It's That Time of Year Again

Well, it's time to make New Year's Resolutions again. I make them every year, and break them every year. But I can't achieve them if I don't make them, so here goes.
First, thanks to footnoteMaven for the above badge! She's so dang talented!

Well, this post is actually quite easy. First a synopsis of last year's resolutions and how I fared.

First resolution was to get back to the basics by utilizing the research form I'd developed.

How'd I fare? I didn't. I forgot I'd even made a resolution. However, I have used the form in the past and it works for me. I just plain haven't had much time to do research in the past year.

The other resolution I'd made was to get off my lazy butt and order vital records from Pennsylvania. How'd I do?

I plead the fifth.

So this year my resolutions are a bit different:

1. Make at least one research-related blog post to this blog every month.

2. Hence, research at least one topic every month so I can make at least one research-related blog post to this blog every month.

3. Find some community-based genealogy-related activity to partake in. This is part of a bigger resolution to do more this year than work and take care of dog and dad.

That's it. If I make too many resolutions, I'll have no chance whatsoever at achieving them, so I'm keeping them small.

Happy New Year to all and to all a good year!

The Proximidade Award!

The footnoteMaven has just awarded my blog an award! I'm tickled pick for any award, but this one has extra special meaning because it means that someone is still following this blog, which has been more dormant that I'd like. I promise to do better with my research next year, and you'll see that I'm serious when I post the "After the Clean-up" pictures. Head over to my Orations blog post "15 months DO make a difference" to see what I mean!

Meanwhile, The Proximidade Award!

You'll note that this award is given in part to blogs that aim to find and be friends. Since several cousins of mine have found this blog and have contributed to it, this is a special award that I present in turn to them: Joyce, Pat, Pat, Eileen, Mike, Jim, Jim, Clairellen: Thank you for contacting me, contributing to my information, reading my blog, and helping me re-connect branches long thought snapped.

I would also like to pass the award on to fellow bloggers who share my same goals:

Cat at Diggin' Up Dirt

Terry at Desktop Genealogist Unplugged

Kathryn at the California Genealogical Society and Library Blog

Carolyn, to help her get started with her new blog, Haas and Grimm Family From Baden Germany

Judith at Genealogy Traces

Lori at Smoky Mountain Family Historian

Marie at MarieB's Genealogy Blog-Southeastern USA, whose blog I need to visit more often, and I hope she adds a "Comment" link soon!

Bob Franks and the Itawamba History Review

Thanks, Maven for the award.

More on the Mollies

Though I haven't posted in a while, I've done some more browsing of information on the Molly Maguires. Wikipedia has an extensive article on this secret group from the mid-to-late 1800's. I've never really understood Wikipedia as a resource; given it's user-contribution nature, I shied away from using it when I need solid sourcing. Reviewing this article on the Mollies, I have to say the in formation is consistent with what I've read elsewhere.

That was interesting tidbit number one. Interesting tidbit(s) number two came in the names listed within the article:

Michael J. Doyle and Hugh McGeehan were led to the scaffold. They were followed by Thomas Munley, James Carroll, James Roarity, James Boyle, Thomas Duffy, Edward J. Kelly, Alexander Campbell, John Donahue. Judge Dreher[1] presided over these trials.

Ten more of the condemned men, Thomas P. Fisher, John Kehoe, Patrick Hester, Peter McHugh, Patrick Tully, Peter McManus, Dennis Donnelly, Martin Bergan, James McDonald and Charles Sharpe, were hanged at Mauch Chunk, Pottsville, Bloomsburg and Sunbury over the next two years.Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The following surnames are included in my ancestry, both paternal (P) and, mostly, maternal (M):

Doyle (M)
Kelly (M)
Donahue (M)
Kehoe (M)
McHugh (both; paternal is the point of interest here)
Sharpe (M)

Now, I realize that this was an Irish organization, and that the above names are common among the Irish. But I do consider this to be an interesting phenomenon, given that my lines hailed in Luzerne County, PA and many were coal miners.

Though most of the names of interest belonged to my maternal ancestry, it is the paternal side of my family which holds legends of Maguire involvement.

I also found a good source of the archives available in Pennsylvania at the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission that I just might have to research this weekend. Lastly, somewhere in the midst of my "bookmarks" folders, I do have a transcript of the McHugh trial (at least a partial transcript). Dang if I can find it, though.

Perhaps I'll stroll on over to Elyse Doerflinger's blog to read up on series "De-Cluttering Your Genealogy Challenge"! The problem isn't disorganization; my bookmarks are very well organized into appropriately labeled folders. I just have probably 1,000 + bookmarks!