Is there a Clarissa Skinner in your line? Supposedly married a Philip Van Inwegen. I have no verification on either of them other than family oral history. Clarissa would have born before 1823, but I do not have a date. BJ Anderson

Dear list, I have a dozen or so articles that I wrote for a newspaper column a couple years ago to explain genealogy to the general public and to act as a basic course to get people started. Much of the material is what we use when we teach the basic course at the Genealogical Society. I have skipped article one as it merely talks about the Society and I have done slight editing to make them compatible with this list. Much will serve as a reminder to those of us who sometimes forget to do the basic items when we start a new line (myself included). FAMILY TIES by Dan Burrows Let's break away from the "how to" lessons for a moment and talk about other items of genealogical interest. The research room of the Orange County Genealogical Society in the 1841 Historic Courthouse, 101 Main Street in Goshen has seen many extra researchers over the last three months. Because of Family History Month, the Basic Genealogy Course, and a Genealogical gathering (sponsored by the Warwick Conference Center), the usual heavy traffic through our bookshelves was doubled and tripled during September through November. Our volunteers put in lots of overtime to make these events successful. The Society has just put out a new catalogue with local genealogical local history books for sale. Non members can pick one up or write to the above address to request one. You may also email me at dburrows2@juno.com and put OCGS BOOKLIST in the subject area. Speaking of members, we are at an all time high this year. We mailed out 979 of our Quarterly Journals to our members across the country on November 1st. We will no doubt hit the 1000 mark before our membership year ends on April 30th. I would like to take a moment and briefly touch on another subject that surfaces from time to time. Halberts of Bath, Ohio periodically sends out advertising to thousands of families each week offering the "World Book of Burrows" with your surname being substituted for Burrows. They have used all kinds of tactics (and many different company names) to get people to buy these books which are nothing more than a few genealogical tips and a listing of others of the same surname with their mailing addresses. They will claim that "you are in the book" -- and your name and address from you phone listing will be there. Simply discard these or any similar ads -- they are fraudulent and charges are periodically filed through the post office by larger genealogical organizations in a so far unsuccessful effort to stop their deceitful advertising tactics. You may receive an honest request from time to time from a person conducting research on your surname in your area. Never give out information about your immediate family until you are convinced their request is genuine. Another topic of local genealogical interest is Family Bibles. The Orange County Genealogical Society is interested in collecting data from Family Bibles of Orange County Families. This is done in one of three ways. Many Bibles are simply donated to the Society where we preserve the family pages in acid free sleeves. The Society has been transcribing and publishing these records. Some people photocopy the title page and the family pages and we put them on file. Lastly, some people carefully transcribe the records (including the title page) and place them on file in our research room. Naturally, the older the records, the more people that would be interested in the information contained on those pages. If you have an old Bible and would like to share the family information they contain, please contact the Society. During our Basic Genealogy Course, we hand out several handouts that aid in genealogical research. I would like to include here a list of old terms used for diseases. These are particularly useful helping us to better understand old letters, obituaries, death certificates, and many other older records. As space permits, I will include other research aids in future articles. Ablepsy - Blindness Ague - Malarial Fever American plague - Yellow fever Anasarca - Generalized massive edema Aphonia - Laryngitis Aphtha - The infant disease "thrush" Apoplexy - Paralysis due to stroke Asphycsia/Asphicsia - Cyanotic and lack of oxygen Atrophy - Wasting away or diminishing in size. Bad Blood - Syphilis Bilious fever - Typhoid, malaria, hepatitis or elevated temperature and bile emesis Biliousness - Jaundice associated with liver disease Black plague or death - Bubonic plague Black fever - Acute infection with high temperature and dark red skin lesions and high mortality rate Black pox - Black Small pox Black vomit - Vomiting old black blood due to ulcers or yellow fever Blackwater fever - Dark urine associated with high temperature Bladder in throat - Diphtheria (Seen on death certificates) Blood poisoning - Bacterial infection; septicemia Bloody flux - Bloody stools Bloody sweat - Sweating sickness Bone shave - Sciatica Brain fever - Meningitis Breakbone - Dengue fever Bright's disease - Chronic inflammatory disease of kidneys Bronze John - Yellow fever Bule - Boil, tumor or swelling Cachexy - Malnutrition Cacogastric - Upset stomach Cacospysy - Irregular pulse Caduceus - Subject to falling sickness or epilepsy Camp fever - Typhus; aka Camp diarrhea Canine madness - Rabies, hydrophobia Canker - Ulceration of mouth or lips or herpes simplex Catalepsy - Seizures / trances Catarrhal - Nose and throat discharge from cold or allergy Cerebritis - Inflammation of cerebrum or lead poisoning Chilblain - Swelling of extremities caused by exposure to cold Child bed fever - Infection following birth of a child Chin cough - Whooping cough Chlorosis - Iron deficiency anemia Cholera - Acute severe contagious diarrhea with intestinal lining sloughing Cholera morbus - Characterized by nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, elevated temperature, etc. Could be appendicitis Cholecystitus - Inflammation of the gall bladder Cholelithiasis - Gall stones Chorea - Disease characterized by convulsions, contortions and dancing Cold plague - Ague which is characterized by chills Colic - An abdominal pain and cramping Congestive chills - Malaria Consumption - Tuberculosis Congestion - Any collection of fluid in an organ, like the lungs Congestive chills - Malaria with diarrhea Congestive fever - Malaria Corruption - Infection Coryza - A cold Costiveness - Constipation Cramp colic - Appendicitis Crop sickness - Overextended stomach Croup - Laryngitis, diphtheria, or strep throat Cyanosis - Dark skin color from lack of oxygen in blood Cynanche - Diseases of throat Cystitis - Inflammation of the bladder Day fever - Fever lasting one day; sweating sickness Debility - Lack of movement or staying in bed Decrepitude - Feebleness due to old age Delirium tremens - Hallucinations due to alcoholism Dengue - Infectious fever endemic to East Africa Dentition - Cutting of teeth Deplumation - Tumor of the eyelids which causes hair loss Diary fever - A fever that lasts one day Diptheria - Contagious disease of the throat Distemper - Usually animal disease with malaise, discharge from nose and throat, anorexia Dock fever - Yellow fever Dropsy - Edema (swelling), often caused by kidney or heart disease Dropsy of the Brain - Encephalitis Dry Bellyache - Lead poisoning Dyscrasy - An abnormal body condition Dysentery - Inflammation of colon with frequent passage of mucous and blood Dysorexy - Reduced appetite Dyspepsia - Indigestion and heartburn. Heart attack symptoms Dysury - Difficulty in urination Eclampsy - Symptoms of epilepsy, convulsions during labor Ecstasy - A form of catalepsy characterized by loss of reason Edema - Nephrosis; swelling of tissues Edema of lungs - Congestive heart failure, a form of dropsy Eel thing - Erysipelas Elephantiasis - A form of leprosy Encephalitis - Swelling of brain; aka sleeping sickness Enteric fever - Typhoid fever Enterocolitis - Inflammation of the intestines Enteritis - Inflations of the bowels Epitaxis - Nose bleed Erysipelas - Contagious skin disease, due to Streptococci with vesicular and bulbous lesions Extravasted blood - Rupture of a blood vessel Falling sickness - Epilepsy Fatty Liver - Cirrhosis of liver Fits - Sudden attack or seizure of muscle activity Flux - An excessive flow or discharge of fluid like hemorrhage or diarrhea Flux of humour - Circulation French pox - Syphilis Gathering - A collection of pus Glandular fever - Mononucleosis Great pox - Syphilis Green fever / sickness - Anemia Grippe/grip - Influenza like symptoms Grocer's itch - Skin disease caused by mites in sugar or flour Heart sickness - Condition caused by loss of salt from body Heat stroke - Body temperature elevates because of surrounding environment temperature and body does not perspire to reduce temperature. Coma and death result if not reversed Hectical complaint - Recurrent fever Hematemesis - Vomiting blood Hematuria - Bloody urine Hemiplegy - Paralysis of one side of body Hip gout - Osteomylitis Horrors - Delirium tremens Hydrocephalus - Enlarged head, water on the brain Hydropericardium - Heart dropsy Hydrophobia - Rabies Hydrothroax - Dropsy in chest Hypertrophic - Enlargement of organ, like the heart Impetigo - Contagious skin disease characterized by pustules Inanition - Physical condition resulting from lack of food Infantile paralysis - Polio Intestinal colic - Abdominal pain due to improper diet Jail fever - Typhus Jaundice - Condition caused by blockage of intestines ___________________________________________________________________ Get the Internet just the way you want it. Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month! Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.

