Newman and Nelson- Alphabetical and Descendant Ties

When you are researching ancestors that died before the 1850 census, you are presented with an ancestor puzzle with many missing pieces.  Prior to 1850, our puzzle pieces include census, tax lists, land, probate and host of other records that often get ignored.  Such is the case with two of my ancestors, William Newman and Moses Nelson:

William Newman
1763–1840
BIRTH BEF. 1763 • St Marys Church, Burlington, New Jersey, United States
DEATH 1840 • Nicholas County, Kentucky, USA
5th great-grandfather

Moses Nelson
1758–1833
BIRTH 10 MAR 1758 • Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA
DEATH 12 JUN 1833 • Bath County, Kentucky, USA
5th great-grandfather

My intent was to research William Newman but I kept finding Moses Nelson in the same records.  Their names are both found in the "Ne" portion of the indexes.  They appear to be contemporaries but not necessarily associates.  Their descendants were joined together by the marriage of William Thomas Newman and Louisa Joyce Fowler, three generations later as shown in the pedigree for their daughter and my great grandmother, Julia Ann Newman:

I was interested in finding information about William Newman because I was intrigued by the fact that he freed his slaves in his will.  Here is what I found:

William Newman Research Log- July 2018 by Nick Cimino

William Newman was born in 1763 by some accounts in Burlington, New Jersey. He married Cassandra Tippet in 1780 in Charles, Maryland. They had five children in 11 years. He died in 1840 in Nicholas, Kentucky.

The 1780 marriage of William Newman to Cassandra Tippet is supported by the biography of their son-in-law, David Wilson:

David Wilson ... married, in Bourbon County, in 1815, Sarah, daughter of William and Cassander (Tippet) Newman

SOURCE: History of Bourbon, Scott, Harrison and Nicholas Counties, Kentucky, ed. by William Henry Perrin, O. L. Baskin & Co., Chicago, 1882. p. 800.

The 1790 census shows a William Newman in Charles County, Maryland:

Name: William Newman
Home in 1790 (City, County, State): Charles, Maryland
Number of All Other Free Persons: 4
Number of Household Members: 4

This census would indicate that William and Cassandra had two children prior to 1790.  This is slightly inconsistent with the known family information which shows three children born prior to 1790:

• Birth of Daughter Eleanor Newman Bond Fugate (1783–1875) 6 Aug 1783 • Maryland

• Birth of Daughter Sophia Newman Harden (1787–1857) Abt. 1787 • Maryland, USA

• Birth of Son Thomas David Newman(1788–1848) 22 Feb 1788 • Charles County, Maryland, USA

By 1800 the William Newman Household had grown considerably. We appear to be missing one child in our records as there are only two children shown as born between 1790 and 1800:

• Birth of Son Augusta Newman (1794–1861) ABT 1794 • Maryland

• Birth of Daughter Sarah Newman Wilson (1795–1872) 4 Feb 1795 • Maryland

We have knowledge of three daughters and two sons but as shown below there was another boy under 10 recorded in the 1800 census. In addition there is a white male 45 and over that is a subject of speculation.  There are two females 10 through  15 shown in the 1800 census but Eleanor Newman would have been about 17 and Sophia Newman would have been about 13 which is a slight mismatch.

Name: William Newman
Home in 1800 (City, County, State): Port Tobacco Parish, Charles, Maryland
Free White Persons - Males - Under 10: 2   (Augusta Newman, age 6 and ??)
Free White Persons - Males -10 thru 15: 1   (Thomas David Newman, age 12)
Free White Persons - Males - 26 thru 44: 1   (William Newman, age 37)
Free White Persons - Males - 45 and over: 1   (unknown older male)
Free White Persons - Females - Under 10: 1   (Sarah Newman, age 5)
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 15: 2   (Eleanor, age 17 and Sophia age 13)
Free White Persons - Females - 26 thru 44: 1   (Cassandra about 35)
Number of Slaves: 1 (Perhaps there is a deed or a will which shows this name.)
Number of Household Members Under 16: 6
Number of Household Members Over 25: 3
Number of Household Members: 10

The 1810 census shows the following: 

Name: William Newman
Home in 1810 (City, County, State): Charles, Maryland
Free White Persons - Males - 16 thru 25: 1
Free White Persons - Males - 45 and over: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 15: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 45 and over : 1
Number of All Other Free Persons: 1
Numbers of Slaves: 4
Number of Household Members Under 16: 1
Number of Household Members Over 25: 2
Number of Household Members: 9

The earliest event that I have found so far involving the Newmans in Kentucky was 7 Aug 1813 in Bourbon County, Kentucky, Thomas David Newman was married to Nancy Johnson.

