Innholdsfortegnelse for May/June 2024 i Family Tree

At my cousin’s wedding, the father of the bride shared a quote from author J.R.R. Tolkien in his toast: “All that is gold does not glitter/Not all those who wander are lost/The old that is strong does not wither/Deep roots are not reached by the frost.” The poem is relevant to genealogists in multiple ways. The nerd in me knows that, in Lord of the Rings, the poem foretells Aragorn, the last descendant of a long-lost line of kings who is destined to claim his throne. Tolkien’s world-building is famous; his trilogy includes detailed pedigrees for Aragorn and most major characters and royal houses, a marvel for family historians. But travel-lovers (including my cousin and his new wife) also see themselves in the poem. The appropriately named “wanderlust” encourages us to…

Q Why would I color-code DNA matches? A Color-coding DNA matches, sometimes called match-labeling (or a dot system), can maximize your research time and ensure you’re focusing on the DNA matches that matter most. Databases at test companies continue to grow each day, with new people testing or uploading their results. You could try to dive into all your matches—including new ones as they appear—if you had unlimited research time and didn’t need to eat, sleep or maintain other relationships. But as it stands, you want to be selective about which DNA matches you investigate so you can propel your genealogy goals forward. To do that, you’ll need some methodology for sorting and ranking your matches in order of importance. Matchlabeling offers a solution. Using colors, you create a kind…

1 VERIFY FAMILY STORIES. Because Ellis Island is iconic, many families claim descendancy from an arrival there. But Ellis Island only operated between 1892 and 1954. (See the myths below.) Know, too, that many first- and second-class passengers didn’t even set foot on Ellis Island, so your ancestor’s experience may have been different than what we generally think of as the typical arrival story. 2 USE “SOUNDALIKE” SEARCHES. Most databases offer some way of broadening name searches to include alternative spellings, important when looking through handwritten documents that may have been misindexed. Also consider searching by nicknames or (for women) maiden names. 3 CONSULT OTHER RECORDS. They’ll help you locate arrival lists or verify information you find in them. Naturalization records often refer back to the time and place of…

The Statue of Liberty—Ellis Island Foundation has a database of 65 million passenger records from the port of New York City <heritage.statueofliberty.org>. Covering 1820 to 1957, the collection includes all years that Ellis Island was active. Create a free account to get started. 1 From the home page, enter the name of interest in the appropriate fields. Remember that your ancestor’s name may be spelled in different ways: Spelling wasn’t as standardized in times past as it is today, language differences may have created issues, and the list may not reflect any later “Americanization.” You can choose several different filter options by opening the Wizard: year of birth, place of origin, or ship. 2 Click Results to see matching records, with columns for name, year of arrival, place of residence…

Today, Ellis Island is a popular destination for both historians and the general public. Hop on a ferry from Manhattan’s Battery Park or New Jersey’s Liberty State Park to visit. Attractions include the National Museum of Immigration (which has self-guided audio tours that document immigrant experiences and Ellis Island history), the Family History Center, and the American Immigrant Wall of Honor. If you’re leaving from New York, you’ll pass Castle Clinton National Monument, where Ellis Island’s predecessor once operated. Tickets are available through Statue City Cruises <www.cityexperiences.com/new-york/city-cruises/statue>. The $25 fee includes transportation and access to museums on both Ellis Island and Liberty Island (home of the Statue of Liberty). For $75, you can add a “hard hat” tour of Ellis Island’s immigrant hospital complex.…

RootsTech 2024 Roundup FULL-TEXT SEARCH AT FAMILYSEARCH More than 100 million record images at FamilySearch that were previously unindexed are now searchable thanks to new developments in artificial intelligence <www.familysearch.org/search/full-text>. FamilySearch trained AI to “read” the full text of US land and probate records, Mexican notarial records, and 19th-century plantation records. The announcement represents a huge leap forward in records technology, especially considering FamilySearch’s large collection of unindexed microfilm images from around the world. Full-text search is designed to help users connect with records that (until now) were too time-consuming to browse. At this time, the tool is not meant to provide an 100%-accurate index of them. Our staff tested full-text search <www.familytreemagazine.com/websites/familysearch/full-text-search>. FAMILYSEARCH TOOLS IN BETA Full-text search is just one of a handful of tools available in the…

