If you have Acadian heritage in your family tree, you may find some of your ancestors in a book produced by Aroostook County genealogists. Those people might be difficult to find in any other records.

For those not familiar with Maine's geography, I will point out that Aroostook County is the northernmost county in the state, bordering New Brunswick and Quebec provinces. It is also (by far) the largest county in the state and the least populated. For many years, it was also disputed territory, claimed by both the United States and by Great Britain (which felt it belonged to what today is called Canada).

By the way, I used to live in Aroostook County and I later identified a number of my ancestors in a book produced by Aroostook County genealogists.

NOTE: During the War of 1812, the British occupied most of eastern Maine, including Washington County, Hancock County, and parts of Penobscot County, Maine, for eight months, intending to permanently annex the region into British North America as New Ireland. That plan obviously never succeeded. 

The disputed claims of which country governed the territory was settled by negotiations between British diplomat Baron Ashburton and United States Secretary of State Daniel Webster who quickly settled the dispute.

The Webster–Ashburton Treaty of 1842 established the final boundary between the countries, giving most of the disputed area to Maine while a militarily vital connection between Lower Canada and the Maritime colonies was secured by Britain, as well as a project for a commercial right-of-way that would allow British commercial interests to transit through Maine on their way to and from southern New Brunswick or Nova Scotia.

Prior to the treaty that was signed in 1842, the territory was settled by both Americans and Canadians (mostly Acadians). There were few legal restrictions; most of the settlers felt they (and their governments) had a legal right to live there. Because of the disputed territorial claims, very few government agents or employees would ever set foot in the area. These agents and employees from both governments were afraid of being arrested and then incarcerated as "foreign spies."

These "government agents or employees" who would not set foot in the area included census enumerators (those who record the census records). As a result, most of the families living in the area were never listed in the U.S. census records of 1790 through 1840. (The first Canadian coast-to-coast census was not taken until 1881.)

The families that were never documented in U.S. census records were primarily French-speaking Acadians families who had earlier escaped the British Army following the British victory after the Seven Years' War fought between England and France. The British took command of what had been known as Acadia (including present-day regions of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, the Magdalen Islands, and Prince Edward Island).

The book “The Families of the Upper St. John Valley in 1790” contains information regarding 68 families that were not included in the United States’ first census in 1790, compiled and published in 2014 by members of the Aroostook County Genealogical Society.

The 172-plus-page softcover book documents families on both sides of the St. John River, and includes information from all of the known original Acadian families. Some land deed reproductions along with basic details — like marriages and deaths — are included. This publication is a compilation of all the known original families now contained in one volume.

From this small community, literally thousands of descendants are scattered to the four corners of North America. Each chapter includes the head of household, their spouse(s) and their respective parents, their children, and who they married. Other information that will be found is the head of household’s occupation(s), applicable crown land grant(s) and acreage received. Most of this information is not available elsewhere.

The book “The Families of the Upper St. John Valley in 1790” might be found in public libraries in the former Acadian cities and towns but probably will not be found elsewhere. However, you can purchase a copy directly from the Aroostook County Genealogical Society at https://ac-gs.org/publications-for-sale/ for ($34 + $11 shipping & handling) USD funds.

To find out if a person you are searching for is in this book, click here: 1790 Families Name Listing. 

Hampshire County Council is to make more than 500 years of historic records free to access at its libraries and record office from next year.

The council has signed an agreement with Ancestry, the largest family history site in the UK, to digitise parish registers and probate records.

The registers comprise Church of England baptisms, marriages and burials for Hampshire parishes in Winchester Diocese dating from 1536 to 1921.

You can read more at https://bit.ly/3GPskho.

The world has lost one of the leaders in Hispanic Genealogy.

Here is an excerpt from the obituary of Eugene Lewis Torres:

"Eugene was a man of many things, and he helped many who knew him. He grew up learning the ways of a ranch, was a jet airplane mechanic in the Air Force, studied at the Colorado State University and became a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. For Most of his life he had been caring for animals, but the one thing he was even more passionate about, was being a genealogist. He was a trendsetter in Hispanic Genealogy in the area of Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado. He helped form the Genealogical Society of Hispanic America, an organization with chapters from California to Colorado."

You can read the entire obituary at: https://legcy.co/3yA9E2g.

It is amazing to think about the changes during the lifetimes of our ancestors. However, we rarely get to hear those ancestors describe the differences themselves. There is one exception: YouTube has a video of a fascinating interview with an 87-year-old farmer that was recorded on film in 1929.

The man admits to having been born and raised in the first half of the previous century (it must have been in 1842). He then compares the changes in his life since the invention of telegraph, typewriter, automobiles, electric lights, and airplanes.

My favorite quote from the interview? "You boys think you're living in just the best time of the world's history, but it's no better than [what] our father's had."

You can watch the (colorized) interview of the old-timer at: https://youtu.be/0yf_c0LYNOw.

If you, like me, "collect" humorous and unusual obituaries, here is one for your collection. It's long, but worth the read. I never met Renay Mandel Corren, but, after reading her obituary, I wish I had.

