New Jersey Genealogy

Black Sheep, and Non-Evil Step Parents

 

My Twins, and mom in the middle, flanked by my step-parents

 

    We know quite a bit about my maternal grandmother’s stepfather.  His name was Howard Clinton Wissel.  He married my great grandmother in 1931 when my grandmother was 12, and eventually adopted her and her sister. He was a bandleader by profession and gave music lessons most of his life.  During the depression he sold a valuable and beloved violin and took any job he could to keep his new family fed.  Though he passed on well before I was born, I heard quite a bit about him over the years and it was obvious he was an adored father.  It was quite a surprise to learn that he was not their biological parent.  I myself happen to have two very special stepparents, so not sure why I should be surprised by this relationship.  They are worth their weight in gold, and though I call them by their first names (they both entered my life during my teenish years) my children call them grandma and grandpa without skipping a beat. 

            Most researchers at one point or another are going to encounter an ancestor with multiple spouses.  The typical scenario is a farmer with many children, loses a wife, most likely giving birth to yet another child, and marries within a year of his spouse’s death.  You may even find said farmer marrying his deceased wife’s sister, I know I did a double take the first time I encountered that, but it was not uncommon.  Logically he needed someone to run the household and watch his brood while he tended the fields.  As genealogists we are focused on the bloodline, and sometimes I get a bit sad when I see barely a mention of the second spouse.  I can only hope that in life their family recognized how difficult it must have been to step into the shoes of another parent and pick up where they left off.

     In some cases death isn’t the reason for a broken marriage, occasionally desertion occurred.  Like most of us my initial stages of research start with interviewing family members to see what is known about our common ancestors.  My Mother informed me that Howard adopted my Grandmother and Great Aunt and that Franz or Fritz Hiller their biological father had deserted them.  He was actually Frederic Oscar Hiller, as indicated on my grandmother’s birth record.  I added him to the family tree and decided that is about as much attention as he deserved.  He languished there for about a decade, when speaking with my Aunt she indicated she tracked him down to my home county.  Since Hunterdon is across the Delaware from Philadelphia where my Grandmother was born I assumed it was a fleeting visit and tucked the fact away in a file. 

            Time moves on but I still ignored his little “leaf” on my ancestery.com tree.  My mom is visiting and we were looking at the tree and decided there might be some information that would be useful and decided to take a look.  Sure enough on his WWI draft card he indicates his employer is my Great-Great Grandfather Otto, and that the location is in my county.  Since Otto lived two counties away, I found it unlikely that he would own a farm in Hunterdon County.  I had to make a trip to the Hunterdon Historical Society for a client, and my parents wanted to find some examples of some Stangl local pottery so they tagged along.  We had to walk by the Hall of Records to find the pottery so on a whim we decided to check the deeds and sure enough my GG Grandparents did own a farm in Hunterdon County.  I was surprised, but it did provide another layer of information into my family tree.  There is a benefit to researching those less savory branches of our tree. 

    Although my Black Sheep really is of little interest to me, I’ve decided to go find out what I can about him.  If I were working on a client’s case I would most definitely had encouraged a review of his line, so why should I conduct my personal research any differently?  I can easily withhold my findings from relatives that were closer to this situation, and more sensitive to any reference to him.  I wonder how other genealogists handle such a situation with their unsavory ancestors?  Sure it may be exciting to find a notorious ancestor 5 generations back, but something that impacts living relatives is a little less enjoyable.

    In the meanwhile I am thankful for all the stepparents throughout history that did their best to provide a stable home to the families in their care.  While I am sure stereotypical evil stepmother did exist, I’d like to think they were a rarity.

 

The Pile of Paper, Photos and Scans…..

Usually when I work on a project I am very methodical about documenting every piece of evidence as it comes in.  I create folders for a person or a family transcribing the document when needed. I also have my folder of possible related persons that I go through from time to time.  I’ve recently added a portable scanner to my tool kit.  I’ve experimented with keeping digital images for some documents, and forgoing the traditional file.  I’m not stranger to paperless environments.  My day job I am a financial analyst for a large technical company.   I’m on a global team, and I rarely print anything out. In many cases though these are standard documents, and I know what data I will find on it.  While the thought of scanning, “e-filing” and skipping the printing in theory makes sense, I’m not sure I will continue this practice for genealogical research.  Maybe it’s not working for me because unlike my full-time job, I still have most of my papers in hardcopy form.  Perhaps also I will always be going back to genealogical documents because what may have been unimportant two weeks ago suddenly becomes relevant with a new find.

