Thursday, December 22, 2016

Blog Caroling~Heirlooms



It's Blog Caroling time again! Every year, Footnote Maven challenges genealogy bloggers to share a favorite Christmas Carol in a post and then add the link to hers. 
 This year as I think about what the season means to my family past and present, this song by Amy Grant keeps coming to my mind.

Lyrics
Up in the attic,
Down on my knees.
Lifetimes of boxes,
Timeless to me.
Letters and photographs,
Yellowed with years,
Some bringing laughter,
Some bringing tears.
Time never changes,
The memories, the faces
Of loved ones, who bring to me,
All that I come from,
And all that I live for,
And all that I'm going to be.
My precious family
Is more than an heirloom to me.
Wisemen and shepherds,
Down on their knees,
Bringing their treasures
To lay at his feet.
Who was this wonder,
Baby yet king?
Living and dying;
He gave life to me.
Time never changes,
The memory, the moment
His love first pierced through me,
Telling all that I came from,
And all that I live for,
And all that I'm going to be.
My precious savior
Is more than an heirloom to me.
My precious Jesus
Is more than an heirloom to me.

As we remember those who have gone before us and celebrate with loved ones, let us pause and take the time to remember Him whose birth we honor, and the gift of love will bring us all together again.

Have a Christmas Carol to share? Join in FM's Tradition of Blog Caroling!




Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Tuesday's Tip~Gettin' By With Help From Our Friends-Lisa Lisson!



Today's Tips come from Lisa Lisson from the blog Are You My Cousin?.


Rabbit Trails, Dirty Laundry and Second Looks

Genealogy Tips to Move Forward in Your Research


Genealogy can be a solitary pursuit. We sit behind our computers or in quiet archives silently tracking our ancestors.
But it doesn’t have to be!
Getting together with genealogy friends is just plain fun. Who else understands our excitement over an 1811 tax record?!
Besides the comradery, the tips and skills I learn from my genealogy friends are invaluable.
Today I’m sharing three tips I find many of us (myself included!)  sometimes overlook.

1. Avoid the Rabbit Trails - Write Out Your Research Plan.


Before sitting down to research your ancestors, do you know what you are looking for? Specifically?
Are you searching Wake County, NC marriage records of George Harward and Elizabeth Sugg? Are you searching the estate records of George Harward for evidence of his wife’s name?
Or….
Are you searching for Harwards in North Carolina? 
You will be much more successful in your search if you know specifically what you are looking for and where you have already looked. This will help you stay off those interesting rabbit trails you invariably find in the records.
2. Read the Court Records – Better Than Reality TV!
Court records are frequently not online, so I go after these specifically when I research on-site. Some cases may be too long to read in their entirety on-site, so get a copy to take home.  If your ancestors were litigious (as mine seem to have been!), they will air their family’s “dirty laundry” in court.



For example, Marion Talbot of Halifax County, VA along with his siblings sought to sue their father Langley Talbot for land that was their mother’s (Sarah Blanks).  At her death, the siblings believed they were entitled to it as their inheritance.  (The court agreed.)
That one 70-page court record provided the following information on the Talbot family. This was one brick wall that was obliterated!
·       Langley Talbot & Sarah Blanks never married.
·       Sarah’s first (and only legal) husband and child from that marriage were named
·       Sarah’s death date was given
·       Sarah and Langley’s children were named including three previously unknown children who had left the area.
·       Clues for Sarah’s maiden name were provided
·       Oh yes, and the discovery of insanity in the family.
Have you searched for your ancestors in the court records?

3. Take a Second Look at Previously Researched Databases
This sounds counter intuitive, but let’s think through this genealogy research tip. 


Much of our genealogy research is done on the computer.  We are so fortunate to be able to have such a plethora of resources online.  But, you have heard it before….
Not everything you need to research your ancestors is online. In fact, most is not!
The good news is more and more genealogical records are coming online.  Older databases are being updated and new records added.  After a year of checking, the above Halifax County court records mentioned above became available online. Since the project of digitizing all of the Halifax County court records is not completed, I continue to check back and search any newly added records.
Periodically, go back to previously researched databases and see what is now online.

