If you have any Jewish ancestors in Australia, you will be interested in a valuable new resource planned to go online soon:

Sandhurst, Victoria Hebrew Congregation synagogue

A new initiative will digitize and open free digital access to 180 years of Australian Jewish newspapers, including over 200,000 pages from Jewish communities across the continent. The project is a collaboration between the National Library of Australia (NLA), the National Library of Israel (NLI), and the Australian Jewish Historical Society (AJHS).

The new digital collection will be openly accessible and fully searchable from anywhere in the world through Trove, Australia’s free online research portal, and the Historical Jewish Press Project (JPress), the world’s leading digital collection of Jewish newspapers and journals. The new digital collection will offer scholars and the wider community the opportunity to understand centuries of Jewish life in Australia as never before.

You can learn more in an article by David Israel in the JewishPress.com website at https://bit.ly/3dpC1pu.

The following announcement is an excerpt from a much longer article in the MyHeritage Blog at: https://blog.myheritage.com/2020/10/myheritage-releases-major-collection-of-historical-norway-church-records-1815-1938/ 

The following reviews were written by Bobbi King:

These handy 4-page research guides, laminated 8x11 pages, durable and portable, are quick references for beginners and reminder references for experienced researchers. They’re authored by experts in their fields, and updated versions contain new information. The guides are published by Genealogical Publishing Company, and are 2020 editions.

Swedish Genealogy Research
By Robert Johnson
The introduction covers Swedish immigration periods, 1638–1655 and 1850–1930, and the availability of migration records. The following sections review the Swedish language and naming customs, and repositories and online sources. A large portion of the guide covers major record sources, such as moving records, tax records, census records, and more.

Finding Eastern European Jewish Ancestors
By Janette Silverman
This is a new publication. Who Are Jews introduces the content, followed by Finding Jewish Immigrant Ancestors, and she describes Why Identifying Ashkenazic Immigrants is so Difficult using names, places, disappearing ancestors, and dates. Record Sources includes advice on finding print and online records, and Major Repositories offers names and addresses of six major sites for research.

German Genealogy Research, Updated Edition
By Ernest Thode.
Ernest Thode enjoys a reputation of high authority on German genealogy research. He’s updated this guide containing sections on German emigration, the passenger lists, and unlocking German family history using places, surnames, given names, and dates. He covers German record sources and online resources.

Scottish Genealogy Research, Updated Edition
By David Dobson
David Dobson is one of the most published compilers and authors in the field of Scottish genealogy, and this, his updated guide, offers current information on Scottish emigration background, passenger lists, surnames, basic and supplementary sources, and online sources. His expertise is unquestioned.

Mexico Genealogy Research
By Debbie Gurtier
The first section covers naming patterns, and the next section on jurisdictional background looks to be very helpful. The Basic Genealogical Sources covers research ideas on civil registration, Catholic records, and census records. Sections on Immigration, Supplementary Record Sources, and Online Resources offer print and online sources. The section about Language Aids offers guidance on reading and translating Spanish handwritten records.

The At A Glance Guides series are available from the publisher, the Genealogical Publishing Company, at https://genealogical.com.

The following announcement was written by FamilySearch:

Explore 1.5M new historical Ohio Voter Records (1893–1960), and over 600K New York, Index to Passenger Lists (1897–1902) and New York, Southern District Naturalization Records (1824–1946), at  FamilySearch this week. Additional records were added to the United States collections (CA, DC, HI, IA, KS, MS, MI, NJ, NY, OK, SC, TX, VA, and WA), Mexico, Aguascalientes Catholic Church Records (1601-1962), Bolivia Catholic Church Records (1566–1996), Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Guatemala, Norway, Nova Scotia, Peru, Puerto Rico, and South Africa.

Search these new records and images by clicking on the collection links below, or go to FamilySearch to search over 8 billion free names and record images.

For years, the historical papers of a Peruvian peasants’ rights group sat heaped in piles on the floor of a house in downtown Lima — threatened by pests, political foes, thieves and natural disasters, but largely off limits to scholars and the public.

A new project led by UC Davis historian Charles Walker will digitize documents of the Peruvian Peasant Confederation (Confederación Campesina del Perú, or CCP) and make them accessible online.

You can learn more in an article by Kathleen Holder in the UCDavis web site at: https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/historians-digitize-endangered-peruvian-archive/.

Note: This article is about a planned future digitization effort, not one that is available today.

I find it amazing that President John Tyler who was president of the United States from 1841 to 1845, had living grandchildren until a few days ago. That's a lot of years per generation!

