October Family History Month Activities

For nearly a decade, October has been celebrated as Family History Month among genealogy enthusiasts. The California Genealogical Society and Library will celebrate by hosting beginning to advanced genealogy seminars throughout the month. Topics range from organizing and performing basic genealogical research to utilizing technology and software to preserve your research. All seminars are open to the public and the usage fee for non-members is waived so the library resources are available, free of charge.

CGS Events Chair Carolyn Steinberg has put together a full menu of offerings which is available in the Family History Month October 2008 Events brochure, designed by Colleen Huntley. The complete schedule of classes, workshops and consultations can be found on the CGS calendar.

CROUSE Family Treasure

The CGS ancestral chart collection is an eclectic mix of styles and materials that represent families from a variety of times and places. Unrolling one is always a surprise; you never know what you will find. Lavinia Schwarz opened a chart and was startled to find it was her mother's CRESAP family. She had known of its existence but had never before seen a copy.

But one chart literally brought the proceedings to a halt as everyone gathered round to admire it. "The CROUSE Family Chart with Related Families of Bradshaw - Grieve - McTaggart in the Napanee District showing the Ackerman, Fairbairn, McLeod & Morden connections" is a genealogical treasure and a work of art.


The chart is perfectly symmetrical in form and content, due to the featured sibling marriages: two CROUSE brothers who married BRADSHAW sisters. The chart is divided into thirds. The center panel contains the names, dates, biographical information and photographs of the subject couples. The left panel gives the ancestry of the Crouse brothers; the right panel traces the lineage of the Bradshaw sisters. Two columns of oval portraits of the couples' siblings separate the panels, Crouse on the left, Bradshaw on the right.

The subject couples are (top) Richard Crouse (1877-1922), who was the eldest child of his family, and wife Margaret Bradshaw (1878-1961); (bottom) George Crouse (1879-1948) and Ethel Bradshaw (1883-1919). Also included are the names and birth dates of their children.

The left panel of the chart features Oliver Crouse (1851-1924) and Emma McTaggart (1855-1929) and lists the names of their 12 children, their full birth and death dates, names of spouses (or if unmarried). The left side also includes the names of the family members of the previous two Crouse generations and one generation of the McTaggarts.

The very top of the left panel of the chart is a biography of the earliest named Crouse, "Oliver CROUSE (1777-1841) the Yeoman" who is the great-grandfather of the two featured brothers.

"According to tradition, Oliver Crouse was a tall, slim, fair, adventurer born in the U.S.A. of Dutch descent. As a young man he settled in the Bay of Quinte area in the early 1800's." A full description of his land records, marriage to Maria Nestor, service in the War of 1812 and death are contained in the account.

The right panel of the chart describes the family of the featured sisters - Charles Bradshaw (1852-1926) and Georgina Grieve (1852-1929), their children, the two previous Bradshaw generations and the parents and siblings of Georgina (Ina) Grieve. The top of the panel is the biography of David Bradshaw (1798-1869) "the Pioneer."


The bottom central portion of the chart reads "Lithography = Mortimer Limited, Ottawa, Ontario. Reproductions - Pontiac Printshop Ltd., Shawville, Quebec. Compiled, Designed and Published by Charles Gordon Crouse, Shawville, Quebec - March 1967 - this is No. ____ of 300." The number was not written in.

Photographs courtesy of Colleen Huntley.

Addendum: The Genealogical Society of Utah has twice "filmed" this chart, in 1976 and 1974. The microfilm reels are: FHL US/CAN Film 928176, Item 27 and FHL US/CAN Film 962154, Item 4, respectively. [Information from the Family History Library Catalog, familysearch.org.]

Our library

Since its inception in February 1898, the California Genealogical Society has emphasized the sharing of relevant source material and the establishment of a library was one of its earliest goals. Our new home in the Breuner Building is located in a "lower level" (basement) suite that was renovated, painted and customized just for us.

This is a view of the library through the entrance door to our suite.

One of our dedicated volunteers, Gloria Hanson, at the reception desk.

A view of the stacks (notice the matching chairs - a
bargain negotiated by president Jane Lindsey.)

On the shelves and in the files are more than 30,000 reference aids and genealogical records including dozens of periodicals, 10,000 local and family histories, reels of microfilm, CDs and many unpublished manuscripts. The library has a wide variety of San Francisco and Northern California materials but is also generously stocked with regional, state and local references for the entire United States. New England, Mid-Atlantic states and the South are particularly well represented in the collection.

After hundreds of volunteer hours, a beta version of the CGS online catalog is now available and is also accessible from the society home page. Over 10,000 books are now searchable on this user-friendly site. By year end, input of the book titles should be complete and the process of loading the CD collection and periodicals will begin.

Photographs courtesy of Colleen Huntley and Jane Lindsey.