Have You Read the September 2024 Issue of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly?

The September 2024 issue of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly (NGSQ), Volume 112, No. 3, is available online in the members-only section of the website.

The NGSQ is published four times per year in March, June, September, and December.

CONTENTS

FEATURE ARTICLES

• "Same Name, Many Men: Joseph Reynolds in Early Greene County, Tennessee," by Donna G. White-Dropkin, CG
• "Uncovering the Jesse Wood Family of Amherst and Nelson Counties, Virginia," by Deborah R. Harvey, CG
• "A Family for Susanna Stonum of Richmond County, Virginia," by Kimball G. Carter, CG

EDITORS’ CORNER

• Time Travelers

SIDELIGHTS

• A Sweet "Seatsation"

REVIEWS

• Usner, Daniel H. Native American Women and the Burdens of Southern History. Reviewed by Darcie Hind Posz, CG, FASG
• Brown, Darius M. At the Feet of the Elders: A Journey into a Lowcountry Family History. Reviewed by Nancy A. Peters, CG, CGL
• Curran, Robert Emmett. American Catholics and the Quest for Equality
  in the Civil War Era. Reviewed by David M. Morehouse, JD, BCL, MSc, CG
• Bell, Caryn Cossé. Creole New Orleans in the Revolutionary Atlantic, 1775–1877. Reviewed by Christophe Landry, PhD
• Webster, Rachel Jamison. Benjamin Banneker and Us: Eleven Generations
  of an American Family. Reviewed by Jari C. Honora, CG
• Roberts, Gary Boyd. The Royal Descents of 900 Immigrants to the American Colonies, Quebec, or the United States who were Themselves Notable or Left Descendants Notable in American History, 3 vols., 2nd ed. Reviewed by David M. Morehouse, JD, BCL, MSc, CG
• Roulston, William J. Researching Scots-Irish Ancestors: The Essential Genealogical Guide to Early Modern Ulster, 1600–1800. 2nd ed. Reviewed by Mary Wiley Campbell, CG
• Ryskamp, George R., Peggy Ryskamp, and H. Leandro Soria. Mastering Spanish Handwriting and Documents: 1520–1820. Reviewed by Maria Wittwer, CG, AG
• La Marca, Jeffry P. Simple Citations for Genealogical Sources. Reviewed by Eva Holmes, CG, AG
• Benes, Peter. Fruits of the Tree of Life: New Discoveries. Reviewed by Bryna O’Sullivan
• Tabor, Nick. Africatown: America’s Last Slave Ship and the Community It Created. Reviewed by Jim Ellis, PhD
• Christensen, Liv Birgit and Margaret H. Strand. Exploring Norwegian Genealogy. Reviewed by J. H. Fonkert, CG
• Sperry, Kip. Genealogical Research in Ohio. Reviewed by J. H. Fonkert, CG

 SEPTEMBER 2024 #iReadtheQ QUIZ

1. Who were Henry Reynolds’s documented wives?
2. In 1857 Ellender (Reynolds) Reeves tried to perfect her title on land in Gasconade County, Missouri. Who offered a supporting affidavit?
3. Who was the father of Joseph Reynolds who married Leah White in 1808?
4. Who did Joseph Reynolds and Leah White’s son Joseph marry? In what year?
5. What is the significance of the potential sibling gaps between Jane Wood (born 1771) and Richard Wood (born 1781)?
6. What specific types of records were used to hypothesize Jesse Wood’s parental relationships?
7. Which family members' names suggest a pattern of naming after Jesse Wood’s maternal relatives?
8. What challenges did multiple relationships among test takers present in the analysis of shared DNA segments?
9. Which parish records first show Susanna Stonum associated with her husband William?
10. What geographical feature divided the land of William and Susanna Stonum from William Norris’s land?
11. Who did George Cammel (Campbell) marry?
12. How is Suckey Norris Davenport related to Susanna (Norris) Stonum?
13. How does Daniel Usner’s book challenge past narratives about Native American women during periods of conflict and enslavement?
14. What type of sources does Brown use to enrich the narrative of his family’s history in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina?

Remember, we'll email answers to the quiz to NGS members in November and invite you to join us in the #iReadtheQ and Genealogy Methods community on FORUM. (If you need assistance with FORUM, visit the Help/FAQs page.)

 

Is There a Llolf in Your Family Tree?

