Saturday, June 30, 2012

Genealogy Apps - 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 26

Week 26: Genealogy Apps: Which genealogy app has made your family history experience easier? Who makes the app and what does it do?  Share with others the details so they can learn about the app, too.

When I first got my Kindle Fire, I looked for genealogy apps and didn't find any. Soon after, Ancestry.com came out with their free Ancestry app. The app displays family trees that you've entered on the Ancestry.com site and does a good job of maximizing the space on the Kindle Fire. It allows updates to your tree, searching on Ancestry, and has a relationship calculator from a selected ancestor to yourself.

Sample tree for Ancestry app

To me, the most useful feature is that it downloads your trees to the Kindle Fire. The information can be displayed whether or not you are online, so this makes an easy and portable way to take your trees with you and use as a reference or share them with family.

I searched Amazon today for more genealogy apps compatible with the Kindle Fire and I see that a couple more have been added. They are for sites or family tree programs that I don't use, so the selection is still pretty limited. Hopefully, more apps will become available as the Fire matures.




52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy by Amy Coffin is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2012) that invite genealogists and others to discuss resources in the genealogy community including websites, applications, libraries, archives, genealogical societies and more.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Tuesday's Tip - My Source Box from FamilySearch

I just recently noticed the new My Source Box feature at https://www.familysearch.org/ and spent a few moments trying it out. This feature gives you a way to save the source info for records of interest and return back to them. You have to be signed in to use the feature, but registration is free.

Once you've located a record of interest, a menu appears in the upper right for My Source Box. Clicking "Add to My Source Box" saves the source info and a link to the record. Also on the menu is "Go to My Source Box". Clicking on this takes you to a screen where you can view and manage the info you have saved.

Folders can be created to organize your data and sources can be moved into the folders. One thing I didn't see is a way to save a source directly into one of my folders, so it looks like you have to save a source and then move it. There is also an option to create your own source that allows you to save web links or whatever information you want.

Clicking on an individual source expands the info for that source and allows you to View, Copy, or Remove the source or return to the record. Clicking on View takes you to a screen for the source where you can add and save your own notes to the source record.

I appreciate any tools that help keep me better organized, so My Search Box looks like a nice addition to FamilySearch.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Matson Family Research Page 2 - Amanuensis Monday

This is Page 2 of the Matson family research from correspondence between researchers in 1903. The most interesting bit on this page is the conclusion that the early Matson settlers in Pennsylvania were of Swedish origin and that the name will be difficult to trace due to the lack of hereditary surnames.

This list contains 188 families and 942 persons, all living on the west side of the river.
   John Mattson with a family of 11.
   Nils Mattson     "   "     "      "   3.
A supplemental list of 40 who were born in Sweden and are still living includes: -
    Nils Mattson
(It is interesting to note in this list and the list of "tydables" given above, such names as Matte Ericsson, Matts Hollster, Matts Jacob, Matts Kyu, Mats Martenson, Audres Nilsson, Jonas Nilsson, Michael Nilsson, Mats Rupats, Matts Skrika, Matts Stark, and Matts de Vase.)
   See Scharf & Wescott's Hist. of Phila., Vol I p 132.

About 1700     Will of Laurence Anderson of "Nyaweuceu"? mentions John Matson and Elonor Matson.
   Will Bk. A, page 150; Philadelphia.
                __________________

Note: - I have no other records of Matsons (or Mattsons) prior to 1700. There can, I think, be but little question that the family is of Swedish origin, and it will doubtless be a difficult one to trace. Hereditary surnames were probably unknown among the Swedes until after the arrival of Penn in this country. If Nils Matson's sons kept the surname Matson, it may not be such a difficult task to trace them as it is evident that Nils was a "first settler." But it is just as likely that the Nilssons above are his sons and that the Matson family is (continued on 3rd page) descended from one or more of the Matte, Matts, or Mats given above.

