"Mayflower Pilgrims' Bible"

Have you ever wondered what version of the Bible the Pilgrims brought to America on the Mayflower? Believe it or not, it was not the King James Version of 1611. It was actually The 1599 Geneva Bible - a forgotten yet priceless treasure! The Geneva Bible was the most widely read and influential English Bible of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Here is an online copy of this Bible:
http://www.biblestudytools.net/Commentaries/GenevaStudyBible/

From: The Forgotten Translation by Gary DeMar
http://www.reformed.org/documents/index.html?mainframe=http://www.reformed.org/documents/geneva/Geneva.html

While other English translations failed to capture the hearts of the reading public, the Geneva Bible was instantly popular. Between 1560 and 1644 at least 144 editions appeared. For forty years after the publication of the King James Bible, the Geneva Bible continued to be the Bible of the home. Oliver Cromwell used extracts from the Geneva Bible for his Soldier's Pocket Bible which he issued to the army.


In 1620 the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth with their Bibles and a conviction derived from those Bibles of establishing a new nation. The Bible was not the King James Version. When James I became king of England in 1603, there were two translations of the Bible in use; the Geneva Bible was the most popular, and the Bishops' Bible was used for reading in churches. King James disapproved of the Geneva Bible because of its Calvinistic leanings. He also frowned on what he considered to be seditious marginal notes on key political texts. A marginal note for Exodus 1:9 indicated that the Hebrew midwives were correct in disobeying the Egyptian king's orders, and a note for 2 Chronicles 15:16 said that King Asa should have had his mother executed and not merely deposed for the crime of worshipping an idol. The King James Version of the Bible grew out of the king's distaste for these brief but potent doctrinal commentaries. He considered the marginal notes to be a political threat to his kingdom. At a conference at Hampton Court in 1604 with bishops and theologians, the king listened to a suggestion by the Puritan scholar John Reynolds that a new translation of the Bible was needed. Because of his distaste for the Geneva Bible, James was eager for a new translation. "I profess," he said, "I could never yet see a Bible well translated in English; but I think that, of all, that of Geneva is the worst."

For more information about the Geneva Bible, Google: "Geneva Bible," but, especially, check out ~ http://www.reformed.org/documents/index.html?mainframe=http://www.reformed.org/documents/geneva/Geneva.html

Online 1599 Geneva Bible & idea for this article from Don Counts and compiled by John G. West

THE CAPTAIN'S LOG -TSGS News

Another Survey/Poll has closed. We have a new record of 15 participants. The question was:
When was your favorite Christmas time?
As a kid ...................... 8 (53%)
As a young parent ...... 5 (33%)
As an older parent ...... 2 (14%)
As a Grandparent ....... 0 (00%)

I was not sure how well this poll would be for our visitors, but as we had an increase in visitors the number voting increased. I thought "Christmas as a kid" would be the majority choice, but I thought "as a young parent" or "as a grandparent" would be the race for second place. I am a grandparent and, although, I had many great Christmases as a kid, I voted for being a young parent. With three sons, I really enjoyed playing Santa each year until the last one stopped believing in Santa. So, I guess of our non-scientific poll with a small sampling, that Christmas is best enjoyed as we are young and younger the better. Thanks to all who took time to make a selection. Some time today, I will try to create a new survey. I could use some ideas if you want to send me some... we want to try to have something related to genealogy or history with exceptions being around some of the holidays or other special events. Check back later today to see if I came up with something. And, as always, if you did not have a chance to vote on this poll, you may make a comment to this article telling us how you would have voted - you can also make the comment anonymously.

The TSGS regular Web Site has really jumped in people visiting the site since we added a guestbook and a link to this new TSGS Cruiser Blog. We generally got about 20-30 visits a month at the most - this was to check what the next meeting program was going to be. On Nov. 21, I happened to be the 52000th. visitor since the first visitor in 1996 (counter near bottom of page). This morning we are at 54361 - in about 40 days we have had 2,361 visits. That is not 2,361 different people, but the number of times people have looked at the main page. Every time you exit the page and then re-visit, the counter registers another hit (as long as there has been a short lapse between visits). On that web site, I have added a new gadget that counts what is known as "unique visits" located at the top of the page. It might look like an advertisement with a world map on it. A colorful square logo, that says "Visitors Locations" - it is from ClustrMaps and you can click this to get a new page with a large map with red dots from wherever anyone visits our page. And it tells how many have made a visit to this site and where from! Now, "unique visits" mean that for each of us, this counter only will register only one of our visits per a 24 hour period... you can visit 20 times and the lower counter will rack up another 20 "hits" but only one will be added to the count on the map counter. This is neat to check often as it shows where we live (as to the address of the Internet Server Provider [ISP] where you live). We have had visits from 7 countries outside of the USA and since Dec. 14 the web site has had 221 unique visits. Location of 219 are known as to address and plotted on the map (2 visits were from servers that did not have an address known). You can visit the regular TSGS Web Site by clicking on the TSGS Cruiser Blog graphic of the blue boat in the right-hand column... there are several links on the right that says "Visit the TSGS Web Site." - by JGWest

