The New York Times recently ran a story of how a young woman was reunited with her family through the power of DNA testing. The young woman from St. Louis Missouri was convinced that her character and looks were inherited from her father. She felt her love of tradition and ceremony stemmed from her cherished Southern roots. That was until at the age of 42 she found out she had been adopted. Her whole image of her self was threatened, and she decided to find out who she really was by investigating her past.

Khrys Vaughan initially sought her adoption records, only to be disappointed and disillusioned when told that those records were sealed. After much frustration she came across a website offering DNA Testing and decided to take them up on their offer to help adoptees to connect with their blood relatives and discover their past. She received her DNA test kit, took a swab from inside her cheek, and sent the kit back to the testing lab. In about five weeks she received a report telling her that her bloodline extended to Romania, France and West Africa.

Amazingly, contained in the report was contact information for approximately a dozen or so living relatives in the form of email addresses. She eventually arranged to meet a third cousin living in Kentucky and was reunited with her in Evansville, Indiana, only around two hundred miles from her own hometown. Mrs. Vaughan is of African American descent, her cousin it turns out is Caucasian. Not that it matters at all to either of them. She is finally connected with her blood relatives, and they are happy to welcome her into the fold.

Thousands of adoptees are turning to these DNA Testing Companies these days for information about their past. Though some merely wish to know their geographical origins, others long to reconnect with their lost families, as did Khrys Vaughan. Still others wish to find out if they are susceptible to any particular genetically inherited diseases, but most want to find out who their real parents were, and to find any remaining relatives.

Why the Rising Popularity of DNA?

Those who may have been considering finding their family through DNA testing may be pleased to know that it has become quite affordable. The cost of analyzing DNA samples has plummeted in recent years, and this is largely due to the high demand of people wishing to find out more about their heritage. Because of so many people submitting DNA samples, many companies have developed immense DNA databases which they can use to compare samples sent in to their laboratories. Comparing these samples allows the company to determine if two or more people share the same genetic markers.

Traditional DNA researchers have not been very supportive of using DNA testing for genealogical purposes. They insist that DNA testing is not always accurate enough, and people may be connecting with those who are not actually related to them, saying that the definitions of what makes a relative are being somewhat stretched. In spite of the opposition, DNA tests continue to increase in popularity, and when combined with social media sites such as Facebook and Google+You, are providing adoptees with a sense of family and belonging they have not been previously able to enjoy.

Limitations of DNA Testing

DNA tests range in price from $100 – $500, depending on the extent of, and type of test performed.  The companies offering the testing are up front about the limitations, and warn that it is much more common to find distant relatives such as third or fourth cousins than actual siblings or birth parents. Some adoptees have been fortunate, connecting with brothers or sisters, but these types of results are rare. Nevertheless, as DNA testing continues to evolve, the chance of finding first generation relatives is increasing constantly. Some companies have databases of over a quarter million names, and those numbers are only increasing. You may not find a relative today, but in 6 months or a year, there may be a match present in one of the databases.

There is also the possibility that found family members may not wish to connect with adoptees, so one should prepare for that possibility when searching ancestors. There have been instances when people have stopped communicating when they found out their new relative was adopted. It is for this reason that many experts believe that adoptees spend more time nurturing their current relationships rather than face the pain of rejection. There have however been many joyful reunions due to DNA testing, the case of Mrs. Vaughan being one. If you are considering finding birth relatives through DNA testing, be aware of the potential pitfalls as well as the benefits, and always remember to respect the privacy and wishes of others.

Much of the population of the United States and Canada is descended from Eastern European ancestors. Countries that can be considered Eastern European are; Russia, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Lithuania. Out of America’s population of nearly 300,000,000 approximately 13.5 million claim direct ancestry to these countries. Unfortunately due to language barriers and inaccessibility, finding ancestral records in such places can be overwhelmingly dreadful, and many genealogists are apprehensive about even trying to find their Eastern European ancestors.  It is completely understandable how one can be intimidated by research in these countries, but it can be conducted if we have access to genealogical data such as; our ancestor’s name, approximate time period in which they lived, and the location of any genealogical events related to them.

Anyone possessing all three of those pieces of information could actually find their relative quite quickly. Civil registration and Church records are the most commonly used documents for searching Eastern European ancestors, though in many of these countries the general public has no access to them. Fortunately for Genealogists, most of the immigration from Eastern Europe occurred during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and there is a good chance that those records may be available for your ancestor.

The First Steps

The best place to begin searching your Eastern European ancestors is at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. They host a collection of more than two million rolls of microfilm, many of those being filmed civil registration and church records from East European countries. You can view the catalogue at FamilySearch.org, and get access to all of the records at the many Family History Centers located around the world. Once you access the microfilms you can search the records. Don’t despair that they are in a foreign language, as the names are listed using the Latin alphabet, so you will be able to recognize them.

