UpFront with NGS: February 2016

29 February 2016

Runaway Slave Advertisements -- Invaluable to descendants of the slaves & their former owners

As Black History Month winds down, let’s look at another invaluable research resource – Runaway Slave Advertisements.

Slaves did not always want to remain on the plantation or on the most recent plantation where they found themselves either to resist slavery, or, if relocated far from family, to try and reunite with kin.

There are xx projects focused on these records though you can access them using other techniques also.

Louisiana Runaway Slave Advertisements, 1836-1865 [database]
NC Runaway Slave Advertisements, 1751-1840 [database]
Virginia Run away from the Subscriber – Runaway Slave Advertisements 1745-1775: A selection [article]
The Geography of Slavery (Advertisements) (1730s-1800s) [database] -- is a digital collection of advertisements for runaway and captured slaves and servants in 18th- and 19th-century Virginia newspapers.
Texas Runaway Slave Project
Documenting Runaway Slaves [MS]

You are not limited to finding these advertisements through these databases. Search on “runaway slave” in databases like Chronicling America (free), Newspapers.com, Genealogybank, and other digitized newspaper services and you will find many entries, possibly in a newspaper local to where your ancestors lived.

Often these advertisements provide a detailed description of the individual and sometimes with information on what plantation s/he was born on, who sold to and where, and other helpful details.

Have you found an ancestor mentioned in a Runaway Slave advertisement?

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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.

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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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26 February 2016

CSI: Dixie -- Examining 19th Century South Carolina Violent Deaths

I’ve just discovered a fascinating web site, CSI: Dixie.

Coroners’ inquests are some of the richest records we have of life and death in the nineteenth century South. As mortals, we all die, but we do not die equally. Race, place, gender, profession, behavior, and good and bad luck play large roles in determining how we go out of the world. Collecting extant coroners' inquests for the state of South Carolina between 1800 and 1900, "CSI: Dixie" provides rare glimpses into Victorian-era suicide, homicide, infanticide, abortion, child abuse, spousal abuse, master-slave murder, and slave on slave violence.

A project of the Center for Virtual History at the University of Georgia, CSI:D is delighted to thank the American Council of Learned Societies and the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts for their steadfast support.

Learn about the creation of coroner’s offices, the numbers of dead (and by what means), some of the crimes, some of the coroners and jurors, and more. A fascinating glimpse into the process of determining cause of death (including infanticide) and those found guilty or innocent of causing said deaths.

As expected, this got me wondering what other similar resources might exist for those researching in other states. Here are a few Coroner’s Inquest database finds:

Missouri Coroner’s Inquest Database [Free] – coverage varies by county and earliest record found was from 1842
Cook County [Illinois] Coroner’s Inquest Record Index, 1872-1911 [Free]
New South Wales, Australia, Registers of Coroner’s Inquests, 1821-1937 [Subscription]
The National Archives [UK] Coroner’s Inquests – information about available records; NONE are available online
Do you have a murder case in your family? Why don’t you check out Coroners’ Inquests! Article about these records for NC.

Are you aware of another database dealing with the records of coroners? If so, please share.

Have you found a helpful overview published about these records? If so, please share.

Share the story of any family members found mentioned in a coroner’s inquest.

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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.

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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!

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Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to [email protected]

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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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25 February 2016

Russian State Library and its massive online records collection

Some of my husband’s ancestry is Russian from Matskevichi, Bystritsa, Slutsk, Minsk, so I do keep my eyes open for resources for genealogists from that country.

The most recent mention is an article about The Russian State Library, A Russian genealogy gold mine awaiting to be cleared of its treasures.

Do recognize that none of the records are in English! Though, the website does have an English-language interface for the main page.

I found that using Google Translate was quite affective in translating pages in Russian. You need to “search” on the terms of interest in the Russian language! So, I would use Google Translate to go English to Russian and then when results were listed I would use Google Translate to go Russian to English.

Here is a Google Translate result for when I searched on Bystritsa (Быстрица in Russian).

So, if you are ambitious and have some Russian ancestors, check this out.

If you accessed The Russian State Library and found something relevant to your family history research, please share.

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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.

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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!

