships on many a family tree. Consider this possibility when there are large gaps in the sibling order of a family--the "bonus baby" may in fact be a child of one of the daughters.
     DON'T BE AFRAID TO INQUIRE! I have found that some researchers are embarrassed to consider the idea that an ancestor might have been "scandalous," but an open mind often leads to genealogical discoveries.

GOT THE SEA IN YOUR BLOOD?

2011-06-01T15:20:00.000-04:00

     If your ancestor was an Irish born member of the British Merchant Marine from September 1918 to December 1921, you are in genealogical luck. The IRISH MARINERS web site has an online index of 23,000 Irish born seamen, with some Canadian seamen as well. The index is the key to a collection of cards in the Southampton Civic Archives. The cards themselves contain photos, personal information, and voyage details. The Irish Mariners site is fascinating to visit even if you do not have mariners of that time in your tree. Some of the photos of the young Irish men about to go off to sea are precious. Link to the website below.
     If your family has tales of navy men among your ancestors, be sure to check the British naval records in the National Archives (U.K.). The Archives web page has a fantastic search engine, plus more records are being digitized and placed online as time goes on, so don't forget to check it often. Link to Archives' Naval Service records below.
      I want to send a big THANK YOU to a few fellow researchers who alerted me to the Irish Mariners site: Jack Langton of the Castlecomer mailing list, Pat Connors of Connors Genealogy, and Michael of the County Carlow IGP site and Carlow mailing list. I would like to mention the hard work of the many independent site owners such as Pat and Michael, plus the tireless volunteers who maintain the Irish Genealogical Project pages. These individuals give their time and effort to bring free online records to Irish researchers everywhere. Links to their sites below.
IRISH MARINERS WEBSITE: http://www.irishmariners.ie/index.php
NATIONAL ARCHIVES NAVAL SERVICE RECORDS: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/navy-cards-and-files.asp
COUNTY CARLOW IGP WEBSITE: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~irlcar2/Site_index.htm
CONNORS GENEALOGY (various Irish counties and NY records): http://www.connorsgenealogy.com/
BRENNAN WEBSITE (southeast Co. Laois): http://freepages.family.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mjbrennan/index.htm

NEW ONLINE IRISH DATABASE AND IGI UPDATES

2011-05-25T16:50:00.000-04:00

     Today, I have two updates about online resources--one free, one not. The Irish genealogy world has been buzzing about the Irish version of Find My Past that is now available (the company is known for their UK operations). I have been waiting a bit to write about it until I tried it out for myself. Using the free search and examining the record groups in the database, I did not find much that would help me in my own research. But there are some interesting records in their database that might help other researchers. Don't forget to read my last week's post "Guidelines for Being a Smart Genealogy Consumer" before you pay for online information at any database.
http://www.findmypast.ie/
     The dedicated volunteers at the Irish Genealogical Projects continue in their mission to provide free records to fellow researchers. If your ancestor was in the Royal Irish Constabulary, you will want to check the IGP regularly because they have been adding RIC records at a rapid pace.
     Some of their latest additions are as follows:

IGP UPDATES

General IRELAND Genealogy Archives - Education
Alumni Dublineses - BOOKER- BOOMER, DOBBIN-DOBSON George, FLOOD, FLYNN (FLINN)
FOGARTY, PHILLPS/PHILLIPS
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/countrywide/education.htm
ANTRIM Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Antrim, Sep 1852-May 1853
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/antrim/military.htm
- Photos
Joseph Cassells, James Cassells, Isaac Cassells - Newspaper Photos
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/antrim/photos.htm
ARMAGH Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Armagh 1846
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/armagh/military.htm
CARLOW Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Carlow 1846
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Carlow Jan 1853-Oct 1853
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/carlow/military.htm
CAVAN Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Cavan 1846
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/cavan/military.htm
- Headstones
Cootehill Graveyard (CoI) partial
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/cavan/photos/tombstones/markers.htm
CLARE Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary - 1846
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/clare/military.htm
CORK Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Cork 1846
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Cork Jan 1853-Nov 1853
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/cork/military.htm
DONEGAL Genealogy Archives - Wills
Last Will & Testament of John McElhinney? Died 28 April 1889
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/donegal/wills.htm
- Military & Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Donegal 1846
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/donegal/military.htm
DOWN Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of DOWN 1846
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/down/military.htm
DUBLIN Genealogy Archives - Headstones -
Mount Jerome, Dublin - Part 22
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/dublin/photos/tombstones/mt-jerome-ndx.htm
Deansgrange Cemetery, St. Brigids Section
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/dublin/photos/tombstones/deansgrange-ndx.htm
- Military & Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Dublin 1846
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/dublin/military.htm
FERMANAGH Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary Records
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Fermanagh Jan 1853-Oct 1853
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/fermanagh/military.htm
- Church
Galloon, Diocese of Clogher, Marriage Register 1830-1844
Galloon Register, Dio. of Clogher Burials, (CoI) 1830-1844
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/fermanagh/church.htm
GALWAY Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Galway, Jan 1853-Jun 1853
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Galway, Jun 1853-Oct 1853
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/galway/military.htm
- Headstones.
Abbeygormacan (R.C.) Cemetery
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/galway/photos/tombstones/markers.htm
KILDARE Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Kildare Jan 1853-Nov 1853
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/kildare/military.htm
LEITRIM Genealogy Archives -Headstones
Newtowngore, St. Patrick's Church of Ireland (10 images including church)
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/leitrim/photos/tombstones/markers.htm
- Military & Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Leitrim Jan 1853-Nov 1853
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/leitrim/military.htm
LONGFORD Genealogy Archives - Church Records
Deaths in the Parishes of Templemichael and Ballymacormick 1802-1809
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/longford/church.htm
- Military & Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Longford July 1853 - Oct 1853
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/longford/military.htm
LOUTH Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Louth Jan 1853-Nov 1853
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/louth/military.htm
MAYO Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of MAYO Jan 1853-Nov 1853
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/mayo/military.htm
MONAGHAN Genealogy Archives - Headstones.
Saint Salvatore's, Donagh. New Additions and new transcription.
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/monaghan/photos/tombstones/markers.htm
OFFALY (KINGS) Genealogy Archives - Photos
Rice Family 1901
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/offaly/photos.htm
- Military & Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Kings Jan 1853-Oct 1853
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/offaly/military.htm
Tyrone Genealogy Archives - Military
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Tyrone Jan 1853-Nov 1853
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/tyrone/military.htm
WATERFORD Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Waterford Jan 1853-Nov 1853
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/waterford/military.htm
WEXFORD Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Wexford Jan 1853-Nov 1853
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/wexford/military.htm
WICKLOW Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Delgany Old Cemetery
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/wicklow/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

GUIDELINES FOR BEING A SMART GENEALOGY CONSUMER

2011-05-19T14:53:00.000-04:00

     I often find myself in a quandary when reporting on new sites and services in the world of Irish genealogy. Ireland's tourist industry, among many other genealogy entrepreneurs, discovered very early on that descendants of the diaspora would pay for online information about their ancestors. I am not against paying for information or access to it online, because I do realize that costs are involved in research, transcription, digitization, and website maintenance. I regularly pay for subscriptions and records on various genealogical web sites. Many of these companies provide a valuable service at a fair price.
     I don't mind fees or costs that I feel are fair. What I do mind are sites that charge for records that can be obtained for free, and in a fairly easy manner, elsewhere. I also don't like being treated like a fish being reeled in by broad search engines that force me to spend money rather indiscriminately to determine if a record pertains to my ancestors. I do not like having to buy records in a "bundle" in the hopes that one of them might be relevant to my research.
     So, check out my "consumer guidelines" and learn from some of the ways I, and other researchers, have wasted our money in the pursuit of online records!

GUIDELINES FOR BEING A SMART GENEALOGY CONSUMER

1. Check the databases. Determine what databases are included. Check if the source of the individual databases are named. Then check for those databases elsewhere to see is they are available free (don't forget to check free book sites such as Google Books). Determine if those databases would be helpful to your research.
2. Read the terms and conditions! Yes, I am guilty of simply clicking the "I agree" box a few times without reading all the legalize (and me, a lawyer, shame!). But many of the genealogical online database sites have restrictions on searches and uses that might surprise you.
3. Check whether renewal is automatic, and if it is, whether you will receive notice before the renewal is made. Some sites allow you to turn off the auto renewal feature.
4. Sites that advertise free searches but charge for details of retrieved records often limit the number of free searches. I know people who have been restricted from databases for performing too many free searches without purchasing any records.
5. I have seen terms that restrict a user's purpose to personal research only. I have seen terms that restrict a user from using their subscription to perform research for anyone else, even if the user is doing it for free. I'm not quite sure how the sites police this type of use, but I have on occasion had to click a button saying that a name was on my family tree.
6. If you purchase a record, check the expiration date for viewing the record. On most sites, you are purchasing the right to view the record for a specified time only. Can you save the image to your computer? Print it out?
7. Know what you will get for your money when you pay for a record. Will you be able to view the original record online, or are you paying for a transcription of a record? If a transcription, beware of transcriber error.
8. Examine the search engine. Can you use a phonetic or soundex search or are you limited to exact spelling ? Does it have advanced search features such a geographical locations, dates, spouses, parents, occupations, and keywords? Can you exclude certain terms?

