He's Been Waiting to Use the Toilet Since Birth

The National Registration Department in Kuala Lumpur has compiled "a list of unusual names to prevent embarrassing situations." It's too late for some, like Datuk See Ah Kow, whose name can mean "dog" in Cantonese.

Then, there is Selangor executive councillor Datuk Tang See Hang, whose name may sound like "waiting to use the toilet" in Cantonese.

The affable 54-year-old is quick to brush the unpleasant translation aside, saying "see" or "sze" in Mandarin meant a poet.

He said "hang" meant hero.

"So you see, my name is actually very meaningful and I have not encountered difficulties with it," he said. [Link]

Too Big For Their Britches

Studies show that the average man in the Civil War era stood 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighed 147 pounds. Since then, the average man has grown 2½ inches and packed on an extra 44 pounds. For anyone trying to walk a mile in his ancestor's shoes, that means a tight fit.

Don Hotchkiss, a civil engineer in Las Vegas and a descendant of Civil War veterans, is an avid Civil War re-enactor. Early on, he and his brother tried to sleep in an exact replica of one of the old tents.

It was too small, Mr. Hotchkiss said. He is six feet tall and stocky. His brother, a police officer in Phoenix, is thinner, but 6-foot-2. The tents were made for men who were average size then. “In the past 145 years, we’ve ballooned up,” Mr. Hotchkiss said.

At a recent meeting of a Las Vegas chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, eight burly men crowded into a library meeting room. All had experienced the equivalent of the Civil War tent problem.

“At the re-enactments, all the directors, all the costume directors say the re-enactors are just too darn big,” said George McClendon, a hefty 67-year-old retired airline pilot. [Link]

A Genealogical Life Well Lived

The "Local Life" featured in today's Washington Post is that of the recently departed Edna Somers. Not only was she a member of genealogy's embattled old guard ("Never a convert to computers, she wrote everything longhand"), she also was a friend to overturned turtles.

Years ago while driving on the Dulles Access Road, she saw a turtle on its back in the middle of the road. She found the first turnaround for emergency vehicles and went back to rescue the reptile. "She later said that if she had been stopped by a police officer, she would simply explain that for the turtle it was an emergency -- a matter of life and death," [her daughter Janine] Gates said. [Link]

Making a Mesh of Things

Yet another strange American trend threatens to boggle the minds of future family historians: "meshing" the surnames of bride and groom.

Gary Ruderman, 43, a playwright and architect, married Jodi Wilgoren, a writer for The New York Times, last year. The couple now go by the name of Rudoren. Mr Ruderman's wife-to-be had said she would love to share his name but on an egalitarian basis.

"I have a lot of respect for Jodi, so I considered it," he said. "Very few people I talked to said, 'Oh, that's stupid'. My mother has taken to introducing me as her son Gary Rudoren." [Link]

Salem Statue Slanderer Sues

Richard Sorell is suing the police department in Salem, Massachusetts, for violating his civil rights. He was arrested last year while protesting the unveiling of the less-than-historically-significant statue honoring the lead character of Bewitched.

Sorell, a local tour guide, was upset that a statue of Elizabeth Montgomery perched on a broom was erected so close to where innocent people were condemned to death during the Salem Witch Trials.

Sorell brought a homemade sign to the statue's unveiling in June 2005 that read "Elizabeth Who? Is she from Salem?" When he realized his sign couldn't be seen by television cameras, Sorell tried to move closer to the front of the crowd and was arrested after police said he nearly knocked over a 71-year-old woman. [Link]

I'm descended from two of the Salem "witches," and my research shows that neither of them wore sleeveless dresses.

The Fears of Our Forebears

An article today at UFODIGEST.com explores the possibility that our ancestors' experiences are written into our DNA.

Let’s say you have always had a significant fear of bears since you were a child. Even Smokey the Bear and other friendly Hollywood bears could not convince you to regard bears with anything but anxiety and fearful feelings.

Maybe it is possible that deep, deep within your DNA memory banks, your great-great-great-great-grandmother or great-great-great-great-grandfather had a very bad experience with a bear two hundred years ago. Maybe they saw someone be killed by a bear. Maybe they had to climb a tree to save themselves from being eaten by a bear.

