Always The Wanderer!

In keeping with my great grandfather, David Fenton Marshall, I created a chronological timeline. Most of my ancestors tended to stay in one place - not David. He was a travelling salesman in the pharmaceutical business, so he moved around a lot.

Just a little side note to emphasize how important it is to look at all possible scenarios. It got confusing tracking David in 1901 using the census reports. When I first started looking at the census reports back in May of last year, I found two David Marshalls, one listed as "David Marshall" in Dundee living with a wife named Christina, and another as "David F. Marshall" (married) living in Montrose. The birth year and birth place on both census reports coincided with what I already knew about him from his birth record that I already had. However, since the census taken in Montrose specified David with his middle initial (and at this point I assumed (!) that he was still married to his wife, Rachel), I knew that this had to be my David and not the one in Dundee. Boy was I wrong - sort of!

I found David's death record and lo and behold it mentions that he had two wives (hopefully not at the same time!) - 1st wife - Rachel, 2nd wife - Christina. Apparently what happend with the census reports is this: when the census was taken, David was physically in Montrose on business. Back in Dundee, although not physically there, Christina did list him on the census as being the head of the household. Did this happen because Christina filled out the census report herself or did the census taker ask "who lived at that address" and Christina misunderstood assuming the person didn't necessarily have to physically be there? Guess I'll never the answer to that.

Just another quick note: I've lost track of David's 1st wife, and mother of my grandfather, after my grandfather's birth in 1871. I can't find any record at the moment of her anywhere. Needless to say, she is a brickwall that needs further research.

Back to the main point of this post. Using Legacy's Chronology feature, I created a timeline from David's birth to his death. Because of all his travells it's three pages! This is the first time I've used this feature in Legacy and I'm quite impressed (with Legacy and myself!). Below is a screen shot of the first page. This is definately a feature that I am going to make regular use of in the future.

Winter Games Progress Report #2 and #3

Progress Report #2

I didn't get my progress report posted last night as it got to be too late. Most of the day was a washout! Well not really. I entered a lot of information in my database that my Aunt sent me before Christmas in order to send Family Group sheets to a couple of cousins to see if they can help fill in blanks on their immediate family. When I finished that I began working on entering my sources for the category "Go Back and Cite Your Sources!". Unfortunately, I didn't get as many done as I hoped - only 5.

Progress Report #3

Tonight I worked on the category "Write, Write, Write!" I managed to complete two of the tasks for this category:

Task E: In order to "clean up" my blog a little and make it less crowded, I created two pages at the top of the blog (under my heading). In one I have listed all the surnames that I am currently researching. The other is for all the wonderful awards that I have received. I plan to expand on this feature to include Ahnentafel reports (as soon as I get them done) and an "About Me" or "About This Blog" page.

Task F: Participate in a 52 Weeks To Better Genealogy Challenge. This challenge was fun. Once again I got to play around with Google Maps. On the weekend I created a Timeline for my great grandfather and tonight I used the street view to locate the actual houses where he lived. You can read about that here.

Medal standings so far are:

Category 1) Go Back and Cite Your Sources!: 1/2 a Bronze Medal (ha! ha!)
Category 4) Expand Your Knowledge: Silver Medal
Category 5) Write, Write, Write!: Silver Medal

52 Weeks To Better Genealogy – Challenge #7

This weeks challenge for the 52 Weeks To Better Genealogy by Amy Coffin is to play around with Google Maps to determine the locations of addresses in our family history. I've used this feature before to locate places where my mother and her family lived in Scotland, before she immigrated to Canada. Unfortunately, the pictures that I saved are on my computer at work!

However, this past weekend, while working on the GB Games category, " Expand Your Knowledge", I used Google Maps to create a timeline, with a map, for my great grandfather, David Fenton Marshall. You can see the map here. While I was creating the timeline, I again used the street view to see if the buildings where he lived still existed (that's why it took me so long to create the timeline - I get so distracted when playing with things). For the most part they did, but in some instances the address no longer existed or the building was now being used as something completely differenct. In a couple of cases, there was only and empty lot. Because of his many locations (he was a travelling salesman), I'm only posting pictures of a few of the buildings.

