Biography Builders April/May 2018. Immigrants

Question

This month's theme will be profiles for immigrants. We all have a few, but they don't need to be related to you. Any immigrants will qualify.

Biography Builders Goal: To make profiles as complete as possible with well-written biographies and sources. You should research as much as you can find on a person, writing the information onto the profiles to create as complete a life story as you can for that person. Sourcing should be full citations. This includes adding categories and links to events and people connected to that profile and citing all those additions. See the first month for examples of how to participate.

Here's our checklist:

Data Section:

• birth date/place
• names of parents
• marriage date/place and spouse name
• death date/place

Biography Section:

• Written (full) sentences stating the facts above, adding inline sources to each fact.
• Is the profile '''Genealogically Defined?'''
• As a general rule biographies should be in your own words. Paraphrase and rewrite, don't copy/paste.
• Baptism, burial, military, and other life events with inline sources.
• Something to "humanize" the person, such as career or avocation with sources.
• List of children with at least one pertinent fact.
• One of the suggestions was siblings. I think this takes up real estate.
• Explanatory remarks, if needed (e.g. disputed persons information, Research Notes, whatever needs extra explaining).
• Photos or pictures, background. Not a must, but nice (you need to own the copyright unless they are in the public domain).
• Categories/Projects.
• Connection to the Global Tree.
• All duplicates merged or initiated.
• Links to persons and events, perhaps from Wikipedia.
• Historical context as related to the person's life.
• Sources, Sources, Sources.

You can see some ideas on where to find some of this information on the Biography Builders space page, linked below.

Use "comments" below to ask questions.

NOTE: Biography Builders will not show on the tracker. Please add a list to your answer.

Comments

It is pretty nicely written and documented. Well done.

Answers: My personal opinion is that what you have now is about the perfect size. However, I'm also quite certain that if I was a grandchild or great grandchild of this man I would like to hear the stories, and you don't want them to get lost, so go ahead and include them.

Link to Photo help page.  This is a pretty good example (St. Patrick) of how to put photos in the bio text.

Photos have copyrights, so be careful what you upload, family photos are fine, but professional photographers can be "toucy" about you posting work without permission.

Uncle Walter's photo if it's a family photo would be better on Uncle Walters profile.

Organizing: You might want to consider putting "returns" between your paragraphs. I means lots of little, sometimes one sentence paragraphs, but I think it reads easier. You could make all the sentences about the census one paragraph. You can experiment. There is a "PREVIEW" button (bottom right of the bio box) so you can take a look at how things look without spending time saving.

 

---

Thank you, Anne B! I have made some of the changes you suggested and I agree, it does read more easily!

I haven't found the courage yet to try an in-line photo, but that's the next challenge!

---

Anne B (or anyone else): Do you see a proper background design on Anthony's profile? On my computer, the image deteriorated as soon as I put it up as a background. I wonder if it's just my computer, or if others see a deteriorated image as well.

---

I see it, a cross stitch sampler. The right sided looks great but the left side is blurry, but that's in your uploaded image. You don't necessarily notice till you blow it up.

---

Thanks again, Anne B!  I feel as if I have had a private tutorial on Biography construction now! Tomorrow I will look at the link to the instructions on placing in-line articles and get to it.

I am glad you could see the embroidery. I fear that this strange pixillation/deterioration is either a Software issue, or my computer is going bad!  

I have another photo of the embroidery - perhaps I will use it instead.

---

I'm interested in participating in this challenge but it looks like it runs over two months or doesn't start/end at the first of the month?  I'm reading the space page now, but at a glance I'm not seeing any information on the challenge set dates.  I'm already a member of Profile Improvement also.  Thanks!

---

Hi Lisa, the challenge runs approximately the 15th to the 15th, This one will run to the 17th, but hopefully the next will start on the 15th

---

Thanks Anne ,and I presume from the 'theme' that they must be on immigrants, correct?

Lisa

---

Yes until the 17th, they must be immigrants. A new theme will post the 15th.