FIDO AND FIFI: ARE YOUR FOUR LEGGED FAMILY MEMBERS IN YOUR TREE?

2011-05-13T16:16:00.001-04:00

     While labeling photographs with my mother and aunt, I came across a studio portrait of them as children. A cute dog was smiling for the camera along with the children. Sparky was important enough to the family to be included in the portrait, but no one thought to put his name on the back of the photograph. After asking a few questions, I found that Sparky, like most of our pets, played a big part in the family's life.
     Have you included your pets in your family tree? Labeled them in your photos? Included stories about them in your collection of family tales?
     I am finding that it is hard to include pets in the genealogy computer programs. Instead, I have begun to write essays about them to keep with the other essays I am writing for my genealogy writing class.
     One woman in my class wrote a beautiful essay about how she sits and watches the wildlife in her backyard every morning while she has her coffee. She described the birds and squirrels, and even the wild turkeys that would attack her new car. While these creatures are not family pets, they are an important part of her life, and her stories will certainly be a treasure for her descendants.
     Don't forget to ask about family pets when you question family members for information. You will be surprised how a story about Fido the dog or Fifi the cat, or even Sam the turtle, can bring alive an ancestral family and reveal much about the family itself.
     I thought I would include an essay that I wrote for my genealogy writing class about Oscar, our cat. I hope you enjoy!

OSCAR THE PROZAC CAT

All my life, I hated cats. Hated their hair all over the furniture, hated their claws, hated how they never came when called. Then one day over Christmas break, my daughter showed up with Oscar.

Oscar was born in an automotive shop, one of a stray litter. The tiny ball of fluff with big pointy ears was not yet weaned, not yet taught by its mother what it means to be a cat. He was placed into a house full of crazy college students, not all of whom treated him very well. When Oscar came home to visit us over Christmas break, I could tell that he was a nervous wreck. Every sight, every sound scared the little guy. He hardly slept, and when he did, it was only after a half hour of sucking my thumb.

     So, I didn’t have the heart to send Oscar back, and he stayed home with us. But his behavior worsened as he grew. He scratched. He bit. Any time any sound or sight scared him, and the claws and teeth came out.
     I began to accumulate scratches and bits on my face and nose. I used up tubes of antibiotic ointments. My doctor gave me a tetanus shot. I took Oscar to a couple of vets, and both said that Oscar could not be helped and that most people would euthanize a cat like him. I just could not do it.
     One day, Oscar crept into the bedroom while I was napping. He jumped on my face and bit my eye (I think he was aiming for my nose, he had a fixation on biting noses). My eyelid was almost bitten through. My husband decided that Oscar had to be taken to the shelter, which was a death sentence because Oscar would not be placed in another home because of his biting history.
     I cried for hours that night.
     The next day, I called vets. I called animal psychologists at the University of Pennsylvania. I finally found a new vet, who agreed to see Oscar before we made the final decision to give him to a shelter. When I walked into the office, the vet and his assistant stared at me. I had a bruised and cut eye, cuts on my nose, and long scarlet scratches down both arms and covering both hands.
     “Lady,” the vet said, “I deal with cats all day long and I don’t look anywhere as bad as you do!”
     The vet thought there was one avenue of treatment left--Prozac. Hopefully, year or so on drugs could give Oscar the time to grow out of his adolescent cat behaviors and help him to grow into an adult cat.
     So we tried the drug therapy. There were a few more months of scratches and bites, but the incidents grew less and less. After a year, we weaned him off of the drug.
     Oscar will never be a calm cat--there is no groomer in the area who will touch him, and even the vet will not examine him unless Oscar is anesthetized. He still loves to bite, but limits himself to a playful toe nip. He gives me a reassuring lick when he bites too hard. He is my constant companion--he never leaves my side when I am in the house. He is a loving feline snuggle bunny.
     So what has Oscar taught me? This valuable lesson: just when a cat or person seems beyond redemption, that just might be the point when a life can be turned around.
     I just hope that some of Oscar's "redeemed" nine lives are spent basking in the sun on the widowsill instead of chewing on my toes!

IRISH GENEALOGY NEWS

2011-05-06T12:21:00.001-04:00

Lots happening in the world of Irish genealogy, so today I will bring you the highlights.

CHANGES AT THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF IRELAND (NLI). Going to Ireland this spring or summer to research? Be aware that the National Library has changed its hours for the reading rooms. Beginning this week, the new reading room hours will be Monday to Wednesday 9:30 to 19:45, Thursday and Friday 9:30 to 16:45, and Saturday 9:30 to 12:45. Also, a new boon for researchers--you can now pre-order manuscripts, books, and microfilms BEFORE your visit. Your materials will be ready for you when you arrive. While at the NLI, you can also reserve items for the next day. This change is a very important time saver for family historians. When I researched the Wandesforde papers in the manuscript reading room, a good third of my time was spent filling out order forms and waiting for the runners to retrieve the files. While the runners were prompt and service was wonderful, I did lose valuable research time waiting for files. This change provides us with tons more time for research. Remember that PREPARATION is the key to a successful research trip to Ireland!

ADVANCE ORDERING AT NLI

IRELAND REACHES OUT TO DESCENDANTS OF EMIGRANTS. Thanks to my friend Rosemarie, who made me aware of a new program that is being launched in Ireland to identify and to welcome the descendants of emigrants. That's correct--not only are we searching for our ancestors, Ireland is searching for us! This summer, a family and local history celebration will be held for descendants of emigrants from southeast Galway. If you have Galway ancestors, be sure to check out the upcoming WEEK OF WELCOMES : IRELANDXO.ORG

DICK EASTMAN ARTICLE ON IRISH PENSION RECORDS. Dick Eastman recently published a blog article about Irish pension records being made available (for a fee) online by Irish-Genealogy.com. The pension records and forms are important to many researchers because they can contain information that is lacking due to the loss of census records. However, I would urge readers to read the comment section after Dick's blog post, as the comments contain valuable information regarding the records.

DICK EASTMAN'S BLOG POST CONCERNING IRELAND-GENEALOGY.COM

WHEN VISITING ARCHIVES: GIFTS AND GOOD WORDS

2011-04-28T15:40:00.001-04:00

With so many family history researchers planning their spring and summer Ireland vacations, I thought I would share a travel tip I learned from others. Bringing gifts with me to Ireland never occurred to me until I met a woman who enlightened me. She always packs small gifts to give to staff members and locals who help her with her research. I've since met others who follow the same practice. One woman travels with souvenirs of her hometown of Philadelphia, such as small Liberty Bells or Hershey's Kisses candy. Another brings along copies of her own town's history to give as thank you gifts.
When I am in the American Southwest, I like to collect the "storyteller dolls" made by many Native Americans. The dolls usually depict a grandmother or tribal elder telling stories to children. I have given these dolls to some Irish family historians as gifts. Not only are the dolls a uniquely American treasure, the Irish genealogists appreciated the thought behind the gesture--that they are keepers of their townland's stories.

     These gifts serve a purpose to the giver, also. Your Irish contacts are sure to remember you!
     On my last trip to Ireland, I spent the bulk of two weeks in the reading room of the archives of the National Library of Ireland. I am sure I taxed the patience of the librarians I peppered with questions and the runners who retrieved the files I ordered every half hour or so. On my last day of research, I put together a gift bag full of candies and treats for the Library's "tea room." I was not prepared for the outpouring of gratitude shown by the staff for just a small gesture of appreciation.
     Many archives, libraries, and institutions have a snack, lunch, or tea room. Bringing cookies or snacks for the staff is a good way to thank the entire staff for all the help they give researchers.
     One librarian in Ireland suggested yet another way for researchers to show their appreciation: she requested that I write a letter to the "boss," expressing my satisfaction with the staff's service. Her request reminded me how often I take for granted the services of librarians and archivists and staff members who contribute to my family history research. A simple compliment expressed to a library or archive director might have an effect on a person's job or might help a department obtain funding.
     I can't say that I always remember to commend a staff member or bring along a treat to an archive, but I do find that the gesture is always appreciated when I do. A simple "thank you, your staff is terrific" can go a long way towards brightening the day at your favorite archive or library!

