More on the Passport Application of Margaret Coyle Gibson

Posted on November 26, 2007 by Steve

A few days ago, I wrote about the U.S. Passport Application of Margaret Coyle Gibson. At the Family History Library, in between other projects, I took a look at the microfilm with the US Passport Application of Margaret Gibson. The application was easy to find, now that I knew the date of the application and the application number.

As I hoped, there was another image of the application, not present in the digital images on Ancestry.com. In this additional image, the piece of paper that covered most of the back of the application had been folded back to reveal the details on the back of the application.

US Passport Application of Margaret Coyle Gibson - Back (Revealed)

U.S. Passport Application of Margaret Gibson – Back (Revealed)

SOURCE: Margaret Gibson Passport Application 135700, (NARA microfilm publication M1490, roll 973); Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 – March 31, 1925; General Records of the Department of State, Record Group 59; National Archives, Washington, D.C.; Family History Library microfilm 1636993.

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the U.S. Passport Application of Margaret Gibson – Back (Revealed). The portion of the application that was concealed by the attestation of Marietta E. Coleman and the witness of George R. Cumings is revealed to read:

October 29, 1919

I, Mrs. C Gibson Harold E Coleman, solemnly swear that I am a {native naturalized} citizen
of the United States; that I reside at Fairfield Vt St. Albans Vt / [?] Boston Mass; that I have known
the above named Margaret Gibson personally for two years and
know [him her} to be a native citizen of the United States; and that the facts stated in {his her} affidavit
are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

          Harold E. Coleman
          Druggist
          25 Mt Ida Rd
          Dorchester Mass

          Sworn to before me this 29 day
          of Oct 1919
          Mary E. Pendergast
          Deputy Clerk of the U.S. District Court at Boston

Applicant desires passport to be sent to the following address:
Margaret Gibson
24 Mt Ida Road
Dorchester, Mass

          A signed duplicate of the photograph to be attached
          hereto must be sent to the Department with the appli-
          cation to be affixed to the passport with an impression
          of the Department’s seal.

Note that the attestation was originally completed incorrectly, the entries crossed out and then completed correctly.

Note also that Margaret Gibson is called a native citizen, even though she was born in Ireland.

Margaret’s passport was to be sent to the address of Harold E. and Marietta E. Coleman in Dorchester, Massachusetts, not to her addresses in either Fairfield or St. Albans, Vermont.

Note also that Harold E. Coleman states that he resides in Boston and then gives his address as Dorchester. Even today, it seems to me that addresses in Dorchester are sometimes addressed to Boston, sometimes to Dorchester.

Finally, it appears that the copy of the photograph of Margaret and her children that I previously published was the copy attached to her actual passport, in accordance with the instructions on this page.

Copyright © 2007 by Stephen J. Danko

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A Day with the Canadian Census

Posted on November 25, 2007 by Steve

Saturday at the Family History Library I spent most of the day researching the Canadian Census.

I don’t have any direct ancestors from Canada, but my aunts and uncles married spouses with roots in Canada, to wit:

  • my Aunt Sophie’s husband has roots in the Eastern Townships of Quebec,
  • my Uncle John’s wife has French Canadian roots in Quebec,
  • my Aunt Bertha’s husband has roots in New Brunswick,
  • my Aunt Nat’s husband has roots in Nova Scotia, and
  • my Uncle Fred’s wife has French Canadian roots in Quebec.

Currently, online images and/or indexes exist for the Canadian censuses taken in 1851, 1881, 1901, 1906, and 1911. Ancestry has indexes and links to the images for the 1851, 1901, 1906, and 1911 censuses, although the images for the 1851 census reside on the Collections Canada server and may be browsed for free through Collections Canada’s ArchiviaNet. The 1881 census is indexed on FamilySearch and the index may be searched for free, although no online images are available.

Given that I’m interested in the 1851-1891 census records for Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, the Ancestry databases don’t do me much good except for the index to the 1851 census. And so, I chose to attack this long-standing item in my to-do list at the Family History Library.

