Ask a Genealogist

Question:  I have a couple New Hampshire births post-1900 I am looking for.  Both occured in a small town in Grafton County in 1916 and 1923.  The town clerk has never responded, and the state wont sent me a copy.  Do you have any suggestions?

Answer: If you have the date of the birth you can try the small town newspaper.  The birth may have been recorded, these records were common news for a small town paper.  Also you want to try the Town reports.  In New Hampshire town reports you will find the births, marriages and deaths for the town.  These will usually be filed at the public library as well as the State Library in Concord, New Hampshire.

Question [asked at the FGS 2012 Conference in Birmingham, Alabama]:  I believe the body of my great-great grandfather is in Chicago.  He died in the Prisoner of War Camp called Camp Douglas.  Can you tell me where the veterans were buried?

Answer: The Confederate soldiers who died at Camp Douglas were originally buried at City Cemetery in Chicago, Ill.  When this cemetery closed over 4,200 remains were buried at Oak Wood Cemetery in Chicago.  A monument with names was erected there at the cemetery: http://graveyards.com/IL/Cook/oakwoods/confederate.html  However other burials were interred at Graceland and Rosehill Cemeteries.

Question:  I was wondering if you can help locate an image of the school my mother attended in the 1920's.  She mentioned going to a Dickerman School in Dorchester, Massachusetts when she was a girl.  The family moved to Montana soon after and we still live there now.

Answer:  I belive you are referring to the Quincy E. Dickerman School on Magnolia St., Dorchester, Mass.  There is an image courtesy of the Boston City Archives online at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cityofbostonarchives/5471256171   If you are searching for other Boston school images click on the hyperlinks associated with this online PDF file at: http://www.cityofboston.gov/Images_Documents/Guide%20to%20the%20Photographs%20of%20School%20Buildings_tcm3-25376.pdf

Question: A passage in a town record is confusing.  What does it mean when my ancestor was paid for registering the "gads" of the cattle?

Answer: The term Gad is another word for a  mark cut in the ear of an animal.  The Cattle marks of a community are often recorded in the town records.  They serve as a useful way to determine when your ancestor was residing in a community as well.

Question: Can you advise me on early city maps for Lowell, Massachusetts.  I will not have a chance to visit NEHGS to use your collections until December.  So I need some online alternatives until then.

Answer:  The Center for Lowell History has maps for Lowell from 1821,1825,1832,1845,1850,1912,1914,[GIS] 2008.  They also have atlases online that include Lowell for the years 1879, 1882, 1896, 1924, 1936, 1977 v. 1, 1977 v. 2. 

The main page to access the above maps and atlases can be reached at: http://library.uml.edu/clh/Atlas/dmap.htm

Question: I had a discussion with my cousin on what Atlantic Canada was.  She told me Ontario and Quebec were included, I can not believe they you be included. What provinces are included, I understand you have ancestors from there?

Answer: Atlantic Canada is made up of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.  My paternal grandmother was from Moncton, N.B.  My Lambert family hails from Cumberland Co., N.S. And my paternal grandfather's mother was born in Newfoundland. 

 Question: I found out recently on a deed from 1820 that my 3rd great-grandfather was a Truckman.  What would this be for an occupation in the 18th century?  

Answer: A truckman would sell his goods and wares from a truck or cart.  This was usually done in the local market place.  Also Truckman were also used to move the belongings of others for hire.

 Question: When I visit NEHGS next week can you advise what resource would help me.  I am looking to see the residences of my immigrant Italian ancestors.  I know they lived in Boston but I doubt they owned property.

Answer: NEHGS has a complete run of the Boston City Directories on microfiche.  In our collection on the 4th Floor Microtext Library we have the directories for 1789 to 1981.  I think you will find this and our access to Sanborn Insurance maps very useful at your visit.

Question: Where can I locate original divorce records for New Brunswick, Canada from the 19th century?

Answer: The Provincial Archives in Fredericton, N.B. have the records you seek.  They have records of divorce 1796 to 1987, and an index for all divorces 1847 to 1979.  You can contact the Provincial Archives at the following:

Provincial Archives of New Brunswick
PO Box 6000
Fredericton, NB  E3B 5H1
Telephone: 506-453-2122
Fax: 506-453-3288
Email: provincial.archives@gnb.ca

Question: I was puzzled that death records in Boston in the 18th century did not always have causes of death. 

