Today I’m again participating in John Newmark’s Amanuensis Monday geneblogging meme. I’ll refer you to John’s excellent TransylvanianDutch blog for background info on this meme and to Wikipedia for the definition of Amanuensis.

Alexander Grant, a candidate for the father of my David Miller Grant

Several references in Philadelphia-area church records hint that David Miller Grant, my third-great-grandfather, may have been born to Alexander Grant and his wife Eleanor. David named two of his children Alexander and Eleanor; he is also said to have been born in Philadelphia in 1801.

With this in mind, I went looking at the Philadelphia City Hall for a copy of Alexander’s will when I attended FGS several years back. He appeared in the index book and the clerk in the Register of Wills office was kind enough to retrieve the original packet for me. I had hoped that Alexander’s will might mention his children, but alas no luck. It does, however, give Alexander the title “Mariner”, which seems relevant since David and his son Alexander captained steamships on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers.

Here’s my best attempt at a transcription.

No. 42

Will of Alex. Grant, dec’d

Recorded in Will Book
No. 6 Folio 570

1818

In the name of God Amen I Alexander Grant, Mariner, Do hereby make and publish this as my last Will and Testament, hereby revoking all former Wills and Testaments, heretofore made by me –

I give and bequeath unto my beloved Wife, Eleanor — Grant, All the Estate, Real, Personal or Mixed, which I now have or possess, or which I may have and possess at the time of my death. And I do hereby nominate and appoint my said Wife Eleanor Grant, my sole heir and lawful Executrix of this my last will and Testament. Given under my hand and seal at Philadelphia this eighth day of July A.D. 1812.

Alexander Grant

[unreadable] in the presence of

J. Ormrod, sworn Apr. 11th 1818

Sam’l Ewing sworn the 1st day of April 1818

Eleanor Grant the sole Executrix … [unreadable]

Philadelphia April 1st 1818 then personally appeared Samuel Ewing and on the 11th day of April 1818 did personally appear John Ormrod the witnesses to the aforegoing Will and on their Solemn oaths according to Law did depose & say that they did see & hear Alexander Grant the Testator in the said Will named sign seal publish and declare the same as  & for his last Will and Testament & that at the doing thereof he was of sound mind memory & understanding to best of their knowledge & belief.

[Unreadable]

Sam Bryan Regis…

Eleanor Grant the sole Executrix sworn the same day & Letters Testamentary granted unto her.

When a new user registers on Genlighten, the first thing I do is take a look at their profile page. Have they added a profile photo? If they have, I get excited! It’s usually a sign that they intend to offer lookups themselves or that they plan to be part of our community long-term.

In this post, I want to focus on the impact profile photos can have, as well as options beyond the traditional “headshot”.

Why Bother With a Profile Photo?

I can understand the anxiety that comes with selecting a profile photo or avatar. You might struggle deciding how to represent yourself, and wonder what others will think of you as a result. Nonetheless, it’s worth it!

If you plan to offer lookups through Genlighten, you should really consider adding a photo to your profile. Here’s why:

• Potential clients will sense an intriguing personality behind the qualifications you list
• You can make a statement about the kind of lookups you like to do or your motivation in doing them
• Depending on the image you choose, you can convey friendliness, reliability, or a sense of fun!
• Going to the effort of completing your profile says something about the effort you’ll put into your lookups.
  

Even if you mainly plan to order lookups from our providers rather than offer them yourself, it’s still makes sense to upload a photo:

• When the provider has a visual sense of who you are, the quality of the service you receive may subtly improve
  
• If you come across happy or intriguing in your photo, providers might take on a difficult request from you that they would otherwise decline.
• Adding an image indicates your long-term investment in the site, which makes you more attractive as a potential client.
  

OK, ok, I’m sold. What are my options?

