Vital Records of Orland, Maine

We are pleased to announce the availability of our Special Publication #65.

The town of Orland is located in Hancock County, 17 miles west of Ellsworth. Granted to W. Dall, Nathaniel Snellings, Robert Treat and others in Boston. It was first settled by Joseph Gross from Fort Pownal in 1764. Zachariah Gross, his son, was the first male child born there in 1766. The first road was laid out in 1771 by John Hancock and Samuel Craig. Orland was incorporated on Feb. 21, 1800. Prior to that date it was known as Eastern River Township, or Plantation, No. 2.

James H. Wick, compiler. 426 pages, 14,106 entry Every Name Index. Hard cover. 2010.

Member price: $59.95 / Non-member price: $69.95

Visit our website for ordering information.

Ardell J. (Parkman) Lynds

Maine Genealogical Society is saddened to announce the death of Ardell J. (Parkman) Lynds, a well-known Maine genealogist and recently, a director of our Society.

READFIELD - Ardell J. (Parkman) Lynds died Dec. 6, 2010, at Hospice House, Auburn, with her husband and sons by her side. Ardell was born Jan. 8, 1942, at Scott Webb Memorial Hospital, Hartland, the only child of Henry A. Parkman and Phyllis P. (Pease) Parkman. She attended elementary school in St. Albans, Skowhegan, Norridgewock, Aptos, Calif.; and graduated from Watsonville High School in 1960. She also attended secretarial school in San Jose, Calif., Monterey Peninsular College, and Hartnell College, Salinas, Calif. Upon returning to Maine after residing in California from 1962 to 2000, she really enjoyed reconnecting with childhood friends and family from Skowhegan and Norridgewock. After spending time with family, Ardell's greatest joy was researching family roots, as she was an extremely successful and passionate genealogist. Some of her greatest accomplishments were tracing her family heritage and others back to their Mayflower voyage. She also wrote and published three books and transcribed the vital records of St. Albans. She was a proud member of several genealogical organizations, including Daughters of the American Revolution, of which she was an officer; Mayflower Society, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Maine Genealogical Society, Colonial Dames of the XVII Century and Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War. She also owned and operated Your Cousin's Genealogical Shoppe, San Martin, Calif. Ardell was a lady of extreme character and virtue, whose family values and moral code would be next to impossible to surpass. As indicated by the organizations she belonged to, Ardell loved her country, and was a devout patriot. Ardell was a lover of animals, having named and cared for numerous pets including dogs, cats, pygmy goats, roosters, chickens, horses and a pig on Lynds' Little Acres Ranchette, San Martin, Calif. This would explain why one of her favorite TV shows and books was "All Creatures Great and Small" by James Herriot. She had also been a school volunteer and treasurer of Boy Scout Troop 20. She is survived by her husband, Arvil Lynds of Readfield; and her children, Ronnie Lynds of Gilroy, Calif., Stephen Lynds of Yosemite National Park, Calif., and Michael Lynds of Gardiner. There will be viewing hours 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10, at Smart & Edwards Funeral Home, 183 Madison Ave., Skowhegan, where a funeral service will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 11. Immediately after there will be a luncheon reception at Tewksbury Hall behind Federated Church on the island in Skowhegan. Donations may be made in Ardell's memory to National Kidney Foundation , Serving New England, 85 Astor Ave., Suite 2, Norwood, MA 02062-5040; Arthritis Foundation , Northern New England Office, 6 Chenell Drive, Suite 260, Concord, NH 03301; or The Hospice House of Androscoggin Home Care & Hospice, 236 Stetson Road, Auburn, ME 04210. Arrangements are under the care and direction of Smart & Edwards Funeral Home, 183 Madison Ave., Skowhegan.

Published in Bangor Daily News on December 9, 2010

MGS Conference Queries

Can anyone help these Conference attendees with their queries?

Looking for a connection between George W. Knight and Cornelia Hackett of the East Poland and Minot, ME area between 1854 - 1867. Dave Flewelling (jdflew@earthlink.net) MGS #4391

Seeking parents of Alphonse Fournie b. 1871 Quebec; m. Helene (Ellen) Melanson at St. Mary's, Orono, ME on 27 Nov 1880; Helene b. abt 1865 in Bathhurst, Gloucester County, New Brunswick, Canada. Bob O'Halloran (bobohalloran@roadrunner.com) MGS #4246

Seeking ancestors of Samuel S. Seamans (b. 7 Aug 1839 Eastport, ME); he married on 25 Dec 1862 in Cary, ME to Ruth Colson (b. 8 Dec 1816 in New Brunswick, Canada). Bob O'Halloran (bobohalloran@roadrunner.com) MGS #4246

Looking for connections with the surname "Zeeman or Zeaman". Linda Aaskov (aaskov@myfairpoint.net) MGS #365

Looking for William Savage (b. bef 1763) a Loyalist who moved to New Brunswick, Canada in 1783 and married Sarah Sewell. Donald Savage (dsavage7@maine.rr.com) MGS #4399

Seeking information on Emily Farnham Chalmers Herrick Alexander (b. 10 May 1842 Topsfield, ME) d/o Jothan (aka Jonathan) and Abigail Chambers. Emily m (1) Francis A. Herrick on 27 Feb 1864 (he d. 6 Oct 1870, b. Unity, ME); she m (2) Ira Alexander (m. int. 25 Nov 1873); Ira (b. 6 June 1819 Middlebury, VT) aka Ira Abel Haven (d. 10 Sept 1891 Wales, ME). Emily (Herrick) Schroeder (dethdamona@gmail.com) MGS #4446

Seeking information on Otis Smith whose 3rd wife was Catherine Frohock; area of Readfield and Belmont, ME 1785-1805; in Charleston, ME during 1850 Census. Peter M. Smith (Pmsmi2002@aol.com) MGS #4032

Looking for parents of John Lawgren Kelly, b. 1797 in Nova Scotia or New Brunswick. Moved to Lyndon (now Caribou, ME); married Elizabeth Pankes in 1823 in Woodstock, New Brunswick, Canada. Dennis Prue (djprue@myfairpoint.net) MGS 3959

Seeking information on John Brazier, born abt 1769 in Meduncook (now Friendship, ME), died 1850's. His known whereabouts are : Avon 1810-1820; Putnam (now Washington, ME) 1810-1820; Avon 1820-1830; Temple 1829; Chandlerville (now Detroit) 1840's; Windham 1850's, Possible relatives: Harrison, Daniel, Joseph and Ellsworth Brazier. Jim Daly (mainelyjrd@comcast.net) MGS # 4351

Need parents of Mehitable T. Leaman of Alna who married on 10 Jan 1810 John Lowell of Alna. Gravestones in Alna Cemetery states she d. 16 Sept 1873 age 84 yrs; he d. 19 Feb 1872 age 88 yrs 10 mos. Her sister Betsy married a Dodge. George & Margaret Ricker (vinca577@aol.com) MGS #260

Need parents of Hannah Neal of York who married Nicholas Littlefield on 25 Nov 1797 (acc. Wells Vital Records); gravestone with her death date 19 Aug 1834 age 56 or 58 in Wells. George & Margaret Ricker (vinca577@aol.com) MGS #260

Looking for information on the family of Josiah Brawn and Mary Sparks; their children: Jennie Brawn Steeves (b. 1859 Woodstock, New Brunswick; d. 1942 Portland, ME) and Charles Abram Brawn (b. 1863 Houlton, ME; d. 1942 Milford, ME). Carol E. Ballard (RRB4CEB@securespeed.us) MGS #2957

Looking for the resting place of my infant son, Richard J. Decker Jr. b. 17 Apr 1957; he died while I was stationed at Dow AFB. There doesn't appear to be any death certificate issued by the State of Maine. He only survived for a short time - apparently the hospital took care of the remains. Can anyone in the Bangor area help this man who now lives in New Zealand? If so, contact Emily Quint (quint@tdstelme.net)

Google Earth 101 and Its Uses in Genealogy - November 6th

November 6, 2010 the Greater Portland Chapter of MGS will present "Google Earth 101 and Its Uses in Genealogy"

Will Haskell is the GPCMGS secretary and a civil engineer with eighteen years of experience. He uses maps and aerial photography every day at work and he finds they provide many benefits in his genealogy research as well. Google Earth is free software that allows you to “fly” anywhere on the earth and visualize what that place looks like today and in the past. This powerful tool provides opportunities to visualize where your ancestors lived, their migration routes and patterns, compare current and historic photographs, overlay historic maps over current maps and locate cemeteries and churches. He will provide a basic overview and introduction of the software and will touch on several of the useful tools for genealogy. At the end of his talk he will show us his unique Google Earth project that provides exciting opportunities for the future of cemetery research.

