Time for MYOG to take a break and enjoy all of the holiday festivities.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas!
Time for MYOG to take a break and enjoy all of the holiday festivities.
Time for MYOG to take a break and enjoy all of the holiday festivities.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving a bit early for MYOG. It's time for a break to enjoy friends and family. Have a great holiday and the next post will be on December 4th.
From Thanksgivings past......
From Thanksgivings past......
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Saturday, November 9, 2013
My Heritage
I have certainly done a lot of reading on the internet. I skip around to various topics from the daily news, to genealogy, and researching European culture. My latest focus has been on how European's live and how they perceive Americans. The hope in doing so is to try and understand more about my Irish and German roots and their philosophy about life.
In my German family, simple living and that approach to life has been handed down by each generation. My aunts and uncle in Napa, California, are my link to the past. A past in which they knew and were brought up with grandparents who were our original German immigrants. Those immigrants came from simple times with basic needs. They worked hard to satisfy the basics and succeeded in doing so. They did not want or long for much more. Their reward was in their hard work, praise to the lord, and shared good times with family and friends transplanted from the old country.
Even with my own grandparents, I recognize that they did not desire many material possessions. My grandfather was from Irish Catholic descent and my German grandma was from the line that I mention above. The desire for technology did not exude from them at all. When they purchased a car, it was out of need and not luxury. When they purchased a television it was out of a desire for daily entertainment but not an excessive amount. My grandparents never had an answering machine, VCR, DVD player, or even a computer.
My grandfather (Richard J. Flanagan) lived to be 88 years old and passed away in 2000. He had only gotten Cable TV during the last 3 years of his life because reception from the roof antenna had waned. He also finally got a gardener for his yard. He was not a believer in having someone else maintain his yard when he could and had a passion for doing it himself.
As I look back on my relatives that I was so close to, I realize that their simple ways enriched their lives. They did things for themselves and did not complicate their lives with lots of "things". A lot of what they learned came from their immigrant relatives. Those immigrants were Europeans who worked to transplant their lifestyle here to the United States. They did so quite successfully. Later and present generations of my family may not be able to say that their lives remained so simple, yet enriched.
My ancestor immigrants on my mother's side of the family were also big on education, reading, and writing. It was distinctly important for every family member to read and be able to write letters of correspondence. My great grandfather, Herb Borchers, wrote letters, a diary, and needed to be able to read music and lyrics. He was in the church choir and played the piano and organ. It can be very challenging to learn songs if you can't read and write.
In my Flanagan Family, it is clear that knowing how to read and write has been a tradition going back to at least 1773 (and before) when my ancestor, Richard Flanagan of Termonfechin, made his first entry in the farm accounting books. He could certainly read, write and do both well. He also passed this tradition of learning along to his descendants. My own parents always stressed the value of an education and I am only now realizing how necessary it is in life.
As I explore more about my heritage, I will journal about it here in my blog.
In my German family, simple living and that approach to life has been handed down by each generation. My aunts and uncle in Napa, California, are my link to the past. A past in which they knew and were brought up with grandparents who were our original German immigrants. Those immigrants came from simple times with basic needs. They worked hard to satisfy the basics and succeeded in doing so. They did not want or long for much more. Their reward was in their hard work, praise to the lord, and shared good times with family and friends transplanted from the old country.
Even with my own grandparents, I recognize that they did not desire many material possessions. My grandfather was from Irish Catholic descent and my German grandma was from the line that I mention above. The desire for technology did not exude from them at all. When they purchased a car, it was out of need and not luxury. When they purchased a television it was out of a desire for daily entertainment but not an excessive amount. My grandparents never had an answering machine, VCR, DVD player, or even a computer.
My grandfather (Richard J. Flanagan) lived to be 88 years old and passed away in 2000. He had only gotten Cable TV during the last 3 years of his life because reception from the roof antenna had waned. He also finally got a gardener for his yard. He was not a believer in having someone else maintain his yard when he could and had a passion for doing it himself.
As I look back on my relatives that I was so close to, I realize that their simple ways enriched their lives. They did things for themselves and did not complicate their lives with lots of "things". A lot of what they learned came from their immigrant relatives. Those immigrants were Europeans who worked to transplant their lifestyle here to the United States. They did so quite successfully. Later and present generations of my family may not be able to say that their lives remained so simple, yet enriched.
My ancestor immigrants on my mother's side of the family were also big on education, reading, and writing. It was distinctly important for every family member to read and be able to write letters of correspondence. My great grandfather, Herb Borchers, wrote letters, a diary, and needed to be able to read music and lyrics. He was in the church choir and played the piano and organ. It can be very challenging to learn songs if you can't read and write.
In my Flanagan Family, it is clear that knowing how to read and write has been a tradition going back to at least 1773 (and before) when my ancestor, Richard Flanagan of Termonfechin, made his first entry in the farm accounting books. He could certainly read, write and do both well. He also passed this tradition of learning along to his descendants. My own parents always stressed the value of an education and I am only now realizing how necessary it is in life.
As I explore more about my heritage, I will journal about it here in my blog.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Wordless Wednesday - San Francisco - A Fall Day By The Bay
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| Carquinez Bridge, Vallejo, CA |
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| Richmond-San Rafael Bridge with Mt. Tam to the left. |
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| Fort Spencer at Marin Headlands - Golden Gate Bridge Overlook |
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| Golden Gate Bridge from Fort Point, San Francisco, CA |
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| Fort Point, San Francisco, CA |
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| Fort Point |
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| Lady Washington at Pier 40, San Francisco, CA |
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| The Lady Washington from the movie, Pirates of the Caribbean |
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| Near the ball park |
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| Home of the SF Giants |
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| SF side of the Bay Bridge - Viewed from Treasure Island |
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| Oakland side of the Bay Bridge - The new span! |
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| The Google Barge under construction at Treasure Island.....wonder what they will use it for. |
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Genealogy Roadshow
The latest show about genealogy to hit my radar is PBS's Genealogy Roadshow. This presentation of people's discovery of their family line is well done. While it has brief reviews of one's family tree research, it is far from boring. The show seems to squeeze in at least 4 people who have either been stuck on part of their family tree or have never really explored it until now.
The show premiered on Monday, October 7, 2013 with an episode based in San Francisco. This show is worth checking out.
Genealogy Roadshow
The show premiered on Monday, October 7, 2013 with an episode based in San Francisco. This show is worth checking out.
Genealogy Roadshow
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Halloween and Fall Festivals
One of my cousins, not really so distant, truly enjoys Halloween. I know how busy she is but I can't let Halloween go by without noting it here. Personally, I love Fall and Halloween, both. It is a time in California where the summer transitions into winter and can take anywhere from what seems like two months to just a few short weeks.
This year I offer a photo collection that shows off a bit of Halloween and Fall in Northern California.
Happy Halloween!
This year I offer a photo collection that shows off a bit of Halloween and Fall in Northern California.
Happy Halloween!
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Honestly, some Honesty
In my life, I try to surround myself with people of good loyal character who are honest and hold myself to that too. Walking a fine line of honesty usually means that you are too close to the edge and may cross the line. Crossing the line even a little leads to contradiction and deception even if the end result means you are just a bit insincere.
My quest to complete my family tree has not quite run into a full story of deception or impropriety. I may run across something someday. It could be interesting. There is that McGuire great grandfather of mine after all. For now, I leave you with this......
My quest to complete my family tree has not quite run into a full story of deception or impropriety. I may run across something someday. It could be interesting. There is that McGuire great grandfather of mine after all. For now, I leave you with this......
Honesty
Sometimes the truth,
we are tempted to hide.
Due to our guilt,
or just simple pride.
we are tempted to hide.
Due to our guilt,
or just simple pride.
An exaggeration,
may lead to a lie.
Those that affected,
may break down and cry.
may lead to a lie.