Here’s a list of potential profile photo types, along with examples from providers and clients on Genlighten:

Traditional headshot — by far the most popular choice on the site

• taneya
• my-ain-folk
• sandy10m
• txbluebell8

“Professional” photo — it helps to know a professional photographer, or a friend with a strong sense of composition

• linlow
• mhelmantoler
• mercybell
• muskegonmichigangene

“Old” photo — for a genealogy enthusiast, this seems a natural choice

• treesrch
• leeanders
• historydetective
• jolietgenealogy

Graphical image — these can create a whimsical touch or signify your “brand”

• chicago-obits
• historyglobe
• fwresearch
• ulsterancestry

Non-Headshot Photo — here the idea is to show yourself doing something interesting, perhaps genealogy-related, perhaps not

• jadeschmitt
• cewolbert
• michaelhait

Novel Composition or Design — something demonstrating your creativity, sense of humor, or both

• chicagogenealogy
• chillinintheburgh
• jewlofthelotus

Location-specific photo — perhaps of a landmark, landscape, or local artifact

• upstatenyhistory
• fhfhservice
• thekingbug

Adding a photo to your profile takes just a minute

Just click on “Profile” (in the upper-right-hand corner of any page on the site) then click the red “Edit My Profile” link.  Click the “Browse” button and you’re on your way. A square, high-resolution image that’s 180 x 180 pixels works best. Feel free to contact us at support[at]genlighten.com if you need help.

Here’s what little I know (or think I do!) about my Brown line:

1. Dean Richardson

2. David Richardson, born 17 Nov 1935 in Erie, Erie County, PA; died 16 Oct 1998 in Stanford, Santa Clara County, CA

3. Owen Richardson, born 02 Dec 1899 in Baltimore, Baltimore County, MD; died 05 Dec 1993 in Edinboro, Erie County, PA

4. Allen Chapman Richardson, born 18 Jun 1859 in Baltimore, Baltimore, MD; died 21 Dec 1908 in Erie, Erie County, PA

5. James Arnold Richardson, born 09 Dec 1830 in Baltimore, Baltimore, MD; died 12 August 1883 in Carroll County, MD

6. Margaret Dukehart Brown, born 19 Mar 1805 in Baltimore County, MD; died 02 Oct 1846 in Baltimore County, MD

The picture here is of Margaret Brown Richardson, scanned from our copy of “Memories”, an original typescript prepared by Louise Grant Smith for each of her sons (we have Owen’s copy.) Family records indicate that Margaret’s father was James, but I’ve not been able to find any dates or documentation for him. I could obviously use some help extending this line back further.

The handwritten note on the back of the photo says:

1912

Salesmen of Wallace Elliott & Co.,
on trip to Hudson Mass.

Thomas T. Matthews

I assume the arrow written in pen on the front of the photo indicates which of the salesmen in the photo was Thomas. He was my great-grandfather, born 31 Aug 1868 in Cookstown, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland; died 01 Aug 1954 in Emmaus, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.

Like Randy Seaver, I’m running a little low on tombstone photos, but instead of looking for something to compare with Randy’s Star Wars-themed post, I’ll share a few experiences from my shift at the Wilmette FHC tonight.

Some Ways To Interest Teenagers in Genealogy

A group of about 9 young men aged 12-18 from a nearby LDS congregation came to visit our Family History Center this evening. We didn’t have a meticulously-rehearsed plan to make it a fun experience for them,  but we did try a few things that worked. Here’s a list:

1. We had lots of adults on hand: three FHC volunteers and two youth leaders. That allowed us to break the boys up into smaller groups and give them plenty of focused attention.
2. The boys had received a modest “homework” assignment ahead of time to gather info from their family members. Only a few followed through, but those that did had a better experience as a result. The others were able to retrieve some info via cell phone.
3. We did a minimum of talking at the beginning and let the boys get right into hands-on experiences quickly. Four sat down at PCs and began registering for New FamilySearch; the remaining five got a quick intro to microfilm resources, picked a film and learned how to put it on a reader.
4. The boys looked bored when we told them about records, but when they started cranking through microfilm their interest level increased dramatically. There’s just something about records from hundreds of years ago that seems to excite curiosity.
5. My wife had previously created a scavenger hunt listing fun questions that could be answered in the FHC with our guidance. An example: “Find Helen Keller in the 1900 MA Census. Who’s that boarding with her?” The boys each picked a different question to work on and seemed to rise to the challenges involved.
6. Halfway through the 60-minute visit, we swapped groups so everyone got some one-on-one time at the computer with a consultant. Not everyone found a cool record online, but the ones that did enthusiastically shared their finds with the others.
7. In a brief wrap-up, we thanked them for coming and told them they we’d love to help them make more progress in a future visit. We also suggested possible follow-up ideas to their leaders.

