After a few difficult years due to COVID, the New England Regional Genealogical Consortium (NERGC) was able to put together a very rewarding program, the 17th as a matter of fact. Dozens of experts from around the US and Canada came together to share their expertise in virtually every aspect of genealogical research. That would include basic family research, advanced research strategies, DNA, finding “lost” relatives, using on-line and off-line resources and on and on. The one attendee who, I believe, came the longest way is a colleagued of mine who hails from Australia.
This year signals my last term as president, a post I’ve held for about 6 years. I’m glad to pass the torch! At the end of June, we will be having the last meeting of the 2023 group then begin preparations for the 18th NERGC convention in 2025.
Over the years, we have grown from a small group that needed simply a large restaurant to produce the event. This year, the event took place in the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts. It’s the same venue that has hosted national and international entertainers such as Cher, Staind, John Mulaney, Celtic Women, and other. Upcoming are Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, Glady Knight, and Bruno Mars to name a few.
And that’s not counting the events that take place in the arena on the other side of the building. The Springfield Thunderbirds American Hockey League team, circuses, basketball games and countless other events.
Altogether this year, a little over 700 people attended. Admittedly, that’s a bit short of the last convention in 2019 where we welcomed over 1,000 attendees. Nonetheless, the speakers were dynamic, the exhibit hall was chock full, and the food served for the luncheons and dinners was beyond compare.
For those of you who have interests in genealogy and its related fields, keep an eye on www.nergc.org.
In my line of work, I hear complaints/issues/calls for help whenever a genealogy website is updated or altered in any respect. That goes for all the sites, especially “big” sites such as Ancestry.com or FamilySearch.org. There are also issues that pop up when certain collections are released. What is it, how do I search it, can I download it, etc…
The latest series of issues I’ve dealt with has to do with the 1950 US Population Schedule. In this blog, I’d like to discuss one solution to the “missing person” issue.
After one of the recent classes I held, a gentleman raised a problem during the Q&A session. He was about 9 years old in 1950 and was eager to see his own name as well as his parents and siblings’ names. They were nowhere to be found. His entire family was missing. Try as he might, he received no results when using his name or any of the names of those in his family. And it was in a small town in central Massachusetts. There were others in his family, aunts, uncles, and cousins who were easily found. But his entire family had vanished.
First, he assumed that they were never enumerated. Then he thought that they might have lived elsewhere during that point in time. Unlikely in either case, but he had no other theory as to where they were.
I didn’t have too much time to dedicate to him as there were many other questions from the class. I gave it my best shot by changing the search parameters to “Exact and Similar” for the names and “+/- 5 years” for the dates. I tried each name of those who should have been in the family at that time. No luck. And a “failure” in front of the entire class!
Many other hands were raised so I told him that I would use a few more strategies when I got home. Whatever the results, I told him, I’d get in touch as soon as possible.
After dinner that night, I went to the 1940 census, hoping to find someone who lived on the same street or at least close to it. I picked up a few other families who may have been neighbors and hoped they were still around in 1950.
Back to the 1950 census, I searched for his potential neighbors and got an immediate hit. It didn’t take much time at all to locate a neighbor who lived next door to the 1950 family we were trying to locate. The problem? Not only was the handwriting of the enumerator difficult to read, the family name I was looking for was not much more than dark, heavy lines of squiggle on the census record. As you can imagine, the indexer had to take their best shot at what was written in 1950.
When I found the family, their name was indexed with no vowels and what looked like letters weren’t even close to the name. But there they were! Father, mother and three kids including my diligent student, now 81 years old and very happy!
Just a quick afterthought: If this didn’t work, I would’ve gone to page 71….
Saturday, 21 September 2019, was a very satisfying day for me. After months of slow preparation, I was able to pull off a “double event” event. With the help of a number of other people, of course.
It all started in 2017 when the New England Regional Genealogical Consortium’s (NERGC) conference was held in my hometown, Springfield, Massachsetts. I’ll have to admit that since I’ve been heavily involved with NERGC, the choice of Springfield was heavily influenced by yours truly!
