Jim Panttaja’s Genealogy Research

Another tool that I use for my research is Google Notebooks. This allows you to create an online notebook. Whenever you are browsing the internet, and come across a page that you want to look at more (this could be part of a web page – or a lookup you have just done in ancestry.com), you can highlight some of the text, and then hit ctrl-mouseclick (on my Mac – a PC might be different) and choose “Note this (Google Notebook)”. The text, and a link to the page are inserted in to a notebook page.

Here is a sample. I found my William Berry in ancestry, but didn’t have the time to capture all of the information right now. So I highlighted his name, and hit ctrl-mouseclick to copy this to my notebook. Later, I can click on the link in my notebook and go right back to the page.

Here is another example of a reference you can insert. I was looking up William Scudder, and found this will in Google Books (This site is also searchable through World Vital Records which I mentioned in a previous post).  I can insert this image of the book in to my notebook (or in to a blog as I have done here) by selecting the ‘click’ icon on the Google Books page, and selecting the part of the page that I want to capture.

This ability to insert images in to Google Notebooks is currently limited to pages you find in Google Books. This is what the click icon (in Google Books) looks like:

And if you want to have text instead (or in addition), you can insert that. Of course it isn’t a perfect translation to text – but it is a good start.

The New England Historical and Genealogical Register WILLIAM SCUDDER of Darenthe Kent yeoman 27 July 1607 proved 4 November 1607 My body to be buried solempely according to the custom of the church of England within the parish churchyard of Darenthe as near as may be unto my father’s grave To wife Margery all my lands and tenements whatsoever and whereever during only her natural life After that to Parnell Scoodder my eldest daughter my lands in Dartford and Wilmington now in the tenure &c of James Pindén with remainder to Mary Scudder my youngest daughter To my two next daughters Margaret aud Joane Scudder my messuage of tenement called Frog Lane with mault houses &c belonging now in the tenure of John Ellis fee in Sutton at Hone To daughter Mary a parcel of land called Prieles Meade six acres or more in Sutton at Hone with remainder to Parnell my daughter And if they two both happen to die without issue &c to my other two daughters If all my four daughters shall happen to ffithout heirs of their bodies lawfully begotten then I give Parnell’s to Henry Scudder son of John Scudder my natural brother de i aj d to his heirs forever The lauds aud tenements bequeathed my Margaret and Joaue I then give to Henry aud Thomas Scudder

I have several Google notebooks, and can easily move among them – inserting text and links as I browse the internet. It keeps me from losing track of great sites that I come across.