QFHS Snippets - June 2011 Volume 11, No. 6

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Dear [member]

Happy Birthday Queensland!

You can participate in Queensland Day celebrations at Government House and Queensland State Archives.

It’s our Annual General Meeting time again at QFHS. Help us vote in a new management committee.

Our Open Day is fast approaching, and you’re invited to submit a photograph of an ancestor researched using QFHS facilities.

Enjoy reading about the many websites, training workshops and meetings in this month's edition of Snippets.

Happy researching!

Let us know your thoughts at: snippets@qfhs.org.au

Table of Contents

  1. About This Newsletter
  2. QFHS Gaythorne Centre
  3. QFHS Dates to Remember
  4. Open Day, Saturday 30 July 2011
  5. Open Day Video Project
  6. Findmypast.com.uk. Discount for QFHS Members
  7. Open Day at Government House
  8. Queensland Day Seminar at Queensland State Archives
  9. La Dolce Vita: Italians in Queensland
  10. New Index Online at Queensland State Archives
  11. Free Taxi Service to Queensland State Archives
  12. Queensland State Archives 2011 Saturday Openings
  13. Advanced Archives Search
  14. Legacy Way Tunnel - Impact on Toowong Cemetery
  15. 140th Anniversary of Toowong Cemetery
  16. Convictism in Brisbane in the Federation Era
  17. Looking @ 2.0 Free Course
  18. Underwood Family Reunion
  19. NSW Government BDM change
  20. Fawkner Memorial Park Indexing Project
  21. Lilian Watson Family History Award, 2011
  22. Rare Memorial Footage Now Online
  23. 'Tin Ticket' with Barbara Swiss
  24. "Scots Aboard - Emigrants' Guides to Australia and New Zealand"
  25. Trove 4.0 Released
  26. England and Wales Certificate Information
  27. Fully Searchable Death Records Now Online at findmypast.co.uk
  28. The Long, Long Trail
  29. London Historians
  30. Tracing Your Ancestors in the UK Science Museum Archives
  31. Digitisation project at British Library's Colindale Newspaper Office
  32. St George's Police Orphanage, Harrogate, Yorkshire
  33. New Lincolnshire Website
  34. Ireland-Genealogy.com
  35. New Web Site: findmypast Ireland
  36. Launch of Irish Landed Estates Database
  37. The National Library of Wales
  38. New Finding Aid for Canadian Federal Voters' Lists, 1935-1980
  39. Civil War Historic Records Online
  40. Free Online Records Cast Historic Light on South Carolina
  41. Teenager Makes Digital Record of Arlington Graves
  42. Black Loyalist Web Site
  43. Old Maps
  44. Special Collection of Civil War Maps and Nautical Charts
  45. Complete 1930 Mexico Census Now Available Online for Free
  46. Who is the most Interesting Person in Your Family Tree?
  47. Antiquus Morbus
  48. British Best Friends Discover They Are Long-Lost Sisters
  49. Queen Elizabeth II's Irish ancestors
  50. Deceased Online
  51. Yesterday's Journey
  52. Lady Gaga and Madonna Proved to be Distant Cousins
  53. Plumber Neil's Royal Flush
  54. TheGenealogist provides discounts to members of the GOON
  55. Barnardo's Children
  56. Genealogy Blogs
  57. The Holocaust and Genealogy
  58. 40,000 More Scottish Burial Records Added to Deceased Online
  59. 100th Anniversary of Titanic Disaster
  60. June's Joke
  61. Acknowledgements

1.    About This Newsletter

Snippets is a monthly publication of the Queensland Family History Society Inc. (QFHS). QFHS Website http://www.qfhs.org.au/

Please do not click on reply to contact Snippets - the 'click on reply' facility is strictly for 'un-subscribing' to the mailing list.

You are encouraged to contribute items which you feel would be of general interest to the family historian hunting for that illusive relative. Humorous items and items relating to the technology of using computers in genealogy are also welcome. Submit your BRIEF items supplemented by hyperlinks to additional details.

Snippets will rarely include items of a commercial nature and only then when they are likely to be of interest to a majority of our readers.

Submit your items to us via: snippets@qfhs.org.au

2.     QFHS Gaythorne Centre

Our address is:

    58 Bellevue Ave
    Gaythorne QLD 4051
    QFHS library - (07) 3355 3369

For details about QFHS Centre, including location map, transport etc, click here: http://www.qfhs.org.au/location_hours.htm#Library

Please note that the library will be closed on: Monday, 13 June - Queen's Birthday Public Holiday.

3.     QFHS Dates to Remember

QFHS Monthly General Meetings are held on the third Wednesday of the month (but not in January and December), at the QFHS Library, and start at 7:30pm. Attendance is free, and visitors are welcome.

QFHS Inc Annual General Meeting
Queensland Family History Society Inc will hold its Annual General Meeting at 7:30pm on Wednesday, 22 June 2011.

