LOOKING4ANCESTORS

Conferece Call With Lisa Kudrow

noreply@blogger.com (Kathryn Lake Hogan) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:28:00 +0000

This past Friday I had the opportunity to sit in on a media conference call with Lisa Kudrow, one of the executive producers of Who Do You Think You Are?

Through the course of the thirty-five minute conference call, various people from the genealogy and entertainment media asked Lisa about the upcoming season.

Although I requested a copy of the transcript, I'm still waiting.
What I want to share with you from the conference call is based on my notes, and may not be word for word questions and responses.

Q: Will there be an expansion of the season, with more episodes?

A: Lisa replied more is better.

Already the show has expanded from 7 episodes in season 1 to 12 episodes this season.

Q: Will WDYTYA have a US genealogy conference, or presence at a conference?

A: Although they have been invited, Lisa said they are not sure if they want to participate just yet.

Q: Thomas MacEntee of Geneabloggers asked a question with regard to the use of DNA, and was there any focus on that on the show.

A: Although there was no direct focus about DNA testing on the show, Blair Underwood has taken a DNA test.

Q: Why is genealogy so important to the immigrant experience?

A: There has been little or no information passed down from the immigrants said Lisa. This was due to the hardships they suffered in the Old Country. They wanted to forget about their old lives, and focus on their new lives.

Lisa said the celebrities do get caught up in wanting to find out more information about their families for their mom or dad.

Q: I asked Lisa "How much of the research do the celebrities do themselves?" A: Lisa responded that it depends on the celebrity's own interest, and what information can be found.

One main researcher is assigned to each celebrity. These researchers are usually history majors who reach out to other local experts for assistance in locating information and records. The more engaged the celebrity is, the better the episode.

Q: How long is the research process?

A: Lisa said it really depends on the ancestry of the celebrities. Blair Underwood’s went fast. However, researchers for both Rob Lowe and Marisa Tomei have been working since Season 1.

Q: Dianne Haddad of Family Tree magazine wanted to know what has been the biggest improvement on the show?

A: Getting rid of the video montage from Season 1, answered Lisa.

With only 40 minutes per episode, the montage wasted valuable time.

Also, according to Lisa, this season has more history of events to give better context of the times and circumstances with which the ancestors were living.

When WDYTYA first started in the US, celebrities were a bit apprehenisve about being on the show. They were worried that the show just wanted to dig up dirt about them. Now that they know what WDYTYA is about, Lisa says celebrities such as Blair Underwood, are asking her to be on the show. There is now a waiting list.

Q: Are there any big reveals this season?

A: Some of the stars don't know what's coming. Blair and Reba have big reveals, shared Lisa. Actually they all reveal something, they're all good, but those two are the biggest.

Who Do You Think You Are, Season 3 cast:
Martin Sheen, Marisa Tomei, Blair Underwood, Reba McEntire, Rob Lowe, Helen Hunt, Rita Wilson, Edie Falco, Rashida Jones, Jerome Bettis, Jason Sudeikis and Paula Deen.
Episode One, Season 3 airs this Friday, February 3rd on NBC and City TV.

It's Family History Season

noreply@blogger.com (Kathryn Lake Hogan) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Ask any sports fan what is their favourite season, and their response will likely include the name of their favourite sport. For the past few months, it's been football season in my household. Fortunately, that is coming to an end with the Super Bowl in just a few weeks.
My favourite season is Family History season. It started this week and will run through until the end of June.
Some of you might be confused as you have never heard of Family History season, and you may be thinking that I am making this up. Let me assure it is real. Signs of the season include annual genealogy institutes, television shows, conferences and seminars.

The Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy is usually the first offering of the season, and kicks off two weeks of genealogy education and fun in Salt Lake City, Utah. This year's institute ran this past week (23-27 January), and has those of us at home slightly green with genea-envy.
This is followed by the Association of Professional Genealogists' Professional Management Conference, 1 February 2012.
Next is RootsTech 2012 running from 2-4 February.
This two-week period has every serious family historian wanting to be in Salt Lake City instead of warmer climates in January and February.

