Sunday, March 16, 2008

BEST of the Internet for Genealogists 16 March 2008

DearREADERS,
It is Sunday and time for the latest installment of DearMYRTLE’s BEST of the Internet for Genealogists Awards. I have had a hard time narrowing things down after attending the BYU Computerized Genealogical Conference in Provo, Utah this past weekend, and hearing about all sorts of resources available to family historians on & off the web.

[Ahem, drum roll please…]

The BEST of the Internet for Genealogists – 16 March 2008 awards go to:

BLOG: “Salute to Gutsy Women Travelers” posted at What’s Past is Prologue by Donna Pointkouski, 11 March 2008. Comparing and contrasting ancestor experiences with our own are part of the learning curve. Thanks Donna for including the stories of nine women who pulled up roots and came to America. Also included are links to related articles to help readers understand the immigrant experience.

INSTRUCTION: Dick Eastman’s “Kekule Numbering System” posted in Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter, 26 Feb 2008. “The German mathematician Stephan Kekulé of Stradonitz (1863-1933) was a genealogist as well as the son of famed mathematician and chemist Friedrich August Kekulé. He used a numbering system to show relationships in text format.” Plus Edition subscribers get the full details.

DATABASE SITE: “Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills Index 1750-1800” posted at BritishOrigins.com. “The present index, which includes about 208,000 entries, is not complete, but it was felt that it was worthwhile making this version available in any case. About 15% of the records are yet to be added.” FAQs include:

SCANNED IMAGE SITE: Index to the Prerogative Wills of Ireland 1536-1810 edited by Sir Arthur Vicars, F. S. A., Ulster King of Arms. Originally published in Dublin, 1897. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc., Baltimore, 1967, 1989. Scanned images from this index book should lead you to the location of your ancestor’s original will. From the preface: “The wills in Ireland may be said to consist of two classes, Prerogative and Diocesan. Those proved in the Prerogative Court are the most important, containing, as they do, testamentary devises from all parts of Ireland, and generally referring to the more important members of the community. They commence in 1536 and continue to 1858.” From this, we see that 48 years of the wills are not covered by this index. The compiler explains the jurisdiction of various courts. Be sure to see the “Table showing the Relations between the Counties and the Dioceses of Ireland” on page 512.

PODCAST: The show notes for the “Teutonic Knights” podcast are posted at Ancient & Medieval History by “Catherine”. The .mp3 file came to my attention through iTunes, and does not appear to be linked at the show notes page. Beginning “around 1198, the Teutonic Knights were both a military and charitable force in the medieval world.”

VIDEO: “Giving Maps a Second Life with Digital Technologies” linked at David Rumsey Map Collection. David has collected over 17,000 maps from the 18th and 19th century, and is making them available digitally in a variety of formats, including a partnership with Google Earth. In the video, David explains his project, and includes a brief tour of the 3-dimensional map tours at Rumsey's Map Islands in Second Life. “Out-of-this-world” thinking. This video will simply knock your socks off.

COMMENTARY: “Life Returns to a Tree from the Bottom Up” posted at Arlene H. Eakle's Genealogy Blog, 10 March 2008. Most of us in the "frozen northland" regions of the world have had enough snow. The prospect of spring and life returning to our trees is delightful. Arlene observes the process and makes an analogy for family historians.

INNOVATION: Blogger.com provides a method for creating online postings at no cost, with the oldest web log service, now owned by Google. Because of this affiliation, about 5-7 minutes after making your blog posting, Google Alerts will show up on the topics you discussed. Options include multiple template designs, public or private access, inserting video clips & graphics, and allowing postings to be forwarded. Be sure to take the Blogger Quick Tour.

MOST INTERESTING THREAD: “Ireland to Australia on the 'Mangles 2' 1822” posted by ‘Sjones923’ on New Years Day 2007 at Ancestry Australia Convicts (1788-1868) Message Board, 2007-2008. Responses include referrals to the Aus-PT-Jackson-Convicts RootsWeb Mailing List, a note from a researcher working one of the same lines, an explanation of the Rockite Rebellion with a link to more information, and a copy/paste from the National Archives of Ireland website listing an ancestor’s date of conviction as 17/06/1822.

ETHNIC STUDIES: The Volga Germans in either English or Russian created by Steve Schreiber at www.volgagermans.net. “The Volga German colonies were founded during the years 1763 to 1772 by 30,623 colonists primarily from the central region of present day Germany. The colonies were located on the unsettled Russian steppe near the banks of the Volga River.” To help preserve the history and heritage of the Volga Germans by sharing your knowledge, family information, stories and photographs on this website, contact the webmaster. See currently posted memoirs including:

Check out the “Customs & Traditions” pages with entries such as:

Please note that this week's award winners may have published the spotlighted content earlier, it is just that this week Ol' Myrt here stumbled across them and wishes to honor excellent work.

If you have suggestions for winning genealogy content be sure to drop me a line. After all, we get by with a little help from our friends.

Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt :)
DearMYRTLE,
Your friend in genealogy.
Myrt@DearMYRTLE.com
http://blog.dearmyrtle.com

© 2008 Pat Richley All Rights Reserved.

Posted by Myrt at Sunday, March 16, 2008