Answer: In the 18th century the cause of death is not always recorded.  This is true for not just Boston but other surrounding towns.  If the person died from an accident, small pox or was murdered I see the mentioned.  Also occasionally the cause of death of small children are indicated.

Question: I am looking for a liist of the casualties, and the cemetery that was used at Fort Ticonderoga.  I am concerned with the Revolutionary War American casualties.

Answer: The Garrison Cemetery near Ticonderoga is supposed to be the resting place of hundreds of American Officers and Soldiers from the Revolutionary War. Some photos of the cemetery can be seen: http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=9582  and http://www.panoramio.com/photo/7375987 .

I have not located a list of all the casualties from Ft. Ticonderoga. You may wish to contact the fort directly at:

Fort Ticonderoga
30 Fort Ti Road
Ticonderoga, New York 12883
Phone: 518-585-2821
Fax: 518-585-2210

info@fort-ticonderoga.org

www.fortticonderoga.org

Question: I have found reference to an old occupation you may have heard of.  What is the occupation of a "Turning Boy"?

Answer:  That was not one I have heard of before.  However I am happy to share the answer with you that I found.  A "Turning boy" turned the loom for a Weaver, and was therefore his assistant.

Question: Recently I have been trying to learn a little Hebrew to understand some early gravestones for clues.  Can you offer me a primer of how to read them?

Answer: I have bookmarked the following website: http://www.jewishgen.org/infofiles/tombstones.html   This will not answer all your questions, but has a good breakdown of the basics you can use.  I have also used online Hebrew to English translation applications, and turned to scholars who can read Hebrew fluently.

Question: I understand that a distant cousin of my great-grandmother invented a form of photography before the Civil War.  Do you know of a New England inventor that might be?

Answer:  This question has come up awhile ago.  I believe you must be distantly related to James Ambrose Cutting (1814-1867).  He is the inventor of the process of photographic medium called the Ambrotype.  To learn more about him go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Ambrose_Cutting

Question: Can you tell me where I could locate original lists for naturalized Boston voters?  I am particularly looking for voter lists from 1864-1865.

Answer: The published list of Boston Naturalized Voter lists from 1864-1871 are online.  You can browse this published list at: http://archive.org/search.php?query=subject%3A%22Naturalized+Citizens+--+Massachusetts+Boston%22  Other lists can be found at the Boston City Archives for the 19th and twentieth centuries.  The Archives can be visited by appointment and you can reach them at: Archives@cityofboston.gov

Question: Recently examining some Vermont Cemetery transcriptions I found extra details.  These records extend back to his ancestors in the 1600's.  Obviously this is not on the gravestone or is it?

Answer:  In some cases genealogists added extra details.  In this case these inscriptions include the know ancestors of each burial in the cemetery.  As useful as this can be, it can also cause a little confusion. 

Question: At one of your lectures you mentioned a good resource for Vermont in the Civil War.  I lost your handout can you refresh my memory?

Answer: The website I believe you are referring to is Vermont in the Civil online at: http://vermontcivilwar.org/index.php  It is a very good site and has many good resources, and images.

Question: I heard you lecture on World War I last year.  Can you remind me where you said to get enlistment cards for the state of Texas?

Answer: The cards you seek can be found at the Texas Military Forces Museum in Austin, Texas.  A sample of one of the cards can be seen on their website: http://www.texasmilitaryforcesmuseum.org/library/images/WWIcard.jpg

Question:  I was looking at a City directory for New York City in 1874.  What is the occupation of a "paperer"?

Answer: It is probably the old occupation of sticking sewing needles into a paper or a card.  However I have also seen it referred to as another name for a paperhanger.

Question: Do you have a way to search Halifax, Nova Scotia death records at NEHGS?  I am looking for 1860-1910 era death records.  I plan on visiting some cemeteries this fall in Nova Scotia.

Answer: At NEHGS we have microfilm for Nova Scotia deaths (1864-1877), and some online access you may wish to try.  The Nova Scotia Archives has digitized Halifax city death records from 1890-1908. You can search these from home at: www.novascotiagenealogy.com