What Flag is That?

Maybe some of you would like to add your ancestor's country's flag to your research. I know with me some of my ancestors have very little information on them. Just dates for some and where they were born. I try to add information of their country of birth and other historical information concerning the town they lived or died in. Just so I have a little more information on them. Which occasionally leads to information I did not have on them before. But anyways...getting back to adding research; I found a site that lists flags. It is easy to navigate around and it seems flags are being added.

It is called the Easy Flag Identifier . If you are researching ancestors from America don't forget that every state here has a flag of their own. Or you might have pictures that may have a picture of or the flag itself to help you identify the picture.

I hope that helps some people out with their research.

* Just a little note here: It has been really busy for me in the last few weeks. Spring is here and I have been cleaning up our garden. Veggies have been planted. Trying to get myself settled in because I found out I will be staying in New York indefinitely. Sometimes relationships end when you least expect them to. But I will be ok and have alot to keep me busy with. ALOT lol.

No Picture of Your Ancestor?

You are going through all of your photos of your family. The further you go back the less pictures you have. Let's face it, in the early 1800s not everyone got their picture taken. So now what do you do? Here are a few places you can look for to at least find a description of your "camera shy" ancestor.

1. Passport Applications- Not all of these have photos. Some of the earlier ones just have a description of the applicant. Even if you find your ancestor and the application has no picture you will at least have an idea of how tall, color hair, eyes and other features like tattoos or any other markings.

2. World War I Draft Cards- This information also has a description as to their build, color eyes, color hair and other features. No pictures of the applicant on these records, but again you get an idea if your great great uncle had the blue eyes that run in the family. Although if an older relative filled one out they might have had gray hair by then so you will have to look at other records.

3. Naturalization Records- Again as in the other resources listed here some of these records have eye color, height, hair color and other distinctive marks and features.

4. Military Records- Same as the WWI records in most cases. Discharge papers will tell you about the person's health when they left the military and if they were wounded. They usually have a description too sometimes.

5. Voter Registrations- There were some applications where a description was needed to be filled out in the 1880s.

6. Military Yearbooks- These are great to find. For the United States Air Force WWII here is a link to some of the airfield schools and yearbooks. We found our great uncle who was a B-17 pilot and his yearbook.

7. Immigration Papers- If you know when your ancestor immigrated here to the United States you can check their immigration record/ship manifests here at Ellis Island online and some will have their height, eye and hair color.

We hope these will be some helpful resources for you in your research.

Irish Buried in Vermont

Do you have Irish family from Vermont that you are researching? Here is a link to inscriptions from Vermont cemeteries.

Click Here

There was a lot of Irish immigrants who came to the United States through Boston. Some of my Kilgallons did. Some may have migrated to Vermont.

Newspapers

Looking for newspapers for a certain state? Here is a site that has most of the United States newspapers. Categorized by state this may help you in finding an obituary or even some archived issues. Hope this helps some people out there.

50 United States Newspapers

Alternative To.....

As we research we find some programs or websites that work for us and some that don't. I was reading about the Google Reader and thought that would be something I might use. But alas Google discontinued it. So I wanted to find something that was very similar to it. And I came across this site:

AlternativeTo

I am in love with this site! You can see what other software or programs are out there. As you can see I searched for "Genealogy" and you can see a few of the hits it came back with. You can use this for websites too. And not just for genealogy. Just about anything. Let me know what you think.

Genealogy Software Reviews

When researching our family history we try to find the best programs to suite our needs. Sometimes that turns out to be a little difficult at first. But through trial and error we succeed...sometimes. One person has taken all the trial and error and made it a lot easier for us by listing them on his website. He then had other people review these programs too.

Don't forget to take into consideration that everyone has different opinions about things. And we all might need different programs to make our research work for us. But with these reviews at your fingertips it is so much easier to choose.

Free Sites For Genealogy

Most of our sites here on Frugal Genealogy are going to be free sites to use for genealogy. If it is a paid site it is there only because you will be able to search the site and get a little information for free.


Pixlr:  The most recent site we found was a photo editing site called Pixlr. This site you can scan those old negatives you have and then switch them to a photo to use digitized or to print out all for free. You don't even have to download any software to use this as it is used right from the site itself. This is also great for some of us who collect vintage photos from flea markets and garage sales. Some only have the negative or tins for sale. So this will be a great program to use to bring these back to life. Maybe with your help some may even find their way back home where they belong.

