Travel Back in Time with Genealogy Records Newly Online

by | Jan 18, 2019 | 01 What's New, Records & databases

This week’s roundup features rare, unique, and just plain fun new collections available online or coming soon. Go back in time to 1923 with new public domain additions, explore San Francisco as it was in 1940 online and in Google Earth, keep an eye out for rare Caribbean newspapers, a free database of Washington State newspapers, and a new collection from the Digital Library of Georgia. Get ready to time-travel and find your ancestors!

A Peek Into 1923

For the first time in 20 years, new works are entering the public domain in the United States and those works were all published in 1923.  From the Internet Archive’s recent announcement, “Settle in with a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, a Butterfinger, or a refreshing Popsicle (all invented in 1923!)” and explore the films, popular music, and entertainment from 1923. This update also includes 20,000 texts like newspapers, books, and poetry. You can browse fashion magazines, sheet music, and so much more. Get a glimpse into life in 1923, and your ancestor might just be hiding in plain sight!

San Francisco: David Rumsey Maps

Recently recovered after decades of dusty storage, and immense 42- by 38-foot wooden replica of the city of San Francisco as it was in 1940 has been cleaned and photographed by a dedicated team of individuals as part of the SFMOMA and San Francisco Public Library project called Public Knowledge: Take Part. The model is comprised of 158 pieces at a scale of 1 inch to 100 feet.

From David Rumsey’s website announcement: “The model pieces were expertly photographed by Beth LaBerge. David Rumsey created the large Composite image [right] of the 158 pieces, as well as the image and metadata database of all the images, which he hosts. Rumsey also georeferenced the large Composite image and placed it in Google Earth.”

[Image right courtesy of www.DavidRumsey.com]

Caribbean Newspapers

The University of Florida has received a grant to digitize Caribbean newspapers. From the announcement (scroll to second article on the link page): “The grant award will support a continuing partnership between the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida and the University of Puerto Rico (UPR)-Rio Piedras Campus Libraries to digitize each institution’s unique, hidden holdings of Caribbean newspapers on master microfilm. The team, partners of the Digital Library of the Caribbean, will digitize and make freely available 800,000 pages of pre-1923 Caribbean newspapers.”

Washington State Newspapers

From the Washington Secretary of State: Browse and search historical publications with new Washington Digital Newspapers website. “The site features new titles in the State Library’s digital newspaper collection, with full-text article search of more than 400,000 pages from the State Library’s collection of historic Washington newspapers. Visitors can interact with the site with the help of text correction features to improve search results on dark or damaged pages, by attaching subject tags to articles, and saving their search history for larger research projects.”

Visit https://washingtondigitalnewspapers.org/ to start browsing now!

Digital Library of Georgia

The Digital Library of Georgia has recently announced a new collection for Atlanta’s Interdenominational Theological Center and Morehouse, Morris Brown, and Spelman Colleges. “As part of the CLIR-funded, ‘Our Story’ project, Atlanta University Center, Spelman College, and the DLG are happy to announce additional content documenting the largest consortium of African American private institutions of higher education.” In this collection, you’ll find scholarly journals, yearbooks, photographs, course catalogs, and more. 

Additional “Our Story” updates are available through the DLG blog.

More genealogy time-travel

Time travel technology may not be available yet, but Lisa’s Premium eLearning Video is the next best thing! You’ll discover ways to find content that can immerse you in the past to explore the cultural and historical events, places, and people that affected your ancestors’ lives. You’ll explore interactive timelines, advances in video, and geographic tools that can dramatically impact your understanding of your family history. Plus a downloadable handout is included. Available now to all Premium eLearning Members! (Not a member? Sign up today!)

Lacey Cooke

Lacey Cooke

Lacey has been working with Genealogy Gems since the company’s inception in 2007. Now, as the full-time manager of Genealogy Gems, she creates the free weekly newsletter, writes blogs, coordinates live events, and collaborates on new product development. No stranger to working with dead people, Lacey holds a degree in Forensic Anthropology, and is passionate about criminal justice and investigative techniques. She is the proud dog mom of Renly the corgi. 

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links and Genealogy Gems will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for supporting Genealogy Gems!

