The “Who Do You Think You Are?” schedule has been extended by one week. The season finale, an episode focusing on Spike Lee, will be shown on April 30 (previously scheduled for April 24).
The updated schedule follows:
Thanks to Anastasia Tyler at Ancestry.com for the above info.
I believe that Friday’s airing of “Who Do You Think You You?” was about as compelling a story as is possible. Matthew Broderick found out that his grandfather was a medic in WWI, wounded in battle in France and gassed as well. He then went on to find that his great-grandfather died in the Civil War.
It’s quite a story… One that reminded me a lot of that of my own great-grandfather who also fought at Gettysburg, but did not survive the war years.
The following is from Anastasia Tyler at Ancestry.com:
Matthew Broderick’s first step in this week’s episode of Who Do
You Think You Are? was to talk to his sister, who shared details about his paternal grandparents and started him on his journey. Information from family members can be priceless when researching family trees, but what happens when family members aren’t immediately accessible? That’s the scenario the research team faced when they started researching Matthew Broderick’s tree.
One of the fantastic things about the format of Who Do You Think You Are? is that the celebrities really are starting out with what they know. We watch them on screen learning information from their families or from records for the first time. Likewise, the research team started out only with the information that the celebrity knew.
A Common Ancestor
For Matthew Broderick’s tree, the researchers had the name of his paternal grandfather – Joseph Broderick – and a few other clues about Joseph’s life. Using these facts, the researchers set out to discover more about Joseph Broderick.They quickly ran into somewhat of a brick wall. “When we started the research for Matthew’s tree, all we knew was that his paternal grandparents were Joseph Broderick and May Martindale,” says genealogist Krysten Baca of Ancestry.com. “We were quickly stuck; there were many Joseph Brodericks and not enough information to determine who the correct ancestral Joseph was.”
Don’t Overlook Anything
But Matthew was able to provide the research team additional clues – his grandfather Joseph Broderick was a postman in New Hampshire. The occupation was a small, perhaps seemingly insignificant detail, but in this case it broke down the brick wall. Immediately after learning this information, the team found a record for a James Joseph Broderick working in the Post Office in Manchester, New Hampshire.This record matched Matthew’s tree in three ways: (1) the name Joseph Broderick, (2) the location of New Hampshire, (3) the occupation of postal worker. In addition, Matthew’s father was named James Broderick. Based on these pieces of information, the team hypothesized that James Joseph Broderick was the ancestral Joseph Broderick, Matthew’s grandfather.
Breaking through the Brick Walls
Focusing on this hunch, the researchers looked for additional records about James Joseph Broderick of Manchester, New Hampshire. The records they found matched the few additional details known about the ancestral Joseph Broderick and allowed the researchers to confirm that James Joseph Broderick was indeed Matthew’s paternal grandfather.
The records gave the team another brick-wall-breaking clue – an alternate name for Joseph’s wife. Previously the researchers knew her only as May; the additional records listed her as Mary. This information allowed further discoveries about Mary and her life before she married James Joseph Broderick.
Of course, Matthew’s sister held some of this information all along. But similar to many researchers’ experiences, sometimes research begins before family members can be consulted. “If this case proves anything,” says Krysten, “it’s that even the smallest clue could be the key to unlocking a family tree.”
If you missed this week’s episode, you can watch it online at www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are
Next Week – Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields’ episode is the most royal of the series, taking viewers to New Jersey, Rome, and Paris as Brooke seeks to learn more about her father’s aristocratic roots. Check out the teaser featuring Brooke Shields, and tune into NBC for the full episode on Friday at 8/7c.
My friend, Michael John Neill, genealogist and operator of casefileclues.com, is taking a survey of genealogists. He invited me to have a go at it, and I found his questions to be insightful, and even a bit thought-provoking. I’m not a survey kind of guy, but will say that I enjoyed taking this one.
I invite my readers to take a shot at it at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GQZNK63
Enjoy…
It’s been announced that Turner Publishing has taken over the publishing and distribution of Ancestry.com’s books. I’ve been wondering what would happen to Ancestry’s book business ever since they announced that they were ceasing publication of Ancestry magazine. Turner has been publishing books with a genealogical side to them forever… Although they aren’t known for “guidebooks,” Turner has been publishing histories for many years, including military & county histories published with the close cooperation of genealogical, historical, and military groups who wanted to see “new” histories produced.
Turner Publishing Acquires Leading Family History Web Site’s Publishing Arm
PROVO, Utah and NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 23 /PRNewswire-
FirstCall/ – Ancestry.com, the world’s largest online family history resource, announced a new publishing agreement today with Turner Publishing. In the agreement, Turner will take over most existing inventory and related publishing contracts for Ancestry Publishing, a division of Ancestry.com.
“The roots of Ancestry.com go back to a small genealogy company started in 1983 under the name of Ancestry Publishing,” said Jennifer Utley, Editorial Director, Ancestry.com. “As we looked to finding a vendor to take over the publishing business, we wanted to find a partner who could continue the legacy of Ancestry Publishing. As a leader in the genealogy publishing space with broad distribution channels, Turner will do just that.”
Beginning this month, Turner will be the vendor of record for more than 100 titles, including bestsellers The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy, Ancestry’s Red Book, and 1-2-3 Family Tree as well as numerous other titles.
“This was a classic win-win,” commented Todd Bottorff, President and Publisher of Turner. “We are genuinely thrilled to be working with Ancestry.com and excited for the opportunity to market some of the most iconic titles printed for the genealogy category in the past 25 years.”
