QFHS Snippets - September 2012 Volume 12, No. 9

 Visit QFHS on Facebook   Follow QFHS on Twitter
Dear [member]

Have you attended one of our special interest group meetings lately? Join your fellow QFHS members and learn from them.

Help make the Trove Australian Newspapers service better by correcting the electronically translated text.

Learn which are the most popular Australian baby names.

There’s also many articles from other countries around the world

We enjoy receiving your suggestions and feedback sent to us at: snippets@qfhs.org.au

Happy researching!

Table of Contents 

  1. About This Newsletter
  2. QFHS Gaythorne Centre
  3. QFHS Dates to Remember
  4. Peaks to Point Festival 1-16 September 2012
  5. Queensland State Archives Saturday Openings
  6. Free Taxi Service to Queensland State Archives
  7. Upcoming Seminar at Queensland State Archives
  8. Upcoming Seminars at Brisbane City Council Libraries
  9. New, and Revised, Indexes Available On QSA Website
  10. Lady Teviot at Caloundra Family History Research Inc
  11. Lady Teviot at Garden City Library - Free Genealogy Event
  12. The Brisbane 2012 Time Capsule
  13. Community Memorial Restoration Fund
  14. Toowoomba and Drayton Cemetery
  15. Beh Family Reunion
  16. Childs Reunion
  17. The Women's Pioneer Society of Australasia Inc
  18. Armidale and New England History: Aboriginal History
  19. Johnston Descendants Reunion
  20. Law and Land Master Class - 3 to 4 October 2012
  21. For Those searching in South Australia
  22. Get Involved with Trove!
  23. Trove News
  24. Australian Copyright Council
  25. Australian Baby Names
  26. New Zealand Headstones Need a Resurrection of Their Own
  27. Seeking Owner of 500 Year-Old Family Tree
  28. Handy United Kingdom Websites
  29. Free Guide to Tracing London Ancestors
  30. Royal Air Force Muster Roll 1918 Now Online
  31. Cambridgeshire BMD's
  32. Ombudsman Publishes Report on Irish General Register Office
  33. 20 Irish Names Explained
  34. U.S. National Archives' "Know Your Records" Videos
  35. Oakland County 1890 Census Substitute Project
  36. Slovakian Genealogical Records Growing Online
  37. Locating and Visiting Cemeteries
  38. Two New Feature Updates Now Available on FamilySearch
  39. The Royal We
  40. findmypast.co.uk Changes Its Policy on PayAsYouGo Credits
  41. Did You Really Start With Yourself?
  42. Lost Photograph Connects to Family's Long History
  43. Places for Finding a Woman's Maiden Name: a Checklist of 90 Sources
  44. Evertalk: Online Memorials to the Deceased on Facebook
  45. Online Courses: Power Searching with Google
  46. Cannon Balls and Water: How You Would Die in 1812
  47. Indian Territory Records Digitised
  48. Indiana Death Certificates
  49. Elvis Presley’s Jewish Ancestry
  50. It's a Small World
  51. 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.html#Library

3. QFHS Dates to Remember

Revised information - please note.

QFHS Monthly General Meetings are held each month excepting January and December and the third Wednesday of each month. Attendance at the meetings, held at the QFHS Library, is free, and visitors are most welcome.

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 19 September.

Guest Speaker will be Mrs Judith Marks who will speak on the "History of the Marks Family".

2013 Meeting Dates
The Management Committee has resolved that, in 2013, Members' Meetings will alternate (roughly) between day and evening meetings.

The following schedule is confirmed:
This schedule maximises afternoon meetings in the cooler weather and maximises evening meetings in the warmer weather.
________________________________________

QFHS Daytime Meetings are held on the first Monday of the month (but not in January or when the first Monday of the month is a public holiday. Then it is held on the second Monday of that month) at 20 Marmont Street, Geebung from 10am - 12 Noon.

The next meeting will be held on 3 September.

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 22 September the QFHS library.

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

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, 27 September.

For further information contact Robert Browning on (07) 3261 1084 or email: robertbb2@bigpond.com
________________________________________

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, 15 September.

For further information contact FHWriters@qfhs.org.au or Robert Adamson on (07) 3357 8138 or Sue Reid on (07) 3378 2278.
________________________________________

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: 13 October.

