Copyright Violations ~ When the Oops Is Not A Mistake

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2023: Week 5 (OOPS)

Mistakes happen in researching family history all the time. 

Censored by me before publishing!

When I first wrote this blog it featured a comic that I found super amusing. It showed an angel in front of a man saying that he was this guys' 6th great grandfather who had been connected to the wrong spouse and now the woman had moved in with them.

I found it super funny, and wanted to use it as the visual for OOPS!

To include it in my blog I went looking for sources for the comic. I assumed I could post it on my blog with the appropriate sourcing since it is all over online genealogy pages.  

When I found the author's site I discovered all the comics he creates can be used for a fee. I couldn't find the comic I was looking for, but I did find the drawing with different words completely unrelated to genealogy. 

I did a web search for the comic, and discovered a genealogy blog where the exact comic I was looking for appears to originate. The page includes information about crediting this author as the adapter of the comic. 

I was very confused, and reached out the original author via email.

In the end I couldn't use the actual comic because it is not one available from the original comic creator since it was adapted. 

The adaptor does not get to take ownership because his is in copyright violation. 

If you want to visit the original author or see the adapted copyright violation check sources below.

I could have started a new blog, but I thought this OOPS was a pretty big oops in the world of online copyright violation. 

When using digital images from the internet many have copyright making them NOT free to use even if you say where it came from.

The adapting of copyright material is never okay.

There are many who believe that if it's on the internet it's fair game.

That is far from true. 

Photos and graphics belong to the artist or creator unless they make them 'public domain' allowing others to use them. 

If you want to use copyrighted images then you must have their permission which may involve paying a fee. 

There are many public domain & free to use images available on Google Images, but you must search for them via TOOLS for the appropriate usage rights.

Now back to our Bramble Bush in relation to the amusing comic about attaching the wrong wife. 

No one intentionally makes mistakes when researching their tree. 

Once a mistake is entered into a public tree it gets copied over and over again into other trees. Before you know it families that are not connected become intertwined so completely it's difficult to unravel the mess.

This happened to me when I started my first tree on Ancestry. I was careful with the common names in our tree. 

I wasn't so careful with what I viewed as unique names. 

Turns out what I viewed as unique names were not unique. 

In the years I have been researching I have discovered there are multiple (hundreds & thousands) of people with the same name making careful looks at the details before adding is critical.

One example of this was when I found cousins named Ann(e) Kirk Graham. 

One of the cousins had an E on her birth registry, and the other did not. That didn't fully help though because they both had or didn't have an E in many of the records over their lifetimes. 

They were born 3 years apart which helped a little. 

They were named after their paternal grandmother. 

I am unsure if I found all the children for my 5th great grandparents, Peter & Ann (nee Kirk) Graham,  which means I will have to carefully tread in the future. 

While writing this I realized I could use this information to search for a child born that might be another granddaughter of Ann Kirk. I discovered there is more for me to research on this brick wall.

When your oops gives a clue to future research!!! 

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Sources:

6th great grandfather. Randy Glasbergen. Adapted by Genealogy Trot. Retrieved January 19th 2023 from Genealogy Trot Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/genealogytrot/permalink/6022337397777865
Original copyright belongs to Randy Glasbergen
https://www.glasbergen.com/

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

______________________________________________________________

Grizel to Grace ~ Changing the Optics

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2020 Week 48 (GRATITUDE)

When I first found the name Grizel in an ancestor's record I pondered why anyone would name their child after the tough inedible part of meat (gristle). I just couldn't imagine why a parent would name their new baby girl after such a yucky thing. Next I wondered if the child was particularly whiny, and named after the grizzly noises they made.  I then thought maybe the child was born with hair the colour of 'salt & pepper', and it was a spelling variation of grizzled. 

When I found several named Grizel in the records I was searching I realized there must be something more to this name. 

The name Grizel is: 

"Scottish and English variant of Griselda, from Old German,
possibly meaning "grey battle-maiden". " 
                                           1

What I found interesting is that all of the Grizels I found were known as Grace.
The name Grace invokes far more attractive visuals that the name Grizel did for me. 

I love the name Grace. I also love the word Grace. It's a part of my everyday language. I frequently comment that I am grateful the people that care about me give me grace. I am not perfect, and the grace offered by those around me assists me in living life authentically.