Big Genealogy Records Updates for England & the U.S.

by | Jan 11, 2019 | 01 What's New, Records & databases

Big updates to UK records king Findmypast are new this week. Discover your ancestors in updated collections for Kent and Norfolk, along with an update to a fascinating collection for Devon, England. Also new and updated this week are US records including marriage licenses for New Jersey, Boston Pilot newspaper ads, Ohio County naturalization records, and historic Georgia newspapers. 

Featured: Updates at Findmypast

Genealogy giant subscription website Findmypast has kicked off the new year with big updates to their collections for Kent and Norfolk. Findmypast is our favorite records website for finding your ancestors in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Click here to learn more about why they should be at the top of your list for your UK research.

Updates to Kent

Kent Baptisms: “Over 23,000 new records covering Anglican and Wesleyan baptisms in Dover, Gravesend, Higham, Nettlestead and Maidstone have been added to our collection of Kent parish baptisms. The new additions span the years 1736-1917.”

Kent Marriages: Explore more than “22,000 new records covering 9 Anglican parishes in Aylesford, Boxley, Higham and Nettlestead…Parish marriage registers will provide you with birth years, father’s names, occupations, and residences for both the bride and groom as well as the date and location of their marriage.”

Kent Burials: “Over 203,000 additional records covering the former Grange Road Cemetery in Gillingham, now a public open space, Fort Pitt Military Cemetery and the cemetery in Robin Hood Lane, Chatham have been added to the collection.”

Updates to Norfolk

Norfolk Baptisms: Check out the 76,000 additional records that have been added, spanning 1777 to 1990. This update covers the parishes of North Creake, Ringland, Southwood, Thornham and Worstead.

Norfolk Banns: Banns of marriage are the public announcement in a Christian parish church of a forthcoming marriage. In this update are 33,000 new Norfolk Banns covering the parishes of Rockland All Saints & St Andrew, Roughton, Snetterton and Yaxham. 

Norfolk Marriages: “Over 27,000 new records covering the parishes of North Creake, Rockland All Saints & St Andrew, Snetterton, Somerleyton, Southwood, Wacton, Wells next the Sea, Westacre and Worstead. The new additions span the years 1777 to 1984 and will reveal a combination of names, dates and locations related to both the bride and groom.”

Norfolk Burials: “Search over 15,000 recent additions to our collection of Norfolk Burials covering the parishes of North Creake, Rockland All Saints & St Andrew, Southwood, Wells next the Sea and Worstead. The transcripts and images will list a combination of your ancestors’ burial dates, ages and residences at time of death, and their birth years.”

Devon Social & Institutional Records

From Findmypast: “Over 76,000 new records have been added to our collection of Devon Social & Institutional Records. Search this extraordinarily rich set of records to find paupers and vagrants, apprentices, peddlers and tradesmen. Find out if they got married, were vaccinated against smallpox or got Christmas presents while their father was fighting WW1. Explore more than two centuries of social history to find rare details of the lives of ordinary people.”

New U.S. Records & Collections

New Jersey: MyHeritage has recently added a new collection: New Jersey Marriage License Index, 1915-2016. With over 11 million records, “this collection is an index to marriage licenses filed at the New Jersey State Clerk Offices from 1915 to 2016. The index contains the given names and surnames of both the bride and the groom, the year of the license application, and the state file number. The images in this collection have been obtained through the outstanding work and efforts of Reclaim the Records.”

Boston, Massachusettes: Did any of your Irish ancestors emigrate to the United States? Search this unique collection of Boston Pilot Newspaper Information Wanted Ads from Findmypast. These ads were placed in the Boston Pilot newspaper by family members and others looking for lost friends and relatives from 1831 to 1920. From the description: “These records provide an insight into Irish immigration and reflect the tumultuous times that led to the Irish diaspora such as the Great Irish Famine and the United States Civil War.”

Ohio County: Free records website FamilySearch has added new records to their Ohio, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1977 collection. “Index and images of naturalization records from county courthouses in Ohio. The record content and available years vary by county, though most content falls between 1818 and 1954.”

Georgia: Lastly, we love this new collection from the Digital Library of Georgia. They have digitized approximately 53,930 pages of Georgia newspaper titles published prior to 1861 from microfilm held by the Georgia Newspaper Project (http://www.libs.uga.edu/gnp/). The project creates full-text searchable versions of the newspapers and presents them online for free in its Georgia Historic Newspapers database at http://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu. 