Those that affected,
may break down and cry.
When honesty,
we try to avoid.
Relationships,
are often destroyed.
we try to avoid.
Relationships,
are often destroyed.
Our intentions,
are not to distress.
The only solution,
is to genuinely confess.
are not to distress.
The only solution,
is to genuinely confess.
If we continue these ways,
we shall never gain trust.
For healthy relationships,
it’s an absolute must.
we shall never gain trust.
For healthy relationships,
it’s an absolute must.
When we have done wrong,
we should be honest and frank.
People will appreciate,
in the end they will thank.
we should be honest and frank.
People will appreciate,
in the end they will thank.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Links for Researching a Family Tree
My Favorite Links for researching a family tree
Ancestry.com:
www.ancestry.com
Family Search:
www.familysearch.org
Just Google your surname, individual name, and location:
www.google.com
Find A Grave:
www.findagrave.com
There are other sites that I explore on occasion but these are where the majority of my research originates.
Ancestry.com:
www.ancestry.com
Family Search:
www.familysearch.org
Just Google your surname, individual name, and location:
www.google.com
Find A Grave:
www.findagrave.com
There are other sites that I explore on occasion but these are where the majority of my research originates.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
My Ancestors and Moving Out....of The Agrarian Society
I used to work in "Corporate America" and worked for a CEO around Y2K who used to say that we needed move out of the "Industrial Society" and into the "Technology Age". He'd always start his speech off with referring to the "Agrarian Society" (one that revolves around agriculture) and then move forward to more modern business eras and concepts. He'd emphasize the fact that we needed to advance from industrial age thinking to technological ways. His main point in all of this was that we were behind the curve in this technological age. He may have been right. But why do I bring this up now?
In my recent research about my ancestors, I have found that the majority were farmers. The word agrarian stuck with me all of these years. I must admit to it sounding appealing even at the time of the "Big CEO" speech telling us to move forward. Farming sounded so great, rather mundane, and a whole lot less stress than working in what I was doing in "Corporate America." Don't get me wrong, I liked my job, the people that I worked with, but somehow longed for a simpler time and life.
As I've researched my ancestors, a trend in occupation overwhelms the vast majority of my direct line family tree members. As is no surprise, the vast majority were farmers. Farming dominates the occupation category on most census until around the turn of the century (1900).
There are a few exceptions to the farming. I find my great great grandfather, Charles McGuire, living in New York City on the 1870 U.S. Census with the occupation of "coachman". As you can probably figure out, that meant he drove a horse drawn wagon. It would appear that his son/my great grandfather, Francis J. McGuire, did the same thing except that he was referred to as a driver.
All of this "big city" exception aside, the vast majority of my ancestors were farmers in 1870 whether they lived in Ireland, Germany, or the United States of America. A few questions pop into my head about my "agrarian society" ancestors. Were they strictly farmers? When did the shift from farming to more industrial type jobs occur? Did the women work outside of the home?
My German immigrant family, the "Vienop's", were certainly farmers. Even once they were in Napa, California, the oldest generation farmed fruit orchards on their land. However, they brought with them a trade from the old country. They rolled cigars for a living. This actually makes them easy to find on any census in the U.S. in the late 1800s/early 1900s. Not only is their last name unique but their occupation a bit of a standout from the rest.
My Flanagan's probably had the most varied occupations early on (the late 1800s) than I have found in my other lines. While they were most certainly farmers, several of my direct line chose other occupations. My great grandfather, John Francis "Jack" Flanagan, went to correspondence school to learn mechanical engineering. By 1904, he was he manager of the repair shop at a local car dealership in Napa. As a mechanic, he spent his days quite differently than his childhood years growing up on a farm. By 1918, he was back to being a farmer because there was no one else to run the family farm at the time.
As for the women, I have found that my great grandmother, Mary Elizabeth "Minnie" McLaughlin Flanagan was a school teacher. Working outside of the home for women was generally not all that common. Finding her as a school teacher was common for a woman if she did work outside of the home around 1890-1900. One of her sister's, Katie McLaughlin, is indicated as a glove maker in one census after 1900.
I can see that from one generation to the next, the agrarian society that many of my ancestors lived in was phased out. By the 1930 U.S. Census, my Vienop Family members are mainly contractors to include carpenters, plumbers, and bricklayers. While they may have still owned a plum or cherry orchard here and there, it was not their primary occupation to farm. In fact, a lot of the picking of fruit shifted to the women in my family.
I enjoy seeing what my ancestors' occupations were. While farming could be a tough job, I still see the agrarian society as a back to basics type of life. I love the technology at my fingertips and still like to run my fingers through the soil in my own yard.
In my recent research about my ancestors, I have found that the majority were farmers. The word agrarian stuck with me all of these years. I must admit to it sounding appealing even at the time of the "Big CEO" speech telling us to move forward. Farming sounded so great, rather mundane, and a whole lot less stress than working in what I was doing in "Corporate America." Don't get me wrong, I liked my job, the people that I worked with, but somehow longed for a simpler time and life.
There are a few exceptions to the farming. I find my great great grandfather, Charles McGuire, living in New York City on the 1870 U.S. Census with the occupation of "coachman". As you can probably figure out, that meant he drove a horse drawn wagon. It would appear that his son/my great grandfather, Francis J. McGuire, did the same thing except that he was referred to as a driver.
All of this "big city" exception aside, the vast majority of my ancestors were farmers in 1870 whether they lived in Ireland, Germany, or the United States of America. A few questions pop into my head about my "agrarian society" ancestors. Were they strictly farmers? When did the shift from farming to more industrial type jobs occur? Did the women work outside of the home?
My German immigrant family, the "Vienop's", were certainly farmers. Even once they were in Napa, California, the oldest generation farmed fruit orchards on their land. However, they brought with them a trade from the old country. They rolled cigars for a living. This actually makes them easy to find on any census in the U.S. in the late 1800s/early 1900s. Not only is their last name unique but their occupation a bit of a standout from the rest.
My Flanagan's probably had the most varied occupations early on (the late 1800s) than I have found in my other lines. While they were most certainly farmers, several of my direct line chose other occupations. My great grandfather, John Francis "Jack" Flanagan, went to correspondence school to learn mechanical engineering. By 1904, he was he manager of the repair shop at a local car dealership in Napa. As a mechanic, he spent his days quite differently than his childhood years growing up on a farm. By 1918, he was back to being a farmer because there was no one else to run the family farm at the time.
As for the women, I have found that my great grandmother, Mary Elizabeth "Minnie" McLaughlin Flanagan was a school teacher. Working outside of the home for women was generally not all that common. Finding her as a school teacher was common for a woman if she did work outside of the home around 1890-1900. One of her sister's, Katie McLaughlin, is indicated as a glove maker in one census after 1900.
I can see that from one generation to the next, the agrarian society that many of my ancestors lived in was phased out. By the 1930 U.S. Census, my Vienop Family members are mainly contractors to include carpenters, plumbers, and bricklayers. While they may have still owned a plum or cherry orchard here and there, it was not their primary occupation to farm. In fact, a lot of the picking of fruit shifted to the women in my family.
I enjoy seeing what my ancestors' occupations were. While farming could be a tough job, I still see the agrarian society as a back to basics type of life. I love the technology at my fingertips and still like to run my fingers through the soil in my own yard.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Giving of your time....Giving back
When I was young, we'd go see my grandparents once a week in Napa during the summer. We'd go on Wednesdays each week as that was our set day to visit. I would sometimes ask why we couldn't go a different day. My mom would say that it did not fit in with ours or my grandma's schedule. I did inquire more about this and one thing really stood out.
Every Tuesday morning my grandma would volunteer for the Lutheran Braille program at St. John's Lutheran Church in Napa, California. I recall at one point that she was the person leading the program. The volunteers would use a braille printer to press pages to create Bible books for the blind. They would also bind the books.
