In this New York Times article, A. J. Jacobs writes about Geni.com and 23andMe, two of my favorite genealogy things!
He writes about how everyone in the world is related. He writes about how he is in the World Family Tree at Geni.com with over 75 million people in it, and some of the famous/infamous people he is related to.
It is no secret that I am also a strong supporter of the idea of collaborative genealogy, so I'm happy to see it getting some good press. I hope the article encourages more people to sign up and explore Geni.com and MyHeritage.
He also writes about his 23andMe test and he invites others to test there and see if they have a genetic connection. Fascinating article! It is no secret I am also a strong supporter of 23andMe, and genetic genealogy testing in general.
I'm not so sure a clansman would be less racist if they learned they had colored cousins, but I think the concept is sound that, in general, people feel nicer toward relatives.
He is also aiming to have break the world record for the most people in attendance at a family reunion. I really hope to be able to attend this event in the summer of 2015. So far, according to Geni, I have no path to A. J. Jacobs....so no bracelet for the reunion for me yet (but I'm not worried, I have awhile to find one, and I'm good at researching families and finding Geni paths) If I bring my husband and 6 children we are 8 towards the record right there ;)
A. J. Jacobs seems like an interesting guy, always doing interesting things, like living a year according to the rules given in the Bible, or spending 18 months reading an entire set of encyclopedias. He must be my cousin somehow...
Check out 23andMe, and Geni.com and see if you are related to A. J. Jacobs! (I bet you are, but can you figure out how?)
Friday, January 31, 2014
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Early New England Church records online: Congregational Library and Archives
Thanks to this blog post by Lisa Louise Cooke I am now aware of a wonderful new resource for early New England relatives.
The Congregational Library and Archives has a lovely set of early church records. They have the following 17 collections already online, each with images of the original records.
Abington, Mass. First Congregational Church (1714-1749)
Bradford, Mass. First Church of Christ (1682-1915)
Danvers, Mass. First Church (1689-1845)
Falmouth, Mass. First Congregational Church (1731-1790)
Franklin, Mass. First Congregational Church (1737-1887)
founded as Second Church in Wrentham
Georgetown, Mass. First Congregational Church (1736-1886)
founded as Second/West Parish in Rowley
Grafton, Mass. Congregational Church (1731-1828)
originated as Hassanimisco Plantation
Hanover, Mass. First Congregational Church (1728-1800)
Haverhill, Mass. West Parish Congregational Church (1734-1900)
Hawley, Gideon, Missionary Journal and Letterbook (1754-1807)
Mattapoisett, Mass. Congregational Church (1736-1886)
founded as Second Precinct in Rochester
Natick, Mass. First Congregational Church (1721-1794)
Oxford, Mass. First Congregational Church (1721-1850)
Rowley, Mass. First Congregational Church (1728-1835)
Sanford, Maine. North Parish Congregational Church (1786-1823)
founded when Maine was part of Massachusetts
Somerset, Mass. Congregational Christian Church (1840-1912)
Wenham, Mass. First Congregational Church (1643-1847)
They plan to make the following collections available soon:
The Congregational Library and Archives has a lovely set of early church records. They have the following 17 collections already online, each with images of the original records.
Abington, Mass. First Congregational Church (1714-1749)
Bradford, Mass. First Church of Christ (1682-1915)
Danvers, Mass. First Church (1689-1845)
Falmouth, Mass. First Congregational Church (1731-1790)
Franklin, Mass. First Congregational Church (1737-1887)
founded as Second Church in Wrentham
Georgetown, Mass. First Congregational Church (1736-1886)
founded as Second/West Parish in Rowley
Grafton, Mass. Congregational Church (1731-1828)
originated as Hassanimisco Plantation
Hanover, Mass. First Congregational Church (1728-1800)
Haverhill, Mass. West Parish Congregational Church (1734-1900)
Hawley, Gideon, Missionary Journal and Letterbook (1754-1807)
Mattapoisett, Mass. Congregational Church (1736-1886)
founded as Second Precinct in Rochester
Natick, Mass. First Congregational Church (1721-1794)
Oxford, Mass. First Congregational Church (1721-1850)
Rowley, Mass. First Congregational Church (1728-1835)
Sanford, Maine. North Parish Congregational Church (1786-1823)
founded when Maine was part of Massachusetts
Somerset, Mass. Congregational Christian Church (1840-1912)
Wenham, Mass. First Congregational Church (1643-1847)
They plan to make the following collections available soon:
Byfield, Mass. First Parish Church (1709-1845)
Dorchester, Mass. First Church (1757-1781)
Haverhill, Mass. First Congregational Church (1717-1756)
Marblehead, Mass. First Church (1684-1866)
Marblehead, Mass. Third Congregational Church (1858-1876)
Middleboro, Mass. First Church of Christ (1707-1865)
Most of the collections are not yet transcribed. If you would like to help transcribe these valuable records, check out this link. I would like to note that they appear to be working on a different type of church record, a type called "relations", for transcriptions at this time.
Most of the collections are not yet transcribed. If you would like to help transcribe these valuable records, check out this link. I would like to note that they appear to be working on a different type of church record, a type called "relations", for transcriptions at this time.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Geni profiles are now available on MyHeritage SuperSearch
According to this blog post at MyHeritage, Geni.com profiles will now appear in MyHeritage SuperSearch.
Geni.com users have been getting matches on profiles to MyHeritage profiles for some time. Now, MyHeritage users will get matches to Geni profiles.
This is exciting news, as I hope that many MyHeritage users will claim the Geni profiles of themselves and close family and our World Family Tree at Geni.com will get denser, more accurate and have more users in each area.
I know that I am looking forward to more interactions with MyHeritage users and hope to meet many new cousins in the upcoming weeks! I know there are lots of people who will be seeing "my" profiles as matches in their MyHeritage trees.
In other MyHeritage related news, recently they announced in this post that MyHeritage PremiumPlus members will be able to purchase FTDNA Family Finder tests at a 10% discount. This means that if you are a MyHeritage Premium Plus member you can purchase a Family Finder test for only $89.10.