Tombstone Thursday - Donald G. West [Dedicated to His Memory]

Donald G. West

1952-2000

Oak Hill Cemetery, Evansville, Indiana

Section D, Lot 103, Grave 4

This is the first tombstone to be shown on this blog. I thought I would start with my younger brother who died of a heart attack at age 47. Donald Gene West never married and stayed home with our Mom when Dad died the day before Don's 21st. birthday until Mom died about 2 years before him. I will dedicate this Tombstone Project to Don... he was very supportive of my genealogical research and when I first started going to courthouses & cemeteries in 1978, Don went with me and often drove. He was really a big help in checking record book indexes and finding tombstones in the cemeteries. We learned a lot together about our ancestors. I have learned so much since Don died that I wished he could see, but I suspect he is doing his best to guide me along my research for our ancestry.

Don West graduated from Evansville Bosse High School and attended University of Southern Indiana & Ivy Tech. He worked for over 20 years for Whirlpool and attended Bible Center Cathedral. He loved music, played the guitar and was in a local band for a while. He owned a camp in Yellow Banks Recreation Center, Selvin, Indiana in northeastern Warrick County. Being an avid history buff, he joined the Vanderburgh County Historical Society which made him an excellent partner with me collecting data for our family history. When Don was about 10 years old he won the Cappy Dick Contest of the newspaper's "Funny Pages" becoming a National Winner. He won a complete set of the World Book encyclopedia & World Craft books complete with a nice wooden case to display them. He had them for about one month when the Evansville Courier & Press came out to the country where we lived (in northeastern Warrick County). He told them that when he grew up he wanted to play the guitar and be in a band like the Beatles. He wanted to go to Europe to visit countries he read about in the encyclopedias of Germany, England & Holland. In the fall of 1999, Don visited these countries. At Christmas time, he was showing us the trip photos and said, "If I die tomorrow, I would die a happy man because I got to fulfill my lifelong dream!" Ten days later, Don died a happy man. Don, rest in peace... we miss you!

Don was about 4.5 years old when I took this photo of him sitting on the back bumper of Dad's Dodge. I was a budding photographer at age 10.

This is a new feature for the TSGS Cruiser. Each Thursday I will post a tombstone with location and anything I can find of interest to write about the deceased or the stone itself.

I stole this feature idea from Brenda Jerome (TSGS member) from her blog http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/ Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog. She calls hers "Tombstone Tuesday" and this was the last edition Tombstone Tuesday - Bostick Child -JGWest

"New Breckinridge Co., KYGenWeb County Coordinator"

Breckinridge County, KYGenWeb Project is under a new County Coordinator (CC). The KYGenWeb Project is part of the USGenWeb and was the fore-runner of the entire concept established by the late Jeff Murphy in 1996. I read an article about his idea in the Everton's Online Newsletter http://www.everton.com/b/index.html and thought that his idea was a great one. I wrote him an email and volunteered to be a CC in Kentucky... LaRue County was available (many of my ancestors were from there, as well as, most of the surrounding counties). I had to learn how to build a web page using HTML coding and learn the code via email from Nancy Trice & Holly Timm, by the end of the summer of 1996, I had my LaRue Co., KYGenWeb page online! The next year, I became the CC of Breckinridge & Grayson Counties, as well, with LaRue & Grayson always seeming to get more of my time and contributions from researchers to add to the sites. As time went on Dana Brown took over the KYGenWeb Breckinridge Co. Archives which was designed basically to collect research data, while the Project page was designed more for resources, queries, and look-ups. Dana has been very successful in getting volunteers to submit and, even better, type data for inclusion in the archives. After about 10 years of serving as a KYGenWeb CC, I knew that it was time for me to give up the CC position and get someone that would be able to spend more time and do a better job... I wanted Dana to take the post, but she was reluctant due to limited web building skills. So, I waited for her to become more experienced. I actually got another volunteer earlier this year who had to back out. I finally decided that it was way past due for me to retire and requested the State Coordinator to put my sites up for adoption. Thankfully, Dana answered the call to become the new county coordinator!!! She has modernized my out-dated web pages with some very nice looking backgrounds and graphics. In just a few days she has added a lot of new material and this site will be one of the best for researchers. I was never into track sports, but I know that when your relay team is in good position, it is really nice to know that you are handing the "baton" onto a faster, better runner. Thanks to Dana our Breckinridge Co., KY team will finish very well in helping genealogical researchers for that area of Kentucky.

Here are links to the Breckinridge sites:

Breckinridge Co., KYGenWeb ~ http://kykinfolk.com/breckinridge/

and the Breckinridge Co., KYGenWeb Archives ~ http://www.usgwarchives.org/ky/breckinridge/toc.html

Go visit both! - Reported by John G. West

RACING DOWN the RIVER -Brief Genealogical Notes

We have added a few pictures of our 2008 Christmas Social to the TSGS Web Site (see link below the next photo or you can click on our TSGS Cruiser graphic in the right-hand column). Larry Goss, look at that spread! Everyone had a good time talking and snacking. Former TSGS President Don Counts almost ate as much as I did.