Producing more than 800 genealogy titles since 1984, Turner will support the newly acquired titles with additional marketing and distribution efforts nationwide. The transaction also grants Turner limited use of the Ancestry.com name for publishing purposes. In the coming weeks, the titles will be available at www.TurnerPublishing.com and other select online retailers, as well as bookstores nationwide.
About Turner Publishing
Founded in 1985, Turner Publishing is an award-winning, independent publisher based in Nashville, Tennessee. Named by Publishers Weekly as one of the fastest growing independent publishers in the nation for the last two years, Turner Publishing is known nationwide for its popular Historic Photos and Good Things to Know™ series. Imprints include Turner, Trade Paper Press and Iroquois Press. For more information, visit www.turnerpublishing.com or call 615-255-2665.About Ancestry.com
Ancestry.com Inc. (Nasdaq: ACOM) is the world’s largest online family history resource, with over one million paying subscribers. The company has digitized and put online over four billion records over the past 13 years. Ancestry users have created over 14 million family trees containing nearly 1.5 billion profiles. Ancestry.com has local Web sites directed at nine countries, including its flagship Web site at http://www.ancestry.com.From PR Newswire.
I spent the weekend in Virginia Beach, Virginia, speaking to the Virginia Beach Genealogical Society.
I want to publicly thank Kathleen Davis, Bill Isaacs, and Dave Patterson for taking such great care of me all weekend. After my arrival on Friday, Isaacs, and the Pattersons took me to the “beach” and then on to dinner.
I spent the next day lecturing, then dinner again with about a dozen of the seminar-folks, flying home on Sunday.
The following was received from APG:
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution has an immediate full-time opening for a Genealogist in the Registrar’s Office. Primary responsibilities focus on examining and evaluating lineage-based information provided on DAR membership applications or supplemental applications, and corresponding with prospective members or Chapter Registrar if further documentation is needed.
Qualifications
Previous experience in conducting genealogical research is required. The successful candidate must be able to analyze and evaluate lineage information, be detail oriented and resolve issues from conflicting data, and be able to write clear and concise letters explaining difficult research problems, including provide suggestions to the applicant for further research. Proficiency in Microsoft Word, including the ability to adapt quickly to proprietary databases, is essential.Limited overtime hours possible during board weeks, (April, June, October and December) however, must be available to work overtime hours during one week of annual meeting.
Please send a cover letter and resume including a writing sample and a sample or portfolio of genealogy/family research performed, to:
Attn: Human Resources
NSDAR
1776 D. St., NW
Washington D.C., 20006-5303
Fax: (202) 737-5702
E-mail: [email protected]
I just got a note from Kory Meyerink stating that Charles Hall has died. Charles may be best known as the man who authored the “Atlantic Bridge to Germany” series of books. However, he also founded the “Palatines to America” and “Federation of Eastern European Family History Societies.” He was a good friend, and will be missed by all.
Following is an excerpt from his obituary:
Charles McAllister Hall 11/27/1930 ~ 3/15/2010… Charles leaves a legacy of a brilliant mind, a desire to always be learning, and a love of all nations and people. He
authored 10 books to help genealogists in the German and Prussian areas. He also founded two genealogical societies, Palatines to America and Federation of Eastern European Family History Societies… Funeral services will be held Friday, March 19, 2010, 11:00 a.m., at the Cottonwood 10th LDS chapel, 4930 S. Westmoor Rd. (1665 E.) Holladay, Utah. Friends may call Thursday evening from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and Friday from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. prior to the service. Interment in the Santaquin City Cemetery Friday afternoon. Online condolences may be shared at www.cannonmortuary.com
Read the full obit at the Deseret News website.
Kory is working on a memorial page for Mr. Hall at ProGenealogists.com.
The following announcement was just received:
National Genealogical Society is excited to announce a Free Tour of Ancestry.com and an opportunity to Digitize Your Family Records at the NGS 2010 Family History Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah 28 April—1 May 2010.
Take a Free Tour of Ancestry.com
Ancestry.com is thrilled to offer complimentary tours of Ancestry.com company headquarters during the NGS conference in Salt Lake City. The tour will offer a behind-the-scenes look at everything it takes to run Ancestry.com, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including the content and digitizing operations.The tours will be held twice a day on Thursday and Friday, April 29 and 30. The first tour on each day will begin at 9:00 am; the second tour each day will begin at 1:30 pm. Each tour can accommodate 45 individuals.
All four tours will begin and end at the Salt Palace Convention Center. Ancestry.com has chartered busses to transport tour attendees from the Salt Palace Convention Center to Ancestry.com corporate headquarters and back. The tour will last approximately 3 hours, roundtrip. Light refreshments will be served.
How to Register for an Ancestry.com Tour
You must be registered for the NGS 2010 Family History Conference to sign up for this tour.
- Go to www.ngsgenealogy.org and log on under the User Login area
- Click on the Store link on the top menu bar
- From the drop down box under Shop For choose Sessions and enter Ancestry.com in the Enter Name/Keyword box and click go.
- Select the session, add to cart and then check out
Digitize Your Family Records
Ancestry.com is excited to provide NGS Conference attendees the opportunity to have their family photos and documents scanned at the conference, for free, on our professional scanning equipment. It’s a unique opportunity to have your family history records digitized!Conference attendees can sign up for 15-minute scanning sessions on Wednesday, April 28, through Saturday, May 1, to be held during the exhibit hall hours. Scanning-session signs-ups will open each morning—sign up Wednesday morning for a Wednesday time slot, Friday morning for a Friday time slot. The scanning is located in the GenTech area of exhibit hall and is operational during the exhibit hall hours.
