There Once Was A Family From Kent

So poor they could not make the rent.
They wandered the land,
In California gold panned.
Now a fortune the descendants have spent.

89th EDITION OF THE Carnival Of Genealogy

The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is:


“Ode to My Family's History!”

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This time around we'll be composing a poem that tells our family's history.

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It can be long or short, rhyme or not rhyme, funny or serious,
illustrated or not... you choose,

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Make it appropriate as an introduction for a book or video
on your family history.

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The challenge is on!

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The Deadline For Submissions Is
February 1st
30 submissions accepted

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Attention All COG Participants

Read Also The Changes To The COG In 2010

Please use a descriptive phrase in the title of any articles you plan to submit and/or write a brief description/introduction to your articles in the "comment" box of the blogcarnival submission form. This will give readers an idea of what you've written about and hopefully interest them in clicking on your link. Introductions for your articles will not be provided for you due to the volume of articles submitted. Thank you!

Also, check out Jasia's post "FAQs About The Carnival of Genealogy," for all you need to know about submitting a post. First-timers always welcome and greatly appreciated!

Submit your blog article to the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy using the carnival submission form or select the 89th Edition COG poster in the upper right hand corner of this page. Past posts and future hosts can be found on the blog carnival index page.

Ancestry Magazine To Discontinue Publication

As a magazine lover with a library of Ancestry Magazine back issues, this is an unfortunate development.

The following is posted on the Ancestry Magazine website:

For 25 years, Ancestry magazine has been a valuable, timely resource for family history professionals, hobbyists, and novices alike. For a variety of reasons, the time has come for us to discontinue publication. Over the last few years, we have found that with the expanded accessibility of terrific family history content published online at Ancestry.com we can reach a larger and broader audience than the limited distribution of a print publication.

The March/April 2010 issue will be the final issue of Ancestry magazine. Subscribers to Ancestry magazine with current subscriptions that will not be completed by the mailing of the March/April 2010 magazine will receive prorated refunds. Subscribers will find a letter enclosed with their final issue informing them of these details. We are also no longer selling new magazine subscriptions nor renewing those that have expired. Single copies of past issues, including the upcoming March/April issue, will be available for purchase in our online store.

With Ancestry magazine we have loved the opportunity we’ve had to write about the best of what we found in the world of family history. We thank our readers and contributors for sharing our enthusiasm for all things genealogy.

Sincerely,

The Ancestry Magazine Staff

As you can see, the announcement does not mention if the Ancestry Magazine website will continue. I hope so. The make-over is beautiful and so easy to navigate, plus it is filled with wonderful information.

Ancestry Magazine, I will personally miss you.

Sign Here Please Redux!

Reprinted from an article in July 2008.

A good family historian is possessed of a curious nature. We want answers to many questions. What did our ancestors look like, sound like, how did they live? More than "just the facts" we want to know the whole story, as much as we can possibly gather.

Possessing that curiosity, I've begun collecting my ancestors' autographs or in some cases their mark. In writing my family history I have taken those signatures and placed them together on a page identifying the signer and their place in my family tree.

The signatures displayed here are of the John and Sarah Graham Campbell family. John and Sarah are my Great Great Grandparents. When you see the signature of my Great Grandfather Isaac Reed Campbell, try to reconcile this neat precise handwriting with the man I wrote about in The Tale Is Here To Tell.

I have listed where I obtained the signature and the date the signature was made, as well as, the date of birth and death for the signer.

My family has enjoyed this addition, this small detail, this curiosity to our written family history. I hope you enjoy it.


Select the photograph to view a larger version of the page from my family history.



How Did You Do That?

The signatures were contained in probate documents that had been copied from microfilm. I scanned just the signature from each copy into Photoshop CS2 (what I did would be the same for Elements). I then opened levels (found under Image - Adjustment - Levels). I moved the input slider until I got the desired level of white. I then moved the input slider to darken the signature. (White level is on the right, dark is on the left.)


Any spots or marks I removed with the clone tool. I saved each signature as a JPEG file.

Note: I also kept each signature at the same width and height, making it easy to drop and center in the document.

Then using Word for the Mac I created the document and dropped the signatures into place. Really very easy to do. Thanks for asking.

Take Me! Take Me! I Volunteer!

88th EDITION OF THE Carnival Of Genealogy

The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is:

“Volunteerism!”

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Here's a chance to toot your horn about whatever genealogy projects,
organizations, or events you voluntarily give your time and efforts to.

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What do you get out of volunteering?

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How did you decide what to volunteer for?

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How much time each month do you spend volunteering for
genealogy projects/organizations/events?

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Is there an organization or project you'd like to recommend to others?

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Tell us all about it!

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The Deadline For Submissions Is
January 15, 2010

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Attention All COG Participants

Read Also The Changes To The COG In 2010

Please use a descriptive phrase in the title of any articles you plan to submit and/or write a brief description/introduction to your articles in the "comment" box of the blogcarnival submission form. This will give readers an idea of what you've written about and hopefully interest them in clicking on your link. Introductions for your articles will not be provided for you due to the volume of articles submitted. Thank you!

Also, check out Jasia's post "FAQs About The Carnival of Genealogy," for all you need to know about submitting a post. First-timers always welcome and greatly appreciated!

Submit your blog article to the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy using the carnival submission form or select the 86th Edition COG poster in the upper right hand corner of this page. Past posts and future hosts can be found on the blog carnival index page.

Happy New Year 2010