GENES AND GENEALOGY--OY! MY HEAD HURTS FROM IT ALL!

2011-04-21T16:20:00.001-04:00

     I finally decided to have my DNA analyzed. For years, I have been reading about DNA testing for genealogy purposes. I have also been waiting for the prices to drop. Prices are still a bit steep for me, but every so often a sale comes along to tempt me. A few weeks ago, Family Tree DNA ran a one-day half-price sale on its Facebook page (the other company is 23andme), . With twenty minutes left in the sale, I jumped in and ordered my kit.
     I will update my trials and tribulations with DNA testing over the next few months. Since scraping my mouth with a tiny plastic comb and sending in my cell samples, I have been trying to educate myself about using genetic testing for genealogical purposes. It has been a tough education--my last science class was in 1972!
     As a female, my testing choices are limited. The only line that can be tested with females for genealogical purposes is a mother's maternal line. The test for this specific genetic line is called the mtDNA test. This tests the mitochondrial DNA that a mother passes on to both female and male children. The one big problem, in family history hunting terms, about this test is that the ancestry revealed by this test is rather ancient. As a genealogical tool, it has limited application, since the results reveal broad genetic groupings from eons ago, and very little from more recent ancestors. Interesting, yes, but of very limited use to genealogists.
     Males, on the other hand, receive both the X and the Y chromosomes from their parents, plus the mitochondrial DNA from their mothers. The test for the Y chromosome is limited to the father's paternal line. But at least a man can obtain a genealogical snapshot of both his father's paternal line and his mother's maternal line. The Y test can be used to match ancestry with others to a finer and more recent degree than the mtDNA test.
     Men with Irish ancestry take note--there is a "warrior" gene that has been passed down through Celtic ancestry. Those men having this "Niall" gene have deep Celtic roots back to the first Celtic warriors in Ireland.
     What about all those lines in the middle? Your mother's father's lines and your father's mother's lines and so on? The chromosomes from all these other ancestral lines are passed down in a rather haphazard fashion and are not easy to trace. Just a few years ago, there was no way to match relatives through testing this jumble of genetic material.
     But a new test has been developed, and it is in the "beta," or testing, stage, but it has become available to genealogists. Called Family Finder by Family Tree DNA and Relative Finder by 23andme, this test is what is known as an "autosomal" test. In my view, this test has the promise of becoming a huge genealogical tool. Currently, these tests can match cousins up to about 5 generations, and both males and females can be matched. This test compares your jumble of chromosomes with that of others who have taken the test.
     The successful use of these autosomal tests for genealogy is dependent on two factors: 1) the size of the database (i.e., the amount of people tested), and 2) the system of notification of matches. As more people are tested, the greater the possibility of finding a cousin. Plus, the test subjects must be willing to enter a notification system that releases their contact information to those people who match chromosomes with them. Currently, Family Finder (Family Tree DNA) has a free notification system, and Relative Finder (23andme) runs theirs on a subscription basis.
     Join me on my journey through the exciting land of genetic genealogy in the coming weeks as I explore the possibilities of finding cousins through my DNA!

LINKS

PLEASE NOTE THAT I AM NOT ENDORSING ANY COMPANY OR PRODUCT. I AM PRESENTING BELOW THE LINKS TO THE COMPANIES, THAT I HAVE FOUND THROUGH MY RESEARCH, THAT CONDUCT DNA TESTING FOR GENEALOGICAL PURPOSES. IF ANY READERS KNOW OF OTHER RESOURCES, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

23andme

Family Tree DNA

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GENETIC GENEALOGY:

International Society of Genetic Genealogy

The DNA Testing Adviser

IRISH GENEALOGY NEWS: IGP, IFHF, HERITAGE CERTS

2011-04-15T14:33:00.000-04:00

CERTIFICATE OF HERITAGE

The Irish government has announced that the Irish heritage certificate will be available within weeks. However, the precise nature of the certificate, its uses, and the process of obtaining one are all still a bit unclear. The requirements for proving Irish ancestry will supposedly be lower than those for Irish citizenship, but the actual proofs have not been made public. I have read that the certificate will entitle the bearer to tourism discounts. I am betting that the certificates will be a very successful marketing gimmick for Ireland, especially since Americans are eager to display their Irish roots in any way possible. This eagerness to be more "Oirish" than the next guy is both good and bad, in my humble opinion--the bad part is when those who parade on a certain day in March don't take the time to care about their ancestral roots. I sometimes give genealogy talks to Irish American organizations, and have been amazed at how little many of these members of the "active Irish American community" know of their own ancestry and of Ireland itself. The desire for a certificate "proving" their "Oirishness" might spur some serious family history investigations.

IRISH AMERICAN FAMILY HISTORY FOUNDATION:

CO. MONAGHAN

On a less controversial note, the Irish American Family History Foundation has added new County Monaghan records to its online database. Don't forget that, while a limited number of searches are free on the IFHF database, the actual records are not. Also, too much searching without purchasing a record can get a person locked out of the database access.

LINK :

IFHF SOUCE LIST FOR MONAGHAN

IRISH GENEALOGICAL PROJECTS

Time for the March updates for the Irish Genealogical Projects!

CLARE
--Military & Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Clare Sep 1852-May 1853
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/clare/military.htm
-- Photos
Castle Bunratty & Dirty Nelly's Pub est 1620
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/clare/photos.htm
DUBLIN
-- Headstones
Mt. Jerome, Dublin Pt 20 & 21 (Over 3,000 gravestones)
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/dublin/photos/tombstones/mt-jerome-ndx.htm
GALWAY
--Headstones
Moylough Cemetery, County Galway (10 images)
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/galway/photos/tombstones/markers.htm
KERRY
-- Photos
Muckross House & Dennehy, Patrick or Coakley, Timothy
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/kerry/photos.htm
--Headstones
Kilbannivane Burial Ground (a few headstones)
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/kerry/photos/tombstones/markers.htm
-- Military & Constabulary Records
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Kerry Jan 1852-Oct 1853
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/kerry/military.htm
LAOIS
-- Church Records
Mount Mellick (R.C.) Baptisms M-O
Assorted R.C. Baptisms - Connor, Fitzpatrick, Kennedy
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/laois/church.htm
LIMERICK
-- Photos
Kilfinnane, St Andrews C.of Ireland
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/limerick/photos.htm
LONDONDERRY,
--Military & Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Londonderry Sep 1852-Oct 1853
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/derry/military.htm
LONGFORD
-- Military & Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Longford July 1852 - May 1853
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/longford/military.htm
MONAGHAN
--Headstones.
Glennan Presbyterian Church Graveyard - additional photos
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/monaghan/photos/tombstones/markers.htm
--Military & Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Monaghan Sep 1852-May 1853
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/monaghan/military.htm
ROSCOMMON
--Military & Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Roscommon Jun 1853-Oct 1853
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/roscommon/military.htm
TIPPERARY
-- Military
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Tipperary Jun 1853-Oct 1853
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/tipperary/military.htm
WICKLOW
--Headstones
Bray - St Pauls Graveyard, (CoI) (partial)
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/wicklow/photos/tombstones/markers.htm
St Patrick's Enniskerry - Part 5
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/wicklow/photos/tombstones/enniskerry-ndx.htm
-- Military
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Wicklow Sep 1852-Oct 1853
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/wicklow/military.htm