Between the new SuperSearch matches to Geni and discounts on FTDNA, its looking like a good month for MyHeritage user :)
Geni.com users have been getting matches on profiles to MyHeritage profiles for some time. Now, MyHeritage users will get matches to Geni profiles.
This is exciting news, as I hope that many MyHeritage users will claim the Geni profiles of themselves and close family and our World Family Tree at Geni.com will get denser, more accurate and have more users in each area.
I know that I am looking forward to more interactions with MyHeritage users and hope to meet many new cousins in the upcoming weeks! I know there are lots of people who will be seeing "my" profiles as matches in their MyHeritage trees.
In other MyHeritage related news, recently they announced in this post that MyHeritage PremiumPlus members will be able to purchase FTDNA Family Finder tests at a 10% discount. This means that if you are a MyHeritage Premium Plus member you can purchase a Family Finder test for only $89.10.
Between the new SuperSearch matches to Geni and discounts on FTDNA, its looking like a good month for MyHeritage user :)
Sunday, January 26, 2014
The Master Genealogist for Second Site but I really like Legacy!
The dilemma I am facing this week is that I have used Legacy as my primary desktop genealogy software for many years. I recently upgraded to Legacy 8.0 and I'm happy with it. Really happy with it.
But, there is one small part I'm not happy with. The webpage generating part of Legacy. While I'm sure its fine for most people, I want something with far more bells and whistles. I looked all over the internet, and the software I liked best for website generation was Second Site. Problem is, Second Site uses the data from TMG, not Legacy. Second Site doesnt work from a GEDCOM. Just from TMG. Not good, not good at all!
So, I figured that I could use TMG just as a bridge between Legacy and Second Site. I bought a copy of TMG Gold and hoped it would be love at first sight, solving my problem. I'd divorce Legacy and move in with TMG and Second Site. It wasn't love at first sight. Maybe it will grow on me. Then I moved over a test small gedcom and started to play with Second Site. Oh yes, Second Site is the program for me. Love at first sight there, no question. But Second Site is a package deal with TMG. So whats a girl to do?
There are some features that TMG has that I do like. The witnesses to events can be recorded.
I'm still recovering from trying to merge my Ancestry.com file with my Legacy file. The pain of this merge has made me seriously consider using FTM just for the synching. The idea of constantly converting files doesn't appeal to me. And I like Legacy. Sigh.
When I tried to use Genbridge, which was supposed to read my Legacy file and make it a TMG file, it had errors and didn't complete the import. Even with 2 retries, and that was on a small test file.
When I used a GEDCOM file it did work, but with some weird errors when it made the sentences. I suspect one is from Sources that aren't assigned to a certain field in Legacy. On the upside, the photos did transfer over nicely.
The events/facts from Legacy are appearing poorly. The place notes don't appear at all.
There is also the consideration that Legacy works with FamilySearch FamilyTree....
If anyone out there has experience using Legacy and Second Site, I'd love to hear any tips!
But, there is one small part I'm not happy with. The webpage generating part of Legacy. While I'm sure its fine for most people, I want something with far more bells and whistles. I looked all over the internet, and the software I liked best for website generation was Second Site. Problem is, Second Site uses the data from TMG, not Legacy. Second Site doesnt work from a GEDCOM. Just from TMG. Not good, not good at all!
So, I figured that I could use TMG just as a bridge between Legacy and Second Site. I bought a copy of TMG Gold and hoped it would be love at first sight, solving my problem. I'd divorce Legacy and move in with TMG and Second Site. It wasn't love at first sight. Maybe it will grow on me. Then I moved over a test small gedcom and started to play with Second Site. Oh yes, Second Site is the program for me. Love at first sight there, no question. But Second Site is a package deal with TMG. So whats a girl to do?
There are some features that TMG has that I do like. The witnesses to events can be recorded.
I'm still recovering from trying to merge my Ancestry.com file with my Legacy file. The pain of this merge has made me seriously consider using FTM just for the synching. The idea of constantly converting files doesn't appeal to me. And I like Legacy. Sigh.
When I tried to use Genbridge, which was supposed to read my Legacy file and make it a TMG file, it had errors and didn't complete the import. Even with 2 retries, and that was on a small test file.
When I used a GEDCOM file it did work, but with some weird errors when it made the sentences. I suspect one is from Sources that aren't assigned to a certain field in Legacy. On the upside, the photos did transfer over nicely.
The events/facts from Legacy are appearing poorly. The place notes don't appear at all.
There is also the consideration that Legacy works with FamilySearch FamilyTree....
If anyone out there has experience using Legacy and Second Site, I'd love to hear any tips!
Friday, January 24, 2014
Sperm donors and Unexpected half-siblings and Follow Friday #2
Several stories have been in the news the past few weeks that bring attention to DNA testing and sperm donation.
One story is about two girls, Mikayla Stern-Ellis and Emily Nappi. These young ladies met each other and are attending the same college far away from home. They recently found out they have the same sperm donor father. You can read this People article for more on the story.
Another story is about how a couple who were supposed to be inseminated with the husbands sperm were instead inseminated with the sperm of convicted felon Thomas Lippert. There is lots of reading that can be done on the case, including this People.com article which describes the 1975 kidnapping case he pled guilty to.
You may also want to watch The Doctors clip.
So far, no new half-siblings have been reported to have shown up but I'm guessing there will be. There is a website set up if you think you or your child may be affected by this.
This brings me to Follow Friday second pick: CeCe Moore, aka Your Genetic Genealogist.
You can follow her blog http://www.yourgeneticgenealogist.com/ , her Twitter @CeCeLMoore and her Facebook.
This type of situation, with an unknown father, by sperm donation or mixup, or lies, can so easily lead to disaster. I'm sure that having been told the wrong biological father info is tough enough to swallow, been there, done that, but it could be even worse. Imagine if you found out that your significant other was your half-siblings, and you never knew.
