American Inspiration Author Talk with Extended Q+A
Matt Paxton with Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff: Declutter, Downsize, and Move Forward with Your Life
Your boxes of photos and family memorabilia aren’t just stuff—they’re attached to a lifetime of memories, and letting go can be scary. With empathy, expertise, and humor, Matt Paxton and his helpful new book lead you through sifting through clutter, letting go of what no longer serves you, and identifying the items worth keeping. Presented in partnership with Porter Square Books. March 8 at 6 p.m. (ET). Register Now
Online Seminar
Getting Started in Jewish Genealogy
Today there are an estimated 7.6 million Jewish Americans living in the country, the majority of whom descend from diaspora Jewish populations from Central and Eastern Europe. This four-week online seminar will provide you with key strategies for progressing in your Jewish family history research. Live broadcasts: March 2, 9, 16, and 23 at 6 p.m. (ET). Members save 10%!Register Now
Online Seminar
Finding Irish Origins: A County is Not Enough!
When locating Irish ancestors, knowing their county of origin is not enough—you also need the townland and parish. Discovering that information can be the biggest challenge in Irish family history research. This online seminar will help you navigate records, provide strategies for when records fall short, and demonstrate how DNA can help. March 19 at 2 p.m. (ET). Register Now
Spotlight: Digital Collections, Gloucester, Massachusetts
by Valerie Beaudrault
The city of Gloucester is located on Cape Ann in Essex County, Massachusetts. A robust digital collection of local history and genealogy-related resources is available on the city's website, including: Gloucester town records from 1642 through 1839, with indexes from 1694 through 1800; Gloucester selectmen’s records for most years between 1699 and 1833; Gloucester vital records from 1634 through 1806, plus a volume of death records for 1884-1893; and Gloucester commoner’s books from 1707 through 1720. In addition there is an 1823 map of Gloucester and Cape Ann and lists of vessels registered with the District of Gloucester (1860-1908). Search Now
Explore 90 new members-only databases at AmericanAncestors.org!
A few weeks ago, we asked you, our members, if you wanted us to add new collections as a member benefit. You said yes, and we made it happen!
Now you can access millions of pages of primary source collections, spanning from the 15th to the 21st century, covering topics such as Colonial America, American Indian Histories and Cultures, Central Asia, Persia, and Afghanistan, 1834-1922, and African American Communities. To access these and other members-only databases, log in and go to External Databases—look for "AM Explorer"—and have fun exploring! Search Now
Free Online Lecture Researching African American Ancestors in New England
This online lecture will highlight useful collections for researching African American ancestors, including court and account records, local histories, original manuscripts, rare documents, and more. February 17 at 4 p.m. (ET).
Black History Spotlight Learn about the GU272 Memory Project
In 1838, Maryland's Jesuit priests sold hundreds of people to Southern plantations to raise money for Georgetown University. Today, 8,000+ descendants have been located through genealogical research. Search for an ancestor and hear the stories of the descendants at our website.
Linda Hirshman with The Color of Abolition: How a Printer, a Prophet, and a Contessa Moved a Nation
Join author Linda Hirshman and moderator L'Merchie Frazier for a discussion of Hirshman's new work chronicling abolition: the social spirit, people, and political alliances that changed American history. February 28 at 6 p.m. (ET).
“DNA Doesn’t Lie. People Lie.” “After discovering six adopted brothers and sisters, these siblings believe their story is more than a sprawling family secret.”
Past-life Experience: If You Could Pick Any Time to Live In, When Would It Be? Washington Post columnist John Kelly muses about living in another time. “For me, the perfect time would be … oh, let’s say the 1930s. Men wore hats, milk came in bottles and local newspaper columnists were treated like gods.” We’re asking this same question in this week’s survey.
Penny Lick “Penny licks were England’s most nefarious ice cream paraphernalia. As the name suggests, a few licks of ice cream cost just a penny.”
The Weekly Genealogist Survey
Last week's survey asked if any first and last names have been used together in your family over consecutive generations. We received 3,309 responses. The results are:
24%, Yes, I have two generations of ancestors/relatives who had the same first and last name.
33%, Yes, I have three generations of ancestors/relatives who had the same first and last name.
18%, Yes, I have four generations of ancestors/relatives who had the same first and last name.
8%, Yes, I have five generations of ancestors/relatives who had the same first and last name.
7%, Yes, I have six or more generations of ancestors/relatives who had the same first and last name.
10%, No, I have no instances of multiple generations with the same first and last name.
This week’s survey asks what time period you would choose if you could pick any era to live in as an adult. 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: Consecutive Generations with the Same Name
By Jean Powers, Senior Editor
Last week's survey asked about first and last names used together in your family over consecutive generations. Thank you to everyone who replied. Below is a selection of reader responses.
Jim Lawson, Lacey, Washingston: I'm the fourth consecutive generation of males with the same first and last names. We've alternated using our first or middle names to minimize confusion. When mail came to the house marked Jim Lawson, my dad automatically handed it to me, even though it was meant for him. This tradition of naming stops with me. I don't have children and my brother used different names for his sons. I have as cousin with the same first name, but his only child was a daughter.
Marian Bowers Natale, Cary, North Carolina: My sixth great-grandfather, the first Samuel Bowers, was born to Jerathmeel and Elizabeth Bowers in 1682 in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. The next three generations of men named Samuel Bowers were born in Groton, Massachusetts. The last consecutive Samuel Bowers was born in Littleton, Massachusetts, in 1798; he was the third son that his parents named Samuel Bowers, the other two having died in infancy. He was not the oldest son and he did not name a son Samuel, but at least one of his sons did.
Jessy Wheeler, Boston, Massachusetts: In one branch of my family, the same first, middle, and last names were passed down from father to son for four generations. As far as I can tell none of them ever used Sr., Jr., or a number after their names to differentiate themselves, so I have to go by birth and death years in order to tell them apart in my research. There's a picture of all four of them together on what I believe is the occasion of the youngest's baptism in the late 1940s. It's one of my favorite old family photos.
Glenn Sampson, Lincolnville, Maine: For four generations, the males in my family alternated the same first and middle names: Jacob Solomon Sam(p)son and Solomon Jacob Sam(p)son. My father, Alan, broke the string.
Database News
New Searchable Catholic Records Volumes
This week we’re announcing the addition of 24 new volumes to Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records,1789-1920 from St. James the Apostle (Arlington), St. Cecelia (Ashland), Immaculate Conception (Everett), St. Mary (Franklin), St. Mary (Foxborough), St. Joseph (Holbrook), Immaculate Conception (Marlborough), St. Bridget (Maynard) and St. Vincent de Paul (South Boston). This update is part of our multi-year collaboration with the Archdiocese of Boston. Search Now
Catching up with Vita Brevis
Vita Brevisrecently reached a milestone: 3,000,000 page views over the life of the blog, from January 2014 to January 2022. (In that period 1,774 posts were published by 151 bloggers.) Other recent posts include Molly Rogers's reporting on a new Dartmouth (Mass.) Quaker records database; Michael Dwyer's search for "Mercy Mercury"; Alicia Crane Williams's musings on the date of birth of John Fuller of Cambridge, Mass.; Christopher C. Child's account of the evolving surname of Judge J. Michelle Childs's family in Kentucky; Rebecca Carpenter's "Tips for preserving family papers"; Hallie Borstel's experience of tracking down German ancestors in New York church records; and Amy Whorf McGuiggan's primer for using the MACRIS database to research historic properties and landmarks in Massachusetts.
