Learn About the Library’s Genealogy Databases with DigiGen

Have you explored the genealogy databases available through the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library?  DigiGen, the online video below, will teach you what we have, how to access them, and what types of records and data they provide.  You might be surprised at what we have to offer.

 

Erie County Penitentiary Records Are Now in Ancestry ———We Found a Familiar Name!

If you are looking for the skeleton in your ancestor’s closet, Ancestry has just added a record set that may help.  Various New York State prison records are now available for research.  To access Erie County records, search for this title in Ancestry’s Card Catalog: New York, Governor’s Registers of Commitments to Prisons, 1842-1908. Erie County Penitentiary commitment registers are included from 1883-1908.  The registers are keyword searchable and  list convict names, crime, name of judge, county where the convict was arrested, date of sentence, date received at the penitentiary and length of incarceration.

Included amongst the Erie County records is author, Jack London.  He is found on line 176 in the June listings, as “John Lundon” [see image above].   London famously wrote about his Erie County Penitentiary experience in The Road, which is a memoir of the time he spent as a Hobo in the 1890s. On June 28, 1894 London was arrested in Niagara Falls, NY for being a “tramp.”  At his “trial,” he was not allowed to speak [not even to enter a plea]; he was not afforded a trial by jury; and he was not allotted a lawyer. London was sentenced to spend 30 days in jail.   Both his trial and prison transfer happened the same day of his arrest.

London survived his sentence with the help of a friend who he met en route to the prison.  His friend was an experienced convict who taught him the ropes and secured him a position as a “hall-man.”  A hall-man was shielded from heavy labor and served the prisoner’s their food.  They were able to obtain extra bread and used it in the prison bartering system.  London also used his letter writing and other skills to acquire money and favors from other prisoners.

To learn more about London’s time in Erie County, read chapters “Pinched” and “The Pen” in The Road: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14658

Other recently added New York prison-related records include: New York, Prisoners Received at Newgate State Prison, 1797-1810, New York, Executive Orders for Commutations, Pardons, Restorations and Respites, 1845-1931, New York, Discharges of Convicts, 1882-1915.

Saving Genealogy Dollars in the New Year

With the coming of the New Year, many of us are pondering our goals for 2012. [Will it be to achieve career advancement, to kick a habit, or to drop a few pounds…?]  In our current economy, many of us will choose to grow our savings as a resolution.  Here are some ways that the Grosvenor Room can help you save money while supporting your genealogy habit!

Keeping up with genealogy methods and trends – Are you looking to build your genealogical knowledge?  Use the Grosvenor Room Collection instead of buying personal copies and subscriptions.

• How-to books – The Grosvenor Room Reference Collection includes an extensive list of methodology books on topics such as researching ethnic groups, record types, translation guides, regional research guides, and many other topics.  Grosvenor Room genealogy books, do not check out, but there are many genealogy how-to books that do circulate in other departments and B&ECPL locations.  Search our catalog to see what we own.
• Genealogy journals and magazines–
  • Family Tree Magazine, American Ancestors and Family Chronicle are a few subscriptions that excel in assisting researchers in keeping up with research trends, methods, websites, and technology.
  • If you are looking for case studies try the American Genealogist and the National Genealogical Society Quarterly.
  • Discovering tools for ethnic groups can be difficult, especially when dealing with foreign records.  Avotaynu (Jewish genealogy), Rodziny (Polish genealogy), and The Septs (Irish genealogy) are three culturally specific periodicals that we carry.
  • The New England Historical and Genealogical Register and The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record provide regional content.
  • If it is Western New York information that you are looking for, check out the Chautauqua Genealogist and The Western New York Genealogical Society Journal, which are excellent sources of information on local history, research repositories, and transcriptions of local records.

Are you looking for items outside the scope of our collection or that we don’t own?

• Interlibrary Loan – Did you know that the library can borrow books from other library systems?  This service is called Interlibrary Loan, and if you have a B&ECPL card, you have access to it.  Most of the time, the service is free.  Put in a request through our website or ask a staff member for help.  To see the resources that we may be able to borrow for you, search the WorldCat database.  The National Genealogical Society library is part of this collection.  To read more about the NGS collection and its borrowing procedure, click here.  Many microfilm resources (such as newspapers, land records, and poorhouse records) at the New York State Library and New York State Archives may also be borrowed.
• Let Us Know – If you come across a resource that you think our patrons may be interested in, email us and we may purchase it.

Save on genealogy database subscriptions by using B&ECPL online resources.

