Soundex Search

What does it mean when a database offers a soundex search?

Soundex sorts together surnames that sound similar but have different spellings. A soundex code begins with the first letter of the surname followed by a three-digit code that represents the first three remaining consonants. Zeros will be added to names that do not have enough letters to be coded.

Soundex Calculator
Calculate the soundex codes for your surname.

Searching a genealogy database using a soundex search option is a way of doing a phonetic search. Searching for Johnson in a database with a soundex search will bring results that include Johnson, Johnsson, Johnsen, Johanson and any other surname that has the soundex code of J525.

Even if you think your surname has always been spelled the same, the name may have been mis-transcribed into the database.

It's not a good idea to begin a database search with a soundex search as you will receive many more results than from a non-soundex search. A soundex search is best after being unsuccessful in a first search OR if you are unsure how to spell a name.

Some genealogy databases offer soundex searches. Take a look at the little pull-down tab on the search box. If it offers a soundex search in addtion to an exact search, take advantage!

Easy Google Genealogy Searcher

Can't remember all the Google tricks you've heard for genealogy searching? Want to learn some things you probably had no idea Google could do? The Easy Genealogy Google Genealogy Searcher puts advanced Google features on one page with suggested keywords and advice about how each feature is useful for genealogy searches. Learn the many possibilities Google offers for genealogy research and become a genealogy Google expert with the

Easy Google Genealogy Searcher.

For each specialized genealogy search, there are 'help' options, suggested keywords & tips to make the most of the search.

Have a common surname that is difficult to search for because the surname also has other meanings such as Brown, Church, or Powers? Or a surname that is also a first name such as Thomas or James? The Easy Google Genealogy Searcher offers several search options to make finding these surnames easier including searching in surname websites, searching the Google directory, and searching by family tree.

Use Google as a dictionary to look up meanings for:

• Antiquated disease names, such as apoplexy, dropsy, phthisis, or quinsy.
• Acronyms found on old documents or obituaries such as IOOF or AOH.
• Names for old-fashioned occupations such as cordwainer or wheelwright.
• Latin terms such as ab nepos.
• Terms found in old documents such as perch or rod.

And when you find that a great-grandfather owned land, but the deed gives the land size in unfamiliar terms such as rods and perches, the search engine page includes a calculator that will convert into modern dimensions.

Another option of the Easy Google Genealogy Searcher is "Search by Location". Unlike most map programs, this engine will search by keyword & location, even if you don't have the proper name. For instance, a search for 'cemetery' & 'Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,' , the Easy Google Genealogy Searcher finds all the cemeteries in Philadelphia and surrounding area.

The Easy Google Genealogy Searcher offers options to search for surnames in specific countries & to search for sites in a specific language, and offers the option to translate. A word or series of words can be pasted into the translation box & Google will translate. Or, type in the address & Google will translate an entire web page.

After searching for text about your ancestor on the web, try searching for his photograph by using Google's image search.

Try searching for:

• Photos of ancestors.
• Photos of tombstones or churches.
• Photographs of your ancestral hometown or its landmarks.
• Images of original documents concerning your ancestor; i.e. wills, military papers.
• Images of the type of ship on which your ancestor immigrated; i.e. brigantine or brig
• Images of your ancestor's tools of trade, such as blacksmith tools.

Try the Easy Google Genealogy Searcher to help make your genealogy searching more effective. It's FREE.

Easy Google Genealogy Searcher.

Pennsylvania Volunteers of the Spanish American War

Pennsylvania Volunteers of the Spanish American War has posted the names of thousands of Pennsylvania soldiers who served in the Spanish-American War of 1898-1899. Use these rosters to find proof of marriage, proof of children's birth, death certificates and even more by sending away for a soldier's pension records.

"Anyone who has done family or genealogical research in Civil War records will
be pleasantly surprised at the fullness and accuracy of the Spanish-American War
pension records" according to NARA

Pennsylvania Volunteers of the Spanish American War

• Rosters
  Thousands of Pennsylvania soldiers are posted and more are coming.
• Spanish-American War guide
  Contains instructions explaining how to send away for your ancestor's pension records. Pension records typically include the application forms, proof of marriage, proof of children's births, a summary of military service, and death certificates. They may also contain physical descriptions, interviews, and if you are very lucky, a photograph of the soldier and letters he may have written.

AncestorsOnBoard Now Online

http://www.ancestorsonboard.com/ (Subscription Based)
Ancestors On Board is now online. The site states:

Passenger lists with over 30 million records from ships sailing to destinations
worldwide.

Findmypast.com, in association with The National Archives, has opened ancestorsonboard, a new database featuring Outward Passenger Lists for long-distance voyages leaving the British Isles from 1960 right back to 1890.

With ancestorsonboard, you can search for records of individuals or groups of people leaving for destinations including Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, South Africa and USA featuring ports such as Boston, Philadelphia and New York. Images of the passenger lists are available to download, view, save and print.

You can search many passenger lists to the US including Ellis Island, Castle Garden, and other ports at

Immigrant Passenger Lists
Passenger Lists Database Searches to USA

Pennsylvania Dutch Thanksgiving

September 24th is Schwenkenfelder Day, the day some Pennsylvania Germans celebrate Thankgiving.



