On May 1, 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a putative class action alleging violations of the Illinois Genetic Information Privacy Act (GIPA) against the asset management firm Blackstone Inc. over its all-stock acquisition of the genealogy company Ancestry.com. In a case of first impression, the Seventh Circuit held that a “run-of-the-mill corporate acquisition, without more alleged about that transaction,” does not result in a compulsory disclosure of genetic information in violation of Section 30 of GIPA.

GIPA

GIPA provides that “genetic testing and information derived from genetic testing is confidential and privileged and may be released only to the individual tested and to persons specifically authorized, in writing in accordance with [statutory requirements], by that individual to receive the information.” 410 ILCS 513/15. Section 30 of the act provides that no person or company “may disclose or be compelled to disclose the identity of any person upon whom a genetic test is performed or the results of a genetic test in a manner that permits identification of the subject of the test.” Id. at 30(a). Under Section 40, “[a]ny person aggrieved by a violation of this Act shall have a right of action.” Id. at 40.

Factual Background

Lead plaintiffs Carolyn Bridges and Raymond Cunningham purchased DNA testing products from Ancestry.com and submitted their saliva samples. Ancestry processed and stored plaintiffs’ genetic information with other personal identifying information, such as their names, emails and home addresses.

In December 2020, Blackstone acquired Ancestry for $4.7 billion in an all-stock acquisition. In July 2021, Bridges and Cunningham filed a putative class action in Illinois state court alleging that the acquisition compelled the disclosure of their genetic information in violation of Section 30. Blackstone removed the case to federal court and then moved to dismiss. The district court dismissed the complaint on the grounds that a corporate acquisition of a company that stored genetic information, without more, did not result in a compulsory disclosure of genetic information in violation of GIPA. Plaintiffs appealed.

You can read the details of this court case at: https://tinyurl.com/23x36sav.

Here is a list of all of this week's articles, all of them available here at https://eogn.com:         

The public is being invited to explore, contribute and get involved with the Irish Community Archive Network.

The Heritage Council joins the National Museum of Ireland and participating local authorities in funding the digitization of Ireland’s community archives, through the Irish Community Archive Network (iCAN). More than 30 digital community archives created to date – and 80 to be supported by 2028. 

At the beginning of June, an event was held in Wicklow to mark a new chapter for the award-winning Irish Community Archive Network (iCAN), the leading organization championing and supporting community archives in Ireland.

Since 2009, iCAN has supported the creation of 33 online digital archives in Clare, Cork, Galway, Mayo, and Wicklow, and there are three more currently in development. Over 180 volunteers are involved in managing and supporting the existing community archives.

The Heritage Council is joining iCAN as a new funding partner, which will facilitate an expansion of the initiative and the iCAN team. Together, they have ambitions to support the development of at least 80 digital archives across Ireland by 2028.

You can read more in an article in the IrishCentral web site at: https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/genealogy/genealogists-irish-community-archives.

This is a Plus Edition article written by and copyright by Dick Eastman. 

I have written often about the advantages of backups, especially making backups to "the cloud" where they can be accessed from any location. You can retrieve files from your backup copies on any computer, tablet computer, or even on your Android or Apple cell phone as long as you have the appropriate user names and passwords. 

I find many people are nervous about storing their personal files on Internet-based services that are controlled by corporations. Luckily, there is another solution available: create your own backup server at home and make it available to yourself via the Internet when you are away from home, whether it is a trip to the local grocery store or a trip overseas. Even better, you can (optionally) provide access to friends or relatives. You might want to share all of your backed-up files. However, I suspect it is more common to give friends or relatives access to only a limited subset of your files, such as all the photos of the new grandchild or something similar.

This week I installed my own server for storing my backups. The three terabytes (3,000 gigabytes or 3,000,000 megabytes) of storage space is installed in my home but is also available to me from any computer in the world with an Internet connection. I appreciate that feature as I travel often. I can access any of my files from any location. I'll be carrying a laptop computer and a "smartphone." I can even back up my newly-created files when traveling with the laptop to the server in my home. All I need to do is open a web browser, go to a unique URL (web address), and enter the user name and password that I created when I installed the new device. Even better, I can allow friends or family members to access some of my files, if I wish. All I need to do is give them user names and passwords that will allow them to access whatever part(s) of this file server that I specify. Nobody can access any other folders on the server without my permission.

