When Civil War soldiers were stationed in Northern Virginia, they left behind drawings, written passages, and other graffiti that serve as a historical record.

Now those markings at two historic Virginia sites are being preserved thanks to a partnership between George Mason University’s award-winning Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media (RRCHNM), the Fairfax City’s Office of Historic Resources, and the Brandy Station Foundation. The partnership recently received a $60,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Office of Preservation and Access, to support the project.

The grant “Off the Wall: Digital Preservation of Civil War Graffiti Houses” will develop a proposal for an eventual implementation grant aimed at digitizing and contextualizing the graffiti and associated ancillary materials held by Historic Blenheim in Fairfax and the Brandy Station Foundation in Culpeper related to the graffiti in their two historic house museums.

Working with R.B. Toth Associates LLC of Oakton, this grant will use a range of digital imaging technology and work processes to capture the graffiti on the walls of Historic Blenheim and the Graffiti House at Brandy Station, and develop a metadata schema that will allow for the digitization and contextualization of the graffiti. This schema will serve as a model for future digitization projects of images on vertical surfaces.

“The graffiti gives you an insight into the lived experience of an individual soldier who was struggling to deal with an incredibly brutal war,” said Mills Kelly, director of RRCHNM and project manager.

You can read more in an article by Shayla Brown published in George Mason University’s web site at:  https://www.gmu.edu/news/2023-03/neh-grant-helps-mason-partners-create-digital-archive-civil-war-graffiti.

Every March 17, millions of people pause to reflect on their Irish heritage. Conceived as a Saint's Day in the Catholic Church, Saint Patrick's Day is now a time of celebration for millions. However, many of us have little knowledge of the man whose name we celebrate.

First of all, Saint Patrick wasn't even Irish. He was a Roman citizen. The place of his birth is disputed. Many biographies claim that he was born in Kilpatrick, near Dumbarton in Scotland, in the year 387. Others claim he was born in the village of Bannavem of Taburnia (vico banavem taburniae in his Confession), which has never been securely identified. Still others claim that Saint Patrick was born somewhere along the coastline of Wales or in northern France or in the settlement of Bannaventa in Northamptonshire.

His original name is recorded as Maewyn Succat. In his Confessio, Patrick names his father as Calpornius, a deacon, son of Potitus, who was Romano-British. A questionable old tradition makes his mother from the upper-class Gaulish family of Martin of Tours, though Patrick makes no such prideful claim.

At the age of sixteen, Patrick was carried off into captivity by Irish marauders and was sold as a slave to a chieftain named Milchu in Dalriada, a territory of the present county of Antrim in Ireland. He was soon sold to another chieftain in the area. The future saint spent six years tending his master's flocks near the modern town of Ballymena. During this time he learned to speak fluent Celtic. 

After six years of bondage, Patrick escaped, apparently by simply walking away at a convenient opportunity. He wandered for some time, eventually finding his way to Westport. There he found a ship ready to set sail and was allowed on board. In a few days he was in Britain, safe under Roman rule. He then traveled extensively to other lands and studied religion. Patrick spent time in St. Martin's monastery at Tours and at the island sanctuary of Lérins. He met Saint Germain and became a student of the great bishop. When Germain was commissioned by the Holy See to proceed to Britain to combat the erroneous teachings of Pelagius, he chose Patrick to be one of his missionary companions.

Pope St. Celestine the First had taken note of the young man's abilities and commissioned Patrick with the mission of gathering the Irish race into the Catholic Church; he also gave him the name "Patercius" or "Patritius." It was probably in the summer months of the year 433 that Patrick and his companions landed at the mouth of the Vantry River in Ireland, close by Wicklow Head. The Druids were against his missionary work and wanted to kill him, so Patrick searched for friendly territory in which to enter on his mission. Near Slemish, the missionary was horrified to see in the distance the fort of his old master, Milchu, enveloped in flames. It seems the fame of Patrick's marvelous power of miracles had preceded him. In anticipation of Patrick’s arrival, Milchu had gathered his treasures into his mansion and set it on fire, casting himself into the flames in a fit of frenzy. An ancient record adds, "His pride could not endure the thought of being vanquished by his former slave." 

