QFHS Snippets - November 2011 Volume 11, No. 11

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Dear [member]

Join us at our last general meeting for the year on 16 November.

Get your entry in for the Family History Writing Award.

Read about the Irish DNA atlas project.

Learn how to preserve digital photographs for your ancestors to peruse and enjoy.

Remember - you can submit articles for inclusion in Snippets to: snippets@qfhs.org.au

Happy researching!

Table of Contents

  1. About This Newsletter
  2. QFHS Gaythorne Centre
  3. Parking in Bellevue Avenue
  4. QFHS Dates to Remember
  5. Findmypast.com.uk. Discount for QFHS Members
  6. QFHS inc. Family History (Writing) Award 2011
  7. Christmas Hamper
  8. Queensland State Archives 2011 Saturday Openings
  9. Queensland State Archives 2011 Seminars
  10. Free Taxi Service to Queensland State Archives
  11. Identity Theft and Family History Research
  12. Historical Society of Beaudesert
  13. New Index to Westbrook Reformatory Admission Registers 1871-1906
  14. New Records Available at Queensland State Archives
  15. Queensland Place Names
  16. 2011 Janet Reakes Memorial Award
  17. 4BC Family History 101
  18. Newtown Project
  19. North Head Death Register Sheds Light on Some of those Buried There
  20. 100 Days At Sea in Hope for a Better Life
  21. Free Online Western Australian BDMs
  22. The Ryerson Index Online Database
  23. Are You Mad For History?
  24. Untold Lives: Sharing Stories from The Past
  25. Manorial Documents Register now online
  26. Who is The Most Interesting Person in Your Family Tree?
  27. The Victorian Web
  28. WWII Escapers & Evaders
  29. London, Edinburgh and Belfast Gazettes Online
  30. The inhabitants of London in 1638
  31. Viking Burial Site Found in Scotland
  32. Familyrelatives.com Adds Scottish Trade Directories Dating Back 185 Years
  33. New Irish Church Records
  34. Announcing the Irish DNA Atlas Project
  35. Over 3.5 M Entries in Irish Prison Registers 1790-1920 Online
  36. Co. Waterford Church Baptismal Records Now Available
  37. New Online Resource for County Kerry, Ireland Researchers
  38. Index of Children Sent to Canada (1869-1930)
  39. USA State & Territorial Censuses and Tax Records at FamilySearch.org
  40. Old San Francisco Pictures Online
  41. Millions of Lackawanna County Records Are Now Online
  42. West Valley Genealogical Society Online Database of 50,000 Obituaries
  43. DeKalb County, Illinois, to Offer Online Searches of Vital Records
  44. Alabama Genealogical Society Loose Records (LRPW) Index Update
  45. Societies Spotlight Cemeteries in South Asia
  46. Timelines of History
  47. Multiple Searches
  48. Did You Know...
  49. A Fatherless Child Explores His Genetic Genealogy
  50. Turn Your Loved One Into Live Ammunition
  51. Christopher Columbus Was From... Greece?
  52. Four Easy Tips for Preserving Your Digital Photographs
  53. Anne Frank's Relative Recalls Family History
  54. Genealogists do it...
  55. Acknowledgements

1.    About This Newsletter

Snippets is a monthly publication of the Queensland Family History Society Inc. (QFHS). QFHS Website http://www.qfhs.org.au/

Please do not click on reply to contact Snippets - the 'click on reply' facility is strictly for 'un-subscribing' to the mailing list.

You are encouraged to contribute items which you feel would be of general interest to the family historian hunting for that illusive relative. Humorous items and items relating to the technology of using computers in genealogy are also welcome. Submit your BRIEF items supplemented by hyperlinks to additional details.

Snippets will rarely include items of a commercial nature and only then when they are likely to be of interest to a majority of our readers.