This is one week later than previous years for those who may have marked third Wednesday in June for the AGM.

Nominations for positions on the Management Committee (which includes Office Bearers) close fourteen days prior to the AGM, so nominations must be in the hands of the Secretary by Wednesday, 8 June 2011. Nomination forms were included in the May Journal and are also available from reception or can be downloaded from the QFHS website.

The winner of the QFHS Family History Writing Award will be announced at the meeting. We urge as many members as possible to attend. Remember, it is your Society and we would like to hear from you.
________________________________________

QFHS Daytime Meetings are held on the first Monday of the month (but not in January and December) at 20 Marmont Street, Geebung from 10am - 12 Noon.

The next meeting will be held on 6 June.

Contact Maureen Mutton on 3265 4378 if you would like to attend.
________________________________________

Central European Group

Meetings are held 10am - Noon on the 4th Saturday of each odd-numbered month. A $2 donation goes toward purchasing relevant records.

The next meeting will be on 23 July at the QFHS library.

For further information, contact Eric Kopittke on (07) 3376 4339 or email kopittke@tpg.com.au or centraleuropean@qfhs.org.au
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English West Country Group

This group researches the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset. Meetings are held from 12 Noon - 2pm at the QFHS Library, on the fourth Thursday of the odd-numbered months.

Next meeting: Thursday, 28 July.

For further information contact Robert Browning on (07) 3359 9801 or email: robertbb2@bigpond.com
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Family History Writing Group

These meetings are held from 9am - 11am at QFHS Library on the third Saturday of odd-numbered months.

Next meeting: Saturday, 16 July.

For further information contact FHWriters@qfhs.org.au OR Robert Adamson on (07) 3266 8353 OR Sue Reid on (07) 3378 2278.
________________________________________

Family Tree Maker User Group

These meetings run from 10am - 11:30am at QFHS Library and are held on 1st Friday each month except January and last Saturday in each even-numbered month except December.

The next meetings will be held on:
For further details, please contact Kerri Kleidon or Joe Greaves via e-mail on: familytree@qfhs.org.au
________________________________________

The Master Genealogist (or TMG) User Group

After being hosted for more than six years by QFHS member, Peter Collins, the Brisbane TMG User Group has become a welcome addition to the Society's special interest groups. The group caters to the needs of all users, from novice to advanced. The group meets in the QFHS Library on the third Saturday of each month (except December) at 1:30 pm.

Next meeting is 18 June.
For a limited period, new members to the group will have the opportunity to purchase The Master Genealogist v7 Gold Edition at a bargain price.

For further information, contact George Kearney on 0438 073 344 or Kevin Haley on (07) 3359 7491.
________________________________________

Irish Interest Group

Meetings are held from 10am - 12 Noon at QFHS Library on the second Saturday of the even-numbered months (not December).

Next meeting: 11 June.

For more information about Irish Interest Group contact Mary King on (07) 3205 3353 or email irish@qfhs.org.au
________________________________________

Scottish Interest Group

Meetings are held from 10am - 12 Noon at QFHS Library on the second Saturday of odd-numbered months (except January). Donations to buy more Scottish resources are welcome.

Next meeting: Saturday, 9 July.

For further information: Email scottish@qfhs.org.au OR phone Sam on (07) 3266 9131
________________________________________

Welsh Interest Group

This group meets on the fourth Sunday of the odd numbered months from 10am - 12 Noon at the QFHS Library.

Next meeting is: Sunday, 24 July.

Contact Paul Wood on welsh@qfhs.org.au for further information.

4. Open Day, Saturday 30 July 2011

To celebrate National Family History Week, Queensland Family History Society will be holding its annual Open Day on Saturday, 30 July 2011. The Open Day will take place from 10am until 3pm at the Library and Resource Centre, 58 Bellevue Avenue, Gaythorne. Visitors are invited to 'bring an ancestor' to research using the resources of the Library. Encourage your friends, family, and neighbours to bring a name, birth date, death date, or just anything they might know about their ancestors. Volunteers will be on hand to assist in the research. QFHS's regional Special Interest Groups will be available to speak to visitors about their specialised countries. There will be presentations from Family Tree Maker and The Master Genealogist User Groups. Members are invited to submit photographs of ancestors for a video presentation (see item 5).

Open Day-QFHS Members' Information
Members are invited volunteer to assist on Open Day by acting as researchers, guides, or in providing talks on specialised areas of the Library. All offers of assistance will be most welcome. Please contact the Secretary Bev Young at: secretary@qfhs.org.au

Members are also asked to note that the Computer Room and other areas of the Library will be in use on Open Day and research opportunities for members will be limited. Thank you for your understanding on this.

