Rural Folks

 Msging with a relative this morning, I decided to extract a bit of our conversation this morning for this blog post:

The problem with rural people, for genealogical research, especially back then, is that they were so busy just surviving that they didn't pay that much attention to keeping records. My maternal grandmother had had a bible that was destroyed in a fire; a common occurrence. 

In addition, rural people have never been of much interest to historians or journalists; they didn't get their names in papers, they usually didn't run for office, etc. They were often born at home, they often died at home, they were often buried on family land, so records of their lives are few and far between.  Unless someone in the family intentionally and carefully kept records of who was whom, who married whom, when, where, children, deaths, etc.  it's very difficult to find information.

Federal censuses began in 1790.  Before 1850, only the heads of households were named on the censuses and only males and females in several age ranges were counted in the household.  You don't know, in looking at those censuses, what the relationship was of individuals to the head of the household.  You could assume that the eldest female was the wife.

Official birth, death and marriage records began to be "required" in the 1880s.  That doesn't mean that everybody complied.  Some people wouldn't even have been aware of the requirement anymore than regulations today.  Before that it's very hit and miss in finding evidence of individuals.

Churches also kept birth, marriage and death records but, yes, of course, everyone was not enrolled in a church, as now.  Even so, there weren't structural churches everywhere and circuit riders, who often represented churches and held services, were relied on for these services and sacraments.  I've never seen a circuit rider's records so I don't know how readily available they are.  I believe they were often taken back to the relevant church and recorded there.

Finally, old newspapers, particularly older local newspapers, had a lot of social entries.  Little snippets of who moved where, who was visiting whom.  Today, some of those newspaper announcements would be considered breaches of privacy.

There were, of course, court records.  I have not generally used them and find them difficult to access, so far.  I would probably be  considered an intermediate-level researcher.

Many of my ancestors, were rural people.  They were not wealthy.  They did not, generally, hold public office. They were not celebrities.  They lived and died usually ordinary and often struggling lives.  Still, they're my ancestors and I continue to research ALL my family lines to discover what I can about all of them.

I will continue with my posts on my family surnames in NYS Revolutionary war records in a bit.  Right now I'm still focused on CoVid testing and having a visit with my father.

Back soon....

The New York Militias - more Revolutionary War Records

 I needed a break from this to get a few things done and then decided to take a break until after I visit my father this coming Saturday.  But...I looked through the rest of the book which is most of the book that consists of the militias that were organized by counties.  But...There are a couple of militias that were in counties that no longer exist.

First, the author's (Comptroller, James A. Roberts) definition of militia:

    "The Militia was called out when wanted, kept as long as wanted, and the soldiers then sent to their homes."

    "The meaning of Militia is -- "The military force of a nation.""

    "The militia of this continent had its origin in a a law promulgated in 1664 by James, Duke of York and Albany, the owner, by a grant from Charles the Second, of a large territory...."

So much for a revolution against the British.

And, a clear proposition of self-interest.

    "The Duke's Laws" as they were called "...provided that "All males above the age of sixteen shall be enrolled and be subject to military duty...."

Each person had to supply pre-defined arms, equipment, supplies and provisions.  Training was specified.  Failure to comply resulted in fines dispersed among the officers.  Queen Anne amended this in 1702, adding the requirement of a horse, tack, clothing and other additional supplies.

    "No mention of compensation for military service was ever made,..."

    "This was the condition of the militia when the ... Revolutionary War...."

The bulk of the book contains the rosters of the various militias of New York.

Looking through these I found the militias of Charlotte and Cumberland (not to be confused with Columbia County).  I initially confused Cumberland County with the current Columbia County, thus the parenthesis.  I had definitely never heard of Charlotte County.

    "Charlotte County was a county in the colonial Province of New York in the British American colonies. It was created from Albany County on March 24, 1772. The county was named for Charlotte, Princess Royal, oldest daughter and fourth child of George III of the United Kingdom. Its boundaries extended far further than any current county. Its western boundary ran "from the Mohawk River to the Canada line, at a point near the old village of St. Regis and passing south to the Mohawk between Schenectady and Albany." Its southern boundary was near present-day Saratoga Springs. Much of western Vermont, then claimed by New York, was also part of the county. Its northern border was also the Canada–US border. Its county seat was Fort Edward." --  Wikipedia

    "On April 2, 1784 the new state's legislature voted to change the name to Washington County, ...." -- Wikipedia

Charlotte County Militia under Colonel John Williams (doctor):  no family names found.