Will you be bringing items to scan? Please help us plan accordingly by letting us know how much and what you’ll be bringing. (http://2010NGSscanning.eventbrite.com)
The following newspaper titles were recently added to the family history archives found in GenealogyBank.com and ObitsArchive.com. They recently added more than 104 newspapers from 35 states – over 130 million new articles.
ObitsArchive.com
NEW CONTENT: (1977 to present day)
CA-Mammoth Times
CO-Montrose Daily Press, The
CT-New Canaan News-Review
CT-Ridgefield Press, The
FL-Hernando Today
IA-Daily Democrat, The
ID-Independent Enterprise
IL-Macomb Journal
IL-Voice, The
IN-Indianapolis Recorder, The
IN-Pilot-News
MI-Shelby-Utica News
NC-Stanly News and Press, The
NC-Yadkin Ripple, The
NY-Brighton-Pittsford Post
OH-Logan Daily News, The
OR-Argus Observer
TN-Mountain Press, The
TX-Big Spring Herald
TX-Brownwood Bulletin
VA-Amherst New Era Progress
VA-Nelson County Times
WV-State Journal, The
GenealogyBank.com
Historical Newspapers: NEW TITLES (1690 to 1980)
AL-Huntsville Gazette
AL-Mobile Register
AR-Arkansaw Dispatch
CA-Elevator
CO-Montrose Daily Press
CT-New Canaan News-Review
CT-Ridgefield Press
DC-Colored American
DC-Grit
DC-Metropolitan
DC-Washington Bee
FL-Hernando Today
GA-Augusta Chronicle
IA-Daily Democrat, The
ID-Independent Enterprise
IL-Black X-Press
IL-Chicago Courier
IL-Illinois Conservator
IL-Illinois Record
IL-Reminder
IN-Freeman
IN-Indianapolis Recorder
IN-Pilot News
KS-Advocate
KS-Blade
KS-Capital Plaindealer
KS-Fair Play
KS-Kansas Whip
KS-People’s Elevator
KS-Western Recorder
KS-Wichita Post-Observer
MA-Cape Cod Chronicle, The
MA-Salem Gazette
MA-Springfield Union
MI-Detroit Independent
MI-Shelby-Utica News
MN-Appeal
MN-Broad Axe
NC-Stanly News and Press, The
NC-Yadkin Ripple, The
NY-Brighton-Pittsford Post
NY-Waterloo Gazette
OH-Logan Daily News, The
OR-Argus Observer
SC-Lighthouse and Informer
TN-Mountain Press, The
TX-Big Spring Herald
TX-Brownwood Bulletin
UT-Broad Ax
VA-Amherst New Era Progress
VA-Nelson County Times
Historical Newspapers: EXPANDED TITLES (1690 to 1980)
CT-American Sentinel
CT-Middlesex Gazette
CT-Mystic Journal
CT-New London Gazette and General Advertiser
CT-Norwich Morning Bulletin
DC-Daily National Intelligencer
DC-National Chronicle
HI-Pacific Commercial Advertiser
IL-Chicago Times
IL-Quincy Whig
KS-Plaindealer
KS-Wyandotte Echo
KY-Palladium
KY-Western Citizen
LA-New Orleans Tribune
LA-Times-Picayune
MA-Boston Daily Advertiser
MA-Boston Journal
MA-Gloucester Telegraph
MA-Hampden Federalist
MD-American and Commercial Daily Advertiser
MD-Maryland Journal
MD-Sun
MI-Jackson Citizen
MI-Kalamazoo Gazette
NC-Newbern Sentinel
NJ-New Jersey State Gazette
NY-Dutchess Observer
NY-Irish World
NY-New York Herald
NY-New York Herald-Tribune
NY-New York Ledger
NY-New-Hampshire Republican
NY-Northern Christian Advocate
NY-Orange County Gazette
NY-Rising Sun
NY-Spectator
OH-Ohio Federalist
OH-Ohio Gazette
OH-Plain Dealer
OH-Sandusky Register
OH-Scioto Gazette
OR-Oregonian
PA-Democratic Press
PA-Public Ledger
PA-Virginia Gazette
RI-Herald of the United States
SC-City Gazette
TN-Nashville Gazette
TX-Dallas Morning News
VT-Vermont Republican
WA-Seattle Daily Times
WI-Milwaukee Star
Thanks to Anna Blanc, affiliate manager at GenealogyBank.com, for sending me the above info this morning.
I have an affiliate agreement with GenealogyBank.com, but the above data is not tagged for commissions. It’s posted for readers information only.
Avery Anderson will turn 2 in August. With any luck, she will have a Social Security number by then.
The toddler’s slow crawl through a thicket of red tape began last year when her father, Clay Anderson, went to file the family’s 2008 income taxes. To obtain a $1,000 child tax credit, he needed Avery’s Social Security number. He quickly realized she didn’t have one.
He called the Social Security office, where he was told he could swing by and pick up a copy of Avery’s card. When he arrived at the office, he discovered the card was not issued for his daughter.
“There was another girl born the same day with the same name in Oklahoma,” Anderson said.
He was told to come back with a copy of his daughter’s birth certificate.
Turns out, she didn’t have one of those, either.
Read the full article about Avery Anderson, and her parents’ quest for documents in the March 11, 2010 Chicago Tribune.
SAN ANGELO, Texas — Jurors leaned in to peer at sacred forms in the case of Merril Leroy Jessop.
Jessop, 35, a member of a polygamous sect, is on trial, charged with sexual assault of a child in connection with allegations he illegally married an underage girl.
