Getcher popcorn ready, (and tissues, too)!!! All shows on The Learning Chanel aka TLC; times are eastern daylight. 10pm: "Who Do You Think You Are?">>> Focus: Noah Wyle 9pm: "Long Lost Family" [Season 2; Episode 7] >>> Focus: Learns adopted at 25yo; Mother finds 46 yo son And for those who believe in connecting with loved ones long gone>>> 8pm: "Long Island Medium" Please Note: If you do not subscribe to cable, you may watch episodes online, after they aired. Here's Jennifer Grey's Jewish heritage, from last week's show.>>> https://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/ Enjoy!!! Barb MizScarlettNY@aol.com “There is more love in this city than there are street corners.” NYPD Detective, Angel of Peace, Steven McDonald (1957-2017)

DNA has gained popularity with family searchers, not just to make those crucial family connections, but for genetic information about heredity family diseases. Here's an interesting article about how Italian neurologist Doctor Daniele Volpe delved into a study of Parkinson's Disease vis-a-vis Irish Step Dancing. Next, Volpe's considering how the patterned reptition of this Gaelic dancing might be used to combat Altzheimer's. Fascinating stuff! http://www.irishcentral.com/news/italian-neurologist-finds-improbable-cure-for-parkinsons-disease-in-irish-dancing-197291231-237768881?utm_campaign=Best+of+IrishCentral+-+2017-03-25&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=Mailjet Barb “There is more love in this city than there are street corners.” NYPD Detective, Angel of Peace, Steven McDonald (1957-2017)

Please contact me offlist if this Edward FARLEY is your ancestor....U.S. Naturalization...COURT: NY; Common Pleas...Witness: Andrew CLARK of 59 Madison St. , NY, NY 10038...Common Please NYC Bundle 346, Record 274A...Witness: Edward FARLEY of 777 Myrtle Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11206...Date: 1867, 5 April...My ancestor was the witness and I believe that the two men are first cousin's on CLARK's maternal side. Barb MizScarlettNY@aol.com “There is more love in this city than there are street corners.” NYPD Detective, Angel of Peace, Steven McDonald (1957-2017)

Today marks the 255th St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York City. Imagine that? Yes, it began in 1762 before the USA was founded. The nationalistic loyalty is rather ironic given that Irish-Catholics lived there under Penal Laws aka Na Péindlíthe that denied their rights to owning land, becoming educated, religious inter-marrying, even praying...Just yesterday, truckloads full of snow were removed from Fifth Avenue, just for today. So, here's to my earliest arriving, famine-era Irish...NYC tailor Danny O'CONNELL and his Cavan bride, Annie CLARK. Danny died on March 17, 1897 at his Chrystie Street home, while bagpipes wailed by. Annie Clark O'CONNELL, 52 years old, was interred at Calvary Cemetery on this date in 1893, with six of their eight children. May they rest in peace knowing they are always remembered. As my son, Matthew McDonald marches down Fifth Avenue now with the Police Emerald Society, please know we salute you. And here's to my friend and client, NYPD Steven McDONALD, only with us in spirit this year. Thanks for your lessons of love and forgiveness. Barb MizScarlettNY@aol.com “There is more love in this city than there are street corners.” NYPD Detective, Angel of Peace, Steven McDonald (1957-2017)

Groupon is (again) selling Irish t-shirts bearing derogatory, stereotypical statements that deliberately equate our culture with drunkenness. You may remember that last year a rebel son of Eire purchased Walmart's entire stock, then returned them after St. Patrick's Day celebrations. The most offensive green one this year: "Drunk Lives Matter." Really? What happened to Irish music, poetry, literature, dance and the contagious welcoming Irish spirit? Remember: Your power is in your pocket! Boycott!!! This practice emanates from County Mayo when our poor Irish-Catholic tenant farmers were being ripped off by their land agent named BOYCOTT. Please pass this on and notify retailers that we will not acquiesce to this bull. UP THE IRISH!!! Barb “There is more love in this city than there are street corners.” NYPD Detective, Angel of Peace, Steven McDonald (1957-2017)

