Amanuensis Monday: A Golden Anniversary for David and Anna Cruvant

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, newspaper articles, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

I began this project back on February 16, 2009.  Since I began, many others have joined in on the meme. I am thrilled that this meme I started has inspired so many to transcribe their family history documents. Why do we transcribe? I provide my three reasons in the linked post. You may find others.

***
A couple weeks ago I shared the obituaries of David and Anna (Rubin) Cruvant. This week I share an announcement of their 50th Wedding Anniversary. As is my habit, I have removed the names of living descendants.

Weekly Genealogy Picks: Oct 21-27

Highlights from news stories and blog posts I have read in the past week that deal with my overlapping interests in Genealogy, History, Heritage, and Technology.

Genealogy News

• This week it was announced that Permira Funds is buying Ancestry.com (hat/tip: GeneaPress). Thomas MacEntee at Geneabloggers explains why Ancestry's sale is not a time to panic.

• Arlington National Cemetery has launched a database. (hat/tip: Genealogy Insider)

Research Advice

• Judy G Russell at The Legal Genealogist addresses the question of whether permission is required to take photos at cemeteries.

• Lorine McGinnis Schulze at The Olive Tree Genealogy provides some tips on Finding an Ancestor in Early Ontario Records Before 1869

• Michael W Twitty at Afroculinaria explains why he decided to pick cotton for 8 hours this week.

Technology/Blogging

• In If You Can't Open It, You Don't Own It - Leslie Johnston at Digital Preservation explores the difference between e-books and physical books.

• Robert Lee Brewer at My Name is Not Bob provides 3 Reasons Why SEO Matters for all bloggers. (Robert Lee Brewer is Poetry Editor at Writer's Digest)

 Cartoons and Poetry

• Cartoonist Steve Mitchell at Fisher Lane pokes fun at Who Do You Think You Are. (This is the seventh in a series of related cartoons.)

• Genealogy - a poem by Zen Doe at The Wind Horse Blog

Other Weekly Lists

• Julie Cahill Tarr's Friday Finds at GenBlog

• Diane Haddad's Genealogy News Corral at Genealogy Insider

• Lynn Palermo's Monday Morning Mentions at The Armchair Genealogist

• Randy Seaver's Best of the Genea-Blogs at Genea-Musings

Upcoming holidays - religious and secular, national and international - for the next two weeks

Two Week Calendar

• Oct 28 - Reformation Sunday (Protestant Christian)
• Oct 30 - Mischief Night (North America)
• Oct 31 - Hallowe'en or All Hallows' Eve (Christian)
• Oct 31 - Samhain (Neopagan) - Sunset Oct 31 to Sunset Nov 1
• Nov 1 - All Saints Day (Christian)
• Nov 1 - Day of the Innocents (Mexico)
• Nov 2 - Day of the Dead (Mexico)
• Nov 2 - All Souls Day (Catholic)
• Nov 4 - Mischief Night (UK)
• Nov 5 - Guy Fawkes Night (UK)
• Nov 6 - Finnish Swedish Heritage Day
• Nov 8 - World Urbanism Day
• Nov 9 - Schicksalstag (Germany)
• Nov 9 - International Day Against Fascism and Antisemitism
• Nov 10 - US Marine Corps birthday
• Nov 11 - New Year (Jain)
• Nov 11 - Father's Day (Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Sweden, Norway)
• Nov 11 - Armistice/Remembrance/Veterans Day (US, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, France, Belgium)
• Nov 11 - Deepavali/Diwali (Hindu) - Nov 11-15

Error Free Genealogy

In the past five years of research, one thing I've learned is that Error-free Genealogy isn't possible. I don't know about you, but I'm definitely human, as I seem to make a lot of mistakes.

For awhile I was sure my great great grandfather, Samuel, and my great grandfather, Barney, were in Canada from May 1904 to July 1907. I don't think I'd be the only person to make that assumption after reading the below border crossing document. It wasn't until I found the May 1907 passenger manifest that I realized they were in Canada only two months. I still am somewhat surprised that the same hand could write two 7s so differently a few inches away from each other. That is the same hand, isn't it?

Then there are the oversights I don't have anything to blame but myself - such as when the year I type into my database isn't what appears on the document. Even the most careful individual occasionally makes typographical errors. Hopefully they aren't as embarrassing as the tattoo above.

