Proof of Evidence in the French Colonies

Analyzing Early Careers

Recently I was looking on Facebook and noticed a family member (husband’s not mine) had deceitfully posted to his profile that he graduated in the class of 1984. Well, as an avid researcher, and Licensed Private Investigator, I confirmed that this was incorrect. It should have read in the subjunctive tense “If I were to have graduated from this College, I would have graduated with the class of 1984, assuming I passed my classes on time and carried the normal load of 15 hours a semester. 

Does this type of detail matter? Of course it does! How would your family research change shape, if you were under the premise that Grandpa was a newspaper editor to find out he was actually the “reliable newspaper carrier.” What if great grandma, who family lore boasts of her well ran hotel on the Transcontinental Route, actually ran a brothel? The proof is in the detail.

How to Analyze Data

Information, instructions and guidelines on analyzing data, documents and other genealogical sources has flooded the internet.  But here is a great article to read by Elizabeth Shown Mills, QuickLesson1: Analysis and Citation as a primer. 

It was this Mill’s blog post that inspired me to look up the difference between the various carpenter positions which surnames are often explicit hints to occupations:  Menusiere: woodcarver or chair-maker; Carpentier: early French reference to two (2)  wheel carriage/wagon maker or wainwright. You will find these distinctive occupations in many early colonial records under French control and in French territories (Louisiana territory and Canada).  

Why Self-Promotion?

Like my discovery that not all printed documents reveal the truth, we must keep in mind that many who arrived in America were those who escaped the French Revolution, or perhaps one of French Acadians who arrived in French Louisiana in 1785, thanks to the King of France, or Huguenots who were exiled members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France. A good source is the French Colonists and Exiles in the United States: French Colonists and Exiles in the United States. These immigrants were trying to start anew, and often created a new past for themselves and promoted themselves even though the facts dispute their claim.

French Colony Research in the USA

Here are a few places where you may uncover early French records relating to your ancestral search. I suggest you begin with the State Archives, but I have located early diaries/letters in private collections.

St Louis, Mobile AL, Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Biloxi, Mississippi, Detroit and Green Bay were all early French settlements.  The Illinois country, or Pays des Illinois, included Illinois, Missouri and Indiana. Of course in Canada: Quebec and Montreal also hold many early French documents.

Florida, South Carolina and Texas

Most people know the French were in Florida (Jacksonville) and Parris Island in South Carolina, but they were only there for about a year, and many early documents in those locations may have been created under the Spanish colony rule. Of course many Huguenots settled in So. Carolina also. Visit The National Huguenot Society.

The French were only present in Texas for about 3 years, but I’ve not located any significant genealogical records. Feel free to share, if you have uncovered a fascinating source!

Concentrating in Louisiana

The University of Louisiana Lafayette is an unsuspected repository of French Colonial Records 

The Historic New Orleans Collection website has compiled a list of “French Language archival material in Louisiana and North America – A Guide to French Louisiana Manuscripts. 

Be sure to remember the Church Records: Here is an ancestry.com Wiki on Louisiana Church Records 

State Museums are taking an active role in preserving colonial Records. The State Museum of Louisiana has 80 reels of French period colonial documents on microfilm.

Kathleen Brandt

a3Genealogy@gmail.com

Accurate, accessible answers

Research Orthodox Church in America (OCA)

Written by Mark Stokoe and the Very Rev. Leonid Kishkovsky  (online)

One More Stone to Turn - OCA Records

When Orthodox is mentioned a few associations are immediately made: Jewish Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, maybe even the Albanian. But the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) website quotes authors Mark Stokoe and the Very Rev. Leonid Kishkovsky about its history: "Orthodox Christian in North America have been largely overlooked and ignored. With few exceptions, their historical experiences remain unrecorded, their documents untranslated, their personalities, institutions and activities unknown. ” 

As genealogists and family researchers, we should be familiar with the OCA - its history and records. How else do we turn every stone and scour every possible clue to our ancestors? Admittedly, this only occurred to me in talking to a neighbor who is a member of the OCA. 