Submit your items to us via: snippets@qfhs.org.au

2.     QFHS Gaythorne Centre

Our address is:

    58 Bellevue Ave
    Gaythorne QLD 4051
    QFHS library - (07) 3355 3369

For details about QFHS Centre, including location map, transport etc, click here: http://www.qfhs.org.au/location_hours.htm#Library

3.    Parking in Bellevue Avenue

Members are reminded to be considerate of local residents when parking in Bellevue Avenue, especially at busy times. Residents' and QFHS members' cars can make the avenue quite busy; Society members are asked to be mindful of our neighbours in relation to parking. Recently a Bellevue Avenue resident expressed concern regarding a car parked too close to her driveway. While the RACQ advises that a vehicle may park right up to where a driveway meets the road, they also advise that drivers can find it difficult to exit or enter their driveways if cars are parked too close. In this case, the home owner may have cause to complain to the City Council.

4.    QFHS Dates to Remember

QFHS Monthly General Meetings are held on the third Wednesday of the month (but not in January and December), at the QFHS Library, and start at 7:30pm. Attendance is free, and visitors are welcome.

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 16 November.

Members' meeting - Join us as QFHS Services to Family History Award is presented and we celebrate the final general meeting of the year at our Christmas supper.

Please bring a small plate of 'Christmas cheer' to share with your fellow members.
________________________________________

QFHS Daytime Meetings are held on the first Monday of the month (but not in January and December) at 20 Marmont Street, Geebung from 10am - 12 Noon.

The next meeting will be held on 7 November.

Contact Maureen Mutton on 3265 4378 if you would like to attend.
________________________________________

Educational Workshop

Cost is $5.50 per person which goes towards purchasing more research materials for the Library. Time - 10am to 12 noon at QFHS Library.

Next year's dates and topics are:
For bookings contact Desley Schafer - phone (07) 3204 4254 or email her at: educationofficer@qfhs.org.au
________________________________________

Member Orientations - 'Old' & New Members Welcome

You will almost certainly learn new stuff about the Society, and helpful hints about using the Library and researching, all in a friendly atmosphere and informal setting. New members are especially welcome.

Next orientation: Friday, 18 November.

Numbers are limited to allow full participation. BOOKING is ESSENTIAL. Please note: Sessions are usually fully booked, with a waiting list, so please advise the organisers as soon as possible if you find you are unable to attend when you have a booking.

Contact Bev Bonning on (07) 3355 7389 or email at: welcome@qfhs.org.au
________________________________________

Central European Group

Meetings are held 10am - Noon on the 4th Saturday of each odd-numbered month. A $2 donation goes toward purchasing relevant records.

The next meeting will be on 26 November at the QFHS library.

For further information, contact Eric Kopittke on (07) 3376 4339 or email kopittke@tpg.com.au or centraleuropean@qfhs.org.au
________________________________________

English West Country Group

This group researches the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset. Meetings are held from 12 Noon - 2pm at the QFHS Library, on the fourth Thursday of the odd-numbered months.

Next meeting: Thursday, 24 November.

For further information contact Robert Browning on (07) 3359 9801 or email: robertbb2@bigpond.com
________________________________________

Family History Writing Group

These meetings are held from 9am - 11am at QFHS Library on the third Saturday of odd-numbered months.

Next meeting: Saturday, 19 November.

For further information contact FHWriters@qfhs.org.au OR Robert Adamson on (07) 3266 8353 OR Sue Reid on (07) 3378 2278.
________________________________________

Family Tree Maker User Group

These meetings run from 10am - 11:30am at QFHS Library and are held on 1st Friday each month except January and last Saturday in each even-numbered month except December.

The next meetings will be held on:
For further details, please contact Kerri Kleidon or Joe Greaves via e-mail on: familytree@qfhs.org.au
________________________________________

The Master Genealogist (or TMG) User Group

This group caters to the needs of all users, from novice to advanced. The group meets in the QFHS Library on the third Saturday of each month (except December) at 1:30 pm.

Next meeting is 19 November.

