ShoeString Genealogy

ShoeString Genealogy: " focuses on lowering the costs of research whilst raising the quality of information obtained. Although not all online resources are free, many are. Same for many repositories. We'll show you an abundance of excellent resources that are quite inexpensive, too."

FamilySearch Indexing

FamilySearch Indexing: Home: "Indexing Application Available in Seven Languages

The FamilySearch indexing application is available in three new languages: Italian, Portuguese, and Russian. These languages are in addition to English, French, German, and Spanish."

Volunteers Transcribe 250 Million Historical Records
Incredible Effort Speeds Up Access to Online Genealogical Information

SALT LAKE CITY—FamilySearch volunteers reached a monumental milestone this week, transcribing their 250 millionth historical record. The incredible online initiative started in January 2006 with a few thousand volunteers and has now grown to be the largest Web-based initiative of its kind with over 100,000 volunteers worldwide. The 250 millionth record was part of the current Nicaragua Civil Registration indexing project online at index.familyearch.org—one of 45 projects being indexed by online volunteers. It was extracted by three different online indexers from Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Honduras.

FamilySearch manages the largest collection of genealogical collections in the world—2.5 million rolls of microfilm and millions of additional digital images from over 100 countries worldwide.

For decades, FamilySearch has allowed the public to use its collection for free through 4,500 family history centers throughout the world. In 2005, it began to improve access to its collection by converting microfilm to digital images that could be searched online. The next step was to create an online tool that volunteers around the world could use to look at the digital images and extract relevant data that could then be published online in searchable indexes linked to the digital images. FamilySearch Indexing is that tool.

“What makes the 250 million record milestone even more impressive is the fact that each record was actually indexed at least twice to ensure accuracy,” reported Paul Nauta, FamilySearch public affairs manager. “The result is an amazing searchable online index for people around the world,” Nauta added.

The unique quality control process means each document is transcribed by two different indexers. In the case of the 250 millionth record, the two indexers were from Nicaragua and Guatemala. Any discrepancies in their two transcriptions were then forwarded to a third volunteer—an arbitrator—who would have made any needed corrections between the two transcriptions. In this case, that arbitrator was from Honduras. “Three volunteers, three countries, one common goal—to provide access to the world’s genealogical records quicker and more economically,” said Nauta.

Austria and Hungary and that old empire

Internet Genealogy - 25 Great Austro-Hungarian Sites: "It used to be that if you had ancestors who came from any of the countries that once encompassed the massive Austro-Hungarian Empire, you would be hard-pressed to find anything useful online.

Thankfully, the expansion of databases and information on the Internet has opened up the world to genealogists, and those with Austro-Hungarian roots are no exception. While researchers should understand that many of the traditional methods for obtaining information may still need to be pursued, there are a number of very good websites out there to help make the research process a little less daunting.

This article covers 25 essential websites specific to Austro-Hungarian research. For the novices out there, some of these sites may serve as a place to get started. For the more experienced researchers, perhaps a few of the sites listed may be ones you haven’t heard about or visited that can help to get you through those pesky brickwalls."

New FamilySearch

Genealogy's Star: Introduction of New FamilySearch in Utah: "The Twin Falls, Idaho Temple District went live on April 14, 2009 and the Monticello, Utah Temple District went live on April 21, 2009. Three Temple Districts are preparing to go live; Rexburg, Idaho, Manti, Utah and Vernal, Utah.

Three different issues are being addressed to the Family History Consultants in Utah and Idaho in preparation for the implementation of New FamilySearch in those areas.; missing data, missing ordinance dates and mispelled names of incorrect dates."

Bristol Local history

Bristol City Council: Local history and heritage: Bristol 1807 - in this month: "Sarah Davies, aged 21, poisoned herself

'Monday se’nnight, an inquest was taken in the parish of St. James, in this city, on view of the body of Sarah Davies, an unfortunate female only 21 years of age, who poisoned herself by swallowing a quantity of laudanum, on the preceding Thursday. After a minute investigation of the circumstances, and an examination of the body upon dissection by three eminent surgeons, the jury returned a verdict - Felo de se!'

