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Every family has stories. Some are well-worn tales passed down through generations, while others are fragments — half-remembered, scattered like leaves caught in the wind. My book, Gathering More Leaves, Volume I, was born out of a desire to collect those fragments, to preserve them before they were lost, and to weave them into something meaningful for both my family and anyone who values history, … Continue reading Gathering More Leaves
(see Using AI in Genealogy and Family History for a detailed description of how this was created Google Gemini) Book I: The Elders and the Dual Altars (1740–1764) In the high, limestone foothills of the Jura Mountains, where the breezes from the Swiss border stirred the pine forests of Franche-Comté, the village of Montécheroux lived by the tolling of church bells and the scratch of … Continue reading The Chronicles of Montécheroux (1740–1789)
I have access to a set of records that focus on a specific branch of my father’s family tree – our Franco-Swiss ancestors. These are the Montécheroux BMD records, which cover a period of 50 years from 1740 to the very eve of the French Revolution in 1789/90. In addition there are other sets of these records, one that covers a period from 1791 to … Continue reading Using AI in Genealogy and Family History
Digging deeper on Montecheroux BMD records (1740-1790), I noted that there was a sudden increase in the Lutheran Swiss population of Montecheroux between 1740 and 1743. Then I remembered once reading that there was a peasant uprising in Western Switzerland in the late 1730s. I asked Gemini for background on the uprising and if there was any connection to the population changes in Montecheroux. Here … Continue reading Swiss Peasant Uprisings of the 1730s
After examining all 188 images of the Montecheroux BMD records from 1740 to 1790 multiple times, I believed my five years of French and basic Latin had allowed me to extract all relevant information about my ancestors, their siblings, and their close descendants. Nevertheless, a few unanswered questions lingered: I wondered about the purpose of the annual French declaration introducing each year, the reason behind … Continue reading Montecheroux BMD Records Redux
Almost 25 years ago, a fellow researcher in Belgium shared with me some information regarding my 6x great-grandfather, Jacques De Backer (1686-1764) who became a Bourgeoisie foraine by buying his citizenship in the town of Ronse. My correspondent told me that the source for this information was “familiearchief de backer” (De Backer Family Archive) records that were digitized by Herman Van Isterdael in 2001. I … Continue reading Familiearchief de Backer
About twenty years ago, I corresponded with a fellow researcher over in Belgium. He was a descendent of Andreas Mollaert, the brother of Marie Catherina Josepha Mollaert, first wife of my 4x great-grandfather, Andreas De Backer. (I am a descendent of Andreas and his 2nd wife). In one email he sent to me the images of a three page document written Flemish and explained to … Continue reading Agreement Between Andreas De Backer and Andreas Molleart (1788)
Had artificial intelligence been around in the 1990s, I probably would have retired as a PBX installer instead of becoming a software developer—not that there is anything wrong with that! But history took a different path. My interest in tracing my family history spans nearly 50 years, ignited by Alex Haley’s landmark miniseries, Roots, which aired over eight consecutive nights in January 1977. I have … Continue reading AI assisted genealogy: Van Coppenolle Branch
I believe this information will be of great interest to my DeBacker cousins. I recently discovered that there was a much higher frequency of intermarriage among cousins within our Belgian lineage than I had previously realized. Currently, I am working on a video series intended for my grandchildren to watch when they grow older. These videos feature me walking them through our family tree on … Continue reading DeBacker Cousins
The 250th anniversary of the American Revolution is a milestone I eagerly anticipated. This celebration holds deep personal significance for me, particularly as my genealogical research over the last few years has uncovered several ancestors who served in the struggle for independence in various capacities. Over the past few years, I discovered that I have a total of ten ancestors who were documented as participating … Continue reading A Revolutionary Idea
I asked Google Gemini to tell me about an ancestor on my mother’s-side of our family, the Rev, John Rogers, Proto-martyr of the Marian Persecution in 1555, and here is their response: The Reverend John Rogers was indeed the “proto-martyr” of the Marian Persecutions—the very first person executed under the revived heresy laws of Queen Mary I. His execution on February 4, 1555, at Smithfield … Continue reading Rev, John Rogers, Proto-martyr
Gathering Leaves 