Tombstone Tuesday -- Anne Dudley Bradstreet

Anne Dudley Bradstreet, America's First Poetress

My 8th great grandmother

First Burying Ground, No. Andover, Essex Co., Massachusetts.

It is assumed that Anne Dudley Bradstreet was buried in this cemetery, and the memorial stone was placed here on September 16, 2000. It was in honor of her 350 yr. anniversary of her birth. I was invited to attend, by the No. Andover Historical Commission, and there were about 50 of us there.

New York Public Library Adventures

The last time I went to the New York Public Library (NYPL) at Fifth Avenue between 40th and 42nd was in May 2001. My husband and I took a day bus trip from the Boston area to NYC. I had been to the city about 20 times previously, so there wasn’t much sightseeing to be done; my goal was to spend time in the Library www.nypl.org. Once we arrived in the city, we did a few quick things, had lunch, and then split at 1:00 to do our own thing. Our plan was to meet at the Library around 3:00. Of course, I trotted over there immediately. Imagine my surprise when I ran into a genealogist friend, Jim, a good friend at that. We acted surprised, but I don’t think either of us was really. He lives in NYC. After all, isn’t this where we genealogists hang out, at a library? Back then, we hadn’t discovered Google, and online genealogy material was just emerging big time. Libraries were hot!


My previous, and also my first trip to the Library was the year before. A girlfriend and I took a bus trip there, and I mentioned I wanted to stop in the Library to check out a book (no, you can’t really check them out, but I mean to look at one). The Library has closed stacks, so if you want a book, they have to retrieve it for you. Well, no problem, but I really got to test my patience….like one of the lion statues guarding the Library. “Patience" and "Fortitude" are quite well known. We waited a long time, then found out that the conveyor belt was broken, the lines at the counters were long with frustrated people, like me. I was so sure I was going to lose my friendship with my friend, a non-genealogist, but she was patient as well, and said we could wait a little longer. Here we were, in NYC, sitting in the reading room for three hours. When I got the book, they wouldn’t even let me copy it, as it was considered rare! However, I opted to let them copy it when they had time, and within a week, I had the book (abt. 50 pages), at an extremely low cost. I was finally happy. But, I didn’t suggest any other day trips with my friend, until last year. I know she hasn’t forgotten the Library, nor have I.


Update: In March  2012, a great, simply great video  has been making the rounds on the internet. This was filmed at the New York Public Library, and I hope you watch and enjoy it.
UPDATE: In April, I went back to the New Your Public Library and wrote a blog report on the History and Genealogy Room. You might enjoy seeing the photos at https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4664905362839287500#editor/target=post;postID=3051348979015926333;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=51;src=link

"My Scrambled Eggs"

One of the nice things about having your information out in cyberspace is that somebody may find you. With unusual names, especially those spelled many ways, this hope and pray method might help me connect with somebody searching the same line. In the past, I have posted names on Message Boards, and Surname Boards, both have been around many years. I received a few inquiries, but not many.


The family I am researching is SCHRAMBLING OR SCHREMBLING. It is also the SCRAMBLING, SCRAMLIN and SCRAMBLIN. In addition, many other spellings have been applied to this family. Census takers took much liberty with this name! The family was at times very easy to trace, and difficult other times.

They settled in New York in 1710, along the Mohawk River, then migrated to Michigan. Much like many other families. The family is well documented, and my ancestor was a Revolutionary War patriot. What made research difficult was, there were too many Hendricks, Johns, and Jacobs. So I began a file called, "My Scrambled Eggs" because each name was just a tad different from the other, although it was the same family. As they branched out, I thought it would be fun to trace the entire family. Unresolved censuses were printed out and put in the new paper file, as well as every other bit of information with this name. My hope was to connect the entire family. I now have over 700 with that name.

Now, many years later, and with great assistance from www.findagrave.com and Google alerts, I have very few unsolved ends, but there are some. Fortunately, too, many cousins have contacted me over the years and valuable information was exchanged. One person met me in Oneonta, New York to show me where my ancestor, Hendrick Schrambling was buried. About 10 have written, two sent me information, and one sent a huge wall chart. So I have had help.

It has been months since I have received any new information, and that is ok. But, I do enjoy seeing the younger generation, posting things on various social sites, which appear through my Google Alerts. I doubt I will contact them, but it brings a smile to my face, as I have spent so much time on their family history. I already feel like I know them. Who knows, maybe one will google their last name and find me!

Genealogy: Tips for Finding Females that Matter to You

Julie Miller, Enterprise columnist
Posted: 10/17/2009
(Permission was granted to me, Barbara Poole, to publish her excellent article)


Identifying females is one of the hardest challenges genealogists face.


It might be that only the first name and married surname are known. Or perhaps a daughter disappears from census records and it is not known whom she married. The biggest obstacle when researching women is that their name changed when they married. This is compounded by fewer records. Before the 20th century, women did not have the same rights as men and, therefore, they generated considerably fewer records. Although few research problems are as difficult as finding the identity of females in our family history, there are records and strategies that can be used to overcome the challenges.