Our meetings are held at 1:00 on the first Saturday of every month at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at 29 Ocean House Road in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. New members are always welcome. Refreshments are served before the meeting at 12:30 and admission is free.

October is Family History Month

It's Autumn here in Maine, the days are getting shorter, the evenings cooler, and the colors of fall are absolutely beautiful.

So now is the time to sit back and relax and think about those family history projects you want to complete this winter. October is the perfect month to do just that! As a jolly old man once said "Making a list and checking it twice!" holds true for planning those projects and making sure you have all your supplies necessary to do it.

Some project suggestions are: preserving and labeling your photo's so that future generations will know who is in that picture. It's not to late to have one more cookout and invite family members over to share stories and take pictures. Journaling those stories is another project as well as making a family history recipe book. Remember grandma's favorite pie recipe, wouldn't that look good in a recipe book with her picture on that page. What about those holiday recipes that have become tradition every year? Who gave them to you? Is that person given credit in your recipe book. Recruit other family members to add to their family recipe cookbook and think of how it can become a really great Christmas gift to everyone.

These are just a few suggestions for you to work with. Now that I have written this I need to go and check out my supply list, while some of the items are still on sale!

The Origins of Mary Drummond--Oldest Native Negro in New Bedford, Mass

On October 2, 2010 the Greater Portland Chapter of the Maine Genealogical Society will have a presentation of - "The Origins of Mary Drummond--Oldest Native Negro in New Bedford, Mass" Presented by Carol P. McCoy, Ph.D., this enlightening case illustrates how a creative approach and extensive search can uncover the parentage of a person of color born early in the 19th century. Learn how to use vital records, censuses, deeds, directories, newspapers, probate and cemetery records, and online resources to discover evidence to un-puzzle a genealogical mystery

Our meetings are held at 1:00 on the first Saturday of every month at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at 29 Ocean House Road in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. New members are always welcome. Refreshments are served before the meeting at 12:30 and admission is free.

Pejepscot Chapter hosts Silouette Artist October 10th

Silhouettes talk and portrait cuttings at Pejepscot event Ruth Monsell of Artful Heirlooms will be on hand Sunday, October 10 at the invitation of the Pejepscot Genealogy Society of Brunswick to deliver a talk on the history of silhouettes and how she has gone about creating them over the past three decades. She will also be available to demonstrate her skill, creating freehand cut silhouette portraits of children and adults, done from live five minute sittings.

The talk is open to the public, and will be begin at 2 PM in the Morrell Meeting Room of the Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick. All are invited to bring family or historical silhouettes to display before and after the talk. Advance reservations may be made for sittings, which will run from 1 to 2 PM and from 2:30 to 5 PM.

A silhouettist with over 30 years of experience, Ruth has become internationally known through her website, ArtfulHeirlooms.com, as well as by cutting profiles aboard five international cruise ships. In demand for weddings, reunions, and corporate events, she has also created numerous custom logos. In 2009, her works in cut paper comprised one fourth of a New York City gallery exhibit, Shapes From Maine.

The artist also enjoys creating decorative silhouettes which began with animals, full figures and lighthouses. More recently she has branched out into architectural subjects, beginning with a cutting of the Joshua Chamberlain House in Brunswick, commissioned by their gift shop. Additionally she cut portraits of Joshua and Fannie Chamberlain for the Chamberlain Museum Store. A recent building silhouette was of the historic Pickard Theater on the Bowdoin campus, commissioned for a fundraiser.

In previous years, Ruth has cut portraits twice for Pejepscot Historical Society events. There about a dozen other historical groups and museums in Maine which have called on her to demonstrate her work in cut paper.

Advance appointments for sittings are recommended and may be made by phoning 563-2920 or 866-212-7288. The artist is also able to cut silhouettes of loved ones not present from clear profile (side view) photographs.

Fogler Library Sponsors Town Reports Event

ORONO, Maine— Is your family name in the town report? Did it appear there in 1898? What did this mean? Do you still think of the annual reports prepared by towns in Maine as dull bureaucratic documents detailing arcane activities of municipal governments, of little interest to anyone except local residents? This view will be challenged in a program sponsored by the Friends of Fogler Library entitled Town Reports: Rich Texts, Vital Resources, held in the Special Collections Reading Room
of Fogler Library on Monday, November 15, at 3:00 p.m.

Librarians Mel Johnson and Richard Hollinger will demonstrate that town reports are unique and valuable resources for local history and genealogy, and are essential sources for research on regional and state history as well, containing information about social history often available nowhere else.

The program will also feature Maine Town Reports Online, where digitized historical reports from a number of Maine towns can be viewed. This site is a collaborative project between Fogler Library, the Maine State Library and several municipalities and historical societies. This event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. For more information contact Gretchen Gfeller at gretchen.gfeller@umit.maine.edu or call 581-1696.

Individuals, towns and organizations that would like to add their town’s reports to this site should contact Sharon Quinn Fitzgerald at Fogler Library (voice: 581-1667, email: sharonquinn.fitzgerald@umit.maine.edu).

For more information on this event, contact:
Gretchen Gfeller, Web and Public Relations
University of Maine, Raymond H. Fogler Library
5729 Raymond H. Fogler Library, Orono, ME 04469-5729
207-581-1696

New Website - Sirius Genealogy 2.0

The following announcement was written by Sirius Innovations, LLC:

Sirius Innovations, LLC is pleased to announce the release of “The Sirius Genealogist Web Directory at the Sirius Genealogy 2.0 website. The Web Directory is a well-organized collection of genealogy related resources that will help the amateur and professional genealogist perform research, find education / training programs, evaluate software options, find hardware, evaluate an assortment of service based offerings, and participate in the genealogy community. The directory is completely search able by category and/or location.

Individual listings can include a detailed description, links to websites, user ratings & reviews, down loadable v-cards and more. Listings can also be easily printed, saved to a favorites area or downloaded as a PDF.

The editors of Sirius Genealogy 2.0 invite users of our website to submit their FREE listing to the Web Directory today. Each listing is individually reviewed for relevancy before approval and then added to the appropriate categories.

Check it out at http://www.siriusgenealogy.com

New Vital Records Law Goes Into Effect

On July 12th, 2010 a new law preventing fraudulent use of vital records went into effect. Vital records include birth certificates, fetal death and death certificates, marriage certificates, and domestic partner registrations. Maine's new law will require a person requesting a copy of records less than 100 years old to provide documentation establishing their direct and legitimate interest in the records.

Until now, Maine has been one of just a handful of states that have allowed anyone, including individuals with bad intentions and for profit entities, access to these records. Information from vital records will become completely open to the public 100 years from the date of the event.

Individuals who may access vital records less than 100 years old include:

* The person named on the record;
* The person's spouse or registered domestic partner;
* The parent(s) named on the record;
* Descendants of the person named on the record;
* Registrant's legal custodian, guardian, or conservator or respective authorized representative (includes attorney, physician, or funeral director); and
* Genealogists who have a Maine CDC issued researcher identification card.

Proof of identity must also be presented to the municipal and city clerks or state Vital Records Office staff. A brief application for securing a copy of the vital record must be filled out and presented, along with positive identification such as a driver's license, passport, or other government issued picture identification that clearly shows that the person requesting the record is who they say they are. Identification requirements apply whether the records are requested in person or by mail.

The Genealogical Research Application form is located at:
http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/boh/phs/odrvs/vital-records/index.shtml about half way down the page.

Clan Boyd Historian/Genealogist coming to Portland, ME 9 Oct 2010

Clan Boyd Historian and Genealogist will be coming to Portland, Maine on October 9, 2010

This will be the first U.S. stop for Boyd Historian Mike Boyd on a worldwide tour to meet with Boyd family members and researchers. He will bring with him a wealth of Clan Boyd information to share and will gladly accept family information from other researchers.

Please join us on October 9th from 1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. at:

Church of Jesus Christ of LDS (Mormon Church)
Genealogical Library Wing
29 Ocean House Rd. (Rte. 77)
Cape Elizabeth, ME

This is on the right shortly after the South Portland/Cape Elizabeth town line.

Bring your questions and your family information for an informative and interesting gathering! Interested parties can contact Susan Gillmor at sgillmor@maine.rr.com or call at 797-0203.

Kimball Family of Lyman, Maine

Looking for parents of Gibeon (Gibbens, Gibenes) Kimball of Lyman, Maine. He enlisted in the army 1814, gave his age as 30 and birthplace as Lyman, York County. (I estimate he was born about 1784.) In the Early Vital Records of Lyman, Maine (New England Genealogical Historical Society database) he is listed as married to "Miss Lydia Peavy" 30 March 1817 by "Elder Richard Emery".