One big advantage in searching these records at the Family History Library itself, rather than just ordering the films and browsing them at my local Family History Center, is that numerous finding aids and expert advice is available in Salt Lake City, but not at my local Family History Center.

I chose to concentrate on two main lines. I found the following records for the ancestors of my Uncle John’s wife:

  • 1851 – Francois Patenaude in St. Valentin, Quebec;
  • 1861 – Francois Patenaude and David Patenaude in St. Valentin, Quebec;
  • 1871 – Francois Patenaude, David Patenaude, and Aubin Gamache in St. Valentin, Quebec; Charles Patenaude in Barford, Quebec;
  • 1881 – Francois Patenaude and Aubin Gamache in St. Valentin, Quebec; Charles Patenaude in Coaticook, Quebec.

I also found the following records for the ancestors of my Aunt Bertha’s husband:

  • 1871 – Simon Poirier in Shediac, New Brunswick;
  • 1881 – Simon Poirier and Andre Poirier in Shediac, New Brunswick;
  • 1891 – Andre Poirier in Shediac, New Brunswick.

After speaking with one of the staff members at the library, I also searched the Loiselle Marriage Index for the ancestors of Alice Charron and made a little progress there as well.

In the coming weeks, I plan to post some of these images.

For now, I have to finish packing and get a good night’s sleep. My flight leaves Salt Lake City at 7 AM on Sunday.

Copyright © 2007 by Stephen J. Danko

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Researching Sicilian Records at the Family History Library

Posted on November 24, 2007 by Steve

I spent all day Friday researching Sicilian records.

Specifically, I researched records from Augusta, Siracusa, Sicily, a collection that is well represented in the Family History Library with Civil Registration records of births, marriages, and deaths from 1820-1829 (with some gaps).

The collection also includes census records from 1548-1815. I have not yet examined the census records, but I expect that they do not list every name in every household.

The marriage records are supplemented with the Allegati – a collection of documents to support the marriage including birth and baptismal records of the bride and groom (the civil registrations of births do not include information about baptisms) and death records for deceased parents.

The Allegati provided me with information that extends back further than the civil registrations go – some of the birth records and death records included in the Allegati were church records prior to 1820.

For an added bonus, the death records of the parents of the bride and groom also named the grandparents of the bride and groom – three generations named in a single record.

Because I’ve researched this Sicilian line before, my research today centered on the siblings of the individuals in the main ancestral line. I was able to find ten records (not including Allegati) that relate to the family and, while I’ve harvested more records than this is a day’s work at the Family History Library, I’m pleased with my accomplishment today.

Saturday morning I plan to search census records for the French Canadian ancestors of my Godmother.

Copyright © 2007 by Stephen J. Danko

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Open! Open! Open!

Posted on November 23, 2007 by Steve

While most of America is out Christmas shopping today, getting the earlybird specials at countless retail emporiums coast-to-coast, I’ll be standing in front of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City waiting for the doors to open at 8 AM.

Thanksgiving weekend is my traditional Fall Research Getaway. For me, Friday is a paid holiday from work, and so I have the chance to squeeze in two quick days at the Family History Library before returning to the San Francisco Bay Area on Sunday.

I fully expect the library to be empty. Missionaries, volunteers, and paid staff will be actively looking for people to assist, and the photocopiers and scanners will be largely idle. An ideal environment in which to work.

This year, I wasn’t able to prepare a research agenda as well as I usually do, but I’ll be searching Sicilian records and Irish records for friends, and I’ll spend some time looking at Polish records for my ancestors, too. One other goal is to search for some of the Quebec census records for the ancestors of my Godmother, ancestors for whom I’ve already found records in the Drouin Collection.

Since it’s getting late here in Salt Lake City, I’d better concentrate on getting some quality sleep. I have a 12-hour research day in store for me on Friday!

Copyright © 2007 by Stephen J. Danko

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The Polish Village of Dębiny

Posted on November 22, 2007 by Steve

The Polish village of Dębiny lies close to the village of Pomaski where my grandfather lived. I’m continuing to translate the Słownik Geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego entries for neighboring villages in order to get a better understanding of what the area where my grandfather grew up was like.