This is a continuation of the list of old dieases in Article 8, Part 1 King's evil - Tuberculosis of neck and lymph glands Kruchhusten - Whooping cough Lagrippe - Influenza Lockjaw - Tetanus or infectious disease affecting the muscles of the neck and jaw. Untreated, it is fatal in 8 days Long sickness - Tuberculosis Lues disease - Syphilis Lues venera - Venereal disease Lumbago - Back pain Lung fever - Pneumonia Lung sickness - Tuberculosis Lying in - Time of delivery of infant Malignant sore throat - Diphtheria Mania - Insanity Marasmus - Progressive wasting away of body, like malnutrition Membranous Croup - Diphtheria Meningitis - Inflations of brain or spinal cord Metritis - Inflammation of uterus or purulent vaginal discharge Miasma - Poisonous vapors thought to infect the air Milk fever - Disease from drinking contaminated milk, like undulant fever or brucellosis Milk leg - Post partum thrombophlebitis Milk sickness - Disease from milk of cattle which had eaten poisonous weeds Mormal - Gangrene Morphew - Scurvy blisters on the body Mortification - Gangrene of necrotic tissue Myelitis - Inflammation of the spine Myocarditis - Inflammation of heart muscles Necrosis - Mortification of bones or tissue Nephrosis - Kidney degeneration Nepritis - Inflammation of kidneys Nervous prostration - Extreme exhaustion from inability to control physical and mental activities Neuralgia - Described as discomfort, such as "Headache" was neuralgia in head Nostalgia - Homesickness Palsy - Paralysis or uncontrolled movement of controlled muscles. It was listed as "Cause of death" Paroxysm - Convulsion Pemphigus - Skin disease of watery blisters Pericarditis - Inflammation of heart Peripneumonia - Inflammation of lungs Peritonotis - Inflammation of abdominal area Petechial Fever - Fever characterized by skin spotting Puerperal exhaustion - Death due to child birth Phthiriasis - Lice infestation Phthisis - Chronic wasting away or a name for tuberculosis Plague - An acute febrile highly infectious disease with a high fatality rate Pleurisy - Any pain in the chest area with each breath Podagra - Gout Poliomyelitis - PolioPotter's asthma - Fibroid pthisis Pott's disease - Tuberculosis of spine Puerperal exhaustion - Death due to childbirth Puerperal fever - Elevated temperature after giving birth to an infant Puking fever - Milk sickness Putrid fever - Diphtheria. Quinsy - Tonsillitis. Remitting fever - Malaria Rheumatism - Any disorder associated with pain in joints Rickets - Disease of skeletal system Rose cold - Hay fever or nasal symptoms of an allergy Rotanny fever - (Child's disease) ??? Rubeola - German measles Sanguineous crust - Scab Scarlatina - Scarlet fever Scarlet fever - A disease characterized by red rash Scarlet rash - Roseola Sciatica - Rheumatism in the hips Scirrhus - Cancerous tumors Scotomy - Dizziness, nausea and dimness of sight Scrivener's palsy - Writer's cramp Screws - Rheumatism Scrofula - Tuberculosis of neck lymph glands. Progresses slowly with abscesses and pistulas develop. Young person's disease Scrumpox - Skin disease, impetigo Scurvy - Lack of vitamin C. Symptoms of weakness, spongy gums and hemorrhages under skin Septicemia - Blood poisoning Shakes - Delirium tremens Shaking - Chills, ague Shingles - Viral disease with skin blisters Ship fever - Typhus Siriasis - Inflammation of the brain due to sun exposure Sloes - Milk sickness Small pox - Contagious disease with fever and blisters Softening of brain - Result of stroke or hemorrhage in the brain, with an end result of the tissue softening in that area Sore throat distemper - Diphtheria or quinsy Spanish influenza - Epidemic influenza Spasms - Sudden involuntary contraction of muscle or group of muscles, like a convulsion Spina bifida - Deformity of spine Spotted fever - Either typhus or meningitis Sprue - Tropical disease characterized by intestinal disorders and sore throat St. Anthony's fire - Also erysipelas, but named so because of affected skin areas are bright red in appearance St. Vitas dance - Ceaseless occurrence of rapid complex jerking movements performed involuntary Stomatitis - Inflammation of the mouth Stranger's fever - Yellow fever Strangery - Rupture Sudor anglicus - Sweating sickness Summer complaint - Diarrhea, usually in infants caused by spoiled milk Sunstroke - Uncontrolled elevation of body temperature due to environment heat. Lack of sodium in the body is a predisposing cause Swamp sickness - Could be malaria, typhoid or encephalitis Sweating sickness - Infectious and fatal disease common to UK in 15th century Tetanus - Infectious fever characterized by high fever, headache and dizziness Thrombosis - Blood clot inside blood vessel Thrush - Childhood disease characterized by spots on mouth, lips and throat Tick fever - Rocky mountain spotted fever Toxemia of pregnancy - Eclampsia Trench mouth - Painful ulcers found along gum line, Caused by poor nutrition and poor hygiene Tussis convulsiva - Whooping cough Typhus - Infectious fever characterized high fever, headache, and dizziness Variola - Smallpox Venesection - Bleeding Viper's dance - St. Vitus Dance Water on brain - Enlarged head White swelling - Tuberculosis of the bone Winter fever - Pneumonia Womb fever - Infection of the uterus. Worm fit - Convulsions associated with teething, worms, elevated temperature or diarrhea Yellowjacket - Yellow fever. ___________________________________________________________________ Get the Internet just the way you want it. Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month! Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.

The Wig Press Nov.26, 1851 Middletown Bank institution originated in Aug. 1839, location= North Street Middletown the officers are Joseph Davis - Pres. Henry P Roberts - V. P. Wm. M. Graham - Cashier directors= Joseph Davis H.P. Roberts Samuel Denton Henrey E. Horton E.P. Wheeler John G. Wilkin D.C. Dusenberry Gilbert Hulse Wm. Graham Wm.S. Little J.G. Houston Thomas King Wm. Arnot J.V. Mapes annual meeting 1st. Tuesday in May

Dear list - sometimes we get so busy that all we have time for is reading the subject headings looking for our surnames or locations. As a result I have missed Daniel Burrows' series prior to "The censuses." How do I access the beginning parts and in which digests did they appear? Thank you, Daniel, what a wonderful, concise, and helpful series even for us old timer researchers!