In 1814 the marriage of Sarah Newman to David Wilson occurred on 16 Jun 1814 in Bourbon County, Kentucky, USA.

Shortly thereafter, Agusta Newman, son of William Newman and Cassandra Tippet enlisted for War of 1812 service on 10 September 1814.

Agusta Newman and Melinda Sledd were married in Bourbon County on the 3rd of November of 1815.

In 1819 Agusta Newman was a Grantor to Benjamin Boardman, Grantee, Book E, Page 367 and in - 1827 Agusta Newman was Grantor to William Sledd, Grantee, Book G, Page 560 both deeds in Bourbon County.

The 1820 Census shows William Newman as follows:

 Name:  William Newman

Home in 1820 (City, County, State):         Nicholas, Kentucky

Enumeration Date:          August 7, 1820 

 Free White Persons - Males - Under 10:  1

Free White Persons - Males - 45 and over:            1

Free White Persons - Females - 45 and over :       1

Slaves - Males - 14 thru 25:           1

Slaves - Females - 26 thru 44:      1

Number of Persons - Engaged in Agriculture:       1

Free White Persons - Under 16:  1

Free White Persons - Over 25:     2

Total Free White Persons:            3

Total Slaves:       2

Total All Persons - White, Slaves, Colored, Other:               5

William Newman (1765 – 1840 • Family Search ID# LX7G-9WB) in Nicholas County, Kentucky Tax books 1800-1841 (Missing 1828, 1832, 1837); Family History Library United States & Canada Film # 8185, DGS # 7834493

·         Total Images: 1430; Years are shown with large block numbers; Used 1820 as a starting point which begins on Image #571 and ends on Image #611. 611-571=40 images

·         Names are alphabetical.  In 1820, William Newman is on image 598 of 1430. The following shows the column headings and the entries for William Newman:

o   Person’s name chargeable with Tax: William Newman

o   No. of Acres of Land and land rating 1^st, 2^nd or 3^rd:  None

o   District and Regiment in which the person resides: 4^th Dist.

o   County in which the land resides: Nicholas

o   Water Course on which the land lies: None

o   In whose named entered: None

o   In whose named surveyed: None

o   In whose named patented: None

o   White males over 21: 1

o   Blacks over 16: 1 (Note that the 1820 census says two blacks and tax records show two blacks beginning in 1822)

o   Total blacks: 1

o   Horses, mares etc: 1

o   Steed horses: None

o   Rates pr. Season (sp?): None

o   Tavern license: None

o   Retail stores: None

o   Wheel carriages: None

o   Billiard Tables: None

o   Value of Land per Acre:

o   Total Value Except Steed Horses: $789

·         1819 William Newman was not listed

·         1821 (Image 639) William Newman is in 4^th district of Nicholas County. Again, there is one male over 21, 1 black over 16 and 1 total black with one horse. Total value is $530.

·         1822 (Image 684) William Newman listed on Image 684.  He had no land. It appears that he is in the 4^th district of Nicholas County. He is still the only white male over 21. There are now two total blacks both over age 16 and two horses with total value of $710.

·         1823 (Image 727) William Newman is in 4^th District of Nicholas County. There is one voter, one white male over 21, two blacks over 16, two total blacks, and two horses. Total value is $780.

·         1824 (Image 767) William Newman is in 4^th District of Nicholas County. There is one white male over 21, two blacks over 16, two total blacks, and two horses. Total value is $710.

·         1825 (Image 816) William Newman is in 4^th District of Nicholas County. There is one white male over 21, three blacks over 16, three total blacks, and two horses. Total value is $1600.

·         1826 (Image 857) William Newman is in Nicholas County. There is one white male over 21, three blacks over 16, three total blacks, and two horses. Total value is $1000.

o   On the next page is Moses Nelson with 66 acres of 2^nd class land in Shelby Company, original entry by Abercromby (sic), one male over 21, one total slave and three horses

·         1827 (Image 891) William Newman is in Nicholas County. There is one voter, one white male over 21, three blacks over 16, three total blacks, and two horses. Total value is $950.