One of the founders of Springfield was Deacon Samuel Chapin. The good Deacon is memorialized by a 15 plus foot tall bronze sculpture which sits in Merrick Park in Springfield. Chapin was drawn to the original Agawam Plantation (later to be named Springfield) by William Pynchon. Chapin’s descendant, Chester Chapin, was a wealthy railroad baron and commissioned world famous scultor Augustus Saint-Gaudens for the work. At any rate, several Chapin descendants are family researchers who attended a genealogy conference in Springfield. I invited all of them to meet one block east of the conference where the statue stands for a group family picture. That’s where I met Patty Vitale, a “Chapin Cousin” who lives in Maryland.
I honestly can’t remember exactly how it began, but I learned that Patty has a Revolutionary War Patriot ancestor buried in Springfield Cemetery about a mile or so from the Chapin statue. So, as a member of the Pomeroy Chapter of the Massachusetts Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (MASSAR), I offered to arrange what we call a “Wreath Laying Ceremony” to honor her ancestor. It involves a gathering of the family, representatives of the SAR and the General Henry Knox Color Guard to gather at the cemetery, summarize the patriot’s service, fire off 3 volleys from the Revolutionary War style muskets by the Color Guard and finally the laying of the wreath.
Wreath Laying Ceremony
Everything came off without any problems. The General Henry Knox Color Guard showed up on time, Patty and her family were there and several members of the Pomeroy Chapter. Patty was very appreciative of the respect that was shown to her ancestor. Titus Amadon enlisted at age 16 and promptly marched off to West Point. He was in attendance at Major John André’s execution for spying. He served a toal of nearly 2 years and returned home to lead a normal, productive life, marrying Sabra Gilbert and raising 13 children.
After the wreath laying, we moved about a mile away to the Springfield Armory National Histoic Site. There, we heard historian Dennis Picard relate the history and consequences of Shays’ Rebellion. One of the major confrontations of the Rebellion took place at the Armory in 1787 so hearing about it at there was more than appropriate.
Dennis Picard and Shays’ Rebellion at the Springfield Armory National Historic Site
Now the question is what do we do for a follow-up event! Any suggestions?
Standard DNA test kit from 23andME. Also available is the basic test plus health for additional cost.http://www.23andme.com
Debra knew from a very early age that she was adopted. Her mother and father provided an incredibly loving environment where she could grow and thrive. And that’s exactly what she did! While it may sound unusual, when she was 3 years old her Mom sat her down and gently explained that some mothers were not able to provide for their children and for many reasons, those children were adopted by families who had the means and the love to help those children grow up. For this reason and as young as she was, she grasped the concept and simply went on with her life.
Debra’s birth was a bit premature. As a result, she was kept at the hospital for several days to ensure that she was healthy enough to go home. But where was home? Her birth mother was either not allowed or was incapable of caring for her. That’s the short story of how Debra came about being adopted by parents who were very much in a position to raise a child in a healthy, happy home.
Even with the knowledge that she had been adopted, she was loved by her Mom and Dad, she was healthy, happy and she had dreams for her future.
About ten years after her adoption, Debra’s parents decided to adopt another child. This time the circumstances couldn’t be any different. When they brought the new sister home, it was a tragic reality that Lisa had been the victim of a hostile environment. Lisa was covered with bruises, stitches and scars. Her “new” parents were very successful in again providing the same loving care they had been providing for Debra. After a brief period of adjustment, Debra became very close with her new sister, Lisa Marie.
Debra’s life was as ideal as she could have hoped for. Soon, she fell in love, married and had her own house full of children. She never dwelled on her own adoption issue. She was loved, secure, and looking forward to raising her family in an environment such as the one in which she grew up. As her children got older, she was able to discuss her history. With the knowledge that their Mom had been adopted, their curiosity got the best of them. The older kids insisted on knowing more… And more… And they wanted to know soon!