As the years passed, my grandma aged, and ended up with health issues in her 70s near the end of her life. She had to give up her volunteerism. Her obituary indicated that if people wanted to donate that they should give to the American Cancer Society or the Society For The Blind. I recently looked up the Lutheran Braille program to find that it still exists today.
What a way to give back to your church and community!
About a year and half ago, I was attending a Girl Scout leadership meeting for our local service unit. There was a woman present who had been a Girl Scout for over 50 years. She had started as a young girl and continued to volunteer her time to the organization as an adult. She was a cheery, friendly little lady. Her goal at the meeting was to teach us a song for the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts. She got all of the troop leaders in attendance singing along to this newly learned song.
Yet, another example of giving back to your community!
I have many other examples of people giving back too. I used to work with a gentleman who was a leader within the organization that I worked for full-time. Outside of his normal work hours, he would man the phones at a suicide hotline. He would especially make time in the evening of various holidays to answer calls. He was always vague about his experiences and conversations with people who were on the edge. Suffice it say, I am certain he saved many and listened intently to everything that they said.
This example of giving back really tops my list because most people are not cut out for this type of work!
I've been thinking a lot lately about how some people have it in them to give back with their time, while others sit by and watch it happen. I came across the following online the other day:
I would rephrase the final line to say, "Let's see how many people can figure out a way to volunteer their time in helping others."
Time and time again, I have found several of my ancestors giving back to their community and church. Several of my relatives helped start their church in their given community whether it was in Upstate New York or in Napa, California. They gave money, time, and energy. Even if you're not religious, you must recognize that churches are "community-centric" and give many people a place to belong, get help, and help others.
Even on this given day, I find that I could be doing more to give of myself and still seek the one thing....that one volunteer job where I can make an impact. So far, my days take me to volunteering for the Girl Scouts, at my children's school, and in creation of the school yearbook (which includes mentoring students who create the pages). As I write this down, I realize just how rewarding these "give backs" are. Mind you, I give little money but give a whole lot of time. My reward is all of the smiling faces that I see, most of which are children.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Blog and Genealogy Email, Correspondence, and Networking
I have been so fortunate over the past 3 and a half years in my genealogy research. Not only have I been able to discover my family tree, I have been able to connect with so many people. Some of these connections have been in person and some were in the virtual world of the computer.
In the virtual world, so many quick correspondence are possible. I've posted to various message boards which have resulted in emails to and from various people with like interests or even people who share the same family line as myself. I am so grateful for their responses and shared information.
Skype has proven to be a wonderful way to communicate with others about our family tree. From New Zealand to New York to Ireland, I have met relatives that I would not have a chance to see in person everyday, year, or decade.
The "in person" meetings have been so genuine and amazing. I can only say that I hold onto the memories of those meetings with sheer joy.
Trying to maintain all of these connections has proven to be quite the challenge. My life takes me away from my genealogy depending on the day or month. I do, however, keep thoughts of everyone who have contributed to my quest to find my family tree. As living members of my tree or observers, you have made it so worth it.
Even if I am unable to make a personal contact with each and every one of you regularly, I want you to know that I appreciate all of you and our connection.
Cheers!
In the virtual world, so many quick correspondence are possible. I've posted to various message boards which have resulted in emails to and from various people with like interests or even people who share the same family line as myself. I am so grateful for their responses and shared information.
Skype has proven to be a wonderful way to communicate with others about our family tree. From New Zealand to New York to Ireland, I have met relatives that I would not have a chance to see in person everyday, year, or decade.
The "in person" meetings have been so genuine and amazing. I can only say that I hold onto the memories of those meetings with sheer joy.
Trying to maintain all of these connections has proven to be quite the challenge. My life takes me away from my genealogy depending on the day or month. I do, however, keep thoughts of everyone who have contributed to my quest to find my family tree. As living members of my tree or observers, you have made it so worth it.
Even if I am unable to make a personal contact with each and every one of you regularly, I want you to know that I appreciate all of you and our connection.
Cheers!
Saturday, October 5, 2013
The Ross' of Mercer County, Pennsylvania
A few years back, my husband decided to research his Ross line on his mother's side. He'd always told me that they were Scottish and legend had it that they were related to Betsy Ross who is credited with making the first American flag. Well, the latter has been disproven. Betsy is not a blood relative and Ross was her last name by marriage. It was a marriage that did not produce any children and her husband passed away. She married again but seemed to have retained the Ross name which hit the history books when she crafted the flag.
All family legends aside, the fact that my husband is Scottish is true. If you look up the Ross name online, you find that Clan Ross is a Highland Scottish clan. Their castle is called Balnagown Castle located beside the village of Kildary in Easter Ross. So, is this the line that my husband is related too?
My husband's original research on Ancestry.com took him about four hours to complete. In no time, he had "borrowed" information from a few other family trees and gotten his tree all the way back to Hugh Rarichies 1st Laird of Ross, his apparent 19th great grandfather. He lived from 1300-1371 in Cromaty, Ross and Cromaty, Scotland. It was his son William Ross 2nd Laird of Balngowan who apparently first lived in the castle. He lived from 1340 to 1398.
When my husband first told me of his findings, I was a bit envious and somewhat doubtful. In my own research, I have only made it back to 1690 Ireland with the potential of some Flanagan's who probably descend from Kings of Connaught in County Roscommon, Ireland. I have little proof except family lore which has documentation back to around 1700. Prior to that, we are stuck in 1707 Termonfeckin, County Louth, Ireland. By the way, it's a pretty nice place to be stuck.
My doubt in this whole Ross Family tree creation was in that he borrowed the information from others who may or may not have actually proven that family line. I reviewed his Ross tree that had proof and documentation back to about 1849 Pennsylvania. That's when I stopped and advised my husband that he'd need to really dig up some proof of his line starting with the Ross' of Sandy Creek, Mercer County, PA. He set aside his research for a while.
Recently, I forgot and left Ancestry.com open on the computer and went to bed. My husband seized the opportunity and decided to give it another go to prove his Ross line. Well, he found a book that has been scanned into Ancestry.com for Mercer County, Pennsylvania. It proves his Ross line back to his original immigrant ancestor, George Ross, born 1629. In 1658, George married Constance Little in Connecticut.
So, my husband is currently working to "prove" his 8th great grandfather and his immigration from Great Britain to the new world. He has some cleaning up to on his Ross Family tree. I've encouraged him to complete that clean up before he tries to move further back in time.
At this point, it is looking very much like Clan Ross of Balnagown Castle are his ancestors. I am green with envy as I try to even work back 1 more decade on any of my family lines and feel successful if I can get back to around 1700.
All family legends aside, the fact that my husband is Scottish is true. If you look up the Ross name online, you find that Clan Ross is a Highland Scottish clan. Their castle is called Balnagown Castle located beside the village of Kildary in Easter Ross. So, is this the line that my husband is related too?
My husband's original research on Ancestry.com took him about four hours to complete. In no time, he had "borrowed" information from a few other family trees and gotten his tree all the way back to Hugh Rarichies 1st Laird of Ross, his apparent 19th great grandfather. He lived from 1300-1371 in Cromaty, Ross and Cromaty, Scotland. It was his son William Ross 2nd Laird of Balngowan who apparently first lived in the castle. He lived from 1340 to 1398.
When my husband first told me of his findings, I was a bit envious and somewhat doubtful. In my own research, I have only made it back to 1690 Ireland with the potential of some Flanagan's who probably descend from Kings of Connaught in County Roscommon, Ireland. I have little proof except family lore which has documentation back to around 1700. Prior to that, we are stuck in 1707 Termonfeckin, County Louth, Ireland. By the way, it's a pretty nice place to be stuck.
