Volume 15, Number 4 Denver, Colorado October, November, December 2014 Chasing Those English Places and Names —Elizabeth Marcheschi How BigVery Are earlyThey Irish? ignite our passions,Living in our the imaginationwestern United and States, our intellectwhere the states are big, it is hard to imagine just how—Thyria small Wilson the • The W.I.S.E. nations – the United nations of the British Isles are. For those of us with English Kingdom plus the Republic of Ireland ancestors, it can be difficult to realize just how much they –cover 120,543 square miles, slightly moved around, especially in times of economic change, smaller than New Mexico and not famine, war, or whenever monarchies changed, particularly much bigger than Colorado. since these changes brought new overlords who influenced The United Kingdom – England, • both the local political and religious climates. Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland – covers 93,410 square miles, about From the time that the first colonists set foot on American the size of Oregon and smaller soil in the early 17th century, their siblings and cousins like- than Colorado. ly moved from one end of England to another, leaving rec- • The area of the island of Ireland, both- ords across many counties and confusing genealogists of north and south, is 32,589 square today. English port records contribute to the problem as miles, slightly smaller than Indiana. many lead researchers to believe that the port from where • The area of the island of Great Britain they departed was the place where their kin had tilled the –England and Scotland – is 88,407 English soil for centuries, when in fact, the colonists may square miles, about the size the Idaho have left from the port where the they could get the best and Hawaii combined. deal for their money. Thus, a family from Bristol, a major • The Republic of Ireland covers 27,133 port, might choose to depart from London if the price was square miles, closest in size to Maine. right. The earlier the family departed English soil, the more complicated it becomes as you research your John Smith - • Northern Ireland covers 5,452 square miles, slightly larger than Connecticut. or was he a Smythe? • Wales with 8,019 square miles is After determining where the ancestor lived in England, the about the size of New Hampshire or American researcher must decide which John Smith New Jersey. or Smythe was indeed his or her ancestor. Unlike their • England at 50,350 square miles is American kin who reached the New World and left their roughly the same size as Alabama. mark by giving their children unusual names, those family • Scotland covers 30,414 square miles, members in England were not so inspired. Unlike their also closest in size to Maine. American brothers and sisters, who were embracing names Source: 2013 edition, World Almanac and such as Pleasant for their children, or reaching Book of Facts. –Continued on page 54 www.wise-fhs.org W.I.S.E. Words 52 October, November, December 2014 people involved in the probate case. The tagging feature is much the same as Fold 3. Once someone President’s is tagged they become searchable by the public. Message This is the same for pictures. You may scan living people and documents about living people but FamilySearch will not allow them to become searchable until you confirm their death date and Hello, fellow W.I.S.E. members. This has been an location. I use Family Tree at FamilySearch so I exciting summer. I have finally managed to spend also attached documents to each person with one some time on my own family history. I have won- click as a source. dered for years if there would be a way to connect all of the documents that I have found with the Since completing this I have been contacted by ancestors they belong to in a digital format that two of Robert’s descendants and we are sharing would be updated as technology is updated. Of information. I have never been contacted by any- course I want to be able to share the information one who ended up being related to me until now. and images and be able to search other documents Neither person is a member of the Church of Jesus and images that have been uploaded. Christ of Latter-day Saints, which just goes to show that it is important to get our information I have an old family Bible from my father’s side of out there. the family: documents copied from many trips to courthouses and the odd record sent to me from Next, I started searching for hard to find relatives some long lost person wondering if it would help amongst the uploaded documents and photos. I my research. I have pictures of relatives, who they haven’t found anything yet but I’m hopeful. As might be I know not and pictures of relatives I more and more people use this service we will know. I have wanted to make sure that if flood or have so much more to sift through. fire occurred there would be a copy some place I hope you all have had a great summer and that would be preserved. happy scanning. Family History Centers have a new service availa- —Barbara Fines Price! ble. Each center has a copier/scanner that is direct- ly connected to FamilySearch. We can take any documents, photos or memorabilia in and scan Membership Report —Sandy Breed them directly into our FamilySearch accounts. There is no limit with the exceptions that no single Welcome to those who joined the W.I.S.E. Family photo can be over five megabytes in size. History Society recently: I decided I would start with a probate file for my April 2014: Beth Hammer third great–grandfather, Robert Cunningham. I May 2014: Marcia Bieberich, Joan Ridgely, was stuck there and needed more information to Debbie and Terry Boucher, Susan Shermack, push back. His probate file is 78 pages and that Bruce Haefner and Basil Carpenter, helped me find out that he had 15 children instead Maggie Spetnagel, Dave Watson of seven. It confirms many of the details of his August 2014: Nancy Kratky" life and makes it much easier to trace his migra- tion from South Carolina to Viola Township, Olmsted County, Minnesota. It also helps to elim- Letter to the Editor inate much confusion over the other Robert Cunninghams of the area and time. This Editors note: James Jeffrey, DPL genealogy col- probate contains a contested will and the fight lection specialist, comments on W.I.S.E. Words went to the state supreme court. third quarter book reviews for summer reading. I scanned the pages directly to my FamilySearch The book review section is a stitch! Loved Nancy account. Once in my account I began tagging the McCurdy's suggestion to run barefoot through a www.wise-fhs.org W.I.S.E. Words 53 October, November, December 2014 field vicariously. W.I.S.E. is a FHS and as such we Letter to the Editor .................................................. 52 use literature and fiction as well as genealogy. The various titles and recommendations will certainly Treasurer’s Report .................................................. 53 expand readers’ understanding of many people and places throughout the British Isles. Members’ Interests Update ..................................... 53 JKJ" Full Circle ............................................................... 56 Officers and Board Members W.I.S.E. Genealogy Booth at the Irish Festival .... 56 W.I.S.E. Field Trip to Central City ........................ 57 President ...................................................... Barbara Price ............................... [email protected] Arts of the Emerald Isle .......................................... 58 Vice President ..................................... Sylvia Tracy-Doolos Researching in Edinburgh ..................................... 61 Secretary ........................................................... Milly Jones Where Did Those Tudors Come From? Wales ..... 61 Treasurer ...................................................... Laurie Ramos Past President ................................... Zoe von Ende Lappin W.I.S.E. Book Donations to Denver Public Library During 2014 ........................................................... 63 Membership .................................................... Sandy Breed Members’ Interests Coordinator .............. Megan Koepsell Book Reviews .......................................................... 64 Publicity Coordinator ............................ JoAnn DeFilippo W.I.S.E. Program Schedule ................................... 66 Archivist ....................................................... Elaine Osborn CCGS Delegate ................................................ Bill Hughes Hospitality Coordinator ......................... Suzanne Williams Treasurer’s Report Webmaster ...................................................... Allan Turner —Laurie Ramos Newsletter Staff Beginning cash as of January 1, 2014 $7,895.88 Newsletter Editor ...................................... Nyla Cartwright .................................................. [email protected] Items Cleared $2,158.54 Book Review Editor .......................... Zoe von Ende Lappin Ending Cash Balance Technical Resource Editor ..................................... Vacant as of July 31, 2014 $10,054.42 ! Proofreaders ...................... Jack and Zoe von Ende Lappin Distribution Coordinator ................................... Sue Clasen Members’ Interests Update Country Editors —Megan Koepsell Wales ........................................................ Nancy McCurdy We are now in the process of making sure all of the member interest information is up to date. If