    "Cumberland County, New York was a county in the Province of New York that became part of the state of Vermont. It was divided out of Albany County in New York in 1766, but eventually became a part of Vermont in 1777. At that time, Vermont was holding itself out as the Republic of Vermont and was not admitted to the Union until 1791."

Cumberland County Militia under Colonel William Williams: Edwards, Waterman

And, now a break for a few days.  When I get back to this, I'll continue with the very large militias and a few final individual regiments.

More Revolutionary War Records - the New York Levies

    "Levies consisted of men taken from militias to join the ranks of regular troops or form their own independent units."   -- New York Historical Society

New York Levies:

    

    Under Colonel John Harper:  Darling, Edwards, Gardinier, Van Wagoner, Van Dusen, Ward

    Under Colonel Frederick Weissenfels:  DeWitt, Bailey, Beismer, Curry/Currie, Gardinier, Hoyt, Ingram/Ingraham, McClarning/McClanning, Odell, Schoonmaker, Squaires, Swartwout, Van Waggoner, Ward, Wood

Listed is John McClarning.  This name is also seen on censuses and as John McClanning.  He may have been the grandfather of Mary Hendrickson Hulse.  

    Under Colonel William Malcolm:  Bailey, Butler, Chase, Darling, Gardiner, Hendrickson, Moser/Mosher/Mosier, Odle, Osterhout, Schoonhover, Schoonmaker, Vanatten, Van Tuyl, Ward, Wood

Listed is John Hendrickson.  Is this John Hendrickson, father of Mary Hendrickson Hulse?  Probably not but it's still a new point of research.

    Under Colonel Lewis Dubois:  Bailey, Chase, Darling, Osterhout, Schoonover, Vanatten, Wood

    Under Colonel Morris Graham:  Bailey, Odle, Darling, Gardiner, Hendrickson, Merritt, Moshier, Schoonmaker, Van Tuyl, Ward, 

Listed is John Hendrickson.  Is this John Hendrickson, father of Mary Hendrickson Hulse?  Probably not but it's still a new point of research.

    Under Colonel Albert Pauling:  Dewitt, Van Deusen, Van Aken, Mosier, Bailey, Beismer, Bowker, Butler, Chase, Crandle/Crandell, Ennest, Ferris, Krum, Odle, Oliver, Ousterhout, Parrish, Schoonmaker, Swartwout Tyler, Van Aken, Vandemark/Vandermark (quite a few), VanWagenen, Ward, Wood

    Under Colonel Marinus Willett:  Hendricks/Hendrickson, Peak, Bailey, Barnhart, Hendricks, Ingram, Lord, Mattice, Vannetta, Van Dusen, Waterman, Wood

Next -- the militias.

A Brief Sketch of the History of Photography as it Might Aid Family History Research - and more Revolutionary War Records

 The History of Photography - as a timeline help for genealogy.

Because I research ALL my family lines and have a large database with over 3,500 individuals in it, I find it helpful to have photographs, when I can find them, of family members, in order to keep straight who I'm thinking or talking about at any particular point.  My database allows thumbnail images in each individual's record.

So, I look for and ask for photographs of family members all the time.  A lot of family members have been very generous in sharing their family photographs with me.

Delilah Wormuth Babcock loaned me her notebooks and photo albums so I could make copies.

Georgiana Swartwout Bodiot sent me a box full of negatives, tintypes and photo prints that included photos my mother and I had never seen.

Greg Horth and I have exchanged family photos.

Leland Oliver sent me family photos.

Martha Squaires, I believe, a cousin of my father, sent me a photograph of my paternal great grandfather that's the only photograph, we know of, of him and my father had never seen it.

A lot of other cousins and other relatives have sent me photographs from time to time.

I share my photographs with anyone in the family who's related.  They aren't just my relatives.  I generally don't post photos anymore online but will send them email on request.

So, in order to find photographs of people, I had to learn a little about the history of photography.  What is the earliest date I can expect to find a photograph of somebody?  Can I expect to find a photograph of this person or that person?

Here, in a nutshell, is a brief, sketchy history of photography as it might apply to family history:

There were several early attempts to create images of all kinds but none of those images were permanent.  For my purposes, I'm only interested in forms of photography that are relatively permanent; a picture I can put in an album and look at whenever I need to.

