There is a family myth amongst tens of thousands of American families: "The family name was changed at Ellis Island." The stories claim the immigrant arrived at Ellis Island and was unable to communicate with the officials. A record was then created by someone who (undoubtedly did not speak the same language as the immigrant) assigned the immigrant a descriptive name.

WRONG!

This fairy tale refuses to die. Let's look at a few simple facts:

1. Passenger lists were not created at Ellis Island. They were created abroad, beginning close to the immigrant's home, when the immigrant purchased his ticket. In 99% of the cases, the clerk filling out the forms and creating the passenger list in "the old country" knew how to speak, read, and write your ancestor's language. That clerk filled in the proper name. In the case of Eastern European or Oriental languages, those forms even included the correct non-Roman characters. To be sure, spelling variations were common as the immigrants usually were illiterate and often didn't know their own alphabets or how to spell their own names in any language. The clerks wrote what they heard, which may or may not be the same spelling used elsewhere. In fact, there might not be a "correct" spelling. However, what was recorded ALWAYS sounded correct, especially when pronounced in the immigrant's language.

It is unlikely that anyone at the local steamship office in "the old country" was unable to communicate with the immigrant or his/her family. Names were most likely recorded with a high degree of accuracy at that time.

2. The idea that the immigrant was unable to communicate with officials at Ellis Island is ludicrous. In fact, one third of all immigrant inspectors at Ellis Island in the early twentieth century were themselves foreign-born, and all immigrant inspectors spoke at least three languages. In addition, Ellis Island and other ports of entry also hired an army of interpreters, most of them as part-time employees. These interpreters always (repeat: ALWAYS) could speak, read, and write the languages of other immigrants. If a new immigrant arrived and no interpreter was available for his or her particular language, that immigrant was detained at Ellis Island until a qualified interpreter was located and brought in for the interview. Most immigrants were processed through Ellis Island within a day or two but there were cases where immigrants were detained for several days until an interpreter became available and proper documentation could be completed. Nobody passed through the process without being interviewed by someone in a suitable language.

Immigrant being interviewed at Ellis Island by an Immigration Official and an Interpreter

3. The passenger lists were always prepared in "the old country" by steamship company officials. If any immigrant arrived at Ellis Island and provided a different name to officials from that provided on the passenger list, he or she was always denied entry. If a brief investigation could not clear up the mystery, the immigrant was shipped back to the old country on the steamship's return trip.

NOTE: Many immigrants were refused entry for a variety of reasons and were returned. Estimates seem to vary from 12% to 18% of all would-be immigrants were denied entry into the United States and instead were sent back to their originating countries. The fates of most of these returnees has not been well documented.

4. Later immigrants had to verify their correct names every year. Starting in July of 1940, the Alien Registration Act required every alien resident in the United States to register at their local Post Office in January. As part of the registration process, the immigrant had to provide ALL names by which he or she had ever been known, including his or her full name as used in "the old country" as well as the name used currently. Yes, that was true even if the "previous name" was written in Russian, Arabic, Chinese, or other letters. Alien Registration requirements applied to all aliens over the age of fourteen, regardless of nationality and regardless of immigration status.

Despite these facts, the Ellis Island name-change story (or Castle Garden, or Angel Island, or any other Port of Entry, or earlier versions of the same story) is as American as apple pie. However, there is little to no truth to these stories.

When Did the Names Change?

After processing through Ellis Island and settling within the United States, many immigrants DID change their names. In numerous cases, the names were changed for them by public officials, schoolteachers, shopkeepers, and neighbors. Anyone from Eastern Europe, with a name LONG on consonants and short on vowels, learned that his name often got in the way of a job interview or became the subject of ridicule at his child's school. Any change that might smooth their way to the American dream was seen as a step in the right direction. In most cases, these later name changes were made without court papers or any other official recognition.

In any case, the records at Ellis Island and other ports of entry always contained the original names, although with frequent spelling variations.

The following is an announcement from TheGenealogist:

[TheGenealogist’s Map Explorer on a mobile phone, using the “Locate Me” feature whilst visiting Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire. Cycling through a Modern Satellite Image, Modern Map, 1890’s OS Map and 1838 Tithe Map ]

Over 30 counties of georeferenced Tithe Maps have been added to date!

TheGenealogist’s Map Explorer™, the resource for researchers to turn to when searching for an ancestor’s landholding whether owned or simply occupied, has been boosted with the significant addition of georeferenced Tithe Maps for Anglesey, Durham, Devon, Shropshire, Somerset, Suffolk and Wiltshire.