He had at least one daughter (Sarah W Kimball) who lists her parents as "Gibbens and Lydia Kimball" and her birthplace as Lyman, Maine at her second marriage in Somerville, MA.

I would also like to know if Gibeon had any other children. I suspect he may have been married more than once as I found a marriage record (FamilySearch.org) for a "Gibenes Kimball" to Polly Carll 26 September 1808 at Lyman tep, York, ME (he would have been about 24).

There is also an old newspaper article that muddies the water even more, with a possible third marriage. I have not found a death record for him, so I don't know when or where he died. However, the newspaper article seems to point to his burial in a family plot in Lyman.

Is anyone researching the Kimball family of Lyman Maine?

Any help is much appreciated,
Suzanne Wood (Member 4415) suew@townisp.com

Greater Portland Chapter of MGS September 4, 2010 Meeting

On September 4, 2010 - Waterborough, Maine: The Influences of Brentwood, NH and Berwick, ME on the Early Settlement of the Town

Fred Boyle, a former certified genealogist, is a resident of Springvale and a native of Massachusetts where the last twenty years of his teaching career were at Lexington High School. In retirement he has developed a second career as a genealogist, serving a multitude of clients and personally publishing a number of "Early Families" books on Sanford, Shapleigh, Acton and most recently (2006) Alfred. He also is the author of the Folsom Genealogy, Vol. IV and Hatevil Nutter of Dover, NH and His Descendants. Currently he is at work on Early Families of Waterborough, Maine, which will probably be published in 2011.

Our meetings are held at 1:00 on the first Saturday of every month at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at 29 Ocean House Road in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. New members are always welcome. Refreshments are served before the meeting at 12:30 and admission is free.

Creative Ways to Solve Genealogical Problems Workshop

Carol McCoy will be doing an all day workshop entitled "Creative Ways to Solve Genealogical Problems" at the Newport Maine Historical Society on Saturday August 21st. It will be a fun workshop!

Kennebunk, ME Brick House Museum Event

The Kennebunk Brick House Museum is having an ancestor road show from 10 to 1 pm on August 14th to benefit the museum. People can have 25 minute consultations. Genealogical consultants will be Pam Eagleson, Margaret Dube and Carol McCoy. They are also members of the Northeast chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists. Proceeds will benefit the museum.

Greater Portland Chapter of MGS August Meeting

Our meetings are held at 1:00 on the first Saturday of every month at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at 29 Ocean House Road in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. New members are always welcome. Refreshments are served before the meeting at 12:30 and admission is free.

August 7, 2010 Having Fun with Newfield's Early Families

Ruth Bridges Ayer, author of Families of Newfield, Maine, will speak about digging into the records of folks who lived in Newfield, Maine, which resulted in many interesting stories - most of them printable.

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION REMINDER

Hello everyone -

The Maine Genealogical Society's 2010 Annual Family History Conference will be held on Saturday, September 25 at the Point Lookout Resort & Conference Center in Northport, ME. This conference will feature ten workshops, a national keynote speaker, vendors and exhibitors.

The main featured speaker is Dick Eastman. Dick is a long-time favorite speaker of MGS members. With Maine roots, he has been involved in genealogy for over 30 years. Having also worked in the computer industry for more than 40 years, he offers a unique approach to how technology can assist in the search for, and recording of, your family history. In 1996, he launched Eastman's Online Genealogy newsletter (www.eogn.com) which has grown into a daily publication and is read by more than 40,000 genealogists each day.

Breakout Workshop topics include:

Session One - concurrent
Wikis for Genealogists
Researching your World War II ancestor
Preserving your digital photographs

Session Two - concurrent
Conservation - keeping up with technology
Full Fathom Five - A Daughter's Search
Tips in interpreting town clerk's handwriting

Session Three - concurrent
The Organized Genealogist
Treasures in the town vault
Researching your Swedish ancestors

In addition to the workshops, the general session keynote address by Dick Eastman is entitled "Maine Outhouses I have known and loved", which should be quite entertaining!

Be sure to register soon for this great conference - registration deadline is September 11. Registrations are $40 for MGS members and $50 for non-members. Be sure to register early and share this information with fellow researchers who might be interested in attending.

On Saturday, September 25, the registration table will be open at 8am and the vendors and exhibitors will be available. There will be a luncheon buffet ($20 a ticket) which will feature some great networking time. The conference will end at 5:00pm. For those not wanting to participate in the luncheon, feel free to bring your own lunch and enjoy an outdoor picnic on the grounds.

A query board will be available again this year in the lobby area for anyone interested in posting a genealogy query. This was a popular feature last year, so bring your query and you might find a connection!

For more information on this conference such as a full description of each workshop, description of the workshop speakers, full conference schedule, conference brochure and registration form, please visit the website at

Hope to see you there! Should you have any questions, please feel free to email us at mainegenealogical@yahoo.com or phone MGS President Dale Mower at (207) 942-9375.

Parker Lawry

Seeking information on Parker Lawry, b. c. 1820, m. Thursha Powers (b. c. 1834, d. c. 1858). Appears in 1850 US Fed Census with Thursha in Islesboro. Son Charles Lewis Lawry, b. c. 1858, Bangor, later moved to Washington state. Charles stated that his father was a mariner and that his parents lived in Bangor. Need names of Parker's and Thursha's parents, residence(s), etc.

Polly Ballance, MGS #4440, 22649 Climbing Rose Dr, Moreno Valley, CA 92557; e-mail: pballance@msn.com

Pejepscot Genealogical Society Website Goes Live!

If you haven’t already heard, PGS is launching a new web site with the hopes of making information more easily accessible, easing administration, and making it easier for people outside our group to find us. The first phase of the new web site is complete, which involved purchasing a new domain name, installing some software for maintaining the site, redesign work, moving the old content into the new format, and adding a few new “extras.”

One of the features of the new site is a blog like feature that is easily update able from any internet ready computer. This means we can post certain information that can’t wait for a newsletter (perhaps because of timing) or we can post supplementary information to what is included in the newsletter, allowing us to keep the page count on the newsletter down to a manageable level.

Over the summer I hope to continue working on the site to make sure others like the Maine Genealogical Society get their links to our site updated, as well as posting some more detailed information about our group, our areas of research, etc. If you have things you would like to see included on the web site, let me know and I will do my best to make it happen.

Aroostook County Genealogical Society News

The Aroostook County Genealogical Society, called “The county”, meets on the fourth Monday of each month, except for December and July at 6:30 pm, at the Cary Medical Center, 163 Van Buren Rd., Caribou, Me in the Chan building. Our contact person is Jay Bullard you may contact him via e-mail at: jaybullard@myfairpoint.net. Our new website is: ac-gs.org. Our Newspaper Project is in full swing, the Aroostook Republican and News is our starting point, read about the project on our website. Anyone is welcome to come to attend meetings. Membership in this Chapter provide you with a monthly Newsletter.

Leavitt Family Reunion

The National Association of Leavitt Families (NALF) will hold this year's annual reunion in Hampton NH June 25-26, 2010.

We trace all the descendants of John Leavitt of Hingham MA and Thomas Leavitt. Hampton is the home of the immigrant Thomas Leavitt born 1616 who settled there about 1637. Descendants are scattered throughout Maine, but Leavitt strongholds are or were York, Buxton, Standish, Scarborough, Portland, Bridgton, Bethel, Acton, Limerick, Cape Elizabeth, Windham, Newport, Lincolnville, Hallowell, Eastport, and Thomaston, Maine.

Registration deadline is June 10.

See our website for all the details www.Leavitts.org and come join in on the fun and meet your cousins. Open to all.

Chandler Family Association Newsletter Honored

The Chandler Family Association Newsletter received the First Place, Family Newsletter award at the recent National Genealogical Society meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah. The coveted award was presented April 28 in front of a large crowd of enthusiastic genealogists. Accepting the award on behalf of the Association was Charles Chandler, a resident of West Jordan, Utah, and CFA member. Editor of the award-winning newsletter is Claudia Chandler Brocato of Brandon, Mississippi, who was appointed editor of the publication in 2006. Brocato also serves as webmaster for the CFA website, which scored 84% in a recent marketing effectiveness evaluation of 2.3 million websites.