GRACE & GRATITUDE walk hand in hand. 

Now back to the name:

"Grizel / Grizelda / Griselda

This name is thought to have been derived from the Old German
"grisja" (grey) and "hild" (battle). The 14th century author Boccaccio
wrote a story about Patient Griselda in the Decameron and the English
author Chaucer wrote a version of this in "The Clerk's Tale" which
popularised the name and associated it with patience. Grizel became a
popular form in Scotland though there were many variations -
Grizzel, Girsel, Girzel and Goirzel. It was used by both the nobility and
commoners - one well known bearer of the name was
Lady Grizel Baillie (1665-1746), daughter of a Covenanter,
the 1st Earl of Marchmont. She wrote a number of Scots songs and her
"Household Book" was reprinted by the Scottish History Society in 1911.
In Scotland, Grizel sometimes became Grace
and a diminutive form was Zelda."   1

and 

"Grace

The name Grace came originally from the Latin "gratia" meaning
"grace" or "favour". It was not found often in Britain or Scotland until the
Puritans took it up in the 17th century, prompted by their phrase
"by the grace of God". The Puritans took the name to North America.
In Scotland it became quite popular in the 19th century but in a
number of cases it was derived from another popular name, Grizel, which
became "gris" and "Grace" (see also below). The name was given a boost
as a result of the heroine Grace Darling (1815-1842) who rescued some
shipwrecked sailors off the coast of Northumberland. In 1900, Grace
was the 22nd most popular first name in Scotland. However, in recent years,
despite Princess Grace of Monaco, the name is
not found often in Scotland."   2

 

All of the Grizels I found were in Scottish records. The first Grizel I found in our Bramble Bush was the mother-in-law of my 5th great uncle.

Grizel (Grace) Watson

BIRTH 25 MAR 1787 • Lamington, Lanarkshire, Scotland

DEATH 1 OCT 1865 • Kirkmuirhill, Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire, Scotland
her husband was|

Alexander Pate

BIRTH 10 DEC 1779 • Clannochdyke, Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire, Scotland

DEATH 25 MAY 1826 • Abbeygreen, Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Their daughter

Elizabeth Pate

BIRTH 16 JUL 1818 • Lesmahag, Lanark

DEATH 19 JULY 1873 • Turfholm, Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire, Scotland
married my 5th great uncle|

James Graham

BIRTH 16 JUL 1811 • Closeburn, Dumfries, Thornhill, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotlan

DEATH 23 MAR 1886 • Drowned in River Dothan, Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire

This couple has been very memorable for me because it is through one of their descendants that I was finally able to confirm this family line.  Prior to the DNA match I had taken my 5th great grandparents out of my tree several times. I had started my tree over twice concerned I may have not researched accurately. 

The DNA match finally allowed me to believe I had reasonably exhausted my search, and could claim my 5th great grandparents: Peter & Ann (nee Kirk) Graham.

The DNA match confirmed that James Graham was the brother 

of my 4th great grandfather 

Robert Graham

BIRTH 16 JAN 1814 • Thornhill, Closeburn, Dumfries-shire, Scotland

DEATH 24 MAR 1892 • Forth, Lanarkshire, Scotland
married (my 4th great grandmother)

Susanah (Susan) Hamilton

BIRTH 03 NOV 1814 • Carnwath, Lanarkshire

DEATH 11 APR 1894 • Forth, Lanarkshire, Scotland

The parents of James & Robert Graham were:

Peter Graham

BIRTH ABT 1788 • Closeburn, Dumfriesshire

DEATH Unknown
and

Ann Kirk

BIRTH ABT 1785

DEATH Unknown

James and Robert had two sisters that I have found so far:

Mary Graham

BIRTH 9 FEB 1819 • Crawfordjohn, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

DEATH Unknown
and

Elizabeth Graham (who married William Stark)

BIRTH 10 FEB 1821 • Muirkirk, Ayrshire, Scotland:

DEATH 22 NOV 1903 • 16 Anderson Street, Cambusnethan, Lanarkshire

My brick wall still stands at Peter Graham & Ann Kirk. I have found birth records for the 4 children I have listed. I have found no birth, marriage, or death records for either of them. I have found no records for other children. |I am still searching.