From cottages with gardens to acres of farmed land and country estates, the addition of georeferenced Tithe maps as a layer over modern and other historical maps will allow researchers to see how the landscape changed over time. Map Explorer™ gives the researcher the ability to switch between layers of tithe, historical and modern maps which are all tied to coordinates and so allow the user the ability to see how places change over the years.

From a plot identified on the tithe map it is possible to click through to then see the description as it was recorded in the apportionment record at the time, thus revealing more about what an ancestor’s holding had been. Using Map Explorer™ the family historian can browse an ancestor’s area to find other plots that they owned or occupied. Alternatively, TheGenealogist’s Master Search can be used to look for ancestors’ plots across the tithe records and then view them on Map Explorer™.

Lacock Abbey on a tithe map accessed on a mobile phone

Subscribers accessing TheGenealogist on their mobile devices while out walking can use the “locate me” function when using the tool on the move and so open up the history of what is around them. This is explored further in their featured article (see the link below).

• • Total number of maps in this release is 2,738

  • Total number of Tithe maps in Map Explorer™ is now 9,710

  • Map Explorer™ has over four million viewable records indicated by Map Pins

  • TheGenealogist’s Map Explorer™ displays maps for historical periods up to the modern day.

The addition to Map Explorer™ this week of the black and white tithe maps for Anglesey, Durham, Devon, Shropshire, Somerset, Suffolk and Wiltshire, linked to the apportionment books, will enable researchers to discover ancestors who both owned or occupied property between 1837 and the 1850s, with some additional altered apportionments in later years when property was sold or divided. The records allow TheGenealogist’s Diamond subscribers to find details of the plots, the owners of the land, as well as the occupiers at the time of the survey while also identifying the actual plots on the maps. Tithes usefully record all levels of society from large estate owners to occupiers of small plots such as a homestead or a cottage.

With this addition, Map Explorer™ now features colour tithe maps for the counties of Buckinghamshire, Cumberland, Essex, Huntingdonshire, Middlesex, Northumberland, Rutland, Surrey, Westmorland, the City of York as well as North and East Ridings of Yorkshire plus black and white maps for Anglesey, Berkshire, Cambridge, Cheshire, Durham, Devon, Dorset, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Somerset, Staffordshire Suffolk, Yorkshire West Riding and Wiltshire.

See TheGenealogist’s article: Traveling back in time with MapExplorer™ in your hand:

https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2021/traveling-back-in-time-with-mapexplorer-in-your-hand-1386/

Find out more at TheGenealogist.co.uk/maps/

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 Findmypast:

Dig deeper into your Irish heritage with employment and poor law records from the Emerald Isle. Here is what's new this Findmypast Friday.

Ireland, Dublin Guinness Brewery Employees

Did your ancestor work for one of Ireland’s most iconic brands? Discover occupations, birth and death dates, spouse names and more.

Arthur Guinness established his brewery at St James's Gate, Dublin in 1759 by signing a now-defunct 9,000-year lease for £45 a year. Since then, thousands of Dubliners have worked at the famous landmark. If your relatives were among them, this collection is a must-search.

Clare Poor Law Unions Board of Guardians Minute Books

Findmypast have added over 500,000 records to this County Clare collection, a fascinating resource if you have family ties in the region.

The detailed records cover workhouses in Clare's Corofin, Ennis, Ennistymon and Kilrush Poor Law Unions. In them, you'll find information on the day-to-day running of the institutions with mentions of inmates, staff and suppliers.

Leicestershire Parish Records

Privacy rules have allowed Findmypast to release another tranche of baptism, marriage, banns and burial records from churches across Leicestershire.

As with all of their parish record collections, Findmypast have compiled a handy list showing exactly what's new and the timeframes covered.

Newspapers

Findmypast’s newspaper releases continue the distinctly Irish theme this week. This latest update includes published nine new papers from Ireland and updated five others with additional pages. Hot off the press from Ireland are:

• • Bankrupt & Insolvent Calendar covering 1846, 1850-1866
  • Bassett’s Chronicle covering 1863-1884
  • Belfast Weekly Telegraph covering 1873-1893, 1895-1914, 1917
  • Cashel Gazette and Weekly Advertiser covering 1865-1866, 1868-1887, 1889-1893
  • Evening Irish Times covering 1880-1895
  • Evening News (Dublin) covering 1859-1862
  • Fermanagh Times covering 1881-1886, 1888, 1891-1900
  • Mayo Examiner and West of Ireland Agricultural and Commercial Reporter and Advertiser covering 1868-1882, 1884, 1886-1903
  • Ulster Football and Cycling News covering 1888-1896