[Commentary: Felo de se, Latin for 'felon of himself,' is an archaic legal term meaning suicide.

Laudanum was an alcoholic tincture (dilute solution) of opium that was used by doctors as an analgesic and sedative. It was freely available at any pharmacy and could be bought over the counter, as an every day item in corner shops.

It would be prescribed for all all types of diseases and illnesses - from a cold, to menstrual cramps to much more severe illnesses like yellow fever. It was best used as a pain reliever, or a fever reducer, and also worked successfully to end diarrhoea because it caused constipation. It could help a person to sleep and many depended upon it for this reason. The drug became stronger if the bottle was old - due to evaporation - so who knows how many people only wanted to cure a toothache but took too much?]"

MAPCO

MAPCO Map And Plan Collection Online : Lavars's New & Improved Map Of Bristol & Clifton c1863.

MAPCO : Map And Plan Collection Online: "MAPCO's aim is to provide genealogists, students and historians with free access to high quality scans of rare and beautiful antique maps and views.

The site displays a variety of highly collectable 18th and 19th century maps and plans of London and the British Isles, and also 19th century maps and engravings relating to Australia.

The MAPCO website is updated regularly, with new maps being displayed every month. Check back regularly to see what has been added."

Surname Distribution

Surname Distribution Analysis and Mapping: "Surname distribution analysis is a useful tool for those engaged in a One-name Study or more general genealogical research. While this analysis can be done non-graphically, a graphical analysis has much more visual impact, and spatial relationships are more readily discerned. For an example of the output, follow the Samples link above or below."

jones Families Living in England and Wales in 1891 - Ancestry.com

International Family History Conference

International Family History Conference: "This is the website for the OPEN THE DOOR & HERE ARE THE PEOPLE conference. Over the forthcoming months the site will be frequently updated to bring you the latest information about this major event in the 2009 calendar. Learn about the lectures, workshops and other events. Meet the speakers, foremost in their fields, who will be involved. Read the blogs and join us in the build-up to this great event."
Venue for Open the Door & Here are the People Family History Conference: "East Midlands Conference Centre,
Nottingham University Park Campus"
Programme

Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter: Magic: Faded Census Records to Re-Appear

Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter: Magic: Faded Census Records to Re-Appear: "This is about as close to magic as I can imagine. Picture in your mind original census pages that have faded so badly that the enumerators' handwriting is no longer visible. I am not talking about ink that has faded a bit. In this case, the ink is gone, not even visible on the page. All you can see is the page as it was printed and given to the enumerators (census takers) with the pre-printed text and boxes. These pages look as if they were never filled out, and yet you know they were.

Now, add in a mix of digital photography and different lights. Shake well with some computer enhancements. The result? Readable images!"

Sweden for novices

Släktforskning för noviser

Jag har testat Betaversionen av Genline Family Finder - GFF 2.6.1. Det var verkligen en kul men också omtumlande upplevelse. Frågan är om det inte börjar bli lite väl enkelt att släktforska när både GIDx och det nya transkriberingsprojektet på Genline blir utbyggt. Lite av det roliga med släktforskningen är ju detektivarbetet, att tyda omöjliga handstilar, att leta rätt på gårdar där inga register finns, att genomskåda prästernas felskrivningar och försöka lista ut vilken födelsesocken som krafset efter det oläsliga födelseåret står för. Vi har kommit långt från den tid när entusiastiska släktforskare färdades mellan kyrkorna och läste i originaldokumenten för att bara upptäcka att deras farfars far redan efter ett år flyttade vidare till en socken som var allt för lång bort för att besöka samma dag.

Genealogy for Dummies

This is an English version of my Blog "Släktforskning för noviser" and as my ancestors are from the areas of Sweden where many Swedish-American families have their roots I decided to translate a selected number of my articles into English.

