Finding That Family

Things have been pretty quiet here lately, which I apologize for. Life has a habit of happening, not to mention those shiny and distracting Olympics.

Two films I had orders through the local family history center (otherwise known as SCGS) came in. The first is the 1825, 1835, 1845 Steuben County, New York state censuses and the seconds is the 1855 Allegany County, New York state census. For Steuben County, a few towns seem to be missing. I need to do some research and double check when they were created and what the closest towns are, just in case. The second film got me excited. Most of us have that one family that managed to avoid census enumerators time after time. For me, it's the family of Emerson and Mary (Nichols) Rutter. They were married in August 1832 in Worcester County, Massachusetts.[1] Their eldest surviving son was born in June 1837 in Smithfield, Providence Co., Rhode Island.[2] By 1842 they were living in Cuba, Allegany County, New York (along with several of Mary's siblings).[3] However, they are not in the 1840 and 1850 censuses. I've search every way I can think of, even going page-by-page. Mary's siblings are there, but not the Rutter family. The first census I have them on is the 1856 Iowa state census.[4] According to it, the family has resided in the state 0 years (they don't appear in another census until 1870). The 1856 Iowa state census gave me the hope that the family might have still been in Allegany County, New York for its 1855 state census enumeration. Going line-by-line I went through the town of Cuba. First I found Rufus Nichols and Aaron and Caroline (Nichols) Stone, enumerated one right after the other. Then I literally let out a shriek when I found the Rutter's.[5]

Emerson and Mary are listed with their four sons. According to the census, the family has resided in the town for 17 years and Emerson is a land owner. Someday I'll get to that courthouse to look up records...

Sources              
[1] Affidavit of Marriage for Emerson Rutter & Mary Nichols in Mary E. Rutter, mother's pension application no. 223,150, certificate no. M.O.C. 193,691, for service of Philip H. Rutter (Pvt., Co. K, 12th Iowa Inf., Civil War); Case Files of Approved Pension Applications..., 1861-1934; Civil War and Later Pension Files; Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
[2] Alonzo John Rutter (Pvt., Co. K, 21st Iowa Vol. Inf., Civil War), pension no. Inv. 242-406, Case Files of Approved Pension Applications..., 1861-1934; Civil War and Later Pension Files; Department of Veteran's Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
[3] Son Hollis E. Rutter was born 15 Apr 1842 in Allegany Co., NY.
[4] 1856 Iowa state census, Delaware County, Delaware, population schedule, p. 700-701 (stamped), dwelling/family 28, for E. Rutter; digital images, "Iowa State Census Collection, 1836-1925," Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : downloaded 25 March 2007); citing microfilm of Iowa State Censuses obtained from the State Historical Society of Iowa via Heritage Quest, roll IA_52.
[5] 1855 New York state census, Allegany County, population schedule, Cuba, p. 25 (penned), dwelling 196, family 206, Rufus Nichols; FHL microfilm 501952.
     1855 New York state census, Allegany County, population schedule, Cuba, p. 26 (penned), dwelling 197, family 207, Aaron Stone; FHL microfilm 501952.
     1855 New York state census, Allegany County, population schedule, Cuba, p. 36 (penned), dwelling 257, family 304, Emerson Rutter; FHL microfilm 501952.

The Genealogical Proof Standard, step 3

We collect many pieces of information as we search for our ancestors. How we look at and weigh that information determines what we learn.
The third step in the Genealogical Proof Standard:

3.  We analyze and correlate the collected information to assess its quality as evidence.[1]

Source - the record
Original—first oral or recorded form; the original document, artifact, photograph, etc.
Derivative—derived from the original, either by copying or manipulating the information (transcript, abstract, compilation, database, etc.)

Information - content of the source
Primary—first-hand account/knowledge of event (someone who was there). Created at or about the time the event occurred.
Secondary—account/knowledge of someone who was not there. Someone who heard about it or was told about it later. Or someone recalling an event long after it happened.

Evidence - our interpretation of the information; the weight we give it
Direct—information that answers the question or solves the problem by itself; self-contained
Indirect—information that, compiled with others, answers the question or solves the problem

Negative—“an inference we can draw from the absence of information that should exist under particular circumstances”[2]

Sources provide information from which we select evidence for analysis.

- Elizabeth Shown Mills

Other things to ponder:
Who created the document and/or provided the information?
What is it?
Why was it created?
When was the record created and/or manipulated?
Where was it created and where is it kept?
How was it create/reproduced/derived?