 

In Hunterdon County NJ, some of the records at the courthouse are indexed in the library.  In order to cut down on my research time I will go to the index in the library, and then return to the courthouse at a later date. Additionally our historical society has very limited hours.  In situations where archives hours are restricted my methodology tends to be find the surname, make copies, and sort ‘em out at home.  If I stumble upon a surname in a neighboring town and I think I might need it later, I try to grab the document, or at the very least jot it down in my notebook. 

 

Last night I settled to go through a pile of papers.  I felt I had been documenting everything, though I do admit it’s a bit of a whirlwind lately.   I created my files and started going through the accumulated evidence piece by piece.  I reviewed all the pages I had from some marriage records I pulled.  It was one of those “possible” relatives I had pulled early on, at the time I had no connection, but a couple of weeks later there was indeed a place on the tree for this individual.  It was then I realized I had missed a first marriage.  It got me thinking if I had simply scanned and filed under marriages on my computer, I may not have caught it.  Sometimes it’s easier to just open a file and page through documents from time to time.  I guess it’s a personal preference or perhaps I need a document management application, which I’m not sure I want to invest in at this point. I’ll continue to use my scanner, but I may also keep a paper copy of my items scanned, until I can commit to a completely paperless system I think this will be my way to go.  Note to self, explore the possibility of finding an affordable documents management system.

 

Lesson learned, don’t let the paper pile get too big.  Casting a wide net may be my personal style, but it is not going to work if I don’t analyze and document in a timely manner.    It’s been a wild week and a half; a day job, two seniors going to a prom, a couple of genealogy projects, house that needed cleaning, and a dog that still needs to be walked.  I’m glad I stuck to my process even though it may be a bit delayed. So I’ve tamed the pile a bit, worked on my report, and found a wife I had previously missed.  

 

 

For My Friends interested in their Irish Roots - free program this weekend at Woodbridge NJ

WOODBRIDGE MAIN LIBRARY TO PRESENT AUTHOR 

AND GENEALOGIST MAUREEN WLODARCZYK  

 

On Wednesday, May 25 at 7pm, the Woodbridge Main Library will present a

program featuring author and genealogical researcher Maureen Wlodarczyk.

Her book, Past-Forward, is a true story of her grandmother's suffering in

Ireland and struggle to make a new life in New Jersey.    The author will

discuss genealogical research and her own thirty year quest to find her

grandmother's Irish roots.  No registration is required for this free

program.

 

Wendi Rottweiler

 

Local History Librarian

Woodbridge Public Library

1 George Frederick Plaza

Woodbridge, NJ 07095

732-634-4450 x7131

 

Filling in the Gaps, when Vital Records don’t exist

  

New Jersey officially started collecting vital records in 1848.  Some towns and counties did have vital records collected, but it is not consistent and varies from locale to locale.  I have found the period of 1820-1848 to be some of the most difficult records to track down.  This is when you really need to go to alternate sources.  Some are easier to obtain than others, and creative problem solving as well as analyzing the quality of the sources is imperative.

Church records and cemeteries are usually my first starting point.  I try to find a historical association for that area, check out their website, or pay an in-person visit.  Quite frequently they will have a list of churches active at the time, or even some of the church records.  I visit cemeteries and that certainly can yield information, but not everyone has a tombstone when interred, or they can be damaged with age.  You can even inquire at a particular church to see if they have records, or look on family search (LDS) if you have a family history center near by and order the tapes. 

Bible records are another source of vital statistics.  It was a long-held tradition to write the births, deaths and marriages in the family bible.   The Genealogical Society of New Jersey has an extensive collection of bible records.  They are housed at the Rutgers University in New Brunswick, Alexander Library Special Collections room.  Like anything else bible records need to be reviewed with objectivity.  Does the handwriting meet the period?  Or does this look like something added a century later?  Is this your ancestor, or one with the same name?  In some cases this may be the only data you will ever find on an ancestor so bible records can be a very important source.

Bible and church records are some of the more obvious sources of data, but there are some obscure records that you will need to be creative to obtain.  This is where local history, libraries or genealogy groups come into play.  I had one ancestor that I couldn’t pin down the date of death; I searched in her county of last residence but no luck.  I did know the family used a specific undertaker, a town over (and in another county) so I was hoping to find his records at a historical society.  I ended up finding them at the town library, in records room that was rarely visited.  Not only did I pin down my ancestor’s death date, but also two children that were born and lost at an early age.  The journal indicated what was ordered for each funeral, how much it cost, where their grave was and many times cause of death.  The information not only provided the basic dates, but also gave a brief glimpse of life, as they knew it. 