Often the answer to identifying a woman can be found in the records of her husband, son or brother. Men owned the land, they ran the businesses and their lives were recorded in more detail than women`s. Look for clues about women in the records of the men in their lives.


Records relating to a child`s birth, marriage and death will often give the mother`s maiden name. Even a child`s name can be a clue about a mother`s maiden name. Children are often named after grandparents, uncles and aunts. A clue to a maiden name might be in a child`s unusual first or middle name when the name is typically a surname.


Women can be found as witnesses on records. Marriage, baptismal and other legal documents are all examples of the types of records a woman might have witnessed. Making a connection between the woman witnessing the event and the names in the documents can lead to finding a woman`s identity.


Some records that can be useful in finding female identities are:
1. Marriage records are the most obvious place to look for a maiden name and names of parents. This could be a civil marriage license or bond, a church marriage record or marriage announcement. If the name of parents is not included, be sure to check the marriage records for all known siblings, since they might have information not included in the record for your direct line.


2. Death records usually include the maiden name of the deceased. They also might include the mother`s maiden name. Again, checking for all the siblings of your direct line will increase the odds of finding the names of parents.


3. Church records usually list the maiden name of the mother in the baptismal record and the maiden name of the woman in a marriage record. A closer examination of church records will reveal that women were often witnesses for the baptisms and marriages of close family members.


4. Land records frequently show the passing of land ownership from one generation to the next. These records provide the names of wives and married daughters, and in some cases, the names of the daughter`s husband.


5. Wills and probate records are one of the most useful records when looking for a woman`s identity. Parents usually named each child in their will and it is common for each child to receive a portion of the estate. A woman also could have been named in the will and probate of grandparents and other relatives. Married names are usually used, and the name of their spouse also might be listed.


6. Pension files might include the maiden name of a pensioner`s wife. They also can include affidavits from close family members who might be related to the wife. Widow pension files should have the maiden name in the proof that the woman was married to the pensioner.


7. Obituaries frequently list the maiden name of females or give the names of their parents. Additionally, a married name will be given when a woman is listed in her the obituary of her father, mother or sibling.


8. Letters and diaries can be a source of information about females and their families. These are usually found in family records, either immediate family or that of a collateral line. If you suspect letters and diaries exist for a female in your genealogy but have not located the items, perhaps they have been donated to a repository. Check for these treasures in the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC), which is available online.


9. Census records are easily accessible and are full of information on female ancestors. Although census records do not ask for a maiden name, they give many clues about a woman`s origins. It is common to find children living with parents directly after they marry and for parents to live with married children as they age.


10. Cemetery records might list maiden names and they often hold clues about a family. People often bought cemetery lots close to other family members or bought lots large enough to accommodate extended family members. Look for the relationship between the deceased and the owner of the cemetery lot, which may be listed on the cemetery record.


Females make up half of our ancestry, yet they are often neglected. Be sure you don`t shortchange the females in your family just because the research takes a little extra effort.


Julie Miller is a certified genealogists. She is a genealogy researcher, lecturer, and writer. If you have a genealogy question, send it to julie@jpmresearch.com.

A Year Goes by Fast -- Salt Lake City

In October of 2008, I spent a week at the Family History Library (FHL) at Salt Lake City. It took me several months to prepare for that 3rd visit. Had a great time, and it was in the 70s every day, a very unusual heat wave, which I loved.

But now, I am complaining because I still haven't completed entering sources on what I found. While that trip was far more organized than the others, and I made copies of far less material, it is taking me way too long to go through it and enter into the genealogy software that I use. I am afraid, that if I don't complete this task soon, I will be looking up the same stuff next year when I go to Salt Lake City for the National Genealogical Society's (NGS) annual conference in May. See: http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:J2yADIxY4B4J:www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/conference_info+national+genealogical+society+2010&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us One thing I don't want to do, is double research! Would you?

I thought a few pictures would help get me motivated. The above were taken from my room.

Corresponding with a New Cousin

On one of the darkest, coldest and later a snowy October day, my world brightened when somebody found my genealogy tree posted on Ancestry.com. Now, I hold my breath when I open emails forwarded from Ancestry to me, because I am no longer a subscriber. The people writing me, do not know that, and as a result, I can't reply back to them.


But, today, Brad thought to include his email, so I was able to reply to him. After a few back and forth emails, we determined that we share the same common ancestor, SAMUEL GRIFFIN, born February 10, 1738/39 in Killingworth, Middlesex Co., Connecticut and died July 27, 1808 in Essex, Chittenden Co., Vermont. It was indeed nice to share what we have with each other.

As the year is nearing to a close, I am happy to say that over 75 people have contacted me during the year because they saw my tree either on Ancestry or on RootsWeb. I get a lot of satisfaction when I help them, and I love it when I get little bits of information in return.

New Hampshire Birth Records, Early to 1900

When the http://www.familysearch.org/ site had a notification, in the late summer of 2009, announcing that they now had the New Hampshire Birth Records, Early to 1900, now online, I almost fell off my chair. These records are currently located from the Search Records Tab, then drop down tab, Record Search Pilot at the main page of the Family Search site, and a few more steps. To make it easier for those search these records, the direct link is: http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#p=collectionDetails;c=1542861 .