Saint Patrick traveled all over Ireland, preaching wherever people gathered. His sermons were not always well received, and many attempted to murder him. Saint Patrick wrote in his "Confessio" that twelve times he and his companions were seized and carried off as captives. On one occasion in particular, he was loaded with chains, and his death was decreed. However, Saint Patrick always managed to escape death. He converted thousands to Christianity and built many churches. It is recorded that he consecrated no fewer than 350 bishops. Legends attribute many miracles to Saint Patrick. 

Saint Patrick died on 17 March, and that date is now dedicated to his memory. While the day and month is known, the year is not so certain. Various histories and biographies claim that he died in A.D. 462, 492, or 493. It is not known for sure where his remains were laid, either, although Downpatrick in County Down in the North of Ireland is thought to be his final resting place, as its name seems to proclaim. 

There are many Web sites devoted to Saint Patrick, providing a wealth of material. You can read more at http://www.ireland-information.com/saintpatricksday.htm, http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11554a.htm, and many others. 

Over the 27 years I have been writing this newsletter, I have published thousands of articles. Looking back, I now realize that many of them have been about advanced topics that should appeal to genealogists who are already proficient at finding old records and are interested in advancing their already-advanced knowledge of the common methods of finding their ancestors. Today, I decided to write about a topic that I have generally ignored: how the newcomer can get started in finding his or her family tree.

I suspect that most people reading this newsletter already know the information presented in this article. However, I will invite you to print this article or send it via e-mail to anyone who expresses an interest in genealogy or asks why you have such an interest. Also please feel free to reprint this article in newsletters, newspaper articles, or anyplace else that you feel might be appropriate. (I would appreciate your giving credit to the author, however. Thanks.)

Do you have a curiosity about your family tree? Many people do. Some may have their interest piqued because of an heirloom, an old picture, or perhaps an unresolved family mystery. The reasons people get hooked on genealogy are many and varied, but each person's search is unique. After all, the search for your ancestors really is a search for yourself.

If you think that family history research requires hours of rummaging through libraries, trekking through cemeteries, and writing letters to government bureaus, you're in for a pleasant surprise. Finding your family tree is simpler than what many people imagine. To be sure, you may encounter some intriguing obstacles. However, most of them can be overcome.

As with so many hobbies today, using a computer can simplify some of the tasks of searching and recording the information. However, a computer is not necessary. Americans have been recording their ancestry for two centuries or more without digital tools, and you can do the same. All you need is a starting point and a direction, and maybe a few tips.

In the beginning... there's you!

Starting a family tree search is very simple: begin with what you know about yourself, and then work backwards, one generation at a time. Linking back from yourself through the generations helps to ensure that the people you research actually belong in your family tree and don't simply have the same name as one of your ancestors. The unfortunate souls who try to skip a generation may well find themselves perched in the wrong family tree.

Write down the information that you already know. By “writing it down,” you can use pen and paper, perhaps a genealogy program installed in your own computer, or on a web site, or even as personal notes in the cloud. How you record the information is not important. What is really important is that you can find the information again quickly and easily at any time you want to refer to your previous findings.

A basic pedigree chart will help. You can find these at genealogy societies and at most libraries, as well as on a number of Web sites. You can find such charts at https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/Genealogy_Research_Forms and at https://www.archives.gov/research/genealogy/charts-forms/.

Place yourself in the first position on the chart, and fill in the vital information: your name, the date and place of your birth, as well as the date and place of any marriages you have had. Next, move back one generation, and fill in the same information for both of your parents: name, date and place of birth, date and place of marriage, and date and place of death, if deceased. 

Continue working back even further, to grandparents and great-grandparents, if possible. Very few beginning genealogists can fill in the basic facts on even three generations, let alone four. Simply fill in what you already know, and leave the remaining facts as blank spaces. You can fill them in later as you uncover clues.

