The Silver Book for Mayflower Descendants

This past week has been an amazing journey for me.  On Monday I ran across something on Ancestry that peeked my interest.  I did some research on my own family records and discovered that I might be a descendant of the Mayflower passenger, and signer of the Mayflower Compact, Stephen Hopkins.  A real, honest to goodness Pilgrim!  Seriously, I was blown away.  I have just plain old ordinary folks in my lines.  Stuff like this just doesn't happen to me.  I've never won a prize except at a baby shower or something and never thought I was related to anyone famous.  Oh, I did win a statewide writing contest in 8th grade but that was it for me...my one claim to fame.

*****I must pause here and say that I did win the prize when it comes to my husband and children and grandchildren and other relatives I have known...but I never had any vision of that beyond the few. 

As I delved into it just a little more I realized it that everything I looked at made it look more probable. I was so excited but cautious in trusting my own discovery.   I was afraid to even speak it out loud for fear I was just wishing a little too fervently.  I called Bob Trapp and told him what I was suspecting and to tell him we are probably cousins.  Bob is a descendant of many of the original pilgrims so I knew he might be of help to me on this search.  

Lesson number one: You do not have to be an expert at everything when you are doing family history but it is a tremendous plus to know your resources.

 Bob was quite excited about this and told me he'd help me on Tuesday to see what we could find.  He introduced me to what he calls "The Silver Bible."  This is a series of books that he actually donated to the Oakland Library.  Wow, am I ever grateful.  Thanks, Trapps!  He promptly pulled out the volume I needed entitled, " Mayflower Descendants Through Five Generations."  Stephen Hopkins, Volume 6: 3rd Edition.  This was published in 2001 by the General Society of Mayflower Descendants and considered The Authoritative Source."  He told me if I could tie into their findings...it was a done deal.

 Lesson number two: Not all important information comes to us in digital form. 
  Of course  it is all online but how can you really trust it without something to actually research.  You want to make sure when you connect generations that they actually do match up.

Lesson number three:  There is no easy street in this discipline.

 Do not be a gatherer of names without documentation because I guarantee you they will not be your family in most cases.  You might get lucky with a few but not many.  I was astonished to look at the actual records of a tiny village in Italy to see that even when a surname was shared in a small geographic area for generations, it was no guarantee of any relationship at all.  You need to research and work with actual records to get accurate results.  There is no other way.

Google Images

Mayflower

Bob and I made a preliminary assessment on Tuesday night.  High Fives~it looked right!   I needed to go home and sort it all out using the copied book pages as my guide to made sure what I was seeing on my records and Family Tree was accurate.  By Friday night I had confirmed it with absolute certainty.  I am indeed his descendant!

Lesson number four:  Family Tree prompted me to search for this in the first place. 
 
I love Family Tree!  It lead me to Ancestry which lead me to Bob and The Book.  Bob's expertise in Mayflower research and the book was something I trusted.  That and the large number of researchers who have been in Massachusetts combing the area for all the documentation that exists there to produced this amazing "Bible" of facts.  Then taking it one step further,  the people that looked at all the sources and came up with the standard used in the Silver "Bible."  I so appreciated all the help Bob gave me in deciphering that "Bible" that rivaled the Old Testament for lack of easy reading and comprehension. It is so nice to feel I did my research and the facts are proven, sourced and cited. 

Stephen Hopkins is my 11th great-grandfather born in 1581-82 in England.  I was crossed-eyed and exhausted but what a discovery!  The fun part is seeing how many others have descended from him that we all know like Sir Issac Newton, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Jane Austin, Agatha Christie, John Steinbeck.  I love that so many of them are writers.

The more important part is that I know the genealogy is correct as hundreds of professional researchers have blazed the trail, as admittance to the Mayflower Society is based on proven genealogy.  Now I am not sure that I will ever join the Mayflower Society but my real prize is knowing my family heritage and being able to pass that along to our children and grandchildren.  They will get this one line with 15 generations!  That is the grand prize, in my humble opinion.  And who knows, knowing more about who they are may prompt them to seek to become their best selves just a little more than they already do! A Mayflower scholarship for college might be a great carrot to dangle out there right now too, as some of them are approaching high school.

Lesson number five:  Never give up.

I started this line nearly 40 years ago never dreaming I could take it this far.  Another reminder to me that the Lord is in the details of our lives.  I use to think we were the only members of the church in our family.  I couldn't have been more wrong.  Gordon B. Hinckley and Lorenzo Snow belong to the Stephen Hopkins family too.  Sometimes being wrong feels so right!  :-)

Choosing a Software Program

Because I cannot have only text on a blog post.
It is against my rules.

There are several different ways to keep your family history information and organize and process it. There are also thousands of sites to gather information and sites to share it with others. I have found this to be confusing to most of us as we begin or begin again after years away. Genealogy Speak can be confusing at first. So here is an explanation of some of the differences. If I have already done a post on these I will add the url for viewing as needed.
1. Paper Files: These are organized and kept at home in a box or a file cabinet. These files include thing you have collected like original documents. i.e., a birth certificate or a letter from your great Aunt Susie, a photo, etc.