5. Open Day Video Project

To promote our Society at Open Day on 30 July, we would like to produce a slide show showcasing ancestors researched using QFHS resources.  To do this, we would like members to provide us with a photograph of a person, family, home, place etc with personal details, and the source/s used.  The photograph does not need to have been located at QFHS. If you have a scanned photograph you would like to share, simply select/copy from your pictures and attach to an email to: secretary@qfhs.org.au Should you have an actual photograph but not a scanner, we can scan it for you. Let us know if we can help. Information to include - name of person/place, date of birth and death, relationship to member, members number, inscription, QFHS resource used etc. We would like to receive these by 30 June at latest.

6.  Findmypast.com.uk. Discount for QFHS Members

The QFHS now has a subscription to Findmypast.co.uk, and they have offered our members a discount of 15% towards membership.  To take advantage of this discount, simply key in the word "FMPSAVE".

Check it out at: http://www.findmypast.co.uk/home.jsp

7. Open Day at Government House

Her Excellency, Ms Penelope Wensley AC, Governor of Queensland, and Mr Stuart McCosker invite you to Government House Open Day in celebration of Queensland Day on Sunday, 5 June, 10am to 3pm. A community fair of Queensland volunteer and community organisations will provide a fantastic festival atmosphere with displays, including a QFHS stall. Refreshments will be available for purchase.

Guided tours of Government House will be conducted plus tours of the wonderful gardens and surrounds at 10:30am, 12 noon and 1:30pm.  Off-site parking is available at Norman Buchan Park with regular shuttle bus pick-up and drop-off. To assist fellow Queenslanders affected by Cyclone Yasi and the floods, visitors are encouraged to contribute a gold coin donation on entry.

More information available at: http://www.govhouse.qld.gov.au/

8. Queensland Day Seminar at Queensland State Archives

Come and celebrate Queensland Day at Queensland State Archives with a seminar and tour of the Archives on Tuesday, 7 June from 10 am. Featuring Queensland State Archives' most significant records from the state's early history, this seminar will offer the rare opportunity to view theProclamation of Queensland as read by Governor Bowen on 10 December 1859.

The seminar will be held on Tuesday, 7 June from 10 am - 12 Noon at Queensland State Archives, Lecture Theatre 2 at 435 Compton Road, Runcorn, Brisbane.

For more information, and to make your booking, call (07) 3131 7777.

9. La Dolce Vita: Italians in Queensland

This exhibit highlights the distinct influences Italians have had on Queensland society and our multicultural heritage since first arriving to the colony in the mid 1800s. It was created by Queensland State Archives to celebrate Harmony Day. Using immigration records, company records, school admission registers, inquests, wills, correspondence files, police reports and even internment registers, archivists have been able to put together a snapshot of the Italian experience in Queensland.

More information at: http://www.archivessearch.qld.gov.au/Exhibition/ExhibitionDetails.aspx?ExhibitionId=21

10. New Index Online at Queensland State Archives

The Index to Immigration 1922-1940 is now available online. Go to:  http://www.archives.qld.gov.au/research/index/immigration1922.asp

11. Free Taxi Service to Queensland State Archives

For those who find it difficult to get to the Queensland State Archives (QSA), there is a taxi service for researchers available every Tuesday. Information can be obtained at:  http://www.archives.qld.gov.au/findus.asp#taxi To book taxi travel to QSA, phone (07) 3131 7777.

12. Queensland State Archives 2011 Saturday Openings

In 2011, Queensland State Archives will be open to the public on the second Saturday of every calendar month from 9am to 4:30pm. The 2011 Saturday opening dates for the next three months are:
Queensland State Archives are located at 435 Compton Road, Runcorn, Queensland.

For more details, go to: http://www.archives.qld.gov.au/research/hours.asp

13. Advanced Archives Search

Discover how to get the best out of Archives Search, Queensland State Archives' online catalogue, with a seminar on Tuesday, 19 July from 2 pm. This seminar will teach you more advanced techniques to locate records of interest and will give useful tips for finding what you want.

For more information, and to book, call (07) 3131 7777.

14. Legacy Way Tunnel - Impact on Toowong Cemetery

Transcity has started construction of Legacy Way at the western worksite, on the northern side of the Western Freeway, Toowong. In preparation for early works, preservation activities are being undertaken to protect approximately 70 gravestones identified as structurally unsound due to their age and existing condition. These gravestones are located in portions 11 and 24 of the cemetery, near Mt Coot-tha Road.

For further information on affected gravestones visit: http://www.transcityjv.com.au/construction/toowong-cemetery

15. 140th Anniversary of Toowong Cemetery

Re-enactment of the military funeral cortege of Governor Samuel Wensley Blackall will take place at Toowong Cemetery commencing at 10am on Sunday 24th July 2011.  Also the Peter Jackson Memorial restoration unveiling will commence at 2pm.

The main entrance will be closed for the day but onsite parking will be available via Richer Street, Toowong.

All enquiries to: 0417 404 960.