Try Findmypast FREE for 14 Days

We know there are a lot of records websites out there, and each with their own subscription costs. So why not make a game plan of what you want to research and set aside dedicated time during a 14-day free trial? Findmypast offers incredible collections and resources for those seeking their ancestors in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. You can take our word for it or try it out for yourself with a free trial that you can cancel any time. Click here to get started.
Lacey Cooke

Lacey Cooke

Lacey has been working with Genealogy Gems since the company’s inception in 2007. Now, as the full-time manager of Genealogy Gems, she creates the free weekly newsletter, writes blogs, coordinates live events, and collaborates on new product development. No stranger to working with dead people, Lacey holds a degree in Forensic Anthropology, and is passionate about criminal justice and investigative techniques. She is the proud dog mom of Renly the corgi. 

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links and Genealogy Gems will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for supporting Genealogy Gems!

Military Ephemera Treasures Online

by | Jan 2, 2019 | 01 What's New, Military

Military ephemera outside of photographs are abundant and located at many research libraries and other facilities across the United States.  Familiarizing yourself with historical collections and the finding aids online at many places can make all the difference in conducting a successful search for a military ancestor.

Military Minutes contributor Michael Strauss shares his recommendations for military ephemera sources to find genealogy treasures. 

The Library of Congress

The Library of Congress was created to serve the Congress of the United States. As explained last month in Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Episode #161, it serves as the national library of the United States. The library has millions of individual entries of photographs, film, letters, journals, diaries, and other primary material of interest to genealogists.

One research room also located in the James Madison building and open weekdays has more than 17 million books, maps, films, manuscripts, and photographs. The Prints and Photograph Division is located in the James Madison building and open weekdays and Saturdays from 8:30 AM to 5 PM. This room has in their custody more than 50,000 manuscripts available to the public. Searches in the online collection and finding aids can be found online at https://www.loc.gov/rr/mss/.

United States Army Heritage & Education Center

Another excellent source of other military ephemera located outside of Washington, DC can be found as part of the United States Army Heritage and Education Center.  It is located in Carlisle, PA and has an online search catalog for manuscripts, journals, diaries, and letters covering multiple war periods. The center has an online finding aid catalog to aid researchers to find materials in their collections available at http://usawc.libguides.com/graduates_others.

Additional Sources

Many historical societies and genealogical societies offer material that isn’t available anywhere else. Additionally, local State Archives and Libraries should be searched for ephemera in their own collections. Here are a few great resources for finding outside materials online:

Archive Grid
This database of entries include more than 5 million records of archival materials, not only supplying the name of the repository, but the scope of the collections searched. Their material online can be searched at https://beta.worldcat.org/archivegrid.

FamilySearch
This is the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and formally part of the Genealogy Society of Utah. It is home to millions of genealogy records that are all available for free. Searches can be done online at http://www.familysearch.org. 

Hathi Trust
This is a collaborative effort of repositories and libraries that have digitized their books and manuscripts online. Begin searching at http://www.hathitrust.org. 

World Cat
The world’s largest library catalog of listings from tens of thousands of libraries located in multiple counties around the world. Visit http://www.worldcat.org. 

NUCMC
Also listed as the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections. It is affiliated with the Library of Congress and promotes the access to the heritage of the United States. Searches can be done online: http://www.loc.gov/coll/nucmc. 

Here are some examples of military ephemera treasures I’ve found:

Above left: Lt. Washington Brua- Courtesy of the Lebanon County Historical Society in Lebanon, PA. Above right: Pvt. John H. Waltz- Courtesy of the United States Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, PA. Images supplied by Michael Strauss.

Pennsylvania Civil War Muster Rolls, 1860-1869 (Ancestry.com). Entry includes 2 pages; just the left side is shown here.

Pennsylvania Veteran Burial Cards, 1777-2012 (Ancestry.com)

Any family historian knows that a little genealogical kindness goes a long way! We as researchers wouldn’t be able to discover these treasures if it weren’t for others sharing their finds and resources. Take a moment to share this article with anyone who may be searching for military ancestors and you just might make someone’s day!

