| Vol. 1, No. 5 | History of Harford and Baltimore Counties | October 1991 |
"Our forebears, to whom we owe so much of what we are, deserve the honor of a permanent record in each family. And he is the richer who cherishes all he can of the lives that made him, the many braided lives, all the strands together making a family, making a nation."
I'm sorry that the last issue of Time after Time was late (this one may be also). I was trying to iron out a few new techniques and some of them were not quite 'sure-fire'.
I don't know if any of you are planning to turn out a little newsletter like this one but if you are, boy, do I have some advice for you.
For the October issue I bought some pretty grey paper, some cute little blue dots, a pack of labels and the usual ton of stamps.
If you have a good imagination, picture this - I have just finished making copies of the newsletter on the pretty grey paper. I am now sitting at my desk putting the pages together in the correct order, called collating I think, and stapling them. Next I fold the things so that the return address is in the right place and put one of the cute little blue dots on it to keep it shut.
Now it's time for the labels. I think I accidentally picked up a box of the 'superman can't possibly get these off the sheet' kind. And they're sticky little devils too.
They remind me of a time when I was very young. My parents strapped me in my high-chair, put syrup on my fingers and gave me a feather. They said it kept me quiet for hours (it may also explain why whenever I pass a maple tree I want to give it a good swift kick).
So it took me awhile but I finally got all the labels off of the sheet (and my fingers) and onto the newsletters, ..........and I was very, very quiet the whole time - right mom?.
Ever wonder how many computer databases you're on? Marketing research says the average American's name appears on 1900 lists. Well, it's actually 1901 because, now you're on mine. That's why I got the sticky labels folks!
For example - family histories - those wonderful books written by "somebody who already did research on my family so why should I do it again". Those wonderful things that we all read and understand to be so true, are considered by the experts to be very low on the totem pole of accuracy.
Oh Really?
From: "Genealogical Research: Methods and Sources" Vol 1, American Society of Genealogists, pp 48 & 49.
Admissibility of Evidence
This is the term one often hears on television, bandied about in the so-called dramas about the law. Please remember that when evidence is "admissible" or "admitted into evidence", it is no indication that the evidence or information is true. It merely means the court or jury may consider it and judge whether it is true or not. That is what you as a one-person jury sitting in a "court of genealogy" should do: consider and analyze all of the facts, regardless of the source, whether tradition or an official record, then decide if you should accept or reject those facts.
General Rules for Judging the Reliability of Genealogical Evidence
1st Class - Testimony of Witnesses: - Evidence from a witness who has personal knowledge of the facts sought to be proven. An "eye-witness". Testimonial: Personal knowledge. Excellent - depending on the competency and credibility of the witness.
2nd Class - Official Records: - such as vital, land, probate and other court records. It's hearsay. Excellent, but still hearsay. Nevertheless, apt to be correct in most cases.
3rd Class - Testimony of Witnesses: - Evidence from a witness who does not know the facts from his own personal knowledge - called 'Testimonial family declarations'. Testimonial: It's hearsay. Generally reliable, but still hearsay. In some isolated cases more reliable than Class 2.
4th Class - Private Records, such as church, corporation and other business records. It's hearsay. Reliability varies greatly but generally dependable.
5th Class - Family Records: Diaries, journals, letters, Bible records and any other records compiled by a member of a family (Documentary Family Declarations). Hearsay. Reliability varies from poor to reliable. If it is a contemporary record by one having personal knowledge, rate it excellent.
6th Class - Newspaper files: Contemporary accounts of births, marriages and deaths. Hearsay. Generally reliable. The hazard here is the informant and the printers' errors.
7th Class - Family Genealogies: Printed and manuscript works. Hearsay. Poor to reliable. The test is who compiled the work and when, and from what sources.
8th Class - General Printed Works: County and other local histories. Newspaper accounts: obituaries, biographies, genealogies which are not contemporary accounts. Hearsay. Fair often unreliable, but there are some excellent local histories. Judge each on it's own merits.
9th Class - Traditions: Stories or information presumably passed from one generation to another. Hearsay. Unreliable. It is necessary to search additional sources.
10th Class - Folklore: Legends, stories and other information not originating in the family. Hearsay. Very unreliable.
The decision whether to accept or reject, wholly or partially, the genealogical evidence you discover in your research is difficult and often agonizing, but it is hoped this brief chapter, which must of necessity be limited in it's scope, will aid you as the judge and jury presiding in your Court of Genealogy.
Now, don't throw the family histories away - they are a great place to start. Use them if they quote their sources. If they don't find the facts yourself.
Old Irish Naming Pattern:
from "Teail Breaker" Vol 6 #2, Jan 1980
Vancouver, WA, Clark Co. Gen. Soc.
I hold in my hand a newsletter published in South Carolina yet totally devoted to Maryland Genealogy.