·         1828 is missing

·         1829 (Image 939) William Newman is in Nicholas County. There is one white male over 21, three blacks over 16, three total blacks, and three horses. Total value is $940. Also notable are the other Newmans including:

o   John with 93 acres in 2^nd District on the Licking with original entry by Fowler with one male over 21 and two horses

o   Thomas no land in 3^rd District, one male over 21, one slave over 16, one total slave and one horse

o   Augusta no land in 3^rd District, one male over 21 and three horses.

o   Also, of note in 1829 is Moses Nelson whose family in later generations intermarries with Newman with 80 acres in 2^nd District of Bath and Nicholas County, watercourse L. Flatt, original entry by Smith.

·        • 1830 census of Bourbon County, Kentucky shows William Newman as follows:

 Name: William Newman Home in 1830 (City, County, State): Bourbon, Kentucky Free White Persons - Males - 60 thru 69: 1 Free White Persons - Females - 15 thru 19: 1 Free White Persons - Females - 60 thru 69: 1 Slaves - Males - 10 thru 23: 1 Slaves - Females - 10 thru 23: 1 Slaves - Females - 55 thru 99: 1 Free White Persons - Under 20: 1 Total Free White Persons: 3 Total Slaves: 3 Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored): 6 The white female 60 thru 69 is presumably the wife of William Newman, Cassandra Tippett. The birth of William and his wife Cassandra would have occurred between 1761 and 1770. • 1831 (Image 1025) William Newman is in Nicholas County. There is one voter, one tithe-able white male over 21, four blacks over 16, five total blacks, and two horses. Total value is $1400. o Also, in 1831 is John Newman with 92 ¾ acres, 3rd rate, on the Licking, entered etc. by Fowler, one voter, one tithe-able white male over 21, no blacks, and four horses. Total value is $500. o Also, in 1831 is Moses Nelson with 142 ¾ acres, 2nd rate, on the Little Flatt, entered etc. by Fowler, one voter, one tithe-able white male over 21, one black over 16, one total black, and seven horses. Total value is $2100. • 1832 is missing. • 1833 (Image 1069) William Newman is in Nicholas County. There is one tithe-able white male over 21, three blacks over 16, four total blacks, and two horses. Total value is $1000. o Also, in 1833 is Thomas Newman one tithe-able white male over 21, one black over 16, one total black, and four horses. Total value is $550. o Moses Nelson and Thomas Nelson are next to each other without land. Moses has 1,1,1,6 valued at $650 and Thomas has no personal property. • 1834 (Image 1116) William Newman is in Nicholas County. There is one tithe-able white male over 21, three blacks over 16, five total blacks, and two horses. Total value is $1080. o On the line above William there is Thomas Newman with one tithe-able white male over 21, one black over 16, one total black, and six horses. Total value is $700. • 1835 (Image 1168) William Newman is in Nicholas County. There is one voter, one tithe-able white male over 21, three blacks over 16, six total blacks, and four horses. Total value is $1050. William Newman is the only Newman family member on this tax list. • 1836 (Image 1219 and 1220) No Newmans appear on the Nicholas County tax list. • 1837 is missing • 1838 (Image 1270) No Newmans appear on the Nicholas County tax list. These records provide evidence of the residence of William Newman in Nicholas County, Kentucky from 1820 to 1835. and a description of his property and its value. • 1840 Wm Newman in the 1840 United States Federal Census Name: Wm Newman Home in 1840 (City, County, State): Bath, Kentucky Free White Persons - Males - 70 thru 79: 1 Slaves - Males - Under 10: 2 Slaves - Females - Under 10: 3 Slaves - Females - 36 thru 54: 1 Slaves - Females - 55 thru 99: 1 Total Free White Persons: 1 Total Slaves: 7 Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves: 8 Source Citation Year: 1840; Census Place: Bath, Kentucky; Page: 196 Since there is no white female in this household, we can presume that Cassandra Newman died after 1830 and before 1840. She is also not mentioned in the 1836 will so that puts the range for her death date as 1830-1836. • 1840 Will Recorded in Bath County, Kentucky William NEWMAN signed a will in October 30, 1836 in Nicholas County, Kentucky. BATH County Kentucky Wills page 116 Recorded in Bath County, on Dec. 14, 1840. In the name of God Amen October twentieth in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred thirty six, I William Newman of Nicholas county and state of Kentucky being ill of body but of sound mind and memory and calling to mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die do make and ordain this my last will and testament, that is to say principally and first of all I recommend my soul into the hands of God who gave it and as for my body I recommend it to the earth to be buried in a Christian and decent manner ------discretion of my executor and as for property that it has pleased God to bless me with in this life I leave as follows.: My Negro man Sam I give him his freedom and and as my negro woman Hannah I give her her freedom, one ten gallon kettle a large oven a pair of smoothing irons and a tea kettle and a sifter and a table . My negro woman Mary I give her her freedom and ten gallon kettle one small kettle and a linnen wheel. I give also Mary's children their freedom Martha, Sam, Milly and Hannah with all her increase forever. I also will Thomas Newman my son one dollar. My daughter Eleanor Fergate one dollar my daughter Sophia Hardin one dollar my son Augusta Newman one dollar the balance of my property I will to my daughter Sarah Wilson after my just debts are paid. I constitute and appoint David Wilson my son in law My Executor of this my last will and testament utterly revoking any other will made rattifing and confirming this and no other to be my last will and testament in witness where of I have here affirmed and afixed my seal the day and date above named David Wilson Executor Signed Sealed and pronounced in the presence of Witnesses   