 

The Llolf

By Juliana Szucs

By now, you’ve likely heard a lot about artificial intelligence (AI) and its many uses as well as its potential drawbacks. The other day I happened across a YouTube video that morphed various animals and creatures like dragons into composites of sorts. Just for fun I looked for a way to try it for free and found a link to create one on Canva. It took me all of two minutes to combine two of my favorite animals, a llama and a wolf, into what I guess you could call a Llolf. It occurred to me that when we use online tools and resources to build our family tree, we could be inadvertently doing the same thing with our ancestors.

Many popular websites now use forms of AI to suggest new records and ancestors. You have this person in your tree and a website like Ancestry might suggest a match to a record or to a person in someone else’s tree. But as with my composite Llolf, you may be combining two different animals of the human variety. So how do we go about making sure we don’t take our family history down the wrong path?

Does the Timeline Make Sense?

Create a timeline based on everything you know about a person. Is the record created in the place where your ancestor lived at that time? Are there inconsistencies? For example, did your great-great-grandmother really give birth at age six?  Is someone somehow appearing as living in records years after he or she is known to have died?

Research the Whole Family and Then Some

Use a whole family approach to research. Conduct lineal research on direct ancestors as well as on siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, and the whole clan. Then go beyond and make a list of people beyond your family who were associated with them: your ancestor’s FAN club (friends, associates, and neighbors). All can be useful in identifying the correct person in the records. 

Use the Genealogical Proof Standard, or ECARC            

The Genealogical Proof Standard (or GPS) describes the standards recommended by the Board for Certification of Genealogists for reaching a sound conclusion in genealogical research. So, then what’s an ECARC? Just a simple mnemonic that helps me remember the steps to making my research as solid as possible.

·       E is for Exhaustive Search. Go beyond suggested records and do manual searches to make sure there are not other candidates that look like your ancestor on paper.

·      C is to Cite Your Sources. Know the provenance of the records you are using and—as we talked about in the recent blog post Family History Jumpstart: Get to Know the Records—know why and how they were created.

·      A is for Analyze Your Findings. Again. we want to make sure the timeline makes sense. Does everything in the record match up with what you know about your ancestor?

·       R is for Resolving Conflicting Evidence. If the answer to the previous question is no, can you explain why it doesn’t match up without rearranging the boundaries of space and time? Read the records and examine original documents or images where they are available to ensure everything is correct.

·       C is for Writing Your Conclusion. And trust me, this one is a biggie. I’ve been writing about family history for more than twenty-six years now, and you can believe me when I say that if you ever want to find a hole in a theory you’ve been holding, just write about it. The act of putting your rationale for a conclusion into writing will show you exactly where you need to shore up your research.

Sure, creating hybrids of animals can be fun, but in family history research, they can cost you time and energy spent researching the wrong family. And while their family story may be an interesting diversion, it’s probably not nearly as fascinating to you as your own people’s stories.

Native American Heritage Month

In 1990, a congressional resolution designated November as National American Indian Heritage Month, a time to celebrate and honor the culture and traditions of America’s Indigenous Peoples. This is a good time for family historians to uncover the stories of Native American ancestry. But where do we start? 

• Document any oral history that may have been passed down and ask multiple relatives what stories they’ve heard. Look for common threads in the stories that are shared with you.
• Use traditional research methods, tracing the family with census, vital, religious, military, and other records to trace your family lineage and identify potential Native American ancestors and their specific tribes.
• Research the history of relevant locations, including tribal nations, forced removals, and original settlements, to provide context for your family's story. Knowing the history is critical to successful research.
• Investigate your entire family, including collateral relatives. Family structure can be key in ancestor identification, and records of extended family members may contain additional clues.
• Explore records created through US government interactions with Native American tribes, such as Indian census records and the Dawes Rolls, available on genealogy websites like FamilySearch and Ancestry, as well as the National Archives. 
• Examine religious records. Your native ancestors’ first interaction with Europeans may have been missionaries. Again, knowing the area's history may tip you off to what religious records might include your relative. 
• Remember that spelling wasn’t always important to our forebears. Watch for and search using similar names or variants in collections that may have recorded your ancestor. 
• Dig deep into local records, including manuscript collections, storekeepers' account books, and residents' diaries, for details to enrich your family history. Seek out American Indian-specific collections, such as allotments, removal records, school records, and interactions with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and other entities.

For more tips and resources for tracing your Native American ancestry, see the following:

• The National Archives and Records Administration
• Bureau of Indian Affairs 
• National Parks Service
• FamilySearch
• Cyndi’s List
• Free PDF for Researching Your American Indian Ancestors on Ancestry
• NGS Culture Conversation with Filmmaker Alicia Hawkins, November 2023 (free)

Articles in the NGS Magazine archive (free benefit for NGS members):

Deeben, John. “Trail of Tears, Part I: Census Rolls Relating to Indian Removals,” NGS Magazine, Jul/Aug/Sep 2013, vol. 39‐3, page 38.

