Newsletter - 20th July 2018
Findmypast partner with Living DNA BREAKING NEWS
Three-quarters of Australian family historians are female
Maps
of Registration districts in 1871
National
Archives seeks new members for User Group
New
opening hours at London Metropolitan Archives
Why
DNA doesn't replace conventional research
Ancestry DNA offers ENDING SOON
Review: Referencing for
Genealogists: Sources and Citation
Review: The Curious
Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
Anna Ames series now available in paperback
The LostCousins newsletter is usually published
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Findmypast partner with
Living DNA BREAKING NEWS
Findmypast, the leading British provider of online family
history records has announced a partnership with Living DNA, the leading
British provider of DNA tests for genealogy.
At this stage it's not clear
how the user experience will change, but I think it’s reasonable to assume that
this is good news for family historians - though whether the two can
successfully compete against Ancestry, the global leader in both markets, remains
to be seen.
What we are likely to see is Findmypast users
having the option to make their trees public, though I sincerely hope that like
Ancestry they'll offer a middle option, 'private but searchable'.
Three-quarters
of Australian family historians are female
According to research carried
out by Dr Emma Shaw at the University of Newcastle in Australia, 76% of family
historians in Australia are female.
Whether or not her sample was
truly representative I don’t know, but the LostCousins
membership doesn’t reflect this imbalance - because the
majority of family historians also research their partner's tree, and
because of the unique way in which LostCousins works
each needs their own account.
Tip: two LostCousins accounts
can use the same email address - just so long as the passwords are different.
At the inaugural Genealogy in the Sunshine conference in
March 2014 I was fortunate to be able to persuade Dr Donald Davis, one of many distinguished
LostCousins members, to give a presentation about his
amazing discoveries in the 1841 Census. Although he had written about them for The Local Historian (in the May 2013
issue) this was the first time that his research had been presented in public.
What did we learn? We found
out that contrary to what many researchers had previously thought, nearly half
of householders completed the census schedules themselves - a discovery that
was made possible only because almost 500 original householder schedules from
Shropshire had somehow survived (and were discovered by Dr Davis at the
Shropshire Archives in Shrewsbury).
It was also possible, for the
first time, to compare the primary sources - the census schedules - against the
transcriptions in the enumerator's summary book. This comparison revealed all
manner of discrepancies!
As you may recall from an article
in this newsletter last October, the British Association for Local History has
made available online PDF copies of The
Local Historian (or Amateur Historian,
as it was originally known), and all but the most recent three years can be
downloaded completely free of charge.
So you can now read the whole of Dr Donald Davis's incredible
article - you'll find the May 2013 issue of The
Local Historian here.
Maps of
Registration Districts in 1871
The National Archives in Kew
hold in RG18 a collection of maps which show registration districts and
sub-districts at the time of the 1861 (London only), 1871 (excluding London),
1891, and 1921 censuses. Because enumeration districts were contained within
registration districts they help to identify the area covered by each
enumeration district.
The 1871 maps can be viewed
free here
at the Cassini Maps website - to change the scale of a map without affecting
the rest of the page hold down the shift key and use the scroll wheel on your
mouse (you can change the scale of the entire web page using the zoom function
in your browser). The collection is not complete - areas not covered are shaded
in pink.
I recently wrote
how, at Ancestry, you can view the first page of an enumeration book - which
gives a written description of the enumeration district. In 1851 one innovative
enumerator decided to supplement the description with a hand-drawn map:
All Rights Reserved. Used by
kind permission of Ancestry and The National Archives HO107/1477
National Archives
seeks new members for User Group
If you're a user of the
National Archives you might be just the person they
need for their User Advisory Group. Right now online
users in general, and LostCousins members in
particular, are under-represented on this key body.
There are four meetings a
year, usually held during working hours on Tuesdays. It's an important role, so
you shouldn't apply unless you're prepared to attend all of
the meetings - members are expected to serve for a minimum of one year.
Representatives will need to demonstrate
they have the qualities to actively participate in the group, including:
·
Willingness to express the views of their communities
in the setting of a large meeting
·
Time to prepare for meetings, including reading papers
and networking
·
Ability to see the ‘bigger picture’
You've got until next Friday
(27th July) to express your interest in taking in the role, but I suggest you
don’t leave it until the last minute. You can find out more here.
New opening hours
at London Metropolitan Archives
The London
Metropolitan Archives was once part of a 'golden triangle' for researchers
just north of the City of London - the Family Records Centre, the Society of
Genealogists, and the London Metropolitan Archives were all within walking
distance of one another, and it was in those three repositories that I carried
out much of my early research.
But the Family Records Centre
closed in 2008, and around the same time Ancestry began making available the
parish registers and some of the other records held by the London Metropolitan
Archives (they were the first English registers to go online at a commercial
genealogy site). This made an enormous difference to me personally - I've only
been back to the LMA once or twice in the decade since then.