My doubt in this whole Ross Family tree creation was in that he borrowed the information from others who may or may not have actually proven that family line. I reviewed his Ross tree that had proof and documentation back to about 1849 Pennsylvania. That's when I stopped and advised my husband that he'd need to really dig up some proof of his line starting with the Ross' of Sandy Creek, Mercer County, PA. He set aside his research for a while.
Recently, I forgot and left Ancestry.com open on the computer and went to bed. My husband seized the opportunity and decided to give it another go to prove his Ross line. Well, he found a book that has been scanned into Ancestry.com for Mercer County, Pennsylvania. It proves his Ross line back to his original immigrant ancestor, George Ross, born 1629. In 1658, George married Constance Little in Connecticut.
So, my husband is currently working to "prove" his 8th great grandfather and his immigration from Great Britain to the new world. He has some cleaning up to on his Ross Family tree. I've encouraged him to complete that clean up before he tries to move further back in time.
At this point, it is looking very much like Clan Ross of Balnagown Castle are his ancestors. I am green with envy as I try to even work back 1 more decade on any of my family lines and feel successful if I can get back to around 1700.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Wordless Wednesday - Carneros
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| Map of El Rancho Rincon De Los Carneros, Circa 1880 - "P.Flannagan" indicated. |
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Yes, Religion and Genealogy
In my life, I have been confronted at different times by beliefs, standpoints, and "Bible quoters" that present a differing view than my own. I consider myself an educated person. Additionally, I have bit of an education in theology and world religions that, to be quite frank, the everyday person probably does not have or even choose to have. I generally do not talk much about my religion as I do consider it a private matter and would not want to impose my beliefs on someone who thinks differently.
As I seek my ancestors, I cannot help but delve into their religious beliefs. From my Roman Catholic ancestors of Ireland to my Evangelical Lutheran's from Germany, the basic belief system of my family lives on in me as a Christian. However, I am not just a Christian, I am Catholic. What that means is something others, especially modern day Protestants, other Christians, and non-Christians may not understand....and actually misunderstand.
The choice of my German Lutheran family and their ancestors was to leave behind the Catholic religion that was riddled with indulgences and the sale of forgiveness by God's representatives with gold. I can't even imagine the initial disbelief of those Catholics faced with the knowledge that people were buying forgiveness for a fee and actually thinking that would absolve them of their wrongdoings.
So, Martin Luther lived during the 16th Century and "protested" against the Catholic Church's selling of indulgences. I do believe that he was not wrong. In his quest, he actually got the Catholic Church to reform what they were doing but not before he formed his own church. That would be the church that my German ancestors belonged to even years later to present day. I have the utmost respect for the Lutheran Church and think of them as kin within my own Catholic religion. They are most definitely welcome and, yet, they probably don't want much to do with the Catholic Church. We are so alike and yet different.
Maybe my great grandparents realized the "alike" part when my own grandparents married. My Roman Catholic grandfather married my Missouri Synod Lutheran grandmother in 1940. They had actually eloped to Reno, Nevada, from Napa. And no, they were not married at a casino or strip mall chapel. They were married in a Catholic Church in Reno. I must note here that the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church is much more conservative than the Catholic Church in this day and age but maybe not before Vatican II.
At any rate, my grandmother's Missouri Synod Lutheran parents accepted their Roman Catholic son-in-law without much discord. Most of the disappointment at the time was because they had eloped.
Religion can be such a sticking point with family and friends, alike. I must keep that in mind as I seek my ancestors and discover that they were of more than one Christian Faith. It brings to light another way of looking at information gathered to create my family tree.
As I seek my ancestors, I cannot help but delve into their religious beliefs. From my Roman Catholic ancestors of Ireland to my Evangelical Lutheran's from Germany, the basic belief system of my family lives on in me as a Christian. However, I am not just a Christian, I am Catholic. What that means is something others, especially modern day Protestants, other Christians, and non-Christians may not understand....and actually misunderstand.
The choice of my German Lutheran family and their ancestors was to leave behind the Catholic religion that was riddled with indulgences and the sale of forgiveness by God's representatives with gold. I can't even imagine the initial disbelief of those Catholics faced with the knowledge that people were buying forgiveness for a fee and actually thinking that would absolve them of their wrongdoings.
So, Martin Luther lived during the 16th Century and "protested" against the Catholic Church's selling of indulgences. I do believe that he was not wrong. In his quest, he actually got the Catholic Church to reform what they were doing but not before he formed his own church. That would be the church that my German ancestors belonged to even years later to present day. I have the utmost respect for the Lutheran Church and think of them as kin within my own Catholic religion. They are most definitely welcome and, yet, they probably don't want much to do with the Catholic Church. We are so alike and yet different.
Maybe my great grandparents realized the "alike" part when my own grandparents married. My Roman Catholic grandfather married my Missouri Synod Lutheran grandmother in 1940. They had actually eloped to Reno, Nevada, from Napa. And no, they were not married at a casino or strip mall chapel. They were married in a Catholic Church in Reno. I must note here that the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church is much more conservative than the Catholic Church in this day and age but maybe not before Vatican II.
At any rate, my grandmother's Missouri Synod Lutheran parents accepted their Roman Catholic son-in-law without much discord. Most of the disappointment at the time was because they had eloped.
Religion can be such a sticking point with family and friends, alike. I must keep that in mind as I seek my ancestors and discover that they were of more than one Christian Faith. It brings to light another way of looking at information gathered to create my family tree.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Wordless Wednesday - Stanly Ranch
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| El Rancho Rincon De Los Carneros - Probably Stanly Ranch, Circa 1880 - Photography by M.Flanagan |
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Who Do You Think You Are? - First TLC Season
I planned to write a review about "Who Do You Think You Are?" on TLC. While I enjoyed the current season, it was much more focused on one ancestor story for the individual celebrity. I found it to be entertaining but at times the episodes were slow. I am assuming that the production budget for the show is much smaller now that it is on TLC instead of NBC.
I still look forward to future episodes.
Who Do You Think You Are?
I still look forward to future episodes.
Who Do You Think You Are?
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Fan Chart and Family Search
I must give kudos to the LDS for offering an amazing resource for people do complete online and in person family tree research at their family history centers. Familysearch.org is a free online service provided by the LDS Church for anyone to work on their family tree.
While they do family tree creation for a specific religious reason, the rest of us complete this research for various reasons including a desire to connect a bit with and know our roots. At any rate, we are all fortunate to have this available. Not all of their services are free but any fee based service is at a bargain price.
Recently, I logged onto the site and found changes. I decided to add my basic direct line family tree back to my great great grandparents across the board. What I found after I entered everyone was this wonderful way to display my family tree via a fan chart. It looks rather sharp if you ask me.
So the above chart is much easier to read on a full screen. I used the snip-it tool to grab it off the internet. At some point, I will try to grab a better copy of it and may even consider printing it out. For now, it lives online.
I must admit that after I completed these quick entries of my ancestors, I found a message on the LDS site that they were no longer offering IT support for this service and encourage people to seek out a different family tree software package in order to properly maintain their tree. The ability to create this fan chart remains out there, though, and the LDS won't be taking it down.
While they do family tree creation for a specific religious reason, the rest of us complete this research for various reasons including a desire to connect a bit with and know our roots. At any rate, we are all fortunate to have this available. Not all of their services are free but any fee based service is at a bargain price.
Recently, I logged onto the site and found changes. I decided to add my basic direct line family tree back to my great great grandparents across the board. What I found after I entered everyone was this wonderful way to display my family tree via a fan chart. It looks rather sharp if you ask me.
So the above chart is much easier to read on a full screen. I used the snip-it tool to grab it off the internet. At some point, I will try to grab a better copy of it and may even consider printing it out. For now, it lives online.
