A very late GeniaMeme (with apologies to Geniaus)

I've been obsessively researching a gentleman using a false name and have quite neglected this blog.

The Ancestors' Geneameme

The list should be annotated in the following manner:

Things you have already done or found: bold face type

Things you would like to do or find: italicize (colour optional)

Things you haven’t done or found and don’t care to: plain type

You are encouraged to add extra comments in brackets after each item 

1.  Can name my 16 great-great-grandparents (Unless one of my maternal gt grandmothers rises from the grave and tells us who fathered her children I'll never know)
2.  Can name over 50 direct ancestors (56 wheee...)
3.  Have photographs or portraits of my 8 great-grandparents
4.  Have an ancestor who was married more than three times
5.  Have an ancestor who was a bigamist
6.  Met all four of my grandparents (Like Geniaus, this will have to wait for another life or another turn of the wheel. One grandfather died before his son was married)
7.  Met one or more of my great-grandparents
8.  Named a child after an ancestor
9.  Bear an ancestor's given name/s
   
10.  Have an ancestor from Great Britain or Ireland.
11.  Have an ancestor from Asia
12.  Have an ancestor from Continental Europe (presumably my 3x gt grandfather was French; anyway the name is French or Swiss)
13.  Have an ancestor from Africa
14.  Have an ancestor who was an agricultural labourer (Who hasn't?)
15.  Have an ancestor who had large land holdings
16.  Have an ancestor who was a holy man - minister, priest, rabbi (does lay preacher count? my grandfather was one)
17.  Have an ancestor who was a midwife
    
18.  Have an ancestor who was an author (we were still signing our names with an X in the early 20th century)
19.  Have an ancestor with the surname Smith, Murphy or Jones
20.  Have an ancestor with the surname Wong, Kim, Suzuki or Ng
21.  Have an ancestor with a surname beginning with X
22.  Have an ancestor with a forename beginnining with Z (Zacariah, Zachary, Zarah, Zillah, Zonaier)
23.  Have an ancestor born on 25th December (not yet)
24. Have an ancestor born on New Year's Day (not yet)
25.  Have blue blood in your family lines
26.  Have a parent who was born in a country different from my country of birth (my mother was born in England)
27.  Have a grandparent who was born in a country different from my country of birth (my maternal grandparents were born in Norfolk)
28.  Can trace a direct family line back to the eighteenth century
29.  Can trace a direct family line back to the seventeenth century or earlier
30.  Have seen copies of the signatures of some of my great-grandparents
31.  Have ancestors who signed their marriage certificate with an X (Lots)
32.  Have a grandparent or earlier ancestor who went to university
33.  Have an ancestor who was convicted of a criminal offence (4 convicts in my father's line)
34.  Have an ancestor who was a victim of crime
35.  Have shared an ancestor's story online or in a magazine
    
36.  Have published a family history online or in print
    
37.  Have visited an ancestor's home from the 19th or earlier centuries (In Australia, England, Ireland,  Scotland)
38.  Still have an ancestor's home from the 19th or earlier centuries in the family
39.  Have a  family bible from the 19th Century (Paternal great-grandparents)
40.  Have a pre-19th century family bible

Tuesday's Tip - FamilySearch - Batch Numbers are Back!

That old standby of genealogists everywhere, the batch numbers for controlled extraction records in the International Genealogical Index (IGI to its many fans) has returned. For those of us new to genealogy the batch numbers allowed you to

• Browse all records for a given batch - generally within a given parish
• Search all records within that batch for people with a common surname

Hugh Wallis provided us a very good explanation and a batch number search which can be found IGI Batch Numbers . There are batch numbers for other countries besides the United States and North America which you will find at the bottom of the page. Unfortunately Hugh Wallis has passed away and the list is now incomplete.

Start with the FamilySearch Advanced Search panel.

Pick a batch number from the list (or use one that you have noted down), enter it and Search. I've used a batch number of C113956 for this example - Baptisms and Christenings in Tibbermore, Perthshire, Scotland.

From this point you can refine your search to reduce the number of results. I've expanded the first person found, Isabella Aberdeen to show that she was born on 22 Nov 1841 and baptised on 11 Jan 1842 at Tibbermore, Perthshire, Scotland.

Happy Hunting!

99 Things Genealogy Meme Aussie Style

Better late than never!

Geniaus asked Aussie genealogy bloggers to continue this meme. Here is her post http://geniaus.blogspot.com/2011/09/99-things-genealogy-meme-aussie-style.html

The list should be annotated in the following manner:
Things you have already done or found: bold face type
Things you would like to do or find: italicise
Things you haven’t done or found and don’t care to: plain type

Here is my contribution.

