The following was written by the folks at: FindMyPast:

This week, discover over 13,000 new records and an exciting new newspaper title.

We're in Northamptonshire this week, with updates to four of our existing Roman Catholic Parish sets and a brand new diocese added to the collection. But that's not all - we've also improved our Irish Roman Catholic marriages, meaning that 19,000 records are easier to search than ever.

We've also added an eagerly-awaited new newspaper title to our collection. Spanning 150 years of literary history, you can now explore the pages of The Bookseller on Findmypast. 

From baptisms to burials, read on for a full rundown of all that's been added. 

England Roman Parish updates

We've expanded our collection of English Roman Catholic Parish records to include the diocese of Northampton in the East Midlands. If you've got Northamptonshire ancestors, their names may just be contained within this release.

To explore the 14 parishes included within this diocese, be sure to consult our updated parish list. 

Baptisms

First up, we've added 9,383 Northampton baptisms, spanning from 1775 to 1913. There are both images and transcriptions available for these records - so be sure to consult the original record to ensure that you don't miss any key details.

As with our other Roman Catholic parish baptisms, you'll learn a name, birth date, church, parish and deanery from these records. Both parents' names are usually included too, making these records ideal for building the branches of your family tree.

Baptism of Violet Lily Valentine. View this record.

Some original images contain additional information like godparents' names, the name of the minister who performed the baptism, and even an address. 

As these records are Roman Catholic, you can expect to find Latin words commonly used. Some of these key terms include: 

• Baptizandi - baptized
• Cognomen - surname
• Die - day
• Domicilium - residence

For more guidance on understanding the Latin words within this set, consult the additional information on the record search page.

Marriages

Next up, we've also added 1,288 marriage records for the Roman Catholic Northampton Diocese. These new additions cover from 1781 to 1913, meaning there is almost 150 years of history to explore.

Each of these records contains an image of the original sacramental register, as well as a transcript of its key details. The information included varies depending on the level of detail recorded and the legibility of the register. You'll typically be able to glean a name, marriage date, church, parish and county, as well as the spouse's name and the name of both party's fathers.

Many names included in this collection were Latinised when they were recorded - therefore Mary may appear in its Latin form, as Maria, for example. This is something to consider when determining whether a record matches someone in your family tree.

For guidance on the Latin terms used within these marriage records, consult the information at the bottom of the record search page.

Burials

Our third Northampton addition comes to our burial collection. We've added 1,547 new burials, which cover the diocese between 1834 and 1913. For the first time, you can search your Northamptonshire ancestor's name in the images and transcriptions within this set.

Between transcriptions and original register images, you'll be able to glean key details like a name, age, birth date, death date, burial date, church and parish. In some cases, parents' names and burial plot information are also included.

Take the example of Thomas Ellis. Born in 1801, Thomas died aged 88 on 28 July 1896 and was buried just three days later at Northampton Cathedral. His address is listed as 'Domo Nazareth'. 

Thomas Ellis, who died on 28 July 1896, aged 88. View this record.

With a little digging, we can discover that this refers to Nazareth House - a Catholic institution on Northampton's Leicester Road that housed children and the elderly poor. Established in 1875, it was connected to the local poor relief system, doubling as both an orphanage/school and old age housing.

Although the transcriptions for these records are translated into English, the images contain some of these key Latin terms:

• Aetati - age
• Anno - year
• Cognomen - surname
• Die - day
• Ex - from
• Mensis - month
• Sepultum est in - buried in

Be sure to consult the record search page for further information, as well as to explore the full list of parishes included in the Northampton Diocese.

Confirmations

To round of this week's Northampton additions, we've also added 2,737 confirmation records from the diocese, spanning the years 1838 to 1913. You can explore these unique records within the wider Congregational Records set.

View this record in full.

Irish Roman Catholic Parish Marriages

In addition to this week's new additions, we've also improved one of our existing Roman Catholic collections. Containing over 3 million records, this set is a key resource for anyone with Irish Catholic relatives.

View this record.

