Genealogical Sketch of John Nicholas Brocke (1855-1938) and Anna Grieser (1859-1936) Family

I am writing genealogical sketches, and then will write AI-assisted biographies, of my wife's ancestors by ancestral couple, not by individual ancestor.  

Here is the genealogical sketch for the family of my wife Linda's paternal great-grandparents John Nicholas Brocker (1855-1938) and Anna Grieser (1859-1936) who married in 1877 in Cedar County, Nebraska.

1) Nicholas Brocke Research Notes:

John Nicholas Brocke was born on 24 January 1855 (according to a published book) in Michigan [1-2] to Johann Heinrich “Peter” Brocke (1826-1891) and Christina (Webber) Brocke (1831-1914), who had immigrated from Herbede, Prussia in about 1849 to the Baltimore, Maryland area, and were married there in about 1850. The children of Peter and Christina (Webber) Brocke are:

• Catharine Brocke, born 1 Jan 1851, Wheeling, Ohio, West Virginia; married Theodore Beste, 3 Apr 1877, Cedar, Nebraska; died 13 Jan 1887, St. Helena, Cedar, Nebraska.
• John Nicholas Brocke, born 24 Jan 1855, Michigan; married Anna Grieser, 24 Apr 1877, Cedar, Nebraska; died 14 Dec 1938, Lewiston, Nez Perce, Idaho.
• Franklin Joseph Brocke, born abt 1857, Cedar, Nebraska; married Catherine Ann Sutherland, 1879, Cedar, Nebraska; died 29 Aug 1942, Davison, South Dakota.
• Charles Hubert Brocke, born 4 Sep 1859, St. James, Cedar, Nebraska; married Catherine Teresa Burgel, 17 Oct 1882, Cedar, Nebraska; died 8 Mar 1949, Lewiston, Nez Perce, Idaho.
• Mary Brocke was born about 1866 in Cedar, Nebraska. No further record.

In the 1860 United States census, the John Brocke family resided in Saint James Precinct, Cedar County, Nebraska Territory.[3] The household included:

• John Brookes - age 35, male, a farmer, $700 in personal property, born Germany
• Jane Brookes - age 30, female, born Germany
• Catherine Brookes - age 12, female, born Wisconsin
• Nickolas Brookes - age 9, male, born Wisconsin
• Franklin Brookes - age 6, male, born Wisconsin
• Charles Brookes - age 1, male, born Nebraska 

In the 1870 U.S. Census, the family resided in Brooke Precinct, Cedar County, Nebraska.[4] The household included:

• John Brocke -- age 44, male, white, a farmer, $2500 in real property, $2390 in personal property, born Prussia
• Christina Brocke -- age 38, female, white, keeping house, born Prussia
• Kathrina Brocke -- age 17, female, white, born Virginia
• J. Nicholas Brocke -- age 15, male, white, farm laborer, born Michigan
• Frank Brocke -- age 13, male, white, at school, born Michigan
• Charley Brocke -- age 10, male, white, born Nebraska
• Mary Brocke -- age 4, female, white, born Nebraska

2) Anna Grieser Research Notes:

Anna Grieser was born 17 November 1859 in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri,[5] the daughter of Ignatius Grieser (1835-1879) and Katherine Gute (1837-1920), German immigrants from Baden-Wurttemburg, who married in 1858 in St. Louis. The children of Ignatius and Katherine (Gute) Grieser were:

• Anna Grieser, born 17 Nov 1859, Saint Louis, St. Louis (city), Missouri; married John Nicholas Brocke, 24 Apr 1877, Cedar, Nebraska; died 19 Mar 1936, Kendrick, Latah, Idaho.
• Frank Peter Grieser, born 12 Sep 1861, Louisiana; married Catharina Christina Spielman, 17 Jun 1889, Uniontown, Whitman, Washington; died 13 Aug 1941, Genesee, Latah, Idaho.
• Adolph O. Grieser, born 20 Apr 1869, Saint Louis, St. Louis (city), Missouri; married Theresa Henrietta Baumgartner, 23 Nov 1891, Genesee, Latah, Idaho; died 5 Mar 1941, Moscow, Latah, Idaho.
• Amelia Grieser, born 13 Mar 1871, Cedar, Nebraska; married Charles Wernecke, 1888, Nebraska; died 1 Apr 1953, Genesee, Latah, Idaho.
• Katherine Grieser, born 10 May 1872, Cedar, Nebraska; married James W. Peterson, 28 Mar 1895, Grundy, Iowa; died 28 Jun 1950, Lewiston, Nez Perce, Idaho.
• Elizabeth "Lizzie" Grieser, born 13 Dec 1874, Cedar, Nebraska; married Joseph Nicolaus Hasfurther, 18 Jul 1893, Genesee, Latah, Idaho; died 25 Jul 1939, Genesee, Latah, Idaho.
• Charles Frank Grieser, born 13 Jun 1876, Cedar, Nebraska; married Anna Barbara Hasfurther, 22 Jun 1898, Genesee, Latah, Idaho; died 1961, Genesee, Latah, Idaho.