Although I had known Debra and her family for many years, I was unaware of the fact that she was adopted. It was never an issue for her to discuss it with anyone other than her family and even at that, there wasn’t much discussion until the older kids began to get her to wonder about her birth parents. She will readily tell you that the search for her birth story would never distract her from the parents who raised her. But the curiosity began to creep in. As a result, she learned about a class I was conducting at a local library that was designed to teach the basics of DNA, the various tests available, how each of those tests can be used and the companies who administer them. As an enticement, I offered to “raffle off” a DNA test to one of the participants after the session.
A graphic of the DNA double helix.
Frankly, I was surprised but pleased at the same time to see Debra walk through the door! We went through the presentation in a little over an hour. The attendees asked many great questions and I believe we all learned a lot. After the Q&A session, it was time for the raffle. I’ll give you a couple of seconds to guess who won! Debra took the test home, submitted her sample and as everyone who has tested can tell you, waited the 5 or 6 weeks it took for processing. Results in hand, the hunt began!
The good news is that she was uncommonly successful. Her first “hit” led her to a biological uncle who is a brother to her biological father. Uncle Jack was more than just pleased to hear from her. I suspect that Jack was aware that he had a niece out there somewhere and that niece turned out to be Debra. He was more than happy to help. He led her to her full biological brother named Brian who lived just a few towns away, close enough to possibly visit from time to time.
It’s worth noting that adopted children who choose to seek out their biological families can run into a myriad of problems. The parents they are looking for may have split up long ago and gone their separate ways or possibly even died; the siblings, if there are any, may live too far away to be able to develop any meaningful relationship or they simply are untraceable; contacting anyone may be a negative experience for the individuals being contacted; and, in many cases, you simply can’t find anyone in the bio family and frustration ensues.
Fast forward to Brian. He was thrilled to finally hear from the woman who turns out to be his full biological sister who he never had the opportunity to meet much less have any type of relationship with. The good news, no…the great news, is that Debra and Brian have not only met, but have formed a meaningful bond with one another. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that they are not only somewhat similar in appearance but share many common interests. The outdoor life appeals to both: fishing, hiking, spending a great deal of time outdoors. Since they live fairly close to one another, they meet often and spend a great deal of time together.
But wait, there’s more. Her bio father left New England for the west coast. To date, Debra has been able to locate 4 half-siblings. One of them, Charles, has been very open to establishing some type of relationship in spite of the fact that he lives out west. Fortunately for Debra, she has been able to travel out there and meet him and talk about their individual experiences. Two of three other half-sisters, however, were less than enthusiastic about staying in touch with her. Regardless, Debra was very excited to make the progress she had made to put together the pieces of a life she never knew.
Nuclear DNA known as autosomal DNA or atDNA. The 23rd chromosome is the sex chromosome. It can be XX (female) or XY (male). Moms always contribute an “X” while Dads can contirbute either an “X” or a “Y”.
Keep in mind that adoption notwithstanding, nothing diminishes in any way the relationship she has enjoyed her entire life with her parents who did the right thing in so many ways. And Lisa, the sister who Debra grew up with, has been a source of support in Debra’s efforts to discover her “other life” but has so far not expressed any interest in following the same path Debra has followed.
One final chapter to this story. Debra’s biological father has a sister who lives nearby. She is Debra’s aunt. The aunt has a daughter, a full first cousin of hers who also lives nearby. Debra’s daughter recently moved in to a new house. Debra’s cousin is her daughter’s new next door neighbor! They have all had the chance to meet and spend time together.
The conclusion is a simple one: When and only when you’re ready to go out to make these discoveries, it’s well worth the journey in most cases. No one could be happier than Debra! And I am proud to say that I was a part of this great story.
Dave Robison
All the names in this blog have been changed to insure privacy.
As a member of the Sons of the American Revolution (Pomeroy Chapter – Western Massachusetts), I use my reasonable and maybe even above average knowledge of history to help with my work as the Chapter’s Registrar assisting the folks applying for membership. Having grown up in Springfield, Massachusetts, I’m familiar with General Knox as we lived just a few blocks away from the Springfield Armory. There’s is a marker on the east side of the intersection of Federal and State Streets in Springfield very near the Armory indicating that this was a part of Knox Trail, the roads used by Knox to deliver 59 cannon and other supplies to General Washington during the seige of Boston. Yes, we routed the British in January of 1776.
