Family History 4 All

Learn how to trace YOUR family tree.

Newsletter No.8 – May 2007.

Family Tree Maker UK Edition 2006

Dear Subscriber,

Welcome to our newsletter from http://familyhistory4all.co.uk If you prefer to read this 'online' then click here: http://familyhistory4all.co.uk/newsletter_no8_may_2007.htm

Contents

1. Our welcome message.

2. Featured Article – Family Religion - Tracing Genealogy through Church Records.

3. Help wanted - Can you help Deanne find her grandfather?

4. Latest news from Ancestry

5. What’s new on our site?

6. Next month’s article.

1. Sorry your newsletter is late.

My daughter and family have just spent a week with us, so I haven't had much spare time to spend on the web site. Normal service has now resumed!

I hope this message finds you all in good health. This past month has see a massive increase in subscribers, so to all our new subscribers a big welcome and we hope you enjoy our newsletter. And to all our subscribers – if you have an article or amusing story to share with us then please don’t be afraid to send it for publication…you can remain anonymous if you prefer but we want you all to feel you can contribute if you want to. Just send an email with the words ‘Newsletter item’ in the subject box. And we will include it at the first opportunity, subject to editing, if necessary of course.

Here's the link to the archives so you can refer to previous issues: http://familyhistory4all.co.uk/archive.htm (If any links in your newsletter fail to work, then please email me and I will send you the link again)

2. Family Religion - Tracing Genealogy through Church Records

By: Paul Duxbury and Kevin Cook

Using church records to trace genealogical information is a great resource that is rapidly being discovered by those who are tracing their family tree information. Your church or the church that your family belonged to in the past may have extensive records. Many do.

The most well known church records for genealogy research are those of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the Mormons. The LDS church maintains extensive records and several web sites, and you don't have to be a member of their church to access the records as they consider genealogy records to be part of the mission of their church. They have a free genealogy search engine, as well as links to many other sites that can assist in research. Links include US, British and Canadian census records online. The LDS church also offers a free workbook for researchers and other tools either free or at a very low cost that can prove helpful.

Many other churches also keep records of membership, marriages, births, confirmation, baptism, death, anniversaries and other important events in the lives of their members. If your church is part of a large denomination there may be a central record centre where this information is kept. If you or your family belonged to a smaller church, you may have to visit the church or write to the pastor to gain this information. Many times the logs or journals of pastors will be passed down from one to another. If logs or journals are not available, church records will generally show attendance and that can help tremendously in determining if your family members were at this particular church during the specified time period.

In the country many churches have adjoining cemeteries and extensive burial records. One family researcher has been known to hang out at cemeteries reading the inscriptions on grave stones looking for long lost relatives, and has had very good results. Other researchers have had good luck with the records of church affiliated organizations. As an example, the Knights of Columbus is a Catholic organization for men that has been around for a very long time and keeps records of membership. This is a group formed to provide men of the parish with a meeting place for fellowship and an organizational structure for doing good works for the community.

The various rites of the Masonic Lodge has a similar goal and has had affiliation with many Protestant churches and one genealogic researcher discovered that most of her male ancestors were members of a particular lodge, which led her to visit that lodge and ask for help in finding records of her ancestors. The lodge members were quite helpful. It turned out that in the small community where the lodge was located most of the members were also members of the same area churches, and many of the records coincided. As fortune would have it, one of the churches also had a nearby cemetery and she was able to find the graves of many ancestors by visiting there, as well as photographs of two grandfathers and two great grandfathers who had been Lodge Masters during the years. This was a rare find, and proved the value of checking with churches, cemeteries and fraternal orders.

Family bibles often have indispensable information, and while most families keep possession of the family bible, some donate them to churches. If this is the case, checking out the family bibles of other families in the area can give clues to what may have been going on with your own family around that time.

Of course, if your family is from a rural area there may be less organization than would be found in a larger or older city. Boston for instance is filled with churches and graveyards, and most of them keep very good records. On the other hand, a small town in Arizona may not have been settled that long ago in the grand scheme of things and may not have records that are as extensive. But, you never know until you check it out, and part of family tree research is following leads to see where they go. While one lead may dry out, it also may split off and lead you in a different and more productive direction.