Would a life-changing experience like this, resulting in knowledge very useful for survival, possibly be encoded in the DNA and passed on to future generations and you? [Link]

No explanation is offered how getting chased by a bear might alter one's genetic makeup. I can confirm the theory, though: One of my ancestors was attacked by his wife, and I was born with an intense fear of commitment.

Bring a Lost Soldier Home

Thursday marked the 53rd anniversary of the armistice that effectively ended the Korean War (for younger readers, that's the one featured in M*A*S*H reruns). Thousands of servicemen still haven't returned from the war, but when they do, we genealogists can help them finish the last leg of their journey.

The Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command's Central Identification Laboratory (JPAC CIL) can identify remains found on the Korean peninsula, but only if they have DNA samples to reference (a "Family Reference Sample," or FRS). Here's where we come in. The JPAC website allows you to search for casualties for which they require an FRS. By checking the "Urgent" box, you can bring up a list of soldiers which the laboratory is actively researching. Alternatively, you can go to the Korean War Project's website and search their Finding the Families project database. Whichever website you visit, you'll be asked to contribute your genealogical expertise to track down living relatives of lost servicemen.

But not just any living relatives. The project needs mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) samples. This is the stuff that's passed from mother to child; the stuff that men receive, but don't pass on. The FRS must come from someone connected to the missing soldier through his or her maternal lineage. Possible donors include:

• The soldier's siblings (or half-siblings if they shared a mother)
• The soldier's sister's children
• The soldier's sister's daughter's children
• The soldier's mother's sister's daughter's children
• The soldier's mother's sister's daughter's daughter's children
• The soldier's mother's mother's sister's daughter's daughter's daughter's children (you get the point)

So, here's your mission. Pick a missing serviceman—maybe one who shared your surname, or who enlisted from your home state. Research his family to find one or more living relatives who can provide an FRS (leaving it to the military to make first contact). Report your findings to the JPAC or to the appropriate service's casualty office. If you're not confident in your research or have just a few juicy leads, post your information as a remembrance on the Korean War Project website so that the genealogists who monitor the site might track down the potential donor. If you're hesitant to get involved, just ask yourself, "What would Hawkeye do?"

Crackpot Genealogist Kept Off British Throne

In 1931, an ex-policeman challenged King George V for the throne of England. Needless to say, he lost.

Anthony Hall argued that he was the 23rd descendent of Henry VIII and tried to convince mass crowds at a series of public meetings in the Birmingham Bull Ring that he was rightful heir to the throne. He started raising eyebrows in Whitehall and Buckingham Palace after making “scurrilous” attacks on the King, including a threat to shoot him.

Hall traced his ancestry to Thomas Hall, the bastard son of Henry VIII, who died in 1534. He also claimed that James I of England was a changeling and could not have been the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, because he was “goggle-eyed”, his head was too large for his body, his tongue too large for his mouth and his legs were so rickety that he could not ride. [Link]

"King Anthony" was rounded up and subjected to psychiatric tests, but passed with flying colors. He was later convicted of disturbing the peace and fined £10.

A novel published last year, Heir Unapparent, took up Anthony's cause, but the last time I checked the Windsors still hadn't vacated the premises.

Any Last Bequests?

Here are a few selections from Virgil M. Harris's 1911 classic Ancient, Curious, and Famous Wills—mentioned a couple of weeks ago on Randy Seaver's blog.

A Woman Hater

Altogether unique was the whim of a rich old bachelor, who, having endured much from "attempts made by my family to put me under the yoke of matrimony," conceived and nursed such an antipathy to the fair sex as to impose upon his executors the duty of carrying out what is probably the most ungallant provision ever contained in a will. The words are as follows: "I beg that my executors will see that I am buried where there is no woman interred, either to the right or to the left of me. Should this not be practicable in the ordinary course of things, I direct that they purchase three graves, and bury me in the middle one of the three, leaving the two others unoccupied." [p. 131]