Yes, sometimes we need a little help from our genealogy friends! What are your best genealogy tips?





Lisa Lisson is the genealogist and blogger behind Are You My Cousin?. Lisa believes researching your genealogy does not have to be overwhelming.  All you need is a solid plan, a genealogy toolbox, and the knowledge to use those tools. Passionate about genealogy research and helping others find resources and tools to confidently research their genealogy, Lisa can be found at LisaLisson.com, Facebook, and Pinterest.





Thanks for the tips, Lisa! 
I once found a child on a census that I missed the first time!
What have you discovered when going back over your previous research? We'd love to hear from you!

Are we kin? Need help with your research? Please contact me.
Together we can find our people.
Thanks so much for stopping by!




Sunday, December 18, 2016

This Week On My Family History Calendar

December 18-December 24



December 18~
    My paternal 3rd Great Grandfather, Ezra Ashby Hudson (1821-1882), died 134 years ago in Sardis, Darlington, South Carolina. He is buried in Sardis Baptist Church Cemetery in Sardis, Florence, South Carolina.


Ezra Ashby Hudson
Headstone
Sardis Baptist Church Cemetery
Sardis, Florence, South Carolina
©Cheri Hudson Passey


 Mary  Elizabeth Stafford Dority (Abt. 1843-1930), my maternal Great Great Grandmother died 86 years ago of heart disease in Sumter County, South Carolina. She is buried in the Sumter City Cemetery.




Are we kin? Need help with your research? Please contact me.
Together we can find our people.
Thanks so much for stopping by!



Celebration Sunday~Genealogy Happy Dance!



You know the dance. You know you've done it. The one every researcher does after finding something new. The one where you want to jump up and down and shout to everyone around that you found the document, contacted a cousin who has the family Bible, made a DNA connection or found a whole new branch to your tree. The one that is met with glazed stares and eye rolls.
                                                          Celebration Sunday is a place to share your discoveries. 
This is a weekly series to enable everyone to tell about their Genealogy Happy Dance moment. This can be done by scrolling down and adding your story to the comments section. You may also put a link to a blog post.




                                                                 
My Happy Dance This Week:  Last week I was celebrating becoming a RootsTech 2017 Ambassador. This week I have had the privilege of running a contest to give away a free RootsTech pass! This is exciting for me as I will be able to help someone else go to this awesome event.  The contest runs until Wednesday, December 21, so if you would like to enter there's still time. Just click on this link and visit my contest post to see how! Can't wait to see who wins! 
 What had you dancing this week? Please share so we can celebrate together!


Help get the word out about sharing our Happy Dance moments.
Please click to tweet:
http://ctt.ec/fcLW6

                                                                                           Share your discovery!
                                                                                   Let the dancing commence!





Looking forward to reading about your Happy Dance moment!
Thanks so much for stopping by!




Friday, December 16, 2016

RootsTech 2017



RootsTech, held in Salt Lake City Utah every February, is gearing up for it's 2017 Conference.
From Wednesday, the 8th to Saturday the 11th genealogists from all over the world will converge on the Salt Palace Convention Center.
From a great lineup of keynote speakers, hundreds of classes and workshops to evening events there is something for everyone no matter your skill level.


If you've followed my crazy experiences over the last couple of months, you will remember that I won tickets to attend the event this year. Not once but twice! Then just last week my application to be an Ambassador, which I had given up on, came through and I was put on the RootsTech 2017 Ambassador list!

So what is a RootsTech Ambassador? Someone who gets the word out about the opportunities for learning and fun over the course of the conference and once it starts, report on the happenings each day.