I must admit that after I completed these quick entries of my ancestors, I found a message on the LDS site that they were no longer offering IT support for this service and encourage people to seek out a different family tree software package in order to properly maintain their tree. The ability to create this fan chart remains out there, though, and the LDS won't be taking it down.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
The Comment Section and Feedback
I love hearing from people about my blog. Whether the comment is posted on this blog or an email sent directly to me, I appreciate feedback and support. It motivates me to keep on going.
When it comes to the comments section directly on my blog for a given post, I do moderate and have to approve the comments. I do this because of spam. I haven't been spammed lately but it was happening off and on with some annoying level of volume in the past year.
In my recent posts, I have not received any spam. I am hoping that my moderation of the posts has flushed out those who have felt the need to advertise whatever they are selling from skin products to various money scams.
The following guidelines were pulled from the Huffington Post. They lend guidance for posting comments to blogs.
When it comes to the comments section directly on my blog for a given post, I do moderate and have to approve the comments. I do this because of spam. I haven't been spammed lately but it was happening off and on with some annoying level of volume in the past year.
In my recent posts, I have not received any spam. I am hoping that my moderation of the posts has flushed out those who have felt the need to advertise whatever they are selling from skin products to various money scams.
The following guidelines were pulled from the Huffington Post. They lend guidance for posting comments to blogs.
- Be respectful.
- Add to the conversation.
- Place your comments well and appropriately.
- Don’t advertise. Spam is just bad taste and will likely get your comment deleted or not approved for posting.
- But, don’t forget to identify your business or yourself. Without posting and advertising as spam, feel free to identify yourself with your blog sign-on.
Saturday, August 10, 2013
More Summer Fun!
Yet another summer commitment has come to an end. Swim team is fun for the kids offering great exercise, a team effort, competitiveness, and social aspects. It truly is a great thing for children of all ages and skill levels. Even as an adult, I will miss it until next year. Now on the flip side, I might have more time to spend on genealogy.
Here's some fun swimming........
Here's some fun swimming........
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Bodega Bay
Another of our quick trips was to Bodega Bay. Below is a photo from the deck of the house where we stayed. It's a foggy sunset over the bay. Do you see the deer? The second photo is the dunes near Salmon Creek, CA.
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Muir Woods
Again, life gets busy and pulls me away from my genealogy research. Here's a bit of what I've been up to with the family. We visited Muir Woods National Monument. It is a protected park that contains old growth Coastal Redwoods. It is such a majestic, beautiful place.
Photos alone do not fully give you the perspective of how tall these trees truly are but here is a quick example:
Photos alone do not fully give you the perspective of how tall these trees truly are but here is a quick example:
Saturday, July 27, 2013
The Secret of Kells
Recently, my children were watching something on Netflix streaming. There is a section of the service that they can access that has only children's movies and shows. They can pick pretty much anything to watch out of this section as everything is rated "G" for general audience. On this particular day they picked "The Secret of Kells".
I didn't realize that they were watching the movie until it was almost over. I had viewed this animated movie a few years ago. I felt is was well done. It is a reflection of Irish folklore and a representation of the priceless national treasure known at the Book of Kells.
When I found out what my girls were watching, I asked if they were enjoying it. My eight year old indicated that the young boy in the story was the best character. She really liked him. Her most important point of the story was his creation and drawing of the pages within the book. The main character also saved the book from destruction.
Once the movie ended, my daughter decided to draw. This is one of her favorite things to do as she does want to be an artist someday. Her drawing was of a young girl carrying the book that was saved by the boy in the story. She said that her outfit was religious. In just a minute or two, she drew her "take away" from the story.
As quickly as the movie ended and she drew her picture, she was off to play with her sister. I did stop her briefly though to tell her and show her something important.
I reminded my daughter of our Irish heritage. Then, I asked her if she understood that the Book of Kells are real. I pulled up some photos of the books and pages online. She was surprised to learn that I'd seen these books in person. I told her that someday she too can view these books in person.
In the end, a little piece of Irish folklore and historical significance entered our house and left an impression on that day.
I didn't realize that they were watching the movie until it was almost over. I had viewed this animated movie a few years ago. I felt is was well done. It is a reflection of Irish folklore and a representation of the priceless national treasure known at the Book of Kells.
When I found out what my girls were watching, I asked if they were enjoying it. My eight year old indicated that the young boy in the story was the best character. She really liked him. Her most important point of the story was his creation and drawing of the pages within the book. The main character also saved the book from destruction.
Once the movie ended, my daughter decided to draw. This is one of her favorite things to do as she does want to be an artist someday. Her drawing was of a young girl carrying the book that was saved by the boy in the story. She said that her outfit was religious. In just a minute or two, she drew her "take away" from the story.
As quickly as the movie ended and she drew her picture, she was off to play with her sister. I did stop her briefly though to tell her and show her something important.
I reminded my daughter of our Irish heritage. Then, I asked her if she understood that the Book of Kells are real. I pulled up some photos of the books and pages online. She was surprised to learn that I'd seen these books in person. I told her that someday she too can view these books in person.
In the end, a little piece of Irish folklore and historical significance entered our house and left an impression on that day.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
National Geographic - Genographic Project and DNA Ancestry
Sometimes you've got to talk to long lost relatives in another country to truly wrap your mind around the desire people have to find their roots. Last Fall, I had to privilege of Skype'ing with some distant O'Brien relatives in New Zealand. They are descendants of one of Kate Flanagan's sisters. Kate was my great great grandmother and born Catherine Mary O'Brien. That's a long story and this post is actually about DNA.
In discussing our family tree and sharing anecdotal stories about the O'Brien's and Flanagan's, the topic of DNA came up. They mentioned the National Geographic DNA project. I am just now getting back to reviewing and researching what their version of DNA testing involves.
The Genographic Project
The Genographic Project helps find out where humankind originated. By providing one's DNA, they can place you on the overall tree of humankind. It can help everyone discover the migration paths of our ancestors, learn what percentage of you DNA relates to certain parts of the world, and much more.
What I didn't really catch is if this particular DNA test connects you to closer relatives and helps you determine your own personal family line. The database in which each DNA sample is submitted, is a broad, big picture collection.
I'm not sure if this option is for me. Any comments on this topic are welcome here!
In discussing our family tree and sharing anecdotal stories about the O'Brien's and Flanagan's, the topic of DNA came up. They mentioned the National Geographic DNA project. I am just now getting back to reviewing and researching what their version of DNA testing involves.
The Genographic Project
The Genographic Project helps find out where humankind originated. By providing one's DNA, they can place you on the overall tree of humankind. It can help everyone discover the migration paths of our ancestors, learn what percentage of you DNA relates to certain parts of the world, and much more.
What I didn't really catch is if this particular DNA test connects you to closer relatives and helps you determine your own personal family line. The database in which each DNA sample is submitted, is a broad, big picture collection.
I'm not sure if this option is for me. Any comments on this topic are welcome here!
Saturday, July 20, 2013
DNA - 23 and Me
Ever since my husband submitted his DNA to Ancestry.com, my interest in DNA testing for genealogy purposes has increased. While I have decided to forego the submission of my own DNA to Ancestry.com at this point in time, I have not eliminated the desire to pursue testing of this sort to find out more about my heritage and family origins.
Recently, I caught up with a former co-worker and friend at a party. For as long as I've known him, he has been big into researching his family tree. He has even traveled to various locations to "find his roots" and walk in the footprints of his ancestors. Now, he has ventured into DNA testing.
The topic of our conversation turned quickly to family tree research. He indicated that the latest and most beneficial DNA test that he pursued was via "23 and Me". It is much more comprehensive than the Ancestry.com test and gives you health information about your own genetic makeup.
Well, this peaked my interest. I came home and read about it. Then, life got busy and I set it aside. Again, I decided to pick up this torch and truly review the DNA options out there.
What I do know so far is that 23 and Me gives you health and ancestry information. The website is www.23andme.com. I also found various YouTube videos that either describe 23 and Me or give you an overview of human history and genetics.
