Saturday, January 11, 2020

Saturday Serendipity (January 11, 2020)


Th following are a few suggested reads for this weekend:

1.     For readers with roots in western Massachusetts back in 1790, you will want to be aware of the publication of the 4th volume of "Western Massachusetts Families in 1790" by Helen Schatvet Ullmann.  You can learn more about the latest volume and the cost of a 590 page paperback version here.  The surnames included in this volume are : Baggs • Bardwell • Barton • Benson • Blodgett • Brown • Burbank • Campbell •Cleveland • Colman • Congdon • Converse • Cowles •Cranson • Curtis • Denison • Dole • French • Gleason • Hall • Hollis • Hull • Hunt • Kendall • Knox • Mack • Morton • Parsons • Phillips • Prince • Rawson • Robinson • Safford • Sanderson • Seward • Shattuck • Sherman • Smith • Spalding • Stebbins • Stockwell • Tower • Wait • Walker • Walton • Wells • Wilbur • Williams • Wright

2.     We have all probably smiled at times when faced with the first names of ancestors and wondered  how they came up with those names and were they very popular at the time.  Well, The Weekly Genealogist of NEHGS highlighted a piece that looks at the question.  Titled "The Science of Baby-Name Trends" you can read the article here.

3.     The Weekly Genealogist tagged another item of interest this week.  It seems that two of the men who signed the death warrant for English King Charles I (and who were allies of Oliver Cromwell) fled  to New England in May 1660 after Cromwell's death and the restoration of Charles II to the monarchy.  Read here about the men who fled to New England and what became of them.

4.     Marian Wood of Climbing My Family Tree blog posted a short, interesting piece titled, "Think Like an Enumerator."  It is in anticipation of the release of the 1950 Census just two years hence, BUT Marian also provides a link to the Urban & Rural Enumerator's Reference Manual.  You can read the post and the manual by going here.  Marian notes that in 1950 enumerators were told to get as much information as possible from a neighbor if no one was home at a given household and then note, "Information given by a neighbor," which obviously provides concern for the accuracy of the data because the enumerator was also advised there was no need to make a second visit to the previously unoccupied household.  It reminds me of a problem I encountered in the 1940 Census where there was no such cuation noted and the data were seriously wrong.  See,  Federal Censuses -- Purveyors of Alternative Facts? A Case Study.

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Copywrite 2020, John D. Tew
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