It is not my intention to advertise other people's material, but, for those of you who are searching for relatives and/or ancestors in Maryland, and the title's neat too.
For many years I have been seated in front of my computer screen - with a few trips now and then to the dinner table and some other very important places - putting my relatives and my clients relatives into, various and sundry family tree software packages and databases.
For those of you who do your research on 3x5 cards, I can only say that computers not only draw family tree charts, but do so many other things - things that I would never think of doing on my own - that they are truly remarkable. But, I digress, I sit here alone doing my thing and wondering if there is anybody else somewhere in the world working on the same people I am. If they are, how do I find them?
Well, there is always the good-ole standby, the query section of every genealogical magazine or newsletter - heck, even I have one in this little paper.
And...... companies that specialize in connecting people who are working on the same surnames.
And..... the Latter Day Saints (LDS) libraries with their lists of surname searchers.
And..... books and books and books.
And..... something new - computers - thousands of them (10,000+ at last count), all over the world, talking to each other every night, while we humans sleep, exchanging genealogical information. It's true, It's really true.
On the East Coast, about 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning, computers, connected by telephone modems, stop taking calls and connect to each other. Within 24 hours, a query placed on a local computer bulletin board (BBS) will wind up on BBS's all over the world. The system is called a network, the information or query is called a conference or echo.
For example, I put a query on a Towson, MD BBS last Monday evening about 11 o'clock. Tuesday evening, (actually 2:30 Wednesday morning) I called a BBS in Weisbaden, Germany to place a query there. Low and behold, the query that I put on the Towson BBS was on the BBS in Germany.
My query, on 10,000 BBS all over the world. The slick part is that I got answers, good answers (two of them from overseas) and all it cost me was a local phone call.
I can hear it now - BIG DEAL! SO WHAT! I DON'T HAVE A COMPUTER. How can this information help me? Whoa, lighten up, be kind folks, be kind. More and more people without computers are getting on BBS's by contacting computer users and getting them to put their queries on a genealogical network, conference or echo.
You can ask him (or her, God forbid I limit it to guys) to put a regular
message - worded exactly the same as your standard query - on a national
genealogical echo
THE TAFEL MATCHING SYSTEM (TMS)
From the National Genealogical Society Computer Interest Group's "NGS/CIG Digest" June 1991 compiled by John Boots.
A Tiny Tafel (derived from the term Ahnentafel) called a TT, is a standard format for submitting ones ancestry, or lines being searched, in a very abbreviated form. It is a concise description of your genealogical research interests. It contains general information about family lines. It is not intended to be a source of genealogical data. The TT provides a way to see if others share your research. If properly generated it will also give the time period and geographical location of your interest.
You want it to be read by others who might have information you seek. Placing an ad in the genealogical newsletters is one solution, but you have to weed out a lot of responses that aren't what you're looking for. Conversely, you might have information that someone else is seeking, but you have to personally read and answer each and every ad that may be relevant. The computer is ideally suited to automate this process.
By collecting many TT's, a computer can build a database against which it can compare each new submission.
Such a database has been set up on a computer bulletin board network called the National Genealogy Conference. Each TT added to the conference database improves the odds that you will connect with someone who has information you want.
The TMS is a computer matching system used to match TT's submitted by various individuals against other TT's of persons who<+"> may<-"> be working on the same family lines.
Within 36 hours a report is generated, it gives the name, address and telephone number of everyone who has submitted a TT that matches yours. Contact that person by phone or letter to see if they are working on your people.
All this is real, real fine Everette but how do I use something like this, I don't have a computer, remember? RIGHT!
Well, I have a computer and a modem and the software that writes these here Tiny Tafel things, so here's what I propose....... I'll send the TT's in for you collect the reports and pass them back to you.
And the best part is, I'll do this for free. At least until things get too far out of hand (it took the last project 6 months) and then we'll talk about it some more.
So, if any of you wish to avail yourselves of the echo service, here's what I need from you - The surname, date of event and place of event (city, county, state and country) then a second date and place for the same person. For example: George Smith born 1828, Buffalo area, NY, moved in 1836 to Bel Air, Harford Co., MD - the TT I write will look something like this:
SMITH,1828-1836\Buffalo,NY/BelAir,Harford,MD
I'll put your TT, along with any others on a local BBS and notify you if and when a report comes in.
Sound good? - OK, we'll try it for awhile.
Birth or baptism records for Elizabeth HOWARD, b. 1776 in or near Baltimore, MD; m. John LEECH (LEACH) 11 Dec. 1795.
Anyone else researching HARRIS families of Maryland? Sarah Harris m. Henry BENNINGTON 1720 Harford Co. Other related names about 1740: GAINER, WILSON, BARTON. Ties to York Co., PA; Washington Co., PA; Washington Co., MD.