For further information, contact George Kearney on 0438 073 344 or Kevin Haley on (07) 3359 7491.
________________________________________

Irish Interest Group

Meetings are held from 10am - 12 Noon at QFHS Library on the second Saturday of the even-numbered months (not December).

Next meeting: 10 February 2012.

For more information about Irish Interest Group contact Mary King on (07) 3205 3353 or email irish@qfhs.org.au
________________________________________

Scottish Interest Group

Meetings are held from 10am - 12 Noon at QFHS Library on the second Saturday of odd-numbered months (except January). Donations to buy more Scottish resources are welcome.

Next meeting: Saturday, 12 November.

For further information: Email scottish@qfhs.org.au OR phone Sam on (07) 3266 9131
________________________________________

Welsh Interest Group

This group meets on the fourth Sunday of the odd numbered months from 10am - 12 Noon at the QFHS Library.

Next meeting is: Sunday, 27 November.

Contact Kaye Hart on welsh@qfhs.org.au for further information.

5.  Findmypast.com.uk. Discount for QFHS Members

The QFHS now has a subscription to Findmypast.co.uk, and they have offered our members a discount of 15% towards membership.

To take advantage of this discount, simply key in the word "FMPSAVE". Check it out at: http://www.findmypast.co.uk/home.jsp

6. QFHS inc. Family History (Writing) Award 2011

The Society invites entries for this Award which will be presented to the person or persons producing the best history of a Queensland family, published in book form within the last five years. It must be the story of a family, not of an individual. The Award is open to the general public as well as to members of the Society.

Entry forms are available from:
Entries close on 30 November, 2011.

7. Christmas Hamper

Each year, the Society makes a donation to the Salvation Army for their Christmas Appeal. In early October, the Library Co-ordinating Group will commence the drive in the Reception Area at the Library.  Non-perishable goods are welcome. Many thanks for your help.

8. Queensland State Archives 2011 Saturday Openings

In 2011, Queensland State Archives will be open to the public on the second Saturday of every calendar month from 9am to 4:30pm. The last two Saturday opening dates for this year are:
Queensland State Archives are located at 435 Compton Road, Runcorn, Queensland.

For more details, go to: http://www.archives.qld.gov.au/research/hours.asp

9. Queensland State Archives 2011 Seminars

Do you want to start research at Queensland State Archives, but don't know where to begin? Then come along to their Getting Started seminar on either Saturday, 12 November or Tuesday, 6 December from 9 am to 11 am. This seminar will provide you with the basics to get your research at Queensland State Archives underway. The seminar includes afternoon tea and a short tour.

Queensland State Archives is located at 435 Compton Road, Runcorn Queensland. For more information and to book your spot, call (07) 3131 7777.

For more information on the seminars, go to: http://www.archives.qld.gov.au/events_2011.asp#September

10. Free Taxi Service to Queensland State Archives

For those who find it difficult to get to the Queensland State Archives (QSA), there is a taxi service for researchers available every Tuesday.

Information can be obtained at: http://www.archives.qld.gov.au/findus.asp#taxi

To book taxi travel to QSA, phone (07) 3131 7777.

11. Identity Theft and Family History Research

Due to the high interest in the talk we now have a waiting list for the talk being held at 1pm on Saturday, 12 November 2001 at the QFHS library. If you registered to attend and now find you are unable to do so, please advise as soon as possible. There are several people keen to take your place. Email secretary@qfhs.org.au or phone (07) 3300 1418.

12. Historical Society of Beaudesert

The Historical Society of Beaudesert has a new monthly newsletter, for your free subcription, please send your email address to David Mason, the Society's Archivist/Librarian at: william.mason6@bigpond.com

Information about Historical Society of Beaudesert can be obtained from their website at: http://beaudesertmuseum.org.au/main/beaudesert-historical-society.html

13. New Index to Westbrook Reformatory Admission Registers 1871-1906

This index was compiled from the admission registers for the Industrial and Reformatory School for Boys - later known as Westbrook Reformatory for Boys - for the period c 1871-1906. The index includes a link to the relevant digital image from the admission register for each boy.