By using family line specific DNA profile photos I can easily see where DNA matches have confirmed the paper trail research.

Still searching to get past the brick walls!







This is why I search - 



Cause ... 





You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!
















***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***






Footnotes:

1 What's in a Name? Grizel, Retrieved November 28th 2020 from
https://www.whatsinaname.net/female-names/Grizel.html

2 Popular Scottish Forenames, Grace, Grizel, Retrieved November 28th 2020 from
http://www.rampantscotland.com/forenames/blnames_fg.htm





Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

___________________________________________________________

4 Generations ~ Robert Graham

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2020 Week 6 (SAME NAME)



I never knew my maternal grandfather when I was growing up. He made a brief appearance to walk my mother down the aisle, and then disappeared from mom's family right after. 

My mom and her dad

He had been in and out of their life for many years, but after mom's wedding he never returned. Years later when his mom was dying my mom and her sisters went to see their grandmother. They ended up seeing their dad during that visit, but I wasn't there so never saw John Robert Graham who was known as Jacky as a child & Jack as an adult. 

Jack and his dad (Robert the 4th)

I asked my grandmother what Jack's father's name was, and she told me Bob who was also known as Bobby. I asked her if Bob was his legal name. She said it was. I asked her where Bob was born, and she told me Manitoba. I had entered these details into my tree on Ancestry, but no hints arrived. I waited several months, and did searches without finding any real information. I finally sent away for my great grandparent's marriage license. When it arrived I discovered Bob's legal name was Robert, and he had been born in Scotland and moved to Manitoba as a small child. 

There was a witness who shared his last name. I guessed she was his sister. I added the new information, and immediately the desired shaking green leaves appeared. I began researching the family line using records. I managed to track back 4 generations of Robert Grahams before I hit the brickwall that still stands today.


4 generations of ROBERT GRAHAM!

Robert (Bob/Bobby) Graham (the 4th)
BIRTH 3 MAY 1906 • Holytown, Lanarkshire, Scotland
DEATH 10 AUGUST 1960 • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
married
Nellie May (Con) Cannon
BIRTH 4 DEC 1904 • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
DEATH 14 SEP 1984 • Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Robert Graham (the 3rd)
BIRTH 23 DEC 1883 • Carluke, Lanarkshire, Scotland
DEATH 13 JAN 1929 • St Boniface Hospital, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
married
Jessie Crawford Gray
BIRTH 23 JUN 1884 • Wishaw, Lanarkshire, Scotland
DEATH 17 JUL 1952 • Manitoba, Canada

Robert (the 3rd) & Jessie Crawford (nee Gray) Graham

Robert Graham (the 2nd)
BIRTH ABT 1851 • Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire
DEATH BEF 1905 • Scotland, United Kingdom
married
Margaret (Maggie) (Mary) Burt
BIRTH 19 APR 1854 • Cambusnethan, Lanarkshire

DEATH 14 JUL 1933 • 61 Church St, Newharthill, Scotland
Robert Graham (the 1st)
BIRTH 16 JAN 1814 • Thornhill, Closeburn, Dumfries-shire, Scotland
DEATH 24 MAR 1892 • Forth, Lanarkshire, Scotland
married
Susanah (Susan) Hamilton
BIRTH 03 NOV 1814 • Carnwath, Lanarkshire
DEATH 11 APR 1894 • Forth, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Robert Graham (the 1st) was the child of 
Peter Graham
BIRTH ABT 1788 • Closeburn, Dumfriesshire
DEATH Unknown
&
Ann Kirk
BIRTH ABT 1785
DEATH Unknown

Peter Graham and Ann Kirk are my 5th great grandparents. I have DNA matches that confirm them as the parent of Robert Graham. They are listed as parents on birth registries for 4 children, but those are the only records I can find - no birth, no marriage, no death.


I have made no progress in breaking down this brickwall in the past 7 years of researching. In my tree I have guessed that Robert's parents might be James & Elizabeth, and Ann's might be Robert & Mary. I have made those guesses based on Scottish naming patterns, and have noted that in the placeholders for them. My guesses may be way off because I don't know if I have found all of the children of their marriage. I do know that later generations did follow Scottish naming patterns, but I don't know if Peter & Ann (nee Kirk) Graham did.


Someday I may break through this brickwall.

