25 March 2011

DONALD YATES on WHEN SCOTLAND WAS JEWISH

"Scotland was the only country in Europe that did not persecute Jews.

21 March 2011

SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA COAL MINER SEARCHABLE DATABASE

COAL MINERS have always had a dangerous job and so many have died in mines - explosions - gas - landslides - accidents. So many children also worked in the mines.

I was so happy to find this site which has a searchable database and a memorial opportunity.

Its called "Virtual Museum of Coal Mining in Western Pennsylvania." and let me say this. I have already heard back from the man who owns this site, Raymond A. Washlaski, Historian and Editor!

He was very helpful and sharing of information that may also aid my search for ancestors who are said to have died in a mining accident!

16 March 2011

MAJOR ERROR on ANCESTRY GENEALOGY DATBASES BEGS CORRECTION

I recently looked at 44 ship manifests which came up when I used a certain surname in the ANCESTRY genealogy database. I was watching to see if there was any pattern I could follow to put relatives together from the old country to the new.

I believe you must read the manifest yourself and not take the text version for granted because there have been all sorts of transcribing errors.
I REALIZED THAT THIS DATBASE has A MISLEADING ERROR BUILT IN on the FORM used for the TEXT VERSION of the New York ship manifests! When you read the text version you see the word BIRTH as if the immigrant was being asked in New York " Where Were you Born?" when the actual question asked on the manifests is not "Where were you born" but where was your last permanent address?

I wonder how many family historians have been mislead and repeated this error, or even gone on a useless quest because they assumed that the Ancestry database was right in reporting a location as a BIRTH location?

Simply, many immigrants did not leave HOME! Some did, and usually you will see that they are saying they left a parent or a husband or wife.

But sometimes they simply went to stay with a relative - a sibling or aunt or uncle - in another location. They gave up their own address (as we would do if say an apartment lease was up before we were ready to move to another city). There they stayed until maybe a baby was born or money promised from America came in and until it was time to get to the rail station and then the ship port. Some did not go directly onto a ship but stayed somewhere else, such as near the very port they planned to leave, for a time to earn money, or got off the ship in South Hampton and tried England for a while!

Please be very careful with this one! As you know the words "Permanent Address" are also not always taken seriously.

Q: What's a permanent address today?
A: Anywhere you stay when you are not traveling!

12 March 2011

WAS YOUR ANCESTOR AN "INMATE?" LYMAN REFORM SCHOOL FOR BOYS

Ever get stunned by the word "INMATE" on a census or other records?

Well the term means ANYONE who lives in an institution and that can be prison, an orphanage, or a reform school, among other places.

Recently found a few ancestors for a friend who were in the Lyman Reform School.
I'm in the process of proving they were orphaned first.

Came across this link that explains the history of Reform Schools in Massachusetts. Wow!

07 March 2011

NORWAY HERITAGE EXPLAINS STEERAGE

NORWAY HERITAGE site here has an excellent explanation of STEERAGE conditions including illustrations (one potty for four bunks) starting in the mid 1800's through the great steamship era. Enjoy reading this one: the pictures tell a thousand stories! And note: this site also has lots of useful links!

04 March 2011

YAD VASHEM OPENS A YOUTUBE CHANNEL HOLOCAUST TESTIMONIALS

YAD VASHEM's YOUTUBE STATION has a number of videos!




I've used their database. As it has been explained to me this database is ever expanding as volunteers type in information from testimonial pages. Please also know that these testimonial sheets are by memories. Therefore I have been told by at least one researcher that extensive interviewing and travel proved that memories were questionable.


It is riveting none the less to click till you get to a testimonial page that has a photograph of the person. And some of you may find family members in your heritage this way.

Also know that Yad Vashem has a database of Righteous Gentiles.


(THIS POST UPDATED JUNE 2016)

01 March 2011


Our genetic and spiritual ancestors help us with our research quests and, while we follow a linear research path, amazing dreams and synronicities abound. We explore multicultural ancestry worship and the use of genealogy for past-life verification, as well as practical ways and means to achieve your research goals.