We have added several photos of the 2008 TSGS Seminar presented by Pat Gooldy of Ye Olde Genealogie Shoppe on the TSGS Web Site: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~intsgs/index.html
- notes from TSGS Webmaster John G. West


We got a couple great hints for "The Daniel Hicks Mystery" from a few days ago (see comments for that article).


In yesterday's article, I forgot to include the Surname Group Rates for Genetic DNA Testing for the Family Tree DNA company. I corrected it later in the day, if you read the article early go back and check the reduced prices.

STAYING AFLOAT in the GENE POOL -Genetic DNA News

Genetic DNA testing prices (2008) from three companies to give you an idea of what it costs to take a test. - compiled by John G. West

1. FamilyTreeDNA Genetic DNA Testing Prices:

***GROUP DISCOUNT PRICES ARE IN GREEN! - JGW***

Y-CHROMOSOME - DNA TESTS
Y-DNA12: 12 Marker Test $149 $99
Y-DNA37: 37 Markers Test $259 $119
Y-DNA67: 67 Markers Test $349 $218
Oxford Conversion Kit $169
Ancestry Conversion Kit $169
MITOCHONDRIAL - MTDNA
mtDNA $129 $99
mtDNAPlus $189
Oxford mtConversion Plus $159
mtDNA Full Sequence $495 $395
COMBINED - Y-CHROMOSOME AND MTDNA TESTS
Y-DNA12+mtDNA $229 $179
Y-DNA37+mtDNAPlus $389 $199
COMPREHENSIVE ANCESTRAL TESTS
Y-DNA67+mtDNAPlus $489 $308
SuperDNA $839 $613
AUTOSOMAL TESTS
Autosomal Markers Panel 1 $184
Autosomal Markers Panels 1 & 2 $257

2. DNA.Ancestry.com:

Act now and receive 40% off your purchase. Offer expires December 31, 2008.
Paternal Lineage Test (Y-Chromosome 33) $149 Now $89.40
Advanced Paternal Lineage Test (Y-Chromosome 46) $199 Now $119.40
Maternal Lineage Test (Mitochondrial DNA) $179 Now $107.40

3. DNA Direct Pricing:

$189 Maternal Lineage (Mitochondrial DNA)
$149 Paternal Lineage (Y-DNA 33)
$199 Paternal Lineage (Y-DNA 46)
$328 Combined Lineage (Mitchondrial DNA + Y-DNA 33)
$378 Combined Lineage (Mitchondrial DNA + Y-DNA 46)
$240 AncestryByDNA 2.5

"The Daniel Hicks Mystery"

This blog was not created for queries; however, I will review any interesting story or intriguing mystery that anyone wishes to submit. But, be advised that unless I have nothing else to say (which is very rare!), I generally will not publish such material. This one caught my fancy and I thought many of the TSGS "research detectives" might give all of us some ideas to solve this mystery... just click on "COMMENTS" at end of this article (after the time stamp) to make your ideas known. JGW

Mr. West, I am not sure whether the following story would be properly posted to this blog, so I hope you review it before being "officially posted." - CW

I am trying to locate more information on DANIEL HICKS who was the father of my great-grandmother, Nancy Caroline Hicks. All I know about him is the following: Pope County, Illinois Marriage Book A, page 504 -- Daniel Hicks to Martha Ann McCurdy on 9 Feb 1849; shortly after the birth of their daughter Nancy in May of 1850 Daniel disappeared and was never seen again; Martha and Nancy, but not Daniel, were listed in the Pope Co., IL, 1850 U.S. Census in the home of Martha's sister and brother-in-law, James and Nancy King; Martha got a divorce between May 1850 and Sept 1851 in Pope Co., IL. My grandmother (Nancy's daughter, Mary Adella Smith Knauff) told me: "My grandfather Hicks was a mystery, one of those things never solved. He and grandmother was at her father's visiting shortly after the birth of Nancy and decided to move to their neighborhood (William McCurdy lived in Pope County, IL, probably near Wool) and he told her she could stay and he would go back and move their things (where these things were located is not known, probably in Pope Co., IL or in Kentucky where Daniel was from - also unknown). He kissed her goodbye and drove away in the wagon expecting to be back with their furniture and he was never heard of again. They never knew if he met with foul play or what. They knew of no relatives of Daniel." Nancy Caroline Hicks (who married Joseph Smith) gave Kentucky as the birthplace of her father on the 1880 U.S. Census: Franklin Co, IL, Eastern twp, E.D. 15, p. 79, Household #265, Joseph and Nancy C. Smith.

I would be so happy if someone knows of Daniel Hicks' life before or after 1850 and could tell me what happened to him. Carolynn Waldon -- Waldonhaus at aol dot com

The challenge is on, what genealogical sleuth will be first to resolve Carolynn's mysterious disappearance of her great-great-grandfather Daniel Hicks? Send your comments to me or just click "comments" after the time stamp: "Posted by Tri-State Genealogical Society at 6:15 AM 0 comments."