Note: You should still scan these and file electronically on your computer but you want to keep the original in paper form in these files. To see the previous post of this click here. http://tinyurl.com/7te9lqz

2. Electronic Files: These are files that you create and organized on your own computer which include scanned items you want to save electronically on a person, including photos, documents, newspaper articles, memorabilia, census records, ships' manifests, etc. I do this by creating surname folders and sub-files for what I have saved, i.e., vital records, photos, pedigree charts, family group sheets, obituaries, copy of census records, etc.

Note: These items can come from your paper files or can be copied from any number of online sites, from e-mails received, etc.

To see the previous post on electronic filing click here: http://tinyurl.com/89zrfqr


3. A Genealogy Software Program: This is a free or purchased program you download from the Internet to store and organize your personal information on your own computer. This is your personal, at home file cabinet if you will. There is the church based free download of PAF (Personal Ancestral File 5.2) discussed below. It can be found at familysearch.org. Look for it by clicking the green button that says "Go To Previous Site" in the upper mid-section of the home page on the right. This is where you can download 5.2 for free. Family Search is undergoing major changes right now so if that green button disappears just Google PAF 5.2 and download from there. When in doubt, Google!

Some examples of commercial software for your PC would be Legacy, you can view it at legacyfamilytree.com. There is also Ancestral Quest found at ancquest.com. You can Google: Choosing Software for Family History-Genealogy. You will find a lot more to compare and contrast before making a selection. A lot of them have a simplified, free version you can try first if you wish before purchasing.

For an iMac the program of choice has been Reunion found at www.leisterpro.com. However, new ones are being developed all the time and things are changing quickly so do your research first. Don't be like us and land up with PAF, Legacy, Ancestral Quest and Reunion before you know which one suits you best!
Once you choose the one you want to use, you enter your data on each person once into a template which then allows your software program to massage your information to produce important reports regarding your family, such as pedigree charts, family groups sheets, etc. It is a great way to store, save and use your information productively.

4. Another term you will hear tossed around is Genealogy Search Engines. These are the websites that are data bases full of information, documents, and often photos and other images to help you gather information only. You cannot add to these data bases but you can use what is on them. Some are free like familysearch.org and some are commercial like archives.com.

5. The last type of site to be give clarification to is what I call the Web-based Interactive Genealogy Sites. These are used for searching as well as for posting your information online or correcting what is already there. A perfect example of this is new.familysearch.org. This is a site where you may not only research but you may also add information of your own to the data base or change your information if you have submitted it and find something new or an error.
There is also ancestry.com that is primarily thought of as a search engine site but you can also add your own family tree to the Family Trees section of the site. This allows you to store your genealogy online. Research this before just jumping in. You also need to decide if you want your tree to be public or private. If you view other's trees that may be connected to you in some way, understand these trees can be full of errors. Never accept that that is your lineage because you see it in writing, until you check it thoroughly. Many people are barking up the wrong tree for doing exactly that.*

Another site like this is findagrave.org. It is a free site and one where you may be able to find photos of your ancestors' grave sites and you can also become a member and contribute photos of graves for other people to search. This is a volunteer organization and very thrilling to participate in as you contribute and help other genealogists make exciting discoveries as well.

Note: * Online should never be your only place to store your genealogy. You still need your own personal filing cabinet at home...your paper files, electronic files and your software program that only you and anyone you share it with will have access to use.

When I returned to actively doing our Family History and Genealogy there were some things that because issues regarding a software program. Somewhere between the paper era and now we had download PAF (Personal Ancestral File) free. This church based software is still something that many people use, in spite of the fact that it is no longer being updated.

It is a free program that allows to you to begin with yourself and systematically enter and preserve your data. You can record ordinance work and filter that out of what you might want to share. It has some very nice features like linking families to create pedigree charts, and family group sheets, a place to keep notes and sources citations, you can print out all kinds of reports, download photos and other documents, videos and even audio clips.

(Note: These images, video and audio files do not become a part of your gedcom file if you choose to transfer your information into a different program.)

PAF has all the basics of what you would need to keep your own personal records in order and easy to access. A lot of users that have thousands of family names already entered into PAF and choose to stay with PAF because they like the program and it works well for them. They have probably used it for years and see no need to make a change. This is a matter of personal choice. Some also have more than one program so they can do some of the fancy charts and trees that other programs offer as an example. The important things is the software program you use should meet your needs.

The PAF site will be maintained indefinitely, it will just not be developed further. Some people that are brand new should probably also use it for beginning their family history research and collecting information. Once the bug bites you and you are hooked on this fascinating endeavor, you may wish to add another program for more bells and whistles and one that interfaces with some other sites like Ancestry.com or new.familysearch.

The software you chose to install on your own computer is your personal file. To me this is the most important place to keep your records accurate and thoroughly sourced for yourself and your posterity.

When you look at a web-based site like Ancestry or new.familysearch for either records or trees you will probably find errors based on what you have proven through your own personal research. If you are satisfied that your records and documentation are correct, don't be overly concerned about errors you find in other records.