I remember, when first learning that my father wasn't who my mother claimed he was, asking her point blank to tell me at least, if she wouldn't confess that she had lied, that there was NO chance that I would date a half sibling. She laughed and assured me that there was absolutely no chance. Oddly, my "lie bells" didn't go off, because it turns out I DO have half siblings near my age that I didn't know about but they are both female (not that my mom could have known that).
People think that the chances of a random meeting and mating of half-siblings is very low. I'm not at all sure that is true. The half sisters in the first story could just as easily have been male and female, and been dating, rather than friends.
There is some indication that genetics plays a part in our choice in life, even if upbringing also contributes a great deal. Twin studies have shown some interesting similarities in traits between twins who are raised apart. It stands to reason that people with similar interests may end up in a situation where they meet, such as the two sisters choosing the same college, and both being involved in acting. In fact, can we be certain that there isn't another person at that school who also has the same sperm donor?
Not every parent tells their donor offspring children the details on how they were conceived, just as not every adoptive parent tells their adopted child of the details on how they became part of the family. In fact, some people lie. Flat out lie... which leads people to think that this couldn't happen to them, when in reality, without DNA testing, anything is possible.
So, if you are single, and about to hit the bar scene this Friday night, sorry for ruining your weekend ;)
One story is about two girls, Mikayla Stern-Ellis and Emily Nappi. These young ladies met each other and are attending the same college far away from home. They recently found out they have the same sperm donor father. You can read this People article for more on the story.
Another story is about how a couple who were supposed to be inseminated with the husbands sperm were instead inseminated with the sperm of convicted felon Thomas Lippert. There is lots of reading that can be done on the case, including this People.com article which describes the 1975 kidnapping case he pled guilty to.
You may also want to watch The Doctors clip.
So far, no new half-siblings have been reported to have shown up but I'm guessing there will be. There is a website set up if you think you or your child may be affected by this.
This brings me to Follow Friday second pick: CeCe Moore, aka Your Genetic Genealogist.
You can follow her blog http://www.yourgeneticgenealogist.com/ , her Twitter @CeCeLMoore and her Facebook.
This type of situation, with an unknown father, by sperm donation or mixup, or lies, can so easily lead to disaster. I'm sure that having been told the wrong biological father info is tough enough to swallow, been there, done that, but it could be even worse. Imagine if you found out that your significant other was your half-siblings, and you never knew.
I remember, when first learning that my father wasn't who my mother claimed he was, asking her point blank to tell me at least, if she wouldn't confess that she had lied, that there was NO chance that I would date a half sibling. She laughed and assured me that there was absolutely no chance. Oddly, my "lie bells" didn't go off, because it turns out I DO have half siblings near my age that I didn't know about but they are both female (not that my mom could have known that).
People think that the chances of a random meeting and mating of half-siblings is very low. I'm not at all sure that is true. The half sisters in the first story could just as easily have been male and female, and been dating, rather than friends.
There is some indication that genetics plays a part in our choice in life, even if upbringing also contributes a great deal. Twin studies have shown some interesting similarities in traits between twins who are raised apart. It stands to reason that people with similar interests may end up in a situation where they meet, such as the two sisters choosing the same college, and both being involved in acting. In fact, can we be certain that there isn't another person at that school who also has the same sperm donor?
Not every parent tells their donor offspring children the details on how they were conceived, just as not every adoptive parent tells their adopted child of the details on how they became part of the family. In fact, some people lie. Flat out lie... which leads people to think that this couldn't happen to them, when in reality, without DNA testing, anything is possible.
So, if you are single, and about to hit the bar scene this Friday night, sorry for ruining your weekend ;)
Francois Girouard
#4392
10th great grandfather of Kristina Lee Hewitt
9th great grandfather of Michael John Stewart
Francois Girouard was born in 1621 in Loudon, Poitou, France.
Francois Girouard married Jeanne Aucoin in 1647 in Port Royal, Annapolis, Nova Scotia, Canada.
The children of Francois Girouard and Jeanne Aucoin include:
Marie-Madeleine Girouard
Jacques Girouard
Yet more new matches at 23andMe and 23andMe accuracy
And I wasn't even done inviting all of the last batch! Genetic genealogists (and others who are dabbling) will want to check your kits, and get your invites out. I'm still waiting on an automated process for that, 23andMe!
Of course, you can't check your matches if you don't have a kit at 23andMe, so go ahead and order one today! Trace Your Family Lineages Back 10,000 Years and Beyond. (Ok, really, only your haplogroups will be for that far back, but I'm having great success at finding DNA cousins that I can find paper trails to.)
I was just reading an article in which 23andMe's Anne Wojcicki defends the accuracy of 23andMe results. (Mostly defending the story run by the New York Times, where a woman had her DNA tested at various companies and got different results from each one)
Personally, I never cared for the New York Times article, as I think their approach was flawed. If I go to a dentist, he will do X-Ray and give me results. If he doesn't diagnose a broken femur, this doesn't mean his dentistry skills or X-Ray machine is flawed. Each company tests different SNPs and so they understandably get different results. Another blog (whose title I didn't care for, which goes to show I do read everything I find, and am not completely biased for 23andMe) explains the error rates as very low, but explains that even a 99.99% accuracy rate will result in errors with 1 million SNPs tested
Over on the 23andMe blog you can read about a guy who made a 3-D model program to view your DNA results.
And while I'm talking about 23andMe they are my first pick for Follow Friday today:
23andMe at Twitter
23andMe blog
23andMe on Facebook
BTW, Anyone else notice Blogger was down for a bit today? I nearly fell off my chair when I got an error page instead of my site when I sat down to send off my first blog post of the day! I confirmed it was down for everyone but then it was back :)
Of course, you can't check your matches if you don't have a kit at 23andMe, so go ahead and order one today! Trace Your Family Lineages Back 10,000 Years and Beyond. (Ok, really, only your haplogroups will be for that far back, but I'm having great success at finding DNA cousins that I can find paper trails to.)