             his William x Newman Seal   

           mark Witness Hezekiah B Hon John Beck   

               her Mary ann x Beck   

             Mark Bath County December Court 18th DECEMBER 1840 This Instrument of writing purporting to be the last will and Testament of William Newman Deceased was produced and proven in open court by the oaths of John Beck and affionation of Hezekiah B. Hon witnessess thereto subscribed and ordered to be recorded whereupon the same hath been duly admited to . The will of William Newman dated 1836 Nicholas Co. Ky. He lists the following heirs: Thomas, Eleanor Fugate, Sophia Harden, Augusta (son), Sarah Willson, Sarah's husband David as executor.

Research at FamilySearch.org and at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City has failed to reveal any further references to William Newman in Bourbon, Nicholas or Bath counties.  

I composed emails to my colleagues in the Association of Professional Genealogists and I was especially pleased to receive the following response:

from:		Cynthia Maharrey
to:		Nick Cimino
date:		Aug 5, 2018, 4:50 PM
subject:		RE: William Newman Freed His Slaves in 1840 As a rule in the state of Kentucky, manumissions were recorded in deed books or in county court orders books. That should be where you would find Sam, Hannah, Mary and her children’s manumissions. Bath County had a courthouse disaster in 1864. Union troops were occupying it when a Confederate attack was waged on Owingsville. They abandoned it leaving a stove burning which caught the building on fire. While not everything was lost, some months later during another raid, some of the remaining  records were pulled into the street and burned. So, although deeds and court order books for Bath County exist from 1811, the legibility and availability of the records contained therein may be hit-or-miss. Nicholas County suffered no such disasters and those manumissions, if William Newman’s wishes were carried out, should be in the deed or court orders books. Many of the early Kentucky courthouse records are now housed in the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives in Frankfort. Many of those records are available online through FamilySearch.org. If you can’t find what you seek through them, I’d be happy to work up a proposal for you. One more thing, Kentucky also recorded free blacks on the tax lists, so they might appear there as well! Best, Cynthia

Cynthia Maharrey has provided me with some good suggestions which might help me find what happened to the slaves that were freed by William Newman. Wish me luck!

Here is the profile for Cynthia Maharrey at the the Association of Professional Genealogists:

https://www.apgen.org/directory/search_detail.html?mbr_id=6700

Here is mine:

https://www.apgen.org/directory/search_detail.html?mbr_id=5336

Drilling Deeper with Genealogical Proof Standard

Here is an outline of a presentation that I gave last night at the Humble Area Genealogical Society. I highly recommend that you visit the website of the Board for Certification of Genealogists for more information on this topic: https://bcgcertification.org/ethics-standards/

Additionally, the following BCG website page that shows work samples can be used as a model when developing a genealogical proof: http://www.bcgcertification.org/skillbuilders/worksamples.html

The following text and images are extracted from my presentation entitled: Drilling Deeper with GPS: Case studies demonstrating the Genealogical Proof Standard.  I have added hyperlinks which will lead you to more information on particular aspects of GPS.