• Ancestry Library Edition – This database is almost exactly the same as Ancestry.com, and anyone can access it from all B&ECPL locations. Search the entire U.S. Federal Census 1790-1930, passenger lists, military records, and thousands of other databases.  To see if Ancestry has the content you are looking for, search Ancestry.com at first from home and then visit your local library to gain access to the records.  [Searching Ancestry.com is free, but viewing the records is not.]
• HeritageQuest Online – Available from in-library and from home with your B&ECPL library card, HeritageQuest offers U.S. Census records, thousands of full-text genealogy books, Revolutionary War documents and more.
• Sanborn Maps of New York – Sanborn fire insurance maps are large-scale detailed property maps including building outlines, property boundaries, street addresses, building use, and other information. This database covers hundreds of New York State cities and towns from 1867-1970, including over 50 Erie County locations. Use Sanborn maps to locate buildings and neighborhoods, see a neighborhood “as it was,” to study the growth of towns and cities, and to identify the impact of new developments.  Available in-library and from home with a B&ECPL card.
• Reference USA Residential – A great resource for those planning a family or class reunion.  Search residential listings across the United States to find addresses and phone numbers.  Available in-library and from home with a B&ECPL card.
• Select Genealogy Websites – The amount of genealogical content being added to the Internet is growing rapidly. See select lists of useful sites by topic on our websites page and in our subject guides.

Thinking of obtaining copies of vital records from government agencies or other institutions?  Try the Grosvenor Room first.  We have convenient hours, and copies are only 20 cents a page.

• Lists of vital records and related records owned by the Grosvenor Room are available online.  We have the New York State Vital Records Index, early Buffalo birth records (1881-1913), early Erie County marriage records (1877-1935), and a few other original vital record sources.  Indexes for estate papers (1800-1929) and naturalization records (1906-1966) may be searched in-library also.
• Many local records owned by the Family History Library are also part of the Grosvenor Room Collection.  This includes select church records and cemetery records, as well as other materials.  Be sure to check our holdings before paying rental fees.

Consult with our librarians before hiring a researcher or paying for a class.

• We have subject specialists in the Grosvenor Room who can provide guidance with our resources.  Come in for a visit before spending funds on a professional researcher.
• Are you looking for genealogy classes?  The Library has database and beginning genealogy classes scheduled for 2012.
• Would your work group or society like a tour of the Grosvenor Room or a guest speaker? Contact us with your request.

 

Happy New Year and Happy Hunting!

 – Grosvenor Room Staff

1930 Mexico National Census

Just in time for National Hispanic Heritage Month, Ancestry Library Edition has added the 1930 Mexico National Census to the database.  Data which you will find about those listed is:

• name
• age (in years, months, and days)
• gender
• head of household
• birthplace
• marital status
• whether marriage was civil or church
• nationality
• religion
• occupation
• unemployment
• native language
• address
• physical or mental defects
• real estate holdings
• literacy

Ancestry Library Edition  is available for research at all B&ECPL locations.

To see more Grosvenor Room resources for Latin American genealogy research click here.

 

A Genealogy Website Jumble

In Search of Your Past: The Canadian County Atlas Digital Project – http://digital.library.mcgill.ca/Countyatlas/  – Search for property owners listed on Canadian county atlases.

David Rumsey Historical Map Collection – http://www.davidrumsey.com/ – Thousands of online maps.

Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers – http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ – This site gives full-text access to hundreds of historic newspapers. It also includes a newspaper directory that gives background information on thousands of titles. The directory can be searched by location, date, language, as well as ethnicity and labor press categories.

BYU Family Archives Immigrant Ancestor’s Project.  – http://immigrants.byu.edu/  – This site may help you locate an immigrant’s place of birth.

New York State Military Museum – http://dmna.state.ny.us/historic/mil-hist.htm – This site has many useful features including a unit history project, Adjutant General reports, and a Civil War units newspaper file.

For more great sites, see the genealogy links on the Grosvenor Room web page.

HeritageQuest Online Tutorials Now Available

The Grosvenor Room Database web page now includes online tutorials for HeritageQuest Online.  They are designed for the beginner, but previous users should also find useful tips. Tutorials are available on the following topics:

• Search Census Records
• Browse Census Records
• Browse Slave Census Schedules
• Basic Book Search
• Advanced Book Search
• Search Freedman’s Bank Records
• Search Revolutionary War Records
• Search PERSI
• Printing from HeritageQuest

Access to HeritageQuest Online is available in-library at any B&ECPL location, and from home if you have a B&ECPL library card.

African-American Research Databases

Freedman’s Bank Records

Available in HeritageQuest Online.  For use at any library or from home with a valid Buffalo & Erie County Public Library card number.

The Freedman’s Bank (also known as The Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company) was set up in 1865 to benefit those who were freed from enslavement.  Its records may provide connections between family members, connections to locations, and connections to an ancestor’s enslaved life.  The records available in HQ are the Bank’s Signature Registers and may include the following details: name of depositor and account number, place born, place brought up, residence, age, names of family members, name of employer or occupation, military service details, signature, name of the former master, and plantation. Copies of death certificates are sometimes included. If available, they will be located directly after the signature page.

Click here to access a Freedman’s Bank Records User’s Guide.

Ancestry Library Edition

Available in-library only at any B&ECPL location.