A good genealogist does not take every record at face value and assume it is correct.  A certain amount of analysis needs to be deployed.  This is true even with official vital records.  My one brick wall ancestor his death certificate has the same date for birth as well as death, but listed old age as cause of death.  That is obviously incorrect even though it is what was gathered when the certificate was issued.  The same is true of less traditional sources of records, proceed with caution, if at all possible having multiple independent sources of information is the best bet. 

Following is a list New Jersey groups/libraries I have found that have historic holdings.  Most are located in my areas of research Hunterdon, Morris and Somerset Counties.  I’m sure there are more out there, but this is the short list: 

 

Bernardsville Public Library  - 1 Anderson Hill Rd, Bernardsville NJ

Bernardsville Library has a local history room, but limited to specific hours. Vertical files, Local books, pictures, and copies of the Bernardsville News 1932 onwards.

http://www.bernardsvillelibrary.org/local.htm

 

Bernards Township Library – 32 S Maple Ave Basking Ridge NJ

Although it’s not listed on it’s website there is a room with historical records.  You need to approach the Reference Desk to get access.  They don’t generally want you poking around in there alone.  This library has a free genealogy group that meets the 4^th Tuesday of most months.  They usually have a program/lecture at these meetings and a mingling period. 

http://www.bernardslibrary.org/index.shtml

 

Long Hill Township Public Library - 917 Valley Road, Gillette NJ

There is a local history room open Weds 1-3.  I have yet to get there in that time so can’t speak to the holdings, which are not in their online catalog.

http://longhill.mainlib.org/index.html

 

The Historical Society of Somerset Hills - 15 West Oak Street, Basking Ridge NJ

This society’s main interest is Bedminster, Bernards Twp, Bernardsville, Far Hills, Peapack & Gladstone.  I have not yet been able to get there in-person but there is a library with some genealogical items.  Limited hours, check the website beforehand.

http://www.historicalsocietyofsomersethills.org/

 

Hunterdon County Historical Society - 114 Main Street, Flemington NJ 

I plan on trying to make a visit shortly; it appears there is quite a bit of data for genealogists.

http://hunterdonhistory.org/joomla16/

 

The Tewksbury Historical Society – 60 Water Street Tewksbury NJ

Very small, but contains quite a bit of information on the town of Tewksbury (New Germantown).

http://www.tewksburyhistory.net/

 

North Jersey History and Genealogy Center – (Morristown and Morris Township Library) 1 Miller Rd, Morristown NJ

This is probably my favorite place to visit.  Quite a few holdings, great facility and very generous hours.

http://www.jfpl.org/NJHistoryHome.cfm

 

 

 

 

 

 

Archibald S. Alexander Library (Rutgers University)

Archibald S. Alexander Library

I’ve re-acquainted myself with the library at Rutgers, and in particular the Special Collections.  But before I get to the Special Collections lets talk about what is of genealogical interest in the greater library, and the basics (location, hours etc).   

The Library’s website is:

http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/libs/alex_lib/alex_lib.shtml

169 College Ave New Brunswick NJ

Hours - varies check the main website 

The Special collections room has limited hours, different than the overall library.

During the week there is very limited metered parking.  I believe you can get a permit for parking in the deck next to the library, but I have personally never done it.  Parking on the weekend never seems to be too much of an issue, just make sure you park where you are permitted.

The Federal Census (NJ Only), the New Jersey State Census, and Periodicals (newspapers) on Microfilm are all available during regular library hours.  Federal Census are available indexed on-line at commercial websites such as Ancestry.com. Having used the both formats if you can handle it in your budget Ancestry is well worth the price.  As of this writing Ancestry has the 1895 New Jersey state Census online (as a substitute for the missing federal 1890) but that is all.  Refer to the library holding guide given later in the article for the full extent of microforms available.  Educate yourself in advance, when I went today the student put in charge of the microforms really had no idea of where anything was and just kept telling patrons I don’t know.  The state census is in the very back of the film room, the last row.  There is a guide stuck to a cabinet that gives the tape numbers for specific years (but not on the cabinet they are lodged, you need to hunt for that a bit).  There is also the online catalog as well.

Copy Card info

This is a good point to introduce the copycard.  There are no coin-operated copy machines at Rutgers, you must purchase a copycard in advance.  The copy center is on the lower level between special collections and microforms.  Bring dollars, coins or smaller denominations such as $5’s.  On Saturday it is entirely self-service $1 to buy a card and load up as needed.  Currently as of this writing a microform copy is $ 0.20.