Here are the links:
23 and Me's Channel
Human Prehistory 101: Prologue
Human Prehistory 101 Part 1: Out Of (Eastern) Africa
Human Prehistory 101 Part 2: Weathering The Storm
Human Prehistory 101 Part 3: Agriculture Rocks Our World
Human Prehistory 101: Epilogue
Genetics 101 Part 1: What Are Genes?
Genetics 101 Part 2: What are SNPs?
Genetics 101 Part 3: Where Do Get Your Genes From?
Genetics 101 Part 4: What Are Phenotypes?
Genetics 101 Part 5: Why No Y?
Lately, I have really considered submitting my DNA to 23 and Me but have also started looking over other options too.
Recently, I caught up with a former co-worker and friend at a party. For as long as I've known him, he has been big into researching his family tree. He has even traveled to various locations to "find his roots" and walk in the footprints of his ancestors. Now, he has ventured into DNA testing.
The topic of our conversation turned quickly to family tree research. He indicated that the latest and most beneficial DNA test that he pursued was via "23 and Me". It is much more comprehensive than the Ancestry.com test and gives you health information about your own genetic makeup.
Well, this peaked my interest. I came home and read about it. Then, life got busy and I set it aside. Again, I decided to pick up this torch and truly review the DNA options out there.
What I do know so far is that 23 and Me gives you health and ancestry information. The website is www.23andme.com. I also found various YouTube videos that either describe 23 and Me or give you an overview of human history and genetics.
Here are the links:
23 and Me's Channel
Human Prehistory 101: Prologue
Human Prehistory 101 Part 1: Out Of (Eastern) Africa
Human Prehistory 101 Part 2: Weathering The Storm
Human Prehistory 101 Part 3: Agriculture Rocks Our World
Human Prehistory 101: Epilogue
Genetics 101 Part 1: What Are Genes?
Genetics 101 Part 2: What are SNPs?
Genetics 101 Part 3: Where Do Get Your Genes From?
Genetics 101 Part 4: What Are Phenotypes?
Genetics 101 Part 5: Why No Y?
Lately, I have really considered submitting my DNA to 23 and Me but have also started looking over other options too.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Who Do You Think You Are? on TLC
I am very excited to see that TLC picked one of my favorite shows that was cancelled by NBC. "Who Do You Think You Are?" starts with new episodes on TLC starting July 23rd. I can't wait.
This coming season will including Christina Applegate, Cindy Crawford, Zooey Deschanel, Kelly Clarkson, Chelsea Handler, Chris O'Donnell, Jim Parsons, and Trisha Yearwood. It should be a great season.
Also, whether you are interested in these celebrities or not, this show is often unpredictable in who's family history is the most compelling with the most surprising discovery process.
This coming season will including Christina Applegate, Cindy Crawford, Zooey Deschanel, Kelly Clarkson, Chelsea Handler, Chris O'Donnell, Jim Parsons, and Trisha Yearwood. It should be a great season.
Also, whether you are interested in these celebrities or not, this show is often unpredictable in who's family history is the most compelling with the most surprising discovery process.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Gartlan: How Common?
I recently dabbled a bit in trying to get further back in time on my Gartlan Family Line. It is not easy. I noticed that the LDS have things on film but I am not sure spending $7.50 to look over the potential church record for County Monaghan will prove anything.
One thing is certain, Gartlan is probably the single most common surname in Carrickmacross, or it was. I'm sure there are many with this surname there today too. Outside of County Monaghan, the name is not quite as common. Stateside in the U.S., it really is not common plus the name has a variation of Gartland with a "d" on the end. There could be other variations too like Gartlin, Gartle, or the like.
I may have to be satisfied with knowing that my 4th great grandfather, James Gartlan, arrived in update New York in the 1820s at the Irish Settlement. He was already married to Hannah Fox and they had three living children (Hugh, Frank, and Mary Ellen) who were born in Ireland and immigrated with them. Mary Ellen married James McLaughlin of Newport, New York, on January 6, 1838. Moving forward in time, I find Mary McLaughlin with her father (James Gartlan) living with she and her family when he was elderly in 1870 at the age of 93 years.
So, I have a lot of information and "proof" of my James Gartlan. I even have the birth record of his son, Hugh, for Ireland.
One thing is certain, Gartlan is probably the single most common surname in Carrickmacross, or it was. I'm sure there are many with this surname there today too. Outside of County Monaghan, the name is not quite as common. Stateside in the U.S., it really is not common plus the name has a variation of Gartland with a "d" on the end. There could be other variations too like Gartlin, Gartle, or the like.
I may have to be satisfied with knowing that my 4th great grandfather, James Gartlan, arrived in update New York in the 1820s at the Irish Settlement. He was already married to Hannah Fox and they had three living children (Hugh, Frank, and Mary Ellen) who were born in Ireland and immigrated with them. Mary Ellen married James McLaughlin of Newport, New York, on January 6, 1838. Moving forward in time, I find Mary McLaughlin with her father (James Gartlan) living with she and her family when he was elderly in 1870 at the age of 93 years.
So, I have a lot of information and "proof" of my James Gartlan. I even have the birth record of his son, Hugh, for Ireland.
HUGH
Gartland b 1822 Dec 3 Ballyfery, Co Monaghan
Will more information show itself for my Gartlan line? I hope to someday retrieve it myself but for now, I wait a while.
Will more information show itself for my Gartlan line? I hope to someday retrieve it myself but for now, I wait a while.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Ancestry.com Renewal
I recently renewed my subscription to Ancestry.com. At least for another year, I will continue to utilize this research tool. This will be my 4th year with a active subscription. This year will bring some changes to my approach to maintaining my family tree.
First, I have privatized almost every single one of my family tree lines that I have on Ancestry.com. What this means to others who come upon my tree is that they will need to email me for full clarification on what I do have my tree. I have found that many people aren't that interested in knowing the whole story or the facts behind the research that demonstrates real proof. For those who are wanting the complete story, they can email me. I can authorize a connection from their tree to mine. The site will show people my email address.
Second, I am in the process of cleaning up my trees. I do a little bit of cleanup everyday. My goal with this clean up is to limit my tree to more direct line relatives and collateral relatives with whom I have a real connection. My main lines that I plan to continue and not limit are Borchers, Flanagan, Gartlan, Maxwell, McLaughlin, O'Brien, Shaffrey, and Vienop on my mother's side. On my father's side, the list is much more limited but includes Coughlin, Hickey, McGuire, and Rohman (Roman). I can always expand my trees but must start limiting them to closer relatives. When I trail off on a collateral line which produces some very distant relatives, I lose site of my real goal which is to discover my origins further back in time.
My third change this year comes in the form of the subscription itself. I have nixed the world portion of the subscription. I found that most documents outside of the U.S. have no substance to them. A tithe applotment reference online may say Patrick Flanagan but it does not indicate enough information for anyone to truly know which Patrick Flanagan is being referred to. It is a bit of a shot in the dark. I find that the only online documents that have value in the world view for my research are in England on their census and other marriage/birth records going back to 1790. Well, I just don't have English ancestors that I know of in the timeframe except one. Richard Flanagan who went to London from Ireland is the only person I have found in those records. I don't have anyone else to look up there. Too bad, as those records are amazingly complete.
A final thought on my Ancestry.com family trees is that I will need to somehow "pull them down" off the site. While Ancestry.com will maintain my trees in their database for an infinite amount of time, I need a copy of them for myself. I need to be able to add source documents not found on Ancestry.com and manipulate my tree as a living document. It needs to be something that I can truly pass onto my children.
Will Ancestry.com actually exist in 50 years? Who knows. In the meantime, I must preserve this information online, in my blog, on my computer, and, yes I'm going to say it, in paper form.