Newspapers: If you look on the right hand side of our site here you will see a link for Newspapers. These are free sites to look up newspapers that are digitized online. You can find obituaries, wedding announcements, birth announcements and just any kind of news. Most places back in the day would post in their local paper who was visiting who and if they were going or coming back from a trip. Some even had announcements of divorces or even criminal news. The links we have are not the only ones out there as we will be adding more as we find more. You can always help by commenting down below or at our facebook page if you find any free sites we don't have listed.

Speaking of our site check out the right hand side for other links to many sites where you can find free information for researching. As always if a link is broken just let us know on our facebook page and we will fix it as soon as possible.

Using Wild Cards

Did you know you can use "wild cards" in researching some of the genealogy sites? With Ancestry.com you can search by using two characters. The first one is "?" ( without the quotation marks ). This is great to use if your ancestor's last name could be spelled differently down the years like one of mine Weed, Weede Wede. Entering lets say Weed* or Weed? can bring up different results you might not have found.
Using the "*" to at the end will bring up different spelling like with the name Ann, Ann* ( Anne ) and so on.

When using Google search you can search by putting the persons name you are looking for in quotation marks like this:
"John Smith"
This way it won't just pull up "John" or everything with the name "Smith". You can even be more specific by Entering it this way:
"John Smith New York"
This also works with dates too. Even looking up obituaries.

So give it a try and see if this helps narrow down your searches.

Don't Forget!

Don't forget to look over marriage certificates that you have of your family. The witnesses actually might be related. The same with christenings and baptismals. I found this out with my great grandmother's certificate.

Look at the names. Not sure who Stephen Saunders is but I found that last name in other probate papers. And Marguerite Bourke is related to Bridget my great grandmother. Always check over every detail. And in some cases if it doesn't make sense at the time come back to it later. 

Updated February 28, 2014 Florida Links

I have updated and added Florida State links under the United States Links. Found a bunch of military sites which I hope are helpful to everyone.

Don't forget to check out my twitter feed on this page for the latest links I have found.

Frugal Genealogy on Facebook!

As most of you know my passion is researching my family tree. I take a few days a week to go through my findings and try to fill in the gaps. I have learned over the years that you do not have to spend alot on this research. I thought since I was able to come up with quite a bit of sites and helpful hints why not share my findings. I came up with Frugal Genealogy. Every day I have now been tweeting links to my twitter account :

Frugal Genealogy

If they are a paid site but worth a look I will tell you that it is paid. Sometimes even if they show a snippet of the information you are searching for, you might be able to fill in a gap in your tree.

Within the past few days I got on the facebook bandwagon and started my page there

Frugal Genealogy

I am able to post a bit more than what's in a tweet and you will be able to comment. I think the facebook page is more personal with other people researching.

So come and see if any of my sites or helpful tips can provide the information you need to fill those gaps in. Or get through a brick wall. And don't forget to share your favorite sites too.

How Does Everyone See You?

I laughed when I saw this picture. It is really true in a way. I definetly feel like a detective when researching my family. I have numerous brick walls. There are even times when I break through that brick wall that I just sit down and cry. Years of being frustrated with very little to go on. 

Don't forget that even the slightest thing can give you a clue. For years I had been trying to find information of my paternal great grandmother. I had only known her as Adelle. And that my grandmother shared her name as her middle name. In the United States Census she was listed as Adelle living with her husband Peter in New York. in 1920. But then in 1930 she was gone. Peter was listed as a widow with my grandmother and her brother. What happened to Adelle? My Mom then recalled my grandmother saying how her mother had died in childbirth. How sad. But she didn't know when. We have no idea where her mother and father are buried as she never spoke of this to anyone. I found a Peter Swenson married a Nanny Johnson August 26, 1911 in NY but didn't think it was my family. But the date was very familiar. My grandmother had been married three times and one of her wedding dates was August 26. And my father died on August 26 so this was just too coincidental. Then my mom came across a note written by a woman we knew was related to my grandmother but didn't know how. And in the note was a burial card for her mother. Alma Johnson! Alma was Nanny's sister! Well sister-in-law. Alma had married Theodore Johnson, Nanny Adelle's brother. Yes her middle name was Adelle. I was so happy to find this new information. 

So don't forget to sometimes go with your gut instinct sometimes and put the information aside until you can prove a source. I have a section in my file cabinet for misc. stuff like this to go back to. Never give up!

Genealogy Links

Trying to find links to research your family tree can sometimes be very frustrating to the beginner genealogist. Especially when first starting out you have very little means except some information and a computer.