HI, I am currently trying to prove my line of descent for DAR. I am missing the proof for one generation. I need to prove that Henry was a son of Abraham and Charity. I also need to prove that Benjamin was the son of Abraham. Can someone please help me to know where I could find this information. As you can see it is scattered between Orange, Tompkins, and Steuben counties from the years 1786-1832. Thank you for any assistance or information. Sharon Direct Descendants of Abraham Abram VanAmburgh 1 Abraham Abram VanAmburgh b: 1786 in Orange County, New York d: 1874 in Anamosa, Jones county, Iowa .. +Charity Lewis b: October 17, 1792 in Montgomery, Orange County, New York m: 1811 in Dryden, Tompkins, New York d: April 1850 in Alleghaney, Dekalb County, Illinois ... 2 [1] Henry (Van Amburg, Vanamberg) VanAmburgh b: 1812 in Dryden, Tompkins County, New York d: 1900 in Victor, Mitchell county, Kansas age 88 years ....... +Susana Moss b: March 1814 in MudCreek, Steuben county, New York m: 1831 in Tompkins co, New York d: March 1864 in buried in Charter Grove cemetery, Sycamore twp, Illinois ........ 3 Benjamin Albert VanAmburg(h) b: October 08, 1832 in Steuben County, New York state d: January 27, 1895 in Cass cemetery, Anamosa, Marion county, Iowa ............ +Harriet Henrietta Jane Boots b: August 06, 1832 in Steuben co, New York m: July 04, 1852 in Dekalb co, Illinois d: January 20, 1916 in Washta, Cherokee, Iowa ___________________________________________________________________ Get the Internet just the way you want it. Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month! Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.

Dear list, I have a dozen or so articles that I wrote for a newspaper column a couple years ago to explain genealogy to the general public and to act as a basic course to get people started. Much of the material is what we use when we teach the basic course at the Genealogical Society. I have skipped article one as it merely talks about the Society and I have done slight editing to make them compatible with this list. Much will serve as a reminder to those of us who sometimes forget to do the basic items when we start a new line (myself included). FAMILY TIES Tracing your ancestry with the use of Compiled Sources -- the mostly widely used genealogical tools. by Dan Burrows Fortunately and unfortunately, much of our genealogical research is done with compiled sources. It is fortunate that so many useful and easily accessible resources are out there, and unfortunate that we often do not have access to the original documents (primary sources). Compiled sources are collections of information brought together in one place -- usually in some form of a book and are often broken down into seven major categories. **Family histories and genealogies **Local histories **Compiled lists (genealogical dictionaries, directories, registers, etc.) **Biographical works **Genealogical and historical periodicals **Compendium genealogies **Special manuscript collections Compiled sources are always considered secondary records (not original) and are the result of someone's research. Secondary does not mean the source is inferior -- if it is well documented (sources cited) it is invaluable but the original sources cited should be consulted whenever possible to rule out errors or misinterpretations. Following are brief discussions of these various sources: FAMILY HISTORIES AND GENEALOGIES This is by far the largest and fastest growing category of compiled sources. The error rate in these printed genealogies is extremely large -- depending on the thoroughness of the compiler. The major reasons for this high error rate are: Laziness of the compiler by guessing at facts and relationships instead of laboring over many sources and paying attention to detail. Ignorance of the fact that many documentary archival sources are available to use instead of relying on previously printed secondary sources. The expense involved in doing documentary research from primary sources can be overwhelming to some. It should be remembered that something that is worthwhile doing is worth doing well. The fascination of some who would rather accept a line of descent that sounds or appears better than to prove that it might be incorrect. When evaluating family genealogies and family histories, an educated guess to their reliability can usually be made by asking: Are the sources well documented? Are the sources primary or secondary? Are genealogical problems thoroughly discussed so the reader can see the basis of their acceptance or even research the problem on their own? There are bibliographical sources that can be consulted for determining whether or not a genealogy exists about a family that you are researching such as the book Genealogies in the Library of Congress which covers up to 1976 and the various supplements that have followed. The card catalogue of the Mormon Church, catalogues from larger book dealers, and book reviews in periodicals are a few examples. LOCAL HISTORIES Most areas of the United States have had local histories written about them -- many done in the late 1800's and others done in more contemporary times. These, like family genealogies vary greatly in style and accuracy and the many of the same guidelines should be used in evaluating them. There are several bibliographies of available histories to be consulted but when in doubt one might consult a local historian or genealogical society. Munsell's Index has been one of the most widely used for finding buried genealogies contained in local histories but it only covers only those printed up to 1909. Sinclair's recent index to New Jersey biographies and Copely's index to 3 or more generations of genealogy in New Hampshire town histories are great examples. These can be found in many genealogical libraries. Many times your ancestor may be too obscure to have a history or biography included in a local history, but you might come across a valuable clue by his or her casual mention in someone else's biography. Some local histories contain valuable biographical sketches throughout the text and others have separate biographical sketches. Fortunately many of the older histories are being indexed by local groups or individuals to make your research easier but some indexes are incomplete. COMPILED LISTS Several genealogical dictionaries have been compiled through the years. Some of the most prominent are Savage's Dictionary, the Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire, the Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island, and the Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army. These usually have sources cited so that researcher can do further investigation of the facts. An example of a local dictionaries for our area would be Pioneers of Orange County. Other compilers have done these massive compilations of mini genealogies (sometimes called registers) for specific localities. Local directories (similar to today's phone books) are a very valuable genealogical source as you can track families in specific towns for years. Sometimes notations are made to advise you that a person has removed to another locality. They can often help you pinpoint a death if the listing changes from Mr. to Mrs. or disappears completely when it is known that the person did not remove to another location. BIOGRAPHICAL WORKS Biographical works usually deal with persons who have achieved some prominence but they many times mention not so prominent persons affiliated or related to those persons. There are many of these compilations and the most famous are of a national scope such as the Cyclopedia of American Biography. Their intentions are simply biographical and not genealogical. Most are of relatively recent information, contemporary to the time of publication which is the major difference separating them from the compiled lists mentioned previously. Some local biographical works are available for many parts of the country and they vary greatly in form. One of the most popular done in the very late 1800's were the Commemorative Biographical Records. These are also known as "Mug Books" (as were some of the more "biographical" county histories). Persons usually paid to have their family and personal information printed in these books. Though much of the information was given directly from the families, a certain amount of exaggeration occurred and one must evaluate the more illustrious statements. Much valuable information and many clues can be found in these local biographical works and again we are fortunate that many are being indexed. GENEALOGICAL AND HISTORICAL PERIODICALS This is by far one of the most useful sources for solving genealogical problems. These vary greatly from the scholarly journals of the New England Historical and Genealogical Society and the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society to mimeographed newsletters of local groups. They contain a wealth of genealogical information such as: **Genealogies and family histories **Family and biographical sketches **Indexes to otherwise un-indexed records **Information from valuable unpublished private sources **Copies of lost records **Genealogical queries, book reviews **Much valuable local information **"How to" and new useful tips Most of the information in the smaller periodical lies buried and untapped but some indexes are available to guide you to this information such as: **Jacobus' Index to Genealogical Periodicals *Genealogical Periodical Annual Index **Munsell's Index to American Genealogies **Self-contained indexes to major genealogical periodicals COMPENDIUM GENEALOGIES Compendium genealogies are similar to genealogical dictionaries except that the thoroughness of research is usually much less. Compendiums are mass gatherings of sketches usually put together from other secondary sources or family information. These should always be used with caution and documented whenever possible from primary or well documented secondary sources. A couple of major examples would be: **The Compendium of American Genealogy by Virkus **Colonial Families of the United States of America by Mackenzie **American Ancestry by Munsell SPECIAL MANUSCRIPT COLLECTIONS Many people spend years compiling genealogical information that never gets published. These end up in trunks up in the attic, donated to libraries and genealogical societies and worst of all destroyed by uninterested family members. When researching in a specific locality, ask around about manuscript collections and if they have any kind of index. These are very difficult to locate, even if you know they exist for the can change hands unnoticed. When citing a manuscript as a source it is very important to note its location and the date so that future researchers have a better chance of tracking it down. OTHER COMPILED SOURCES Other compiled sources that are very important to genealogical research are: **Transcribed census records -- when found you should always consult the originals. **Transcribed church records -- these can save you hours of thumbing you way through disorganized church registers but again it is useful whenever possible to consult originals **Military records are sometimes organized and put together by interested persons and can be a great source of genealogical source material. **Indexes **Bibliographies NEWSPAPERS Newspapers, though not actually compiled, are a great genealogical source. One can find obituaries, marriage and engagement announcements and stories, birth announcements, legal notices, notices of thanks and news items about families. It should be remembered that getting the facts exact was not the priority of older newspapers. Weekly newspapers, as a general rule, contained more genealogical information than the dailies. Bibliographies of newspapers can be found in the following: **History and Bibliography of American Newspapers, 1690 - 1820 (2 Vols.) by Clarence Saunders Brigham, 1962 **American Newspapers, 1821 - 1936 by Winifred Gregory (editor), 1937 **The Ayer Directory of Newspapers and Periodicals (An Annual publication of present newspapers) Note: In many older newspapers, the following words occur when dates are mentioned and they are defined as follows: Instant: Of or occurring in the present or current month. Sometimes abbreviated inst. Ultimo: Of or occurring in the month preceding the present. Sometimes abbreviated ult. Speaking of newspapers, an ad in a local newspaper where your ancestors used to live might bring unexpected results. An interesting letter to a small town local paper might even get you an article with even better returns. LIMITATIONS OF COMPILED SOURCES Though compiled sources have many problems, errors, and limitations -- one should not be discouraged from using them for all their good points. Some of the limitations are as follows: Accessibility and availability -- lack of indexes, no knowledge of existence, and inability to find. Reliability -- Lack of documentation, guesswork, typographical errors, and carelessness are frequent problems but there are a lot of good works out there. Completeness -- Many genealogies are far from complete with large gaps omitted because enough research has not been done. Many times the information that is given is incomplete. Documentation -- If documentation cannot lead you to the primary source, the possibility of error is more likely. Too often, mistaken information is copied over and over again from one compiler to the next. The Dilemma -- If our research begins and ends in the library we may be missing out on many of the real facts and passing that misinformation on to others. Try to find the original sources!! ___________________________________________________________________ Get the Internet just the way you want it. Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month! Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.

