AUTUMN ARRANGEMENT

 

LOVE and HATE IN JAMESTOWN by DAVID A. PRICE: ANCESTRY WORSHIP BOOK REVIEW

LOVE and HATE IN JAMESTOWN by DAVID A. PRICE: ANCESTRY WORSHIP BOOK REVIEW (First published on this blog on February 9, 2019)

PROMISED to clear away the misconceptions and half truths, let's start with that explorer Captain John Smith never had a romance with Pocahontas, who was about 11 years old when she first saved his life.  She was the favorite of Powhatan, the "King" of a great Native American Nation, one of his children by his many wives.  For those of you who may be seeking ancestry connected to Powhatan, consider that he'd take a wife and discard her after she had a child by him, which sounds like a strategy to spread you genes to me. (In European Feudal times the Lord of the Manner, or the owner of the Estate, sometimes also had rights to have sex with a woman before she married another subject.) Captain Smith was appreciative, after all the maiden saved his life twice, but if she had a thing for him, he considered it a platonic relationship. Smith was never in his 40 years or so of life known to have a romantic relationship with any woman.  

In 1607 the first three ships, all quite tiny really, landed in Virginia with an attempt to colonize. (The Spanish considered this part of the country to be theirs and recognized "French America." The British were far behind in their attempts to colonize.) In 1608 a second supply of colonists arrived including the first woman, the wife of a gentleman, and her maid. With 200 men to this one unmarried maid, well, she was soon married. Speaking of the gentleman class - the leisure class - of passengers, they apparently expected to have adventures but not to have to work.  But not for long.  Captain Smith basically ruled that if you did not work, you did not eat.

Captain John Smith had military experience, having been in warfare in Hungary, but he was not expected to rule the colonies. Deaths in the colony allowed him to rise to the task and he did so well. Considering that he and the Englishmen had to try and understand the Native American culture they encountered, he showed patience and cunning. Smith knew how to bluff and so the starvation of the colonists was at best delayed.

In this book, you'll read about the relationships between the English and Native Americans, what worked and what did not. Smith was set aside when the "real" leaders arrived and that's when the bloodshed began. 

Pocahontas was converted to Christianity, married an Englishman and gave birth to the first Native-American/ English child. She traveled to England and was introduced to society as a woman of rank but she didn't live long. She had been told John Smith had died.  When she saw him in England she was not amused.

Also of interest, besides Hungary being a training ground for Smith, is that some Germans and Poles came to be craftsmen, to make of glass for and example, and so on in the New World. Thus central Europe and Europeans are part of this story.

Finally, yes there was cannibalism.

C 2019 - 2025 Ancestry Worship Genealogy - All Rights Reserved including Internet and International Rights.  This post has been slightly edited July 2019

ALLEN COUNTY INDIANA LIBRARY : ACPL GENEALOGY CENTER OFFERINGS : AFRICAN AMERICAN GATEWAY

ALLEN COUNTY GENEALOGY CENTER : AFRICAN AMERICAN RESEARCH 

There is a lot to find here about African Americans in the United States but the list of other countries intrigues me:

Africa Bahamas Barbados Bermuda Brazil British Isles Canada

Caribbean Cuba England Europe France Grenada Haiti

Ireland Jamaica Latin America Liberia Mexico Netherlands Norway

Oceania Philippines Sierra Leone South Africa West Africa West Indies

I clicked on Sierra Leone and discovered that some Black people were loyalists to England and can be linked to Nova Scotia. I went back and clicked on the subject of RECONSTRUCTION. Up comes a list of books that focus on the Freedman's Bureau as well as politics.

Definity explore these offerings!

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MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE

 

ALLEN COUNTY INDIANA LIBRARY : ACPL GENEALOGY CENTER OFFERINGS : OPEN YOUR MIND WITH THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF NORTH AMERICAN GATEWAY

ACPL GENEALOGY LIBRARY DATABASES

Indigenous Peoples of North America Gateway .... Let's click on that and look at Indigenous Peoples of North America Snapshot

Up will come the list of books this library owns.  Reading it you may find a title that has been digitalized elsewhere or on your local library shelf. 

There are also links to collections which are on microfilm that reside at the library for use there. Once again, look for the title elsewhere. 

Many of us have heard of THE FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES census roles.  However, other census of Native Americans were made. 