Typical marker found throughout the route taken by Knox on his way from Ticonderoga New York to Boston Massachusetts.
Knox was a 25 year old book binder who literally taught himself history and military science. He participated in the Seige of Boston and was selected by General George Washington to head up to the recently captured Fort Ticonderoga. The American victory there allowed Knox to simply take possession of the artillery. That was the easy part. It was November of 1775 and Knox expected to get back to Boston in a few weeks. It took 3 months of slogging through the frigid wilderness of upstate New York, sailing down Lake George with the equipment on barges, crossing the Hudson into the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts and finally along the Boston Post Road. But he made it and in January of 1776, Washington had his artillery. No ammunition per se, but the Americans were able to surround the British with an array of cannon which was enough to chase the British out of Boston. Needless to say, this amazing feat in the dead of winter sparked the beginning of Henry Knox’s brilliant career.
But let’s talk about the armory for a minute. It was Knox who persuaded Washington to site the first arsenal on the hills of Springfield overlooking the Connecticut River. That location proved to be a very strategic spot to locate what became the Springfield Armory. There’s a great deal of history to recount here including the events of Shays’ Rebellion, the supply of arms to the armed forces from the late 18th century up until its closure by Seretary of Defense Robert McNamara in 1968. During those years, a great deal of history was made: standardized manufacturing, invention of numerous armaments, and employment for thousands of residents including women. Today, what is now known as the Springfield Armory National Historic Site allows an in depth view of the history of the Springfield Armory’s many contributions to the defenses of the United States of America.
Here’s the point I’m trying to make about General Henry Knox. Karen and I took a vacation up to Edgecomb, Maine. During the week, Karen found a mumber of places for us to go, mostly visiting a variety of lighthouses, historic sites, some ancient cemeteries (Karen knows that’s a MUST on my itinerary!), and of course, restaurants and other tours. The best of those tours was a 1 and a half hour ferry ride from Boothbay Harbor to Monhegan Island. Other than one thunder storm, the weather couldn’t have been better! We even had time to stand in line for about an hour to get the famous “Red’s Eats” lobster roll. A little over a pound of lobster in a hot dog roll. Only $23.75! Last season, Red’s went through 14.5 TONS of lobster meat! That’s 14.5 TONS!! Click here to read about them: https://www.redseatsmaine.com/.
One of our side trips was to the Maine State Penitentiary Gift Shop. Prisoners are encouraged to develop their talents in carving, furniture creation, model ship building, and dozens of other unique items. Karen found a handmade birdhouse that we’ll be putting up in the back yard. What I found was a 2-page handout about the General Henry Knox Museum. The General Henry Knox Museum??? Well, it was just up the road from the gift shop, so off we went.
After General Henry Knox’s brilliant career, he retired to Thomaston, Maine. Although he grew up in virtual poverty, he married let’s just say, he married well. Lucy Flucker was from a wealthy New England family. With his marriage to Lucy, Knox became the owner of an enormous amount of land in Thomaston which was in Massachusetts at the time. Maine was not created until the Missouri Compromise in 1820 but that’s another story! The Knox’s built what was contemporaneously described as the most beautiful home in New England. They called it “Montpelier.” Sadly, the building deteriorated to the point where demolition was the only solution in the late 19th century. Now comes the DAR to the rescue. During the height of the Great Depression, they were able to raise the funds to rebuild an exact duplicate of the original down to every last detail. This was made possible due to the prolific writing of General Knox describing what he wanted built and how to go about building it! Sizes, colors, wallpaper, the layour of the grounds, every detail was meticulously recorded allowing for the details that were built into the new building. The project obviously provided much needed work and the new home was opened to the public in 1931. Click here for their website: http://knoxmuseum.org/ .