Brief History - Russia to Alaska 1794 

A History and Introduction of the Orthodox Church in America is provided on the website. But I’ll mention a few genealogical highlights:

1. The Alaskan Mission: It appears that in 1794 eight Orthodox missionaries from Russia arrived in Kodiak, Alaska. (We know that was North America not the United States of America.)
2. Immigration and Conversion (1870-1920)  First Orthodox Church in US was established in New Orleans, 1864. Comprised of our Greek, Slavs and Arab ancestors. If you are looking for your Serbian, Russian or Greek ancestor in the 1860’s, you may also wish to research the OCA San Francisco records, Holy Trinity Cathedral and other largely populated immigrant areas (i.e. New York, Chicago).
3. Institutions of the Immigrant Church. The church was organized under the Russian Orthodox Church diocese by the early 1900’s (all ethnic groups)

Vital Genealogy Impact

By 1917 the Orthodox mission in North America would include more than 350 parishes and chapels, its own seminary, bank, women’s college, monasteries, orphanages, schools, publications, and fraternal societies. Immigration and Conversion 

The impact of wars and politics on religion, immigrants and migratory paths must be considered. So, as you research your ancestors, be sure to take into account the 1917 Russian Revolution. This conflict clearly impacted the church and its affiliations to the Russian Diocese. Also, be sure to understand the impact of the purchase of Alaska by the United States in 1867. This too changed gravely reshaped the established Orthodox Alaskan community. For an in depth historical overview visit: A History and Introduction of the OCA.  

Finding Records

“With few exceptions, their historical experiences remain unrecorded, their documents untranslated, their personalities, institutions, and activities unknown." Orthodox Christians in North America (1794-1994). 

The Archives and headquarters of the OCA is located in New York (see below). OCA includes 700 parishes, 2 million members, of the USA, Canada and Mexico. (As researchers we know the value in narrowing our search)

To my surprise the website touts “individuals and groups are always welcome to visit the OCA Archives to familiarize themselves with the collections or to conduct research on a particular topic."

The OCA Archivist:
http://oca.org/history-archives/orthodox-christians-na Alexis Liberovsky, alex@oca.org
Archivist / Director 
PO Box 675 
Syosset, NY 11791

Kathleen Brandt

a3genealogy@gmail.com

Accurate, accessible answers

Military Discharge Records - DD214

Proof of Service
DD214 is the Discharge Papers or Separation Documents to include Military Service Records or Proof of Military Service. I get calls daily for this request, but a3Genealogy only does Military Record search for genealogical purposes. If you are looking for genealogical assistance in gaining military records, for example Civil War, Revolutionary War, etc, feel free to e- mail your request to a3genealogy@gmail.com.

Please know that between 16-18 million Military Personal Files were destroyed or damaged in the fire of 1973 at the St. Louis National Personnel Records Center. This fire destroyed about 80% of Army records from Nov. 1 1912 to Jan. 1 1960; and 75% of all Air Force records from Sep. 25. 1947 to Jan 1. 1964. For more information on the damage please refer to The 1973 Fire, National Personnel Records Center.

For Veteran Benefits
If you are searching for records of a living person in order to get discharge information for social security, medical care, dependent care or VA benefits to include home buying, a3Genealogy performs these services under our Private Investigator Services.

However, military records from the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) are free to veterans. if you wish to do your own sleuthing:
Visit Military Record Request Using Standard Form 180 (SF-180). 

Kathleen Brandt 
Genealogists and Licensed Private Investigator
a3Genealogy
Accurate, accessible answers
a3Genealogy@gmail.com

Lebanese Immigrants

Learning Ancestor's Migratory Path

I lived in Detroit in the 1980’s,  and as anyone would, I noticed the significant Lebanese influence. There were neighborhood restaurants, derbakke drumming and handkerchief dances at festivals. At the time, I did not know that Detroit hosted the largest population of Lebanese Americans in the US. Of course there are noticeable communities in Utica, NY, Boston and Ohio.