There are also learning links such as to the NATIONAL ARCHIVES on Native Americans on the Federal Census (where they appear as part of the count of the general population rather than tribal focus census) such as this: American Indians in the Federal Decennial Census, 1790-1930

I can say that in looking this over, there are some tribal names I don't think I ever encountered.

Many ancestors await being found!

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PERSI - THE PERIODICAL SOURCE INDEX : IT'S FREE and EXISTS BECAUSE OF THE DEDICATED WORK OF GENEALOGY LIBRARIANS AT ALLEN COUNTY INDIANA LIBRARY

ACPL RESOURCE 

This is a massive database from the Allen County Indiana Public Library. The search feature will bring up SUBJECT INDEX that lead you to Periodicals from Genealogy Societies! You want to search for a topic, which can be the name of a state, town, surname. It will bring up the NAME OF THE ARTICLE, the DATE PUBLISHED, and THE PUBLISHER which could be a Genealogy or Historical Society. Searching through these MAY ALSO LEAD YOU TO THE NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF GENEALOGY AND HISTORICAL SOCIETIES YOU NEVER KNEW EXISTED.

Excerpt: PERSI is the premier subject index for genealogy and local history periodicals, and is produced by the staff of The Genealogy Center of the Allen County Public Library. This valuable resource provides more than 3.2 million citations to readily-available periodical sources. 

After finding what interests you, you can order a copy of the publication.  YOU CANNOT READ THE PUBLICATION FOR FREE HERE but YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO FIND IT ELSWHERE DIGITALIZED NOW THAT YOU HAVE THE TITLE. That said, the fee for them to copy it and send it to you is reasonable. It's $7.50 for them to locate up to six articles and copy fees are per page and paid later.

Let's try it. Click on United States. Then select Florida. Then Bay County.

Listed are publications by Bay County Genealogical Society, Florida Historical Quarterly, Pensacola Historical Society, Museum of Southern Jewish Experience, Florida State Genealogical Society, West Florida Genealogical Society, Tallahassee Genealogical Society, and some others. 

More on this library's offerings in the next post.

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ANCESTRY WORSHIP GENEALOGY BLOGSPOT

Our genetic and spiritual ancestors help us with our research quests 

and, while we follow a linear research path, 

amazing dreams and synchronicity 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.

BEGINNER GENEALOGY MISTAKES : CAUTIONARY TALES

Have you just found my blog? Welcome!

This is my list of things that beginning genealogists often do that you’ll probably not find to be useful or even regret. Since I began researching, more than three decades ago, the genealogy world has changed significantly because of the Internet and databases. Also there is an epidemic of scams. Those changes make it easier than ever for people to do their own research. And to be mislead or conned. This list is made up of things I did or someone I know did and was affected by!

1) Posting for family information in hopes of reaching out to others who have already done the work so you won’t have to do it at all or do it alone, thinking you can just believe it and copy it.

It can be nice to have a collaboration but there’s no way to know from the start if the stranger you connected with does quality research, will respect you, or share in a fair way. Be especially aware that con artists and scammers may use your personal information… or even pose as a relative.

Ask yourself why you’d be comfortable virtually yet not want someone to have your home address!

Keep to professional standards! '

And then if you do find a collaborator, you’ll have something to offer.

2) Posting your research on databases or sharing it prematurely because it isn’t solidly backed up with documents. Many a beginner just doesn't know better. Your family stories are precious and can be part of your book but may not be upheld by research.

Rumors and speculation cannot substitute for a clear research path that others can follow and documents.   Don’t accidentally, through ignorance, lead other researchers wrong!

3) Not considering that charts you post may not please those who are not contacted first for permission. You may be well-meaning but they may not be interested or horrified

Some sites prod you to provide photos, give them voice samples as you record stories to share with anyone in the world, and provide other information that can profile you. Adding live persons on a chart, even as an unnamed silhouette, is NOT protecting their privacy. Keep the research within the immediate family. Ask them first. Explain it to them. 

It’s still ok to print out and mail.

3) Not reading the fine print about who owns your research or DNA information. How long is it yours or protected?  What about your copyright? When do you loose control of it? Can it be used by law enforcement? 

This is not just about you! You may die before they’re born but they still deserve to have privacy!

4) Using your full real name for the world to see. 

Choose a handle, moniker, or nickname or an icon to represent you. Unless you're up to no good it's OK.

5) Posting with a database that has no one to complain to if you're violated or is ineffective in helping when you are. There should be a way to have information that has been posted about you or your ancestors - correct or not - taken down because it is wrong or you think it's private. Beware if it’s stated that once you post it’s permanent.

