2013 Docu-Challenge #1: English Parish Register Marriage Entry–Part 1 Data Entry

Dear MYRTLE posted a blog with a Challenge for users of Evidentia, an Evidenced based software program.

http://blog.dearmyrtle.com/2013/02/2013-docu-challenge-1-english-parish.html

I posted some information about Evidentia here:

Technology Tuesday–Evidentia

and

Evidentia–Create a new Citation Template

One of the learning’s of the use of Evidentia for me, was to find a document (source), cite the source, then transcribe the information or Claims from that document. This is the first step that I did to capture the information provided in the source.

The instructions were to go to FamilySearch.org and locate the Parish Records for the Parish of Warrington, Devonshire County, Cronwall, England and locate the marriage record for William Warren and Sarah Bickle.

One conflicting bit of information is that Family Search spelled the Parish, in text, as Werrington. The image reads Warrington.

The image is HERE

I took the top of that page and included that in the Source information.

 

 

Source created, now to the Citation.

The Catalogue Claims is selected and since there is a lot of information (claims) on that image, I select “Open the always-on-top mini-editor. For me, this helps me to separate the Data Entry piece of this process from the beginning of the Data Analysis. That 3rd ICON will bring up a small mini-editor and it will be on the top of what ever image or information that you are transcribing.

 

That Always-On-Top is in the upper left of that screen. I entered “William Warren of this Parifh” (as spelled on the image), Sarah Bickle of this Parifh”.

William Warran and Sarah Bickle were married in this Church by Banns with Confent of this thirthith Day of October in the year One thoufand eight hundred and thirty three.

By me Thomas Wadden Martyn Curate

This Marriage was foleminized between us William Warren / X (the mark of Sarah Bickle)

In the Prefence of William Bickle / X (the mark of Daniel Prior

No. 107

So, the data entry is complete. Data analysis of this information will follow. BUT some observations.

The word “curate” and the persons name wasn’t the clearest in No. 107, but is clearer above in No. 106.

Sarah Bickle, apparently couldn’t write nor could Daniel Prior and have an “X” in their space, but someone wrote in their name. In No. 108, Daniel Prior is also listed, again with an “X”.

Data entry of 5 claims were recorded from this image. Analysis to follow

Evidentia–Create a new Citation Template

During Dear MYRTLE’s Google+ Hangout On Air yesterday (02/02/2013) we discovered that there wasn’t a Citation Template for a Digital Image, online, from Ancestry, as an example.

Dear MYRTLE has a blog post on the Homework assignment and this Hangout On Air.

http://blog.dearmyrtle.com/2013/02/evidentia-homework-hangout-is-live-on.html

You can watch the Hangout from the blog.

I was up for the challenge to create a 1940 Source Template as part of the homework.

In Evidentia, in the Document a Source tab, I selected the ICON to the right of the Source Listing.

When the Citation Template list appeared, scrolling down the list, 1940 Microfilm was listed, but that isn’t what I was looking at. I had an Image from Ancestry.com.

That last Digital Image was 1870

The right side of the screen shows the “fields”, in brackets, that the template used for the citation. I did a Screen Capture of that window, to see what “fields” were used in 1870. HOWEVER, a 1940 Census Citation has other fields as well. So, I looked at and printed the 1940 Microfilm Citation Template.

The fields are different. So the ‘trick’ is to create a NEW Citation Template that combines these two templates.

At the bottom of this screen (pop up window) is a “new” button.

Which brought up this screen.

So, it’s a matter of filling in the fields. However, there are some tricks to remember. The biggest is what are Fields and what is text to go into the Citation Template.

For the Category, Census – US

For the Short Title I entered 1940 U.S. Census – Digital Image

Now for the fun part and a little bit of playing around so that I understood what was going on. What I learned:

Bracket indicates a field that will be presented to ‘fill in the blanks’.

The Source Listing Template I entered:

[State], [County], County. 1940 U.S. census, population schedule. Digital Images. [Site Name]. [URL]: [Created Year]

The fields are STATE, COUNTY, SITE NAME, URL, and CREATED YEAR. The rest is text.

The First Listing Template is.