Dr. Lyon Gardiner Tyler Jr. was born 63 years after his grandfather died. He was 95 when he died on Sept. 26 at a hospital in Franklin, Tenn., of complications from Alzheimer’s disease, said his daughter, Susan Selina Tyler.

You can read more in an article by Matt Schudel in the Washington Post at https://wapo.st/33LPPHx.

My thanks to newsletter reader Claire Bettag for telling me about this story.

An article by Alva Noë and published in the NPR web site is a few years old but it contains some basic facts about genealogy-related information contained in everyone's DNA. If you haven't read the article already, you might want to do so now.

Here are some of the facts mentioned in the article:

You share no DNA with the vast majority of your ancestors.

You have more ancestors — hundreds a few generations back, thousands in just a millennium — than you have sections of DNA.

You have 64 great-great-great-great-grandparents — but if you are a man, you share your Y-chromosome with only one of them.

The amount of DNA you pass on to your descendants roughly halves with each generation. It is a matter of chance which of your descendants actually carry any of your DNA.

You can read DNA, Genealogy And The Search For Who We Are at https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2016/01/29/464805509/dna-genealogy-and-the-search-for-who-we-are

The following announcement was written by Findmypast:

The following announcement was written by Findmypast:

Vital life event records from England and Jamaica plus a host of new and updated newspapers - here's what's new to Findmypast this week.

England & Wales Non-Conformist Births and Baptisms

Were your ancestors religious dissenters? Findmypast have added thousands of new Surrey Methodist records to this vast collection of more than 1.6 million Birth’s and Baptisms.

Each record contains both an image and a transcript of the original register. The amount of information varies, but you can generally find out the following about your non-conformist ancestors:

Historically, many non-conformists used their local parish church for registration purposes, despite their religious differences and even after the Toleration Act of 1689 granted the freedom to worship. Some non-conformists did keep their own registers, particularly for baptisms and burials in the period between 1689 and 1837, and it is these valuable records that make up this collection.

The original documents are all housed at The National Archives in Kew as part of their RG4, RG5, and RG8 series. There are more than 50 denominations covered; some of which existed only briefly and are no longer practiced today. The collection also includes a significant number of French Protestant or Huguenot records.

Jamaica life events

With improved search features, Findmypast’s Jamaican collection continues to grow. Explore over 780,000 new birth, baptism, marriage and death records to flesh out the Jamaican branches of your family tree.

Explore the collection as a whole or hone in on the record you need by searching each distinct record set:

Combine these latest releases with Findmypast’s exclusive archive of newspaper pages from the Royal Gazette of Jamaica to add detail and colour to your research.

Newspapers

Four new papers and generous updates to 12 others sees Findmypast’s newspaper collection continue to grow.

Brand new to the site this week are:

While thousands of new pages have been added to:

 

The following announcement was written by TheGenealogist:

Sandringham estate

TheGenealogist has added over 1.54 million individuals to their Norfolk Parish Record Collection and so increasing the coverage of this Eastern English county for family researchers to find their ancestors' baptisms, marriages and burial records.

These records are released in association with the Norfolk Record Office and have the benefit of high quality images to complement the transcripts, making them a valuable resource for those with ancestors from this area.

This new addition to the ever growing Parish Records collections on TheGenealogist are for fully searchable records of church registers from parishes in Norfolk. With records that reach back to the mid 16th century, this release allows family historians to find the names of forebears, their parents’ forenames, the father’s occupation (where noted), and the parish that the event took place in. Parish Records are one of the most important records for family historians to use when researching our ancestors, as they cover vital events before the introduction of civil registration for England and Wales in 1837.

Entry in the Parish Burial Register at Sandringham for Henry Cornish Henley, November 1773

This latest addition brings the total number of individuals in the parish records for Norfolk on TheGenealogist to over 11.5 million.

Burial transcript for Henry Cornish Henley November 1773 at St Mary Magdalene, Sandringham

As an example we can find the one time owner of the Sandringham estate, many years before it became the royal residence that it is today. In the Elizabethan era a manor was built on what is the site of the present house. By the 18th century, it had come into the possession of the Hoste Henley family who were descendants of Dutch refugees. In 1771 Henry Cornish Henley cleared the site to build a Georgian mansion, Sandringham Hall.

Using the Parish Records on TheGenealogist we are able to find the burial record for this gentleman and see that it was in 1773. It would seem that Henley died before the House was completed and so then it passed to his son, who would eventually sell it to a neighbour.

These new parish records are available as part of the Diamond Subscription at TheGenealogist.