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Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to [email protected]

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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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24 February 2016

Official Blogger and Social Media Press Registration Opens for National Genealogical Society’s 2016 Family History Conference

Arlington, VA, 24 February 2016—The National Genealogical Society (NGS) announces the launch of the Official Blogger and Social Media Press registration for the 2016 Family History Conference, which will be held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 4–7 May 2016.

NGS invites interested press, social media writers, bloggers, radio show hosts, and other media to register for official media credentials at http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/social-media-press. Registration is open through 14 March 2016. NGS will notify registrants their acceptance by 21 March 2016. For more information on the NGS Social Media Policy, see http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/press/social-media-policy.

NGS recognizes the importance of media who regularly draw attention to records, research methods, tools, software, events, and other areas of genealogy. Individuals and organizations with official media designations play an essential role in the success of the NGS Family History Conference by spreading newfound knowledge, sharing in conference fun, and increasing conference attendance and participation.

Official media will be:

§ permitted to use the official press and blogger logos

§ granted use of the press table at the conference

§ linked to the NGS Family History Conference blog

NGS will award five registration credits valued at $50 each towards attendance for the 2017 Family History Conference to official media who provide the best coverage at this year’s conference. http://goo.gl/kzoX8z

Founded in 1903, the National Genealogical Society is dedicated to genealogical education, exemplary standards of research, and the preservation of genealogical records. The Arlington, Virginia-based nonprofit is the premier national society for everyone, from the beginner to the most advanced family historian seeking excellence in publications, educational offerings, and guidance in research. It also offers many opportunities to interact with other genealogists.

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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.

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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!

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Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to [email protected]

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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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23 February 2016

Some Trending Family History Posts on Facebook (FB)

In the last few days, I’ve posted a few very popular links to interesting articles on the NGS FB page. This is material not usually published as part of the blog and supplements the content available to FB members.

That said, I wanted to share these with the wider Upfront with NGS readership.

Remember that you can “like” the NGS FB page and have the posts appear in your news feed or not (and with or without notifications turned on). This way you will see news items like this. There are probably 5-15 such posts added every week.

These can all be accessed from the NGS FB page or via the links provided here.

This sounds like a fun event for a local genealogy society. Has yours ever done a "swap" event or something similar? http://mtairynews.com/news/37368/folks-flock-to-genealogy-swap
A 3 part series about Finding Burials for Formerly Enslaved People. This link is to part 3. The bottom of the article has links to parts 1 & 2, http://www.examiner.com/article/part-3-finding-burials-for-formerly-enslaved-people
Even genealogists today still have a need to access a card catalog composed of index cards -- I will be doing just that tomorrow at the NC archives. This is an interesting read of the evolution of these invaluable finding aids and their contribution to the www. http://www.popularmechanics.com/culture/a19379/a-short-history-of-the-index-card/
Always neat when something is re-discovered such as this photo [Frederick Douglass]! http://wxxinews.org/post/frederick-douglass-photo-resurfaces-after-century
Some more feel good news for this Friday. A man purchases an old monuments works building, finds some tombstones on the property and has been working to repatriate them to where they belong, http://www.post-gazette.com/local/west/2016/02/19/Stowe-firm-discovers-abandoned-headstones/stories/201602120041
Neat map showing country and state creation through time of the North American continent ... https://media.giphy.com/media/l4Kia1ePs6RLmEARq/giphy.gif

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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.

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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!

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Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to [email protected]

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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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22 February 2016

Mapping the African American Past (MAAP) uses Maps (modern and historic)

Mapping the African American Past is a delightful way to get immersed in NYC’s African American Past.

Mapping the African American Past (MAAP) is a public website created to enhance the appreciation and study of significant sites and moments in the history of African Americans in New York from the early 17th-century through the recent past. The website is a geographic learning environment, enabling students, teachers, and visitors to browse a multitude of locations in New York and read encyclopedic profiles of historical people and events associated with these locations. The site is further enhanced by selected film and music clips; digitized photographs, documents, and maps from Columbia University's libraries; and commentary from Columbia faculty and other specialists.

Since African American history is a required component in the New York State social studies curriculum for certain grades, the side also has a selection of Lesson Plans.