For those who enjoy curling up on the couch in front of the television, family history season continues through February and March with two series. Who Do You Think You Are?, Season 3 begins Friday, February 3rd with Martin Sheen on NBC in the US, and on CityTV in Canada.
Already the genealogy community is buzzing about this year's season of celebrities. Some of us will be taking part in a media conference call with Lisa Kudrow today, and with Martin Sheen on Monday. I am excited to be a part of this.
The week-end of March 24-25 brings the MidWest Geneabloggers Get-together in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This promises to be a mix of serious research during the day at the Allen County Public Library, plus lots of fun and socializing in the evening.
Also at the end of March, PBS will be airing another season of Faces of America with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. This year, Gates is hoping to discover the identity of his 4th great-grandfather who is believed to be Irish.

Later in the spring there is the National Genealogical Society Family History Conference in May. June is jam-packed with the Ontario Genealogical Society Conference (the largest family history conference in Canada), the Southern California Genealogy Society Jamboree, and Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research.

These are some of the events planned for Family History season. Still can't get enough family history? Be sure to visit the GeneaWebinars site for webinars you can enjoy at home.

Yes, it's my favourite time of year. It's Family History season!

Copyright by Kathryn Lake Hogan, 2012.

Surreal Reinfection

noreply@blogger.com (Kathryn Lake Hogan) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

If you have ever been bitten by the genealogy bug, then you will understand the light-headed, giddy feeling of finding a new line of ancestors, followed by the incessant drive to find out more.

For the past five years, I have been helping my friend, Sue Taylor* with her family history. We have found quite a bit of information about her mother's family going back to the early 1800's. However, her father's family was a mystery. Sue's parents never married. Her biological father, Nate Clark* vanished shortly after she was born. Sue's mother married another man, and his family became 'dad's side of the family'.
Although Sue never wanted to meet Nate, she wanted to know where she came from. All she had was Nate's name and an address from the early 1990's. Sue didn't even know if Nate was his given name or a nickname. Sue's mother had no more information about him. No names of siblings or parents.
Past Internet searches on Nate revealed nothing. The only other thing we had to go on was a family group page that I found about six months ago on Facebook. Sue's paternal surname is unusual enough that we knew we had the right family. Some of the people who were posting comments looked like Sue. This was her family, but how did she fit into it? Sue didn't have enough information about Nate's line of the family to post any inquiries. So, we decided to leave it alone.

This past week-end I installed a new genealogy software programme on my computer. One of the features is its capability to search online databases from within the programme. For some reason I decided to play around with Sue's family tree. When I entered Nate's name into the search engine, it returned the name 'Nathaniel' and an address. The entry was from a city directory from 1992. The location matched the address we had about Nate. This was him!
In that instant the genealogy bug bit me again. I was reinfected. When my family asked what was I doing all week-end, I told them "Leave me alone! I'm busy researching." Occasionally, they would hear shouting from my office, as I was relating my finds to Sue over the phone. We were so excited!
The entry in the city directory had other names of Nate's family. When I entered those names into the genealogy database search engine, Social Security Index entries were returned, revealing that Nate's family was from Alabama. What else could I find about Sue's newly found paternal line? I had to find out. I couldn't let it go. Even while I was doing errands, dining out, and attending church, all I could think about was Sue's family.
Forty-eight hours after I began my search for Nate, I had researched back to Sue's 3x great-grandparents. A distant cousin had posted an email address on the family group page on Facebook. Sue emailed them and got a response! She now has a paternal family of her own. When I asked her how she felt about this, Sue responded "All these years I never knew anything about them, and in the course of a week-end we've got names, dates and locations. It feels a little bit surreal."

*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of living people.

Copyright by Kathryn Lake Hogan, 2012.

Answering the Challenge or Double-Dog Dare 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Kathryn Lake Hogan) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:15:00 +0000

At the beginning of the year, I read a blog post from Sheri Fenley, The Educated Genealogist about Answering the Challenge or Double-Dog Dare. Last year, Sheri teamed up with Cheryl Palmer of Heritage Happens. They were answering the challenge of Amy Coffin of The We Tree Genealogy Blog, and Denise Levenick, The Family Curator. They have has once again double-dog dared the geneablogging community.