As we celebrate our Irish ancestors today, two online sites offer free access to Irish records. Please know that you may have to sign up for a free account. Find My Past...Access March 13-17 www.findmypast.co.uk./explore-your-irish-ancestry New England Historic Genealogical Society aka NEGHS...Access March 15-22 www.americanancestors.org/irish-research Happy St. Paddy's Day! Barb MizScarlettNY@aol.com “There is more love in this city than there are street corners.” NYPD Detective, Angel of Peace, Steven McDonald (1957-2017)

[This is not a blog, but a one-woman act of genealogical kindness.] Getcher popcorn ready, (and tissues, too)!!! All shows on The Learning Chanel aka TLC; times are eastern daylight. 10pm: "Who Do You Think You Are?">>> Focus: Julie Bowen's ancestors fight American slavery 9pm: "Long Lost Family" [Season 9; Episode 2] >>> Focus: Finding missing siblings; discovering one's racial identity And for those who believe in connecting with loved ones long gone>>> 8pm: "Long Island Medium" Please Note: If you do not subscribe to cable, you may watch episodes online, after they aired. Enjoy!!! Barb MizScarlettNY@aol.com “There is more love in this city than there are street corners.” NYPD Detective, Angel of Peace, Steven McDonald (1957-2017)

If you haven't heard the latest, NYC's luxurious landmark, the Waldorf Astoria, closed last Wednesday. It's web page now merely shows its iconic ntrance>>>.http://waldorfastoria3.hilton.com/en/hotels/new-york/waldorf-astoria-new-york-NYCWAWA/index.html The Waldorf is located at 301 Park Avenue. The present Chinese owner faces three years of renovations when sections will be converted into condos. The original Waldorf thrived on the site of the Empire State Building, then Astor family property. Do you have a favorite Waldorf memory? I have two. Before Catholic colleges went co-ed, friends persuaded me to attend our winter ball there aka "Days of Wine and Roses." This was so long ago that the drinking age then was 18. Social protocol: semi-formal. This meant that girls wore "street-length dresses," pumps, with color matched corsages, and maybe gloves. And, not to forget the traditional "dance cards." Since my from-home beau was starring in Roanoke College's basketball tournament, I invited sweet Queens-native, Bob McPHERSON, a Marist guy who was a college mate of Bill O'REILLY (yup, pompous as ever on FOX news). Who knew that Bob's grandpa and mine were friends from the Knights of Columbus in Astoria, Queens? The last time I visited, I was staying at some nearby, non-posh, boutique hotel to research the Archives for two days. It was winter, so early sunset. First, I walked to St. Patrick's Cathedral on 5th Avenue. Camera in tow. It breathed a golden warmth as if illuminated a thousand tallow candles. Afterwards, I cross the mosaic tiled entrance into the Waldorf. The grande dame of majesty! Think Sinatra, Liz Taylor, Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller, presidents, royalty. The concierge escorted me into the bar for a glass of wine and the most succulent, enormous shrimp cocktail just as the pianist asked for requests. After "New York New York " [What else?] and a few select B-way show tunes, the concierge presented me with a Waldorf inscribed pen and such. After some pics of Rockefeller Center, it was time to return to my room. Thanks for the memories Waldorf. You made New York glorious. PHOTOS http://waldorf-astoria-new-york.hotelinewyork.com/ Barb

Every so often people ask for the operating hours of the New York City Municipal Archives. Their hours have expanded. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday they're open from 9am to 4:30pm, with last call for printing being 4pm. Yes, they are now open full days on Fridays!!! On Thursdays, they're open from 9am to 7pm; printing requests end a half-hour earlier. Let's hope we won't be paying for this later with a boost in certificate prices. Barb MizScarlettNY@aol.com “There is more love in this city than there are street corners.” NYPD Detective, Angel of Peace, Steven McDonald (1957-2017)

Connecticut Ancestry Society presents a lecture, "NARA: How Can Their Records Bring Your Civil War Relatives to Life?" by Bruce D. Frail, on Sat. April 8, 2017 at Trumbull Library, 33 Quality St., Trumbull CT., 10 a.m.- 12:00 noon.. What records are available for Civil War veterans at NARA for all branches of service - How these records can assist you in your genealogical research - How these records can be used to write your veteran's war sketch, or regimental history while he served. Free and open to the public. Please join us. www.connecticutancestry.org.