The Slownik Geograficzny Entry for Debiny

Słownik Geograficzny Entry for Dębiny

SOURCE:  Sulimierski, Filip, Bronisław Chlebowski, and Władysław Walewski, eds., Słownik Geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i Innych Krajów Słowiańskich (Geographical Dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland and other Slavonic Countries) – Warsaw 1881, Volume II, pages 17-18.

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Słownik Geograficzny Entry for Dębiny. Translated from the Polish, the entry states the following:

Dębiny,  1.) grange [large manorial farmstead], Lubartów powiat [district], Wielkie gmina [municipality], Rudno parish. The property of Dębiny consists of the Dębiny grange, [attynencyi?] Łąki Oskie and Łąkać, the village of Wolica is here; 35 versts [0.66 miles per versts] from Lublin, 14 versts from Lubartów, 4 versts from Miechowo, 7 versts from Kurowo, 56 versts from Łukowo, 7 versts from the Wieprza River. The extent amounts to 2191 mórgs [about 1.388 mórgs per acre] and namely: 1190 mórgs of arable land and gardens, 155 mórgs of meadows, 1 mórg of pastures, 700 mórgs of forests, 46 mórgs of wastelands and squares. They introduced 8-field crop rotation. Three brick buildings, 11 wooden buildings; there is a beautiful sheepfold and windmill. The village of the Wolica settlement extends 56 mórgs, 1111 mórgs of land.

2.) Dębiny, a village and grange, Radom powiat, Potworów gmina, Skrzyńsko parish. Twenty-eight versts not far from Radom. In the year 1827 there were 25 homes and 188 residents here, currently totaling 30 homes and 253 residents. The Dębiny grange is in the village of the same name, 28 versts from Radom, 10 versts from Przysuchy, 63 versts from Skiernieric. The extent of the grange amounts to 891 mórgs and namely, 524 mórgs of arable land and gardents, 344 mórgs of meadows, 5 mórgs of meadows, 344 mórgs of forests, 5 mórgs of wastelands and squares. 9-field crop rotation. Three brick buildings, 12 wooden buildings. The village of Dębiny settlement is 46 mórgs with 523 mórgs of land.

3.) Dębiny, a grange in the Ciechanów powiat, Grudusk gmina and parish, 80 versts from Płock, 20 versts from Ciechanów, 10 versts from Mławy, 3 versts from the beaten track. The extent amounts to 363 mórgs and namely: 315 mórgs of arable land and gardens, 15 mórgs of meadows, 23 mórgs of pastures, 10 mórgs of wastelands and squares. One brick building, 6 wooden buildings, the grange was acquired in the year 1875 for 10,000 silver rubles.

4.) Dębiny, a village in the Lipno powiat, Osówka gmina, Czernikowo parish.

5.) Dębiny, a village in the Przasnysz powiat, Karwaca gmina, Przasnysz parish. In the year 1827 there were 21 homes and 169 residents here.

6.) Dębiny, a grange in the Płonsk powiat, Modzele gmina, Nowe Miasto parish. The Dębiny grange is 65 versts from Płock, 16 versts from Płońsk, 10 versts from Nasielsk, 7 versts from the beaten path, 21 versts from the Wisła [Vistula] River. The extent amounts to 126 mórgs, and namely: 110 mórgs of arable land and gardens, 13 mórgs of pastures, 1 mórg of water, 2 mórgs of wastelands and squares. Three brick buildings; a bed of peat is located in the pasture; the preceding grange is formed and separated from the property of Miszewo.

7.) Dębiny, a village in the Pułtusk powiat, Zator gmina and parish. In the year 1827 there were 10 homes and 85 residents here.

8.) Dębiny, a village in the Włodawa powiat, Turno gmina, Wołoskawola parish (r. g.). There are a total of 15 homes, 52 inhabitants and 195 mórgs of territory.
                                                  Bronisław Chlebowski, A. Palmirski

Dębiny, a favor of the Great Will.

Dębiny, see Dębina.

