Charlie Sheen: A Third Born in the News

 Genealogy News  No Responses »
May 232013
 

Charlie Sheen, actor and star of the TV show Two and a Half Men, has been in the news. His life and lifestyle are being exposed to public scrutiny so it is time to unmask his birth order. His birth order will let us see what makes Charlie so likable while at the same time he appears unbalanced and self destructive.

Family and Siblings
Charlie’s parents Martin and Janet Sheen changed their name from Estevez before Charlie was born to make it less ethnic and help Martin’s acting career. Their firstborn was Emilo, May 12, 1962. Next, Ramon August 7, 1963, Charlie September 3, 1965 and last and the only girl, Renee April 2, 1967. Charlie was born Carlos Irvin Estevez and the only child to use Sheen as his last name. This should have been the signal that life was going to be different with Charlie.

Characteristics of the Third Born
When the third child is born he has to understand 14 different relationships in the family. Those between all his siblings, parents and himself in different combinations. This is what makes the third born such a master at understanding and working with groups of people. They can be the most sensitive and intuitive people as they pick up on the subtleties of those around them. Understanding others makes them likable as they truly feel your pain. They are masters of playing one sibling against the other and are good at coming and going emotionally. They see the world very differently than the first- and second borns. Power over others or the control of their own space in not as important as their need to express themselves in humanitarian or artistic ways. In life, this birth order has more freedom to experience the non-traditional aspects of society on a more personal level. Drugs, sex, and alcohol immediately come to mind. Because of the third born’s extreme sensitivity they can project a tough outer appearance but this is only a sham to protective their sensitive side.

Third Born with Two Older Brothers
All third borns share a number of similar characteristics but they display them differently. The gender of the two older siblings has a great deal of influence on the behavior of the third born. In Charlie’s family it has been said that he had an adversarial relationship with his two older brothers, Emilo and Ramon. There can be a lot of testosterone with three boys. This is the clue that he was trying to move up the birth order ladder. The child with the lower birth order always wants to move up but usually the third born doesn’t have a chance because the age gap is too large. Most third borns just ignore their older siblings and go in a different direction rather than compete. Not so with Charlie.

The Move Up – Sibling Rivalry
What would give Charlie as a child the thought that he could challenge his siblings and try to move up in birth order. We don’t know what happened in the home during this period of his life but a few clues can lead us in this investigation. As an adult Charlie is taller than his two older brothers. Charlie is 5’10″, Emilo the oldest is 5’6″, and the second brother Ramon is 5’7″. If Charlie grew early this would have been a factor in the challenge for the higher position. It should also be noted that the second brother Ramon was named after his father. This is very unusual as the first born usually gets his father’s name. Perhaps his older brother Emilo felt a little less secure after Ramon was born. This was another opening for Charlie.

Like Father Like Son
Martin Sheen, Charlie’s father was born Ramon Estevez the seventh of ten children. This makes his birth order a second level number three (Birth order numbers start again after number four) very similar to Charlie. Martin wanted to be an actor so badly that it is said he purposely failed his entrance exam to college so he could start his acting career. We see a similar pattern with Charlie who was not much of a student in high school, his interests were acting and baseball. Charlie got his first acting role at age nine with a part in his father’s movie, The Execution of Private Slovik. He was the star shortstop and pitcher on his high school team but a few weeks before graduation he was expelled due to poor attendance and bad grades. This was also the first time there is a mention of the influence of drugs in his life. He has since gone through rehab for this problem.

What the Future may Hold
What will be the future for this likable third born. Will he enter rehab again and kick his drug habit? Is a stable marriage in his future? Third borns are very protective of their sensitive nature so when the tough faade is lost a tidal wave of emotion and a meltdown can occur. As with all birth orders you have a choice to use your special characteristics for a positive life or go in a negative direction. Only Charlie can determine his future.

Your Family Tree

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May 142013
 

Beginners in Genealogy research can be stumped when they cannot find their grandmother and grandfather in any government or parish document! Surely they had to register a marriage? or a birth? or be on a census? or a ship passenger list? You are right. Their details ought to be listed at least once or three times on a document. But they may only be listed with their “real” names. Or worse, they may be listed only with nicknames which you are now trying to remember? Since you never knew their nicknames, it is quite a challenge to find them, particularly if they had a relatively common surname. What to to? what to do!