The areas I mainly do research on are:

Grangärde, Norrbärke and Floda in Dalarna.
Ljusnarsberg in Örebro.
Eda and Holmedal in Värmland.

Frome and Monmouthshire

DearMYRTLE's Genealogy Blog: Ancestral hedgerows & group support

. . . . the creation of genealogy mailing lists and message boards, Ol’ Myrt here agrees with fellow genea-blogger Hugh Watkins of Genealoge who recently offered two suggestions for my review.

He wrote: “My own experience of Yahoo and (private) Google genealogy groups is that they live or die according the amount of look-ups done.

• http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Frome
• http://groups.yahoo.com/group/monfh

Both are very successful with a back office full of transcriptions and spin off websites and are worthy of your attention. Both groups have very knowledgeable local genealogists at their centre."

Forest of Dean Gloucestershire England

Forest of Dean Message Board - Parish Records
Transcribed Parish Records

Baptism, Marriage and Burial records of the Parish Churches and Non-conformist Chapels within the Forest of Dean. Also, we have many bordering Herefordshire, Warwickshire and Monmouthshire Parish Church records in the database.
Search Parish Records

Up-to-date list consists of all the parish records have been transcribed and what records are currently in progress of being transcribed.
Up-to-date list of transcribed records

Ashleworth Marriages 1838-1978 *
Awre Marriages 1909-1947 *
Blakeney Marriages 1933-1944 *
Bream Baptisms 1922-1945 *
Bream Burials 1920-1951
Bream Marriages 1920-1941
Chepstow Marriages 1837-1900
Chepstow Municipal Cemetry Burials 1925-1933
Christchurch Burials 1938-1951
Christchurch Marriages 1915-1940
Clearwell Baptisms 1917-1958 *
Drybrook Burials 1908-1933
Dymock Burials 1901-1964
Dymock Marriages 1930-1951 *
Falfield Baptisms 1813-1877
Hasfield Marriages 1837-1977 *
Hewelsfield Marriages 1931-1938
Maisemore Burials 1879-2008 *
Much Marcle Baptisms 1860-1886
Norton Baptisms 1745-1795
Norton Burials 1686-1744
Redmarley Burials 1859-1905
Ross on Wye Baptisms 1671-1723
Ross Roman Catholic Baptisms 1926-1967 *
The Leigh Baptisms 1685-1812
The Leigh Burials 1683-1812
The Leigh Marriages 1683-1812
Upton Bishop Baptisms 1795-1812
Upton Bishop Burials 1795-1812 *
Wotton under Edge Baptisms 1830-1852
* Recent events are not available on-line for privacy reasons
** Updated Records

View Up-to-date list of transcribed records
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/cgi-bin/transcripts/transcripts_2.cgi

If you have any difficulties logging into the Parish Records section,
please make sure you have read the Help-FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
pages before asking for assistance as it will often answer any questions
you might have. This will save yourself and others a lot of time.
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/faq/general_faq.html

Unofficial Ancestry subscription list

Unofficial Ancestry subscription group | Google Groups: "Description: For the discussion of topics relating to the genealogy subscription service Ancestry. This group is not to be used for Ancestry bashing. If you have a specific complaint that is fine; but I am not creating the group to discuss why I hate Ancestry, etc."

This group was started on rootsweb but that list has just been shut down . so it has migrated to google groups.

from my email:-

Dear Ancestrycom List Members,

We wanted to let you know that in the next coming days the recently created
Ancestrycom mailing list will be removed from the site. We definitely don't
want to discourage discussion about the Ancestry.com website, but currently
there are two very active message boards dedicated to the discussion of
Ancestry.com. One is called Ancestry Site Comments (mainly used for general
comments about the site) and the other is called Ancestry Improvements
(mainly used to submit suggested improvements and site feedback).