Author: Michael Strauss, AG

Author: Michael Strauss, AG

Michael Strauss, AG is the principal owner of Genealogy Research Network and an Accredited Genealogist since 1995. He is a native of Pennsylvania and a resident of Utah and has been an avid genealogist for more than 30 years. Strauss holds a BA in History and is a United States Coast Guard veteran.

Year-End Round Up of New Genealogy Records Online

by | Dec 28, 2018 | 01 What's New, Records & databases | 11 comments

It’s the end of another year, and as 2018 comes to a close we’ve rounded up the last of the new online records collections for you. Explore a unique collection of Catholic Church records in Peru, dating back to the 17th century. Next you can view Jewish registers online at Ancestry.com, browse unique historical collections for the U.S., and check out German civil registrations new and updated at FamilySearch.

Peru Catholic Church Records

New at FamilySearch is a growing indexed collection of records for Peru, Diocese of Huaraz, Catholic Church Records, 1641-2016. These records include baptisms, confirmations, marriages, pre-marriage investigations, deaths, and indexes. More indexed records will be added as they become available, but right now the collection boasts over 150,000 records. 

About Catholic Church records: “Catholic Church parish registers were created by priests authorized to record the church sacraments of baptism, marriage, death, burial, and other ordinances in their parish jurisdiction. Catholic Church parish registers are the primary source for finding genealogical information of birth, death, and marriage in Peru prior to 1852, when the civil registration was implemented.”

Jewish Register Books

A new collection of Jewish register books from Poland is online now at Ancestry.com: 
Poland, Modliborzyce Ghetto Register Books, 1939-1944 (USHMM)
A variety of information can be found in these records, including your ancestor’s name, age, birth date and place, occupations, residences, parents’ names, and more.

From the collection description: “This database contains the names of the Jewish population in the Modliborzyce Ghetto. The registers were compiled by the Judenrat (Jewish Council) in Modliborzyce between 1941 and 1942. The original documents are held by the Emanuel Ringelblum Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw, Poland. This collection was indexed by World Memory Project contributors from the digitized holdings of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.”

New U.S. Records & Databases

New from the University of Arkansas: a fascinating digital collection of the American Old West in the form of diaries. “Whiskey smuggling, murder, scandal and a ‘hanging judge’ — the latest digital exhibit from University Libraries has all this and more. The Deputy Marshal Addison Beck and Judge Isaac Parker’s Court collection is now available worldwide, free of charge. Addison Beck was a deputy marshal for the United States from 1875 to 1883 who patrolled for the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas in Fort Smith. Addison Beck’s two surviving diaries chronicle 1880 to early 1881 and from April through August 1881.”

The Washington State Libray is wrapping up the Washington Rural Heritage Collection, which includes nearly 2,000 new items spanning 5 collections. This expansive collaboration provides historic photographs, ephemera and objects, documents, artifacts, oral histories, and more throughout Washington State. 

Over at FamilySearch is a new collection for North Carolina, Historical Records Survey, Cemetery Inscription Card Index. This index contains images of Surname index cards listing county, name of cemetery, town, person, date of birth, death date, age, spouse or parents, location of grave, military information.

German Civil Registrations

Finally, check out these new online records for Germany, Saxony-Anhalt, Halberstadt, Civil Registration, 1874-1982, available for free at FamilySearch. In this collection you’ll find an index of the birth, marriage and death records from Halberstadt Kreisarchiv. Included in these records are these localities Aspenstedt, Emersleben, Halberstadt, Klein Quenstedt (Kr. Halberstadt), Langenstein, Mahndorf, Sargstedt, Ströbeck, and Wehrstedt. Original records held at Halberstadt Kreisarchiv, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.

In addition, this collection was updated with more records: Germany, Schleswig-Holstein, Kreis Steinburg, Civil Registration, 1874-1983. This collection consists of civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths for the district of Steinburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Original records are located in the Gemeinsames Archiv des Kreises Steinburg und der Stadt Itzehoe (Joint Archive of the District of Steinburg and the City of Itzehoe).