NEVER SAY NEVER

2011-04-07T17:23:00.002-04:00

     A lady approached me after my recent presentation at the Central Jersey Genealogy Club (wonderful group of people, by the way). She told me a story that was similar to others I had heard before. Her story, like the others, went along these lines:
    "A professional genealogist told me that I would never find my ancestor in Ireland."
     I kept my voice barely below scream level, "HE TOLD YOU WHAT?"
     "He told me that Jones [*name changed] was not an Irish name. He showed me a map of Ireland that had all the Irish surnames on it and, he was right, there was no Jones listed. He said that meant that I would never find records with that name in Ireland."
     After I picked my jaw off the floor and put my popped eyeballs back in their sockets, I asked her why she thought her ancestor was Irish.
    "My family members claim that my great great grandfather had Scottish parents but that he was born in Ireland."
     This story illustrates one important point about seeking professional advice regarding Irish research:  be careful when commissioning research. Don't stop at checking to see what certifications or credentials a researcher possesses--ask whether they have expertise in the area you are researching, regardless of that string of abbreviations after their name. After all, you wouldn't necessarily expect your eye doctor to diagnose your shortness of breath, nor a business lawyer to defend you against capital murder charges, would you? Besides, where Irish research is concerned, I know quite a few "amateurs" who are more knowledgeable than many certified genealogists.
     Beware, there are many genealogists and researchers out there who simply cannot say, when asked a question, those three important words:
     "I don't know."
     I will now give you three more words you need to know about Irish research:
     "Never. Say. Never."
     There is NOT one map, or one set of records, or one database that contains every record of our Irish ancestors. Run from any genealogist or researcher who tells you so, or tells you that your ancestors were not from a particular area because they were not on one list or another.
     Those of us who have been doing Irish research for a long time know that we never say never. I will tell you a story that could have had a very sad ending, but, luckily, it didn't. It's about me, and it is not sad because I learned my lesson very early.
     Decades ago, back in the days before Al Gore invented the Internet, I went to a local family history center because I had heard that it contained a computer with genealogical records. I was a complete novice at genealogical research. A man met me at the door and said he would guide me in my research. He looked through a few books on Irish records on the shelf, sat at a computer, then typed my ancestors' names. He obtained a few results with my surnames of interest, but none of the results seemed to be from my family.
     He then announced that I would find nothing.
     "Nothing?"
     "No, nothing."
     "Nothing, anywhere? Here or anywhere?"
     "Nope, not anywhere. If it is not on our computer, you won't find them. We have it all."
     I had no idea that he was a volunteer who, obviously, was not trained and had no idea what he was talking about. I thought he was an expert. After all, I was a neophyte, a newbie, an amateur.
     I was also, thankfully, very stubborn and very persistent.
     Within ten years, I was standing on the site of my third great grandmother's cottage in Innishatieve, County Tyrone.
     Never say never.

IRISH INHERITED DISEASES: HAVE YOU RESEARCHED YOUR IRISH FAMILY MEDICAL HISTORY?

2011-03-31T22:51:00.000-04:00

     When my husband and I were planning marriage and children, we did not give a thought about being tested for the possibility of being carriers of the gene for Tay-Sachs Disease (TSD). TSD is a fatal inherited disease that destroys a child's nervous system. My husband is Jewish, so I was aware of the prevalence of TSD in the Jewish community. But, being Irish and Polish myself, I thought there was no need to be tested, since the disease requires genes from both parents.
     Years later, through my family history research, I discovered that I might have Jewish ancestors in my Polish tree. I also discovered that the Irish, along with French Canadians and Cajun peoples, also have a high risk of being TSD carriers. Although we have no incidence of TDS in the family, these revelations brought home to me the importance of collecting the family medical history, along with the other family records and stories.
         Those of us of Irish descent should also be aware of a couple of other diseases besides TSD. Both celiac disease and hemochromatosis run in Irish families. Celiac is a digestive disorder in which the body cannot process gluten. Hemochromatosis is a hereditary disease in which the body absorbs too much iron, leading to a number of health problems and possible death. It is sometimes called "The Celtic Curse."
      I know a few researchers who have made family medical trees. They have noted diseases and medical conditions on a genealogial chart. These charts can be very useful to a family doctor in assessing a patient's health and risk for various diseases. Of course, there is also a rise in the popularity of DNA testing for many diseases that run in families.
     So, as you note the life statistics of your ancestors, don't forget to note any medical conditions and causes of death. Your family medical history could be a lifesaver to you or a descendant one day.

LINKS

Irish Central online magazine: Irish and Celiac disease

Irish Central online magazine: Irish "Celtic Curse" Iron blood disease

American Hemochromatosis Society

Tay-Sachs disease information

US Surgeon General's Family Health History page

Family Health Portrait tool for beginning your family health history

PRONI REOPENS IN RECORD TIME!

2011-03-29T15:57:00.002-04:00

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) reopens to the public tomorrow, Wednesday, 30 March 2011, at 9 a.m. in its new home at 2 Titantic Quarter, Belfast. The new home is one mile from Belfast City Center, and is near the Odyssey Entertainment Complex. According to the press release, "PRONI@TQ" is an "iconic building, sustainable for the future in terms of fabric, maintenance, and archival deposits." The Public Research Room is double the size of its predecessor and is better equipped for researchers, including those with laptops. Despite having to relocate over 40 km of unique and valuable documents, PRONI achieved the feat in record time, completing the project and opeing to the public months ahead of schedule!

LINK

PRONI

IRISH FAMILY HISTORY FOUNDATION DATABASE: ADVANCED SEARCH ENGINE

2011-03-24T12:14:00.002-04:00

The Irish Family History Foundation (RootsIreland.ie) has announced that the Advanced Search feature is now available for all counties in its database, except for Counties Sligo and Limerick. The IFHF database is the largest online collection of Irish records. The advanced search feature allows a researcher to include more fields (search terms) in searches for births, baptisms, and marriages.. The new feature is useful in narrowing down results to those most pertinent to a researcher's interests. Previously, the fields for searches were limited to an individual's name, time span, and county.

However, there are a few caveats to note when using the IFHF database. While searching the database is free, there is a charge to see the details of the retrieved records. Beware--the number of free searches a person can make is limited. The IFHF warns that "this access will be limited at the discretion of the IFHF and its member centres. A high volume of searches without the purchase of any records will lead to disabling of your account." I have heard from a few researchers who have been denied access to the database because they did not purchase enough records.

     Also, be aware that the pricing policy is different when using the advanced search. The records retrieved from an advanced search must be bought in bulk.
     Check out the map of included counties when researching. Not all Irish counties are included in the database. If you are searching Sligo or Limerick, be aware that returns for those counties will not be included in an advanced search.
     (Please note that I am not affiliated in any way with the IFHF and this post is not an endorsement of or advertisement for the IFHF).

LINK

Irish Family History Foundation (rootsireland.ie)

GENEALOGY AND SEARCH ENGINES

2011-03-18T14:09:00.001-04:00

     I have a fascination with search engines that goes back before Al Gore invented the Internet. (Warning: I am going to "date" myself here with tales of life "back in the old days").  I was in the first generation of lawyers taught to use Lexis as a research tool in the late 1970's. Lexis was the first major step in computer-based legal research. It used Boolean searches to seek out phrases and "buzz" words in legal opinions. Few law firms could afford a Lexis computer station, plus the cost of training its attorneys in Lexis use, but I was lucky to work at one that did, so I received training while I was still in law school.
     This early training was invaluable to me. While I no longer understand the algorithms that drive today's search engines, I can still put together a killer search on most engines. So when I began receiving multiple emails from fellow researchers this past week about the new genealogical search engine Mocavo, I had to try it out right away.
     I think Mocavo has its place in every family history researcher's tool shed, but it does not totally replace general Internet search engines for genealogical use. Mocavo scours genealogy-based databases to get its results. Therefore, it automatically weeds out all those irrelevant results and zeroes in on returns from genealogy related sites only. It performs this job very well.
     One test I use on search engines is my own surname, "Large." Just try putting "Large" in ANY search engine and getting ANY results relevant to genealogy! But Mocavo passed the "Large test" admirably, returning hits about persons with the surname Large from a multitude of genealogical sites--even when I simply used "large." What a welcome help for someone like me who is researching a name that is a commonly used word! Running names such as "Richard Large" or "Thomas Large" in quotes gave better results. For a newcomer to genealogy, this service would be invaluable. Even experienced researchers can use Mocavo to double check or update their Internet searches.
     My only concern is the same one that I have about Ancestry.com: inexperienced researchers might think that they have searched all there is available to search on the Internet. If you are new to genealogy, please don't stop with your results from Mocavo or from Ancestry.com. I have been hearing from many researchers who give up after trying a few searches.
     There is still a place in genealogical research for a well-crafted all-Internet search. Especially in Irish research, only a tiny portion of available genealogical records are on the Internet, and a smaller portion, yet, on popular genealogical sites.
     One way that an Irish genealogical researcher can narrow down a Google search is to use Google Ireland. The top results will be from Irish web sites.
     Don't forget to search Google Books. I have made many Irish genealogical discoveries in 19th century books that are stored on Google Books. Many of these discoveries were made in books published in the UK in the 1800's.
     Clustering search engines are my favorites. A clustering search engine will place its results in categories. This is a convenient way to narrow down your search, especially if the categories include "family" or "genealogy." Unlike Mocavo, you can at least see other categories that might be relevant to your search terms. Sometimes those categories might give you ideas for further research, even if they are not related to genealogy. For example, if your ancestor was, unbeknown to you, an author, that information would pop up in the "author" or "publications" category. That information would be lost in the million hits of a Google search or left out of a narrow genealogy-only Mocavo search. My favorite clustering engine is Yippy (it has gone through various names, such as Clusty).
     So, my advice is to add Mocavo to your favorites list. Do spend some time running your ancestral names through its engine to ensure that you have not missed major genealogical databases. But, don't forget to use a variety of search engines in your research.