First, I have privatized almost every single one of my family tree lines that I have on Ancestry.com. What this means to others who come upon my tree is that they will need to email me for full clarification on what I do have my tree. I have found that many people aren't that interested in knowing the whole story or the facts behind the research that demonstrates real proof. For those who are wanting the complete story, they can email me. I can authorize a connection from their tree to mine. The site will show people my email address.
Second, I am in the process of cleaning up my trees. I do a little bit of cleanup everyday. My goal with this clean up is to limit my tree to more direct line relatives and collateral relatives with whom I have a real connection. My main lines that I plan to continue and not limit are Borchers, Flanagan, Gartlan, Maxwell, McLaughlin, O'Brien, Shaffrey, and Vienop on my mother's side. On my father's side, the list is much more limited but includes Coughlin, Hickey, McGuire, and Rohman (Roman). I can always expand my trees but must start limiting them to closer relatives. When I trail off on a collateral line which produces some very distant relatives, I lose site of my real goal which is to discover my origins further back in time.
My third change this year comes in the form of the subscription itself. I have nixed the world portion of the subscription. I found that most documents outside of the U.S. have no substance to them. A tithe applotment reference online may say Patrick Flanagan but it does not indicate enough information for anyone to truly know which Patrick Flanagan is being referred to. It is a bit of a shot in the dark. I find that the only online documents that have value in the world view for my research are in England on their census and other marriage/birth records going back to 1790. Well, I just don't have English ancestors that I know of in the timeframe except one. Richard Flanagan who went to London from Ireland is the only person I have found in those records. I don't have anyone else to look up there. Too bad, as those records are amazingly complete.
A final thought on my Ancestry.com family trees is that I will need to somehow "pull them down" off the site. While Ancestry.com will maintain my trees in their database for an infinite amount of time, I need a copy of them for myself. I need to be able to add source documents not found on Ancestry.com and manipulate my tree as a living document. It needs to be something that I can truly pass onto my children.
Will Ancestry.com actually exist in 50 years? Who knows. In the meantime, I must preserve this information online, in my blog, on my computer, and, yes I'm going to say it, in paper form.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Occupations of my Newport, New York Relations
I recently completed a new search for Newport, New York and came upon the following with excerpts of my relatives found on my family tree. Copy and paste does not always work so well but the information below is a nice add to my online diary.
James McLaughlin is my 3rd great grandfather.
Dennis Maxwell is my great great grandmother's (Ellen Maxwell McLaughlin) brother.
Hugh Gartlan is my 3rd great grandmother's (Mary Ellen Gartlan McLaughlin) brother.
Frank Gartlan is another of my 3rd great grandmother's (Mary Ellen Garltan McLaughlin) brother.
John Fox is most certainly a Fox relative related to James Gartlan and Hannah Fox Gartlan, my 4th great grandparents.
The number at the end of their occupation appears to reflect the number of acres they owned and farmed.
James McLaughlin is my 3rd great grandfather.
Dennis Maxwell is my great great grandmother's (Ellen Maxwell McLaughlin) brother.
Hugh Gartlan is my 3rd great grandmother's (Mary Ellen Gartlan McLaughlin) brother.
Frank Gartlan is another of my 3rd great grandmother's (Mary Ellen Garltan McLaughlin) brother.
John Fox is most certainly a Fox relative related to James Gartlan and Hannah Fox Gartlan, my 4th great grandparents.
The number at the end of their occupation appears to reflect the number of acres they owned and farmed.
DIRECTORY OF THE TOWN OF NEWPORT
1869-1870
| McLaughlin, James | (Newport) | dairyman and farmer 265 |
Maxwell, Dennis (Newport) dairyman and farmer 173
| Gartlan, Hugh | (Poland) | dairyman and farmer 265 |
Gartlan, Frank (Newport) farmer 200
| Fox, John | (Newport) | farmer 3 |
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
My Shaffrey Line - Part 3
As I finished perusing some of the printed document/scans that I made of pages from the register on the LDS film, I found that the memorabilia section is virtually illegible and undecipherable to me. Another person may have better luck at reading the information. This section is only a few pages. My copies are terrible. One note that is clearly placed across the page is "To be sent to Monsignor McCullen Kells". So, does this ledger now exists down the road in Kells or is it still in Moynalty?
The final section is deaths. This section is very unclear. I could only make out 6 possible people who might be related to my family tree. I see an entry for Catherine Shaffrey of Dunsikin (last word is very hard to read) on 12 Jan 1841. On 7 Nov 1847, John Maxwell of Shancarnan passed away. In Jan 1850, Philip Shaffrey of Druminsiken passed away. In Oct 1857, Phil Shaffrey of Rathburn passed away. On 15 Jun 1860, John Shaffry of Carickgar (rather illegible) passed away. On January 18 or 28, 1872, Peter Shaffrey of Dryralla (illegible) passed.
One could hope that the parents' names or other information would be indicated with the deaths but that is not the case for deaths. The only indicator of use besides the name and date of death is the location of where they lived. In some cases, the location is illegible. I made an attempt to transcribe the locations.
My spreadsheet is now as complete as I can make it. I have my transcribed raw data preserved and saved as read-only. I can copy this data to another spreadsheet to sort the information. The data needs some finessing, however. I will probably get to that next.
For now, the data contains 17 marriages, 1 profession of faith (convert), 63 baptisms, and 6 deaths. The data includes Maxwells and Shaffreys where they appear as the primary person for the life event or as a sponsor/witness, and in the case of baptisms, as the parent.
I was hopeful for more but I have this. I can probably pick out two to three distinct families fairly easily including my own Maxwell family unit headed by Joseph and Judy "Shaffrey" Maxwell.
Gleaning more information from this data may be challenging. Like I said, it needs finessing. Any instance of the Shaffrey name needs a standardized agreed upon spelling rather than the variations (Shaffrey, Shaffy, Shaffry, Shaffery). I will need to run through the entire batch of data and convert the spelling. My choice is Shaffrey for the spelling. First names also need some help along with locations. I will get to that.
Basic Shaffrey Life Event Data:
Drawing some quick conclusions is possible. I clearly found my Shaffreys. I found my 3rd great grandfather, Joseph Patrick Maxwell, as being from Shancarnan. That location rings true even today for the Shaffrey name but the Maxwells do not seem to truly orignate from there. It seems as though Joseph's wife, Judy Shaffrey, has origins in Shancarnan. I spotted other Maxwells, but were they all Joseph and Judy's children? Bill Maxwell was clearly an adult in 1831 before Joseph and Judy were married and had children. I wonder if the John Maxwell who died on 7 Nov 1847 was a child or an adult. He was from Shancarnan.
Basic Maxwell Life Event Data:
The 1834 marriage of Joseph Maxwell was to Judith Shaffrey.
I will hopefully be able to sort this data to filter out some answers. For now, I offer this basic version of the data in this public post. If anyone finds this, reach me at kristin@zelsersk.net.
The final section is deaths. This section is very unclear. I could only make out 6 possible people who might be related to my family tree. I see an entry for Catherine Shaffrey of Dunsikin (last word is very hard to read) on 12 Jan 1841. On 7 Nov 1847, John Maxwell of Shancarnan passed away. In Jan 1850, Philip Shaffrey of Druminsiken passed away. In Oct 1857, Phil Shaffrey of Rathburn passed away. On 15 Jun 1860, John Shaffry of Carickgar (rather illegible) passed away. On January 18 or 28, 1872, Peter Shaffrey of Dryralla (illegible) passed.
One could hope that the parents' names or other information would be indicated with the deaths but that is not the case for deaths. The only indicator of use besides the name and date of death is the location of where they lived. In some cases, the location is illegible. I made an attempt to transcribe the locations.
My spreadsheet is now as complete as I can make it. I have my transcribed raw data preserved and saved as read-only. I can copy this data to another spreadsheet to sort the information. The data needs some finessing, however. I will probably get to that next.