In many families, there is someone who has done a little bit of family research in the past, and your job is to go and find that someone. Call or email or write to your various cousins or any aunts or uncles you can find, and ask. If you are a beginner in building your family tree, you will need to learn the fine art of asking for help, asking for information, asking for photographs, and more!

Was your ancestor in the British Navy? There is a long tradition of using specific nicknames for men with specific surnames. For example if your surname was Wilson, you would be called “Tug”, and if your surname was a very Irish surname, particularly Murphy, you would be “Spud”. Surname of Clarke? “Nobby”. Google “British Navy personal nicknames” or “naval sobriquets” and you should find some of these commonly used nicknames. This is why your grandfather was always called Tug and you never knew his actual name.

My family has various nicknames for the women in the family in particular, in the 1800s into the 1900s. Who on earth was “Aunt Toto”? Was that my greatgrandmother’s sister or her niece? Sigh. Very confusing to me now, when I have absolutely no one to ask and there are no photos or diaries available to try to figure out who she is. Women’s names were often shortened in various ways also. Your grandmother “Nellie” may have been named Eleanor or Ellen. Your greataunt “Gigi” may have been originally named Helga, Gina, or Georgia or Georgina. Catherine was often shortened to “Cathy” but also “Kitty”. The name Elizabeth was frequently shortened to “Beth”, “Betsy”, “Bitsy”, “Betty”, “Liz”, “Lizzie”, “Eliza” and others. My grandmother, named Marguerite, was called “Daisy” for most of her life by friends and family (a marguerite is a type of daisy). Another greatgrandfather was only referred to by his second name, even in his obituary – which confused me tremendously!

Men’s nicknames can be quite frustrating. One of my grandfathers was named William John, but he was known all his life as “Jack”. I was searching for a Bill, Billy, Will, Willy, Willem – with absolutely no luck. Who would have thought you could get Jack from that baptised name? His brother was always known as “Jim”, but his baptised name was Robert James. No wonder I was having so much difficulty in finding those ancestors and their family.

Of course, nicknames may have arisen because a younger sibling could not pronounce the name correctly, or because of some particular interest or skill someone showed as a youngster. “Sherry” could be from Cheryl or Sheryl, Sharron, Sharon – or, because as a toddler she loved a little sip of her grandmother’s sherry! Sometimes, in a school setting, nicknames can develop from friends, and stay with a person throughout their life. An old school friend, named Norah, was called “Nonie” in high school and still to this day by her family as well as friends, and she uses that name on all documents and cards except her driving licence.

How can you find the correct ancestors with their correct names, not just these nicknames? Start by asking anyone you can contact in the family who may know, or have something from an ancestor with their name on it. Perhaps a military record, or a watch with name on it, or a certificate. It is amazing what may turn up if you provide a few possible ideas of where someone’s full name may be correctly written (legal name) – a birth certificate perhaps of an uncle? Or it may be that one uncle always knew what his father’s name was (your grandfather), so the cousins also know, and can tell you immediately if you simply ask.

Keep your options open, and keep looking for possible family groupings. At times, you may believe you have the correct family because of the names and ages of the children, but the adults’ names seem off. Keep track of that family and record, because in fact that may be your ancestors’ family with nicknames instead of their legal names. Mark the paper record as a “tentative” with your reasoning, and keep searching. If they are living in the right place, at the right time, with the right children… you now have more proof that they might actually be your ancestors. Try to find at least one or two primary documents with those names to support your claim. Eventually your detective work will pay off as you work through the possibilities.

Family History Online

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May 082013
 

Ever wonder where your family comes from? How did your Grand parents meet? What was important to them and are the answers to those kind of questions important to you? You can solve those type of personal mystery’s for future generations of your family by preserving your family history online.

A thousand years ago people sat around the camp fire telling the stories of those that came before them. The invention of ink and paper lead monks in the middle ages to painstakingly transcribe histories by hand. With the advances in modern technology the Library of Congress is going digital and thanks to modern technology the written word, video, and audio are able to be preserved indefinitely, but how do we pass on our family history to future generations of our own?

The events in our lives no longer need be subject to interpretation or fade with our passing. Just as the printing press forever changed the world and our access to books. Gadgets like digital cameras, phones, and computers are improving the way we detail the events that matter in our personal lives. They may not be the earthshaking events that make the nightly news but they are the kind of things that matter to us and our loved ones.