I've learned to keep this in mind when looking at the work of others. It doesn't matter if it is a family tree at Ancestry, Genealogy, Wikitree, or FamilySearch. It doesn't matter if it's a printed genealogy that contains sources, or doesn't contain sources. Sources only provide an easier way for me to check to see if mistakes were made; they don't provide me a reason not to check. I recently followed the citations listed in a family genealogy and came to a different conclusion than the author.

One thing I haven't decided upon is whether or not to go back through old posts and fix errors, or provide updated information. In general, I think I should, as I don't want to unintentionally spread bad information. But I lean towards providing updates, as opposed to covering up my initial error. (Except for typographical mistakes; I always fix those when I discover them.)

Surname Saturday: Stuart / Stewart

Discuss a surname and mention its origins, its geographical location(s) and how it fits into your genealogy research.

I've been discussing my surnames so far for this meme in the order in which they appear in my ahnentafel (ancestry table). However, I am going to skip over a few surnames. For each of these surnames I only know one individual, and I have no documentation to back up their maiden names beyond family lore. I hope to return to their surnames at a later date.

Stuart / Stewart

Stuart/Stewart is a royal Scottish surname, as well as a British occupational surname for a senior official.

Abigail Stuart was the second wife of my second great grandfather, Samuel Van Every. I know her parents, but I don't know her paternal grandfather. There was a George Stuart among the Loyalist settlers of Niagara, though I am currently unsure if he's related.

Am I related to the royal Stuarts? That would be nice. As would being related to Sir Patrick. At the moment I have no proof of either.

The numbering below follows the d'Aboville system. The first digit represents the order surnames make their first appearance on my ahnentafel.

I've emboldened my direct ancestors, and indicated their place of birth where known.

15. Elihu Stuart (1788-1826) Ontario, Canada married Johanna Swayze (1796-1854) Welland, Ontario, Canada

15.1 Pamela Stuart (1816-1859) Ontario
15.2 Barney Stuart (1818-?) Ontario
15.3 Elisha Travis Stuart (1823-1895) Ontario married Zilla Howell (1826-1898)
15.4 Abigail Stuart (1825-1866) Beaverdam, Welland, Ontario married Samuel Van Every (1820-1888) Dumfries, Brant, Ontario

15.4.1 George Van Every (1848-1932) Dumfries, Brant, Ontario married Carolyn Allen (1853-1931)
15.4.2 Emily Van Every (1850-1853) Dumfries, Brant, Ontario
15.4.3 Alice Van Every (1852-1930) St. George, Brant, Ontario married Charles Brock Van Every (1846-1902) (2nd cousins)
15.4.5 Clara Van Every (1855-1860) Middleville, Barry, Michigan, US
15.4.6 Emma Van Every (1856-?) Middleville, Barry, Michigan
15.4.7 Judson Adrian Van Every (1858-1923) Middleville, Barry, Michigan married Mary Effie Vardy (1866-?)
15.4.8 Charles Van Every (1861-1920) Middleville, Barry, Michigan
15.4.9 Melvin Elijah Van Every (1863-1929) Middleville, Barry, Michigan married Margaret Jane Denyer (1868-1923) Kyle, Hays, Texas [follow their descent at 4.1.2.1.1.3.9.1.12]
15.4.10 Willie Van Every (1866-1866) Middleville, Barry, Michigan

My number is 15.4.9.8.1.3

Amanuensis Monday: Obituary for Willa (Vanevery) Roberts - 1916

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, newspaper articles, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

I began this project back on February 16, 2009.  Since I began, many others have joined in on the meme. I am thrilled that this meme I started has inspired so many to transcribe their family history documents. Why do we transcribe? I provide my three reasons in the linked post. You may find others.

***

Willa (Van Every) Roberts (1890-1916) was the sister of my grandmother, Myrtle (Van Every) Deutsch. A few years ago I shared a letter she wrote to her father a month before she died. In the letter, among other things, she wrote that she didn't feel well. I've had difficulty locating a death certificate for Willa. I did have someone look for her in the Texas state archives, without success, as well as Caldwell County records. A few days ago I found the below obituary at NewspaperArchive. I'm calling it an obituary, but the newspaper printed it in the form of a letter.

Weeklky Genealogy Picks: Oct 14-20

Highlights from news stories and blog posts I have read in the past week that deal with my overlapping interests in Genealogy, History, Heritage, and Technology.