In announcing the award, C. M. Chandler, president of the Chandler Family Association, stated "We are very pleased and honored that our newsletter was judged the best family newsletter in this year's competition. Our members look forward to receiving their newsletter as each issue is packed with a variety of informative articles and documented genealogies contributed by our members. Each issue generally includes articles by members of our Executive Board, who are involved in various research projects throughout the year. The newsletter provides an excellent vehicle for updating our more than 400 members worldwide about the progress of these efforts. While our peer review board double-checks all genealogical articles for accuracy, Mrs. Brocato has full charge of the final product. We are extremely pleased with the professional appearance she has given our newsletter. This prestigious award from NGS, America's leading genealogical association, is a reaffirmation of our members' appreciation of the work Mrs. Brocato performs for our Association."

The NGS Family Newsletter competition is held annually to recognize the hard work, long hours, and creativity by editors of family newsletters, most of whom are unpaid volunteers. Newsletters entered in the competition are judged by a three-member panel and must meet certain preset criteria, such as material interest, variety and originality, writing quality, readability, and overall attractiveness of presentation. The 2010 competition is the first time the Chandler Family Association has submitted an entry, which adds to the pride the CFA membership has at large for its publication.

To view one of the award-winning issues, visit the group's website at http://www.thecfa.org/. The website also carries full details about the Chandler Family Association, membership details, and information about the group's upcoming Annual Meeting, open to all who are interested in Chandler genealogy, September 17-18 in Hampton, Virginia.

MGS Member Discount at Footnote

Maine Genealogical Society is always looking for ways to provide value to our members. We are pleased to announce that we have worked on a a special offer with Footnote.com, the premier history website featuring over 66 million records.

For a limited time (June 1st -July 31st, 2010), Footnote.com will offer Maine Genealogical Society a 50% discount off an annual Footnote.com subscription. For only $39.95 you will have full access to original images of records including:

• Military Records - Revolutionary War, Civil War, WWI, WWII, Vietnam War
• Historical Newspapers - Dating back to the 1700s
• Naturalization Records - Petitions and Declarations dating to the early 19th Century
• City Directories - From major U.S. Cities
• And more

Find the details in the upcoming issue of the MGS newsletter.

Already a Footnote All-Access Member? Add a year to your membership with this special offer.

Chandler Genealogical Database to be Released

Represents 400 Years of Chandler Family Research Data

Richard Chandler, vice-president of the Chandler Family Association, announced plans for unveiling the group's long-awaited new database. It will be presented for the first time at the group's annual meeting September 16-18 in Hampton, Virginia.

The new genealogical tool will be an easily-searchable, computer-based resource for Chandler researchers. Initially, the database comprises more than 80,000 records of Chandler individuals from around the world; it will grow as more Chandler descendants participate in the group's research efforts.

The database is the culmination of more than 20 years of data collection by founding member and past vice president James Reeves of Glen Burnie, MD. The impetus for converting these paper-based records into a computer database came about some years ago. VP Chandler along with DNA expert Dr. John Chandler and CFA's Chief Genealogist Joseph Barron Chandler, Jr. were heavily involved with the startup of the Chandler DNA Project. This project compares the DNA "fingerprints" of male Chandler participants, enabling them to be grouped into genetic families. This has helped dismantle "brick walls" encountered in traditional paper-based genealogy. It has also revealed that some of the participants previously believed to be descendants of John Chandler, who arrived in Virginia on June 10, 1610, were in fact related to other Chandler ancestors. This discovery led the three men to conceive a database containing genealogy records of Chandler descendants, whether connected to the 1610 immigrant John Chandler or to one of sixty other distinct Chandler lines currently identified.

As a starting point, Dr. Chandler converted the years of CFA print data into a format accepted by today's computer technology. Then VP Chandler took over to present the data in a uniform style and update the source information, gathered from the widespread membership of CFA.

The two-tier design involves a high-level database which will ultimately hold records of all the world's Chandlers. The second tier will consist of a separate database for each genetically distinct family, including descendants of female Chandlers in collateral lines.

VP Chandler will present the database to members of the CFA in several 45-minute sessions throughout the day of Friday, September 17. He will also answer questions on how the CFA will utilize and add to this unique resource, which uses existing genealogical software technology. It will significantly improve the CFA's ability to help Chandler researchers navigate through 400 years of family-linked history.

This will be but one of the highlights of the September meeting. Chandler descendants from throughout the United States will share their personal research and connect with new family members. All attendees will have access to the extensive CFA Library, including unpublished manuscripts, out-of-print genealogical books, and other materials.

In addition, the group's Chief Genealogist Joseph Barron Chandler, Jr. will be present to answer lineage questions. As Group Administrator of the Chandler Family DNA Project, he will field inquiries about genealogical DNA testing and the results of the project to date.

Anyone interested in Chandler genealogy is invited to attend. Thursday, September 16, is a day reserved for CFA members, who must pre-register by August 6. The Friday meeting, open to all, begins at 8:00 a.m. September 17, 2010, at the Hampton Roads Convention Center, Hampton, Virginia. There is a $15.00 fee for attendees who are not members of the CFA; however, this includes a one-year CFA membership and subscription to its award-winning newsletter.

More information about the annual meeting and the Chandler Family Association is at http://www.thecfa.org.

Overcoming Brick Walls

The Greater Portland Chapter of the Maine Genealogical Society will meet Saturday, June 5th, 29 Ocean Rd., Cape Elizabeth at the Church of Latter Day Saints. We gather at 12:30 for a social time, program begins at 1:00 p.m.

This month Phyllis Legare will tell us how to "Overcome Brick Walls" (in genealogy research).

Meetings are free and open to the public.

For more information, call Linda Aaskov at (207) 490-5709.

The Maine Genealogist - May 2010

The latest issue of The Maine Genealogist is in mailboxes now. As always, a great selection of scholarly articles. Here's a rundown on what you will find:

The Family of John Reed of Topsham, Maine by Glenn D. Nasman

Stampless Letter: Loring Plummer Family of Maine contributed by Leslie D. Sanders

Charles C. McKim: Brush'un of Portland, Maine, and Impressionist of Portland, Oregon by Elizabeth S. Oatley

Bible Record of Joseph H. Wardwell of Rumford, Maine contributed by Leslie D. Sanders

The Maxwell Family of Scotch Hill, Ogunquit, and Wells, Maine by Priscilla Eaton

Portland, Maine, Marriage Intentions, Volume 4, 1814-1837 (continued) copied by Joseph C. Anderson II

The Maine Genealogist is the quarterly publication of the Maine Genealogical Society. For more information, please visit us on the web at www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~megs.

Meaty Bones

That is the subject at the April 3rd meeting of the Greater Portland Chapter of MGS.

Our vital records research uncovers names, dates and places. But that's only the skeleton of our ancestors. Newspapers can put meat on those bones, and it's becoming easier than ever to look at our past.

This talk will be given by our own Bob Greene. A native of Portland, ME, he joined The Associated Press in Kansas City in 1965. He covered riots in Omaha, NE, and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral in Atlanta, GA. He transferred to Milwaukee, WI, in 1968 and to Washington, DC, in 1971. Two years later, he was named correspondent in Portland, ME, before transferring to NY Sports where, in 1980, he was named AP Tennis Writer. He retired in 2001 and the following year moved to South Portland. Besides writing the first book on African Americans in Maine to be published, Greene also contributed to “Maine’s Visible Black History”; teaches an OLLI course on Black History in Maine at the University of Southern Maine; chairs the board of the Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine at USM; is on the board of directors of the Maine Philanthropy Center, the Maine Historical Society and the Maine Freedom Trails; and lectures frequently on the Underground Railroad and Blacks in the military. As a genealogist, he has traced his family back to the 1700s in Maine. He continues to cover and write about tennis as well as genealogy.

Saturday, April 3, 2010
12:30-2:00
29 Ocean House Road in Cape Elizabeth, Maine
Click here for for more information

Family History Library Classes Now Available on Internet

Free Classes Make Genealogy Expertise Accessible Anywhere

SALT LAKE CITY—It is rare that Marcia Covington can make the trip from her home in State College, Pennsylvania, to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. Now, however, people like Covington can take classes from the world-famous library without ever leaving home.

The FamilySearch Family History Library is now making its popular classes available at FamilySearch.org, where anyone anywhere in the world can access them for free at a time that is convenient for them. The classes have been offered on-site in Salt Lake City for years. Until now, attendance has been limited to those patrons who are fortunate to live in the surrounding community or happen to be visiting the library as part of a research trip. Making the classes available online allows access to many more patrons.

“Most people do family history whenever they can fit it in their busy lives, on evenings, holidays, weekends, and so forth. Whether you are a beginner or experienced researcher, you can choose subjects of interest to you from the available classes and watch them anytime and anywhere,” said FamilySearch Community Services Manager Diane Loosle.

