> Where would I find descriptions or photo's of different styles of > burial vaults? > > I am particularly interested in a burial vault that looks like a > little house made of what appears to be brick.... with a slate ( I > think) pitched roof.... There are two, side by side, in Belmont > Cemetery, Sumter Co., AL. I am curious to know if it is a > particularly "Irish" design. > > One is easily identifiable because it still has a "nameplate" in > stone on the front. > > The second, in better shape, has no stone on the front. I believe > it to be a member of the family... there are only the two... side by > side. The one that can be identified is for the burial of Elizabeth > Jane Rencher... died 1843. There are only two members of the family > that are not "accounted for". One is an Uncle, from Ireland. I > have no death date for him, but wonder if perhaps he was the source > of this unique design.... and perhaps his is the unidentified vault. > > I am not familiar with styles... perhaps this is just a common > style....but would like to know. > > Bev <brencher@earthlink.net> wallace state community college in hanceville, alabama had a pretty active geneaology ce program. the email is genws@hiwaay.net. even though i've only asked for information concerning my family, it's worth a try to see if someone there might have some specialized information in that area.

A little help with market research - I'm looking for names of genealogy magazines in the states with a good circulation base - I would be grateful for all and any help. Kind Regards T K Wilton "wilton" <wilton@ntlworld.com>

I'm not familiar with Texas records, so these are some general suggestions: "Herschell R. Spears" <hebe@peoplescom.net> wrote: > My Maternal Great Grandfather, James Henry Ray, was shot and killed > by a neighbor in Blossom, Lamar County, Texas sometime in the year > 1900. The name of the neighbor, according to family history, was > Gossett (probably John Gossett). The 1900 census would verify whether he had a neighbor of this or similar name. Once you've confirmed the name, you can consider tracing Gossett (or whoever), if you get stuck finding info on your g-grandfather. > The only newspaper in the county at that time was destroyed. The > local college has no information in their archives. A good source of newspaper information is the U.S. Newspaper Program http://www.neh.gov/projects/usnp.html The Texas portion was headquartered at U of T http://www.cah.utexas.edu/newspapers/tnp.html and includes information on almost 3,000 Texas newspapers. > James Henry was buried in the Red Oak Cemetery near Blossom, Texas, > with no headstone, therefore his date of death is only known as 1900. You should check for cemetery records if you haven't already. They'll often have burial dates and other information, even if there's no headstone. Tom "Tom Morris" <tmorris-NOSPAM@SPAMFREE.nh.ultranet.com>

> My Maternal Great Grandfather, James Henry Ray, was shot and killed > by a neighbor in Blossom, Lamar County, Texas sometime in the year > 1900. The name of the neighbor, according to family history, was > Gossett (probably John Gossett). > > <snip> > > Does anyone out there have any ideas as to where I should search for > the particulars surrounding the death of my Great Grandfather? > > Herschell R. Spears <hebe@peoplescom.net> Try the public library and the historical society in the county or city. -=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=- Webmaster: Cynthia Van Ness, MLS -- roots@bfn.org Roots: The Buffalo NY Genealogy Forum -- http://www.bfn.org/~roots With obits, vital records, city directories & hundreds of local links

Herschell R. Spears wrote: >My Maternal Great Grandfather, James Henry Ray, was shot and killed >by a neighbor in Blossom, Lamar County, Texas sometime in the year >1900. The name of the neighbor, according to family history, was >Gossett (probably John Gossett). > >There was a fire in the county seat, Paris, Texas, in the year 1916. >All records pertinent to this case were destroyed. <snip> As I mentioned before, I know next to nothing about Texas records, but I just checked two versions of the Handybook for Genealogists and Redbook, and none of them mention a significant record loss in Lamar Co., TX. While there are no death records before 1903, and it is entirely possible there are no remaining criminal records, these references indicate that marriage, probate, civil court, and land records exist from 1843. I'd sure be checking probate, civil court, and land records for any possible clues. Unless I lived nearby in Texas, my first step would be to check the online FHLC at www.familysearch.com to see what might be on microfilm that I could order for a very small fee at a local Family History Center). Often, when there were courthouse fires/floods, many records were saved. There are persistent rumors, for example, that two court house fires in Harrison Co., MO destroyed all records, and that could not be farther from the truth. Though some records were lost, there are many, many types of records that were saved and still exist back to the founding of the county in the late 1840s. County clerks are not hired to do genealogy, so they may not always be willing to go dust them off in the basement (or attic) unless you're there in person to look (or you pay or beg a local person they know to look at them for you). Connie clsheets1@prodigy.net