• In the mid-1820s, Nicéphore Niépce managed to capture an image with a camera but it took a very long time and the image was poor.
• His associate Louis Daguerre, developed the metal-based daguerreotype process which took less time to develop and was a much finer image.  The process was made public in 1839 and is considered the birth of "practical photography".
• Soon after, also in 1839 a paper-based process was introduced.
• Glass plate photographs were available in the mid-1850s.
• Roll film became available and popular in the mid-20th century.

from Wikipedia

Tintypes were direct, positive images made on a thin sheet of metal coated with lacquer or enamel.  They were most popular during the 1860s and 1870s. I have a few.  They darken with age.  It's best to either scan them or take them to a photographic studio and have both a negative and a few positive prints made.  The tintype's immediate predecessor was the ambrotype made using glass rather than metal.  from Wikipedia.  

"The cabinet card was a style of photograph which was widely used for photographic portraiture after 1870."  These have a photographic image on heavy card stock with, usually, a photographic studio imprint on the verso.  I have quite a few of these.  Wikipedia  This Wikipedia article has a very nice chart of how to date cabinet cards.

So, practically speaking, it's possible to find a photograph of someone from the mid-1820s until now.  However, local availability and money would be a factor in whether or not someone or a family might have photographs during these early periods.  Some of you may be old enough to remember traveling photographers, some who even went door-to-door, who would take a family portrait.

I haven't taken the time to try to figure out what my earliest family photo might be.  I might do that some day but, right now, I would just like to find as many family pictures as I can.

Still looking for a picture of Uncle Marcus Wormuth. My mother had one that was destroyed by a roof leak.  It would also be very nice to have a photograph of my paternal grandmother, Fannie Flowers, who died when she was 19.

I've been trying to put together a list of digitized family photos so I can share them with other family members.

More Revolutionary War Records from New York in the Revolution as Colony and State:

Outside of the Regiments, The New York Line included a number of smaller units.  This segment will include them:

    The Line, Additional Regiment:

Background:  I could not find any clear information on this unit that was under Colonel James Livingston.

Family surnames (my spelling) included:  Lord, Ward.

    The Line, Artillery Regiment:

  Background:  I could not find any clear background for this unit.

Family surnames (my spelling) included:    Swartwout, Bailey, DeWitt, Houck, Oliver

    The Line, Hamilton's Train of Provincial Artillery:

Background:  Again, I found no clear background for this unit.

Family surnames (my spelling) included:   Wood

    The Line, Green Mountain Boys

Background:  from Wikipedia

Family surnames (my spelling) included:  Beach

    The Line, Privateers:  The schooner, "General Putnam"; the sloop, "Montgomery"; the sloop, "Schuyler"; the frigate, "Congress".

Background:  I do not have background on these ships or units.

Family surnames (my spelling) included:  Butler, Wood

Records from the Levies and the Militia will follow.

Some Revolutionary War Records - 2

 From New York in the Revolution as Colony and State:

    "In [1781] a bounty of "Land Rights" - so-called - (a "Right" being 500 acres) was offered to officers and men.... and to a non-commissioned officer or a private, one Right."

    This is undoubtedly how some people had land as most, before the war and after, were itinerant farm laborers or farmers.  Many in my family worked in quarries, on railroads, in tanneries and acid factories and other rural industries.  One of the censuses shows that either the Beesimer or the Vandermark family (I'm not looking it up just now) owned nearly 500 acres in the Debruce area at one point; it's surely the land surrounding the Vandermark/Beesimer/Hogancamp family cemetery off Mongaup Rd.

Background of New York Line, 1st Regiment:  "1st New York Regiment was raised on May 25, 1775 at Albany, New York for service with the Continental Army under Colonel Van Schaick. The regiment would see action in the Invasion of Canada, Battle of Valcour Island, Battle of Saratoga, Battle of Monmouth, the Sullivan Expedition and the Battle of Yorktown. The regiment would be furloughed June 2, 1783 at Newburgh, New York and disbanded November 15, 1783."  from http://www.americanwars.org/ny-american-revolution-fernow/new-york-line-first-regiment.htm

The Line, 2d Regiment:  

Background:  " The 2nd New York Regiment was raised, on May 25, 1775, at New York City, New York for service with the Continental Army under the command of Colonel Philip Van Cortlandt. The regiment would see action in the Invasion of Canada, Battle of Valcour Island, Battle of Saratoga, Battle of Monmouth, the Sullivan Expedition and the Battle of Yorktown. The regiment would be furloughed, June 2, 1783, at Newburgh, New York and disbanded November 15, 1783."  from https://revolutionarywar.us/continental-army/newyork/#:~:text=1st%20New%20York%20Regiment%20was%20raised%20on%20May,the%20Sullivan%20Expedition%20and%20the%20Battle%20of%20Yorktown.