Privacy laws which may vary from country to country.

6) Using an e-mail address for genealogy that you use for business or personal communication. 

Set one up just for research. I store research in a g-mail account that I never use for communication. You can store photos and documents in Blogger (set on private), Drive, etc. since I've never shared that account I've received no spam or phishing. Set another up for genealogy communications.

7) Posting a person’s death certificate on a gravestone site even though the years have not gone by in which their privacy would be protected otherwise. No privacy in death either? Just horrible and violating of living persons medical privacy too.  Telling the whole world someone had died of alcoholism, cancer, or perhaps by suicide....  To me, well, to be nice, let's say it's bad karma. 

Graveyards that let people tromp and report are so irresponsible in allowing this to happen. Even people who did not want their death announced in obituaries … who thought of their religion, charities, marriages, and children to be their own business, are quickly violated when their tombstones are photographed and burials reported, especially upsetting when the religious cemetery claims burials are on sacred ground (which you probably paid more for). 

Why obits? It used to be so friends could give their condolences… I think obits are getting to be obsolete. When it the last time you found out a friend died that way? Oh and those prompts to send flowers! Funerals are already overpriced and so are cemeteries. Don't get me started!

8) Publishing for distribution - even to immediate family - in which you do not state references and do not state intellectual property information and do not state the expectations of privacy.  You can do all the right things to do so but in the hands of the wrong relative it all goes onto a database and the Internet. 

I personally use many databases. I do not post my research on any of them. 

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COVERED BRIDGE

 

THE BOY WHO REMEMBERS A PAST LIFE WHEN HE DIED IN THE 9/11 WORLD TRADE CENTER TERRORIST ATTACK

This video came up this morning as I watched the World Trade Center Memorials taking place in New York City.  I'm not sure how old this boy is now or know how life has been for him.  I'm one of those who believe reincarnation happens. I don't know how it works or that every person born on this earth has or will experience it.  Memories of a past life seem to be more commonly understood and believed in places where the religious beliefs accept it.

HISTORICAL RESEARCH VERSUS THE MOVIES OR YOUTUBE VIDEOS: QUESTIONS FROM READERS

Q : Relatives told me to watch The Patriot staring Mel Gibson because it has to do with our Scottish ancestry. Would you please comment on movies and YouTube type videos when it comes to genealogy or historical research.

A: I think you know that in general film makers often take a point of view that might not  be historically accurate. Your question does lead me to point out that in writing your book you need to be specific.

Separate what is documented, what is oral history or opinion, provide references and notes such as “Interview with Aunt Bess - September 6, 2025 - Albany New York. She said the action depicted in the movie The Patriot starring actor Mel Gibson reflects our family history. Research shows our ancestor John Smith was a member of the church that was burned down with people locked inside by the British.”

My advice to all researchers is BE NICHE SPECIFIC. Whatever the general history be sure it’s true for the country, state, county, township, village. Communication was slow compared with today’s and word that a war had ended or slavery had ended, as examples, didn’t get to everyone at the same time. 

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GENEALOGY FOR CHILDREN? : QUESTIONS FROM READERS

Q : At what age do you think children should get involved in genealogy?

A: My first response is MAKE IT FUN FOR THEM!

Like many things we teach children, we should take into consideration the stage of their development and innate intelligence and abilities. I've read that children do not actually understand that grandma is mother's mother for some time, until perhaps about the age of ten. They are not especially interested in reproduction until they themselves have the ability to. Until then the child may understand that the grandma is special to the family but not quite get the relationship... that grandma actually gave birth to or raised mom...

I feel a concern that children may think of genealogy as yet another subject they have to spend time on when they would rather be out playing or that it's more homework. It really isn't for everyone anyway and can be a rather serious subject.

I suspect the best thing to do as an adult is allow them to see what you're working on and talk to them about their heritage and tell family stories. 

You might get them involved in making artistic projects such as creating charts, putting together binders of their drawings, or scrapbooks full of greeting cards that have been sent to them. Give them books to read about their ethnicity or religion, or perhaps the history ancestors have lived through. 

You might ask them to help you in the kitchen and talk about these things while cooking a recipe that's been handed down.

I also think it can be interesting for children to interview relatives - including their parents and siblings.

Think of fun projects that can be completed in a couple hours or over the course of the school break or vacation!

Every once in a while a very young person will find genealogy fascinating on their own.

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