Deeben, John. “Trail of Tears, Part II: Emigration Lists & Reservation Applications,” NGS Magazine, Oct/Nov/Dec 2013, vol. 39‐4, page 37.

Muhn, Judy Nimer. “Researching Children in Indian Boarding Schools,” NGS Magazine, Jan/Feb/Mar 2022, vol. 48‐1, page 22.

Stuart‐Warren, Paula. “Researching Your American Indian Ancestry,” NGS Magazine, vol. Jan/Feb/Mar 2005, vol 31‐1, page 43

Family History Jumpstart: Census Records and Your Ancestor’s Education

Discovering your ancestors’ education can be fascinating and can add to your understanding of your family’s history. Before World War II, only one-third of Americans had completed twelve years of schooling.[1]In fact, the US census did not begin to ask for the highest grade attained in education until 1940. Nonetheless, much can be gleaned from earlier enumerations.

One hundred years prior, the 1840 Census asked for the number of scholars enrolled in “universities or colleges,” “academies & grammar schools,” or “primary and common schools.” It also inquired how many scholars were “at public charge” and the number of White persons= and free people of color in the household, who were over twenty years of age and could not read or write.

Between 1850 and 1880, censuses included those who in the household had attended school within the year, coupled with age. This can give you an idea of what level of education individuals received at the time of the census. These enumerations also asked how many individuals over twenty could not read or write. The lucky genealogist whose relatives’ 1890 census schedule survived can find these same questions as well as whether the enumerated individual could speak English and, if not, the language or dialect spoken.

From 1900 to 1930, the censuses again asked whether an individual had attended school that year and about literacy and English-speaking abilities.

Even without the specific questions regarding education in the population schedules, clues can be found by seeing what age an occupation replaces “scholar” or “at school.”

And what about other members of the household? Comparing the ages at which children began joining the workforce can also provide insights into the family economic situation.

When Thomas Howley’s family was enumerated in 1880, his 15- and 17-year-old daughters were working as coffee packers, while his younger children, Margaret (7) and Thomas (5), were still in school. Looking closer, we can also see that Thomas, a gas pipe fitter, had been out of work for three months that year, so they may have had to pitch in to help make up for that loss of income.

In June 1944, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Serviceman’s Readjustment Act, better known as the “G.I. Bill.” It was aimed at helping returning servicemen and/or eligible family members further their education—finishing elementary or high school, going to college or learning a trade—as well as buying a home, setting up a business, or landing a government job. The opportunity it provided for many White families was a game changer. Tragically, the majority of Black servicemen were unable to take advantage of the GI Bill due to racist policies and attitudes in housing and education throughout the country.

Every generation wants their children to do as well or better than they’ve done, and education has long been seen as a path to future success. How has education—or barriers to education whether from racism or poverty—impacted your family throughout the years? Perhaps it’s time to take a closer look.

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[1] Nilsson, Jeff, "How the G.I. Bill Changed America," The Saturday Evening Post, 22 June 2019 (https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2019/06/how-the-g-i-bill-changed-america/ accessed 17 Oct 2024).

Culture Conversation with Ashlee Davis Now Posted to NGS YouTube Channel

Check out the recording of our recent Culture Conversation with Ashlee Davis on the NGS YouTube Channel. There's plenty more on the channel as well, including SLAM! Idea Showcase videos and other webinars.

October is Polish Heritage Month: Finding Passenger Lists

October is Polish American Heritage Month. The National Genealogical Society is pleased to share with you the following article on researching your Polish roots.

Polish immigration to the United States began with the Jamestown settlement in 1608 when the Virginia Company hired Polish artisans skilled in trades needed in the new settlement.[1] Count Kazimierz Pulaski and Tadeusz Kościuszko distinguished themselves as heroes during the Revolutionary War. They were joined by about one hundred other Poles who fought alongside the Americans in the cause of freedom. Throughout US history, Polish immigrants have been arriving in the United States, with immigration peaking between 1870 and the start of World War I.[2]

Poland was partitioned between Russia, Prussia, and Austria at the end of the 18^th century. During this period, you may find your ethnically Polish ancestors identifying as Polish, Russian, Austrian, or Prussian, which might clue you in to the area of origin for those immigrants.