Note: Some providers like JUNO cannot accept a large post so I must resend this in two parts for those list members Dear list, I have a dozen or so articles that I wrote for a newspaper column a couple years ago to explain genealogy to the general public and to act as a basic course to get people started. Much of the material is what we use when we teach the basic course at the Genealogical Society. I have skipped article one as it merely talks about the Society and I have done slight editing to make them compatible with this list. Much will serve as a reminder to those of us who sometimes forget to do the basic items when we start a new line (myself included). FAMILY TIES Tracing your ancestry with the use of Census Records -- the next step after searching official and alternative vital records. by Dan Burrows Census records are familiar to all of us and we sometimes feel burdened with having to fill them out every ten years. Census returns are beyond doubt the most informative source of genealogical information for the period of 1790 through 1920 (and beyond). We are able to look at these old census records on microfilms at many genealogical societies, major libraries, and branches of the National Archives. There are also companies that will rent or sell you copies of the films so you may view them on any microfilm machine. It cannot be over emphasized that every census that was taken during the lifetime of your ancestor must be researched and compared in order to get a full picture of his family structure. The Orange County Genealogical Society has many local census records on film. We are giving this subject a lot of extra space because of it's importance and extreme value in the hunt for ancestors. Census research can also be fun. I recall looking at the 1920 Census of Chester where I grew up. I saw families that I knew in the 1950's and beyond -- I saw their families, occupations, where they lived, and other revealing details. It was like taking a look back in time. FEDERAL CENSUS RETURNS 1790 - 1920 (and beyond) The first Federal Census was taken in 1790 as a method of proportioning representatives in the government as well as a means distributing the tax burden according to the spread of the population. A count of able bodied men for military purposes cannot be overlooked either. An excellent genealogical research tool is merely a great byproduct of this endeavor. The 1790 census enumeration was limited in that its purpose was to count the population. It did so by listing the number of males under 16, males 16 & over, and females (all ages listed together). There was also a column for slaves and another for "other free persons". Fortunately, the names of heads of households were listed, but unfortunately the names of other family members were not. In 1908, the 1790 census was printed in book form for each state and nicely indexed. It is of course advisable to look at the original (the primary source on microfilm), especially if you cannot find the family where they should have been. These statewide indexes are a great aid in locating families when you are not sure where they lived within a state. The federal census records from 1800 through 1840 are also very limited in information. They also listed just the name of the head of household and a breakdown of household members by sex and age. The age increments, as we shall see, became smaller with each succeeding census allowing us to get a closer idea to the ages of each child. As earlier stated, only by comparing all available census years for a family and all persons of your surname in the area of your interest, can you get them most out of these early enumerations. The information, when combined and studied, can easily lead you to other sources such as deeds, wills, church or other local records. The censuses of 1800 and 1810 listed five age categories for white males and 5 for white females, but otherwise contained no more information than the 1790 census. The census of 1820 added one more age category for white males in addition to giving age categories for other free male and female persons. It asked how many "foreign and not naturalized" and whether engaged in agriculture, commerce, or manufacturing. The census of 1830 listed 13 age categories for white males and 13 for white females, 6 each for other free persons and 6 each for slaves. The family picture begins to get much clearer at this point but we must remember that all persons listed were not necessarily family members. Questions about the blind, deaf and dumb were asked for the first time. The census of 1840 had the same age and sex breakdowns but counted persons engaged in mining, agriculture, commerce, manufacturing, ocean navigation, canal or lake or river navigation, and learned professors and engineers. The often overlooked bonus of the 1840 census was the listing of names and ages of revolutionary war pensioners. Beginning with the censuses of 1850 and 1860, a clearer picture of the households can now be seen. Besides the head of household, other persons living in the house are listed showing their sex, age, color, profession, value of real estate, place of birth, whether or not married within the year, in school within the year, able to read & write, and whether or not deaf & dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, pauper, or convict. There are also slave schedules listing the owner of the slaves and other information by age and sex. The information that you have assembled from the earlier 1790 - 1840 census schedules will probably start to take better shape. You should record information from all families in the area that have persons of the surname you are researching. A household with just one person with your surname might later turn out to be important relatives that will lead you to more information. The census of 1870 adds information about value of personal property, whether or not the parents are foreign born, and the month of birth or marriages if the event occurred within the year. It was asked whether or not the males were eligible to vote. The census of 1880 is in a class of its own due to the fact that relationships to the head of household (but not to each other) are now added and no longer have to be guessed at. Do not assume the relationship is as stated -- perhaps the niece is really just a wife of a nephew. Marital status, health questions, and unemployment questions are asked. Alleged states or countries of birth are listed for each person's father and mother (these are often incorrect). A partial Soundex index (households with children under the age of ten) was done for each state and will be discussed later under indexes. The census of 1890 was mostly destroyed by fire in 1921. Very little exists at all but the Veterans (or widow of a veteran) special census also taken that year has survived. The census of 1900 added the questions of "month and year" of birth of each individual, "number of years married", and the "mother of how many children". Important questions of "year of immigration" and "number of years in the US" along with occupational, educational, and financial information make this a gold mine of information. The census of 1910 asked how many children still living, what language spoken, and if a Civil War Veteran in addition to the same questions as the 1900 census except birth date was omitted. The census of 1920 was similar to the 1910 but also asked the "mother tongue of the parents of each individual. A sneak preview of the census of 1930 shows that they asked if a radio was owned, age at first marriage, and if a veteran of any war. This will probably be released to the public in the year 2002. STATE CENSUS RECORDS In addition to the census records taken by the federal government, many states have taken their own census enumerations and they are readily available through filming by the Mormon Church at government centers. For the most part they are not indexed and availability varies with locality. The book State Census Records by Ann Lainhart will give you a listing state by state of which censuses are available. New York State conducted census enumerations for 1825, 1835, and 1845 that were similar to the federal returns for that period in that they only listed the head of household and grouped the rest of the household by age and sex. Census records taken in 1855, 1865, and 1875 took the format of the 1850 Federal census with the major difference being that relationship to head of household was given. The 1865 and 1875 NY State censuses also contained deaths and marriages for the period of 1 year prior to the census date of June 1st -- a great source of untapped vital records for the most part. The 1865 NYS census also listed persons who had died in or of injuries from the Civil War since April 1861. Probably the most important NY State census enumeration is the 1892 which was kind of the halfway mark between the 1875 and 1905 that nicely fills the gap left by the destruction by fire of the 1890 Federal Census. Unfortunately many have been lost including Orange County but they do exist for some other areas. 1905, 1915, & 1925 have been a great help in recent years because of the delayed release dates of the Federal 1910, 1920 and the anticipated release of the 1930. State censuses are not indexed unless done locally. Again -- check all censuses and all families with your surname of interest in the locality you are researching. INDEXES FOR 1790 THROUGH 1870 FEDERAL CENSUSES There are now indexes for the 1800 through 1860 (and some 1870) in book form by state. Remember the printed 1790 had its self contained index. Never assume the surname is was spelled as you know it now. These indexes can be very helpful but bear in mind there are certainly a multitude of mistakes contained within them and they are certainly not complete. Names were misread and occasionally skipped, and some of the basic index rules were not followed to the letter. Naturally 1800 - 1840 indexes contain only the head of household while the 1850 and later indexes also list a person who lived in a household with a different surname and sometimes the person at the top of the next page even if they have the same surname. This can be very helpful when trying to locate all family members as many times older children were hired out and living with friends, neighbors, and often relatives. See Article 6, part 2 for continuation ___________________________________________________________________ Get the Internet just the way you want it. Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month! Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.

