Ask a Genealogist

Question:  Family tradition states my ancestor's father was a dentist in Dublin, Ireland in the 1840's.  Her name was Bridge Noland, and her father was a Thomas according to her death record.  Can you help be confirm if there was such a dentist?

Answer:  I am happy to report that an 1842 directory for Dublin, Ireland does list dentists.  In fact this very same directory has a Thomas Noland living at 121 Abbey Street, Upper in Dublin.  To see this page go online to: http://www.failteromhat.com/dublin/medical/dentist.pdf  The directory is located on the popular Irish genealogical website www.failteromhat.com is Pettigrew and Oulton's Dublin Almanac 1842.

Question:  I recall my finding in my great-grandfather's belongings fraternal items for the Odd Fellows.  How early did they exist in this country?

Answer:  Unlike the Grand Lodge of Masons first chartered in the American Colonies in 1733, the Odd Fellows have later roots.  The earliest lodge relating to Odd Fellows was the Loyal Aristarcus Lodge in London dates to 1730.  In 1819 the I.O.O.F started and was affiliated with the British order until the mid 1830's.

Question: Can you direct me to a website to search to see if a relative has had a D.A.R. membership taken out?

Answer:  You can search on Patriots and veterans of the Revolutionary War on a free database from the Daughters of the American Revolution.  You can also purchase copies of their application forms from this same site.  I would suggest searching for the Ancestor, and choosing a D.A.R. member you may be familiar with in your pedigree first.  The website is: http://services.dar.org/Public/DAR_Research/search/?Tab_ID=1

Question:  I have correspondence that my grandmother lost two cousins to illness in Nevada in 1913.  Being new to genealogy I have no idea how to get these records.  Can you offer some advice?

Answer: Death records in Nevada from July 1, 1911 to the present are available from the Office of Vital Records in Carson City, Nevada. Please note that according to this office “Birth and death records are confidential in the State of Nevada and may only be released to a qualified applicant. A qualified applicant is defined as the registrant, or a direct family member by blood or marriage, his or her guardian, or his or her legal representative”.

Office of Vital Records
4150 Technology Way, Suite 104
Carson City, Nevada 89706
Telephone: 775-684-4242
Fax: 775-684-4156

Qualified individuals can complete an application online and send a check or money order for the appropriate fee. The cost of a certified death record is $20.00.

The following link will bring you to a PDF of the form to send:
http://health.nv.gov/PDFs/FP_Forms/2010-12/deathcertapp.pdf

Question: The death of one of my husband's ancestor is given as "Insulation - 20 hours". I think I once knew what that meant but can't, for the life of me, recall it or find it listed in old medical terminology. Any thoughts?

Answer: I believe what you have is not insulation by "inanition" which is a "debilitated condition due to lack of sufficient food material essential to the body, such as general underfeeding, under nutrition, or caloric insufficiency". 

Question:  In the 1871 Census for Scotland I found an unusal occupation I can not determine what it was.  Can you tell me what a "Jule mill winder" did?

Answer:  The reason you might be having difficulty find it deals with the spelling of the occupation.  The occupation would be a "Jute mill winder" not a "jule mill winder".  This occupation was one who wound the thread on weaving looms.  An interesting website I have seen for occupations from the Scottish census is: http://www.scotsfamily.com/occupations.htm

Question:  I am trying to piece together where all the soldier's from my 3rd great grandfather's Vermont Regiment and Company are buried.  Do you have any suggestions of online sources?     

Answer:  Recently I was made aware of an effort to record all Vermont veterans in the Civil War, this website is located at: http://vermontcivilwar.org/cem/

Another such effort has been made by the Sons of Union Veterans to record all Civil War veterans gravestones at : http://www.suvcwdb.org/home/  I would also suggest searching by name on www.findagrave.com

Question: My research is now centering on a distant relative who served in the Royal Air Force during World War II.  He died a couple of years ago in London, however I never got his military records or stories.  Can you help me obtain the details?

Answer: The records for RAF veterans after 1922 are still housed with the RAF in England, and not at the National Archives in England.  Therefore finding a record for a veteran is possible but there are restrictions.  The following quote is from their website http://www.raf.mod.uk/links/contacts.cfm regarding research

"The personnel records department will only divulge information to the person to whom it refers or, if he or she has died, to his or her immediate next of kin. Anyone else must obtain written permission from the person about whom they are enquiring, or from his or her next of kin, before any information will be given to them"

RAF Disclosures section
Room 221b, Trenchard Hall
RAF Cranwell
Sleaford
Lincs NG34 8HB

Question:  I am trying to get a map of Sharon, Massachusetts in Norfolk County circa 1860.  I know you are a historian for nearby Stoughton so I thought you might be able to assist me. 