You can search the index at: http://www.archivessearch.qld.gov.au/Search/ItemDetails.aspx?ItemId=532416 The links to the various years are at the bottom of this page.

14. New Records Available at Queensland State Archives

New records are regularly added to the collection from various public authorities. New series and major additions to existing series of records are identified in a monthly list on the QSA website. Recent new additions to the collection include: Nudgee State School Admission Registers (QSA Series ID 2158); Court of Petty Sessions, Winton Register of Stock Mortgages (QSA Series ID 19491); and Magistrates Court, St George Indexes to Plaints and Record of Proceedings (QSA Series ID 19349).

For more details, go to: http://www.archives.qld.gov.au/research/new_records.asp

15. Queensland Place Names

Queensland Places includes over 1100 entries on settlements in Queensland that now have or once had populations of 500 or more. The entries include cities, towns, villages and suburbs.

You'll find the website at: http://queenslandplaces.com.au/

16. 2011 Janet Reakes Memorial Award

Entries for this award are free, and the closing date is Friday, 16 December 2011. This year's topic is: "My Most Unusual Ancestor".

For more details, go to: http://www.janetreakesgenealogy.com/MemorialAward/MemorialAward.htm

17. 4BC Family History 101

4BC has started a regular segment, Family History 101, in its Thursday evening program at 9:30pm. The program is hosted by Walter Williams, with Ann Swain from QFHS, and Marg Doherty of Genealogical Society of Queensland, as the expert guests. It loosely covers a research theme with a response to a listener who has called in the previous week with a brick-wall. Tune in to 1116 am on your radio's dial for an enjoyable half hour.

18. Newtown Project

This site has been created to bring together historical information about the Municipality of Newtown, one of the oldest suburbs in Sydney. Rate books, Sands Directories, Council Minutes, Biographies and much more can be found at: http://www.sydneyarchives.info/

19. North Head Death Register Sheds Light on Some of those Buried There

The North Head Quarantine Station is one of the oldest surviving quarantine facilities in Australia. Between 1832 and 1984, thousands of people were quarantined at the station, isolated from their homes for an undefined period of time. More than 570 people died there.

Archived records tell the stories of some of those buried there. http://bit.ly/rHDf90 Follow the links for digitised records.

20. 100 Days At Sea in Hope for a Better Life

This year marks the 175th anniversary of European settlement in South Australia. Kevin Jones from the South Australian Maritime Museum talks to ABC Radio Adelaide about the four-month-long voyage to a new land and the experiences of those migrants onboard.  The Museum has produced a special exhibit, Bound for South Australia, detailing the lives, memories and experiences of some of the 546 passengers that braved the oceans in search of a new life.

For more information go to: http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2011/09/08/3313010.htm

You can also view the History SA website and read excerpts from the original journals from passengers, including passenger and crew lists, that made the voyage at: http://boundforsouthaustralia.net.au/

See also Diane Cummings We're Bound for South Australia, lists from vessels arriving in South Australia from 1836-1851 at: http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/fh/passengerlists/BoundforSouthAustralia.htm

21. Free Online Western Australian BDMs

The registry offers free searchable historic indexes of Western Australian births 1841-1932, deaths 1841-1965 and marriages 1841-1936.

Go to: http://www.bdm.dotag.wa.gov.au/

22. The Ryerson Index Online Database

This database contains 3,205,850 notices from 190 different Australian newspapers. You can search by surname, given name, location, a year range and/or a newspaper name.