*******

Jessie Crawford (nee Gray) Graham
with her sons: Bob,  Bill, Doug, Burt

Now back to Robert the 4th's son Jack - my grandfather.

I understood Jack didn't spend much time with his dad's family after his parent's separated and divorced August 19th 1948.

Winnipeg Free Press, Manitoba, Canada, August 20th 1948

The divorce notice above says that Nellie and Bob were married on May 5th 1943, but the marriage record is dated November 16th 1927. Their son, Jack, was born on March 7th 1930.

And Jack's dad remarried October 1948 .

Winnipeg Free Press, Manitoba, Canada, September 11th 1948

Jack was an only child for both his parents. Bob had no children during his second marriage, and Nellie never remarried or had any other children.

John Robert Graham, known as Jacky/Jack

After finally figuring out the family tree, and following the shaking green leaves I was able to connect with the Graham family in Canada, and get the children of Jack's first marriage into the Graham family tree. This was also when I found out that Jack had not stayed connected to his father's family any more than he had the children of his first marriage. Jack's 1st cousin had thought that he died young, and was shocked when I told him that Jack lived until the age of 81.

I found it a bit strange that everyone thought Jack didn't stay connected to the Graham family after I found this family photo that had Jack and Nellie in the photo, but no Bob.

Jack with his first wife and oldest 4 children

Never knowing quite enough about the past to truly understand the present!







This is why I search - 



Cause ... 





You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!
















***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***





Related Previous Blogs:

Somehow Related Blog Spot,
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2019 Week 2 (Challenge)
Brick Wall - researching Grahams from Holytown, Scotland who immigrated to Canada
https://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/2019/01/brick-wall-researching-grahams-from.html

Somehow Related Blog Spot
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2019 Week 18 (Road Trip)
Robert Graham ~ Scottish Carrier
https://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/2019/05/robert-graham-scottish-carrier.html

Somehow Related Blog Spot
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2019 Week 21 (Military)
Jack (John Robert) Graham ~ Navy Man
http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/2019/05/jack-john-robert-graham-navy-man.html

Somehow Related Blog Spot
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2019 Week 38 (COUSINS)
Tale of Two Cousins ~ Ann(e) Kirk Graham
http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/2019/09/tale-of-two-cousins-anne-kirk-graham.html

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

___________________________________________________________

Brick Wall - researching Grahams from Holytown, Scotland who immigrated to Canada

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 2 (Challenge)

This week I focus on the first brick wall I encountered in my attempt to collect broken branches in my fractured family tree which resembles a bramble bush more then a proper tree.

When I got my first ancestry account I sat down to enter what I knew, or at least what I thought I knew. We hear stories about our families from a very young age, and we believe what we hear. It's only when we start to enter the information we have been provided that we become unsure what is fact and what is family lore. 


I grew up not knowing my grandfather on my mother's side. He left the family before I was born. I did hear stories about him, and my grandmother knew a lot about the family.  His mother (my mom's grandmother) was very involved with the family until she died when I was a teenager. She also shared stories. I had kept notes over the years of the details she had given me. Having not actually known my grandfather I was very interested in hearing her stories, and thought I had a lot of details. 

My grandpa John Robert (Jack) and his dad Robert (Bob)


Back to my first entries on my brand new paid for Ancestry account.  I was super excited to enter the details about what I knew to see how far back I could get. When I entered the name Bob Graham born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1906 exactly as my grandmother told me his details were - nothing happened. No little green leaf hints. Nothing. I then clicked search, but still nothing happened. I was super disappointed.  I then entered my great grandmother's information noting them as divorced, but still no information about their marriage or anything. I was stumped, but not willing to give up.

I went to the Manitoba vital statistics page to see if they had a record of a marriage license for my great grandparents. They did so I sent away for it. Then I waited for what seemed a very long time, but was likely only a few weeks. When it arrived I was shocked to see my great grandfather was not born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and his full name was Robert Graham. He had been born in Holytown, Scotland, and came to Canada when he was 5 years old with his parents and two  sisters. I also noticed that one of the witnesses was Margaret Graham. Guessing this was Bob's sister I added her details along with the birthdate, location and parents names that were in the marriage license. When I clicked save I got my first green leaf hint for my mom's paternal grandfather. With the addition of parents, a sister, and his proper details the available documents provided 9 siblings for my great grandfather. This one document broke through my first brick wall.

