NOTHING NEW AT THE MOMENT
Sorry it has been awhile since I posted anything. I had my second foot surgery on November 10 and having to stay off my foot for an extended time, I just didn’t get around to adding any research tips or digital scrapbook information.
After the first of the year I should be back with new material. Need to get a family history book finished up for our son-in-law.
DIGITAL FAMILY HISTORY BOOKS AS GIFTS
Wondering what sort of gift to give family members this year? What about creating digital family history books? I’ve made several different types of books through the years. Some were very basic and were really more like regular scrapbooking such as our family’s Christmas pictures through the years beginning in 1963 until last year. (Still need to print those pictures) My elements were printed on cardstock and cut out and pasted – lots of time and effort went in to that one. Listening to the kids reminisce makes it worthwhile.
More recently, I’ve made a book for our oldest grandson of his years attending the local Montessori school. That was a fun one to do, thanks to additional pictures shared by his teacher. An anniversary book for my brother and sister-in-law was very popular at their 50th wedding anniversary reception. On my scrapbook webpage are portions of our Heritage book as well as a travel book. When our high schools’ 50th reunions came around I decided to make books of our individual lives but few people have seen those.
For my books I use the white vinyl, 3-ring notebooks with the clear insert on the front and back. That way I can include a cover and whatever seems to work for the back (if anything). I know that sounds like lots of work but it’s the way I enjoy doing it. There are several on-line places that will print your book for you after you create the pages if you would rather go that way.
WITCHES IN YOUR FAMILY TREE
This is the time of year for ghosts, goblins, and other such superstitions. However, perhaps it is also a time to pause and reflect on the horrors of those who suffered in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692. The witches of Salem and nearby towns probably have hundreds of thousands of present-day descendants. If you have ancestry from early Essex County, Massachusetts, you have an excellent chance of finding a connection to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692.
Salem, Massachusetts, and the surrounding towns in Essex County were among the first settled in this country. Most of the towns were established prior to 1640. By the time of the witchcraft trials of 1692, a complete legal system of courts and clerks was well established. Records were written, and many of them have been preserved. Even if your ancestors are not among those accused, it is quite possible that you can find them mentioned as witnesses, those who gave depositions, or perhaps even those who served on a jury.
The reasons for the witchcraft hysteria have been debated for centuries. One modern theory involves ergot of rye, a plant disease that is caused by a fungus, Claviceps purpurea. Anyone who eats bread made with ergot-infected rye can exhibit symptoms of muscle spasms, tremors, and writhing. This may be accompanied by hallucinations. Such afflictions can indicate poisoning by ergot, or “ergotism.” Modern science has documented likely cases of ergotism in the Dark Ages, but the cause was proposed by a French physician only in 1670, and outbreaks in the 20th century have shed much more light on both symptoms and their cause.
You can read a detailed explanation of ergotism and the possibilities of its occurrence in Salem in an article by Linnda R. Caporael at http://web.utk.edu/~kstclair/221/ergotism.html. There is no proof available today that ergot of rye was the cause of the Salem Witch Trials. It does, however, provide an intriguing possibility.
We know much about the lives of the Puritan inhabitants of Essex County in 1692. We know that they were mostly illiterate, and almost all citizens were intensely religious. In their simple lives, they were afraid of the darkness and of many things in this world that they did not understand. They were convinced that the Devil walked amongst them every night and that he had many disciples. Reverend Samuel Parris reinforced this fear in his sermons most every Sunday. If the citizens of Salem and nearby towns did exhibit muscle spasms, tremors, writhing, and hallucinations, one cannot be surprised that their neighbors felt the victims were indeed possessed by the Devil himself.
Finding your ancestors’ roles during the Salem Witch Trials may not be difficult. Many of the original trial documents are now both in print and online. You might start at some of these:
The University of Virginia’s Electronic Text Center’s “Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project” at: http://etext.virginia.edu/salem/witchcraft/ and Witchcraft Archives at: http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/salem/witchcraft/archives/
The Salem Witch Trials of 1692, A Brief Introduction: http://www.salemweb.com/guide/witches.shtml
“Salem Witchcraft: the Events and Causes of the Salem Witch Trials” by Tim Sutter: http://www.salemwitchtrials.com/salemwitchcraft.html
NOTE: This post is extracted from Dick Eastman’s Genealogy newsletter of October 29, 2006
I have found two ancestors who were accused of witchcraft. Susannah Roots, a widow of Beverly, MA and Thomas Farrar, a widower of Lyme, MA.
