SURNAME SATURDAY–COOPER–Have I really gone back 3 more generations?

CLICK ON ANY OF THESE IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

Last week I wrote about one of my brick walls on Mystery Monday – Who’s Your Daddy? – Lany Cooper Thorp 1815-1866.

I often share my blog posts on different groups as they apply to the ancestors and locations I am writing about. In this case it was the New York Genealogy Network group.  This group has been helpful in the past and this time was no different.   A comment was made and the member told me she would be going to the Cayuga Historian’s office in the next week or so.  She sent me a private message and was kind enough to offer to look for records for me.  Not only did she step up to help, but another member posted an obituary relating to this family. 

About a week later I received an email from the generous member who went to the Cayuga Historian’s office.  She had located a probate record for Jacob Cooper naming Polly Byrne as his wife and several children, including a daughter Lana.  I was SO excited to receive this information.  This gave me further evidence that Lany Cooper’s parents were Jacob Cooper and Polly Byrne, as stated on her death certificate.  Now to find more information on this family.

I spent yesterday looking online and was rewarded with historical records, newspaper articles and family trees that led to more records.  That’s all any of us can ask as we research our families.

Last evening while I was using my iPad and watching TV, I located many newspaper references to this Cooper family on Genealogy Bank, and I plan to pursue those articles this morning.

I just had to share this genealogy moment with all of you.
 
This is what I’ve discovered and will be verifying in the next several days.  Obadiah Cooper and Cornelia Gardenier are probably my 7th great grandparents.  Prior to this I had only gone as far as my 4th great grandparents, Jacob Cooper and Polly Byrne, and they had not been confirmed.

NOTE: I was able to locate the probate records that had been sent to me, on Family Search.  I have since found other records on the site for this family.  This just tells me that I should concentrate on one line at a time, more often than I do.  I admit to being very easily distracted and have shared this with you before.

If you think you may be related to anyone mentioned in this post, please contact me.  I'd love hear from you.

I hope you all have a very successful Labor Day weekend looking for your own ancestors.

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Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2015   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

CHECK THOSE RECORDS CAREFULLY - Look what I found!

Make sure you check every entry on the pages of records you find.

HERE'S WHY.......
 
I was reviewing the PRATT section of our family today.  I noticed that I didn’t have a death record image for a death that occurred in 1888 in Michigan.  I had the index information, but not the image.

I know the images are available on Family Search in the Michigan Deaths, 1867-1897 database.  I located the record right away.

Here is page 1 showing Mary Sumner nee Pratt who died 21 Apr 1888.  Notice she uses “P” as her middle initial.  It was and still is common for women to use their maiden name or the first initial of that name for a middle initial, once they marry.



From previous experience I know that there is usually a PAGE 2 for these records on Family Search.  So, I went to the second page and there it was.  Showing her cause of death and her parents, Josiah Pratt & Rachel aka Rebecca, whom I already knew of. No surprise there.



BUT WAIT!  What is the record just below hers?  It shows the exact same information for:

• Cause of death – consumption
• Birthplace – Canada
• Occupation – Housewife
• Parent’s names – Josiah & Rachel Pratt
• Residence – Dead
• Date of record – June 7th 1889

NOTE THE CIRCLED ITEMS below Mary's information.



Is this some sort of clerical error? A duplication? Or what?

I went back to the first page to see what name was listed under my Mary Sumner.

The next name on the list is Sarah P. HUNT who died 28 Feb 1888 a married woman, age 57 yrs. 11 mos. 4 days, who died in Armada.

Here is that first page.



What did I do next?

I looked in my database at the children born to Josiah Pratt & Rebecca “Rachel” Jackson.  Did they have a daughter named Sarah who married a man named Hunt?  I have 3 children born to Josiah & Rebecca.  A son, John and two daughters, Mary born 1822 and there she is Sarah born about 1832 in Canada.
Who did Sarah marry?
- - -  She married Ashley HART

Here is what my Legacy database shows for Sarah Pratt. 