Ancestry Site Comments

On Ancestry.com - http://boards.ancestry.com/topics.ancestry.ancsite/mb.ashx

On RootsWeb.com - http://boards.rootsweb.com/topics.ancestry.ancsite/mb.ashx


Ancestry Improvements

On Ancestry.com -
http://boards.ancestry.com/topics.ancestry.ancimprovements/mb.ashx

On RootsWeb.com -
http://boards.rootsweb.com/topics.ancestry.ancimprovements/mb.ashx


Our Product Managers and other Ancestry.com staff are active on these
message boards and try to visit them regularly to read the recent posts. We
are worried that with an additional outlet for discussion about Ancestry.com
we may not have enough staff to stay on top of things and may miss some of
the comments that would have been made to the message boards. We want to
make sure that we can understand everyone's feedback about the site and can
offer our comments when it is helpful and keeping it focused on these two
message boards will help with that.


Thanks in advance for your understanding as we try to use these messages
boards instead of this new mailing list. We understand that some of you
prefer to use mailing lists rather than the message boards and hope that
this doesn't inconvenience you too much.

Sincerely,

Anna

Anna Fechter
Community Operations Manager
The Generations Network

A 360 W 4800 N Provo, UT 84604
ancestry.com | genealogy.com | myfamily.com | rootsweb.com | family tree
maker

Genealogy's Star Blog

Genealogy's Star: Contributing to the Pedigree Resource File

"There are currently over 140 discs of PRF files. But Document ID: 102740 of NFS states that the PRF was only loaded into NFS up to disc 85.

This Document goes on to state:
Although all of the Pedigree Resource File discs have not been added to the new FamilySearch, you may still submit to the Pedigree Resource File through www.familysearch.org. It is a great research tool that can be purchased by anyone from Distribution Services.

Unresolved is the issue if future submissions to the PRF will be incorporated, in the future, into NFS. Also unresolved is the issue of the future of the PRF. . . . ."

my own AHNENTAFEL

LogoutRootsWeb's WorldConnect Project: WATKINS LAPHAM updated 2009

made in Family Tree Maker 16 and exported as a Temple Ready gedcom and uploaded to the wonderful WorldConnect Project -- Connecting the World One GEDCOM at Time

Ahnentafel, Generation No. 3

---

4.

Alfred Henry Watkins was born 13 AUG 1862 in Llanvair Kilgeddin, Monmouthshire AML BB, was christened 2 NOV 1862 in St Mary's Llanfair Cilgedin, and died in late afternoon, Woodbank House, Bridge Street, Usk Mon. He was buried 5 JAN 1935 in St Mary's Churchyard, Usk. He was the son of 8. Thomas Watkins and 9. Margaret Bill.

5.	Blanche Eveline Jones was born 5 JUN 1874 in Raglan, Monmouthshire (AHW BB 1874), and died 5 JUL 1953 in The Haven Monmouth Road Usk Monmouthshire ?July 5 1953. She was buried 5 JUL 1953 in St Mary's churchyard Usk. She was the daughter of 10. Edward Jones and 11. Mary Jones.
	Children of Blanche Eveline Jones and Alfred Henry Watkins are: i. Hilda Mary Watkins was born 19 MAY 1903 in Pontypool 11a 207, and died 21 MAR 1928 in Usk. 2. ii. Alfred Henry (David) Watkins (my father) was born 17 AUG 1907 in Usk Monmouthshire, and died 24 SEP 1942 in HMS Somali. He married Alison Mary Lapham 23 DEC 1933 in St John Baptist Church, Berkswell, Warwickshire, daughter of Alfred Thomas Lapham and Florence Caroline Evans. She was born 16 MAY 1908 in Rostellan House, Filton, Gloucestershire UK Chipping Sodbury, Births Sep 1908 6a 223, and died 22 DEC 1999 in Heartlands Hospital, Bordesley Green, Birmingham, West Midlands UK.

6.