• Michele Simmons Lewis at Ancestoring provides some helpful suggestions on researching in other countries.

• At The Graveyard Rabbit Online Journal Randy Seaver discusses the Christian custom of being buried with your feet to the east. The custom of feet facing Jerusalem is also common in Judaism. (Chabad), and Muslims are buried facing Mecca.

• Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak at The Huffington Post says Enough with the Famous Cousins, Already! and Dick Eastman at Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter says We Are All Related, So Get Over It! - Both are lamenting the continual discoveries of celebrities who happen to be 10th cousins, and explaining how this isn't surprising. Smolenyak explains she is only surprised when the relationship is closer than 7th cousins.

• The UK 1911 Census transcriptions are free until November 18th at Genes Reunited and FindMyPast (hat/tip: GenealogyBlog)

• In Is It In Our Genes? at RJ Blog Dr. Susan Klugman discusses the prevalence of Tay-Sachs disease among Ashkenazi Jews, and the genetic impact of "the founder effect." 

• On Letters of Note - a letter Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird, wrote in 2006 to Oprah Winfrey on the subject of reading and books.

Other Weekly Lists

• Julie Cahill Tarr's Friday Finds at GenBlog
• Dan Curtis's Monday's Link Roundup at Professional Personal Historian
• Diane Haddad's Genealogy News Corral at Genealogy Insider
• Lynn Palermo's Monday Morning Mentions at The Armchair Genealogist
• Randy Seaver's Best of the Genea-Blogs at Genea-Musings

Upcoming holidays - religious and secular, national and international - for the next two weeks

Two Week Calendar

Oct 22 - International Stuttering Awareness Day
Oct 23 - Mole Day/Avogadro's Day (Celebrated at 6:02 a.m. or p.m. - 6.02 * 10²³ )
Oct 24 - Dasera (Hindu)
Oct 24 - United Nations Day
Oct 25 - Waqf al Arafa (Islam)
Oct 26-29 - Eid Al Adha (Islam)
Oct 27 - World Day for Audiovisual Heritage
Oct 28 - Reformation Sunday (Protestant Christian)
Oct 30 - Mischief Night (North America)
Oct 31 - Hallowe'en or All Hallows' Eve (Christian)
Oct 31 - Samhain (Neopagan) - Sunset Oct 31 to Sunset Nov 1
Nov 1 - All Saints Day (Christian)
Nov 1 - Day of the Innocents (Mexico)
Nov 2 - Day of the Dead (Mexico)
Nov 2 - All Souls Day (Catholic)
Nov 4 - Mischief Night (UK)

Surname Saturday: Perlik

Discuss a surname and mention its origins, its geographical location(s) and how it fits into your genealogy research.

Perlik

There is some thought that the Perlik surname has a similar etymology as the surname, Flach. If this is the case it may come from the Czech ‘Vlach’ meaning ‘foreigner.’ It might also be a topographic name for someone living on a flat terrain, from the Middle Low German, ‘vlak.’ It could also be an occupational name for a blacksmith, from Middle High German, ‘vlach,’ meaning ‘smooth.’

My Perlik ancestors may have come from Szczebrzeszyn, Poland, which is near the Ukraine border. The non-existent cities of ‘Szdobirtzen, Russia'  and ‘Szdobeitzen, Poland' appeared on some naturalization papers, and Szczebrzeszyn is a guess. My great-great grandmother Anna Perlik married Selig Dudelsack, and the Dudelsacks were from the nearby Volhynia region.

In America the Perliks settled in St. Louis, Chicago, and perhaps Philadelphia.

The numbering below follows the d'Aboville system. The first digit represents the order surnames make their first appearance on my ahnentafel.

I've emboldened my direct ancestors.