In the 1860 United States Census, the Ignaz Briesser household was enumerated in St. Louis, Missouri.[6] The household included:

• Ignaz Briesser - age 25, male, a carpenter, $250 in personal property, born Baden
• Catherin Briesser - age 23, female, born in Baden
• Anna Briesser - age 1/2, female, born Missouri

In the 1870 United States census, the Ignatz Graeser household was enumerated in St. Louis, Missouri.[7] The household included:

• Ignatz Graeser - age 35, male, white, a H. carpenter, $4000 in real property, $400 in personal property, born Baden, father and mother of foreign birth, a male citizen over age 21
• Cath Graeser - age 32, female, white, keeping house, born in Baden, father and mother of foreign birth,
• Anna Graeser - age 10, female, white, at school, born Missouri, father and mother of foreign birth, attends school
• Frank Graeser - age 8, male, white, born Louisiana, father and mother of foreign birth, attends school
• Adolph Graeser - age 1, male, white, born Missouri, father and mother of foreign birth

The Grieser family moved to Cedar County, Nebraska after 1870 and before 1880.

3) Nicholas and Anna (Grieser) Brocke Life Together Research Notes:

John Nicholas Brocke married Anna Grieser on 24 April 1877 in Cedar County, Nebraska[8] and together they came west on an immigrant train to Idaho along with Anna's parents and their six children. Nicholas had moved the family to a farm near Kendrick, Latah County, Idaho by 1878 and staked a one hundred sixty acre claim for land.

John Nicholas Brocke and Anna Grieser had the following children:

• John Ineaughe Brocke, born 6 Feb 1878, Kendrick, Latah, Idaho; married Etta May Stockwell, 30 Oct 1901, Kendrick, Latah, Idaho, one child; died 2 Jun 1931, Clarkston, Asotin, Washington.
• Frank Nicholas Brocke, born 15 Oct 1879, Genesee, Latah, Idaho; married Julia Rose Otto, 21 Oct 1903, Moscow, Latah, Idaho, 5 children; died 12 Jan 1919, Kendrick, Latah, Idaho.
• Etta Susan Brocke, born 19 May 1881, Multnomah, Oregon; married August Charles Hagist, 4 Dec 1902, Spokane, Spokane, Washington, four children; died 20 Nov 1961, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon.
• Caroline Brocke, born 23 Apr 1883, Kendrick, Latah, Idaho; married Harland Page Wilcox, 21 Nov 1903, Moscow, Latah, Idaho, two children; died 12 Mar 1965, Lewiston, Nez Perce, Idaho.
• Amelia Anna Brocke, born 1 Nov 1884, Kendrick, Latah, Idaho; married Severt Oliver Leland, 12 Feb 1904, Helena, Lewis and Clark, Montana, 5 children; died 30 Jul 1975, Redwood City, San Mateo, California.
• Joseph Adolph Brocke, born 18 Sep 1888, Kendrick, Latah, Idaho; married Emma Almyra Oliver, 17 Feb 1909, Livingston, Park, Montana, no children; died 27 Jun 1956, Spokane, Spokane, Washington.
• Charles Joseph Brocke was born on 10 Nov 1892 in Kendrick, Latah, Idaho. He was baptized on 18 Jul 1893 in Genesee, Latah, Idaho; not married. He died on 6 Apr 1946 at the age of 53 in Alameda, California.
• Nicholas Francis Brocke, born 2 Nov 1894, Kendrick, Latah, Idaho; married Mabel George, 12 Nov 1927, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, no children; died 3 Aug 1945, Merced, California.

Nicholas Brocke was a very energetic farmer, he grew white navy beans which he used for bartering at the stores locally at early Kendrick stores, he grew both grains and fruit.

