[Genealogy] Name Calling, Avoiding Relationships, Notebook Registrations ending
Michael John Neill
mjnrootdig at gmail.com
Sat Aug 29 06:12:45 CDT 2026
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Genealogy Update
29 August 2026
** I'm Calling Him Agusta
** Notebook for Genealogy Registrations End 29 August--don't wait!
** Avoiding Relationships
** Consultations
** Keep Getting the Update
-------------------------
I'm Calling Him Agusta
------------------------
It can be difficult to decide how to refer to an ancestor. Yet thinking
about it can be an excellent genealogical exercise.
Documents should always be transcribed as they are written-whether the
spelling is “correct,” slightly off, or an egregious error. The researcher
should always explain in their analysis of a document *why *they the right
person is in a record when the name is significantly different than the
normal, expected name.
But when writing about an ancestor whose name gets spelled in a variety of
ways one has to make a decision:
how do I spell this ancestor’s name when referring to her?
Choosing a random spelling is not the answer. Rotating through the various
name spellings is not the answer either, especially because it can be
extremely confusing. Then there is the issue of “knowing” how a deceased
person wanted their name to be spelled. That can be extremely difficult to
know as most people don’t leave behind instructions for the desired
spelling of their name. The problem can be compounded with ancestors who
are born in a country that speaks one language and end up living in a
country where another language is spoken.
The following are some things I consider when deciding what name to “use”
for an ancestor:
- the name inscribed on their tombstone
- the “standard” spelling of their name
- how they spelled the name when they actually wrote it themselves
There are limitations to this method. Not everyone has a tombstone.
Tombstone inscriptions are not necessarily chosen by the person who is
named on the stone. Some names have multiple standard spellings. Some names
are created by the parents and extremely uncommon. Some ancestors
signatures are not extant or the ancestor only makes their mark. No method
is fullproof. My personal preference is to use a standard, commonly
accepted spelling of the name if there is no indication to the contrary.
But some ancestors are not standard.
Agusta Newman is one of those ancestors whose name is not quite spelled the
way one might think. Various records also refer to him as Augusta, August,
Auguste, etc.
But in several extant documents that include his signature, he signed
“Agusta” as his first name. The 1790-era native of Maryland died in White
County, Indiana, in 1861 and several of those signatures are contained in
his bounty land warrant application based on his War of 1812 service.
For this reason, I’m referring to him as Agusta.
As mentioned, transcriptions of records related to Agusta will render his
name how it is written in those documents.
This man will be called Agusta Newman.
I have ancestors who are called Frustrating, Aggravating, and Irritating.
But that has nothing to do with how they signed their name.
-----------------------------
*Registration is ending on 29 August--don't wait!*
Notebook for Genealogy–A Four Session Pick Your Own Problem Course
With Michael John Neill
Our focus is on being practical, exhibiting sound genealogy methodology,
and demonstrating responsible use of Notebook (Google’s suite of AI tools)
in genealogy research. This course is for those who would like guidance and
suggestions in how to use Notebook and have a place to get feedback and
additional direction.
*What is Notebook?*
NotebookLM (often simply Notebook) is Google’s suite of AI-driven tools to
analyze data from files and information you provide it. .
Notebook uses sources of your choosing, not what it found online. You
upload your own materials—including PDF files, text files, Google Docs,
slides, or web links—and the AI creates a private workspace built
exclusively around that data. You can upload any genealogy information to
it tht you wish , but it is recommended that only deceased people be
included and that you not upload DNA information on living people.
Capabilities
-
Answers with Citations: When you ask questions or search your uploaded
files, every response includes citations to your uploaded documents,
allowing you to double-check sources.
-
Synthesis & Content Creation: Notebook automatically generates concise
summaries, outlines main themes, and identifies connections or conflicts
across dozens of sources at once. You do need to validate its summaries and
conclusions.
-
Audio-visual Outputs: Beyond text answers, Notebook can create study
guides, briefing documents, timeline charts, slide decks, podcast
interviews, and videos based on your content. Even if you never share the
created materials, just viewing them and interacting with them may give you
some insight into your genealogical problem.
Course Prerequisites & Required Materials You should have digital records
for one ancestor or a father-mother-children family, including every extant
record available.
-
Format: PDF or JPG for images; PDF, Word, or raw text for transcriptions.
-
Preparation: Be familiar with the specific ancestral research problem
you plan to work on to get the most from Notebook LM and AI concepts.
Gather all materials between registration and the start of class.
Course Format & Zoom Sessions
-
Pre-Recorded Lectures: Students will view two hours of presentations
before group sessions begin.
-
Live Zoom Sessions: Held on Sunday nights (and recorded for later
viewing). Sessions combine live demonstrations by Michael working through a
set of family records alongside group discussions where students share
prompts, results, challenges, and questions.
Class Focus & Weekly Assignments
-
Weekly Assignments: One assignment per week focused on Notebook's media
outputs using your own research problem.
-
Scope: The course focuses on mastering the tools and capabilities of
Notebook rather than providing individual research advice, making it
accessible to participants working on problems from any region.
Community Discussion & Communication
-
Private Google Group: Used for asynchronous discussion, peer
interaction, Q&A, and prompt sharing outside of live sessions.
-
Email Requirement: A Gmail account is strongly recommended. Accounts
with AOL, Yahoo, or Hotmail frequently experience delivery issues with
group emails.
Take the class live on Sunday Night or Tuesday Mornings!