Lebanese represent over half of the Arab immigrants in the USA.  There were two waves of immigrants to the United States. The first, 1881 to 1925, twenty five percent of the Lebanese, about 1000,000, mostly Christians came to America and settled in the Midwest. Many came from Beirut.

The second wave - 1975 to 2002 - was a direct result of the Muslim Christian civil war. This is when I took note of the Lebanese fashion and made shirwal, baggy pants for the purpose of wearing to the World’s Fair in Knoxville, TN (1982). (Note: my father hated them, but I received lots of compliments at the World’s Fair).

Know Your Geography

When researching, be sure not to blindly lump the Lebanese with the Syrians immigrants. Syria surrounds Lebanon on the north and eastern borders. Be sure to note there were also the Lebanese Jews. Israel lies directly south of Lebanon.

Where to Research?

Lebanon Naturalization

Although most Lebanese researchers are excited about visiting the Jafet Library at the American University in Beirut, before blindly exploring in Lebanon be sure to exhaust the American resources. I find that immigration and naturalization records are a key to the family's migratory path to the USA.  

• Immigration and naturalization records
• Passport Applications
• Death records (holds birthplace and often Lebanese parent’s names) 

Be sure to visit the following websites:

Lebanon Genealogy Forum  

LebWeb.com website

Few Research Hints

• Remember your ancestor may have adopted a Christian name in English, or Greek as well as Arabic. And be sure to include Hellenistic names for ancestor’s born around WWI. 
•  Women did not always take on a husband’s name. It was just as common to keep a maiden (father’s) name. 
•  Before the Ottomon Empire, surnames were not common. Visit the Assyrian InternationalNews Agency website to understand names and the translations. 

Further Reading

For more information visit:
Lebanese Americans by Paula Hajar and J. Sydney Jones 

ResearchingYour Lebanese or Syrian Ancestry, by Sandra Haser Bennett 

Genealogy Today, Lebanese or Syrian Ancestry 

Kathleen Brandt, Professional Genealogist

a3genealogy@gmail.com
Accurate, accessible answers

Tracking Runaways and Convicts

Virginia Immigrant Runaway

Mid-Atlantic State Immigrants - 1700's

Often when we think of runaway servants, we equate the historical events to slaves, especially in the south. We fail to recognize the many immigrants that were contracted to serve several years prior to gaining their complete “American” freedom. 

More than half of the immigrants that came to America in the 1700’s were assigned, contracted or bound to work for a fixed term of years. Many did not complete their work terms and instead fled from their contracts. Since many of these runaway servants, often convicts, owned both time and money, ads were placed in various newspapers for their capture.   Ads were placed in theall of the mid-Atlantic states to include Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland.

Runaways in Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania Gazette, 1728-1796, provided over 6000 runaway ads.  Copies of these advertisements are available on ancestry.com thanks to Farley Grubb’s 1992 publication of “Runaway Servants, Convicts and Apprentices.”

This collection may offer the family researcher the runaway’s origin, occupation, and physical features. Often a date of immigration is provided. 

Runaways in Virginia

Virginia historians easily spout that over 75% (3/4) of the white colonial immigrants arrived in bondage in the 1700’s. Familysearch.org Wiki shares that these immigrants were French, German and Scots.  

The Colonial Williamsburg website offers an  index of the Virgina Gazetter 1736-1780.  Be sure to also “Explore Advertisements” on The Geography of Slavery in Virginia website.  . This project offers transcriptions and images of runaways.

Runaway Maryland Servants 1728-1775

As genealogists we rely on early news accounts of history, and The Dunlop’s Maryland Gazette, the Maryland Gazette and the Maryland Journal and Baltimore Advertiser do not disappoint. The C. Ashley and Beverly B. Ellefson Collection (MSA SC 5931) at the Maryland State Archives holds an index of Runaway Servants from 1728 -1775 by name.