Sheri, Amy and Denise, I accept the challenge! I have teamed up with Lynn Palermo, The Armchair Genealogist.

Yesterday, I met with Lynn via Skype. We spent the better part of an hour getting to know each other, discussing family history, and making plans for the challenge. We have decided to individually post our goals for 2012, guest author each other's blogs, and meet once a month via Skype to see how we are doing. We are planning to meet in person later in the spring.

While Lynn and I were discussing the challenges, I thought to myself how nicely this was putting into action my three words for 2012. Here are my Double-Dog Dare goals for this year:

Organization
Continue moving, and organizing the contents of my old office into the new office.
Transfer and update my personal genealogy files from Legacy Family Tree to Family Tree Maker 2012 for Mac.

Research
Finish researching and documenting my lineage to my ancestor, John Ryckman of Barton Township.

Writing
Submit an article to a genealogical publication.
Publish my own ebook based upon my research experience and knowledge about Canadian genealogy.

Now I am passing along this challenge. I double-dog dare you to team up with another family historian, post your goals for the year, and blog about your progress. Let's see how many of us accomplish this challenge.

Copyright by Kathryn Lake Hogan, 2012.

Plan, Practise and Joy Are My Three Words for 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Kathryn Lake Hogan) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 19:50:00 +0000

Happy New Year 2012!

Last year instead of posting resolutions, I posted My Three Words.
Here is a quick review of how I did.

Invest
I did well this year in investing not only in my immediate family but with close and distant cousins. I have successfully made contact with a number of cousins overseas and in the US. I am excited about these connections, and will be blogging about them and our common ancestors in 2012.

Grow
2011 was certainly a year of growth for me personally, and professionally.
I completed the three professional goals I had set for myself in 2011:
1) ProGen Study Group. What a terrific programme! The information I learned has been valuable, and the connections I made with other genealogists has been priceless.
2) Institute for Genealogical and Historical Research. I completed the course Genealogy as a Profession. Learning from the best professional genealogists in the business certainly helped me to grow professionally in the last six months.
3) Professional Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies from the National Institute for Genealogical Studies. I successfully completed the General Methodology Certificate, the Canadian Research Certificate, and the English Research Certificate.

Share
Through blogging, networking with other family historians, and genealogists, as well as connecting with cousins, I shared my knowledge of family history, and my ancestors during 2011.

My Three Words for 2012

Plan - I want to make better use of my time this year. Taking the time to plan each day will help me stay focused, and make the most of the time I have for work, family and play.

Practise - To take all those things I have learned in the past twelve years of doing family history and continue to put it into practise by researching, speaking, blogging or sharing on a daily basis.

Joy - To find the joy in life everyday. Yes, even on those no-good-totally-awful days. I don't want to be just a "happy" person; I want to be a joyful person.

What are your three words for 2012? Leave me a comment or a link with your three words.

Copyright by Kathryn Lake Hogan, 2012.

The Infirmity Column Reveal

noreply@blogger.com (Kathryn Lake Hogan) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 18:37:00 +0000

Since January 2009, the 1911 England and Wales census has been available online to researchers. This was three years earlier than originally expected, thanks to the hard work of Guy Etchells. However, there was one catch.

The last column on the household schedule had to remain covered up. The 'infirmity' column contained information about mental health, blindness, deafness, etc., and had to remain hidden due to the 100 year publication restriction of sensitive information.

On 4 January 2012, this restriction will be lifted.
Details about your ancestors' conditions and illnesses will be shown on the digital images of the 1911 census. More information about this exciting release is available at findmypast.co.uk Blog.

Copyright by Kathryn Lake Hogan, 2011.

Christmas Greetings 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Kathryn Lake Hogan) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 15:28:00 +0000

Just a quick post today to wish all my readers a joyous holiday. I hope you get to spend time with your family and friends celebrating old traditions, and creating new ones.
Happy Holidays, and Merry Christmas!