Special Collections

Always check the main website for the Special Collections hours.  There is limited coverage during school break, and currently open 9-5 during the week and 1-5 Saturdays.  I wouldn’t be shocked if at some point Saturday hours are cut out due to budget restrictions, so I can’t stress enough, check the hours before you head out.

What is housed in the special collections?

Here is a good guide overall guide of what is available where:

http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/libs/scua/genealogy/2002_genealogyguide.pdf

From a genealogists perspective first and foremost it is the repository for the Genealogical Society of New Jersey, and the repository of State DAR publications.  There is also the standard fare of books found in many local history sections of libraries (immigration, indexes of state archives, extensive published family genealogies). 

I have used the GSNJ bible records quite a bit (most are bound and on open stacks), cemetery records, and the DAR local compilations are really invaluable (church records, town records etc). Much is open stack but there are holdings that are considered closed stack. To get to specific “vertical files/boxes”  in closed stack you will usually need to give a call slip to a librarian.  The librarian will request that you complete a form promising to adhere to the library standards, and will bring up your request.  Depending on the fragility of the item you might be given a book wedge or even gloves.  Most items can not be photocopied, so transcribing will be a necessity.  Use the finding aids on-line or in red notebooks on the back table, to help you determine if something is closed stack, and how to fill out a call slip.

Your first trip to the library.  Walk in the front door, and go left through the glass doors to the reference section.  Proceed down the steps to the basement (you can’t miss them). Go through the glass doors to the special collections, there will be a sign-in book on the counter.  Usually a librarian will ask you to complete a form identifying you and your purposes - this is only done on your first trip.  Take a token go back out the doors and go through the coat room door on the left.  Secure your coat, and non-personal items in a locker.  Keep your wallet with you.  Don’t bring any large satchels or pens into the library, they aren’t permitted (standard practice on most libraries/collections of this nature).

The people working the library are EXPERTS in their particular field and employees of the college not GSNJ or DAR.  They are not there to conduct your research for you, but they are more than happy to assist you in advice on manuscripts for a time period, or records they hold.  I have found the staff at Rutgers to be the absolute friendliest and helpful of all professionals historians and archivists that I have ever met. I haven’t asked much of them, but I am an observer and I can tell you they are always professional, and polite.  Usually they will give you a tour of the holdings on your first visit, and sometimes will come over and check on you to see how you are doing.  Historians are not always the biggest fans of us genealogy buffs, and sadly in some cases for good reason.  There is some pretty shoddy research out there that is published that is all wrong.  

The shoddy research brings me to the next important point.  Much of the holdings in this library is not considered primary evidence.  You can’t pick up a DAR lineage book and assume that Nehemiah DAY patriot is your ancestor because a member in 1938 had him listed as such.  You still have to prove it.  Even though some nice woman in 1990 went to a cemetery and volunteered to catalog the headstones doesn’t mean she bothered with all of them, perhaps she was only interested in 3 families, and generally ignored the rest.  These two comments are based upon my own personal experience if you can’t tell.  That’s not to say the data in this collection is all incorrect, most is spot on, but you still need to do your own legwork.  

I have been going to Alexander library off and on for about 15 years, and still have only touched the tip of the iceberg on my research.  It’s well worth the visit, but can be overwhelming at first.  I would suggest the first time your goal to be getting the lay of the land , and then go from there.

Happy Hunting!

 

 

2011 Family Tree 40 - Family Tree Magazine

If you haven't joined the genealogy blog scene yet, let me describe what you're missing: Imagine eavesdropping on the best lunchroom buzz at a big genealogy conference. Smart, experienced researchers exchange advice and laughter-laced banter. Advice flies from every table: on French Canadian sources, on using the Flip-Pal mobile scanner. You tune in (or out) as you please; listen or comment at will. The speakers don't mind -- in fact, the more eavesdroppers, the merrier.

via familytreemagazine.com

Instructional Series - Federal Census

Federal Census and their role in family history research

There are two varieties of census available for New Jersey, the federal census which is conducted every 10 years, and a state census also every 10 years, but enumeration for the state census is 5 years after the federal.  Today’s entry will focus on the federal Census.  Every ten years the federal government’s goal is to count every citizen of the United states as of a particular day.  It would be difficult if not impossible to conduct the count in an entire day so the census workers are careful to ask for the data as of the “census date”. 

The first year the federal census was conducted was 1790, and the most recent available to the public is currently 1930.  The census data on individuals are not available to the public until 72 years have passed.  The 1940 census will be available in April 2012.  There are records missing on some years, and the 1890 census was almost completely destroyed by fire.