Rochelle McNorton descends from a group of families who migrated from Virginia to Ohio in 1844. Theirs was an unusual story. The 56 members weren’t just finding a new home; they were also finding freedom. Their enslaver, Virginian Thacker V. Webb, committed suicide in 1843. In his will, he named and emancipated each of the family members. “He gave them everything he owned,” McNorton says. One woman, Judy, was the mother of five of Webb’s children. She got the largest share of Webb’s money, plus a horse and wagon. “Everyone else each got around $50, which in those days was a lot of money,” McNorton says. “Someone got the carpenter’s tools: everything they would need to start a new life.” Webb’s brother—who later emancipated people in his will, too—helped them…

Over the past few years (as we’ve been hibernating and dealing with COVID-19), a lot has changed in English genealogy research. Obtaining original records from England is cheaper and quicker than ever before. Large indexes name everyone (or almost everyone) mentioned in records. And more people have entered genealogy via DNA testing or the vast new records available online. This article will outline how to conduct English genealogy research in our new world—whether you’ve just arrived to family history research, or have been finding your English ancestors for years. RESEARCH SINCE 1837 If you’re researching ancestors from the Victorian era (1837–1901) to the present, you can tap into two major kinds of documents (civil registrations and censuses) as well as other records, many of which have been indexed. Civil Records…

Did your ancestor serve in the military during the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 or Civil War? If so, look for a pension record related to his service. Military pension records are some of the richest family history resources available, often containing information not found anywhere else. Access to these potential treasures has grown easier as online databases and digitized records bring more pension indexes and files to our fingertips. This article will arm you with the knowledge you need to scout out and capture your ancestor’s pension file. CLUES IN PENSION RECORDS The US government issued pensions under various conditions, which changed over time. Disabled veterans applied for invalid pensions, documenting their physical hardships. Widows of men who died of war wounds applied for widows’ pensions, citing loss of…

1774 New York merchant Samuel Ellis purchases the island that now bears his name. 1808 Ellis Island comes under federal jurisdiction. The US Army and Navy use it variously over the next few decades, dubbing a fort built there “Fort Gibson.” 1820 The US government requires documentation of new arrivals; these survive as customs lists. 1855 New York State opens an immigration station at Castle Garden. Some eight million immigrants are processed there through 1890. 1886 The Statue of Liberty on nearby Bedloe’s Island is dedicated. 1891 The US government becomes responsible for regulating immigration, and establishes the Office of Immigration; standardized passenger arrival lists are required. 1892 Ellis Island Immigration Station opens. 17-year-old Annie Moore from Ireland is recognized as the first immigrant processed there. 1897 A fire destroys…

If your “Ellis Island” ancestor arrived in New York City between 1855 and 1890, they were actually processed at Castle Garden. Originally built in 1811 as Fort Clinton, Castle Garden was the nation’s first immigration station. The site has also functioned as an entertainment venue and once housed an aquarium, but today is open to the public and managed by the National Park Service. Like Ellis Island records, immigration records from the Castle Garden era are available through the State of Liberty—Ellis Island Foundation’s website. Because Castle Garden pre-dated standardized passenger arrival lists, you’ll be looking for ship manifests (which contained fewer details). OTHER U.S. PORTS OF ARRIVAL In Ellis Island’s heyday between 1900 and 1924, roughly 70% of the 17 million immigrants to the United States came through New…

ANCESTRY IS ONE of the biggest genealogy companies, offering billions of online records, a family tree-building platform, and a network of millions of users and DNA test-takers. Crista Cowan, also known as the Barefoot Genealogist, celebrates her 20th anniversary with the company this year. As Ancestry’s Corporate Genealogist, she regularly speaks on Ancestry’s behalf at conferences and on social media. At RootsTech 2024, she announced new features such as Family Groups (the ability to invite other users to your tree and assign to-do items) and a reimagined Memories section of the site (which debuted at RootsTech 2023 as StoryMaker Studio). This adds to the recent launch of Pro Tools, a subscription add-on that unlocks new features for Ancestry’s family trees and (soon) DNA test results. Ahead of RootsTech, Cowan answered…