A few years ago, building your own server and installing large disk drives was very expensive. However, technology changes quickly and today you can purchase off-the-shelf solutions for $100 to $200 that will store one to perhaps four terabytes of data. Even more storage is available at higher prices. Even better, today's solutions require very little electricity. I also do not need to leave my computer running when I leave home. However, I do have to leave the new (low powered) server powered on and also the Internet router also must be powered on so that an Internet connection exists at the time I need to access the files. A few years ago that would have meant a server that consumes 100 to perhaps 400 watts of power. 

Today's hardware typically requires a modest 30 watts or less. The server I use even powers off the hard drive after some period of non-use. When I do later access files remotely, there is a delay of a few seconds before the files become available because it takes a bit of time for the hard drive to "wake up" and get back online. I can live with a delay of a few seconds if it lowers my electric bill.

In fact, I did build my own web-based server some years ago. It only had a fraction of the capacity of this new device, was built in a rack-mounted server that I purchased second hand, and the internal fan sounded like a banshee. I couldn't sleep in the house when the server was running because of the fan noise and I received similar complaints from family members. I soon powered that server off. In contrast, the solution I installed this week has a fan but is whisper quiet. I can't hear it running even when my ear is within a few inches of the device.

The remainder of this article is reserved for Plus Edition subscribers only. If you have a Plus Edition subscription, you may read the full article at: 

https://eogn.com/(*)-Plus-Edition-News-Articles/13213349.

If you are not yet a Plus Edition subscriber, you can learn more about such subscriptions and even upgrade to a Plus Edition subscription immediately at https://eogn.com/page-18077. 

The following announcement was written by the folks at TheGenealogist:

Family history website TheGenealogist has just released a new collection of name rich records of interest to English, Scottish and Welsh family historians.

The Guilds, Societies and People of Note collection includes records that reveal names, dates and information about ancestors who were Freemen, Liverymen, Aldermen, members of the Masons and Oddfellows, or people classed as Worthies.

The various records in this collection have been gathered together under TheGenealogist’s extensive Occupational Records and adds 65,000 names from fourteen new resources to this collection. Fully searchable by name or keyword from TheGenealogist’s Master Search. The new additions include records from a variety of sources, including:

• Freemen Registers: These records list the names of people who were granted the freedom of a particular town or city. The freedom of a town or city gave its holder certain privileges, such as the right to trade within the town or city walls.

• Liverymen Lists: These records catalogue the names of people who were members of a particular guild. Guilds were organisations of craftsmen or merchants who banded together to protect their interests.

• Aldermen Rolls: These records list the names of citizens who served as aldermen in a particular town or city. Aldermen were elected officials who served on the town or city council.

• Masons and Oddfellows Records: These records list the names of people who were members of the Freemasons or the Oddfellows. The Freemasons and the Oddfellows are two fraternal organisations that have been around for centuries.

• Worthies Records: These records list the names of people who were considered to be “worthies” of their community. Worthies could be anyone from prominent politicians or successful businessmen to renowned military personalities.

Use these records to reveal names, dates and information about ancestors who were Freemen of various towns and cities, Liverymen, Aldermen, members of the Masons and the Oddfellows, or who were Worthies in their circle. Gathered together under the Guilds, Societies and People of Note section of TheGenealogist’s Occupational Records, this diverse collection can reveal fascinating research clues to work with.