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Lacey Cooke

Lacey Cooke

Lacey has been working with Genealogy Gems since the company’s inception in 2007. Now, as the full-time manager of Genealogy Gems, she creates the free weekly newsletter, writes blogs, coordinates live events, and collaborates on new product development. No stranger to working with dead people, Lacey holds a degree in Forensic Anthropology, and is passionate about criminal justice and investigative techniques. She is the proud dog mom of Renly the corgi. 

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links and Genealogy Gems will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for supporting Genealogy Gems!

Enemies of Your Genealogy Documents: Metal Fasteners, Paper Clips, and Tape

by | Dec 26, 2018 | 01 What's New, Archive Lady, Preservation

Genealogists, like archivists, encounter staples, metal paper clips, rubber bands, tape and other fasteners attached to records. These were used frequently to keep documents together back in the day. Knowing what these items can do to genealogical records and how to remove them is a skill that every genealogist should have. The Archive Lady Melissa Barker shares her advice on what to do with these materials when you encounter them in genealogical documents. 

You’ve probably encountered various forms of metal fasteners while combing through genealogical records. It is common to clip several documents together that belong together. Unfortunately, this practice continues today in record offices all across the globe. While it may be practical at the time for ensuring important documents stay together, it can actually be problematic when it comes to document preservation. Let’s take a look at the various types of fasteners and what you can do to ensure the survival of your precious documents. 

Metal Fasteners

Genealogists ask me all the time why they should remove all metal fasteners from their genealogical records. Many believe these metal fasteners are part of the historical nature of the documents and should be left alone. Unfortunately, metal fasteners are a danger to genealogical records. The damage they can do to your documents can be extensive.

Over time, some metal fasteners can actually cause genealogical records to tear or become damaged. If the clipped-together documents are read over and over and the pages are flipped multiple times, the metal fasteners could cause ripping, tearing, and other damage to the document.

Sometimes metal fasteners get exposed to moisture and that causes the metal to become rusted and actually adhere to the document. Metal fasteners that stick or attach themselves to genealogical records will cause damage. To prevent this damage, I strongly recommend that you carefully remove all metal fasteners from all documents. 

Rubber Bands

Rubber bands will deteriorate over time. The rubber breaks down in the presence of temperature and humidity fluctuations. Rubber bands will either become sticky or brittle over time. They will also leave a brown stain on your documents.

Removing rubber bands can be a difficult task if they have adhered themselves to the records. The most important thing to remember is to be patient when trying to remove rubber bands.

Cellophane Tape

In 1925, Richard Gurley Drew invented cellophane tape while working for Johnson & Johnson. This type of tape was often used on documents to mend tears and sometimes to attach pages together. As practical a solution as it may seem, cellophane tape or transparent tape should not be used on genealogical documents either. 

Using cellophane tape is very destructive to documents and photographs. Tape breaks down over time and, like rubber bands, are susceptible to temperature and humidity. Tape will break down and become very sticky or it will become brittle. Either way, tape can cause damage to documents by sticking to the pages and leaving a yellow stain on the records.

After Enemy Removal

Once you’ve removed the enemies of your documents, you’ll want to take additional steps to protect and preserve them. My quick and easy-to-read article of How to Archive Family History Documents will get you started. 

If you do not feel comfortable removing metal fasteners, rubber bands or cellophane tape from your records, please consult with a professional conservator for help. You can find a professional conservator at the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works here. 

Final Thoughts

It may seem like removing these fasteners from historical documents could be destructive, but in fact, the fasteners themselves cause destruction over time. Your best bet for the survival of these important records is to remove them. Taking steps to preserve the life of your most precious family documents is something we can all agree is a good thing!

Images courtesy Melissa Barker and the Houston County, TN Archives.

Listen to this segment on the Premium Podcast

Preserving documents and artifacts is a crucial part of genealogy for any family historian. The Archive Lady Melissa Barker is a regular contributor to the Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast to help you tackle these preservation challenges and answer your most pressing questions. Listen to this interview with Melissa Barker all about removing fasteners from documents in Premium Podcast Episode #161, available now to all Premium eLearning Members! Not a member? Sign up and start learning today!

Melissa Barker

Melissa Barker

Melissa Barker is a Certified Archives Records Manager, the Houston County, Tennessee Archivist and author of the popular blog A Genealogist in the Archives and an advice columnist. She has been researching her own family history for the past 27 years.
(Additional content by Lisa Louise Cooke)

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