Digging for Genealogy Gold -- New Resources, 2017 Edition -- Part #1

Digging for Genealogy Gold -- New Resources, 2017 Edition

Part #1

I have my annual present for you ...

For the last couple of years, I have created, about once per year, multi-part series called “20 Free and (Relatively) New Genealogy and Family History Resources” which followed a series previously called Mini-Bytes.

As I trawl genealogy newsletters, blogs, and elsewhere, I keep an email folder of all the news items that aren’t “big enough” for a full post and yet sound useful for genealogists and family historians.  These range from how-to type information to databases.  There is so much information out there and it’s impossible to fully blog about most of it.

In order that those collected don’t go to waste, I am again creating a few posts where I present you with 20 “relatively” new resources and the associated hyperlink.  That’s it; a very no frills list. If the title doesn’t convey enough info I will add a note about what content caught my eye ...

Some of these may seem familiar to you and being reminded of a great resource is never a bad thing!  Hopefully many more are new to you.

DUTCH CARIBBEAN

1. Dutch Caribbean Digital Platform (article) (database)

FINLAND

2. Military Records [in Finnish, have browser translate]

IRELAND

3. Ireland Valuation Books Translator

4.    Irish Soldiers’ Records

NORWAY

5. 1891 Census

SARAWAK (Malaysia)

6.    Launch of the Brooke Archive Online -- Records representing the first 100 years of Sarawak’s history, previously hidden away at Oxford University’s Bodleian Library

UNITED KINGDOM

7. Staffordshire World War One documents made public (article) (database + check out all the other databases also found on page!)
8.  HEICS – Ships Logs and Journals of the Honorourable East India Company Service

9. The (British) Jewish Chronicle Archive (back to 1841)
10. Criminal Transportation [to Australia]

UNITED STATES

11. Minnesota Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church Online Catalog
12. Maine WPA Cemetery Plans
13. Lexington (KY) Early Marriage Indexes of African Americans Available Online
14. New York Public Library Digitizes 137 Years of New York City Directories
15. The American Legion Digital Archive
16. Westmoreland County (VA) Cohabitation Registers (article) (finding aid with link to records)
17. Houston Herald (MO) Archive (back to 1881)
18. Historic Luzerne County (PA) records available online in new deeds database (article) (database)
19. Queens (NY) Library Archives Go Digital (article) (database)
20. Swedish American Newspapers (English & Swedish)

Editor’s Note: As of today, each of the above links worked.  Now, whether the links in any of the identified articles work, I cannot vouch for that.  And, armed with the information provided, it should be relatively easy to get to determine where the discussed database currently resides.  If you get really stuck, drop me an email and I’ll try to ferret out the recalcitrant link or cross out my entry in the above list!

Editor’s Note: Know of a neat resource that you think might be a hidden gem?  Drop an email to UpFront@ngsgenealogy.org.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

copyright © National Genealogical Society, 3108 Columbia Pike, Suite 300, Arlington, Virginia 22204-4370. http://www.ngsgenealogy.org.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Republication of UpFront articles is permitted and encouraged for non-commercial purposes without express permission from NGS. Please drop us a note telling us where and when you are using the article. Express written permission is required if you wish to republish UpFront articles for commercial purposes. You may send a request for express written permission to UpFront@ngsgenealogy.org. All republished articles may not be edited or reworded and must contain the copyright statement found at the bottom of each UpFront article.

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Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

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Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

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The Stars and Stripes – news for the average guy in a foxhole

The Stars and Stripes – news for the average guy in a foxhole

A few years ago, a project necessitated that I look into The Stars and Stripes newspaper.  Back at the time, this necessitated a trip to the Library of Congress (not that I’m complaining!).

Did you know that this iconic military-based newspaper is now partially digitized?  I learned this via World War I: From Red Glare to Debonair on the Library of Congress blog.

The handful of enlisted men who began cranking it out insisted that it be written with flair and cover the things the average guy in a foxhole would want to know about.

The digitized collection is called -- Stars and Stripes: The American Soldiers' Newspaper of World War I, 1918 to 1919.

This online collection includes the complete seventy-one-week run of The Stars and Stripes World War I edition. The Stars and Stripes was published in France by the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) of the United States Army from February 8, 1918, to June 13, 1919.

If your ancestor served in the Army during WWI, read the news just as they did.

Did your ancestor serve during World War II (WWII) or later?  There is a subscription-based online archive of the newspaper (including various editions produced) 1942-1999 via The Newspaper Archives of Stars and Stripes.



What other military newspaper archives are you aware of?

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copyright © National Genealogical Society, 3108 Columbia Pike, Suite 300, Arlington, Virginia 22204-4370. http://www.ngsgenealogy.org.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Republication of UpFront articles is permitted and encouraged for non-commercial purposes without express permission from NGS. Please drop us a note telling us where and when you are using the article. Express written permission is required if you wish to republish UpFront articles for commercial purposes. You may send a request for express written permission to UpFront@ngsgenealogy.org. All republished articles may not be edited or reworded and must contain the copyright statement found at the bottom of each UpFront article.