The Drilling Deeper Metaphor is appropriate for Texas because our oil industry is going back to these historic oil fields to extract every last drop.  Genealogists also need to "drill deeper" using the Genealogical Proof Standard as a guide.

Genealogical Proof Standard- GPS
• Purpose of GPS: show minimums for work to be credible.
• Five elements to GPS:
1. Reasonably exhaustive research conducted.
2. Each statement of fact has source citation(s).
3. Evidence is reliable & skillfully correlated and interpreted.
4. Contradictory evidence has been resolved.
5. Conclusion soundly reasoned and coherently written.
• Any proof statement is subject to re-evaluation when new evidence arises.

Five Questions regarding the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS)
• Q1:Who? A: Board for Certification of Genealogists & Christine Rose 2005 publication entitled (Genealogical Proof Standard: Building a Solid Case)

• Q2:What? A: Method for Solving Gen. Problems 

• Q3:When? A: Prior to Publishing
• Q4:Where?         A: Gen. Journals, Books and Online
• Q5:Why? A: a) Accepted Standard to Build Solid Case, b) Indirect Evidence                                                          Method, c) Tool to Resolve Conflicts

Reasonably Exhaustive Search: Texas Online Records
• Online Texas vital records
• Portal to Texas History
• Geography and Biography at Handbook of Texas Online
• County records- clerk, district clerk, libraries, GenWeb
• Texas taxation records
• County appraisal district websites
• and many more...

Reasonably Exhausive Search: Texas Archives
• Genealogy & local libraries
• History libraries
• Regional archives
• Courthouses
• College & University Libraries & Archives
• Church Archives
• Fraternal Archives
 
Case Study #1: Buried in Colorado County:  Frank E. Little 1855-1908

Why was Frank Little buried in the Oakes Family Cemetery? What was his connection to the Oakes Family.

 • Historical Context
“ROCK ISLAND, TEXAS (Colorado County). Rock Island, on U.S. Highway 90A fifteen miles west of Eagle Lake and twelve miles southwest of Columbus in southwest Colorado County, was settled in 1896 as part of a land promotion scheme on the Texas and New Orleans Railroad. ..The town's original name was Crasco, after nearby Crasco Creek, but in 1897 the citizens successfully petitioned the post office department to change the name. Charles Petersen, a large landowner, renamed the town for the Rock Island Railroad Company. In August 1897 Petersen was appointed the first postmaster of Rock Island, and the old Crasco post office was closed. From an original core of thirty-nine farming families, the population of Rock Island had grown to 367 by 1904 and had reached an all-time high of 500 by 1925. ..”

Does "conduct a ranch" mean that he was a ranch foreman or did he purchase a piece of land in a land promotion scheme?

 • Reasonably Exhaustive Search: Oakes Family Cemetery
o Nine marked graves most related to John C. Oakes
o      There were no land records involving Frank Little so maybe the ranch foreman was the more reasonable conclusion.

John C. Oakes owned several parcels of land on which he was conducting ranch operations as shown in this tax record.

Current landowners might know more about the cemetery and the Oakes family history. The mapping function of the county appraisal district website offers some great images to help illustrate your family history and put the ancestors in a geographic context.

The is the outline of the original land grant held by John C. Oakes.

All of these images from the county appraisal district website offer interesting geographic details including this satellite view. The ownership information in the appraisal district database allows a genealogical researcher to contact the current owner for more information about the history of the property.

 • Reasonably Exhaustive Search:
o Appraisal District Land Records
 Name of Property Owner
 Mailing Address
 Property Address
 Wrote two letters with SASE & my full contact info
 Asked for info on cemetery & Oakes family history
 Both owners emailed back
 Spoke to both owners on phone

There were no death certificates available for Colorado County in 1908 on Ancestry.com or FamilySearch.org but Colorado County had these images from the original death ledger. A visit to the courthouse is an essential element of a "reasonably exhaustive search."

o Death Certificate
 Earliest year available online for Colorado County death certificates is 1902. Then there is a gap in the records until 1909.
 However, even though the online records show a gap for 1908, it does not mean that records do not exist
 The Family Search Catalog shows microfilms of an index and death records for Colorado County Texas which includes 1908
 Notes on the content of the film state: Microfilm of originals in the Colorado County courthouse in Columbus, Texas. Includes general index with some volumes individually indexed.
 County clerk website offered a search for a fee. Call first!
 County courthouse had a 1908 death ledger entry for Frank Little

For more information on the Frank Little case study, please read the following:

http://www.ancestorpuzzles.com/2016/09/drilling-deeper-in-lonestar-state-frank.html

 Case Study #2:  Buried in the German Society Cemetery, Houston
Fredericka Brenner nee Eggert 1828-1901

The numerous birth dates and locations shown for Fredericka Brenner can be resolved by "drilling deeper" into parish records in Germany.