1940 U.S. census. [County] county, [State], population schedule, [City], enumeration district (ED) [Enumeration District] p. [Page #]. household [Household #], [Person of Interest]; lines [Line Numbers]; digital image, ([Site Name]); accessed [Access Date]: citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm Roll: [File #]_[Roll #].

The fields are COUNTY, STATE, CITY, ENUMERATION DISTRICT, PAGE #, HOUSEHOLD #, PERSON OF INTEREST, LINE NUMBERS, SITE NAME, ACCESS DATE, FILE #, and ROLL #

As above, the rest is text. Note that the Site Name is entered as ([Site Name]). So, the data entry will be the site name, but will be displayed (Site name) or [Ancestry.com)

Since the Microfilm template showed the Enumeration began on April 1, 1940, I entered that as a reminder to me, for this new template.

The new Template has been created, AFTER it is saved.

Now, when I select that Citation Template, this is the Data Entry Screen that I will use for that image.

As you fill in the fields, the text on the right will be updated.

Technology Tuesday–Evidentia

A couple of weeks ago, I had the honor of hosting on of Dear MYRTLE’s “Monday’s with Myrt” webinar series. You know how sometimes timing is everything? That webinar was one of those times. In preparation for that webinar, DearMYRTLE has an “Across My Desk” segment so I had been looking for articles to include. In this case, if found me. A Blog Post by Laura Cosgrove Lorenzana, of The Last Leaf on This Branch. The specific blog post was Technology Tuesday – Pulling Evidence from Thin Paper

She talked about Evidentia, a relatively new software program that may be of use for genealogists. Laura did a great job of explaining how the program worked and why it might be a program to have in our Genealogy Toolbox.

As it would happen, I had a technical problem recording the Webinar. Based on the discussion and feedback, Dear MYRTLE will be hosting a two part Webinar on Evidentia.

So, what IS Evidentia

• Not a database management system for families / people
• Had heard of “evidenced based” research
• Start with a CLAIM
• Names, Dates, Relationships, etc
• Each Claim has SUBJECT(s)
• Quality of Evidence

I had heard some time ago about the need to have an Evidence based genealogy program. Or, rather then entering names and dates into a genealogy database program, you start with a document or record or “evidence”. I wasn’t sure what that meant until I saw were “evidence” in such a source CLAIMS something to be “true”. A census record claims that a person (named) was so many years old at the time that the census was taken. If further CLAIMS that this person was born in a certain state.

So far, we have three (3) claims: name, age, and state of birth.

Here is where Evidentia comes in. You enter the Source of the Claim, there are built in Templates for an appropriate Citation, and you enter the Claims that this source suggests. You are further asked to enter more information about the Quality of the Evidence, and each of the steps that the Genealogical Proof Standard suggests. I am not an expert in this area, but the program has the right questions for me to answer, and provides where to answer them. Its all still a learning curve for me. But it does help move me in the right direction for recording the Evidence that I gather for a specific person.

Here is a link to the Evidentia website: http://evidentia.ed4becky.net/

There are videos to help learn about and how to use the program.

So, I downloaded the free trial version of the program as I have a project that needs something like this.

At Christmas, I was visiting family and one of my nephews “brought” an old “book” that he wanted to show me. It was handed down from his great great great grandmother (I think). So, he allowed me to borrow it.

 

 

It’s old, about 9” x 13’, and it’s a page numbers “log book”. Mostly Names and dates. The inside cover has writing about the “author”, the best that I can tell, and newspaper clippings.

 

 

The first number of pages are information that might be found on Family Group Sheets. The names, birth dates, death dates, you can visually see relationships. Of course, none of it has any citations. The newspaper clipping that are scattered throughout this 300 page book have the date of the newspaper, nor newspaper name. Pretty useless, one might say.

Knowing many of the surnames throughout this book, clearly the people named in this “log book” lived is Chester County, Pennsylvania. But, there are some great pieces of data. I would NOT want to enter any of this into my genealogy database. BUT there might be hints that I haven’t seen before.

I have started to entering the Claims that this Source has to offer, and I am citing that this claim came from this log book. I have no clue IF any of this data will end up in my genealogy database, but I suspect it will. For example, the young man’s great great grandfather is listed.