Once you exhaust your own memory, a family fact-finding expedition is a great way to gather more information. Pick the brains of your family members, especially older family members. Take along a notebook, and write down the events they remember. (I take a tape recorder whenever I visit older family relatives.) Ask around for photos, letters, newspaper clippings, and so on. The memorabilia you find will surprise and delight you.

So far, you've relied on people's recollections to add to your history. We all know, however, that memories are not always exact. Next, you will need to confirm the date and place of birth, date and place of marriage, name of spouse, date and place of death, names of parents and children, for as many individuals as possible. You will be surprised how easy it is to find birth certificates and marriage records, especially in the United States. Our country has a long tradition of recording and preserving these vital records.

Now you are ready to set an achievable target from the myriad facts you have accumulated. Pick an ancestor, perhaps one with a few blanks on the chart. Next, choose a question you would like to answer, such as the town where he or she was born. Then decide where you will start hunting.

A birth certificate is an obvious objective. However, you may also need to look in a wide range of places to find out more about that person's life. When the location of birth is not easily found, you can look for other records that will help identify the person's origins. Some of the places you can look are census records, military records and pensions, land records, schooling, occupation, electoral rolls, sporting clubs, newspaper reports - in fact, the list of places where you may find clues is almost endless.

Keep in mind that not all genealogy information is available online. In fact, my guess is that less than 50% of my family tree is available online. Why should your family tree be any different?

Generally speaking, it's easier to search through indexes and compiled records that are available on the internet at the beginning of your family tree discovery tour. Even if you don't own a computer, many libraries today provide computers with internet access for just such purposes. One of the greatest resources available is that of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, usually referred to as the Mormons. This church has microfilmed millions of records from all over the world, and indexes to these microfilms are available on their Web site, www.familysearch.org. The Mormons gather records from all faiths and all ethnic groups and make these records available to everyone, regardless of religious orientation. These records were originally all captured on microfilms and the church is now in the multi-year process of converting those microfilms to online digital images. However, that project will not be completed for many more years.

Best of all, you can reserve and view the original microfilms at a local Mormon Family History Center near where you live. The films ship straight from Salt Lake City to your local Center, where volunteers can help you with the microfilm readers. While there, you will not be given any religious materials or lectures (unless you ask). You can find the Family History Center closest to your location if you start at https://familysearch.org/locations/. 

Wherever you turn up information about your ancestors, always check the "facts" that you find. Many times you will obtain a piece of information that later turns out to be inaccurate. Never believe anything until you can verify it! You need to treat all verbal information -- as well as most of the genealogy information on the internet -- as "clues to what might be true." Then, armed with this newly-found information, seek out an original record of the event that corroborates what you found earlier.

Once your tree starts bearing fruit, you will probably find that a computer can be a tremendous help in keeping track of all your people, events, and dates. Today's computers and software are priced to fit most any budget, and they can save weeks and even months of work. If you decide to use a computer, it's a good idea to choose a genealogy program sooner rather than later -- even if you have collected only a few family details. 

NOTE: The genealogy program might be installed in your computer or else online on the Web (or in “the cloud”).

These programs help to organize information about individual ancestors, as well as their relationships to others in the family tree. These programs will make it much easier for you to visualize the connections between people through their capability to automatically generate charts and even point out potential discrepancies.

There are many good articles about “How to get started” available online. One of the best can be found at: https://www.familysearch.org/gettingstarted/.

A search for your family tree can be one of the most fascinating and rewarding pursuits of your life. Who knows what you will find? Nobility? Heroes? Or horse thieves? Most of us can find all three in our ancestry. Who is lurking in your family tree?

 

Archivists and curators have long required the use of white cotton gloves for handling very old paper or old books, when the paper is brittle and threatens to crumble. In fact, on one episodes of the popular television series Who Do You Think You Are? the guests and even some of the experts shown in the program were criticized for not wearing cotton gloves when handling old documents. However, experts now say that the use of white gloves not only provides a false sense of security but even can induce more damage than handling the same documents with bare hands! On the other, um, hand, simple frequent washing and drying of the hands may be the better solution.