Montpelier – A recreation of the original Montpelier, home of Henry and Lucy Knox
The docent who brought us through all 3 floors of the building offered a great deal of information about Henry and Lucy Knox. Of 13 children, for example, only 3 survived to adulthood. The museum is chock full of Knox memorabilia with furniture, writings, portraits, books, and household goods. The Knox’s are buried in the Village Cemtery about a mile from the museum.
The graves of General Henry Knox and family in the Village Cemetery, Thomaston, Maine
The lesson here, as I’ve said before, is you don’t know what you don’t know. I was delighted that Karen found the Maine State Prison Gift Shop. I was delighted that I just happened to find the little handout about the Hentry Knox Museum!
It doesn’t happen very often when I get a chance to brag. The upside is that a local TV station, Western Mass News Channel 40, came into one of my classes at the West Springfield, Mass Senior Center and took some shots of one of the session I was giving there. Actually, I don’t even think it was 15 seconds! OK, my 12.5 seconds of fame!!
Everyone is familiar with what is known as the “Spanish Flu,” an influenza pandemic that wreaked havoc around the world from 1918 to 1920. Today, the science of that killer disease is well known and it is unlikely that the world would see another global tragedy of those proportions…Unless we’re struck by a new, unknown, untreatable virus in the future!
As a genealogist and family researcher, I’m often asked historical questions regarding events that may have affected my own family. Well, “my own family” includes at least 3 Mayflower passengers and their descendants, dozens of Great Migration colonists, at least one 20th centruy Canadian immigrant and that’s just my maternal side. On my paternal side, my 5th great grandfather was Jonathan Robertson whose arrival from Colerain, County Londonderry, Ireland around 1740 has been difficult to prove and the “facts” have remained elusive. I definitley have proof that at least one of his sons was Hezekiah Robertson/Robinson/Robison who was a veteran of the War of 1812. Notice the gravestone where his name is spelled “ROBRSON”!!
My point is that there’s a very long list of historical events, both good and bad that have affected my family. I have ancestors who fought in King Phillip’s War in 1675; French and Indian War; at least a dozen if not more Revolutionary War Patriots , War of 1812, Civil War, WW I and WW II, Korea and Vietnam. My Patriot ancestors from the Revolutionary War were my tickets to membership in the Massachusetts Sons of the American Revolution. As to the Civil War, I have to disclose that I’m the product of a mixed marriage: My maternal side is solidly Union while my paternal side, Confederate. One of my great aunts, Sarah Robison Coker (1919-2009), corrected me when I mentioned the Civil War: “You’re talking about the War of Northern Aggression, aren’t you?”
So what about the Spanish Flu? Here’s my story: My father’s mother was Mary Virginia Dunn. She married a CPA named Cecil Lee Robison. Footnote here – One of Cecil’s sons worked in a lab at Duke University in the 1960s. Dr. Michael Robison wrote scientific articles about his research in DNA. I like to say I have DNA in my DNA!
Back to Mary Virginia. Mary’s father was Henry Wright Dunn. Her mother was Cecilia Gilma Robertson. Cecilia’s “Robertson” clan may very well be a collateral ancestor of mine given the vagaires of spelling in the 18th and 19th centuries but I have yet to find the connections. At any rate, Henry was a very succsessful business man. He was a Ford and a Buick dealer, he owned the largest hardware store anywhere in Conecuh County, Alabama and was a large owner of properties in and around the Evergreen, Conecuh County, Alabama area.
When the issue of the Flu began to turn into a global story, Henry decided to hire a nurse to stay with the family and assist in keeping every one healthy. Arrangements were made and Henry set out to take a long drive to pick up the nurse who would be working in the Dunn household along with a fair staff of domestics.
The road out of Evergreen was on the other side of town, across the railroad tracks (literally!) and up a long hill. It seemed like the right thing to do and, indeed, it was. The problem happened as Henry was about to crest the hill. The car stalled and presumably, Henry did everything he could to get the car started again. I’m quite sure that in 1918, youd have to get out the crank and literally, crank it up to get it running. Well, none of that was possible so Henry took a ride backwards down the hill where he should have been able to bring the car to a halt to investigae the cause of the stall.