Have a look at: http://ryersonindex.net/search.php

23. Are You Mad For History?

Then you'll love the Australian History major in UniSA's Bachelor of Arts (Indigenous Cultures and Australian Society). For the first time, UniSA is offering an Australian History major as part of the Bachelor of Arts (Indigenous Cultures and Australian Society). So, if you want the opportunity to study Australian History at University level, or if you need an Australian history major to teach in Schools up to Year 12 apply through SATAC today (External Studies available) at:  http://www.satac.edu.au/ SATAC Code:  424561

24. Untold Lives: Sharing Stories from The Past

The British Library has launched a new blog, Untold Lives: Sharing stories from the past. The collections contain stories of people's lives worldwide, from the dawn of history to the present day. They are told through the written word, images, audio-visual and digital materials. The Untold Lives blog shares those stories, providing fascinating and unusual insights into the past and bringing out from the shadows lives that have been overlooked or forgotten. New stories appear daily at: http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/untoldlives/

25. Manorial Documents Register now online

The Manorial Documents Register (MDR) identifies the nature and location of manorial records. The MDR is partially computerised - Wales, the Isle of Wight, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Nottinghamshire, the three Ridings of Yorkshire, Shropshire, Surrey, Middlesex, Cumberland, Westmorland, Lancashire North of the Sands (the Furness area, part of Cumbria since 1974), Dorset (new), Berkshire and Buckinghamshire are available online.

Go to: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/mdr/

26. Who is The Most Interesting Person in Your Family Tree?

Federation of Family History Societies UK are asking for entries to this competition which closes on 31 December 2011.

If you have an interesting character and would like to share your story go to: http://www.ffhs.org.uk/tips/competitions.php for more details.

27. The Victorian Web

This website contains information on literature, history and culture in the age of Queen Victoria.

Enjoy searching at: http://www.victorianweb.org/

28. WWII Escapers & Evaders

You can now search 10,529 records of WWII Escapers & Evaders on findmypast.co.uk. These records are individual reports for allied service personnel about their experiences of escaping from prisoner of war camps or evading capture in Central Europe throughout WWII. Each entry will tell you the following key information about your ancestor: name, rank, number, corps and reference to the original paper file at The National Archives in Kew. You may also be able to learn details of your ancestor's decorations, date of capture, the camp in which they were held and/or the date of escape.

The above text is taken from http://www.findmypast.co.uk/content/news/escapers-evaders.html which is available free to members at the library.

29. London, Edinburgh and Belfast Gazettes Online

A considerable number of issues of the London, Edinburgh and Belfast gazettes are now online and free to search. Sometimes, for purposes of discretion, these notices appeared in The Edinburgh or Belfast Gazette even if the person lived in London. The Gazette listed bankruptcies, civil service appointments, patents (if your ancestor invented something), naturalisations, people who changed their name, people who dissolved a business partnership, details of military awards and promotions.

You can search all three by going to: http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/

30. The inhabitants of London in 1638

British History Online has published The Inhabitants of London in 1638 on their website. This data lists householders by parish, with rental and tithe data, and covers 93 of the 107 parishes in the City of London. Of the parishes which did submit returns, the amount of information included is variable. Some parishes include just the name and rent. Other parishes have a little more detail. This invaluable resource is free to use and well worth a look if you have London ancestors or are just interested in London history.

Go to: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/source.aspx?pubid=176&page=1&sort=1

31. Viking Burial Site Found in Scotland

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a Viking chief buried with his boat, axe, sword and spear on a remote Scottish peninsula - one of the most significant Norse finds ever uncovered in Britain. The 1.8 metre long grave is the first intact site of its kind to have been discovered on mainland Britain and is believed to be more than 1,000 years old.

To read more on this story, go to: http://bit.ly/ufYwww

32. Familyrelatives.com Adds Scottish Trade Directories Dating Back 185 Years

Having earlier released over 40 volumes of Scottish Trade Directories in 2009, Familyrelatives.com has now released an additional 60 volumes of Directories dating back from 1825 to the early part of the 19th Century. This addition to the existing collection is significant as it is some 30 years prior to the official records of births, marriages and deaths which commenced in 1855. Some Counties of the North of England are also included in this collection.

The collection is part of more than 800 million historic records available online to Familyrelatives members and visitors by way of an annual subscription of £30.00.