Locating the immigration records documenting your Polish ancestors’ arrival in the US can be tricky but rewarding. Before the 1890s, passenger arrival records didn’t include many details. However, records created beginning in the mid- to late-1890s—particularly after 1906—may include incredibly helpful information, such as birthplaces, the names of relatives in the old country, friends or relatives who the immigrant was going to meet, their last residence, and more.

Here are some tips for locating your ancestor’s arrival record.

• Create a timeline to estimate the immigrant’s arrival. Dates and places of birth for family members found in US census records can help. Censuses from 1900-1930 also asked for the year of immigration for immigrants, and you may find this information in some state censuses as well.  
• Naturalization records for those who opted to obtain citizenship may reference the arrival date, the name of the ship he or she arrived on, and other important details. If your ancestor went back to Europe to visit family, you might also find a passport record that may include that information. 
• Death records sometimes include how many years the deceased had been in the country.
• Passenger lists were created at the port of departure, and as such, the immigrants typically used the native version of their given name (e.g., Jan vs. John, Josef vs. Joseph, Elzbieta vs. Elizabeth, etc.). 
• Also look for variants of the immigrant’s surname. Last names were often Americanized or spelled phonetically after the immigrant’s arrival (but not at Ellis Island as some family stories claim). Learning about the Polish alphabet and pronunciation may help you locate the family in arrival records. My great-grandfather John Mekalski often spelled his name Menkalski. I learned that the e with the “little tail” (ę) is, in some situations, pronounced “en,” so that solved that little mystery. (He also spelled his name Wagner for a while, but that’s a story for another day.)
• Surnames may also have masculine and feminine variations, like Krakowski/Krakowska.
• Following the Quota Acts of 1921, which limited the number of immigrants arriving by country, some immigrants may have tried to circumvent restrictions by coming in through Canada or Mexico. 
• Bear in mind that some immigrants went back and forth between the US and Europe several times before settling in the United States or returning home for good. Keep looking even after you’ve found one arrival to see if there are more. Records from the post-1906 era asked whether the immigrant had been in the US before, and when, so that’s an easy clue to look for.
• FamilySearch, the National Archives, and Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation maintain collections of immigration records, as do subscription websites like Ancestry.com, FindMyPast, and MyHeritage. You can learn more about immigration records on the website of the National Archives and Records Administration.

Locating your ancestor’s arrival record marks the start of a new life in America, and the details provided can shed important insights into how they came to the US and much more.

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[1] “Polish Settlers at Early Jamestown,” Virginia Humanities Encyclopedia Virginia website, (https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/polish-settlers-at-early-jamestown/ :accessed 17 Oct 2024).

[2] “History of Poles in the United States,” Wikipedia, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Poles_in_the_United_States: accessed 17 Oct 2024)

Image credit: A Polish emigrant boarding ship - he carries trunk on his shoulders, Nov 1907, digitized photograph, Library of Congress website (https://www.loc.gov/item/2001704434/: accessed 24 Oct 2024)

The October-December 2024 Issue of NGS Magazine is Now Online

The October-December 2024 issue of NGS Magazine, Volume 50, No. 4, is now available to members only on the website. This issue’s theme is Tax Records.

Read NGS Magazine

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Features

The Genealogical Value of Tax Records

Carol Cooke Darrow

 

Expanded Free Access to New Jersey Ratables

H. Husted, MLIS

 

Using Early Ohio Tax Records

Dana Ann Palmer, CG, CGL

 

Records of Tax Delinquency

J. Mark Lowe, FUGA

 

Taxation During the American Revolution

John D. Sinks, PhD

 

DAR and Revolutionary War Supply Taxes

Sara Louise Sukol

 

Irish Tax Records, Part 1: Tithe Applotment Books

Fiona Fitzsimons

Departments

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

David Rencher, AG, CG, FUGA, FIGRS, FNGS

 

EDITOR’S NOTE

Deb Cyprych

 

NGS NEWS

 

REFERENCE DESK

American Tax Revolts: Shays's Rebellion and the Whiskey Rebellion

Kathy Petlewski, MSLS

 

THE GENEALOGY TECHNOLOGIST

FamilySearch Full-Text Search: Part 2, Beyond the Basics

Robert Raymond

 

DNA DISCOVERY
DNA and Family Tree Tools

Paul Woodbury, MEd, AG

 

SOCIETY FORUM

History Helpers: Ten Volunteer Roles Every Genealogical Society Needs

Amy Lenertz, MLIS, MS, CFE

 

BOOK NOTICES