HUNTS FOR ANCESTORS

Hokitika Guardian, 10 December 1928, Page 8

HUNTS FOR ANCESTORS

PASTIME IN WINTER. SEARCH FOR FAMILY TREES. The open season in the United States for ancestor hunting is about to begin. When the last vacationist returns and the winter days are coining again the genealogists, amateur and prolessiona|, pour into their annual hibernations and the musty records of the births aim deaths of bygone worthies. An important rendezvous for these people, says tlie New York Herald Tribune, is the massive brown building of the Long Island Historical Society, at Brooklyn, whose cloistered alcoves contain more- information a'bout the present generation’s forebears than any other space within lour walls of the country. The library staff is preparing now for the winter’s activity. Responsibilities always follow the attainment of pre-eminence in any field, such as that enjoyed by the modest but impressive Long Island Historical Society. But for Miss Emma Toed tobe rg tiie librarian of the society, the responsibility holds no terrors, as she has been in charge of the library I'm many years, and has seen the genealogical interest of the American people from a polite and casual desire to know about one's great-grandfather’s several marriages into a flourishing profession which yearly draws more and more men and women principally women, into its fold.

CHARLATANS ON THE DECLINE. From her many years of experience M.iss Toedteburg has learned to distinguish the genuine inquirer lor genealogical facts from the smooth chart- i who will supply any one with a family tree for the proper consideration. There are less of these gentry about now. she says, than there were a few years ago, and the great majority of the inquiries and inquirers that come to the Land Island Historical Society from all parts of the country are bona fide ones.

Interest anruig Ameriruis in the personalities and incidents of the-r lamily histories gained a great impetus from the war and the patriotic spirit it. engendered. Many wanted to establish :tn irreproachably American background and form connections with various patriotic societies which demanded proofs of long native linage. Some desired merely an imposing array of more 01 the interest in societies and libraries with genealogical records and the rapid increase in the ranks of both the genuine genealogists and the professional family tree makers.

Those who pass their days now poring over the records in the, library ol tfie Brooklyn Society, Miss loedtebeig srtys, lire mainly professionals seeking the ’ facts that will gain admission for someone into the Daughteix or Sons of the American Revolution. Colonial Dames or similar organisations. Many individuals come. to). I'rnm all sections of the country to search Hie hooks and manuscripts, the records from tombstone inscriptions and family Bibles for knowledge of missing generations in their family histor-

SOCIETY FOUNDED IN 1863

The Long Island Historical Society began in a modest way on Afarch 3. 18(13, when a group of Brooklyn’s prominent citizens gathered in the rooms of the Hamilition Literary Association and organised the society lor the puinose of “promoting historical science” Local pride gave it its orginal impetus, for there were innumerable records of early Dutch. English, and c\cn French settlements on the island to he investigated and tabulated and placed in history beside the historic purclianco of the neighbouring island ol Alanhat;en by Peter Alimiit from the Indians. The scope of the society was soon broadened. The present imposing building was erected in 1880 on land ■purchased in 1860 and the assembling of the truly remarkable library and collection of historic relics began. Without conscious plan the genealogical side of the library developed into the most important department, overshadowing the other valuable sections so much that a great wealtli ol historical material on other subjects is not (dug utilised as it should be. In the shelves devoted to genealogy are more than 7000 volumes on lamily histories, innumerable typewritten volumes of lamily records, original pages of old Bible with their accounts of births and deaths, letters, family documents, and copies of graveyard inscriptions.

FORTY-SIX SMITH FAMILIES

There are volumes of 500 and move pages on single families. The history of the Stillwells runs to OSO pages and Unit of the Boones to 700. Forty-six branches of the Smith family are recorded, 35 of the Clarks, and 27 of the Adams elan. Those families that require 20 or more volumes fur the description of their lineage are too numerous to mention.

This section of the society’s library is su'd by genealogists to be superior to the genealogical division ot the Library of Congress and to surpass oven the New England Historical Society’s collection, which is of much earlier origin and has the vast army of the descendants of the Mayflower's passenger list to contend with. While the society has gained renown as a mine of genealogical information, it is in purpose a lending librnrv historical reference and, incidentally, a museum containing priceless relies and mementos of American and gcneial history. Among its treaures are the “Royal Collection” of 49 volumes,

printed under the direction of Louis NIY for presentation by the Royal Family; the elephant folio volumes of Audubon’s “ Birds of America,” with engravings all in colour and life size; many rare mediaeval manuscripts ol hooks; a “ Life of Molierc ” written by Voltaire” and in his own handwriting; 123 original letters of George Washington from the Collection of Edward Everett; Daniel Denton’s “New York,” printed in 1.(170, and a liquor glass cocktail size—once owned and presumably used by the ill-fated Major Andre of the English Army at the time .ol the American Revolution. .MORE THAN 100,000 BOOKS. Most of the museum pieces of ihe sovietv have been transferred to the Brooklyn Museum to allow space for the more than 10,000 books that fill the eases m a dignified, quiet, old-fashion-ed library that lias few counterparts in America, and resembles more than anything else a library of an Ox lord college. Now that the winter is coming on, Miss Toedteherg. the librarian, looks forward to busy days as the genealogists foregather. “ These people are making good in their work,” she says. “There is a constant and increasing interest in genealogical studies, and the professional workers say that they have more work than they can attend to. There are more of (hem to-day than yesterday, more this week than last week. Jt looks like a busy uintei.