Article Source: http://www.familyhistoryarticles.com

About the Authors Paul Duxbury and Kevin Cook own www.amateur-genealogist.com and www.our-family-trees.co.uk two of the leading Genealogy Websites. In addition Paul owns a wide range of exciting websites which can be viewed at www.our-family-trees.co.uk

3. Help wanted - Can you help Deanne find her grandfather?

Hi All
I have searched all the relevant sites over the last 2 years in the search for my Grandfather to no avail. Brick wall after brick wall. Where does one go from here. He seems to have left no trace. He was not married to my Gran but had 3 children with her. From 1925-1930. There are no family members left to ask any info from. There is a rumour that he came from Ireland, but his name is not indigenous to this country (Rainbow). How can I find him as it seems that he doe's not exist on anything. Adoption records reveal nothing or am I missing something, please help me, I'm desperate to find where he came from. He was buried in a paupers grave in St Albans In Hertfordshire and i promised my mother that i would one day find out where he came from. Sadly she is no longer with me but I want to fulfil this promise to her. His Full name on his death cert is Walter William Rainbow born c1873. He was involved in a accident in 1939 in Sandpit Lane St Albans Hertfordshire. He died March 1940.as a result of this accident in the poor house Oster Hills St Albans Hertfordshire. There was an inquest, March the 12th 1940. Any tips will be grateful.
Here's Hoping.
Kind Regards
Deanne

Note from editor: If you can help Deanne in any way please send details to us here at Family History 4 All and we will pass on your comments. Deanne is a member of www.Ancestry.co.uk and has checked all the census information to no avail.

4. Latest News from www.Ancestry.co.uk

With all the recent media attention, the fact that this year commemorates the 200th anniversary since the passing of The Abolition of Slave Trade Act won’t have escaped too many Ancestry members.

However, the recent launch of two significant Barbados record collection sets will enable you to gain a real insight into the lives and experiences of those living on the island, from the arrival of the first British Settlers to the islands in 1627 to the abolition of the slave trade some 200 years later.

Explore the source images and records for the Slave Registers of former British Colonial Dependencies,
1812-1834 and English Settlers in Barbados, 1637-1800 to create an unparalleled picture of life from both sides of the colonial divide- those of the plantation owners and those of the slaves that worked upon them.

To combat illicit transportation of slaves, following the passing of the Abolition of Slavery Act in 1807, many of the British Colonies began keeping registers of black slaves who had been so-called “lawfully enslaved”.

This collection contains the slave registers from Barbados from 1812 to 1834. Information available in these records includes:

Name of owner
Place of residence (name of Barbados parish)
Name of slave (usually only a given name, if the slave had been baptized this may include the slave name and the Christian name)
Gender of slave
Age of slave
Birth Place of slave

Take a look at the registers here. Barbados Launch - Slave Registers

This database contains three volumes of Barbados church records (baptisms and marriages) as well as three volumes of probate records (wills and administrations). Approximately 200,000 individuals are referenced within these pre-eminent works on Barbados genealogical source records.

5. Family History For All – Website update.

NEW! After signing up to our free newsletter, send your address and ask for our free '2008 Laminated Calendar!'

This handy A4 sized calendar is completely free just for signing up to our free newsletter. Already signed up? don't worry you won't miss out, just send us your address so I can post it to you! Send your address by email or by ordinary mail, you'll find details here: http://familyhistory4all.co.uk/contact_us.htm Tell your friends!

Note: you must be signed up to the newsletter to receive your free calendar - Time limited offer!

Recently we added a few pages including ‘Ancestry.co.uk News & Offers’ and ‘Family History Events’. These are proving very popular.

Our new guestbook was installed recently by popular request. So please sign our guestbook and add a few comments about the site/newsletter etc. or just say Hi!

I've been working on a new site for the past month or so. If you would like to take a peek then click here: http://ackroydancestry.co.uk/

6. Next month’s main article: Organizing Your Family History Records By Marina Garrison

We hope you've enjoyed this months newsletter.

If you have an idea for a future issue, please tell us and if possible we will include it.

That’s all for this month folks…see you soon.

Jim. Editor

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Jim Ackroyd. Address: 12 Avondale Road. Doncaster. UK. DN2 6DE

Take a look at our other web sites here: http://jamesackroyd.com

PS. For our UK subscribers. If you like to have a flutter on the National Lottery, Use this link: http://playlottery.at/A1Shopping I buy my lotto tickets online as it’s much more convenient. (It is normal to find the site closed on Wednesday and Saturday evenings. Just try the next day)