CAJUNS, CREOLES, PIRATES AND PLANTERS

Your New Louisiana Ancestors Format

Volume 2, Number 15

By Damon Veach

GENEALOGICAL GEM: Genealogist John Anderson Brayton is one of our leading experts on North Carolina, Virginia, and royal genealogy.  Brayton is the author of more than a score of books and numerous articles in highly respected periodicals, including the New England Historical and Genealogical Register and the North Carolina Genealogical Journal. The author has cultivated a broad knowledge of 17th- and 18th-century sources, and his publications are known for their extraordinary attention to detail.  Brayton's findings are always accompanied by faithful transcriptions of the original sources upon which they are based. Not one to accept older scholarship at face value, his findings have debunked myths and mistakes in any number of older genealogy publications.

Now available from Brayton is Colonial Families of Surry and of Isle of Wight Counties, Virginia, Volume 10: Bridger of Godalming, Surrey; Slimbridge, Gloucestershire; and Virginia. The central figure in the study is Col. Joseph Bridger of Gloucestershire, England, and Isle of Wight, Virginia, who died in 1686 and whose provenance had puzzled researchers for most of the 20th century. This new work, which features John Brayton's usual fastidious research, presents the Bridger ancestry with the author’s trademark interspersing of genealogical descents, transcribed source records, and historical commentary.

Following are some of the highlights of the Bridger volume in Brayton's own words: "This monograph is a follow-up of a genealogical chart generously presented to me by Barbara Dossett of Dallas, Texas. It contained a skeleton outline of Joseph Bridger's ancestry for five generations, plus the double connections to the Elliots. The parish registers of Godalming have been published, with a fragment pertaining to sixteenth-century Bridger ancestry, which facilitated research enormously. The probate records of the Archdeaconry of Surrey had recently been abstracted, indexed, and published . . . and these were likewise invaluable. Any study of the ancestry of Joseph Bridger must include a history of the parish of Godalming - the two are inextricably mixed with the evolution of the wool industry which so radically changed the face of the southwest shire of Surrey."

Volume 10 in this series includes a comprehensive bibliography, name and location indexes, and, as a special bonus, a suitable-for-framing chart of the Bridgers' English ancestry.  The book is another offering from the Clearfield Company, 3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 260, Baltimore, MD 21211.  The price with postage and handling is $25.00.

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NEW LIBRARY:  Whether for seasoned researchers with years of experience, or curious family history newcomers with simple questions about their ancestors, a new FamilySearch library in Riverton, Utah, is making it easier and more convenient for south valley residents to look into the branches of their family tree. The new Riverton FamilySearch Library is a state-of-the-art family history research center equipped with a treasure trove of tools and resources.

The library replaces 24 smaller family history centers that had been operating in Latter-day Saint stake centers (meeting houses) in the southern part of the Salt Lake Valley until earlier this year. Consolidating the smaller centers into a larger facility will enhance the experience of patrons significantly. In the new library, visitors will enjoy extended hours, broader research assistance and access to significantly more genealogical resources.

“Once fully stocked, the new Library will be home to 50,000 microfilms of most interest to researchers in the area,” said Sharon Hintze, acting director, Riverton FamilySearch Library.  “If we don’t have a specific film, a patron order can be delivered the very next day.”

When the library opens officially today (Monday, 21 June, 2010), its resources will be available free to the public except for a small fee for computer printing or photo copies. Patrons are invited to participate in free training and research classes. In fact, the library is equipped with a state-of-the-art computer training lab and four multi-purpose training rooms.

The library staff is anxious to assist patrons. “Bring in your tough family history questions and dead ends,” said Hintze. “Our research staff is ready to help. We love the excitement patrons experience when they make a discovery or find something unexpected.”

The public was invited to an open house June 17–19 at the new Library. Open house activities included ongoing orientations, a video tour of the Granite Mountain Records Vault, opportunities to explore FamilySearch’s newest products and services, and hands-on demonstrations of the process and technologies used to digitally preserve and publish historic records online. There was related activities for children 8 years of age and older.

The library is located on the main floor of the Church-owned Riverton Office Building at 3740 West Market Center Drive (13400 S. Bangerter Highway). 

Quick Facts about the Riverton FamilySearch Library

• The library is open to the public. There is no admission fee and all resources are available at no charge (a small fee is required for computer printing, photo copies, and microfilm orders).

• The library offers 127 patron computer work stations with free Web and premium subscriptions access.

• Patrons will benefit from 20 microfilm and fiche readers. Some of the readers are equipped to capture and convert film images to digital files that can be saved to a flash drive allowing patrons to document their family history sources electronically.

• Once fully inventoried, the library will be the permanent home of 50,000 high demand microfilms.

• Popular training and research classes will be offered for free on a daily/weekly basis.  In fact, the library is equipped with a state-of- the-art computer training lab and 4 multi-purpose training rooms.

• The library is staffed with skilled and experienced researchers offering free assistance to patrons.

• Youth and community groups are welcome to tour the library or schedule a time to work together in a group setting.

• Adjacent to the library is a cafeteria available to library patrons offering lunch service only.

• The library’s regular hours of operation are Monday, Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The library is closed on Sundays.

FamilySearch International is the largest genealogy organization in the world. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch has been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. FamilySearch is a nonprofit organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources free online at FamilySearch.org or through over 4,600 family history centers in 132 countries, including the renowned Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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FREE SERVICE:  Correspondence to this column should be directed to Damon Veach, Cajuns, Creoles, Pirates and Planters, 709 Bungalow Lane, Baton Rouge, LA 70802-5337.  The e-mail address is ancestorslaveach@cox.net.  Queries and book reviews are printed as space permits, and you are encouraged to take advantage of this free service.  Claitor’s Publishing can serve as a distributor for self-published genealogy titles.  Go to their homepage for details on how you can obtain this excellent service.