Singhals wrote: > A man is described in a parish register as being a fischer. I have > been assuming he fished (as in, caught fish to fry for dinner) and > sold 'em to make a living. > > However ... I've spent two days both on-line and in the brick > library (which needs better maps!) trying to find a river in his > vicinity and came up -- er, dry. (Wish I could find that tourist > map of Germany I had.) > > Is there something *else* the word fischer might have meant in the > 18th century? I'm no expert on naming practices, but it is possible that as far back as the 18th century, surnames could no longer be taken literally, just as they aren't today. As we know, Karen CARPENTER never swung a hammer. -=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=- Webmaster: Cynthia Van Ness, MLS -- roots@bfn.org Roots: The Buffalo NY Genealogy Forum -- http://www.bfn.org/~roots With obits, vital records, city directories & hundreds of local links

Dianne Jones wrote: > Trying to trace grandfather through the census. > > Known facts: b. 1862, Clinton Henry Co MO > 1870 Census - Dallas Co TX with parents/siblings > 1880 Census - not found, parents/siblings found in Hill Co TX. Older > sister not listed with parents/siblings at this time either > 1883 - marries, place unknown > 1900 Census - Johnson Co TX > 1910 Census - Hill Co TX > 1920 Census - Johnson Co TX > d. 1926, Ft Worth Tarrant Co TX > > What types of records should I search to find an eighteen year old > single male? I have done a page/page search of the 1880 census > records for Dallas Co, Hill Co, and Johnson Co TX. Try city directories, if any exist for the city(ies) where you think he lived. -=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=- Webmaster: Cynthia Van Ness, MLS -- roots@bfn.org Roots: The Buffalo NY Genealogy Forum -- http://www.bfn.org/~roots With obits, vital records, city directories & hundreds of local links

Can anyone offer any suggestions for finding landmarks and place names featuring a particular surname? Thanks Jen Jennifer McKemie jmckemie@mindspring.com http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~mckemie

Hi - In some of the early marriage records in Kentucky (1800-1860), it shows the word intermarriage between the two persons. Exactly what did that mean in that time period - does anyone know? Thanks, Lorraine. Landmoffat@aol.com

Listmembers, does the definition of "being a lunatic" in 1844 indicate the individual, so described, suffered from a form of mental instability/illness? I ask the question knowing that in years gone by consumption might have referred to present day diagnosis of tuberculosis. In other words, did lunacy in 1844 mean the same as it does today? Thanks for any information. Fran powell@closecall.com

"Herschell R. Spears" <hebe@peoplescom.net> wrote: > Does anyone out there have any ideas as to where I should search for > the particulars surrounding the death of my Great Grandfather? This is a bit of a wild grasp, but have you asked the LDS? They have the most unlikely things in their film collection...... Lesley Robertson Lesley Robertson <l.a.robertson@tnw.tudelft.nl>

sounds like fun to me... well, the searching part... not the event. I visited Townville, SC one time on a very cold day, in 1992. Went into an old country store and a bunch of older men were gathered about the woodstove. They all knew the story about a Civil War family... when the coffin with their son came home. So here I knew nobody, yet, stumbled upon a community memory from some 130 years previous....(and also of interest, they all had my grandfather's accent; another clue that I was very close to origin point.) Point is, people may remember some of the facts of the case that still live in the community. I would visit there and ask around. next, look at newspapers of nearby counties... they may have a write-up of the murder or of the courtroom dramas. maybe a lawyer or judge was borrowed from a nearby county. finally, *I* would try to find some Gossett folks, make amends and trade stories with them. That family was in some ways also a victim of the crime. warmest, charles Charles <lmnoNOSPAM@mindspring.com>