11. Isaac Wolf Perlik married Freida LIPMAN

11.1 Anna Perlik (1868–1932) married Selig DUDELSACK (follow their descent at 3.7)
11.2 Jacob Perlik (1879- 951) married Bessie ROSENBLATT (1883-1918) and Bertha DAVIDSON
11.3 Bluma Perlik married Israel BLOOM (*)

11.2.1 Anne Perlik (1905-1978) married Sam KLINSKY (1900-1962)
11.2.2 Harry Perlik (1907-1994) married Gladys (1907-1989)
11.2.3 Belle Perlik (1909-1993) married Benjamin ADELMAN (1907-1983)
11.2.4 Ceale Perlik (1912-1987) married  Jerome STONE
11.2.5 Irving Perlik (1914-2006)
11.2.6 Mary Perlik (1916-2008) married Edward KRAKOFF (1911-1987)
11.2.7 Sarah Perlik (1918-1918)
11.2.8. David Perlik (1920-1989)

(*) A daughter of Selig and Anna (Perlik) Dudelsack recorded the existence of a third sibling named Bluma who settled in Philadelphia and married someone named Israel Bloom. Corroborating evidence of this has not yet been uncovered.

My number is 11.1.2.2.1.3 

Amanuensis Monday: What a Tangled Tree We Weave

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, newspaper articles, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

I began this project back on February 16, 2009.  Since I began, many others have joined in on the meme. I am thrilled that this meme I started has inspired so many to transcribe their family history documents. Why do we transcribe? I provide my three reasons in the linked post. You may find others.

***

This week I share the obituaries of David and Anna (Rubin) Cruvant.  David was the brother of my great grandmother, Bertha (Cruvant) Newmark.

Surname Saturday: Mojsabovsky

Discuss a surname and mention its origins, its geographical location(s) and how it fits into your genealogy research.

Mojsabovsky is a surname for which I am uncertain of both origin, and spelling. I believe it to be the maiden name of my great-great grandmother, Minnie or Michalia.  She married Moshe Leyb Cruvant in in the late 19th century. The Cruvant family was from Cekiske, Lithuania; however, family lore says Minnie was from the area of Kiev. Either the city or the region. The region was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania between 1362-1569, but was then transferred to Poland, and in 1793 became part of Russia. Her death certificate says Bolrusk, for which JewishGen suggests Belarus. Modern day Belarus borders Lithuania in the North and the southern part isn't too far from Kiev.

The spelling is how it appears on family records; her death certificate says Moshinbovsky. The informant was a son-in-law. The names of her parents below also come from the death certificate.

The numbering below follows the d'Aboville system. The first digit represents the order surnames make their first appearance on my ahnentafel.

I've emboldened my direct ancestors.

10. Mandel Mojsabovsky married Sarah Goldstein

10.1 Michalia (Minnie) Mojsabovsky  (1863-1924) married Moshe Leyb Cruvant (1857-1911)

Follow the descent of Minnie and Moshe at 5.1.3

My number is 10.1.3.1.1.3

Weekly Genealogy Picks: October 7 - 11

[I will be away from the internet this weekend, so I am posting this a couple days early. Weekly Genealogy Picks will return to Sunday next week]

Highlights from news stories and blog posts I have read in the past week that deal with my overlapping interests in Genealogy, History, Heritage, and Technology.

Genealogy

• James Tanner at Genealogy's Star wonders what advice to give to the researcher who doesn't know their parents.

• Julie Cahill Tarr at GenBlog shares several Resources for Illinois Genealogy Research

• Michele Simmons Lewis at Ancestoring discusses the SS-5 form, including recent changes in ordering one, and the information you will receive.

• Ancestry.com's celebrity research team reveals that Canadians Justin Bieber, Avril Lavigne, and Ryan Gosling are cousins. “Discoveries like this are rare, so the fact that some of the top entertainment industry stars are all related is especially fascinating,” says Lesley Anderson, Canadian genealogy expert with Ancestry.com. Pardon my skepticism, but they're so rare it's been only two months since FindMyPast released their latest celebrity study. With several companies hiring teams of researchers to uncover celebrity tree secrets, these will become rarer and rarer. Anyone want to place bets on how long until the next rare discovery is made? At least this press release contains a chart explaining the descents.

• Ann Gibbons at Slate writes concerning Neanderthals, Denisovans, and 23andMe.

History

• Judy G. Russell at The Legal Genealogist looks at some historical punishments that today seem Cruel and Unusual

Social Networking

• In Pinterest: Time Waster or Useful Utility, Lorine McGinnis Schulze at Olive Tree Genealogy Blog attempts to answer the question.

• Lorine McGinnis Schulze also wonders if due to email, texting, etc - Have We Lost the Art of Compelling Letters?