  • When someone tells our story it gets filtered through their eyes. New technology allows our stories to be told from our point of view with our own motives and reasons clearly defined.
  • The tech of today is very inexpensive and user friendly. Almost every cell phone has video and audio capability allowing us to document all the important moments in our lives.
  • Digital information can be stored indefinitely and is immune to the elements and ages. A fire or flood will not damage digitally backed up material and time and corrosion are non factors to your photos, videos, and recordings.
  • Finally, backing up the important moments, memories, and documents of your family history online is secure and private allowing you to designate who gets what, when, and where.

Your life may be organized but have you thought about your afterlife? I don’t mean your place in Heaven, I’m talking about those you leave behind. A death in the family is often a traumatic time for the loved ones left in our wake. More so if it’s unexpected which in most cases it is. Getting organized before the fact is one of the most unselfish and loving acts you can do for your family.

Preserve Your Heritage by Printing Your Own Family History Book

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Apr 232013
 

In time the VHS tape was developed and large cumbersome movie cameras that would use these tapes to record family events and have them played on your home VCR and TV. In time, very small, moderately priced, digital movie cameras were introduced, where the movies could also be played back directly from the camera to your television, and the sales went wild.

Then the digital still camera started to become popular and the digital movie camera has gone from three versions of digital tape to a mini CD. In the mean time the sales of digital cameras have rocketed and all sorts of different versions, attachments and recording medias have been developed.

If you were one of the people who used an old 8mm or Super 8mm movie camera, and now want to watch those old movies, it is getting difficult to find projectors to view them on, and if you had a VHS movie camera, it has long since been retired (probably in the same place your old film camera is).

The only thing that has remained constant in recording family history over that past several hundred years are books. You don’t need any special machinery to view them, they don’t go obsolete and they last for generations.

If you are one of the lucky families that with a family Bible which has been used to record aspects of your family over the generations, consider yourself very fortunate. But now you can do even better. With the technologies available today anyone can put together a Family History Book. You can combine both pictures and text to make some of the most interesting and compelling books you will ever read. Family History Books will be cherished by your entire family for generations to come.

With most families having access to at least one home computer, and often a scanner to scan old pictures, making a family book is fun and easy. All you really need to get started in a home computer with some sort of word processing software on it like Word, Works or WordPerfect. If you have a scanner and want to add pictures into your document you will make your book much more interesting and valuable.

Remember that if you want to use color pictures through out your book you will need to get your book printed on a color printing machine, which of course is more expensive to reproduce than a BW book. (in some cases individual color pages can be inserted into a BW book but this can service can add up in cost too, unless you just have a few color pictures you want to add).

One of the first things to do before you even get stated is to contact all your family members. You will want to do this for two reasons, first you will want to be able to get pictures and information from them for the book, and second, you will want to know how many people might be interested in getting a book when it is finally printed. The more books you can get printed, the less it will cost everyone to get a piece of family history.

We recommend that you contact a quality book printer or self publisher before you start your book, to get some details on the best way to proceed. Pictures for example should be in at least 300 dot-per-inch size, otherwise they just do reproduce well. It would also be beneficial to use one of the better quality word processing software packages, this may also save you money later on if conversions need to be done. Once you understand some of the criteria needed to make your book the best it can be, you can begin your project. Since this is a book that will be around for many decades, you will want to take a bit more time at the beginning to ensure you understand the best ways to proceed.

All in all, it is pretty easy to become the author of a valuable piece of family history. You will have the ability to make this book exactly the way you want, and that is one of the features that will make it so valuable in the future.

So… go ahead and get started, these kinds of projects are fun for everyone. Your family members will enjoy digging out old family pictures and relating stories to you. You might even want to add in a family reunion before you complete the book, wouldn’t it be nice to have a group photo to go into the book? Imagine the fun you can have creating a lasting legacy of your family’s history.

What is in a Name? Spelling Issues in Genealogy

 Genealogy News  1 Response »
Apr 142013
 

TIP: Assume wild and crazy phonetic spelling, pre-1850.

Surnames were not spelled in a standardized way until well into the 1800s in most of the Western world. As you search for your greatgrandparents or further back, you may find it very confusing to see their names spelled ‘wrong’ or changed from one census record to another. Definitely you will find many variant spellings a century or so ago. You need to enjoy puzzles when searching for clues to your correct ancestors!

For example, my greatgreatgrandfather was a Francis William Pettygrove, originally from the state of Maine, who moved with his wife Sophia to Port Townsend WA, and raised a passel of children. He is listed on various records as Frances, Francis W., F.W., F.Wm.; surname spelled Pettigrove, Pettigrew, Pettygrew, Petigrow. As you can imagine, if I had checked only for Francis Pettygrove, I might have missed many important records!

