Briley Genealogy

Abundant Genealogy – Week 11

MargoMc — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Prompt: Technology: Technology makes it possible for genealogy classroom learning to come to you. Webinars are now hosted by many instructors on a variety of family history subjects. Share with us a webinar or series of webinars that you appreciate.

Well this is an easy one to answer. As of now, I have watched 2 webinars. Both on my genealogy software of choice, RootsMagic. They were both well produced and informative. However, in my house, webinars produce the same response as a phone call…suddenly Mom is needed for every and all things. Needless to say, the pause button gets hit alot.

I have plans to view more webinars in the future. They are not in my priority list of things to do right now. I look forward to having time in the future to watch them.

Ancestor – James Joseph McCaul

MargoMc — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

James Joseph McCaul was born to James MCCALL and Kathleen Duignan on July 29, 1897. He was born in Bundorn, County Cavan, Ireland. I know he had both brothers and sisters, but little has been told about them to me as I collected data.

James lived with his wife, Kathleen Murphy, in County Kildare, Ireland. I know the family owned a pub in the town they lived in. Eventually, just before World War II, the family moved to London, England. This always seemed a curious move to me, as I know James fought for Irish Independence. In London, the family owned and operated 5 pubs. I have heard many stories about London during the war since my marriage. My father-in-law was a teen during the war and volunteered as a lookout during the bombings.

James died in 1954 on July 12. He contracted pnuemonia after a hunting trip and passed away shortly after.

Here is the link to tree for James McCaul http://brileygenealogy.net/index.php/rootspersona-tree/james-joseph-mccaul/

Abundant Genealogy – wk 9

MargoMc — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Cemeteries: Genealogists understand the full value of cemeteries and appreciate them in ways most others can’t see. Share a cemetery or cemetery experience for which you are most thankful. What makes this place special? What does it mean to you and your family history?

Two summers ago, I met a cousin from the west coast in our “ancestral” land of Pitt County, North Carolina. The highlight of the quick get-together was visiting the small, roadside, family cemetery that holds our great and great-great grandparents. This cemetery obviously was once on family land. Now it just sits on the side of a country road. Some of the visible landmarks that I used the first time I visited the site were gone (torn down after some devastating hurricane damage). The land around the cemetery is being farmed again (there were many more tree last time).

This type of cemetery is very common in the south. Usually marked off by a chain link fence, you see plowed land around them. They may be so close to the current road that you can see the small print on the headstone, or way off in the distance, surrounded by beans or corn. The cemetery tells the story of the land. You can see the families that worked and suffered for it. Human tragedy and joy are recorded in cemeteries. Visiting the cemetery of my family brings them to life for me in a way I can never experience in any other way. I will never meet my great-grandparents in this life. But at the place they are buried, I stand on land they stood on. They mourned family there certainly, but they also sweated into the soil, raised their children to the best of their ability, went to church, and lived everyday very close to that place. It brings them closer to me than I could ever physically be.

Here is a link to google maps with the cemetery tagged http://goo.gl/rMc5x ,

Surname – Nelson from Bolton, Lancashire, England

MargoMc — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 11:00:00 +0000

This Nelson line is my husband’s maternal line. They have traced their line back to a Richard Nelson in Bolton, Lancashire, England born about 1615. They had probably been there for generations previous, and stayed at least 9 more generations after that. I know that my mother-in-law is in touch with the cousin who has traced their line, but I am not sure of anyone else who researches this line. I am just starting to learn the ins and outs of English research, so it will be a while before I know more than what I have on this line.

House Renovations, posting light

MargoMc — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 23:34:33 +0000

Sorry for the dearth of posting this week. I usually try to have eveything ready to go a week ahead, but with all the things I have need to do at the house, it got away from me. I have the next few weeks planned, and will be working on the posts tomorrow. Hope everyone is having much luck with their own research. House Renovations, posting light is a post from: Briley Genealogy copyright 2012

Abundant Genealogy – Week 8

MargoMc — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Prompt: Genealogy Libraries: Genealogy libraries (and dedicated departments in regular libraries) are true treasures in the family history community. Tell us about your favorite genealogy library. What or who makes it special?

How lucky can I be that I live in the Richmond, Virginia area? At least, when it comes to genealogical research. My favorite library is the Library of Virginia, followed closely by the local LDS library. I have other libraries I could sing the praises of *cough* Virginia Historical Society *cough*, but I have limited time to write this post.

The Library of Virginia is not just a physical repository. They have pioneered putting out digital records. There are still many more records to go. The genealogy library on the second floor is huge. They have many resources on hand including colonial records from other states. The archivist is on the same floor and you can request documents to view in the archives room.