This release includes the following resources:

– A Calendar of the Freemen of Great Yarmouth 1429-1800

– The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward 1276-1900

– Yorkshire, History of the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire, Volume I [1905]

– Yorkshire, History of the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire, Volume II [1906]

– London Worthies by William Kent [1939]

– Freemen of Lynn 1292-1836

– Record Of Unitarian Worthies

– Rules and Regulations Office-Bearers and Members Weavers' Society of Anderston 1901

– Register of Freemen of the City of London

– Cornish Worthies, Vol. I, 1884

– Cornish Worthies, Vol. II, 1884

– A List of The Wardens Members of The Court of Assistants and Liverymen of The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths since 1688

– The Masonic Directory and Cyclopedia of History 1885

– Directory of the Independent Order of Oddfellows, 1908-1909

To learn more about how this collection of records helped us in the research of Captain Bligh read TheGenealogist’s article: A veritable Bounty of information found in the Occupational records.

https://thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2023/a-veritable-bounty-of-information-found-in-the-occupational-records-1866/

About TheGenealogist

TheGenealogist is an award-winning online family history website, who put 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. TheGenealogist is 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, 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!

The following announcement was written by the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG):

BCG to Host Joy Reisinger Lecture Series: Five Free Lectures on Friday, 20 October 2023

The Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) will host five live webinars, free and available to the public, as this year’s Reisinger Memorial Lecture Series on 20 October 2023. The hour-long webinars begin at 9:30 a.m. MDT (11:30 a.m. EDT and 4:30 p.m. GMT) and continue throughout the day. Five leading genealogists will speak on topics such as meeting the Genealogical Proof Standard, verifying genealogical stories, and using DNA evidence. The webinars are part of the Joy Reisinger Memorial Lecture Series and are presented in conjunction with Legacy Family Tree Webinars. 

The lecture series is presented annually in memory of BCG’s former trustee and vice president, Joy Reisinger, who began this lecture series for Family History Library staff during BCG’s fall board meetings. Joy was an advocate for open records access, a lecturer on research methods, and an expert on Canadian resources, especially those of Quebec.

The lecture series will be in-person and live streamed. To attend in person, lectures will be held in Classrooms B and C on the main floor of the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Friday, 20 October 2023. For address, contact information, and directions to the library, visit their website at https://www.familysearch.org/en/library/.

To view the live stream webinar presented in conjunction with Legacy Family Tree Webinars, registration is available athttps://familytreewebinars.com/Reisinger.

The schedule for Friday, 20 October 2023, is as follows:

9:30 a.m. MDT. "Deconstructing Family Stories: Are They Fact, Fiction, or a Little of Both," Barbara Vines Little, CG

We all have them—family stories—from Indian princesses and three brothers who came to America to “We’re related to Benjamin Franklin.” Some are blatantly false; others wishful thinking. But others may be true or partly true. Discarding even the most outrageous without research is a mistake. Finding the clues in family stories requires careful and thorough research, but that kernel of truth can be worth it.

10:45 a.m. MDT. "Lineage of Land: Tracing Property Without Recorded Deeds,” Shannon Green, CG

This case study traces a piece of property for two hundred years, from the Native Americans to the Dutch, to the English, and through fourteen members of the Hicks family over five generations. Transfer of title occurs through various instruments, including patents, unrecorded deeds, inheritance, escheatment, private laws, entails, deeds of lease and release, life estates, and coverture. Tracing the lineage of the property elucidates family relationships that were otherwise forgotten.

1:30 p.m. MDT. "The Many Wives of Howard William Lowe: Working with Social History to Glean Genealogical Insights," Gary Ball-Kilbourne, CG

Genealogists are expected to conduct research not just reasonably exhaustively but also broadly. Understanding the social milieu of the specific time and place within which an individual lived is an essential element of broad research. A case study focusing on an early twentieth-century blue-collar worker in western Minnesota and his several wives illustrates how social history provides insights illuminating their lives.

2:45 p.m. MDT. "Assumptions: Problem–Solving Friend or Foe?" Jennifer Zinck, CG

Do you have an unsolved research problem? Have you critically examined assumptions made during the research process? Some assumptions are valid, or even fundamental, but incorrect or misguided assumptions can act as mortar for genealogical brick walls. Learn to recognize, categorize, and address various types of assumptions to form sound genealogical conclusions.