Dębiny, Dęby, in German Dembine or Eichenau from the year 1865, possession, Toruń powiat, it lies above the beaten track from Toruń to Chłemiński, Przeszno parish, school in Nawra, post office in Unisław. The territory of land is 1460 mórgs, 12 buildings, 4 homes of residents, 104 Catholics, 18 Evangelicals. In the year 1869 it was owned by the Grabowskis.
                                                   The Reverend Fankidejski

As you can see, there are quite a number of Polish villages named Dębiny. The one near my grandfather’s village is number 3, the village in the Ciechanów powiat.

Of the villages listed here, most were in the Russian Partition of Poland, except for the last which entry which was in the Prussian Partition. The Gubernias to which these villages belonged is as follows:

  1. Lublin Gubernia
  2. Radom Gubernia
  3. Płock Gubernia
  4. Płock Gubernia
  5. Płock Gubernia
  6. Płock Gubernia
  7. Łomża Gubernia
  8. Siedlce Gubernia

The village of Dębiny in the Prussian Partition was in West Prussia.

Copyright © 2007 by Stephen J. Danko

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The U.S. Passport Application for Margaret Coyle Gibson

Posted on November 21, 2007 by Steve

Yesterday, Chris Dunham of The Genealogue wrote:

As promised, Ancestry.com has released a database of U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925.

Well, this is one database I’ve been waiting for.

Back in June 2006, I posted an article on The Lost Family of Clark Gibson and followed it up in January 2007 with The Descendants of John Gibson and The Birth of Anna May Gibson.

To briefly recap, my father’s sister Sophie married Clark Gibson. Clark had been previously married to Margaret Coyle and the couple had three children: Anna May, Angela, and Kathleen. Sometime before 1920, Margaret returned to her native Ireland with the three children, never to return to the United States. I didn’t know exactly when Margaret left the United States, why she left, or why she failed to return.

Margaret’s U.S. Passport Application provides the answers to two of those questions.

The US Passport Application of Margaret Gibson - Front

U.S. Passport Application of Margaret Gibson – Front

The US Passport Application of Margaret Gibson - Back

U.S. Passport Application of Margaret Gibson – Back

SOURCE: U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925, Application 135700, Margaret Gibson; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 20 November 2007); citing National Archives microfilm publication M1490, roll 973.

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the U.S. Passport Application of Margaret Gibson. The application states the following:

  • Margaret Gibson applied for a U.S. Passport on 29 Oct 1919 in Suffolk Co., Massachusetts
  • Margaret stated that she would be accompanied by her 3 minor children Anna M Gibson born 04 Sep 1916, Angela Gibson born 04 Nov 1917, and Kathleen Gibson born 06 Apr 1919
  • She was born 18 Sep 1891 in Tully, Ireland
  • She was married to Clark Gibson who was born and currently residing in Fairfield, Vermont and he resided in the United States, uninterruptedly for 25 years from 1894 to 1919 at Fairfield, Vermont
  • Margaret resided in Ireland from 1891 to 1912 and was now domiciled at Fairfield, Vermont where she was a farmer’s wife
  • She planned to visit Ireland to see her mother and return to the United States within 2 years
  • She planned to depart the United States from the port of Boston on 01 Nov 1919
  • Margaret was 28 years old, 5 feet 6 inches tall, medium forehead, blue eyes, straight nose, small mouth, pointed chin, dark brown hair, fair complexion, oval face, and no distinguishing marks noted

Much of the rest of the record is obscured by a notarized statement that Clark Gibson was born 20 Jun 1894 in Fairfield, Vermont, USA and had paid his taxes in that town up to date.

A photo of Margaret and her three children is attached to the passport application, although it is partially covered by the attestation that obscures most of the reverse of the document. Fortunately, I have a digital image of the same photograph with Margaret’s signature.

Passport Photo of Margaret Coyle Gibson and Her Children

Passport Photo of Margaret Gibson and Her Three Children

SOURCE: Passport Photo of Margaret Gibson and Her Three Children. Photographed by unknown photographer in 1919.