While these records are really a very important part of a family historian’s tool box, they aren’t considered primary sources.  Just because a William Smith living in Camden New Jersey seems to have the same birthdate as your great great grandfather doesn’t mean it ‘s the same William Smith.  Also if your great grandmother indicated she was a naturalized citizen, it also doesn’t mean she ever went through the process.  

Since we must substantiate all we learn from the census why is it useful?  Depending on the year we can find names of children, other family members, find birth dates, marriage dates, narrow down death dates by a process of elimination.  I’ll give an example of my ancestor Emeline King.  I found her in the census living in a pauper house in 1860 in Norwich Connecticut with two of her children.  I had initially been looking for Joseph King, her son and found him with Emeline.  I located her marriage record to John King a few years earlier, at that point she was Emeline Cranston, which I assumed was her maiden name.  I found Emeline Cranston living with her first husband in an earlier census and later found her marriage record to her first husband where her maiden name is listed as Emeline Church of a different town.  If I hadn’t bothered with the census I would have never found Emeline.  I also feel that the census gives quite a bit of insight into our ancestors lives, where they lived, where they worked, children that did not survive to adulthood.  Thanks goodness for the freedom of information act!

Accessing Census Records

I will start with the easy way (which wasn’t available when I started!).  Find an online collection of scanned images.  Most are indexed so it’s fairly easy to do a search and pop up comes the image.  For the most part this isn’t a free service, some free partial indexing exist, but for now it’s mostly available through a subscription.  I like Ancestry.com and use it quite a bit.  The census collection is a bit pricey, so proceed with caution.  Also if you do a search the indexing is not infallible, handwriting was different F’s and T’s are easy to confuse.  If all else fails don’t forget the option to manually view the town you are interested in. 

If you are using online records you can skip this section

The old fashioned way
If you don’t wish to incur the cost the more labor intensive way is fine as well.  The census record are available on microfilms, and in some years there is an index (soundex).  Now it’s down to what came first the chicken or the egg.  You need to locate the census tapes you plan to use and you need to learn how to use them.  

Where to find them?  The easiest is to locate a library that houses the census that you need.  In New Jersey Rutgers University, Alexander Library has the New Jersey microfilms for view in their basement floor.   The Latter Day Saints have them available but you will need to order the films.  In the past tapes could be rented from the National Archives, but that has been discontinued.  The national archives are also a good place to view census, of course there is a location in Washington DC but there are other NARA archive locations as well. Locations here.

Once you have found out where the census is located it helps to understand what is indexed and what is not.  In some cases published indexes are available for region/years but for some years the microfilms are indexed with a system called soundex

Soundex

 Soundex is a system used for indexing the years 1880-1920, and part of 1930.  The amount indexed varies by year/state. Basically you need to calculate the soundex code for the Surname you are researching and go to the corresponding microfim tape for that soundex.  This will indicate where in the census films your records are located.

You should understand the basics of the soundex code and I could certainly go through it here, but this information is readily available on the internet and books so instead I will link to some useful sites:  

Soundex Converter

This handy tool will calculate the soundex for your surname

 

Explanation of Soundex

http://www.archives.gov/genealogy/census/soundex.html

 

Guide to using the microfilms and exceptions to soundex

http://www.archives.gov/genealogy/census/using-microfilm-catalogs.html

 

Some years soundex only exist for certain states, others for families with children only.  The last link covers the exceptions.  Quite frequently published indexes in the form of books or CD’s are available for years not covered by soundex

Census Records

Regardless of whether you use a subscription based service, or microfilms it is good practice to transcribe the record to a form as well as make a copy of the image.  Printed images tend to be not as clear as what you see on film or your screen, and if you decide to cancel your subscription to your online repository so goes your access to those records.   You can make your own “form” or I prefer to just download some that exist on the internet already:

Ancestry.com Forms

It’s important that you pick up all the data that you can - the state/city/county/ enumeration district/Sheet/line as well as all the data about your family.   I indicate on the form where I pulled the data from (library, ancestry.com) and the date.  This will come in handy later when you are trying to cite your sources.

What is available when?

Not every census collects the same data.  Earlier census generally have the head of the household with just counts of people living at the residence.  Some of the later years all people living at the residence are listed , occupations etc.

1790 - The first Census but only available for Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,  South Carolina, Vermont, and Virginia.  The other states were lost or destroyed.  Only the head of the household was listed, and free only free persons were counted.  