4:00 p.m. MDT. "DNA Analysis Methodology: Defeat the Genealogy Gremlin with Pedigree Evaluation, Mitigation, and Reasoning," Karen Stanbary, CG

Learn the tried-and-true methodology to defeat the Genealogy Gremlin and achieve accurate results using DNA for genealogy. This lecture discusses the evaluation of match pedigrees to identify potential snafus and demonstrates mitigation strategies to address the problem. Don’t let researcher confirmation bias pollute your family trees!

New and Updated

UPDATEDIowa, U.S., Death Records, 1880-1972	6/8/2023
NEWMissouri, U.S., Slave Owner Compensation Claims, 1866-1867	6/8/2023
UPDATEDWashington, U.S., Divorce Index, 1969-2017	6/8/2023
UPDATEDSouth Carolina, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1907-2000	6/8/2023
UPDATEDU.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1861-1985	6/7/2023
NEWPalatine German Immigration to Ireland and U.S., Hank Z Jones collection, 1654-1878	6/7/2023
NEWFlorida, US, Early Auto Registrations, 1905-1917	6/7/2023
UPDATEDIndiana, U.S., Marriage Certificates, 1960-2012	6/1/2023
NEWWisconsin, U.S., Divorce Records, 1907-2015	5/31/2023
NEWNew York, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-current	5/31/2023
NEWU.S., Partnership List of Chinese Firms, 1893-1943	5/31/2023
NEWGuam, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1900's-current	5/31/2023
UPDATEDU.S., Select Crew Lists and Manifests, 1903-1962	5/31/2023
NEWHawaii, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-current	5/31/2023
UPDATEDLeavenworth, Kansas, U.S., High School Records, 1871-1907	5/31/2023
NEWDelaware, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-current	5/31/2023
UPDATEDU.S., Newspapers.com™ Obituary Index, 1800s-current	5/24/2023
NEWAtlanta, Georgia, U.S., Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta Sacramental Records, 1840-1980	5/22/2023
UPDATEDU.S., Find a Grave® Index, 1600s-Current	5/17/2023
UPDATEDWashington, U.S., Death Index, 1940-2017	5/10/2023
NEWSouth Carolina, U.S., Sheriff Department Records, 1865-1966	5/10/2023
UPDATEDWashington, U.S., Birth Index, 1907-1920	5/10/2023
UPDATED1910 United States Federal Census	5/8/2023
UPDATEDArkansas, Marriage Certificates, 1917-1972	5/4/2023
UPDATEDArkansas, Birth Certificates, 1914-1922	5/4/2023
UPDATEDMissouri, U.S., Birth Registers, 1847-2002	5/4/2023
UPDATEDArkansas, Divorces, 1923-1972	5/3/2023
UPDATEDMichigan, U.S., Marriage Records, 1867-1952	5/3/2023
UPDATEDMichigan, U.S., Death Records, 1867-1952	5/3/2023
UPDATEDMichigan, U.S., Divorce Records, 1897-1952	5/3/2023
UPDATEDNew Jersey, U.S., Marriage Records, 1670-1965	4/27/2023
UPDATEDNew Jersey, U.S., Birth Index, 1848-1878, 1901-1929	4/27/2023

Looking for ancestors in the Baton Rouge, Louisiana area? A new resource (actually a very old book) has just become available.

Written in faded ink on the tattered, yellowed pages of a birth log, is the history of a community about to be born, literally. The booklet, which contains recorded births from April 11, 1914, to March 1916 in the community of Central, north of Baton Rouge, has landed in the Special Collections department of the East Baton Rouge Parish Library, more than 100 years later. 

“This book is a microcosm of Central's history,” said archivist Melissa Eastin, head of Special Collections. “Each page not only tells the story of a birth, but it gives us clues into the lives of the families and what the Central community might have looked like in 1914.”

Postmaster H.K. Viers is listed as the registrar and Dr. John F. Stockwell attended the majority of the births, which occurred in Wards 5 and 10 in East Baton Rouge Parish. Stockwell was born in 1889 in Baker and returned to the area after getting his education. 