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, 8 September.

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, 23 September.

Contact Kaye Hart on welsh@qfhs.org.au for further information.
________________________________________

Educational Workshops

Do you want to learn more about Family History? Do you want to keep your records in order? Well why not come and join me in my Educational Workshops, "Where to Begin" and "How to Keep Your Records in Order" this year. The Workshops are designed to help you achieve the results you are after in your research and your record keeping. Cost is $5.50 per person which goes towards purchasing more research materials for the Library. Time is from 10am to 12 noon at QFHS Library.

The last workshop for this year is - 28 October 2012 - Where to Begin.
For bookings contact Desley Schafer - phone (07) 3204 4254 or email her at: educationofficer@qfhs.org.au
________________________________________

Member Orientations - 'Old' & New Members Welcome

You will almost certainly learn new stuff about the Society, and helpful hints about using the Library and researching, all in a friendly atmosphere and informal setting. New members are especially welcome.

Dates for 2012 are as follows:
Numbers are limited to allow full participation. BOOKING is ESSENTIAL. Please note: Sessions are usually fully booked, with a waiting list, so please advise the organisers as soon as possible if you find you are unable to attend when you have a booking. Contact Bev Bonning on (07) 3355 7389 or email at: welcome@qfhs.org.au
________________________________________

Family Tree Maker User Group

These meetings run from 10am - 11:30am at QFHS Library and are held on first 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 (TMG) User Group

This 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 1:30pm.

Next meeting is 15 September.

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

4. Peaks to Point Festival 1-16 September 2012

This Festival plans a wide variety of events including guided walks around Coopers Plains, Sunnybank, Graceville, Sherwood and surrounding areas. Historic landmarks, homes and cemeteries will be included.

For more information, go to: http://bit.ly/Pz6XQ7

5. Queensland State Archives Saturday Openings

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

For more details, go to: http://bit.ly/QD099C

6. 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/Researchers/Runcorn/Pages/FindQSA.aspx#taxi

To book taxi travel to QSA, phone (07) 3131 7777.

7. Upcoming Seminar at Queensland State Archives

Getting Started Seminar
Learn about Queensland State Archives' (QSA) collection and how best to find the information you are seeking. This seminar, presented by an experienced reference archivist on Tuesday, 25 September from 2 pm to 4pm. It will provide you with the basics you need to start your research at QSA.

The seminar includes a short tour. Entry to this seminar is free. To book your spot, call (07) 3131 7777.

8. Upcoming Seminars at Brisbane City Council Libraries

Murder at the Archives
Queensland State Archives will be presenting the Murder at the Archives seminar at various branches of the Brisbane City Council (BCC) Library in September. This seminar will provide tips and tricks on how to explore court records and murder files located at Queensland State Archives.
Learn How to Decipher Old Handwriting
Queensland State Archives will be presenting Learn How to Decipher Old Handwriting at the Toowong branch of the Brisbane City Council Library on Wednesday, 26 September from 10 am to 11:30 am. This workshop presents tips and tricks on how to read and transcribe old handwriting.

For more information, and to book for a specific session, call the Brisbane City Council Library on (07) 3403 8888.

9. New, and Revised, Indexes Available On QSA Website

A new online index for Brisbane Hospital Registers of Deaths 1933-1942, compiled from records in QSA Series ID 9507, is now available on the Queensland State Archives website at: http://bit.ly/Q43fli

These registers, kept by the Brisbane Hospital, record information on deaths. Details for deaths can include:
Queensland State Archives has updated the Index to Inquests 1859-1886. The index has been rechecked against the original files to assist in eliminating old indexing errors. The index entries now include the QSA Item ID information and relevant microfilm number for each file.

You will find the Index at: http://www.archives.qld.gov.au/Researchers/Indexes/Courts/Pages/Inquests.aspx

10. Lady Teviot at Caloundra Family History Research Inc

On Saturday, 8 September 2012, from 1pm to 4pm, renowned UK genealogist Lady Mary Teviot will speak at a seminar to be held at the Guide Hut in Arthur Street, Caloundra.

Attendance cost for the three hours is $10 and includes afternoon tea.

