For most of us, if we were to discover a few pieces of old mail we would probably just throw it in the trash, right?

Well, that's not the case for Steven Ellis, a member of the Facebook group Vanished Kalamazoo. Recently, Steven shared a post along with a few photos of what looks like antique envelopes. The caption read,

"I found some old envelopes the other day from 1926-1929 addressed to 512 Alcott St. In googling the address, it appears that it is now a vacant lot/woods to the right of the house shown at 516 Alcott (at Adelade St) The letters were addressed to Mrs Sam Scott, Mrs Martha LaPorte and Mrs Frank Stern? Three different families sharing the house? Did anyone grow up near here or know the families?"

You can see the photos of the envelopes here.

You can see the photos of the envelopes at https://wkfr.com/vintage-letters-found-kalamazoo/.

The following announcement was written by Findmypast:

Explore thousands of new wartime records, special interest newspapers and more

Explore newly-opened 1939 Register entries, brand new baptism records and a handy new search tool this Findmypast Friday.

1939 Register

We’ve opened over 57,000 previously-redacted records from one of the most important twentieth century genealogical resources for England and Wales. Taken on the eve of WW2, the 1939 Register enables you to discover exactly where, how and with whom your ancestor were living. You can also search the register by address to explore the history of a home and see who was living there in 1939.

As the official home of the 1939 Register, Findmypast holds the most the most up-to-date and extensively-detailed version available online.

1939 Register – Special Interest Groups search

Findmypast have also created a new search feature to help you find special interest groups in the 1939 Register. Using their new search field, you can focus your research on disabled people, evacuees, refugees, heavy workers, Welsh language speakers and more.

Northumberland Baptisms

Spanning 1753-1919, delve into over 9,000 additional baptism records from several Northumberland parishes. The churches covered by Findmypast’s latest Northumberland update include:

• • Blanchland, St Mary
  • Harbottle
  • North Shields, Bankside Independent
  • North Shields, Low Meeting House Unitarian Chapel
  • North Shields, Middle Street Mission
  • North Shields, Secession Church
  • North Shields, Union St Baptist
  • Tynemouth, Holy Trinity (Western Town)
  • Tynemouth, St Peter (Low Town)

To see everything Findmypast’s growing Northumberland collection covers, check the parish list.

Durham Baptisms

Findmypast have further expanded this collection with over 3,000 records from St Paul’s Church in Ryhope. The latest releases cover 1889-1903.

Baptism records are essential for taking your family tree back further. They reveal important information on your ancestors' lives including birth years, baptism dates and parents' names.

Newspapers

Findmypast have added over 99,000 brand new pages including seven brand new special interest titles which provide an incredible snapshot of early twentieth century culture. From cars to yachts, from movies to the modern man, these fascinating, full colour titles provide vivid insights into what life was like over one hundred years ago.

• • Children’s Paper covering 1920-1925
  • Gallery Gazette covering 1921
  • Irish Exile covering 1921-1922
  • Modern Man covering 1908-1915
  • Motor Owner covering 1919-1930
  • Movie-Land covering 1921
  • Yacht Owner and Motor Boat Owner covering 1924

While additional pages have also been added to six existing titles, including:

• • Bootle Times from 1886
  • Leicester Evening Mail from 1917-1918
  • Newark Advertiser from 1931-1957
  • Spalding Guardian from 1903-1911, 1913-1918, 1920-1930, 1932-1934, 1944-1946, 1948-1952, 1958-1960, 1964, 1976, 1978-1979, 1982 and 1985
  • Staffordshire Newsletter from 1982
  • Stamford Mercury from 1954-1985 and 1987

 

A NEW online resource will help “unlock history” by giving access to First World War archives.

The Ogilby Muster (TOM) has launched following a four year project funded by a LIBOR grant from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Salisbury-based Army Museums Ogilby Trust.

It is an online platform which provides access to archives held in regimental museums across the UK - preserving the experiences and memories of those who served in the First World War for future generations.

Trustee of the Army Museums Ogilby Trust the Hon Katherine Swinfen Eady, said: “With the opening of the TOM Platform we are given a wonderful key to unlock history. As historians this is an invaluable gift, as family members researching their beloved lost relatives, it is equally as important.