Will of an English Farmer

A Hertfordshire farmer inserted in his will his written wish that "as he was about to take a thirty years' nap, his coffin might be suspended from a beam in his barn, and by no means nailed down." He, however, permitted it to be locked, provided a hole were made in the side through which the key might be pushed, so that he might let himself out when he awoke. However, as his death took place in 1720, and in 1750 he showed no signs of waking, his nephew, who inherited his property, after allowing one year's grace, caused a hole to be dug and had the coffin put into it. [p. 143]

Must Marry "Anton" or "Antonie"

An eccentric Frenchman left his estate to his six nephews and six nieces on the condition that "every one of my nephews marries a woman named Antonie and that every one of my nieces marries a man named Anton." They were further required to give the Christian name Antonie or Anton to every first-born child according to the sex. The marriage of each nephew was to be celebrated on one of the St. Anthony's Days, either January 17th, May 10th, or June 13th, and if, in any instance, this last provision was not complied with before July, 1896, one-half of the legacy was in that case to be forfeited. [p. 178]

A Premium on Pigmanship

A wealthy tradesman, M. Thomas Heviant, died at the village of Crône-sur-Marne in 1878. In his will he made a number of singular bequests, among which is the following, which is carried out at the annual fête of the village. He ordered that among the amusements should be a race with pigs, the animals to be ridden either by men or boys. The sum of 2000 francs was set apart as the prize to the lucky rider of the winning pig. The prize was not to be handed over, however, except on the condition that the winner wore deep mourning for the deceased during two years after the competition. The municipality accepted the eccentric bequest, and these singular races have been held agreeably to the terms of the will. [p. 102]

No Underclothes in Winter

A crabbed old German professor, who died at Berlin in 1900, entertaining a great dislike for his sole surviving relative, left his property to him, but on the absolute condition that he should always wear white linen clothes at all seasons of the year, and should not supplement them in winter by extra undergarments. [p. 159]

Must Pay for her Drinks

Mr. Davis of Clapham, England, left the sum of 5s. "to Mary Davis, daughter of Peter Delaport, which is sufficient to enable her to get drunk for the last time at my expense." [p. 160]

Vacations for Genealogists Getting Cheaper

A Genealogue Exclusive [What's That?]

Family Routes, a travel agency catering to family historians, is offering deep discounts on some vacation packages this summer.

"There's no better time to go to the Old Country," says proprietor Lance Cutler. "Depending on where your ancestors hailed from, you might be able to save as much as 40% on your hotel and meals—but if only you act soon."

The best deals Cutler offers are on Middle Eastern tours, like the "Lebanese Lineage" package.

"I wish I had ancestors from Lebanon so I could take advantage of this deal," he says. "We can set you up in the finest hotel in Tyre for under a hundred bucks a night. They're just begging for people to come. Really, I just saw them begging on CNN."

Family Routes still offers its popular "Back to Baghdad" package, which features a late-night flight into the city, armed escorts to sites of genealogical interest, and at least two hours of electrical service each day.

Cutler assures potential clients that travel to the Middle East is perfectly safe, and warns them not to believe what they read in the newspapers.

"You only ever hear about the bombs that went off—never about the bombs that didn't go off. And, despite what you might have heard, President Bush did not call for these countries to wage war on tourists."

[Photo credit: Takeoff by Joshua Davis (license)]

Student Pilot Long Overdue

If you get tired of tracking down Megan's Annie Moore, you might want to take on the Maurice Herzog challenge. There's no reward for solving it—except for a sense of satisfaction with little cash value.

Cadet Herzog was on a training flight in Arizona on Nov. 3, 1943, but somehow wound up in Sonora, Mexico. His aircraft was recovered eleven days later, undamaged but out of fuel. Herzog was nowhere to be found.

Chris Baird and Tony Mireles have been searching for Herzog for four years, but have come up empty. They don't even have a date of birth for him.

National Archives (NARA) searched records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, Missing Aircrew Report (MACR) Name Index and located a card for Maurice Herzog. The service number on the card matched his number. The only information on the card was the notation "No MACR" (presumably because it was non-combat?). NARA referred us back to Maxwell for the Accident Report (which we already had).