Photo Credit: D. Hogan, Snowmen, 2011.
Copyright by Kathryn Lake Hogan, 2011.

No Books at RootsTech

noreply@blogger.com (Kathryn Lake Hogan) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 21:30:00 +0000

When I attend a genealogy conference one of the things I look forward to is the exhibit hall. I enjoy browsing the vendor tables, especially the book sellers. When I purchase family history books, I feel like the boy in the photo.

Unfortuntely, if I were to attending RootsTech 2012, I would be disappointed.
Certain booksellers are no longer wanted in the exhibit hall.

Yesterday, Leland Meitzler of The Genealogy Blog shared his news that as a book vendor he was no longer wanted in the exhibit hall at the upcoming RootsTech 2012 conference in February 2012. And, Leland is not the only one. It seems that certain vendors who sell and/or publish books, genealogical studies, and/or arts and crafts are no longer welcome to sell their wares at RootsTech.

This announcement has caused an UPROAR in the genealogy community right now. Reaction to this announcement has been quick as seen of Facebook, Twitter (@SeekingSurnames, @FamilyStories), and geneablogs such as:

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? by Sheri Fenly, The Educated Genealogist
My Genealogy Is Rooted In Books by Thomas MacEntee, Geneabloggers
RootsTech by the Book by Amy Coffin, The We Tree Genealogy Blog

The way I see it, people attending a genealogy/family history conference, do so for three reasons:
1) the speakers
2) to network with other like-minded individuals
3) the vendors (especially the books sellers)

So, you might be thinking what's the big deal? It is called RootsTech afterall. And, the focus is on technology related to family history.

Well, one of the ways I learn about technology in general, and technology related to family history in particular, is by reading (real) magazines and books. In my opinion, genealogists love books. Period. As tech-savvy as we may be with our family history software, electronic book readers, smart phones and laptops, most genealogists still love to hold a book in their hands. In my opnion, RootsTech's announcemnt not to include book vendors is a short-sighted decision.

RootsTech's response to the geneablogging community's reaction has been posted on their Facebook page stating "We are listening and are going to revisit this issue."

RootsTech, I hope you really are listening because the geneablogging community has voiced their concerns about your decision, and we are not happy.

Image credit:
photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos

Copyright by Kathryn Lake Hogan, 2011.

Remembrance Day 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Kathryn Lake Hogan) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:06:00 +0000

In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918) Canadian Army

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Lest We Forget.

Nothing to Lose, and Knowledge to Gain

noreply@blogger.com (Kathryn Lake Hogan) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:39:00 +0000

Every January, there is a buzz in the air in genealogy circles. People are excited about going to Salt Lake City in January. Really?
Yes! And, do you know why?

Genealogists don't care about the snow and cold in SLC in January because they are going to 'school' to learn from the best. The knowledge, the wisdom, the comraderie. This reminds me of IGHR at Samford in June. The Utah Genealogical Association (UGA) offers a superb educational opportunity for genealogists known as the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG). SLIG offers twelve course tracks on a variety of genealogy topics. Already, four of these tracks are sold out. No surprise there, if you look at who the instructors are: Dr. Thomas Jones, D. Joshua Taylor, Angela McGhie, Richard (Rick) Sayre, and Pamela Boyer Sayre. The other courses are just as well taught by genealogy experts such as Dr. John Philip Coletta, Kory Meyerink, George G. Morgan, Drew Smith, and Paula Stuart-Warren.
You want to learn from these people because they are the experts.

I have never attended SLIG. It looks similar to the Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research I attended this past June. IGHR was a marvelous learning experience. I have read the 2012 brochure on the SLIG website, and the course offerings look terrific. This year I really would like to attend because there is a course track I haven't seen before that is of immense interest to me. It's Course 3: Welsh Research, coordinated by the only ICAPGEN Accredited Welsh Researcher, Darris Williams AG. My Welsh roots run deep in Pembrokeshire and Cardiganshire, Wales going back to the 1700's. I get goosebumps just reading the course offerings of civil registration, non-conformist records, newspapers, maps and gazetteers, probate, land records, parish chest records, and more. Imagine the things I would learn by attending SLIG!