We made significant improvements to 19,000 records within this collection - improving their transcripts, and identifying names that were previously missed out. This means that there are more names than ever to search for, and your ancestors may just appear where they didn't before.

Welcoming The Bookseller to Findmypast

Calling all bookworms - this week, we've added a fascinating new title to our collection, providing you with an opportunity to get lost in the magic of the written word. 

The Bookseller has been the 'Organ of the Book Trade' since its founding in 1858 - it is one of Britain's longest-running magazines and is the only title to report on the literary world weekly. In partnership with Stage Media Company, we're delighted to announce the addition of 150 years of The Bookseller to Findmypast. 

The Bookseller, 4 February 1910.

This new title allows us to delve into the history of the publishing industry like never before. Why not search for your favourite author or book, and discover the rich stories behind its publication and reception? 

The Bookseller, 8 January 1966.

From the release of Lewis Caroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in 1865 to the publication of The Handmaid's Tale (Margaret Atwood, 1985), the key events in literary history are recorded within the Bookseller's pages.

Joan Didion's Book of Common Prayer, The Bookseller.

You'll find useful lists, graphs and commentary on the most popular reads of the day, as well as photos of authors, and artistic depictions of their work.

With pages up to 2005, you can also explore more modern books within the Bookseller.

Here's everything that we've added to our newspaper collection this Findmypast Friday:

New titles:

• The Bookseller, 1858-2000, 2002-2008

Updated titles: 

• Ballymena Weekly Telegraph, 1894

Have you made a surprising family history discovery? Whatever you've uncovered about your past, we'd love to hear about it. You can now get in touch and tell us directly, using this handy form.

Last week, we added two brand new Canadian military record sets, as well as two new newspaper titles. Discover all that was added here.

The following announcement was written. by the folks at TheGenealogist:

Over 170,000 searchable property records have been released

TheGenealogist has just added to its ever-growing Landowner and Occupier records with the release of more than 170,000 individual heads of households and property owners in Northamptonshire.

Covering 345 parishes that were surveyed in the years between 1910-1915 for the Inland Revenue Valuation Office, these records are a fantastic tool for family, house or social historians to use. 

The project has seen years of collaboration between The National Archives and TheGenealogist in conserving and digitising these records. Comprising the IR 58 Field Books and accompanying IR 121 to IR 135 Ordnance Survey maps, they join the millions of records in TheGenealogist’s powerful research tool, Map Explorer™.

TheGenealogist now has over 2.4 Million records from The Lloyd George Domesday Survey. The coverage is rapidly expanding and currently includes all the boroughs of Greater London plus Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire, and Middlesex, as well as the newly added parishes from Northamptonshire*.

[IR126 OS map of Northampton as used for the Lloyd George Domesday Survey, transitioning to a modern-day satellite image in Map Explorer™]

• Uncover individual properties with precision on the highly detailed 1910-1915 maps of the Lloyd George Domesday Survey, zoomable to the exact plot or building
  

• Discover information about ancestral homes from surveyors' field books, often unveiling details like the size and number of rooms

• Explore the surroundings of your ancestors by examining maps that reveal features of the neighbourhood they lived in

• Utilise TheGenealogist's Master Search or click on pins in the powerful Map Explorer™ for a seamless search experience

• Map Explorer™ allows you to see the transformation of areas over time by overlaying historic maps onto modern street maps, providing a unique perspective on changes

• Stay tuned as the project expands, covering the entirety of England & Wales

Visit thegenealogist.co.uk/1910Survey for more information.

Read TheGenealogist’s article in which these records were used to find the property of a notable Northamptonian: https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2023/drilling-down-in-the-northampton-land-tax-records-discovers-the-home-of-an-eminent-geologist-6901/

*Records from the Soke of Peterborough, which now falls into Northamptonshire but had been independent, will be released in the new year.

Save Over 55%

To celebrate this latest release of the Lloyd George Domesday Records, TheGenealogist is offering readers of Magazines, Newsletters, blogs, etc. a superb Christmas Offer! You can claim their £222 Diamond package for just £98.95, a Saving of Over 55%

This offer comes with a Lifetime Discount, meaning you’ll pay the same discounted price every time your subscription renews.