Family surnames (my spelling) included:  DeWitt, Van Wagenen, Wood, Swartwout, Bailey, Barnhart, Beismer, Beach, Bivens, Buckhout (which may have been the origin of Barecolt), Carle, Chase, Crandle/Crandell, Curry/Currie, Ennest, Ferris, Gardiner, Hoyt, Lord, More, Odell, Oliver, Tyler, Vandemark/Vandermark, Ward, Waring/Warring, Wood, 

The Line, 3d Regiment:

Background:  "The 3rd New York Regiment was authorized under Colonel James Clinton on June 28, 1775 for five months service in Canada. The regiment was reraised between February 1776 and Mary 1776 at Albany, New York for service with the Continental Army under Colonel Rudolphus Ritzema. The regiment was raised for the third time in December, 1776 under the command of Peter Gansevoort.

The regiment would see action in the New York Campaign, Fort Stanwix and the Sullivan Expedition. During the winter of 1779 - 1780 it encamped with the New York Brigade at Morristown, New Jersey. The regiment was merged into the 1st New York Regiment, on January 1, 1781."  from https://revolutionarywar.us/continental-army/newyork/#:~:text=1st%20New%20York%20Regiment%20was%20raised%20on%20May,the%20Sullivan%20Expedition%20and%20the%20Battle%20of%20Yorktown.

Family surnames (my spelling) included:  DeWitt, Swartwout, Bailey, Baptiste, Beagle, Butler, Carle, Chase, Crandle/Crandell, Gardiner, Odell, Oliver, Swartwout, Vandemark, Van Deusen, Van Loan, Van Wagoner, Ward, Wood, 

The Vandemark here is listed as Cornelius Vandemark, private.  But, not the one in my database who wasn't born until 1860, the son of Simeon Vandemark and Mary Jane Hogancamp, but, possibly an ancestor.  This web site - http://www.americanwars.org/ny-american-revolution-fernow/new-york-line-second-regiment.htm - doesn't list him in this regiment.

The Line, 4th Regiment:

Background:  "The 4th New York Regiment was raised on May 25, 1775 at Albany, New York for service with the Continental Army. The regiment would see action in the New York Campaign, Battle of Saratoga, Battle of Monmouth and the Sullivan Expedition. The regiment would be merged into the 2nd NY on January 1, 1781 and furloughed June 2, 1783 at Newburgh, New York and disbanded November 15, 1783."  from https://revolutionarywar.us/continental-army/newyork/#:~:text=1st%20New%20York%20Regiment%20was%20raised%20on%20May,the%20Sullivan%20Expedition%20and%20the%20Battle%20of%20Yorktown.

Family surnames (my spelling) included:   Bailey, Baptiste, Barnhart, Carle, Chase, Curry/Currie, Dougherty, Ferris, Hoyt, Swartwout, Tyler, Vanetten, Ward, Waring/Warring, Wood, 

The Line, 5th Regiment:

Background:  "The 5th New York Regiment was raised on November 30, 1776 outside of New York City, New York for service with the Continental Army. The regiment would see action in the Sullivan Expedition. The regiment would be merged into the 2nd New York Regiment on January 1, 1781 and be furloughed June 2, 1783 at Newburgh, New York and disbanded November 15, 1783."  from https://revolutionarywar.us/continental-army/newyork/#:~:text=1st%20New%20York%20Regiment%20was%20raised%20on%20May,the%20Sullivan%20Expedition%20and%20the%20Battle%20of%20Yorktown.

Family surnames (my spelling) included:  Swartwout, Bevins, Chace, Chase, Dickinson, Gardiner, Hendrickson, Ingram/Ingraham, More, Osterhout/Ousterhoudt, Vandemark/Vandermark, Ward, Wood.

Again, Cornelius Van Der Mark and, also, Gysbert Van Demarken, privates.

That's it for now.  Next post will be the remaining units in the New York Line

Some Revolutionary War Records

 It's necessary, from time to time, to do a little background reading in order to be able to continue researching a particular individual or family line.  Usually, it's something historical and geographical.  Most of my families were in the State of New York early on.  Recently, I bought a copy of:

New York in the Revolution as Colony and State

I thought that these records, or some information about them, might be of interest.

The full title is: New York in the Revolution as Colony and State: These records were discovered, arranged and classified by James A. Roberts, Comptroller, in 1897.