In this case I do think a clerical error was made when they recorded her last name on that death record.  Since every other item fits, I am concluding that I have found her death record.  And, no wonder I wasn’t able to find it before.  I would have been looking for HART not HUNT.

Isn’t this awesome?  I was looking for one record and found two.
 
Our lesson for today – PAY ATTENTION TO EVERY OTHER PERSON ON ANY REGISTER WITH MULTIPLE NAMES.
  
I get pretty excited when things like this happen.
 
What surprises have you found in records?  Let me know in a comment or with a link to your own blog post.

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SURPRISE! A birth record where is wasn't supposed to be
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PLEASE contact me if you think you might be related, even remotely, to anyone mentioned in this blog.

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2015   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

GERMAN RECORDS–I’m learning and having fun too

As you may know from my previous posts, I was recently able to go to the Family History Library for 4 days.

During that visit I looked at German records on microfilm.  This was my first time ever looking at German records of any kind.
Since I’ve returned home, I’ve begun processing my finds and in the process have found new records online.

Why I’m having so much fun….

• I love learning new things
• I’m adding a whole new list of surnames to my family
• I’ve taken my family back another two-three generations
• Researching in a new country is exciting
• I’m also learning some of the German language

There was one microfilm I looked at that contained a gold mine of records.  Film #1055846.  I know, based on the dates of information contained on that film, that there is more to be found on it.  As a result I have just ordered the film online via Family Search Online Film Ordering, to be sent to our local Family History Center in San Diego.  Once the film arrives I will have three months to view it as I paid for extra time.

In the meantime I will continue to mine the German records available on Ancestry and/or Family Search.
 
New Names Added to Our Family Tree…so far.

• Rummelspacher
• Ernst
• Von Votzing
• Enricher

I’ve found this database useful Germany, Select Marriages, 1558-1929.
 
I located this record for my 8th great grandparents, Jacob Martin & Appolinia Von Votzing.

Name:    Jacob Martin
Gender:    Male
Marriage Date:    2 Aug 1659
Marriage Place:    Evangelisch, Jesingen, Donaukreis, Wuerttemberg
Spouse:  Appolinia Von Votzing
FHL Film Number:1055744

PLEASE contact me if you think you might be related, even remotely, to anyone mentioned in this blog.

So stay tuned and I’ll continue to share my journey.

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FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY TRIP - DAY 2 - A Red Letter Day!
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Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2015   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

WHAT CAN YOU LEARN FROM A PROBATE RECORD? HERE'S ONE FROM 1884 FOR MY 3RD GREAT GRANDMOTHER

  

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have located the probate record for my 3rd great grandmother, Elizabeth BURGESS nee GADEN/GAYDON.  Here is the link to that post:  http://www.michiganfamilytrails.com/2014/11/want-to-find-probate-records-online.html

BACKGROUND: Elizabeth was born in Barnstaple, Devon, England on 30 Jan 1813.  Her parents were Richard GAYDON and Mary THOMAS.  She married Henry BURGESS on 14 Nov 1832 in Barnstaple, Devon, England.  To them were born 3 known children: William born 27 Nov 1835, John born about 1837 and Susan born 20 Nov 1841.  To my knowledge all children were born in Barnstaple, Devon, England.  On 23 Dec 1862 Susan came to the United States with her daughter Susan and Susan’s husband Joseph GILLESPIE and their two infant children.  There is no record of Elizabeth’s husband, Henry traveling with them, nor have I been able to locate a death date or burial location for Henry.  Elizabeth BURGESS died on 16 May 1884 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan.
 
I was very excited to have located her probate record.  I have only ever been able to obtain probate records for a couple of my ancestors.  Not for lack of wanting to find them, but many weren’t and still are not online.  The ones I have located were found when I traveled to various locations and went to courthouses.

Having located the probate index record on familysearch.org and finding that the actual record was not online, I requested help from a contact who lives in Detroit.  I know her via the Detroit Genealogy Facebook group.  Her name is Deidre Denton and she is available if you would like her to obtain Michigan records for you. 
CLICK HERE TO GO TO DEIDRE'S WEBSITE AND CONTACT HER

I took the time to transcribe all 16 pages of this probate record.  Doing so, helped me to read it carefully, word by word.