1800-1840 not all living were listed by name, sometimes it was just counts by category.  More information was added as time went by, 1820 males between 16-18 were added by name, in 1830 the age categories for counts were refined a bit.  In 1840 revolutionary pension soldiers field was added, this can give an indication that military records may exist in the National archives for the individual.

1850- All occupants are named!  Also other valuable information is starting to be collected - birthplace, age, sex, occupation, and race.

1860 - 1870 - The same information as 1850 with some additional useful data. 

1880 - A new field asking for the relationship to the head of household as well as birthplace of parents.  

1890 - Most were destroyed

1900+ More and more data was gathered.  Years married, birth dates, number of children, and number of surviving children to name a few.   

Hints and Tips

My method  
I gathered quite a few census via microfilms and didn’t have the time for frequent trips to the library I would gather all of the census I could find in a specific area.  Even if I didn’t know if they were related I just transcribed and sorted it out later.  Sometimes it helps to sidetrack to an indirect ancestor to gather data (example a great grandfather might be living with a one of his children).   Later you may also want to provide another researcher with copies and save them time :)

What if they aren’t in the Index?

The indexes aren’t perfect.  Handwriting changes over time, people indexing get tired.  One family name I research Fennimore is mangled all the time.  You have a few options.  If the town is small it’s fairly easy to go through an entire census line by line.  It starts getting a little more difficult for each subsequent decade as populations increase.  If you are going through a large city it can be a bit more challenging.   

Starting with 1880 enumeration districts were added to each census.  A city could have quite a few, so if you have an idea of what street they resided you could narrow your search.  Some cities also have directories, so if you don’t have the address check the directory and then try to locate a map of the different enumeration districts.  There are some listings for some years available on microfilm or book format.  I would however check with local historical societies and libraries.  Many will have a map of their city and what enumeration districts existed for a particular census.  It’s possible to then go to the microfilmed or internet based collection for that specific ed and start the search line by line.

It is also possible that your family was just not counted.  It happens, the records aren’t perfect.   

Data Quality

Two days ago a census worker showed up at our door asking about our neighbor.  She was widowed last year and has moved, but because of the market has not sold it yet.  She hasn’t lived here since last fall.  Well my daughter answered the door and was starting to answer questions on their behalf.  She eventually recalled they hadn’t lived in the house on the date of the count.  It’s easy to make mistakes, sometimes neighbors took a stab at answers, other times their could be language barriers.  Sometimes the truth could have been difficult to discuss.  One ancestor was kicked in the head by a horse and suffered brain damage.  I was searching for his death certificate prior to 1920 because his wife was listed as widowed on the census.  Much to my surprise he is listed on the 1930 census in a long-term hospital, no wonder I couldn’t find his death certificate!

The census can help you narrow down birth dates, marriage dates and even take you back a generation.  However the data is only as good as that which was given and recorded on that given day.  For this reason it is really considered a secondary data.  Just keep in mind that what you find you will need to substantiate

 

Instructional  - Federal Census 101

 

HISTORY ON THE ROAD

 

Baltimore MD

Where to begin?  The city is packed full of history.  I’ve been to Baltimore probably a half dozen times, and have only hit a the tip of the iceberg.  Most visit the Inner harbor, and I won’t even touch upon it because, there is enough information out there about it.  I will say if you have never been to the aquarium there make the time, it’s great.  

The Mount Vernon section of Baltimore is just a pretty neighborhood.  There is the Washington Monument and Museum, an art museum, old churches and libraries.  Washington Monument is the nation’s first monument created for George Washington.  Also in this neighborhood is the Maryland Historical Society.  It will get it’s own blog, but suffice to say for a genealogist it’s really a find.   

Fort McHenry
Quick ride from the inner-harbor, certainly worth a trip. Upon entering the visitor’s center, there is an introduction film to the right.  Pay your entrance fee and stay for the film.  It’s from the standpoint of a gentleman that was with Francis Scott Key during the battle of 1814, at the end, the National Anthem is played and curtains pull back to display the fort, and Old Glory.  The Fort takes anywhere from 20 mins to probably and hour to tour.  It’s a very significant spot in our nation’s history, if the fort didn’t hold out during that evening, I’m not sure we would still be the United States of America, and we certainly wouldn’t have had our National Anthem.

 

Not all family history is ancient.  Today’s trip was only a few generations back on my husband’s side of the family.  My husband’s Great Aunts Mary and Josephine were very important to our family.  We had more time with Aunt Mary than Aunt Jo.  Aunt Mary and my daughter seemed to share a bond from a very early age.  My daughter Kaitlyn marches by the beat of her own drum, from the day she came home from the hospital to a teen she has made our lives more interesting.  I recall when she was about 3 and coloring on walls Aunt Mary was convinced her personality was the same as her two Uncles Benny, and Remo Bufano.  She told quite a few stories about them.   