There are about 40 pages of family listings, then for the next 150 pages are names and dates. Toward the end of the book are 5 interesting entries:

• Weather
• Cyclones
• Earthquakes
• Explosions
• Fires

Page 286 has an entry “Earthquake Oct. 9, 9:30am, 1871

Page 287 A Darlington’s House burnt – Dec 25, 1888

Hey, that’s one of mine.

Page 78 – William L Howard, Newtown, May 4, 1881 – Kicked by a horse Age 50

Page 72 – Pres. William (James) A Garfield, Wash, aged 50, Sept 19 1881 (shot by Chas Julius Guitan. C Guitan hung June 30, 1882 at Wash at 12:35 pm

What about this newspaper clipping: Malvern Man Killed in Own Garage By Carbon Monoxide; William H Hicks, 37, is victim of fatal fumes, inhaled while placing new tags on car – Body is found in kneeling position by his wife. (hand written note: Jan 9 1931), but it’s between pages 92 and 93. The placement of this article, in this logbook doesn’t make any sense, but that’s where I found it and will leave it there.

Because of all of the potential data in this book, knowing that it will be returned, I want the data captured somewhere. I want to evaluate the data BEFORE any of it is placed into my database.

This log book, to me, is like a compiled genealogy. You know the books without Citations or Source information?

I will then look at my database and see who might the logbook entry be referring to in my database. IF I have a match, after evaluating the evidence (claims) I’ll enter the information into my database.

I have several family Bibles what are in the same condition, where I don’t want to handle them, but want to capture the Claims that are included to data entry later IF it applies.

J2 is now J-M172

In a recent blog post, Judy G Russell, The Legal Genealogist posted this:

http://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog/2013/01/27/the-changing-names-of-ydna/

In her blog post she said that her cousin “went to bed as a J2 and woke up as a J-M172”. Wait a minute, J2, I am a J2. So, I went to my Family Tree DNA page, and sure enough I am now a J-M172. Now, I have no clue what all of that means, but I am hoping that in 2013 I can learn more about that.

There are 4 matches on my profile. I know one of the names listed, have spoken to him in the past, and we are descended from the same person, Charles Worthington. The 2nd person on the list had a name that contains several familiar surnames, but the 3rd name (me being the 4th name) I didn’t know. His surname wasn’t familiar. Not too many hints on his profile, where surnames and places are listed, so I dropped him an email trying to determine the connection.

This morning, I received a reply, not connection yet, but both of us are willing to see where the connection is. I went back to his profile and found 2 surnames that are “may be” potential. One is a very long shot, the 2nd isn’t such a long shot. So, a DNA journey may have begun.

 

Thank you Judy from brining us up to date on what is happening in the world of DNA.

QUERY: Descendants of Charles Worthington (1701-1774)

This is a copy of a Query Posted on this blog:

 

Russ,

 

Thanks very much for the personal and prompt response. 2,196 descendants of Captain John is astounding but not too surprising considering he had, by my searches, 31 grandchildren; a GREAT start.

 

(If you’ve never read “Adam’s Curse”, by Bryan Sykes, it makes interesting reading on the spread of DNA down through the generations. Apparently a third of all Asians are descended from Genghis Khan.) Anyway, I’m descended from John’s son Charles via HIS son Charles; from which of Charles senior’s four children do you descend? I have attached an Excel copy of my family tree, if it comes through this email, and you can see the Worthington section on page 4, bottom right. My interest, other than playing with spreadsheets, is to find the other siblings of my string, down through the generations.

 

The fact that you know how many descendants are from Captain John and Charles means there’s info out there. Is it consolidated anywhere?

 

Your blog is amazing. By the way, are you aware that the Worthington House at Monacacy Battlefield was bought by John Thomas Worthington, Captain John’s 3rd great grandson by John’s son John? Per my cousin Fred Jenkins who I believe you know or know of. Keep up the good work. Almost forgot, I had planned on attending the Worthington reunion last year but didn’t make it. I live not far away in Kennett Square, Pa. You met my sister Janet. Our sister Peg Ellis is who you apparently received much research info from, as you mentioned in you blog report.