This application answers two of my questions and more. Margaret left the United States on 01 Nov 1919 to visit her mother. She intended to return within 2 years, but did not.

The application also provided information I did not previous have, including Margaret’s date and place of birth and the dates of birth of her two youngest daughters. It also confirms Clark’s date and place of birth, useful because I have not found Clark’s birth record.

One question still remains. Why didn’t Margaret return to the United States?

Copyright © 2007 by Stephen J. Danko

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The Polish Village of Czarnostowo (Czarnostów)

Posted on November 20, 2007 by Steve

The Polish village of Czarnostowo lies close to the village of Pomaski where my grandfather lived. I’m continuing to translate the entries for neighboring villages in order to get a better understanding of what the area where my grandfather grew up was like.

The Slownik Geograficzny Entry for Czarnostowo

Słownik Geograficzny Entry for Czarnostowo

SOURCE: Sulimierski, Filip, Bronisław Chlebowski, and Władysław Walewski, eds., Słownik Geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i Innych Krajów Słowiańskich (Geographical Dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland and other Slavonic Countries) – Warsaw 1880, Volume I, page 760.

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Słownik Geograficzny entry for Czarnostowo. Translated from the Polish, the entry states the following:

Czarnostowo, a village and folwark (large manorial farmstead] on the Sona River, Maków powiat [district], Karniewo gmina [municipality], Szwelice parish. In the year 1827, there were 28 homes and 209 residents here. The property of Czarnostowo consists of the Czarnostowo folwark and the village of Czarnostowo, Dzierżanowo, and Szwelice; it is 77 versts [0.66 miles per verst] from Łomża, 8 versts from Maków, 13 versts from Pułtusk, and 9 versts from the Narwa River. The expanse amounts to 3,282 mórgs [about 1.388 mórgs per acre], namely: 853 mórgs of arable land and gardens, 182 mórgs of meadows, 2,209 mórgs of forests, and 38 mórgs of wastelands and squares. Four-field crop rotation. Four brick buildings, 20 wooden buildings. A steam mill, processing cereal processing about 12,000 korcy [1 korzec = 120 liters] annually; a saw mill, a thresher and chaff cutter, a steam power mover; a windmill here grinds marl and limestone. The settlement of the village of Czarnostowo consists of 44 mórgs with 341 mórgs of land; the settlement of the village of Dzierżanowo 12 mórgs with 252 mórgs of land; the settlement of the village of Szwelice 36 mórgs with 779 mórgs of land.
                                                                                                A. Palmirski

On current-day maps, the name of the village of Czarnostowo is spelled Czarnostów.

Copyright © 2007 by Stephen J. Danko

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Dennis Valentine O'Connor's Fateful Trip to Ireland

Posted on November 18, 2007 by Steve

I wanted to write something for the inaugural edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture, but I have no Irish heritage myself. None. At all. That statement belies the fact that my CD collection is full of Celtic music and my favorite radio program is The Thistle and Shamrock.

That much said, my family does have Irish connections. One of my uncles married a Irish woman by the name of Mary Louise O’Connor, a stunning beauty in both appearance and demeanor.

However, while talking with my uncle, I learned that the circumstances surrounding the marriage of Mary’s parents were a bit unusual.

Mary Louise O’Connor’s father was Dennis Valentine O’Connor, born in 1897 in Boston, Massachusetts. He was born on Valentine’s Day, hence the middle name.

When Dennis graduated from school, his parents gave him a trip to Ireland as a graduation gift, and so Dennis traveled to the land of his ancestors.

The problem was that, when it was time for Dennis to return to Boston, he didn’t. In Ireland, Dennis met a girl named Hannah Tobin and the two were married. Their daughter, Mary Louise, was born on 15 Jul 1921 in Knocknagashel, County Kerry.

The family eventually came to America. In addition to Mary Louise, Dennis and Hannah had 10 more children and named them Catherine, Joseph, Paul, Daniel, Dorothy, Francis, Gerald, Joseph, Marjorie, and Patricia.

All this because Dennis’ parents gave him a trip to Ireland as a graduation present.