Other Weekly Lists

• Randy Seaver's Best of the Genea-Blogs at Genea-Musings
• Dan Curtis's Monday's Link Roundup at Professional Personal Historian

Upcoming holidays - religious and secular, national and international - for the next two weeks

Two Week Calendar

Oct 14 - World Standards Day
Oct 15 - Global Handwashing Day
Oct 15 - Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day (US and Canada)
Oct 16 - Boss's Day (US and Canada)
Oct 16-23 - Navaratri (Hindu)
Oct 17 - International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
Oct 18 - St. Luke's Feast Day (Christian)
Oct 18 - Persons Day (Canada)
Oct 20 - Birth of the Báb (Baha'i)
Oct 20 - Installation of Scripture as Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh)
Oct 22 - International Stuttering Awareness Day
Oct 23 - Mole Day/Avogadro's Day (Celebrated at 6:02 a.m. or p.m. - 6.02 * 10²³ )
Oct 24 - Dasera (Hindu)
Oct 24 - United Nations Day
Oct 25 - Waqf al Arafa (Islam)
Oct 26-29 - Eid Al Adha (Islam)
Oct 27 - World Day for Audiovisual Heritage
Oct 28 - Reformation Sunday (Protestant Christian)

Following the Citations

On Feb 8, 2011, I discussed the Labors of Jurden

Mary Blackadder Piersol, in her genealogy, The Records of the Van Every Family: United Empire Loyalists, 1947, writes concerning my fifth great grandfather, McGregory Van Every:

The name of McGregory also appears in Col. Butler’s list of “disbanded Rangers” 1784, and in that year a map was published showing his farm to be in Township 1 Lot 10 on the River, where he had cleared eight acres and harvested corn with the help of his slave or Negro servant, Jurden.

One of the strengths of Piersol's genealogy is that she often (unfortunately, not always) cites the sources for her information. In this case, she cites: Niagara Historical Society #27, and Ottawa Archives State Papers, No. 25.

I found that the Niagara Historical Society uploaded their first 44 publications.  (However, they are transcriptions, not scans, so errors may have been introduced. And, of course, the original publications weren't the primary sources, either. Still, I am very pleased with this discovery.)

I was unable to locate an online copy of the Ottawa Archives State Papers, so until I tracked it down the old fashioned way, I decided to see what I could find in the NHS archives and elsewhere.

***
Notes on Niagara – No. 32 – 1759-1860, Niagara Historical Society, 1919.
1782: From the Archives obtained by Capt. Cruikshank:

"24th August, 1782: Col. Butler took the first census of the Settlement of Niagara. There were sixteen families, eighty-four persons, forty-nine horses, sixty cattle, one hundred and three hogs, thirty sheep and two hundred and thirty seven acres cleared. The statement also gives the number of bushels raised that year of wheat, oats, potatoes and Indian corn. 

The names of the settlers given are: Isaac Dolson, Peter Secord, John Secord, Jas.
Secord, Geo. Stuart, Geo. Fields, Jno.Depue, Dan. Rowe, Elijah Phelps, Phil Bender, S.
Lutz, Michael Showers, H. House, T. McMicken, A. Young, McG. VanEvery. One male slave is included in the list. In 1783, among the new names are: Barnard Frey, A. Bradt, B. Pawling, Jacob Ball, Peter Ball, Brant Johnson, J. Chisholm, Jas. Forsythe; and the number of acres cleared was 373.

***
Only one male slave was listed in the 1782 census. Who did the slave belong to?

Not only is my 5th Great Grandfather, McGregory Van Every in the list, so is another 5th Great Grandfather, Michael Showers. I'm also slightly curious about George Stuart. I have a 3rd Great Grandfather named Elihu Stuart. I don't know his parents, however, the marriage of the Stuart and Van Every families occurred not far away in Brant County.

I found a transcription of the census in NHS #27, which is likely one of the documents Piersol was citing.

Names Only But Much More, Janet Carnochan, No. 27 – Niagara Historical Society.

The appearance of "one male slave" at the end of the list is ambiguous. Did the slave belong to the last person on the list, or to any one of the other individuals? There's no way to be certain.

Might Piersol have looked at this list and made a possibly inaccurate assumption?

***
A search through Google Books turned up this item:

The Journal of Negro History, Volume 4, Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, 1919, p. 379.