While this week’s supplemented papers include:

• • Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) from 1888
  • Drogheda Conservative from 1889 and 1897-1908
  • General Advertiser for Dublin, and all Ireland from 1837-1841, 1846-1852, 1856-1866, 1874, 1885 and 1897-1923
  • Southport Visiter from 1910
  • Y Tyst from 1881

The 41^st Annual International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) Conference will be held in historic in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from August 2 through 5, 2021. The plans for the 2021 Conference have changed from previous conferences as well. The 2021 event will be more focused over a shorter time frame—now four days and nights at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown Hotel. One major change is that it will include a virtual component.

The conference will feature more than 100 speakers, with more than 250 sessions covering virtually every aspect of Jewish genealogy.

Ken Bravo of South Euclid, president of the IAJGS, will preside over the conference.

The keynote speaker will be Michael Hoberman, professor of American literature at Fitchburg State University in Fitchburg, Mass., and author of New Israel/New England: Jews and Puritans in Early America and A Hundred Acres of America: The Geography of Jewish American Literature.

You can read more at: https://s4.goeshow.com/iajgs/annual/2021/index.cfm.

Most experienced genealogists are aware of the major "online powerhouses" that contain text or even images of millions of historical records. Such web sites include MyHeritage.com, FamilySearch.org, Ancestry.com, Findmypast.com, Fold3.com, Archives.gov, EllisIsland.org, FreeBMD.org.uk, WikiTree.com, and many more. However, I suspect many of us "old pros" might be overlooking some of the most valuable research sites of all.

If you haven't looked at your favorite search engines, I would suggest you check out what is available. You may be pleasantly surprised.

You might check Google.com*, Bing.com, Baidu.com, Yahoo.com, Yandex.ru, Ask.com, or DuckDuckGo.com.

*NOTE: I usually avoid the use of Google because of all the privacy issues with that service. Admittedly, most of the other search engines have somewhat similar issues. Luckily, there is one delightful exception. I always use DuckDuckGo.com as my default search engine simply because of that company doesn't invade users' privacy by tracking the users and then selling their private information to other companies. See https://duckduckgo.com/ for the details.

Actually, I have used search engines for years to find all sorts of online information, including info about living and deceased people. However, I have to admit I haven't used the search engines to find genealogy information as much in recent years as I used to. The reason? I simply forgot. In fact, I am rather embarrassed to admit that. I got so wrapped up in the "sophisticated" web sites listed earlier that I usually forgot about the more common search engines.

However, I recently experienced a memory-jarring "reminder." I wasn't using the simplest of all tools, one that also often produces excellent results. Perhaps you need a reminder also so here is my (updated) recommendation.

My most recent experience involved a search for information about my own father. OK, obviously I already knew a lot about him but not everything. My father passed away 31 years ago and I certainly remember a lot of detailed information about him. However, he died several years before the invention of the World Wide Web. Could the Web provide any information about a man who never heard of the Web?

A relative of mine and I were discussing my father’s life recently and we both knew he belonged to a certain men's fraternal organization but neither my relative nor I remembered all the details. I had a vague recollection that Dad was a "grand master" (or a similar title) of the local lodge for several years. My relative stated, "I don't remember that." I certainly did not remember the details either.

A quick check of my favorite search engine refreshed memories I had not thought about for 31 years. Yes, Dad was the "grand master" for quite a number of years, according to the rather lengthy description of that lodge listed online.

Later, I started performing searches on several other deceased relatives: aunts, uncles, cousins, and even information about my great-great-grandfather who died in 1887. I even picked up some new (to me) information about great-great-granddad.

After poking around online looking for ancestral information, I found the searches worked well for people who lived the last half of the twentieth century. As I looked for older and older information, I found less and less information was available but occasionally bits and pieces of information could still be found. Even my great-great-grandfather, a farmer who died in 1887, more than 100 years before the invention of the World Wide Web, was listed with several significant facts about his life.

For information about politicians, royalty, senior military officers, and other notable individuals, you may occasionally find limited information even back into the Middle Ages.

NOTE: When I searched for my great-great-grandfather's name, I wasn't expecting much. Luckily, another person who is a genealogist and appears to be a very distant cousin of mine had posted information about HER ancestor who just happened to be the same man. Her online data provided me with two (probably) accurate facts about great-great-granddad that I did not know previously.