The online classes are a great complement to the free personal research assistance the Family History Library offers to its patrons in Utah and through its family history centers worldwide. According to Loosle, the free online classes are one part of the growing number of tools FamilySearch is building for its online patrons. That is great news to people like Covington.

“Very few people have the opportunity to come to Salt Lake City, but these classes give me the same access at home as I can get in Utah,” Covington said. “Our distances here are pretty long, and for some people it is a 40-minute drive to the nearest family history center. These classes make it possible to get training in your home whenever you want, and it is so nice that it is free.”

There are currently 23 Family History Library classes available online, with subjects ranging from European research to United States military records. The most popular offerings are the Beginning Research Series for Ireland and England and a class on descendancy research.

The classes vary in length from 6 to 58 minutes, with most lasting about 25 minutes. The format of the class varies, depending on the content being presented. One type of class shows a video that alternates between the teacher and the PowerPoint slides. Another kind of class integrates video of the presenter, the accompanying PowerPoint slides, and links to supplemental materials all in one screen.

Several of the classes are interactive, such as a course on reading German handwriting. In these classes, the teacher is represented with still photographs and audio narration, and the student can actively participate in learning activities, such as matching English and German characters or transcribing selected words from a document. As a student types, the correct text appears in green and incorrect answers appear in red, providing immediate feedback.

FamilySearch is continually adding new online offerings; classes on how to read English handwritten records are currently in development. All of the classes can be accessed on www.familysearch.org by clicking on Free Online Classes on the home page.

Paul Nauta
FamilySearch Public Affairs Manager

Co-Author Needed for Lord Family of Kittery

MGS Member Kenneth Freeman Mosman is looking for someone with an interest in Maine / New Hampshire genealogy who would be interested in working with him on the Lord Family of Kittery to 1790.

He already has lots of data. Please contact him to exchange ideas and interests.

E-Mail: Kfmscn@q.com

Query Help Offered

Roland Rhoades, UCG (uncertified genealogist)
10 Blackberry Lane - Gorham ME 04038
207.892.0923
E-Mail: Seeker@maine.rr.com
Visit his Maine Families Website at: www. RolandRhoades.com

Life Member: Maine Old Cemeteries Assn & National Assn of Leavitt Families,
Maine Genealogical Society #1151 - Essex Society of Genealogists #412
Reynolds Family Assn. - French Family Assn. - Mayflower Society - and others

Digging up Ancestors since 1930 - offers free help on the topics below:

Specializing in every-name Maine families, with photos, including:
Joseph LEAVITT Family of Montville 1800, Lincoln, Aroostook & Cambridge ME
John MORGRAGE-MORGRIDGE of Kittery Me c 1650
RHOADES Family of Lynn MA c 1630, to Dedham & Pelham MA, to Antrim, Deering, & Alexandria NH, to Winslow, Troy & Gardiner ME 1810
FLAGG Family of Mason NH 1776 to Northport & Belmont ME area 1800
SAFFORD Family of Washington NH 1776 to Dexter ME 1800
STINNEFORD Family of Wells ME 1800, to points north in Maine
Boardway-Boadway-Boudway-Budway (Beaudoin of Quebec to Orono ME 1852)

Cambridge Maine & Somerset County Bicentennial webpages
Maine Cemetery Pages with Photos

"Tell me what you know and I'll tell you what I know."

Query - Meserve(y)

Need info re: George Lyman MESERVEY, born in Maine ca. 1835, supposedly son of Clement and Sarah (DEERING) MESERVEY.

Also need parents of Clement and Sarah.

Jean Savage
73 Stagecoach Road, Stockton Springs ME 04981
E-Mail: fjsavage@fairpoint.net

LD 1781 Update

Helen Shaw advises that the amendment has not been posted to the LD 1781 website and the bill is not on the house agenda for tomorrow, March 22nd. It appears the agendas are posted a day in advance.

If anyone else wants to follow this, the link is:
http://www.maine.gov/legis/house/hcalfr.htm.

Open Vital Records

Below are two links to research papers discussing the link of open vital records to identity theft. We recommend all genealogists review these as they formulate their own position on the heavily discussed proposed LD 1781.

Massachusetts Genealogical Council's White Paper - Framing a Discussion on Vital Records Access

The Case for Open Public Records - A Position Paper Prepared for the Association of Professional Genealogists

To learn more about LD 1781 and to follow it's progress, visit the State of Maine Legislature Bill Status Search Page and enter in the bill number.

LD 1781 - Genealogists Take Note:

Received from Helen Shaw:

A bill recently passed out of the Health and Human Services Committee of the Maine legislature which would close vital records and divorce records in Maine for 100 years after the event. The bill is LD 1781 An Act To Allow Electronic Filing of Vital Records and Closing of Records To Guard against Fraud and Make Other Changes to the Vital Records Laws.

A public hearing was held on the bill on March 3rd, but the genealogy community in Maine was not aware of the bill or of the public hearing so no one was at the hearing to protest. Since then, Pam Eagleson and I have been working to amend the bill so that genealogists are included in the bill as persons with "a direct and legitimate interest in the matter recorded."

While input on problems with the bill was sought by the legal analyst preparing an amendment to the bill, that input was not included in the amendment which was made available to us March 18 (after it had been voted on by the HHS Committee). That amendment made the bill even worse.

At this time, the only option is to have the bill amended on the house floor or killed there. The proposed amendments can be viewed at: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~megs/LD1781_proposed_%20amendments.pdf

I do not know when this might come to the house floor for a vote. I have a call in to my state senator for his advice. It may be that we will need/want to address the party caucuses early next week.

You may post any of the above except what is in brackets. Please also let folks know we still need them to contact their legislators about LD 1781 and the proposed amendments.

Thank you for your help and support.
Helen Shaw, CG^sm

Thinking of The Genealogists of 2082 - 2010Census

Thinking of The Genealogists of 2082 - 2010Census

Maine Tartan Day Celebration

Hello! On behalf of The Scots In America and the Maine Military Museum, I would like to invite you to attend and participate in our Maine Tartan Day celebration.

Place: The Maine Military Museum and Learning Center, South Portland, Maine
Date and Time: Saturday, April 10, 2010, 1PM to 3PM

In addition to the reading of the Governor's Proclamation of Maine Tartan Day, we will be hearing from South Portland Mayor Tom Coward and Lee Humiston, Director of the Maine Military Museum. There will be re-enactor displays provided by the Soldiers of Scotland, a Color Guard from the Scottish-American Society, pipers and, of course, a Clan Parade. After the ceremonies, Director Lee Humiston will be leading a tour of the new facilities of the Learning Center.

This event is free and open to the public.

I do hope to see you there, and if you should have any questions at all, please feel free to contact me by email at dianne@thescotsinamerica.com or by cell: 207-239-1118.

Slainte Mhath,
Dianne

Dianne Bergstedt FSA Scot
The Scots In America
President, Landrum Family Association

Miniature Pictures and Portraits

On Thursday, March 11th, Allen Horne will be discussing Miniature Pictures and Portraits with the Wassebec Genealogical Society. A great opportunity to explore this piece of history - we all enjoy being able to put faces with names on our family tree.

Wassebec Genealogical Society meets on the 2nd Thursday of every other month at Mayo Regional Hospital Resource Center at 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

Visit their website at www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mewgs to stay current with their happenings.

Join Us on Facebook

We've started a Maine Genealogical Society Facebook Group!

It's a new way to communicate and interactively share information and conversation. Post queries and join discussions.

Come on over and join in the fun!

An Important Note on Recent Legislative Activity Regarding Vital Records

I have received a few emails questioning what MGS is doing in response to recent bills. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, MGS is prohibited from lobbying or otherwise influencing legislative action.

We do however feel that educating our membership about legislative activity that affects the genealogical community as (and if) we become aware of it is important. This opens the doors to conversation, which in turn allows our members and fellow researchers to determine their own position. To the extent an individual feels strongly about any particular issue (regardless of whether they are for or against), we certainly encourage them to contact their legislative representatives, communication is the key to educating them about the importance of certain records for genealogical research.

Dale W. Mower
President
Maine Genealogical Society

Irish History is the St. Patrick's topic in Bangor

Penobscot County Genealogical Society is pleased to announce their annual Irish-themed March meeting. Dr. Janet TeBrake, Lecturer in History at the University of Maine, will be discussing Irish history and St. Patrick.

The meeting takes place on Wednesday, March 17th, at 6:00 p.m. in the Lecture Hall at the Bangor Public Library.

Many may recall that Dr. TeBrake was a speaker at the recent Maine Genealogical Society conference that was held in Bangor.

Come celebrate St. Patrick's Day learning about Irish history....