I was just reading an article in which 23andMe's Anne Wojcicki defends the accuracy of 23andMe results. (Mostly defending the story run by the New York Times, where a woman had her DNA tested at various companies and got different results from each one)
Personally, I never cared for the New York Times article, as I think their approach was flawed. If I go to a dentist, he will do X-Ray and give me results. If he doesn't diagnose a broken femur, this doesn't mean his dentistry skills or X-Ray machine is flawed. Each company tests different SNPs and so they understandably get different results. Another blog (whose title I didn't care for, which goes to show I do read everything I find, and am not completely biased for 23andMe) explains the error rates as very low, but explains that even a 99.99% accuracy rate will result in errors with 1 million SNPs tested
Over on the 23andMe blog you can read about a guy who made a 3-D model program to view your DNA results.
And while I'm talking about 23andMe they are my first pick for Follow Friday today:
23andMe at Twitter
23andMe blog
23andMe on Facebook
BTW, Anyone else notice Blogger was down for a bit today? I nearly fell off my chair when I got an error page instead of my site when I sat down to send off my first blog post of the day! I confirmed it was down for everyone but then it was back :)
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Alexandre Girouard
#1098
8th great grandfather of Kristina Lee Hewitt
Alexandre Girouard was the son of Jacques Girouard and Marguerite Gautrot.
Alexandre Girouard was born in Acadia.
Alexandre Girouard married Marie Madeleine Le Borgne de Belle-Isle.
The children of Alexandre Girouard and Marie Madeleine Le Borgne de Belle-Isle include:
Marguerite Girouard
Jacques Girouard
#2196
9th great grandfather of Kristina Lee Hewitt
Jacques Girouard was the son of Francois Girouard and Jeanne Aucoin.
Jacques Girouard was born in 1648 in Port Royal, Acadia.
Jacques Girouard married Marguerite Gautrot.
Jacques Girouard died 27 Oct 1703 in Port Royal, Acadia.
The children of Jacques Girouard and Marguerite Gautrot include:
Alexandre Girouard
Germain Girouard
John Thomas Kulas
John Thomas Kulas was born in 1861 in Ontario, Canada.
John Thomas Kulas was the son of Albert Constantine Kulas and Dominque Marie Wilhelmine Koska.
John Thomas Kulas married Marianne Brezinski 27 Jul 1885 in Ontario, Canada.
John Thomas Kulas was the son of Albert Constantine Kulas and Dominque Marie Wilhelmine Koska.
John Thomas Kulas married Marianne Brezinski 27 Jul 1885 in Ontario, Canada.
Albert Constantine Kulas (Coulis, Coulas etc)
#40
3rd great grandfather of Michael John Stewart
Albert Constantine Kulas was born 13 Apr 1820 in Lipusz, Pomerania Province, Poland. It is my understanding this used to be Prussia. His parents were apparently Peter Kulas and Catherine Felakowska.
Albert married Dominique Marie Wilhelmine Koska.
He was living with his wife and children in Ontario, Canada in 1861.
He was living in Ontario, Canada in 1871.
He was living in Ontario, Canada in 1881.
He died 18 Nov 1882 in Wilno, Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada.
The children of Albert Constantine Kulas and Dominique Marie Wilhelmine Kosta include:
George Lawrence Coulis
Antoine John Kulas
John Thomas Kulas
Albert Kulas
Marianna Kulas
Elizabeth Kulas
Genetic Genealogy / DNA testing
The following descendants have tested their DNA for genealogical purposes:
Michael John Stewart (23andMe autosomal DNA)
We would love for more people who are descendants of Albert Constantine Kulas and Dominique Marie Wilhelmine Koska to test there as well so we can identify the segments of DNA that we have inherited from this couple.
You can read my post Why take an autosomal DNA Test? or jump right in and Order 23andMe DNA kits for the entire family. Each additional kit is now 20% off.
Sources:
1861 Census of Canada at Ancestry.com
1871 Census of Canada at Ancestry.com
1881 Census of Canada at Ancestry.com
Ontario, Canada, Deaths, 1869-1938 and Deaths Overseas, 1939-1947 at Ancestry.com
http://burant.com/renfrew/pafg54.htm#15238
Marie-Madeleine Girouard
8th great grandmother of Michael John Stewart
Marie-Madeleine Girouard was born about 1653 in Nova Scotia, Canada
Marie-Madeleine Girouard was the daughter of Francois Girouard and Jeanne Aucoin.
Marie-Madeleine Girouard married Thomas Cormier.
Children of Thomas Cormier and Marie-Madeleine Girouard include:
Francois Cormier
Claire Cormier
Marie-Anne Cormier
Pierre Cormier
Margaret Thompson
Margaret Thompson was the daughter of Joseph Thompson and Barbara Ross. Many researchers have her as the daughter of Hugh Thompson and Anne Marie Chatterton, but this is incorrect. Her baptism shows her parents.
Margaret Thompson was born 23 May 1847 in Hope Township, Quebec, Canada.
Margaret Thompson married Neil Campbell.
Margaret Thompson was born 23 May 1847 in Hope Township, Quebec, Canada.
Margaret Thompson married Neil Campbell.
FamilySearch has passed 12 million sources attached to FamilyTree
No announcement that I can see yet on who won the contest for being the 12 millionth source adder, but in the end we all win. 12 million sources is a great achievement, so thanks to everyone who entered even one source.
If you don't know what FamilySearch FamilyTree is, it is a collaborative genealogy tree. You can attach FamilySearch records to the people in the FamilyTree. They recently ran a contest for whoever attached the 12 millionth source.
If you haven't tried FamilyTree yet, go to FamilySearch and start one today. It is free, and a worthwhile project to contribute to. I find the interface to still be a bit difficult, but maybe I just need more practice.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
23andMe has passed 500,000 genotyped members
That is half a million! The size of the database where you test will be a major factor in how many DNA matches you get.
23andMe is an autosomal DNA test, which means you will receive matches on your maternal and paternal side. You will also get your maternal haplogroup regardless of your sex and your paternal haplogroup as well if you are male.