More information may be found at: http://www.familyrelatives.com/ and at: http://www.familyrelatives.com/post_search.php?sr=Scotland

33. New Irish Church Records

The Irish genealogy website http://www.irishgenealogy.ie/ has added new birth, death and marriage records. They are free! Counties covered include Carlow, Cork, Dublin City and Kerry. Check the list of what is available at http://www.irishgenealogy.ie/record_list.html There are Church of Ireland and Presbyterian records as well as Catholic ones. It is possible to search by person, location and date. The database search is tolerant of variant spelling. There is also a help option available. The indexed records, which also include the names of witnesses and sponsors, link to the original records.

34. Announcing the Irish DNA Atlas Project

The Genealogical Society of Ireland and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland have launched an All-Ireland project to create a collection of DNA samples from individuals of Irish origin, which will be used to explore human genetic variation in the Irish population.

Over the past decade or so genealogists from around the world have become increasingly intrigued by the possibilities afforded through the advances in genetic genealogy to augment or confirm our traditional record based research. This new project is aimed at promoting an awareness, appreciation and knowledge of genetic genealogy.

To read more details on the project, go to: http://bit.ly/naS6st

35. Over 3.5 M Entries in Irish Prison Registers 1790-1920 Online

findmypast.ie has launched exclusive access to the Irish Prison Registers from 1790-1920. The collection is made up of over 3.5 million entries across 130,000 pages. The original Prison Registers are held at the National Archives of Ireland and contain over 3.5 million entries, spread over 130,000 pages. Most records include information about the prisoner, including: name, address, place of birth, occupation, religion, education, age, physical description, name and address of next of kin, crime committed, sentence, dates of committal and release/decease.

For more details of the prison registers, go to:  http://www.genealogyblog.com/?p=14887

36. Co. Waterford Church Baptismal Records Now Available

The Irish Family History Foundation's Online Research Service (ORS) are pleased to announce the availability of an additional 535,000 church baptismal records from the Waterford Genealogy Centre for Roman Catholic parishes in Co Waterford. They now have nearly 19 million records online.

Just go to the following site http://waterford.rootsireland.ie/

37. New Online Resource for County Kerry, Ireland Researchers

The Kerry County Council in County Kerry, Ireland has placed online the burial records from 140 cemeteries in the district that the council either owns or controls (church and private cemeteries are not included in this collection). In total, there are some 70,000 records in the database. The records date back as far as 1898. A typical entry lists the name, age, marital status, occupation and cause of death.

At this time, it is not possible to search across the entire database by name. Name searches can only be done on individual cemeteries, meaning that you need to know the name of the cemetery where your ancestor was buried or be prepared to individually search through many different cemeteries. Access to the site is free.

You can search the database at http://www.kerrylaburials.ie/en/index.aspx

38. Index of Children Sent to Canada (1869-1930)

Between 1869 and the early 1930s, over 100,000 children were sent to Canada from Great Britain during the child emigration movement. Library and Archives Canada holds multiple records in different series regarding the Home Children. In the latest update, more than 20,000 names of children, who came to Canada between 1925 and 1932, were added to the extended version. The names were extracted from passengers lists held at Library and Archives Canada.

You can find the Home Children Database (1869-1930) at: http://bit.ly/9p4ce0

39. USA State & Territorial Censuses and Tax Records at FamilySearch.org

Colonial, Territorial and State Censuses are of vital importance to genealogists, as they were often taken on non-Federal Decennial census years, taken prior to statehood, or between the Federal Censuses. Thirty-seven states (or what became states) took them. Tax records are also of extreme value, again, being taken between Federal Censuses, as well as on the census years. They are probably the best census substitutes in existence.

The following listing, complete with links, descriptions, and numbers of records & images is made up of State Censuses, as well as Tax Lists currently found at FamilySearch.org.

The listing currently includes State Censuses for Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Tax lists are included for Montana, Ohio, and Texas.