Unfortunately for Henry, and his family, the L&N train was chugging its way through town and that’s what stopped Henry, not his brakes.
Sadly, the car (a brand new Ford!) was crushed along with its lone occupant, my great grandfather, Henry Wright Dunn. It wasn’t the disease directly but because of the disease, Henry died trying to do right for his family.
Henry lingered for a couple of days before succumbing to his massive injuries. He’s buried in the Evergreen Cemetery with the following inscription on his grave marker: “DEATH LOVES A SHINING STAR.”
Mary Virginia divorced Cecil Lee. My father Henry was literally put in the Navy with paperwork that stating he was older than he was. His enlistment date is 17 January 1942, a few weeks after Pearl Harbor. Mary moved north to Massachusetts to work as a private duty nurse. Everyone else stayed south in Alabama. Upon his discharge in 1945, my father came to Massachusetts and this is where he stayed. Mary died in 1971 and is buried in the Island Pond Cemtery in Ludlow, Mass. Henry died in 2003, weeks after my mother, Beatrice Agatha (Dickson) Robison died. They are both buried in the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Agawam, Mass.
Since I was always told, “What you don’t know won’t hurt you,” 99% of what I know of any of my ancestors comes from my own research and interviews I conducted as I found relatives in New England, Alabama, Tenness, California, Arizona and many other areas. To say it hasn’t been easy is an undersatement. Whatever they didn’t want me to know, I believe I’ve found most of my own story. Including the untimely demise of my great grandfather, Henry Wright Dunn (1873-1918).
I’ve talked about conferences many times. At Western Massachusetts Genealogical Society as well as Connecticut Society of Genealogisists we’ve had presentations about why you would want to attend a conference. My shortcut answer is this: “You don’t know what you don’t know.” Regardless of how long any of us have been researching our own families or the families of others, there’s always something new to consider. Especially now, in the electronic age. Don’t misinterpret that statement because “…it’s not all on the internet.” As a matter of fact, it has been estimated that only about 10% to maybe 15% of what’s available has been digitized and indexed to make it searchable at the dizzying number of websites that are available to us today. And the list includes straight-up commercial sites that charge a fee for membership, free websites such as FamilySearch.org, privately uploaded trees, and many others. In a nutshell, with the exception of FamilySearch (free), you get what you pay for. Many offer month to month subscriptions or 6 to 12 months at a time. In addition, sites like Ancestry.com further blur the options by offering graduated levels of access. European websites often offer a per document fee where you would buy a certain number of points to “spend.”
Why is the internet data so scarce? First, you are mostly blocked from seeing documents and records that haven’t been indexed. Indexing is the process handled mostly by volunteers where the words on the image are transcribed into specific fields in an electronic form. First name, middle name, last name and all the rest of the pertinent data that we’re accustomed to filling in on the search pages of various websites has to be made available so a computer can “read” the words. Now computers don’t read words, they interpret complex arrangements of zeros and ones then convert that into the words that we mere mortals can read! And only digitized documents and records can be indexed. Once a record is indexed and uploaded, you can type in data that can be matched against an electronic record and show it to you in the comfort of your own home.
Now, consider the millions upon millions of documents that are generated each and every day! Babies are born, couples get married, folks die, people join the armed forces, apply for pensions, and so on creating a myriad of records that we will be searching for some day. Can you imagine the size of the backlog of paperwork we create in the 21st century? No wonder the percentage of available electronic records is so low.
So what does all this all have to do with conferences?
Searching websites is mostly a self-taught process. Conferences offer the
knowledge and advice of professionals who can dispense a wealth of knowledge to
large groups of interested people. At genealogical conferences, for example,
there is a very broad range of topics and speakers to deliver the messages.
Lots to learn! From internet search strategies to off line sources such as
libraries and other repositories and archives, DNA (WOW, that’s a hot topic
these days), court house research, interviewing relatives, cemeteries, European
research as well as other foreign countries, military records and the list goes
on and on.
There is so much interest in certain topics that the classes
or workshops offered with the best of intentions often fill up the first or
second day registration is open!