As expected, this got me interested in seeing if there were other projects using maps and more to preserve and convey African American history. Some finds include:

+ Mapping African American History Across Long Island [article]

+ Mapping African American Historic Places in the Northeast Region [uses Google Earth]

+ Mapping the African American Experience in Maryland [resources listed by county]

Are you aware of other projects which provide a visually rich gateway into learning about local African American history using maps?

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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.

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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!

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Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to [email protected]

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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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19 February 2016

Eight-episode docu-series Long Lost Family premieres Sunday, March 6, 2016 on TLC

More tv series news ...

Just about a year ago, there was a one-hour TV special called Long Lost family.

TLC and Shed Media, who bring you Who Do You Think You Are? are behind an eight-episode docu-series, again called Long Lost Family and with the same hosts, which features family members trying to reunited with birthparents, biological families, or children placed for adoption.

Hosted by Chris Jacobs and Lisa Joyner — both adoptees who have searched for their own biological families — each episode of Long Lost Family features the stories of two people or families hoping to find what they are looking for.

You can watch a trailer here.

Will you be watching?

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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.

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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!

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Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to [email protected]

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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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18 February 2016

Ancestry DNA + Reality TV = BYUtv to Debut "Relative Race" series

BYUtv premieres a new TV series on 28 February, called Relative Race.

From the press release ...

PROVO, Utah, Feb. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In an expansion of its innovative programming and unique series lineup, BYUtv will debut its all-new original, unscripted competition reality show, Relative Race, on Sunday, February 28 at 8pm ET/6pm MT. Relative Race follows four married couples on a 10-day journey across the country as they complete challenges, meet unknown relatives traced through DNA and compete for a $25,000 grand prize. Driven by the science and technology of AncestryDNA, the reality series takes viewers alongside the teams as they test their emotional and physical endurance while simultaneously discovering more about themselves and establishing connections with family they didn't know they had.

Armed with only paper maps, rental cars, burner flip phones and a $25 per diem, the couples receive instructions via text message to complete challenges that lead them to their long lost relatives. The last team to finish each day receives a strike, and after three strikes, teams are eliminated. Relative Race will culminate in a dramatic finale, as all remaining couples race 4,500 miles from San Francisco to the finish in New York City...

You can read the full press release here.

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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.

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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!

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Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to [email protected]

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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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17 February 2016

Early Mormon Missionaries Database

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has created a database of Early Mormon Missionaries (1830-1930).

During the century following the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1830, almost 40,000 men and women served proselytizing missions. In their travels, they taught in 36 countries and spoke to millions of people.

The database is based on two key sources ...

... a set of large ledgers—called the “missionary registers”—housed in the Church History Library. In 1860 a clerk began to record in these ledgers information about the calling of missionaries set apart in Salt Lake City to serve full-time missions. The registers, kept until 1959, are a rich source of biographical data. They contain the missionaries’ birth dates, birthplaces, parents’ names, baptism dates, the names of those who baptized them, residences at the time of their calls, their mission assignments, dates they were set apart, their priesthood offices (when applicable), and in many cases the dates they returned from their mission.

... a roster of missionaries compiled under the direction of assistant Church historian Andrew Jenson in 1925. This roster was, in part, an attempt to reconstruct a list of missions served prior to 1860.

Are there comparable databases created for the missionaries associated with other religions?

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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.

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

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!

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Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to [email protected]

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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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16 February 2016

National Trust for Historic Preservation's African American Historic Places Database

The National Trust for Historic Preservation maintains an African American Historic Places Database.

This database lists more than 7,000 historic places from across the nation that are significant in African American history and culture. The information was gathered from various landmark lists, historic site directories, walking tour brochures, and recommendations from state and local preservation offices. This database not only provides recognition for these typically overlooked places, but is a tool for historians, city planners, zoning boards, preservation organizations, and others to better understand the African American experience in a specific town or region.

You can also access an article, Preserving African American Historic Places By Brent Leggs, Kerri Rubman, and Byrd Wood.

This is not the only web site to feature an African American historic places database, the National Park Service maintains the National Register of Historic Places Program and in February highlights featured African American historic properties.

I also found some state databases of interest such as the African American Historic Sites Database (a project by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities).

Are you aware of other databases which focus on African American historic places/sites?

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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.

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

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!

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Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to [email protected]

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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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