LINKS

MOCAVO: http://mocavo.com/

YIPPY: Yippy! Clustering search engine

GOOGLE IRELAND: Google Ireland

GOOGLE BOOKS: http://books.google.com/

IRISH NIGHT ON GENEABLOGGERS RADIO

2011-03-18T11:46:00.000-04:00

Tonight, Geneabloggers Talk Radio is hosting an Irish genealogy night. I am on the guest list, along with fellow blogger Smallest Leaf, plus Sharon Sergeant, Mary Ellen Grogan, and Jennifer Geraghty Gorman. The featured guest from Ireland will be Brian Mitchell, whose Genealogical Atlas of Ireland should be on every Irish family historian's bookshelf. If you can't stay awake tonight for the show (it airs at 10 p.m. eastern), Geneabloggers archives its shows, so you can play it back while surfing the Internet over the weekend!
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/geneabloggers/2011/03/19/irish-roots--a-st-patricks-day-celebration

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

2011-03-14T20:33:00.000-04:00

For St. Patrick's Day, here is a very short video from 1955. My uncle Bill Large and his friend Joe Flaherty are singing Irish tunes at a family picnic. The movie had no sound, but I have always imagined that they were singing "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling," a favorite of theirs.
Don't forget to check my previous blog post for news of important Irish records databases available online.

HOT HOT HOT! NEW ONLINE SOURCES!!

2011-03-13T16:44:00.001-04:00

Better make yourself a nice cup of tea and settle in for a long session at your computer, because the buzz in the Irish genealogy world is all about these new databases, plus some changes and updates to older ones.

TRACE YOUR GUINNESS ROOTS

Hmmm, instead of the tea, viewing the following database might be more appropriately done with your laptop at a local pub while the bartender is drawing you a pint of the black stuff. Guinness itself has taken a liking to genealogy! If one of your ancestors was employed by Guinness, you might be in luck, because the company has put a database of its employee records online. I guess the company will have to change its ads from "Guinness is Good for You" to "Guinness is Good for Genealogists!"
http://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/GenealogySearch.aspx

DIPPAM

The next online archive goes by the name DIPPAM. Sponsored by Queens University, and the University of Ulster, plus other libraries and archival groups, DIPPAM is "an online virtual archive relating to the history of Ireland, and its migration experience from the 18th to the late 20th centuries. It is a free-to-view resource available to all users with an interest in Irish history: family, local, national and diasporic."

I have found that the site is still under development, and is sometimes inactive due to "bugs." If you find it inaccessible, keep trying another day. Every Irish family historian will want to explore its databases.

There are three main databases in DIPPAM of interest to Irish family historians. One is EPPI, the collection of Enhanced Parliamentary Papers on Ireland. The contents of the Papers are far ranging, and, surprisingly, contain many records of local Irish matters, many with names and information. A few years ago, when the EPPI database first appeared online, many Irish genealogists made discoveries in its contents. Then the collection was taken offline and made available through the Southampton University library site, which was more difficult to navigate. The reappearance of EPPI, in an easy to use format, will be good news to many genealogists.

The two other major databases are the IED (Irish Immigration Database) and the VMR (Voices of Migration). The IED will have 33,000 records from PRONI and private sources, mostly covering the years 1780-1920. The VMR contains 90 life narratives and interviews dealing with the Irish diaspora.
http://www.dippam.ac.uk/

THE IRISH ARCHIVES RESOURCE

According to its web statement, "The Irish Archives Resource is a portal web site that will enable researchers/users to search for publicly accessible archival collections that are located in Ireland. The IAR is funded by the Heritage Council of Ireland and is supported by the Archives and Records Association (Ireland)." This site should prove especially valuable for those researchers planning research trips to Ireland. I have used a similar database in the UK in the past and found valuable the ability to locate which archives hold which records. I was able to find Irish estate records from the 1700's in a York, England, archive--something that I might never have found otherwise.
http://www.iar.ie/

IRISH GENEALOGICAL PROJECTS UPDATES

Once again, thanks to the tireless volunteers at the Irish Genealogical Projects (IGP) for adding to the projects' databases!
Antrim Genealogy Archives - Vitals
-Death Certificate of Catherine RAMMAGE (nee Harris), 16 Aug 1886
-Death Certificate of Ross RAMMAGE, 4 Sep 1905
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/antrim/vitals.htm

Clare Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
-Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Clare Jun 1853-Nov 1853
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/clare/military.htm

Derry/Londonderry Genealogy Archives - Vital Records
-Harris, Catherine August 16, 1886
-Ramage , William Ross September 4, 1905
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/derry/vital.htm
Down Genealogy Archives
Headstones
-Hillsborough, St Malachy (CoI), Graveyard, Hillsborough, Co. Down
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/down/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

Photos
-Magheralin (CoI) Church
-Magheralin (CoI) Church Ruins
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/down/photos.htm

Dublin Genealogy Archives - Headstones - Mount Jerome, Dublin
-Mount Jerome, Dublin - Part 19 (see Mount Jerome page)
-Deansgrange Cemetery, West Part 3 (see Deansgrange page)
-Glencullen Cemetery, Old (around St. Patrick's ruins)
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/dublin/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

Longford Genealogy Archives - Newspaper
-Back From The Dead December 5, 1914
-The Late Sgt Maceoin August 5, 1944
-Workhouse Demolished April 3, 1909
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/longford/news.htm

Monaghan Genealogy Archives - Headstones
-Drum Presbyterian Church (partial)
-Drumkeen Presbyterian Church
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/monaghan/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

Roscommon Genealogy Archives - Church Records
-Devine, John (Brideswell) & Banan, Catherine; Aug. 3, 1839
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/roscommon/church.htm

Tipperary Genealogy Archives - Church
-Clonmel & Fethard Deaths 1760'S-1800
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/tipperary/church.htm

Waterford Genealogy Archives - Newspaper
-Freemans Journal, Oct. 29th 1778 - List of signers
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/waterford/news.htm

Westmeath Genealogy Archives - Church Records
-Devine, Mary; May 21, 1840
-Devine, John & Banan, Catherine; August 3, 1839
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/westmeath/church.htm

SOME THOUGHTS ON THE CHANGING FACE OF IRISH GENEALOGY

2011-03-12T17:49:00.001-05:00

     A big THANK YOU to all the readers of Help! The Faerie Folk Hid My Ancestors! for voting the blog as one of Family Tree Magazine's Top 40 Genealogy Blogs 2011. I truly appreciate your support, and am glad that you enjoy my blog!
     When I began this blog, I wondered if I could find enough topics to keep it going for a couple of months. Thanks to my fellow Irish family historians, especially those who attend the talks I give in the Philadelphia/NJ area, I am learning something new about Irish genealogy constantly. I find that the Irish researchers I meet are invariably friendly and always happy to share their knowledge and discoveries with me, and each other. From being a rather lonesome hobby done in dark microfilm rooms, genealogy has become a social activity in itself, which is a boon for Irish researchers. Because of its degree of difficulty, Irish researchers benefit greatly from interacting with each other. When I began my family history research in earnest in the 1980's, it was difficult to find a lecture on genealogy in the Philadelphia area, now I have my pick of one or two a month. The audiences for my own talks have grown from a handful of diehard researchers to rooms of engineers, lawyers, and Hibernians--all wanting to know how they can begin keeping their Irish family history.
     Genealogy in general has emerged from being the realm of those who belong to lineage societies to encompass those of us who search for more recent immigrants. So many people tell me that they never expected to find any records because their ancestors were "simply" hard-working immigrants who arrived in the US in the 1800's or 1900's. But today, thanks in part to online resources, our salt-of-the-earth Irish ancestors have not been lost to memory. The Irish government, archives, libraries, and heritage organizations also deserve credit for preserving and making available their records for our research, especially for increasing the amount of online databases.
     I remember, in the days before Al Gore invented the Internet, when it took me a few months and a few "snail mail" letters back and forth across the pond to find out where in Ireland the townland of Innishatieve was located (in County Tyrone). Today, thanks to the legions of researchers helping each other online and in person, most researchers can locate an ancestral townland in a few minutes.
     I like to think that we are doing good by discovering the stories of our ancestors' hardscrabble lives and by preserving their memories. Their "ordinary" lives were far from mundane. These people fought hunger and poverty just to stay alive and to keep their families from disappearing. They left all that was familiar to them to set off for foreign lands in order to grab the future. Their stories are epic and mythic, no less so than the tales in storybooks and histories. So join me in telling them and start your own family history blog!