Another example is an ancestor Henry Luther Rice – sometimes listed as Luther, or H. Luther, or Luther H., or sometimes just Henry. On one census, his first wife had an entirely wrong name, and on another census his second wife’s name wasn’t listed at all – perhaps one of the older stepchildren answered the census-taker’s questions! Often whoever was at home at the time of the census provided answers to the census-taker,and their memories – and spelling – may have been questionable. Another point: his surname, Rice, looked a lot like Bee a few times on records. Now what? When you find that a family is living in a particular village or township on one census, look through all the records of a following census, if you can’t find them again. It could be that it was too challenging to read the census-taker’s writing. On birth records, it could be that a clerk didn’t hear the name clearly, so a birth record may be differently spelled than other records.

Nicknames are particularly challenging. Use all possible name varieties for a nickname, being open to unusual origins. Often a maiden name of a mother or grandmother would be used for a first or second name of a child, particularly for male children. For example, Randy could be from Randolph, Randall, Ranulf, Rand, or Ransome. Girls were often named for a mother or grandmother of either side, and sometimes given a nickname to distinguish them from a (living) relative. Betty could be from any of these names: Beth, Elizabeth, Bettina, or even Alberta. Another source of names: Jack is often from John, but could also be from Jackson. Never make assumptions about names and their spellings when you’re looking for the correct ancestor’s family.

By the mid-1800s spellings became more standardized, and most adults were able to read and write so could spell “correctly”. In the earlier years, many people had limited knowledge of reading and writing, and they rarely filled out any forms. These days, we fill in forms every month, it seems! But it may have been a very rare occurrence for our ancestors. Certainly before 1855 I have seen “X” for signatures of some of my ancestors, on their marriage registers, for example.

Researchers with a particular surname have developed websites or family associations with detailed proven family trees. This can be a great help for the amateur genealogist in finding correct ancestors with already-detailed research sources and citations as well. Look for such helpful groups online by searching your surname plus the words ‘family association’; you may find more than one of your surnames are researched in detail.

Building Your Family Tree

 Genealogy News  No Responses »
Apr 112013
 

When you begin to build your family tree, you may not be aware of the rich source of information to be found in your own home, or in relatives’ homes. Follow the Genealogy #1 Rule: Start with what you know, and work backwards from there.

Here are ideas to guide your searches through your attic, basement, cupboards, closets, drawers, and various other memorabilia found in surprising places. Start with Yourself – you are #1 in your Family Tree.

Pull out your own BIRTH CERTIFICATE and see what specific information is on it. If you only have a small wallet-sized version, try to find the “official” long version; you may need to purchase a copy from Vital Statistics. However, families usually filed away the official version in a baby book, or a first photograph album or, with other official family documents. On the full form, you will usually find both parents’ full names, both parents’ birthplaces, and father’s occupation; occasionally more details are to be found. Do you have a BABY BOOK filled out over your first few months or years? A friend of mine has one that lists with details three generations of relatives, all of them, including maiden names for the women, and birthplaces. What a treasure! Sometimes families have BAPTISM certificates and/or Confirmation certificates filed away. Start digging.

You went to school, and possibly your parents saved your SCHOOL REPORTS, YEARBOOKS. You’ll be looking at these for hours – definitely a trip down memory lane!

Move on, and start looking for PHOTO ALBUMS, and SCRAPBOOKS for various purposes (trips, events, projects). Our family had photos and slides in drawers and boxes scattered over the house, many of them unsorted. Make it this years’ project to go through all of them, sort, label carefully and lightly; you could number each one, then use a master list with possible names/years/places/events.

Some photographs may be totally blank and be of groups of people. Don’t throw them out, even if you know no one in the photo, don’t recognize any details and can’t figure out the year let alone the decade! A cousin or aunt may be able to easily identify all the details with ease. Make a guess and keep notes as well; perhaps that group of men were colleagues of your grandfather, or those 3 women in very old-fashioned clothing may be sisters since they look to be similar. In the latter case, you may be looking for an ancestor who had several sisters in roughly 1880-1900. Clues, clues, clues.