For more details, go to: http://www.genealogyblog.com/?p=13039

40. Old San Francisco Pictures Online

If you or your ancestors ever lived in San Francisco, don't visit this site! It is addictive. You'll spend hours looking at the pictures! This new web site has placed around 13,000 images of the San Francisco Public Library's on a Google map, with a slider that lets users change the time period of the viewable images. The images range from the 1850s to the year 2000.

If you had ancestors in San Francisco and can find their street address, you may be able to find pictures of their neighbourhood; perhaps even their house.

You can find the Old San Francisco site at http://www.oldsf.org/

41. Millions of Lackawanna County Records Are Now Online

Millions of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, documents have been released online and for free. Documents available include:
Read more at: http://bit.ly/rxzCiC

42. West Valley Genealogical Society Online Database of 50,000 Obituaries

The West Valley Genealogical Society Library in Youngtown, Arizona holds an obituary database of over 50,000 obituaries.  The earliest data is from 1957 with the greatest number starting in the 1970s through this year.  The obituaries are from the Sun City area, Surprise, Good Year, Glendale, Peoria, Avondale, Youngtown and Wickenburg.  The obituaries are primarily from the western part of the Valley of the Sun in Arizona, Phoenix. 

The database has now been placed online at: http://www.azwvgs.org/WVGSOBITS.htm and is available for searching at no charge.  Copies of the obituaries are available at a nominal cost.

43. DeKalb County, Illinois, to Offer Online Searches of Vital Records

DeKalb County is set to launch a genealogy website by mid-November that will allow anyone to search and download birth, marriage and death records that date back to the county's inception in 1837. The search is free, but a U.S. $10 fee - the same price it costs to pick up documents at the clerk's office - will be charged to print or save a copy of an original document.

You can read more about the service at: http://bit.ly/ptqJmS

44. Alabama Genealogical Society Loose Records (LRPW) Index Update

From eleven microfilm reels, a twenty-five page index of 556 Walker County Probate Court estate case files has been created..  The addition of these records brings a total of 57,322 searchable names in the index culled from loose court papers of twenty-three Alabama counties.

Her computer file copy yielded 1,009 primary names keyed on the decedents as well as estate administrators.  Supplemental index-keys are included to cover variations in name spelling and to enhance the optional use of wild-card searches.  Legatees are included in the records.  As with the other entries in the LRPW database, a found record will also report the probate date range of each case and the reference number of the film reel available at the Alabama Dept. of Archives & History in Montgomery and FamilySearch Centres worldwide.

To read more about the LRPW project and to search the database visit: http://www.lrp.algensoc.org/

45. Societies Spotlight Cemeteries in South Asia

BACSA - the British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia is the only established organisation looking after the many hundreds of former European cemeteries, isolated graves and monuments in the area from the Red Sea to the China Coast. Some two million Europeans, mainly British, soldiers, civilians and their families, are buried in the Indian subcontinent alone. Besides identifying, recording and restoring monuments and headstone inscriptions, BACSA publishes cemetery and church records and a newsletter Chowkidar.

Further information including on membership can be found on BACSA's website at: http://www.bacsa.org.uk/

QFHS has some of BACSA's cemetery books in our print library.

46. Timelines of History

To help understand your family history in the context of local, national or world events, use timelines such as those at Timelines of History which can be found at: http://timelines.ws/

47. Multiple Searches

This article explains why you must use all versions of what appears to be the same index or database.

You can find the article at: http://bit.ly/sXus0G

48. Did You Know...

That the last six editions of Snippets can be found online!

Enjoy reading them at:  http://www.qfhs.org.au/snippets.html

49. A Fatherless Child Explores His Genetic Genealogy

Writing in the "Your Genetic Genealogist" blog, CeCe Moore describes the search by a brother-in-law for his heritage. He never knew his father and also knew nothing of his father's ancestry. A DNA test revealed some surprising results, including connections to Thomas Jefferson's family.