To find out more and claim the offer, visit: https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/MGBLGD1223

This offer expires at the end of Christmas Day.

About TheGenealogist

TheGenealogist is an award-winning online family history website, which puts a wealth of information at the fingertips of family historians. Their approach is to bring hard to use physical records to life online with easy to use interfaces such as their Tithe and newly released Lloyd George Domesday collections. 

TheGenealogist’s innovative SmartSearch technology links records together to help you find your ancestors more easily. TheGenealogistis one of the leading providers of online family history records. Along with the standard Birth, Marriage, Death and Census records, they also have significant collections of Parish and Nonconformist records, PCC Will Records, Irish Records, Military records, Occupations and Newspaper record collections amongst many others.

TheGenealogist uses the latest technology to help you bring your family history to life. Use TheGenealogist to find your ancestors today!

A free BCG-sponsored webinar:

“Finding Sophia’s Family: A Case of Fratricide and Forgotten Identity” 

by Nancy Peters, CG, CGL

Tuesday, December 19, 2023, 8:00 p.m. (EDT)

A quarrel between brothers turns into tragedy. The murdered man’s young widow and children leave their rural home for city life, never returning. Former family connections are forgotten in time. This webinar illustrates the case of finding the birth family of a mid-nineteenth-century South Carolina widow who left her family’s homeplace. No record provides an exact birthplace or fully identifies her parents. Learn how widow Sophia’s forgotten identity was reconstructed by understanding the era’s social context, creating and testing hypotheses, and conducting whole family research.

Nancy A. Peters, CG^®, CGL, coedited the National Genealogical Society Quarterly (NGSQ) from 2019 to 2022. She served two terms as a trustee of the Board for Certification of Genealogists and is a former editor of its publication, OnBoard. Nancy has conducted research to solve complex identity and kinship problems for clients. Her personal and client research focuses primarily on England, Germany, New York, and southeastern United States. She lectures at local and national conferences and is an instructor for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy and the BCG Education Fund on skill-building topics and genealogy standards. Her work has been published in NGSQ and other genealogical journals. She authored the “Research Reports” chapter in Professional Genealogy: Preparation, Practice, & Standards (2018). 

BCG’s next free monthly webinar in conjunction with Legacy Family Tree Webinars is “Finding Sophia’s Family: A Case of Fratricide and Forgotten Identity” by Nancy Peters, CG, CGL. This webinar airs Tuesday, December 19, 2023, at 8:00 p.m. EDT. 

When you register before December 19 with our partner Legacy Family Tree Webinars(http://legacy.familytreewebinars.com/?aid=8113) you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Anyone with schedule conflicts may access the webinar at no charge for one week after the broadcast on the Legacy Family Tree Webinars website.

“We appreciate the opportunity to present these high-quality educational webinars,” said President Faye Jenkins Stallings, CG. “At BCG, our purpose is to promote public confidence in genealogy by supporting uniform standards of competence. These webinars help to achieve that by providing educational opportunities to family historians of all levels of experience.”

Following the free period for this webinar, BCG receives a small commission if you view this or any BCG webinar by clicking our affiliate link: http://legacy.familytreewebinars.com/?aid=2619.

To see the full list of BCG-sponsored webinars for 2023, visit the BCG blog SpringBoard athttps://bcgcertification.org/bcg-2023-free-webinars/. For additional resources for genealogical education, please visit the BCG Learning Center (https://bcgcertification.org/learning).

Here is another article that is not about any of the "normal" topics of this newsletter: genealogy, history, current affairs, DNA, and related topics. However, I suspect many genealogists will be interested:

Cloud storage app Proton Drive is rolling out a new tool that automatically sends photos to a private cloud server, bringing the feature set closer to something like Google Drive. Not only does the software automatically sync and upload photos to its servers, but there’s a management tool that categorizes images based on when the photos were taken, which Proton calls “snapshots of your life.” All of these features are reserved for Android users.