Two weeks ago, I met online, JG, a cousin whose 2x great-grandfather, Jacob Nicholas was the brother of my 2x great-grandmother, Martha Nicholas. I was excited to make this connection because JG is the first cousin I have met in my Welsh line. JG shared with me that Jacob Nicholas was a Baptist minister in Wales. My interest in my Welsh family history has been ignited again. I'm sure you can see how exciting taking the Welsh Research track at SLIG 2012 would be for me.

This is where I want to be in January 2012!

Unfortunately, where I want to be and where I will be in January 2010 are about 2600 km apart. I don't have plans to attend SLIG 2012 due to a limited budget. I'm greatly disappointed. It will be a long time before the Welsh Research track is offered again. But, wait! I just might have an opportunity to attend afterall. SLIG is holding a contest, and one random, lucky winner will have their tuition paid for. The winner will be announced this Sunday. Also, Michael Hait at Planting the Seeds is holding a contest in conjunction with the SLIG contest.

You have just read my entry. What about you? Are you going to SLIG 2012? Have you entered the contests?

Copyright by Kathryn Lake Hogan, 2011.

New Post at Our Ryckman Roots

noreply@blogger.com (Kathryn Lake Hogan) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 14:39:00 +0000

A new post about my Presidential relative can be found at Presidential Relations on my blog, Our Ryckman Roots.

Copyright by Kathryn Lake Hogan, 2011.

Occupation Records and Videos at Ancestry.co.uk

noreply@blogger.com (Kathryn Lake Hogan) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:58:00 +0000

When I visited the Ancestry.co.uk website this morning, I was pleasantly suprised by the new videos that are available about our ancestors' occupations. Currently, there are two short videos to view on the site, with more to come.

The purpose of these videos is to highlight the new collection of occupation records that are being released at Ancestry.co.uk. The first collection is the Postal Service Appointment Books, 1737-1969. If your ancestor worked for the British Postal Service, as a postman, or in another position such as bookkeeper, sorting clerk or porter, then this is a record collection you won't want to miss.

If your ancestor was a doctor, vicar, pilot or policeman, there are a number of special collections already available on the Ancestry.co.uk site to help you research these occupations.

Ancestry.co.uk will be releasing more videos and occupation records in the next few weeks, so be sure to check back often.

Copyright by Kathryn Lake Hogan, 2011.

Ancestry.ca Offers the Royal Treatment

noreply@blogger.com (Kathryn Lake Hogan) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 13:38:00 +0000

With the Royal visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Canada, Ancestry.ca is offering free access to the UK National Probate Calendar, 1861 - 1941. Hurry, though, as this offer expires tomorrow, July 8th.

Copyright by Kathryn Lake Hogan, 2011.

Expanding My Cranium

noreply@blogger.com (Kathryn Lake Hogan) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 08:00:00 +0000

There is always something to learn in the field of genealogy. How do you learn the methodology, or where the land records are kept, or how to build your business?
Sometimes you have to go back to school.

One terrific opportunity genealogists can take advantage of is IGHR at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. I am here at IGHR 2011 this week expanding my cranium with knowledge about professional genealogy. Guess what? I'm not alone. There are 300 other genealogists here on campus taking a variety of courses, networking, learning and expanding their knowledge about family history.

How do you expand your cranium about family history?

Photo by dierk schaefer

Can It Be That I Am Three?

noreply@blogger.com (Kathryn Lake Hogan) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 23:59:00 +0000

Ever have one of those crazy days where you're so busy that your forget something, like your anniversary?

Well it's been one of those days and I almost forgot that it's my blogiversary.
So, Happy 3rd Blogiversary to me! I'm planning to keep on geneablogging for many more.

Now to go celebrate and watch "Who Do You Think You Are".

Copyright by Kathryn Lake Hogan, 2011.

Family Tree 365 - Ancestors #1, #2, #3, #4, #5

noreply@blogger.com (Kathryn Lake Hogan) — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 16:23:00 +0000

This post is about the people numbered #1 through #5 on my pedigree chart. Ancestor #1 really isn't an ancestor on my chart, as this is me. Ancestors #2 and #3 are my parents. Ancestors # 4 and #5 are my paternal grandparents. Most of these people are still living and their information is private. This is the reason why this post is so short.