SO EXACTLY WHAT DID I LEARN FROM THIS 16 PAGE PROBATE RECORD?

• Conformation that Elizabeth Burgess died on Friday, 16 May 1884
• She was a resident in the City of Detroit, County of Wayne, State of Michigan at the time of her death
• She was possessed of real and personal estate with an estimated value of $1,000 of which $50 was her personal estate
• That the names, relationships & residences of her heirs were: Susan Gillespie, William Burgess, John Burgess (children) and Susan Milne (grandchild), all of Detroit, Michigan. 
• The administrator of her will was Edwin F. Culver
• That there were two notices of the pending probate published in the newspaper (a copy of those articles is even shown in the probate papers)
• That Elizabeth Burgess left several pieces of real estate and a house to her daughter, Susan Gillespie
• That she left $50 to each of her sons, William & John Burgess
• That she left a watch to her granddaughter, Susan Milne
• The names of the two witnesses to her will
• That Elizabeth Burgess probably couldn’t write, as she left “her mark” on the will (later confirmed by an 1870 census)
• The various amounts of money paid from the estate for rent, tax and other items
• That the record was final & filed on 11 Nov 1885

That is quite a bit of information.  

WERE THERE ANY EARTH SHATTERING, JUMP UP AND DOWN DISCOVERIES IN THIS PROBATE RECORD?

I’d have to say no to that.  However, what I did learn was that she owned some property and that her two sons, according to this record, were living in Detroit, Michigan.  I had no idea if they had ever traveled over from England.
 
This also, of course, gives confirmation of relationships, which we are always looking for in our research.

MY NEXT STEPS

• Try to locate where her property was in Detroit
• Find records for her sons, John & William in the U.S.
• Attach the probate record to Elizabeth in my Legacy database & cite my source
• Share this record with my brother, John, who is the other genealogist in our family
• AND, go back to Family Search and find more probate records (I’m already in the process & have found others)

Probate records can be very helpful in your research.  Some are more revealing than others.  But, all of them give us a little bit more insight into our ancestor’s lives.  Isn’t that what our research is all about?

Here are a few more pictures of the actual pages of the probate & will.

(CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT)
  
    

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Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2014   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

PHOTO DUPLICATION SERVICE TO BE DISCONTINUED ON DEC 5, 2014

PHOTO DUPLICATION SERVICES AT FAMILY SEARCH WILL BE DISCONTINUED ON DECEMBER 5, 2014

 

This is indeed sad news for those of us who have used and gotten our records via this service.

Here is the link to the family search page explaining it:
https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Photoduplication_Serviceshttps://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Photoduplication_Services 

I've copied this from their page:

Photoduplication Services

________________________________________________________________________ Photo duplication Services will be discontinued as of December 5, 2014.  As of this date, existing orders will be completed, but new orders will not be accepted.

As more microfilm and books are digitized and added to FamilySearch.org, and more links are made available to partner sites that already have this information digitized, the need for photoduplication will decrease.  FamilySearch is attempting to digitize as many resources as possible and make these available online.  If the film or book has been digitized, you can print your own copies directly from the web site, if printing the image is not restricted by the copyright holder. 

To find the resources that are digitzed, please visit the FamilySearch Catalog at: https://familysearch.org/catalog-search(You can also go to familysearch.org, select Search, then Catalog.)  Also available on the Catalog page is a link to OCLC WorldCat.  WorldCat can help you find books and other resources in over 10,000 local libraries.

If the film or book you are seeking is not digitized yet, and is available on microfiche or microfilm, it can usually be ordered and sent to a local family history center, where you can view the resource.  You can find a local family history center by going to:
https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Introduction_to_LDS_Family_History_Centers  Staff at the family history center can assist you with the process of ordering the film, and can help you view it when it arrives.

I know that I still have a list of requests I wanted to submit. I guess if we get them in before Dec 5th they will honor them.
Good luck everyone.