“TOM allows us to piece together the truth left behind by the subjects, to build up that wonderful pattern of a jigsaw and find the missing fragments of information. It is especially important as it will help us all further our knowledge and understanding of not just the military side of the First World War, but the social aspect of an event in history that affected and shaped this country and the world.”

With more than 75 participating collections, and more set to join in 2022, TOM will eventually hold more than two million items including some never-before-seen material.

Covering the period 1900 to 1929, the platform contains documents, photographs, letters, diaries and more, all related to the British Army and the men and women who served.

The Trust’s director Andrew Lloyd says the digitisation of these archives provides a legacy for the future and that a key aim of the project was to make as much of this material as possible available to the public.

At the moment there are about 1.7 million items on the online platform.

You can read more about this new online resource in an article by Kay Griffin published in the Salisbury Journal at: https://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/19687940.ogilby-muster-first-world-war-online-archive-set-launch/.

The following is a press release from Ancestry.ca:

• • For the first time, 2,500 images and more than 100 newsreels depicting scenes from combat and routine life during WWII are available on Ancestry.ca
  • These photo and video collections provide a window into the lives of those on the front line and homefront, allowing Canadians the chance to create deeper connections to their families' WWII experiences
  • Ancestry is offering free access to these new collections and all global military records from November 1 to November 12

TORONTO, Nov. 3, 2021 /CNW/ - This Remembrance Day, Ancestry®, the global leader in family history, is encouraging Canadians to build deeper personal connections with their families' lives during the world wars, by providing free access to two Canadian World War II record collections that are new to the site, including video newsreels and photographs featuring photographs of men and women who served in the Canadian Forces during the conflict.

The World War II Newsreels, 1942-1945 and Faces of the Second World War, 1941-1945 collections feature 2,500 photographic images and 106 video newsreels that bring to life many aspects of Canada's contributions to World War II, from combat and routine life on the front lines of France, Holland and beyond, to military training, war materials production, city building projects, and Armistice celebrations on home soil. 

At the onset of World War II, the Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau recommended the Army form a special film and photographic unit, to distribute material worldwide to boost morale and further the war effort. As a result, the Army created a public relations unit in 1940 that would become the basis for photographic units formed by all three military branches (The Army, Air Force and Navy). The resulting material created by these units – available in these collections on Ancestry – was circulated by a variety of local and international newspapers and newsreels.

Some highlights from the newsreel collection include:

• • A 1945 newsreel from Vancouver, BC, showing how "wartime speed" was employed to build a new home in a mere eight hours, creating new housing developments for the many shipyard and airfield workers who contributed to World War II from the Canadian homefront
  • A 1944 newsreel from Simcoe, ON, introducing local identical twins and flight lieutenants Alan and Eric Sherlock at RCAF Bomber Command after completing their second bombing operation overseas
  • A 1945 newsreel from Montreal, QC, where the famous Royal Highland Regiment, or Blackwatch of Canada, were given a hero's welcome with a full parade on St. James Street.

While digitised paper documents such as military service and casualty records provide important facts and information about our family connections to World War II, photo or video content adds further context to life at the time and may be able to offer people insight into their ancestors' experiences. Whether it's the muddy boots of a tired soldier serving in Europe, footage showing the scale of the war production in Canadian factories on the homefront or an image of a loving embrace as service men and women arrive back home on Canadian soil for this first time in years, these collections can help spark emotional connections to this period in time.    

Additionally, for the first time, information from these photographs and newsreels are indexed on Ancestry, making it easier for Canadians to directly search for their ancestors and connect these visual records to their family trees online.

Simon Pearce, military family history expert from Ancestry says, "Canada's military and civilians played a key role during WWII. Learning about the experiences of our ancestors during the conflict through amazing resources such as these photos and newsreels can help provide a personal connection to Remembrance Day and an understanding of how the conflict may have shaped our family histories. Now is the perfect time to explore collections such as these on Ancestry, so we can honour the memory of our ancestors and feel a deeper bond to the past."