In an article that first appeared in the December 2005 issue of International Preservation News, conservation consultant Cathleen A. Baker and librarian Randy Silverman argued that for the handling of most types of materials, white gloves don’t help and actually may contribute to the damage. As they pointed out, handling books with gloves is apt to do more harm than good. Gloves are just as likely to be dirty as fingers, especially if they have been used a number of times previously and have already absorbed dirt and chemicals from previously-handled papers. Once absorbed into the cotton, dirt, abrasive grit, and chemicals are easily spread from one old document to another. Washing the gloves frequently is only a partial solution since chemicals from detergents are retained in the cotton fibers and then spread to documents handled later. 

A second issue is the loss of dexterity when wearing gloves. Without tactile "feel," wearing gloves actually increases the potential for physically damaging fragile material through mishandling. This is especially true for ultra thin or brittle papers that become far more difficult to handle with the sense of touch dulled.

Baker and Silverman wrote, "Routine hand washing is recommended as a more effective means of preventing the spread of dirt while improving the user's haptic response to and tactile appreciation of the collections."

They also stated, "Institutional insistence that patrons and special collections staff don white cotton gloves when handling rare books and documents to prevent dirt and skin oils from damaging paper-based collections is inherently flawed; gloves are as easily soiled as bare hands. Cotton gloves are extremely absorbent, both from within and without; for example, even a scrupulously clean reading room provides numerous opportunities for gloves to pick up and transfer dirt to surfaces such as a text page."

Finally, they wrote: "White cotton gloves provide no guarantee of protecting books and paper from perspiration and dirt, yet they increase the likelihood of people inflicting physical damage to collection material. Implementing a universally observed, hand-cleaning policy is a reasonable and effective alternative to glove-use, and it follows the standard protocol employed by book and paper conservators before handling the very same material."

The authors did point out that their recommendations are limited to paper. Other materials, such as photographic prints, negatives, and slides, have their own unique set of requirements.

You can read the entire report by Cathleen A. Baker and Randy Silverman at http://www.ifla.org/files/assets/pac/ipn/ipnn37.pdf.

Other preservation organizations agree. Rather than wearing gloves, the American Institute for Conservation of Historical and Artistic Works instructs conservators to “handle books only with freshly washed hands.” Then they recognize that “wearing white cotton gloves for handling rare bindings is a good preventive measure, but turning fragile or brittle pages with gloves may cause damage and is not advised.” Thoroughly washing hands with lotion-free soap will remove most of the dirt, grease, and oils that may be left on pages. 

Microfilm and digitization crews at The National Archives in London now follow the same rules for handling documents as those in the reading rooms – they have to remove their white gloves before handling old or delicate documents!

The following announcement was written by the New England Historic Genealogical Society (also known as American Ancestors):

Passenger lists are an invaluable resource in family history research—they can help you “jump across the pond” to find your ancestors’ origins, provide clues in determining familial relationships, and later passenger lists can even provide details about what your ancestors looked like. But passenger lists can also be difficult to navigate—early lists provide minimal information, which can make it difficult to identify your ancestor in the records. You may also see variations in names and spellings, listed birth years, and more. This four-week online seminar will discuss the historical context of passenger lists and how they changed over time, and you’ll learn strategies, sources, and tools that can help you navigate passenger lists and trace your ancestors’ arrival to the United States!

April 5, 12, 19, 26, 2023

Live Broadcasts Wednesdays at 6-7:30 p.m. ET

$115

Details my be found at: https://www.americanancestors.org/events/navigating-passenger-lists-arrivals-united-states.

The following announcement was written by the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum:

Thanks to groundbreaking research into the lives of the Boston Tea Party participants, descendants of these original patriots will, for the first time ever, be able to join an exclusive lineage society that honors their ancestors. Today the new Boston Tea Party Descendants Program is being launched by the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, dedicated to accurately reliving and representing a key time in history (1773-1775), in partnership with American Ancestors/New England Historic Genealogical Society, the nation's first and leading center for family history research. The announcement comes during this 250th anniversary year of the Boston Tea Party, a momentous event that forever changed the course of American history.

