May, 2007
The Earth Shifts on Its Axis; New Planets Discovered
These things didn’t happen in the physical world, but they seem to have happened in the genealogical universe over the past few days. These things have all been reported elsewhere, but let me summarize: The Earth Shifts on Its Axis FamilySearch announced its “Records Access Program”: to increase public access to massive genealogy collections worldwide. For the first time ever, …
May 17, 2007 Thursday at 2:43 pm
The Wrong Longs?
The discovery of my great-grandfather’s death certificate has raised a number of issues, the first of which is that I may have been researching the wrong family as my great-grandfather’s parents and siblings. How could that happen? Easy. Just watch this. My great-grandfather’s name was James William Long. I assumed for my initial research purposes that he was born in …
May 15, 2007 Tuesday at 8:12 pm
Mental Illness
See the UPDATE to Missouri Just Keeps On Rollin’ Along. This elegant building is the State Mental Hospital at Fulton, Missouri. Opened in 1851, it was the first public mental institution west of the Mississippi. According to State Biennial Reports, several probable causes of mental illness were determined in the first cases admitted. Among the more unusual causes were indigestion, …
May 15, 2007 Tuesday at 2:22 pm
Those Mothers of Mine
On Mother’s Day, my post was “The Mothers of Me,” which seems to have proved popular. It was suggested that I link to previous stories I’ve written about each of them. So I’ve done that. And here’s a photo of my mother who gave birth to me. Thanks, Mom!
May 15, 2007 Tuesday at 4:07 am
Missouri Just Keeps On Rollin’ Along
The Missouri Death Certificate Project, that is! With no fanfare, Missouri has now posted images for the years 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, and 1949. That leaves 1933-1944 without images. Congratulations to the Missouri State Archives, the Friends of the State Archives, and all the volunteers who are working on the project! UPDATE (5/14/07, 10:04 PM PDT): Wow! That was my …
May 14, 2007 Monday at 9:57 pm
Product Review: World Vital Records Reconsidered
Sometime ago, I came across World Vital Records, a new site started by Internet guru and rich guy Paul Allen. He ‘s the fellow was behind the initial launch of MyFamily.com which has now become The Generations Network and includes Ancestry.com, Rootsweb, and Genealogy.com. World Vital Records, in Allen’s words, was striving to become the “number two” company in the …
May 13, 2007 Sunday at 11:21 pm
The Mothers of Me
Lillian Manson Annie Florida Corrine Long (1902-1986)Sylvia Lejay (1863-1940)Mary Elizabeth Liza Jane Johnson (1870-1946)Sarah Gilbert (1849-1920?) Syntrilla Brayboy (1843-1920) Harriet Mitchell Bettie [Brayboy] (1800-?)Hannah Clark (1798-1881) Paternal Line Jessie Bowie (1909-1973)Hattie Bryant (1888-1944)Bettie Sanford (1872-1955) Maria Martin (1861-1931)Amanda McCray (1848-1924)Emely Scott (1831-1910?)Matilda Manson (1843-1910?) Amanda [Martin] (1841-?)Jane Manson (1826-1900?)Susan Francis Thweatt (1822-1892) Charlotte Manson (1797?-?)Catherine A.S. Hamill (1795-1879)Arra Anna Reese …
May 13, 2007 Sunday at 7:00 pm
Mother of Mothers
Ave MariaGratia plenaMaria, gratia plenaMaria, gratia plenaAve, ave dominusDominus tecumBenedicta tu in mulieribusEt benedictusEt benedictus fructus ventrisVentris tuae, Jesus.Ave Maria Ave MariaMater DeiOra pro nobis peccatoribusOra pro nobisOra, ora pro nobis peccatoribusNunc et in hora mortisEt in hora mortis nostraeEt in hora mortis nostraeEt in hora mortis nostraeAve Maria
May 13, 2007 Sunday at 6:55 pm
More on Ancestry.com Images
Randy Seaver has examined the Ancestry.com Terms and Conditions here. It appears that Ancestry’s images are licensed for “personal and professional history research.” Furthermore, the license provides, “Online or other republication of Content is prohibited except as unique data elements that are part of a unique family history or genealogy.” Randy surmises that downloaded Ancestry images could be used in …
May 11, 2007 Friday at 1:40 am
Colorado Gets Stupid
I like Colorado. I lived there for eight years and have many friends there. And I have praised both their state archives as well as their easily accessible marriage and divorce records. But now Colorado has gone stupid. The State Department of Public Health and Environment has taken down their site that used to list marriages and divorces in Colorado. …
May 10, 2007 Thursday at 1:22 am