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Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

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Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

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20 Free and (Relatively) New Genealogy and Family History Resources - 2016 Version Part 1

I have my annual present for you ... Just over a year ago, I did a multi-part years “20 Free and (Relatively) New Genealogy and Family History Resources” (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7)

As I trawl genealogy newsletters, blogs, and elsewhere, I kept an email folder of all the news items that aren’t “big enough” for a full post and yet sound useful for genealogists and family historians.  These range from how-to type information to databases.  There is so much information out there and it’s impossible to fully blog about most of it.

In order that those collected don’t go to waste, I am again planning to create a few posts where I present you with 20 “relatively” new resources and the associated hyperlink.  That’s it; a very no frills list. If the title doesn’t convey enough info I will add a note about what content caught my eye ...

I will be doing this from oldest to youngest in my queue – so, some of these may seem familiar to you and probably less familiar as I get to the more recently collected pieces.

CANADA

1.     Release of an updated version of the Immigrants from China database

2.     Canadiana.org -- a coalition of memory institutions dedicated to providing broad access to Canada's documentary heritage.

IRELAND

3.     IGP Headstone Project [Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives] – over 85,000 Headstones

4.     Index of Townlands, Now Searchable Online [Ireland]

5.     Kabristan Archive – Ireland, Ceylon and India Gravestone Indexes

6.     UCD launches Army Barracks of 18^th-century Ireland

7.     National Library of Ireland (NLI) Catholic Parish Registers at NLI

UNITED KINGDOM

8.     British Library – Georeferenced Maps

9.     Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow – Digital Volumes – vaccination registers covering 1801-1831 (fascinating!)

10. Lane’s Masonic Records -- John Lane’s Masonic Records 1717-1894 is an authoritative listing of all the lodges established by the English Grand Lodges from the foundation of the first Grand Lodge in 1717 up until 1894.

11. Last Chance to Read (Free to signup, $ to access pages) (UK & Ireland) – over 4000 newspapers

12. Bedlam Burial Ground Register -- register of over 5,000 people buried at the Bedlam Burial Ground at Liverpool Street in the City of London

13. England’s medieval immigrants revealed by universities

UNITED STATES

14. Are Slave Narratives Useful to My Family Tree Research?

15. U.S. Serial Set – Starts 1817 and contains the House and Senate Documents and the House and Senate Reports & American State Papers -- the legislative and executive documents of Congress during the period 1789 to 1838

16. Back Issues of the Quarterly Publication of the State Historical Society of Iowa Available Online free

17. Spotsylvania County (VA) Chancery Causes Online

18. Penn Libraries Launches ‘OPenn’ Digital Resources Online Platform -- Some rare books and manuscripts from Penn Libraries can now be accessed online

19. Congregational Library & Archives, History Matters – Series I: Church Records -- This series contains collections of church records documenting early Puritan, Congregational, and Christian (denomination) history in New England

20. Kalkaska County (MI) Library’s Digital Newspaper Archive

Editor’s Note: As of today, each of the above links worked.  Now, whether the links in any of the identified articles work, I cannot vouch for that.  And, armed with the information provided, it should be relatively easy to get to determine where the discussed database currently resides.  If you get really stuck, drop me an email and I’ll try to ferret out the recalcitrant link or cross out my entry in the above list!

Editor’s Note: Know of a neat resource that you think might be a hidden gem?  Drop an email to UpFront@ngsgenealogy.org.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

copyright © National Genealogical Society, 3108 Columbia Pike, Suite 300, Arlington, Virginia 22204-4370. http://www.ngsgenealogy.org.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Republication of UpFront articles is permitted and encouraged for non-commercial purposes without express permission from NGS. Please drop us a note telling us where and when you are using the article. Express written permission is required if you wish to republish UpFront articles for commercial purposes. You may send a request for express written permission to UpFront@ngsgenealogy.org. All republished articles may not be edited or reworded and must contain the copyright statement found at the bottom of each UpFront article.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

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Honor the Veterans in Your Family -- Request their Military Record

In the U.S. today we honor those men and women who have served their country by serving in the military.

A great way to honor those who served is to document their stories and share those stories with the younger generations and generations to come.

If you have not acquired the military record for an ancestor or more recently deceased family member who served starting with the Spanish-American war, consider doing so.  The process is easy and explained in this video, Veterans Personnel Records at the National Archives, St. Louis.  Here are some useful links:

+ National Archives at St. Louis

+ Veterans Service Records (research about and requests)

Additionally, don’t forget that FREE Access to Ancestry Military Records via Ancestry.com (US), Ancestry.ca (Canada) & Ancestry.co.uk (UK) -- November 6-11, 2015 ends today.  You can research many different types of military records from the US and around the world as we “remember” those who served.

Don’t forget about the fold3 U.S. Honor Wall. Participants from the Revolutionary War through the Afghan/Iraq War as well as other service are included.