One great place to start is Cyndy's List. She has tons of searchable links all categorized to make it easier for you. The only downfalls I have come across is some of the outside links you have to subscribe to with a fee or the link is outdated. Don't get discouraged if the link brings you to a subscription site. Sometimes they will show you a snippet of info that could help you out.
Also before you start searching the above link please make sure your browser's security settings are set. This makes sure you do not put your computer at risk. Also if you come across a link that doesn't work she wants you to let her know. There really is alot of sources on her page to get you started.

Now after you have found some good links to search from your next step is to bookmark them. Some sites are always being updated with more information so if you do not find anything this time you might later on down the road. But make sure it pertains to what you are searching for. No point in bookmarking say information to Egypt when this has nothing to do with your ancestors because more than likely you will not find what you are looking for no matter when you check back.

I find the easiest way to have all your genealogy book marks together is using a site called Protopage.   As you can see from my page you can group your bookmarks together. This makes searching so much easier.
I will go over some of my favorite links in upcoming posts.

Old Pictures

Marion, Richard & Doris Dennie

Above is a picture of my great grandmother and her siblings. This was taken in the early 1900s. Before 1907 because that's when Doris died. If you don't have documents like death certificates, birth and also marriage certificates you can date photos you or your family has. They do say a picture is worth a thousand words. When I look at this picture I notice that my great grandmother and her brother look sad. Neither one of them are smiling. But Doris has a little smile on her face. Not too long after the picture she died of fever. 

Also remember to go back and look over things. It's like detective work. Sometimes the answers are right there in front of you to find.

What Did They Do?

Now that the 1940 Census is out and we can research the records without any paid subscription more people are able to continue on their family tree or start it for the first time. We can find alot of information on our ancestors including their occupation or what they did for a living. Some of the jobs we already know what they are but some may seem a little foreign to us. Here is a list of occupations and the meanings to help you on your journey to find your family.

• Accomptant -- Accountant
• Almoner -- Giver of charity to the needy
• Amanuensis -- Secretary or stenographer
• Artificer -- A soldier mechanic who does repairs
• Bailie -- Bailiff
• Baxter -- Baker
• Bluestocking -- Female writer
• Boniface -- Keeper of an inn
• Brazier -- One who works with brass
• Brewster -- Beer manufacturer
• Brightsmith -- Metal Worker
• Burgonmaster -- Mayor
• Caulker -- One who filled up cracks (in ships or windows or seems to them watertight by using tar or oakum-hemp fiber produced by taking old ropes apart
• Chaisemaker -- Carriage maker
• Chandler -- Dealer or trader; one who makes or sells candles; retailer of groceries
• Chiffonnier -- Wig maker
• Clark -- Clerk
• Clerk -- Clergyman, cleric
• Clicker -- The servant of a salesman who stood at the door to invite customers; one who received the matter in the galley from the compositors and arranged it in due form ready for printing; one who makes eyelet holes in boots using a machine which clicked.
• Cohen -- Priest (descendant of Levi)
• Collier -- Coal miner
• Colporteur -- Peddler of books
• Cooper -- One who makes or repairs vessels made of staves and hoops, such as casks, barrels, tubs, etc.
• Cordwainer -- Shoemaker, originally any leather worker using leather from Cordova/Cordoba in Spain
• Costermonger -- Peddler of fruits and vegetables
• Crocker -- Potter
• Crowner -- Coroner
• Currier -- One who dresses the coat of a horse with a currycomb; one who tanned leather by incorporating oil or grease
• Docker Stevedore, dock worker who loads and unloads cargo
• Dowser -- One who finds water using a rod or witching stick
• Draper -- A dealer in dry goods
• Drayman -- One who drives a long strong cart without fixed sides for carrying heavy loads
• Dresser -- A surgeon's assistant in a hospital
• Drover -- One who drives cattle, sheep, etc. to market; a dealer in cattle
• Duffer -- Peddler
• Factor -- Agent, commission merchant; one who acts or transacts business for another; Scottish steward or bailiff of an estate Farrier A blacksmith, one who shoes horse
• Faulkner -- Falconer

