April 2005

Genealogy Gems:

News from the Fort Wayne Library No. 14, April 30, 2005

In this issue:

Summer Time is a Great Time for Family History

GRO Birth, Marriage and Death Indexes, 1837-2001

British Record Society Publications

Hotel of the month

Area Calendar of Events

ACPL Librarians on Tour

Driving directions to the Library

Parking at the Library

Queries for the Department

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Summer Time is a Great Time for Family History by Curt B. Witcher

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Summer time truly is a great time for engaging in family history activities! And summer is just around the corner! The weather is warm and pleasant, making travel easy and enjoyable. And there are a number of great conferences happening in the Hoosier state that you will seriously want to consider attending. The “Palatines to America: Celebrating Thirty Years of German-Speaking Family History” conference will be held in Fort Wayne June 9th through June 11th, 2005 at the downtown Hilton Hotel and newly remodeled and expanded Grand Wayne Convention Center. And those conference facilities are just two blocks from the Historical Genealogy Department. The roster of speakers and twelve session topics are quite good, and cover a significant range of subjects and skill levels. What a wonderful opportunity to hear great speakers, research in a great facility, enjoy the great camaraderie of those doing similar research, and participate in the city’s German Fest celebrations. For more information, visit their website at:   One of the best genealogical conferences of the year will assuredly be the “Midwest Roots 2005” conference scheduled for August 19th and 20th, 2005 at the Indianapolis Marriott East. There will be four lecture tracks to choose from each day with such nationally known speakers as Tony Burroughs, Amy Johnson Crow, Diane Gagel, John Humphrey, Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens, Professor James H. Madison, Elizabeth Shown Mills, and Martin Tuohy. There are a number of excellent Thursday pre-conferences including a workshop for librarians, a session on how to prepare your family history for publication, and two computer labs--one for doing better genealogical research on the Internet and the other for finding Civil War ancestors online. There will be a large exhibit hall with an opportunity to explore new publications and products from many different vendors. The Indiana State Library will offer extended hours for conference attendees. Indiana Genealogical Society and Indiana Historical Society members receive a discount on conference registration. For more information, visit the conference website at:  You really should consider attending this very worthwhile happening in the “Crossroads of America.” And plan a side-trip to Fort Wayne on either side--or both sides--of the conference! And if a conference doesn’t fit your schedule or you’d rather focus your time exclusively on your own family’s history and research, it’s always a good time to plan a trip to the Historical Genealogy Department of the library. Make some summer plans today to advance your research at our facility. A final note: the FriendsOfAllenCounty website continued to grow this month with the addition of two more years of Allen County Burial Records, an early index to Allen County Poor Asylum Records for the dates 1853 to 1939, and a special collection of African American Resources gleaned from local records. If you’re doing Fort Wayne and Allen County, Indiana research, it’s well worth a look.

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GRO Birth, Marriage and Death Indexes, 1837-2001 by Timothy Dougherty

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In 2004, the Historical Genealogy Department acquired the General Register Office (GRO) vital record indexes for England and Wales. Civil registration of births, marriages and deaths began on July 1, 1837. This collection indexes those events from that date through 2001. This is a premier collection for British research. From 1837-1983, the index is arranged by year, and then by quarter (March, June, September, and December). Within the quarter, names have been sorted into alphabetical order. Events registered in January or February will be listed in the March quarter, April and May will be included in the June quarter and so on. It is important to remember that the dates involved are registration dates, not necessarily the date of occurrence. Events are often registered well after they occur. Births, for example, were often not registered until six weeks after they occurred. A December event, therefore, is likely to appear in the March quarter for the following year. If an event is not listed where it seemingly should be, subsequent quarters should be examined. Events ranging from 1984 through 2001 are indexed alphabetically for the entire year; there is no subdivision by quarter. The details on the index will vary to a degree, depending on the nature of the event. The birth index includes name of child, registration district, and volume and page number of the complete record. Beginning with the September quarter of 1911, the mother’s maiden name will also be included. The marriage index lists first name and surname of the person married, the registration district, and the volume and page number. From the March 1912 quarter on, surname of spouse is included. Prior to this date, both surnames should be searched for a corresponding match; if you do not know the bride’s name, the only way to find it is by obtaining the certificate. The death index shows name, registration district and the volume and page number. Beginning with the June 1866 quarter, the age at death will also be recorded. Additionally, date of birth will be recorded in the death index entry beginning with the year 1969. Instructions for obtaining copies of the actual documents can be found on the General Register Office webpage, gro.gov.uk/gro/content/. There are several options, including ordering by phone, internet, postal mail, fax, or visitation. Written correspondence should be addressed to: General Register Office, P.O. Box 2, Southport, Merseyside, England, RP8 2JD. It may be quicker to use a private search agent, and their prices may also be lower. For listings of these search agents, consult the British Family tree magazine or the Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives’ website at www.agra.org.uk/. Stop in and try to locate your British ancestors today.

