Ethics

I was approached today by a woman who asked if I could help her with some Greek immigrants. The contract would have been exceptional, and I could certainly have used the money!

But I turned her down.

Oh, not because I wanted to!

Before beginning any research project, I always do a preliminary search to make sure I am going to be able to give my client "something", even if just a quick reference, on their family. Unfortunately, for this client, I met only brick walls from every angle I took!

However, I did steer her to APG [Association of Professional Genealogists] to look for a specialist in immigrations. Hopefully there she will be able to get the assistance she needs.

I mention all of this because of one thing: there are some very unscrupulous persons out there who like to pose themselves as genealogists, and who really only attempt to perform the work for one reason. The money. [Believe me, the money is not that good! There are many more financially lucrative occupations out there!] These nefarious individuals take a clients money and promise them whatever the client wants to hear. And then never come through with the promised goods.

I assisted one woman recently who had spent over $5,000 just to receive her own research back. [You got it! The "genealogist", found the client's family tree posted online, copied it, word for word, and then sent it to her. No sources, bibliography, or professional report. Just the tree.] In order to prove to her that we weren't all in it for a "killing", I offered her the first 10 hours of my research project for free. Her first words after seeing those 10 hours were, "You gave me proof of everything you said!" That's me!!!

If I can't find any information for my client, I absolutely refuse to charge them. And if I find someone who has been treated wrongly by a so called genealogist, I will always offer them some research for free [not always 10-hours! usually 2-4 hours].

The point is, if you love this work, treat it like you love it! Treat your clients with the utmost respect and compassion. Chances are, they are wanting the research done because of some life altering experience [unfortunately, it seems following the death of a loved one is the most prevalent time to want to perform it, seconded only to the birth of a new child].

If you can't perform the work, tell your client so, and then steer them toward someone who can do it! Never leave them alone in their dilemma!

I always tell my clients that the door is always open, and they are free to contact me at any time. Please do the same.

If you love genealogy and it's your passion, be passionate about it!

Until next time!

cbh

The Queen's Bloomers - And Other Nonsense

The BBC reported yesterday that Queen Victoria's bloomers were auctioned off for an incredible 4500 British pounds. The incredible undies had a whopping 50" waistline! They had been kept by the Queen's Lady In Waiting ad passed down in that family until now. [They date from about 1890.] [Check it out here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/england/derbyshire/7533696.stm ]

Okay folks, Levi's that sell for nearly $40,000 and now Queen's undies! What's the world coming to?

Well, yesterday the Associated Press ran with the story that Presidential Candidate Barak Obama mentioned in a speech that he "might" be related [distantly] to Wild Bill Hickock. Chris Child at the New England Historical Genealogical Society ran with it!

Within 30 minutes Chris Childs posted the following:

From the New England Historic Genealogical Society:

Boston Genealogical Society Confirms Obama and “Wild Bill” Hickok are Cousins
Obama Family lore talks of distant relationship to “Wild Bill” Hickok.

Boston, MA – July 30, 2008 – New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston has confirmed what Presidential candidate Barack Obama mentioned today in a Springfield Missouri speech.

During the speech, Senator Obama said, “If Senator McCain wants a debate about taxes in this campaign, I’m ready. Wild Bill Hickok had his first duel in the town square here. And the family legend is that he is a distant cousin of mine.”

Obama spoke of a family lore that tells of his being a distant cousin to legendary American west lawman, gambler, and gunfighter “Wild Bill” Hickok. NEHGS Staff genealogist Chris Child was quickly able to track down the information and confirm that it is indeed, true.

Obama and Hickok are sixth cousins, six-times removed. Their common ancestor is Thomas Blossom, who came to Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1629 from Leiden, Holland. Obama’s 4th great-grandfather, Jacob Dunham, was 6th cousins with Wild Bill. Obama’s mother, Stanley Ann, is also a Dunham.

“The ancestry of Wild Bill Hickok was published by NEHGS some years back, which showed he descended from the Blossom family of Cape Cod, an early family written up in one of our scholarly publications,” said Child. He added, “Since we had also recently done the ancestry of Senator Obama, finding this connection was a little easier.”

[About NEHGS Founded in 1845, New England Historic Genealogical Society is the country's oldest and largest non-profit genealogical organization. Located in Boston, NEHGS collects, preserves, and interprets materials that help make accessible the histories of families in America. The NEHGS research library, one of the most respected genealogical libraries in the field, is home to millions books, journals, manuscripts, photographs, microfilms, documents, records, and artifacts that date back more than four centuries. The award-winning web site http://www.newenglandancestors.org/ offers access to more than 110 million names in 2,400 searchable databases. NEHGS has more than 23,000 members nationally. ]

It's not so much that Obama is related to Wild Bill that amazes everyone out there. It's the SPEED with which Chris Childs was able to put together a legible and correct connection!

Hey, Chris! I've got a case right now I could use your help on! And I'm sure about a thousand of my colleagues could use a little "speedy" help as well!