Today, this has been reprinted so the print is sometimes iffy and the included illustrations are pretty terrible.  But, it's a very interesting and valuable anthology of records for military service during the Revolution. "...quantities of forgotten papers relating to the services performed by New York in the Revolutionary war.  These papers, long since detached from their original file packages, were ... scattered through great masses of old vouchers and files."  "These papers contain the muster and pay rolls of different organizations,...."  "Nor do the names contained in this volume in probability comprise all of those from New York who performed service in that great struggle.  Cases exist in which records of a full guota of field, staff and line officers for a regiment have been found, but no enlisted men."  Apparently, also, officers were known to have taken records home with them.  Then, of course, over time records were lost, burnt, misplaced and have not yet been recovered.

The introductory chapters give some historical background of the records and military operations during the Revolution.  I will post snippits of those from time to time.  At this point, it's important to post this description of how the military was organized at that time because it explains the organization of the records:  "The military forces of the Colony and State during the revolutionary struggle, were divided into three classes.

    The Line, which regiments were in the United States service under General Washington.  There were also regiments of artillery and an organization of "Green Mountain Boys" in the Line.

    The Levies;  which were drafts from the different militia regiments, and from the people direct as well, and which could be called upon to serve outside the State during their entire term.

    The Militia; which then, as now, could only be called oiut of the State for three months at a time."

There were also mentioned, four privateers - ships - in the service and pay of the State.

    "Associated Exempts were a unique class and were authorized by an act of April 3, 1778."

They were composed of "all persons" younger than 60 who had civil or military commissions (not defined) and could be, apparently, conscripted but not reappointed to their former position; and all persons between the ages of 50 and 60.  Note the word persons, but I suspect men was meant.

There's more description of these divisions and classes and more detail but I run the risk of copyright infringement and boring all of you with those details.  There were certain types of occupations that were required to be included like printers, ferrymen and millers.  Explanations of what a man had to do if unable to comply with conscription.  Regular rations were rum, sugar and tea in varying amounts depending on rank.  There is a scale of pay, according to rank, which I will probably post in the future, but it was not always in money and, so it says, "As late as 1784, a large majority of the soldiers were still unpaid for their services...."  Later, various acts were passed providing "Land Rights" to compensate those who served.  I will also post that in a later blog, as well as the description of what each soldier was required to provide for himself in order to serve.  There's also a very interesting definition of the militia which helps define the 2nd amendment that everyone is feels so strongly about.

The bulk of the book is previously mentioned a collection of rosters of officers and soldiers in each division (Line, Levy and Militia) and regiment that was found by the Comptroller, James Roberts, and published in 1897.

I will periodically, post lists of names from these but only those names related to my families (related by blood, marriage or adoption), (again, copyright law).  And, only surnames, officers and, where given, enlisted or conscripted, in most cases except when I find a name that may, in fact be a specific individual in my family tree, in which case, I will cite the entire name and who it might be in the tree.  In all cases, without further research, it's impossible, from these list to know if any of these men are related to my families.  Certainly, finding certain names, what unit they were in and, after research on individual units, may open new information about individuals and family lines. I will use the spelling used in my family regardless of how the name is written in the roster, assuming a great deal.  And, I'm not reading carefully each and every name but looking quickly for familiar surnames; the book is several hundred pages.  If you see a name and would like to know more about that individual, in that unit, you can email me @ familytracker@yahoo.com with the unit and surname and I'll tell you what I find in the list.

So, first:

The Line, 1st Regiment:  Swartwout, Van Waggoner, Baptiste, Bailey, Barnhart, Bevins, Butler/Buttler, Chace/Chase, Crandle, Currie/Curry, Darling, Dougherty, Ferris, Hayden, Hendrickson, Hoyt, Odell, Platner, Swartwout, Vanatta/Vanatten, Ward, Wormouth.

Remember, my spelling, not necessarily the spelling in the list.

Much more to go....

Quick Genealogy Etiquette Tips

Researching family history is a people activity.  Working with people means being courteous.  So, here are a couple of tips I picked up, made up, along the way:

1.  When you send a letter of inquiry to someone, please include a self-addressed, STAMPED, envelope.  It's not entirely necessary but you might be more likely to get a response and a quicker one.

2.  Always thank people for any information, documents, photos, etc. they may send/give you, even if you haven't asked, and even if they aren't exactly what you're looking for.  It takes time, at least a little effort and attention, and even sometimes money, to do the research.  "Official" documents in my area of research are now between $10 to $25 dollars.

3.  Ask, don't demand.

4.  Share.  It's not only your family.  What you find belongs to the family as much as to you.

5.  Don't share information about living people without asking for their permission to do so.

6.  If you want something: a document, a photo from somebody that you know they have, be willing to pay something for a copy.  Why should anyone reproduce something for you at their expense.  Or, trade something for it.