For now, the data contains 17 marriages, 1 profession of faith (convert), 63 baptisms, and 6 deaths. The data includes Maxwells and Shaffreys where they appear as the primary person for the life event or as a sponsor/witness, and in the case of baptisms, as the parent.
I was hopeful for more but I have this. I can probably pick out two to three distinct families fairly easily including my own Maxwell family unit headed by Joseph and Judy "Shaffrey" Maxwell.
Gleaning more information from this data may be challenging. Like I said, it needs finessing. Any instance of the Shaffrey name needs a standardized agreed upon spelling rather than the variations (Shaffrey, Shaffy, Shaffry, Shaffery). I will need to run through the entire batch of data and convert the spelling. My choice is Shaffrey for the spelling. First names also need some help along with locations. I will get to that.
Basic Shaffrey Life Event Data:
| Shaffrey | Thos. | Baptism | 1831 |
| Shaffrey | Michl | Baptism | 1831 |
| Shaffrey | Simon | Baptism | 1831 |
| Shaffrey | Mary | Marriage | 1831 |
| Shaffrey | Thos. | Baptism | 1833 |
| Shaffrey | Mary | Baptism | 1833 |
| Shaffrey | Judy | Marriage | 1834 |
| Shaffrey | Catherine | Marriage | 1834 |
| Shaffrey | John | Baptism | 1834 |
| Shaffrey | Hugh | Baptism | 1834 |
| Shaffrey | Hugh | Marriage | 1836 |
| Shaffrey | Cathern | Marriage | 1838 |
| Shaffrey | Catherine | Baptism | 1839 |
| Shaffrey | Brigt | Marriage | 1839 |
| Shaffrey | Catherine | Baptism | 1839 |
| Shaffrey | Michl | Baptism | 1840 |
| Shaffrey | Betty | Marriage | 1841 |
| Shaffrey | Catherine | Death | 1841 |
| Shaffrey | Betty | Baptism | 1842 |
| Shaffrey | Cathn | Baptism | 1843 |
| Shaffrey | May | Baptism | 1843 |
| Shaffrey | Owen | Marriage | 1845 |
| Shaffrey | Philip | Baptism | 1846 |
| Shaffrey | Cathrine | Baptism | 1846 |
| Shaffrey | Andrew | Baptism | 1846 |
| Shaffrey | Anne | Baptism | 1847 |
| Shaffrey | Philip | Baptism | 1850 |
| Shaffrey | Philip | Death | 1850 |
| Shaffrey | John | Baptism | 1853 |
| Shaffrey | John | Marriage | 1856 |
| Shaffrey | Phil | Death | 1857 |
| Shaffrey | John | Death | 1860 |
| Shaffrey | John | Marriage | 1861 |
| Shaffrey | John | Baptism | 1870 |
| Shaffrey | Peter | Death | 1872 |
| Shaffrey | Philip | Baptism | 1874 |
| Shaffrey | Ellen Jane | Baptism | 1876 |
| Shaffrey | Bridget | Marriage | 1880 |
| Shaffrey | Thomas | Marriage | 1882 |
Drawing some quick conclusions is possible. I clearly found my Shaffreys. I found my 3rd great grandfather, Joseph Patrick Maxwell, as being from Shancarnan. That location rings true even today for the Shaffrey name but the Maxwells do not seem to truly orignate from there. It seems as though Joseph's wife, Judy Shaffrey, has origins in Shancarnan. I spotted other Maxwells, but were they all Joseph and Judy's children? Bill Maxwell was clearly an adult in 1831 before Joseph and Judy were married and had children. I wonder if the John Maxwell who died on 7 Nov 1847 was a child or an adult. He was from Shancarnan.
Basic Maxwell Life Event Data:
| Maxwell | Denis | Baptism | 1836 |
| Maxwell | James | Baptism | 1841 |
| Maxwell | Ellen | Baptism | 1846 |
| Maxwell | Cath | Baptism | 1849 |
| Maxwell | Judith | Baptism | 1851 |
| Maxwell | Joseph | Marriage | 1834 |
| Maxwell | Bill | Profession of Faith | 1831 |
| Maxwell | John | Death | 1847 |
The 1834 marriage of Joseph Maxwell was to Judith Shaffrey.
I will hopefully be able to sort this data to filter out some answers. For now, I offer this basic version of the data in this public post. If anyone finds this, reach me at kristin@zelsersk.net.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
My Shaffrey Line - Part 2
In the past number of months, I have been sitting on my Shaffrey research. It was a daunting task to review LDS Film #926176. The handwritten ledger that makes up the church register is pretty atrocious. I am betting that I only captured about 75% of the useful information that could be contained in this document for my own family research. The reason why is because I could not easily, or even with some great effort, transcribe the chicken scratch.
After a bit of burnout and crossed eyed fun, I put this information aside for a while. I needed to rest and rediscover my motivation to complete my family tree research. It probably also did not help that I dropped our 6 year old laptop in February making it no longer portable. It still works but is a rather pathetic desktop computer now. I have one of those already so the laptop sits until we get another one. It is coming soon. I really can't wait to sit outside with the computer again.
Before I continue with a review of my research and findings, I should clearly reference the film that I did review. It is below:
I hope that someday another Shaffrey descendant will be willing to review the film. It will be useful if I post access to my findings and then they can have a comparison. I plan to post most of what I have here with an offer to email the spreadsheet to a Shaffrey descendant who contacts me directly. A second or even third set of eyes on this film would be great. I must say that if you have a degree in handwriting transcription, we'd be set!
The other point that I should mention is that I'm not LDS. I did use their library and assistance for free with a minimal $8 cost to order the film reserved at that location for me to view for 3 months. They were extraordinarily helpful.
I just wish that I had more time to spend at the library. My time on genealogy is best spent at home these days since I have young children who need me to chauffeur them around in between school, activities and homework. The LDS library is not really kid friendly. I may be able to tune out my children a bit while I write this blog post but most people want peace and quiet at a library.
My next post will be the breakdown of my Shaffrey research from this film.
After a bit of burnout and crossed eyed fun, I put this information aside for a while. I needed to rest and rediscover my motivation to complete my family tree research. It probably also did not help that I dropped our 6 year old laptop in February making it no longer portable. It still works but is a rather pathetic desktop computer now. I have one of those already so the laptop sits until we get another one. It is coming soon. I really can't wait to sit outside with the computer again.
Before I continue with a review of my research and findings, I should clearly reference the film that I did review. It is below:
| Source: LDS Church Film #926176, Parish of Moynalty Register, County Meath, Ireland | |||||
| Source Type: Roman Catholic Church Records | |||||
| Film Contents: | |||||
| 1 -Parochial Registers of Coole (1864-1883) | |||||
| 2 -Church Baptisms for the Parish of Moynalty (1829-1880) | |||||
| 3 –Marriages for Parish of Moynalty (1829-1883) | |||||
| 4 –Deaths, Moynalty – 1829 – some time in the late 1800s | |||||
| 5 –Some memorabilia from the 1800s | |||||
I hope that someday another Shaffrey descendant will be willing to review the film. It will be useful if I post access to my findings and then they can have a comparison. I plan to post most of what I have here with an offer to email the spreadsheet to a Shaffrey descendant who contacts me directly. A second or even third set of eyes on this film would be great. I must say that if you have a degree in handwriting transcription, we'd be set!
The other point that I should mention is that I'm not LDS. I did use their library and assistance for free with a minimal $8 cost to order the film reserved at that location for me to view for 3 months. They were extraordinarily helpful.
I just wish that I had more time to spend at the library. My time on genealogy is best spent at home these days since I have young children who need me to chauffeur them around in between school, activities and homework. The LDS library is not really kid friendly. I may be able to tune out my children a bit while I write this blog post but most people want peace and quiet at a library.
My next post will be the breakdown of my Shaffrey research from this film.
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