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British Record Society Publications by Steven W. Myers

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Some patrons may be surprised to learn that although our collection focuses on North America, it also includes about 16,000 volumes of British Isles local history. Among this number are substantial runs of most major national and county record society publications for England, Wales and Scotland. These printed series contain parish and family histories as well as transcripts and indexes of a wide variety of early records of interest to genealogists, including parish registers, wills, tax lists, deeds, and heralds’ visitations. Some sources, including feet of fines and inquisitions post mortem, may even assist researchers tracing medieval landed families. Genealogists who know a place of origin for their 16th, 17th and early 18th century British immigrants can get a head start on searching the relevant parish registers by using transcripts printed in the county record society series. You will always, of course, want to examine the original registers, many of which are available on microfilm through the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. The printed transcripts, however, provide a handy index as well as an independent interpretation of handwriting that may be difficult to decipher in the original. Be sure to read any introduction discussing gaps in coverage or the sources from which the transcript was made. One way to discover what’s included in these series is to consult three guides available in our collection, or in a large public or university library near you. Texts and Calendars: An Analytical Guide to Serial Publications by E. L. C. Mullins [call number 942.005 M917t] details contents of hundreds of series produced by 87 English and Welsh societies and government offices. The lengthy index provides access by personal name, place name and subject. A supplemental volume by Mullins, Texts and Calendars II: An Analytical Guide to Serial Publications 1957-1982 [call number 942.005 M917ta], covers series by 107 publishing organizations. Both guides include publications of the Scottish Record Office, but researchers with Scottish roots will want to consult a companion volume by David and Wendy Stevenson. Scottish Texts and Calendars: An Analytical Guide to Serial Publications [call number 016.941 St4s] details contents of publications by 43 Scottish societies and universities, and includes an excellent index. Once you have identified something of interest, consult our online catalog at www.acpl.info to see if we have the volumes you want. As always, please call our reference desk at 260 421 1225 if you have questions.

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HOTEL OF THE MONTH

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Each issue we will feature a local hotel, for visitors from out-of-town. Campgrounds Many of our visitors drive RVs and there may even be adventurous souls who want to sleep under the stars. Auburn-Fort Wayne North KOA 5612 County Road 11A, Auburn 260 925 6747 Located on I-69 at exit 126, twenty miles north of Fort Wayne. It has 55 RV sites, plus cabins and tent sites. Amenities include showers, a heated pool, laundry, store, games room. The Johnny Appleseed campground, which is the only one right in Fort Wayne, is closed this year.

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AREA CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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Allen County Public Library 3rd floor atrium display area Passages: Immigration Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana May 11, 2005 6:30 P.M. Refreshments 7:00 P.M. Program Dupont Branch of the Allen County Public Library, 536 E. Dupont Road. Program: Dena Williamson. "Framing Your Ancestors; preserving your family history through scrapbooking." Computer Users Group Wednesday, May 18 2004 at 7 pm. Aboite Library, 5630 Coventry Lane, Fort Wayne, IN 260-421-1310 DeKalb County Indiana Genealogy Society Monday May 9, 2005 6:00 Social Time 6:15 meeting At the Eckhart Public Library, Auburn, Indiana How to write your family history--by Roselyn and Amanda Wells This is a "Hands On" workshop to write your family biography for the new DeKalb County Family History Book. Bring your information and we will work together as a group to write your family history. Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) First Wednesday of each month in the Genealogy Department 9am – 3pm. Expert help from members of the DAR in becoming a member of that organization