1930 US Census Available Free of Charge on the Internet Archive

The following article is from Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter and is copyright by Richard W. Eastman. It is re-published here with the permission of the author. Information about the newsletter is available at http://www.eogn.com.

Here is a pleasant surprise: the Internet Archive is placing the 1930 U.S. Census online and is making it available at no charge. This is a "work in progress;" but, the census records from many states are available now, and the remaining states will be added in the near future.

The records are offered in exactly the same format as the microfilms created by the U.S. Government. In fact, the online images appear to be copies of the microfilms. The images are being offered "as is." That is, there is no index available, only the images. If you already know where your ancestor lived and (hopefully) the enumeration district, you can view the images one at a time until you find the information you seek.

You can find enumeration districts on FamilySearch at http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=subjectdetails&subject=870702&subject_disp=Census+districts+-+United+States&columns=*,0,0. Once you know the enumeration district, return to the Internet Archive at http://www.archive.org/details/1930_census to conduct your search.

If your ancestors lived in a small town, you can probably find them without determining an enumeration district in advance. However, for those who resided in cities, the enumeration district is a valuable piece of information that allows you to zoom in on the correct neighborhood quickly although you will still need to look at a lot of images to find what you seek.

While it is nice to see a free version of the census available, I doubt if this will have much impact on the commercial companies that also offer census images online for a fee. The commercial companies have indexed most of their records, and finding someone in an index first is much, much easier than manually looking at hundreds of images in search of the right family.

While I appreciate the free, unindexed images, I'll still gladly pay a few dollars a month to have an index available. I suspect most others will do the same, especially after trying to find someone in the free records.

Of course, now is an excellent time for your genealogy society or historical society to index the records for your area and place your own index online, with each entry pointing to an original record on the Internet Archive.

To find the 1930 U.S. Census records on the Internet Archive, start at: http://www.archive.org/details/1930_census to conduct your search.

Maine Bill Closes Birth, Marriage Records - Portland News Story - WMTW Portland

Maine Bill Closes Birth, Marriage Records - Portland News Story - WMTW Portland

Query - Smith / Berry Marriage

Looking for place and date of marriage of William Isaac SMITH (aka Isaac William SMITH, b. 1806 in Eastport Maine) to Alice BERRY (b. 1802 place unknown). They married about 1830-1835. William studied medicine in Augusta. They had two children, Eliza and Hyrum.

Would appreciate knowing vitals of Alice's parents if possible.

Thank you,
Virginia Sisk
27810 Lake Street
Hemet CA 92544
E-Mail: g0rg1n_5i5k@msn.com

Query - Marr & General Research Help

New member Gerald Marr writes:

I have traced the MARR family (my line) from the early 1700's (John & Catherine of Kittery) to the present. What I am seeking is how to obtain more information on those individuals in each generation. Since I am new to this, I am wondering if someone could point me in the right direction. 90%of my ancestors lived and died in Maine. Would appreciate any help.

Thanks,
Gerald Marr
E-Mail: gamarr@comcast.net

Aroostook County Genealogical Society Now Online

We are happy to report that our northernmost chapter, Aroostook County Genealogical Society, is now online with a new website. Visit them at http://www.ac-gs.org.

The website is still undergoing some tweaking and they are working diligently on adding additional content, but it is already a great resource.

Surf over and check them out and welcome "The County" to the Internet!

Greater Portland Chapter to Learn About Early New England Food

The Greater Portland Chapter of Maine Genealogical Society will meet Saturday, March 6th, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 29 Ocean House Road (Rt #77), Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Social time 12:30, program at 1:00 p.m. followed by a business meeting.

Sandy Oliver, food historian will be our guest speaker sharing her knowledge of early New England food - How We Ate American Fare.

The meetings are free and open to the public.
For more information, call Linda (490-5709)

New Genealogy Group to meet in Greenville

Roxanne Moore Saucier reported in her Family Ties column in Monday's Bangor Daily News that a new genealogical group will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, in the carriage house by the Moosehead Historical Society on Pritham Avenue in Greenville.

Candy Russell will share some resources that are available through the historical society.

To quote Roxanne, "Here's hoping Saturday's meeting will draw lots of interest so that more can be done to preserve the heritage of the Greenville area."

To read her complete column, visit: http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/136843.html.

Get Ready for the New “Who Do You Think You Are?” Television Series

Stock up on the popcorn and get ready for the new NBC hit show “Who Do You Think You Are?” The family history-focused series will lead seven celebrities on a heart-warming journey back in time as they discover more about the ancestors who came before them. Lisa Kudrow, who executive produced the show will be featured in the episodes, along with Sarah Jessica Parker, Spike Lee, Matthew Broderick, Susan Sarandon, Emmitt Smith, and Brooke Shields. Ancestry.com is a partner with NBC on the show

The idea for “Who Do You Think You Are?” originated from a show that has been phenomenally successful in the UK for several years. Since the show aired in 2004, the UK has seen a surge of interest in family history, and we hope and expect the same reaction from “Who Do You Think You Are?” in the United States.

Typically, celebrities play the role of someone else, however in this show they play no one but themselves. Because of this, “Who Do You Think You Are?” really shows the human side of these individuals, who experience a myriad of emotions as they learn their family history. Viewers can’t help but feel inspired and intrigued as they watch the episodes. Naturally, the show will lead viewers to begin thinking about and asking questions around their own family history.

What is wonderful about the show is that, with the celebrity appeal, the genuine emotion they experience, and the family storytelling nature of the show, “Who Do You Think You Are?” is perfectly poised to appeal to the masses – not just professional genealogists or family history experts.

Tune into NBC Fridays 8/7c beginning March 5. For more information about the show, go to: http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/.

The potential is great! You and your friends have an important role in making “Who Do You Think You Are?” the next biggest family history phenomenon since Roots! Please help spread the news!

Lou Szucs, Vice-President of Community Relations
Ancestry.com

Query - Toothaker in Deer Isle

Our Treasurer Richard Spinney is looking for a little assistance. He writes...

On May 14, 1962, Margaret I. Gregory of Rockland wrote Eleanor Toothaker of Dixmont: ". . . I have seen at the office of the Town Clerk of Deer Isle the record of the death of a child, Mary of William I. Toothaker, who died there Sept. 26, 1799, which would indicate William Toothaker, son of Ebenezer born in 1742 was at some time a resident of Deer Isle . . . " Although I have looked in the Deer Isle VR, I cannot find this information. Seek a citation for this information about Mary's death.

Richard Spinney
E-Mail: rspinney@hotmail.com

Sleuthing Session at Pejepscot

Pejepscot Genealogy Society will meet on Sunday, February 14, 2010, at 2:00 p.m. in the Morrell Meeting Room of the Curtis Memorial Library, Brunswick.

Bring your questions, challenges and lap tops to a problem assistance meeting designed to provide suggestions and direction to aid in your sleuthing.

Come early for a social time and to exchange ideas and discoveries.

For more information, call (207) 833-7371.

Roxanne discusses Sarah Palin's Ancestry

The ever-popular Roxanne Moore Saucier, Family Ties columnist for the Bangor Daily News, will be the guest speaker at the February meeting of the Penobscot County Genealogical Society. She will be discussing Sarah Palin's Ancestry -- From Maine to Alaska.

The group will meet on February 17, 2010, at 6:00 p.m. in the Lecture Hall of the Bangor Public Library. You don't have to be a member to of the society to attend. Refreshments will be available.

Upcoming meetings:
March 17, 2010 - Dr. Janet TeBrake will discuss early Irish settlers in Bangor
April 21, 2010 - Dana Lippitt, Curator of the Bangor Museum and Center for History

Update: Maine Vital Records Fees

Most genealogists have heard about the recent increase in fees for obtaining a certified copy of a vital record (birth / marriage / death). The Maine State Office of Vital Records is now receiving $60.00 per copy.

LD 1648 (proposed legislative bill) has been submitted this session as an emergency bill that would require these fees to be changed back to what they were in September of 2009. It is felt by some that the new fees are inappropriate.

If you support this bill, you should contact your State Senators and Representatives to let them know your thoughts.

Also a reminder, these fees are only for copies being obtained from the State Office of Vital Records. We encourage genealogists to check with the town where these events occurred as the recent fee increase is only at the State level. The locally obtained copy may have a substantially lower cost.

Lunt, Derby, Severance Bible 1820s

Looking for help finding this family bible that had many entries on the Lunts and Derbys that lived in the Orono, Maine, area. There was also a letter that dated back to 1776.

The bible was bought off eBay in 2002. I tried to contact buyer to get info from bible and to see the letter with no luck. I would love to buy it back, it's part of my family history.