Copyright © 2007 by Stephen J. Danko

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Do You Really Want to Know What I'm Reading?

Posted on November 18, 2007 by Steve

Becky at Kinexxions and Schelly at Tracing the Tribe have tagged me for the 161 meme, whereby I’m asked to turn to page 161 of the book I’m currently reading and read the 6th sentence on that page.

I tend read several books simultaneously, and so I’ve selected two of these, one for each tag.

The first book is Armistead Maupin’s More Tales of the City.

Page 161, sentence 6: “I never will.”

This sentence is quite enigmatic when read out of context. Michael is dictating a letter to tell his mother he is gay. The entire passage, with the sixth sentence in context reads:

“There’s not much else I can say, except that I’m the same Michael you’ve always known . You just know me better now. I have never consciously done anything to hurt you. I never will.”

Maupin, Armistead. 1980. More tales of the city. New York: Harper & Row.

The second book is Anna R. Dadlez’ In Time of War Growing Up during the Nazi Occupation and its Aftermath.

Page 161, sentence 6: “Her face, wet with tears, was marked by running mascara and some previous attempts with rouge.”

To set the scene, Violetta has sheltered three members of the Polish Home Army in her beauty salon . A German corporal and his unit, looking for the three men, have arrived at Violetta’s building. In context, the passage reads:

“He was, however, distracted from climbing the steps to the front entrance by the abrupt opening of its very door. In it appeared Violetta in pink overalls and matching turban. Her face, wet with tears, was marked by running mascara and some previous attempts with rouge.”

Dadlez, Anna R. 2006. In time of war growing up during the Nazi occupation and its aftermath. Lublin [Poland]: John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin.

I’d like to hear what the following five people are reading:

Copyright © 2007 by Stephen J. Danko

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The Polish Village of Boby

Posted on November 17, 2007 by Steve

The Polish village of Boby lies close to the village of Pomaski where my grandfather lived. I previously had translated the Słownik Geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego entry for Pomaski, but I have decided to translate the entries for neighboring villages in order to get a better understanding of what the area where my grandfather grew up was like.

Slownik Geograficzny Entry for the Polish Village of Boby

Słownik Geograficzny Entry for Boby

Source:  Sulimierski, Filip, Bronisław Chlebowski, and Władysław Walewski, eds., Słownik Geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i Innych Krajów Słowiańskich (Geographical Dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland and other Slavonic Countries) – Warsaw 1880, Volume I, page 268.

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Słownik Geograficzny entry for the Polish village of Boby. Translated from the Polish, the entry states the following:

Boby, 1.) a village and folwark [large manorial farmstead], Janów Lubelski powiat [district], Szierzkowice gmina [municipality], Boby parish, about 10 versts [0.66 miles per verst] to the southwest of Urzędów, to the left of the road from Urzędów to Opole, in a valley in the middle of hills; it has a wooden parish church. The Boby parish of the Janów deanery has 2958 souls .  2.) B[oby], an administrative village, Pułtusk powiat, Kleszewo gmina, Szwelice parish. In the year 1827, there were 14 homes and 114 inhabitants here.
                                                                            Br[onisław] Ch[lebowski]

Boby, a village, Ihumeń powiat, Omelańska gmina, in the vicinity of Błuży, in the 3rd judicial district; a remote deforested part of Ihumień.
                                                                            Al[eksander] Jel[ski]

There are, in fact, three entries for villages named Boby. In the first main entry, village 1.) is in the Janów Lubelski powiat in the Lublin gubernia and entry 2.) is in the Pułtusk powiat in the Łomża gubernia. In the second main entry, the village is in the Ihumień powiat in the Minsk gubernia.

Since I know that the correct village is in the Łomża gubernia and is part of the Szwelice parish, entry 2.) in the first main entry is the correct village.

Like the entries for Pomaski and Głodki, the Słownik Geograficzny doesn’t have much to say about this very small village. But just look at the demographics for the village of Boby: 14 homes and 114 inhabitants! That averages out to a little over 8 people in each home!

Copyright © 2007 by Stephen J. Danko

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