Icelandic-American Genealogy

Icelandic-American Marriages

Islendiga-App -"App of Icelanders"

By now most genealogists researching their Icelandic-American ancestors have heard of the Islendiga Android App. This app is based on an online database of most of the 320,000 citizens of Iceland compiled in the Islendingabok - "Book of Icelanders." The Islendingabok  traces 1200 years of genealogy back to the 9th century Viking settlers. The Android app was actually designed for Icelanders to bump phones and verify relationships. The app includes an anti-incest feature for a country where practically everyone is related.  Its use as a genealogical tool to assist Icelandic-Americans too can be key to a successful genealogical search. The Islendiga App can be used to identify and trace Icelandic-American relatives. 

Tracing Icelandic-Americans

The migration of Icelanders began before 1910. About 5,000 United States residences reportedly spoke Icelandic in the home, even though many were enumerated as Danes. Many more Icelandic immigrants came to the United States after World War II. 

WWII Military in Iceland. a3Genealogy has been working on a large military project that included Icelandic marriages of US WWII soldiers and native women. The Icelandic government opposed the fraternizing of Icelandic women with US and British soldiers.  And the US Military imposed a ban on Icelandic marriages on 24 March 1942 - 22 May 1944. Large military troops were stationed in Iceland, including the 5th Infantry, the 29th, 115th, and more, and morerelationships were formed. By 1 Dec 1945 122 marriage applications to Icelandic girls were approved by the Army; most were privates and sergeants, but officers, too, were included (2 majors, 6 captains, 16 lieutenants). Some of the soldiers returned to Iceland to marry their bride, other single women joined their mate in the USA after the war.

At the end of the war, the US military provided transportation for the Icelandic-American family units. The British and American soldiers fathered hundreds of children, many with the surname Hansson.  Hans translates in Icelandic as "his" stating Hansson, was the offspring of an unknown father (his son/child).  By Oct 1945 sixty-five wives and children traveled to the USA and joined their husbands. 

5 Other Resources

1. Service Records. Be sure to pull your veterans military records to prove his service in Iceland
2. Fold3. Digitzed American service men information in Iceland (keyword) is available. 
3. Morning Reports. You may find where your veteran ancestor was reprimanded for fraternizing with the Iceland women.
4. Passport Records. More than once a3Gen has verified American Icelandic women to their Iceland heritage via Passports. This may also assist in uncovering the family name of your Icelandic ancestors. 
5. Social Security Applications. Researchers may also provide additional genealogical information to include parents names. 

Be sure to review the Major Genealogical Record Sources in Iceland. For an excellent case study and uses of various sources, read The War Bride: Icelandic Woman. 

Kathleen Brandt

a3Genealogy@gmail.com

Accurate, accessible answers

Wyandotte County, KS Historical Museum

Researching at Local Repositories

Wyandotte County Historical Museum, Bonner Springs, KS

It’s not often that a county museum Wyandotte County Historical Museum holds the original marriage license and marriage affidavits.  But, the Wyandotte County Historical Museum  is the repository of the Kansas City, Kansas marriage records as well as other towns within Wyandotte County.

Recently when looking for a marriage record you can probably imagine my surprise when I received a negative response from the County Court House, the Kansas Historical Society in Topeka, and the Kansas Room of the Main Library in my attempt to locate these original records.  My last resort was to check the Trowbridge Research Library at the Wyandotte County Historical Museum located in Bonner Springs, Ks.

Being familiar with local repositories is always a plus; and having researched at the Trowbridge Research Library before, reminded me that they had a few original records plus cemetery records and newspapers from the 1860s.  I’ve also referenced their index of wills, and tax rolls which span from 1869-1905.  But, what about marriage records?  Could there be a chance that original marriage records were also archived in the small cramped research space of the Museum?

Trowbridge Research Library

Having already exhausted the well preserved ledgers of indexed marriage records at the Wyandotte County Courthouse, it was clear they did not house the original applications and affidavits, with the intimate details.  These were held at the Wyandotte County Historical Museum not indexed or alphabetized) from before the 1860s. These marriage records are surprisingly well preserved with the full affidavit and relevant marriage license in tact.