I am a huge 23andMe fan. I have just received my 15th, 16th and 17th kit to test family members. Before you tell me I need to be the founding member of Genetic Genealogists Anonymous, I have to tell you that there are people out there who have tested even more family members. It can be a very addictive hobby! I have found lots new cousins (with DNA and paper trail matches) on 23andMe.
Half a million is a lot of people, but 1 million would be even better than half a million, so check out 23andMe and Explore your DNA and join over 500,000 genotyped members.
23andMe is an autosomal DNA test, which means you will receive matches on your maternal and paternal side. You will also get your maternal haplogroup regardless of your sex and your paternal haplogroup as well if you are male.
I am a huge 23andMe fan. I have just received my 15th, 16th and 17th kit to test family members. Before you tell me I need to be the founding member of Genetic Genealogists Anonymous, I have to tell you that there are people out there who have tested even more family members. It can be a very addictive hobby! I have found lots new cousins (with DNA and paper trail matches) on 23andMe.
Half a million is a lot of people, but 1 million would be even better than half a million, so check out 23andMe and Explore your DNA and join over 500,000 genotyped members.
New FTDNA matches dated Jan 20, 2014
Just a quick public service announcement to let people know that there are NEW FTDNA matches, dated Jan 20, 2014. Genetic genealogists, you know the drill! Head to FTDNA and see what you got ;) Good luck!
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Anselm Hance Maxwell
#142
5th great grandfather of Kristina Hewitt
Anselm Hance Maxwell was born 10 Nov 1801 in Ireland.
Anselm Hance Maxwell married Sarah Robina Taylor.
The children of Anselm Hance Maxwell and Sarah Robina Taylor include:
Harriet Maxwell
William Maxwell
James Hance Maxwell
Margaret Elizabeth Maxwell
Anselm Hance Maxwell married Jane Cruickshank in 1864 in Quebec, Canada.
The children of Anselm Hance Maxwell and Jane Cruickshank include:
Hance Maxwell
James Maxwell
Samuel Maxwell
Sources:
1861 Census of Canada
1871 Census of Canada
Catherine McNutt born about 1772
#367
6th great grandmother of Kristina Hewitt
Catherine McNutt was the daughter of James McNutt and Sarah Eva Dingman.
Catherine McNutt married Albert John Williams
Catherine apparently died in 1810 in Ontario, Canada.
The children of Albert John Williams and Catherine McNutt include:
Catherine Williams
George Williams
Jane Williams m. David Van Volkenburgh
Robert Lord Williams
James Williams (1786- _ OC 8 Feb 1808
Mary Williams
Nancy Williams
Lucinda Williams
Elizabeth Williams
Sarah Williams
Eleazer M Williams
The following descendants have tested their DNA for genealogical purposes:
Kris Hewitt Stewart (23andMe autosomal DNA, AncestryDNA, FTDNA Family Finder)
Richard Monette (23andMe autosomal DNA, FTDNA Family Finder)
Jean Mulligan (23andMe autosomal DNA, FTDNA Family Finder)
We would love for more people who are descendants of Albert John Williams and Catherine McNutt to test there as well so we can identify the segments of DNA that we have inherited from this couple.
You can read my post Why take an autosomal DNA Test? or jump right in and Order 23andMe DNA kits for the entire family. Each additional kit is now 20% off.
Sources:
Sons and Daughters of American Loyalists, pages 212-213 and page 338
New French-Canadian Genealogy podcast
There is a new French-Canadian Genealogy podcast available called Maple Stars and Stripes
She is only 4 podcasts in to what looks to be a promising podcast on French-Canadian Genealogy. The first 4 episodes are focused on French-Canadian names, which are a bit of a challenge for me as I am not a native French speaker.
Give her a listen. I have already subscribed on my iPhone. I'm always looking for great new resources for my Acadian and French Canadian ancestry research.
Mary Martha Maxwell
#71
4th great grandmother of Kristina Hewitt
Mary Martha Maxwell was the daughter of Anselm "Hance" Maxwell and Sarah Robina Taylor.
Mary was born about 1825 in Quebec.
 |
| Mary Martha's baptism in 1846, at age 21, likely because of her upcoming marriage |
 |
| marriage of Martha Maxwell and John McConnery |
Daniel McConnery
Patrick McConnery
Robine McConnery
Margerite McConnery
Bridget McConnery
John McConnery
William McConnery
Julia McConnery
Genetic Genealogy / DNA testing
The following descendants have tested their DNA for genealogical purposes:
Kris Hewitt Stewart (23andMe autosomal DNA)
Richard Monette (23andMe autosomal DNA)
We would love for more people who are descendants of John McConnery and Martha Mary Maxwell to test there as well so we can identify the segments of DNA that we have inherited from this couple.
You can read my post Why take an autosomal DNA Test? or jump right in and Order 23andMe DNA kits for the entire family. Each additional kit is now 20% off.
Robert Knox 1840-1911
#112
4th great grandfather of Kristina Hewitt, Brandon Gilby, Tiffany Hewitt, Sandra Foster
Robert Knox was born in 1840 in County Down, Ireland.
Robert was the son of Robert Knox and Grizetta Gowdy.
According to the will on PRONI located here Will of Willian Thomas Knox 1899 dated the 2 Feb 1899, Robert's brother William left him his entire estate.
Robert Knox was living in Quilly, County Down, Ireland and listed in the 1901 census there.
Robert died 13 Jun 1911 in Quilly, Dromore, County Down, Ireland. There is no image for his will but there is an entry at PRONI Entry for Robert Knox's probate
Children of Robert Knox and Martha Pedan include:
Samuel Prenter Knox
Thomas Knox
Genetic Genealogy / DNA testing
The following people have tested their DNA for genealogical purposes:
Kris Hewitt Stewart (23andMe, FTDNA, Gedmatch, MyHeritage, AncestryDNA)
Brandon Gilby (23andMe, FTDNA, MyHeritage, Gedmatch)
Sandra Foster (23andMe, FTDNA, MyHeritage, Gedmatch)
Tiffany Hewitt (23andMe, FTDNA, MyHeritage, Gedmatch)
Samuel Knox (23andMe, FTDNA, MyHeritage, Gedmatch)
We would love for more people who are descendants of Robert Knox and Martha Pedan to test there as well so we can identify the segments of DNA that we have inherited from this couple.