• Fell monger -- One who removes hair or wool from hides in preparation for leather making
• Fletcher -- One who made bows and arrows
• Fuller -- One who fulls cloth;one who shrinks and thickens woolen cloth by moistening, heating, and pressing; one who cleans and finishes cloth
• Gaoler -- A keeper of the goal, a jailer
• Glazier -- Window glassman
• Hacker -- Maker of hoes
• Hatcheler -- One who combed out or carded flax
• Haymonger -- Dealer in hay
• Hayward -- Keeper of fences
• Higgler -- Itinerant peddler
• Hillier -- Roof tiler
• Hind -- A farm laborer
• Hostler -- A groom who took care of horses, often at an inn
• Hooker -- Reaper
• Hooper -- One who made hoops for casks and barrels
• Huckster -- Sells small wares
• Husbandman -- A farmer who cultivated the land
• Jagger -- Fish peddler
• Journeyman -- One who had served his apprenticeship and mastered his craft, not bound to serve a master, but hired by the day
• Joyner / Joiner A skilled carpenter
• Keeler -- Bargeman
• Kempster -- Wool comber
• Lardner -- Keeper of the cupboard
• Lavender -- Washer woman
• Lederer -- Leather maker
• Leech -- Physician
• Longshoreman -- Stevedore
• Lormer -- Maker of horse gear
• Malender -- Farmer
• Maltster -- Brewer
• Manciple -- A steward
• Mason -- Bricklayer
• Mintmaster -- One who issued local currency
• Monger -- Seller of goods (ale, fish)
• Muleskinner -- Teamster
• Neatherder -- Herds cows
• Ordinary Keeper -- Innkeeper with fixed prices

• Pattern Maker -- A maker of a clog shod with an iron ring. A clog was a wooden pole with a pattern cut into the end
• Peregrinator Itinerant wanderer
• Peruker -- A wig maker
• Pettifogger -- A shyster lawyer
• Pigman -- Crockery dealer
• Plumber -- One who applied sheet lead for roofing and set lead frames for plain or stained glass windows.
• Porter -- Door keeper
• Puddler -- Wrought iron worker
• Quarrier -- Quarry worker
• Rigger -- Hoist tackle worker
• Ripper -- Seller of fish
• Roper -- Maker of rope or nets
• Saddler -- One who makes, repairs or sells saddles or other furnishings for horses
• Sawbones -- Physician
• Sawyer -- One who saws; carpenter
• Schumacker -- Shoemaker
• Scribler -- A minor or worthless author
• Scrivener -- Professional or public copyist or writer; notary public
• Scrutiner -- Election judge
• Shrieve -- Sheriff
• Slater -- Roofer
• Slopseller -- Seller of ready-made clothes in a slop shop
• Snobscat/Snob -- One who repaired shoes
• Sorter -- Tailor
• Spinster -- A woman who spins or an unmarried woman
• Spurrer -- Maker of spurs
• Squire -- Country gentleman; farm owner; justice of peace
• Stuff gown -- Junior barrister
• Stuff gownsman -- Junior barrister
• Supercargo -- Officer on merchant ship who is in charge of cargo and the commercial concerns of the ship
• Tanner -- One who tans (cures) animal hides into leather
• Tapley -- One who puts the tap in an ale cask
• Tasker -- Reaper
• Teamster -- One who drives a team for hauling
• Thatcher -- Roofer
• Tide waiter -- Customs inspector
• Tinker -- An itinerant tin pot and pan seller and repairman
• Tipstaff -- Policeman
• Travers -- Toll bridge collection
• Tucker -- Cleaner of cloth goods
• Turner -- A person who turns wood on a lathe into spindles
• Victualer -- A tavern keeper, or one who provides an army, navy, or ship with food
• Vulcan -- Blacksmith
• Wagoner -- Teamster not for hire
• Wainwright -- Wagon maker
• Waiter -- Customs officer or tide waiter; one who waited on the tide to collect duty on goods brought in
• Waterman -- Boatman who plies for hire
• Webster -- Operator of looms
• Wharfinger -- Owner of a wharf

• Wheelwright -- One who made or repaired wheels; wheeled carriages, etc.
• Whitesmith -- Tinsmith; worker of iron who finishes or polishes the work
• Whitewing -- Street sweeper
• Whitster -- Bleach of cloth
• Wright -- Workman, especially a construction worker
• Yeoman -- Farmer who owns his own land

They Died of What?

You have been searching and found a record on your ancestor of cause of death. But you have never heard of the name or even how to say it. Never fear! You can go to Antiquus Morbus site and find out that mystery illness or disease. This site is to help decipher the cause of death found on the Mortality Lists, Certificate of Death, and Church Records from the 19th century. Hope this helps you out.