*Tuesday Sessions--10 AM Eastern Time--still available*
*Important Dates*
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Current offerings:
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Notebook AI–four week class
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/08/12/notebook-for-genealogy-four-week-class/>
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<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/08/16/using-ai-for-metes-and-bounds-deed-analysis/>
Upcoming Trips:
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Midwest Genealogy Center–Independence, Missouri
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/mid-continent-genealogy-library-october-2025-research-trip/>--October
2026
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Library of Virginia
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2025-library-of-virginia-research-trip-richmond-virginia/>--March
2027--make deposit and pay balance later
Ready-to-Go Webinars–download immediate:
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Creating Children’s Stories from Genealogy Events
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/creating-childrens-stories-from-genealogy-information/>
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Creating Families from pre-1850 Census Records
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/creating-families-from-pre-1850-census-records/>
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DeedMapper webinars
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/deedmapper-intro-and-more-deedmapper-webinars/>
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Farming Ancestor webinars–landowner and non-landowner versions
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/rooting-around-for-farmers-and-tenants-and-laborers/>
-----------------------------
Avoiding Relationships
-----------------------------
Benjamin Butler and his “children” are one of those situations where
immediate entry into a genealogical database may be premature–especially
when that genealogical database forces one to enter parent-child
relationships. Benjamin was born about 1819 probably in New York State and
spent most of his “reproductive life” in Michigan, Iowa, Missouri, and
Kansas at a time when those locations were not keeping civil birth records.
The family were not members of any church that kept any sort of records and
his probate only mentions his wife.
Census records provide information on Benjamin and his children. Benjamin’s
penchant for moving also suggests that he may have left adult children
behind after he moved on to a new area. All of Benjamin’s children may not
have eventually followed him to Vernon County, Missouri. They could have
remained in Michigan, Iowa, or where he lived in between.
Benjamin has been located in the following federal censuses:
- 1850: St. Clair County, Michigan.
- 1860: not located.
- 1870: Davis County, Iowa.
- 1880: Vernon County, Missouri.
The difficulty with pre-1880 census records is that relationships are not
stated. The individuals in this chart are Butlers who appear as children in
one of more of Benjamin Butler’s census enumerations. There are several
challenges in completing this chart that I have to constantly remind myself
of:
- the common nature of the Butler surname
- the fact that Benjamin had at least two wives (Margaret Stephens and
Nancy Wolf), may have had a third and that these children do not all have
the same mother
- the possibility that one of these individuals, while enumerated with
Benjamin in a census as a “Butler” may have actually been a step-child
- the ages could be slightly off or the places of birth could be
incorrect
- these individuals (in later records where they are adults) may have
consistently given information that was inconsistent with their census
enumerations
The chart was meant to help organize my search for these individuals based
upon their being enumerated with Benjamin in a census and was not meant to
contain all the information on them. The goal was to locate additional
information to confirm their parentage. Care has to be taken in later
records to make certain that the “same person” has actually been located.
That has been the difficulty with some of the children whose first names
were more common.
This is a family where entering in all relationships into a database may be
premature.
Chart below (only partially shown)
[image: image.png]
I’m still finding the chart helpful–even without the sources attached. I’ve
got them, but this chart is meant to summarize and be a quick reference
for me. It is not meant to include every detail I’ve found.
Complete chart can be seen at:
https://rootdig.genealogytipoftheday.com/?p=7405
Genealogy Consultations with Michael John Neill
What is a consultation?
It’s a chance to discuss your specific problem with a professional
genealogist, one who can look at your problem family with a fresh set of
eyes. It can help you get started if you are just getting started with your
research or continue if you’ve reached a point where you do not know what
to do. It’s like having a problem-solving class devoted to your family.
We’ll look at see if there any additional clues or leads in the records you
have already located and discuss what the next steps are in your genealogy
journey on your family of interest. It’s also a time for you to ask
specific questions about the materials you have found.
People—problem will revolve around one ancestor, a couple, or a couple and
their children.
Places—problem will be US based, including people who were immigrants to
the United States.
Time period—problem will focus on individuals born before 1900.
Consultee will submit documents on ancestor in an electronic format as
either an email attachment or via Dropbox. *Submission should be no more
than fifteen pages of records and one additional page of questions about
those records*. Submission should include materials located and materials
searched negatively. Submission should include research goal.
Fee is $140–we are having a 2025 holiday sale of $100
<https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=N9T7VCB8DTJ7C>
(number
of consultations at reduced price is limited). Michael will review
materials submitted and schedule a Zoom meeting for a discussion of the
problem. Consultees are encouraged to have a list of questions
About Michael
- Michael has nearly forty years of research experience in courthouses,
libraries, archives, and online.
- Michael has led research trips to the FamilySearch Library and the
Allen County Public Library where he helped participants on a regular basis.
- Michael has worked on families in a variety of areas in the United
States—including rural and urban areas.
- Michael can help you evaluate and interpret sources for perceived
reliability.
- Michael can help you create a to-do list based on your
problem—including materials to access and skills and methodologies that
could be helpful generally.
- Michael will let you ask questions as a part of the consultation
process.
What you’ll get:
- Michael’s notes (typed) on your problem that were used in preparation
for the Zoom meeting—including a section of where to go next.
- The Zoom meeting with Michael.
Zoom meetings are scheduled at a mutually agreed upon time based on the
schedule of Michael and the consultee.
Register for a consultation today
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($100
sale price–save $40!).
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Michael John Neill
Genealogy Tip of the Day
PO Box 17, Henderson, IL 61439
http://www.genealogytipoftheday.com
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