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title: The Weekly Genealogist, May 18, 2022
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Every Wednesday, The Weekly Genealogist provides readers with news and information about American Ancestors and the genealogical community.

| View in browser     May 18, 2022   Read past issues Feedback? Email us       In-Person Research Tour Day Trip to the Massachusetts State Archives   Join American Ancestors/NEHGS experts at the Massachusetts Archives for a day of genealogical research! The archives hold the official records created by the state government. June 3 at 9 a.m. (ET). Register Now       Upcoming Virtual American Inspiration Author Events Two Authors Look at Their Family History   On June 7, New York Times bestselling author Ann Leary presents The Foundling, her new novel inspired by a discovery in her family’s history. On June 20, the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Annette Gordon-Reed discusses On Juneteenth and the intersection of her Texas childhood, her research, and this new national holiday. Learn More       Spotlight: Johnston County Heritage Center, North Carolina by Valerie Beaudrault   Johnston County is located in central North Carolina, and Smithfield is its county seat. The Johnston County Heritage Center provides the following databases: census records (1850-1940), newspaper obituaries (1801-present), Smithfield Herald headlines (1885-2007), Johnston County slave name index, two marriage indexes, an index of Confederate veterans from Johnston County, and a voter registration records index (1902). A link to the Johnston County Register of Deeds database is also included. Search Now       Free Online Lecture New England Town Records Genealogist Ann Lawthers will explore getting the most out of New England town records in your family history research. May 26 at 3 p.m. (ET).   Register Now Online Seminar Gardens and Landscapes of Castle Howard Dr. Christopher Ridgway, Curator at Castle Howard, will survey gardens across Yorkshire and chronicle the development of the landscape at Castle Howard. May 24 & 31 at 1 p.m. (ET).   Register Now Online Seminar Making the Most of the U.S. Federal Census This five-week course will explore the ins and outs of U.S. Federal Census research. Live sessions: June 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29 at 6 p.m. (ET).    Register Now       What We’re Reading   How an Air Force Veteran Discovered his New House Was the Seat of a Plantation Where His Ancestors Were Enslaved A 60 Minutes segment features the story of a Virginia property that was purchased by Fred Miller for his large extended family's frequent get-togethers.   The St. John Valley is Maine’s Last French-Speaking Bastion, But for How Long? “In the far northern stronghold of Acadian culture, it’s getting rarer to hear ‘Valley French,’ once more common than English. What’s at stake if it’s lost?”   Next Time You Talk to Your Grandparents, Hit Record “I was recording [my grandmother’s] voice under the guise of work — I wanted her recipe and backstory for my book — but really, I was doing it for posterity’s sake.”   Did an Enslaved Woman Try to Warn the Americans of Benedict Arnold’s Treason? “New research sheds light on Liss, who was enslaved by the family of a Culper Spy Ring leader and had ties to British spymaster John André.”   How Bicycles Liberated Women in Victorian America “Cycling culture offered individual women, as well as couples, greater freedom in daily life.”   17 Job Titles in Victorian Slang “In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, a trend emerged in English slang for bestowing mock 'titles' on people employed or engaged in various jobs or pursuits.”       The Weekly Genealogist Survey   Last week's survey asked if any members of your family collected a particular type of item for more than one generation. We received 2,649 responses. The results are: 25%, Yes, two generations of my family members have collected a particular type of item. 10%, Yes, three generations of my family members have collected a particular type of item. 4%, Yes, four or more generations of my family members collected a particular type of item. 61%, No, none of my family members have collected a particular type of item over multiple generations. This week’s survey asks if you have Quaker ancestors. 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: Generations of Collectors By Lynn Betlock, Editor   Last week's survey asked if your family collected a particular type of item for more than one generation. Thank you to everyone who replied. Below is a selection of reader responses.   Martha Rheaume, Franklin, New Hampshire: My grandfather, Estle E. Kennedy, exchanged postcards across the U.S. in the early twentieth century. He was an amateur photographer and printed some of his photos as postcards. My grandfather ended up with so many postcards from his exchanges that he made albums for five of his children. As a child, I also had a scrapbook of collected postcards. More recently I have purchased postcards online. I’ve been thrilled to receive a few that were sent and signed by “E.E. Kennedy.”   Ronald Miller, Madison, Wisconsin: My Great-aunt Lucille was our family’s favorite aunt. She never had children and was widowed in her fifties. She was the keeper of the family records and had been an avid stamp collector since the 1920s. She wrote to relatives frequently and always enclosed a few stamps for the kids. When I was 11, she sent me a large box in the mail. I was shocked and elated to find that it contained her stamp collection. I later learned that of her 22 grandnieces and nephews I was the only one who bought an album for the stamps she had sent and acquired stamps on my own. (I rode my bike to the post office to buy new stamps when they were issued.) Not long before she died, when I was in my 20s, she sent me another box, this time containing the family records!   Brandy Ciraldo, Glastonbury, Connecticut: My mother’s family had many generations of Pfaltzgraff kitchenware. The family moved all around the Northeast for my grandpa’s job but when they moved to Pennsylvania near a Pfaltzgraff factory outlet, they went nuts. Every time I see one of those distinct Pfaltzgraff patterns, I am reminded of my mom, aunts, and Gramma.   Roger Barnes, Webster Groves, Missouri: When I was about 10, my father found a rare 1909 VDB penny in the church collection. I was fascinated. I found out that his mother had collected a few coins and he worked on his own collection, which was passed down to me. I continued with it and, although my collection is small, I think it is fun to hold coins that my grandmother and father had found and saved.       Database News New Towns in Massachusetts: Vital Records, 1620-1850   Today we’re announcing the addition of vital records from 35 new towns in western Massachusetts to Massachusetts: Vital Records, 1620-1850. This update adds over 449,800 names and was drawn from the Corbin Collection. Search Now       The Great Migration Study Project Sails On!   A first volume of new research on immigrant arrivals to New England from 1636-1638 will be published in early 2023. This volume, researched by Ian Watson, will contain letters A-Be for these years. As planned, research will continue for the foreseeable future to cover those who arrived through the year 1640. Learn more about the Great Migration Study Project       Your legacy. Your peace of mind. Your Free Will.    Family historians know the importance of wills for research purposes—but have you created a will for yourself? A legal will ensures that your hard work will have an impact on future generations and your legacy will be preserved. Identify beneficiaries for your assets, support the causes that are important to you, and plan for the preservation of your research through this easy and free online will creation tool from our friends at Free Will. The step-by-step guided process takes just 20 minutes or less to complete. Learn More       Educational events brought to you by Vol. 25, No. 20, Whole #1103 Copyright ©2022 New England Historic Genealogical Society. All Rights Reserved,. American Ancestors, 99-101 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116, 1-888-296-3447 Unsubscribe Manage preferences |
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