In the 1880 U.S. Census, the family resided in Township 37, Nez Perce County, Idaho.[9] The household included:

• Nicholas Brocke (indexed as Brooke) -- white, male, age 25, married, a farmer, born in Virginia, father born in Prussia, mother born in Prussia
• Anna Brocke -- white, female, age 20, wife, married, keeping house, born Missouri, father born unknown, mother born unknown
• John Brocke - white, male, age 2, son, single, born Idaho, father born Virginia, mother born Missouri
• Frank N. Brocke - white, male, age 6/12, born in October last, son, single, born Idaho, father born Virginia, mother born Missouri

In the 1900 U.S. Census, the family resided in Kendrick Precinct, Latah County, Idaho.[10] The household included:

• Nicholas Brocke -- head, white, male, born Jany 1855, age 45, married, for 22 years, born Michigan, father born Germany, mother born Germany, a farmer, owns farm with a mortgage..
• Anna Brocke -- wife, white, female, born Nov 1860, age 39, married, for 22 years, 8 children born, 8 living, born Missouri, father born Germany, mother born Germany
• John Brocke -- son, white, male, born Feb 1878, age 22, single, born Idaho, father born Michigan, mother born Missouri, a farm laborer.
• Frank Brocke -- son, white, male, born Oct 1880, age 19, single, born Idaho, father born Michigan, mother born Missouri, a farm laborer.
• Carrie Brocke -- daughter, white, female, born Apr 1883, age 17, single, born Idaho, father born Michigan, mother born Missouri,
• Amelia Brocke -- daughter, white, female, born Nov 1885, age 14, single, born Idaho, father born Michigan, mother born Missouri,
• Joseph Brocke -- son, white, male, born Dec 1890, age 9, single, born Idaho, father born Michigan, mother born Missouri..
• Charles Brocke -- son, white, male, born Dec 1892, age 7, single, born Idaho, father born Michigan, mother born Missouri.
• Nicholas Brocke -- son, white, male, born Nov 1894, age 5, single, born Idaho, father born Michigan, mother born Missouri.

In the 1910 U.S. Census, the family resided in Kendrick Precinct, Latah County, Idaho.[11] The household included:

• Nickoles Brocke -- head, male, white, age 55, first marriage, married 32 years, born Michigan, father born Germany, mother born Germany, speaks English, a farmer, works on general farm, owns farm free of mortgage
• Annie Brocke -- wife, female, white, age 52, first marriage, married 32 years, 8 children born, 8 living, born Missouri, father born Germany, mother born Germany, speaks English
• Nicholas Brocke -- son, male, white, age 15, single, born Idaho, father born Germany, mother born Germany, speaks English, a farmer, works on horse farm

In the 1920 U.S. Census, the family resided in Kendrick Precinct, Latah County, Idaho.[12] The household included:

• Nicholas Brocke -- head, owns farm, male, white, age 65, married, born Michigan, father born Germany, mother born Germany, speaks English, a janitor, works in lodge hall
• Annie Brocke -- wife, female, white, age 60, married, born Missouri, father born Germany, mother born Germany, speaks English

In the 1930 U.S. Census, the family resided in Kendrick Precinct, Latah County, Idaho.[13] The household included:

• Nicholas Brocke -- head, owns home, worth $2500, male, white, age 76, married, first at age 23, born Michigan, father born Germany, mother born Germany, no occupation
• Anna Brocke -- wife, female, white, age 70, married, first at age 18, born Missouri, father born Germany, mother born Germany

Anna (Grieser) Brocke died on 19 March 1936 at age 76 in Kendrick, Latah County, Idaho.[14] She was white, married, wife of Nicholas Brocke, date of birth 17 Nov 1859, aged 76 years, 3 months, two days, a housewife, born in St. Louis, Mo., and died of senility and influenza, The informant was her husband, Nicholas Brocke. She was buried in American Ridge Cemetery in Juliaetta, Latah County, Idaho.[15]

Nicholas Brocke died on 14 December 1938 in Lewiston, Nez Perce County, Idaho.[16] He resided at 1503 9th Avenue in Lewiston, was white, a widower, no birth date, aged 84 years, 11 months, 14 days [Note - that doesn't agree withy the date in the book], retired, born in Maryland, and died of angina pectoris and arteriosclerosis. The informant was his daughter, Mrs. Caroline Wilcox of Lewiston. He was buried in American Ridge Cemetery in Juliaetta, Latah County, Idaho.[17]

4) Published Biography of Brocke Family:[2]

The book An Illustrated History of the State of Idaho (Chicago, Ill. : Lewis Publishing co., 1899) (pages 649-650) published this biography of Nicholas Brocke:

"Nicholas Brocke, one of the prominent farmers and fruit-growers of the Potlatch Country, is pleasantly located three and a half miles west of Kendrick. He was born in Michigan, July 24, 1855, a son of John and Christine (Webber) Brocke, both of whom were natives of Germany, whence they crossed the Atlantic to the United States in 1849. They were then single, their marriage being celebrated in Baltimore, Maryland. Mr. Brocke spent three years in the employ of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company and three years in the Lake Superior copper mines, and then emigrated to Iowa. In 1858 he went to northwestern Nebraska, and in 1877 became a resident of South Dakota, where he industriously and energetically carried on farming until his death, which occurred when he was in his sixty-fifth year. His wife still survives him, and is now in her sixty-eighth year. They had five children, four of whom are living.