Keith Lunt
PO Box 88
Fort Ann NY 12827
Phone: 518-639-4613
E-Mail: luntkeith@yahoo.com

Vital Records of Litchfield, Maine

Maine Genealogical Society Special Publication #64 is now available. The Vital Records of Litchfield, Maine has been compiled by Marlene A. Groves.

The town of Litchfield is located in the southwestern corner of Kennebec County and is sixteen miles south-southwest of Augusta, the state capitol. The town was settled early and a survey in 1776 gives the names of these early settlers and the location of their lots. They were Benjamin Hinckley with lot 1, Eliphalet Smith with lot 2, Barnabus Baker with lot 3, Thomas Smith with lot 4, Benjamin Smith with lot 5 and Barnabus Baker, Jr., with lot 6. The town was first called Smithfield Plantation and incorporated as the 93rd town in Maine on 18 February 1795. Between 1827 and 1867 land was set off from Litchfield to the towns of Wales, Kennebec, West Gardiner and Webster.

608 pages, hard cover, 24,919 entry Every Name Index. 2010.

The book sells for $79.50, but MGS members pay only $69.50! For more information or to place an order, please visit Picton Press, official publisher of Maine Genealogical Society Special Publications at www.pictonpress.com.

To learn more about other MGS Special Publications visit our website at www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~megs.

Membership number required to receive the MGS member discount.

Where to Write for Vital Records

Here's a site you might not think of for genealogical research - The Center for Disease Control and Prevention's website provides links to those who want to direct access to individual state and territory information. To use this valuable too, you must first determine the state or area where the birth, death, marriage or divorce occurred, then click on that state or area.

The site does provide guidelines to help ensure an accurate response to your request.

To access, visit http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm.

An Epitaph of Note

With our cemeteries currently coated in a blanket of snow, cemetery hopping and research is a few months away for many of us. To fill the void, here is a gravestone that Janice Gower brought to my attention last summer which includes a lengthy epitaph full of genealogical and historical information.

The stone, located in the Raymond Hill Cemetery, is for Samuel Jordan who died October 11, 1850.

Mr. J. was the first lawful male child
Born in the town of Raymond and in
Early life entered upon an uncleared
Lot of land in the easterly corner
Of that town. Cleared away the forest
And built the buildings in which he
Lived and died. He was a great grandson
Of John Jordan of Cape Elizabeth
Who was a descendant of Rev. Robert
Jordan an English Presbyterian
Minister when emigrated to and first
Settled upon Richmonds Islands off
From Cape Elizabeth in the year 160.

Query - McIntire / Fogg

Seeking any info on Dorathy / Dorothy (McINTIRE) FOGG's ancestry. She m. Walter FOGG abt. March 1803. I believe that Dorothy was a sister to my ggg grandfather Benjamin McINTIRE of New Gloucester, Maine (who was m. to Maria PRINCE). Dorothy b. 30 Jun 1783 poss. in North Yarmouth, Falmouth (Portland), or New Gloucester. She d. 20 Mar 1868 and is buried in Old Valley Cemetery of Greene, Maine, with Walter FOGG and their 3 unmarried daughters. They moved to Greene from New Gloucester after 1st son Edmond b. 24 Feb 1804 and before next child, Sally, b. 23 Jun 1805. Dorathy and Walter raised at least 5 other children in Greene: Mary, Benjamin, Samuel L., George and Joan. Dorothy was in the 1860 census living w/son George FOGG and family.

Cynthia (McIntire) Johnson
Hillsboro, Texas
E-Mail: cindy.johnson@starband.net

Publication of Litchfield Vital Records

Expected Early 2010 --

Maine Genealogical Society Special Publication #64 - Vital Records of Litchfield, Maine

Compiled by Marlene A. Groves, this publication includes 608 pp., 24,919 entry Every Name Index.

MGS Member Price is $69.50 (Non-member price is $79.50).

For more information or to place an order, please visit Picton Press, official publisher of Maine Genealogical Society Special Publications at www.pictonpress.com.

To learn about other MGS Special Publications visit our website at www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~megs.

Membership number required to receive the MGS member discount.

Kennebec County Deed Index

The website of the Registry of Deeds Office, Kennebec County, Maine contains a searchable database of their Land Records and Plans databases. Index information and document images that you'll see available on the website date back to the late 1700's.

It is free to search the database. Users must register first. Subscription to the database carries a cost of $50 per month. But as a non-subscriber, users have an unlimited view of index data and have the opportunity to purchase document images where applicable ($3.00 per page for land records or $7.00 per document for plans

Please visit the Registry of Deeds Office website at www.kennebec.me.us.landata.com.

Thanks to the Gowers for bringing this to our attention. As Jerry Gower points out, "even having access to the search index at home can be a big help and save time once at the deeds office."

Les Filles Des Roi

The following article is from Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter and is copyright by Richard W. Eastman. It is re-published here with the permission of the author. Information about the newsletter is available at http://www.eogn.com.

If you have French-Canadian ancestry, you probably have encountered the term "Filles du Roi" at some point in your genealogy research. Millions of today's Canadians and Americans can find one or more of the Filles du Roi in the family tree. I thought I would explain the term this week and also provide some historical background information.

The French term "Filles du Roi" translates literally as "the daughters of the King." Between 700 and perhaps 1,000 young, single women traveled to Quebec City, Trois Rivières, and Montréal from 1663 to 1673 as a part of a program managed by the Jesuits and funded by King Louis XIV.

These hardy immigrant women married and raised families. In fact, many of them raised large families in the tradition of the day. Many of their sons and daughters went on to also have large families, and so on and so forth for generations. As a result, millions of living people are descended from this group of pioneer women.

In the mid-1600s, most of the people arriving in what was then called New France were young French men intent on farming or fur trapping. Relatively few women traveled to the new land, which created a problem for these young men: there were very few women of marrying age.

As if the farmers and fur trappers didn't have enough competition finding wives, King Louis XIV sent almost 1,200 soldiers of the Carignan-Salières regiment to Québec in 1665 to fight the Iroquois Indians, who were aggressive and killed many settlers. The soldiers were deployed at strategic points of the territory to defend the colony and its residents. The regiment was successful, and a peace treaty with the Iroquois was signed on July 10, 1667. The Regiment then returned to France but left behind 400 soldiers and officers, aged between 19 and 30, who all agreed to remain in the country as settlers. With an additional 400 young men added to the colony, the marriage problems worsened. Jean Talon, intendant of New France, carried out the colony's first census. He recorded that the population was a bit more than 3,000, with 719 unmarried males and only 45 unmarried females living in the colony. This did not bode well for the future of the settlement.

In the custom of the day, the oldest daughter of a family in France received as large a dowry as possible from her parents to improve her chances of marriage. Dowries often included furniture, household articles, silver, land, or other inherited goods. Younger daughters of the same family typically received smaller dowries. Daughters of impoverished families often received no dowry at all, which reduced their chances of finding a suitable mate. These younger daughters were prime candidates for an opportunity in the New World.

Starting in 1663, the French government recruited eligible young French women who were willing to travel to New France to find husbands. The King of France offered to pay for transportation to New France of any eligible young woman. He also offered a dowry for each, to be awarded upon her marriage to a young Frenchman. Each woman's dowry typically consisted of 1 chest, 1 taffeta kerchief, 1 ribbon for shoes, 100 needles, 1 comb, 1 spool of white thread, 1 pair of stockings, 1 pair of gloves, 1 pair of scissors, 2 knives, about 1,000 pins, 1 bonnet, 4 laces, and 2 silver livres (French coins). Many also received chickens, pigs, and other livestock. Because the King of France paid the dowries instead of the parents, these women were referred to as the "Daughters of the King," or "Filles du Roi."

Their travels must have been difficult. In 1664, the Conseil Souverain reported to the French minister for the colonies, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, that sixty of the 300 people who embarked at La Rochelle the previous year had died at sea before reaching New France.

In France Madame Bourdon was made responsible for one hundred and fifty girls whom the king sent to New France in vessels from Normandy. She wrote that the young women in her charge gave her plenty of exercise during such a long voyage since they were of all kinds and conditions. Some were very badly brought up and very difficult to handle. Others were better bred and gave Mme. Bourdon more satisfaction.

There are many contradictory stories about the origins of these women. Some stories claim that they were mostly prostitutes who were forced onto ships in French harbors and sent to New France against their will. Other stories claim that these women were mostly recruited by Jesuits who insisted upon accepting only women of the finest moral character. The truth is probably somewhere between these two extremes. About 40 Daughters, called Daughters of Quality (filles de qualité), were from wealthy upper class families and had dowries of over 2000 French pounds. Several of the Daughters of Quality have provable descents from royalty.