Amanuensis Monday – An Amanuensis is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another. Amanuensis Monday is a daily blogging theme which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin – some we never met – others we see a time in their life before we knew them. A fuller explanation can be found here. Amanuensis Monday is a popular ongoing series created by John Newmark at Transylvanian Dutch.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Genealogy Database Software - 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 25

Week 25: Genealogy Database Software: Database programs have revolutionized the way we store and record our genealogy. Which one is your favorite? What are some of the tools and perks of the program that enhance your family history research? Share a link to the company website or vendor so others may learn more about this product.

I have two versions of Family Tree Maker on my computer: Version 11 and 2010. I'm still using a Windows XP computer and I find that the older version of FTM is much quicker to load and somewhat easier to navigate. The 2010 version has many more features though, such as being able to search the web and use sites like Ancestry.com directly from the program. I have to admit that I haven't explored other programs recently, so I'm curious to see what others recommend.

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy by Amy Coffin is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2012) that invite genealogists and others to discuss resources in the genealogy community including websites, applications, libraries, archives, genealogical societies and more.

Friday, June 22, 2012

Follow Friday - Week of June 22

Here are a few of my favorite finds for this week:
  • Irish Lives Remembered has a new genealogy digital magazine that is free to view. The site also has discussion forums for each county in Ireland.
  • Free Genealogy Search Help for Google has a search form that gives you a shortcut for searching for your family tree information on Google. Once you've entered information into the form, it takes you to search options and a summary of matches in Ancestry.com.
  • Behind the Name is a fun site to check out for the etymology and history of first names. Variant names and rankings are also listed.
Follow Friday is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers and was suggested by Earline Bradt of Ancestral Notes.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Malahide Castle, Ireland - Tombstone Tuesday

I took this quick shot inside the grounds of Malahide Castle, a few miles north of Dublin, Ireland. I had gotten separated from my group and was trying to find my way back, but I just had to stop a few seconds for the picture. Something about the crooked gravestones caught my eye.

The graveyard is said to date back nearly 800 years, so I'm sure there are some interesting stories behind the tombstones. The Talbot family lived there from 1185 until the 1970s.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Matson Family Research - Amanuensis Monday

The following is from a letter to Miss Elizabeth Cloud Seip from E. Dallett Humphill, Jr. written on May 10, 1903. They were corresponding about their Matson line and Mr. Humphill was sending Miss Seip the results of his research. The research notes are handwritten on heavy legal size paper and contain over 20 pages of data. The letters give some interesting insight into how communications between researchers were conducted before computers!

West Chester, PA
My dear Miss Seip,

    You will find enclosed some data regarding the Matson (or Mattson) family. There can be no doubt, I think, but that they are of Swedish origin, though you will notice one claim to an English descent in the enclosed data. I have had careful searches made of all deeds, wills, and orphans' court proceedings of this (Chester) county. To this I have added all data contained in Philadelphia wills up to 1800, a few records of marriages and extracts from Scharf & Westcott's History of Philadelphia, Futhey and Cope's History of Chester Co. and the Chester Co. Biographical Cyclopedia.

He goes on to list details on the data he is sending and then concludes:

  The mass of data accumulated in this search is so "muddled" that it has been difficult to separate the several families. If you wish further data in any line, please refer to names, dates, and places of record given, as it will be easier for me to find the originals than to go through the notes now before me.

Very Sincerely Yours,
E. Dallett Humphill, Jr.

May 10, 1903
Addressed to Miss Elizabeth Cloud Seip
Baltimore, MD

I posted earlier about my Matson line and some of the brick walls that I've encountered. While I don't have any evidence that my Matson family is connected to this Pennsylvania research, it is interesting to see that they were also reaching some "muddled" brick walls in 1903. The debate over Swedish or English origins continues on today. I also had to laugh about Mr. Humphill finding it easier to go back to the original records than to make sense of his notes. I can relate to that!

Here is the first page of data from Mr. Humphill. I will try to post at least a page a week, so check back if you are interested in the Matson family or early Pennsylvania records.