All you have to do is download the update and enable photo uploads in the settings. Like all aspects of Proton Drive, the transfer will be end-to-end encrypted so you don’t have to worry about prying digital eyes. The encryption applies to the photo itself and any associated metadata.

You can read the full article at: https://tinyurl.com/yum6yxye

On November 29, I published an article entitled "Google Investigating Missing Files on Drive" at https://eogn.com/page-18080/13285158.  You might want to read that article first before reading about "the fix" below:

Just install the latest client and follow the instructions, but don't ask questions.

Google has released an updated version of the Google Drive app for Windows and macOS that, along with some simple manual work, should resolve missing file issues.

A help page was published by Google yesterday that includes steps to resolve issues with missing files for "the small subset" of Drive for desktop users it said were experiencing the glitch. Per the company, affected users should install the latest version of Drive for desktop, which should be version 85.0.13.0 or newer.

Once installed, Google said users should run the app, click the Drive for desktop button in their menu bar or system tray, and while holding the Shift key, they should click Settings, where "Recover from backups" should appear. Click that to start the recovery process. 

Users should then see a notification saying that recovery has started, followed by recovery being complete, though be prepared to wait. Any files and folders that are recovered will show up in a new desktop folder (i.e. not in your locally synced Google Drive space) titled Google Drive Recovery.

Here is an interesting article by Siham Alaoui published in theconversation.com web site:

Archivists assist users like historians, genealogists, students or citizens in locating, accessing and interpreting archives. Archival reference services have long been seen as services that mediate understanding and dialogue between archivists, users and archives to make documentary objects more accessible and usable.

Recent years have seen the introduction of artificial intelligence(AI) in heritage institutions like libraries, archives, museums and galleries. 

Researchers are examining how AI is affecting and will affect archival services, from the automation of recordkeeping, to organizing archives and new forms of digital archives. There has been much discussion about the benefits of AI in terms of supporting users. 

Among AI-powered technologies, ChatGPT can support some aspects of archival reference services. However, using it requires human supervision. 

Get our newsletter

Through a few examples of a real conversation with this chatbot, it’s possible to explore the relevance of this AI-powered technology as an archival assistant — and also, its limitations.

You can read the full article at: https://tinyurl.com/2wpycuuf.

For residents of Indiana, names like Howard Caldwell, Ken Beckley, Barbara Boyd and Anne Ryder may ring a bell. They are among the many local broadcasters Hoosiers have welcomed into their living rooms over the years to deliver the day’s news from the warm glow of a television. At Indiana University Bloomington, a professor and an archivist teamed up to preserve Indiana’s history as told by the familiar faces and voices of local radio and television broadcasters.

“It’s the story of our state,” said Mike Conway, professor in The Media School and director of the Indiana Broadcast History Archive. “That’s what we do at The Media School: We tell stories.”

Conway worked in broadcast news for nearly 20 years before becoming a journalism historian, returning to his alma mater as a professor. He was inspired to create the archive because he noticed a lack of preservation for broadcast news in comparison to print news. This archive is the first of its kind.

Media School professor Mike Conway delivers a lecture during his History of Journalism class. Conway's students are recording broadcasters' oral histories, which are included in the Indiana Broadcast History Archive. Photo by James Brosher, Indiana University

“You can search The New York Times all the way back to the 1860s, but we don’t know what the local TV or radio station did 10 to 20 years ago because it just wasn’t saved in any systematic way,” Conway said.

You can read much more at: https://news.iu.edu/live/news/33757-indiana-broadcast-history-archive-preserves-the. 

With the recent news that hackers stole data from around 6.9 million users of the genetic testingvcompany 23andMe, it’s understandable that some might have concerns as to what someone could do with that information. 

Whilst no DNA records were reported stolen, it does beg the question of the potential consequences if they had been. After all, you can change your address or your name, but unless you subject yourself to a hefty amount of radiation (in which case, someone having your DNA would be the least of your concerns), you’d be hard-pressed to alter your genetic material. So once someone has your DNA sequence, can they glean anything of importance from it?