Do you have COLLECTIONS of documents and memorabilia? As you find items, this is your opportunity to study them as a researcher would, looking for all possible clues to follow in searching out your distant ancestors. You may well remember STORIES or have other MEMORIES as you find items. For instance, photographs or names may trigger memories of when Great-Aunt Mary came from England to visit Vancouver in 1958. If your father’s father’s only sister Great-Aunt Mary would have been about 70 or thereabouts in 1958, that detail gives you more clues to find more details of her life. Findinga photograph of a young girl: “Oh, look at this, there’s a photo of Mom’s older sister Dot, and the back says Jordan NY, 6 yrs”.This detail meansyou know the family was either living in or visiting Jordan NY in about 1921, and you can search the 1920 NY Census for more details. If they were visiting, who could it have been they were visiting? A Grandmother? Aunt Uncle? Clues, clues.

Did your mother or grandmother save every FUNERAL CARDS and OBITUARIES of all relatives? If so, there’s a tremendous amount of detail you will be able to follow up on in your researcher. As my sister and I dug through my parents’ boxes, drawers, and chests after they died, we uncovered a strange mishmash of items, from funeral service cards to photos, letters, booklets, and other documents. All of these provided clues for future research when I became interested in genealogy. I’m glad we saved them all!

You may find even more SOURCES in your home, or perhaps at a relative’s home: Grandma’s cookbook with her notes and other details, perhapsincluding her signature; personalletters in their envelopes; postcards; birthday or other occasion cards; sometimes death records and burial certificates; imagine finding old wedding albums of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles; military medalsor photos of military groups;copies of wills; marriage certificates; old cheque books or bank statements may give you more residences to check;what about familyheirlooms, jewellery or art work with details of when/where/why purchased. You may also find expired Passports, cruise or other travel tickets and memorabilia, copies of citizenship papers, and more, right in your attic or basement.

Start digging and delving right at home, and you will begin to add long-term value and personal interest to your family tree research.

Family Tree Scrapbooking: Fun and Easy

 Genealogy News  No Responses »
Apr 052013
 

Once you have gathered sufficient data on your family history, you should now decide how you’re going to lay-out your family tree. A good way is by making a scrapbook. Through a scrapbook, you are able to place all the information you have in a fun and organized manner. Creating a scrapbook would allow your present and future relatives to take a glimpse at your hard work.

You can start by choosing a book which would best fit the background of your work. In our case, that would be creating a family tree. So, we should pick a book that is hardbound and thick because a lot of information will be placed. Choosing a sturdy book is advantageous especially on the genealogist’s part because the book could last for generations. If you choose this kind of book, even your grandchildren could see your labor of love for your family.

A book with removable pages is good plus. In doing so, your relatives can also add data if they wish to. And if future generations would like to continue your work, they could easily do so.

Your scrapbook should be sorted properly, starting from the first or oldest generations. This will allow your relatives and other people to easily understand your family tree. Organizing the documents like the birth, death, marriage certificates in your scrapbook could be a little tricky. All you need to do is to bring out your trusty notebook and folder, and then label your ancestors according to your notes. While doing so, keep it neatly arranged.

Your relatives’ full names, dates and addresses are essential elements of the family tree. So, these must all be included and must be written clearly. Should you start with your father’s relatives, you can surely do so. This of course is to be followed by your mother’s. Or better yet, you can place both your parents’ families in both sides. Make sure that it is arranged systematically and would not look stuffed because of all the information.

One or two persons per page are best for your scrapbook to allow the readers to fully comprehend each character from your ancestors. Remember to start from the first generation down to your parents.

While doing all this work, you could exchange stories with your relatives. You could also include the stories in your scrapbook. Even though these are not documented, these are special pieces of your family’s history.

Researching Genealogy Online? Here are Ten Tips

 Genealogy News  No Responses »
Mar 302013
 

Researching your family history can be a rewarding and satisfying experience. Here are some tips to make your exploration go smoothly.

1. Gather All of Your Genealogy Information

Before starting any type of genealogical research, it’s a good idea to gather all of your known information. This way you will not waste time searching for people that you could have easily found with just a phone call or a letter. You will be amazed at how many names, birthdates, marriage dates and other details about your ancestors you can collect just by talking to family members.

You can also look through old records that family members may have including journals, wills, deeds, baptism records and marriage, birth and death certificates. Spread the word that you’re beginning a family tree or pedigree chart, and other family members may want to get involved.

2. Become a Member of an Online Genealogy Chat Room

Computers and the Internet connect thousands of people from all over the world each day and there are tons of genealogy chat rooms. Take advantage–you can learn a lot from other genealogists. This is a great way to learn the tricks of the trade and share success stories.

