The Genealogy Guys Podcast #427 (June 30, 2024)

Hosts: George G. Morgan & Drew Smith
Summary by Podcast Episode Expert

Overview

In episode #427 of "The Genealogy Guys Podcast," Drew Smith and George G. Morgan deliver the latest news from the genealogy world, review new resources and software, answer listener questions, and share helpful stories and strategies from the field. The episode focuses on recent record releases, major updates to RootsMagic software, collaborative DNA research, and the challenge of distinguishing individuals with the same name in historical records. The tone is informed, friendly, and distinctly supportive of both novice and advanced genealogists.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Genealogy Community News

(Starts 01:11)

a. MyHeritage Record Additions

(01:44–07:36, 07:38) – George G. Morgan

• MyHeritage added 123 million historical records in April–May 2024.

• Notable new collections:

  • Australia: Cemetery inscriptions (1.2M records from 1802+), Queensland burials (1.6M from 1800+)
  • Canada (New Brunswick): Births (1801–1921, 1.13M with images), Marriages (1789–1950, 1.3M with images)
  • UK: England Cheshire bishop’s transcript burials (1569–1933, 1.17M), school registers (1796–1909), more
  • Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands: Massive telephone directory indexes (Italy – 43M names!)
  • USA: Kansas State Censuses (1905, 1915, 1925), Massachusetts 1855 Census, New York City Births, Deaths, Marriages (millions of records + images), NYC 1924 Voter List

• OldNews.com by MyHeritage continues to grow

  • Added 11.6 million Nordic newspaper pages from Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Greenland, Faroe Islands (dates back to 1666, mostly 19th century, fully searchable)

  "That's just a tremendous number of new resources available... these are a tremendous new research [resource] if you're doing Scandinavian and Nordic research. Just exciting."
  – George G. Morgan (07:36)

b. RootsMagic 10 Software Release

(08:20–12:47, 12:50–13:32, 15:30–16:00) – Drew Smith

• RootsMagic 10 just launched, featuring:

  • Family health history tracking/report generation
  • Improved search (user-defined rules, dynamic groups)
  • Enhanced data management (multi-person fact sharing, easy data movement)
  • Simplified interface (color coding, context-sensitive help)

• Supporting Documentation:

  • New book, Getting the Most Out of RootsMagic 10 (easily ordered, print-on-demand)
  • Extensive video tutorials (YouTube & RootsMagic website)

• User Support:

  • Vibrant Facebook users group; bug reports addressed quickly
  • Discounted pricing until July 7, 2024 ($20 upgrade, $29.95 new)
  • Free "RootsMagic Essentials" version available

  "RootsMagic 10 is great and it’s got some new features... There’s no excuse if you haven’t used RootsMagic before ever, you can do the free version which covers a lot of the features."
  – Drew Smith (08:20)

2. Listener Emails & Case Studies

(17:04–46:07)

a. Finding Blaze Farney

(17:06–20:41) – Ongoing Listener Project

• Case:

  • Listener Jean Danielle’s research into Blaze Farney, a Frenchman in NY in 1880s.

• Historical Society Response:

  • No records of Blaze in Lewis County, though Farney is common.
  • Many French immigrants left NY due to harsher climate than France.
  • Importance of patience and persistence when working with local societies.

  "Here’s a great example of a very nice response... There are a lot of great people, helpful people out there in historical societies that will do what they can to help you with your research."
  – Drew Smith (19:59)

b. Clarifying "Austrian Sailor" Translations

(20:41–23:02) – Listener Input from Karin

• German terms for mariners vary; “Matrose” applies to river and ocean shipping.

• Many Austrians lived/worked on the Danube for years; possible occupational dynasties.

  "I suspect the word of the original record may have been 'matros,' which would apply to river shipping and ocean shipping."
  – Listener Karin (21:01)

c. Jewish DNA Mystery and Adoption – Lisa’s Story

(23:05–26:42) – Listener Story

• Listener Lisa (in Florida) took inspiration from a previous episode to research a UK friend’s maternal ancestry.

• DNA suggested the friend's mother was half-Jewish, adopted, and raised Catholic—possibly to protect her from Nazi persecution.

• DNA matching solved part of the mystery, found grandfather's family, but maternal grandmother remains elusive (few, low-confidence matches, language barriers).