With “Kids Camps” planned at both NGS and the SCGS Jamboree this year, there are obviously plenty of good ideas out there for interesting teenagers in genealogy research. If you’d care to share, I’d love to hear your success stories!

Inspired by John Newmark of the TransylvanianDutch blog, I’m going to try an Amanuensis Monday post today.

Friedrich Jourdan

I’ll be transcribing the declaration of intention for my great-grandfather Friedrich Jourdan. I’ll follow John’s convention and indicate by boldface the entries used to fill in the blanks on the form.

Triplicate (To be given to declarant)

No. 10333

United States of America
Declaration of Intention (Invalid for all purposes seven years after the date hereof)

State of Pennsylvania
County of Erie

ss:

In the Common Pleas Court of Erie County at Erie, Pa.

I, Friedrich Jourdan now residing at 47 Orchard St., Erie, Erie County, Pa. occupation Retired, aged 76 years, do declare an oath that my personal description is: Sex Male, color White, complexion Fair, color of eyes Gray color of hair Gray, height 5 feet 3 inches; weight 130 pounds; visible distinctive marks fourth finger on left hand deformed race German; nationality German.

I was born in Walldorf, Germany, on Feb. 8, 1864. I am widower. The name of my wife or husband was Amelia. We were married on unknown, at Redwood, Jefferson Co., N.Y.; she or he was born at Theresa, N.Y., on Aug. 28, 1867, entered the United States at {blank}, on {blank}, for permanent residence therein, and now resides at Deceased. I have 4 children, and the name, date and place of birth, and place of residence of each of said children are as follows: Amelia 7-3-88, Elizabeth 11-29-90, Emma 9-17-94, Margaret 6-11-03. All reside in Erie, Pa., except Emma resides in Twinsburg, Ohio.

I have not heretofore made a declaration of intention: Number {blank}, on {blank} at {blank}; my last foreign residence was Walldorf, Germany. I emigrated to the United States of America from Genoa, Italy; my lawful entry for permanent residence in the United States was at New York, N.Y. under the name of Friedrich Jourdan, on Feb. 27, 1901 on the vessel SS Kaiser Wilhelm Der Grosse.

I will, before being admitted to citizenship, renounce absolutely and forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignity, of whom or of which I may be at the time of admission a citizen or subject; I am not an anarchist; I am not a polygamist nor a believer in the practice of polygamy; and it is my intention in good faith to become a citizen of the United States of America and to reside permanently therein; and I certify that the photograph affixed to the duplicate and triplicate hereof is a likeness of me.

I swear (affirm) that the statements I have made and the intentions I have expressed in this declaration of intention subscribed by me are true to the best of my knowledge and belief: So help me God.

Signature

Subscribed and sworn to before me in the form of oath shown above in the office of the Clerk of said Court, at Erie, Pa. this 24th day of May, anno Domini, 19 40. Certification No. 7x-24877 from the Commisioner of Immigration and Naturalization showing the lawful entry of the declarant for permanent residence on the date stated above, has been received by me. The photograph affixed to the duplicate and triplicate hereof is a likeness of the declarant.

LAWRENCE A. TAYLOR
Clerk of the Common Pleas Court.
By {Signature} Deputy Clerk.

Here’s what I’ve learned so far about my FISK ancestors:

1. Dean Richardson

2. Roberta Matthews Knapp

3. Kenneth Guilford Knapp, born 07 January 1906 in Worcester, Worcester County, MA; died 8 Sep 1974 in Bradenton, Manatee County, FL.

4. Rosamund Guilford, born Jun 1874 in Williamsburg, Hampshire County, MA; died 1942 in Westfield, Union County, NJ.

5. Harriett Amanda Fisk, born Jan 1841 in Worthington, Hampshire County, MA; died 21 Sep 1893.

6. Moses Fisk, Jr., born 11 Nov 1804 in West Chesterfield, Hampshire County, MA; died Sep 1875 in Suffield, Hartford County, CT

7. Moses Fisk, born 12 Nov 1780 in Worthington, Hampshire County, MA; died 22 Feb 1851 in Chester, Hampden County, MA

8. Josiah Fisk, born 8 Feb 1745 in Willington, Tolland County, CT; died 1 Aug 1826.

I’ve taken most of the data for Moses Jr., Moses and Josiah from pp. 160-161 of “History and Genealogy of the Families of Chesterfield Massachusetts 1762-1962″ by Ruth A. Baker, published by The Town of Chesterfield, Massachusetts in 1962. The census image I’ve included shows Moses Fisk, his wife Lorintha Pearl, and their children, including Harriet A., enumerated in Worthington, Hampshire County, Massachusetts in 1850.