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2014   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

HOW TO FIND PROBATE RECORDS ONLINE

ONE OF THE BEST SOURCES THAT WE CAN ACCESS AS GENEALOGISTS, ARE THE PROBATE RECORDS OF OUR ANCESTORS

HERE IS THE PROBATE INDEX CARD FOR THE ELIZABETH BURGESS ESTATE.  YOU CAN SEE THE FILE NUMBER IN THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER AND THAT IT NAMES HER GRANDDAUGHTER, SUSAN MILNE AND THE PARTICULAR COURT WHERE THE RECORD WAS FILED, ALONG WITH THE YEAR - 1884.

Here is just a sample of what they can tell us:

• They can contain some solid family connections
• Solve brick walls
• Give us clues as to the financial status of our ancestor
• Tell us if a particular child was “out of favor”
• Give us dates, names & places
• Indicate who were trusted friends based on the executor or witnesses

So, when was the last time you located a probate record for your ancestor?

Have you ever located one?

During my recent research, I was on the Facebook page for Detroit Society for Genealogical Research.

They had two recent articles/posts regarding finding probate records.  One article was posted on October 31 and the next on November 1.  While these particular posts are about Michigan, this information can be used with probate records for any state for which Family Search has records available.  Here is the link:  United_States_Probate_Records

One thing about having a lot of records online is that some of us may not be as well versed in “browsing” through records as we used to be.  Prior to the internet, microfilm and microfiche had to be used to find records.  This involved a LOT of scrolling through record after record.  It’s much easier, in my opinion, to scroll through online records, than to use the microfilm readers.
 
How many of you don’t look at records on familysearch when you see “browse records” rather than the little camera icon?

I have to admit, I was guilty of that, until recently.

Here are the links I referred to from the Detroit Society for Genealogical Research.

Probate Records on Family Search - Part 1



Probate Records on Family Search - Part 2



WHAT’S NEXT?
I located a probate number for my 3rd great grandmother, Elizabeth BURGESS, while searching under the name MILNE.  Why?  Because her granddaughter, Susan married into my MILNE family.  The record shown at the top of this post is the one I located.

I was SO excited.  I went from the index to the actual records and began my search.  I couldn’t wait to find out who she might mention in her probate record.

BUT, AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT….
One of the years that IS NOT in this group of scanned images is 1884.  Yup, no record.  I was very disappointed.  However, I didn’t let that stop me from trying to obtain this record.  I live in California.  No trip to Detroit is in my near future. 
How was I going to obtain a copy of this probate record?

HERE'S HOW
I have friends and family in Detroit.  I contacted a Facebook friend from the group Detroit Genealogy and she has offered to go to the courthouse and get this record for me.  She hopes to have it by the end of the week.  Once I get it, you can bet I’ll be writing about it.
 
TIP:  It’s because of situations like this that I so highly recommend that every genealogist use social media as a source for contacts.  I can’t tell you the wealth of information I have gained and the records I have obtained because of Facebook contacts. 
Please see this post I wrote about the value of Facebook for your genealogy research.

FACEBOOK - HOW IT CAN BE VERY USEFUL IN YOUR RESEARCH

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Happy Hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2014   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

IS THAT INDEX CORRECT? HERE’S WHY WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE ACTUAL DOCUMENT

HERE IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT AND READ DOCUMENTS AND NOT JUST DEPEND ON THE INDEXED TRANSCRIPTION

Yesterday I was doing a bit of research on a 3rd great granduncle and his second wife.
 
I knew that Isaac F. Gillen 1823-1907 had married Amy “Emma” Kimball 1830-1886 on 28 Mar 1852 in Lawrence Co., Ohio.  Here they are in my Legacy program.

(CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT)



Emma died in 1886.  I had information from the 1900 census that he had remarried to a lady named Martha E. born about 1867 in Ohio.  I had no further information about Martha.

My next step was to look on the Family Search site for a marriage record for Isaac & Martha.