To commemorate Remembrance Day, Ancestry is providing free access to all global military records on the site, including World War II Newsreels, 1942-1945 and Faces of the Second World War, 1941-1945, from November 1st to the 12th*, allowing Canadians to search through records, videos and images to discover the untold stories of how their ancestors may have supported the country's World War II effort.

Click on the media assets folder to access select images and newsreel footage from Ancestry's World War II Newsreels, 1942-1945 and Faces of the Second World War, 1941-1945 collections.

Visit www.ancestry.ca/remembrance to access Canadian Remembrance Day collections and explore your own family tree.

*Free access to global Ancestry® military records from 1 Nov - 11 2021 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Registration required. After the free access period ends, you will only be able to view the records in the featured collections using a paid Ancestry.ca membership. Terms apply.

About Ancestry®
Ancestry®, the global leader in family history and consumer genomics, empowers journeys of personal discovery to enrich lives. With our unparalleled collection of over 30 billion records and over 20 million AncestryDNA kits to date, customers can discover their family story. For over 30 years, we've built trusted relationships with millions of people who have chosen us as the platform for discovering, preserving and sharing the most important information about themselves and their families.

The following was written by the IAJGS (International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies) Records Access Alert mailing list:

Genomeweb reported on November 2, 2021 that a class-action lawsuit alleges Ancestry violated the rights of customers under a state genetic privacy law which forbids disclosure of their genetic information to unauthorized third parties without written consent.  To read the Genomeweb report see:

https://www.genomeweb.com/business-news/lawsuit-claims-genetic-testing-company-ancestry-violated-illinois-privacy-act

The posting states, “The suit was filed late last week by an Illinois minor called A.K. through his legal guardian Kelsi Kingsley in the US District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. It alleges that "thousands if not millions" of individuals' genetic information, including the defendant's, was illegally disclosed to Blackstone, the multinational private equity company that acquired Ancestry last year for $4.7 billion.”

The lawsuit specifically claims that Ancestry violated the plaintiffs' rights under the Illinois Genetic Information Privacy Act, or GIPA. Similar to the federal Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, or GINA, GIPA became law in Illinois in 2020. It provides that "persons, such as [the] defendant, may not release and/or disclose genetic testing and information derived from genetic testing to anyone other than the individual tested or to persons specifically authorized in writing."

The lawsuit states, Ancestry’s consumer genomics business "uses DNA collected from its customers' saliva to provide its customers with information about their heritage as well as genetically related health characteristics." This resulted in Ancestry.com collecting a "massive database of genetic information" that in part made it an attractive acquisition target for Blackstone.

The lawsuit alleges, that Blackstone acquired all of the accompanying information gathered by Ancestry including personal information that could be used to identify individual plaintiffs, including first and last names, email addresses, and/or home addresses, including age and gender in some instances.

the plaintiff is seeking an injunction requiring Ancestry to comply with GIPA; an award of damages, including statutory damages of $15,000 for each willful and/or reckless violation of GIPA or actual damages, whichever greater; an award of statutory damages of $2,500 for each negligent violation of GIPA or actual damages, whichever greater; as well as costs and attorneys' fees.

At the time of this posting there was no press release or blog post about this on the Ancestry site. Genomeweb said in their posting they received an emailed statement from an Ancestry spokesperson that  "Ancestry believes this suit is without merit and will vigorously defend against these baseless claims."

As reported previously, Ancestry announced earlier this year it would discontinue its next-generation sequencing-based consumer genomic offering and health service to focus nearly exclusively on family history and genetic genealogy.

To read the previous postings about Ancestry, DNA, mergers, privacy issues and more go to the archives of the IAJGS Records Access Alert at:  http://lists.iajgs.org/mailman/private/records-access-alerts/.

You must be registered to access the archives.  To register go to: http://lists.iajgs.org/mailman/listinfo/records-access-alerts and follow the instructions to enter your email address, full name and which genealogical

organization with whom you are affiliated   You will receive an email response that you have to reply to or the subscription will not be finalized.

Jan Meisels Allen
Chairperson, IAJGS Public Records Access Monitoring Committee

"Since its dedication on October 28, 1886, the Statue of Liberty has stood at the gateway to the United States as an icon of freedom and hope for people all over the world. With her torch soaring 305 feet over New York Harbor, this impressive statue was often the first glimpse of the United States spotted by immigrants arriving by sea. Many of these immigrants were fleeing oppression, poverty, and despair, and the Statue of Liberty was their first welcome to the new life they were about to begin in the Land of Opportunity.