The following record sets (and more!) are available in Ancestry Library Edition:

• New Orleans, Louisiana, Slave Manifests, 1807-1860
• Louisiana Slave Records, 1719-1820
• U.S., African American Newspapers, 1829-1947
• U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Croix Slave Plantation and Head Tax Lists, 1772-1821
• U.S. Colored Troops Military Service Records, 1861-1865
• U.S. Freedmen Bureau Records of Field Offices Records, 1865-1878
• Freedmen’s Bureau Marriage Records, 1815-1866
• US Federal Census Slave Schedules, 1850 & 1860
• Slave Registers of former British Colonial Dependencies, 1812-1834
• U.S. Southern Claims Commission Master Index, 1871-1880

To access these databases go to the following page: http://dbaz.buffalolib.org/dbaz.php#Genealogy

Local Histories in Genealogy Research

Sources that often get overlooked in genealogy research are local histories.  County and town histories can provide important information about our ancestors, lead us to records, and help us get a better picture of our ancestors’ lives.  Here are some examples of the types of information that may be found in local history books and useful to genealogy research:

• Biographies of influential citizens, pioneers,  general family histories
• Vital and related record lists – births, deaths, marriages, taxpayers, property owners, registered voters
• Lists of individuals – government officials, club and society members, church members, professionals, business owners
• Portraits of prominent individuals or families; pictures of homes, buildings, and businesses
• Military rosters
• General name indexes
• Details about what life was like during specific time periods
• Details of what life was like for specific population groups such as ethnic, socio-economic , or for those in certain professions
• Physical description of towns/locations

Local histories are kept in two of our major book collections in the Grosvenor Room.  Our Buffalo Collection houses materials related to Buffalo and Erie County.  The Grosvenor Genealogy Collection includes local histories for areas outside of Erie County.  It includes a significant collection of New York State county and town materials as well as out-of-state sources.

HeritageQuest Online also includes local histories.  HeritageQuest Online is a subscription database available through the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library.  The following link gives details about the database, tells how you can access it, and includes user guides: https://www.buffalolib.org/genealogy/genealogy-databases

Local histories can be found in the book section of the database, and the collection includes materials from all across the United States.

Here are some examples of Buffalo and Erie County histories with significant biographical detail:

• Hill, Henry Wayland, ed.  – Municipality of Buffalo: A History. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1923. – Buffalo F129.B8 H54, HeritageQuest Online
•  A History of the City of Buffalo: Its Men and Institutions. Buffalo, NY: Buffalo Evening News, 1908. – Buffalo F129.B8 B75
•  History of the City of Buffalo and Erie County.  Syracuse, NY: D. Mason & Co., 1884. – Buffalo F127.E6 S6, HeritageQuest Online 
• Jackman, Warren. History of the Town of Elma: Erie County, N.Y., 1620-1901. Buffalo, NY: 1902 – Buffalo F129.E85 J2, HeritageQuest Online 
• Fiddler-Woite, Julianna.  Snyder, New York: A Brief History . Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2009. – Buffalo F129.S6935 F53 2009
• Baker, Oneta M. History of the Town of Clarence.  Clarence Center, NY: Diane C. Baker, 1983. – Buffalo F 129.C55 B3
• Briggs, Erasmus. History of the Original Town of Concord, Being the Present Towns of Concord, Collins, N. Collins and Sardinia, Erie County, New York.  Camden, ME: Picton Press, 1992. – Buffalo F 129.C72 B8 1992, HeritageQuest Online (1883 edition)

Revolutionary Ancestors

In honor of Independence Day, research your Revolutionary ancestors.  A way that you can get started quickly is by using HeritageQuest.  HeritageQuest(HQ) is a genealogy database that you can use at any B&ECPL location or from home if you have a B&ECPL library card.  Visit our site to use the database and read our help guides.

 

HeritageQuest Revolutionary War Documents

Revolutionary War Pension Files are included in HQ.  Pension files are usually rich in genealogical detail. When Revolutionary War veterans or their dependents applied for a pension, they were required to prove military service and their identity through supporting documentation. Details that may be found in pension files include birth, death, and marriage information; family member names; and military service information.

HeritageQuest Serial Set

Private Relief Actions, Memorials, and Petitions from the Serial Set and the American State Papers are in this collection.  American Revolution documents that can be found include pension claims, military service claims, bounty land claims, property damage claims, and claims for services and supplies provided during the war.  Details that you may find include military service information, family member names, occupation, death information, as well as other pieces of genealogical evidence.

HeritageQuest Books

A collection of over 28,000 full-text books is in HQ. There are hundreds of titles related to the American Revolution.  The following are a few sources related to New York State:

• Loyalism in New York during the American Revolution (1901) – Alexander Flick
• New York in the Revolution as a Colony and State (1904) – Pierre Van Cortlandt
• Register of the Empire State Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (1899) – includes detailed personal and genealogical information about members.
• The Sons of the American Revolution, New York State Society: 1893-94 –  includes detailed personal and genealogical information about members.

The Grosvenor Room has many other genealogy resources pertaining to the American Revolution.  The following guides outline our holdings:

Military Resources for Buffalo and Erie County

Military Resources for Areas Other than Buffalo and Erie County

Image Source: ‘Attack on Fort Montgomery’ – The Pictorial History of the American Revolution, by Robert Sears, 1847, p. 263.