Topics being discussed include:
This seminar is aimed at anyone who has an interest in English research. Bookings are essential and can be made by contacting Roz Kuss on (07) 5493 1197 or June Blackburn on (07) 5493 2679 or by email at: caloundrafamilyres@y7mail.com
Information on the group's research times, calendar, resources, journal, meetings, activities and contact details are now available via: http://www.caloundrafamilyhistory.org.au/

11. Lady Teviot at Garden City Library - Free Genealogy Event

Join expert English genealogist, Lady Teviot, at an informative talk about the English parish system and how it can help you research English records to uncover information about your ancestors in the context of their local town.

Lady Teviot will be presenting "Understanding your English ancestors at a local level" from 11:30am-12:30pm (Parish registers) and 1:30-2:30pm (Parish chest) on Tuesday, 18 September. Bookings are essential.

Contact Garden City Library on (07) 3403 7745 to reserve your place.

12.  The Brisbane 2012 Time Capsule

The time capsule will be placed inside the City Hall at the official reopening ceremony in April 2013 and is scheduled to be reopened in 2059 to coincide with the 200 year celebrations of Queensland.
 
The time capsule will share photos and stories about people's lives in Brisbane in 2012.

Residents are invited to submit their photos and a short story online by 31 December 2012 to the Time Capsule link at: http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/cityhall/

13. Community Memorial Restoration Fund

Information about the Queensland Parliament e-petition opposing the axing of the Community Memorial Restoration Fund can be found here:

http://www.hpw.qld.gov.au/Heritage/Pages/CommunityMemorialsRestoration.aspx

http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/work-of-assembly/petitions/e-petition?PetNum=1936

http://www.couriermail.com.au/ipad/cuts-hit-military-grave-restoration/story-fn6ck45n-1226413204437

14. Toowoomba and Drayton Cemetery

You are invited to submit stories of your relatives and friends who are buried there, whether they were buried 100 years ago, or just yesterday. Stories may be up to 1000 words. Photos are welcome; however, please send them separately so that Helen who does the final work can work with them for printing. The closing date for submissions is 1 December 2012.

Contact Toowoomba and Darling Downs Family History Society for more information at: tddfhs@westnet.com.au

15. Beh Family Reunion

Descendants of the Beh family who emigrated from Germany during the 1850's and 1860's are invited to attend a family reunion.  The reunion will be held just outside Innisfail in North Queensland on the evening of Saturday, 13 October and morning of Sunday, 14 October 2012.

The address for the reunion is 2 Creigan Road, Fitzgerald Creek, Queensland, 4860.  This is approximately 6 kilometres north of Innisfail on the Bruce Highway.  After crossing the Johnson River, turn right about 300 metres from the bridge.  The venue is the house near the group of large buildings adjacent to the main road.

For catering purposes, if you will be attending, please contact the host - Denis Dillon on: 0409 770 330

16. Childs Reunion

On 14 September, one hundred and sixty-four years ago, Thomas Childs and his family boarded the sailing ship "Fortitude" at Gravesend near London for the four-month journey to start their new life in Brisbane, Queensland. Originally from Somerset in England, the family settled on land at Newstead beside the Brisbane River. In 1864 Thomas purchased sixty-nine acres of land at Nudgee on which the Toombul Vineyards were established. Now part of the Nudgee Golf Course, six generations of the Childs Family have a special connection to this area situated in the Northeastern suburbs of Brisbane.

You and your family are cordially invited to attend a reunion of Thomas Childs' descendants. The reunion will be held in the Vineyard Room of the Nudgee Golf Club, 1207 Nudgee Road, Nudgee from 11 am on Sunday, 11 November 2012. A light lunch (finger food), will be catered by the Club. Cost is: Adults $20, Children under 10 - $5. We urge you to bring any memorabilia of the Childs family with you.

Please RSVP by Sunday, 4 November to Trish Theaker (Thomas' great great grand-daughter) via email on: theakergct @bigpond.com

17. The Women's Pioneer Society of Australasia Inc

The above society will be involved in History Week by opening the doors of their Sirius Room located in the Royal Automobile Club of Australia. This room contains a Miniature Portrait Collection of early pioneer settlers in the colony. All miniatures on display are ancestors of past and current members of the Society. This could be of interest to anyone researching their early settlement history. We also have records of family history collected since the inception of the Society in 1929.