If you have any Virginia ancestors (and most Americans who families have been here a while do), visit the Library of Virginia when you can. You won’t regret your trip.

Here is a link to a local news story on genealogy research at the Library of Virgina.

The Library of Virginia from our local NBC Affliate

MargoMc — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:00:00 +0000

The success of Who Do You Think You Are was hammered home last week when I saw a story on the Library of Virginia from NBC12, our local affliate. They did a short sequence on a local politician who was trying to trace a slave ancestor and how she used the repository. All in all, I thought it was a decent, very short introduction to the genealogical resources at the Library of Virginia. I was happy that they mentioned this politician has been tracing her family tree for almost 30 years and that it can be a long and frustrating process. My one quibble with WDYTYA is that they make the process look so “easy”. I type in a name and ‘boom’ your whole tree is there and a professional pops out of your screen and takes you to the right place. But I digress… The link to the story is here.

Arthur Alfred Ellkin (1895-1969) of Buena Vista, WA

MargoMc — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:00:53 +0000

Arthur Alfred Elkin was born August 31, 1895 in Brush Prairie, WA. His father was Edward Eldridge Elkin and his mother was Margaret Elvira Marrs. They were both from Virginia, originally, and took the Oregon trail out from MO. Arthur was their 8th child.

Arthur Alfred Elkin married Etta Ethel Stonehocker on September 24, 1916 in Buena Vista, Tillamook County, Oregon. They had 5 children together.

Arthur Alfred died on February 20, 1969 in Tucson, Pima County, AZ. This is listed as the place of death on his SSDI record. You can link to the Rootspersona Tree here.

*Most of the information I have on this line of my family came from my great Uncle Edwin Elkin, Arthur’s son. I will be working on the sources of this information and inputting it into my program. I will update soon with a picture.

Abundant Genealogy – wk 7

MargoMc — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Prompt: Historical Documents: Which Historical Documents in your possession are you happy to have? How did you acquire this item? What does it reveal about your ancestors?

My newest acquisiton is a postcard written to my great-grandfather by his mother while he was in training camp for the Army during WW1. His brothers were also in the military and stationed elsewhere. The postcard is a picture of him and his brothers coming back from a hunt. The note she writes to him is filled with soft humor and love. She tells him of her pride in him. She also mentions some disbelief that the war has come upon them so fast and that few are left at home.

The picture in and of itself is a treasure, but to have the personal note from his mom just rockets it up the charts of great finds. Grandma left some other great stuff (like letters from my Grandpa when he was stationed on ship) and I look forward to taking it easy one day and reading it all.

Surname – Elkin(s)

MargoMc — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:00:00 +0000

My featured surname this post is Elkin. A few generations back, it was Elkins, but a great-grandfather changed it. We are not sure why. I am going to focus on the line I descend from.

The oldest ancestor I have found, and that many of the Elkin/s researchers I have worked with, tend to agree it is John Elkins of England. He lived and died in England. His son, Ralph Elkins, came to America while the Virginia Company was still transporting people over here. He was lucky because he must have had some wealth. He was granted land in what is now Stafford County, Virginia. He died in Stafford County, Virginia and his handwritten will is preserved in the archives at the Library of Virginia. He was my 10th great grandfather.

Ralph’s children stayed in the Stafford area and his grandson, Richard Elkins (II) moved to Pittsylvania County, Virginia. He died in 1751, so at the time he moved Pittsylvania was on the frontier. A few generations later his grandchildren Elkins are living in the Logan County area of Virginia (now West Virginia). At least 3 generations live in the Logan County area. My ggg grandfather, Martin F. Elkins, joins the Confederate Army (Virginia) and pulls canons back and forth to battles. He was older when he joined and his son served with him. After the war, he packs his family up and moves to Grundy County, Missouri. He dies soon after.

Martin’s son, Edward Eldridge Elkins, takes the Oregon Trail out to …Washington, Clark County now. He settles in with the wife he brought from Missouri, Margaret Elvira Marrs (actually a cousin of his). They were my grandfather’s grandparents. After the generations of slowly spreading across America, my grandfather settles back in Virginia after a career in the Navy.

I have always enjoyed the Americana of this family history. First settlers, following the frontier, taking the Oregon Trail to settle another frontier. Also, I like to think about the fact that my family had been here for generations before Independence. They were the first settlers in their area. Can you imagine going to a strange area, sparsely populated, and having to start from scratch? Knowing the area, it was heavily forested and there must have been a substanial Indian population. When I think about my ancestors, I feel pride in their gumption and stick-to-itiveness.