Grave markers may not always be the most reliable evidence especially if they are placed decades after the events. The German Society Cemetery known now as Washington Cemetery did not exist until the 1880s. Do not misinterpret interment dates as death dates. For example, Mina Brenner died in 1876 and was relocated to the new family plot in 1889. Henry August Brenner is known to have been buried in another cemetery.  The marker was placed recently by a descendant who was attempting to reunite the family after the fact.

The church burial record gives a place of birth for Fredericka Brenner nee Eggert as Steinke in Saxony. The parish records in Germany need to be searched to reveal the precise location and date of the birth.

It is helpful to include the page and column number in a newspaper citation. Unfortunately, this obituary record does not reveal the names of the "several children." Probate records also need to be searched to meet the "reasonably exhaustive search" standard.

For more details on the Fredericka Brenner case study, please go to this blogpost:

http://www.ancestorpuzzles.com/2016/08/it-takes-village-in-german-genealogy_29.html

Case Study #3:  Murder in Stafford:  Rev. Robert S. Sloan 1858-1916

• Obituary - 23 October 1916 Brenham Daily Banner-Press

• Rev. Robt. S. Sloan 1858-1916
o 1858 Born near Washington on Brazos to Maria Jordan
o 1884 Constable Pct. 1 & active Republican
o 1886 accused as Democratic “bulldozer”
o 1892 Black Elephant Saloon
o 1892 son Sam death by train
o 1900 Baptist minister & financial agent for Central Texas College Waco

• 1892 Advertisement Brenham Banner

• 1903 The Democrat (McKinney, Texas)

• Who Shot R.S. Sloan?

• Frank Robinson Indicted 1917

• Was he guilty?
• What was his motive?

• R.S. Sloan, Camptown Cemetery, Brenham, Texas

Robert S. Sloan is one of my favorite case studies and I have written about him in the following blog posts:

http://www.ancestorpuzzles.com/2015/04/the-mysterious-bob-sloan-his-journey.html

http://www.ancestorpuzzles.com/2016/10/historic-adventures-in-brenham-tx.html

http://www.ancestorpuzzles.com/2015/05/assassin-of-bob-sloan-convicted.html



Building a Solid Case with GPS
• The Process by Christine Rose p. 1
o Conduct a reasonably exhaustive search among a variety of records
o Determine the class for each piece of information within the record, i.e. whether it is
 Direct or Indirect Evidence
 Original or Derivative Source
 Primary or Secondary Information
o Weigh each piece of data keeping in mind WHO furnished info & WHY
• The Process by Christine Rose p. 2
o Evidence must all point in same direction. If not that evidence must be negated or refuted.
o If evidence points in same direction, & no other conclusion can be reached then case has passed GPS and is solid
o Write up the conclusion. Include an explanation of any opposing evidence and how it was resolved. Include citations.

Evidence Process Map- Elizabeth Shown Mills

A Metaphor for Genealogical Proof: The Jigsaw Puzzle- T. Jones, 2010
• Do the puzzle pieces belong to your ancestor puzzle?
• Do you have the puzzle pieces in the right place and in the right direction?
• With a sufficient number of pieces, a clear picture or reliable answer may emerge even when pieces are missing.
• Just as a picture emerges from assembled puzzle pieces, genealogical proof rests on the sum of evidence.

Summary Advice by Cimino
• Question every date, place and name on any publication or original record
• Look for the original source of all data
• Look for every possible record source in online sites, microfilm, books, and archival repositories
• Transcribe, analyze and compare every source record for every detail it contains
• Write and re-write the story based on available evidence at every phase

For more information on Genealogical Proof Standard, please visit the following site:

Harvesting Ancestors-Lessons from the Garden

In genealogy, as in many other pursuits, we reap what we sow.  This summarizes several lessons learned this past Saturday from professional genealogist, Sharon Batiste Gillins at the Clayton Library in Houston.  The metaphors from the garden that she used in her presentation entitled Harvesting Ancestors-Lessons from the Garden provided excellent examples of genealogical lessons with a broad appeal.  I highly recommend her as a keynote speaker for your upcoming genealogical events.