The event will be held on 11, 13 and 15 September from 2pm - 4pm. It is of utmost importance that those wishing to attend make reservations, with Mrs Barbara Dreverman on telephone (02) 9498 1156. Entry will not be permitted unless a booking is made.

18. Armidale and New England History: Aboriginal History

This is a new website with a growing index of Aboriginal people from the New England area of NSW. Go to: http://www.armidalehistory.com/

19. Johnston Descendants Reunion

Searching for any descendants of William Johnston and his wife, Isabella (nee Cunningham) who arrived in Sydney in 1817 from Scotland, In 1823 William accepted the position of Superintendent of Agriculture at Bathurst. This involved taking Isabella and their 4 very young children across the perilous Blue Mountains track by dray, probably enduring many dangers during the crossing.

A further 8 children were born to William and Isabella during the 15 years they lived in the Bathurst area. In 1839 the family moved to Port Macquarie and settled on "Newton Bank" at Yippin Yippin. In 1843 the family moved to the property "Sunnyside" in the Dingo Creek/Wherrol Flat area, near Wingham, where William died in 1854.

A Johnston family Reunion is being planned for Easter 2013 during which a plaque will be dedicated and placed on the Memorial wall in Bathurst as a tribute to William and Isabella and recognising their incredible story and legacy left through their many descendants. It is believed there are many descendants spread throughout Australia and it is hoped to contact as many as possible so full honour can be given to William and Isabella in this way.

Anyone interested in receiving information on this Reunion could contact Margaret Bottom via email at: byronspares42@hotmail.com

20. Law and Land Master Class - 3 to 4 October 2012

The University of South Australia's David Unaipon College of Indigenous Education and Research would like to invite you to a Master Class on Law and Land hosted by Associate Professor Irene Watson.
Date: Wednesday, 3 to Thursday, 4 October 2012
Time: 9am - 4pm, lunch and afternoon tea included
Venue: Paul Hughes Room, University of South Australia City West campus, Yungondi Building
This two-day Master Class will provide participants with an opportunity to learn more about Aboriginal relationships to law and land. With a focus on law, philosophy and the different relationships Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people have towards land; this Master Class will critically evaluate current recognition of Aboriginal peoples by the Australian legal system.

Associate Professor Dr Irene Watson will host this Master Class. Irene belongs to Tanganekald and Meintangk peoples of the Coorong and south east of South Australia.  She is a lawyer and academic with an extensive background working on domestic and international legal frameworks to better address human rights abuses of Aboriginal peoples and the greater protection of their rights internationally.

To register and for more information please visit: http://unisa.edu.au/watsonmasterclass/

21. For Those searching in South Australia

Online searches include newspaper birth and death notice index, BDM certificates and cemetery indexes: http://www.genealogysa.org.au/

Online search facility for South Australian BDMs 1836-1854. Also searchable are shipping and cemeteries. Go to: http://www.familyhistorysa.info/

Photo Rescue is a website dedicated to old family photos. If you are lucky enough to find one belonging to your family, you may be able to claim it.

Check it out at: http://members.optushome.com.au/lenorefrost/jim.html

22. Get Involved with Trove!

Help us make the Australian Newspapers service better by correcting the electronically translated text (OCR). The text output of the automated computer process is poor because, like historic newspapers in other countries, the original newspapers and the microfilm are of low quality and sometimes hard to read. That means full text searching is not always accurate. However, you can help make it better for everyone by checking the image of the newspaper's page against the electronically translated text and making it accurate. Your changes are immediately saved to the database and searching is instantly improved. We are the first library in the world to make this innovation available to the public. By February 2011 we had 20,000+ people helping out and 30 million lines of text had been corrected during the last 2 years. You can join in too. It is easy, intuitive and quick. You don't even need to register (though if you do you can keep a track of your progress). But beware, it can be a very addictive pastime...

Find articles in Trove and simply click 'fix this text'. Help Trove's become more accurate by going to: http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/

23. Trove News

Discover all about life in the Sydney region through two newspapers that are now available through Trove: The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers' Advocate and The Nepean Times.