This new release covers the following parishes:

Acle, Alby, Aldborough, Aldeby, Alderford, Antingham, Ashwellthorpe, Ashwicken with Leziate, Aslacton, Aylmerton, Aylsham, Babingley, Bacton, Banham, Banningham, Barford, Barney, Barton Bendish St Andrew and St Mary with All Saints, Bebingley, Beechamwell (alias Beachamwell), Beeston Regis, Belaugh, Billingford, Bixley, Blakeney, Blickling, Blofield, Bodney, Booton, Boughton, Bracon Ash, Bradfield, Brampton, Brancaster, Braydeston, Breckles, Briston, Brooke, Brundall, Buckenham, Bunwell, Burgh St Margaret and Billockby, Burgh St Peter, Burlingham St Edmund, Burnham Deepdale, Caister next Yarmouth, Caistor St Edmund with Markshall, Calthorpe, Carleton Rode, Castle Acre, Castle Rising, Castleacre, Caston, Chedgrave, Clippesby, Cockley Cley, Cockthorpe, Colkirk and Colkirk with Oxwick, Colney, Coltishall, Corpusty, Costessy, Cromer, Crownthorpe, Croxton, Denver, Dersingham, Dickleburgh with Langmere, Didlington, Diss, Docking, Downham Market, Drayton, Dunston, Earlham St Anne with St Elizabeth, Earlham St Mary and Earlham with Bowthorpe, East Carleton, East Dereham, East Tuddenham, Eaton St Andrew and Christchurch, Eccles, Edgefield, Edingthorpe, Erpingham, Fakenham, Felthorpe, Fersfield, Field Dalling, Filby, Flitcham, Flordon, Fordham, Foulsham, Framingham Earl, Freethorpe, Fundenhall, Gately, Gayton, Gayton Thorpe, Gaywood with Bawsey and Mintlyn, Geyton Thorpe, Gimingham, Gissing, Glandford, Great Ellingham, Great Hautbois, Great Hockham with Little Hockham, Great Massingham, Great Melton, Great Moulton St Michael with Little Moulton, Great Plumstead, Great Snoring, Great Witchingham with Little Witchingham, Great Yarmouth, Great Yarmouth St Andrews, Great Yarmouth St Nicholas, Great Yarmouth St Peter, Gresham, Grimston, Griston, Guestwick, Hackford, Hackford with Whitwell, Haddiscoe, Hales, Hampstone, Hapton, Hardley, Hargham, Hassingham, Haveringland, Heacham, Heckingham, Heigham Holy Trinity, Heigham St Barnabas with St Bartholomew, Heigham St Philip, Heigham St Thomas, Hellesdon, Hempnall, Hempstead by Holt, Hempton, Hevingham, Hickling, Hillington, Hingham, Hockering, Hockwold cum Wilton, Holme Hale, Holme next the Sea, Holt, Honingham, Horning, Horsford, Horsham St Faith and Newton St Faith, Howe, Howe with Little Poringland, Hunstanton St Edmund, Ickborough, Illington, Ingworth, Itteringham, Kelling, Kempston, Ketteringham, Kilverstone, King’s Lynn St John the Evangelist, King’s Lynn St Margaret with St Nicholas, Kirby Bedon, Kirstead with Langhale, Knapton, Lakenham (old) St John, Lakenham St Alban, Lammas with Little Hautbois, Langley, Limpenhoe, Lingwood, Little Barningham, Little Cressingham, Little Ellingham, Little Massingham, Little Plumstead, Little Snoring, Little Walsingham, Little Witchingham, Ludham, Martham, Mattishall, Mautby, Merton, Mile Cross St Catherine, Morley St Botolph with St Peter, Morningthorpe, Morton, Morton On The Hill, Moulton St Mary, Mulbarton, Mundesley, Narborough, Needham, New Buckenham, New Catton Christ Church, New Catton St Luke, New Lakenham St Mark, Newton Flotman, North Creake, North Elmham, North Lopham, North Tuddenham, North Walsham, North Wootton, Northwold, Norton Subcourse, Norwich St Andrew, Norwich St Augustine, Norwich St Benedict, Norwich St Catherine Mile Cross, Norwich St Clement with St Edmund, Norwich St Etheldreda, Norwich St George Colegate, Norwich St Giles, Norwich St Helen, Norwich St James with Pockthorpe, Norwich St John de Sepulchre, Norwich St John Timberhill with All Saints and St Michael at Thorn, Norwich St Julian, Norwich St Martin at Oak, Norwich St Martin at Palace, Norwich St Mary Coslany, Norwich St Mary in the Marsh, Norwich St Mary Magdalene with St James the Great with Pockthorpe, Norwich St Michael Coslany, Norwich St Paul, Norwich St Peter Mancroft, Norwich St Peter Parmentergate, Norwich St Saviour, Norwich St Stephen, Oby, Old Buckenham, Old Catton, Old Lakenham (St John with All Saints), Ormesby St Margaret with Scratby, Oulton, Overstrand, Oxwick All Saints, Paston, Poringland, Postwick, Pulham St Mary Magdalene Alias Pulham Market, Quidenham, Rackheath, Raveningham, Redenhall with Harleston and Wortwell, Reepham with Kerdiston, Ridlington, Ringstead St Andrew, Ringstead St Peter, Rollesby, Roughton, Roydon, Runcton Holme with South Runcton and Wallington, Runton, Saham Toney, Sandringham, Saxthorpe, Scottow, Scoulton, Sea Palling, Sedgeford, Seething, Shelfanger, Sheringham, Shimpling, Shingham, Shipdham, Shouldham, Shropham, Sidestrand, Snetterton, Snettisham, South Lynn All Saints, Southrepps, Spixworth, Sporle with Palgrave, Sprowston and Beeston St Andrew, Stalham, Stanhoe with Barwick, Stiffkey, Stoke Holy Cross, Stow Bedon, Stradsett, Strumpshaw, Suffield, Sutton, Swaffham, Swafield, Swainsthorpe, Swannington, Swanton Abbot, Tacolneston, Talconeston, Tharston, Thetford St Cuthbert, Thetford St Mary, Thetford St Peter, Thompson, Thorpe Abbotts, Thorpe Episcopi, Thorpe Hamlet, Thorpe Market, Thorpe next Haddiscoe, Threxton, Thurlton, Thurne with Ashby and Oby, Thwaite All Saints, Titchwell, Tivetshall St Mary and St Margaret, Toft Monks, Toftrees, Tottenhill, Tottington, Trowse, Trunch, Watlington, Watton, Weeting, Wells next the Sea, Wendling, Wereham, West Lexham, West Lynn, West Newton with Appleton, West Tofts, Westacre, Weston Longville, Weybourne, Wheatacre, Wickmere with Wolterton, Wilby, Winfarthing, Winterton with East Somerton, Witton (near Blofield), Witton (near North Walsham), Wolferton, Wood Dalling, Wood Norton, Woodton, Wormegay, Worthing, Wreningham, Wymondham.