On September 24, 1734, shortly after their arrival in Pennsylvania, the Schwenkenfelders celebrated their first Gedaechtnisz Tag, the September Thanksgiving. Though less than 3,000 people in Pennsylvania still observe Schwenkenfelder Day, it is the oldest continuous Thanksgiving tradition in America.



Who are the Schwenkenfelders? They are 'Plain People' who are the followers of the Anabaptist mystic, Kasper Schwenkfeld von Ossig, a contemporary of Martin Luther, born in 1490 of an old aristocratic family in the Duchy of Leibnitz. They were prosecuted everywhere in Europe until they fled in 1733/34 to Pennsylvania because of its religious freedom. Schwenkfelders Schwenckfelder Passenger Ships: Pennsylvania Merchant 1733 St. Andrew 1734

Bucks County Pa Biographies

Biographies from History of Bucks County, by J.H. Battle published in 1887, have been transcribed.


Biographical Sketches include:

Althouse, Samuel; Bewighouse, Abraham; Bewighouse, John; Bibighaus, Samuel; Bissey, John; Brumbaugh, Simon; Buehrle, William; Crouthamel, Reuben; Detweiler, Jacob; Diehl, John; Duffy, Neil; Effrig, Anthony; Fluck, Reuben; Fluck, Sylvester; Lacey, Edwin.

Look for more biographies to be added as this is an ongoing project.

Roman Numeral Converter

Many tombstones and genealogy documents have the date of death and/or birth written in Roman Numerals. You may see numbers such as MDCCXLIX or MDCCCII.

Now you can easily and accurately convert a Roman Number to a decimal number.

Just go to the online

Roman Numeral Converter
Online Roman Numeral Converter

Converts a Roman Numeral to a Decimal Number.
Also converts a Decimal Number to a Roman Numeral.

My Favorite Genealogy Blogs

Olive Tree Genealogy Lorine McGinnis Schulze (the Olive Tree Lady) answers questions about genealogy and provides tips for finding those elusive brick-wall ancestors

Past Voices Letters, letters and more letters! Letters from Civil War soldiers, from wives to husbands, sons to mothers, sisters to sisters... This blog contains poignant old letters full of genealogy tidbits.

Ancestors at Rest - The blog for AncestorsAtRest.com website. Contains death records of all kinds - funeral cards, death notices, cemetery receipts, obits...and more

Black Sheep Ancestors The latest genealogical information on helping you find ancestors in your family tree that were criminals, murderers, outlaws, bandits or scoundrels and that may have spent time in a prison, jail, penitentiary, chain gang or convict camp.

Genealogy And How Up to date announcements of new websites and new genealogical records and databases placed online.

Genealogy News Center Articles on Genealogy research from Genealogy Today website

Genealogy Blog

The Genealogue - Humorous genealogy blog

Who are the Donauschwaben?

The Donauschwaben, or Danube Swabians, is an ethnic group of Germans who lived in Hungary. You may be curious to learn how they got their name, why they left Germany for Hungary over 200 years ago and why there are few Germans still living in Hungary today.

In the late 1700’s, there was a large migration of pioneer families from Germany to settle the land in southeastern Hungary know as the Banat. These pioneers went by barges down the Danube River to reach their new homes. The Austrian empire had just chased the Turks of the Ottoman Empire from these lands, and wanted to populate the land with Catholic German families. They offered families free land and exemption from taxes if they settled this wild land

Eventually, over 800 towns were founded in Hungary by the German pioneers. The Hungarians called these pioneers Danube Swabian (Donauschwaben in German) because they arrived by the Danube River from the area of Germany known as Swabia. The first German pioneers had many skirmishes with the Turks as the Turks tried to reclaim the land. The pioneers and their descendants kept their German language and customs for the 200 years they lived in Hungary, but also learned the language of their new country.

By 1900, over two million Germans were living in Southeastern Hungary. Between 1899 and 1911, almost 200,000 Germans left Hungary for the United States and other countries in search for a better life.

After World War I, these Hungarian lands were divided among Hungary, Romania, and Yugoslavia, and many Danauschwaben found themselves living in a new country without having moved. After World War II, as the Soviet communists took control of the Hungary, Romania and Yugoslavia, many of the adult German men and women who had not already escaped and were still living in the German villages were deported to forced labor camps in the Soviet Union. Those who did not die in the harsh conditions in the camps were returned to Hungary in 1946, but found that they were no longer welcome. In 1945, all German-owned land had been seized by the government without compensation. Today there are very few Germans left in these towns.

Many descendants of the Donauschwaben can be found today in many towns in Germany; Philadelphia, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Chicago, South Dakota, and St. Louis in the United States; Canada, and Buenos Aires, Argentina. For more information about this little known ethnic group including :
Passenger Lists
Village List
Researcher List
Recipes
and much more, go to Donauschwaben Resources

Annoying Pop-up Ads

Have you been annoyed at the pop-up ads while searching on the Internet for your genealogy? Even when using a pop-up blocker?

Did you know that some of the ads are not from the websites you visit, but can actually be from software that has been installed on your computer possibly without your knowledge.

Not only are you bombarded with pop up/under ads and have your privacy invaded, but these programs running in the background of your computer can cause your surfing to slow down, crash your computer and/or browser, and other computer problems.

Here are some FREE ways to protect your computer so you can safely enjoy surfing the internet for your family tree.

Learn more at

Remove Pop-ups and Other Unwanted Software

Make your genealogy surfing safer!