Alfred Thomas Lapham was born 15 OCT 1872 in 15 Campbell Street Bristol BS2 8XE Clifton Dec 1872 6a 78 AML BB "Daddy", and died 30 JUL 1961 in Sun 1830 Thornbury Hospital (Alison and Norah there) HBW. He was buried AFT 30 JUL 1961 in Grave 64 Dark Blue AB , Canford Cemetery, Westbury-On-Trym, Bristol. He was the son of 12. Alfred Lapham and 13. Fanny Bartley Ball.

7.	Florence Caroline Evans was born 13 JUN 1877 in St Philips AML BB RGO Bristol 6d 21 5 Merchant Street, and died 1 FEB 1956. She was buried in Grave 64 Dark Blue AB , Canford Cemetery, Westbury-On-Trym, Bristol. She was the daughter of 14. Philip Evans and 15. Elizabeth Walker.
	Children of Florence Caroline Evans and Alfred Thomas Lapham are: i. Norman Reginald Lapham was born 21 NOV 1898 in AML BB 132 Cheltenham Road, and died JUL 1978 in Australia. He nearly married Dilla Holmes. She was born 6 MAR in AML BB. ii. Howard Bartley Lapham was born 12 SEP 1900 in AML BB Births Dec 1900 Bristol 6a 214, and died 30 AUG 1972 in Wells Somerset. He married Thërêse (Thea) Schrenk, daughter of Alois Schrenk. She was born 22 FEB 1906 in Vienna?, and died APR 1993 in Wells, Somerset. iii. Norah Gwendoline Lapham was born 4 MAR 1903 in Births Jun 1903 Barton R. 6a 261, and died 21 JAN 1997 in Gloucester. She was a best friend of Mary Healey. Shee was born 10 AUG in AML BB. iv. Evelyn May Lapham was born 17 AUG 1905 in Filton GLO AML BB Chipping Births Dec 1905 S. 6a 233, and died BET JAN AND MAR 1978 in Gloucester 22 233. She married John ( Jock) Wilcock MAR 1929 in Bucklow Cheshire 8a 270. He was born ABT 1907 in possibly of Lancashire. 3. v. Alison Mary Lapham (my mother) was born 16 MAY 1908 in Rostellan House, Filton, Gloucestershire UK Chipping Sodbury, Births Sep 1908 6a 223, and died 22 DEC 1999 in Heartlands Hospital, Bordesley Green, Birmingham, West Midlands UK. She had a life time long friendship with Olive Mandeville Mead, daughter of Edward Mead and Olivia Mandeville Hopper. She was born 11 DEC 1907 in Edmonton 3a 466 Mr 1908, and died 12 MAR 1969 in AML BB. She also was a great friend of Dorothy Hare. She was born 28 JUN in AML BB B. M. T. C., and died 16 SEP 1976 in Cornwall. Alison married Alfred Henry (David) Watkins 23 DEC 1933 in St John Baptist Church, Berkswell, Warwickshire, son of Alfred Henry Watkins and Blanche Eveline Jones. He was born 17 AUG 1907 in Usk Monmouthshire, and died 24 SEP 1942 in HMS Somali. Alison ahd a significant friendship with Joseph Stanley Forman, (who was a father figure to me) son of - Forman. He was born 20 DEC 1904, and died 9 APR 1994 in AML BB Fulham, london, England 71A 82. vi. Alfred George (Dick) Lapham was born 19 OCT 1912 in AML BB Reg Winterbourne Chipping Sodbury, and died 1 JUL 1945 in Royal Australian Army (Prisoner of Japanese). vii. Sheila Lapham was born 2 APR 1915 in AML BB Filton Glos., and died 5 DEC 1973 in Bristol (?). She married Albert Edward Conroy BET 1942 AND 1945, son of Henry (Harry) Conroy and Johanna Drew. He was born 1 FEB 1889 in Possibly Bedminster in Bristol Barton R 6a 83, and died 1966 in Summer AML BB.

