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COASTAL GEORGIA GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY NEWS &
REVIEW (SEPTEMBER 2003)
16 NOVEMBER 2003--Our first
day trip this year! We will be touring our new library facilities located
at 208 Gloucester Street in historic downtown Brunswick at 2 p.m., our
usual meeting time.
21 SEPTEMBER 2003--Met at
the College Place United Methodist Church on Altama Avenue, and basically
had a show and tell, and talked about various genealogy software that are
available. Amy Hedrick, our editor, brought in her lap top and gave a
demonstration on how to use Family Tree Maker.
Beth Gay, genealogist
columnist for the Florida Times Union, has had her column cancelled along
with all of the columns in that section. The reason, lack of
advertising. Apparently the paper is more interested in being an ad
circular than an informative tool.
MORE FROM THE GENE-POOL;
AFRICAN DNA
To most of us researching
our family histories, we have come across the DNA question many times.
For myself I believe it can give you a better insight on your heritage,
but it can not solve who your fourth great grandfather was.
So why do this? Well, some
people just have to know if they are related to a certain line of Smiths
or Browns. Some people would like to know their ethnic make up. Still
others may not be able to find their family in court and church records,
and knowing what ethnicity they are, can provide clues. Such is the case
of the African-American genealogist.
Now on the market is a DNA
test to help find out what tribe in Africa you may have descended from.
Before you get excited, you must realize that this test only provides, for
example, 1/16 of your family line. There are 15/16 of your line you still
haven't traced and won't be able to with DNA testing, without knowing more
about your family, i.e. documenting your family through paper records.
DNA testing does not provide names.
African Ancestry Inc.
offers two types of DNA tests and says it can usually trace at least one
family bloodline to specific geographic areas on the African continent. It
has compiled a DNA database of 10,000 people representing 85 ethnic groups
from Africa. Each of those groups have telltale genetic markers not found
in other people. Those markers were passed on generationally and appear in
African Americans' cells today.
The most common test is the
mitochondrial test, which means that either sex can be tested, whereas the
standard DNA test called the Y chromosome test can only be applied to
males to trace a paternal line.
Even though this is a vague
answer to your heritage, it may help you in your research when your
African ancestry line runs out in America, to know where to look in
Africa.
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
In Washington D.C., baby
naming has come under scrutiny. A married couple gave birth to a child in
2002 and wanted to give him his mother's surname due to her name's rich
Scottish heritage. The health officials refused, stating that if she was
married, she would have to give the child the father's surname.
Outraged, they took it to
court, stating that this was a violation of a parent's right to name the
child how they saw fit. The current law states that only single women can
give their child their surnames. The couple stated that this regulation
is outdated and needs to be changed.
The new regulation says:
"If a child's mother was married at the time of either the child's
conception or birth . . . the child's surname shall be entered as the
mother's or the father's legal surname at the time of birth, or both that
of the mother and that of the father (in any order)."
As of May of 2002,
Washington, D.C. babies can have either their father's or mother's
surnames.
Image the frustration this
will cause to genealogists a hundred years from now? Especially if this
catches on in other states!
INTERNET
<http://www.convictcentral.com/index.html>
Most family historians in Australia regard a convict in their ancestry as
enormously desirable. "Convicts to Australia" is intended to guide, inform
and entertain those just starting the hunt as well as the more experienced
researcher. The site is a 'work in progress' and data is being added
regularly.
<http://www.westegg.com/inflation/>
The inflation calculator. Ever wonder how much $100 was worth in the
1800s. Well here you can calculate the value of today's dollar against
"back thens" dollar. Calculator spans from 1800 to 2002.
<ftp://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/roots-l/genealog/genealog.perpcal>
A perpetual calendar. Ever wonder what day of the month your ancestors
were born on? This simple tool will solve those questions.
<http://searchforancestors.com/utility/birthday.html>
A birthday calculator, just enter the age at death and death date.
SEARCHING THE NARA FROM
HOME
If you're like me, you like
to surf the web for ancestors. Also, if you're like me, you may not have
the money or the time to head out to research the record repositories that
might have info on your family.
One of the biggest
repositories is the U.S. National Archives located in Washington, D.C. A
listing of most of their holdings is available at their web site, and some
actual records are there for the downloading too. But if you're not
familiar with what is on the site, or how to navigate the site, then you
won't benefit much from the experience.
So let's take the first
step together. Go to the NARA site at: <http://www.archives.gov/>
You should be at their home page. On the left side of the screen is a
menu of options, Welcome, About Us, etc. on the top right of the screen
is a pull down or drop down menu where you can select other resources or
areas of the site.
First, let's click on
Research Room, [menu to your left] and you will be sent to another page,
that will have recent news and events, sections, resources, and more.
We'll click on Genealogy first. Here we will find various aids to help us
with our family research. Click on research topics next. Here you will
find a list of various essays and data that cover a variety of genealogy
topics.
Now, let's go back to the
genealogy page, which is just one click back and then hit the "Search
Microfilm Catalogs" link on the left side of your screen under Resources.