This first picture is where he was living in April 1861. He was living with his aunt, Margaret Kynock and her family at 19 MacDowall Road, Edingburgh, Scotland. If this is the original building, which it looks like it might be, it was a really nice house! They lived where the white door is on the right hand side of the picture.


This next picture shows the general location of where he lived in August 1870, at the time of his marriage to Rachel Wyse Hume. He lived at 11 East Adam Street, Edinburgh. Unfortunately, the address no longer exists.


In May of 1871 he and Rachel were living at No. 1 Montgomery Place West, Edinburgh. It is shown in this picture where the yellow door is with the sign reading "Harlies". It looks to be all closed up now, but looks like it used to be a TV/video game store.


Skipping ahead a few years, he and his second wife, Christina Lynton, were living at 17 Caldrum Street in Dundee (where the white door is). This was were he lived at the time of his death in 1922.


Just for a little extra fun, I decided to see if I could find the house where my parents lived when I was born. Sure enough, I found it. I was surprised because the last time I checked Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan still did not have the street view available. We lived at 732 9th Ave., NW, Moose Jaw (it's the house on the corner). That is where we lived when my sister got hit by a car when she was 5 yrs. old. Right up until the last time I was there, in 2005, the house was always a greenish blue colour. The little white house next door is where my Aunt Nell (Helen Crossman, nee Marshall) lived.


I also found the house where I'm living now (for obvious reasons I won't give the address). It's a duplex. I didn't see my car parked on the street so this must have been taken while I was at work.


I enjoy working with Google Maps. I think it's a wonderful tool to be used for locating ancestral homes, creating timelines and I'm sure a whole lot more. There are many features that I haven't yet explored but plan to in the near future.

Winter Games Progress Report #1

Today I worked on the category "Expand Your Knowledge". I created a Surname cloud, which was a new experience for me.

I also mapped out a timeline for my great grandfather, David Fenton Marshall, using Google Maps. This was quite a chore with him travelling a lot. I've used Google Maps before, but not to this extend.

All in all, I think it was a productive day. My medal standings so far are:

Expand Your Knowledge: Silver Medal

A Mapped Timeline for David Fenton Marshall (1847 - 1922)

I spent the better part of 3 hrs. playing in Google Maps creating a timeline for my great grandfather, David Fenton Marshall. It took awhile to do because 1) he was a travelling salesman so he moved around alot and 2) a lot of the places no longer exist (or they've been renamed). I was also using the street view (which I love), to get a closer look at the houses, which I've saved to post at a later date.

I wanted to embed the link in this post but it kept causing problems and shutting blogger down. Besides, it wouldn't show all the locations at once. So I saved two screen shots to show.

This first one shows just the map of all the locations where my great grandfather lived.


This second shot shows both the map and a list of the locations (minus the last one as it got cut off!)

Creating a Surname Cloud

Using Word It Out, I entered most of the surnames that I am researching and created a Surname Cloud. I initially wanted to try Wordle, but couldn't get it to work because I apparently don't have JAVA on my computer.

Not having JAVA caused a little bit of a problem trying to embed the cloud as html, however I was able to do a screen shot and copy it to the paint program and then, after fixing it up a bit, saved it as a jpeg.

This is the end result. Not too bad in my opinion.

Let The Games Begin!

The Winter 2010 GeneaBloggers Games have begun. This will be my first time entering the Games and I hope to achieve at least a couple of Bronze medals if not Silver. Maybe I can be the first Canadian to win Gold in Canada (or maybe I can leave that to the Hockey Team!).

The Flag that I will be carrying represents my heritage. The Canadian Flag is because I am Canadian – born and raised. Most of my ancestors hail from Scotland (with a few trickling over to England) and Northern Ireland so I have chosen the Flag of the United Kingdom to represent them. I also chose the Flag of Ireland because, although my paternal grandfather’s family is from N. Ireland, it is my wish to one day visit the whole of Ireland.