A gardner at work, 1607
SOURCE: Wikipedia citing Anonymous - Hausbuch der Mendelschen Zwölfbrüderstiftung, Band 2. Nürnberg 1550–1791. Stadtbibliothek Nürnberg, Amb. 317b.2°, via http://www.nuernberger-hausbuecher.de/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13207509

Gardening is one of Ms. Gillins favorite past times as it gives her time to "mull and ponder" about the things that occupy her mind in her genealogical research.  Her practices learned from the garden were compared to genealogical practices and illustrated with examples from genealogical research.  The content was definitely suitable and accessible to beginners, intermediate and advanced researchers.  All of us need to practice the good research habits that were demonstrated in this presentation.

For example: "you can't garden without getting dirty."  This garden reality leads to the realization that genealogy research is physically demanding and messy work.  Ms. Gillins used an image from a county courthouse to illustrate the heavy volumes that must be lifted in dusty rooms filled with allergens.  Genealogy research can be a strain on the eyes and the back.  Exploring old cemeteries exposes a genealogist to the hazards of brambles, thorns, bugs and snakes.  We must prepare ourselves for the difficult and challenging work of genealogy.

"Know your soil: it is the foundation of the garden" leads to her recommendation that we "learn the context in which our ancestors lived."  The geography, history and political organization of the localities in which we are researching, is a necessary preface to understanding the lives of our ancestors.  Laws influence the shape and form of records that were formed in the past to suit certain political purposes.  Understanding the historical context of those records that we use today for genealogy helps us to analyze and interpret our family history.  She went further by describing sources and how they are helpful in understanding the context including almanacs, city directories, maps and land information.

Some of the other lessons that she taught were:

Garden: "The harvest comes after a long growing season." Genealogy: "Credible results must be cultivated over time."

Garden: "Get in close; important details can be easily overlooked" Genealogy: "Mine every document for hidden information."

And there were many more lessons.  You will have to invite her to speak to your genealogical society to learn them all.

I was especially gratified when Ms. Gillins used another metaphor of a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle to explain the process of fitting the genealogical facts together into an image of our family history. "Some of the pieces look like they should fit but really don't."  We need to avoid the tendency to force fit the pieces of our "Ancestor Puzzles."

I first learned of Ms. Gillins talents when I read an amazing article about her discovery of some artifacts of a slave from the Moody Mansion that have been sent to the Smithsonian.  I met her last year when she spoke at the Family History Conference of the Texas State Genealogical Society.  I was impressed by the depth and the wide applicability of the examples in her presentations.

She will be one of the featured speakers at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research coming up in June 2016 in Track 10 on Researching African American Genealogy: Black Roots in Unique Collections. Sign up soon as classes at the IHGR are filling up fast.  This will also be the last opportunity for those of us in Texas to attend the IHGR in Alabama before it moves to Georgia. Hearing Ms. Gillins speak will help you to find a bountiful harvest of ancestors!

Playing Clue Game with Genealogical Documents

The year end holidays present a perfect opportunity to entertain ourselves with games and puzzles. One of my favorite games is Clue: The Classic Detective Game.  The object of the game is to solve a murder mystery by finding clues about the identity of the murderer, where the crime took place, and which weapon was used. Each player assumes the role of one of the six suspects, and attempts to deduce the correct answer by strategically moving around a game board representing the rooms of a mansion and collecting clues about the circumstances of the murder from the other players.  When you have collected sufficient clues you can announce that it was Professor Plum, in the Hall, with the revolver!

Genealogists are detectives that collect clues from historic documents.  Many of those clues will lead to other documents that help us to deduce the facts about our ancestors.  Who were they?  How did they arm themselves to make a living?  Where did they live, work and socialize?  The clues to answer these questions are found in genealogical and historical documents.  Names, occupations, dates and places are clues that help us identify the most likely suspects of our family history.

Some people get excited about receiving holiday cards in the mail.  I get excited when I receive an envelope with a vital record for an ancestor.  On December 15, I mailed a check for $5.00 to the State of Louisiana, Secretary of State for the Death Certificate of Price Bishop 1890-1955.  On December 17 a staff researcher at the Vital Record office found the death certificate and put it in the mail to me on the same day.  I was really excited about how quick and inexpensive it was to order a death certificate from Louisiana.