3. Subscribe to an Online Genealogy Search Website

Genealogy websites come with various features and capabilities. You may want to use more than one during your research. Some websites are free of charge, like Rootsweb.com, while more comprehensive sites, like Ancestry.com, require a subscription fee. Before choosing a site make sure it’s going to provide the information that you need. Remember some sites search by country or ethnic background–these can work to your advantage if you’re looking for ancestors from a certain country. However, if you’re not, the site will do you little if any good.

4. Make Genealogy Research Fun and Gratifying

There is usually no monetary award for doing genealogy, and knowing who your great-great-great-grandfather is, typically won’t get you ahead in life. So–why do people do genealogical research?

People research their past for a number of reasons, but everyone who is involved in genealogy does it because they enjoy it. They find satisfaction in learning about their roots. Remember you are learning about real people who once walked the earth. Instead of just learning names and dates, try to find stories about your ancestors, look for pictures and diaries. In some cases, you may be able to interview someone who knew the person.

5. Use Various Genealogical Resources

There are so many sources available to genealogists it’s a good idea to use a number of them during your investigations. Don’t put all of your efforts into one website. Use a number of different websites and databases.

There are also genealogy libraries where you can conduct your research. The largest of these libraries, The Family History Library, owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, has satellite libraries all over the world and is open to the public at no charge. It houses the records of close to a billion people and offers other resources as well. A library like this can be a great asset if there is one in your area.

6. Involve the Entire Family

Build a family tree and family relationships at the same time–genealogy is a project the entire family can work on and contribute their findings. You can start an email or snail-mail newsletter to share experiences and information with family members. Family reunions are also a time when the whole family can get together, share stories about forefathers and foremothers and work on genealogy.

7. Subscribe to a Genealogy Newsletter

Many online genealogy websites offer a newsletter. Newsletters offer great tips on how to locate those hard-to-find ancestors. Newsletters will often explain how to use different databases or tools and let you know when new databases become available. It’s also great to hear motivational and inspiring success stories of others, or share one of your own.

8. Create a hard copy of the Genealogy Information

In today’s world of technology, we tend to want to digitize everything, but there are some good reasons to create hardcopy information to go along with your digital data.

Primarily, you’re going to come across a lot of hard copy information as you do your research. Remember computers have only been used to store information for a quarter century. You will likely come across old documents, journals, records and photographs.

Making a scrapbook of your findings is a great way to present your research to others. Looking at a computer screen with scanned documents just isn’t the same as flipping through a book. It really helps some people to create a giant pedigree chart or family tree in their office or den so they can visualize the entire puzzle at one time.

Binders are a good way to store information. As your library increases, develop a binder system so information is organized and easy to find.

9. Backup Genealogy Data Often

Maybe you’ve heard horror stories, or have one of your own that ends with the words, “and that’s when I lost everything.” The importance of backing up computer data cannot be stressed enough. Today’s backup software makes protecting and storing your valuable data more convenient than ever. There are a number of different programs to get the job done. Find the one that has the features you need, is user-friendly and in your price range.

There are also various ways of storing data. You can use 3.5-inch floppy disks, zip drives, CDs, DVDs, USB flash drives and external hard drives. Again, choose the one that suits you best. As you gather more information, you may want to invest in a safety deposit box or a fireproof safe to protect your family history.

10. Verify Genealogy Information Found on Web Sources

We like to think that everything found on the web is accurate and true. However, you should always verify any genealogy information found on the web, no matter where you found the information. The best way to verify information is to locate and research the source. Many databases include a list of sources but sometimes you’ll come across one that doesn’t. In this case, look at dates and the type of information and ask yourself what type of source would provide that information.

At some point in your research, you will encounter conflicting information–maybe different middle initials or birthdates. Carefully evaluate each source and try to find other sources with the same information to shed light on the inconsistencies.

Genealogy is an exciting and rewarding pastime that will link the generations and bring families together.