Rebecca Musser, a former member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, testified to a dozen of those forms being family records, birth records, marriage records and priesthood records, all of them with special spiritual significance to the FLDS, she said.
She was shown a collection of such forms bound in a cover and called, “The Book of Remembrance.”
Read the full article in the March 15, 2010 edition of the GoSanAngelo.com website.
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Authorities say the strange odor
seeping into a western Colorado Census Bureau office came from more than 1,000 marijuana plants growing next door.
Grand Junction census workers say the smell was coming through the vents. Police got a search warrant Tuesday and found the plants next door in the same building.
Read the full AP article at the MSNBC website.
On a more practical note, a number of common 2010 census problems are being reported. Things like missing forms and “race” questions seem to be issues. Read more about at the whiotv.com website.
It looks like these Chinese folks had incredible sense of humor – or something… I may be at a loss for words on this one.
In the middle of a terrifying desert north of Tibet, Chinese archaeologists have
excavated an extraordinary cemetery. Its inhabitants died almost 4,000 years ago, yet their bodies have been well preserved by the dry air.
The cemetery lies in what is now China’s northwest province of Xinjiang, yet the people have European features, with brown hair and long noses. Their remains, though lying in one of the world’s largest deserts, are buried in upside-down boats. And where tombstones might stand, declaring pious hope for some god’s mercy in the afterlife, their cemetery sports instead a vigorous forest of phallic symbols, signaling an intense interest in the pleasures or utility of procreation.
Read the full article in the March 15, 2010 edition of the New York Times.
The following article was written by my long-time friend, Marielle A. Bourgeois. Marielle wrote numerous articles for me when I was editing Heritage Quest Magazine, most with a French-Canadian slant to them, but others of a more general nature. While visiting with her a few weeks ago, I invited her to send along some materials for GenealogyBlog – and she obliged.
A genealogy research rule – when the search of a man’s surname in a particular area/ country does not lead anywhere, look at the surname of his wife and try to trace HER country of origin.
A client testimonial appearing on my webpage at www.searchancestors.com, written by Richard from California, explains the steps I took to trace his ancestors in Europe.
Richard wrote:
In search of my Bêche ancestors
“I had searched for my great grand-parents’ documents, Louis Bêche and Marie-Louise Henriette Nottet, for fourteen years and had accumulated a lot of genealogy information in America. In Europe, I had traced only the baptism of my great grand-parents’ oldest daughter, Marie-Louise Clémentine, in Paris, in 1873. Feeling a bit lost, I reached out to Marielle A. Bourgeois, genealogist, for help.
“Marielle transfered the search of my family from the Bêche side in France to the Nottet side in Belgium. She found the marriage of Louis Bêche and Marie-Louise Henriette Nottet in a small village – Tavigny – of the Luxembourg province in Belgium. From that important finding, we traced many generations of Bêche and over 300 original documents on both the Nottet and Bêche families, in Belgium and in France. The Bêche-Nottet marriage document gave us the name of the place where Louis Bêche was born, Saint-Georges, Moselle, France, which allowed us to trace Bêche generations in places named Imling and Lixheim, Moselle, France, all the way back to about mid 1600’s. Marielle also helped me find the younger Bêche generations, many of whom had moved to Paris or surrounding areas. As for the Nottet siblings and relatives of Marie-Louise Henriette Nottet, they stayed, lived and died in Belgium.
“In different parts of America I had traced the living and burial places of Louis Bêche in Pennsylvania, age 54, Marie-Louise Henriette Nottet, in Indiana, age 89, my direct ancestor Marie-Louise Clémentine Bêche, in Pennslyvania, age 33, and Marie-Louise Clémentine siblings – Mamie, Auguste Louis, and Victoria Caroline – in Indiana, at the respective ages of 73; 78; and 83.
“Because of Marielle’s findings, I have been able to connect with numerous descendants of my distant relatives, in Europe and in America, and have created meaningful friendships with many of them. Marielle is an excellent researcher and has contacts around the world. Richard, California, Email address: [email protected]”
Some readers might like to understand my reasoning for leaving France and going to Belgium to search the wife’s surname Nottet.
After checking Richard’s work, in America and in Europe, I realized that he had done an excellent research job and figured there must be a reason explaining why he was stuck in his search in Paris. I therefore checked the surname Nottet / Notet, in Europe, on various internet sites and other places, and reached the conclusion that the surname was prevalent in Belgium. Nottet or Notet was especially traceable in geographic areas situated in the South-East part of Belgium, Wallonia region, close to Luxembourg. So I searched in South-East Belgium, using LDS microfilms, for the Nottet Bêche marriage about 1870’s (knowing that their daughter, Richard’s ancestor, was born in 1873). Searching this way, I traced the marriage document of Marie-Louise Henriette Nottet, in the very small village of Tavigny, who married Louis-Joseph Bêche on 19.6.1874. She was born on 2.6.1852 in the village of Buret, Belgium.
From Louis Bêche and Marie-Louise Henriette Nottet marriage date, we knew that Richard’s great grand-parents’ oldest daughter, Marie-Louise Clémentine, arrived in this world prior to the marriage of her parents, a fact which made it challenging for Richard to trace the marriage of his direct ancestors Louis Bêche and Marie-Louise Henriette Nottet in Paris. We now understand the reasons why Richard was stuck in his search for many years.
Should you need help with your search, feel free to contact me, Marielle A. Bourgeois, M.A., P. O. Box 31172, Santa Barbara, California 93130, USA, telephone 805 683 7768, Email: [email protected] webpage www.searchancestors.com
The Map Guide to German Parish Registers – Kingdom of Prussia – Province of Hannover I, RB Hannover and Hildesheim, by Kevan Hansen, is now in print!