Are there any online resources for old Yonkers City Directories (1900-1915 timeframe)? Or does anyone have any private access to said directories that could do some lookups for me? Regards,  Paul G. Sabol  Get Paul to Slovakia GoFundMe Campaignhttp://www.gofundme.com/icw3uk

Tonight is the closing reception for: "The Jewish Ghetto in Postcards: From Eastern Europe to the Lower East Side" with a lecture by Dr. Annie Pollard 7-8:30pm The Museum at Eldridge Street http://www.blavatnikarchive.org/ 12 Eldridge Street Barb MizScarlettNY@aol.com “There is more love in this city than there are street corners.” NYPD Detective, Angel of Peace, Steven McDonald (1957-2017)

TOPICS: Out-of-wedlock Births, Marriage and Citizenship, RTR I'm posting this to several lists as I only recall Miz. MARTINEZ [Brooklyn list?] seeking an out-of-wedlock birth certificate, and I've meant to share this story. Last year, I intensely researched for "D" who wanted a Birth Certificate for her Kings County resident, grandmother's "out-of-wedlock" male, first-born child [D's Uncle Harold]. The NYC-born grandmother later birthed four more children with an Italian-born immigrant, who she did not marry under threat of losing her own American citizenship. This family lived in Brooklyn, then later in the Bronx. The first child was not formally adopted, but carried his stepfather's surname, the same surname used by his four half-siblings. We faced two major problems: (1) DOD: Baptismal records, census, and family-held photographs indicated two different years of birth as 1907 [held at NYC Muni Archives] and 1911 [held at NYC DOH & MH]. (2) SURNAME: A surviving aunt told D the surname of the possible "birth father". Initially, we could not find the 1907 birth via the GGG/IGG Index. Then, I searched three months of the 1907 Kings County Birth Index in-person, at Muni Arch, and made several lists: all boys by mother's maiden name and spelling variations, all boys by possible father's surname and spelling variations, all boys by mother's eventual partner's surname, and all boys named Harold and all male children born after the known month and date of birth. Are you tired yet? No results were a match. Then, I orchestrated the same search criteria for New York County; no results. For 1911, D had to interfaced with the notorious NYC DOH & Mental Hygenie on Worth Street multiple times. D filed by post mail and included documentation that I recommended. After much ado about something, one male birth was located by the mother's maiden name, at a home for unwed mothers in Manhattan. Suffice to add that the home did not match the mother's religious affiliation. Genealogical research is definitely an act of love! Barb in NY -----Original Message----- From: Mark Lomax <mlomax1074@gmail.com> See what RTR says about orderingNYC birth certs from 1910-1915, at this link:https://www.reclaimtherecords.org/records-request/4/

Connecticut Ancestry Society presents a lecture, "NARA: How Can Their Records Bring Your Civil War Relatives to Life?" by Bruce D. Frail, on Sat. April 8, 2017 at Trumbull Library, 33 Quality St., Trumbull CT.. What records are available for Civil War veterans at NARA for all branches of service - How these records can assist you in your genealogical research - How these records can be used to write your veteran's war sketch, or regimental history while he served. Free and open to the public. Please join us. www.connecticutancestry.org.

Today, the Irish History Roundtable invites you to a program focused on the 1892 NYC Police Scandal. Think Irish...but not just Irish. Think Tammany. Think civil servants who were often political appointees. My grandfather was one such an appointee, earning $ 1,000. per year, when rents were like $15. per month. The press release of his suicide said that at he was a protege of Police Justice Patrick DIVVER. My deeper investigation revealed many suicides around this time. Remember, in 1892 the geographic boundaries of New York City included Manhattan, some East River islands, and parts of today's Bronx. It wasn't until 1898 that Greater NYC expanded to include the five boroughs of Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and Queens. This from the Irish History Roundtable website: "On Saturday, March 4, we will host a provocative program about what became labeled as the New York “Police Scandal” of 1892. With powerful results, charges were sensationally leveled against police practice and Tammany Hall activity in the city of New York by one of Gotham’s leading citizens. The centerpiece of this Roundtable program will be a talk by Professor Daniel Czitrom, whose recent book on the scandal, New York Exposed, has been called a “tour de force of investigation and interpretation.” The program will be held at 2 p.m. in the McCloskey meeting room in the parish house of the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, 263 Mulberry Street, Manhattan. Suggested donation: $5." Full story>>> http://www.irishnyhistory.org/features/events/ Barb