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ACPL LIBRARIANS ON TOUR

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Curt Witcher May 1 Celina, OH: Mercer County Chapter, OGS, 25th Anniversary Luncheon Elaine Kuhn May 28 Windsor, ON: Ontario Genealogical Society Seminar Ryan Taylor May 26 Windsor, ON: A British Day (Ontario Genealogical Society preconference) May 26 Windsor, ON: Ontario Chapter, Association of Professional Genealogists (Ontario Genealogical Society pre-conference) May 26 Windsor, ON: Ontario Library Association (Ontario Genealogical Society pre-conference) May 27-29 Windsor, ON: Ontario Genealogical Society Seminar

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DRIVING DIRECTIONS TO THE LIBRARY

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Wondering how to get to the library? Our exciting transition location is 200 E. Berry, Fort Wayne, Indiana. We will be at this location until late 2006. We would enjoy having you visit the Genealogy Department. To get directions from your exact location to 200 E. Berry, Fort Wayne, Indiana, visit this link at MapQuest: http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?country=US&countryid=250&addtohistory=&se archtab=address&searchtype=address&address=200+E+Berry+St&city=Fort+Wayne&sta te=IN&zipcode=46802-2706&search=++Search++&finditform=1 From the South Exit Interstate 69 at exit 102. Drive east on Jefferson Blvd. into downtown. Turn left on Barr Street to Berry Street. The library is located on the corner of Berry and Barr Streets. From the North Exit Interstate 69 at exit 112. Drive south on Coldwater Road, which merges into Clinton Street. Continue south on Clinton, the library will be on your left when you cross Berry Street. From the West Using US 30: Drive into town on US 30. US 30 turns into Goshen Road. Coming up to an angled street (State Street.) make an angled left turn. Turn right on Wells Street. Go south on Wells to Wayne Street. Left on Wayne Street. When you cross Clinton, the library will be on your left on Wayne Street. Using US 24: After crossing under Interstate 69, follow the same directions as from the South. From the East Follow US 30 into and through New Haven, under an overpass into downtown Fort Wayne. You will be on Washington Blvd. when you get into downtown. Turn right on Barr Street. Turn left on Berry Street. The library is on your left on Berry Street.

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PARKING AT THE LIBRARY

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Lot in front of the library, east side Available for short-term library parking. Limited to one hour. Tippman Parking Garage Clinton and Wayne Streets. Across from the library, however the skybridge is NOT accessible. Hourly parking, $1.25 per hour up to a maximum of $5.00 per day. Park Place Lot Covered parking on Barr Street at Main Street. This lot is one block away from the library. Hourly parking Monday through Friday, 9am to 6pm. Street (metered) parking on Wayne Street and Berry Street. On the street you plug the meters 8am – 5pm, weekdays only. It is free to park on the street after 5pm and on the weekends. Visitor center/Grand Wayne center Covered parking at Washington and Clinton Streets. This is the Hilton Hotel parking lot that also serves as a day parking garage. For hourly parking, 7am – 11 pm, charges are .50 for the first 45 minutes, then $1.00 per hour. There is a flat $2.00 fee between 5pm and 11pm.

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GENEALOGY DEPARTMENT QUERIES

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The Historical Genealogy Department hopes you find this newsletter interesting. Thank you for subscribing. We cannot, however, answer personal research emails written to the e-zine address. The department houses a Research Center that makes photocopies and conducts research for a fee. If you have a general question about our collection, or are interested in the Research Center, please telephone the library and speak to a librarian who will be glad to answer your general questions or send you a research center form. Our telephone number is 260-421-1225. If you’d like to email a general information question about the department, please email: Genealogy@ACPL.Info. Publishing Note: This electronic newsletter is published by the Allen County Public Library's Historical Genealogy Department, and is intended to enlighten readers about genealogical research methods as well as inform them about the vast resources of the Allen County Public Library. We welcome the wide distribution of this newsletter and encourage readers to forward it to their friends and societies. All precautions have been made to avoid errors. However, the publisher does not assume any liability to any party for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, no matter the cause. To subscribe to Genealogy Gems, simply use your browser to go to the website: www.FriendsOfAllenCounty.org. Scroll down toward the bottom of the first screen where it says, "Enter Your Email Address to Subscribe to "Genealogy Gems." Enter your email address in the yellow box and click on "Subscribe." You will be notified with a confirmation email. If you do not want to receive this e-zine, please send an email to kspears@acpl.lib.in.us with "unsubscribe e-zine" in the subject line. Ryan Taylor, editor