Census records, continued from part 1 SOUNDEX FOR 1880, 1900, 1910, & 1920 To find an individual name among the millions listed in the 1880, 1900, 1910 (Only 21 States were indexed in 1910, New York not included) or 1920 Census records you must use an indexing and filing system known as Soundex. The Soundex is a coded surname index based on the way a name sounds rather than the way it is spelled. In this way Smith, Smyth, Smithe, and Smit will be filed together allowing you to easily find a surname recorded under various spellings. These indexes were made on special cards, put in alpha-numeric order by Soundex Code, then alphabetized by given name (first name). They were then put onto rolls of microfilm which can be found at many libraries and archives. Unfortunately, the 1880 Soundex was limited and only indexed families that contained children under the age of ten. If the child was not a child of head of house hold, he and the family were indexed on separate cards. To search for a surname, you must work out the Soundex Code, which will consist of the first letter of the surname followed by 3 numbers. These numbers are figured according to the Soundex coding guide listed below. SOUNDEX CODING GUIDE The number Represents the letters 1 B P F V 2 C S K G J QX Z 3 D T 4 L 5 M N 6 R Disregard the letters A E I O U W Y H With the workspace below, most names can be coded using the following 4 steps. Note in the sample using my name below that the "u", the second "r", the "o", and the "w" were disregarded when making the code. A zero was added on the end in order to give the code one letter and 3 numbers. See the three special easy rules below that apply for surnames with double letters, letters side by side that have the same number on the Soundex Coding Guide, or surnames that have prefixes: Line 1: B U R R O W S Line 2: B 6 2 0 Line 1: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ Line 2: __ __ __ __ Line 1: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ Line 2: __ __ __ __ Step 1 On line 1, write the surname you are coding, placing one letter on each line. Step 2 On line 2, write the first letter of the surname on the first line. Step 3 On line 1, disregard the first letter and slash through the remaining letters A, E, I, O, U, W, Y, and H. Step 4 On line 2, write the numbers found on the Soundex Coding Guide for the first three remaining un-slashed letters. Add zeros to any empty lines. Note: Since there must be three numbers, use only the first three code numbers in long names. Names that have less than 3 code numbers, simply add "Zeros" to the end to obtain your three numbers. If your surname has double letters, they should be treated as one letter. Slash out the second "r" in the name "Burrows" and the second "l" in Lloyd. If your surname has letters side by side that happen to have the same number from the Soundex Coding Guide, keep only the first letter and slash out the remaining side by side letters that have the same code.. Slash out the "K" and the "S" in the name "Jackson" It does not matter where the side by side letters are located. Even if the first two letters of the name such as "Pfister", the f would be slashed out. If your surname has a prefix such as Van, Von, De, Di, or Le the Soundex Code should be figured both with and without the prefix because it might be listed under either code. (Mc and Mac are not considered prefixes) GETTING MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE OUT OF CENSUS RECORDS Now that we have discussed what can obviously be found in the various census returns, let us move on to the not so obvious. *** In the census returns that show the birthplace of an individual and the birth place of the individual's parents, much circumstantial evidence is present as to the family structure. If it shows the mother of the household's place of birth as New York but the place of birth of some or all of the children's mother as Massachusetts, one can start making other assumptions as to how many wives the husband had and which children if not all might be from another marriage. *** The presence of an elderly person in the household of the same surname might indicate a parent, aunt or uncle of the husband. If the surname is different, it might be a mother or father in law and watch out for remarriages of this newly found grandma before jumping to the conclusions that you have discovered a maiden name for the wife. *** Always take note of the families nearby (census takers usually took the houses in order that they were situated) and also take note of any families that are housing one person of your surname of interest. The data you transcribe in doing this will very often reap rewards of family connections later down the line. *** Take note of the places of birth of your family and the other families in the area with the same origins whether it be the same state or the same country. You will often find that people moved in groups or invited friends and relatives from their former home to join them. *** Taking note of the places of birth of all the children can tell a story of family movement and judging from the length of time they lived in a particular area (perhaps 3 children were born in Vermont over a 10 year period) one can determine whether or not a search for a deed or other documents in that area would be worthwhile. *** The education of a family can be determined from the number in a family who can read and write and if the children did or did not attend school. *** The value of property and other monetary facts might give you a clue as to whether a will or other estate papers might be found. It could also help you determine whether they might be mentioned in a local history. MORTALITY SCHEDULES Beginning with the 1850 Federal Census and ending with the 1880, Congress authorized a listing of persons who died within the census year to be entered into a separate schedule. These 4 sets of records were turned over to the States in 1918-19 and those few states that did not want them had theirs sent to the National DAR Library who in 1980 turned them back over to the National Archives. These are not on the same roll of film as the regular census records and must be consulted on either microfilm or in the location at the state level where they were deposited. NYS Mortality Schedules are at the State Library. The type of information typically found in Mortality Schedules is the name of the person, his age, sex, state of birth, month of death and cause of death. The 1880 schedules also included the state of birth of each parent of the deceased, but not their names. LIMITATIONS AND PITFALLS OF CENSUS RESEARCH Now that the good possibilities of census searching have been covered, it is equally important to look at the limitations and other downsides of this research tool. ***Due to the fact that federal census enumeration was not done until 1790, a large gap is open in American History and other records must be used for the colonial period. ***As before mentioned, earlier census records give far less information that those taken in 1850 and later. ***Many families were missed completely and others listed twice during enumeration because of the length of time needed to take a complete census combined with the mobility of American families. Earlier censuses took 9 months to complete. In 1850 the time was reduced to 6 months and in 1870 it was further reduced to 1 month. ***Many families that lived in multiple dwelling units were missed because the census taker did not know that a large house had more than one family. ***Schedules for certain census years are completely missing for some counties or even entire states. Incorrect data was given to enumerators by family members. Anyone who has researched multiple census schedules for a particular family can tell you of the inconsistencies in ages, places of birth and other important data. It is often hard to tell whether the errors were intentional or not and who made the errors. Was dad's memory slipping? Did the enumerator not care or was he hard of hearing. Was the information given by a child home alone or did the neighbor supply the information. Perhaps an enumerator being paid by the number of families he counted deliberately listed a family twice but changed the data slightly to make it look good. ***Even though the census page you are researching was taken on a certain date, only the information for the census year was to be included. If a child was born on Aug. 2nd, the just before the census taker took the information, he would not be listed in the enumeration if the census date was June 1st. The census dates for various years are as follows: 1790 - 1820 First Monday in August; 1830 - 1900 June 1st; 1910 April 15th; 1920 January 1st; 1930 - present April 1st. SOME DO'S AND DON'TS WITH CENSUS RECORDS ***Do not stop with Soundex finds -- do look at the original record. ***Do not assume census indexes are correct or complete. ***Do not assume spellings are as you think. ***Do not assume relationships are exactly as stated. ***Do not assume a wife is the mother of all or any of the listed children. ***Do not assume ages listed are correct. ***Do take note of all of your surname in the county and pay close attention to the neighbors of your ancestors. ***Do study all possible census years for your family. ***Do copy down all information from all columns and the top of page also. ***Do believe that all census records are important -- even the earlier ones. ***Do make use of the Veteran's column in the 1840 census ***Do use the 1890 Veterans (and widows of Veterans) Schedules. ***Do use the state census records ***Do not believe all census data to be true and correct. ***Do study the enumerator's handwriting so you can make comparisons. ***Do watch for families split onto two pages with the surname not repeated at the top of the next page. ***Do try to find your ancestors in every census taken in their life time. ***Do check family histories and other sources of neighbors who might have come from the same state to locate a town of residence if you can not determine that information on your ancestor. ***Do remember that when searching an entire town for ancestor, the town enumeration may be split and not be kept together on the film --- cities are often listed separately from the town they are connected with. ***Do take note of real estate and personal property values to determine if a deed or will search is appropriate. ***Do use maps in conjunction with your census searching ***Do search across state, county, and town lines if your ancestors lived near a border. ***Do go back and look again at census records to see what you might of missed -- especially if you have learned of new surnames (maiden names) or other family connections. ***Do consider typographical errors when using indexes -- know the keyboard and what letters could have been punched in by mistake. ___________________________________________________________________ Get the Internet just the way you want it. Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month! Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.