16. Convictism in Brisbane in the Federation Era

Jan Richardson, a new member of QFHS and a graduate student at University of New England, is undertaking a year-long research project on the legacy of convictism in Brisbane in the Federation era. She would like to hear from anyone whose family was living in Brisbane around 1900, particularly if they were descended from convicts or early settlers/pioneers.

Information is also being sought on attitudes to convicts and Queensland's convict history, either in terms of personal stories (what was your family's reaction to discovering a convict ancestor? were your ancestors proud of being free settlers rather than convicts?) or published/unpublished material from the Federation era (books, newspaper articles, diaries etc which refer to Queensland's convict past in any way).

Please email Jan at: jricha32@une.edu.au by 31 December 2011.

17. Looking @ 2.0 Free Course

The State Library of Queensland is offering hope for anyone who feels as if they're falling down the rabbit hole whenever they jump online. Looking @2.0 is a free, online course presented by the State Library in partnership with public libraries throughout the state. The course is designed to help people navigate the world of online technologies, keep up with the online activities of their children, stay safe online and utilise some of the many positive aspects Web 2.0 has to offer. Many of the online technologies discussed during the course can be used for family history purposes.

Check it out at: http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/services/learning/looking

18. Underwood Family Reunion

A Reunion to commemorate the 220 years since James Underwood arrived on the Admiral Barrington on 16 October 1791 will be held on 15 October, 2011 at St Jude's Church, Randwick, Sydney. His descendants, and those of his brothers Joseph and William are invited to attend, along with any interested relatives.

For further information email: liz@net2net.net.au

19. NSW Government BDM change

The NSW Registry has removed the wildcard search facility from their internet index search. The wildcard (shift*) has been extremely useful if a researcher is unsure of the spelling of a name. i.e. Ann could be listed as Ann, Anne or Annie but with the use of the wildcard the result would bring up all possibilities.  The ? is still allowed but if you use Clark? this only provides one replacement letter and provides Clarke but not Clark without an 'e'.  This means that each variation of a name would need to be searched separately. I am sure family historians will be unhappy with this change and suggest you contact the Registry to lodge a protest in the hope that they will reverse this decision.

You can email your complaint to: bdm-complaints@agd.nsw.gov.au

20. Fawkner Memorial Park Indexing Project

The Genealogical Society of Victoria is undertaking a project to index all names appearing on the memorials at Fawkner Memorial Park.  Fawkner Park, established in 1906 and now part of the Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust, is one of the largest cemetery/crematorium complexes in Melbourne, Victoria with approx 7000 ceremonies per annum. The project has encountered about 100 memorials that contained names and other information in the Cyrillic script, predominately in the Roman Catholic compartments. They are now seeking anyone with the capability and the time to translate those memorials.

For further information contact David Down at:  dpd1949@gmail.com

21. Lilian Watson Family History Award, 2011

Are you the author of a book dealing with family history and with a significant Tasmanian content? If so, the Tasmanian Family History Society would like you to submit an entry for the above award.

For further information or to obtain an entry form, contact: secretary@tasfhs.org  Entries close 1 December 2011.

22. Rare Memorial Footage Now Online

This website reveals rare footage of Australian soldiers at the 1916 battle of Pozières. It is part of an online exhibition of First World War films on the National Film and Sound Archive's australianscreen online, published in collaboration with the Australian War Memorial.

You'll find the footage here: http://aso.gov.au/titles/documentaries/australia-in-france-part-one/

23. 'Tin Ticket' with Barbara Swiss

Of the approximate 165,000 convicts transported to Australia only 25,000 were women. The stories of how these women adapted to the harshness of early colonial Australia are often forgotten. You can listen to an ABC Radio interview with Deborah Swiss, author of the new book "Tin Ticket" as she discusses the plight of the female convict.

Go to: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/lifematters/stories/2011/3213892.htm

24. "Scots Aboard - Emigrants' Guides to Australia and New Zealand"

This database mostly contains works directed at those intending to settle in what is now Australia and New Zealand, ranging from the early 19th to the late 20th centuries. It includes some travel accounts and descriptive works on countries, states and provinces, but only where these are considered for emigration; it does not include pamphlets or other more general works about the need for emigration schemes. The database is searchable by keyword and browsable by date of publication (in decades) and by title.

Enjoy searching at: http://www.nls.uk/catalogues/online/scots-abroad/egaunz/index.cfm

25. Trove 4.0 Released

The National Library of Australia is pleased to announce the release of Trove 4.0. Trove now searches across millions of articles from its database and most of these articles can be viewed online for free.

The Trove homepage has been redesigned to make it easier for new users to understand the benefits of Trove. Find and get over 239,148,970 Australian and online resources:
books, images, historic newspapers, maps, music, archives and more at:  http://trove.nla.gov.au/

26. England and Wales Certificate Information

This website explains the whys and wherefores of strange or missing things on United Kingdom birth, marriage and death certificates.