This program will allow anyone with a family tree connection to an ancestor that took part in the Boston Tea Party to join this new member-based lineage society, with all research vetted by experts at American Ancestors/New England Historic Genealogical Society, America's oldest and largest genealogical society. The mission of the Boston Tea Party Descendant Program is to create a qualified lineage membership program dedicated to honoring and perpetuating the memories of those who actively participated in the Boston Tea Party and to foster interest in genealogical connections to participants in the Boston Tea Party, their families and those involved in this "single most important event leading up to the American Revolution".

"We are thrilled to create this first-ever Boston Tea Party descendant online portal of America's first patriots in partnership with the American Ancestors/New England Historic Genealogical Society in this 250th anniversary year of the Boston Tea Party," says Shawn P. Ford, Executive Director for the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum. "It is our hope to educate, inspire, and make genealogical connections to those who participated in the Boston Tea Party.  American families – new and old – can benefit from knowing about their heritage in the context of this pivotal moment in history."

One feature of the Boston Tea Party Descendants Program will be a public-facing digital portal that members will help build through their contributions in the form of family papers, documents from other genealogical organizations etc. The Boston Tea Party Descendants Program will maintain digital records of all submitted applications with accompanying documentation and will continue to grow into the ultimate online resource for descendants, their families, researchers, and organizations, and live in perpetuity to bring a further personal and cultural understanding and connection to their shared history to the revolutionary event known as the Boston Tea Party.  

"To date, there has never been comprehensive genealogical research produced that specifically looks at the Boston Tea Party participants," says Brenton Simons, CEO of American Ancestors/New England Historic Genealogical Society. "People are always excited when they can make a personal connection to the past and thanks to this new research into the lives of the Boston Tea Party participants, individuals will be able to link their ancestry to one of the most famous acts of defiance in history, and to join a group of members with that common connection. It's a thrilling way to inspire people to find out more about how their ancestors shaped the world we live in today!"

Applications for membership in the Boston Tea Party Descendants Program will be vetted by full-time professional genealogists at the American Ancestors/New England Historic Genealogical Society. Each application will be reviewed for genealogical integrity and historical accuracy before membership is approved.

The initial fee for applying to the Boston Tea Party Descendants Program is $400 which includes processing and vetting. Once accepted to the program, depending on the qualifying ancestor, members are invited to join one of the following membership tiers:

To apply to the Boston Tea Party Descendants Program, interested parties can go to www.bostonteapartyship.com/boston-tea-party-descendants. The process for acceptance and vetting of application and lineage materials will take approx. 6-8 weeks.

American Ancestors also provides both research support and filming locations for the PBS show Finding Your Roots with renowned scholar and Harvard University Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

250th Anniversary of the Boston Tea Party

The 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party will occur on Saturday, December 16, 2023. Boston will be the FIRST to mark the 250th anniversary of a landmark historic event in the United States' journey to independence. Boston will be honoring the Boston Tea Party in 2023 and will be leading the way as America begins to celebrate all major historic 250th anniversaries leading up to 2026, the semiquincentennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the founding of the United States of America.

In 2023, a multitude of other organizations across Boston and throughout Massachusetts are working together to create public engagements, dynamic programming, special exhibits, events, installations, and performances.

The 250th anniversary year will culminate in a grand-scale, live reenactment of the Boston Tea Party on Saturday, December 16, 2023. Hundreds of reenactors will tell the story of the infamous Boston Tea Party and theatrically recreate the events of December 16, 1773 at historic Old South Meeting House and Faneuil Hall with a series of performances and programming, followed by a public procession to the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum where the Sons of Liberty will destroy loose tea, 250 pounds of tea sent from London's East India Company in addition to tea sent in from citizens from around the country, into Boston's historic harbor. Information on all events and programming is available at www.BostonTeaParty250.com.