Now, a big one.  What if you find out you're related to someone you know and really don't like?  Well, a fact is a fact.  Blood relative or only by marriage?  In any case, it doesn't mean anything has to change.  It doesn't mean you have to invite them for dinner.  It just means you're related.  If it's a problem for you, let it be.  Get over it.  And, expand your view and accept what's true and that what's true isn't always what you like.

Another big one.  What if you know something about a family member, maybe more than one, that could be a problem, something maybe they don't know, something sad, something salacious, something painful?  It can be difficult to keep a secret.  It can be a test of your strength, your integrity, your ethics.  Why let it out?  Why tell anyone?  Now, if it's something current and criminal -- I can't tell you what's best; maybe talk to a lawyer....  Otherwise, best to keep it to yourself; take it to your grave.

Finally, try not to be a pest about the family history.  I know I can be.  It occupies a lot of my time and I find it very interesting and enjoyable so sometimes I get frustrated that everyone doesn't feel the same but I try to accept that that's not the case for everyone.  Sometimes, though, we have to ask questions several times because memories are never perfect and, if we let a little time pass and ask a question again, we might get a little more information the next time.

That's it for now.

The Vandermark family cemetery

I'm not sure if I posted about this before and I'm not going to look so here's the story of how my immediate family found out about the cemetery.

First, a little background.  The Vandemarks, Beismers and Hogancamps owned a substantial amount of land in Debruce, in what is now a water shed and near the state fish hatchery.  It appears that the state seized a lot of land in the area, under eminent domain, for the water shed and the fish hatchery.  The cemetery is in the water shed, although, parcels have been sold off around the cemetery and one owner blocks his driveway which is the best access to the cemetery; or did that last time I was there which was some time ago.

My niece, Amy Panioli, was on a conservation camp, or something like that and they were discussing the waste of land, as a resource and visited an abandoned cemetery.  Oddly, the Henry family cemetery is on the road below the Vandemark family cemetery and you have to hike up a small hill to get to the Vandemark Cemetery.  In any case, they were, apparently standing in the midst of the Vandermark cemetery while having this conversation about waste of land for cemeteries; not interested at this point in that discussion.  Amy turned around and, lo and behold, there were headstones with her great grandfather's surname on them.

She came home and told her mother, my sister, and our mother who called me and we all went to the cemetery.  My mother got emotional because her favorite uncle, her Uncle Howard Beismer, is buried there and she never knew where he was buried.

Since the cemetery is legally considered abandoned (nobody in the family is taking care of it), the town mows it at least twice a year and ANYBODY can be buried there.  I had tried for a few years to get a family cemetery association formed around the cemetery to prevent anymore non-family burials there.  I would like to be buried there, if I'm buried; I haven't decided yet.  I know Uncle Harold was interested in that.  It requires at least 6 board members.  The association is registered with the state and accepts full responsibility for the upkeep of the cemetery and has full authority over what happens in the cemetery.  There are upkeep rules from the state, so some expense.  I was never able to get the required 6 people together.  So, as it stands, the cemetery is legally abandoned and ANYBODY can be buried there.

I love the story.  It was an exciting couple of weeks around our discovery of the cemetery.

I hope to get up there sometime to clean up some stones.

     

Photo Family Tree

For a long time, I wanted to create a family tree with photos, somehow, somewhere.

I had bought a large, archival, photo album hoping to use that but never did.  It's sitting empty.

I had dreamed of creating a fancy family tree with that vinyl stuff you can buy to decorate with.  I wanted each of the leaves to have a 2" x 2" head shot and the name and dates.  Never did that either.

I live in a 2nd floor one bedroom apartment and the walls of the stairwell are/were bare.  So, I thought I could climb the stairs with matrilineal photos on one side and patrilineal photos on the other.  Beginning with me, I'd climb the stairs to the farthest back ancestor I could find on each side.

Well, again, I wanted to do the leaves, on branches.  Never happened.

Then, one day, I decided to simplify the idea and drew it out on paper, did some measuring and decided to just step up the stairs with the family lines.

I had a few bad starts, lots of things to decide:  how big a photo, what kind of frame, how to place them, etc.?  It took a while.  I bought a few things that I might have saved money not buying, if I'd thought though some things further but, in some cases, you can't be sure until you've tried something, seen it for real and decided it's not the right thing.

Finally, I bought collectible frames roughly 3" x 4", resized and saved new copies of the photos I wanted to use, edited the photos to make sepia copies (I thought they look more antique), struggled to add the names and dates and printed them out.

It's not quite as fancy as I'd wanted but still nice to walk up the stairs with the family lines on either side.

