! Volume'16,'Number'2' Denver,'Colorado' April,'May,'June'2015' ' ! Irish Parish Registers Records Are Digitized, Going Online National Library and Catholic Church Combine to Give Joy to Researchers —-Zoe von Ende Lappin ! Good news for researchers working in Ireland: All Roman Catholic parish records in custody of the National Library in Dublin are being digitized and will be online this summer. They will be accessible free at a dedicated website on your home computer, and the URL will be announced as the launch date nears. The Catholic Church in Ireland and the library, at times overwhelmed by family historians – mostly Americans – trying to trace their families have agreed that digitizing was the best route. What’s more, the microfilms had become so worn that they were in danger of becoming useless. The registers cover 1,091 parishes starting as early as 1740, though many begin much later or are incomplete, and end in the 1880s. They record mostly baptisms and marriages with a few deaths. Baptisms name the child and his or her parents, sometimes including the mother’s maiden name, and usually the sponsors (godparents). Marriages name the bride and groom, sometimes identify the parents and usually name the witnesses. Later parish records are supplemented by civil registration of births, marriages and deaths starting in 1864 for Catholics. Until now, the only online access has been though a paid site, www.rootsIreland.ie, though researchers could use the microfilm without charge at the National Library or at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City (and branches), which owns microfilm of about 30 percent of the Irish RC parish registers. This good news of free access has been a long time coming. The not-so-good news is that for now at least, there’ll be no index. What you’ll see on the screen is just what you see when you’re looking at the microfilm. Therefore, you’ll have to be content with browsing via parish name or use the limited index- ing systems now available. These include the Householders Index (Griffith’s Valuation and Tithe Applotments) plus online sites. The latter include www.rootsIreland.ie (free indexing up to a point) or www.Irishgenealogy.ie which offers free church record transcriptions for a select number of parishes, both Catholic and Protestant. For instance, using both of those two online indexes, I learned that Bernard Reilly and Mary Doyle registered baptisms of at least two children, one in each of two RC parishes in Dublin. Both times, the names of both parents were recorded. In other baptismal records, it appears that this Mary’s surname was omitted, for I’ve come upon several baptisms of children belong to John and Mary Reilly. –Continued on page 22 www.wise&fhs.org, W.I.S.E. Words 20 !! April, May, June 2015 a brick wall. I also learned that research can be frustrating and if you're like me, the desire President’s Message to overcome can consume the moment. This is particularly true of moments that are important to the rest of your family and especially your spouse. Isn't it ironic that researching your past When I accepted the nomination for president of could have a serious detrimental affect on your the W.I.S.E. Family History Society I somehow marital future? overlooked the fact that I would be expected to write a president's message for our quarterly news- One of the most significant discoveries I've made letter. A review of messages by past presidents to in my family history research was learning that I'm gain inspiration made the task seem even more not who I thought I was. I'm sure that, during your daunting. After all, I'm expecting to have to write research, many of you have come across what can a “message” - you know, something short and only be described as a proverbial skeleton in sweet. Instead, I find messages that should be the closet. Mine is my paternal second great- more appropriately defined as a missive. As a rela- grandmother, Ellen Turner. She was one of the tive newcomer to family history research I found younger daughters of William Turner and Ellen myself pondering, “Where am I going to come up (Wilson) Turner, who were blessed with ten chil- with content that will be substantive and of interest dren. At this juncture, I feel compelled to point out to our members?” and, “If only I could write as that considering her soon to be revealed indiscre- much as I can talk.” tions, it's a little disturbing that her Christian name, although different from mine, sounds the The importance I attach to family history research same. Anyway, I digress – so, back to my point. is probably best characterized by the brief article Ellen had two sons, Levi, my paternal great- “Our Heritage and Identity,” which I wrote in grandfather, and Simeon, his older brother. De- 2012 and is still posted on our WISE-FHS web- spite extensive research I was unable to identify site's welcome page. I personally hadn't realized their father(s). My breakthrough came when I just how important it was until my parents and eventually found Levi's and Simeon's birth record their generation had almost completely passed on the Cheshire BMD (Birth, Marriage and Death) from my life and into history. The realization website. My earlier research had been hampered came to me in the spring of 2008 when I visited by the fact that Simeon's name had been entered my mother at her home in Macclesfield, Cheshire, as Simon on the few resource documents available England. She appeared healthy and in good spirits, on the Internet. Unfortunately, neither of their although she had lung cancer and had accepted the fathers' names was included in birth records. fact that her life's light was dwindling fast. Having So, I had no choice but to take a chance and pur- been blessed with the opportunity to spend some chase copies of their birth certificates from the quality time together, we made the best of it. That Macclesfield Registration Office. I was surprised, included spending valuable time probing the dis- but not unexpectedly so, that Ellen was not tant reaches of her mind to reveal family history married when she gave birth to Levi and Simeon. facts that, once she was gone, would be lost forev- Levi was the fortunate one in that his father was er. Sadly, her brightly shining light in this world identified as Samuel Webb, a farmer in Bollin Fee was extinguished on November 4, 2008. The fol- (Wilmslow), Cheshire. Simeon was less fortunate lowing day was Guy Fawkes Day in Britain, with with his father being listed as unknown. Clearly, its traditional bonfires and fireworks. I like to Ellen may have been a woman of questionable think of that particular day as more of a loud and moral character when she was young. It is of some colorful celebration of my mother's life rather than comfort to know that she eventually did get mar- the demise of a notorious character, who in ried to a man named James Blythin in 1852. There today’s world, would be defined as a terrorist. is no record of them having any children. Ellen I learned quickly the addictive nature of family died in 1877 and was laid to rest with her husband history research and the seductive pleasure derived in her parents’ family vault at St. Bartholomew from success, particularly when you overcome Parish Church, Wilmslow, Cheshire, England. ! W.I.S.E. Words 21 !! April, May, June 2015 So by now you will have realized that Ellen named genealogy and family history are synonymous. I both of her sons using her maiden name, Turner. think the jury's still out on that. What I do know is Thus, I'm not who I thought I was – I should actu- that it's important to not only gather family statis- ally be Allan Webb and Samuel is my paternal tics such as names, dates of birth, marriage and 2nd great-grandfather. death, etc., but to support that information My most recent family history research involves with stories that makes each of them stand my father's career in World War II, when he out as individuals. served as a pilot in the Royal Air Force (RAF) I encourage each of you to consider sharing your assigned to No. 61 Squadron, RAF Bomber Com- research accomplishments with the rest of our mand, from 1940 until 1943. My focus has been members at our monthly membership meetings. on an operational mission to locate and sink an Be proud of breaking down those brick walls and Altmark Class tanker along the north Coast of other challenging research barriers you have over- Spain in the Bay of Biscay, which occurred on or come. Let us all know how you did it. Your expe- about August 19, 1942. Events during the incident rience may help us identify “best practices” resulted in the tragic loss of four Avro Lancasters research methods that we can all benefit from. and 28 aircrew members. My father's Lancaster —Allan M. Turner! was badly damaged by flak from the ship during this incident but he managed to return it and his crew safely to its base at RAF St. Eval near Membership Report Newquay in Cornwall, England. Descriptions of —Sandy Breed the incident published in various books since that time have incorrectly identified the tanker as the Welcome to those who joined the W.I.S.E.