WEST Angel Island San Francisco, Calif.<www.aiisf.org/planyourvisit> The “Ellis Island of the West,” Angel Island Immigration Station received some 500,000 immigrants between 1910 and 1940, most of them from countries in Asia (notably China, Japan and India). A museum there offers self-guided tours that share immigrants’ experiences; many new arrivals faced strict examinations, race-based immigration quotas, and other discriminatory policies. Note that the museum is somewhat isolated. You’ll need to take a ferry to the island, then walk or bike about 1.5 miles (though a shuttle is available). FamilySearch Library Salt Lake City, Utah <www.familysearch.org/en/library/visit> This flagship genealogy library houses books, microfilm, CDs, periodicals and maps from around the world. An increasing amount of the library’s materials are available online at FamilySearch; review the Catalog ahead of time to determine what…

Each state-by-state guide includes: How-to tutorials for finding records Notes on how and when key documents were kept in the state, including vital records, state censuses and land records Historical summaries and timelines Narrative history with special emphasis on events that affected your ancestors, including year of statehood, large migrations, and major border changes Links to key resources Websites, books, and archives and organizations for further research 1 READ AS PART OF FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE Each issue contains two newly updated guides on a rolling basis. Subscribers collect all 52 guides. 2 VIEW ONLINE FOR FREE <www.familytreemagazine.com/explore-by-state> New states added each month. 3 PURCHASE & DOWNLOAD PDFS <store.familytreemagazine.com/genealogy-research-state-guides> Purchase ($9.99 per guide; $49.95 for full collection) includes per-petual access to the most-recent version of the guide. RESEARCH GUIDE PUBLICATION HISTORY…

LOOK FOR SUBSTITUTE RECORDS, especially when you’re struggling to find a specific document for your ancestor. Multiple sources can provide the same details—don’t think you’ve hit a brick wall just because you can’t find the most obvious. Consider what other records might have the information you’re seeking. For example, pension records (page 60) can provide evidence of an ancestor’s time in the military even if the service records themselves are missing or destroyed. Likewise, obituaries and grave records substitute for many of the details in death records that may not have been kept or are restricted by privacy laws (page 69).…

American Ancestors <www.americanancestors.org> is the website of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, the oldest genealogical society in the United States. The site boasts 1.4 billion records and several free resources, making it a must-use if you have ancestors from New England (and still useful if you have roots from other parts of the United States). Sign up for a free guest account to get started. 1 Under Search, you can look for specific people in indexed records. The search box has pretty typical fields, but also a helpful drop-down box for Record Type. Click it to see the nice variety of what you can find here—vital records, court documents, wills, censuses and more. If you’re not a subscriber, you could limit results to free collections under Database Type. But I…

1 Digital Public Library of America <dp.la> Anyone can search this all-digital library with millions of contributions from US repositories. Search using keywords and Boolean operators; refine results by copyright status, type (format), subject and more. Watch for items from the National Archives and Records Administration, such as nonpopulation census schedules and naturalization collections. 2 FamilySearch Digital Library <www.familysearch.org/library/books> Use a free Family Search login for maximum access to 500,000-plus genealogy books, family histories, maps, yearbooks and more. Run full-text keyword searches; enhance results with the Advanced Search option. Refine searches by subject (including surnames), access level and more. 3 Google Books <books.google.com> Search the pages of “the world’s most comprehensive index of full text books” with a simple or advanced search interface. Some materials are free to read and/or download. Partial…

BY THE NUMBERS 1892–1954: years of operation 12 million unique immigrants processed, 71% of all US arrivals between 1892 and 1924 11,000 immigrants processed per day at its peak, in 1907 40% of Americans today who trace their ancestry through Ellis Island $170 million restoration project, completed in 1990 ARRIVALS TO THE PORT OF NEW YORK, 1892–1924 ELLIS ISLAND RECORDS ONLINE Ellis Island Foundation <heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger> Ancestry.com $ <www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7488> FamilySearch <www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1368704> Findmypast $<search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/united-states-passenger-and-crew-lists> MyHeritage $ <www.myheritage.com/research/collection-10512/ellis-island-other-new-york-passenger-lists-1820-1957> One-Step Webpages <www.stevemorse.org/ellis2/intro.html>…