The whole point here is to encourage you to seriously consider registering for as many conferences that would be reasonable for you. It’s not free, of course, and they’re not always in the next town over! So there are many considerations especially with regard to your time and the expense.
Some of the largest conferences are held in the largest cities in the largest venues than what is generally available. RootsTech is a good example. The initial registration is a little pricey and attendance would require an airline ticket and hotel accommodations for us folks here in New England. But there’s an important, well-attended “bargain” of a conference right here in New England. The New England Regional Genealogical Conference (NERGC) is a bargain.
Here are the featured speakers at the 2019 conference including Thomas D Jones, Blaine Bettinger and Cyndi Ingle.
Cyndi Ingle
Blaine Bettinger
Thomas D Jones
The 2019 conference is being held in Manchester, New Hampshire at the Manchester Downtown Doubletree Hotel at 700 Elm Street April 3rd to the 6th. Many more details including registration information is available at www.nergc.org. Registration will be open until March 30, 2019.
2017 NERGC Conference “Using the Tools of Today & Tomorrow to Understand the Past”
April 26th through 29th will be a busy one for 1,100 or so genealogists. Speakers, vendors, professionals, hobbyists and the curious will converge at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts! The New England Regional Genealogical Consortium’s (NERGC) conference is a biennial event that is 2 years in the making and is produced in various cities throughout New England.
My role as a co-chair for this year’s event consists of a great many responsibilities including marketing. As a result, I’ve brought my retail experience to the table and helped as much as I could in getting the word out. Some of the unusual opportunities included the MassMutual Center itself which, for example, sends an “events update” email to a 25,000 name database. That sounded like a pretty good audience to me so I signed up to have our event included with a special offer for those registering through that site. We offered a “coupon code” to those registrants to claim a small gift as a token of our appreciation.
We’ve been placing announcements on multiple Facebook pages, Google+ Communities, Twitter, Pinterest, press releases to newspapers, TV stations, radio stations, and announcements at a wide variety of genealogical societies around the country…wherever we thought we might find an audience who could be drawn to an event such as ours.
Since I participate in a number of genealogically oriented Google Hangouts every week, I always get a chance to talk about the conference to an audience that is literally worldwide. These short promotions are courtesy of the Hangout host who, most of the time, is Pat Richley-Erickson and her cousin, Russ Worthington who produce the “DearMYRTLE Hangout” series.
William Pynchon – Founder of the Agawam Plantation
Here’s my point….finally! Among other genealogical societies, the Central Massachusetts Genealogical Society asked me to assist them with 2 issues: First, get them started in the use of virtual meeting platforms to bring a wider variety of speakers to their membership; and second, give my presentation titled “The City That William Pynchon Built” at their April meeting in Gardner, Massachusett. I broadcasted the presentation from home to a room full of CMGS members in Gardner. This link will take you to the YouTube channel where you can hear a brief history of the City of Springfield where our NERGC conference will be held.
William Pynchon was an English businessman who invested in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and arrived here around 1630. He then struck out to explore the wilderness of what we know today as the Pioneer Valley and the area along the Connecticut River. Well, without going into too much detail, if you have any interest in NERGC or the host city, Springfield, take a look at the video and leave your comments.
And by the way, at the time of this blog, you can still register to attend the NERGC conference. There will be over 70 presenters from around the world with 135 programs and workshops. There will also be 75 vendors with an amazing array of genealogical products and services. There is no need to register to visit the Exhibitor Hall.
After the conference, I will be glad to post the highlights with pictures and stories.
A view of Springfield from across the Connecticut River in West Springfield.
Dave Robison – QuickLesson 2: Sources vs. Information vs. Evidence vs. Proof[1]
As with any genealogical research question, establishing the accuracy of an item as simple as a date of birth can prove elusive and, at times, frustrating. In the case of one of my own direct ancestors, the search has taken me to many sources, with two, rather than one definitive answer. Although the search has been exhaustive, neither date has been proved.