Go to: http://trove.nla.gov.au/

24. Australian Copyright Council

This is very interesting and informative.  The hyperlink will take you to their "Browse by Keywords" webpage.  If you type in "family histories" in the keywords field, an information sheet titled "Family Histories and Copyright" is displayed as well as various Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

Check it out at: http://www.copyright.org.au/find-an-answer/browse-by-keywords/

25. Australian Baby Names

John and Margaret - they're the Aussies you've probably met before... quite a few times. These two old favourites are the most popular male and female names in the history of the nation, according to a News Ltd analysis of Australian baby names going back to 1790; holding steady with generations of parents through gold rushes, war, depression, boom and bust, and even the rise of the internet.

Nearly 262,000 babies have been called John in the past 220 years, more than 65,000 ahead of its nearest male challenger, David, and more than 150,000 ahead of girls' favourite Margaret.

Read more of this article at: http://www.news.com.au/national/baby-names/story-fncynjr2-1226457588982

26. New Zealand Headstones Need a Resurrection of Their Own

A mass resurrection may soon take place at a Gisborne cemetery. The Gisborne District Council will consider a request from the local branch of the Genealogical Society to dig up more than 80 headstones that were buried in a trench at the Makaraka cemetery more than three decades ago.

The headstones were taken down in 1967 after being declared unsafe. In 1976, the local branch of the Historic Places Trust decided to keep the best 60 and bury the rest.

You can read the full article at: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7530054/Push-to-uncover-headstone-cache

27. Seeking Owner of 500 Year-Old Family Tree

Auckland Libraries has a large and detailed piece of family history that it desperately wants to reunite with its owner. The family tree, which has been intricately documented on an A2 sheet of paper, was found in the attic of a house on Waiheke Island and given to the local library for safekeeping.

It is titled 'A Genealogy of the Jennings' and covers the family history of David Jennings who emigrated from England to Nelson in 1849. The overall research goes back some 500 years and includes photographs of significant family members.

You can read more about the Jennings family tree at: http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/seeking-owner-500-year-old-family-tree/5/132305

28. Handy United Kingdom Websites

FamilySearch England Emigration and Immigration - https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/England_Emigration_and_Immigration
 
The following websites have links to paid and free websites as well as subscription sites - you just have to sort through them to find the best one for you.
 
http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/index.php - Birth, marriages and deaths, includes Willis, Probates, Census, Cremations, links to great sites like the Parish Clerk records for particular areas.

http://www.ukgdl.org.uk/ - Directories and Lists.

http://www.ukmfh.org.uk/ - Military Family History on the web.

29. Free Guide to Tracing London Ancestors

FamilySearch has released a new online guide to tracing London ancestors. The guide has been published in the FamilySearch Research Wiki.

Features include articles on each of London's 109 historic parishes loaded with descriptions of records available online at major websites Ancestry.co.uk, British History Online, BritishOrigins.com, FamilySearch.org, FindMyPast.co.uk, TheGenealogist.co.uk, Google Books, Internet Archive, London Lives, and ParishRegister.com among others.

The article is located at: https://familysearch.org/blog/free-guide-london-ancestors/

30. Royal Air Force Muster Roll 1918 Now Online

FindMyPast.co.uk has just published a list of Royal Air Force servicemen who were with the service when it was formed on 1 April 1918. This collection contains records for more than 181,000 men and can tell you vital information about your RAF ancestors, including:
The men included in these records originally joined either the Royal Flying Corps or the Royal Naval Air Service. These organisations were merged to form the RAF in 1918.

You can search the Royal Air Force Muster Roll of 1918 at: http://www.findmypast.co.uk/search/military/raf/indexes

Access is available via subscription or for free at the QFHS library.

31. Cambridgeshire BMD's

Volunteers from the family history societies within Cambridgeshire have worked with the Registration Service to allow access to indices for births, marriages and deaths within Cambridgeshire over the internet. This is an ongoing project. There are currently 988,270 birth entries, 708,750 marriage entries, and 355,720 death entries.

See:  http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/community/bmd/certificate/Camdex/

32. Ombudsman Publishes Report on Irish General Register Office

The Irish Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, has published a report entitled Hidden History? The Law, the Archives and the General Register Office. Taking two years to complete, the report arose out of a complaint by a member of the public, a person well-known to some members of the Association of Professional Genealogists in Ireland (APGI).