Finally, a letter to National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis produced the most perplexing reply. They stated that Maurice Herzog's search resulted in an Army personnel record that they could not locate. Their letter states "the file was removed from its location in October 1988 and has not been returned. The file location did not indicate where the record was sent."

Also, no death certificate records exist for Herzog with Arizona's Vital Statistics Department . . . [Link]

So, if you ran into Maurice on your last junket to Puerto Vallarta, or you have info on his origins, drop Baird and Mireles a line. And if you are Maurice Herzog, you should really call home more often.

It's More Than I Can Bare

It's always interesting to look through a website's statistics to see how people came to find your site. While doing this, I discovered that The Genealogue ranks very well in Google for the words nude genealogist. In fact, at the moment this is the number one destination on the Web for nude genealogy enthusiasts.

What disturbs me most about this is that there are people in the world who are searching for nude genealogists. These sickos are in desperate need of a more sensible fetish—perhaps something involving bondage and butterscotch pudding.

Genealogy in the buff is certainly not something that I condone. Delicate body parts can easily get caught in spinning microfilm reels; and most cemetery associations frown on the nude rubbing of tombstones.

Luckily, those with prurient interests will find the second Google search result more to their liking: a 2002 Eastman article on a shocking picture found among the microfilmed deeds of Smith County, Tennessee. And if you really can't do without a nude genealogist, I suspect this is one.

Gender Confucian

Females descendants of Confucius will be included in the genealogy now being compiled.

The current project to trace Confucius' genealogy began in 1996 and is the fifth of its kind. But this time, female descendants will be included, and their names will be written in the same size as their male counterparts. The names of the female descendants' husbands will be printed next to them and marked in smaller characters. If the children of female descendants carry the surname Kong, they will also be included in the genealogy.

Pang Pu, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), says it is obvious that Confucius was prejudiced towards women. Confucius said that it is "the women and the small that are difficult to deal with". [Link]

He must have been dumped by a small woman at some point in his life.

It's What's Under the Kilt That Counts

Axl Rose may have Scottish ancestry, but The Daily Record's Brian Mciver is reluctant to call him a true Scot.

[T]he controversial Guns 'N' Roses singer declared himself Scottish at his concert in Glasgow last week, having met the American genealogical qualification of having red hair and wearing a kilt in music videos.

Born William Bruce Rose, Axl does have a distant lineage claim. But as far as most fans know, his Scots links only ever extended as far as his on-stage kiltedness. Even then, his white cycling shorts underneath proved he wasn't that genuine. [Link]

Top Ten Reasons to Attend the FGS/NEHGS Conference in Boston

10. Attendee with the longest proven pedigree gets to pitch an inning for the Red Sox.

9. Pilgrim-Puritan debate to be settled once and for all by the Rock, Paper, Scissors method.

8. Great Molasses Flood of 1919—Boston's tastiest tragedy—to be re-enacted, with members of New Kids on the Block playing the role of victims.

7. Cliff Clavin to conduct workshop on tracking down elusive postal employees in your family tree, followed by four hours of home movies from his trip to Florida.

6. Sam Adams on tap as the official conference beverage.

5. Boston native Leonard Nimoy to share his expertise in Vulcan paleography.

4. Ancestry.com members offered a discounted registration fee, which will be auto-renewed each month until they cancel or the sun explodes.

3. Ted Williams' thawed head to deliver the keynote address.

2. Massachusetts Bay Charter of 1629 to be given away as a door prize.

1. Hookers along The Freedom Trail required to wear Colonial dress.

'The Covenant' Discloses Colonial Cover-Up

As someone with plenty of roots sunk in Essex County, Massachusetts, I'm intrigued by this synopsis of The Covenant—a film to be released by Sony Pictures on Sept. 8th.

In 1692, in the Ipswich Colony of Massachusetts, five families with untold power formed a covenant of silence. One family, lusting for more, was banished - their bloodline disappearing without a trace. Until now.