   

    

   

                                    

In the last photo, you'll see a frame with text and no photo.  That's the frame for my paternal great grandmother, Fanny Flower Odell, who died, age 19.  I would love to find a photo of her but I suspect that there is none.

I can't say that it was fun working on the project but I'm happy that I got it done and that the photos are there and show the family trees.

Oh, how to attach them.  In an apartment complex, you're not supposed to damage the walls.  I tried the Command Velcro-type strips; they removed paint.  I had to touch up the paint.  The various Command products don't really work for many things.  They just don't stay.  Some things are too heavy, sometimes the adhesive just seems to stop holding.  Then, I saw something online I had to try.  

You've probably seen it in online ads, in passing.  It's a thick, clear "tape", not permanent, in a long roll.  It's sticky on both sides; about 1" wide.  It's gelatinous.  It works -- so far.  It is not permanent.  You can move things.  It doesn't leave a residue -- so far.  I think it's sold under a variety of names.  I'm not giving it free advertising.  If you want to know more, email me and I'll try to find it and send a link.  I just cut small pieces from the roll, 2 per photo.  It's a little difficult to work with.  It's gelatinous and bunches up sometimes but mostly it's great.

Wow, and what a struggle to get these images lined up the way I want them in this blog post.  HTML has moved past when I learned it and Blogger doesn't allow me to make tables.

So, there it is.

New Rules

After long time and recent events, I am making new rules for my family history communications:

If you want family history information from me, you have to first give me some as a sign that you understand this rule of reciprocity.  Namely, you must provide me with a sketch of your family tree as it might connect us, as the outline below indicates:

Your name

Your father's or mother's name or both

Your paternal or maternal grandparent's name or names as they relate

Your maternal or paternal great grandparent's name or names as they relate

etc. as much as you can, simply, but, certainly, if you have it, include dates and places of births, marriages, deaths that will make it possible for me to understand how we might be related.

Then, make whatever request you have and be AS SPECIFIC as possible.

I have been researching ALL my family lines for over 40 years.  I have a database with over 3,500 names in it.  It's work I enjoy.  I am well aware that every person in my database is also related to many other people and all those people have AS MUCH RIGHT as I have to whatever information I have collected.

HOWEVER, so have I.  I have as much right to whatever information you have about my relatives and ancestors as you have.

I'm more than happy to share the information and even copies of photographs and documents (that I have paid for) with others who are also related.  HOWEVER, I can't tell you how many times I have supplied information to people, many not even related, and not got a single piece of information in return.

I can tell you that I'm more than tired of it.  It's just rude as well as being ABSOLUTELY selfish and thoughtless.

Just to go back a bit to the above parenthesis (that I have paid for)  Apparently, some people don't think about this information they think the "have a right to".  It's not all just sitting out there free for the taking.  I spend hours searching for information.  "Official" documents, cost money.  Just as an example, a birth, death or marriage document, in the state of New York, costs a suggested $22, for a simple search.  You can sometimes get a "genealogy" copy for less from some municipal clerks; it varies.  Yes, it's a ridiculous $ amount but it is what it is and I've already paid it so why should I GIVE you a free copy?  If you request a record search at a historical society, etc., you can expect to pay more because they have less resources and the search for the document is usually more challenging.  In any case, this apparent ignorance about the real costs of all this information, is, for me, now, just an excuse for absolute thoughtless selfishness.  Everything costs something.

I am not the only researcher who complains of this infantile, thoughtless behavior.  I belong to a number of online groups who share information online and this is a frequent complaint.  I, for one, will do what I can to stop being the pushover for this kind of selfishness.

IF YOU WANT SOMETHING FROM ME - GIVE ME SOMETHING FIRST.

I'm not unreasonable.  In fact, I've been more than generous with my time and resources in helping others in this area.  

NO MORE

My time is valuable and so is all the work I've done to collect all this information, organize it, house it, digitize it, etc.

I will also, from now on, charge for photos and copies of documents, just for the, obviously, ignored costs of photocopying, ink, paper, postage, etc., as well as, again, my valuable time.

So, I no longer care who you are, if you want something from me, in this area, be prepared to "pay" in advance with information or like material like photos, etc.

I know some people think they "have a right".  Really?!  Not with me, not anymore.

I apologize for the tone of this post but I'm tired of being taken advantage of and frustrated knowing that there is information out there about ancestors that I'm missing and I keep giving information to people and getting nothing back from many.

Reciprocity can never be 100% but giving something, before asking for something, demonstrates a recognizing that what you're asking for has value and that you are willing to SHARE, which is not a one directional action.

