Web Searches - American Ancestors

[LarryB]

When I try to do a web search on American Ancestors (NEHGS) I get the following error message:
THE URL FOR THE PAGE YOU ARE LOOKING FOR HAS CHANGED, OR NO LONGER EXISTS

The website has been redone. (I can't remember exactly when the launch was.)

Will the web search script for American Ancestors be redone? I check periodically in Reunion Preferences and it says I am up to date.

Thanks!

[Bob White]

Re: Web Searches - American Ancestors

Suggest that you use the Clear History command in the Safari menu of Safari if that is what you are using. Firefox, Chrome, etc.. have a like command. Sometimes your history keeps an old URL associated and it needs to be erased. In years past, this was a common problem but most modern browsers automatically take care of this housekeeping function for you.

[LarryB]

Re: Web Searches - American Ancestors

Thank you for the suggestion. I cleared all history but I still get the same error message. I do get to the American Ancestors website, but no search is initiated. I do onot have that problem with any other websites I commonly search via Reunion. (I am using Reunion 11.0.6 and OS 10.10.4)

[Mark]

Re: Web Searches - American Ancestors

Hi Larry,

If they've updated their site we may need to update the search to be compatible. I'll look into this next week.

Thanks for letting us know

[LarryB]

Re: Web Searches - American Ancestors

Thanks, Mark.

You folks are great. Fantastic product and equally great support!

Larry

[Kim]

Re: Web Searches - American Ancestors

Thanks, Mark.

You folks are great. Fantastic product and equally great support!

Larry

I agree! You are great! I really had never tried the web search feature until last night. First time I tried, I got a hit for a record I've been seeking for 10 years, the marriage of my grandparents. It was on Ancestry so I messaged my cousin, who has a subscription and she got me the record within hours! (It was late at night when I found the record or I'm sure I'd have had it within minutes.)

THANK YOU!

[riwebb]

Re: Web Searches - American Ancestors

It looks like the website has indeed changed everything about their search engine. I have attached a quick fix for the search engine. To use it, download the attached file and modify the file name by removing the trailing ".txt" (I had to add that to make it attachable to the forum). Place the renamed file in the directory <user>/Library/Application Support/Reunion/Search Engines. The next time you start Reunion after doing this, it will be registered as American Ancestors (NEHGS) NEW.

I made this so it uses the full name and searches from birth date to death date. It will search in all free databases [but without an account, I cannot even see those]. If there is a different database type desired [Favorites or ones with images] it is a quick and easy change.

Hope this helps until the software authors provide a more complete option!

Richard

[LarryB]

Re: Web Searches - American Ancestors

It looks like the website has indeed changed everything about their search engine. I have attached a quick fix for the search engine. To use it, download the attached file and modify the file name by removing the trailing ".txt" (I had to add that to make it attachable to the forum). Place the renamed file in the directory <user>/Library/Application Support/Reunion/Search Engines. The next time you start Reunion after doing this, it will be registered as American Ancestors (NEHGS) NEW.

I made this so it uses the full name and searches from birth date to death date. It will search in all free databases [but without an account, I cannot even see those]. If there is a different database type desired [Favorites or ones with images] it is a quick and easy change.

Hope this helps until the software authors provide a more complete option!

Richard

Thank you Richard! This new plist is working. I have an account with American Ancestors, so I am able to see the responses. I really appreciate your taking the time to do this.

Larry

[Thore]

Re: Web Searches - American Ancestors

Hello.
Is it possible to add extra search in the list. Can I make my own *.plist for this?
I live in Norway and mostly use this site for searching:

http://digitalarkivet.arkivverket.no/sok/person_avansert

Thore

[riwebb]

Re: Web Searches - American Ancestors

Hello.
Is it possible to add extra search in the list. Can I make my own *.plist for this?
I live in Norway and mostly use this site for searching:

http://digitalarkivet.arkivverket.no/sok/person_avansert

Thore

Thore,

Attached is a .plist for the site you requested. As with the one I attached above, you will need to change the file name by removing the trailing .txt and then place it in the <user>/Library/Application Support/Reunion/Search Engines folder.

