Airtable and GDAT

 Genimate Sharon left this comment on a recent post of mine.

Jill

Do you prefer Airtable to the Genealogical DNA Analysis Tool for managing your DNA kits? Or do they have different purposes? What are your other uses for Airtable?

I realised that it would probably be better to respond here in a post where I can share images than to write a lengthy comment on my earlier post

Firstly I need to point out that although I have been using DNA as a genealogy research tool for around 9 years I still class myself as a basic user. I am not particularly interested in the science behind my DNA matches, my focus is on making connections.

My uses of Airtable and GDAT are for different purposes.

I use Airtable to maintain records of the DNA matches for all the kits I manage and GDAT for chromosome analysis of matches. It's taking me a while to get my head around GDAT, I am currently using it just for my matches and (if I ever get competent) will use it for the other kits I manage.

I had previously used spreadsheets to keep track of all my matches but, after seeing two demonstrations of Airtable at Rootstech 2021: https://www.familysearch.org/rootstech/rtc2021/session/how-to-use-airtable-for-a-dna-research-log and https://www.familysearch.org/rootstech/rtc2021/session/airtable-organizing-your-research-with-a-relational-database, I went exploring. 

I realised that I could link various sheets together and this would mean that I could remove some data from my Excel spreadsheets (tables on Airtable) to secondary sheets (tables) linked back to primary sheet (table). On Airtable one can have Workspaces that store Bases which can contain multiple Tables.

The following image shows what my homepage looks like on Airtable. One can have multiple Workspaces - I just have one.

The Bases in my Airtable Workspace

In my DNA Management - JPC Base I track matches for the seven kits I manage that share my ancestors. Within this base I have four tables that are related to the primary table.

The Fields I have on JPC Matches are: Kit Name, Surname, Forename, Kit Manager, Line (4 grandparents), DNA Painted, GDAT, Test Site, Columns for each match, % of Aboriginalty, Relationship to me, Match line. this next image shows part of the setup.

Further fields to the right of this image are match location, notes, and a link to the Match Details table.

You will note plenty of empty spaces as each cell is not pertinent to each tester. This is a work in progress where I add every match I find for those seven people. Each test one person does has a separate record.

I love that I can set up Multiple Select Fields for easy data entry which I use for Line, Testing Company, DNA Painted and GDAT.

Multiple select fields save typing

The possibilities for use of this program are endless. setup is easy, data entry uncomplicated and there are so many means of sorting, sifting and analysing data. There are many templates available in the Airtable community that one can use and modify to a situation.

Another way I use Airtable is to keep track of my genimates. Over the years I have met so many folk in person and online. It's good to be able to quickly find their details when my poor old memory fails. 

My Genimates base has these tables.

Genimates has details of the people I have met, Terms manages my Geneadictionary entries (which links back to Genimates), Blogs has details of various blogs (links to Genimates and Societies), Websites has details of various websites (links to Genimates and Societies), Societies/Hosts (links to Blogs, Websites and Presentations) and Presentations manages my gigs and links back to Societies/Hosts.

After playing around with Airtable for a couple of months I took out a subscription because some of my bases grew to be too large (more than 1200 records) to be covered by a free account. I also wanted the flexibility to create more bases than allowed in a free account. I have read of other genies (watch the two videos from Rootstech) who use a free Airtable account successfully for their projects.

I plan on using GDAT for chromosome analysis. The GDAT website says "Genealogical DNA Analysis Tool (GDAT) is an app that utilizes autosomal DNA to aid in the research of family trees. The app houses a database of the autosomal data downloaded from various testing companies and provides analysis tools for family history research." 

While it's a challenge for this old girl I understand that GDAT is the gold standard for chromosome analysis. I have managed to download my matches from several other sites to GDAT and am slowly getting to know the product. I would love to have someone to hold my hand on this journey. 

Capital Punishment Database

As I was scouting around searching for details to add to persons in my CurryAus surname project I came across a new to me database, The NSW Capital Convictions Database.

While it was not intended as a genealogical database it contains the sort of information that we  family historians love to find. The database contains searchable particulars on prisoner, victim, conviction, and execution. So if your ancestor was a perpetrator or victim of crime in NSW you may find some interesting facts to add to their stories.

Of the two Currys I found in the database one was executed while one was found to be Not guilty.

Heaven Address

Sometimes as I am practising Tangential Genealogy I find some great new stuff.

Occasionally when I search for an ancestor's name on Google I am directed to the Heaven Address site where I might find death and funeral details, sometimes there are tributes posted by family and friends and sometimes there is a collection of photos of the deceased. Until I returned this week the  only entries I found at this site were only for deaths in recent years.

On its home page Heaven Address claims to be "the respectful online memorial community to honour and celebrate the lives of your loved ones." One can join Heaven Address but there is no need to do this to search its database.

What I found this week, when I decided to search Heaven Address for the surname Curry for my CurryAus Surname study, were some old records back to the 1920s. In fact I found enough information to help me reconstruct a few Curry families.

I was under the impression that only funeral directors contributed to this database but it appears that  a small group of cemeteries and crematoria are adding records with maps and GPS coordinates of graves. This must be fairly new as many records, such as William Curry's (below) indicate that they have not yet been inscribed.

I found records from several Australian States. You can see the full list of Australian cemeteries and crematoria that are contributing records here: https://www.heavenaddress.com/partner/view/cem/AU

NSW Cemeteries contributing to Heaven Address.

This is a very useful database to add to your Genealogy Toolbox especially if you are undertaking a surname study.