There are almost 3,400
numbered microfilm publications to search for, online. Also directions on
how to ent or purchase a film so that you can research these films from
either your home, or local library.
One of the most important
catalogs on this site is the ARC [Archival Research Catalog]. This
catalog lists about 20 percent of the National Archives' vast holdings.
By the year 2007, the NARA hopes to have 95 percent of their holdings
cataloged in ARC.
ARC is where you will find
over 124,000 digital images of photographs and documents. To access ARC,
let's go back to the NARA home page. On the top right of the screen is a
pull down menu, from there select the ARC listing. Next, click on Search
Hints for Genealogical Data in ARC. This section will give you directions
on how to search the databases. Only a small percentage of the entries in
ARC have index terms yet, so finding your ancestor by name could be
tricky. But you never know until you try, so enter a surname in one of
the search engines and see what pops up.
There are many areas that
you can search, for instance, photos, maps, artifacts, moving images, and
more.
Simply click on the yellow
search button and you will be sent to a search engine. You can try out
your surname, click the "Descriptions of Archival Materials linked to
digital copies", and select the type of archival material, whether it be a
map or photos.
I typed "Georgia" into the
keyword box, ticked the box for "Descriptions of Archival.." and selected
"maps and charts" and 6 maps showed up.
Next I did a general search
for my Hedrick surname, by highlighting "all types" under the type of
archival material. Two images show up, one an enrollment for Cherokee
Census card, and the other a military service record for a M. Warren
Hedrick, not related.
The Cherokee Census card
contains info on an Asa A. Hedrick, no relation either.
You may not find much on
your family history right now, but there are many interesting things to
view, and learn on this site. You can also request forms for ordering
records, such as pension and military files. I am currently waiting on a
Civil War pension file for a great grand uncle. Can't wait for it to
arrive!
HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED
This cute story comes from
one of the many newsletters that I receive, and I thought it was quite
ironic how little we let children do nowadays:
LOOK BOTH WAYS BEFORE...
In 1910, as an
eight-year-old, my mother came to the U.S. from Romania. I tried to find
her in the Ellis Island site but there was no listing for her maiden name
as it appears on all her papers, including her marriage certificate--Yankelesco.
My son finally tried other combinations and found her listed as Janculescu,
and we found the ship manifest listing her as such.
The amazing thing is that
she crossed Europe from a small town in Romania to Bremen, Germany, where
she sailed for the U.S. accompanied by two male cousins, ages 12 and 14,
with no other people from Romania on the manifest. Upon arrival in the
U.S. they went to live with an aunt, the mother of one of her companions.
Today my granddaughter, age
12, isn't allowed to cross the street without parental supervision. How
times have changed!
No Author.
UPCOMING EVENTS
5-11 October 2003 Georgia
Archives Week, the celebration of how we, as researchers, organizations,
governments, etc., preserve our local heritage through documents and
records. It is also a time to recognize those folks who have worked hard
to preserve and maintain these valuable documents.
16 October 2003 Thursday
Patricia Barefoot [author of Falling for Coastal Magic and Brunswick:
City by the Sea] will be talking about southeast Georgia's history at 7
p.m. at the Brunswick Library.
18 October 2003 Saturday
"Following Footprints is Fun" an all day seminar on genealogical research
offered by the Augusta Genealogical Society, Inc. and Continuing
Education, Augusta State University. Registration fees are $15 for AGS
members and Augusta State Univ. students and faculty or $20 for
non-members [$5 will be refunded if you join the AGS]. Registration fee
includes a box lunch and a 104 page genealogical "how-to" book. Send your
name, address, phone number, and check to: AGS P.O. Box 3743, Augusta, GA
30917-3743.
18 October 2003 Saturday
Author Melanie Pavich-Lindsay will be talking about her book, "Anna: the
Letters of a St. Simons Island Plantation Mistress, 1817-1859" at 7 p.m.
at the Brunswick Library.
18 October 2003 Saturday
Cultural day on Sapelo Island, Farmer's Alliance Hall at Hog Hammock,
sponsored by SICARS. Must pre-purchase tickets, $15 members, $20
non-members. Call (912) 485-2197.
24 October 2003 Friday
Author Kitty Oliver talks about her book, "Multicolored Memories of a
Black Southern Girl" at 7 p.m. at the Brunswick Library.
PUBLICATIONS
"War of Vengeance; Acts of
Retaliation Against Civil War POWs" by Lonnie R. Speer [2002, Stackpole
Books] A history of the War Between the States that is seldom heard.
Most POWs were used as pawns in a politician's war of retaliation. Using
actual manuscripts, writings, and military documents, Lonnie Speer teaches
us about the darker side of war. Chapters include the Palmyra Massacre,
the hostage swap of Flinn, Sawyer, and Robert E. Lee's son, how rations
were used in retaliation against the south. A must read for Civil War
buffs.
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
Annual membership to the
CGGS is only $15 for one person or $18 for a family. Membership extends
from 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2003.
Remit payment to our
treasurer:
Barbara Baethke
119 Bayberry Circle
St. Simons Is. , GA 31522
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