Here is what I found in the index:

Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1997
Name:     Isaac F. Gillen
Event Type:     Marriage
Event Date:     20 Sep 1889
Event Place:     Lawrence, Ohio, United States
Age:     21
Birth Year (Estimated):     1868
Spouse's Name:     Martha E. Snyder
Spouse's Age:     19
Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated):     1870
Reference ID: Vol. 15, p 216, no 2
GS Film Number: 317721
Digital Folder Number: 004016335
Image Number: 00152

NOTE that Isaac’s age is listed as 21.

Isaac was born in 1823 and this marriage took place in 1889.  That would make my Isaac about 66 years old when this marriage took place, NOT 21.  Martha would have been about 22 years old at the time of the marriage, if she was born about 1867.  Her age isn’t that far off, but Isaac’s is another story.

Fortunately, there was an image of the marriage record for me to look at.  Here is the image.



OK, the names are there – Isaac F. Gillen and Martha E. Snyder.  The date of marriage was 20 Sep 1889 in Lawrence Co., Ohio.

But those ages listed after their names.  What’s up with that?
 
Here is that portion of the document highlighted.  Read those words in the red boxes carefully.

“Isaac F. Gillen, who being first duly sworn, saith that he is MORE THAN 21 YEARS OF AGE, that he has no wife living, that he is not nearer of kin to Martha E. Snyder than second Cousins, that she is MORE THAN 18 YEARS OF AGE, that she has no husband living……………”

There you have it.  The indexer has listed their ages as 21 and 19.  Not sure where  the 19 came from, since the document has an 18 on it.  Maybe misread?

Isaac was certainly MORE THAN 21 years of age in 1889, wasn’t he?

It’s just invaluable for us, as researchers, to view the actual documents and not depend on transcriptions, indexes etc.  How many times I’ve received a “typed” copy of a record, only to later look at the original and find several errors.  I try to always ask for a photo copy of any original record I send for.

Having access to these original documents online is invaluable to us.  But, if we don’t have access online, then we must not just take the indexes and transcriptions as the final word.

Have you run across similar issues when you’ve viewed the original record vs what was indexed?  I’d love to hear about it.

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Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2014   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION 

FAMILY SEARCH–GOING BACK & GETTING THOSE OTHER PAGES

Today I want to talk about the images on Family Search.  The two sites that are always open on my computer are Family Search and Ancestry.  

I use Family Search and Ancestry simultaneously for locating records and images.  I’ve found this to be very successful over the years.  

WHAT IS THE ONE THING WE ARE TOLD ALL THE TIME?

Check the pages before and after the image you are looking at!

Am I always consistent in doing this?  I’m sorry to say I’m not.  Should I be? YES!

I’m most certainly better at this now than I was a few years ago.  I just want to remind you that going back to those images you found when you first began, and looking for that second or third page, may provide you with more information on your ancestor.

Yesterday I was reviewing information on my grandfather’s family and decided to look for birth records I don’t have and review the ones I do have.  In doing so, I did what I’m supposed to be doing and looked for that second page.  AND, also checked several pages before and after.  There they were.  The second pages for the birth records of my grand uncle Ford and my grandfather, Harry.  

PAGE 1 OF RECORD FOR FORD GOULD

PAGE 2 OF RECORD FOR FORD GOULD

  

PAGE 1 OF HARRY GOULD RECORD

PAGE 2 OF HARRY GOULD RECORD

  


What we had with only the first page:

• record number
• date of birth
• name of the child
• Sex of child
• place of birth. 

What we have now with the second page:

• names of the parents
• residence of each parent
• birthplace of each parent
• occupation of the father
• date of the record

That is a LOT of additional information.  

I am currently taking the time to go back to all of my records (as time allows) and make sure I have ALL the pages of that document.  Who knows what new information I might turn up?

This was a good reminder for me and I thought I’d pass it along to you.  Let me know if you turn up any new clues or information as you go back for those additional pages.

Other posts that you might enjoy that relate to records.

HOW I FOLLOW A TRAIL OF RECORDS & ANALYZE WHAT I FIND–HENRY HART FAMILY - PART 1

HOW I FOLLOW A TRAIL OF RECORDS & ANALYZE WHAT I FIND–HENRY HART FAMILY–PART 2

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2014   Diane Gould Hall