Quite quickly I was able to go up two more generations in my family tree before I was stuck again. With how easy those next two generations had been to find I had envisioned being back to the Clan Graham's Marquis or Earl or someone equally as cool in just a few weeks. Alas this was not to be. I was stuck again. I posted in the discussion forum that I was stuck, and a gentleman shared birth records for 4 children (one appeared to be for my 4th great grandfather) where the parents were recorded as Peter Graham and Ann(e) Kirk. The records were from Scotland's People. I entered the information, and waited for the hints to arrive. They didn't. 2 years passed, and still I waited.

I took a free online course from the University of Strathclyde via FutureLearn. I realized some of my research techniques and source citations were lacking. I had been pondering whether the child of Peter Graham and Ann(e) Kirk was really my X4 great grandfather. The actual record only stated a birthdate and gender with no first name. Graham is a super common name is Scotland.  It could be any child really. I decided to start a brand new tree using my newly found understanding of reasonable exhaustive search.

I began all over with a brand new tree. And traveling up the Graham line ended up right back to where I had been before with Peter Graham & Ann(e) Kirk. Two more times I removed the parents and siblings from my X4 great grandfather Robert Graham to search all over again.  Both times I searched, and put Peter Graham & Ann(e) Kirk back in as parents.

Finally Ancestry DNA came to the rescue. A few months ago we had a match to descendants of Robert's (my X4 great grandfather) older brother James. Using the shared cm project (link at the end) the amount of shared DNA matches to the paper trees relationship. I added a note to both Peter Graham & Ann(e) Kirk entry in my tree reminding myself not to delete them from my tree again 'they really are your X5 great grandparents'.
On the one hand I am happy to have found my X5 great grandparents. On the other hand I have been trying to break through this brick wall for the past 5 years. I am no further ahead today then I was then.

Maybe you can help?

Looking for Grahams who immigrated to Canada from Holytown, Scotland in 1911.

My great great grandparents Robert Graham & Jessie Crawford Gray


Robert Graham

BIRTH 23 DEC 1883 • Carluke, Lanarkshire, Scotland
DEATH 13 JAN 1929 • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
and
Jessie Crawford Gray
BIRTH 23 JUNE 1884 • Wishaw, Lanarkshire, Scotland
DEATH 17 JULY 1952 • Manitoba, Canada.

Parents for Robert (23 Dec 1883) above are: 

Robert Graham

BIRTH ABT 1851 • Carluke, Lanarkshire

DEATH BEFORE 1905 • Scotland, United Kingdom

and

Margaret (Maggie) Burt

BIRTH ABT 1854 • Cambusnethan, Lanarkshire

DEATH 14 JULY 1933 • 61 Church St, Newharthill, Scotland

parents for Robert (birth abt 1851) above are:

Robert Graham

BIRTH 16 JAN 1814 • Thornhill, Closeburn, Dumfries-shire, Scotland

DEATH 24 MAR 1892 • Forth, Lanarkshire, Scotland: Heathland

and

Susanah (Susan) Hamilton

BIRTH 1814 • Carnwath, Lanarkshire

DEATH Unknown

parents for Robert (16 Jan 1814) above are: 

Peter Graham

BIRTH ABT 1788 • Closeburn, Dumfriesshire

DEATH Unknown

and

Ann(e) Kirk

BIRTH ABT 1785

DEATH Unknown

Using Scottish naming patterns I am guessing that Peter's parents were James & Elizabeth, and Ann(e)'s parents were Robert & Mary. This family line does use Scottish naming patterns, but the flaw in my guessing is that I am unsure that I have a record of all their children. I only have records for 4 children of Peter & Ann(e). I can't be sure the names are relevant for Scottish naming patterns usage. 

My BRICK WALL Peter Graham and Ann(e) Kirk.

Any assistance you can offer is much appreciated

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Link to the shared cm project chart
https://isogg.org/wiki/Autosomal_DNA_statistics?fbclid=IwAR0WKQcmklA6j84kOA_GGL5lMHKuuyQtGtvAsmjCsrCJqWKFXL1KhCz-fBE#/media/File:Shared_cM_version_3.jpg

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!