LINKS

If you are interested in finding more blogs on genealogy, or want information on telling your ancestors' stories in your own blog, check out GeneaBloggers:

http://www.geneabloggers.com/

To read about the Family Tree Magazine's Top 40 Genealogy Blogs:

Top 40 Blogs 2011

That OTHER genealogy TV show--FACES OF AMERICA

2011-03-02T19:12:00.000-05:00

I am not going to join the chorus of genealogy bloggers chiming in about the recent episodes of WDYTYA (Who Do You Think You Are?). I would much rather review a show that was missed by a large portion of American family history researchers. I call it the "other" show because when I ask my audiences if they saw it, people often say, "Oh yeah, what was its name, that other show?" This "other" show premiered on PBS a year ago and is now available on DVD. In my humble opinion, this "other" show is what our quest for our roots is all about.

Have you seen FACES OF AMERICA?

I was very puzzled by the number of family historians who watched WDYTYA but missed FACES OF AMERICA on public television. I think there are a few reasons why FACES was not seen by a wider audience, lack of big money sponsors among them. The advertising and tie-ins for WDYTYA have a much bigger budget. Plus, a short time before FACES aired, the host, Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., had been involved in an incident with the police that eventually involved President Obama. I wondered if his notoriety might have caused viewers to develop a preconceived opinion of the host.

     Professor Gates is superb in his role as host of FACES. He is warm and empathetic and intelligent. He takes a sensitive but frank tone when dealing with the complexities of ethnicity and race and history. As someone who walks a fine line lecturing about aspects of Irish history--including its religious and social and political controversies, plus the emotions such controversies engender in my audiences--I can attest to the difficulty of Gate's challenge and his success in meeting it..
     The program deals with the intertwined themes of genealogy, American history, and the immigrant experience. Where WDYTYA is a plodding narrative, FACES is a symphony that weaves the guests' genealogies into a search for what it means to be American, and for what it means to be descended from ancestors who left family and country, often forever, for life in a new land.
     Yes, the subjects whose genealogies are traced on FACES are famous people. But they are not all famous actors, some are well-known in other fields (you may not recognize all of the guests, I did not). Their reactions and emotions seem genuine (well, perhaps some more than others--I have a hard time trusting the reactions of actors on these genealogy programs). Some very startling family secrets are revealed, and some poignant family stories are recounted.
     My unanticipated reaction to the DNA segment illustrates how expertly Gates evokes emotion from the viewer. In the segment, Gates and his father are subjects of extensive DNA testing. If you are a family historian, you know how confusing and intricate explanations about DNA testing can be. If you are like me, your eyes glaze over and your head spins when shown a chart of T's and Eves and Y's and what-nots.Well, FACES has the most understandable explanation of DNA testing I have heard, but that is not what is remarkable about the segment. What is remarkable is the emotion evoked when Gates and his father view their DNA analysis. Yes, emotion! When they are shown a chart which reveals the DNA of Gate's late mother, the reaction of the men is so intense that I felt tears welling in my own eyes.
     C'mon--I was almost crying over a DNA analysis! Can a genealogy program be any better crafted than that?

LINKS AND INFORMATION

First, I want to make clear that I am not associated with FACES OF AMERICA or PBS in any way.
The PBS website has information on buying the DVD. Other sources also carry the DVD. The PBS site has short videos and some of the episodes you can view free:

PBS FACES OF AMERICA WEB SITE

PAPERS PAST--VALUABLE IRISH GENEALOGY RESOURCE

2011-02-25T10:54:00.005-05:00

     First, I want to extend my condolences to all who lost family members and friends in the recent earthquake in New Zealand. I also hope no further damage occurs, and that the country can recover quickly.
     Second, I want to thank my Castlecomer list friend Jack Langton for alerting me to what is quickly becoming one of my favorite web sites, Papers Past.
     With the world's awareness now focused on New Zealand, I thought it would be appropriate to point out a very valuable resource that the National Library of New Zealand provides for Irish family history researchers: the Papers Past project. This free online database can be of value to all Irish researchers, even if one's family never set foot on New Zealand soil. The database contains over one million digitized newspapers from the years 1839-1945.

Why would old local newspapers in New Zealand be of value to a researcher in Iowa or Toronto or Dublin? Because where ever the Irish settled, they still longed for news and gossip from home. If your ancestors made the news in Ireland, they may have found their way into one of the 61 New Zealand newspapers in the Library's database.These newspapers are full of news items coming out of Ireland.

I began by using broad search terms such as "Kilkenny" and "Castlecomer." The search engine returned numerous articles about local life in Co. Kilkenny that ranged from the king's visit to a local uprising to a mysterious thick black rain that fell on Castlecomer on a July evening (the rain stained clothing and contaminated the local streams).

Don't forget that this search technique can be effective with other newspaper databases, also. Have you tried a search using your Irish townland or county name in newspaper databases for cities with large Irish immigrant populations, such as Boston or Philadelphia?

LINKS

PAPERS PAST, NATIONAL LIBRARY OF NEW ZEALAND

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO

2011-02-18T11:31:00.002-05:00

     Many times after my presentations, fellow family historians relate stories of how they became interested in genealogy. Quite a few researchers have told me that they turned to the family history because they never felt as if they "fit in" with their nuclear or extended families. Many have told me that they felt odd and out of place in the family tree until they discovered their ancestors' stories.
     Very often, people seek to find an ancestor with whom they can feel a sense of kinship. From the conversations I have had, many people have found that they share a trait or occupation in common with an ancestor--traveling around the world, painting, killing people for a living.
     WHAT?
     No, I am not testing to see if you are paying close attenion! I just finshed a novel written by a man whose family tree includes a long line of official executioners. The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Potzsch is a murder mystery set in Bavaria in the 1600's. The protagonist is a village executioner, who also functions as official torturer. This character is drawn with great empathy by the author, who draws the reader into the hangman's world without being off-putting (the blood and gore factor is handled delicately).The plot is intriguing and entertaining (take note, fellow lovers of historical murder mysteries), but what surprised me at the end was the author's motivation for writing the book. Potzsch hails from a line of Bavarian hangmen, the Kuisl family. He wrote the book because the history of his family intrigued him. He states in his postscript that learning about his family's history imparted "a feeling of belonging, as if a large community had taken me under its wing." This sense of belonging pervades the novel.
     What I admire about Potzsch is that he loves his family stories, however macabre. He is not afraid to acknowledge that his family traits include clawlike fingernails and "tear-jerking sentimentality and sometimes brutality."
     "Altogether not exactly a sympathetic picture" he writes, "but then you can't choose your family..."
     Potzsch, in his postscript, also muses about our reasons for pursuing genealogy::
     "In the past few years, genealogical research has become increasingly popular. Perhaps one of the reasons for this is that we are trying, in a world of increasing complexity, to create a simpler and more understandable place for ourselves. No longer do we grow up in large families. We feel increasingly estranged, replaceable, and ephemeral. Genealogy gives us a feeling of immortality. The individual dies; the family lives on."
     Agree? Disagree? Why are you "hooked" on genealogy?
P.S. Irish researchers, don't forget to check my posting dated 17th February for an update on the future release of the 1926 census.

1926 IRISH CENSUS

2011-02-17T14:03:00.001-05:00

The release of the 1926 Irish census may happen in the not too distant future. Thanks in part to the lobbying efforts of the Council of Irish Genealogical Organisations (CIGO), at least one political party, Fine Gael, has made reference to its support of making the census records public. Read more about CIGO's efforts and the recent announcement by Fine Gael at the CIGO website:
http://www.cigo.ie/news.html

NEWS: PRONI, GRO, AND IGP (enough acronyms for ya?)