My task for this summer is to visit his grave in Maine and then visit the local town clerk's office to see if I can verify the information.

In my father’s case, he had a rather common name. When I searched for his name, I found more than a dozen people listed who had the same first and last names. However, his middle name was unique. I had no difficulty in finding the several records about him that I wanted. If he had an even more common name (How many John Smiths are listed?), I probably could have narrowed the search by adding the name of the town where he lived, the state, his occupation, or other identifying information.

Summation:

Information may be found wherever you might find it. Yes, the online genealogy sites are excellent sources of information and I probably will continue to use them frequently. However, once I exhaust the obvious searches, I will start looking for less obvious sources of information. However, I will never refer to the World Wide Web as "less obvious." Indeed, it will be one of the more valuable resources that needs to be checked.

I hope you will do the same.

I have mentioned the Virtual FHF REALLY USEFUL Family History Show before (at https://eogn.com/page-18080/10177380) but the show organizers now have updated some of the information and released the following updated version of the plans:

Family historians are booking for the second FHF REALLY USEFUL Family History Show, to be hosted by the Family History Federation and Parish Chest on Saturday 10^th April. The show builds on the success of the first Show held last November.

Opportunity to place questions for “Ask the Experts” will close on 26^th March – don’t delay! However, is a question specific to an area covered by one of the societies attending the Show? Each society has a wealth of knowledge and information for their area of work. Do check out the Exhibitor Hall!

There are over twenty top presentations on a wide range of genealogical topics. Plus over seventy exhibitors – societies and commercial stands - confirmed who will be actively manning their booths and delighted to discuss topics with visitors.

Remember that many talks will be available for up to seven days from opening of the show giving attendees ample time to visit exhibitors on the day then catch up on talks later.

Regular updates will be on:

https://www.fhf-reallyuseful.com

A raft of expert presentations, opportunity to ask your questions (perhaps bring down that brick wall), join a workshop and to investigate what leading vendors have available for the show…All this with one ticket and without leaving your armchair!

All inclusive tickets are just £10 per person

BOOK NOW to visit the festival of Really Useful things for family historians!

www.fhf-reallyuseful.com

www.familyhistoryfederation.com

Postal address: FHF, PO Box 62, Sheringham NR26 9AR

‘Family History Federation’ is the operating name of the Federation of Family History Societies

Registered Charity Number 1038721.

FFHS Services Ltd is a company limited by guarantee, company number 2930189 (England & Wales).

Registered Office: 2 Primrose Avenue, Urmston, Manchester M41 OTY

The following announcement was written by the Genealogical Society of Ireland:

At the 30th Annual General Meeting of the Genealogical Society of Ireland held on Tuesday March 9th 2021, Rosslare Harbour based Member, John Goggins, was unanimously elected as the 9th Cathaoirleach (Chairperson) of the Genealogical Society of Ireland which was founded in October 1990 to promote the study of genealogy, heraldry, vexillology, and related subjects.

John Goggins was born in Dún Laoghaire and educated by the Christian Brothers and at UCD and DCU. He moved to Rosslare Harbour, Wexford in 1973 with CIÉ and subsequently started his own successful Customs Brokerage business.

He founded a local youth club which he ran for twenty years and he is now involved in the Mens Shed movement. He is a keen fly-fisherman and a woodturner and has always been an enthusiastic family historian.

He writes short stories and essays to complement his genealogical research and has read at various venues including Wicklow Writers, De Barra’s in Cork and in Vermont USA.

He has renewed his life-long love of the Irish language in the past few years and enjoys using the cúpla focail at every opportunity.

The President of the Society, London based, Stuart Rosenblatt, PC, FGSI, warmly congratulated John Goggins on his election and wished him every success in the year ahead.

John Goggins takes the helm of the Society in a challenging time with the Covid-19 restrictions keeping An Daonchartlann - the Society's Archive and Research Centre based at DLR Leisure Centre Loughlinstown, closed to visitors and its two Open Meetings each month now held via Zoom. Although, the Zoom Open Meetings are proving to be immensely popular with Members from all around the world now participating in the activities of the Society from the comforts of their own fireside - giving an added meaning to 'Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin'.

The following announcement was posted to the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies’ Public Records Access Monitoring Committee’s mailing list and is republished here with permission:

The Maine State Archives has launched its first-ever catalog of its holdings. Researchers can now search through its bureau’ listing of collections online. The Maine State Archives maintains approximately 100 million pages of official state records considered to be permanently valuable, such as bills introduced in the Legislature, Governor’s Executive Council Reports, election returns, deeds, maps, and military records through World War I.