Start reading here: http://home.clara.net/dixons/Certificates/indexbd.htm

27. Fully Searchable Death Records Now Online at findmypast.co.uk

Leading UK family history website http://www.findmypast.co.uk/ has launched a quicker way to find the deaths of your ancestors. This final instalment means that over 85 million death records can now be searched with as little as a surname. Finding a death record will take a fraction of the time that it used to. For the first time ever, you can now search for your ancestors in the following records all at once: 
Findmypast.co.uk is the only place you can search these records in one go. So if you've tried without success to find your ancestor's death record elsewhere, try again using this powerful new search.

For more information log on to: http://www.findmypast.co.uk/

28. The Long, Long Trail

This website is a comprehensive online order of battle for the British Army in the First World War. It includes information on how to find records and interpret them.

You'll find the website at: http://www.1914-1918.net/index.html

In addition, there's tips on how to research on those who fought in the Great War at: http://www.1914-1918.net/grandad/grandad.htm

29. London Historians

This website features lots of useful information about London's history. Check it out at: http://www.londonhistorians.org/

30. Tracing Your Ancestors in the UK Science Museum Archives

The UK Science Museum Library and Archives holds a large amount of information about those involved in the science, engineering, medicine and industry fields. As well as holding a large collection of named archives on famous and influential individuals such as Charles Babbage, the museum also houses records of the ordinary people who were involved in the science industry. The online catalogue is the best place to start searching for your ancestor but the museum also offers up to 30 minutes research time free of charge.

See the Science Museum website for further details at: http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/

31. Digitisation project at British Library's Colindale Newspaper Office

Launching in Autumn 2011, the British Newspaper Archive will make millions of pages of historical newspapers available online for the first time - unlocking a treasure trove of material for historians, researchers, genealogists, students and anyone interested in when, where and how our ancestors lived and key periods of historical interest.

You can read more about this at http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/.  There is a link to some examples of the sort of information that will be available.  You can also register to be kept informed of when the newspapers go online.

32. St George's Police Orphanage, Harrogate, Yorkshire

This website has been set up by former residents of St George's Police orphanage in Harrogate. The Orphanage was founded in 1897 by Miss Catherine Gurney, OBE, for the care and welfare of Police Force children who had lost one or both parents. A total of 644 children were cared for by the orphanage from January 1898 when Minnie Smith was the first child to be admitted, until it closed in 1956. The website gives comprehensive coverage of the life and times experienced at St George's.

There is a list of all the children who were cared for over the years as well as details of some staff members. For more information visit: http://www.stgeorgesharrogate.org/

33. New Lincolnshire Website

Those with an interest in Lincolnshire will be interested to learn of this new website. The site includes integrated catalogues from Lincolnshire Archives, Tennyson Research Centre, libraries, museums and the Historic Environment Record, together with online exhibitions highlighting collections, learning resources, and more than 500,000 images, documenting thousands of years of county history.  Digitised documents include parish registers, probate inventories and maps. The site is aimed at both dedicated researchers and casual browsers, with records, photographs and objects being shown as high-quality images, which are also available to buy.

Check it out at: http://www.lincstothepast.com/

34. Ireland-Genealogy.com

One of the biggest stumbling blocks in doing Irish research is the lack of complete census records before 1901 - although other records do exist. One such set of records is the Irish Pension Records. A new web site now has transcriptions of the hand-written Pension Records available for a fee.

The web site contains extracts from the pension application forms (green forms) that give essential information from the 1841 & 1851 censuses for the whole of Ireland. These pension records are only available on microfilm and are held in the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland (in Belfast) and The National Archives (in Dublin). The new web site allows anyone to search the records by surname.

When a record is found, you will see a thumbnail-sized image of the (transcribed) record. The image is far too small to read but does give an idea as to how much information is on the page. Typically, it will be a few lines of text. To view the entire record, you must pay a fee. Records typically cost £2.00.

You can find the Ireland Genealogy web site at: http://www.ireland-genealogy.com/

35. New Web Site: findmypast Ireland

This website was launched in May 2011.   Its collection covers over 4 million records and includes land records, directories, wills, obituaries, gravestone inscriptions and marriages.  The earliest records date back to the 13th century (wills) and include several important collections from the 18th century (The Elphin Census 1749 and the 1798 Rebellion records). The collection includes the exclusive publication of the Landed Estates Court records, a crucial resource for the mid- to late-19th century, which includes details of over 500,000 tenants on Irish estates. The website developers intend to launch over 50 million records over the next 12-18 months.

Access is via subscription at this address: http://www.findmypast.ie/

36. Launch of Irish Landed Estates Database

The Connacht and Munster Landed Estates project was launched on 20 May. "The Landed Estates Database provides a comprehensive and integrated resource guide to landed estates and historic houses in Connacht and Munster, c. 1700-1914. The aim of this guide is to assist and support researchers working on the social, economic, political and cultural history of Connacht and Munster from c.1700 to 1914." This site allows online searching of families, houses and estates on A-Z basis.

