4 November 2007 LostCousins Newsletter
NOVEMBER 2007 NEWSLETTER
At 108 years of age, Olive Riley is one of the oldest people in the world. She is the oldest person to have an Internet 'blog', and she's also believed to be the oldest member of LostCousins.
In this issue of the LostCousins newsletter we're making an appeal to relatives of Olive to get in touch - she'd love to hear from you (see our leading article for more details). Also in this issue - is DNA testing really of any use to genealogists?
As we were putting the finishing touches to this newsletter we received an email from Joe who - whilst he lives in Texas - has ancestors who came from Kent. Here's a little snippet from the email…..
"The magic of Lost Cousins, as you well know, is the fact that a 'match' is almost 100% a cousin, unless someone has mis-identified a line.
"To equal my results on Lost Cousins with the Genes Reunited approach, I must spend 10 to 20 times as much time and effort [at Genes Reunited] as I do with LostCousins."
If you've got the time, why not use both sites? But if, like so many of us nowadays, you're always running out of time, then spend it wisely - spend it at LostCousins.
To log-in click this link (http://www.LostCousins.com), then enter your email address and password. For an instant email password reminder click here:
http://www.lostcousins.com/pages/login/forgotten.mhtml
IN YOUR NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER
- Are you related to Olive?
- Guest article: "Finding details of census districts"
- Was America named after a Welshman?
- Free access to the Guardian and Observer archives - if you're quick!
- Exclusive Christmas cards
- Last chance to save on Harry Margary maps
- Is DNA testing of any value to genealogists?
- Articles available online
ARE YOU RELATED TO OLIVE?
The subject of a documentary film when she was a mere 105, Olive Riley is now 108 and one of the oldest people in the world. Like you, she joined LostCousins in order to find her living relatives.
Born Olive Evelyn Dangerfield in New South Wales in 1899, she was the youngest child of Henry Dangerfield and Lillian Sarah Evans. One of 12 children, she had a special relationship with her older sister Emma, but sadly Emma died when Olive was just 6.
Tragedy was to strike the Dangerfield clan again: in 1915, Olive's cousin Albert was killed at Gallipoli; then in 1943 her nephew John was lost in action over north-west Europe.
But research by LostCousins 'buddies' has shown that there were scores of other cousins who survived the wars, and today there must be thousands of Olive's living relatives in Australia, and in Britain where the Dangerfield line originated.
Most of Olive's brothers, sisters, and cousins were born not in New South Wales, but in South Australia. Henry Dangerfield, Olive's father, was born in Adelaide in 1851, the eldest child of Joseph Dangerfield (born c1823) and Sarah Elliott (born c1833).
That's as far back as we've been able to go so far - but perhaps you can tell us more? Are you related to Olive through the Dangerfield, Evans, or Elliott line? If so, please email us and we'll put the two of you in touch.
By the way, Olive isn't just a blogger - you'll also find her on YouTube. This video has clips from the documentary that aired on the ABC network in Australia last year:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oaNEt1Q-YU
PS: we'd like to thank 'Rosina' our buddy in Australia who has been helping to research Olive's family tree - she's done an incredible job.
GUEST ARTICLE: "FINDING DETAILS OF CENSUS DISTRICTS"
The latest article in the series by Sherry Irvine BA (History), MSc. CG, FSA Scot, Course Director of Pharos Tutors (http://www.pharostutors.com) explains how to find out more about census districts in England & Wales…..
The addition of the 1841 England & Wales census to those we can reference within LostCousins is wonderful - there are now so many more possibilities for making connections, especially for those hoping to make links with cousins overseas.
On the other hand, the 1841 census reveals less about our ancestors. Positive identification of an ancestor may depend on map work, understanding exactly where they were.
There are tools on the Internet to help you sort out the census districts and their component parts. Poor law unions set up under the legislation of 1834 were the basis for census (and civil registration) districts. Outline maps can be found at:
At the home page select the item "Workhouse Locations" from the list on the left of your screen, and several options will appear, including a helpful overview map.
The map is interactive and you can work your way down to individual districts and then see lists of all places within the district. (In many cases there are contemporary drawings and modern photographs of the workhouses, some of which are now hospitals.)
Another way to discover all the places within a particular district is to use a tool at GENUKI:
http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/genuki/reg/
Select a county (you may need to scroll down), and then the name of a district. You will then see a table showing the places within the district and details of changes in boundaries over the years.
Finally, you can explore the Web using a search engine or a genealogy gateway site such as
GENUKI.
If you use Google, try searching for maps using an "Images" search rather than a "Maps" search
- for historic maps I think it works better (http://images.google.com). Try entering something like this: Lancashire registration district map
WAS AMERICA NAMED AFTER A WELSHMAN?
