D. Brenton Simons Awarded Medal by Daughters of the American Revolution
President & CEO of American Ancestors/NEHGS Brenton Simons was awarded the prestigious History Medal by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution “for significantly advancing the understanding of America’s past on a national level." Read More
Free Webinar
Facing Our Past: Addressing the Legacies of Slavery and Empire at National Trust for Scotland Properties
Learn how the National Trust for Scotland Properties is addressing the legacies of slavery and empire at many of its historic properties, and how other organizations can follow a similar approach. November 12 at 1 p.m. ET. Register Now
Last Call! Online Conversation Course
Discussing Adoption: Driving Positive Outcomes in the Search for Knowledge, Past and Present
If you, someone you know, or your family in generations past have been touched by adoption, you won’t want to miss hearing from this panel of experts—their discussion and instructive videos about historical and current-day adoptions. The trio featuring a genealogist, an investigative reporter, and lawyer will share the latest techniques and tips to further your research. Join us November 15 at 6 p.m. ET.
The city of Spencer, seat of Clay County, is located in northwestern Iowa. The Spencer Public Library has made two databases for the city cemeteries—Riverside Cemetery and Northlawn Cemetery—available on its website. You can search the databases by individuals buried in the cemetery or by burial plot owners. The data fields in the burials search results may include first name, last name, grave location (section/block/lot/space), birth date, death date, and burial date. Each database is searchable by all applicable data fields. Click a record in the search results to find the location of the gravesite, which is pinpointed on the cemetery map. Search Now
New Website Coming Soon!
A New AmericanAncestors.org
Later this month, we will launch a new, user-friendly website for American Ancestors. The new site will feature a fully functional calendar listing events and tours, a filter-able video library with scores of educational programs, and a robust web-based search that will make it easier for users to find content by topic. Look for announcements about the timing of the launch on American Ancestors' social media platforms, and on the home page.
Free Author Event
Julie Flavell with The Howe Dynasty: The Untold Story of a Military Family and the Women Behind Britain's Wars for America. December 2 at 1 p.m. ET.
Learning About Your Family History On October 23, Curt DiCamillo, our Curator of Special Collections, and Lindsay Fulton, our Vice President for Research and Library Services, were interviewed on Cindy Stumpo’s “Tough As Nails” radio show. The topic was “Learning About Your Ancestry,” but the discussion was wide-ranging, with subjects including Queen Elizabeth II and the use of stucco as a building material, as well as family history.
Online Course
Researching Civil War Ancestors
Whether your ancestor wore blue or grey, this three-week online course led by Chief Genealogist and military history expert David Allen Lambert will explore the records, resources, and strategies for tracing Civil War veterans in your family tree. Live broadcasts: December 1, 8, and 15 at 6 p.m. ET. Register Now
The Weekly Genealogist Survey
Last week's survey asked about obsolete occupations. We received 2,901 responses. The results are:
63%, At least one of my ancestors had an occupation that is now obsolete.
37%, I am not aware of any of my ancestors having an occupation that is now obsolete.
This week’s survey asks if you own any books that belonged to your 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:Obsolete Occupations
By Lynn Betlock, Editor
Last week's survey asked about your ancestors’ occupations that are now obsolete. Thank you to everyone who replied. Below is a selection of reader responses.
Richard Fletcher, Provincetown, Massachusetts: I have discovered at least five of my ancestors and relatives were coachmen in the 19th- and early 20th-century in or around London, England. The earliest were Edward Budden (1825-1881), my great-grandfather, and his brother James. Two of Edward's sons, Edward Augustus (1849-1892) and Joseph (b. 1856) continued the tradition. A fifth was Walter Henry (1850-1940), another relative. In the 1911 census a note under Walter's "personal occupation" reads "Domestic Coachman unemployed at present." Motorized transport was slowly doing away with this occupation!
Mark Waldron, Kings Park, New York: My ancestor, Charles A. Waldron (ca. 1820-1892), was a "blockmaker"—think block and tackle used in the rigging for the sailing ship industry. This unusual occupation greatly facilitated my research of him all around New York City from the mid-1800s until his death in 1892.
Lindsay Ham Gillis, Concord, Massachusetts: The 1881 census for Leith, Scotland, lists my ancestor, Jean (Kirk) Henderson Conway (age 65), as a church pew opener. Some research revealed that in the days when parishioners could rent or own pews, a church pew opener held keys for private pew boxes and was responsible for recognizing and escorting these church members and unlocking their pews. The role might also include choosing seats for worshipers who did not have an allocated pew and helping with other duties in the church. This occupation was usually filled by older women.
Ken Gilbert, Columbus, Ohio: According to an old family history, my great-great grandfather, Carl Aufschlager (1836-1910), was a Beinringler in Germany and Austria. Beinringler was apparently a person who carved buttons and other similar items out of bone.
Jeff Martin, York, Maine: My great-great-grandfather, George Whittaker, was from Manchester, England, and in the 1881 census his occupation was given as "knocker up." A knocker up went around the neighborhood with a metal wire on the end of a pole and tapped on bedroom windows to "knock you up" or wake you up. In the days before alarm clocks, when most in the city worked in factories that required workers to arrive in the early morning, hiring a knocker up for a few pennies was a necessity. But who awakened the knocker upper?
The Fall Issue of American Ancestors Magazine is Now Available!
The fall issue of American Ancestors is now available online and is arriving in member mailboxes. This issue introduces the sixth edition of our popular Genealogist’s Handbook for New England Research. Edited by Rhonda R. McClure, the new edition has been updated with a vast array of online records and indexes. Also featured: New England probate research, Pilgrim lore past and present, and an interview with Matt Paxton, host of PBS's Legacy List. We hope you enjoy the new issue! Download the Issue
Do you have a favorite article, or feedback to share with us? Email us at magazine@nehgs.org!
Database News
New volumes for Massachusetts: (Image-Only) Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920
This week: 76 new volumes and 21 updated volumes in the image-only collection Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920. These new volumes come from 19 parishes: St. Andrew (Billerica); Our Lady of Grace (Chelsea); St. Joseph (Everett); Immaculate Conception and St. Louis de Gonzague (Newburyport); St. Michael (North Andover); St. Catherine of Siena and St. George (Norwood); Our Lady of Lourdes and Immaculate Conception (Revere); St. Joachim (Rockport); Immaculate Conception, St. Anne, and St. Mary (Salem); Our Lady of Sorrows (Sharon); St. Anthony of Padua (Shirley); St. Ann, St. Benedict, and St. Catherine of Genoa (Somerville). Search Now
Help Support Our Collections
Your support is vital. Help us maintain, conserve, and make our extensive collections— from publications to art to irreplaceable family and business archives—available to a wider audience. Please consider a gift today. Thank you! Give Now