You can read more about it in an article by Bonny Van published in theadvocate web site at: https://tinyurl.com/bbcfzcdm.

The following announcement was written by Findmypast:

National School Admission Registers and Log-Books 1870-1914 

The 9,778 new records added for Halifax in Yorkshire were transcribed by volunteers at Calderdale Family History Society. These records mark the end of the society’s three-year project to digitise school records, a collection now numbering at over 127,000. The new records cover 1880 to 1923 and may include key details about your ancestor’s schooldays.   

Yorkshire Baptisms 

There are 23,338 new records to explore this week from the Sheffield parishes of All Saints and Brightside. Delve into transcriptions and original images of these vital records to help your family tree flourish. 

Military Historical Society Bulletins 

Covering the years 2016 to 2022, these 1,242 new records are PDFs of original bulletins. Scanned and fully searchable, you can explore by name or by a specific issue. Details may vary, but you could uncover handy information about regimental uniforms, badges and insignias, as well as histories of regiments and even a photo or two. 

Newspapers 

One new title, updates to a further 15, and a total of 107,280 new pages make up this week’s newspaper release.  

New titles: 

·         Selby Times, 1869, 1871-1896, 1899-1911, 1913-1916 

Updated titles: 

·         Armley and Wortley News, 1892-1896, 1899 

·         Bayswater Chronicle, 1939 

·         Bingley Chronicle, 1889-1894, 1896, 1898-1899 

·         Bradford Daily Telegraph, 1913, 1916 

·         Devizes and Wilts Advertiser, 1883 

·         Downham Market Gazette, 1892 

·         Dundee Courier, 1993, 1995 

·         Eastern Post, 1923 

·         Edinburgh Evening News, 1936-1937, 1961-1962 

·         Essex & Herts Mercury, 1837, 1841 

·         Hinckley Echo, 1920 

·         Loftus Advertiser, 1902 

·         Oban Times and Argyllshire Advertiser, 1874, 1917 

·         Sheerness Guardian and East Kent Advertiser, 1911, 1929 

·         South Bank Express, 1910-1911, 1913 

The following book review was written by Bobbi King:

Buried Secrets, Looking for Frank and Ida
by Anne Hanson. Published by New England Books. 2022. 359 pages

This is a nonfiction family history story with imagined scenarios, but founded upon factual research, nonfictional ancestors, real-life families, and a dedicated quest by the author to find answers to some perplexing family unknowns. As she writes the the story, she departs from the common narrative devoted largely to the recitation of facts to a storytelling style that mixes facts with fiction. The story jumps back and forth from decades-ago events to present time, but the skips are well-defined and there’s no confusion.

Buried Secrets reads like a novel. It’s set in the first-person, the author is telling us her story as if we were all casually sitting around the dinner table and dawdling over dessert. Frank and Ida Hanson are her grandparents, and she’s telling the story defined by a mystery. It’s set mostly in the 1950s, a time familiar to many.

The author’s father had sparse knowledge about his parents’ lives. The kids and grandkids tried for many years to put together the family tree, with little success. Then a box materialized, filled with old family photos. And here the search story begins, with the author leading us down her path of research and discoveries, with creative versions of what might of happened, what conversations might have taken place, imagined scenes of her ancestors’ experiences, all added in to supplement the known parts, in order to make the story more alive and full.

There are plenty of photos in the book: vacationing families, couples arm-in-arm, kids posed outside their homes in winter and summer. 

But there is plenty of authenticity. The author writes about the memories of her childhood, reviews the stories told to her by aunts, uncles, and relatives, and recounts her research trips and celebrates her discoveries. She finally did uncover the years-old secrets that perplexed her father, which now add depth to the family story

This is a highly detailed memoir of Ms. Hanson’s memories and research on her family. It took a long time and a lot of work to put the story together, but the author has done so with solid background research and imaginative storytelling.

This is a unique and extraordinary gift to her family.

Buried Secrets, Looking for Frank and Ida may be ordered from Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Buried-Secrets-Looking-Frank-Ida/dp/B0BF2XBBTN.