Those reading this who are already actually sharing information, photos, etc. with me can ignore this.  I do have relatives who regularly share photos, information, etc. with me and I very much appreciate that they do that.  So I will now recognize a few people who have done just that, many of them have passed:

Michele Natoli

Delilah Wormuth Babcock

Cora Seeley Vandermark

Georgiana Swartwout Bodiot

Ida Mattice O'Dell

Robert W. Blackman

Ellie Bowker

Sally Beams

Judie Darbee Vinciguerra Smith

There have been many others whose names I have undoubtedly forgotten, but these few I remember having given me a great deal in time, information and photographs.  And, I really, really appreciate it.

I hope there will be many future exchanges.

News and Tidbits

News

I'm still working on my application to join the DAR.  It's necessary to have a complete and accurate documented chain from myself to my ancestor who served during the American Revolution.  I have one more link to verify and document.  I'm waiting for responses to record requests sent to several different sources.

NOTE:  I hear that the New York State Vital Records Division in Albany is no longer filling requests for records for genealogical purposes.  Apparently, they've been overwhelmed with record requests and are now limiting their work to filling requests for records for legal purposes.

I'm still waiting for 3 out of 4 record requests sent to New York State Vital Records Division in March 2018.  I think I should ask for a refund at this point.

Every day, checking my mailbox is an adventure:  Will I get a record I've requested or still have longer to wait?

Tidbits:  Little pieces of information about individuals in one or more of my families that may be of interest to somebody.  Sometimes, these little facts add up to a complete picture and life story of somebody.

Beismser family:  (as of this date, my understanding is that there are 52 variant spellings of this surname)  Beismer is the spelling my immediate family used.

17 Oct. 1907 - Carrie Mae Beesimer and Seth A. Davidson were married.  Carrie was 28 at the time.

Carrie Beesimer was daughter of Jeremiah Beesimer and Sarah E. Van Wagoner.

Jeremiah Beesimer was son of Cornelius Osterhoudt Beesimer and Maria Catherine Vandemark and brother of Silas Beismer, my great grandfather; father of my maternal grandfather, Simeon A. Beismer.

As you can see, even between siblings, surname spelling differed.  I recently read an article about just that; that accuracy in spelling was not given much attention historically.  In addition, education was not considered as important as it is now.  I, for one, am very happy for the progress.

Oliver Family:

Transcript of funeral notice in the Oneonta Star. June 1952:

"OLIVER -- Wesley K.[King] -- In Delhi, June 18, 1952. Aged 67 years.  Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend funeral services Saturday, June 21, 1952, at 2 p.m. from the Hall Funeral Home, Delhi,.  Interment in Delhi Cemetery.  Friends may call at funeral home Until service time."

Wesley K. Oliver was son of George H. Oliver and Charity Louise Oliver, known as Louise.  George Oliver was son of Darius Oliver and Hannah Odell, who were both my great great great grandparents and great great great uncle and aunt (complicated but has probably been explained here previously).  Interestingly, my great great grandfather, Joseph K. Odell's middle name was also King.  I don't know where that name comes from.  Naming patterns within families often remain mysterious.  Middle names are often the maiden name of the mother or the surname of some other relative.  My father's given name is Leroy (not LeRoy) and means the king in French (both versions).  So, King seems to have been popular in my father's family.  I have not found the King surname in the family, so far.

That's it for now.

Newer News

Yahoo Groups

Yahoo Groups are going away or changing in such a way that I no longer feel they will be useful.  Much of the data is already gone, file, photos, etc.  It's already impossible to post messages there.

It might be better to migrate to a Facebook group and I'll think about reforming all the Yahoo groups I formed for family history of various specific families there.

In any case, I just downloaded all the member lists of my Yahoo family history groups and will, as I have time, move the email addresses of those members into my email address book.  Many of you are already in there.

Just in case, especially if you recently requested to join one of those groups, my family history email address is:  familytracker@yahoo.com.

New Resources

I just discovered, today, a bunch of cemetery and headstone web sites that, when I have the time, I will add to the Links page.  But here's some of what I found:

The first is the New York Gravestone Photo Project which aims to collect photographs of headstones all over New York State.  It nicely indexes the photographs by county and surname.  I hope to contribute to the site as I take cemetery photos.

Next is the New York Cemetery Project that is looking for volunteers although I don't know when that request was posted to their web site.  It is similar to the Gravestone Photo Project but also includes obits, etc.  You'll see that volunteer photographer are needed for many of the counties.

That's it for this time.  I hope you're all well.