Richard Amerike (or Ameryk) was an English merchant of Welsh descent who, some researchers believe, financed voyages from Bristol to the New World in the late 15th century.
According to Wikipedia, in the 1890s his name was discovered on documents from 1497/8 held at Westminster Abbey which related to the payment of a pension to the explorer John Cabot, who sailed across the Atlantic
More recently records have surfaced that connect Amerike with voyages made from Bristol to Newfoundland in the 1480s, before Columbus "discovered" the New World in 1492.
The conventional view is that America is named after the explorer Amerigo Vespucci - but we're keeping an open mind…..
FREE ACCESS TO THE GUARDIAN AND OBSERVER ARCHIVES
The Observer - the oldest Sunday newspaper in the world - and the Guardian, another of Britain's oldest newspapers, are putting their archives online, and for a short period you can get 24-hour free access.
Currently you can view articles from the Guardian from 1821-1975, and from the Observer from 1900-1975.
EXCLUSIVE CHRISTMAS CARDS
Last year we raised hundreds of pounds for local and national charities with our LostCousins Christmas cards, so we've decided to use the exclusive 'Peace' design again this year.
There is a limited supply of cards, so please get your order in now (unfortunately because of the cost of postage we can only despatch to UK addresses). Full ordering details and a picture of the card are on our website at:
http://www.lostcousins.com/peace.htm
We will despatch your order by post within 48 hours of receipt. All profits from the cards you buy will go to the charity you select.
LAST CHANCE TO SAVE ON HARRY MARGARY MAPS
Would you like a better appreciation of the area where your ancestors lived? For full details of the Harry Margary range, which includes English County maps, London maps since Elizabethan times, and North American maps from the time of the Revolution, visit:
And if you're looking for Christmas presents with a difference, how about the reproduction playing cards? There are 9 different packs to choose from, dating from 1688-1811.
You'll get a discount of 20% on ALL purchases if you mention LostCousins and quote your personal code (on your My Summary page) in the comments section of the checkout page (NB: postage is charged at cost and cannot be discounted). Offer ends November 30.
IS DNA TESTING OF ANY VALUE TO GENEALOGISTS?
Once there were companies offering to sell us books or coats of arms for our family name - now we're being offered DNA tests (even Ancestry.com is doing it). But are they of any value to serious genealogists?
A recent article in the US journal Science questions the value of what it describes as "recreational genetics" or "vanity tests", and there's a follow-up article at the (unrelated) LiveScience website:
http://www.livescience.com/health/071018-vanity-tests.html
If you imagine your family tree, it's in the shape of an inverted Christmas tree, with you at the bottom, and rows of direct ancestors that get ever wider as you go back through the generations.
The left-hand edge of the tree is your paternal line; at the far right is your maternal line. Most genealogical DNA tests analyse the Y-chromosome, which passes down the paternal line, or mitochondrial DNA, which passes down the maternal line.
Go back 10 generations and (ignoring cousin marriages) you've got 1024 direct ancestors. Even if you spend hundreds of pounds (or dollars) and take both tests, they are only telling you about 2 of those ancestors, who have provided less than 1% of your DNA!
So is there a place for DNA testing in genealogy? We believe that there is, provided you're using the information to test a specific hypothesis. For an example of a serious application of DNA testing see the Wells Family Research Assocation site:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~wellsfam/wfraone.html
ARTICLES AVAILABLE ONLINE
On the Help & Advice page at the LostCousins site you'll find a selection of articles that have featured in past editions of this newsletter. These are available to everyone, not just members, so feel free to pass on the link:
http://www.lostcousins.com/pages/help/
If you've never used the International Genealogical Index, or IGI, the largest collection of baptism and marriage register entries in the world, then you're missing out. But start by reading our IGI article - it makes it so much easier to understand.
"My ancestor isn't on the census" is one of the most common problems that members bring to us. Yet most of the time the person IS there - it's simply a question of knowing HOW to search the census.
"Key Tips for Census Success" is an amazing compendium of information that will improve your success rate, whichever site you use to search the census.
Finally, the article "10 tips and tricks" reveals some of the hidden features of the LostCousins site - it'll save you time and effort.
AND FINALLY………
Whether you’re an experienced family historian or a beginner, remember that we can only start looking for your ‘lost cousins’ once you’ve entered your relatives from the census on your ‘My Ancestors’ page.
Just click the Search button and you’ll find out within seconds whether any other member has entered the same relative, and shares the same ancestors!
The LostCousins Team
http://www.LostCousins.com
Converted in September 2026 from the PDF edition of this newsletter (November_2007_newsletter.pdf), the only copy that survives.