The Bufano family immigrated to the United states Benny and Remo were younger brothers of her father, Pasquale.  They were “artistic” and it drover their father crazy that they weren’t “working” for a living, it also drove her own father crazy as well.  It sounds as if her Uncles would come for a visit and and everyone’s world was turned upside down (in a good way).  Sadly Remo was killed in a plane accident while he was returning to Hollywood, Beniamino (Benny) Bufano had a colorful career as a sculpture.  I had given Aunt Mary the biography of Benny Bufano, and a book published by Remo on puppetry, they have been returned to me on her passing.  

There is a Bufano sculpture garden located in Baltimore which contains about 10 of his works.  It was donated to John Hopkins University by his son Erskine Bufano.  We took a ride, and brought our daughter Kaitlyn, so she could see his works.  It was a fun field trip, the day was lovely, and we got to see some artwork.  I thought of Aunt Mary today, and how she would have been so proud to be there.  I do miss her.  

 

                                                                            Bufano Owl, and our Kate.

 

 

SHH BE VERY QUIET

Libraries

It’s a rainy Sunday and your planned out of doors event fell through, or in most likely in my case it 100 degrees out and I don’t feel like getting a sunburn....So my thoughts turn to where can I go and it will be at least a tolerable temperature.  The Library!  

Before you run out the door first check to see if your destination is open, and do they have information that you will find useful.  In most cases you won’t find the original birth certificate of your great grandmother, but there might be some other useful information.  

Following is some general information you might find useful:

Vertical Files

Any library with a genealogy related collection will have something called a vertical file.  The best way to describe this is the pre-internet version of a Surname or Location message board.  Generally these are files arranged by Surname and over time there have been contributions made by all different people.  It can be newspaper clippings, transcriptions of Bible Records, a genealogy prepared in 1939, and quite frequently a query mailed to the library.  While this data can be useful like anything else do not take it at face value without researching for yourself.  One of these files led me down my first goose-chase, another story for another time.

 

Microfilm/Microfiche

Many records such as Census, Newspapers, and Vital Records just to name a few will be only available on tape format.  Generally a library will have a few of these machines, and not all will be able to print the actual document.  Ask the Librarian how to use the machines, and what to do in the event you wish to print.  Many times they will help you move the tape from the reader to another reader when you are ready to print.  You can also transcribe the data, actually I recommend you do that anyway.  Sometimes copies are more difficult to read than the image you view, so I always transcribe, and back-up with a copy where possible.

 

Citing your sources

I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to cite your sources.  Your research is going to take a long time, and you will forget where you examined the source.  There is a wonderful publication “Evidence Explained” by Elizabeth Mills.  If you aren’t at the point where you need this level of data here are some things to consider.  Each fact should have at least one primary source, or several independent secondary sources.

 

Primary Source - Basically is the recording of an event shortly after it occurred by a witness.  A certificate of birth , a marriage document, a death certificate.  

 

Secondary Source - A recording of an event some time after the event.  An example would be the birth date on a census record, Bible records that clearly are all written in the same hand at the same time.  A book written about a family or a location is a secondary source as well. Hopefully the books will cite a primary source for you to chase down.

 

Primary records are preferable of course but they are not always available and they can be incorrect.  My great great great grandfather’s death certificate, has his death date listed as both his death date and birth date.  Also there is a mix of primary and secondary on primary documents quite often, for example on a death record, the deceased’s birth date, and parent’s names are all provided by a relative and therefore fall into secondary category.

 

Citations should at a bare minimum include:

Title of record

Author

Publishing information in the case of a book (Publisher, date, location)

Call number
Location of record (Library name, address, phone number)

Date you found the source
URL if electronic source

Now you have the basics of what to record and your off to your library.  While policies vary for each library this is my basic list of supplies I bring with me - List of research plans, a printout of my tree or a PC with the file,  pencils, notebook, calculator (for quickly checking dates), magnifying glass, singles and change for copies and lockers, and a picture ID.

If your library has a special collections department don’t be shocked if you are required to leave all bags in a locker, and only be permitted notebooks, and pencils as well as be expected to sign in with photo ID.  This is to protect the historical documents you potentially will be accessing.