Volume 30 of the German Map Guide 
series is made up of 231 pages and includes a total of 1,923 places – mostly towns, found in the Kingdom of Prussia, Province of Hannover (Hanover) RB of Hannover and Hildesheim. This is the first of three volumes covering Hannover. Written in English by Kevan Hansen, the volume was principally written to help family historians resolve where their family may have gone to church – and left vital records behind that may be seen today. This is the thirtieth of a series of 49 volumes, covering all of Germany. The series is still in production. In many cases, even the smallest places are listed in this series – some with as little population as one person! These places are as of about 1870. If the place existed prior to that date, it will most likely be listed. If the place was named after that date, the chances drop.
Each volumes of the series does the following:
Click here to order the soft cover volume – and here to order the library hard-bound book.
The following places are found in this volume.
At 8 p.m. ET, “Who Do You Think You Are?” (1.8/6 in 18-49, 7.2 million viewers overall) is up in its second week by 13 percent in 18-49 (1.8 vs. 1.6) and 4 percent in total viewers (7.153 million vs. 6.909 million), pending updates. This is NBC’s highest 18-49 rating in the time period with non-sports programming since January 15, 2009. “Who Do You Think You Are?” finished within a tenth of a rating point of first place for the hour in adults 18-49 and is currently tied for #1 among the major networks in adults, men and women 18-34.
Read the full article at Radio Businuss Report.
Again – Thanks to Megan’s tweet for alerting me to this…
The ratings are out for Friday night. “Who Do You Think You Are?”, featuring Emmitt Smith did well, but was still edged out by Ghost Whisperer.
Friday, March 12 – 8pm/7 C&M
As a comparison, check out the numbers for the debut show which aired last week starring Sarah Jessica Parker. Note that 
market share, as well as the number of viewers is up for “Who Do You Think You Are?, but Ghost Whisperer’s numbers are also up. It’s hard to beat fictional dead folks with real ones it seems…
Friday, March 5 – 8pm/7 C&M.
Thanks to Megan’s tweet for alerting me to the numbers.
The research for a television episode like the one on Emmitt Smith last night doesn’t just fall together in an hour’s time. There’s a tremendous amount of work goes on behind the scenes. As you will note below, the research team at ProGenealogists was involved in the research of Smith’s ancestry, as they were involved in the research for all seven episodes. I can’t imagine the number of hours it took for just seven programs, but I’m sure it was many. Although I didn’t see any ProGenealogists’ researchers in this program, it was exciting to see Marjorie Sholes and Megan Smolenyak featured in the show.
If you missed the episode, you may still view it in its entirety at NBC.com.
The following “backstory” about the Emmitt Smith program was received from Anastasia Tyler at Ancestry.com.
Seasoned researchers know that discovering the slavery roots in a family tree can be time consuming and difficult – perhaps even seemingly impossible. But, as Emmitt Smith’s story shows on this week’s episode of Who Do You Think You Are?, African Americans can discover their heritage. The genealogy team who worked on Emmitt’s tree shares a behind-the-scenes look at how they made the jump from post-1870 records to pre-Civil War records as they documented Emmitt’s enslaved ancestors.
Post-1870 Research
Vital records, census records and other primary sources allowed the research team to document Emmitt’s family tree back to great-great-grandparents – William Watson and Victoria Puryear. A 1900 U.S. Federal Census record from Monroe County, Alabama, indicated William and Victoria were both born in Alabama during the Civil War. These facts suggested that William and Victoria could have been born slaves, and perhaps their parents as well.Since Victoria and William were born in the early 1860s, it was likely that records created post-1870 could shed some light on their parents. Vital records were especially helpful here; Victoria’s death certificate included the names of her parents, Prince Puryear and Annie McMillian.
The 1870 U.S. Federal Census added clues: Prince Puryear and his family (including young Victoria) were listed in Monroe County, Alabama. Additional Puryear households were also found on the same census page. The ages for the heads of the Puryear households made them potential brothers of Prince. These heads of households also had the same racial designation as Prince – Mulatto. Finally, one of the households listed a 55-year-old Mulatto woman born in Virginia named Mariah Puryear. “Our first thought was ‘Could Mariah be Prince’s mother?’” says genealogist Joseph Shumway, AG, of ProGenealogists. If the answer was yes, if Mariah was Prince’s mother, then Mariah would be Emmitt’s 4th great-grandmother.
Pre-Civil War Documentation
The research team needed to establish whether Mariah Puryear from the 1870 census was Prince Puryear’s mother. Slave research involves looking at records pertaining to the slave-holding families. Vital records were not kept for slaves, however slaves may be mentioned in records created when the slave owner dies and in records pertaining to deeded transactions. So the research team first had to determine the identity of the slave-holding family. Once found, the family’s records could reveal further information about Prince Puryear’s family and his potential connection to the woman named Mariah.Emancipated slaves, in general, didn’t stray too far from their most recent owner’s property. In addition, many former slaves retained the surname of the former slave holders. So the researchers turned back to the 1870 census, looking for white families in the same vicinity as Emmitt’s Puryear ancestors. Interestingly enough, there was a white Puryear family living in Monroe County, Alabama. This family, potentially, could have been the slave-holding family.