Need any information about Elizabeth WALTON who m. c1780 Thomas WALLIS of Harford Co. MD. They were later members of Pennsdale Meeting, Lycoming Co. PA
Need information on a Elizabeth VOGAN married to Thomas MONTGOMERY Jr. date ?? She died sometime after Oct 1821.
Looking for the wife of Thomas Montgomery Sr. born circa 1710 died before 20 Dec. 1785 lived in Deer Creek Upper Hundred Gunpowder.
Trying to find out anything about Robert LAUGHLIN and his daughter Elizabeth who listed her place of birth as MD in the 1850 census of Bourbon Co. Kentucky.
Looking for information on the George RAHLL family of Watervale Road, Fallston, MD. He died 14 June, 1891.
Can anyone help me find info on Asael POULSON who was listed in the 1783 tax list of Harford Co. Bush River Upper and Eden Hundreds.
Looking for information on Michael KELLY born 1820, died 1895.
Seeking info on John Robert STEELE, b. 23 Nov. 1783, m. Nancy HOWLETT. The 1820 census shows them in Harford Co., MD.
Looking for information on Nathan and Temperance HEADINGTON, parents of Rebecca Nathan, died 1722.
John GRANT m. Alice BURTON 1801 in northern MD, son William GRANT m. Eliza DAVIS 1839. Who were parents of John GRANT and Eliza A. DAVIS?
Found a widow KILCREASE in York Co., PA in 1782 can anyone add to the information?
A subscriber in California is searching these Harford Co. surnames;
BOND, BOSLEY, BOWEN, CARR, COX, COBERTH, COLE, CRAWFORD, CREIGHTON,
CUMBER, DABORNE, DAY, DENNIS, DOWELL, ENSOR, GARRETT, GORSUCH, HALL,
HAWKINS, HAYES, HENCHMAN, HINES, HUMPHREYS, KONE, McGILL, NIXDORFF, PRATT, PRICE, PUTTEE, STONE, SPRIGGS, WATSON, WHITAKER.
From Oregon;
ALMONY, AYRES, CLARK, DAVIS, DENBOW, FEELER, FOX, GIBSON, LESTER,
RAMPLEY, RICHARDSON, ST.CLAIR, SMITH, STANDIFORD, STREETT, THOMPSON, WADHAM.
From right here in Harford Co.;
GLENN, MORRIS, MONTGOMERY, VOGAN, HEADINGTON, WRIGHT, HULSHART, CLENDENINE, WIRLEY, KELLY, KEARNEY, RAHLL.
If any of he above catch your eye, call or write and I'll give you the name and address of the researcher. If you wish to have a list of the surnames you are working on printed here please let me know.
Marriage licenses have been required by the State of MD since 1777. Harford County's records exist from 1778 until today. However, the records from 1785 to 1791 are missing.
There is an index, but be careful. The transcriber made a 1 year error on the first several pages. Somebody corrected the mistake by scratching out the wrong date and writing in the right one, but it's still a little confusing.
Ministers names are given after 1824.
Detailed records begin in 1865 where ages, residence, occupation, marital status, marriage and license date and Ministers name are given.
The Clerk of the Court will look for and provide information from record returns <+">after<-"> 1886.
Keep in mind that Harford County was part of Baltimore County until 1774
Robert Barnes book, Maryland Marriages 1634 - 1777, covers the time period before the marriage licensing law.
BIRTH and DEATH RECORDS: This one is easy - there aren't any.
WILLS and ESTATES (PROBATE RECORDS): Located on the third floor of the Harford County Court House in the Register of Wills office.
You will find bonds, inventories, sales records, distributions, accounts, and Orphan Court minutes. Some (almost a random selection) have been sent to the Maryland State Archives.
Some records exist from 1774 but 1801 is the actual start date. You will find original estate records - they're very interesting.
Take time to look around, there are so many indexes (some indexes are indexes to other indexes) it's easy to waste time looking in the wrong books. Better read that again.
Henry C. Peden Jr. has abstracted a good many of these records;
"Abstracts of the Orphans Court Proceedings 1778-1800", "Heirs and Legatees of Harford County, Maryland 1774-1802", "Heirs and Legatees of Harford County, Maryland 1802-1846"
Ralph Morgan, Jr. did "Harford County Wills 1774-1800"
These books can be found at the library and Historical Society, they may save you searching through the 'dusty old tomes' but then again isn't that where some of the charm of research is?
Other court houses in the State of Maryland contain essentially the same things but it is a very good idea to call first to determine if the records you seek are still extant or shipped of to the Archives.
There are criminal and civil law cases dating from 1774, held by the Harford County Historical Society. These records are currently being sorted and cataloged. Only a small percentage have been done to date.
Make check or money order payable to E.C. Smith, Inc. Mail name, address (and check) to E.C. Smith, Inc. 3818 Belmont Drive, Jarrettsville, MD 21084
Back issues are available for $2.50 each.
Queries are accepted from anyone and are currently free of charge.
Your comments and suggestions are welcome.