 

John Worthington Austin

 

My Reply:

 

John,

Please email me your spreadsheet to:

hrworth at gmail dot com

DNA results are interesting, and J2 is the term I think you are suggesting. Don’t know about Genghis Khan though.

I know Fred and met many others (not Fred) at the Reunion this past summer. Had a great time.

I was born and grew up in Chester County.

Here is a link to a Descendant Chart of Capt. John.

http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/w/o/r/H-R-Worthington/GENE6-0001.html

It may not be current, but it is online.

You are descendant of Charles Jr (1736 – 1799) while I am descendant of John (1733-1803). My family left Harford County between 1815 and 1866. Don’t know off the top of my head when.

Russ

Who moves at Christmas ?

Today is a big day. We close on our new house.

Thirty years ago (1982) I moved our family from Washington, DC to Long Valley, New Jersey. Who knew that 30 years later, on the same date, I would be moving again. We have been in an apartment too long. But, it wasn’t possible to purchase a house any earlier. In a couple of hours, we will close on this house. Can’t wait.

Our cat, J.T., has been running around trying to understand what all the boxes were about. Now clue that tomorrow, his kingdom will be in a new place. 30 years ago, the kids had many boxes to open on Christmas day. Guess I’ll have to leave a couple of small boxes for J.T. to play in, when we move.

We will finally have SPACE. The two windows to the left of the door, will be the room for our Genealogy Cave. A Genea-Blogger, Bill West of http://westinnewengland.blogspot.com keeps posting, on FaceBook, pictures of his bird feeders outside of his window. I hope to be able to compete with him in a couple of days, or how ever long it takes for birds to find a new “Diner”.

For many years, my parents had a Christmas Cactus that was always in full bloom at Christmas. When my mother passed away, I took a shoot from that Cactus and brought it home with me. It has bloomed in the past and continues to grow. But, it needs room. Too many other (small) plants in the windowsill. 2 days ago, it started to bloom. It is ready for space. It will be in it’s new home this afternoon.

This was taken a few minutes ago, in the crowded flower tray. This tray was also from my parents house. Tomorrow, this Christmas Cactus will have room to grow. The cat will have room to roam.

I think we all are ready for a new beginning.

Merry Christmas to All.

RE: Collaborative Learning

My cousin, Dear MYRTLE, just posted this article: Collaborative Learning

Please drop by and read it. Having followed Myrt for a number of years, through PodCasts, your Blog, her Webinar’s, and “in person”, I do understand and see what she has described. We collaborated in a workshop last spring that didn’t mention that term, but in fact did collaborate in the presentation.

One of the best examples of Collaboration was the series in Second Life on “Inferential Genealogy” by Dr. Tom Jones, CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA. As wanna-be family historian, that term was was not on my list of terms. But the Just Genealogist in Second Life studied this process. It was more then a lecture, we “got” involved with the process and collaborated in making that “concept” real to each of us. It was the Dialog that got us started, but then try that concept out and make it real.

I posted a number of Blog posts that discussed that concept. As a follow up, I attended a seminar where Dr. Jones did a couple of presentations. Listening to his presentations helped fill in some of the gaps in what I had learned in Second Life, through the questions and side conversations during the presentations. We were able to share what we had learned, and through the dialog took the concepts he was presenting and made them real, based on our own experience.

Perhaps it’s like taking the Lecture into the Lab to try some of the concepts out.

I recently gave a presentation to a local family history group on how to search. Almost monthly, someone is presenting the results of their searching, several explain how and and where to search and present results. For this presentation, I did my best to put down the presentation and do some live online searching.

Two examples were walked through, showing some search techniques, results, showed what was and what isn’t Online, with a specific Question to resolve. Then a third “problem” was presented, and the class had to tell me how to search and where to search. At the “end of the day” the “class” collaborated and was able to provide guidance to the person presenting the problem.

The “Class”, each had their own searching experience, helped each other to come to the conclusion. From where I stood, it was the collaboration of the group that was able to show the “next step”.

Will I stop using the Presentation way to sharing? probably not, but I did experience what the collaboration of a group of folks can do Will this work for all presentations, no. I am trying to learn to provide less content and leave more time for discussion / collaboration surrounding the topic.