According to the Collection Description, this 4 box compilation of index cards donated by scholars C. Ashley and Beverly B. Ellefson contains records of convicts imported to Maryland from England, 1716-1774, records of runaway servants, 1728-1775, and runaway convict servants, 1734-1775.

I have reprinted descriptions (or abstracts) from the Maryland State Archives website for each Box in the collection. Be sure to visit the indexed lists of the Inventory.

Box 1, ‘Imported Convicts” A-L and Box 2, “Imported Convicts” M-Z:

• Records list convicts imported to Maryland from England, 1716-1774:
• Lists or entries in the Baltimore County Record of Convicts, 1770-1774,
• 1783 Kent County Bonds, Indentures, etc.;
• Several volumes of the Provincial Court Land Records;
• Frank F. White's list of imported convicts in the Maryland Historical Magazine, XLII, March 1948, pp. 57-59 (list at that time in Maryland Historical Society); 

Box 3, "Runaway Servants"

Index cards with records of runaway servants, 1728-1775 taken from advertisements in the Maryland Gazette, Dunlop’s Maryland Gazette, Maryland Journal and Baltimore Advertiser.

Box 4, "Runaway Convict Servants"

Index cards with records and runaway convict servants, 1734-1775, taken from advertisements in Maryland Gazette, Dunlop’s Maryland Gazette, and Maryland Journal and Baltimore Advertiser.

Enjoy Chasing Your Runaways!

Kathleen Brandt, Professional Genealogy
a3genealogy@gmail.com
Accurate, accessible answers

Obtain Italian Dual Citizenship

Reclaiming Ancestor's Italian Heritage 
For the past 4 years (2008-2012) a3Genealogy has assisted many clients in meeting the requirements to become Italian Citizens. So, we thought reprinting this useful guide will be helpful for you to obtain your dual citizenship.

The process is not for the faint of heart or for the impatient type.  We are finding that collating a complete paperwork package takes between 4-6 months. If your ancestor's surname was changed, or there are apparent errors on certified certificates expect a little longer. And remember, full proof of your genealogical lineage must be shown through the various documents. Once the paperwork is submitted and accepted by the consulate, then you wait.

Benefits
As an Italian citizen you can secure an Italian Passport and live and work in any European Union (EU) country. You can take advantage of the free public health care and you can pass the citizenship to your children and take advantage of the Italian free education. These are just a few of the benefits of having a dual citizenship. If approved as an Italian citizen, your spouse and children (under eighteen) are also eligible for dual citizenship.

Documentation Needed
But to qualify for an Italian dual citizenship you need to do a lot of legwork to meet all the regulations in proving “jure sanguinis” (your birthright) through lineage to an Italian citizen who did not renounce their right to Italian citizenship. You will need to gather or hire a researcher to gather your materials. This is an overview of what is needed:

• your direct line ancestor, grandfather, grandmother, great-grandfather, etc, emigrated after 1861 and was an Italian citizen..
• your immigrant ancestor did not become an American citizen before his descendent (your direct line) was born. So if the lineage is from you, your father, and grandfather, your father would have been born prior to your grandfather’s USA naturalization date for you to be eligible.
• Proof of naturalization date or proof that your immigrant ancestor never was naturalized.
• Translated Birth certificates for you and your direct line to the immigrant ancestor and spouses as well as your children*
• Translated Marriage certificates (into Italian) for all mentioned above

Eligibility Determination - From You to Italian Ancestor
Meeting the requirements of Items 1-3 (above) normally are the reasons an Italian descendent is determined ineligible. Therefore, the best thing to do is hire a genealogist that specializes in lineage research to verify these basic eligibility requirements prior to translating marriage and death certificates and searching for Italian birth certificates.

There are other ways to obtain Italian citizenship, but a3Genealogy only works with those obtaining it through “jure sanguinis.”

Buona giornata!