In the report by Col. John Butler of the Survey of the Settlement at Niagara, August 25, 1782 (Can. Arch., Series B, 169, p. 1), McGregor Van Every is named as the head of a family. He was married, without children, hired men or slaves, had 3 horses, no cows, sheep, or hogs, 8 acres of “clear land” and raised 4 bushels of Indian corn and 40 of potatoes but no wheat or oats. His neighbor, Thomas McMicken, was married, had two young sons, one hired man and one male slave. He had two horses, 1 cow and 20 hogs, and raised ten bushels of Indian corn, 10 of oats and 10 of potatoes (no wheat) on his 8 acres of “clear land.”

***
The Journal of Negro History and NHS #32 both clearly reference the exact same report of Col. Butler the Census above was drawn from.  Without seeing the original document it's not possible to be certain if the JNH was correct in assigning the slave to Thomas McMicken.

***
Having looked through NHS #27, I have to assume that Piersol either retrieved the name of the slave from the Ottawa Archives State Papers, or a source she didn't cite. I found that this source was actually referenced once in NHS #27.

Farms in Township No. 1 on Niagara River and West, copied from Map in Archives, Ottawa, No. 25, State Papers, Sheubel Welton papers, about 1784 or earlier

Township 1 Lot 10 is listed as belonging to Geo. Van Every/A. Vrooman.  McGregory had no apparent sons named George, so Piersol was likely correct in identifying this lot as McGregory's.

The list of Disbanded Rangers, likely matching the list in the Ottawa State Papers, appears in NHS #39, where there is also a list of “Young Settlers, Loyalists and Brant's Volunteers Who Receive Rations” – including someone named Jordan Every.

That could certainly be a coincidence, but so far, it is the only reference to a name similar to ‘Jurden” that I have found outside of Piersol's genealogy, or anyone quoting her.

***
I really needed to find the Ottawa Archives, State Papers #25 to see what else Piersol may have seen as well. To find what the JNR was citing, I conducted a search on: "Canadian Archives" "Series B" 169 and found: Sessional Papers of the Dominion of Canada, Volume 25, Issue 9, 1892. (Published, of course, in Ottawa, the capital of Canada.)

Canadian Archives...Ottawa Archives...Sessional Papers....State Papers. Tomato/Tomahto?  Volume 25.  Of course, this appears to be only Issue 9 out of an unknown number of issues...but it was a start.

Within Issue 9 I found the survey, and it clearly assigns the slave to Thomas McMicken. (click to enlarge)

The publication date of the Sessional Papers is almost 100 years after the original document, and it cites Vol. 169 of the Canadian Archives, the publication date of which I currently don't know.

I still need to do more research and try to uncover where Piersol came up with the name Jurden. It's possible that even if McGregory didn't have a servant or slave in 1782, he later had one. However, for the moment, it appears possible that contrary to reports, McGregory Van Every didn't own a slave. [This doesn't clear my Vanevery line. McGregory's great-grandfather, Myndert, definitely had a slave named Hercules.]

According to WorldCat - the closest library for me with a collection of the Sessional Papers is about 100 miles away, in Columbia, Missouri.  A lot closer than I expected, but far enough away that I'm not likely going to be browsing through them any time soon.

Amanuensis Monday: Tecumseh

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, newspaper articles, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

I began this project back on February 16, 2009.  Since I began, many others have joined in on the meme. I am thrilled that this meme I started has inspired so many to transcribe their family history documents. Why do we transcribe? I provide my three reasons in the linked post. You may find others.

***

Recently I learned that the Niagara Historical Society has uploaded transcriptions of their first 44 publications.  I have found references to several kin within the documents.

Weekly Genealogy Picks

Highlights from news stories and blog posts I have read in the past week that deal with my overlapping interests in Genealogy, History, Heritage, and Technology.

• In Dealing with Monster Files James Tanner at Genealogy's Star discusses what to do when you 'inherit' a pedigree with thousands of names.

• For the Huffington Post, Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak shares 10 Things You Didn't Know about Rachel Maddow's Roots

• In Who Fought The American Revolution Part II and Part III Arlene Eakle continues to catalog the various participants and resources for research on each.

• Michael John Neill at Genealogy Tip of the Day reminds us You Are Not Your Ancestor's Judge.

• On October 2nd, the Document of the Day at the National Archives was Robert E Lee's Amnesty Oath 

Poetry

• Double Helix: Memories of Me - by Wynne Huddleston - at Poetry24

Carnivals, etc.