          #1   Matson family prior to 1700 -
                (Early Swedish settlements)

Nov 14, 1668 Patent - Gov. Lovelace to Audries Matson for 600 rods of land. See recital in deed recorded in Deed Book A page 113; New Castle Co., Del.

March 10, 1670 - Deed of Confirmation - Gov. Lovelace & Ueals Matson for 100 acres on the Delaware, already in the possession of said Ueals.

Nov. 1677 - Recorded in Deed Bk. A, p. 104; Chester Co., Pa. List of Tydables (i.e. taxable persons) returned to the Duke of York's Court at Upland. This list includes the Swedes on both sides of the Delaware.
   Nils Matson, with a family of 3.
   Peter Matson, and Antony(?) Matson.

1677 Patent - to John Mattson, Swen Low and Lacey Dalbo for 300 acres in Schuylkill, at Wiessa - Ruitouk(?), on the west side, opposite Wissahickon. See Scharf & Wesscott's Hist. of Philada., Vol I P. 75.

1678 Patent to John Mattson, of Wyalusing(?), for 25 acres of meadow and marsh land on the east side of Schuylkill. Ibid.

June 19, 1689 Deed - Neals Matson to Henry Jacobson, for 1/2 of the 100 acres on Delaware confirmed to him March 10, 1670. Rec. in D. Bk. A p. 104-5; Chester Co.

1693 "A roll of all the Swedish men, women and children found in New Sweden, now called Pennsylvania, on the Delaware River" sent by Carl Christopherson Springer to Postmaster Oberlin(?) at Stockholm. This list contains 188 (continued on page 2) families and 942 persons, all living on the west side of the river.

Amanuensis Monday – An Amanuensis is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another. Amanuensis Monday is a daily blogging theme which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin – some we never met – others we see a time in their life before we knew them. A fuller explanation can be found here. Amanuensis Monday is a popular ongoing series created by John Newmark at Transylvanian Dutch.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Surname Saturday - Matson

My Matson line is a bit of a mystery. Matson could be of English or Irish origin or a spelling variation of a Swedish name like Mattison or Matheson. I have also seen the name spelled Mattson. The earliest I can trace my Matson roots back is to John Matson, born about 1758 in Loudon County, VA. He married Nancy Ann Clevenger in 1775 in Frederick County, VA and the family migrated to Clinton County, Ohio in 1817.

Mary Ann Matson in 1919
My great-great-grandmother Mary Ann Matson was born in Clinton County, Ohio in 1851 to Asa Matson and Dolly Clevenger.They had 13 children and four of the sons served in the Civil War. Thomas Jefferson Matson and Jares Lewis Matson died in the Civil War. John Franklin Matson was wounded, but survived.

Asa was said to have been a son of John and Nancy Matson, but Nancy would have been 58 years old when Asa was born! I suspect that a generation is somehow missing in the histories that have been passed down.

The 1850 census for Washington Township, Clinton County, Ohio shows Asa and Dolly with nine children.


By 1860, Asa is living with several children in the Union Township of Clinton County. Asa's wife Dolly died due to complications of childbirth after their son Asa was born and their daughter Terissa took over the child rearing duties.

On December 10, 1868, Mary married Timothy Creeden in Clinton County. Timothy was born in 1846 in Ireland and another mystery is a notation on their marriage license indicating that they are first cousins. If that is true, maybe it ties into the possible missing generation between John and Asa Matson.

I recently acquired some correspondence dating from the late 1800's to early 1900's that recorded research done on the Matson name. They concluded that the family was from Sweden, but said the family lines were a muddled mess. They also noted that one family member was said to have English origins. It was interesting to see that this brick wall goes so far back! Stay tuned for future posts where I will publish the data in the correspondence.