>My Maternal Great Grandfather, James Henry Ray, was shot and killed >by a neighbor in Blossom, Lamar County, Texas sometime in the year >1900. The name of the neighbor, according to family history, was >Gossett (probably John Gossett). > >There was a fire in the county seat, Paris, Texas, in the year 1916. >All records pertinent to this case were destroyed. > ><snip> > >Does anyone out there have any ideas as to where I should search for >the particulars surrounding the death of my Great Grandfather? > >Herschell R. Spears <hebe@peoplescom.net> I am not familiar with Texas records, but I would assume that if the neighbor was convicted and appealed the decision there would be court records at circuit/region or state level (or possibly even federal level). Find out what the court structure beyond the county level was and check there. I had a similar problem in 1898 in Missouri and the killer appealed his conviction to the supreme court in the state. (He lost and was subsequently hanged). If there are appellate records, they will almost certainly contain many details of the murder. If you haven't already, be sure to check for smaller newspapers in nearby towns and counties. And see if you can find some Gossett researchers who might know something. Are you absolutely positive all potentially relevant records at the county level were lost? (Sometimes that is not really the case). Connie clsheets1@prodigy.net

Herschell, if there were charges brought or a trial, there might be a State vs (John?) GOSSETT. That case would be found in a TX law library. The librarian on-site would be able to instruct you if you do not know how to use the law library. Fran powell@closecall.com

You've thought of a a lot................. but how about checking for a history book of the county? Is there a local historical society? A local genealogical society? Check the PERSI index for previously written articles in genealogical quartarlies? Is there a local library (other than the college you tried)? Funeral home records? Cemetery records either through the cemetery association or the monument company? See if the Dallas Morning News has archives on microfilm that you can view yourself. I love ferretting out these stories! Glee <gleemc@earthlink.net>

Does the town of Blossom have any town records? How about church records? "Roxanne Koelpin" <r.koelpin@verizon.net>

> My Maternal Great Grandfather, James Henry Ray, was shot and killed > by a neighbor in Blossom, Lamar County, Texas sometime in the year > 1900. The name of the neighbor, according to family history, was > Gossett (probably John Gossett). > > <snip> > > Does anyone out there have any ideas as to where I should search for > the particulars surrounding the death of my Great Grandfather? > > Herschell R. Spears <hebe@peoplescom.net> Have you tried posting on the LAMAR, Texas message board on RootsWeb? That might spark a memory from a living being or from a family member who had heard the annecdote or saw some record of the event.... Roger "Data" <bulldata.nospam@hotmail.com>

>From: "Herschell R. Spears" >My Maternal Great Grandfather, James Henry Ray, was shot and killed >by a neighbor in Blossom, Lamar County, Texas sometime in the year >1900. The name of the neighbor, according to family history, was >Gossett (probably John Gossett). If by luck you are correct about the neighbor's name, then you might want to search the TX prison record archives for information on him. That might indicate some information about whom he shot. Here is a good starting place for this information: http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/convict.html HTH, Kimber For a listing of obituaries I have on hand for St. Joseph Cty, IN, visit: http://hometown.aol.com/k727h/index.html k727h@aol.com (Kimber)

My Maternal Great Grandfather, James Henry Ray, was shot and killed by a neighbor in Blossom, Lamar County, Texas sometime in the year 1900. The name of the neighbor, according to family history, was Gossett (probably John Gossett). There was a fire in the county seat, Paris, Texas, in the year 1916. All records pertinent to this case were destroyed. The only newspaper in the county at that time was destroyed. The local college has no information in their archives. The Dallas Morning News, (the nearest large newspaper) has been contacted, with no answer received. James Henry was buried in the Red Oak Cemetery near Blossom, Texas, with no headstone, therefore his date of death is only known as 1900. Does anyone out there have any ideas as to where I should search for the particulars surrounding the death of my Great Grandfather? Herschell hebe@peoplescom.net

"Singhals" <singhals@erols.com> wrote: > In any event, there isn't one place, it's a series of places that > sort of sift, time-wise, south from Westenbrugge to Neu Kloster, one > entry here, one there, another somewhere else. There are three > lakes in/near parish entries, but not near the parish where this one > shows as a fisherman. :( With a name like Westenbrugge, there MUST have been water of some sort around - a small river, perhaps. You can't go far in Germany without getting your feet wet..... Indeed, if you look at Multimap, it's not THAT far from the coast - less than 15 km if I'm reading the scale correctly. Lesley Robertson Lesley Robertson <l.a.robertson@tnw.tudelft.nl>