BBC News - German dialect in Texas is one of a kind, and dying out

BBC News - German dialect in Texas is one of a kind, and dying out:

"German was the main language used in schools, churches and businesses around the hill country between Austin and San Antonio. But two world wars and the resulting drop in the standing of German meant that the fifth and sixth generation of immigrants did not pass it on to their children."

If you have ever hit a wall with your German ancestry, this report is especially poignant.  If you have possible German ancestors in the Austin, Texas area, this may give you clues for additional search possibilities.

Trailer for Family Tree HBO Series

Christopher Guest does for genealogy what he's done for rock bands and dog shows!

Are You Related to Otzi the Iceman?

This 5,300-year-old Iceman has close relatives living in the Mediterranean: Great article discussing the recreation of Otzi's life and, specifically, the advances being made in DNA-based genealogy, as well as the isolating genetics effects that islands have.  Here's the really interesting part for genealogists:

But the coolest results from this study are the ones linking the Iceman to his modern day descendants. Surprisingly, when Zink and his colleagues compared Ötzi's genome with that of modern day European populations, they found he was most closely related not to people from Northern Italy (where he was discovered), but "present-day inhabitants of the Tyrrhenian Sea," specifically men from the islands of Sardinia and Corsica.

Colton Pocket Map of the United States, 1855 | Retronaut

Colton Pocket Map of the United States, 1855 | Retronaut: COLTON POCKET MAP OF THE UNITED STATES, 1855 - This is a nice zoomnable map from a period of great early expansion in the United States!

Patent Trolls or Tech Fairy Godmothers? - Reason Magazine

Patent Trolls or Tech Fairy Godmothers? - Reason Magazine

Beautiful, hi-res census maps provide fascinating snapshots of 1870s America

Beautiful, hi-res census maps provide fascinating snapshots of 1870s America

Wife Sales

Great article from Katherine Mangu-Ward at Reason about a recent paper related to wife sales in 18th and 19th century England.  While the paper is directed to the economics of this practice, there are some tantalizing quotes and references that indicate the existence of original source material.  Moreover, since these appear to have involved at least some public auctions (see below quote), it seems likely that such sources exist.  Further information available here!


"“Let be, yer rogue. I wull be sold. I wants a change.”"
—  
         Mattie, an unhappy wife, to her husband, c. 1830.1