Ancestors from Penrith, NSW?

You may be interested in Penrith in Pictures, an online searchable database of photographs from the area.

Australian Dress Register

Wondering what your ancestors wore? Have a few minutes to spare?

Then you might enjoy a virtual visit to The Australian Dress Register that is described on its website thus:

"The Australian Dress Register is a collaborative, online project about dress in New South Wales pre 1945. This includes men's, women's and children's clothing ranging from the special occasion to the everyday. Museums and private collectors are encouraged to research their garments and share the stories and photographs while the information is still available and within living memory. The Register encourages people to consider their collections very broadly and share what they know about members of their community, what they wore and life in the past. This provides access to a world wide audience while keeping their garments in their relevant location."

Take a look at http://www.australiandressregister.org/

War Memorials in NSW

In many towns and suburbs in New South Wales one can find War Memorials erected to honour the contributions of those who served their country.

On the Register of War Memorials in New South Wales website one can perform a search to find out if a particular person has been honoured on such a memorial. As this project has not yet been completed there ar many names missing. I could not locate my father, grandfather of some uncles but did find cousins listed.


To date there are 1619 War Memorials and 149,294 Veteran Names listed. A note on the site states "There are more than 3,000 war memorials in our State, and the NSW Government and the RSL (NSW Branch) are committed to documenting each of these memorials with care and respect. "

As this site grows it will become a very useful resource for family historians.

Was there a doctor in your house?

At the Sydney Medical School Online Museum and Archive there are valuable resources for genealogists.

The 24,000 students who have graduated from the Faculty of Medicine can be found on a database that can be searched by name,year and degree. On the Biographies page one can see 155 alumni biographies.

The Senior Yearbooks from 1922-1980 are also digitised in .pdf format on the site. These substantial publications contain biographies and photographs of lecturers, photographs of the university and its teaching hospitals and "personal details and characteristics" of the fifth years. Searching these is painfully slow but it is worth perservering.

Rate Books

Library volunteer Ian Beckett has painstakingly transcribed The Hills Shire’s early rates books. They can be searched online.

Rate Books

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Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru - Trosedd a Chosb

Thanks to Rosemary Kopittke for alerting us on Twitter to this resource, Welsh crime and punishment database 1730-1830.

Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru - Trosedd a Chosb

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Scottish Genealogy News and Events (SGNE): National Burial Index version 3 - England and Wales

Scottish Genealogy News and Events (SGNE): National Burial Index version 3 - England and Wales

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Mount St Lawrence Burial Register: Book One 1855-1896, Limerick City Council

I have my fingers crossed that I might break through a brick wall and find some "Curry" relatives in this new resource.

Mount St Lawrence Burial Register: Book One 1855-1896, Limerick City Council

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MormonTimes - 9 ways to find hiding ancestors in databases

MormonTimes - 9 ways to find hiding ancestors in databases

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Some ancestors may seem like they are hiding. You know they are there, but normal record searches are not finding them. Michael Mansfield, a product manager at FamilySearch and a database expert, recently shared his top nine ways to coax ancestors out of the nooks and crannies of searchable databases.

Queensland Resource

From Queensland Archives

"The Index to Register of Immigrants 1864-1878 is now available on the Queensland State Archives website. This index was compiled from Series ID 7454 , a register of immigrants created by the Assistant Immigration Agent, Toowoomba. This register contains details of applications for passage certificates for immigration, registered in Toowoomba. The date, name and age of immigrant, trade, where living (country of origin), amount paid, name of depositor and relevant remarks as to where living in the district are included in the details."

Announcing the Article Search API - Open Blog - NYTimes.com

Announcing the Article Search API - Open Blog - NYTimes.com

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Wow! There will be some gems for genealogists in this new article search of over 2.8 million New york Times articles from 1981–today

Hornsby Library Online Photograph Collection

I was recently complaining to a friend that my local library at Hornsby did not have a collection of photographs. Aghast my friend stated that the library certainly had such a collection so I did some searching and found, in the library catalogue, an option to search the Local Studies Photo Collection.

Information on the library site stated "Hundreds of local historical photographs can be viewed directly from the Library catalogue. Enter your search words and select the format "Photographs" in the Optional Search Filter."

Although the collection appears to be small I was delighted to find, by searching for our surname, two photographs of a family member; a placename search for Arcadia delivered one photograph of a rural subdivision that showed family lands in 1901.

Thanks Hornsby Library for providing this valuable local resource that I hope will grow over time

New Queensland Index

Index to Passage Certificates 1887 – 1906

From Queensland State Archives:

"This Register, kept by the Sub-Immigration Agent, Warwick, records applications by sponsors of immigrants. Register details include date of application, names of applicant and nominee, amount paid for passage certificate, amount paid for outfit, total paid, receipt number, to whom the passage certificate forwarded, the date forwarded, date received, number, date delivered and remarks. Also includes nine additional loose documents from Insurance certificates to receipts for monies paid, personal letters and copies of Passage Remittance Certificates. The Index contains 655 entries."

City of Sydney Assessment Books

Buried deep within the City of Sydney website is a useful database. "The Assessment Books record details of ownership, occupation, construction, and value for buildings in the City of Sydney between 1845 and 1948. They provide valuable information for family and property history which is not available from any other source."

Information on the project and searching the archive can be found at City of Sydney Assessment Books 1845-1948

Dutch Immigrants to Australia

I just found some emigration details for Dutch relatives who came to Australia on this site from National Archives in Holland - From the Netherlands to Australia 1946-1991