2011-02-11T17:28:00.000-05:00

     PRONI The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) has announced that the Cregagh self-service microfilm facility will be closed as of March 16th. Full service will resume when the new PRONI Headquarters at the Titanic Quarter in Belfast opens on 30 March 2011! Check PRONI online for updates on the grand opening: http://www.proni.gov.uk/
     GRO The General Register Office (GRO)of the Republic of Ireland has an online website that no Irish family history researcher should miss. The site is full of information regarding birth, marriage, and death records (and adoption and stillbirth records). The GRO does not perform genealogical research, but will provide copies of the public records to persons who supply the needed information and fees. Remember, also, that records for certain years for both the Republic and for Northern Ireland are found at the GRO. For example, birth records from January 1864 to December 1921 are available for both the Republic and Northern Ireland.
     Records can now be ordered ONLINE from the GRO.
     Check out the GRO website: http://www.groireland.ie/
    IGP Also, it is time once again to check out the updates to the Irish Genealogical Projects' databases (IGP)(thanks to Christina Finn Hunt):
IRELAND Country - Miscellaneous
Fenianism and School Teachers 33 names
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/countrywide/misc.htm

ANTRIM - Headstones
Ballintoy (CoI) Cemetery - Part 2 (updated)
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/antrim/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

ARMAGH - Headstones
Tynan RC Graveyard (partial)
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/armagh/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

DOWN - Headstones
Belfast, Knockbreda Parish Church of Ireland (Walled) Cemetery Pt1
Belfast, Knockbreda Parish Church of Ireland (Walled) Cemetery Pt2
Dundonald, St. Elizabeths Parish Church (CoI) Graveyard
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/down/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

DUBLIN - Headstones
Mount Jerome, Dublin - Parts 16 - 18
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/dublin/photos/tombstones/mt-jerome-ndx.htm

GALWAY - Vitals
Tuohy, Julia May 4, 1886
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/galway/vitals.htm

LEITRIM - Headstones
Drumshanbo, St. John's Church of Ireland - partial
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/leitrim/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

LIMERICK - Cemetery
Mt. St. Lawrence Cemetery, Limerick, Co. Limerick - Gilligan 1855-2008
(PDF file)
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/limerick/cem.htm

MONAGHAN - Headstones - All Partial sets
Aghabog Parish Church
Ballinode Church - Tydavnet Parish, St Dympna's
Ballybay, 2nd Presbyterian
Cahans Presbyterian Church Graveyard
Carrickmacross, St Joseph Catholic Church Cemetery
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/monaghan/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

TIPPERARY - Vital Records
Fitzgerald, Maria - Donovan, Edmond February 20, 1897
Talbot, Mary - Doyle, James November 9, 1834
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/tipperary/vitals.htm

WICKLOW - Headstones
Kilquade Cemetery, Pt. 2
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/wicklow/photos/tombstones/markers.htm
St. Patrick's Church, Enniskerry - Part 4
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/wicklow/photos/tombstones/enniskerry-ndx.htm

INDEX: http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/

WILLS AND CODICILS--YOURS, THAT IS!

2011-02-03T22:35:00.000-05:00

     You would think that family history researchers would be comfortable discussing matters of estate and funeral planning, dealing as we do with the preservation of memories of the dead, but I often find my genealogy friends become fidgety when the subject of wills and funerals--their own--arise.
     Now, don't go clicking to another site just because I am making you squirm a bit--this is important!
     What will happen to your years of work when you are gone? Who will preserve those records and photos that you labored to find and organize? Have you safeguarded your collection legally, or at least spoken to family members concerning its care and ownership?
     I have seen instances, heart-breaking to a genealogist, of records and photographs thrown into the trash by family members and friends while cleaning out a deceased person's house. You don't think your family would do that? Sometimes a helpful neighbor tackles the "clutter" to help out a grieving family. Other times, those boxes and binders and files just have no room to fit in a loved one's small apartment. Very often, the photos and records are swiped by a family member, never to be seen by anyone else again. Sorry to sound so cynical, but, as a lawyer and a genealogist, I've seen dissention and accusations of theft in many "close" families that the deceased would never have envisioned (and even some squabbles that the dearly departed obviously planned and relished while alive).
     You cannot assume that others place the same value on your work as you do. Believe it or not, I once met a genealogist who was in the process of trashing boxes of a her late aunt's photo collection. Why? Because, she said, the photos weren't labeled and therefore "were no good to anybody." You would think leaving your photographs to a genealogist would ensure their survival, wouldn't you?
     So, protect your genealogical legacy in the same way that you would your most valuable jewelry: designate an heir for it in your will. If you don't want to revise your will, you can create what most states call a "codicil," which is a sort of amendment to a will. A codicil is subject to the same legal formalities as is a will, so you will want to consult a lawyer. You can leave written instructions to your family members, but those instructions will not have the force of law.
     If no one in the family seems interested in your collection, consider donating it to a local historical or genealogical society. It is wise to check with the society first, to see if your collection is appropriate to their needs and if they would accept the bequest. Then put the bequest in a will or codicil, and inform the institution and your designated executor and family members.
     When choosing an heir, consider if that person is going to continue your work. I know of several people whose collections were bequeathed to family members who squirreled the records and photos away in a closet, lost to the other members of the family who were interested in the family history. You should have a conversation with the person to whom you would like to leave your collection. Make sure that the person wants the materials, and that you are both "on the same page" regarding its preservation and use.
     There is never a better time than now, whatever one's age or health, to provide for the care of what many people consider their "life's work."

HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT IRISH GENEALOGY OR HERITAGE? IRISH GENEALOGY TOOLKIT PROVIDES ANSWERS

2011-01-28T10:16:00.001-05:00

When I first found Claire Santry's website, IRISH GENEALOGY TOOLKIT, I was incredulous. I figured that such an exhaustive, informative site had to be run by a staff of people at an archive or a business. When I searched for the author/administrator, I was shocked to see that one woman had put together this fabulous website.

Think that I am overdoing the accolades? Ha! Just click on the link at bottom (after you read my e-interview with Claire) and see for yourself.

Claire launched the Toolkit in June of 2008. I asked Claire why she created the site.

     "Genealogy research has given me enormous pleasure over the years but I'm still mad that I didn't get to grips with it earlier," Claire said. "Like many others, I'd been deterred by the urban myth that Irish research was impossible because 'all the records were burnt in The Fire'. If I had a Euro for every time I've heard that, I'd be able to bail Ireland out of its current economic crisis ! But having eventually discovered that all the records were NOT burnt in The Fire, I continued to waste time by not really understanding the records available -- not only how they worked and where they could be accessed, but their limitations."
     Like many of us, Claire spent money, as well as time, accessing records that were not her ancestors' records.
     "I'd spend hours (probably days and weeks, if truth by told) clicking like a woman possessed from one website to another searching for records that didn't exist. I wasted a lot (and I really mean a lot) of money on pay per view sites that yielding a big fat zero. None of the sites I looked at, nor even the genealogy books I'd bought, gave me the level of detail I needed to really appreciate what was available and what wasn't. So that's why I started the site. It was, essentially, to help novice family historians to not waste time!"
     But don't get the idea from Claire's remarks that the Toolkit is only for those beginning their Irish research. Even experts will benefit from her catalogue of topics and her concise, informative descriptions. What I myself love about the Toolkit is the information it contains regarding Irish culture and heritage. Claire obviously understands that genealogy comes alive when a researcher honors ancestral life stories and customs.
     What ancestral stories breathed life into Claire's own research?
     Claire answer: "I'm a bit soft on my maternal great great grandmother Sophia Doolittle born c1840. Like me, she had five brothers and was brought up in a male-dominated home, so I like to imagine we'd have a fair amount in common. But it was also her wonderful name, which I found in an old letter, that first drew me into genealogy. She is responsible for my addiction! I have a lot to thank her for!"
     She has also had some surprises in her own family tree:
     "My mum had told me some of her Wicklow ancestors were sailors. I'd assumed she meant deckhands or something of that sort. In fact, they'd owned and captained a number of sizeable schooners, and my family tree is full of ship carpenters and lifeboat coxswains and Harbour Masters. Such a strong connection to the sea, right up to 1915, was unexpected. It perhaps explains why water holds such an attraction to my generation: I have a boat, and so do two of my brothers. We knew nothing of our seafaring ancestors a decade ago. Maybe we've inherited salty blood!"
     I asked Claire for some advice for my readers:
     "The most common 'mistakes' typically come from inflexibility. For example, I've had researchers tell me that my Santry ancestors from Cork were a different family to their Sauntry ancestors from Cork. I've had people tell me their family were Driscolls without the 'O', so can't be connected to my O'Driscolls. This rigidity demonstrates a lack of understanding of Irish history and of rural Cork accents!The spelling of a surname before the 20th century, when literacy levels started to improve, was nearly always a matter for the person hearing and recording it, not the person saying it.And many families dropped the 'O' prefix during the 19th century due to the oppressive regime they lived under. The 'O' was seen as 'too Irish'.Similarly, people can sometimes be too rigid in their interpretation of family stories. There is often a shred of truth in these tales, but it's best to take a wide view. Just because family lore says gt grandad Tom arrived in America in 1880 at the age of 15, a researcher shouldn't restrict a search for his birth to 1865 and only 1865. He very likely got younger with the telling of the story! And this might be why there's no birth record in the civil registration index for that year. Indeed, if he was 18 or 25 when he set sail in 1880, he was born before the civil registration system even started, so a completely different research direction needs to be taken."
     I want to send a big THANK YOU to Claire, not only for taking the time to be interviewed, but for creating and maintaining THE IRISH GENEALOGY TOOLKIT. Visit it now and often, and don't forget to bookmark!
LINK