You can read more details at: http://bit.ly/OAM0sa

The report is published here: http://bit.ly/N3d0Rg

33. 20 Irish Names Explained

In Ireland, family pride is as enduring as the mountains. This country puts family before everything else, and betraying your family name is never an option. If you have the privilege of an Irish surname, you'll know that name is built on a strong foundation of loyalty, courage, and a dedication to the family and its traditions.

Click on the link to take you to an infographic which explains 20 of the most popular Irish family names: http://www.goireland.com/craic/irish-family-names.htm 

34. U.S. National Archives' "Know Your Records" Videos

The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration has been adding more instructional and informational videos to its collection.

You can learn more about the Know Your Records program at: http://www.archives.gov/dc-metro/know-your-records

The videos are available at:  http://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2012/nr12-141.html

35. Oakland County 1890 Census Substitute Project

The Oakland County Genealogical Society has added the 1891 tax assessment rolls for Avon Township, Oakland County Michigan to its 1890 census substitute project.

The index is available on the Society's website at: http://www.ocgsmi.org/

The index and images are also available at the Oakland County Historical Resources website at: http://www.OaklandCountyHistory.org

36. Slovakian Genealogical Records Growing Online

FamilySearch's free online Slovakian record collection has now grown to over 5 million searchable records. The Slovakia 1869 census is also available as a browsable image collection.

The Slovakian record collection is available at: http://bit.ly/Q42ybA

37. Locating and Visiting Cemeteries

Since visiting cemeteries is part of what we do to find information about our ancestors, every genealogist has a cemetery story. These stories may include the weird problems associated with cemeteries as well as the wonderful discoveries that can be found there.

Enjoy reading at:  http://www.genealogyblog.com/?p=20945

38. Two New Feature Updates Now Available on FamilySearch

FamilySearch.org is adding new functionality to the web site to make your genealogy research easier and more rewarding. Additions include easier access to the source box and the International Genealogical Index (IGI) is now complete. Earlier statements by some users that the IGI had been removed have proven to be misleading. It was merely being changed and improved.

You can learn more in a FamilySearch Update video at: http://youtu.be/FNwB6FAwmP4

39. The Royal We

The mathematical study of genealogy indicates that everyone in the world is descended from Nefertiti and Confucius, and everyone of European ancestry is descended from Muhammad and Charlemagne.

Interesting reading at: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2002/05/the-royal-we/2497/

40. findmypast.co.uk Changes Its Policy on PayAsYouGo Credits

findmypast.co.uk has changed the way the company's PayAsYouGo credits work to give you a better, fairer deal. Now, when you buy new credits on findmypast.co.uk, the company give your expired credits back to you, up to a maximum of 280. This applies to any credits that have expired within the last two years.

Details may be found on the findmypast.co.uk blog at: http://blog.findmypast.co.uk/2012/08/a-new-fairer-deal-on-payasyougo-credits/

41. Did You Really Start With Yourself?

If asked the question, "How do you start doing Genealogy?" most genealogists will respond with, "Start with yourself." Most genealogists will respond that way, but the fact is, we are more inclined to start with our parents and immediate family members. What we write down about ourselves is usually our name and vitals on a pedigree chart and family group sheet. The information comes from our heads. After all, we know our place of birth, marriage, and all the dates.

After researching for some time, you will have written evidence for your ancestors including photographs, birth records, marriage records, and many other documents of the events of their lives. But what do you have for yourself?

Interesting reading at: http://www.genealogyblog.com/?p=21115

42. Lost Photograph Connects to Family's Long History

This is an interesting article about an old photograph apparently dropped in a North Carolina parking lot. Using great genealogical and historical detective work, two women were able to identify the photograph as that of Molly Fulford. The photo was taken some time prior to 1880.

Now the two detectives are looking for the person whop dropped the photograph so that it may be returned to the family.

You can read the full story at: http://www.dailyadvance.com/features/lost-photograph-connects-family8217s-long-history-1166535

43. Places for Finding a Woman's Maiden Name: a Checklist of 90 Sources

Discovering the maiden name of a female is often the biggest problem we have in genealogy. Whether you are researching your families in person, through the mail, or by Googling the Internet for sources, the basic search is still the same. As in all research tasks, we need to identify the possible places where such a record exists, but in particular, find the place where an actual document may exist that mentions the birth name of a woman.