It depends on who’s looking

Of course, some things can be interpreted from our DNA – otherwise, genetic testing services wouldn’t exist, nor would we be moving towards healthcare personalized by our genetics – but a certain level of expertise is required.

You  can read the full article by Holly Large published in the iflscience web site at: https://www.iflscience.com/what-can-someone-do-with-your-dna-sequence-71875. 

Legislators should increase state funding for DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy of unidentified human remains, a state task force recommended.

The recommendations came from a Washington task force on missing and murdered Indigenous women and people in a report adopted unanimously on Nov. 20.

The report said DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy can help identify missing Indigenous people "and bring a measure of closure to families." The primary barrier to testing is cost strapped agencies, according to the report.

DNA testing of remains costs approximately $2,500 and the approximate cost of forensic genetic genealogy is $8,000. The state provides financial assistance to local coroners and medical examiners through an account administered by the Forensic Investigation Council, the report says.

Task force members recommend that the Legislature provide one-time funding to the council in its Death Investigations Account to identify remains that have not yet had DNA testing completed and for forensic genetic genealogy if DNA testing fails to yield a match. The group also seeks ongoing funding to ensure needs are met, the report says.

You can read more in an article by Tammy Ayer published in the yakimaherald web site at: https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/wa-panel-recommends-more-funding-for-dna-testing-and-forensic-genealogy/article_5bc998dc-92ec-11ee-98c1-ebc7042d204d.html. 

A press release from the National Coast Guard Museum  

The National Coast Guard Museum (NCGM) team assigned to Coast Guard Headquarters is making tremendous strides in curating exhibits and programming to bring the museum experience to life through its website and social media channels. With that, the NCGM team is celebrating two recent, monumental achievements: the reveal of the NCGM’s official website and the launch of its social media accounts. 

“This is an exciting time for the museum,” said Ken Hickman, NCGM deputy director. “We have the unique opportunity to offer Facebook and Instagram followers a glimpse into the history of the Coast Guard and behind-the-scenes access to the curation process of the exhibits and artifacts that will tell the service’s story. The website is an equally important tool because its final design will be that of a virtual experience as visitors await opening day.” 

Building the foundation for a digital museum 

The NCGM’s new website, which can be found at www.nationalcoastguardmuseum.org, is being built in two phases.  

“Phase 1 revolved around rooting the website into a strong foundation,” said Dwight Martino, the NCGM’s visual information specialist. “From there, we can build a robust and expressive online museum experience. We are starting with the Pentagon Experience exhibit, an overview of the Coast Guard's history, which is on display at the Pentagon, but will also have a home as our first virtual exhibit.  In Phase 2, we will be bringing on more exhibits, both as part of the permanent collection, but also more typical exhibits.” 

As the NCGM project gains momentum, which includes artifact treatment and restoration, progress will be documented and posted to the museum’s Instagram and Facebook accounts. One of the oldest artifacts in the collection that is currently being prepared for conservation is the Fog Signal Cannon.  

Unveiling the collection 

“The Cannon is the oldest object in the Heritage Asset Collection, and it is a direct tie back to one of the oldest lighthouses in North America, the Boston Light,” said Gabe Christy, NCGM curator. “Boston Light was first built in 1716, and a fog cannon was installed on the island in 1719. The cannon we have in our collection is likely not the original from 1719, but still holds a significant place in terms of being a direct connection to this important piece of American maritime heritage.” 

On Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, at 12:30 p.m. EST the NCGM public affairs team will go Facebook Live, the first of many in a series documenting the Fog Signal Cannon’s path to restoration and eventual placement into the museum. The Facebook Live event will introduce viewers to the cannon and the team at B.R. Howard & Associates in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where a sizable portion of Coast Guard artifacts will be treated and restored in preparation for display in the NCGM.  

You are invited to join the team for the Facebook Live event. The museum can be found on Facebook  at National Coast Guard Museum | New London CT | Facebook and on Instagram at National Coast Guard Museum (@ncgmuseum) • Instagram photos and videos 

The chat will be monitored during the event and your questions will be answered live by a member of the museum team.