Bravo, Laura! Well-said! Augusta -------------------------------------------------- From: <LALDERSON@nc.rr.com> Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2010 10:16 To: <nemonews@hotmail.co.uk>; <caribbean@rootsweb.com> Subject: Re: [Carib] Looking for Elizabeth HENRY > Listers, I'm happy to see we're on the case once again. The list has > been mighty quiet this summer. > > Jenny, to encourage you, yes, nearly anything IS possible! I have a > great, great grandmother who was 13 when her first child was born in > 1859; the parents married more than a year later. Another's child- > bearing years (1820-1841) spanned more than 20. I found one woman for > whom I had been searching for 10 years by simply entering her surname > first into Google. I had been googling her full name for years! > (Cemetery indexes often have surname first). A dear person on this > list just sent me some info from Google Scholar that Google and Google > Books did not find. Others helped me locate a box of materials in > Copenhagen. Jenny, keep looking! You can even put a small notice in > the person's local newspaper, in case a neighbor's descendants know of > him. If there is not a will in the probate court, there will be > administrator's papers. > > I believe in your man. I believe he was penniless and desperately keen > to have a gift for his dear tired mother, and thus he lifted the > handkerchief. Being no professional thief, he felt this modest piece > might be easily pocketed. > > Every day, there are literally thousands of documents and indexes > being added to the internet. Even old newspapers can be searched > electronically. Interlibrary loan brings you microfilms of the local > newspapers. In one case, everyone thought there was no will, but a > deed in a sheriff's sale in a distant state (the executor was selling > the land) mentions the will and the date it was written. > > Any record you find, ask for a photocopy or scan, plus a scan of the > cover or first page of the ledger/book. > > Bottom line: perhaps you can turn something up at the person's local > courthouse (don't forget to look at orphan's court) or by reading the > local newspaper (including the deaths of his descendants years later; > these sometimes recount more family history). When one is writing > obituaries, be sure to include the forebears and place of origin. "She > was descended from . . . " > > And, dear listers, a suggestion for your own will: when naming > yourself at the start, Include the names of your forebears and the > place of their origin along with your own. Or have attached to it a > genealogy. For many of us, this will be one of the only PUBLIC record > in a court house that we leave behind. In our time, the newspapers no > longer cover us when we graduate, marry, visit relatives, or grow a > bushel of prime apples, and we haven't joined the local church, our > deeds don't say where we are from, and our censuses don't carry our > occupations, year of immigration, or valuation. > > Good luck on your search. You will find something, though it may take > a long time. > > Cheers to all, > Laura > > *************************** > The Caribbean List now has a Resources Page at Historic Antigua and > Barbuda http://www.rootsweb.com/~atgwgw/ > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > CARIBBEAN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 9.0.851 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3091 - Release Date: 08/24/10 > 01:34:00 >