Continued Strategy

Your strategy for finding Eastern European records whether you search them in person, by microfilm or by mail correspondence will rely on you knowing where to locate the required documents. Many records were recorded in the synagogue or church which your ancestor belonged to, so knowing where they lived is of the utmost importance. Before you even look overseas however, check local Immigration and Naturalization records first.  It is possible you may find names, dates, or the name of the location from which they migrated. Continue your search in local Census reports, BDM records, draft registrations, and even personal family papers. The more information you have before continuing your research overseas, the greater your chances of locating your ancestors will be.

If you find relevant records listing a genealogical event in Europe, you’ll then need to locate your ancestor’s synagogue or church. Many villages did not have their own place of worship, often one village served as a hub for a collection of villages in a particular area. Therefore your ancestor may have has to travel to a different place from where they lived, so you’ll want to extend your research to at least a 20km radius. You van locate villages that had a church or synagogue by using a gazetteer for the required region. You can find many of these gazetteers in the Family History Library (FHL), some of which are; the Magyarorszag Helysegnevtara Ket Kotreten (Hungary), Spis Miejscowosci Polskiej Rzeczypospolitej Ludowej (Poland), Administratives Gemeindelexikon der Cechoslovakischen Republik (Czechoslovakia), and the Słownik Geograficzny Królestwa Połskiego (Poland and surrounding territories such as Belarus, Lithuania, and Ukraine)

Although the gazetteers are written in the local language, the FHL provides instructions in English on how to use them. They generally provide the location of the place of worship to which each village belonged. If you know your ancestors religion, the search is of course much easier. Many of the churches and synagogues also contained birth, death, marriage, and baptism records. Though many of the early records were recorded in Latin, later records will be in the native language of whichever country your ancestor resided in.

It is indeed a challenge to find Eastern European ancestors, but the same genealogical strategies hold true for any ancestors search. You must be patient, thorough, and imaginative, always keeping an eye out for potential clues and bits of data that may lead you further in your search. Stay organized, keep your focus, and be mannerly when dealing with foreign clerical workers and administrative workers. Many speak English, and some may even be willing to help you in your quest to find your European ancestors. Good Luck, and as always, Happy Ancestor hunting!

I was recently informed of an exciting collection of nineteenth century primary content that will be made available online this spring. Gale Cenage Learning, a well known publisher of reference and research sources for businesses, schools, and libraries recently announced plans for its program of studies Nineteenth Century Collections Online. It is a global publishing and digitalization program comprised of rare nineteenth century content (primary source), and though still being developed, the first four modules will be released sometime between April and the end of May 2012.

Nineteenth Century Collections Online will remain a work in progress, with content from partner libraries such as the Bodleian Library (Oxford University), the British Library, and archives such as the UK National Archives and the US National Archives being added regularly. Such institutions and other smaller ones will in total contribute over 150 various collections this year, providing genealogists with yet another immensely important online resource.

The content to be on offer has never been digitalized, and most has never been put onto microfilm, so this is exciting unique content of a rare and valuable nature. Some of what will be available is:

• The Corvey Collection of European Literature: 1790-1840 –an original collection of essays covering an array of Romantic literature that was published in German, French and English sourced from Corvey Abbey located in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. This collection is one of the most prolific and important existing assemblages of works from this period. It specializes in rare, hard-to-find compositions by obscure female writers. It contains Dramatic Works, Gothic Novels, Poetry, Short-Form Prose, and Novels
• Asia and the West: Diplomacy and Cultural Exchange – This collection covers topics such as U.S and British diplomacy and foreign policy,  the Philippine Insurrection,  Asian political, economic, and social affairs, the Opium Wars and much more.
• British Theatre, Music, and Literature: High and Popular Culture – includes a wealth of materials, including scripts, playbills, musical scores, and operas. Many of these have never been filmed or made available in digital or other electronic format. They cover topics such as street literature, penny dreadfuls, Victorian popular culture and includes the Archive of the Royal Literary Fund.
• British Politics and Society – presenting a catalogue of primary sources that cover topics like Chartism, Owenism, radical movements, the cartographic record, political reform, and British domestic and foreign policy. It also contains working class autobiographies, British Cabinet papers, and accounts of riots and civil disturbances in nineteenth century England.

These works will be released in increments beginning in mid-2012, and will provide an exceptional resource to scholars. Family historians, and history and literature buffs. Genealogists will be able to get an even more detailed picture of how their ancestors may have lived during this period. You will come to know what sort of entertainment and literature they may have enjoyed, the civil disturbances and unrest they might have encountered, been involved in, or been affected by. You can learn what sort of domestic or foreign policy may have influenced them to immigrate, or uncover clues as to where they may have emigrated to. Such information can really help you to compile interesting and exciting Family History Reports.

So often we get bogged down in a records search that we forget just how interesting, educational, and entertaining genealogy can be. This collection will avail us of all these fringe benefits of pursuing our family history, and is a collection to be cherished. Mark your calendar for the spring of 2012, and subscribe to our Blog if you haven’t already. We’ll keep you up to date on the progress, and inform you when the collection comes online. Until then, Happy ancestor hunting, and enjoy genealogy!