ABOUT BOSTON TEA PARTY SHIPS & MUSEUM

The Boston Tea Party, "the single most important event leading up to the American Revolution, occurred the night of Dec. 16, 1773. The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, owned and operated by Historic Tours of America, is dedicated to accurately reliving and representing a key time in history (1773-1775) through actors, tea throwing reenactments, high-tech interactive exhibits, authentic replica ships: the Beaver and the Eleanor, and an award-winning multisensory film, Let it Begin Here. The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum is open 7 days/week from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (Summer/Spring) and from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (Fall/Winter). Tours run every 30 minutes in the fall/winter and every 15 minutes in the spring/summer and last 1 hr. Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum was voted #1 'Best Patriotic Attraction' in USA Today's '10Best Readers' Choice Awards 2016'; 'Best New Museum' in 2012 by Yankee magazine and 'Best of the New 2012' by Boston Globe Magazine. To learn more visit www.bostonteapartyship.com or call 1-855-(TEA)-1773. The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum is located at 306 Congress St. on the Congress St. Bridge, Boston, MA 02210, over the same body of water where The Boston Tea Party took place.   

ABOUT AMERICAN ANCESTORS/NEW ENGLAND HISTORIC GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY 

American Ancestors is a national center for family history, heritage, and culture. It is the global brand of New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), America's oldest and largest genealogical society (founded in 1845). American Ancestors serves more than 350,000 members and millions of online users engaged in family history nationally and around the world through its website AmericanAncestors.org with more than 1.4 billion names in its databases. Located in Boston, Massachusetts' Back Bay, NEHGS is home to a world-class research center and archive, an expert staff, and the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center.  It maintains a publishing division which produces original genealogical research, scholarship, and educational materials, including the Register, the flagship journal of American genealogy since 1847; American Ancestors, its award- winning magazine; and Mayflower Descendant, a quarterly journal of Pilgrim genealogy and history. For more information, visit www.americanancestors.org.

ABOUT THE 250th ANNIVERSARY OF THE BOSTON TEA PARTY

Meet Boston, the 250th Anniversary of the Boston Tea Party Board of Advisors and Revolution 250, a consortium of organizations working together to commemorate the 250th anniversaries of the events that led to American Revolution, in conjunction with a multitude of organizations in Boston and throughout Massachusetts, are working together to create a series of commemorative programs throughout the entirety of 2023, culminating in a grand-scale, live reenactment celebrating the 250thAnniversary of the Boston Tea Party which will be taking place on Sat., December 16, 2023. Details of all 2023 programming and information on the major reenactment celebration, visit www.BostonTeaParty250.com. Instagram/Facebook: @bostonteaparty250; Twitter: @BOSTeaParty250.

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

(+) Essential Things I Never Travel Without – Part 

Consider the Source: Original, Derivative, or Copy

The Orphan Trains

Extract DNA Samples from Old Envelopes or Other Items

Using Genealogy Sites to Solve Crimes Could Come Into Focus in Texas Legislative Session

NERGC 2023

SLIG Issues Calls for Course Proposals and Scholarship Applications

Saturday Keynote Speeches at RootsTech 2023 Now Available Online

Croatian Genealogy Seminar

A Treasure of Ukrainian Culture Open to the World

Will Your Genealogy Data Become Searchable by Law Enforcement?

Senate Committee Vote on Biden's National Archivist Nominee Colleen Shogan Postponed

Capturing Your Family Stories Just Got Easier!

Center for Jewish Studies Launches Bronx Jewish History Project

Essential Guide to Kentucky Family Research

Collection of Old Films Rescued for Preservation

University of Limerick and Garda Síochána Launch New Digitised Archive

Cork, Ireland Motor Dealership Archive to Be Donated to City

Carnegie Library to Get $12.6M Makeover to Bring Winnipeg Archives Home

1871 UK Census Households Now Plotted on Map Explorer™ by TheGenealogist

Findmypast Adds Over 100,000 New Records

Google Docs Has a New Design to Match Gmail

Why You Need to Stop Clicking Sponsored Google Links

One of Cork's oldest motor dealerships and limited companies is donating its remarkable archive to Cork city, providing a fascinating insight into the commercial and social life of the city as transport evolved from horse-drawn carriages to motor cars.