"The Statue of Liberty was a gift to the United States from France. It was designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, and its metal framework was built by Gustave Eiffel (who also built the iconic tower in Paris that bears his name). The statue depicts Libertas, the Roman goddess of liberty, with a torch held high in her right hand and a tablet with the date of the U.S. Declaration of Independence inscribed in Roman numerals in her left."

You can learn a lot more about the Statue of Liberty in an article in the MyHeritage Blog at: https://blog.myheritage.com/2021/10/lady-liberty-the-statue-that-welcomed-millions-of-immigrants-to-america-turns-135/

The following press release was written by FamilySearch:

SALT LAKE CITY, UT—The FamilySearch Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, is moving to Phase 2 reopening plans. Beginning November 6, 2021, the library will expand its days of operation to include Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Phase 1 included Monday through Friday only). Starting the week of November 15, 2021, the library is tentatively scheduled to open on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. by appointment only.

Evening access will be limited to main floor services unless otherwise requested. Individuals, and youth, church, and genealogical groups will be able to make appointments. Group reservations for daytime hours are available now under the Visit Us tab on the Family History Library web page. Evening reservations will be available in the same manner as they become available. Appointments will be based on space and equipment availability for up to 150 people.

In recent months, the Family History Library has undergone major renovations and improvements to better serve guests. A newly completed visitor breakroom on the main floor provides more space and comfortable seating for guests to eat and relax and can comfortably accommodate groups. Tables and seating have been upgraded and additional vending machines provide a variety of food options.

The facilities on the research floors have been updated with more research materials, computer stations with multiple monitors, adjustable desktops, better ADA handicapped access, and an improved personal help system.

HOLIDAY SCHEDULE

Phase 2 hours will continue through the holiday season, and holiday activities will include the library’s traditional “Christmas Around the World” event. The library will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and from December 23 through 26. It will reopen on Monday, December 27 and remain open with Phase 2 hours through New Year’s Eve. The Family History Library web page will provide up-to-date information on hours and library activities.

FAMILY HISTORY CENTERS AND AFFILIATE LIBRARIES

FamilySearch family history centers and affiliate libraries around the world work in association with the Family History Library; however, their hours of operation are directed by their local ecclesiastical leaders and applicable government guidelines. If you plan to visit a local FamilySearch center soon, please call ahead to verify its hours of operation.

POPULAR SERVICES

Popular distance services will continue, including online one-on-one virtual consultations, library look-up services, FamilySearch Communities, and a growing selection of online classes and webinars.

The Family History Library is the flagship discovery facility of FamilySearch International and a popular destination. It serves beginner to professional family history patrons from all over the world and is a top tourist attraction for the state of Utah. It will continue to expand its hours of operation based on current conditions, staffing capacity, and ecclesiastical guidelines.

Find and share this announcement online in the FamilySearch Newsroom.

About FamilySearch

FamilySearch International is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch and its predecessors have been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources free online at FamilySearch.org or through over 5,000 family history centers in 129 countries, including the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

On a recent episode of the TV genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are? Josh Widdicombe discovered he was a descendant of Edward I, who died more than 700 years ago.

But he hasn't been the only example. Soap star Danny Dyer found on the BBC family history show he was related to Edward III, Alexander Armstrong was descended from William the Conqueror and the rower Sir Matthew Pinsent was another relative of Edward I.

So what's going on? Are the genes that put kings on thrones now producing a celebrity aristocracy? Or are these just remarkable and unusual, needle-in-a-haystack, coincidences?

What this really shows, according to genealogy experts, is that if you look back far enough a surprisingly high number of people will find a royal ancestor.

You can read a lot more in an article by Sean Coughlan published in the BBC News web site at: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-59041055. 

Today is the first day of the month. That is still a good time to back up your genealogy files. Then test your backups!

Your backups aren't worth much unless you make a quick test by restoring a small file or two after the backup is completed.