Across the nation archives
have been reducing their opening hours as more and more records - especially
parish registers - have become available online. Last October the London
Metropolitan Archives carried out a survey, which revealed that on average only
6 visitors were present at 7pm on the evenings they were open - even though
keeping the premises open late required 6 staff to be
on duty. Consequently they've decided to reduce the
number of evenings from three to one (Wednesday), starting in September. You
can read more about the changes here.
Perhaps surprisingly, the
number of visitors to archives seems to have reduced even where the local
parish registers haven't gone online. - however, thinking of my own experience
it's perhaps not so surprising after all. I used to make frequent visits to the
Suffolk Record Office in Bury St Edmunds, as several of my ancestors came from
the area (and it’s only 45 miles from where I live) - but as parish registers
became available online for other counties where I have ancestral links,
including Hertfordshire (Findmypast), Oxfordshire
(Ancestry), Kent (Findmypast, Devon (Findmypast), and Essex (Essex Ancestors), I've tended to
focus my research on those lines.
Why DNA doesn't
replace conventional research
After publishing Chris's
article in the last newsletter I got many emails from
members who really appreciated hearing how effective DNA had been - and is
continuing to be - for Chris.
But some of them also asked
me to point out that DNA isn’t a replacement for conventional records-based
research - it complements it. DNA may be built up of letters, but it doesn’t contain
the names of your ancestors - what it does is identify cousins, then it's up to
you to figure out how they’re connected, and on which line.
I'm very happy to make this
point because it's one I've previously made myself - indeed, if you refer to my
DNA
Masterclass you'll see that it recommends:
Before you get your
results
Make sure that you've done all the conventional,
records-based, research you possibly can. Remember, DNA testing isn't a
substitute for records-based research - you need to do both to have a
reasonable chance of success. Each builds on
the other - if you only do one you're almost certainly going to fail.
Complete your My Ancestors page,
ensuring that you have entered ALL of the
cousins (no matter how distant) that you can find on the 1881 Census. Yes, it
might take you an hour or two, but skipping this important step could cost your
tens or even hundreds of hours when you come to analyse your DNA matches.
Tip: start in 1841 and
trace each of your branches (sometimes referred to as collateral lines) through
to 1881.
Take a look at your My Cousins page
and see which of your cousins have already tested, then contact them and find
out who they tested with. If they tested with a different company, ask if they
have uploaded their results to GEDmatch, and if
so, what their kit number is. Shared matches are the easiest way to figure out
how you’re related to DNA cousins, so knowing which cousins have already tested
is crucially important.
So long as you follow my
advice you won’t be disappointed - but if you try to cut corners,
or take a different DNA test from the ones I recommend, you'll be
setting yourself up for failure.
I'm not saying you shouldn't
listen to the advice of others, but if you're considering doing something that
goes against my advice why not run it past me first?
Ancestry DNA
offers ENDING SOON
With around 10 million tests
results already in their database Ancestry are the market leaders - but it’s
not just about the size of their database or the number of matches you'll get,
it’s how easy it is to figure out how you’re related to your genetic cousins
that really matters.
The good news is that
Ancestry not only have the largest database, their site is the easiest to use -
but to succeed you need to follow the strategies set out in my Masterclass
(unless you're an adoptee, in which case a different approach is required).
This weekend there are big
reductions on Ancestry DNA tests for people who live in the UK, Canada,
Australia and New Zealand - please use the links below so that you can support LostCousins at the same time as taking advantage of the
discounts available:
Ancestry UK - SAVE 20%
(starts 10pm Friday, ends midnight Tuesday)
Ancestry
Australia - SAVE 25% (already started, ends midnight AEST Sunday)
Ancestry Canada - SAVE
$30 (starts 3pm PST Friday, ends 9pm PST Sunday)
Review: Referencing
for Genealogists: Sources and Citation
On the website of Family
Tree magazine there's an article
by Emma Jolly entitled "How to cite sources: create family history research worth
keeping". That title says it all - if your research is to be worth
keeping, you must cite your sources. After all, if you don't, who is to know
that your tree is any better researched than the millions of 'joke' trees that
you'll find online?
Referencing for Genealogists: Sources and Citation by Ian G Macdonald draws together advice on referencing
sources from genealogical studies courses at Strathclyde University supplemented
by advice from members of the Register of Qualified Genealogists. Not
surprisingly, given its pedigree, it comes over at first glance as a rather
academic book - but please don't let that put you off. Whilst you might not
choose to note your sources in precisely the same way that the book recommends
at least you'll have made conscious decision to choose a different - and
presumably better - system.
When I founded LostCousins back in 2004 I wasn't in the least surprised
that many of the members who joined in those early days didn't appreciate the
significance of the various census references - at that time many of us were
still getting census information from microfilm. But it does surprise me that
there are still many who use Ancestry, but don't know what a Source Citation is
- even though every Ancestry transcription includes one.