You can read the interesting story about the use of DNA in genealogy at: http://bit.ly/nLt27U

50. Turn Your Loved One Into Live Ammunition

Holy Smoke, based in Stockton, Alabama, boasts a "tribute to your outdoorsman or woman like no other," according to their website. The same website also states, "Now, you can continue to protect your home and family even after you are gone."
For a price, Holy Smoke will turn your deceased loved one's ashes into bullets. For USD $1,250, they will turn one pound of human ash into your choice of 250 shotgun shells, 100 rifle cartridges, or 250 pistol cartridges. For an additional USD $100 per box, you can also get "mantle-worthy, finished, wooden hand-crafted boxes with labels."

Holy Smoke states, "We offer a way to honour your deceased loved one by giving or sharing with him or her one more round of clay targets, one last bird hunt, or one last stalk hunt."

If you are interested, check it out at: http://www.myholysmoke.com/

51. Christopher Columbus Was From... Greece?

The true origins of Christopher Columbus have never been proven. The majority of historians claim that Columbus' family was from Liguria and Christopher was born in the city of Genoa, the son of Domenico Columbo, a local weaver. However, the evidence of those claims is flimsy. Other books have been published claiming that the great admiral might have been Portuguese, Catalan, Polish or Greek.

Anastasios Papapostolou has written an article about Columbus' origins. Some of it is based on facts, although admittedly a lot of speculation is also included. Still, it makes for interesting reading.

You can read the story at: http://bit.ly/pZvoFP

52. Four Easy Tips for Preserving Your Digital Photographs

This article details the four simple steps to starting you on the digital preservation path: Identify, Decide, Organise, and Make copies.

You can read preservation tips at: http://1.usa.gov/oxwwOX

53. Anne Frank's Relative Recalls Family History

Dorothy Fairfield Jenkins of Houston, Texas is a second cousin of Anne Frank, the girl whose diary described one family's futile efforts to hide from the Nazis. Anne Frank's family remained in Amsterdam while Jenkins' family fled Germany to Peru before World War II and eventually ended up in the United States.

"My grandmother got out but two sisters of hers did not," Jenkins said. More than a dozen other relatives did not survive the Holocaust, including Anne Frank, Anne's sister Margot, and mother Edith. "A lot of times I think, you know, it could have been me," Jenkins said.

Jenkins recently travelled to Amsterdam for the first time and visited the room where her relatives hid. She and her son, who is the genealogist in the family, also have collected and donated many pictures and family letters to the museum in Amsterdam.

You can read about their visit to Amsterdam at: http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=8386507

54. Genealogists do it...     

Genealogists do it backward
Genealogists do it for centuries
Genealogists do it for the memories
Genealogists do it generation after generation
Genealogists do it in court houses
Genealogists do it in libraries
Genealogists do it in the archives
Genealogists do it off the record
Genealogists do it on group sheets
Genealogists do it with a computer
Genealogists do it in the trees!

55. Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all those who have taken time out to send items of interest to our "Snippets" mailbox at: snippets@qfhs.org.au

The more we receive, the more frequently we can produce a Newsletter. If your submission does not appear in this issue, we will try to include it in a future edition. Please note that reference to any product does not imply endorsement. Members are cautioned to evaluate products prior to purchase.

Pauline Macfarlane

Disclaimer: This newsletter is produced in good faith, and information received is deemed to be accurate, but the editor takes no responsibility for incorrect information supplied. [Editor's note: The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Editor or of QFHS]

Permission to reprint articles from QFHS 'SNIPPETS' NEWSLETTER is granted unless specifically stated otherwise, provided: (1) the reprint is used for non-commercial, educational purposes; and (2) the following notice appears at the end of the article: "Previously published in QFHS 'SNIPPETS' NEWSLETTER" with the appropriate date and volume number (eg QFHS 'SNIPPETS' NEWSLETTER January 2009 Vol 9 No. 1). The last six months issues of Snippets are available from: http://www.qfhs.org.au/snippets.htm

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