"The second child, Nicholas Brocke, was reared in his parents’ home, obtained his education in the public schools and accompanied his parents on their various removals until after their arrival in Nebraska. In that state he was married, in 1877, to Miss Annie Geiser, a native of St. Louis, Missouri. They came to Idaho and located on a farm nine miles south of Moscow, Mr. Brocke improving his property and making his home thereon until 1888, when he sold his farm and came to his present location. In June of that year he entered a claim of one hundred and sixty acres, which he has transformed into a very desirable and valuable farm. The buildings upon the place stand as monuments to his enterprise, and the neat appearance of everything indicates the careful supervision of a practical and progressive owner. He has a good residence, large barns and all the appliances for successful farming. He has secured a pumping outfit which conveys water to his residence and all over the farm wherever wanted, and thus the fields are well irrigated. He raises both grain and fruit, and his harvest and fruit crops well attest the Business ability of Mr. Brocke, who is most energetic and resolute in carrying on his work.

"Unto our subject and his wife have been born eight children, namely: John, Frank, Ettie, Carrie, Amelia, Joseph, Charles and Nicholas. The parents and children are valued members of the Catholic Church, and Mr. Brocke belongs to the Knights of Pythias fraternity and to the Woodmen of the World. In his political connections he is a stalwart Democrat, and has been school trustee and highway commissioner, filling both offices with ability and fidelity. To all the duties of citizenship he is true, and is ever reliable in all life’s relations. The success he has achieved is the result of his own well directed efforts, and he may justly be called a self-made man."

5) SOURCES

1. "Idaho Death Records, 1890-1967," indexed database and digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com), Nicholas Brocke (1855-1938) death certificate.

2. An Illustrated History of the State of Idaho (Chicago, Ill. : Lewis Publishing co., 1899), pages 649-650, biography of Nicholas Brocke.

3. 1860 United States Federal Census, Cedar County, Nebraska Territory, population schedule, Saint James City, page 22 (penned), household #208, family #120, John Brooks household; imaged, "1860 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M653.

4. 1870 United States Federal Census, Cedar County, Nebraska, population schedule, Brocke Precinct, Page 169A, household #723, family #709, John Brocke household; imaged, "1870 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M593, Roll 828.

5. State of Idaho, "Idaho Death Certificates, 1911-1937," State File No. 98064, Anna Brocke, died 19 March 1936; imaged, MyHeritage (http://www.myheritage.com : accessed 8 April 2015); citing Department of Health and Welfare, Boise, Idaho.

6. 1860 United States Federal Census, St. Louis County, Missouri, population schedule, St. Louis Ward 1, Page 248, dwelling #836, family #2078, Ignaz Briesser household; imaged, “1860 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M653, Roll 647.

7. 1870 United States Federal Census, St. Louis County, Missouri, population schedule, St. Louis Ward 3, page 108A, dwelling #316, family #752, Ignatz Graeser household; imaged, “1870 United States Federal Census,”Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M593, Roll 812.

8. "Marriage Index for Cedar County, Nebraska," database, Nebraska GenWeb Project (http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ne/county/cedar/marriageindex.htm), Bl-By Surnames, John Nicholas Brocke and Anna Grieser license entry, citing Vol. 1, Page 80.

9. 1880 United States Federal Census, Nez Perce County, Idaho, Township 37, Enumeration District 23, Page 14 (penned), page 246B (stamped), Dwelling # 178, Family #178, Nicholas Brooke household; imaged, “1880 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com), citing National Archives Microfilm Publication T9, Roll 173, .

10. 1900 United States Federal Census, Latah County, Idaho, Kendrick Precinct, Enumeration District 66, Page 8A (stamped), Dwelling # 166, Family #167; imaged, “1900 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com), citing National Archives Microfilm Publication T623, Roll 233.

11. 1910 United States Federal Census, Latah County, Idaho, population schedule, Kendrick Precinct, Enumeration District 182, Page 6B (stamped), Dwelling # 124, Family #125; imaged, 1910 United States Federal Census Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication T624, Roll 225.

12. 1920 United States Federal Census, Latah County, Idaho, population schedule, Kendrick Precinct, Enumeration District 118, Page 7B (stamped), Dwelling # 150, Family #158; imaged, “1920 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication T625, Roll 292.

13. 1930 United States Federal Census, Latah County, Idaho, Kendrick Precinct, Enumeration District 24, Page 1A (stamped), Dwelling # 4, Family #4; imaged, “1900 United States Federal Census ,” Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com), citing National Archives Microfilm Publication T626, Roll 401.