You can read my post Why take an autosomal DNA Test?
Expansion of the deal between Ancestry.com and FamilySearch
Today, Ancestry released the following press release:
"Ancestry.com Expands Groundbreaking Collaboration With FamilySearch
Additional 1 Billion Global Records From 67 Countries to be Available on Ancestry.com
Exciting news! 1 billion more records! Sure, we can already access them at FamilySearch but having them appear as Ancestry Hints and directly attachable to our Ancestry.com trees is very appealing. Not that I have dealt with my existing hints, but still....
Ancestry.com is already the #1 genealogy website, and clearly they intend to stay at the top! Seems like they have already started adding the new databases, and some apparently have over 100 million records....
Grizetta Gowdy
#113
4th great grandmother of Kristina Hewitt, Brandon Gilby, Tiffany Hewitt, Sandra Foster
Grizetta Gowdy was born 1800 in Ireland.
Grizetta married Robert Knox.
Grizetta died 9 Dec 1866 in Quilly, Dromore, County Down, Ireland.
The children of Robert Knox and Grizetta Gowdy include:
Thomas Knox
Robert Knox (1840-1911)
Joseph Knox
William Knox
Jane Knox
Genetic Genealogy / DNA testing
The following descendants have tested their DNA for genealogical purposes:
Kris Hewitt Stewart (23andMe autosomal DNA)
Brandon Gilby (23andMe autosomal DNA)
Sandra Foster (23andMe autosomal DNA)
Tiffany Hewitt (23andMe autosomal DNA)
Samuel Knox (23andMe autosomal DNA)
We would love for more people who are descendants of Robert Knox and Grizetta Gowdy to test there as well so we can identify the segments of DNA that we have inherited from this couple.
You can read my post Why take an autosomal DNA Test? or jump right in and Order 23andMe DNA kits for the entire family. Each additional kit is now 20% off.
Doneen Lois Hewitt
My mother was Doneen Lois Hewitt. Here I will try to gather all the photos, stories, documents I can about her.
She was born 15 Sep 1955 in St. Catharines, Ontario. Her mother was Doreen Knox and her father was Lewis Henry Hewitt.
She would have been mtDNA haplogroup U8a1.
She always told that when she was a very young girl she had hearing problems, and had to have tubes put in her ears. She always said that her parents and other adults thought she was being bad by not listening because she would not hear them (ie hear them request her to turn down the very loud TV etc) but eventually they discovered she simply had hearing problems.
In her early teens she had some behaviour issues and went away to a reform school for girls.
When she was about 14 she was in a few photos, taken I think during her one visit home from the reform school:
I believe she may have had a child or children, possibly even twins which were taken from her prior to October of 1973. It is possible this was during her time at Grandview, or during a time she had run away from Grandview. I think it is possible that a pregnancy was what landed her in Grandview. If you think you may know anything about this, please contact me! It is possible that the child or children do not know they were adopted, or that she had used a false name when she had them. It is also possible that Grandview falsified records.
Sometime prior to October of 1973, when she became involved with my father for a short while, she moved to Vancouver, BC. She always claimed I was her first child (this is now in question!) She would have been 18 when she conceived me, and barely 19 when I was born. At the time (at least as early as Oct 1973 and at least as late as Nov 1974) she was known as Jan Cordelli.
Sometime around 1976 her mother Doreen visited her in BC.
If anyone comes across this blog who knew my mother, especially when she was a teen or in her 20s I would love to hear from you (yes, even crazy stories!)
Her first husband was Daryl Wayne Foster. They married at City Hall in Vancouver on 17 Jan 1977. Apparently I attended the wedding. (I have no memory of this, as I was only about 2 years old).
When I was about 4 we moved from Vancouver back to Ontario. For a time we lived with Doneen's parents.
She was born 15 Sep 1955 in St. Catharines, Ontario. Her mother was Doreen Knox and her father was Lewis Henry Hewitt.
She would have been mtDNA haplogroup U8a1.
She always told that when she was a very young girl she had hearing problems, and had to have tubes put in her ears. She always said that her parents and other adults thought she was being bad by not listening because she would not hear them (ie hear them request her to turn down the very loud TV etc) but eventually they discovered she simply had hearing problems.
In her early teens she had some behaviour issues and went away to a reform school for girls.
When she was about 14 she was in a few photos, taken I think during her one visit home from the reform school:
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| Doneen Hewitt |
 |
| Doneen Hewitt |
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| Doneen Hewitt |
I believe she may have had a child or children, possibly even twins which were taken from her prior to October of 1973. It is possible this was during her time at Grandview, or during a time she had run away from Grandview. I think it is possible that a pregnancy was what landed her in Grandview. If you think you may know anything about this, please contact me! It is possible that the child or children do not know they were adopted, or that she had used a false name when she had them. It is also possible that Grandview falsified records.
Sometime prior to October of 1973, when she became involved with my father for a short while, she moved to Vancouver, BC. She always claimed I was her first child (this is now in question!) She would have been 18 when she conceived me, and barely 19 when I was born. At the time (at least as early as Oct 1973 and at least as late as Nov 1974) she was known as Jan Cordelli.
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| Doreen (Knox) Hewitt, Doneen Hewitt and Kristina Hewitt |
Sometime around 1976 her mother Doreen visited her in BC.
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| Doneen Hewitt and daughter Kristina |
If anyone comes across this blog who knew my mother, especially when she was a teen or in her 20s I would love to hear from you (yes, even crazy stories!)
Her first husband was Daryl Wayne Foster. They married at City Hall in Vancouver on 17 Jan 1977. Apparently I attended the wedding. (I have no memory of this, as I was only about 2 years old).