One of the duties of an Ambassador is to give away a free RootsTech 2017 Pass! 
This is a RootsTech plus Innovator Summit 2017 4-day pass ($299 value) which includes:

  • Innovator Summit
  • Over 200 classes
  • Keynotes
  • General Sessions
  • RootsTech classes
  • Getting Started classes
  • Expo Hall Evening events


So, if you would like to win a free pass to attend this amazing event you may enter by doing any of the following:

Follow my blog Carolina Girl Genealogy
Like my Carolina Girl Genealogy Facebook page
Follow me on Twitter , Instagram and Pinterest

Each follow or like will be a separate entry, so the more you do, the more entries you will have.
Then, use any of these platforms to let me know you have entered.
Previous likes or follows count too, so be sure to mention them. 
The contest winner will be chosen on Wednesday, December 21st at noon! 

Good luck! I can't wait to see you at RootsTech 2017!





Monday, December 12, 2016

Mailbox Monday~Letters from Mattie-Part 2


Martha "Mattie" Victoria (Bradford) Baker
and Granddaughter
Mary (Baker) Hudson
About 1921
©Cheri Hudson Passey

In Mailbox Monday-Part 1 , I explained how my father rescued letters written by my Great Great Grandmother, Martha "Mattie" Victoria (Bradford) Baker ( 1862-1947)  from the trash when her daughter Kathryn (Kate) Louise (Baker) Ryan (1898-1987) died.

17 Feb. 1925
Envelope of Letter from Mattie Baker sent to Kate Ryan
©Cheri Hudson Passey

Letter number 2 has information that corresponds with one of the empty envelopes found with the letters. It is postmarked Feb. 18, 1925.
The address on it is: Mrs. J P Ryan
                                       Wadesboro
                                            N.C.
As with the other letters, there is not date on this one. All spellings, punctuation and grammar are copied as written by Mattie.

17 Feb. 1925 Letter
Mattie Bradford to Kate Ryan pg.1
©Cheri Hudson Passey
      Tuesday nite                                                                           
My Dear child you must 
excuse me if I did not 
write to you last week for 
I sure thought I did but
to tell the truth I hardly
know sometimes whether
I am on my head or feet
for your Pa has been sick
 for most 3 weeks
the Doc says its flu. he
has an awghful cough cant
hardly sleep any at night
for coughing and of corse
I cant you know
                
                  2
17 Feb. 1925 Letter
 Mattie Baker to Kate Ryan
pg. 2
©Cheri Hudson Passey
he will not give up and go to                
bed but he is lying down part
of the time he is so worried a
bout the horse or I think that
he would stay in bed the
horse dont seem to be much
better Dr. Moss was out here
to day he is still treating her
and oh we had another sudden
death in the Family poor old
Scott we found him dead in
his bed last friday morning 
when he did not come for his
breakfast at 9 oclock I told your
Pa to go see what was the matter
the poor old thing had been dead
so long until he was cold and stiff
of corse Ida and Miss Kate was
chief morners, you might know
Annie is still at Ruth's said she
was coming home Sunday I hope
she will for I never want her 
to take Mary away any more
                    3
17 Feb. 1925
Letter from Mattie Baker to Kate Ryan
pg. 3
©Cheri Hudson Passey
and keep her this long from
home as long as I live and
there is not a day that pass 
that your Pa don't say I wish
Annie would bring the baby
home. I got your letter to
day and the money and as
soon as Father gets able to go 
up town he will pay on the
cards they are paid up to the
17 of Feb. which is today
Geo a is better but still not
able to go to school he wrote to
you the other day I speck you
got it by now. how is didy and
I hope you all are well. love for everyone from Mother

Top of page 1:
Meta is right sick again today.


The people mentioned in this letter are daughters Annie Dargan (Baker) Parish (1895-1929) -who was still single, Emma Ruth (Baker) Early, and Armida "Meta" Edna (Baker) Harris (1887-1926). Pa or Father, husband Arthur Wellington Baker (1857-1940), and Grandchildren, Mary Ann (Baker) Hudson (1920-2009) and George Albertus Baker, Jr. (1910-1949) who Mattie calls Geo. a.