In many cases some of the records will only be accessed via a request to the circulation desk.  Generally these are older documents/books.  You hand in the written request and shortly thereafter a person will retrieve from archive.  They may arrive with special book props, and gloves for you to wear.  These are delicate records and there will be no chance of you photocopying, so transcribing with pencil will be the only option.

Quite often there will be index of archives located elsewhere.  An index is a tool and is really not a source, you will need to track down the original document.  Many times there will be DAR books - this is the publications of the Daughters of the Revolution.  I do believe much of this information is available on-line at their Website - http://www.dar.org/.  This is akin to an index.

I have found much information at libraries, and really recommend you pay them a visit.  Below are a few of my favorites:

Archibald S. Alexander Library

Alexander Library is located in New Brunswick.  Please check the hours it is open before you head out.  Some records are located in the basement of the larger library (films/fiche  of periodicals/newspapers, Federal Census of New Jersey, State Census of New Jersey to name but a few.  The Special Collections has the bulk of the genealogical records and the access hours are much less generous so make sure you double check the times.  If you plan on making copies anywhere in the library you need to stop at the photocopy center and purchase a copy card.  I suggest doing this before you enter the special collections area.  

Special collections houses the the Genealogical Society of New Jerseyrecords.  There are vertical records, Bible records, publications, burial records to name just a few.  

 I love the Special Collections area.  It’s bright and sunny, I spent about two years (Monthly visits) gathering data so for me it is a wealth of information.  You will not find official birth records there, but there are copies of bible records for the earlier periods prior to the state’s official collecting of vital records.

 

The Morristown and Morris Township Library

The Library is small but it is packed full of goodness.  There is a wealth of  resources there.  The emphasis is on Morris county, and Northern New Jersey, but there is also some resources from New England and overseas.  This is my second favorite (a close second) to Alexander Library.  Most of the genealogical resources is in the North Jersey History and Genealogy Center.  I love that this section is opened on weekends, including Sundays.  The hours are reduced in summer, so make sure you check the website or call before leaving.  Be prepared to have to park in a metered area so bring coins for the meters and copies.

Bring a pencil, pens are not permitted.  The volunteers there are wonderful, and can be quite helpful if you need any assistance.  There are microfilmed records of very early churches, New Jersey State Census, and Federal State Census for New Jersey.  

I’ve used other libraries in NJ State Library in Trenton (Alexander was better I thought) Bernards, Basking Ridge, Long Hill Township. Monmouth County Historical Society has a nice little library and if your research brings you there I suggest a visit.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, but I just wanted to share the wealth of information that can be found.  When I was visiting one of these libraries and a bit stuck I just started browsing through some books that might have some information I could use.  One of the books referenced the marriage of my ancestor in a town, close to where I had been searching, but in a different county.  This opened the door for me to request the records and brought me back another generation.  So don’t overlook the value of a little legwork.

 

 

 

Where my Trip to the Cemetery led me

Where my Trip to the Cemetery led me

Part one of today’s blog, we left off with me discovering my great-grandmother’s maiden name was JAQUES, and that possibly the James, Mary Ann, and Emma JAQUES were related to her.  In actuality the original trip was a few years ago, and I was revisiting to see if I missed anything the first time, and to update my blog.

About the same time as my trip to the cemetery I had also requested copies of SS5 applications for some ancestors.  This form is the original application for a social security filled out by the applicant.  Once a person is deceased it is available due to the freedom of information act.  The data  available is: First, middle and last name.  Employer at the time, address, birth date, and location.  The name of the applicant’s parents including the maiden name of the mother.  At the time it was a $7 fee, now it has increased to $27.   

According to the SS5 form of Arthur Henry Fennimore (my great grandfather), and Raymond Jaques Fennimore (my great great Uncle) their father was William Fennimore, and their mother was Matilda Jaques.   I’m fairly confident that Matilda Jaques is my ancestor at this point.  Ideally I would like to get her birth, marriage and death certificates, in order to do so I must know the exact date and location of the event.  I guess it’s time to go to the Census, newspapers, birth records and death records

Information on obtaining a SS5 applications.

Most importantly the ancestor needs to be deceased, and alive and working 1935+

First it helps to have the social security number.  You can find this data from the social security death index

 

http://www.genealogybank.com/gbnk/ssdi/

Social security death index

 

http://genealogy.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=genealogy&cdn=parenting&tm=8&f=10&su=p284.9.336.ip_p504.3.336.ip_&tt=2&bt=1&bts=0&zu=https%3A//secure.ssa.gov/apps9/eFOIA-FEWeb/internet/main.jsp

How to get a copy of the SS5 form