When I was about 4 we moved from Vancouver back to Ontario. For a time we lived with Doneen's parents.
One of my memories of my mother is of her playing piano, usually Nights in White Satin.
She was also a decent drawer, altho she rarely drew anything.
For a few years she did ceramics with my grandmother.
She was also a decent drawer, altho she rarely drew anything.
For a few years she did ceramics with my grandmother.
She was a horrible cook. I made another post about her cookbook. We used to always tell her that her pancakes were terrible. One day to try to prove that they weren't really bad she had my uncle Matt come over while we were in school and make the pancakes for lunch.
When my sister and I came home for lunch we took one bite and exclaimed how delicious they were and asked what did she do differently!?
Sometimes when my siblings and I were little, she would tell us a ghost story about a boy named Johnny. Johnny was supposed to go to the store and buy some liver for dinner, but instead spent the money on candy, and robbed a grave for a human liver at a cemetery on the way home. From then on he was haunted at night by a ghost say "Joooooohnnnnny....I want my liiiiiiver back".
She often wore Charlie perfume.
Another quirk about her was that she always considered "stupid" to be a bad word. We also weren't allowed to use the word "hate", as in I "hate" spaghetti for dinner or similar.
One cute thing she would do is sign "I love you" in the single hand sign. Then I would sign it back and we would press the 2 fingers and thumbs together and she would say that means "we love each other". Other than this sign, I am not aware of her knowing any other sign language. I have no idea how this tradition was started with her.
She smoked Export A cigarettes.
She wore eye glasses.
She sometimes slept with her eyes open. She also had a problem with sleep walking. One time in the middle of the night she woke my sister and myself "for school" while sleep walking. She told us that when she was young she would sleep walk and once woke up under a tractor or something on the farm them lived on. She also sometimes talked in her sleep.
She was very afraid of spiders and bees. For quite some time, the fear kept her almost housebound. Her mother took her to see a hypnotist at some point, and that helped a great deal but she had the phobias still.
She would get cold sores on her mouth and when this happened, she would rub noses with us, calling it "Eskimo kisses".
After I moved to BC, my daughters Samantha and Katelyn would fly back to visit with my mother each year in the summer. This photo was taken one year during a visit.
A couple times I fly down with my children to visit so my mother could meet my baby daughter Victoria. The above photo was taken during one of those visits, when we had my grandfather over for Thanksgiving.
She died 30 Sep 2008 in St. Catharines, Ontario.
Sometimes when my siblings and I were little, she would tell us a ghost story about a boy named Johnny. Johnny was supposed to go to the store and buy some liver for dinner, but instead spent the money on candy, and robbed a grave for a human liver at a cemetery on the way home. From then on he was haunted at night by a ghost say "Joooooohnnnnny....I want my liiiiiiver back".
She often wore Charlie perfume.
Another quirk about her was that she always considered "stupid" to be a bad word. We also weren't allowed to use the word "hate", as in I "hate" spaghetti for dinner or similar.
One cute thing she would do is sign "I love you" in the single hand sign. Then I would sign it back and we would press the 2 fingers and thumbs together and she would say that means "we love each other". Other than this sign, I am not aware of her knowing any other sign language. I have no idea how this tradition was started with her.
She smoked Export A cigarettes.
She wore eye glasses.
She sometimes slept with her eyes open. She also had a problem with sleep walking. One time in the middle of the night she woke my sister and myself "for school" while sleep walking. She told us that when she was young she would sleep walk and once woke up under a tractor or something on the farm them lived on. She also sometimes talked in her sleep.
She was very afraid of spiders and bees. For quite some time, the fear kept her almost housebound. Her mother took her to see a hypnotist at some point, and that helped a great deal but she had the phobias still.
She would get cold sores on her mouth and when this happened, she would rub noses with us, calling it "Eskimo kisses".
 |
| Doneen Hewitt with Samantha and Katelyn |
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| Lewis Hewitt, Doneen Hewitt, Tiffany Hewitt, Samantha and Victoria Stewart |
She died 30 Sep 2008 in St. Catharines, Ontario.
Finding photos of your ancestors and relatives
Why bother finding photographs of your ancestors and relatives?
Isn't the data (births, marriages, death dates and locations) enough? In short, No! For me, nothing makes a profile come more alive to me than a photograph of the person. This is true whether its a profile in my genealogy software, on a blog, on Geni.com or in my Ancestry.com tree. A photo truly speaks 1000 words. Maybe more!
Where can you find photographs of your ancestors and relatives?
I often find photographs thru the Ancestry hints at Ancestry.com. There are often photos uploaded by other members and also in various other Ancestry.com collections like yearbooks.
Many photographs can be found at MyHeritage
At the time of writing this, almost 2 million photos can be found at familysearch.org
Another site with photos that are looking for someone to ID them. http://www.idaphoto.net/
Another site with photos is http://www.deadfred.com/
Yearbooks are another great way to find a photo of someone.
You can also often find photographs at geni.com and wikitree and other collaborative genealogy sites.
When is the earlier date I will likely find a photograph?
The daguerreoptype was the first widely used type of photography. It was introduced in 1839.
Weird (to me) photography sources and trends
In Victorian times, it was common to take a photograph of someone after they were deceased. This is called post-mortem photograhy.
An interesting article on this can be found here: *warning, dead baby photographs*
Apparently, depending on the state, you can order photographs from the morgue
I have photos (identified or non-identified). What should I do with them?
Please do not throw out old photos! There are many sites (all listed above under where to find photos) where you can put digital scans of photos. Share all photos you find. Even if they aren't important to you, they would be appreciated by someone. Include as much information as you can about who is in the photo, the photo location, how you came to own the photo etc.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daguerreotype
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-mortem_photography
Isn't the data (births, marriages, death dates and locations) enough? In short, No! For me, nothing makes a profile come more alive to me than a photograph of the person. This is true whether its a profile in my genealogy software, on a blog, on Geni.com or in my Ancestry.com tree. A photo truly speaks 1000 words. Maybe more!