---

I just went through and read everyone's profiles for this challenge.  Amazing work from you guys!  It was fun to learn about everyone. :)

Answer 1

I am in and will be the first to answer. I am Linda Barnett of Barnett-3517

Comments

Thank you Linda, When you finish a bio edit your answer to include the URL

Answer 2

I'm in for this challenge! I have several immigrants that could use some attention!

1. Julius Fulda-11, Germany to Baltimore to New Orleans.
2. Anna Margaret Mohr-1002. France to New Orleans. I need a translation to decipher names of her parents!!

Comments

Hi Joyce why don't you post a question in G2G, asking for help with translating the birth document for Anna Mohr.

---

Thanks for the reminder. I've had a lot of distractions this month, but will post that request on G2G soon!

Answer 3

I've not got many, but I'll do a few.

1. Augusta Whitaker https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Whitaker-3395
2. Reg Ibbotson https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Ibbotson-100
3. Winston Ibbotson https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Ibbotson-101
4. Beatrice Whitaker https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Whitaker-3397

Answer 4

I am in for this challenge.  Very timely as I am working on 5 brothers that came to Pennsylvania from Ireland in the early 1700's now.

1. James Starr https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Starr-412  Done

2. Rachel Leybourn Starr wife of #1 https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Laybourne-1 Done

3. Moses Starr https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Starr-577 Done.

4. Jeremiah Starr https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Starr-555 Done.

5.  Isaac Starr https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Starr-547 Done.

6.  Philip Jansen Ringo https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Ringo-27 . He was a Dutch pirate in New Netherlands.  This one was fun.

7. John Ungewitter https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Ungewitter-3 immigrant from Germany.

8. John Philip Ranck https://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Ranck-33&public=1 immigrant from Germany.  Done,

9.  Anna Barbara Schumacher https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Schumacher-112 Done.

10.  Edward Weeden https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Weeden-624 done.

Comments

It's always fun to have a few "bad boys" (Ringo-27) to work on. Great use of all the public domain illustrations.

Answer 5

This could be interesting as the majority of my DNA matches are the result of immigration from the UK. And I'm also working on my step-dad's family and DNA matches - and his main line emigrated from the UK to Canada then back again!

Most of my known emigrating relatives have pretty full bios already, so I'm going to have to find some I haven't already done.

1) Owers-163 Abraham Owers was one of two transportees I know about. He only stole a couple of turkeys and got sentenced to 7 years transportation for what I guess was his first offence...seems rather excessive to me - but obviously the turkeys must have belonged to someone important! 

2) Selmes-89 Nelson Selmes transported to Tasmania for 7 years - a rebellious young man who was constantly in trouble until he received his certificate of freedom in 1840. 

3) Selmes-90 Charles Selmes emigrated to New South Wales.

4) one from the unsourced list Hunt-5283 Edward Hunt emigrated from England to New Zealand in 1841

5) another one from the unsourced list - Claus Tienken Tienken-29 emigrated from Prussia/Germany to England about 1853 - probably with his family

6) Bachell-7 Caroline Bachell - emigrated from England to US and unfortunately died shortly after. I had already done most of her profile but just tidied and finished it off a bit and added emigrating sticker before I move on to her brother.

7) Batchell-4 Robert Batchell - this has got to be one of my favourites - abandoned his wife and 4 children in the workhouse in England, emigrated to the US where he served in the American Civil war, bigamously married another woman and had 3 more children before abandoning his second wife and family to return to England and returned to his first wife after nearly 30 years away...and for some bizarre reason she actually took him back! They appear to have lived together for at least another 10-18 years. I can't believe it..I just discovered a newspaper announcement of Robert celebrating his Golden Wedding anniversary...no mention of the 2nd family he left behind in the US lol

8) Williams-63465 Mary Williams -step-daughter of Robert Batchell. Emigrated from Wales to the US between 1844 and 1854

9) Lawrence-10425 William Lawrence emigrated from England to New Zealand in 1874

10) Selmes-91 Susanna Selmes emigrated from England to New South Wales in 1839

11) Jenner-1007 James Jenner emigrated from England to New South Wales in 1841

12) Harvey-10742 Philadelphia Jenner nee Harvey emigrated from England to New South Wales in 1841

Answer 6

I'm in this month. Lots of immigrants on my tree and on the Ontario unsourced list.