Here is an excerpt:

"There will be a very disrespectful and totally non-denominational memorial on May 10, 2022, most likely at a bowling alley in Fayetteville, NC. The family requests absolutely zero privacy or propriety, none what so ever, and in fact encourages you to spend some government money today on a 1-armed bandit, at the blackjack table or on a cheap cruise to find our inheritance."

You can read the entire obituary at https://www.fayobserver.com/obituaries/m0028451.

My thanks to newsletter reader Victor T. Jones, Jr. for telling me about  this obit.

The following is a press release issued by the (U.S.) National Archives:

Washington, DC

In accordance with President Biden’s directive of October 22, 2021, the National Archives today posted 1,491 documents subject to the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (JFK Act).  Released documents are available for download.

The John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection, established by the National Archives in November 1992, consists of approximately five million pages. The vast majority of the collection has been publicly available without restrictions on access since the late 1990s. As permitted by the JFK Act, agencies appealed to the President to continue postponement of certain information beyond October 22, 2021. The President provided agencies with a temporary certification until December 15, 2022, to allow for a review of all documents withheld in full or in part under section 5 of the JFK Act and directed agencies to “to ensure that the United States Government maximizes transparency, disclosing all information in records concerning the assassination, except when the strongest possible reasons counsel otherwise.”

As of December 15, 2021, all documents subject to section 5 of the JFK Act have been released in full or in part. No documents subject to section 5 of the JFK Act remain withheld in full. Over the next year, the National Archives and the agencies proposing continued postponement of more than 14,000 previously withheld documents will be conducting an intensive review of each remaining section 5 redaction to ensure that the United States Government maximizes transparency. Any information currently withheld from public disclosure that agencies do not propose for continued postponement beyond December 15, 2022, will be released to the public on that date. 

Online Resources:

The President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection

Documenting the Death of a President

JFK Assassination Records Review Board

JFK Assassination Records FAQs

Warren Commission Report

On the cusp of turning 70 Linda learned that she wasn’t an only child after all, not only that but her newfound sister, Cheryl, was a former co-worker and good friend.

Linda and Cheryl’s story aired recently on the Today Show. If you didn’t get to see Anne Thompson’s report on the sisters take a moment and check it out here:

For Cheryl learning that her father, the man who raised her, wasn’t her biological father was a shock. But reconnecting with her old friend Linda and learning that they were in fact sister, has been a joy.

“It’s been a blessing really,” she said.

Not only have the two reconnected but they learned that for a couple of months each year they live just a mile apart making it that much easier to get reacquainted and build memories as sisters and friends.

You can watch a video about this story at: https://on.today.com/3F3ILpM.

The Jamaican Jewish Cemeteries Preservation Fund (JJCPF) launched its database of Jewish burial grounds in Jamaica today. Volunteers conducted extensive cataloguing of the sites across the island between 2008 and 2017. They recorded 33 burial locations including synagogue-purchased cemeteries, family burial grounds, those that were sold and no longer exist, and plot markers which were part of an interment ground that is now on residential property.

Details may be found at: https://petchary.wordpress.com/2021/12/15/jamaican-jewish-cemeteries-preservation-fund-launches-its-database/.

One of three class action claims against Ancestry.com will continue as a result of a federal judge’s recent ruling.

Chicago judge Virginia Kendall on Dec. 7 allowed lawyers to pursue recovery for alleged violation of the Illinois Right of Publicity Act, while tossing claims made under the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act.

The lawsuit seeks to penalize Ancestry.com for using old yearbook photos without permission to advertise its pay service. Lawyers at Clifford Law Offices, Morgan and Morgan and Bursor & Fisher had defended their claims by pointing to a Seattle judge’s decision to let a similar case go forward against Whitepages.

Ancestry.com said it was protected from suit by the Communications Decency Act.

More information may be found at: https://legalnewsline.com/stories/614428335-ancestry-com-will-have-to-face-illinois-class-action-lawsuit.

A Northern District of California Magistrate Judge ruled against plaintiffs last Friday, dealing another blow to their efforts to hold Ancestry.com accountable for the alleged misappropriation of their names, images, and likenesses by the world’s biggest online genealogy company through its collection of their yearbook photos and information for commercial purposes.

After their case was dismissed for lack of constitutional standing and they appealed, the plaintiffs sought an indicative ruling from the court. The request asked Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler to either grant a motion to reconsider her dismissal ruling or make an indicative ruling that the motion presents a “substantial issue” and that she would accept remand from the Ninth Circuit to hear it.

In last week’s decision, the court said it would only partly consider the motion because of a lack of an underlying Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(b) “extraordinary circumstance” motion. “Because there is no pending Rule 60(b) motion, there is no basis for the court to say whether it would deny or grant the motion. The court can, however, state whether the proposed Rule 60(b) motion would raise a ‘substantial issue’ without tying ‘the district court to a particular ruling on the motion after remand,’” the court explained.

(Some) details may be found at https://lawstreetmedia.com/news/tech/court-denies-motion-for-indicative-ruling-in-ancestry-com-case/.