Kathleen Brandt

a3Genealogy@gmail.com
accurate, accessible answers

(This is an updated article of same name dated 2 Jul 2010).

The Genealogy Roadshow

The PBS U.S. version of The Genealogy Roadshow premiers 23 Sept 2013. “Philip McGovern…, of Irish production company Big Mountain called the show “part detective story, part emotional journey, combining history and science to uncover fascinating stories of diverse Americans.”  At a3Genealogy we are only surprised that this show took so long to make its way to our shores. Especially, since this is what we do every day. We prove or disprove family folklores, solve ancestral mysteries, and trace that elusive ancestor while proving kinship and lineage.

Family historians and genealogists daily create their own roadshow. Going from town to town we uncover the secrets that are tucked away in vertical files of State Archives, record books of court houses, artifacts and memoirs hidden in local museums, and oh…if cemeteries could talk?!. Well, to the sleuthing genealogists each tombstone actually does add to our ancestor’s story and the headstones' clues may help bring down a brickwall.

Online database searches (i.e. ancestry.com) contribute a small part of the genealogists’ research. The PBS Genealogy Roadshow reveals what is possible when the average family research goes beneath the surface. “This is about regular Americans who want to find out their past,” McGovern said. “We are tapping in to this trend where people like you and me try to find out their past.”

As genealogists we are proud to have our profession highlighted and our research exposed. But what is most exhilarating is the elation of our clients when family folklores are confirmed or denied.

Season 1 of the Genealogy Roadshow takes place in Austin, Texas; Nashville, Tenn.; Detroit; and San Francisco.    

Kathleen Brandt

a3Genealogy.com

accurate, accessible answers

Looking for Immigrant Passenger / Naturalization?

Filby’s Passenger and Immigration Lists Index

Have you tried referencing Percy William Filby's Passenger and Immigration Lists Index for that impossible immigrant? Did you know it covers over 5 million passengers, spanning 153 - 1900? Sure it can be more challenging than tapping inquiries in online subscription bases, but what if you need to widen your search? Filby’s cumulated Volumes give us one more glimpse of hope when looking for that elusive ancestor, or trying to identify a family unit, or locating naturalization papers.  And, you, probably already know that ship passenger lists prior to 1820 were not necessarily preserved and housed in a central location, even though now most are held at the National Archives. 

If nothing else, researchers will broaden their knowledge of passenger and immigration research sources by using this collection that is chock-full of locations, books, and information location.  If you visit a genealogy library, like the Midwest Genealogy Center (MGC), in Independence Mo., chances are, the sources (periodicals, passenger books, and reference books) are already on the shelf. Matter of fact, at the Genealogy library, they have most often hand-scribbled in the margin the equivalent of a “finding aid.” a3Genealogy is called upon frequently to review the Filby's Index and locate and analyze the information at MGC.

What is “Filby’s”

Often called Filby’s, nicknamed after the author/editor P. William Filby the Index of Ship's Passengers was originally published in 1981 with 500,000 passenger records. Subsequent to the initial 3 volumes additional supplements have been issued - about 1 per year for about 13 years.  So now the index contains more than five million records of US immigrants in its thirty-three supplements.  

Researchers must review all of the supplements in ferreting out their ancestors. Time consuming? Yes, but remember it is alphabetize. Keep in mind, though, that names may be spelled incorrectly. We often suggest, you widen your search. Remember, for example, the letters K and C are audibly similar to a record keeper or non-speller. So, your Casell, may be a Kasell.

Oh, and don’t limit your search to passenger lists. It can also assist in locating naturalization records and the associated courts. The listing of passengers, taken from many different sources and compiled alphabetically by surname, makes it easier to identify family clusters. Occupations are also noted which can assist researchers in narrowing ancestors who were blessed with common surnames (i.e. Smith, Williams, Jones).  Since various ships-lists are provided, researchers can more easily obtain the full manifest and perhaps review the original source.

