DNA and Crime Fighting - A New Ethical Dilemma

It has been in the news recently that Californian police used DNA samples from genealogy website GEDmatch to help identify the Golden State Killer, the criminal believed to be behind at least 12 murders, 46 rapes and hundreds of break-ins in California in the 1970s and 1980s.  A distant relative of the suspect had used the genealogy site to learn more about his family history, little knowing it would later be used in a murder investigation.
The fact that DNA in a genealogy database has been used in such a manner has raised many questions about privacy and the ethical use of  such information, and has sent many DNA-testing genealogy companies scrambling to reassure users about their privacy policies.  While many people might be happy for their DNA to be used to catch and convict a killer, there are still questions about informed consent and legal use.  Will people want to upload their DNA to genealogy websites if it could one day incriminate their children—or their children’s children’s children?
DNA tests have gained popularity in Australia over the last few years for people wanting to know the ins and outs of their family history and ethnic make-up.  Family Tree DNA, 23andMe, AncestryDNA and MyHeritage DNA are among the testing services that say they can give you an insight on your origins.  But when you ship off your saliva to get your data, who actually owns your DNA, and what can they do with it?
The commercial DNA testing companies generally have privacy policies designed to protect data from being used for other purposes, but these do not apply to GEDmatch, which is a free public database where users upload the results of DNA tests from other companies.  A spokesperson for 23andMe, for example, stated: "23andMe's policies prohibit the company from voluntarily working with law enforcement."
In their statement, GEDmatch said that it was not approached by law enforcement about the case, but that it had a policy of informing users that the database could be used for other purposes.  "While the database was created for genealogical research, it is important that GEDmatch participants understand the possible uses of their DNA, including identification of relatives that have committed crimes or were victims of crimes," it added.  "If you are concerned about non-genealogical uses of your DNA, you should not upload your DNA to the database and/or you should remove DNA that has already been uploaded."
The ethical use of DNA is a rising issue today that is not easily resolved, and will be the subject of debate and concern for years to come.  While the major genealogy companies do have measures in place to ensure their user's privacy, there will always be questions about privacy, legal use and security.  Bottom line - always read the terms and conditions before you send off your test kit, and be sure you are prepared to accept them.

Week 15 - Taxes - 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

The time has flown and suddenly I am three weeks behind in my #52ancestors posts.  I will try to do better and catch up.
Week 15 focuses on the unavoidable taxes.  Income tax, land tax, rates, death duties - there are so many types of taxes we all have to pay.
I have blogged a few times about the many treasures my sister and I found while cleaning out the family home after our parents had passed.  So many things that our parents had held on to but never brought out and showed us - probably because they believed we were not interested in them, or because our parents forgot they had them at all.  There were so many little treasures and keepsakes that we had no idea of the history of, that were mostly thrown away (there is only so much space for these things, after all).
Among the many things we found were our father's old income tax records, dating from the 1950's to the 1980's.  They were tucked into an envelope at the back of his wardrobe, creased and folded and in many cases badly faded, but I have sorted them out, put them in archive boxes for preservation, and am still in the process of scanning them, along with a box full of other old documents, photographs and letters.  They are a wonderful find and I am so pleased to have them - they help build a clearer picture of my parents' lives.

My father's income for 1955-56

 Another tax-related treasure I have found recently, this time on Ancestry, are old rate books.  I found several ancestors listed in the rate books for the Melbourne suburbs of Brighton, Caulfield and St Kilda, dating back into the 1890's.  Another way of finding out where my ancestors lived, their occupations and other details about their lives.

The 1897 Rate Book for Brighton, listing my Great Grandfather James Nicholas Clark

WDYTYA Magazine

Inside this month's issue

• Love your brick walls
  Sarah Williams shares her favourite tips for tackling your research dead-ends
• Back to school
  Want to improve your family history know-how? Claire Vaughan looks at the wide range of genealogy courses
• Glasgow gangs
  Historian Andrew Davies on Glasgow's underworld of the 1920s and '30s
• Reader story
  Colin Ward finds a composer and musician who led a double life
• Feathering the nest
  Simon Wills explains how the abuse of wild birds in 19th century fashion caused the rise of wildlife conservation
• Plus...
  The best websites for tracing European ancestors; the lives of ancestors who worked as gardeners; taking your research back to the Tudors; and more...

Historic England

Historic England has been hard at work adding new collections to their online resources.  Below are a few of their recent additions.

Topical Press Agency Medical Collection.

A remarkable collection of more than 4,000 medical images, discovered deep within the vaults of the Historic England Archive.  The images document health care from 1938 to 1943, and detail wartime hospital staff, patients, procedures and practices.  The photographs in the collection are very well annotated, providing great insight into medical treatments during the Second World War. They feature hospitals and practices all around the country, from Liverpool to London. 

Maurice Barley Collection

Professor Maurice Willmore Barley (1909-1991) was born and brought up in Lincoln. After training as a teacher, he spent much of his professional life in academia. He worked at Hull University before moving to Nottingham in 1946, ultimately becoming the University’s first Professor of Archaeology in 1971.
Whilst at Nottingham he became an authority on English domestic and farmhouse architecture. He wrote a number of books on this subject of vernacular architecture, notably ‘The English Farmhouse and Cottage’ (1961).
The collection of over 5,000 prints and negatives, dates from the 1940s onwards. It reflects Barley’s interest in vernacular buildings, together with his passion for local history. The contents are heavily focussed on the vernacular houses and farmsteads of the East Midlands, some capturing buildings shortly before demolition. Thus far 1300 negatives, approximately a quarter of the collection, has been digitized.