For further information go to: http://landedestates.nuigalway.ie:8080/LandedEstates/jsp/index.jsp

37. The National Library of Wales

Are you doing Welsh family research? If so, you need to check out this website which includes dedicated family history information.
http://www.llgc.org.uk/index.php?id=searcharchivaldatabases
http://www.llgc.org.uk/index.php?id=121

38. New Finding Aid for Canadian Federal Voters' Lists, 1935-1980

Library and Archives Canada is pleased to announce the launch of an updated version of its finding aid to locate electoral districts in its federal voters' lists collection from 1935 to 1980. This updated version now provides for each of the 892 microfilm reels of the collection, the electoral year, the province, the exact name of the electoral district and the page numbers for each microfilm. This tool will facilitate the frequent consultation and use of the federal voters' lists collection by genealogists and family historians.

The finding aid can be accessed at: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/genealogy/022-911.006-e.html

39. Civil War Historic Records Online

As the United States marks the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, people who had ancestors involved in the conflict can access millions of historical records recently published on the familysearch.org website.

The collections include service records for both the Confederate and Union armies, pension records, and more. Some of these records have been available for some time but are now being added to: http://www.familysearch.org/civilwar as part of this project.

Many of the records are specific to the war itself, such as enlistment or pension records. These documents can provide key family data, including age, place of birth, or the name of a spouse. Other collections, such as census records, tell the story of ordinary civilians who lived during that turbulent time. Even a local or state death record far away from the battlefront may contain death information on a soldier that was submitted by a family member back home.

For more details on the records available, go to: http://bit.ly/kjgrga

40. Free Online Records Cast Historic Light on South Carolina

This rich new online resource will be of interest to family historians with Southern roots. This free resource consists of new historic records and image collections and an in-depth online help centre (wiki) for South Carolina genealogy resources. FamilySearch's newest South Carolina collections are South Carolina Probate Records, Files and Loose Papers, 1732-1964, and South Carolina Probate Records, Bound Volumes, 1671-1977. Probate and estate records typically include wills, bonds, property inventory, and court petitions.

Also in FamilySearch's free online collection of South Carolina records are South Carolina Deaths (1915-1955) and Civil War Confederate Service Records (1861-1865)-the two collections comprise millions of searchable records.

The information can be found at: http://www.familysearch.org/

41. Teenager Makes Digital Record of Arlington Graves

Using only a clunky camera and the Motorola Xoom he got for his 17th birthday, Ricky Gilleland has succeeded where the Army failed: He has created the only digitised record of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. His website, preserveandhonor.com, is a reverent catalog of the fallen, and one young man's response to a scandal of Army mismanagement, mismarked graves and unmarked remains that has rocked this hallowed place for two years.

You can read about it at: http://lat.ms/hsbkQv

42. Black Loyalist Web Site

Black Loyalist is a repository of historical data about the African American loyalist refugees who left New York between April and November 1783 and whose names are recorded in the Book of Negroes. In this first stage, the site concentrates on providing biographical and demographic information for the largest cohort, about 1000 people from Norfolk, Virginia, and surrounding counties.

This site seeks to provide as much biographical data as can be found for the individual people who ran away to join the British during the American Revolution and were evacuated as free people in 1783.

The Black Loyalist Web Site is available at http://www.blackloyalist.info/

43. Old Maps

This website specialises in republishing historical maps. The maps range from the 1850s through the early 1870s. The company offers digital and printed reproductions of maps from all over New England, United States. The company provides thousands of free, compressed maps on its web site. Highly detailed (non-compressed) maps on CD-ROM and printed on high-quality paper can also be ordered from the site.

These maps pinpoint the location of every house and the name of the family that lived there at the time the original map was produced. As such, these maps have great value to genealogists. Not only can you see where your ancestors lived, but also their neighbours and others in the extended area.

You will find the Old Maps web site at: http://www.old-maps.com/

44. Special Collection of Civil War Maps and Nautical Charts

In honour of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War in 2011, NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) has assembled a special historical collection of maps, charts, and documents prepared by the U.S. Coast Survey during the war years. The collection, "Charting a More Perfect Union," contains over 400 documents, available free from NOAA's Office of Coast Survey website.

"People are planning now for their visits to Civil War sites next year, and we want to give them an opportunity to visualize the terrain, ports, and coasts as they were from 1861 to 1865," said Meredith Westington, NOAA's chief geographer. "Most people wouldn't think of turning to NOAA for historical Civil War documents, but the agency has an amazing legacy."

You can read more on the NOAA web site at http://goo.gl/6MpXa

45. Complete 1930 Mexico Census Now Available Online for Free

The entire 1930 Mexico Census covering almost 13 million records is now online at http://www.familysearch.org/

For more information on the Mexico Census and other recently released records on familysearch, go to: http://bit.ly/mEaS7y

46. Who is the most Interesting Person in Your Family Tree?

Have you have discovered a famous explorer, inventor, politician, activist, merchant or labourer in your family history? On the darker side, a convict, or murderer? Maybe someone who struggled to bring up a family against all odds? Why not enter the new FFHS (Federation of Family History Societies).