The link is: https://archives.maine.gov/

However, when I tried “vital records” in the search field only for digital materials nothing appeared. They did appear when I tried search all record types, but not current records. This is because of the current embargo periods for vital records were established by a 2010 law: embargo periods of 75 years for birth; 25 years for death; 50 years for fetal death and 50 years for marriage.

Jan Meisels Allen
Chairperson, IAJGS Public Records Access Monitoring Committee

Where does the time go? The National Genealogical Society is already planning the 2022 Family History Conference?

Yes, it is just a bit more than 12 months away, the perfect time to do the planning. OK, here is the announcement from the NGS:

NGS 2022 FAMILY HISTORY CONFERENCE

OUR AMERICAN MOSAIC

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS–11:59 P.M. EDT ON 1 APRIL 2021

The National Genealogical Society 2022 Family History Conference, Our American Mosaic, will be held in Sacramento, California, 25-28 May 2022. The call for proposals opens on 1 December 2020 and closes on 1 April 2021 at 11:59 p.m. EDT.

Across the dramatic landscape that became America, our diverse ancestors each contributed a precious piece to the colorful design of our American mosaic. In the West, Native American cultures have thrived for thousands of years. While eighteenth-century American colonists were fighting for independence from Great Britain in the East, the Spanish were establishing missions and military outposts in what is now California. The discovery of gold near Sacramento in 1848 sparked a frenzy of migration to California from Asia, Mexico, and the eastern states. The lure of western skies has continued to the present day, attracting ranchers, Dust Bowl refugees, the Great Migration of African Americans from the South, immigrants fleeing poverty or persecution, and technology entrepreneurs.

Our family histories make each of us unique, and our separate stories are a shared history within our American mosaic. Attendees at the 2022 NGS Family History Conference in Sacramento will benefit from lectures and workshops to help build skills in methodology and the use of records and resources to advance their genealogical research.

Lecture Proposals

NGS encourages proposals on a variety of general and specific topics of interest to family historians from beginning to advanced levels. Conference tracks under consideration include the following:

NGS has a free webinar, Becoming a Better Conference Speaker: Proposals and Preparations, which can be found at the National Genealogical Society YouTube channel. Speakers are encouraged to view the video before beginning the proposal process. Topics covered include: Lecture Proposals, Presentation, Syllabus, Communicate, and Delivery.

NGS members will receive first consideration as speakers. Notifications for acceptance will be issued in the fall of 2021. Syllabus material, due 1 February 2022, is required for each lecture or workshop presentation and will be included in the syllabus distributed to all conference registrants. Speakers are expected to use electronic presentation programs and, provide their own digital projector, laptop, and connector to the projector cable. NGS will provide projector support, which consists of a VGA or HDMI cable, cart, and power strip. Internet connections will not be provided in lecture rooms.

Speakers who wish to submit lecture proposals may submit up to eight proposals electronically. The speaker compensation is described in detail here on the website. Each submitted proposal requires the following information:

Do not submit a proposed lecture that has been presented nationally or regionally in the last two years, is scheduled to be presented before May 2022, or is available for free online.

Submit a Proposal Today! >

Sponsored Lecture Proposals

If your genealogical organization would like to sponsor a lecture, submit proposals to NGS. If your organization would like to sponsor a luncheon, please contact eshifflett@ngsgenealogy.org. Do not use the sponsored lecture form.

According to an announcement from ScotlandsPeople:

Thousands of volumes of historical records from the collections of National Records of Scotland (NRS) are now available online for the first time, covering the years 1559 to 1900.

Images of more than a million pages from the kirk session and other court records of the Church of Scotland, containing details of key events in communities across the country, have been added to ScotlandsPeople, NRS’s online research service.

Drainie kirk session minutes, 1707, CH2/384/2, page 3

These records offer remarkable insights into the everyday lives of ordinary Scots, recording important moments such as births, marriages and deaths. The church also adjudicated on paternity of children and provided basic education, as well as disciplining parishioners for what could be called anti-social behaviour – drunkenness, cursing and breaking the Sabbath.

The newly-added records also include accounts of how people dealt with exceptional historical events such as:

• wars
• witchcraft trials
• epidemics
• crop failures
• extreme weather

Further details may be found at https://www.historyscotland.com/history/scottish-history/over-1-million-records-from-the-collections-of-national-records-of-sco#.