Scott, the man found dead was an "inmate" at the Sumter County Poorhouse which was managed by my Great Great Grandfather, Arthur Baker sometime after 1920 and before 1925 when the letter was written. Those who mourned him Miss Kate and Ida were also living in the Poor House. 

I am not sure who "didy" is. It seems to be someone living with daughter Kate. A nickname for her husband James "Jimmy" Patrick Ryan (1893-1950) or another family member? 

Once again, we see some of the day to day life of my Great Great Grandmother and how much she loved her family. Her love for her grandchildren shines through as she doesn't want them away from her for too long! 
Never hearing much about daughter Meta, it was good to see that she was mentioned in this letter. She seems to have been sick for quite some time before she passed away a year later. 


Letter number three will be posted in a couple of weeks as Mailbox Monday~Letters from Mattie continues.



Are we kin? Need help with your research? Please contact me.
 Together we can find our people.
 Thanks so much for stopping by!







Sunday, December 11, 2016

This Week On My Family History Calendar

December 10-December 18





Dec. 11~
  William A. McManus (1854-1914) and Frances Virginia McRady (1856-1903), my maternal Great Great Grandparents, were married 144 years ago. William was 18 and Fannie 16 when they were married in Sumter County, South Carolina. 


Are we kin? Need help with your research? Please contact me.
Together we can find our people.
Thanks so much for stopping by!




Celebration Sunday~Genealogy Happy Dance!



You know the dance. You know you've done it. The one every researcher does after finding something new. The one where you want to jump up and down and shout to everyone around that you found the document, contacted a cousin who has the family Bible, made a DNA connection or found a whole new branch to your tree. The one that is met with glazed stares and eye rolls.
                                                          Celebration Sunday is a place to share your discoveries. 
This is a weekly series to enable everyone to tell about their Genealogy Happy Dance moment. This can be done by scrolling down and adding your story to the comments section. You may also put a link to a blog post.




                                                                 
My Happy Dance This Week:  A weird thing happened this week. Way back in late August, after the deadline for applying to be a RootsTech 2017 Ambassador, I sent an email to them asking if I could still become one. I received a reply and was told to email  my info. I did but never heard back. I decided that it was indeed too late or I didn't qualify for some reason. Until yesterday. I was informed that I was added to the list and am now an official RootsTech2017 Ambassador! Happy Dance!!


Help get the word out about sharing our Happy Dance moments.
Please click to tweet:

                                                                                           Share your discovery!
                                                                                   Let the dancing commence!





Looking forward to reading about your Happy Dance moment!
Thanks so much for stopping by!





Thursday, December 8, 2016

Treasure Chest Thursday~Grandmom's Christmas Decorations

Azile Juanita Daughrity Roberts Sullivan, Frank Emerson Sullivan, Carolina Girl Genealogy
Azile and Frank Sullivan
Christmas 1955
Camden, South Carolina

©Cheri Hudson Passey

Two of my maternal Grandmother's Christmas decorations have been handed down and are part of my celebration each year.


Carolina Girl Genealogy , South Carolina Genealogy
Do you remember these ceramic trees? Love that it lights up!


Carolina Girl Genealogy, South Carolina Genealogy, Azile Sullivan
This Nativity was set up in Grandmom's home every Christmas for as long as I can remember. 
Do you have any Christmas decorations that once belonged to your ancestors? 




Are we kin? Need help with your research? Please contact me.
Together we can find our people.
Thanks so much for stopping by!





Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Tuesday's Tip~Gettin' By with Help from Our Friends~Toni Carrier


This time our Tuesday's Tip comes from Toni Carrier of  Lowcountry Africana:


6 Tips for Researching in Archives
Toni Carrier

1.      Don’t overlook archival resources in your family research. Family papers and other unpublished manuscripts may hold treasures for your research!

2.      Use ArchiveGrid (www.archivegrid.org) to locate manuscript collections of interest.

3.      Before traveling to an archive, contact the archivist to give them your visit dates, and tell them what you are researching. Archivists know their collections well and can point you to collections that may be of interest to you.