Thus far, I’ve tried to avoid writing “Follow Friday” posts focusing on bloggers who’ve already been recommended by others. Today I’m breaking with that tradition. Randy Seaver highlighted John Newmark’s TransylvanianDutch (TD) blog back in January. Like Randy, I’m a fan of John’s blog title, his Amanuensis Monday meme,  and his “Weekly Genealogy Picks” posts (I aspire to become one of John’s picks someday.) In this post I’ll offer some additional reasons why I think you should add TD to your blogroll or feed reader.

Breadth, Depth and Humor, Too

Here are some things I particularly enjoy about TransvlvanianDutch:

• John covers a lot (a lot!) of different geographic areas and ethnicities in posts about his own research: Transvlvania, of course, but also Hungary, Poland, Russia, Lithuania, Canada, the UK, plus Missouri and Illinois. St. Louis gets a lot of attention, which suits me just fine since I have ancestors from there who I need help with.
• Though he writes many short and breezy posts, John occasionally goes into long-form mode and gives extensive details on a particular research technique, historical event, or record collection from his archives.
• TD boasts several nice topical indexes in the left-hand side bar: you can easily search the blog by surname, locality, or geneablogging meme.
• In addition to the main blog, John has a link bar across the top of his homepage that leads to several helpful resource compilations, including specific ones for Illinois and Missouri resources and another that lists sources specific to his own research. Browsing through these, you get a sense for John’s own research process.
• His writing style is approachable, uncluttered, and often graced with gentle touches of humor.
• His posts tend to contain a generous supply of links worth following.
• He shares types of records that other blogs don’t tend to mention, including interviews, poetry, music, and themed lists of names from censuses.

All in all, by following TransylvanianDutch, you’ll be getting quality genealogy content that you’re unlikely to find anywhere else.

I’ve been following with some interest the nascent “Government 2.0″ movement, which aims to “use Information Technology to… commoditize government services, processes and data.” Basically, the goal is to help citizens connect with their governments (and vice-versa) using Web tools like social networking, wikis, and distributed version control. One obvious potential outcome of this effort would be making government documents easier for the public to access, understand, and respond to.

The League of Technical Voters

To this end, a non-partisan group called the League of Technical Voters (LTV) has proposed a software solution called Citability.org. The project is aimed at making it easier to cite government documents hosted online. Here’s how they describe the problem they perceive and the solution they’re trying to build:

Making it possible to create timestamped permalinks at a paragraph level of granularity would be a huge leap forward in increasing government transparency through its online documents. The same principles apply when producing citable government data. When recovery.org decided to display visual representations of the data coming in about recovery money around the nation, it quickly became clear that some amount of data was erroneous. When the errors were reported and the data was later modified, there wasn’t any way to go back and compare the two versions to see what changes had taken place. A blogger, reporter, statistician or scientist should be able to run a query against any specific collection of government data, as it was published, for a given version or moment in time.

WHAT WE’RE DOING

The nonprofit, nonpartisan League of Technical Voters has proposed a simple, easy to build and implement citability solution. Open source software development is underway and a wide range of government institutions are already on board.

OK, So What’s the Genealogy Tie-In?

A number of genealogy organizations public and private, for-profit and non-profit are currently working to build centralized, authoritative yet collaborative online family trees, appropriately sourced with wiki-like conflict-resolution tools built in.

At the same time, some state and county governments are making more and more of their genealogy-relevant records available online, while others are working to restrict public access to records in the name of privacy and identity theft prevention.

It strikes me that the principles behind projects like LTV’s Citability.org could be explored, adapted and potentially championed by genealogy organizations. After all, for many genealogists, accurate sourcing — particularly of public government documents — is practically an article of faith.

A Helpful Introduction

I found Silona Bonewald’s article Stop Fishing and Start Feasting: How Citable Public Documents Will Change Your Life a helpful introduction to this topic. I’d encourage you to take a look at let me know what you think in the comments section of this blog.