References

Casselman, Bryce. Why Backup your Computer Data?. [2005] 22 Sept. 2005
http://data-backup-software-review.toptenreviews.com/why-backup-your-computer.html>

Powell, Kimberly. Five Steps to Verifying Online Genealogy Resources. [2005] 22 Sept. 2005 http://genealogy.about.com/od/basics/a/verifying_2.htm>

Sowton, Robin. The History Slice: Getting Organized–Setting Up a Binder System. [1999] 22 Sept. 2005 http://www.historyslice.com/beginners/i0015/index.htm>

Cristopher Fowers

Cristopher Fowers is a Writer/Reviewer for TopTenREVIEWS.com. TopTenREVIEWS features expert reviews for technology and entertainment products and services. For more information and an in-depth review on online genealogy search websites, see http://genealogy-search-review.toptenreviews.com We do the research so you dont have to.

Author: Cristopher Fowers
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

DNA Genealogy

 Genealogy News  No Responses »
Mar 272013
 

The next time you are watching your favorite CSI TV show or a particular movie and stumble into the fascinating world of DNA, you might be surprised to know that our DNA can do more than identify a suspect or victim at a crime scene. In fact, DNA is now being used to identify ancestors in the new and exciting field of DNA Genealogy.

DNA Genealogy takes traditional genealogy and applies genetics to it. DNA Genealogy involves the use of genealogical DNA testing to determine the level of genetic relationship between two individuals (Genealogical 2005). DNA, deoxyribonucleic acid, is used in the process because of its unique nature and the fact that it is passed down from one generation to the next. In the passing, some parts of the DNA remain almost completely unchanged, while other parts change dramatically. This property allows for the identification of certain consistencies between generations and provides the ability to identify genetic relationships.

There are two types of DNA tests available for testing DNA Genealogy: Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome DNA tests.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is found in the cytoplasm of the cell instead of in the nucleus as is Y-chromosome (Tracing 2003). mtDNA is passed by a mother to both her male and female children without any additions or mixing from the father. Therefore, your mtDNA is the same as your mother’s mtDNA. mtDNA is different in nature compared to Y-DNA. It changes slowly making it more difficult to determine close relationships and easier to determine relatedness. If two people have the same mtDNA, there is a very good chance that they also share a common maternal ancestor. Unfortunately, it is difficult to determine if that common maternal ancestor was recent or instead lived hundreds of years ago.

Y-chromosome tests have been used more and more recently to determine DNA Genealogy. The Y-DNA tests are only available for males, because the Y-chromosome is only passed down along the paternal line from father to son. There are tiny chemical markers on the Y-chromosome that create a unique pattern. This pattern of markers is what is called a haplotype. A haplotype is used to determine one male lineage from another. This type of testing is often used to determine if two individuals who have the same surname share a common ancestor.

One of the early beginnings of DNA Genealogy was a study published by Bryan Sykes in 2000 (Sykes and Irven 2000) that used DNA Genealogy (Y-chromosome markers) along with surname studies to determine relatedness. The study compared 48 men with the same surname of Sykes from the regions of England and analyzed four Short Tandem Repeats (STRs) on their Y-chromosome: DYS19, DYS390, DYS391, and DYS393. The study found that of the 48 men tested, 21 had the same core haplotype and many others were only one mutational step away from the core haplotype. Skypes interpreted these results to reveal a common origin from an ancestor who lived some 700 years ago (Butler 2005).

Since its early beginnings, DNA Genealogy has come a long way and has grown rapidly. DNA Genealogy continues to increase in popularity as the price of tests becomes much more affordable and the number of markers and clarity of the tests become greater. Additionally, DNA collection techniques make it a very simple and pain-free process.

Sources

Butler J. (2005) Forensic DNA Typing; Biology, Technology, and Genetics of STR Markers, 74, 231-232.

Genealogical DNA test. (2005, December 7). Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:52, December 8, 2005 from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Genealogical_DNA_test&oldid=30489865.

Sykes, B. and Irven, C. (2000) American Journal of Human Genetics, 66, 1417-1419.

Tracing Your Ancestry Through DNA (2003) Genealogy.com.

http://genealogy.about.com/cs/geneticgenealogy/a/dna_tests.htm

Curt Whitesides Relative Genetics, a leading provider of DNA Genealogy, specializes in testing services on both the paternal and maternal lines, extended and nuclear family relationships, and Ancestral Origins TM analysis. For more information, visit http://www.relativegenetics.com/relativegenetics/landing_pages/dna-genealogy.jsp

Author: Curt Whitesides
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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How Do I Go About Tracing My Ancestors? Eight Guidelines For Beginners

 Genealogy News  No Responses »
Mar 242013
 

If you are asking this question “How do I go about tracing my ancestors?”, you are clearly a beginner in genealogy, starting on a fascinating adventure to build your family tree. Here are eight guidelines to help you begin tracing your ancestors, including common myths and assumptions, plus tips on the pitfalls and possibilities of family tree ancestors on the Internet.