14. State of Idaho, "Idaho Death Certificates, 1911-1937," State File No. 98064, Anna Brocke death cerificate, died 19 March 1936; imaged, MyHeritage (https://www.myheritage.com); citing Department of Health and Welfare, Boise, Idaho.

15. Find A Grave (https://www.findagrave.com), American Ridge Cemetery (Juliaetta, Id.), Anna Grieser Brocke (1859-1936) memorial # 24212345.

16. State of Idaho, Certificate of Death, State File No. 111900, Nicholas Brocke death certificate, died 14 December 1938; imaged, "Idaho Death Records, 1890-1966," imaged, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 7 August 2017); citing Department of Public Welfare, Bureau of Vital Statistics.

17. Find A Grave (https://www.findagrave.com), American Ridge Cemetery (Juliaetta, Id.), Nicholas Brocke (1855-1938) memorial # 24212340.

6)  Relationship

John Nicholas Brocke (1855-1938) and Anna Grieser (1859-1936) are the paternal great-grandparents of my wife, Linda (Leland) Seaver (1942-still living), through her grandmother Amelia Anna Brocke (1887-1975) who married Torger Severt Leland (1878-1940) in 1904 in Helena, Montana, and their son, Leo S. Leland (1911-2002) who married Edna May Schaffner Leland (1913-1979) in 1937.

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Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver

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Ask AI: "Review My Blog for 2025 and Create a Genealogy Research Plan for 2026"

 Linda Stufflebean used Artificial Intelligence LLM tools to analyze her Empty Branches On the Family Tree blog posts for 2025 and asked Anthropic Claude to formulate a Research Plan for 2026 in Asking AI for a 2026 Genealogy Research Plan, Part 1 and Part 2.

1)  I thought this was a worthy endeavor and I would try it also.  I used Linda's prompt from her first blog post but substituted my Genea-Musings URL.  The prompt is:  "Please review my blog posts on www.geneamusings.com  for 2025. Create a reasonable genealogy research plan for me for 2026, based on families who have been featured last year. Where do I need to add more details, check new resources, or just beef up my knowledge about them?"

(AI Google NotebookLM Infographic for Randy's 2026 Genealogy Research Plan from Claude)

2)  I ran this prompt on Anthropic Claude, OpenAI ChatGPT 5, X Grok, Google Gemini 3, and Perplexity.  

3)  My judgment was that the Anthropic Claude result was the most comprehensive.  Here is the response (apparently, Claude did some thinking at the beginning...):

I'll fetch your blog to review your 2025 posts and create a research plan for you.

Let me search for more specific content about the families you've been researching in 2025.

Let me search for more family names you've been researching.

Let me search for more families you've researched.

Based on my review of your Genea-Musings blog for 2025, I can see you've had an incredibly productive year! You've focused heavily on using AI tools to create biographies, memoirs, poems, songs, and family stories.

Here's a comprehensive research plan for 2026:

2026 GENEALOGY RESEARCH PLAN FOR RANDY SEAVER

PRIMARY FAMILY LINES FEATURED IN 2025

Seaver Family (New England)

• Robert Seaver (1608-1683) & Elizabeth Ballard - your immigrant ancestors

• Shubael Seaver (1640-1730) & Hannah Wilson

• Joseph Seaver (1672-1754)

• Benjamin Seaver (1757-1816)

• Norman Seaver (1734-1787)

• Isaac Seaver (1823-1901) & Lucretia Smith

• Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942) & Alma Bessie Richmond

• Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922)

Carringer Family (Pennsylvania to California)

• Martin Carringer (1758-1835) & Maria Magdalena "Molly" Houx

• D.J. Carringer (1828-1902) & Rebecca Spangler

• Henry Austin Carringer (1853-1946) & Della Smith

• Lyle Lawrence Carringer (1891-1976) & Emily Auble

Leland/McKnew Families (Wife's lines)

• Severt Oliver Leland (1878-1940) & Amelia Brocke

• Herman Schaffner (1851-1921) & Mary Ann Paul

• Paul Frederick Schaffner (1879-1934) & Edna Catherine McKnew

• Elijah McKnew & Jane Whittle

Supporting Lines

• Richmond Family

• Auble Family (Anna Row Auble featured)

• Leland/Norwegian connections

---

RESEARCH PRIORITIES FOR 2026

1. FILL GAPS IN SEAVER LINE (High Priority)

Robert Seaver's English Origins

• You note his birthplace, parents, and English origins are unknown

• Action: Research Seaver families in Berkshire, Kent, Yorkshire, Essex, Oxfordshire

