Washington DC Family History Center
"Generations" January 2008
HomeFamily History Conference InformationConference Class DescriptionsConference RegistrationSaturday Classes"Generations" Newsletter"Generations" January 2008

Volume II, No. 1

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WDC Family History Center News
 
NEW! Saturday Hours
The Family History Center has reopened after the holiday break. We are pleased to announce that we are now open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.  We appreciate our staff volunteers who enable us to open for extended hours and assist our patrons.
 
Saturday Classes
Please join us for monthly Saturday classes. There is no charge, but registration is required. Send us an email at wdc.fhc@verizon.net or call 301-587-0042. We promise that you will learn something new with each session!
  • February 16, 9:30-11:00 a.m. "Creating Your Family History Website." Presenter: Julia Coldren-Walker.
  • March 22, 9:30-10:30 a.m. "Finding Your Ancestors in Obscure Records." Presenter: Carolyn Miller.

April 12 - Our 2nd Annual Family History Conference will be held from 9:00-3:00 in the Washington DC Stake Center, 9900 Stoneybrook Drive, Kensington, MD. This is the building that houses our Family History Center. A schedule of classes and registration information will be in next month's newsletter.

Spanish-Speaking Consultants
Our FHC has several bilingual consultants who speak fluent Spanish. They work every Wednesday evening (7-9:30), and the 1st and 3rd Saturday mornings (9:30-1), and would be most happy to assist any Spanish-speaking patron.
WOMEN'S MAIDEN NAMES
Hunting for Clues
For the most part, until the twentieth century, womens' names seldom appeared in public records other than marriage records. Female ancestors are recorded in some standard records, such as census, marriage, and probate records as wives and daughters.
 
Our last newsletter featured five tips for determining a female ancestor's maiden name. This article continues with additional suggestions.
 
Two of the most informative types of records available in the search for maiden names of female ancestors are:
  • Deeds contain 4 witnesses, the first of which is always from the husbands side and the second from the wife's side.
  • Mortgages during the 1800's and before were traditionally covered or carried by the bride's father as part of her dowry. So look for who was making payments.

Also consider:

  • Women appear in tax rolls as widows and heirs.
  • They often had to support themselves, so look in newspapers as they often advertised their skills.
  • Often a woman is buried in the cemetery plot of her parents family.
  • Visit the places of the family heritage to locate living descendants. Talk and listen to what they may recall.
  • Search obituaries of the family. A surviving brother may be listed and thus, the deceased married sister's maiden name.

Source: "Genealogy Hint," by Jessie Jones, Sequoia Genealogical Society, Inc. Newsletter, Vol. 18, #2, Oct. 1991.

Dangerous Dates
 
Gregorian, Julian & Double Dates
Did you know that until 1752, March 25 was considered the first day of the new year in England and the American colonies?  Before 1752, the government observed March 25 as the first of the year, but most of the population observed January 1 as the first of the year.
 
For this reason, many people wrote dates that fell between January 1 and March 25 with both years, which is why you may see a date written: March 20, 1718/19.
 
This article, which explains the very confusing issue of Gregorian and Julian calendars, is a must-read:
Ellis Island Name Changes
 
They Changed Our Name!
We have all heard someone say that their family name was "changed by the inspectors at Ellis Island."  The explanation usually is that the immigrant spoke little or no English, so either the immigrant inadvertently gave an incorrect reply to the question of "What is your name?" or the clerk misunderstood the name or decided it was too complicated.
 
In actuality, most name changes were made by the immigrant himself after settling in the U.S. This article explores myths and realities of name changes: 
Research Websites
Thank you for subscribing to Generations. We hope this publication will motivate you to successfully begin or continue your family history research. We would like to hear from you! Please submit your questions, research tips, and favorite websites to us at wdc.fhc@verizon.net. 
Sincerely,
Carol Petranek, Newsletter Editor
Jeannette Clawson
Gary Petranek
Directors, Washington DC Family History Center
10000 Stoneybrook Drive, PO Box 49
Kensington, MD 20895
301-587-0042