• Bill West at West in New England announced the Fourth Annual Great Genealogy Poetry Challenge, with entries due November 18th 

• The 122nd edition of the Carnival of Genealogy was published by Jasia at CreativeGene. The theme was School Humor. The theme for the 123rd edition will be Birthdays, with entries due November 1.

Other Weekly Lists

• Diane Haddad's Genealogy News Corral at Genealogy Insider
• Randy Seaver's Best of the Genea-Blogs at Genea-Musings
• Julie Cahill Tarr's Friday Finds at GenBlog
• Dan Curtis's Monday's Link Roundup at Professional Personal Historian

Upcoming holidays - religious and secular, national and international - for the next two weeks

Two Week Calendar

Oct 7 - Shemini Atzeret (Jewish holiday) - Oct 7 (sunset) to Oct 8 (sunset)
Oct 7-13 - National Fire Prevention Week (US and Canada)
Oct 8 - Simchat Torah (Jewish holiday) - Oct 8 (sunset) to Oct 9 (sunset)
Oct 8 - Thanksgiving (Canada)
Oct 8 - Columbus Day (US)
Oct 9 - Leif Erikson Day (US)
Oct 9 - National Day of Commemorating the Holocaust (Romania)
Oct 10 - World Mental Health Day
Oct 11 - General Pulaski Memorial Day
Oct 11 - Old Michelmas Day (Celtic)
Oct 14 - World Standards Day
Oct 15 - Global Handwashing Day
Oct 15 - Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day (US and Canada)
Oct 16 - Boss's Day (US and Canada)
Oct 16-23 - Navaratri (Hindu festival)
Oct 17 - International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
Oct 18 - St. Luke's Feast Day (Christian)
Oct 18 - Persons Day (Canada)
Oct 20 - Birth of the Báb (Baha'i)
Oct 20 - Installation of Scripture as Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh)

BBW: An instinctive hatred of books

Books and loud noises, flowers and electric shocks–already in the infant mind these couples were compromisingly linked; and after two hundred repetitions of the same or a similar lesson would be wedded indissolubly. What man has joined, nature is powerless to put asunder.

"They'll grow up with what the psychologists used to call an 'instinctive' hatred of books and flowers. Reflexes unalterably conditioned. They'll be safe from books and botany all their lives." The Director turned to his nurses. "Take them away again."

Still yelling, the khaki babies were loaded on to their dumb-waiters and wheeled out, leaving behind them the smell of sour milk and a most welcome silence.

-- Brave New World, Aldous Huxley, Chapter Two, 1932.

Like Harper Lee, Aldous Huxley can often be found on the Frequently Challenged books list. This year he once again made the top 10.

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BBW: One kind of folks

"...Atticus said one time the reason Aunty's so hipped on the family is because all we've got's background and not a dime to our names.”       

“Well Jem, I don't know—Atticus told me one time that most of this Old Family stuff's foolishness because everybody's family's just as old as everybody else's. I said did that include the colored folks and Englishmen and he said yes.”      

“Background doesn't mean Old Family,” said Jem. “I think it's how long your family's been readin' and writin'. Scout, I've studied this real hard and that's the only reason I can think of. ” Jem laughed. “Imagine Aunty being proud her great-grandaddy could read an' write—ladies pick funny things to be proud of.”      

“Well I'm glad he could, or who'da taught Atticus, and if Atticus couldn't read, you and me'd be in a fix. I don't think that's what background is, Jem.”      

“Well then, how do you explain why the Cunninghams are different? Mr. Walter can hardly sign his name, I've seen him. We've just been readin' and writin' longer'n they have.”      

“No, everybody's gotta learn, nobody's born knowin'. That Walter's as smart as he can be, he just gets held back sometimes because he has to stay out and help his daddy. Nothin's wrong with him. Naw, Jem, I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks.”  

Jem turned around and punched his pillow. “That's what I thought, too,” he said at last, “when I was your age. If there's just one kind of folks, why can't they get along with each other? If they're all alike, why do they go out of their way to despise each other?"

-- To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee, end of Chapter 23, 1960.

This week is the 30th Annual Banned Books Week, and once again, Harper Lee's classic makes the list of the 10 most frequently challenged books in the country.

Bill Moyers Discusses Our Freedom to Read