ARE YOU AN OBITUARY READER?
I read the obituaries in our local newspaper every day in order to keep up with relatives in this area. Some times I even check newspapers where I know other relatives live – just in case. No, that’s not a crazy thing to do as I have found people that way. Today’s big surprise was in the local paper and thanks to my research skills I was able to learn much more about a relative I had only heard about in years past. I noticed an obit for a familiar family name and of course I read it. It was brief but current as the man had died on Saturday and the funeral is tomorrow. Instead of having to hunt for the newspaper in Battle Creek, Michigan I was able to go directly to the funeral home and copied both his picture and obituary.
Before I found this obituary I had left Benjamin Croy Blakely’s family research untouched as it seemed I wouldn’t be able to find anything new. Boy, was I wrong – I’ve added a few new people to that family and lots of dates and places.
14 NEW INDIVIDUALS ADDED TO OUR ANCESTRAL FAMILIES
I have just loaded 14 new individuals to Our Ancestral Families. Two to my Van Cleave family and 12 to our son-in-law’s Huffer line. Good to see the tree growing even so slowly. Maybe more will turn up soon.
MORE PHOTOS ADDED
Yes, I’ve actually been back at work on the Our Ancestral Families website. Have added more pictures to the albums. If you have any you would like to have included, please forward them.
CEMETERY PHOTOS
Both of these tips have been in my files for quite some time. I have not used the first one yet but have tried the second one. It worked well on flat headstones but not on those that have a slant.
COMBINE HEADSTONE PICTURES WITH PICTURES OF THE ANCESTOR While I am taking pictures of headstones for our family history book, I include a picture of the person or persons that go with the headstone. It makes it much easier for all of us to remember who Uncle George was if his picture is included. Also, a plus is that we get to see the clothing that was worn in his day.
Ancestry Quick Tip
Upside Down Tombstone Photos
Harry Short
How many times have any of you readers found yourselves in a cemetery trying to photograph a grave stone or marker with the sun at your back and all you have is your shadow covering the marker? Just step to the other side of the stone to let the sun shine on the marker, lean over it and snap away. When you have the photo or digital image processed, just turn it around and behold–you have nice looking photograph with no shadows. No one can tell that you took the picture upside down. note: if there is a slant/slope to the headstone (top is higher than the bottom) this is not quite as good as it sounds. When you flip it over it’s obvious how you took it. Would work great with a flat headstone.
DO YOU KNOW ABOUT “FIND A GRAVE”? Is there a cemetery where you know an ancestor/relative is buried but you can not make the trip for a visit? Check the website http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cs& If you know the location (city and state) it may be possible to locate information about your ancestor but the best/easiest way is by having the name of the cemetery as well as the person’s name. Frequently a photograph of their headstone has been posted. I’ve found several that way. I was especially lucky that whoever had posted one picture had also given the names of the parents of the person I was looking for. I had tracked down one of my great grandmother’s brothers in Washington state, all the way to the cemetery but he was not listed. After I added his photograph and data, I also posted a request for someone in that area to please visit the cemetery and take a picture for me. A couple of days later I was notified my request had been filled. By that time I had realized that we had been within 25 miles of that tiny town in July of 2003 and I did not know he was buried there.
I WONDER. . .
would anyone notice if I did not post anything for the remainder of the month?
USER ACCOUNTS ON MY GENEALOGY WEB PAGES
It is not necessary to register for a user account on either of my genealogy pages unless you wish to help to maintain a particular site. That would include being able to add or edit the data that is already there. To look – just type in a name you are looking for.
Gather and Share Your Family Health History
If you are concerned about a disease running in your family, talk to your doctor in your next visit. A doctor can evaluate all of the risk factors that may affect your risk of some diseases, including family history, and can recommend you a course of action to reduce that risk.
Americans know that family history is important to their health. One survey found that 96 percent of Americans believe that knowing their family history is important. Yet, the same survey found that only one-third of Americans have ever tried to gather and write down their family’s health history. Are you ready to collect your family health history but don’t know where to start?
using family history to improve your health IT RUNS IN MY FAMILY http://www.itrunsinmyfamily.com/
Tracing Your Health History Genealogy.com http://www.genealogy.com/genealogy/79_donna.html?cj=1&o_xid=0001029688&o_lid=0001029688
To organize the information in your family history you could use a free web-based tool such as https://familyhistory.hhs.gov/fhh-web/home.action
My Family Health Portrait a tool from the surgeon general
http://www.cdc.gov/Features/FamilyHealthHistory/