Researcher Aidan Walsh discovered that his impoverished Canadian ancestors might have been rightful heirs to a vast family fortune left behind in Spain, rumored to be worth millions of dollars. Could this story have been true—and if so, where did the money go? Read More
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Using Probate Records in Family History Research
Probate records are crucial sources for family historians. These legal documents can contain detailed family information and may provide an intimate glimpse into your ancestors' lives. This three-week online course will teach you how to leverage all kinds of probate records in your family history research. 10% Member Discount.
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The Weekly Genealogist Survey
This Week's Survey:
Genealogical Travel
Share your thoughts about the survey!Please limit submissions to 150 words or fewer. Your submission may be featured in an upcoming newsletter or shared on social media; please note in your email if you do not want your story to be shared. Published responses may be edited for clarity and length.
In addition, for a future American Ancestors magazine feature, we are collecting genealogical travel tips. Contact us if you would like to share your advice with fellow family historians.
21%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives was a professional (paid) actor.
16%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives was an amateur (unpaid) actor.
36%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives appeared in a high school or college theater production.
24%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives took part in amateur theatrical productions.
6%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives took part in family theatrical productions.
18%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives appeared in a film or television show.
22%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives were involved at least one field related to acting, such as script writing, directing, set design and building, costume design and sewing, or singing or playing an instrument for theatrical performances.
38%, No, I don’t believe any of my ancestors or relatives were involved in acting or any related fields.
18%, I have been involved in acting.
11%, I have been involved in a field related to acting.
Readers Respond
Eben W. Graves, Brunswick, Maine: My great-grandparents Frank Whittier and Amy Ince were actors from the 1890s to 1929, often performing in a different city every week. Ads for many of their performances can be found today in online newspaper databases. Both families must have looked askance at them—Frank's father was a Boston proofreading supervisor and Amy's father was a Toronto lawyer. My grandfather Roy Whittier was an actor from infancy—he was born in 1895—until 1918, when he began to attend Navy Officer Candidate School. My grandmother agreed to marry him only if he got a "proper job" after being discharged from the Navy; he agreed and had a long career in advertising.
Linda Morrison, Newton, Massachusetts: In 1916, my grandmother Ethel (Berner) Babbitt, from Hazleton, Pennsylvania, enrolled at Emerson College of Oratory (now Emerson College) in Boston, where she studied theatre arts and made lifelong friends. After marrying at New York City’s Little Church Around the Corner (well-known in theatre circles) in 1921, Ethel and her husband, Dr. Charles Babbit, moved to Nashua, New Hampshire. There, Ethel helped run an amateur theatrical group, the Nashua Players. The Players operated from the mid-1930s to the mid-1940s. Later in life, Ethel directed high school plays. My first visit to Symphony Hall in Boston occurred when my grandmother took me to hear Marian Anderson.
Greg Weinig, Wilmington, Delaware: My great-grandmother Elizabeth (O'Brian) Weinig (1883-1964) of Branford, Connecticut, was a singer. Her musical performances on February 22, 1902, and May 2, 1903, are recounted in her hometown newspaper, the Branford Opinion. I have a photograph of Elizabeth and other cast members in full costume in a production of Madame Butterfly.
James A. McDaniel, Weston, Massachusetts: My mother was born on a farm in Missouri and attended a one-room schoolhouse through eighth grade. She completed her education at Yale Drama School, earning a master’s degree in acting. Her first role after graduation in 1942 was as narrator of the Army War Show, a patriotic extravaganza put on by the U.S. Army that traveled to eighteen major cities, featuring hundreds of soldiers and dozens of tanks, howitzers, flame-throwers and anti-aircraft batteries. My mother was the only woman in the entire production. Opening night in Baltimore’s Municipal Stadium was attended by Eleanor Roosevelt, General George C. Marshall, Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson, and many other dignitaries. The grand spectacle began when my mother, then only 25, stepped to the microphone to deliver her opening line: “I am Victory!”
“As a Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq, Alvin Gauthier felt a personal connection to the wartime letters. ‘I had to find the family,’ he said.”
"I'm Your Mammy's Little Boy" When Shannon Leet from Ontario was planning a holiday to Northern Ireland, she posted on Facebook, hoping to visit the graves of some of her ancestors. She received a reply from her half brother.
“Nobody knows for sure, but plausible theories include swords, servants and saddles.”
Spotlight: Community History Archive, Irwin L. Young Memorial Library, Whitewater, Wisconsin
by Valerie Beaudrault
Whitewater is located in the southeastern Wisconsin counties of Walworth and Jefferson. The Irwin L. Young Memorial Library’s Community History Archive provides a local newspaper database comprising over 205,000 pages from ten titles, including the Whitewater Register (1857-2013), The Whitewater Register (1875-1975), The Whitewater Gazette (1899-1918), The Whitewater Press (1924-1935), and The Gazette (1894-1899). Additional resources include yearbooks from the University of Wisconsin (1909-1963) and Whitewater High School (1926-1963). Search by keyword or browse records. Search Now
New Issue of American Ancestors Magazine is Now Available
The newest issue of American Ancestors magazine explores how artificial intelligence is changing genealogy. Other articles discuss research on post-Civil War sketches of Black men and women in our collections, an ancestor who fled England after being convicted of regicide, and the “Building Connecticut’s Bookshelf” exhibition at the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History. Members of American Ancestors can access this issue and our entire magazine archive. Learn More
Database News
Early American Newspapers, Series I, 1690-1876
Don't miss out on a great resource! Early American Newspapers contains over one million pages of fully searchable early newspapers, such as the Boston Gazette, New-York Evening Post, and many more. The database includes marriage, death, and court records. Join American Ancestors to search this and many more databases from our partners. Learn More
As a family historian, you know that wills are important in your research—but have you created a will for yourself? Free Will, an easy and free online will creation tool, will guide you step-by-step through identifying beneficiaries for your assets, supporting the causes that are important to you, and planning for the preservation of your research. Learn More