Kathleen Brandt
a3genealogy@gmail.com

Researching the Lives of Minnesota Slaves

Dred and Harriet Robinson Scott, MN Slaves

Slave Research
Elizabeth posted on LinkedIn that she was “tracing the slaves…brought to MN. She further explained: I’m trying to find where they came from prior to coming to MN and what happened to them after they left. A subsequent post gave us a bit more information: I'm investigating the slaves that were brought to the St. Cloud area in the 1850's and 1860's trying to find documentation of their lives before and after St. Cloud, MN.

Having an interest in upper northern slaves and slave-owners, I thought I’d offer a few main tips.

Learn the history

Follow the slave owners

Research Military Activity

Early Minnesota
As early as 1826 slaves were recorded in Minnesota, mostly around Ft. Snelling and frequently related to the fur-trade. Officers brought their slaves and often bound them to neighboring officers to complete special chores: fur industry and household chores. It is stated in Minnesota history, that few slaves were bought and sold.

Major Lawrence Taliaferro, an Indian Agent, was both a large slave-owner and he “rented” slaves prior to emancipating his lot that valued “between twenty-five and thirty thousand dollars.” The most famous of his slaves was Harriet Robinson who married Dred Scott at Ft. Snelling. Dred Scott’s master, Dr. John Emerson, was the Ft. Snelling medical officer. Emerson later acquired Harriet Robinson also.

Slave Research Tips:

• Check Minnesota State Archive for diaries/manuscripts
• University Special Collections also include manuscripts and slave accounts
• Analyze Census Records. Not all African Americans were slaves. 1849 Minnesota Territorial Census there were 40 free-African, mostly from seven families residing in St. Paul. In 1863 over 500 free colored arrived by steamboat from St Louis to St. Paul (May 1863).

Dred Scott Effect in St. Cloud
The Missouri Compromise and Northwest Ordinance, that prohibited slavery, were ignored especially after the Dred Scott decision in 1857. The Dred Scott case protected the slave owners even in non-slave states. Due to the Dred Scott decision, researchers tracing a slave’s life must also follow the master’s path.

St Cloud was an ideal vacationing spot for wealthy slave owners from the deep south or neighboring territories, like Missouri. It was common for these vacationers to carry along their slaves. In St. Cloud, there are a few famous stories but mostly told through the life of the Lowry family. Slaves are documented in St. Cloud as early as 1854.

Slave Research Tips: 

• Slave-master deeds, wills, probate
• Slave-master diaries and memoirs
• Court Cases
• State Archives
• Genealogical Collections of the Daughters of the American Revolution for the State of Minnesota (collection also held at Familysearch.org)

Underground Railroad
Contrary to the fact that Minnesota was considered an anti-abolitionist state, abolitionists still assisted slaves in running away to Canada. Many free-coloreds, also settled in nearby Canada (Blegen, pg. 237). Notices of fugitive slaves were often placed in newspapers and in accounts of abolitionists after the war.

Slave Research Tips:

• Early Newspaper searches for ads and awards
• Historical Accounts also held in newspapers: “Joseph Farr Remembers the Underground Railroad in St Paul” Minnesota History, pg 123-129

Civil War
African Americans were often promised freedom or fought for freedom during the Civil War. In Minnesota, Ft. Snelling more than 100 black soldiers volunteered for the USCT.

Slave Research Tips:

• Provost Marshall Records; NARA RG 110, be sure to check MO.
• Civil War Pension Records
• Research should be conducted for  USCT 18th, and USCT 68th regiments records holdings.
• Also 1st Iowa African Infantry Regiment

For More Information and Slave Histories by Name
St. Cloud professor unearths history of slavery in Minnesota, 
"Minnesota: A History of the State", MPR News Theodore Christian Blegen
The Information Bureau
“Slavery at Fort Snelling” Historic Fort Snelling


Kathleen Brandt
a3genealogy@gmail.com
Accurate, accessible answers