The Puryears, like many slave owners, had extensive real estate, so the team looked for the family’s land records, deeds, and probate records. In the Monroe County probate records (on microfilm at the Family History Library), the researchers found probate records pertaining to the 1850-51 estate of Mary Puryear. The inventory of Mary’s property was a key document. In it she listed Mariah and her children, by name: “Mariah and children Henry, Mary, McTom, Victoria and Prince Albert.” Henry and Thomas were the names of two potential Puryear brothers who appeared on the same 1870 census page with Prince and Mariah. The inventory “matched the information we’d found in the census,” says Joseph. “With the combination of names and location, there was no doubt.”
Further records showed that Mary Puryear was the widow of slave owner Alexander Puryear and helped to solidify the connection between Prince, Mariah and the Puryear slave-holding family. “There are records out there,” Joseph concludes. “Just be persistent.”
You won’t want to miss next week’s episode. Lisa Kudrow sets out to learn the hard truth about what really happened to her Jewish ancestors during World War II. Despite the cold details of how the Holocaust impacted her family, Lisa’s episode ends with a silver lining. You can view a preview featuring Lisa Kudrow, and tune into NBC for the full episode on Friday, March 19, at 8/7c. [that’s 7 pm in Utah, folks!].
The following data is from The U.S. Census Bureau’s Facts for Features:
This year, America conducts its 23rd census. The nation’s largest domestic mobilization began in a remote corner of 
Alaska and will continue throughout the rest of the country – and in Puerto Rico and the Island Areas (American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam and the Virgin Islands) – with the goal of counting every resident once, and only once, and in the right place.
Although the 2010 Census questionnaire is simple and easy to fill out, the census is a massive, complex operation involving millions of forms and hundreds of thousands of census workers. To mark this milestone in the nation’s history, the Census Bureau presents some of the amazing numbers involved in counting the nation’s estimated 309 million residents. Periodically, throughout the duration of the census, we will update and reissue this Facts for Features.
Funds Allocation and Congressional Apportionment
More than $400 billion: Amount in federal funds distributed each year to states and communities based in part on census population data. http://www.census.gov/prod/2009pubs/govsrr2009-1.pdf
435: Number of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives to be apportioned according to the 2010 Census. Article 1, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution requires a census once a decade. http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html#1.2.3
2010 Census Questionnaire
10: It takes just 10 minutes for the average household to complete 10 simple questions. The census form is one of the shortest in history, asking households to provide the names of residents and their sex, age and date of birth, race, whether of Hispanic origin, relationship to householder, whether the home is owned or rented and telephone number. We also ask two questions needed to ensure an accurate count and good data quality. Note that the form does not ask about citizenship or legal status, or for anyone’s Social Security number.
134 million: Estimated number of housing units the Census Bureau will have to contact, either by mail or in person, to conduct the 2010 Census. This total includes:
99%: Percentage of the population in housing units that will be able to mail back the questionnaire. Approximately 90 percent will receive the questionnaire in the mail; another 9 percent will receive it from a census taker who will drop off the form for the resident to fill out and mail back. About 1 percent of the population will receive a visit from a census taker who will fill out the resident’s answers on the questionnaire at the home. This will occur mainly in the case of those living in areas with seasonal housing and in remote areas like many American Indian areas or the colonias along the border with Mexico. (Those living in group quarters will be enumerated separately from those in housing units.)
360 million: Total number of questionnaires that have been printed. Stacked one on top of another, a pile of these forms would stand about 29 miles high – more than five times higher than Mount Everest. Different operations require variations on the basic questionnaire; the questionnaire used in nonresponse follow-up, for instance, differs from the mail-out/mail-back questionnaire because it is designed for an enumerator to use in interviewing a household.
24/7/7: Printing the mail-out/mail-back questionnaires (those delivered by mail to residential addresses) required one printer using three printing presses, with one running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for seven months and the other two for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for about seven weeks.
11.6 million pounds: Collective weight of the paper the questionnaires were printed on. The printing of these questionnaires required 295,259 pounds of ink. The questionnaires printed, which fill nearly 425 tractor-trailers, would circle the globe three times if stretched end to end.
236,000: Estimated number of group quarters facilities, such as dormitories, prisons, convents and nursing homes, where residents will be counted beginning in April.
65,000: Estimated number of service locations, such as emergency/transitional shelters, soup kitchens, regularly scheduled mobile food vans and targeted nonsheltered outdoor locations, where people experiencing homelessness will be counted March 29 – 31.
47.8 million: Projected number of housing units that will fail to respond to the census by mail and will require a census taker to follow up in person to count the household. Receiving census forms by mail is much less expensive and saves taxpayers approximately $85 million for every percentage point increase in the national mail participation rate.
6: Number of languages that questionnaires are available in: English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Russian and Vietnamese. (Translated questionnaires are available only upon request.) In 2000, forms were also available in six languages, with Tagalog, rather than Russian, as one of the options.
59: Number of different languages for which Language Assistance Guides are available. These are documents that provide in-language translations of the English census form and that explain in-language how to complete an English-language census questionnaire and are available online at 2010census.gov. We also have guides available in Braille and in large print. http://2010.census.gov/partners/materials/inlanguage.php
13.5 million: Estimated number of bilingual (English/Spanish) questionnaires that will be delivered to housing units in neighborhoods with high concentrations of residents who speak Spanish at home.
$85 million: For each percentage point increase in the 2010 Census mail-back response rate, the estimated amount of taxpayer money the Census Bureau saves by not having to go door to door to count nonresponding households.
$0.42 vs. $56: The cost of obtaining a mailed-back census form (42 cents), compared with the estimated cost of obtaining a household’s census responses in person if the household doesn’t mail back the form ($56). (Note: Costs may vary depending on the number of households enumerators will have to visit.)
15: Minimum age a household member must be in order to fill out the census questionnaire.