Simply write an account of your most interesting person and bring them to life in no more than 1,000 words. Entries may be submitted electronically to: admin@ffhs.org.uk by 31 December 2011. The winners will be announced in February 2012.

47. Antiquus Morbus

This website is a collection of archaic medical terms and their old and modern definitions.  The primary focus of this web site is to help decipher the causes of death found on mortality lists, certificates of death and church death records from the 19th century and earlier.

Check it out at: http://www.antiquusmorbus.com/Index.htm

48. British Best Friends Discover They Are Long-Lost Sisters

Two British women who have been friends for 16 years are celebrating after discovering that they are sisters. Alison Slavin, 41, and Sam Davies, 43, found that they had the same father after adopted Slavin traced her biological mother.

The women, who live a mile apart from each other in Bristol, in western England, are both child care workers, and both have two children, look alike and share the same taste in clothes - but never guessed they could be related. Read more about the sisters at: http://bit.ly/jJB8Ko

49. Queen Elizabeth II's Irish ancestors

It may come as a surprise to many, to find that Queen Elizabeth II has strains of Irish ancestry. The largest portion of royal Irish, or more accurately royal Anglo-Irish ancestry comes via the late Queen Mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. Thus 8 of the Queen's 128 five-times great-grandparents resided in Ireland in the eighteenth century.

To read more about Queen Elizabeth II's Irish ancestry, go to: http://bit.ly/lepLdf
 

50. Deceased Online

This website has recently added over 54,000 Burial Records for rural Southwest England to its cache. It includes 11 cemeteries across Wiltshire, Dorset and Devon. You can search the registers by country, region, county, burial authority or crematorium free of charge. When registered as a Deceased Online user you gain access to:
Check out the database coverage section of these and many more areas in the United Kingdom at: http://www.deceasedonline.com/

51. Yesterday's Journey

As in any age, people have had to deal with documentation and officials whether it be for good or bad. Yesterday's Journey records the names of those people who had dealings with those events and the paperwork involved. Documents that may identify where a person was born, how long they worked in a trade, where they got married, which regiment they served in, how many children they had, names, ages and other bits of information to help add real history and detail to your ancestors lives.

Dealing primarily with Derbyshire it does, however, cover the whole of the British Isles.  Yesterdays Journey is on-going and updated on a regular basis.

Have fun at: http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~spire/Yesterday/index.htm

52. Lady Gaga and Madonna Proved to be Distant Cousins

After thorough research, Chris Child (an expert in the New England Historic Genealogical Society) presented to the American press a series of evidence in support of his discovery, arguing that the two singers share a common ancestor from a farming family which left France and settled in the province of Quebec from Canada in the 1600s.

Read more at: http://bit.ly/izNIxE

53. Plumber Neil's Royal Flush

A Brisbane plumber has discovered he is a relative of Prince William through William's mother, Princess Diana. Neil Geary, 74, and recently-married William, both descend from the children of William Conyngsby (born 1479) and Beatrix Thursby (born 1492), making the grandfather-of-four William's 14th cousin once removed.

Read more about the royal connection at: http://bit.ly/iAeeFV

54. TheGenealogist provides discounts to members of the GOONS

The Guild of One-Name Studies (http://www.one-name.org/) is pleased to announce that TheGenealogist (http://TheGenealogist.co.uk/) has agreed to allow Guild members a discount on its Diamond and Gold subscriptions: £40 off its Diamond subscription and £10 off its Gold subscription.   Current Guild members who already have a subscription with TheGenealogist can take advantage of this offer when their subscription renewal becomes due.

This offer means that the Guild of One-Name Studies has added yet another reason for anyone to join the Guild whether they are already undertaking, or are about to undertake, a one-name study or simply have an interest in one-name studies. TheGenealogist is the latest on-line website to offer discounts to Guild of One-Name Studies members. See http://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/

TheGenealogist is run by the data provider S&N Genealogy supplies, and is a top British genealogy research website.  They are also offering Guild members a discount of 30% off their normal price on Certificate Binders and Family History Binders, and 20% off their normal prices of S&N Data CDs.

55. Barnardo's Children

Barnardo's has a vast collection of records of the children who were in its care with the earliest dating from the 1870s. If you have a relative whom you think may have been in the care of Barnardo's they may hold records and sometimes images to help with your family history research. Initially, a basic search will be carried out, for a fee, to establish whether your ancestor was in the care of Barnardo's. Once this has been confirmed, you can get more detailed information through an Admission Package or a Full History Package. A Photographic Package is also available for those who wish to just purchase a photograph of their ancestor.