The DigitalArkivet site is picky about names so I use first name only rather than what I have listed as the full given name. Likewise, it is picky about locations so I did not put the birth place in the search. I don't speak a lick of Norwegian, so maybe there is an option to use a "fuzzy" search for name and location that I did not see when I let Google translate for me. If so, please let me know!

Now I have a basic question for you since I am far removed from my Norwegian ancestry (I only visited when I was 2 years old--I have no memories of the visit!). Taking my GGG Grandfather as an example, I have his name listed as Gunnar Ivarson Ween. Gunnar (or Günnar, I've seen records with it both ways) is obviously his given name, Ivarson is the patronymic name, and Ween is the regional name. What should I use in my genealogy records for his surname? Using the DigitalArkivet site, I only got hits when I used the name Gunnar Ween. I know my G Grandmother used Ween as her last name when she immigrated to the US, but I thought maybe in Norway in the 1850's my GGG Grandfather's last name would have been considered Ivarson.

Anyhow, if you have any troubles with the .plist let me know and I'll try to fix them.

Sincerely,

Richard Webb

[Thore]

Re: Web Searches - American Ancestors

Thore,

Attached is a .plist for the site you requested. As with the one I attached above, you will need to change the file name by removing the trailing .txt and then place it in the <user>/Library/Application Support/Reunion/Search Engines folder.

The DigitalArkivet site is picky about names so I use first name only rather than what I have listed as the full given name. Likewise, it is picky about locations so I did not put the birth place in the search. I don't speak a lick of Norwegian, so maybe there is an option to use a "fuzzy" search for name and location that I did not see when I let Google translate for me. If so, please let me know!

Now I have a basic question for you since I am far removed from my Norwegian ancestry (I only visited when I was 2 years old--I have no memories of the visit!). Taking my GGG Grandfather as an example, I have his name listed as Gunnar Ivarson Ween. Gunnar (or Günnar, I've seen records with it both ways) is obviously his given name, Ivarson is the patronymic name, and Ween is the regional name. What should I use in my genealogy records for his surname? Using the DigitalArkivet site, I only got hits when I used the name Gunnar Ween. I know my G Grandmother used Ween as her last name when she immigrated to the US, but I thought maybe in Norway in the 1850's my GGG Grandfather's last name would have been considered Ivarson.

Anyhow, if you have any troubles with the .plist let me know and I'll try to fix them.

Sincerely,

Richard Webb

Thank you very much for the file, I really apreciate your help. I will test it soon.
About your question, I will come back to it soon. I will try som searches at Digitalarkivet.

Thore :-)

[Thore]

Re: Web Searches - American Ancestors

Now I have a basic question for you since I am far removed from my Norwegian ancestry (I only visited when I was 2 years old--I have no memories of the visit!). Taking my GGG Grandfather as an example, I have his name listed as Gunnar Ivarson Ween. Gunnar (or Günnar, I've seen records with it both ways) is obviously his given name, Ivarson is the patronymic name, and Ween is the regional name. What should I use in my genealogy records for his surname? Using the DigitalArkivet site, I only got hits when I used the name Gunnar Ween. I know my G Grandmother used Ween as her last name when she immigrated to the US, but I thought maybe in Norway in the 1850's my GGG Grandfather's last name would have been considered Ivarson.

Yes, his surname is Ivarson. Which means Ivars-sønn, also son of Ivar.
If Gunnar had a son his surname will be Gunnarson, or a daughter, Gunnarsdatter, often shortened Gunnarsdtr.
Early 1900 they started to use the name of the place they lived as surname.
Digitalarkivet can be a tricky place to search. I very often use * in my searches.
If you search for Gunnar, try Gun* then you will get the different spellings of the name, Gunnar, Gunner, Gunder.
Be aware of that the census can contain different spellings of the same name, ex. 1865 Gunnar is spelled Gunner, and in 1875 perhaps Gunnar.
Very often in census the birth of a person is written ex. 1832. This may vary by a few years, only the church records give the exact year/date.
I have attached a couple of files where I (and Google) have tried to translate some words on the searchpages from Digitalarkivet.

Hilsen Thore Øivind Snipstad

[riwebb]

Re: Web Searches - American Ancestors

Thank you for the information and translations! I did not know about the wildcard--that will definitely help.

Richard