• Check Northern Ireland Seaver connections

• Search for 1633-1634 ship passenger lists and port records

• Look for Robert Seaver in English parish registers 1600-1633

Elizabeth Ballard's Background

• Birth date, place, parents, and passage details unknown

• Action: Research Ballard families in England pre-1633

• Search for her arrival record (came 1633 as maid servant)

2. CARRINGER LINE EXPANSION (High Priority)

Martin Carringer's Parents

• You have him born 1758 in Lancaster County, PA to "a German's estate"

• Action: Identify his father's name and origins

• Research German immigration to Lancaster County 1750s

• Check church records, land records in Lancaster County

Early Pennsylvania Carringer Generations

• Build out collateral lines

• Research Martin's siblings

• Document Revolutionary War service more thoroughly

3. LELAND/NORWEGIAN CONNECTIONS (Medium Priority)

Severt Leland's Family

• You've written about him but connections may need strengthening

• Action: Research Norwegian parish records

• Explore emigration records from Norway

• Connect with Norwegian genealogy resources

4. McKNEW FAMILY RESEARCH (Medium Priority)

Elijah McKnew & Jane Whittle

• Featured in 2025 but may need more depth

• Action: Research Whittle family origins

• Build out McKnew collateral lines in San Francisco area

5. SCHAFFNER/PAUL FAMILIES (New for 2026)

Herman Schaffner's Mother

• Susanna Hoffman (1830-about 1854) - death date/place uncertain

• Action: Find death record or what happened to her

Friedrich Nicholas Schaffner

• German origins need research

• Action: German emigration records, New York arrival records

Mary Ann Paul Family

• Build out the Paul family line

---

THEMATIC RESEARCH PROJECTS

1. Complete Early Seaver Generations

• Write genealogical sketches for all children of each generation

• Create AI-assisted biographies for siblings you haven't featured

• This creates fuller family context

2. Women's Stories

• You've focused on couple biographies - excellent!

• Consider standalone features on women whose stories deserve highlighting

• Sarah (Read) Seaver, Hannah (Wilson) Seaver, Rebecca (Spangler) Carringer

3. Migration Patterns

• Seaver: England → Roxbury → Sudbury → Shrewsbury → Westminster

• Carringer: Lancaster Co PA → Mercer Co PA → Iowa → Colorado → San Diego

• Create detailed migration maps and timelines

4. Military Service Documentation

• Norman Seaver - Revolutionary War (you've covered)

• Benjamin Seaver - Revolutionary War

• Martin Carringer - Revolutionary War pension details

• Expand and document all military ancestors

---

NEW RESOURCES TO EXPLORE

Based on your 2025 activity, check these resources you may not have fully utilized:

1. FamilySearch Full-Text Search

• You mentioned this was a 2025 highlight

• Systematically search for all your Seaver/Carringer lines

• Focus on deed records, probate records

2. Newspapers

• You have access to multiple newspaper databases

• Search systematically for each ancestor in their location/time period

• Create a tracking spreadsheet

3. Land Records

• You've transcribed some deeds

• Action: Pull ALL land records for each ancestor

• Map their land holdings

• This often reveals relationships and movements

4. DNA Analysis Deepening

• You have tests at multiple companies

• Action: Focus on breaking through brick walls with DNA

• Target: Robert Seaver's English origins

• Martin Carringer's parentage

• Use Leeds Method for unknown parents

---

WRITING GOALS FOR 2026

You've mastered AI-assisted content creation in 2025. For 2026:

1. Complete Genealogical Sketches

• Finish sketches for ALL direct ancestors back to 9 generations

• You've done many - complete the set

2. Create AI Biographies

• One per month minimum

• Focus on ancestors you haven't covered yet

3. Organized Life Memoirs

• Continue these - they're wonderful!

• Target uncovered ancestors

4. Quarterly Family Stories

• Christmas stories (you did several)

• Consider: Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, birthdays

• Create traditions for different branches

---

COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES

1. Seaver Family Association

• Share your Robert Seaver research

• Collaborate on English origins

2. Carringer Family Researchers

• There must be others researching Martin

• Share Pennsylvania research

3. DNA Matches

• Systematically contact your top 20 matches on each platform

• Build collaborative trees

---

DOCUMENTATION IMPROVEMENTS

1. Source Analysis

• Review all "about" dates and uncertain information

• Can you find actual records to replace estimates?