4.      If the archive’s catalog is online, do some searching ahead of your trip to identify collections you would like to view so you can make the most of your research time when you arrive.

5.      Be aware that archives may have restrictions on what you can take into the research room. You may be asked to leave other belongings in lockers onsite.

6.      Always handle archival materials carefully. Have fun and happy ancestor hunting!


Toni Carrier, M.A., is the founding director of Lowcountry Africana (www.lowcountryafricana.com), a free website dedicated to African American genealogy and history in SC, GA and FL, and co-founder, with Angela Walton Raji, of Mapping the Freedmen's Bureau (www.mappingthefreedmensbureau.com), an online finding aid for researching in Freedmen's Bureau records.







Thanks for these terrific tips on researching in the archives, Toni! Time for another research trip!


Are we kin? Need help with your research? Please contact me.
Together we can find our people.
Thanks so much for stopping by!





Sunday, December 4, 2016

This Week On My Family History Calendar

December 4- December 10



December 5~
     Mary Christine (Williams Sullivan) (1896-1930), my maternal Step Great Grandmother, was born 120 years ago in Kershaw County, South Carolina. Christine was the daughter of James Lewis Williams ( 1873-1937) and Lizzie (Pettigrew) Williams (died before 1900).

December 6~

  My maternal Grandmother, Azile Juanita Daughrity Roberts Sullivan (1921-2009) would have been 95 years old on this day. Azile was born in Sumter, Sumter, South Carolina to Manning David Daughrity, Jr. (1889-1931) and Loretta (McManus) Daughrity (1894-1936). 



Azile Juanita Daughrity Roberts Sullivan   Carolina Girl Genealogy
Azile Juanita (Daughrity) Roberts Sullivan
1921-2009
©Cheri Hudson Passey
Are we kin? Need help with your research? Please contact me.
Together we can find our people.
Thanks so much for stopping by!




Celebration Sunday~Genealogy Happy Dance!



You know the dance. You know you've done it. The one every researcher does after finding something new. The one where you want to jump up and down and shout to everyone around that you found the document, contacted a cousin who has the family Bible, made a DNA connection or found a whole new branch to your tree. The one that is met with glazed stares and eye rolls.
                                                          Celebration Sunday is a place to share your discoveries. 
This is a weekly series to enable everyone to tell about their Genealogy Happy Dance moment. This can be done by scrolling down and adding your story to the comments section. You may also put a link to a blog post.



                                                                 
My Happy Dance This Week:  The after Thanksgiving Black Friday sales brought a sale on DNA tests. After buying two, I asked my Mom's cousins if they would test for me . Mom has tested and the additional information from her cousins may help to find the biological parents of their Grandmother. My happy dance? They said yes!! 
What had you dancing this week? Can't wait to hear!


Help get the word out about sharing our Happy Dance moments.
Please click to tweet:

                                                                                           Share your discovery!
                                                                                   Let the dancing commence!




Looking forward to reading about your Happy Dance moment!
Thanks so much for stopping by!



Friday, December 2, 2016

Find My Past -New Irish Records

This press release was received today:


NEW ROYAL IRISH CONSTABULARY SERVICE RECORDS AVAILABLE TO SEARCH AT FINDMYPAST

·         Over 486,000 RIC service records released online
·         Thousands of new records added to existing collection of RIC histories & directories

Today, December 2nd 2016, over 530,000 Royal Irish Constabulary records have been published online atFindmypast. The release consists of one brand new collection, Royal Irish Constabulary Service Records 1816-1922, and new additions to their existing collection of Royal Irish Constabulary History & Directories.

Digitised from original records held by The National Archives, the new Royal Irish Constabulary Service Records 1816-1922 collection contains a wide variety of documents from the series HO 184.Each record includes both an image of the original document and a transcript of the information it recorded.