Here is a basic checklist of some places to look: http://www.genealogyblog.com/?p=21263

44. Evertalk: Online Memorials to the Deceased on Facebook

Will Facebook become a resource of obituaries for future genealogists? It seems that about 8000 Facebook members die every day. After the recent loss of a friend, Russ Hearl began to wonder what happens to Facebook users' profiles?
Hearl decided that Facebook was indeed the right place: the place where many people have lived most of their online lives. He created an application (app) named Evertalk.

You can read more about Evertalk at:  http://venturebeat.com/2012/07/20/8000-facebook-members-die-every-day-what-happens-to-their-profiles/

The Evertalk app is available at: http://www.facebook.com/Evertalk

45. Online Courses: Power Searching with Google

Do you want to become a Google Expert? There is one organisation that will show you how: Google. There are six 50-minute classes, free for anybody to try. The lessons include:
The lessons are available as a video, in text, or as a slide show. "Power Searching with Google" is available at: http://www.powersearchingwithgoogle.com/course

46. Cannon Balls and Water: How You Would Die in 1812

Spontaneous combustion, shockwaves from passing cannon balls and even death by drinking cold water - these were all once the serious concerns of cutting edge medicine. In honour of its 200-year anniversary, The New England Journal of Medicine has published a review showing how much medical diagnosis and the definitions of what can kill us have changed.

Back in ye olde days, strokes were more likely be diagnosed as fainting spells or "apoplexy" arising from a "nervous sympathy by which the stomach influenced the head," the Journal reports. Doctors also agreed a near-miss by a cannon ball could shatter bones and even kill. And reports of spontaneous combustion were taken seriously - if sceptically - the Journal said. (The phenomenon was thought to be most common in "brandy drinking men and women".) Diarrhoea, pneumonia and "childbed" were also among the leading causes of death.

The full review and interactive graphs is available online.

You can have hours of fun figuring out what you were likely to die from two centuries ago at: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1113569?query=featured_home

47. Indian Territory Records Digitised

The Oklahoma Secretary of State's Office and the Oklahoma Historical Society have partnered to digitise and index Oklahoma and Indian Territories incorporation records. The ledger books from 1890 to 1907 were created by the territorial secretary as new businesses and municipalities began conducting business.

To access the database, go to the Oklahoma History Center website at: http://www.okhistory.org/research/index , click on "Oklahoma resources," then click on "New! Territorial Incorporation Records."

For tips on how to research the records, visit: httt Debra Spindle's website at: http://allmyancestors.com/blog/2012/07/09/business-in-the-territory/

48. Indiana Death Certificates

A Pike County resident and the Evansville Courier & Press are suing the Vanderburgh County Health Department to obtain access to cause of death information contained on death certificates maintained by the health department. The newspaper and Rita Ward of Winslow, Ind., contend the death certificates are public records, while the health department interprets state law to require it to restrict access to them.

You can read more in an article at: http://www.genealogyblog.com/?p=21332

49. Elvis Presley's Jewish Ancestry

According to an article in tabletmag.com, Elvis's great-great-maternal grandmother was Jewish and had a daughter who had a daughter who had a daughter that was Elvis's mother.

You can read more about Elvis' ancestry at: http://www.genealogyblog.com/?p=21340

50. It's a Small World

A few years ago when we were first becoming interested in Family History my husband and I attended a series of classes held over at Genealogical Society of Queensland at East Brisbane. At the fourth evening lesson I had a couple of questions about my grandfather - Albert Morris Goodwin, for the lecturer and waited until after the class had finished. While I was talking to the lecturer I noticed a young fellow standing and listening to our conversation without saying a word. 

Eventually I headed out to the car with this young fellow walking beside me (my husband was already in the car) he said to me "What was your Goodwin's name?" and I told him "Albert Morris" and the young chap said "And his mother's name was Sarah Jane" and I said "Yes" and the young bloke said "We are cousins".  I didn't see that coming!

Wendy Mayes

51. 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.html

If you do not wish to continue to receive the QFHS email Newsletters, please click on "REPLY" at the top of your window and simply type "unsubscribe" in the subject line. You do not need to write a message.