Find and Seek Exercise 
Filby meticulously created a code of resources.  And the Midwest Genealogy Center  (MGC) not only “broke the code” (front of book) but provides the researcher with the key to the stacks. Neatly noted in the margin of each coded page, the MGC staff has scribbled the stack location of available in-house sources. Many of the sources are truly in-house; but others may not be available at MGC. Lucky for us, that too is noted.

Online database:

Of course there are online index databases, but not half as fun and not as easy to analyze (IMHO). But decide for yourself. Be sure to look at the Passenger and Immigration Lists 1500-1900 (PILI) on the WorldVitalRecords.com site.

Kathleen Brandt

a3Genealogy@gmail.com

Accurate, accessible answers

Genealogy Research

Five a3Genealogy Services

a3Genealogy researchers are able to draw upon years of experience in family history and genealogical research. Our research extends pass the online searches and delves into Federal, State, and local repositories. Our goal is to perform an exhaustive search to meet your objective. To learn more about a3Genealogy Services visit our website. Know that we would never "farm out" your job.

Kathleen Brandt, Genealogist 

a3Genealogy Researchers and Clients

Our researchers and clients are worldwide. They span from the Americas, Asia, Australia, and Africa. Yes…we cover the world! We have been featured on the History Channel, the popular TV show Who Do You Think You Are (NBC and TLC), and have researched for additional shows (i.e. Finding Your Roots, PBS).  We have translators for most languages.

Our researchers are of the elite class of professional genealogists around the world. Each are qualified and meet the high-standards of a3Genealogy. Many began with a3Genealogy through our "Intern" and "Mentee" programs. 

 1.      Document Retrieval and Genealogy Lookups

a3Genealogy is a premier research firm. We provide lookups of film, fiche, books, and magazines at the Family History Library (FHL) in Salt Lake City and the Midwest Genealogy Center in Independence, MO as well as Presidential Libraries and the National Archives (St. Louis and Washington, DC area) and regional archives.  For a full listing visit Document Retrieval.  As our specialized researchers are nationwide and in various international repositories, we also provide lookups in other archives

Our document retrieval specialists are professional researchers approved by a3Genealogy. All records are scanned and forwarded to you by email.  Request may be submitted by email to a3Genealogy@gmail.com or at our Request and Estimate website

2.      Coaching Through Brickwalls (CTB)

More and more we find that many wish to research their own family history. And, at a3Genealogy we encourage that effort. Nothing is more exhilarating than finding your own ancestor in records, documents and collections! Our CTB program allows the researcher to hire a coach and expert in the area of your brickwall: naturalization, immigration, African American or Native American research and Veteran research or DNA analysis. You may secure services by day, month or longer period of time. For more information visit: Consulting .

3.      Military Research

a3Gen researchers work closely with archivists and historians at the National Archives (NARA) and military museums worldwide. We specialize in reconstructing veterans' files lost in the Fire of 1973. Our clients, though, turn to us not just for veteran and troop information, but for photos, ship manifests, videos and military technologies. For more information visit our Military Research page.






4.      Investigative Research

Are you looking for your WWII father and his American family? This is just one example of looking for living relatives ("reverse genealogy"). We will assists in connecting you with your living relatives. As forensic genealogist we also research and analysis data and documentation for cases with legal implications. a3Genealogy clients include attorneys, law offices, governmental agencies, corporations and individuals seeking dual citizenship. Kathleen Brandt is a Licensed Private Investigator, MO - #2012006814. Visit Forensic and Investigative Research.

5.  a3Gen Research Group

a3Genealogy  maintains an educational blog (blog.a3genealogy.com). If you do not find your answer, just drop us an email. Your question will be answered either in a blog - so everyone can learn from it (no names used), or in a return email. This is a free service via our Research Group.  

More About Us

If you are looking for more information about a3Genealogy, here are some vital links:

• Leadership
• Experience and Qualifications of Kathleen Brandt, founder 
• Affiliates

Kathleen Brandt
a3Genealogy.com

Who Do You Think You Are?