Why did I bother posting about them? I wanted to progress in a logical fashion with the Family Tree 365 project and felt it was necessary to account for these people on my pedigree chart. Now that this has been taken care of, I can move forward.

Copyright by Kathryn Lake Hogan, 2011.

And the Winner Is...

noreply@blogger.com (Kathryn Lake Hogan) — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 12:12:00 +0000

It has been a fun and exciting challenge choosing a winning design for my logo contest at 99designs. In total there were 52 entries, with three designers submitting the most entries. I reviewed their designs, rated them and provided feedback - a change of colour, more detail, change the font, make it bold, don't make it bold, etc. The designers were accomdating with each suggestion. Sometimes, what I thought would look good in my mind didn't always translate so well in the actual design. It was helpful to see the suggested changes along with the original logo.

By Day 5 of the contest, I had narrowed my choices down to one logo from each of three designers. Then, I polled my family, friends and colleagues to vote on their favourite logo design. It was helpful reading their comments about what they liked and didn't like about the logos and the variations.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote. Thanks to the graphic designers who submitted entries.

Now the moment we all have been waiting for...

The winner is...

Entry #25 by Brian Thomas

L4A Logo Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Kathryn Lake Hogan) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 21:33:00 +0000

I'm holding a contest over at 99designs to choose a logo for LOOKING4ANCESTORS.
Here's the link for my contest:http://99designs.com/logo-design/vote-mpnmu5

Please take a few minutes to check out the entries. I have chosen my top 3 favourites and their variations. Vote on your favourite and leave your comments about what you like and/or don't like.

My final decision will be announced this Thursday!

Copyright by Kathryn Hogan, 2011.

Family Tree 365

noreply@blogger.com (Kathryn Lake Hogan) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 14:36:00 +0000

I've been thinking about doing a variation of the 365 project that incorporates my family tree. What if I researched and posted on 365 of my ancestors?
Kinda crazy, eh?
It's unrealistic to think I could profile 365 ancestors in a year. Really, I wouldn't do a good job. However, if I concentrate on the ancestors and not the time frame, it seems to be manageable. Not only I have established a really long term goal for myself (one ancestor a week for 7 years!), I now have a plan that helps me research and blog about my ancestors. My plan is to use the Ahnantefal Numbering System. It allows me to keep the couples in my family together, and move through my different family lines in an organized, progressive manner.

Will I accomplish this goal? I don't know. I'm not even sure I have 365 ancestors direct line ancestors named on my pedigree chart. But that's the fun and challenge of this project. Besides, if I don't try, then I'll never know.
It's time to get started.

What are you doing in your family tree?

Photo credit - Red Tree by Evgeni Dinev

Copyright by Kathryn Lake, 2011.

Changes to Your Subscription

noreply@blogger.com (Kathryn Lake Hogan) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 01:34:00 +0000

For those of you have been subscribing to LOOKING4ANCESTORS by email, you will no longer be able to receive updated posts. I have been using Feedblitz to provide this service. They now charge its customers a monthly fee for email subscribers.
I am not willing to pay this monthly fee and have decided to close my Feedblitz account. I hope you will consider subscribing to my blog by selecting one of the convenient readers from the drop down menu on the right side bar.
I apologize for any inconvenience.

Thanks.

Copyright by Kathryn Lake, 2011.

The 3 X 3 Method

noreply@blogger.com (Kathryn Lake Hogan) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:10:00 +0000

0 X 1	3 X 1
5 X 1	2 X 3
*3 X 3	4 X 1
2 X 4	2 X 2

Sometimes when people start their family tree, they wonder how should they go about this? Where to start? How far back in time can I find my ancestors? What is a reasonable goal?

To set a reasonable and achievable goal, I recommend using a process I call The 3 X 3 Method. Using this method provides you with a plan to research and document the first fifteen people in your family tree.

