Last chance to register! Combining her own scholarship with personal reflection, prize-winning Harvard historian Annette Gordon-Reed explores the public significance of the Juneteenth national holiday and her Texas family history. June 20 at 6 p.m. (ET) Register Now
Spotlight: Genealogy Resources for Union County, Ohio
by Valerie Beaudrault
Union County is located in central Ohio, and its county seat is Marysville. The Union County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society provides a number of online databases. Find the Online Collections and Cemeteries sections on their homepage and click "More" to see the lists of databases available. The Online Collections section includes indexes to the chapter’s obituary collection, marriages (1856-1860), Children’s Home Records (1884-1907), and two birth registration databases (1856-1860). The Cemeteries section includes a burials database for Marysville’s Oakdale Cemetery (1880-2018). Search Now
Free Online Lecture
Researching War of 1812 Veteran Ancestors
Chief Genealogist David Allen Lambert will discuss key resources for researching War of 1812 veterans, including a new database from AmericanAncestors.org. July 7 at 3 p.m. (ET)
Centuries of Irish history were lost in the 1922 Four Courts Fire in Dublin. Learn about the destruction of these records and find out what alternatives are available. June 23 at 3 p.m. (ET).
This four-week course will review essential resources for French-Canadian research and teach you to analyze records and maximize your search results. Live broadcasts: July 6, 13, 20, and 27 at 6 p.m. (ET).
A 1922 accident sparked the Iowa man’s intractable hiccups, which suddenly subsided in 1990.
The Weekly Genealogist Survey
Last week's survey asked about ancestors who took multi-step immigration journeys. We received 3,040 responses. The results are:
52%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives immigrated to a new country, then settled in a different country.
3%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives left their country of origin and then lived in three or more additional countries.
15%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives immigrated to a new country, then returned permanently to the country of origin.
9%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives immigrated to a new country, returned to the country of origin intending to stay, then went back to the “new” country.
8%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives had a multi-step immigration journey not described above.
38%, No, I do not believe any of my ancestors or relatives had a multi-step immigration journey.
This week’s survey asks about your family’s connection to pianos. 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: Multi-step Immigration
By Jean Powers, Senior Editor
Last week's survey asked if any of your ancestors or relatives had a multi-step immigration journey (involving more than going directly from one country to another one). Thank you to everyone who replied. Below is a selection of reader responses.
Carolyn Nash, Austin, Texas: My ancestor John Williams, a tin miner, was born about 1836 in Penwith, Cornwall. In response to wage cuts and increasingly dangerous conditions, John moved to Ayrshire, Scotland, in his early twenties to work in the mines there. He married Mary Samson; tragically, she and their unborn son died after she was hit by a ore car. John then married Janet McKinnell and they moved to Queensland, Australia, where higher mining wages enabled John to buy land. John and Janet had four children. But an influx of workers to the area led to a decrease in wages, and John and Janet left Queensland in 1870. Janet and their children went to Ayrshire, and John went to Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. In 1872, Janet travelled with their five children across the Atlantic and by train across Canada to join her husband. John Williams was killed in 1885 at age 49 in a mine explosion, leaving Janet and their eleven children.
Mark Friden, Star Lake, New York: My great-grandmother’s brother, James Dyson (1863-1923), and his wife, Anne Broadbent Byrom (1862-1920), were born in Yorkshire, England. After marrying in 1884, they immigrated to the United States. They settled in New Jersey, where their first child was born. In 1886 they returned to England, where their next two children were born. In 1891, James traveled to Kaua'i, in what was at the time the Kingdom of Hawai'i, to help build a sugar cane plantation. He sent for his family later that year. In early 1892, Anne travelled there from England with their three young children from England. Their fourth child was born in the Kingdom of Hawai'i, their fifth child was born in the Republic of Hawai'i, and their sixth child was born in the U.S. Territory of Hawai'i.
Database News
New Searchable and Browsable Catholic Records Volumes
This week we’re announcing the addition of 18 new volumes to Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920 from St. John the Baptist (East Boston), St. Mary (Marlborough), and Our Lady of Czestochowa (South Boston). We’ve also added 16 new browsable volumes to our image-only database from St. Luke (Belmont), St. Mary of the Annunciation (Danvers), St. Francis of Assisi (Lawrence), Sacred Heart (Middleboro), St. Joseph (Needham), and St. Brigid (South Boston). This update is part of our multi-year collaboration with the Archdiocese of Boston. Search Now
You Can Preserve Jewish Family and Community History
When you make a gift to the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center, you demonstrate your commitment to preserving and advancing Jewish history and heritage. Your generosity helps develop new educational content and programs for all ages, enhances access to rich historical and genealogical resources for people all over the world, and fosters new scholarship and understanding of Jewish history, culture, and legacy. With your support, more people will learn about Jewish family and community history—and discover their own place in it. Please consider a gift today. Thank you!