More than one race: As in Census 2000, people answering the census may select more than one racial category to indicate mixed racial heritage. The groups shown in the census race question collapse into the five race groups required by the federal government: white, black or African-American, American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander. The questionnaire also provides a choice of “some other race.” Tabulations will be available for 63 race categories – six single race categories and 57 different combinations of two or more races.
March 15-17, 2010: Dates on which most residents will receive questionnaires in the mail. The questionnaire package will also include a cover letter and a return envelope. Residents will receive an advance letter between March 8 and 10 alerting them to look for their questionnaires and explaining the importance of participating in the census. Between March 22 and 24, residents will receive a reminder card. The dates may differ in areas where census workers are dropping off questionnaires.
April 1, 2010: Since 1930, Census Day has been April 1. Census Day is not the deadline for mailing back the questionnaire. As a matter of fact, we hope people will mail the questionnaire soon after they receive it and not wait for Census Day. Census Day is simply the reference date we set for people to report their household information. Households can change composition quickly but we ask that they report the composition as it is or is most likely to be on Census Day.
Recruiting and Hiring
3.8 million: Total number of people recruited for 2010 Census operations during fiscal years 2009 and 2010 (as of March 1). This includes almost 1.2 million people recruited for address canvassing last year. Job information is provided at the census jobs Web site http://2010.census.gov/2010censusjobs/.
1.2 million: Number of field positions needed to conduct census operations this year. We will hire an estimated 870,000 temporary workers to fill these positions – more than the population of Alaska, North Dakota, Vermont or Wyoming. Some people will work on more than one operation. For the large nonresponse follow-up operation, we expect to hire 635,000 people, who may also work on other operations; the number hired may vary depending on the size of the follow-up workload. Everyone we hire must pass an FBI name check and submit two sets of fingerprints for further background checks. They also must pass an employment eligibility verification based on their Social Security Number and other information. At the U.S. Census Bureau, the safety of both our workforce and respondents is our top priority.
Facilities
3: Number of data capture centers that will process 2010 Census questionnaires as they are mailed back by households across the nation. These facilities are in Phoenix, Baltimore and Jeffersonville, Ind. During peak processing, the three centers together can capture and process data from 1.9 million mail-returned forms per day and 1.4 million enumerator forms per day. (The latter category refers to forms for which all the answers to the questions have been recorded by the census taker, rather than by the respondent, during the nonresponse follow-up operation.)
600,000: Projected number of calls from respondents to the telephone questionnaire assistance call centers on the busiest day (possibly March 22 or 23). Assistance will be available in the six questionnaire languages mentioned earlier. Respondents will be able to call with questions.
494: Number of local census offices. Along with the 12 regional census centers, they will collectively take up about 3.5 million square feet of office space. Staff working in and from these temporary offices manage address listing field work, conduct local recruiting and visit living quarters to conduct various census operations, such as nonresponse follow-up. http://2010.census.gov/2010censusjobs/how-to-apply/local-office-map.php
About 30,000: Number of questionnaire assistance center sites. These centers provide assistance to those who might have difficulty completing the questionnaire because of language or other barriers. Sites will be posted on www.2010census.gov. http://2010.census.gov/2010census/contact/index.php
About 40,000: Number of “Be Counted” sites, where people who believe they were not counted can obtain an unaddressed questionnaire. About 30,000 of these sites will be in the same convenient locations as the questionnaire assistance centers. Sites will be posted on www.2010census.gov.
Partnership
About 213,000: Number of organizations (as of March 8, 2010) the Census Bureau has formed partnerships with to help get the message out about the importance of mailing back questionnaires and participating in the census.
10,000: Approximate number of complete count committees (as of March 8, 2010). These groups, often named by the highest elected official for that local or state government, spearhead the effort to get the word out in their cities about the importance of the census.
More than 3,000: Number of Census Bureau partnership staff; they have proficiency in 124 different languages. These staff work closely with national and local organizations to support the census. It is critical that they be able to reach all respondents no matter what language the respondents may speak.
$338.5 million: The value of the free space that 2010 Census partners have donated for the Census Bureau to use for training census workers for the in-person follow-up phase of the census.
Road Tour
13 + 3: Since the start of the year, 13 Portrait of America Road Tour vehicles have been traveling across the nation to educate communities about the 2010 Census and encourage every individual to complete and return their census form. In addition, there are three more that have hit the road more recently. One vehicle is traveling throughout Hawaii and the other two are visiting American Indian areas in Southern California and the mountain time zone.
800: Number of community gatherings, celebrations and sporting events the 13 Road Tour vehicles will be stopping at. Collectively, they will travel for 1,547 days between January and April.
More than 150,000: Number of miles it is expected the Road Tour vehicles will travel collectively. They will be viewed by an estimated 18 million people while in transit.
Paid Advertising
28: Number of languages census advertisements will appear in. This is up from 17 in 2000. The 2010 Census advertising campaign represents the most diverse outreach campaign in U.S. history. No other campaign has gone so deep into the Asian market, with advertising in 13 languages (Chinese-Mandarin, Chinese-Cantonese, Vietnamese, Korean, Hindi, Tagalog, Japanese, Khmer, Hmong, Laotian, Thai, Hindi and Bengali).
$133 million: Cost of the national advertising campaign to boost participation rates in the 2010 Census.
$1: The approximate cost per household that the Census Bureau is spending to motivate people to fill out and mail back their 2010 Census forms.
3: Number of phases for the 2010 Census advertising campaign: awareness (January-February), motivational (March-April) and nonresponse follow-up (May-June).