Spelling:

Until approximately the mid-1850s, spelling was interesting, variable, phonetic, unusual, and sometimes did not seem logical at all! Search for your ancestors under all the possible variable spellings you can imagine.

It is a common myth, by the way, that ancestors’ surnames were spelled differently and incorrectly by the immigration clerks – in fact, surnames were written by clerks in the original country who were very likely to know and recognize the language and names. If families decided to change their names, however, the simplest time for them to make this happen was at the point of immigration.

Dates:

Unless a document was written at the time of an event, the dates are suspect. So, a birth registration is likely to have the correct birth date – but a death registration is likely to have an incorrect birth date. A ship’s passenger list (made out at the port of departure) is likely to have the correct date of departure and arrivals, but not necessarily the correct spelling, names, relationships, dates, addresses, etc.

Another point about dates: Our ancestors did not find themselves filling out official forms as frequently as we do in our lifetimes, therefore they could easily mis-remember the exact date of their birth, their immigration, naturalization papers, and mis-remember their children’s exact birth dates.

One more point about dates (and names): Your ancestor may have deliberately changed his or her name or birth date for a specific purpose: to be old enough to enlist to fight in a war, or old enough to get married without adult permission, or change their name to a simpler more “new-country” name to blend in with their neighbors. Or for many other potential purposes.

The Family Bible:

Check to see if there have been different individuals writing down the entries of births, marriages, deaths. If so, then you likely have very high-quality information for your family tree. On the other hand, if there is only one hand which has written down the entire list of entries spanning several generations, the information has been copied at some point in time, or entered based on some unknown sources. Therefore, those entries will not be considered as accurate and high quality. Use the information with caution, as you build your family tree.

Begin at the beginning:

Start with yourself as the first person, and enter all the information you have on your full name, and life events with dates and places. Add the documents or items which provide the proof of your events: birth certificate, education report cards, graduation details and diplomas, passports, marriage registrations, travel details (tickets, dated snapshots, for example). Writing down the sources of your information is termed “citing a source”. Family tree programs often provide careful guidelines for how to complete a proper citation.

Move on up through your family tree, adding your parents and their siblings (brothers and sisters). Check with your cousins for their details, photos, momentos, and more. Share the genealogy treasure!

Avoid online sites for your family tree:

Do NOT put your family tree online until you have learned more about how privacy is maintained with online trees. Frequently your individuals can still be searched for, and it can be quite easy to find living relatives online. As a general rule of thumb, avoid building online family trees until you have taken some genealogy classes, and/or joined a Genealogical Society and discussed this privacy issue with more knowledgeable persons. As well, do not add your own personal notes to your trees if you are planning to share them with your family members including cousins and all other extended family members. You could definitely upset some of your relatives with your revelations about the adopted cousin, or the great uncle who was in prison, or the periodic mental illness of a grandparent.

Family stories:

Add more depth to your family trees with the family stories of how Grampa used to be a blacksmith in Manitoba or, the story of how your mom and dad met and married or, the incredible vacation you had one summer all the way to the Yukon and back. These stories will fit into a family history one day when you are ready to take that step with your family tree. Researching family history can be tremendously rewarding; you may eventually find letters or drawings, momentos with engraved messages, photographs with dates and names, wedding invitations from the 1800s, and more. Add what you have found, but check with the living relatives for permission to make the details public. Also, family stories will give you more clues for further research back in time.

Other people’s family trees online:

Until you find out that an online tree is detailed by one of your relatives, and has documents to support the various details, do NOT copy other people’s information or other people’s family trees. Once you have learned how to prove a relationship and dates/details, you may be more capable of evaluating the accuracy of the tree, and may decide to merge other people’s family trees with your family tree. Do not rush this learning period – online family trees are not a good short-cut! Unfortunately, many are copied from other people’s unsupported information. Avoid them for now.

Family Tree Software:

You do not need to purchase family tree software programs; several free programs may be downloaded from several sources. Check on cyndislist.com and search for free family tree software programs which are available online, and are easy to use. Once you have your ancestors in one program, it is relatively easy to save it in a form for sharing, or for using in any other program.

Enjoy your adventure as you trace your genealogy, and find your ancestors. Building your family tree can be tremendous fun and can be very rewarding. Do not forget to share your findings with your relatives!

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