The archive of Johnson & Perrott, one of Cork's great family-owned businesses which dates from 1861 when a city centre carriage-building business was acquired by James Johnson, includes company documents, contracts and advertisements, as well as 11 personal diaries and some 200 photographs, negatives and glass plates.

The donation also includes a fully restored James Johnson-built horse-drawn ‘ladies’ carriage, dating from the middle of the 19th century and which was used on the Wyndham estate in Castletownroche and then by the Daunt family in Myrtleville, as well as an original sign from the company’s ‘Nelson Place Carriage Works’ on what is now Emmet Place in the city centre.

And what’s even more remarkable is that many of the company's historical documents were almost ‘lost’ to history. They were discovered by a solicitor cleaning out a strong room who then contacted the company.

Mark Whitaker, CEO of the Johnson & Perrott Motor Dealership (JPMD), a direct descendant of James Johnson, said that discovery prompted him to donate all the material to the city archives, with the unanimous support and approval of his wider family.

“I am hugely sensitive to protecting our archive for the benefit of future generations who might like to research it,” he said.

“With the company having been established in 1810, and in our family’s ownership since 1861, Johnson & Perrott has evolved and grown with its native city.

You can read more at: https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-41090755.html.

A unique collection of policing material covering the first 10 years of the State has been digitised by University of Limerick and An Garda Síochána.

The Garda Review Archive, a unique collection of digitised volumes from 1923 to 1932, was launched at an event in UL’s Glucksman Library this Wednesday. The Glucksman Library and its Special Collections and Archives has been working with An Garda Síochána to digitise the 10-year run of the Garda Review and make it accessible via the UL Digital Library. It offers a unique, digital, and fully searchable window into policing in Ireland from the Civil War through the early Free State.

The Garda Review was established in 1923, a year after the force originated. It is now the longest established magazine in Ireland. The digitised collection covers 1923-1932, so roughly the first decade of the State and includes early accounts of policing and policing policy, divisional news and movements and transfers of individual Garda, Irish language articles and sporting accounts.

The issues include numerous photographs, drawings, and period advertising and the new digital collection is completely searchable, rendering names and place names open to researchers.

The collection was launched by Deputy Commissioner Anne Marie McMahon, who has a long association both with UL and the Limerick Garda Division, Provost and Deputy President of UL Professor Shane Kilcommins and Ciara McCaffrey, interim director of the Glucksman Library.

Deputy Commissioner Anne Marie McMahon said: “An Garda Síochána are delighted to launch the digitised volumes of the Garda Review from 1923 to 1932 with the Glucksman Library of University of Limerick. This project, which commenced during our Centenary year, represents a strengthening of our partnership with the University of Limerick, and presented a unique opportunity to preserve should a valuable and historic archive, using the state-of-the-art facilities in the Glucksman Library.

“The collection will represent a fascinating look at what was the formative years of An Garda Síochána, not only from an organisational perspective, but also a unique look at the social side of An Garda Síochána at that time. It gives a significant insight into the community and sporting history of An Garda Síochána during those formative years, which ensured we remained an organisation embedded in our communities, and of our communities.

“I have no doubt that such a unique archive will not only interest historians, but also the public who will have an opportunity to be reminded of times gone by, and witness the evolution of An Garda Síochána during these formative years.

“This project represented an excellent opportunity for An Garda Síochána, with our colleagues in the Glucksman Library and University of Limerick, to preserve a key piece of history for An Garda Síochána and to build on a strong relationship with the University of Limerick. An Garda Síochána will continue into the future build on this unique archive with University of Limerick to continue to digitise and preserve the history of An Garda Síochána for future generations.”

You can read more in an article at: https://www.ul.ie/news/20th-century-gems-university-of-limerick-and-an-garda-siochana-launch-new-digitised-archive

The digitised Garda Review/Iris an Gárda 1923-1932 is available to view at: https://digitallibrary.ul.ie/garda-review.