I don't have many direct lines in New Hampshire, but do have a lot of names of those born in the state. They are mostly siblings or others somehow related to my ancestors. I think the state of New Hampshire has a very confusing method of putting their records on microfilm. It is not in alphabetical order, that's for sure. No matter how many times, I asked the staff at the New England Historic and Genealogical Society (NEHGS) how to find a name, I never was able to grasp the method in the wonderful world of discovering birth records from New Hampshire. I soon gave up with that state.


Back to almost falling off my chair. Once at the New Hampshire site, I did one quick entry of a first and last name, and instantly, it brought up the person I was interested in. Simple and so easy. Getting the results was something I never thought I'd be able to get from the microfilm. Quickly, I did a custom report through my Family Tree Maker data base. There were about 150 names of those born in New Hampshire. Sure, I was able to cross off those born after 1900, but that amounted to about five people. With my list of seven pages, I got right to it.


Finding a record not only allows you to view the actual record, but also copy a modified transcript of the record directly to your data base. This includes the name, date, and location of birth, parent's names and film number. I am now done entering 105 sources for my New Hampshire lines, and am patiently waiting for the marriages and deaths for that state. I truly thank the volunteers who tackled these records.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are Distant Cousins, Lucky Me

On October 6, 2009, the New England Historic and Genealogical Society (NEHGS) issued a statement that Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were 10th cousins, once removed. Immediately, I was interested, because of all my New England ancestors, I thought there could be a chance I shared a name or two. Locating their common ancestor, William Knowlton, I realized that we were all related. Ben and I are 10th cousins, and Matt and I are 9th cousins, once removed. Wow, really kissing cousins.


The NEHGS chart site is located at: http://www.newenglandancestors.org/pdfs/affleck_damon_connection.pdf


Of course, I put their lineage into my tree, and a statement as to why the names of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are listed.

I won't get too excited about this, as years ago, when I discovered I had John Alden and Priscilla Mullins as direct ancestors, I was almost bragging. That was until somebody told me, there were over one million descendants to that Mayflower family. That did it, and that fact brought me down to reality.


Oh, I almost forgot, Randy Seaver and I are also related, probably 10th cousins. Should I add Randy into my tree? He wrote about his new found cousins, on his blog, see: http://www.geneamusings.com/2009/10/found-some-new-cousins.html

Backup Options

Tuesday, January 13, 2009



Guest Blog Article From Barbara Poole-Backup Methods
An online friend I have from a genealogy class and ongoing group site we share, informed me she had some additional information regarding Back Ups. I asked her if she would like to prepare something that I could post on my blog, which she has agreed to do. Some of you may remember seeing other guest posts from her on Steve's Genealogy Blog. I welcome and thank Barbara Poole as a guest poster to my blog! Please read her article below!"

On Tuesday, January 6, 2009, Msteri wrote an article about Back Up Methods. This is in reply to her column. There were a number of comments about the topic, and I thought some of the readers might be interested in learning that the January 2009 issue of Smart Computing has a rather large section on backing up your data.If you are interested in reading about back ups from this magazine, I suggest you check it out at a newsstand, library or subscribe to it. The link for this magazine is http://www.smartcomputing.com/ Two days ago, when I began this article, the January issue showed, but now it is the February issue. The chapter Did You Really Back Up has the following articles: Backup 101 Prevent A Data Disaster; Backup Media Make Your Data Impervious To Crashes; Backup Software Automatically Archive Your Data; Online Backup Options Services For Safeguarding Important Data; Vista Backup & Restore Center Set It & Forget It and Recovery Software & Services Lost, But Not Gone Forever.I have been subscribing to this publication for about 16 years, back when the title was PC Novice…so glad they changed the title to Smart Computing (nobody wants to be a novice for 16 years!) In my opinion, it is a top notch publication with very little advertising. There are a lot of great glossy pictures, many topics that range from fixing problems, wireless networks, new products & reviews, Q & A, software lessons (Word, Adobe, Excel, Browsers, etc., all with clear instructions), and many more subjects. I think everybody would benefit from at least checking it out, there is something for everybody. They often give genealogy software reviews as well. For the bloggers, there is an article Use Word As A Blog Composer. In addition, there is free computer support, full access to their sister publications and other benefits."Barbara has informed me of this magazine before, and for some reason I had forgotten about it. I will make sure to check into it this time! Thank you so much for sharing this information with us Barbara! I am sure it will be a great help to many genealogists and bloggers, a real benefit to us all!

Direct Ancestors (First Blog)

As I play around with setting up a blog and way before I do any posting for others to read, I decided to post a listing of all my direct ancestors.  It is quite long, 52 pages.  It opens up in Google documents.
Ancestor Tree (October 2009)


Now I can check my names anywhere, and don't need a genealogy software program installed on the computer to see what I have.


Well, I can see this isn't a very exciting post. I sure hope I can do better.