1. Belong to a genealogical society.
2. Joined the Australian Genealogists group on Genealogy Wise
3. Transcribed records.
4. Uploaded headstone pictures to Find-A-Grave or a similar site.
5. Documented ancestors for four generations (self, parents, grandparents, great-grandparents)
6. Joined Facebook.
7. Cleaned up a run-down cemetery.
8. Joined the Genea-Bloggers Group.
9. Attended a genealogy conference.
10. Lectured at a genealogy conference.
11. Spoke on a genealogy topic at a local genealogy society.
12. Joined the Society of Australian Genealogists.
13. Contributed to a genealogy society publication.
14. Served on the board or as an officer of a genealogy society.
15. Got lost on the way to a cemetery.
16. Talked to dead ancestors.
17. Researched outside the state in which I live.
18. Knocked on the door of an ancestral home and visited with the current occupants. 
19. Cold called a distant relative.
20. Posted messages on a surname message board.
21. Uploaded a gedcom file to the internet.
22. Googled my name. (and those of ancestors and distant cousins)
23. Performed a random act of genealogical kindness.
24. Researched a non-related family, just for the fun of it.
25. Have been paid to do genealogical research.
26. Earn a living (majority of income) from genealogical research.
27. Wrote a letter (or email) to a previously unknown relative.
28. Contributed to one of the genealogy carnivals.
29. Responded to messages on a message board.
30. Was injured while on a genealogy excursion.
31. Participated in a genealogy meme.
32. Created family history gift items (calendars, cookbooks, etc.).
33. Performed a record lookup.
34. Took a genealogy seminar cruise.
35. Am convinced that a relative must have arrived here from outer space.
36. Found a disturbing family secret.
37. Told others about a disturbing family secret.
38. Combined genealogy with crafts (family picture quilt, scrapbooking).
39. Think genealogy is a passion not a hobby.
40. Assisted finding next of kin for a deceased person.
41. Taught someone else how to find their roots.
42. Lost valuable genealogy data due to a computer crash or hard drive failure. 
43. Been overwhelmed by available genealogy technology.
44. Know a cousin of the 4th degree or higher.
45. Disproved a family myth through research.
46. Got a family member to let you copy photos.
47. Used a digital camera to “copy” photos or records.
48. Translated a record from a foreign language.
49. Found an immigrant ancestor’s passenger arrival record.
50. Looked at census records on microfilm, not on the computer.
51. Used microfiche.
52. Visited the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. 
53. Used Google+ for genealogy.
54. Visited a church or place of worship of one of your ancestors. 
55. Taught a class in genealogy.
56. Traced ancestors back to the 18th Century.
57. Traced ancestors back to the 17th Century.
58. Traced ancestors back to the 16th Century.
59. Can name all of your great-great-grandparents.
60. Found an ancestor on the Australian Electoral Rolls
61. Know how to determine a soundex code without the help of a computer.
62. Have found relevant articles on Trove.
63. Own a copy of Evidence Explained by Elizabeth Shown Mills.
64. Helped someone find an ancestor using records you had never used for your own research.
65. Visited the main National Archives building in Washington, DC.
66. Visited the National Library of Australia.
67. Have an ancestor who came to Australia as a ten pound pom.
68. Have an ancestor who fought at Gallipoli.
69. Taken a photograph of an ancestor’s tombstone.
70. Can read a church record in Latin.
71. Have an ancestor who changed his/her name.
72. Joined a Rootsweb mailing list.
73. Created a family website.
74. Have a genealogy blog.
75. Was overwhelmed by the amount of family information received from someone.
76. Have broken through at least one brick wall.
77. Done genealogy research at the War Memorial in Canberra.
78. Borrowed microfilm from the Family History Library through a local Family History Center.
79. Found an ancestor in the Ryerson index.
80. Have visited the National Archives of Australia.
81. Have an ancestor who served in the Boer War.
82. Use maps in my genealogy research.
83. Have a convict ancestor who was transported from the UK. 
84. Found a bigamist amongst the ancestors.
85. Visited the National Archives in Kew. 
86. Visited St. Catherine's House in London to find family records.
87. Taken an online genealogy course.
88. Consistently cite my sources.
89. Visited a foreign country (i.e. one I don't live in) in search of ancestors. 
90. Can locate any document in my research files within a few minutes.
91. Have an ancestor who was married four times (or more).
92. Made a rubbing of an ancestors gravestone.
93. Followed genealogists on Twitter.
94. Published a family history book (on one of my families).
95. Learned of the death of a fairly close relative through research.
96. Offended a family member with my research.
97. Reunited someone with precious family photos or artifacts.
98. Have a paid subscription to a genealogy database.
99. Edited records on Trove.

Madness Monday - Working in a Lunatic Asylum

My 3x Gt Grandfather John Bull was a Storekeeper in a Lunatic Asylum, Melbourne Lodge on Lamb Lane just off the London Fields. When he wasn't at work he and his wife Sarah lived at 13 Exmouth Place, Hackney.

1841 English census taken 6 Jun 1841

There is reference to Melbourne Lodge in British History Online (about half-way down the page - use CTL-F to find it). I didn't realise it was a Lunatic Asylum until I received his death certificate from the GRO.