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

As I explained in Part #1 of this article (still available at https://eogn.com/sys/website/system-pages/?pageId=18010), I have become a fanatic on lightweight packing. I travel often and have too much "history" of dragging heavy luggage through airports as well as in and out of shuttle buses, taxis, hotel lobbies, through the snow or other inclement weather. As I get older, the muscles start to deteriorate as well. I used to carry a 50-pound suitcase without difficulty. I don't ever want to do that again!

Even worse is the finances. U.S. airlines are now gouging their customers for every dollar they can get away with. US-based airlines collected over $4.9 billion in checked bag fees in 2018. (Reference: https://thepointsguy.com/news/us-airlines-baggage-fees-2018/) I suspect the price is much higher today. Yes, that's "billions" with a "B." Who paid these billions of dollars? Hapless travelers who didn't know how to travel light.

Of course, that's not the only price gouging that is going on. Now the passengers have to pay for food on the plane and it usually is nearly inedible food at that. Some airlines want to charge to put an a single bag in the overhead bins. Then these same airlines advertise "the friendly skies" and other crap so that we have the "privilege" of being being packed in like sardines with shoulders overlapping. "Never have so many paid so much for so little." 

An Australian man is now suing American Airlines, alleging that he suffered serious injuries after being seated next to two passengers he claims were “grossly obese.” (See https://indianexpress.com/article/world/australian-man-sues-american-airlines-for-being-seated-next-to-obese-passengers-4644599/ for the sad details.) I'm not surprised that a passenger was injured simply by being seated between two severely overweight passengers. Have you seen how little available space there is in those seats?

Then there is United Airlines, advertising themselves as "fly the friendly skies." That "friendly sky" airline forcibly ejected a passenger from his paid-for seat, breaking his nose in the process. Friendly skies? 

Surprisingly, stories like this rarely appear about foreign airlines. The American-flagged airlines seem to have most of the problems.

Which is the better business decision? Gouge your customers with high prices for everything and fly with empty (non-revenue-producing) seats caused by unhappy customers who avoid your airline whenever possible? Or to charge lower prices and have every seat filled with revenue-producing, satisfied customers who will return again and again for repeat business?

I'll leave that to senior airline executives to perform the price modeling on those two options.

I think it is time for consumers to stand up and make airlines affordable and comfortable again! I do my part by avoiding the price gougers, whenever possible, and by taking my business to the airlines that treat me the best.

Of course, packing light is a win-win situation. You win once with lower fees when flying on the price gougers and you win a second time with extra convenience on ALL the airlines: no more wrestling with lots of heavy luggage!

I have created a check list of things for me to pack or not to pack. It serves strictly as a check list of POSSIBLE things to pack. I never pack everything on the list. The exact selections will vary depending upon the expected weather at my destination(s), the expected activities when I get there, and sometimes by the length of the stay. 

For longer stays, I normally make the trip with two carry-on bags: one maximum-sized carry-on bag that goes in the airliners' overhead bins and a small bag that goes under the seat in front of me. I also receive a bit of assistance from hotel laundry services along the way. A ten-day trip should never include ten changes of clothing! Laundry services are available worldwide. While expensive, these laundry services are usually cheaper than paying for additional luggage. Washing clothes in a bathroom sink is even cheaper. 

Always wear layers on the plane as it is often chilly or hot with no way to predict in advance. Besides, the more layers you wear on the plane, the fewer items you have to pack in the luggage!

Your check list of possible items to pack undoubtedly will be different from mine. After all, it is YOUR list. Your needs and preferences will be yours and yours alone. However, I will offer the following list and comments as items for your consideration.

Clothing:

Three pairs of underwear max! Yesterday's (awaiting laundry), today's (I'm wearing that), and tomorrow's (in case I don't get to do laundry tonight). I prefer to pack quick drying underwear and socks.

Three changes of other clothes, all in colors and styles that mix and match. No more than three!

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/13127287.

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.