Re: CORNELL/CORNWELL/CORNWALL. These can all be considered spellings of the same last name. My family used all three, but perhaps their big idea (unproved) of relation to Ezra Cornell made them finally adopt his version. Also, I know in Canada that the name is pronounced two ways: One is CORN-ull in which emphasis is placed only on the first syllable. Have any other Cornell researchers run into that one??!! That's how it is said around Hamilton, Ontario, and my cousins who were searching around 40 years ago made note of it. I found it myself quite by accident. The rest of them adopted or used originally (??) Cor-NELL with about the same emphasis on the two syllables, and this is how most people who I have encountered pronounce the name, certainly that of the University. Now, a small announcement which has a bearing on my earlier efforts to smoke those Cornell researchers out of the woodwork. There absolutely HAVE to be more of them than I have found. At present, I am working on transcribing and improving the Cornell Genealogy of Prentiss Glazier. I've only been at this for three or four years or more. It is my intent to put it on a CDROM with much better organization and accessibility than Mr. Glazier ever dreamed of. It will be in the form of a PDF (portable document format) so it can be read on virtually any kind of computer. Sorry about that Bill Gates! Glazier's book, for any who don't know it, is rather in the form of a study guide and extension to the 1902 Cornell Genealogy in which he corrected some information, added families to certain lines and mentioned several places where more research was badly needed. His intent was to help those of us who came after him and give us some clues where to start, based on his knowledge. My Cornell family line has been totally stuck for about 20 years, and I decided to follow in Glazier's footsteps a little to see if what he did can be extended. So, obviously, the first project has to be to take a look at what he left. Not only am I doing that, but I intend, as noted above, to make it available to other researchers. SORRY, I do not have the time to do look-ups. You will simply delay the project I am describing, but you are most welcome to visit my web page and download the fat GEDCOM available there based on the Glazier book. It tells you about all I know and might be all you need. It contains all the related Cornells in Glazier's book plus a few I added. It's sort of a preview of my version of his book and for free. Along the way, I have encountered some southern Cornell researchers. Probably, they have it worse than I do. Not being in their shoes, I can't say. As it happens, Mr. Glazier may have left them some clues, and I don't know how many people in this situation may know of them. One or two children of Thomas Cornell disappeared from New England, and it is believed they went south. For a serious southern Cornell researcher, this might be an important clue. I can't possibly evaluate if this is useful to them or not. Certainly, we are talking of very early families who went that direction before 1700. I'm afraid that is much too early for many people, but there are some others at a later date, one who went first to New Jersey. Descendants went further south and are not really included in the available genealogies. Wouldn't it be nice to put them in there!! The people I REALLY want to reach are any who have connected but are not in either Glazier or the 1902 Genealogy. I want to extend those families. (Just maybe, one of them will have information that will help me!!) What I learn will be added to the CDROM I mention above for the benefit of other Cornell researchers. My belief is that it is absolutely an ego trip to do family research and then not share it with others. Best of all would be to put it out where strangers to you can find it. Let me offer FAIR WARNING: While I will look at materials of any reasonable sort, I positively will not put them on that CDROM unless they are substantiated. I am not being arbitrary or arrogant. Quite the opposite. I don't expect anyone to take my word about anything without sources, and why should you do that to me or our audience? Genealogy is a very cooperative endeavor. Each of use has different opportunities and ideas about research, and, by working with others, we generate a synergy. That is, the sum of the effort is greater than the individual parts. Each family is a part of the puzzle, and it may well fit with another. But, we can't necessarily know that unless we make the fruits of our work available to others. This Internet is about the best thing invented for genealogy. So, PLEASE help me help others who are our relatives. Tom Cornell Cornell Web Site: http://www.netusa1.net/~tvcornel/gene.html

Dear Daniel I would like to take a moment to thank you for your articles, they are informative and easy reading. I am sure I speak for all of the list members, please continue. Sandra Williams Orange County NY GenWeb Co-coordinator -----Original Message----- From: Daniel H. Burrows <dburrows1@juno.com> To: NYORANGE-L@rootsweb.com <NYORANGE-L@rootsweb.com>

Ref: recent posts concerning Age of the City of Newburgh. I have a deed in which is stated 'under the provisions of an act entitled "An Act to Incorporate the City of Newburgh" passed April 22nd 1865' Bill Staples