1843 Death Register of John Bull, Storekeeper in a Lunatic Asylum.

Tuesdays Tip - Baptisms at Grandfather's Church

Then, as now, families like to have a relative baptise the latest additions to the family. When it is grandfather performing the baptism then the family travels to grandfather's parish. I've recently transcribed some baptisms held at St Martin Outwich in the City of London and found these nice examples of a family having grandfather baptise the latest additions.

1. 19 Sep 1832, Beaumont Ellis s. of Beaumont Atkinson, gentleman, and Elizabeth (Ellis), South Grove, Hampstead, b. 15 July; by J. J. Ellis, M.A., Rector
2. 02 Aug 1835, Georgina Elizabeth, d. of George Stevenson Ellis, gentleman, and Barbara Frances (Simpson), South Sea House, b. 21 July; by J. J. Ellis, M.A., Rector
3. 23 May 1837, John Joseph Ellis, s. of Beaumont Atkinson, gentleman, and Elizabeth (Ellis), South Grove, Hampstead, b. 20 April; by J. J. Ellis, M.A., Rector
4. 23 May 1837, Catharine Frances, d. of George Stevenson Ellis, gentleman, and Barbara Frances (Simpson), South Sea House, b. 21 April; by J. J. Ellis, M.A., Rector
5. 20 Dec 1840, George Simpson, s. of George Stevenson Ellis, gentleman, and Barbara Frances (Simpson), South Sea House, b. 16 Sep; by J. J. Ellis, M.A., Rector
6. 11 Jul 1842, Henrietta Jane, d. of George Stevenson Ellis, gentleman, and Barbara Frances (Simpson), South Sea House, b. 6 June; by J. J. Ellis, M.A., Rector
7. 08 Jan 1844, Barbara Frances, d. of George Stevenson Ellis, gentleman, and Barbara Frances (Simpson), 20 Dartmouth Terrace, Blackheath, b. 19 Nov 1843; by J. J. Ellis, M.A., Rector
8. 08 Dec 1845, Helen Blanche, d. of George Stevenson Ellis, gentleman, and Barbara Frances (Simpson), 20 Dartmouth Terrace, Blackheath, b. 29 Oct; by J. J. Ellis, M.A., Rector 

Here is  The Rev John Joseph Ellis, M.A. record in the CCEd, the Clergy of the Church of England database. His son, George Stevenson Ellis, lived nearby at South Sea House but moved out to Blackheath and still returned to have his father perform the baptisms. His daughter Elizabeth (Ellis) Atkinson, lived in Hampstead and came into the city for her father to perform the baptisms.

Knowing the occupation of relatives can make all the difference in finding baptisms which don't appear in the home parish.

Black Sheep Sunday - Henry Tissott (Tissett) 1832 Pleading for Clemency (Part 1)

Following my previous post on  Henry Tissott 1832 Letter from Gaol Henry's father Joseph Tissott petitioned the court for clemency because he was only 13.

HO17/99 Petitions for Clemency

Petition SQ10

The humble petition of Joseph Tissot

Sheweth

That your Lordships humble Petitioner is the Father of Henry Tissott an unfortunate youth thirteen years of age now under Sentence of Death recorded in Stafford Gaol for aiding and assisting Elizabeth Banks seventeen years of age in Stealing and disposing of a cow, belonging to Henry Crutchley of Wolverhampton in the County of Stafford.

Your Lordships humble Petitioner prayeth of your great goodness you will consider the feelings of a parent having but this Son and a daughter many miles from him left out of Seven children my said Son Henry Tissott has always been brought up with me under my own care untill Childlike he was enticed to leave me prior to the said Robbery.

Your Lordship’s Humble Petitioner therefore humbly prayeth that you may consider the prisoner’s tender years, and that this is the first and only charge ever brought against him, and that you of your great compassion will ameliorate the anguish of an afflicted parent Sixty one years of age over an unfortunate child

and be pleased to be as lenient with the prisoner as his case will admit and your Lordship’s humble Petitioner will as in duty bound ever pray

Joseph Tissott – his mark

Tuesday Tip - Non-traditional Baptisms

It's easy to forget that not everyone was baptised as a child or was baptised in their home parish. Hear are some examples I found while transcribing the baptismal registers of St Martin Outwich in the City of London.

• 10 May 1772 Jane Hermitage, a black girl, aged abt 14 years
• 14 Oct 1792 John Dilston, five years of age, s. of Richd and Deliana Powle
• 21 May 1799 John Love, a black adult 23 years old, servt to G. Booth Barrett Esq.
• 30 Nov 1800 Flora Jones, a native of the East Indies, about 18 years of age, living with John Jones Esq., of the Bengal Warehouse E[ast] I[ndia] House
• 22 Jan 1817 Henry Gompertz, an adult, a solicitor, Crown Ct., Threadneedle Street

St Martin Outwich