When starting a family tree, always start with yourself. Then, move chronologically backward through your family tree researching your parents, your four grandparents and your eight great-grandparents. When you look at the position of each of these individuals in a pedigree chart, you will see each person has a number. With the exception of the person in the number one position, males are even numbered and females are odd numbered. This is called the Ahnentafel Numbering System.

The goal of The 3 X 3 Method is to research three pieces of evidence for each of the three primary facts (birth, marriage and death) for yourself, your parents, your four grandparents and your eight great-grandparents. Yes, I know that you are not going to find death information about those people who are still living, including yourself.
Remember what I said about starting with what you know and moving backwards? Right. With that in mind, start with the death of the individual, then research the marriage, then the birth.

Death
Three pieces of evidence for a death might include the following: newspaper obituary or death notice, funeral card, cemetery plot information, grave stone marker, death certificate or death registration, Social Security or Social Insurance information. Date of burial is a different event from date of death. However, you may find the date of death included with the burial information.

Marriage
Three pieces of evidence for a marriage might include: newspaper announcement, marriage bond, licence or registration, or marriage certificate from the church. Remember that wedding invitations, banns and engagement notices only provide information of the couples intent to marry; they do not prove that the wedding actually took place.

Birth
Three pieces of evidence for a birth might include: newspaper announcement, hospital record, birth certificate or registration. Social Security or Social Insurance information may include a date of birth. Census records may also corroborate a date of birth.

For those of us who have been researching for a while, I recommend reviewing your family history files. Are you missing information? Do you have three pieces of evidence for those three primary events for your parents, grandparents and great-grandparents? Now might be a good time to go back and fill in those missing bits of information using The 3 X 3 Method.

Copyright by Kathryn Lake, 2011.

Vote With Your Feet

noreply@blogger.com (Kathryn Lake Hogan) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 16:04:00 +0000

With the announcement last week of extended hours at the Archives of Ontario there comes a catch. The availability of extended hours is only for a five-month trial period. The Archives will then evaluate the extended service.

The Archives requires each visitor to register at the front desk, thus tracking the number of daily visitors and the time of each visit.
How does this affect you?
If you want better access to the Archives of Ontario, especially evening hours and Saturdays, then you need to vote with your feet. Be sure to visit the Archives of Ontario, especially within the extended hours.

Copyright by Kathryn Lake, 2011.

Extended Hours at The Archives of Ontario

noreply@blogger.com (Kathryn Lake Hogan) — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 03:45:00 +0000

When the Archives of Ontario relocated from its location on Grenville Street in Toronto to its current location on the campus of York University a few years ago, the hours open to the public were greatly reduced.

The genealogy community in Ontario was greatly upset at the reduced hours. Petitions were sent to the Archives to reconsider their extended hours.

This evening I received an email announcing that the Archives has released an announcement on their website. They are extending their hours beginning February 8, 2011 on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 8 pm. And, the best part is they will be open (once again) on Saturdays!

This is terrific news.

Copyright by Kathryn Lake, 2011.

My Three Words

noreply@blogger.com (Kathryn Lake Hogan) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 01:33:00 +0000

Every year since I have started blogging I have participated in the annual geneablogger resolutions. I would blog about what I wanted to do achieve the previous year, what I had done and didn't do, and what I would vow to do in the upcoming year. I would read about the resolutions of my colleagues and how well they did or didn't do the previous year, and how they would vow to make changes for the coming year.

Talk about guilt!

The way I see it, resolutions only set me up to fail. I come up with these great ideas on how I'm going to organize my genealogy life. Then, real life comes crashing through the door and, by year's end I have only accomplished feeling guilty. Ugh! Enough of that.

Instead I am following this idea from Chris Brogan. Three words. Choose three words that will guide you this year. They aren't goals. However, these three words describe how I am going to do what I do this year.
For me those three words are:

Invest. Grow. Share.

Invest
I want to invest more time and energy into my family, and not just my immediate family but my extended family as well. If you are a cousin and I have lost contact with you, then please contact me. No, we don't have to IM, Facebook or email each other every week, but I would like to touch base with you once or twice a year and catch up.

