Brenton Simons interviews Kyle Hurst, Senior Genealogist for the Newbury Street Press at American Ancestors/New England Historic Genealogical Society. Hear about Kyle’s work at the Newbury Street Press, researching and writing family histories; how she got started in genealogy; and her award-winning genealogy Ancestors and Descendants of Charles Le Caron and Victoire Sprague. Watch Now
Online Course
The Yiddish of Yankeeland: The Jews of Boston and America, 1840–1924
Join Dr. Aaron Welt as he delves into the Jewish experience of Boston during the era of large-scale Jewish immigration to the United States. This course will explore what this city’s Jewish history can tell us about the American Jewish diaspora. Live broadcasts: November 2, 9, 16, and 23 at 4 p.m. ET. Register Now
Free American Inspiration Author Event
Anne Willan with Women in the Kitchen
A culinary historian traces the origins of American cooking through profiles of twelve essential women cookbook writers, highlighting their key historical contributions and recipes. Don’t miss learning more about the lives, talent, and impact of such visionary cooks and chefs as Fannie Farmer, Julia Child, and Alice Waters. November 4 at 1 p.m. ET.
This presentation will give you the basic information to advance your research into New England records. In preparation for the release of the Sixth Edition of Genealogist’s Handbook for New England Research, this presentation will give you basic historical context, general organization of records, go-to resources, and unique strategies for tracing your New England ancestors. October 28 at 3 p.m. ET. Register Now
Spotlight: Lexington County Probate Court Indexes, South Carolina
by Valerie Beaudrault
Lexington County is located in central South Carolina. The Lexington County probate court has made two sets of records indexes available on its website. There are Estate Indexes for 1865 through 1994. Select a date range and click the appropriate alphabetical link to begin. The search results include a link to a digital image of the relevant index page(s). There are also two marriage records indexes. One is an alphabetical index by the groom’s surname and the other is organized by the bride’s surname. The grooms’ index covers 1911 through 1987 and the brides’ index runs from 1936 through 1987. Click the link in the search results to view the index page. Search Now
Online Course
Learn how heraldry can inform and illuminate your family history research. November 3, 10, and 17 at 6 p.m. ET.
“On this day, the deceased are welcomed back into the world of the living by their friends and relatives who keep their memory alive.”
The Weekly Genealogist Survey
Last week's survey asked about ancestors and lives saved. We received 2,808 responses. The results are:
33%, At least one of my ancestors saved someone’s life.
22%, At least one of my ancestors had his or her life saved by someone else.
58%, As far as I know, none of my ancestors saved a life or had their lives saved by someone else.
This week’s survey asks about changing or embellishing identities. 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: Saving Lives
By Jean Powers, Senior Editor
Last week's survey asked about ancestors and saving lives. Thank you to everyone who replied. Below is a selection of reader responses.
Maggie Meahl, Beverly, Massachusetts: In the early 1950s, my grandmother, Margaret H. May, was playing golf with her friends at a Minneapolis, Minnesota, country club when she saw a maintenance man slip on the grass and fall under a mower. His thigh was mangled in a gruesome and bloody way. Having been trained in Red Cross skills during WWII, Margaret didn’t hesitate—she fashioned a tourniquet from her nylon slip and an oak branch and controlled the bleeding until an ambulance arrived, saving his life. Margaret was presented a Red Cross Award signed by Eisenhower; her story and photo appeared in the local papers.
Mary Boehnlein, Independence, Ohio: My mother, Dora Belle Newhouse Maher, saved the life of a child who choked on a marble. Dora tried hitting the child on the back, and when that didn’t work she slammed the child's body over the second-floor railing to dislodge the marble. This happened in 1915—59 years before Henry Heimlich published his first work on the lifesaving maneuver. Dora said she knew instinctively to apply force to the child's abdomen in order to force air from the lungs and through the throat.
Jayne Spears, Beebe, Arkansas: My great-grandfather, Charley Whitney Speight, nursed his younger brother, David Newton Speight, and his family back to health during the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918. After David and his family recovered, Charley returned to his wife, Gertrude Leonda Smith, and their five children, in Prairie County, Arkansas. He succumbed to the flu on December 12, 1918—Gertrude's 34th birthday.
Richard W. Tingblad, Whitman, Massachusetts: My great-uncle Oscar Chandler and his grandfather Hiram Chandler of Marshfield, Massachusetts, were Surfmen in the United States Lifesaving Service, the precursor to the Coast Guard. Surfmen stationed along the coast in Lifesaving Stations watched from their towers and patrolled beaches in all weather, looking for shipwrecks. In the event of a wreck, Surfmen would attempt to row their surfboats out to rescue survivors. They also used a small cannon called a Lyle Gun to shoot a line to the wreck and haul survivors to shore with a Breeches Buoy—a combination life preserver and canvas breeches. Their motto was "you have to go out, you don't have to come back."
Database News
New Searchable Catholic Records Volumes
This week we’re announcing the addition of 42 new volumes to Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records,1789-1920 from Our Lady of Ostrobrama (Brockton); St. Ann (Gloucester); St. Joseph and St. Michael the Archangel (Haverhill); Immaculate Conception (Salem); Our Lady of Sorrows (Sharon); Patronage of St. Joseph, St. Ann, St. Benedict, and St. Catherine of Genoa (Somerville). This update is part of our multi-year collaboration with the Archdiocese of Boston. Search Now