_____________________________________________________________

Look at each piece of information a source provides and weigh it as evidence:

This is the death certificate for Chloe (Nichols) Fitts. The image above is a third-generation original source (it is a digital image of a microfilm picture of the original). The informant is Chloe Taft, her daughter, and a resident of Oxford, Mass. Mrs. Fitts died 14 August 1911 in Oxford, Worcester County, Massachusetts. This information is primary, as it was recorded at the time of death by someone who was there. Her cause of death is "old age," and at "99 years, 6 months, and 6 days," it is valid, although I would list it as indirect evidence since I do not know what, exactly, she died of. The date of birth listed is 8 February 1812, which agrees with the age at death. She was born in Oxford, Mass. The birth information is secondary - her daughter was not there when she was born. The evidence is direct since it tells us exactly when and where she was born. The same analysis for her parents, John P. Nichols and Sophia Shumway: secondary and direct. Mrs. Fiits is the widow of David Fitts, who preceded her in death (primary and direct, as her daughter would have known first-hand who her father is and when he died). Chloe (Nichols) Fitts was buried 17 August 1911 at Gore Cemetery in Oxford (primary and direct). The death certificate was filed 16 August 1911.
 ________________
Sources
[1] The Board for Certification of Genealogist, The BCG Genealogical Standards Manual (Orem, UT: Ancestry Publishing, 2000), 1.
[2] Elizabeth Shown Mills, Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 2007), 25.
[image] "Massachusetts, Death Records, 1841-1915," digital image, FamilySearch (http://pilot.familysearch.org/ : downloaded 24 September 2009), Chloe (Nichols) Fitts, death certificate no. 46, 14 August 1911, Oxford, Massachusetts; citing FHL film no. 2396049.

SNGF: Letter to Genea-Santa - I want a letter

Randy Seaver at Genea-Musing has posted this week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun:

1) Write a letter to Genea-Santa and ask for only ONE thing. It could be hardware, software, a missing family Bible, a record that you desperately want, etc.
2) Tell Genea-Santa what a good genea-girl or genea-boy you've been this past year and give examples.
3) Exhibit your letter on your own blog, in a Facebook post commenting on this note, or in a Comment to this blog post.
Dear Genea-Santa,
I would like to find a letter. It was up for auction on e-bay several years ago and I have found part of the listing. The e-bay people don't keep records for that long ago so I have no idea what happened to it. From the listing (via the Way Back Machine, via a cousin):
This stampless letter has a circular date stamp for CUBA N.Y., a handwritten 25 cent rate, and is addressed to Mr. Jotham Meriam, Clapp hill, Worcester county, Mass, and is a lengthy three+ page 'Dear Mother' letter written by 'your affectionate daughter' Mary Rutter. that line is inside, on the margin of the inner fold. The back page, on the folds adjacent to the front cover, is all written by Emerson Rutter to 'Dear Father' [in-law]. The headline is Cuba Jan 14 [?], 1839. I think that's the year date, it almost looks like 1831. Spelling is a bit phonetic in places. Some abstracts:"I feel dear mother that we are a great distance from you and all our relations but we are contented and happy, we are surrounded with christian friends ...""... we have joined this presbyterian church to day with many others, I know not the exact number but the was 21 baptized ...""... when I lived in Uxbridge and visited you I stod up for the unitarians and I new when I did it that I was injuring your feelings ...""I was separate from my husband 5 months which was a lonesom season, I left Carolines the 2 week in Oct ..."Mr. Rutter came out here last spring and got rite into business and has not ben out a day cense and the prospect is the will be enough for the future.""We live in the vile[???] which is in a florishing state ... ther was but one or 2 decent houses here they hav built 2 meeting houses this season, presbeterian and baptist. Mr. Rutter has ben the head workman on both there is 2 taverns and 4 stores besides grocery shops and it is but 15 years cense the wild beast romed here ...""... dear still lingers in the forrest where once was herd the howl of the woolf the sound of the chirch bel echos from hill to hill, and gathers the people far and near to the worship spot."[Emerson] "Soil is much better here than in Madison but the country is new and the farmers have not got fairley into the business of farming as yet as most of them ware poor people when they came in here but they begin to pick up their crumbs and they have everything to encourage them for the present.""The Genesee vally canall goes directly through this village from Rochester to the naviagable watters of the Allagany river, and it makes business ...""There is a railroad located through this village from New York city to Dunkirk through the southern toes of county ..." Condition of the letter rates average, there were some separations along some folds, which were mended lightly with archival tape, in order to hold it together well for reading. All the words are there, and readable. As usual with stampless letters, after writing on one or more sides of a sheet of paper, the letter was folded several times and mailed. An interesting letter good for genealogy and history research. See my other auctions for similar items. Terms and conditions: Shipping for a single cover or letter is $1.00 via USPS to USA addresses. Shipping to Canada and United Kingdom is $2.00. Other countries please write and ask first. Save on postage on multiple purchases.Unconditionally guaranteed authentic. Member of American Philatelic Society.Money order or cashier's check ships within 24 hours. Personal checks require 7 days to clear unless you've purchased from me before. Paypal is fine, use their main web site and my email address for payment via Paypal.Thank you for sending payment within 10 days. Powered by eBay Turbo Lister.
I have been a good girl this year, making sure all of my information is sourced and cited. I started a blog to share my experiences with others and have begun to get involved with SCGS as a lecturer and possibly a librarian.
Jen