Also, I want to invest a whole lot more into my career as a professional genealogist. The first way I plan to do that is by learning how to graciously say no. No more overextending myself or feeling like I'm the one who needs to fill that request or position. I have a plan brewing in the back of my brain. I know what I need to do. Yeah, I'm gonna kick it out this year!

Grow
I want to grow my business as a genealogist, and speaker. I'm looking at early spring to tackle this head on. As much as I would like to do this now, personal circumstances have me on a ~~different~~ course of ~~action~~ inaction for a few more weeks.
I want to grow my connections by reconnecting, networking and meeting other genealogists, family historians and geneabloggers.
I want to grow my knowledge by attending seminars and conferences. I would like to take some business courses at my local college.

Share
Finally, I want to share with you my experiences, ideas and thoughts.

There you have it. The three words that I will be using to guide myself in 2011.

Copyright by Kathryn Lake, 2011.

Church Record Sunday - Peeking at the Parish Register

noreply@blogger.com (Kathryn Lake Hogan) — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 17:12:00 +0000

Prior to 1 July 1838, when civil registration of birth, marriages and deaths began in England and Wales, the Church of England was required to record the life events of baptism, marriage and burial. Even if your ancestors were non-conformists, their marriages had to be performed in the established church in order to be legal. Baptisms, marriages and burials were recorded in the Parish Register and a copy called the Bishops Transcript was sent to London every year. When researching your ancestors prior to 1838, try to find the Parish Register (PRs) as this is the original. Bishop Transcripts (BTs) often contain transcription errors. Sometimes the BTs are the only copy that have survived in some parishes.

Take the time to scroll through the microfilm and look at the information before and after the baptisms, marriages and burials in the register. You might be pleasantly surprised.

A good example of what a parish register might contain is found in the register of Stamford Rivers, Essex, England. What a treasure trove of information these records hold.

This Register of St Margret Stanford Rivers begins in the year 1538 being the date of the first public Registrations in England and must be included in the list of parish Registers, of that early date, which have survived to our time. The apparent age of Vol 1 with some other facts induced me to conclude that it was actually the original paper book or Register which was directed to be kept in every parish church. But a closer inspection proved that this could not be the case as the whole of the entries down to about 1583 are in one handwriting which proves almost conclusively that it is the work of one man, and as Chris Atkinson was Rector at the time, we may fairly ascribe it to him and if so it is a memorial of his care and industry in preserving this early part from destruction. We may safely conclude that the old paper book had become much worn and damaged during fifty years service hence the necessity of making a new copy.

Further, the new Rector included all sorts of interesting notes, opinions and tidbits of information in his trancriptions such the Civil War of 1641 and the Restoration, the Great Fire of London, the plague, the change to the Julian calendar.

1641 Outbreak of the Civil War but there is neither mention of this or any other political event throughout the Register
1648/9 Jany Murder of Chas I
1660 The "Restoration"
1665 Third Plague Year. Twelve burials as in 1625. George Minshall son of Sir Richard
1666 The Great Fire of London. The sight must have been awfully grand from Toot Hill but the Rector does not mention it nor anything else of real interest. This parish was certainly not blessed or cursed by chatty Rectors.

I find these comments priceless. Yes, this parish may not have originally had chatty Rectors, but this fellow certainly makes up for it!

Further, lists of Constables, Surveyors, Churchwardens and Overseers were included. This would be of interest if you had a ancestor who held such a position in the parish.
Sometimes information about the lives of the people who lived in the parish were also included in the Register.

1720 An "accidental child" buried. This is very funny and a new way of describing an unpleasant fact. "Bastard" is an awkward word but is good English not withstanding.

1737 John Boltwood was killed by a deer at Waldegrove by which I suppose is meant Navestock Park or Dudbrook. If John had bolted out of the wood sooner he might have saved his life.

Not all parish registers contain such detailed information. Sometimes you are lucky just to find the baptism, marriage or burial of your ancestors. Nonetheless, I encourage you to take a peek at the parish registers; you might be pleasantly surprised at what you find.

Copyright by Kathryn Lake, 2008-2010.