The Categories that I will be entering are:

· Go Back and Cite Your Sources!

I’ve never been very good at citing sources (not that I don’t have them). When I transferred everything over from FTM 2008 to Legacy, the few sources I had entered were completely messed up. I have since purchased Evidence Explained, and with the help of this book, I am now prepared to enter all my sources – properly.

· Back Up Your Data!

With the experience I had a few years ago, both at home and at work, you would think that backing up my data would be something that I would do on a regular basis. Unfortunately, it’s not! By entering this category, I hope to make backing up my data a regular thing.

· Organize Your Research!

For the most part my hard copies are filed in a semi-organized way in file folders and I can usually find what I’m looking for; however, I do need to improve on this. My digital files are another matter altogether. I have a lot of work to do on those.

· Expand Your Knowledge!

Since I like to play with things, I should be able to complete at least two of the tasks: using Google Maps to map out an ancestral location and Wordle to create a surname visualization.

· Write, Write, Write!

I’m not a writer – never have been! I hope that by entering this category I can improve on this.

So, wish me luck and Let The Games Begin!

(Not so) Wordless Wednesday - Orphan Photos (#2)

In going through a box of pictures that belonged to my mother, I've come across a lot of photos of people I don't know. I believe they might be friends and/or family of my step-father, Douglas Sinclair Kay. I'm posting these in the hope that someone might come across them and be able to identify them.



On the back of this picture is written " Jack, Plymouth Sound, Devon. July 1957". He sort of looks like one of my step-father's cousins, but I'm not sure as the only one of his cousins that I remember ever meeting was named Gale.

If anyone recognizes this gentlemen, please feel free to contact me.

Tombstone Tuesday - Ross Farrell (1939 - 1939)

In Loving Memory Of
Dear Little Ross
Daughter of J & D Farrell
Died 16/10/39
Aged 5 Months

Ross Farrell was the first child of my great uncle James Farrell and his wife Dulcie Maude McNamara. She died on October 16, 1939 at the tender age of 5 months.

She spent 4 days in the Burnside Private Hospital in Coonabarabran, NSW, the cause of death being listed as cellulitis of the face. She was buried the same day that she died and was laid to rest in the Presbyterian Cemetery (now called the General Cemetery) in Coonabarabran.

I obtained this photo through the Australian Cemeteries Index and was given permission to poste to this blog.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - My Other Interests

This week's SNGF posted by Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings is to tell about our other interests besides genealogy and family history.

First and foremost is spending time with my family! I also love to crochet but never seem to find enough time to do it. I am currently working on an afghan for my boss, which is taking a long time to do. I am also working on one for myself (although the items for myself always end up on the back burner!).

Reading is another hobby of mine. My favourite authors are Diana Gabaldon and Anne Rice. My favourite books are the Outlander Series (got the newest one for Christmas) and the Vampire Chronicles. I also enjoy reading books by Maeve Binchy. Other than books about vampires (I know, I'm strange!), I don't really have any particular genre that I favour. If it's a good book, I'll pick it up.

The 3rd activity that I am involved in is The Order of the Eastern Star. It is the largest fraternal organization in the world in which both men and women can belong, although it is run by the women. To be a member, the men must be a Master Mason and the women must have a masonic affiliation. My father, uncle and grandfather were all Masons as well as my step-grandfather. My mother, step-aunt and step-grandmother and step-grandfather were all members of the Eastern Star. One of my sisters is also a member.

I was initiated at the same time as my mother, in 1991 and have been an active member since 1994 when I finished taking night classes. I've served in many capacities in my local chapter and am currently serving my eight term as their Secretary. In 2006 I was elected Worthy Grand Matron, which is the highest office one can obtain in the Jurisdiction (quite an honour to be elected by the membership). I am also the editor of the Jurisdiction's monthly newsletter (this is my sixth year doing that). As you can see, the Eastern Star takes up a lot of my time.

Last (and at times certainly least!) is work. I work for a large valve manufacturer as an Executive Assistant and Quotations Administrator for the VP of International Marketing.