IRISH GENEALOGY TOOLKIT

ONLINE GENEALOGY NEWS: CANADA GOES DIGITAL; CONNORS GENEALOGY

2011-01-21T10:29:00.000-05:00

    I moderate an Irish genealogy group in the Philadelphia area. Most of the members' Irish ancestors settled in the New England or Mid Atlantic states. I have found that many researchers in my area assume that their Irish ancestors arrived at one of the east coast ports--Philadelphia, Baltimore, New York City, or Boston. When they run into a brick wall, I often ask whether they have looked at Canadian records. They usually give me a funny look and repeat, "My ancestors lived in Philadelphia, why would they have entered the US via Canada?"
     Especially in the 1800's, many Irish took the Canadian route, even if they were headed for an eastern US city. Many Irish immigrants took the Canadian route, then traveled east to New York City and eastern Pennsylvania. One set of my ancestors did so, and I have heard from other "East Coast" family historians who also discovered a Canadian connection. I've been told that passage rates were cheaper for the Canadian destinations. So, don't dismiss a Canadian port if you are running into a brick wall with your ship list search.
     The difficulty with searching ship lists in Canada is that so many of them are missing. However, if your ancestor received government welfare during their short stay in Canada, you may find records of the items received, which often included foodstuffs. Your ancestor might have stayed for a time in Canada, also.
     In the near future, researching Canadian records from the comfort of home will be easier. In December, the Library and Archives Canada announced its plan to "go digital." The announcement read:
     "OTTAWA, December 7, 2010 – Within the next seven years, Library and Archives Canada will put most of its services online, transforming the country’s leading memory institution into a fully engaged digital organization, just in time to celebrate Confederation’s 150th anniversary in 2017."
     In the meantime, the Archives already has many valuable genealogical resources online. Check them out via the links below.
     A reminder: Pat Connors continues to add new resources to her growing, multi-county database, "ConnorsGenealogy." Her site is particularly valuable for its Tithe lists, and she has added quite a few more of those lists in the past couple of months.. The database also covers portions of New York state and Canada. See link below.

LINKS

CANADIAN ARCHIVES TO GO DIGITAL
LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES OF CANADA HOME PAGE
CONNORS GENEALOGY

COULD YOUR IRISH ANCESTORS BE. . . FRENCH?

2011-01-14T15:54:00.002-05:00

French genes and surnames might have wiggled their way into your Irish family tree in a number of ways. As do the British nobility, many of the landed Irish families have Norman ancestry. Trade, war, and oppression often caused Irish and French to cross the seas. But one source of French ancestry often missed by Irish family history researchers is their possible link to French Protestants who fled to Ireland during times of persecution in France.

The story of the Huguenots in Ireland is a complicated one, beginning in the early 1500's when Protestant religions (mostly the teachings of Calvin), arrived in Catholic France. A number of civil wars ensued. Thousands of French Protestants were massacred on St. Bartholomew's Day, 25 August 1572. The Edict of Nantes brought a period of religious freedom after 1598, but by 1628 the persecutions were back in full swing. The Edict of Nantes was revoked in 1685.

Were my Irish Large ancestors French?
I don't know, but will use any excuse
for a trip to Paris!

Huguenots fled to England, the American colonies, and other European countries. They came to Ireland, many brought in groups by the British, many fleeing on their own, some via the British military. Most of those who arrived in Ireland did so in the 1600's. The first major group was composed of weavers. Later in the 1600's, bankers, soldiers, financiers, and other professions followed. Small in number, they had a broad influence on Ireland. Eventually, they were absorbed into the Irish population. Often, surnames, cemeteries, street names, and buildings are the only echos of the French roots.

Many times the French worshipped at a "French Church," which was often a local church of the Church of Ireland that permitted French services. Over the years, most of these congregations were absorbed into the Church of Ireland system.

     Sometimes, researchers discover their Huguenot ancestry through a French surname. But often, these names, too, were absorbed into English and phonetic spellings. Some surnames in Ireland with possible Huguenot roots include some surprises such as Cobb/Cobbe, Devenny, Rainey, Dennis/Denis, Hammond/Hammon, Jolly/Joly, and Terson (disclaimer: do not assume Huguenot roots simply on the basis of a surname) .
     I stumbled upon the history of the Huguenots in Ireland while researching my surname Large. While I do not know if my Irish Large family includes any Huguenots, the name Large/LeLarge is a common Huguenot surname. It also has Norman roots, so I cannot be sure of where or when any possible French genes entered my family line.
     Huguenot settlements are found the length of Ireland: Belfast, Lisburn, Dundalk, Dublin, Portarlington, Carlow, Kilkenny, and Cork are just some of the sites of settlements and churches.
     I am not advocating that researchers go on fishing expeditions for Huguenot ancestors. But, if the clues are popping up in your Irish research, and local history includes Huguenot settlements, some research into French Church records or Huguenot history just might break a brick wall.

LINKS

THE HUGUENOT SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND

THE FRENCH CHURCH IN PORTARLINGTON

NAMES IN HUGUENOT CEMETERY IN DUBLIN

SUGGESTED READING:

IRELAND'S HUGUENOTS AND THEIR REFUGE by Raymond Hylton

THE HUGUENOT SETTLEMENTS IN IRELAND by Grace Lawless Lee

PORTARLINGTON by J.S. Powell

THE TRAIL OF THE HUGUENOTS by G. Elmore Reaman

THE HUGUENOTS: THEIR SETTLEMENTS, CHURCHES, AND INDUSTRIES IN ENGLAND AND IRELAND by Samuel Smiles

ON A SOMBER BUT IMPORTANT NOTE; Plus IGP Updates

2011-01-06T19:00:00.001-05:00

     Over the Christmas holidays, I attended the funeral of a cousin I met through my family history work. This man had lived a long life and was greatly loved by his descendants, of whom there are many. As I looked over the crowded room, I was struck by how many people I had met over the years after finding his family line. After we "found" each other, he attended one of my family reunions, and brought many other family members with him. I was so fortunate to have made contact with him.
     Another holiday afternoon was spent visiting my in laws in New York. I used the occasion to videotape an interview with ninety-three year old Aunt Shirley (who still commutes to work as an illustrator in Manhattan every day). Quite a few genealogical discoveries were made, and several previously unknown family stories were heard.
     So, to get to my point immediately--don't put off contacting PEOPLE. Yes, the records are important, and so is organizing your files, and, yes, we must cite our sources properly, but don't ever forget why we are doing this work--for the people and their stories, not for some notch on our family tree.

IRISH GENEALOGICAL PROJECTS UPDATES
     Start the new year by checking your favorite Irish genealogy sites for updated databases! Recent additions to the Irish Genealogical Projects include the following:

Files added in 2010:
http://search.freefind.com/find.html?pageid=r&id=13812782&query=+2010&ics=1&fr=25

General
Dublin Journal, 28 Nov 1732 (Flax Seed)
Dublin Journal, Marriages & Deaths, 3 Aug 1765
Dublin Journal, Marriages & Deaths, 2 Jan 1770
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/countrywide/news.htm

Antrim Genealogy Archives - HEADSTONES
Ballintoy (CoI) Cemetery Parts 1 & 2
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/antrim/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

Down Genealogy Archives -- HEADSTONES
Dundonald, Belfast, part 2
Knockbreada Cemetery, Belfast - Part 2
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/down/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

Dublin Genealogy Archives - HEADSTONES - Mount Jerome, Dublin Parts 13-15
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/dublin/photos/tombstones/mt-jerome-ndx.htm

Dublin Genealogy Archives - HEADSTONES - Deansgrange Cemetery
St Fintans Section part 3 & St Patricks section part 8
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/dublin/photos/tombstones/deansgrange-ndx.htm

Leitrim Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Graveyard - Aughavas Parish, Toomna Graveyard photos
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/leitrim/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

Monaghan Genealogy Archives - Headstones.
Ballybay, Christ Church (CoI)
Ballybay, 1st Presbyterian
Ematris Graveyard (Dartrey/Rockcorry)
Tyholland - St. Sillian's (Co), Church of Ireland - updated
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/monaghan/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

Roscommon Genealogy Archives - Headstones.
Ardcarne New Graveyard & Site of Templemihil (photos of signs with surnames)

Tipperary Genealogy Archives - LAND
From the Keeper of the Public Records in Ireland. Volume 6.
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/tipperary/land.htm

Wicklow Headstone Index - HEADSTONES
Kilquade Cemetery - updated
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/wicklow/photos/tombstones/markers.htm