Saturday, June 9, 2012

Surname Saturday - Chilcutt

From a Dictionary of English & Welsh Surnames
Chilcutt is an English surname said to have originated in Derbyshire, England. Some of the many variations are Chillcutt, Chilcoat, Chilcott, Chilcote, and Chilcothe. There are records as far back as the 1600s for Chilcutts in Virginia and Maryland, but the earliest I have traced my Chilcutt family is to John W. Chilcutt, born around 1815 in Maryland, USA.



Pictured above is my great-great-grandmother, Kate Covey Chilcutt in Chestertown, Maryland. She was married to George B. Chilcutt, the son of John W. Chilcutt and Catharine Harmon.

There are 2 marriage licenses for a John W. Chilcutt in Caroline County, Maryland:

John W. Chilcutt & Hester Ann Story 15 Nov. 1837
John W. Chilcutt & Catherine Harmon 2 Sep. 1846

From the 1850 Census of Caroline County, Maryland:
household #1049
John Chilcott 30, carpenter,
Catherine 26,
Mary A. 3, Caroline R. 1, James M. 2/12.

From 1860 Census of Talbot County, Maryland:
household #484, Easton District.
John W. Chilcutt 44, farmer,
Catherine 34,
James 10, Mary 12, Caroline 11, Martha 7, George 5, Charles 4,
Emily 3, Lewis 1, Margaret Lloyd 35, mul., servant.

Descendants of John Chilcutt:
1 John W. Chilcutt b: 1816 in Maryland 
.. +Catherine Harmon b: 1825 in Maryland 
.... 2 George B. Chilcutt b: October 1854 in Talbot County, Maryland 
........ +Kate O. Covey b: Sept. 16, 1861 in Caroline County, Maryland 
                        d: Dec. 19, 1943 in Maryland
.............. 3 Pearl Lena Chilcutt b: March 1885 d: 1953 
.............. 3 Howard Chilcutt b: November 1880 
.............. 3 Walter Chilcutt b: December 1883 
.............. 3 Tiny Chilcutt b: September 1888 
.............. 3 Covey Chilcutt b: 1904 
.............. 3 Ola E Chilcutt b: 1905 

.... 2 James Chilcutt b: 1849 
.... 2 Mary Chilcutt b: 1847 
.... 2 Caroline Chilcutt b: 1848 
.... 2 Martha Chilcutt b: 1852 
.... 2 Charles Chilcutt b: 1855 
.... 2 Emily Chilcutt b: 1856 
.... 2 Lewis Chilcutt b: 1858 
The Chilcutt Family Gathering hosted on MyFamily is a great site to check out if you are researching Chilcutt families.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Follow Friday - Irish Gravestone Photographs

This week Dr. Jane Lyons announced that she had added over 14,000 photographs of Irish gravestones to her From Ireland website and access is free! This is still a work in progress and she says she is only about halfway done with the photos she has taken to date. A search feature and index are in progress too.

The photos are organized in albums by county as follows:

42 albums for Kilkenny county - 4,616 photographs
49 Albums for Laois or Queen's Co. - 6774 photographs
25 albums for counties from Clare, Cork, Kerry, Kildare, Limerick and Offaly. - 2,626 photographs
25 albums of miscellaneous views of places in Ireland.

I've been a member of Dr. Jane Lyon's Ireland Genealogy Email List for a long time and continue to be amazed at the work that Jane does. This latest addition represents work she has done over the past sixteen years. Thanks Jane!

Follow Friday is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers and was suggested by Earline Bradt of Ancestral Notes.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Follow Friday - Free Irish Genealogy eBooks

Peter J. Clarke's blog on Free Irish Genealogy eBooks is a great site to check out if you have Irish ancestors or are interested in Irish history. He lists books in categories such as Family Histories, Almanacs and Directories, Church history, Irish Diaspora, Journals and many other resources. He has indexed some of the main surnames that are mentioned and features an eBook of the month. All of the books can be read online and many can be downloaded. I can see I'll be spending some time there!

Follow Friday is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers and was suggested by Earline Bradt of Ancestral Notes.