Few aspire to become
professional genealogists - for most of us it's just a hobby. But even so, I
doubt that there are many people reading this who would want their research to
be discarded - or disregarded - after they're gone. But leave out those sources
and that's quite probably what will happen. Nobody will tell you this to your
face, of course - it's only after you've gone that they'll realise what a fine
mess you've gotten them into.
For many there will be a
secondary benefit from reading this book - the discovery of record sets that
they weren't previously aware of. It may only be 144 pages long, but there's a
lot of information crammed into those pages!
There is a Kindle version of
this book, but my advice is to buy the paperback. It would be expensive at the
cover price of £16, but there are some good discounts available if you follow
the links below (you'll
also be supporting LostCousins, by the way):
Amazon.co.uk Amazon.com Amazon.ca The Book Depository Wordery
Tip: The Book Depository and Wordery
offer free worldwide delivery - one or other might well be cheaper than your
local Amazon site
Review: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the
Night-time
I didn’t read this book when it was first published,
but it has been on my wish list for a long time, so when I saw a copy in a second-hand shop
I couldn't resist buying it - especially since I had jury service coming up,
and I'd been advised to take plenty of reading matter.
How can I describe this book?
I suppose it’s a cross between The Catcher in the Rye and The Young Visiters with a touch of Molesworth (or maybe Adrian Mole) thrown in. Whilst intended for
children it's almost too good for them, since the insight it provides into the
mind of teenager won't impress them nearly as much as it will impress you!
The book begins with the
discovery of a dead dog - this sets off an unpredictable chain of events which
disrupt the life of the main character and those around him. It doesn’t have a
fairy tale ending, but then it isn’t a fairy tale.
I found it hard to believe
that anyone could read this book and not give it a 5 star
review, but amazingly there are a small number of Amazon reviewers (3% of the
total) who gave it just 1 star. I feel sorry for them - they really missed out.
If you haven't read this book
already, borrow it from the library (or a friend), or else pick up a cheap
second-hand copy of your own so that you don’t have to give it back.
Warning: although this is a children's book there are
some words that adults might find offensive.
Amazon.co.uk Amazon.com Amazon.ca
Anna Ames
series now available in paperback
Regular readers of this newsletter will know that I am
a big fan of Geraldine Wall's series of books featuring Anna Ames, a probate
researcher on paper but, oh, so much more in practice!
Until recently they’ve only
been available in Kindle format, though that hasn’t stopped them becoming a
great favourite of LostCousins members - but the good
news is that now they're available in paperback as well. The even better news
is that Geraldine is currently working on the 5th book in the series - it was
originally intended to be a trilogy, but the characters are so wonderful that I'd
like to see the series go on for ever!
You'll find my reviews of the
first four books if you follow the links below:
I've listed the books in
chronological order - I'd advise reading them in that order, otherwise you
won’t get the full experience. There are links in the reviews, but you can purchase
either the paperback or the Kindle version of any of the books by following the
links below:
Amazon.co.uk Amazon.com Amazon.ca
At the beginning of the month I began my jury service,
but sadly the trial for which I was picked had to be abandoned after the judge
- a very pleasant fellow - fell seriously ill, so I never got a chance to play
Henry Fonda in the jury room.
But prior to the abandonment
of the trial I put together some notes that I was going to share with my fellow
jurors when we began our deliberations - and because they're general in nature,
I thought it might be useful to share them with you, in case you or somebody
you know is called for jury service.
REVIEW EVIDENCE
Was
the witness convincing (including during cross-examination)?
Did
the evidence from that witness make sense (viewed in isolation)?
Was
any of the witness evidence contradicted by previous statements, by other
witnesses, or by physical evidence?
Were
any contradictions satisfactorily explained?
Is
there evidence missing, and are there any conclusions that can be drawn from
this?
WEIGH EVIDENCE - FOR EACH
CHARGE
Has
the prosecution made a case?
Has
the defence rebutted any of the key elements of the prosecution's case?
Is
the weight of prosecution evidence overwhelming, or is there reasonable doubt?
I'm sure that many, if not
all, of these points would have been covered by the judge in his summing-up,
but even so I felt that having these questions down on paper would be useful.
I've also got no way of
knowing how effective they would have been in practice - but if they had been
used in the jury room I wouldn't, of course, be able to share them with you
now.
Great news for anyone with
ancestors from Lancashire - Findmypast have added baptism and marriage registers from
more than 190 parishes, and burial registers from 123. You can see a list of parishes
and dates of coverage if you follow this link.
Peter Calver
Founder,
LostCousins
© Copyright 2018
Peter Calver
Please do NOT copy or
republish any part of this newsletter without permission - which is only
granted in the most exceptional circumstances. However,
you MAY link to this newsletter or any article in it without asking for
permission - though why not invite other family historians to join LostCousins
instead, since standard membership (which includes the newsletter), is FREE?