This is the case of my 4th great grandfather, Hezekiah Robison. He was also the subject last week’s assignment regarding the number of wives. The very first record I had on his age or date of birth came from an on-line family tree, a source I was unfortunate enough to use 15 years ago, when I was so enthusiastic about my own family’s genealogy, I was hungry for every tidbit I could find. Unfortunately, it was one of the first conflicts I ran into. There were 2 schools of “thought” based on other people’s enthusiasm. First, his year of birth was alleged to be 1777 and later, in other trees, 1784. My solution at the time was extraordinarily amateur. I simply picked one!
Hezekiah ROBRSON
At a family reunion in 2001, I visited the Robinson Cemetery, off of Robinson Road in Robinson Hollow near Elkmont, Limestone County, Alabama. There could be as many as 30 ancestors here but only about 16 stones remain. Other markers may have been wooden or disintegrated and sunken into the ground. Now I would have thought that with all the “Robinson” designations, that there’d be little doubt as to spelling. This stone provided a new entry into the various spellings: “ROBRSON.” And as you can see in the photo[2], “Died June the 19th 1852 Aged 75 years” suggests a birth year 1777. Other records would disagree. (FOR THE RECORD: I did not chalk this stone. As a matter of fact, I’ve never chalked a stone. It’s not a good idea!)
A few years later, I was able to find him in a few census records. The first source mentioning an age was the entry for Hezekiah in the 1850 US Census[3]. Here he or the informant stated his age as 66 suggesting a birth year of 1784. Just with these two sources, the information they contain 2 glaring inconsistencies. The 1850 census taken just 2 years prior to his death states his age as 66 while the gravestone which was likely carved just after his death states his age as 75. Obviously, there’s more work to be dome to resolve this conflict.
To recap what I have so far, there are 2 sources: the 1850 US census and a gravestone. Both I would consider original. But keep in mind that the information each contains could fall into either primary or secondary status. As Elizabeth Shown Mills describes in her article “QuickLesson 2,”[4] information should not be confused as “fact.” It is merely the content found in a source.
Since ether are so far only 2 sources, we can hardly say that so far, the research has been exhaustive. As a result, the hunt was on to prove or disprove one or the other. Since Hezekiah was a veteran of the War of 1812, the records at Fold3.com, a source, may have contained information to clear up the discrepancy. However, his military record including enlistment data, muster rolls or any other mention of a “Hezekiah Rob*son” make it difficult to ascertain as to which Hezekiah is which. His widow’s subsequent pension application file found during a visit to the NARA in Washington DC contains a number of documents none of which make any reference as to his age. The search at Fold3 has been ongoing as more and more records are digitized and uploaded. Therefore, this source should be reviewed from time to time.
Finally, any document that references Hezekiah’s place of birth states Virginia. I have searched on line and in person in a variety of sources in Virginia to no avail. Since I’m far from knowing exactly where in Virginia, he may well have been born in what is now West Virginia.
For now, at least, the sources and the information they contain do not hold enough evidence to reasonably come to any conflict resolution. And now, the search for a date or even a year of birth together with a location, has been put on hold for a variety of reasons. But stay tuned! Someday I’ll have a better answer.
[2] Photo taken by the author and remains in the author’s collection.
[3] 1850 US Census, Population Schedule, Alabama, Limestone County, District Four, household of Hezekiah Robinson; digital media, Ancestry.com, (www.ancestry.com : accessed 26 September2012) NARA roll M432_8, p 4A.
It doesn’t happen very often when I get a chance to brag. The upside is that a local TV station, Western Mass News Channel 40, came into one of my classes at the West Springfield, Mass Senior Center and took some shots of one of the session I was giving there. Actually, I don’t even think it was 15 seconds! OK, my 12.5 seconds of fame!!
So what about the Spanish Flu? Here’s my story: My father’s mother was Mary Virginia Dunn. She married a CPA named Cecil Lee Robison. Footnote here – One of Cecil’s sons worked in a lab at Duke University in the 1960s. Dr. Michael Robison wrote scientific articles about his research in DNA. I like to say I have DNA in my DNA! 