Till next time, keep your lamps full of oil, and your wicks trimmed, for all those midnight forays into the stacks of genealogical digging!

Blessings,

cbh

Levi's Sold! An Update

Okay folks! My Inbox is full with everyone wanting the same info!

"How much did the Levi's finally sell for?"

Hold onto your knickers boys and girls! The winning bidder is taking home a pair of 110 year old Levi's for the bargain price of.........

$36,099!!!

Pappy's garage is plum full of old doo-dads and gee-gaws. Reckon he'd miss just one if I put it on eBay? Hm.............

Till tomorrow, keep the light burning!

cbh

Update on the Levi's

As I post this, there is one hour and 5 minutes left on the Levi's auction mentioned yesterday. The current bid is $19,100.

Awe, some guys have all the luck!

Hmmm......wonder what I could get fer my pappy's ol' "Beechnut' can?

Hope you're having a great day!

cbh

Why Did I Get Started?

That's the question that's been passed among the member's of the APG mail list recently. This morning I read one of the most wonderful answers thusfar. I think it would be especially enlightening to the younger members of our group. Especially those who think of genealogy as "an old person's hobby".

And so with his kind permission, I am putting APG List Member, Craig Kilby's answer to the question "What Got Me Started". [Believe me, this is definitely worth the read!]

Enjoy!

re: "What Got Me Started ....and When Can I Stop?"

What Got Me Started?

Most toddlers ask why the sky is blue, or why the sun shines. Not this tike. I already knew that the sun shone and that the sky was blue. That was obvious. As to WHY the sun shone, or WHY the sky was blue, I didn't care. What I wanted to know was where I came from, and how and when. (And still don't know all those answers.) I think that's what gets us all started. Natural curiosity.

My young imagination was fueled by the fact that my father was 20 years older than my mother, he had ancient aunts and uncles who would visit on occasion from some far distant place with tales of yore. The biggest thing of all--ancient photograph albums just begging for answers to a very active imagination. That my father was raised by his grandfather--an authentic civil war veteran from Culpeper, Virginia (wherever that was, but it sure sounded grand to a little boy growing up in St. Louis) and could keep all of us boys regaled for hours with his story telling....well, it didn't take much more encouragement to start seeking answers.

By age 13, I had figured out how to use the St. Louis telephone directory to find people not remotely related to me. I wrote letters to the only two other Kilbys in the phone book. One wrote back to say they were related (well, guess what?....) and one wrote back saying she was my grandfather's first cousin and had a huge Kilby chart and photograph album to show me. At the same time, I figured out how to write NARA and they sent me my great-grandfather's full civil war military service record. (Even THAT impressed my father!)

Well, this young boy could not have been more excited to learn he had a cousin who lived on Park Avenue in St. Louis with a big chart to give me. My father had a very rare occurrence of speechlessness, only saying when the letter arrived, "My God! Is she still ALIVE?." Yes, I could answer, she certainly was, and may I now please call her, father?

Now knowing how to use the phone book,, I called this woman up (long distance, and with permission of course.) My mother drove me down to the city one day soon thereafter. Park Avenue was not like the GREEN ACRES show in New York. It was a flat in a plain old mediocre high rise. I had never been to the city before, but Ava Gabore she was not.

But what did I know? I was all dressed up, , hair neatly combed, best shoes on, and met "cousin Robbie" who was ever-so- properly dressed herself. Lemonade and cookies were prepared. She had never been married, she informed us, "though she had many offers." She was a retired beautician but the best part was her talking parakeet, who was named "Pete". I may have been precocious in some ways, but I never got her joke about her name. "Pete" and "Repeat." Still isn't that funny, come to think of it.

After all the treats and niceties were over, cousin Robbie finally pulled out the 1940 Kilby Family chart made by Hubert St. Clair Kilby (father of St. Clair Kilby of Texas Instruments and silicon chips fame).

THAT was my epiphany. All drawn out on a huge chart--just waiting for me to discover it.! It was like Paul on the way to Damascus and getting hit by lightening. Or whatever that story is in the bible. It was like finding the Dead Sea Scrolls (though I did not know what the Dead Sea Scrolls were then.)

Now, here, dear lady friends, you are getting to a jolly laugh. And if you don't laugh, then you have no sense of humor or at least don't understand boys.

At the point where cousin Robbie rolls out this chart on the floor, I got down on my hands and knees to really look at this treasure. When cousin Robbie made a comment, I looked up at her and saw the most AMAZING sight of my tender years!

This pristine fine lady was wearing undergarments I could not possibly comprehend. My mouth fell open, my eyes went wide, and my mother started laughing. I must have turned 13 shades of crimson. Remember, this is around 1973 and old ladies still wore those "things." Girdles, snaps, garters, and all manner of contraptions that I could not even form into questions. I was literally agape and must have looked like the ultimate fool.