Use all other records beyond what you have proven to be accurate with sourced citations as...a guide or road map to your possibilities. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water and give up because you find conflicting information.

As genealogists we hate to see errors in print of something we know for a fact. We have to get over that. Just do your best to be sure your records are correct for now. It will all work out in the end if you do this and if you don't let this need for perfectionism lead you to discounting the clues others have provided. People contribute this conflicting information in good faith...we are all human and subject to making mistakes. Worry about what you record more than what others have misrecorded.
The one problem with PAF is that it is not compatible with the iMac operating system. It is just fine for a Windows based PC. We have an, iMac and PC desktop and a PC laptop. This presented a problem for me the minute I came back to this work. I had to learn how to set up electronic files on both systems, go back and forth on both systems and make sure that I updated both programs...it was mind boggling. I am a Mac girl, I freely admit that. I do not care for the encumbering, many extra steps for everything, required by a PC. I love the straight forward, user friendly, logical aspects of a Mac.

However, I struggled through it and learned it and I am happy about that even though I now have Drop Box storage "in the cloud" which has eliminated that problem for us. Now I can drop my files into either program with no problem. :-) from the site or from my iPhone. My genealogy records are now completely portable. Woohoo.

That is the nature of Family History and how quickly it is moving. We just have to hang on for dear life and go on the wild ride. As of today this is my understanding of the sites and how to use them. My disclaimer is that I too am just learning. I like to think that that may be an advantage for you as a beginner too. I can still remember that overwhelming feeling of can I ever learn all this? I haven't lost sight of that. I have a long way to go but one step at a time I am seeing a little more clearly finally. Tomorrow who knows what will come our way? It is exciting to watch it happen right here in our day and time. We must keep our pioneer spirit about us and just keep moving on with the company. "By small and simple things are great things brought to pass."
Alma 37:33

Peace be still...we can do this!
Point Lobos, San Francisco 3/8/12

Riding the Wave of Our Legacy

San Francisco,

July 2o11

When I was at the Genealogy Conference this past week one of the speakers said, "We don't have to create the wave we just need to learn how to ride it."

He was speaking of the rapid advancements in technology and the digitization of the world's genealogical records that are being made available to all.

It just made me think of this photo I took a few weeks ago and how this surfer was struggling to ride that wave against tremendous counter forces. The surfer was making a gigantic effort to stay on top of it, he had a great passion for his sport, but that wave was like a bucking bronco. But he managed through sheer grit, determination and practice to stay upright.

It is how I have often felt about genealogy. I love it and I know I am supposed to be doing it but that bucking bronco wave has been a challenge. Not because I didn't have the passion...well, qualifying that, it was budding, shall we say? It is a perennial flower in my garden and has been popping up in one way or another all my life. Who else do you know that completed their own baby book at age 7 because their mom was too busy taking care of her family?

Working 8 hours one day a week at a Regional Genealogical Center requires that you know something. Well, I think I do know a lot about it having been at it periodically for about 30 years. I have always had the desire. Problem was, it was more off than on, when it came to actually DOING it while raising kids, working full time, taking care of my mom and, doing my church callings, etc. etc.

So the last 8 months have been like starting over in many ways. Genealogy is a living, ever-changing, huge beast, in spite of its preoccupation with the deceased. They may be resting in peace but we who are searching for them are not. At least not those of us who only have an inkling about HOW to do the research.

This conference was my piece de resistance, it was the thing that changed my paradigm from thinking I will never get this to...yes, I will. In a play on words, it was what brought the peace to my resistance. It helped me visualize the big picture and helped me fill in some of the holes in my Swiss cheese conception of the whole thing.

The Dashing of My Resistance Upon the Rocks!

At the Family History Conference I was able to spend a whole week with people that enlightened me and inspired me, and taught how things that seem impossible can be achieved one step at a time. I got a glimpse from their brilliance of what is possible. I love each of those teachers for what they have given me. The generosity in sharing what they have was incomparable. I want to be able to help people in that way someday.

Well, I am no genealogical surfer yet and that wave is huge and frightening and moving lots faster than I am. But I am finally standing up on the board, metaphorically speaking, and I love it. I am excited and determined to learn as much as I possibly can while I continue on with my family history through blogging and researching our family tree.

Jim and I are both going to learn this stuff and share it! We want to pay it forward! We are not retired ~ we are just rewired! The blessing of discretionary time is the option of choices. Now to determine the way I am going to accomplish this work little by little, precept upon precept. I have already made a to do list that is several pages long.

Some of Aunt Jean's flowers from
her recent memorial service.

A very special thank you to Dan Lynch, D. Josh Taylor, Ransom Love, Barry Ewell and most especially, Stephen Ehat. You are my heroes! Wild Horses couldn't keep me (and hopefully us) away from this conference next year. And it will take me at least that long to learn and begin to practice the information in the syllabus from this year!

"You are not dead and gone until you are forgotten."
Another quote from the Conference.