Category Archives: Tip of the Week

Tri-City Genealogical Society David Rumsey Map Collection

by Charles Hansen

The David Rumsey Map Collection

As genealogists, knowing where things happened in the lives of our ancestors is vital to being able to learn more about those events.  Another great feature of combining technology and genealogical research is the ability to not only find current maps of the places we research, but also historical maps that were created closer to the time period in which we are searching.  The David Rumsey Map Collection is an amazing collection of maps that is worth using to gain a sense of place for your research.
Heather Murphy

Seattle Genealogical Society Tip of the Week

by Charles Hansen

TIP OF THE WEEK – IRISH SOLDIERS PENSIONS

If you have ancestors from Ireland who received an army pension between 1724 and 1924, explore Fold3’s collection of Royal Hospital Kilmainham Pensioner Discharge Documents.

There are two types of documents in this collection, Pension Admissions and Pension Discharge Documents. Information found in these registers can include name, regiment, rank, length of service, illness or disability, birthplace, occupation, physical description, and more. These records are typically arranged by dates so finding what you are looking for might be a little difficult, but the wealth of information may well be worth the effort.

If you are not a Fold3 subscriber, or don’t have access to it through your Ancestry membership, remember you can always access Ancestry, Fold3, and Newspapers.com on the computers in the SGS Library.

Tri-City Genealogical Society Finding Place Names

by Charles Hansen

Have you ever come across a place name in your research you aren’t sure still exists? What about a post office name given in a census that isn’t the main town? A town in a country you know little about? Looking for cemeteries near your ancestral home? The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and NGA GEOnet Names Server (GNS) can help with each of these.

Keep Reading click here

( https://tcgs1961.blogspot.com/2017/10/finding-place-names-using-gnis-and-gns.html )

Tri-City Genealogical Society Research Logs

by Charles Hansen

Heather Murphy wrote an interesting blog post on Research Logs.

Have I Been Here Before? How Research Logs Keep You From Going in Circles

With shaking leaves and record hints showing up in many websites it is easy to hop from link to link looking for more records.  How often do you take a couple extra minutes to note the record collections you search so you don’t find yourself looking at the same thing a few months later?  Research logs aren’t one of the “fun” parts of research, but if you spend a small amount of time creating them you can save yourself time in the future.

Access to Public Domain Records Threatened

by Charles Hansen

Genealogists’ access to public domain records is still being threatened in many locations. One of the biggest threats these days is New York City. However, you can make your voice heard.

The following was written by D. Joshua Taylor, President of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society:

Dear Friends,

As promised, the NYG&B has launched a landing page outlining steps everyone can take in making our voices heard regarding the proposed restrictions on access to New York City’s birth and death records.

The page can be found at: https://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/nyc-vital-records-access and allows visitors to do the following:

  • Download and sign a sample comment letter that can be mailed directly to the Department of Health.
  • Add their own name to the NYG&B’s comment letter.
  • RSVP to attend the hearing alongside fellow members of the NYG&B community.
  • Share the information (via email) with others.

Thus far we have had a very positive response from the community. Please feel free to share this information with your leadership, members, and others who might be interested. We also stand ready to assist your organization as needed in preparing their own comments.

Sincerely,
Joshua

Seattle Genealogical Society Tip of the Week

by Charles Hansen

TIP OF THE WEEK –
ROBERT G SHAW GENEALOGY/HISTORY INDEXES

Here’s a nice genealogy resource for those of you researching ancestors that lived in either of the adjoining counties of Menominee County, Michigan or Marinette County, Wisconsin.

The Robert G. Shaw Genealogy/History Indexes is a free online collection of databases, articles, and obituaries compiled by local historian, Robert G. Shaw, who read through all the pages of the local newspapers serving Menominee,MI, Marinette, WI and Peshtigo, WI. He put together an extensive index of obituaries/death notices printed in the papers.

This database, largely of newspaper articles and obituaries, can be accessed on the web site of the Spies Public Library of Menominee :

http://joomla.uproc.lib.mi.us/Spies/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=81&Itemid=131

Although the index does not provide links to the actual obituaries, it will give you the date/page number to find them yourself using online newspapers, or to request them from the local public library or historical/genealogical society.

While you are at their web site, check out the other resources in the drop down list of the Genealogy tab. There’s a link to a list of Menominee Count Cemeteries as well as a link to Riverside Cemetery Burial Records, plus a few other resources.

Seattle Genealogical Society Tip of the Week

by Charles Hansen

TIP OF THE WEEK –
MISSOURI DEATH CERTIFICATES, 1910-1966

Scanned images of Missouri death certificates from 1910 through 1966 are now available online for free! An index of the Missouri death certificates can be found here:

https://s1.sos.mo.gov/records/Archives/ArchivesMvc/DeathCertificates#searchDB

Their search engine is very comprehensive. The database can be searched by first, middle, and/or last name, county, year and month, or many combinations of these parameters. Digitized images of the original death certificates are linked to the search results, and may be viewed or downloaded at no charge.

This site will be very valuable to people with ancestors who died in Missouri within this time period.