Answer:  I do not know of one for the 1860's, however an online Atlas Map for 1858 does exist. The David Rumsey Historical Map Collection on line allows you to search on many historical world and North American maps.  This particular map allows you to zoom right in to incredible detail, showing he names of the residents.  This map by H.F. Walling, was printed by Smith & Bumstead of Boston.  To see this map go online to:

http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~4241~340021:Map-of-the-County-of-Norfolk,-Massa?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&qvq=q:norfolk%2Bcounty%2Bmassachusetts;sort:Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=9&trs=10   To search maps from this online collection for free go to: http://www.davidrumsey.com/  and select "Search the Collection" in the upper right hand side by entering a destination.

Question:  Today is the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War.  Last year I thought I would apply to have my great-great grandfather's faded military marble marker redone.  I understand I can apply from the U.S. Government for a new stone?

Answer:  You can make an application to the U.S. Government via the Veteran's Agent in the town/city your ancestor is buried in.  The rules of the cemetery may cause a flat marker, versus an upright marker in certain sections to be allowed.  Though marble is traditional, I have opted for granite upright when it is allowed.  You can get the PDF for the form (VA 40-1440) you will need online at: http://www.cem.va.gov/hm_hm.asp

Question:  While looking at the 1851 British Census I saw my ancestors occupation as a "Boonmaster".  I assume I am spelling it correct, what is this peculiar sounding job in the 19th century?

Answer:  Your ancestor in 1851 was a surveyor of roads.  His occupation also came with the responsibility of maintaining and repairing any damage to the roads.

Question:  I am having difficulty finding Boston births from the 1820's and 1830's.  I find that my ancestors appear in the city directories, but why is it there are no births recorded for the children?  The 1820-1840 U.S. Census enumerates the family with children under the age of 10 in each case.

Answer:  During the the period from 1790 to 1850 there were very few births recorded in the town and later city of Boston.  Many genealogists have found that searching for church baptism records to offer some solution to these missing records.  I would suggest looking for the marriage of the parents to determine the religion.  If the marriage occured in Boston you can acquire the name of the minister from the record.  NEHGS has the Boston marriages 1801-1848 on microfiche at Microtext Library on the Fourth Floor.  After acquiring the name of the minster, then search for him in a Boston city directory to determine his religious affiliation.  NEHGS has many Boston church records on microform, books, manuscripts and CD-Rom.

Question: In 1796 there was a listing of some inhabitants of Ireland on a flax growers list.  Can you tell me how many people were included in this list, and how I might be able to search it online.

Answer:  The 1796 Flax Growers list contains roughly 60,000 searchable individuals.  You can search this database for free online at: http://www.failteromhat.com/flax1796.php   The reason for compiling this list is explained on Failteromhat.com "Spinning wheels were awarded based on the number of acres planted. People who planted one acre were awarded 4 spinning wheels and those growing 5 acres were awarded a loom. Donegal and Tyrone had the highest number of awards".

Question:  Can you refer me to a resource that may aide in identifying a couple 19th century photographers in Massachusetts.  It would be helpful to know if there is a database to see when they were in operation in my home town.

Answer:  At NEHGS we have the following reference book by Chris Steele and Ron Polito, A Directory of Massachusetts photographers, 1839-1900 (Camden, ME: Picton Press, 1993) [NEHGS Call # F63/D57/1993]. This comprehensive guide lists town by town, the known 19th century photographers and their associated studio addresses.  This will also assist an individual with dating the time frame a photograph may have been taken.

Question:  Recently I was transcribing a hard to read military headstone.  And wanted to determine what some of the abbreviations meant.  Can you tell me what this World War I inscription means [L.J. Smith, PVT BTRY F 38 ART CAC, WWI]?

Answer: The following breakdown will explain what the gravestone is abbreviating: PVT= Private; BTRY = Battery; the "F" is the Battery letter; 38 ART = 38th Artillery; CAC = Coastal Artillery Company.  So the inscription in full would be [Private L.J. Smith, Battery F. 38th Artillery of the Coastal Artillery Company].

Question:

Is it possible to find out who the members of a Masonic Lodge in Fair Haven, Vermont in the 1820-1860 period?

Answer:

You will want to contact the Grand Secretary – C. Robert Abbott of the Grand Lodge of Masons in Vermont. You can email his office at: glsec@vtfreemasons.org

Supply the name, residence and birth year of the ancestor to help them narrow down a search.