AML BB is my mother's Birthday Book a source of dates started when she was 7 years old - Alison Mary Lapham - and used until she died aged 91

Jewish Family History Resources

Jewish Family History Resources at FamilySearch.org - Family History and Genealogy Records

Knowles Collection Updated!
The Knowles Collection contains information for thousands of Jews from the British Isles. Building on the work of the late Isobel Mordy, the collection links individuals into family groups. More names are added continuously.
The collection is available as a PAF or a Gedcom file that can be viewed and edited with the free PAF genealogy software (PAF v5.2 (Personal Ancestral File)).

PAF Format: Knowles Collection Last updated: March 2009
Gedcom Format: Knowles Collection Last updated: March 2009

from my email:-
20 April 2009
Popular British Jewish Database Grows to 40,000 Records
SALT LAKE CITY—FamilySearch expanded its Knowles Collection—a free popular database of Jewish records hailing from the British Isles. The collection builds upon work commenced by the late Isobel Mordy—a well-known historian of the Jews of the British Isles.
Mordy was a retired mathematician and used a complex code to link Jewish United Kingdom families in her research. Her work yielded 8,000 names and has been very popular for Jewish family history researchers with British ancestry.
“The complexity of the code Mordy used to index her research is daunting even to the most experienced researcher,” said Todd Knowles, author and manager of the Knowles Collection and a British Reference consultant for the famous Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. It took Knowles a few years, but he ultimately managed to transcribe the records from Mordy’s work into a more easily searchable genealogy database.
The great advantage of the Knowles Collection is that it links together electronically tens of thousands of individual Jews into family groups. Knowles has since expanded Mordy’s collection of 8,000 names to a collection of over 40,000.
“The records come from over 100 individual sources,” noted Knowles. “That saves the researcher a lot of time and travel.”
Some of the record sources were actively maintained until the mid 1980s, so many people living today will be able to find their relatives from recent memory in the collection. The newly added names come from many types of records—censuses; probate records; synagogue birth, marriage, and death records; biographies; and more.
Perhaps the most interesting records added recently include over 200 Jewish Welsh marriages from a community in the city of Cardiff, original synagogue records, and patron-submitted records. Some of the families tie into the work of Malcolm Stern’s The First American Jewish Families, which includes families who had English ancestry.
The collection can be accessed at FamilySearch.org on the Jewish Family History Resources page. It is available to download for free as either a GEDCOM or PAF file. Individuals can add their own records to the collection by contacting the collection’s author, Todd Knowles, directly at knowleswt@familysearch.org.
FamilySearch manages the largest collection of genealogical records worldwide. A significant portion of its collections come from the United Kingdom.

Employment in Salt Lake City

Employment at the Family History Library - FamilySearch Wiki

Research Wiki - Employment at the Family History Library

From FamilySearch Wiki

Jump to: navigation, search

To work at the Family History Library one must be a member, in good standing, of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and must be able to meet the requirements of the job.

The best way to find out what positions are open is to look on the Internet:

1. Go to www.lds.org
2. Click on "Home and Family"
3. Click on "Employment"
4. Click on "Church Employment Opportunities"
5. You may apply directly on line

Check the web site often, as jobs are filled very quickly and new jobs are posted.

Employment information is available from the Human Relations department via the internet at:

• Church Employment Opportunities

FamilySearch Record Search pilot site

abehebertle - FamilySearch Update:
"Thereon same day, I haved a totality of 5 hits from these hunt footings:
`` familysearch jobs '',
`` familysearch mistake 500,
`` waiter fault 500 on home hunt '',
`` familysearch '',
and `` familysearch waiter fault ''.

For the same type of hunting footings on February 21st, I haved 3 hits. On Feb 22nd, I haved 2 hits from the hunting term `` familysearch record hunt not working ''. And in the last two years, I 've haved 3 hits on those search footings. The station cited above holds haved a sum of 37 hits."