Actually, you can make backups at any time. However, it is easier and safer if you have a specific schedule. The first day of the month is easy to remember, so I would suggest you back up your genealogy files at least on the first day of every month, if not more often. (My computers automatically make off-site backups of all new files every few minutes.)

Given the events of the past few months with genealogy websites laying off employees and cutting back on services, you now need backup copies of everything more than ever. What happens if the company that holds your online data either goes off line or simply deletes the service where your data is held? If you have copies of everything stored either in your own computer, what happens if you have a hard drive crash or other disaster? If you have one or more recent backup copies, such a loss would be inconvenient but not a disaster.

Of course, you might want to back up more than your genealogy files. Family photographs, your checkbook register, all sorts of word processing documents, email messages, and much more need to be backed up regularly. Why not do that on the first day of each month? or even more often?

The following announcement was written by Findmypast:

Findmypast are conjuring up witchcraft and wrongdoings in Scotland's past this week. What spine-tingling stories will you discover?

Here's what's new on the most frightening Findmypast Friday of the year.

Scotland, Names of Witches 1658

In this small but fascinating collection, you’ll find details on some of those accused of witchcraft in early modern Scotland.

1563’s Witchcraft Act made consorting with witches or taking part in witchcraft a crime punishable by death in Scotland. Around 1,500 people were executed, most of them women, until the last Scottish witch trial in 1727.

Scotland, Court & Criminal Database

Unlock criminals and victims in your Scottish family tree with this detail-rich collection. The records include names, occupations, addresses and information about the crimes.

This resource comprises prison records, precognitions and trial papers from all over Scotland, as well as the Fife Kalendar of Convicts. From fiends and felons to bone-chilling revelations, where will the dark side of your Scottish family story take you?

Newspapers

This week, Findmypast have added 19 new papers, including 13 from Scotland. The latest arrivals include:

• • Annandale Herald and Moffat News covering 1889-1892
  • Ayr Observer covering 1844, 1883, 1886-1887, 1889-1890 and 1892
  • Bridge of Allan Reporter covering 1890-1892
  • Courier and West-End Advertiser covering 1869-1880
  • Crieff Journal covering 1891-1892
  • Dufftown News and Speyside Advertiser covering 1898-1922 and 1935-1961
  • Edinburgh Evening Dispatch covering 1886-1892, 1894-1895 and 1897
  • Edinburgh News and Literary Chronicle covering 1848-1863
  • Evening Gazette (Aberdeen) covering 1882-1883, 1886-1889, and 1891-1892
  • Glasgow Property Circular and West of Scotland Weekly Advertiser covering 1879, 1883, 1886-1887, and 1890-1891
  • London and Liverpool Advertiser covering 1847
  • London News Letter and Price Current covering 1859-1865
  • London Weekly Investigator covering 1855-1857
  • North British Advertiser & Ladies’ Journal covering 1879, 1882-1883, 1885-1886, and 1889-1892
  • Northern Advertiser (Aberdeen) covering 1891-1892
  • Scottish Leader covering 1888 and 1890-1893
  • Scottish Press covering 1849-1850, 1852-1854, 1856-1857, 1859-1860 and 1862
  • Tichborne News and Anti-Oppression Journal covering 1872
  • Town and Country Advertiser covering 1834-1836

While 15 publications have been updated with extra pages, including:

• • Aberystwyth Observer from 1898
  • Greenock Herald from 1853, 1858, 1863, 1868 and 1878
  • Harborne Herald from 1896
  • Kentish Weekly Post or Canterbury Journal from 1726-1733, 1735-1741, 1743-1764, and 1767-1768
  • Kilmarnock Weekly Post and County of Ayr Reporter from 1856-1863
  • Lynn Advertiser from 1994
  • Newark Advertiser from 1992
  • Rhos Herald from 1898
  • Seren Cymru from 1895
  • South Wales Argus from 1911
  • South Wales Weekly Argus and Monmouthshire Advertiser from 1898 and 1910
  • St. Austell Star from 1897
  • Stamford Mercury from 1916
  • Suffolk and Essex Free Press from 1994
  • Warminster Herald from 1858, 1870-1871, 1875-1876, 1881, and 1885-1886