See http://www.barnados.org.au/

56. Genealogy Blogs

Blogs are becoming an increasingly popular way to document and share one's family history research experience. A blog, short for Web Log, is an online diary on a website and can be relatively easy to set up with simply designed templates. Wordpress and Blogger are 2 popular providers. If you don't fancy setting up your own blog, there are plenty out there to follow and keep up to date with what is happening in the family history world.

Chris Paton's blog is one of the more popular ones but there are also many more, including FindMyPast, some family history magazines as well as personal blogs. Chris Paton - http://www.scottishancestry.blogspot.com/

57. The Holocaust and Genealogy

Ancestry.com's recent addition of the World Memory Project http://www.worldmemoryproject.org/ aims to recruit the public to help to build the world's largest online resource for information on Jewish victims of the Holocaust and millions of non-Jews who were targeted for persecution by Nazi Germany and its collaborators. The project will dramatically expand the number of Museum documents relating to individual victims that can be searched online. Many Jewish communities were completely destroyed during the Holocaust, and in some cases all Jews living in them were killed, so there was no one left to tell the story of that community. Many of the records that were made by the Nazis were preserved and have been written about by historians and also been made into remembrance books. There have been books compiled by survivors, reconstructing the destroyed communities. These books are called Yizkor books. In addition, individuals have contributed details of people and families to Yad Vashem, the museum and memorial to Jewish Holocaust victims.

If you would like to learn more about Holocaust records please contact our Education Officer, Jeanette Rosenberg at: education@jgsgb.org.uk

58. 40,000 More Scottish Burial Records Added to Deceased Online

Two Aberdeenshire coastal town cemeteries and a small Aberdeen City graveyard have been added to growing Scottish burial database. Nearly 19,000 records commencing in 1869 for Constitution Hill Cemetery in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire are now available online. The records include digital scans of mortality registers which are rich in detail and include full names, designations of heads of families, occupations, causes of death, places of death, addresses, ages and grave references.

Over 16,000 records, dating back to 1615, for a second Peterhead cemetery, St Peter's Churchyard, are currently being worked on and will be completed and uploaded onto Deceased Online shortly.

The database for the City of Aberdeen has also been increased with the addition of nearly 4,500 records for the small John Knox graveyard.  The records are for the period 1838 to 1894 and have been transcribed from Doric language grave diggers' registers and include various spelling inconsistencies (see the full write up in the website's database section, https://www.deceasedonline.com/servlet/GSDOSearch).

Deceased Online will be adding many more records for Scottish regions soon. Check out the Database Coverage section at http://www.deceasedonline.com/ to find out more details of the above and many more towns and areas in the UK.

59. 100th Anniversary of Titanic Disaster

As the 100th Anniversary of Titanic approaches, Titanic Heritage Trust is pleased to announce the creation of a database of descendants of survivors of all those who were lost on 15th April 1912. If anyone has a connection or knows someone who has a connection with the Titanic please contact us. Also, as part of the 100th Anniversary events are being planned and we are hoping to get together in one place as many as possible of the descendants of survivors and any descendants of those who were lost when Titanic sank.

For further information email enquiries@titanicheritagetrust.org.uk

60. June's Joke

I looked into my family tree and found out I was a sap
I looked up my family tree...there were two dogs using it
I researched my family tree... apparently I don't exist!
I shook my family tree and a bunch of nuts fell out
I think my ancestors had several "bad heir" days
I used to have a life, and then I started doing genealogy
I'd rather look for dead people than have them look for me
I'm not sick, I've just got fading genes
I'm not stuck, I'm ancestrally challenged
I'm searching for myself; Have you seen me?
I'm stuck in my family tree, and I can't get down
If only people came with pull-down menus and on-line help...
Isn't genealogy fun? The answer to one problem, leads to two more!
It is hereditary in my family not to have children
It's hard to believe that someday I'll be an ancestor

61. Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all those who have taken time out to send items of interest to our "Snippets" mailbox at: snippets@qfhs.org.au

The more we receive, the more frequently we can produce a Newsletter. If your submission does not appear in this issue, we will try to include it in a future edition. Please note that reference to any product does not imply endorsement. Members are cautioned to evaluate products prior to purchase.

Pauline Macfarlane

Disclaimer: This newsletter is produced in good faith, and information received is deemed to be accurate, but the editor takes no responsibility for incorrect information supplied. [Editor's note: The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Editor or of QFHS]

Permission to reprint articles from QFHS 'SNIPPETS' NEWSLETTER is granted unless specifically stated otherwise, provided: (1) the reprint is used for non-commercial, educational purposes; and (2) the following notice appears at the end of the article: "Previously published in QFHS 'SNIPPETS' NEWSLETTER" with the appropriate date and volume number (eg QFHS 'SNIPPETS' NEWSLETTER January 2009 Vol 9 No. 1). The last six months issues of Snippets are available from: http://www.qfhs.org.au/snippets.htm

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