The J J Samuels Collection

The archive has recently finished cataloguing a collection of photographs from Julian Joseph Samuels Ltd showing a variety of London streets and landmarks during the first half of the 20th century. The collection is focussed largely on Westminster and the City of London.  Tourist hotspots like Trafalgar Square and London Zoo feature alongside important legal and religious buildings like Lincolns Inn and St Paul's Cathedral.
The photographs were taken by, or possibly for, Julian Joseph Samuels, a postcard dealer based in Westminster. Born in London in 1883, Julian Joseph was one of the six children of Emmanuel Isaac Samuels and his wife Maria. According to census records he was educated at Chatham House School in Ramsgate, Kent before becoming a postcard dealer in the first decade of the 20th century.
During his career Samuels occupied premises along the Strand in Westminster as well as on Piccadilly and Regent Street.

Week 14 -The Maiden Aunt - 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

The Herald, Friday 8 March 1901 found on Trove

Once again, this was a topic where I had several potential subjects to choose from, although none were actual Aunts of mine as both my parents sisters all married.  My Great Aunt Edith Pummeroy is the person I have chosen to focus upon.

Edith Margaret Pummeroy was born 16th June 1896 in Caulfield, Victoria, the eldest child of Alfred Henry Pummeroy and Eliza Jane (Beseler).  She died 18th January 1949 in Melbourne.  Edith was deaf and mute, and she was only 4 years old when her father, a plasterer, died of pneumonia.  Her mother was left destitute with 4 young children to provide for - Edith age 4, Alice 3, Alfred 2 and William, 2 months.  The family struggled and eventually ended up in the courts, when their mother Eliza took the huge step of applying for relief. 

Although in the article showed the children were returned to their mother, eventually the struggle to provide for them became too much for their mother and the two boys were surrendered.  They spent several years in an orphanage until reclaimed by their mother after her remarriage.  Eliza did manage to keep her two girls with her.

Edith remained with her mother for a number of years until moving to her brother Alfred's home, where she functioned as his housekeeper.  They appear in the electoral rolls, and the image below is an important reminder of the potential mistakes we can make.  Taken from the 1942 electoral roll, it shows Alfred and his sister Edith living at 125 Union Street.  Directly below is their brother William and his wife Gladys, living at 8 Alexander Street.  Electoral rolls don't give any information about family relationships, and it would be easy to assume Edith and Alfred were a married couple, not siblings.

Pummeroys in the 1942 Electoral Roll



Week 13 - The Old Homestead -52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

For the #52ancestors topic 'The old Homestead' I had a few properties to choose from, but I have chosen to focus on Fordham Hall, the property in Essex, England where my father's family lived for several generations.
Fordham Hall is located in the village of Fordham in Great Holland, and the family appears in numerous records - birth, deaths and marriages ; wills and probates ; newspaper articles ; censuses.  While they did not actually own the property, they were the tenants for a number of generations, until my grandfather decided to emigrate to Australia.  The house still stands today, and is run by the Woodland Trust.
My 3xGreat-Grandfather Isaac Green first appears in the 1841 census living in the hall, and he and his family can be followed through the census records until Isaac's final appearance in 1881.

Isaac Green in the 1841 Census, age 48

Isaac Green in the 1851 census

Isaac Green in the 1861 census

Isaac Green in the 1871 census

Isaac Green in the 1881 census

Although I have not yet had the opportunity to travel to England, several members of my family have visited over the years, and have made the journey back to the old homestead.  During my research I have acquired a number of photos of the house, and of several members of my family who inhabited it.  One day I hope to make the journey and see it for myself.

Fordham Hall c1990

Pastmap - maps of Scotland

Have you discovered PastMap yet?  Pastmap is a free website allowing researchers to view information about the archaeology, architecture and landscapes of Scotland on one single map. It is managed by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) along with partners from local government and archaeological curators, and holds data from a growing number of other sources.

You can look at different layers, such as local authority Historic Environment Records (HERs), or Listed Building data from HES. You can choose to display layers on a map or aerial photograph and you can turn the layers on or off. Use the search or zoom tools to explore the map and delve into historic sites across Scotland.

When you find a site of interest – like a standing stone, a castle or a designed landscape – click on it to show more detail in the sidebar. Select a group of objects by drawing a shape or circle around them. Once you have made your selection, you can download a report of up to 1,000 records to view later.

Different types of maps include

• Modern.  Look at the locations of Scotland’s sites and monuments superimposed on today’s Ordnance Survey and OpenStreetMap bases
• Historic - Use historic 19th and 20th century OS maps as a backdrop to historic environment data and look at how the landscape has changed over time
• Aerial - Compare features from the air against what is known in Scotland’s historic environment records, and look in more detail from a bird’s-eye view
• Data - Discover where the archaeology, historic buildings and landscapes of Scotland are, and follow the links to their descriptions and stories