On October 27, 1667, in a letter to Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Quebec intendant Jean Talon confirmed the recent arrival of the first young ladies. Jean Talon wrote:

Instead of the 50 that your despatch had me hope for, 84 young girls were sent from Dieppe and 25 from La Rochelle. There are fifteen or twenty from quite good families; several are real young ladies and quite well brought up…

The vast majority of the group was of French origin, although there were girls of other nationalities as well. According to the records of Marie de l' Incarnation, who knew many of these women, there were among them one Moor, one Portuguese, one German, and one Dutch woman.

Those who arrived safely usually found husbands within a few weeks. In fact, there are records of some of the young women marrying within days after their arrival in New France. Since many of them produced large families, hundreds of thousands - if not millions - of people in North America today can find one or more of these young women in their family tree.

An alphabetical listing of all the Filles du Roi and their husbands is available on the Encyclopedia of Genealogy at: http://www.fillesduroi.org/src/Filles_list.htm

You can find a lot more information about the Filles du Roi on the World Wide Web. Some of the better sites include the following list:

In English:

A Scattering of Seeds: The Creation of Canada: http://www.whitepinepictures.com/seeds/i/12/sidebar.html

An essay by Peter Gagné on Quintin Publications' Web site: http://www.quintinpublications.com/fdr.html

La Société des Filles du roi et soldats du Carignan at http://www.fillesduroi.org/

In French:

Les Filles du Roi at Mouvement estrien pour le français: http://www.mef.qc.ca/filles_du_roi.htm

Les Filles du Roi at http://perso.wanadoo.fr/alain.perron/fillesduroy.htm

Memoire de Sieur Jean Talon at: http://www.mcq.org/histoire/filles_du_roi/

A chart of the origins of the young women may be found at The Musée de la civilisation and the Musée de l'Amérique française: http://www.mcq.org/histoire/filles_du_roi/plan.html

If you do not read or speak French, the above sites can be translated into English by using the machine-generated translation services available at Google. The results will be grammatically incorrect and even humorous at times, but still quite readable.

There are many other Web sites devoted to the Filles du Roi. Use your favorite search engine to find them or click here for a search on Google.

Wassebec to discuss accessing LDS records

Wassebec Genealogical Society is scheduled to meet at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 14th, at the Mayo Regional Hospital in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine.

Jane Fox Whelden will be talking with the group about accessing the resources at the Family History Library in Bangor.

For more information about Wassebec, visit www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mewgs.

Learn about Bangor - A Century Ago

Penobscot County Genealogical Society will be meeting on Wednesday, January 20, 2010, at the Bangor Public Library in the Lecture Room. The meeting starts at 6:00 p.m.

Wayne E. Reilly will be talking on "Bangor - A Century Ago." Wayne is retired from the Bangor Daily News after 28 years as a reported and an editor. His book "Remembering Bangor: The Queen City Before the Great Fire," contains more than 300 columns he has written for the newspaper about local history a century ago since his retirement.

The gathering is open to everyone. You don't have to be a member of the society to attend. Refreshments will be available.

Query - Hutchins

Seeking info on Joshua HUTCHINS (1760-1821) of Bakerstown (later Poland and Minot), Maine. He married 12-Dec-1788 at New Gloucester to Lydia PRINCE (1767-1839) and had the following children all born Bakerstown/Poland/Minot: Jonathan b. 1789, Isaiah b. 1791, Martha b. 1793, Rhoda b. 1795, Polly b. 1797, Isabella b. 1799, Olive b. 1803, Harriet b. 1806, Beulah b. 1808, Rachel b. 1810, and Rufus b. 1813. Three of the daughters married VERRILL boys.

Local history says he was a Rev. soldier and pensioner, but I have been unable to verify his service or locate a pension file. He is NOT Joshua HUTCHINS of Kennebunk. He is perhaps a brother or cousin to Benjamin (1756-1811) HUTCHINS of Bakerstown who m. 1790 at New Gloucester to Nancy RIDER and/or Joseph HUTCHINS (1764-1839) of Bakerstown (later Hartford) who m. 1794 at Turner to Sarah/Sally RUSSELL.

Would like to locate ancestry as well as connect with other descendants.

Nancy (Coffin) Lecompte
E-Mail: nlecompte@roadrunner.com

Websites by Nancy Lecompte

Nancy (Coffin) Lecompte has written advising of updated addresses for her websites containing not only her genealogical information, but some historical information which might be interest to researchers as well.

http://home.roadrunner.com/~nlecompte/stevens/index.htm
The Stevens Clan & 4 generations of Ancestors. This one covers her Irish Burns/Sullivan and English Stevens/Perry lines found in Lewiston, Auburn and Minot area of Maine.

http://home.roadruner.com/~nlecompte/proctor/index.htm
Nancy's Proctor ancestry, including a brief history of Early Falmouth (Portland) with 1775 Map and her family involvement in the Salem Witch Trials.

http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/253201/person/-2103611421
this link will only work for Ancestry members
http://www.myheritage.com/site-family-tree-454583/samuel-proctor-maine
this one not as up to date, but should work for everyone
Descendants of Samuel Proctor (1685-1765) of Lynn, MA & Falmouth, ME attempting to identify and document at least 4 generations of descendants.

http://home.roadrunner.com/~nlecompte/patriot0.html
My Patriot Ancestors
A brief accounting of the military service of Nancy's ancestry during the American Revolution with notes on important events, etc.

http://home.roadrunner.com/~nlecompte/regiment/
The 6th (7th) Massachusetts Regiment of the Continental Line
A story of Maine Men serving at Cherry Valley and in the Sullivan Campaign in the New York Theatre of War.

http://www.footnote.com/page/2549_cherry_valley_november_11th_1778/
The Cherry Valley Massacre - November 11th, 1778
An Account of the Event and Identity of the Soldiers who Died or were taken Captive by the British and Their Indian Allies.

And don't forget to visit Nancy's Ne-Do-Ba website at www.nedoba.org - Your home for accurate historical and genealogical information concerning the Wabanaki People of the Northeast.

Pejepscot to discuss the Washburn Family

Pejepscot Genealogy Society will meet on Sunday, January 10, 2010, at 2 p.m. in the Morrell Meeting Room, Curtis Memorial Library, Brunswick (enter from Middle Street at the end door).

Kerck Kelsey, a Freeport resident, will present a program on "Remarkable Americans: The Washburn Family."

Please join your friends (and probably relatives!) for the program. Arrive early for refreshments and stay late for help with a problem you may be having finding a way through that brick wall. Members will be available until 5 p.m.

For more information, call 833-7371.

Largest Gathering of Family Historians in Canada

The Ontario Genealogical Society's next annual provincial Conference will take place in Toronto from Friday, May 14 through Sunday, May 16, 2010 at the Doubletree by Hilton - Toronto Airport. Toronto Branch is gearing up to host an event that promises something for every family historian.

The Conference 2010 theme is: “Essentials, Innovations and Delights”. A carefully-selected roster of top-rated speakers will deliver a content-rich program that is packed with relentlessly practical lectures and workshops and sprinkled with inspiring case studies.

Thomas W. Jones, one of North America's most highly respected and honoured genealogists, will lead off a special full-day lecture stream on Friday for the professional genealogist or advanced researcher, and will deliver the keynote Houston Memorial Lecture that evening.

The weekend programs will feature a full-day stream for the novice genealogist and two added specialized streams on the essentials of researching Dutch and Italian ancestry, and much more.

Saturday’s banquet speaker will be Karolyn Smardz Frost, the 1997 winner of the Governor General’s Award for Non-Fiction for her book I’ve Got a Home in Gloryland. Learn not only about Karolyn’s research subjects, the indomitable fugitive slaves, Thornton & Lucie Blackburn, but also about Karolyn’s own 20-year research odyssey.

New this year will be a closing plenary lecture, to be delivered by John Philip Colletta. People are still buzzing about his 2008 appearance at an OCAPG event in Toronto. Now we can all get to hear one of the most entertaining and informative family historians on the planet.

Extra options will include a pre-Conference "Hands-on Research" excursion, and a "Toronto's Irish Heritage" bus tour exploring the Irish connections in Toronto. And the ever-popular Marketplace will be back, with a full 10,000 square feet of display space.

For more about Conference 2010, visit www.ogs.on.ca/conference2010, and subscribe to the Conference blog to stay on top of the latest developments.

The Ontario Genealogical Society's three-day annual conference is the largest gathering of family historians in Canada. Conference 2010, hosted by the OGS Toronto Branch promises to be inspiring, delightful and a lot of fun. You won’t want to miss it!