> Hello Brian, and all mailing listers, > > Brian, I may have missed a previous message, so please forgive me if I am > back tracking with old advice, or old information. > > Because you are a MALE, you can do the Y-chromosome dna test at > www.familytreedna.com This test is for surname projects, and available only > to males. > > The male Y-chromosome dna info is passed from father to son in an > uninterrupted line for centuries. > > If you feel there is a mix-up of any kind in your ancestry, on you male > direct line, this can tell you what the true original name was > (potentially). > Yes, indeed. That's how I know there is a change of surname in my paternal line. I also know, without knowing any more that my paternal Irish ancestry originates in Tipperary, although more recent ancestry may come from Limerick. It would appear, I'm of the Ui Duibhir Sept ('Dwyer). I also have many autosomal matches that hint of being on that line. My four "known" Irish lines include: Tipperary/Limerick, Monaghan/Armagh, and Louth. Another line is of unknown origin, and there may or may not be a 6th line, or more. My Densmore (O'Dwyer) line may have additional lines further back, depending on how long it has been in this country. My brickwall, or black hole, if you prefer. One of two lines I have made almost no progress on in 25 years.

Hello Brian, and all mailing listers, Brian, I may have missed a previous message, so please forgive me if I am back tracking with old advice, or old information. Because you are a MALE, you can do the Y-chromosome dna test at www.familytreedna.com This test is for surname projects, and available only to males. The male Y-chromosome dna info is passed from father to son in an uninterrupted line for centuries. If you feel there is a mix-up of any kind in your ancestry, on you male direct line, this can tell you what the true original name was (potentially). If your birth name was Tom Jones (for example) and your Y-dna results match you to dozens of men named SMITH, then that would point to some NPE or adoption, etc. Anyone doing the test should begin at least with the 65 markers, and this goes all the way to 111 markers, and the price increases as you go to higher degree of definition. I am involved in several Y-dna surname projects, I am following along and learning from these groups I am related to, but as a female I can't not personally contribute dna for a test. The Autosomal dna test is different. I am only describing the Y- test. Perhaps you have already done that test, and this is old news, so forgive me. However, other readers might get some benefit from this explanation anyway. Best regards, Lilly Martin -----Original Message----- From: Brian J Densmore Sent: Wednesday, March 01, 2017 7:28 PM To: nywestch@rootsweb.com Cc: nyqueens@rootsweb.com ; njbergen@rootsweb.com ; nynewyor@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [NYWESTCH] DNA testing > > Family searchers have flocked to DNA testing to find those lost rellies, but are > what's the rate of accuracy > > with these tests?

How can we flesh-out our ancestors without considering their religious customs? Growing up Catholic in New York, with two parochial school educated parents, Lent was an intense time of deliberate self-denial. My girlhood friends would ask, "What are you giving up?" That was Catholic code for: What will you sacrifice for forty days? The underlying message was self improvement. As a child, I thought like a child. Giving up chocolate, cookies, desserts, or TV time was pretty common. But when I was seven, and gave up biting my nails, I realized my reward: pretty hands as I donned my Easter bonnet. Refraining from bickering with a sib or "answering back" Mom came later. By my teens I recall limiting phone time. (What else?) At that Catholic women's college where Angela gave up using the "F" word, my roomie and I gave up smoking outside of the designated venue. (Smarty pants.) Then too, observing Lent meant meatless Fridays AND Wednesdays. This began once Father Bliss thumbed the cross of ashes on my forehead mumbling his immortal reminder, "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust" and ended with Easter Sunday's celebration of Jesus' resurrection. Fasting, praying, kneeling on hard wood. As the Catholic Church evolved, and the numbers of parishioners declined, its Lenten emphasis changed to adopting positive behaviors, rather than relinquishing others. A list of nineteen suggestions is here.>>> http://www.dailyworld.com/story/opinion/2017/02/16/19-things-give-up-lent-arent-chocolate/98005614/ In today's greedy, self-aggrandizing and hate-laden times, what will you do for Lent? Barb MizScarlettNY@aol.com "Swipe out swastikas"