Please post a comment about any “veteran” or someone actively serving in the military – no matter where they live or how they are serving.  Let’s keep them and their selfless service alive.

For example, I honor John Richard Fountain, my maternal grandfather, who served in WWII.

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copyright © National Genealogical Society, 3108 Columbia Pike, Suite 300, Arlington, Virginia 22204-4370. http://www.ngsgenealogy.org.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Republication of UpFront articles is permitted and encouraged for non-commercial purposes without express permission from NGS. Please drop us a note telling us where and when you are using the article. Express written permission is required if you wish to republish UpFront articles for commercial purposes. You may send a request for express written permission to UpFront@ngsgenealogy.org. All republished articles may not be edited or reworded and must contain the copyright statement found at the bottom of each UpFront article.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

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FREE Access to Ancestry Military Records via Ancestry.com (US), Ancestry.ca (Canada) & Ancestry.co.uk (UK) -- November 6-11, 2015

Page for Ancestry.ca (Canada) military research when you select "Search Free" in box stating FREE ACCESS -- Explore global military records (see Ancestry.com example below)

Ancestry.com is making some of its military collection FREELY accessible November 6-11, 2015.  This is in honor of Remembrance weekend (Canada and England) and Veterans Day (US). I only checked these three countries.  There may also be similar free access for other countries.  Please do check and let us know where else you were able to gain free access.

A list of the military records collection holdings can be found here (Canada) and here (US) respectively.  Records also include those who served in the military in the UK and other countries.  

Ancestry.com (US) version showing FREE ACCESS mention

Ancestry (UK) version showing free access -- www.ancestry.co.uk/cs/remembrance

Not all military records are available and when you search, it’s pretty clear what is and is not included.

As always, you will need to be “registered” with Ancestry to be able to view any records found via the search engine! If you attempt to access Ancestry say through the Canadian or UK sites or vice versa, Ancestry typically redirects you to the country of your IP address though you can opt to continue access through the original Ancestry site you accessed.

What a great way to remember those who have served as we spend the next few days honoring their contributions to our great countries.

My grandfather served in WWII in England and I have his service record.  The current records for the UK include WWI and maybe I'll find a grandparent or great uncle who served!

Did you find something new about an ancestor who served in the military?

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copyright © National Genealogical Society, 3108 Columbia Pike, Suite 300, Arlington, Virginia 22204-4370. http://www.ngsgenealogy.org.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Republication of UpFront articles is permitted and encouraged for non-commercial purposes without express permission from NGS. Please drop us a note telling us where and when you are using the article. Express written permission is required if you wish to republish UpFront articles for commercial purposes. You may send a request for express written permission to UpFront@ngsgenealogy.org. All republished articles may not be edited or reworded and must contain the copyright statement found at the bottom of each UpFront article.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

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Many many libraries, archives, institutions and other entities have an online presence! Are you taking advantage?

http://www.vmi.edu/Content.aspx?id=4294972409&libID=4294972406 

I was just reminded that online archives exist for so many different institutions!

I saw a Facebook (FB) post from the Photo Detective about a photo archive (which of course makes sense).  Well, when I visited the photo archive, I then “bumped up” a level to the main page where the photo archive was housed and the image above is what was revealed to me.

So, what started as a link to Virginia Military Institute (VMI) cadet images lead me to this wonderful online archive which is not just about VMI and about historical figures and military history. 

All it took was a moment to “see” what else might be available ... and see what I found.

Are you doing this whenever you click a link?  Are you checking to see what else might be available as part of that institutions online archive?

Please take a moment when you visit any online archive to see if it’s part of a bigger online archive.

Have you stumbled across a really neat online archive in an unexpected place? If so, please do share!  I know that there are a LOT of hidden digital online archive gems just waiting to be discovered by me and our family history community.

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copyright © National Genealogical Society, 3108 Columbia Pike, Suite 300, Arlington, Virginia 22204-4370. http://www.ngsgenealogy.org.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Republication of UpFront articles is permitted and encouraged for non-commercial purposes without express permission from NGS. Please drop us a note telling us where and when you are using the article. Express written permission is required if you wish to republish UpFront articles for commercial purposes. You may send a request for express written permission to UpFront@ngsgenealogy.org. All republished articles may not be edited or reworded and must contain the copyright statement found at the bottom of each UpFront article.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

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FREE Access -- Ancestry.com Military Records

Ancestry.com has FREE access this weekend.

Honor your military heroes by taking advantage of free access to more than 200 million military records thru Memorial Day, search now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

copyright © National Genealogical Society, 3108 Columbia Pike, Suite 300, Arlington, Virginia 22204-4370. http://www.ngsgenealogy.org.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Republication of UpFront articles is permitted and encouraged for non-commercial purposes without express permission from NGS. Please drop us a note telling us where and when you are using the article. Express written permission is required if you wish to republish UpFront articles for commercial purposes. You may send a request for express written permission to UpFront@ngsgenealogy.org. All republished articles may not be edited or reworded and must contain the copyright statement found at the bottom of each UpFront article.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

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Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Twitter