The death certificate for Price Bishop contained some amazing clues about his identity and his last days in New Orleans.  These clues lead me to other documents and images which help to illustrate his life.  Let's use this death certificate as an example of how to analyze clues in historic documents.

Death Certificate of Price Bishop 1890-1955

Box 7 on the death certificate contains the date of birth of the deceased: April 17, 1890.  This date matched the date of birth that I had from his World War I draft card so I knew I had the right man.

World War I Draft Card of Price Watson Bishop born April 17, 1890 in Cleburne, Johnson County, Texas.

However there is a slight discrepancy between the two documents.  The death certificate states that Mr. Bishop was born in Dallas, Texas.  The draft card states that he was born in Cleburne, Texas. These two cities are only sixty miles apart.  Mr. Bishop was residing in Dallas in 1918.  Usually the draft card would be considered a more reliable source since the information is a first hand account from the man himself. The informant on the death certificate would be considered a secondary source relying on his memory in a stressful time after the death of a friend or loved one or perhaps the informant knew very little about the person.  To further emphasize this point, the informant did not know the names and places of birth of the parents of Mr. Bishop.

Price Bishop was residing for four months prior to his death at a hospital or institution at  4000 Dumaine Street in New Orleans.  The physician attended Price Bishop from 7 February 1955 to the date of his death which is a four month period.

You can discover a lot more than your ancestor's name and address in city directories.  The clue from the death certificate was that there was a hospital or an institution located at 4000 Dumaine Street in New Orleans.  Instead of using a general search, it is best to search directly within the City Directory database.  The image below shows the City Directory search page which can be accessed from the card catalog at Ancestry.com.

Access the City Directory search page from the card catalog at Ancestry.com to conduct a keyword search.

I used the address "4000 Dumaine" as a keyword search and limited it to the year 1954 which was one year before the death occurred.  Several names came up as matches for this address.

As I scrolled down the list of names at 4000 Dumaine, I found nine people were residing at that address.  I also found a curious name: "Patients Accepted Bedridden."  Clicking on the link led me to a directory listing for the Elysian Convalescent Home as follows:

ELYSIAN CONVALESCENT HOME
  OWNER: MRS ELSIE O'CONNOR
  FOR CONVALESCENT PATIENTS AND AGED PEOPLE
  BEDRIDDEN PATIENTS ACCEPTED
  24 HOUR CARE BY LICENSED NURSES
  4000 DUMAINE
  TELEPHONE GALVEZ 3420
  (See opposite page)

On the opposite page was this advertisement in the City Directory:

Advertisement in the 1954 New Orleans City Directory for the Elysian Convalescent Home at 4000 Dumaine Street.

A search of Google Maps for the address of 4000 Dumaine led to this map and a street image:

4000 Dumaine was located very close to the New Orleans City Park.

This building was certainly large enough to serve as a ten-bed nursing home in 1955.

The death certificate also showed that his burial place is listed as Grand View Cemetery in La Porte, Texas.  His body was removed to the cemetery on the same day that he died: 11 June 1955.   Grand View Cemetery is located very near the borders of La Porte, Deer Park and Pasadena, Texas which are all part of the Houston Metropolitan area.  I found a current listing for the cemetery as follows:

Grand View Memorial Park/Bethany Cemetery
Website http://www.dignitymemorial.com/grand-view-funeral-home/en-us/index.page
Address: 8501 Spencer Hwy, Pasadena, TX 77505
Phone:(281) 479-6076

Unfortunately, the cemetery has been unable to find his burial record to determine the location of his burial.  Apparently, this cemetery files their burial records under the name of the owner of the cemetery lots.  We tried looking under all of the names associated with the four daughters of Price Bishop but the cemetery staff could not find his burial record.  There is no record for him on FindaGrave.com either.  Some clues lead to more questions: why was Price Watson transported from New Orleans to the Houston area for burial?  He did have family in the Houston area but none of them are buried in this cemetery.

All of these clues from the death certificate provide useful information about the circumstances of the death and burial of Price Bishop.  The advertisement from the City Directory gives some reassurance that Mr. Bishop received good care.  Hopefully, the cemetery will be able to find precisely where he is buried.  More mysteries need to be solved as to why and where he was buried in Grand View Memorial Park.

If you would like to learn more about genealogical research techniques, please contact me.