  "Her work has inspired me... we realized that Candy's mother must have had one parent who was Jewish. This helped us understand one possible reason why Candy’s mother was so mysterious, if she even knew about her ethnicity."
  – Lisa (24:02)

d. Georgia “James James” Brick Wall

(26:42–34:35) – Listener Question from Ray

• Two men named James James, in the same region and era, confused in many trees.

• Strategies discussed:

  • Use the "FAN club" (Family, Associates, Neighbors) method to differentiate the men
  • Explore probate, property, and land records (grantor/grantee/dower), and tax rolls, for more familial connections
  • Occasionally researching the "wrong" individual is part of the process

  "One of the things we often use is the FAN club for... the people they're surrounded by..."
  – Drew Smith (29:07)

  "Try to find all the people that you have records for, that you know are yours... and figure out who they associate with."
  – Drew Smith (29:29)

e. On Repetitive & Unique Names in Genealogy

(34:35–36:05)

• Stories about finding multiple ancestors with unique names ("Darling Hazel", "Greenberry Holder").
• Even uncommon names may recur in close families due to naming traditions.

3. On-site Research Preparation: South Carolina Trip

(36:05–46:07)

• George and Drew preview a research trip to Columbia, SC (South Carolina Genealogical Society annual conference, July 2024).

• Discuss prepping using RootsMagic 10’s "Who Was There" reports (location- and time-based lists of ancestors).

• Example: Found a transcribed will for John Swords (Rev. War ancestor), details of military bounty land, pension records, and proof of marriage via Bible page submitted by widow.

• Strategy: Research courthouse/archives holdings online before visit, prioritize targets due to limited time.

  "I just printed a report called 'Who Was There'... I specified South Carolina itself, and a year range... Now, I have a 60 page report!"
  – George G. Morgan (39:33)

4. Genealogy Technology & DNA Tools

(46:12–50:14) – Drew Smith

• Discussion of Ancestry’s new Pro Tools for DNA and tree research.

  • Pro Tools offers powerful features (especially “shared matches” mapping) to cluster unknown DNA relatives.
  • Solved a long-standing mystery of a great-uncle’s illegitimate descendant using shared matches, even when contacts don’t respond.

  "It's a game changer. It really has changed the way that I look at my Ancestry DNA matches."
  – Drew Smith (49:30)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On patience with historical societies:

  "...you have to be kind of patient. It may take weeks or a month or two to get back to what you, you know, you asked."
  – Drew Smith (19:24)

• On river-based mariners in Austria:

  "...the elusive father may have been one of those people. What's more, some of the shipping people were sort of dynasties..."
  – Listener Karin (22:17)

• The "FAN Club" method:

  "One thing that still kind of keeps people unique is their fan club... families, their associates... and of course, their neighbors."
  – Drew Smith (29:07)

• On new DNA tools being a "game changer":

  "I have other clusters of people that I don't know how they're related to me... and this is also just really—it’s a game changer."
  – Drew Smith (49:18)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------------------|-------------------| | MyHeritage record update & OldNews.com | 01:44 – 08:20 | | RootsMagic 10 news & pricing | 08:20 – 14:41 | | Listener email: Blaze Farney | 17:04 – 20:41 | | Listener email: Austrian v. Australian sailor | 20:41 – 23:02 | | Listener story: Jewish DNA & adoption, Lisa | 23:05 – 26:42 | | Listener question: Georgia "James James" mystery | 26:42 – 34:35 | | Family naming traditions & "wrong" person research | 34:35 – 36:05 | | Prep for South Carolina genealogical trip | 36:05 – 46:07 | | Ancestry DNA Pro Tools & solving matches | 46:12 – 50:14 |

Final Notes

• Drew and George encourage ongoing listener input and stories:

  "It's your questions, it's your feedback, it's your tips, it's your techniques... and we love to hear from you..."
  – Drew Smith (50:49)

• Plans for next episode: Recap of South Carolina conference and research trip.

• Friendly reminder to email questions or share stories: genealogyguysmail.com

Summary

This episode delivers substantial updates from data providers, highlights cutting-edge research tools, and demonstrates problem-solving for real genealogical puzzles submitted by engaged listeners. The hosts' collaborative tone, rich detail, and supportive advice make this an essential listen (or read!) for anyone working on family history.