British and Irish census reports actually have an interesting history behind them. In that history lays valuable information that can help you to locate your ancestor, and develop an intimate understanding of them and the lives they lived. The first census was initiated after a period of poor harvests and food shortages. Subsequently the British Government decided to take a “survey” of the population in order to determine the general health and makeup of the people. It was thus in 1800, under the order of George III, that The Census Act was decreed ordering a complete enumeration of all of Britain, namely; England, Scotland and Wales. According to the Act, the record taking would commence in 1801and a similar enumeration would be performed every ten years from that day on. This has been carried out accordingly except in 1941 due to the ongoing war.

The questions to be asked during the enumeration were designed to separate the country into three specific categories; those involved in agriculture, those employed in the manufacturing and trade industries, and those engaged in all other forms of employment. This first census however, did not require names to be given, though some enumerators included them in footnotes or for their own personal documentation. Questions that were asked of householders were fairly general and geared towards establishing; the amount of inhabited houses within the area, how many families lived in each house, how many males as opposed to females lived in the region, occupational data, and how many baptisms and burials had been recorded in the area during the previous century. Names were not recorded until the year 1841,

From 1841 onwards the questions asked in the census reports became more and more detailed. Besides the names of the inhabitants of a household, their age (although lowered down to the nearest five year increment for anyone over fifteen), and gender were required.  The 1841 report is generally the first used by most researchers, not only because of the vital data they contain, but also because they were tabulated and preserved for reference. In 1851 those living at sea, whether serving in the merchant or Royal navies, were included, along with those serving overseas in land based forces and employed by the East India Company. There were few changes in this format over the next 40 years, except that language spoken in the home was included, until the 1901 census when questions were designed to elicit more precise responses.

The following information on each individual can be found on reports between 1841 and1901:

• Full Name – First, Middle (usually only an initial or initials were recorded for middle names) and Surname
• How Related to Head of Household
• Age at Last Birthday
• Gender
• Marital Status
• Occupation
• Place of Birth – County and Parish if Wales or England)
• Country of Birth if Born Outside England and Wales
• Language Spoken
• Whether or not Disabled

The reports also contain the full address and, progressively with subsequent census returns, additional information about the abode itself.

An excellent resource on how to utilize the British Census returns for research purposes is supplied by the British Government at their National Archives website. Their Guide to Census Returns provides valuable information for anyone researching ancestors in England and Wales, as well as the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

Scotland and Ireland

Separate enumerations were taken of Scotland and Ireland and additional information on each year can be found at the Scotland’s People website operated by the General Registration Office of Scotland and at Ireland’s National Archives. The reports for Scotland can be viewed online at ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk, and there is a census index for the year 1881 that can be accessed via the public computer stations at the National Archives of Scotland. Ancestry.com also has digitized indexes from 1841 – 1901.

Unfortunately due to the Irish Civil War, few returns from the 19^th century have survived, though the returns for 1901 and 1911 are mostly intact and can be viewed online at the Irish National Archives website.

Useful Tips for Working with English Census Records

The British government included an “as of” date in their census reports. Referred to as the “census night”, the census return was to include the names and details of all individuals who were in the house from Sunday night to Monday morning. Though this may seem a fairly obvious stipulation, we have highlighted it as it is important to consider the “as of” date when consulting census records and comparing them with other genealogical data. An example of this would be; say an individual’s age is listed as 31 in the 1841 census, but only as 40 in the 1851 return. This could be confusing, unless you consult the respective “as of” dates.  In 1841 the census night was Sunday June 6; in 1851 it was Sunday March 30. This is about nine weeks difference, and you could suppose that the person’s birthday fell during that period, and consequently narrow your search for their birth records.

If for any reason the census form was not properly completed by the head of a household, enumerators were instructed to request that data at a follow up visit. Also if an individual was illiterate or blind, or wasn’t able to physically complete the census form, an interview was to be conducted by the enumerator, who completed the document on behalf of the householder. Original descriptions of enumeration districts can therefore be helpful in finding lost ancestors, Enumeration districts are basically geographic areas assigned to individual census takers, and generally represent a specific part of a city, parish or county.  If browsing online at Ancestry.com for example, if you click on the census return you wish to search, a drop down list with County names appears. After selecting a County, you choose a Civil Parish, which consequently reveals the enumeration districts for that area.

Notes on Irish Census Returns

Irish census taken has not always been consistent, and for this reason the following information may be useful when consulting Irish Census records. The first Irish census was taken in 1813, and subsequently reports were administered every ten years thereafter from 1821 through 1911. The census was not taken in 1921 due to the Irish Civil War, but one was taken in 1926, and two more in 1936 and 1946. Between the years 1946 and 1971 the census was taken every 5 years, and then in 1971 a ten year span was again implemented.

In addition to the inconsistencies of the census intervals, most of the reports for the period 1821 – 1851 were destroyed by fire, the original 1813 report vanished over time, and the reports for the years 1861 and 1871 were destroyed by the Irish Government upon their completion. The reports of 1881 and 1891 were reduced to paper pulp due to a shortage of paper during the First World War.

For this reason many researchers looking for Irish ancestors turn to Census supplements or substitutes such as Griffith’s Valuation and the Tithe Applotment Books.