Shelley Richards Niagara County Genealogical Society Lockport, NY

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1 Shelley Richards Niagara County Genealogical Society Lockport, NY June 24, 2009

2 What is a family history? Why do this? Where do you start? How to organize your work

3 Combines genealogical information ie the recorded history of the descent of a person or family from an ancestor or ancestors with historical events or realities of that time period to create a story of a family. Uses pictures, letters, documents to highlight and enhance the story. Uses references and quotes from history books, as well as known genealogical sources.

4 Because you are crazy The context of history adds a richness to the genealogical facts You can tell the story of why things may have happened the way they did

5 Decide on a time frame who you are interested in writing about what part of their life. Use your genealogy program tools to give you critical information Look for a confluence of key events Use Timelines function - set your people in history (Family Tree Maker) Immigration dates why did they leave? Birthdays/death dates/marriage dates Use the map features - States/regions of interest Census to place them in various locations put togther a residential resume Occupations Start reading related history online and at libraries! Books, newspapers

6 Why did they leave their homeland and what was going on there that contributed to that decision? Why did they settle in a particular area? How did they meet their spouse? What led them to their profession? What historical events were going on at critical times of their life?

7 Historical Information I Sought Online I researched the iron Facts from my industry in Wales early Genealogical Research 1800s My gg grandfather came to I researched why people left this country in 1840 from Wales in the 1840s Wales I traveled to NE Ohio He eventually landed in libraries and state library to northeast Ohio read about NE Ohio history and development He was a blacksmith and later ran an iron company I researched the iron industry from He was a friend of Ohio I researched political history Governor David Tod of the same period especially NE Ohio

8 Quaker s Yard took its name from a Quaker community that lived there in the 17th and 18th century. By the time that William RICHARDS was born there in 1819, the Quaker s no longer resided there, however, their dead remained, buried in the cemeteries on the edge of town. (Wild Wales, pg 515, by George Borrow, 1862). The Quakers however, were mostly known as the leading Iron Masters of southern Wales and helped make the area the leading manufacturers of pig-iron in the world in the time prior to and around 1819.

9 Three weeks after their marriage on 10 May 1843, (by account of Ann Jones Richards cemetery marker), Ann Richards died. The following month, William II sister Elvira married Erastus Coy, a miller June 1843 in Summit County (4 - IGI inf., divorce papers Mahoning County). Although the family must have experienced much joy in the marriages, this must have been a difficult time for the family, having lost mom Richards at 51 years of age.

10 Create an outline of the information you have with sub headings if possible. Select a title Identify pictures that might illustrate something in these sections Appendix Section: copies of letters or records that highlight significant events or people

11 Title: William Richards and Mary Ann Hellawell in America 1. William Richards II Life in Wales and England William II Siblings Coming to America Life in the USA Making His Mark Business Ownership Girard Iron Company William Richards and Sons Panic of 1873 The Bottom Falls Out

12 Mary Ann Hellawell Life in England Travel to America in 1839 Life During the Civil War Mary Ann s Will Samuel Allen Richards Joins His Father s Business Iron Master in Cleveland, West Virginia, Illinois, Pennsylvania Henry Harry Tod Richards Jules Garfield Richards

13 4. Mary Ann Richards Everett Westerman Her First Marriage Lockport Interests 5. Elvira Richards Lewis Mordock First Marriage and Her Only Son Marries William Mordock Elvira Dies 6. William Richards III His Father s Namesake Marriage and Children Arrive Among Family Chaos Move to Ironton, OH Children Get Married William III is the First Sibling to Die

14 Oak Hill Cemetery Records, Youngstown Ohio: note from Internet friend John Price of Youngstown from Carol Ghezzi from Wales, just outside of Quaker s Yard, ing/writing to say she found the Marriage record of William Richard and Ann Jones The Westermans of Sharon PA. This excerpt is taken from: 1880 Mercer County Atlas Letter from Marge McKibben Fowler, nee Ella Richards Shellhorn, regarding pictures sent to me First Letter from Jill Balmer Quelle, gg granddaughter of Frederick E. Richards, informing Shelley Richards (nee Philip) of their relationship.

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