> > Family searchers have flocked to DNA testing to find those lost rellies, but are > what's the rate of accuracy > > with these tests? DNA doesn't lie. But the article is comparing apples and oranges. They are reporting on the "ethnic inheritance" results. Which is a mix of science, guesswork, available databases, and junk science. Basically the deal with that is we are using databases of people who have tested and who are known to be from a certain place. A lot of this is "self-reported". So segments of DNA are being categorized as belonging to this group or that group, etc. The ethnic reports don't tell you much, unless you have a hidden African ancestor, or some other unique ethnic history you didn't know about. Divvying up DNA by what part of Europe your ancestors came from is a load of hooey. There have been so many invasions, re-invasions, cross invasions, war supplied DNA, and movement I doubt there is ever going to be a rock solid way of dividing up the DNA as from this, that, or the other thing. However! The useful part of DNA testing, comparing one person to another and against known family, IS real science and if you match any significant areas where you wouldn't match the general population, then you are definitively related to that person. You'll note the "Insider Edition" story didn't address this aspect, because the triplets are in fact genetically identical, within reason. There will be minor differences due to age of the subjects and the amount and type of mutations they develop over time. Small enough to be irrelevant for matching, but large enough to throw off ethnic reports. So, yes it's totally valid. I have matched to several people of known relationships to the correct degrees, and have matched to people I can connect via paper trail. I also match thousands of people I'll likely never be able to match to a common ancestor, unless I start testing every known relation I have and get REALLY LUCKY in my paper trail research. The thing is once you go beyond a third cousin, chances of matching go way down. You may not share any DNA with a third cousin. Then once you go beyond third cousins a match becomes much more ambiguous. *IF* you match to a 4th cousin AND you match to an 8th cousin there is a good chance you match as closely the amount of DNA to both of them. So it becomes nearly impossible, with current testing methods, to know how far back a distant cousin matches. I in fact have at least one such proven case, but also I *may* match this 8th cousin in multiple ways. Which throws in another monkey wrench. The more your tree, or a match's tree, collapses (endogamy), the harder it becomes to place definitely a match to an ancestor(s). So yes, it's valid. You'll still need to do the paper trail (or solve a non-paternal event [NPE]). So, not a magic bullet. Results vary on many factors: how many kids your ancestors had who survived and left issue, how many cousins test, how distant they are, how recently your family came t this country, whether people in another country are testing, the completeness of your own tree, the number of NPEs in your, or your matches', trees, how many people you can get to test, etc. I have tested a sibling, 3 1st cousins, 2 2nd cousins. That's not really enough. Enough that I can often group matches to a part of my tree. If parents, aunts/uncles, and grandparents are around one can greatly improve the chances of solving matches. But you'll need close cousins and lots of them to really make the most of this tool. It gets pricey. I have many matches who are either adopted or results of NPEs. I may, or may not, have an NPE in my direct line. But there's no one I can test to confirm or deny that. (Yet). One thing is certain. I'm not really a Densmore, but neither was my father. Beyond that, I can't prove anything. My grandfather was an only child, and my gr-grandfather's history is unknown. The other side of the coin, is you may disprove your paper trail if you do a DNA test. ;) Beware DNA tests bearing gifts. You may not like the gifts. ;) Regards, Brian

...as if there's another village that really matters! It was once the charming haven of one-family homes where Manhattan's elite and comfortable lived, as depicted in the novella "Washington Square" by Henry James. [https://www.amazon.com/Washington-Square-Henry-James/dp/1438288883] Post U.S. Civil War, as the wealthy moved northward, Irish, African, and Italian immigrants clustered in The Village along north-south Washington Street and east to about Sixth Avenue................... If your ancestors nested in Greenwich Village, you may want to subscribe to the newsletter of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (http://www2.gvshp.org/site/Survey?ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&SURVEY_ID=1581). It provides interesting stories about specific buildings. Thanks to Jane Jacobs defeat of Robert Moses proposal, cohttps://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20100929/manhattan/city-planning-approves-building-height-limits-east-west-villagesnstruction of a major thoroughfare never decimated The Village. Today, The Village remains an artsy enclave where building heights are restricted so you can see the sky. [https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20100929/manhattan/city-planning-approves-building-height-limits-east-west-villages]......Barb...MizScarlettNY@aol.com