Dear list, I have a dozen or so articles that I wrote for a newspaper column a couple years ago to explain genealogy to the general public and to act as a basic course to get people started. Much of the material is what we use when we teach the basic course at the Genealogical Society. I have skipped article one as it merely talks about the Society and I have done slight editing to make them compatible with this list. Much will serve as a reminder to those of us who sometimes forget to do the basic items when we start a new line (myself included). FAMILY TIES Tracing your ancestry -- the next step after writing to historians and searching official vital records. by Dan Burrows Last article we discussed how to write to a historian and what types of questions to ask. We also covered Official Vital Records (birth, death, and marriage records) and what types of information might be found in them. Now lets learn about alternative vital records. These alternative sources are the only places you can use to find births, deaths, and marriages if "official vital records" cannot be found or never existed for the location and time of your ancestor's event. Genealogical sources are always classified in one of two ways and this will hold true whether they be vital records or any other piece of genealogical information. Primary sources -- those being original records such as the official vital records we discussed last month, original church records, deeds, mortgages, miscellaneous court records, wills, original bible records, and other similar original items. Secondary sources -- those being transcripts (handwritten or typed copies) of primary records (such as a published book of Mount Hope Presbyterian Church records or a book containing abstracts of deeds or wills, etc.) If you are not using the original records or an actual photocopy of the original records, then you are using a secondary source. A book written about a family showing specific information about individuals (known as a printed family genealogy) is a good example of a secondary source. All secondary sources leave room for errors and whenever possible, the original source (provided the author has listed his sources) should always be consulted. Unfortunately, secondary records are usually all we have access to without extensive travel to the homes of your ancestors. Church records are an excellent example and the most widely used of alternative vital records. These come in various forms but unless you can visit your ancestor's church or see a microfilm of the original church records, you will most likely be looking at some one else's interpretation of the records. Many times in church records you will have to settle for a baptismal date or funeral date rather than an actual birth or death date. Knowing the customs of your ancestor's church will help you determine how old the child might have been when baptized. Also bear in mind that many people were baptized as adults before they were allowed to join a church. It is usually assumed that a death occurred a couple days before a funeral, but like anything else there will be exceptions to the rule. You might have to settle for a wedding intention date (also known as banns) instead of an actual marriage date. A word of caution -- sometimes intended weddings did not become formalized, but if you find birth or baptismal records of their children, you could assume the wedding took place. Cemetery records and tombstones are another great example of alternative vital records. You can come up with an approximate birth date by calculating the age at death if that is the only information given. You might have to prove a marriage occurred by citing a tombstone showing that your ancestor was listed as a husband, wife, widow or relict of someone else. I recall the shock of receiving a picture of my great great grandfather, Josiah T. Burrows' tombstone from Steuben County, New York showing that he had two wives. The family bible seemed to neglect that fact. Speaking of family bibles, they are an excellent source of alternative vital records. They turn up in the most unexpected places. My father- in-law fortunately was handed his family bible one day by his father's sister's second husband's daughter from a previous marriage. What a gold mine of information that turned out to be and it almost went to the dump. Bible records often contain family information not available anyplace else. They often contain loose obituaries and funeral cards. When using family bible records, it is important to determine the date the bible was published. If the bible was published in 1850, but lists the birth dates of family members from 1818 through 1863, you can be sure the earlier entries were copied from another source and entered all at once leaving more room for errors. Note the handwriting and ink that was used. As a general rule, entries that are made as the events happened will vary in handwriting and ink. Speaking of obituaries, many of the previously mentioned alternative vital records or official vital records can give us a date to search for an obituary or death notice. These articles in themselves are considered an alternative vital record. Depending on the period of time, the location of the event, and the policies of the newspaper, these obituaries can really divulge some useful and important family information. Sometimes, however, you will see quite a bit of exaggeration in the details. Newspaper notices of births (only in recent years) and marriages are very helpful. Most libraries have microfilms of the old papers and some historical societies have them glued flat in large books. If you are lucky, some volunteer has created an index to the genealogical information such as the Port Jervis Library's card index to the Gazette. Court papers, wills, deeds, mortgages, depositions and other miscellaneous items found in the county records offices and town or village halls will many times list vital records as a proof of identity or verification of transaction. An old deed might state your great grandfather was 21 when he bought the property and a will can give you his date of death. A war pension application by his widow will most certainly have a date of marriage. The possibilities are endless. And don't forget school, college, military, and employment records. Do you remember all the information you had to put down on your social security application. You are leaving a trail for future researchers. Old family diaries are another source of alternative vital records and events were most likely entered as they happened. Scrapbooks containing newspaper obituaries and other miscellaneous family notes can be a source of these vital records. Old letters often contain tidbits of information. Families always wrote each other about births, deaths, and marriages. As mentioned in a previous article, old address books can be a gold mine for alternative vital records. Dates written on the backs of old photographs could be another source. I am sure that most of you can think of more household sources and the habits of your family can open many genealogical doors. Some families are keepers of old calendars, notebooks, clippings, and other items in their attics. A good genealogical detective will piece all these bits of information together and be able to put together a good time line chart of the ancestor they are researching. As you can see there are many great alternative sources for gathering the vital record information about your ancestors needed to trace your family. I certainly did not mention them all. Each bit of gathered information may lead you back to an earlier generation. Many times it takes a lot of bits to do the job. If a close estimate of date is all you can come up with, quote it as such. You could say that Grandpa was "born about 1888" (also written: born ca 1888 or born circa 1888) and if you have a will that was probated on January 3rd 1953 and you cannot determine the exact date of death, you could say that grandpa died "before 3 Jan 1953". If his first child was born in 1903 and you cannot find a marriage record, you could say Grandpa was married "ca 1902" or "before 1903". Next article we will discuss census records in detail and how to get the most out of them. Federal census records were taken every ten years starting in 1790 and are readily available for research up to 1920 at present. They are not only an alternative for vital records, but the most revealing source of genealogical information available. ___________________________________________________________________ Get the Internet just the way you want it. Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month! Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.

Was there an 1845 NY state census for Orange Co.? I am looking for any info on the Hobert family. On occassion spelled Hobart. Probably in the Walkill area. TIA, Sharon Garrett Genealogists never die they just lose their census.

Dear list, I have a dozen or so articles that I wrote for a newspaper column a couple years ago to explain genealogy to the general public and to act as a basic course to get people started. Much of the material is what we use when we teach the basic course at the Genealogical Society. I have skipped article one as it merely talks about the Society and I have done slight editing to make them compatible with this list. Much will serve as a reminder to those of us who sometimes forget to do the basic items when we start a new line (myself included). FAMILY TIES Tracing your ancestry -- the next step after visiting genealogical and historical libraries. by Dan Burrows Last article we discussed researching in libraries and other repositories of genealogical information. Another good source for family information could be the local Town, Village or County Historian where your ancestors lived. A word of caution -- most historians do not have access to genealogical records since their job (usually volunteer or token salaried) is to collect, preserve and make available items of a historical nature. Even though it is hard to draw the line between regular history and family history, there is a clear cut difference. The usual and ideal type of letter to send to a historian would be historical or geographical in nature. If you feel it might be worthwhile to send a letter requesting genealogical information, make it a brief, one paragraph outline of the problem you are trying to solve. Follow this by an even shorter paragraph asking if they have access to records that might help solve your problem, or if not, would they direct you (or forward your letter) to someone who can. Always include an SASE, and for even better results, make a place on your letter for their response. I usually type the word "response" followed by 5 or 6 double spaced blank lines. Since we are writing a very short letter, it can all be done on one page. Typical information you could request from historians might include: ===The names, addresses, and phone numbers of churches where your ancestors might have attended. ===The names, addresses and phone numbers of local libraries, genealogical societies, and other genealogical repositories and what types of collections they have. ===The names, addresses, and phone numbers of paid genealogists in the area. ===The names, addresses, and phone numbers of Town and Village Clerks and ask how receptive they usually are to genealogical requests. ===The names, addresses, and phone numbers of any families of the same surname you are researching in their Town or Village, since many families remain for many generations in the same locality. Never send a long and boring letter which they might have to read three or four times before they can figure out exactly what question you are asking. Be specific and to the point. It is appropriate to send a single pedigree chart of the family you are researching as a guide to show the historian what you know and do not know, but again -- do not burden them with twenty pages of charts. Another great and usually reliable source for genealogical information is official vital records. These are the official records kept by local, county, or state governments for births, marriages, and deaths. As a general rule, duplicates of all Town Vitals are kept at the State level, but in some cases (especially the earlier years) one should never rule out double checking their accuracy with the local clerk. Official Vital Records are maintained by government agencies to acquire statistics or to verify eligibility (or ineligibility) for its programs or services. Family genealogists use these official vital records to verify actual dates or locations of births, deaths, and marriages. These records often include or can lead us to more information about the individual, the individual's parents, or even the individual's children or other relatives. A typical and ideal birth record gives the full name of child, the sex, the names of the parents (including the maiden name of the mother), the place of birth and the place of registration, the date of birth, the date filed, and the registration number. A typical and ideal death record gives the actual name of deceased at time of death, the place of death and place of filing, the names of parents (usually with maiden name of mother), the birth place of deceased and of both parents, the cause of death, occupation, marital status, the place of burial and the name of undertaker, the name of attending physician at time of death, the name of person giving personal information (most important when trying to ascertain how accurate the information might be), the date of birth or the age at death, the Social Security number and whether or not a veteran on more recent records, and how long at last residence. A typical and ideal marriage record gives the names of both parties, the places of birth of both parties, the names of parents (including maiden names of both parents), the places of birth of all parents, the number of marriages for both parties, the occupations of both parties, the name of person officiating the marriage, the date and place of marriage, the names of witnesses(often relatives), the ages of both parties, and the places of residence of both parties. Marriage records vary in form but can contain up to 3 documents: [1] Affidavit for license to marry; [2] Marriage license; [3] Marriage certificate. Older town records in New England also list "intentions of marriage" which may contain additional information. The examples of information you might obtain from official vital records as listed above are the "ideal situations". In all actuality, much of the information may not have been known or may not have been required during the earlier years. Official vital records are sometimes infested with errors and omissions because of unavailability of information, delay in reporting, guesswork by family members, laziness of clerks, and deliberate lies and exaggerations -- especially in marriage records. As stated above, it often pays to check both the records of the state and local registrar, especially the earlier records where and exact copy was not forwarded to the state, and it is always better to examine an original record rather than a transcript. Information on the addresses, application forms, and required fees for obtain vital records from the various states may be found in Kemp's Vital Records Handbook available at most genealogical libraries. Seeking the information from local clerks can sometimes be difficult. Many clerks do not wish to be bothered or do not follow the guidelines of the State Health Department or State Vital Records departments for availability of records. Most clerks, however are very helpful and will make the information available to you. In New York State, birth records are closed for 75 years, marriage and death records are closed for 50 years. This usually does not apply if you are a direct descendant of the person to whom the record refers (child, grandchild, great-grandchild, etc). Official vital records in New York State commenced in 1881, though some do exist for the three year period from 1847 through 1849. (For other states, see Kemp's book mentioned above for available years) Indexes to these records are available at the State Archives in Albany for viewing in person or by mail for a fee. The records themselves are kept at the State Department of Health and for some unknown reason, there is a long wait to obtain copies, even though they are charging and making money from this service. When Official Vital Records are not available, Church Records, Obituaries (Or Death Notices), Cemetery Records, Undertaker's Records, Diaries, Scrapbooks, and with any luck a Family Bible should be referred to. These are considered "substitute vital records" and this will be a future topic. ___________________________________________________________________ Get the Internet just the way you want it. Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month! Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.