3: Number of NASCAR Sprint Cup races in which the 2010 Census-sponsored No. 16 Ford Fusion (driven by Greg Biffle) will compete: the Kobalt Tools 500 in Atlanta (March 7), the Food City 500 in Bristol, Tenn. (March 21) and the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 in Martinsville, Va. (March 28).
“Take 10″: The “Take 10″ Challenge Program urges partners, complete count committees and elected officials to better their respective community’s 2000 Census mail participation rates. Starting March 22, the Census Bureau will post on its Web site mail participation rates for geographic areas down to the census tract level; these figures will be updated daily through April. In the case of participation rates, communities can compete with other communities and also with their own 2000 Census performance.
Census in Schools
118,000: Number of schools (grades K-12) receiving Census in Schools materials and encouraged to set up a “Census in Schools Week” from January through May to educate approximately 56 million students about the 2010 Census. Census in Schools tries to reach students in all public, charter, private, parochial and tribal schools in the United States, including Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Confidentiality
0: Number of organizations with which the Census Bureau shares confidential information. Title 13 of the U.S. Code prohibits the Census Bureau from sharing confidential information with other government agencies, immigration authorities, law enforcement or any other organization. Census Bureau employees take a lifetime oath swearing to keep information confidential. Penalties for violations include up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
72: Number of years individual census records are kept before they are made public by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Shortly after the census is completed, the Census Bureau turns over the images of the questionnaires to NARA, which in turn keeps them secure for the next seven-plus decades. In 2012, individual records from the 1940 Census will be made available to the public for the first time for genealogical research.
Cost
$14.5 billion: Estimated cost of the 2010 Census, covering fiscal years 2001 through 2013. The total includes the cost of the American Community Survey for each of these years.
Mark your calendar …
Here is a schedule of major 2010 Census activities:
2010 Census Calendar
January-May, 2010: Remote Alaska – Enumeration of sparsely settled villages before spring thaw.
February-April 2010: Questionnaire Assistance Centers – Walk-in centers open to answer respondent questions.
February-July 2010: Telephone Questionnaire Assistance – Toll free lines operating to answer respondent questions.
Feb. 1-March 19 2010: Group Quarters Advance Visit – Census takers arrange for ideal dates/times for the enumeration of residents of group quarters.
March 1-April 2 2010: Update/Leave Enumeration – Census takers deliver census questionnaires in rural areas (9 percent of all housing units) for respondents to fill out and mail back.
March 8-10 2010: Advance Letter for mail-out of questionnaires – Households in mail-out/mail-back areas (about 90% of the country) receive advance letter announcing census questionnaire is coming in the mail.
March 15-17 2010: Mail-out Questionnaires – Households in mail-out/mail-back areas receive census questionnaires in the mail.
March 22-May 29 2010: Update/Enumerate Operation – Census takers visit housing units in very remote areas (e.g., many Indian reservations) and conduct the census at the door.
March 22-24 2010: Reminder Card – Postcard sent to remind people to return their Census questionnaires and to thank them if they already did.
March 29-March 31 2010: Service Based Enumeration – Census takers conduct the census enumeration of shelters for people experiencing homelessness, and of other service-based locations.
April 1, 2010: Census Day – Reference date for the information recorded on the census questionnaire.
April 1-10, 2010: Replacement Questionnaire – Second questionnaire sent in some mail-out/mail-back areas to increase mail response rates.
April-May 2010: Group Quarters Enumeration – Enumeration of group quarters occurs
May 1-July 10 2010: Nonresponse Follow-Up – If housing units that do not return their questionnaire will be visited by an enumerator, who will conduct the census at the door.
July-August 2010: Vacant and Delete Check – Questionnaires classified as vacant or delete during the previous operations are re-visited to verify the status.
August-October 2010: Census Coverage Measurement Person Interview – Independent, parallel survey to measure quality of coverage in the census.
December 31, 2010: Apportionment Deadline – Delivery of population counts and apportionment of House seats to the President.
March 31, 2011: Redistricting Data Deadline – Date by which the Census Bureau is required to provide small-area population counts to the legislature and governor of each state for use in redrawing congressional and state legislative
December 2012: Census Coverage Measurement – Results published based on the survey to measure the quality of census coverage.
From the U.S. Census Bureau’s Facts for Features.
UPDATE: Well, Patty and I just finished watching the Emmitt Smith segment of WDYTYA? I’m a bit overwhelmed… The program was about as moving as anything I’ve ever watched, fiction and non-fiction alike. Even Megan Smolenyak had a part in the show, introducing Emmitt to his DNA and African roots. Amazing…
You don’t want to miss seeing tonight’s episode of Who Do You Think You Are? on NBC. NFL-great Emmitt Smith will be featured, and I’m told that this show will be one of the most compelling of the series.
Check out the preview of the Emmitt Smith episode.
Emmitt Smith is the NFL’s all-time leading rusher amassing 18,355 yards over 14 NFL seasons. He’s the only rushing back to win a Super Bowl, the NFL MVP Award, the NFL Rushing Crown, and the Super Bowl MVP Award all in a single season (1993). The former Florida Gator set dozens of school and NCAA records before moving on to the NFL, where he earned eight trips to the Pro Bowl and three Super Bowl Championship rings playing for the Dallas Cowboys. Smith retired in 2006, but it wasn’t long before he was back in the spotlight; he and partner Cheryl Burke won the Season 3 championship of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.”
The WDYTYA? programs are weekly on Fridays, 8/7 Central. That’s also 7 Mountain Time. I’ve noted that many folks in Utah missed last week’s episode thinking it would be at 8 pm.