1.Margaret Jane Culbert Cruthers. Irish immigrant to Ontario
2 Robert Kimber Johns. English immigrant to Ontario
3.Patrick McNulty. Irish immigrant to Ontario via New York
4.Isaac Webster. Irish immigrant to Ontario via New York
5.Eliza Guy Reeves. English immigrant to Ontario

Answer 7

I'm back again, 

1. Philip Lion Leman  Migrated to New York in 1833
2.  

 

Comments

Wow Philip had an interesting if short life

Answer 8

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Holton-20

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Hosmer-41 I've added enough to this one to count it, although a lot was done before I got there.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Ripley-61

Answer 9

Hello all,

Sad to say I fell by the wayside last month but fully intend to get some work done on one of my immigrants for Biography Builders this month.  I will need a new shovel though because this will take a lot of digging.

1.  Daniel Esham

Comments

And the digging in Virginia is a lot harder than the digging in New England. Nice job.

---

Thanks Anne B......we're getting there bit by bit and "one of these days" should strike gold. :)

Answer 10

Let's see if I did this right. I wish I had more information on my other immigrant ancestors.

My grandfather Donato Santoro: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Santoro-147

Comments

This looks good Frank. Very nice.

Answer 11

I will try to do a few this month

Janet

Comments

Thanks Janet

Answer 12

Reading a G2G post, led to researching a headstone in the nearby cemetery, then of course had to create profiles with the info I gleaned and they are immigrants.

1. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/DiMuro-4 "Mrs. John Trotto" which is why I went looking for who she was. Felicia DiMuro.
2. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Trotta-21  and hubby John Trotto
3. and my ggmother that didn't have a bio https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Løberg-5  Sarah Hoiseth
4. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Røskaft-32  ggfather John Hoiseth
5. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Lund-444 Gustave Lund
6. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Siebe-2  Anna Siebe Roche
7. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Siebe-12   Henry Siebe

Answer 13

Hi Anne,

I've been working on immigrant's profiles and will continue this month.  Count me in on this challenge.

And thanks for leading it, Anne.

Comments

1. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Richards-2501 Nathaniel Richards

2. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Gilbert-615  John Gilbert (waiting for a few responses before complete.

3. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Unknown-423160 Hannah Read

4. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Read-4127 Robert Read

5.https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Unknown-423163 Susanna Presson

6. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Unknown-419857 Anne Ormsby

7. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Farrow-73 John Farrow

8. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Negus-5 Grace Negus

9. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Negus-199 Jonathan Negus (I have work to do on his wife...need to add sources and bio to Deighton-6

10. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Abbe-11 John Abbe

11.https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Oldham-75 Thomas Oldham

12. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Unknown-230098 Elizabeth Unknown Raynor

Answer 14

I'm so glad there is a project with this goal in mind--I'd not heard of the Biography Builders, but this is the mindset I keep first and foremost in mind each time I work on every person's profile. Mind you, this is a goal, and as I'm sure most of us here at WikiTree know, sometimes can prove quite challenging, since some life details can be very hard to track down.

I am [[Stieger-85|Cynthia Larson]] and feel I'm definitely part of this team, despite not having much time available this month to work on WikiTree.

So this post is mostly to let you know "I'm one of you!" to voice solidarity with this shared mission, hopefully with the result that WikiTree profiles will be greatly improved through our efforts.

Thank you to everyone working on profile biographies! I feel so very grateful each and every time I read beautifully detailed WIkiTree biographies!

Comments

Love your attitude Cynthia

---

Cynthia, Have you considered joining the Profile Improvement Project. It sounds like you enjoy doing biographies, which are an integral part of improving profiles.

---

Thanks for this suggestion, which looks intriguing! I hesitate at this time to "bite off more than I can chew" yet acknowledge that improving profile biographies is very important to me, and something I do care deeply about.

Answer 15

Oh, I just found this challenge. I'd like to join and see if I can complete at least one bio before the end :)

Answer 16

Where is the June page?

never mind, I found it! :-)