Directed by Renny Harlin and written by J.S. Cardone, The Covenant tells the story of the Sons of Ipswich, four young students at the elite Spenser Academy who are bound by their sacred ancestry. As descendants of the original families who settled in Ipswich Colony in the 1600's, the boys have all been born with special powers. When the body of a dead student is discovered after a party, secrets begin to unravel which threaten to break the covenant of silence that has protected their families for hundreds of years. [Link]

I just hate those bloodlines that disappear without a trace. I've run into pesky "covenants of silence" many times in my research, but usually they have more to do with illegitimate children or drunk-and-disorderly convictions than with "special powers."

A Different Breed of Genealogist

Henry Peden is considered one of the best genealogists in Harford County—indeed, in all of Maryland. But his latest project—the Harford County Stud Book—is bound to disappoint researchers looking for info on their irresistibly macho ancestors.

"I thought that horse lovers and historians might like the book because the horses played an important role in the county's early history," said Peden, 59, a Bel Air resident.

So he began compiling a book on horse breeding in Harford from 1822 through 1900. [Link]

Of Emus and Enumerators

Collecting census data can be a dangerous job—especially in Australia.

A 1986 inquiry found 9 per cent of collectors were the victims of dog attacks, or had their clothing damaged by a pooch.

That same report found one collector bitten by a horse, another stopped by a large bull, and others chased by geese, emus and a large pig. [Link]

What If He's Listed First?

David Gatchell is running for governor of Tennessee and the U.S. Senate, and if he manages to get his middle name on the ballot he might just win both races. You see, last August Gatchell changed his middle name from "LeRoy" to "None of the Above."

Gatchell argues that a number of state gubernatorial candidates are already allowed to include their nicknames and that his middle name has been widely reported by news media and is known across the Internet. [Link]

A Genealogical Geography Lesson

eXpertGenealogy.com has an interesting map of professional genealogists. It appears that one enterprising researcher has set up shop halfway across the Atlantic—hoping, no doubt, to capture both the American and European markets.

Upon further investigation, the researcher in question is based in Australia, which—if I remember my elementary-school geography correctly—is a bit closer to Hawaii than to Rhode Island.

Size Does Matter

The town of West Union, West Virginia, turns 125 today, and on Saturday will celebrate by compiling the "largest genealogy chart ever attempted."

Several family trees have been compiled by local genealogical societies. We are in an area that has not been easily accessed in the past (part of Appalachia) and most of these family trees intersect at several points. We intend to generate an entry for each person in these trees, and place it in place on a wall of plywood. As fairgoers pass the tree, they will be encouraged to fill out their own card and it will be pinned in place on the tree.

We feel we can increase the database of individuals on these lines by 35%. The record may be based on the size of the chart as well as the number of individuals listed. Most genealogists do not do large charts (while they may have a large database of individuals, large charts are not printable or copyable and must be hand done.) We have enough with current information to fill three pieces of plywood at present time and expect that another four will be filled by the end of the festival. [Link]

Scottish Ancestor Loved to Go Clubbing

Shona Hill is a librarian in Denny, Scotland, and tells of assisting an American genealogist in her research.

The American had contacted Denny Library asking for any information about her 'famous' ancestor – someone she insisted was instrumental in setting up dog clubs in Scotland.

But Shona's research found out that was only partially true – the ancestor was in fact a dog-clubber, someone who used to rid Falkirk's streets of stray dogs. [Link]

Writer Shows Off Her Holy Genes

Kathleen McGowan is convinced that she's a descendant of Jesus and Mary Magdalene—so convinced that she's written an "autobiographical religious thriller" to prove it. Her publisher believes her, but isn't disclosing the results of her Jesus DNA Test.

"It's an interesting back story, but we're marketing this fabulous novel," says Trish Todd, editor in chief at Touchstone, a division of Simon & Schuster.

Todd says she has no problem believing McGowan's claim that she descends from a marriage between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. "Yes, I believe her. Her passion and her mission are so strong, how can she not be?" [Link]

The Expected One is due out July 25. No word on when the rest of us get our book deals.

Location, Location, Location

Korean general Yoon Gwan picked a nice place to spend eternity, on a hillside north of Seoul. More than five centuries later, prime minister Shim Ji Won was buried a short distance away. Then, in the mid-18th century, the general's resting place was rediscovered, sparking a family feud that's still burning 300 years later.

