Located in 1,000 acres of magnificent Capability Brown parkland at the very heart of England, Weston Park was a house built for show as well as hospitality. Gareth Williams, Weston Park Curator & Head of Learning, will take you on a virtual tour of the art-filled house and superlative collections of the Earls of Bradford. Williams will share fascinating stories of the family’s links to royalty and politics—from King Charles II to President Bill Clinton. Moderated by our Curator of Special Collections, Curt DiCamillo. Join us virtually on August 27 at 1 p.m. ET. Register Today
End-of-Summer Sale!
Now is the perfect time to trace your family history. Get started today with $20 off an American Ancestors membership, and you'll gain access to more than a billion searchable names, family tree software, award-winning publications, and hundreds of online educational tools to help you become a better family historian.
Offer valid only with discount code 08AUG2021 if used by 11:59 PM ET on 8/31/21. Not valid on current membership renewals (those with expiration dates of 6/30/21 onward).
Facebook Live Event!
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society Boston Port Records (HIAS Boston)
American Ancestors Genealogist Melanie McComb will demonstrate how to use and get the most out of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society Boston Port Records (HIAS Boston) in the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center. Join us live on Facebook on August 27 at 3 p.m. ET. Register Now
This Thursday! Virtual American Inspiration Event
Settling the American West: Home Waters
Reporter and author John N. Maclean, son of Norman Maclean (A River Runs Through It), will discusses Home Waters: A Chronicle of Family and a River. This new memoir chronicles his family's century-long love affair with Montana's majestic Blackfoot River and provides historical insight into the settlement of that region—the trails and trials of Lewis & Clark and the Nez Pearce Indians. Join John and O. Alan Weltzien, the Maclean family biographer, for this remarkable look at one family, the place they love, and fly fishing, the sport that is their shared passion and tradition. Join us virtually on Thursday, August 26 at 6 p.m. ET. Register Now
Spotlight: Laconia Ancestry Too, New Hampshire
by Valerie Beaudrault
The city of Laconia is located in Belknap County in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region.Laconia Ancestry Too, the genealogy website of the Laconia Historical & Museum Society, has made several resources available. There are two indexes to obituaries published in the Laconia Democrat and The Citizen. One is sorted alphabetically and the other by death date. The indexes run from 1897 through 1941. Birth, death, and marriage records have been transcribed from Laconia Annual Town Reports for 1887 to 1948. Another database comprises the names of students in Laconia High School yearbooks for various years between 1919 and 1976. The cemetery listings databases index burials in ten Laconia cemeteries. Search Now
Last Chance! Online Conference
Researching German Ancestors: Records, Resources, and Repositories
One of the most important genealogical and historical sources ever published for New England. The Great Migration Directory: Immigrants to New England, 1620–1640.
“Great estates are among the country’s treasures. But their connections to slavery and colonialism are forcing visitors to reckon with myths they may not want to abandon.”
DS Woman’s DNA Discovery Leads to New Family Born in 1970 in Da Nang, Vietnam, during the midst of the Vietnam War, Tina Fretwell knew little about her father—only that he was an American soldier named David. Now Fretwell, of Dripping Springs, Texas, has met her father’s family in New York.
Pack Your Bags for 1907 “Imagine it's the early 20th century and you're packing for summer vacation, maybe for a steamship cruise of the Great Lakes or a 72-day tour of Europe. What did your luggage look like?”
The Weekly Genealogist Survey
Last week's survey asked about family members who were named after an ancestor or relative. We received 3,296 responses. The results are:
77%, At least one of my grandparents was named after an ancestor or relative.
75%, At least one of my parents was named after an ancestor or relative.
52%, I was named after an ancestor or relative.
40%, My spouse was named after an ancestor or relative.
50%, At least one of my children was named after an ancestor or relative.
36%, At least one of my grandchildren was named after an ancestor or relative.
This week's question asks if you remember your great-grandparents.Take the survey now.
Want to share your thoughts on the survey with us? We are always happy to hear from our readers. Email us at weeklygenealogist@nehgs.org. Responses may be edited for clarity and length and featured in a future newsletter.
Readers Respond: Naming Patterns
By Lynn Betlock, Editor
Last week's survey asked about family members who were named after an ancestor or relative. Thank you to everyone who replied. Below is a selection of reader responses.
Lindsay Ham Gillis, Concord, Massachusetts: My grandmother, Mary Short Lindsay, was born in Leith, Scotland. My family followed a traditional Scottish naming pattern: 1st son named after father's father, 2nd son named after mother's father, 3rd son named after father. 1st daughter named after mother’s mother, 2nd daughter named after father's mother, 3rd daughter named after mother. As the second daughter, Mary was named for her paternal grandmother, Mary Ann Short, who married William Lindsay. Standing at four feet, eleven inches, my grandmother always joked about how appropriate it was for her to be named Mary Short Lindsay. While my mother did not follow the traditional naming pattern, I was given the family surname, Lindsay, as my first name.
Mary Beth Norton, Ithaca, New York: Following the origin of a family naming practice proved crucial for me in identifying the branch of the upstate New York Nortons from which I’m descended. My father, Clark Norton, was told by his father, also Clark, that HIS father, Stewart (my great-grandfather, b. 1824), who was estranged from his family, had named him for a favorite older brother who died young. Accordingly, I spent a long time looking for Clark Nortons. A USGENWEB cemetery listing eventually directed me to the right one: Clark Norton of Pittstown, New York (1806–1840), the son of Rowland and Hannah Norton, who were buried in the same cemetery. The rest was easy.
Kathy Ripke, Minneapolis, Minnesota: In my maternal Hubbard line, several names were continually recycled. Males were often named Calvin, Russel, Marcus, Harvey, Norman, or Warren. Two female names— Gladys Bernice and Anstis Elizabeth—were favored for at least four generations. My grandmother was one of the last Anstis Elizabeths. Although it is sometimes confusing to have so many relatives sharing similar or identical names, I feel lucky to have these unusual, names to watch out for!
Marilyn Bowles-Nejman, Endwell, New York: My great-grandfather, Austin Taylor Bowles (1847-1895), was supposedly named after Austin Taylor, a close neighbor in Sugar Hill, New Hampshire. His son, my grandfather, was also named Austin Taylor Bowles, and his son, my father, was named Austin. His son, my brother, was named Austin, and my great-nephew was named Austin. In 1946, when my family went to live with my grandparents, we had three Austins in the house. My dad was called Brother and my brother was called Buddy.
New Database on AmericanAncestors.org
Narragansett Historical Register
We are pleased to announce a new database: The Narragansett Historical Register. This journal was published from 1882 to 1891 and contained articles on the history of Narragansett Country and southern Rhode Island. This database is organized into nine volumes with one for each year of publication. There are more than 3,300 pages and 5,500 records and names. Search Now
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