The collection will allow researchers from all over the world to uncover intimate details of their ancestor’s career with the RIC and consists of over 486,000 records pertaining to the running and administration of the force. This includes;

·         Auxiliary division general registers: nominal rolls that recorded member’s service number, rank, dispersed date, and company name. The registers also include division journals that recorded dates of appointment, promotions, and medical details. 
·         Clerical staff: record of service and salaries: lists of clerical staff that include birth date, age at appointment, rank, department and salary.
·         Constabulary Force Funds: correspondence registers of members who paid into the fund with notes on whether they had been pensioned, died or received any rewards from the fund. 
·         Constabulary lists: Lists of chief constables created during the first year of the Royal Irish Constabulary.
·         Disbandment registers: Lists of serving members who were with the force in 1922 when it disbanded after the creation of the Free Irish State. They also noted the number of years the constable served and their recommended pension.
·         General registers: Records of constables’ service history. The entries include the individual’s birth date, native county, religion, previous occupation, date of appointment, and promotions, as well as any rewards or punishments received and the date of pension or discharge.
·         Nominal returns, arranged by counties: lists of all serving members of the Royal Irish Constabulary organised by county that recorded the individual’s number, rank, name, religion, date of appointment, marital status, and station location.
·         Officers’ registers: lists of Officers that include transfers and dates, favourable and unfavourable records, dates of promotions and details of previous military service. 
·         Pensions and gratuities: pension records that reveal the constable’s rate of pay and the amount of pension calculated.
·         Recruits index: Lists of new recruits, their dates of appointment and arrival, and their company.
Royal Irish Constabulary Service Records 1816-1922 also contains a variety of additional documents that record details of the Force’s daily operations. These include correspondences, intelligence notes, programmes of ceremony, constabulary codes and lists of “good men” to name but a few. Over 43,000 additional records have also been added to Findmypast’s existing Royal Irish Constabulary History & Directories collection, an archive of publications printed between 1840 and 1921 that provide further insight into the inner workings and history of the organisation.
The publication marks the latest step in Findmypast’s commitment to making Irish family history more accessible. In less than 5 years, Findmypast have made over 110 million records (with 300 million names) available online for the first time.
Notes to Editors:

For more information please contact Alex Cox, email: acox@dctfh.com
           
The records are available to search at:


                                                                                                                                 
About The Royal Irish Constabulary
The Royal Irish Constabulary was established as a peace-keeping force dedicated to the detection and prevention of crime throughout Ireland. They also took over the responsibility of the Revenue Police to enforce the laws of whiskey production. The force trained at Phoenix Park Depot.

During the Irish War of Independence, RIC barracks were the targets of frequent attacks from the Irish Republican Army. Due to a decrease in members for reasons of death, injury, low recruitment, and resignation, the British government dispatched auxiliary forces of ex-servicemen to make up the numbers. This auxiliary force became known as the Black and Tans because of their uniform and were notorious for their brutality. The Anglo-Irish treaty ended the war on 6 December 1921 and the Irish Free State was established in January 1922. The Royal Irish Constabulary was disbanded in August 1922 and a new police force, Garda Síochána, took its place. In Northern Ireland, the police force became the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

About Findmypast
Findmypast (previously DC Thomson Family History) is a British-owned world leader in online family history. It has an unrivalled record of online innovation in the field and 18 million registered users across its family of online brands, which includes Lives of the World War 1, The British Newspaper Archive and Genes Reunited, amongst others.

Its lead brand, also called Findmypast, is a searchable online archive of over eight billion family history records, ranging from parish records and censuses to migration records, military collections, historical newspapers and lots more. For members around the world, the site is a crucial resource for building family trees and conducting detailed historical research. 

In April 2003, Findmypast was the first online genealogy site to provide access to the complete birth, marriage, and death indexes for England & Wales, winning the Queen’s Award for Innovation. Since that time, the company has digitized records from across the globe, including major collections from Britain, Ireland, Australia, and the United States. Findmypast, in association with The National Archives, recently launched the 1939 Register, a record of 41 million lives on the eve of World War II.