A king tried and failed to mediate. The Yoons and Shims, who respectively number one million and 250,000 in this country of 48 million people, once banned and still discourage marriage between their children.

"Not even over my dead body!" says 77-year-old Yoon Bu Hyun, a leader of the Yoon clan. "You tell me," he says. "Would you marry your son to the daughter of your sworn enemy?"

According to the experts, poongsu (the Korean equivalent of feng shui) requires that one of the patriarchs be evicted. Though considered an embarrassing superstition by many, poongsu has well-educated adherents.

"I know a politician, a graduate of Harvard University, who has moved his parents' graves eight times, almost once a year, hoping that will bring him election or a cabinet post," said Jee Jong Hag, who runs a poongsu Web site. "He moved those tombs so often that the rest of his family lost track of them. The last time I heard of him, he was still waiting for a cabinet post." [Link]

It's Hard Keeping Up With the Joneses

A Welsh television channel is organizing the largest single-surname gathering in history. They're inviting anyone with the surname Jones to come to Wales and help break the world record.

The channel is hoping to fill the 1,600-seat Wales Millennium Centre with an audience of Joneses, which would smash the previous record set in Sweden, where 583 Norbergs gathered to set the current target.

And the channel is making sure there is plenty of incentive for members of the huge Jones family to make the trip.

A variety show starring a host of famous Joneses - called Jones Jones Jones - will keep crowds amused on November 3 while official Guinness staff carry out what is hoped to be a huge count. [Link]

Another incentive: Rules state that "Maiden or hyphenated names do not count," so there's no chance you'll run into Star Jones Reynolds.

Can't Find Her Annie Moore

Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak is offering a $1,000 reward for information on Annie Moore, the first immigrant to pass through Ellis Island in 1892. If your research leads you to an Annie (Moore) O'Connell who caught a train in 1923 the hard way, you're on the wrong trail.

The problem is that the Annie Moore whose story is told time and time again – and whose photo is even displayed in the American National Tree (and companion book) at Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center – is the wrong one.

How do I know? I researched her for a documentary. Guess what? This Annie Moore was born in Illinois, not Ireland. [Link]

What's Hers is His

In an effort to confound genealogists, some men have adopted their bride's surname after marriage.

Bobbie Jeanne, whose last name is linked to a Sicilian castle, and who is one of a few dozen people with her last name left in the United States, didn't want to trade in her unusual last name for the most usual – Smith.

So Dayton, of Huntington Beach, checked with his father, who was raised in an orphanage, about whether it was OK for him to become a La Grua. His father, unsure at the time if Smith was his given last name, didn't mind.

Joe Hickman né Cothman made the switch to "harmonize the new family and wipe the slate clean with the old."

Throughout high school, people always called Joe by his last name. So when he ran into an old buddy at a wedding recently, he had to correct his friend.

"He said, 'Hey, Cothman.' And I said, 'Actually, it's Hickman now.'

"He was like, 'Shut up.'" [Link]

Colorado Springs Invaded by Zombies

The folks at KOAA-TV maybe should upgrade their spell-checker.

Too Many Captain Clarks

Churchill Clark and Peyton "Bud" Clark are both descendants of Captain William of Lewis and Clark fame. The pair crossed paths in Livingston, Montana, yesterday, exactly 200 years after their ancestor crossed the Yellowstone River there.

Both men, who are very distant relatives, have spent most of the past three years retracing the steps of their ancestor. They started out traveling together, but split up after a falling out. [Link]

Each man is part of a larger group commemorating the bicentennial of the expedition—Bud with Discovery Expedition, Churchill with Lewis and Clark Then and Now. An article last November at Willamette Week Online sought to explain the schism.

It seems somewhere in North Dakota, the modern-day Meriwether Lewis ditched the modern-day William Clark and took off in his own canoe with three men and a dog, assuming the name "Lewis and Clark Then and Now." [Link]

One of the men Lewis (a.k.a. Scott Mandrell) took off with was Churchill Clark, who had previously been relegated to the role of a lowly private. The promotion to captain must have come as a surprise to Churchill, given that his job prior to the expedition was "Karaoke operator."