The following is a message sent by the IAJGS Public Records Access Monitoring Committee and republished here with permission:

In 24 hours we have gotten the attention of  the NYC Department of Records & Information Services (DORIS) known to us as the Municipal Archives.  “…heard the positive news that DORIS does not "necessarily" intend to charge license fees for using genealogy records. DORIS recognizes the proposed changes are unclear and has indicated some clarifications will be made before the final rule is published. BUT...there is no guarantee that we will be consulted in advance on the FINAL RULE. Your comments are still NEEDED by October 23 as it still is not clear if personal usage of a vital record certificate is  still at risk beyond the purchase and use by one person.” 

The devil is in the details and we have not seen the changes in the proposed rule. Plus, it is VERY unique for an agency which proposes a rule to change the wording before a hearing, and whether that is considered “legal” or only the wording in the actual proposed rule at this point is  unknown.

The latest is posted by the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (NYG&B) and can be read at:

https://www.facebook.com/nyfamilyhistory/posts/3392122924143166

You do not have to be a subscriber to Facebook to access the post. 

This is the wording of the post: 

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Wow! What an impact many of you have made in just 24 hours. BUT WE NEED EVERYONE'S COMMENTS IN THE PUBLIC RECORD by October 23.   

In response to your initial comments, we heard the positive news that DORIS does not "necessarily" intend to charge license fees for using genealogy records. DORIS recognizes the proposed changes are unclear and has indicated some clarifications will be made before the final rule is published. BUT...there is no guarantee that we will be consulted in advance on the FINAL RULE.       

While the application of licensing fees may not apply to vital records, it is not clear if personal usage of a vital record certificate is still at risk beyond the purchase and use of the certificate by one person. 

As written, the rules limit individual use of these records, "Reproductions are provided for the researcher's personal use only. Reproductions may not be reduplicated, published, or transferred to another individual or institution." 

We still need to consider that we do not know what we will find in the final rule before publication. This is also about the wider licensing wording, e.g. "permission to use", and the restrictive language and fees that apply to other "archival sources" which are public records at MUNI.  As written, the rules still require a license for educational, scholarly, non-profit, and media use.

Clarification is needed here: genealogists are educators and scholars! 

We are anxious to see in writing, clarifications DORIS intends to make. 

The hearing date is fixed as October 23…please continue to inform others and ask everyone to act by learning more at https://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/access-alert.

 Please be active on this issue---we can’t be silent!

To access the previous  postings on the IAJGS Records Access Alert about the NYC DORIS/Municipal Archives 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