Where can you find photographs of your ancestors and relatives?
I often find photographs thru the Ancestry hints at Ancestry.com. There are often photos uploaded by other members and also in various other Ancestry.com collections like yearbooks.
Many photographs can be found at MyHeritage
At the time of writing this, almost 2 million photos can be found at familysearch.org
Another site with photos that are looking for someone to ID them. http://www.idaphoto.net/
Another site with photos is http://www.deadfred.com/
Yearbooks are another great way to find a photo of someone.
You can also often find photographs at geni.com and wikitree and other collaborative genealogy sites.
When is the earlier date I will likely find a photograph?
The daguerreoptype was the first widely used type of photography. It was introduced in 1839.
Weird (to me) photography sources and trends
In Victorian times, it was common to take a photograph of someone after they were deceased. This is called post-mortem photograhy.
An interesting article on this can be found here: *warning, dead baby photographs*
Apparently, depending on the state, you can order photographs from the morgue
I have photos (identified or non-identified). What should I do with them?
Please do not throw out old photos! There are many sites (all listed above under where to find photos) where you can put digital scans of photos. Share all photos you find. Even if they aren't important to you, they would be appreciated by someone. Include as much information as you can about who is in the photo, the photo location, how you came to own the photo etc.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daguerreotype
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-mortem_photography
Congrats to the Top 100 Genealogy Websites for 2014
I just read GenealogyInTime's Top 100 websites for 2014. And, like usual, I have comments.
First, special congrats to the genealogy blogs who made the list:
#11 Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter
#63 Canada's Anglo-Celtic Connections
#81 Geneabloggers
#89 Genea-musings
Interestingly, #63 is not at a custom domain.
I'm going to not consider Kimberly Powell's genealogy.about.com a blog (altho I do understand Randy Seaver's reasoning in including it) but congrats to her too! Her site is I believe the only other one in the Top 100 at a sub-domain.
Second, special congrats to #14 - FTDNA, the only genetic genealogy testing company on the list. I think they excluded 23andMe, considering it a multi-purpose site. Since 23andMe can't currently offer anything medical related, this is perhaps unfair, but ... their list, their rules ;)
Third, special congrats to #5 Geni.com, the top ranked collaborative genealogy site. Congrats also to #7 Geneanet and #21 WikiTree, both also great collaborative genealogy sites.
Fourth, special congrats to #49 Legacy Family Tree, the top software site (and also the software I use). Congrats also #61 RootsMagic, and #76 Family Tree Maker, both also excellent genealogy software makers.
As I write earlier, "their list, their rules". That said, if I was making that list, I would have lumped all the Ancestry sites together (ie Ancestry.ca, Ancestry.com etc). Not all the Ancestry owned sites that operate separately like Findagrave.com, but the Ancestry.country sites. This is because I access Ancestry.ca etc thru Ancestry.com since I have a World Subscription.
I would also have included 23andMe, and gedmatch.com, both of which Alexa seems to think is doing well.
Monday, January 20, 2014
Clean Out Your Inbox Week Jan 19-25
This week I will be participating in Clean Our Your Inbox Week. How many emails do you have in your inbox? Do you use it as a sort of genealogy to-do list that never seems to get finished?
Cleaning out my inbox is something that I personally really, really, need to do. As of right now, I have 31, 036 messages in my inbox. No, really...you didn't read that wrong, I didn't type it wrong...I have 31, 036 messages in my inbox. Insane! Yes, I know that is insane! I actually spend time on my inbox everyday. Lots of time actually. This isn't the result of spam. My spam filter is working fine. I haven't been hit by a nasty virus. There are actually 31, 036 emails that I want to read and act on in my inbox. I actually have more than that number as some are dumped into folders and I'm not counting those. That number is just the ones I haven't read and acted on. Sometimes I have read them, just not acted on them. 99%+ are genealogy related emails. If they decided to do a show "Hoarders: the E-mail Edition" I would get picked for the pilot episode, I'm sure! I'm willing to bet some of the other top contenders would be genealogists as well.
How did it get this bad? Oh, well.... you know... *blush* a few left over each day adds up over time! The oldest e-mail in my inbox is dated Jun 29, 2003. Probably a few more have arrived while I write this. How it got this way isn't so important. Right? What is important is to *fix* it. And to fix it now, right away, before it gets worse!
So, what shall I do to fix this? Some people recommend deleting the whole thing, and starting fresh. I'm not doing that. I'm not! I'm not ready....*feeling much more sympathetic to the Hoarders I have watched on TV now....yep...much more sympathetic indeed...*
So what *will* I do, or what do I suggest you do, for Clean Out Your Inbox Week 2014? Here is a short list:
Create Folders. I have already done this, but I'll do it some more. I'll create more folders. Sub-folders inside of Folders if I have to. I'll create folders for surnames, and folders for locations. Folders for my DNA matches, folders for ...well, you get the idea!
Act on each email after it is read *right away*. I have heard of people using this method with paper that tends to accumulate. The idea is to touch each piece of paper only once as it crosses your desk. Pick it up, deal with it, send it away. I actually use this method at my snail mail box. I have a recycle bin at my mailbox so flyers and other junk mail can go right into it. I open the mail as I walk into the house and discard the envelopes right away. The plan is to apply the same method to my inbox. Open the email, read it, and do whatever I want to do with the contents right away.
Mail rules. Have mailing lists and newsletters go to folders for them so they don't clutter my main inbox. I actually already do this for the most part. You set up rules that tell your email client to send mail from lists to a certain folder and not your main inbox.
Devote some time to the backlog. I will spend some time each day this week (ok, lets face it, its gonna take more than a week to get through *my* backlog of emails.)
Join me in Clean Out Your Inbox Week! Yours can't possibly be worse than mine! I'll report in on how I'm doing once in awhile in the comments below, and I'd love to hear the starting point and progress from others participating in Clean Out Your Inbox Week in the comments as well. Surely, I'm not alone in e-mail hoarding???
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