The Wig Press Middletown New York December 17, 1851 The trial of George Van Inwegen for an assault with a deadly weapon, upon his brother, resulted in a verdict of guilty..

ABSTRACT of will of DANIEL JAYNES of Cornwall Precinct, Orange County Feb. 19, 1785. Wife: Hannah Dau: Sarah, wife of JOHN CARPENTER inherits the farm on which he now lives. Grandaughter: Rachel TUCKER Hannah TUCKER Executors: JOHN CARPENTER son-in-law and Capt. Ebenezer WOODHULL, both of Cornwall. Witnesses: Jonah TOOKER, William SHEPARD, Nathan COOLY Proved Orange Co. March 3, 1786 Thank you, Phoebe P. S. Although the WOODHULL family book does not list a JAYNE, I believe the William Jayne marriage to Elizabeth Woodhull has been published. Thank you, Phoebe Searching: Moses Carpenter, Ruth Coe, Mary Thompson, Marah McDowell NY: LI: Coe, Carpenter Or Co. Carpenter, Coe, Jayne, McDowell, Thompson, Wisner, Woodhull NJ: MoCo. Coe, Runyon, Halstead connections?

The Wig Press Wed.Nov. 26, 1851 Married Oct. 28 In Middletown By Rev. Mr. Wood. Mowry Aldrich of Hawley,Pa. to Abigal Daug. of Wm. Conklin of Middletown. Oct.29 at the home of W.S. Webb by Rev.Mr. Wood, Jonathan O. Carpenter of Bloomingburgh, to Emeline Davis of Middletown. Oct 30 At New Vernon, by Rev.Mr. Wood, Geo.W. Bevea to Sophronia M. daug. of Benjamin W. Corwin of the same place Nov. 1 At the Parsonage in Middletown, by the same, Wm. Kelley to Elizabeth Mulford of Minisink Nov. 5 by the same, Daniel Sinsabaugh of Bloomingurgh to Mary eldest daug.of H.R.Drake of Middletown Oct.28 At St. Louis, by Rev. Dr. Potts, Tho Springer to Mary daugh. of Samuel W. Eager of Newburgh Oct 28 At Highland Mills, by Rev. D.N. Freeland, Fredrick Fisher fo South Halifax, VT. to Susan L. Johnson of Highland Mills. Oct.29 by the same, Hiram Penoyer of Saginaw, Mich. to Sara Johnson of Highland Mills. Nov.11 at Monroe, by the same, Edmond Gray of Geneva, N.Y. to Jane King of Monroe Nov.28 by Rev.J.T. Seely, John R. Rider to Amelia A. Goffey both of Cornwall Nov. 4 by Rev.Wm. Blain, Wm. Jemp of Fallsburg, Sul. Co.(Sullivian County) to Elmire Wilson of Montgomery. Nov.12 in N.Y., by Rev. Thos. Gallaudet, John Wilcox of New York City,to Anna Maria daugh. of Jacob A. Vail formerly of Goshen. Nov.6 by Rev. Wm. Blain, James G. Hunter, of Michigan, to Mary Crawford of Mongomery. DIED McCoy Nov.5 Goshen, Andrew J. infant son of Wm. A. & Catherine B. McCoy 4m. 7 days Miller Nov.8 Wawayander, Mary Miller, age about 32 years Van Vleit Oct.26 Coldenham, Adelina VanVliet daug. of Peter VanVliet age 20 years Eccles Nov.4 Newburgh, John, son of James Eccles, age 2 yrs. 8m. Walton Nov.4 Newburgh, Sarah J., child od James Walton 10 months. Wood Nov.2 inst. Josephine, on the 5th Juliane, Twin children of James Wood, age 9 m. Gurnee Nov.15 Goshen, Frances Josephine, only daug. of Benson Gurnee age 10yrs. 5m. Fullerton Nov.14 Newburgh, Mary Otis daug.of William Fullerton age 5 years 1 m. 22 days Richards Nov.17 Newburgh, Margaret relict of the late Capt. H. Richards of N.Y. 74 yr of her age

Dear Folks, Pg. 379 of the NYG&BR vol 70 Oct 1939 has RECORDS OF TRINITY CHURCH PARISH NEW YORK CITY listed Persons Married 1772 May 10 Bunyan, James - DeKay, Juliana Because I spent 10 years looking for my own Elizabeth RUNYON as a BUNYAN based on an error listed by the DAR Rev. War books, I am wondering if this is not a James Runyon. Given that the DeKays were across the border in NY from the Runyons in NJ, this is feasible. It becomes particulary feasible when we learn that my Moses Carpenter, whose deceased first husband was Elizabeth Runyon, and Moses Carpenter with Michael DeKay and Mr. Herr (? Kerr) were mortgagors to a George Lucky about this time frame. Phoebe in CA

Speaking of New York Knife Works... I happened to see a printing of an old 1910 photo in a May 1965 copy of the Citizen Herald. The photo was taken at an annual Clambake (1910) of the New York Knife Company. "Drop Shop Bake, 1910... ...In 1910 when this picture was taken... 1st row, left to right:: Charles (Brigham) Young, Ted Womsley, Floyd Scott, Bill Munson, Tom Brookfield, Mr. Ponter, Ed Mullen, Harry Scott, Clarence Benedict, Harry Dawson, Ray Miller and Les Bradley; 2nd row, left to right, Johnny Dawson, Fred Blumenthal, Charlie Millspaugh, Ezra Young, Chief George Ronk, Sam Young, Johnny Hays, Denny Morris, and Bill Sherman." I was able to scan the photo although, not the best quality, as the newspaper is quite brittle with age, but I'll be happy to send it as an e-mail attachment to anyone interested. Gail Yeaple (former Orange County resident) WELLGEN@aol.com wrote: > Goshen Democrat 7/28/1886": > New Law will put 60,000 children out of work. All children in New York > Knife Works under 13 were discharged. [Walden] > Ralph Weller