When my mother got home that day and company came over, she was still laughing hysterically, and couldn't wait to just telling all about it. (Why do parents think their children don't hear what they are saying about them?)

Oh, moving on from that. My TREASURE was a big hit the brothers and kids over that night. I was really SOME BODY, because I had FOUND this magic chart!

That started a fad in the whole neighborhood, and even my own mother became addicted to genealogy.

So, that is the long and short of "how did I get started."

Your Friend,
Craig Kilby
Lancaster, VA

No Post Last Night!

OMG!!!

I must be slipping in my dodderage! What's to become of me?

Well, I hope this little tidbit will whet your appetite for continuing your genealogy, and perhaps archealogy!, dig!

I received a message from Dick Eastman this morning with this info. Apparently an old mine in Nevada was opened and a pair of Levi's from the 1890's was found! And now they are being auctioned off on eBay! [The auction is open until tomorrow, so if you're interested, I'll link the photo to the eBay site, or you can click here.]

According to the listing on eBay:

"This old pair of LEVI'S were found in a mine in the Rand Mining District, on the Mojave Desert,. California. They are covered in candlewax from the candle's the miner was using to light the tunnel he was working in. They were found with and old paper bag with the name of a mercantile store which operated between 1895 and 1898 in the town or Randsburg. Their was also a gunny sack with the initials A.P.K. and Randsburg marked on it. A.P.K. is through to be Adam P. Kuffel who was a partner in the mercantile store.

These pants have the cloth label vice the leather label. The label (pictured) indicates that they are size W34 x L33, They are copper riveted with the rivets marked L.S. & Co. S.F. They are buckle back (pictured) with suspender buttons. Buttons are silver in color and are all marked LEVI STRAUSS & CO. S.F.CAL. Tthe pants were made with just one back pocket on the right hand side.

The pants are in excellent condition with two small flaws. One hole just above where the left hand back pocket would be, which can be covered by a Quarter and one missing piece of cloth measuring approximatley 1/2 "by !/2" on the band just to the right hand side of the fly."

Oh... of only these pants could talk!

Hurry, as I post this, the bid is up to $8,700!

Have a GR8 Day!

cbh

Great Sites For Lost Heirlooms!

Received this in the email today and just had to share!

"Reunite the Family"

"All kinds of people have become interested in reuniting family treasures with the their families, and not just genealogists. Antique dealers, historians, librarians, and ordinary people have had their interest piqued with saving these orphaned belongings. These include photographs, diaries and journals, family Bibles, jewelry, and other possessions.

The Internet has provided many facilities to help reunite items with their families. Let’s explore some of the options available for placing photographs.

Dead Fred – This website, located at http://www.deadfred.com/, is the preeminent place to search for photos, post photos, search by surname, check the “mystery” pictures, search by photographer, and examine annuals.

Look at Me – “Look at Me: A Collection of Lost Photos” can be found at http://www.moderna.org/lookatme/ and allows you to browse the pictures or post your unidentified items.

Slices of Time – This site, at http://www.slicesoftime.net/, is dedicated to reuniting old photos with families. The price of each photo is $10.00, which covers the webmaster’s costs. Photographs are organized alphabetically by surname, if known. Unknown photos are grouped together, and there are categories for location, schools, and a collection of links to other sites.

Ancestor Genealogy Photo Album is located at http://ancestorarchive.com/ and is a free database of vintage photographs. These are organized and searchable by surname. There are also unidentified photos and a special collection of yearbooks, etc.

Adopt a Photo is a site maintained by Anne White of Battlement Mesa, Colorado, at http://annewhite.home.mindspring.com/index.htm. It provides a temporary place for lost and orphaned photographs. While not all states are represented, the pictures are grouped and browsable by state, gender, couples, children, and other criteria.

Heirlooms Lost – This site, at http://www.heirloomslost.com/, “is designed to put people directly in touch with one another regarding lost family treasures.” A person can post a message concerning something they want to sell or reunite, or a person can post a message about something they are seeking. This is an interesting “broker” service.

FamilyOldPhotos.com – This site, at http://www3.familyoldphotos.com/, has more than 20,000 photos of many types. You can browse by surname or type, and you can browse through the vast collection of unidentified pictures.

eBay – The online auction site is a place where photographs of all types are posted for sale. These include Daguerreotypes, Ambrotypes, cabinet cards, cartes de visite, and other photographic types. (Search for these by keyword, or simply search for “vintage photograph” to see all search results.) Many people list old photographs for sale here and even include the names of the subjects, if known.

LostFamilyPhotos.com at the website of the same address claims to have “9,678 surnames, 3,178 images and family ephemera to buy” as of this writing. There are interesting items ranging from Daguerreotypes to stereoview cards.

While the websites I’ve listed may or may not help you place the photos you have, they may give you some ideas. I’ll wager that you will become engrossed in searching these sites for your own family members, just as I did. You may also want to contact the site owners for suggestions about setting up your own site to help reunite photographs with their families."

Happy Sunday Evening!
cbh