Kathleen Brandt, Genealogist
a3Genealogy clients, fans and friends know that Kathleen Brandt has been a researcher for at least four of the Who Do You Think You Are? episodes: Tim McGraw, Reba McEntire, Ashley Judd, and most recently Chris O'Donnell on TLC (Aug 2013). She's quick to remind us that as you see on TV, there are several researchers and repositories involved. This episode featured one of her favorites: The Missouri History Museum Library and Research Center with Associate Archivist Dennis Northcott.

"I look forward to researching future episodes. Watching the final production is so rewarding."
Kathleen Brandt

Irish Family Research

Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)  
Update: PRONI has gone digital

What Is PRONI?

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) is one of the favored repositories for genealogy and family research for No. Ireland. (Of course the National Archives Of Ireland is another.)  But, what's interesting, is that although PRONI'S emphasis is in Northern. Ireland, you may find your Republic of Ireland or British ancestors hiding in these records.

Many historians already know of the civil "war" of 1922* (see comments) which resulted in a fire destroying historical records and archives held at Four Courts, Dublin.  Of course many vital records were lost.  However, with a bit of digging, researchers can recreate their ancestors past by substituting records and compiling other resources.  Even where the originals have been destroyed, indexes can give you a clue to your ancestor's whereabouts. 

Where To Start

At minimum feel free to conduct a name search using the online index.  The Name Search Index

includes ancestral names pulled from the following:

• index to pre-1858 wills
• limited diocesan will indexes
• surviving fragments of the 1740 and the 1766 religious census returns
• 1775 dissenters petitions
• pre-1910 coroners' inquest papers

Lost Records and Their Substitutes

Census

Few census returns from 1821 to 1851 survived the fire of 1922.  However, extracts from the 1841 and 1851 census are in the Old Age Pension books held at the National Archives of Ireland (NAI).  These archives can be used to prove  age (from baptisms).  The Old Age Pension was introduced in Ireland in 1908.

Under the auspices of "confidentiality," census returns between 1861-1891 were destroyed  in compliance with a Government order.  For more information visit Census Records 19th Century. 

Wills and Bonds 

The original pre-1858 original wills, administration bonds and marriage "licence" bonds were destroyed.  However, indexes survived, and can be used as viable reference tool.  There are over 15,500 entries in this index.  The researcher will also want to search the Privately Deposited Archives for copies of wills. 

Indexes to Diocesan administration bonds (admons)

For many researchers we would love to review the original diocesan administration bonds  which were some of the oldest records of interest for the genealogists. However, these original bonds dating between the 1600 and 1857, were destroyed.  Although not a direct substitute for the information that could have been extracted from originals, the salvaged indexes can be used a reference tool.

• Dromore diocesan administration bonds, 1742 -1857
• Armagh diocesan administration bonds, 1600 - 1858
• Derry diocesan administration bonds, 1698/9 -1857
• Down diocesan administration bonds, 1641-1857

Parish Records
The 1922 fire also was responsible for the destruction of 1,006 Church of Ireland parishes records. You will want to check the microfilm holdings at PRONI to research the preserved parish records.  Additional parish records can be found at the National Archives of Ireland. in Dublin.

Pre-1910 Coroners' Inquest Papers

In total, 5911 files and papers relating to Coroners’ Inquests, 1872-1909 can be searched using the Name Search.  Although these records, dated from 1872 to 1997, are held at PRONI, most of the recent inquest papers are closed to the public. Not every inquest record created by coroners are cataloged, (but they most likely exist), so it is suggested that you contact PRONI, if you have a negative name search result.  For more information  visit Coroners' Inquest Papers - What's Available? 

Other Records  

The following records are not held at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, but can be found in other repositories within Ireland and will assist with your efforts to piece-meal your ancestor's past:

• Births, Death and Marriage Certificates (Civil Registration)
• 1911 Census
• Records of the British Armed Forces
• Adoption records
• Land Registers of Northern Ireland

For location of these records, visit Records Not Held in PRONI. 

*Note: The PRONI website uses the controversial term "civil disturbances" which was originally used in this blog posts.  However, after further research and reader communication we have chosen to use the more accurate term "civil war."  See comments for reader communication.   

Kathleen Brandt
a3genealogy@gmail.com