2. Conflicting Information

• Document where sources disagree

• Research to resolve conflicts

3. Future-Proofing

• Ensure all your sketches have complete source citations

• Your AI biographies rely on sketches - make sketches bulletproof

---

PRIORITY BRICK WALLS TO ATTACK

1. Robert Seaver's parents and English origins (HIGHEST)

2. Elizabeth Ballard's family and passage

3. Martin Carringer's father

4. Susanna Hoffman Schaffner's fate

5. Any Seaver line deaths without burial locations

---

MONTHLY RESEARCH SCHEDULE SUGGESTION

• Months 1-3: Focus on Seaver English origins research

• Months 4-6: Pennsylvania Carringer research

• Months 7-9: Fill in collateral lines and complete biographies

• Months 10-12: Norwegian/Leland research, year-end wrap-up

This gives you focused quarters while maintaining your excellent blog writing pace. Your use of AI tools has been innovative and productive - keep that going while deepening your primary source research!

========================================

4)  How Do I Think It Did?

• Unfortunately, with over 1,120 blog posts in 2025, I fear it was overwhelmed with too much information. Perhaps the LLM did not read every blog post and cherry-picked the lines it discussed in the blog summary and plan.  It did not summarize the 2025 posts in any detail - perhaps another query would produce a summary.

• The response seems to assume that I started my genealogy research from the beginning in 2025. However, I've been doing research since 1988 and blogging about my research since 2006 (almost 19,000 posts at this time). For example, my genealogical sketches on the 52 Ancestors page have source citations (albeit imperfect), so the AI Biographies and Stories, which are based on the sketches, are based on sources and were written before 2025.

• Many of the research suggestions have already been completed in past years. I've reached the end of many ancestral lines or hit brick walls for some lines that I have not broken through yet.  

• I'm already using the resources listed in "New Resources To Explore." I think I'm fully utilizing Full-Text Search, Newspapers, land records, probate records, DNA matches and clusters, ThruLines, etc.   

• The suggestions in the "Writing Goals for 2026" section are helpful, although I've already done sketches back through 9 generations (I don't know some of those ancestors! - 9 generations is back into the 1600s).  I'm trying to do one couple biography every two weeks at this time, either for my Revolutionary War ancestors or my wife's ancestors.  I'm trying to do a "Life Memoir" for at least one of the persons in a family, and a social history story for at least one person in a family, every week. This section totally ignored my curation posts, the Amanuensis Monday, Treasure Chest Thursday and Wordless Wednesday posts, etc.  

• My "Research Plan for 2026" is somewhat similar to Linda's plan, but I did not ask for a "Research Log" that she received in Part 2 of her request.

5)  All in all, this was a useful exercise, and could be useful for other genealogy bloggers to do. It might be better to ask it to do a Research Plan for a specific ancestor or ancestor couple rather than consider all of the ancestors covered in a year.   

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Links to my blog posts about using Artificial Intelligence are on my Randy's AI and Genealogy page. Links to AI information and articles about Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy by other genealogists are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.

Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver

The URL for this post is: 

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com. Please note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

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Findmypast Friday: Delve deeper with new submarine records and parish additions

I received this information from Findmypast today:

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We've updated four of our existing collections this week.

We've bolstered our record collection with some essential new additions this week. If your family has maritime connections, you may find a familiar name within new Second World War Royal Navy casualty logs and submarine movement cards. We also added 3,000 new Berkshire parish records.

British Royal Navy Casualty Logs

We've added 16,503 Second World War records to this set, further expanding our Royal Navy record collection.

British Royal Navy, Submarine Movement Cards

But the naval updates don't end there - we've also added 1,436 submarine movement card records from the year 1916.

Berkshire Baptisms Index

We've added baptism records for the ceremonial county of Berkshire - if your ancestor was baptised in Berkshire in 1916, their name may appear within these new additions.

Berkshire Marriages Index

Our Berkshire Marriage Index also grew this week, with 1,796 new records for you to explore.

New pages from Huddersfield to Harwich

Five titles - including a special theatrical addition - joined our newspaper archive this week. There are a total of 238,144 new pages to explore.

New titles:

• Cicerone and Record of the Drama, Music and the Fine Arts, 1843-1844
• Flindell’s Western Luminary, 1815-1828, 1833, 1848
• Govan Press and Weekly Advertiser for Govan & Kinning Park, 1889, 1891-1892
• Harwich & Dovercourt Newsman, 1874-1875, 1877, 1880, 1889
• Monitor and New Era, 1897-1915

Updated titles:

• Bootle Times, 1909–1912
• Bridlington and Quay Gazette, 1874–1876, 1878–1879, 1893, 1900–1912
• Caernarvon & Denbigh Herald, 1844
• Clapham Observer, 1870, 1873–1879, 1919
• Coleshill Chronicle, 1985
• Crewe Chronicle, 1983
• Edinburgh Evening News, 1996–2000
• Heanor Observer, 1902, 1905–1909, 1911, 1913–1916, 1918–1923, 1925–1935, 1937–1949, 1951, 1953–1965
• Hertford Mercury and Reformer, 1964
• Huddersfield and Holmfirth Examiner, 1925
• Huddersfield Daily Examiner, 1937, 1976, 1980
• Lincolnshire Echo, 1922, 1927–1929
• Liverpool Evening Express, 1910, 1913
• North Devon Gazette, 1873–1875, 1877–1883
• Nottingham Evening Post, 1998
• People’s Friend, 1930–1948
• Police Chronicle, 1881, 1883, 1887, 1890
• Ramsey Weekly News, 1890–1904
• Seaham Weekly News, 1860, 1864, 1881–1888, 1895–1896, 1898–1910
• Sherborne Mercury, 1789
• Skegness Herald, 1882–1895, 1897–1913
• Staffordshire Newsletter, 1990
• Sunday Post, 1929, 1940
• Thetford & Watton Times, 1901–1910, 1912–1913
• Walsall Free Press and General Advertiser, 1875–1882

More on this topic:            english records

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See all of my posts about Findmypast at   https://www.geneamusings.com/search/label/FindMyPast

Disclosure: I have a complimentary subscription to Findmypast, and have accepted meals and services from Findmypast, as a Findmypast Ambassador. This has not affected my objectivity relative to Findmypast and its products.

The URL for this post is:  

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com. Note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

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Added and Updated MyHeritage Record Collections - 16 to 22 January 2026

The following Record Collections were ADDED or Updated in the MyHeritage Collections Catalog during the week of  16 to 22 January 2026:

• MyHeritage Family Sites (Family Trees), Updated Jan 21 2026,  98,890,425 entries  
• MyHeritage members (Family Trees), Updated Jan 21 2026, 77,174,247  entries
• MyHeritage photos & docs (Images), Updated Jan 21 2026, 468,276,541 entries
• Search Connect™ - Searches by MyHeritage Members (Family Trees), Updated Jan   21 2026, 544,089,694 entries
• Filae Family Trees (Family Trees), Updated Jan 21 2026, 320,690,780 entries
• FamilySearch Family Tree (Family Trees), Updated Jan 21 2026, 1,227,770,670 entries
• Geni World Family Tree (Family Trees), Updated Jan 21 2026, 370,515,033 entries
• MyHeritage Family Trees (Family Trees), Updated Jan 21 2026, 6,704,973,941 entries
• Massachusetts, Cambridge Voter Lists, 1904-1947 (Other), ADDED Jan 20 2026,   977,883 records
• France, Names & Stories in Newspapers from OldNews.com (Newspapers), Updated Jan 17 2026, 236,847,045 records

                                       =========================== 

 There are 1 ADDED record collections in the list this past week, and MyHeritage now has a total of  7,523 record collections (an increase of 3 collections from last week),  so there were two collections added back into the collection.  The collection has 38,440,076,513 records or entries (an increase of about 193 million entries from last week).  

The number of entries in the family tree collections were last updated this week.

See previous Genea-Musings posts about MyHeritage record collections and features in https://www.geneamusings.com/search/label/MyHeritage.com.

                          =========================================

Disclosure: I receive a complimentary subscription to MyHeritage, and have received other material consideration in past years. I uploaded my autosomal DNA raw data to their DNA product. This does not affect my objective analysis of MyHeritage products. I am a paid subscriber to Family Tree Webinars and love it.

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2026/01/added-and-updated-myheritage-record_01299211000.html

Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share it on X, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Note that all comments are moderated, so they may not appear immediately.

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Ask AI: "Please Summarize John Kemp's Revolutionary War Military Service"

The Artificial Intelligence tools (like ChatGPT, Claude, CoPilot, Gemini, Grok, Meta, Grok, and Perplexity) can provide much useful and nearly instant information about subjects in a concise format, especially when they have been pre-trained on a large volume of information about the subjects.

I wondered if the FREE AI tools could provide me with information about the events in the Revolutionary War experienced by my 5th great-grandfather, John Kemp (1723-1795) of New York and Upper Canada.

A genelaogical sketch for John Kemp is in 52 Ancestors - Week 167: #240 John Kemp (1723-1795) of Fredericksburgh, Ontario and was attached to the prompt.

(AI NotebookLM Infographic of John Krmp's service)

1)  I used the responses from free Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4.5 recently.  

My Prompt was:  "Please summarize John Kemp's (1723-1795) Revolutionary War military service in chronological order based on the attached document."

2)  The free Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4.5 AI tool responded with:

John Kemp's Military Service with the King's Rangers

Overview of Service

Based on the available military records, John Kemp's documented service with the King's Rangers was relatively brief and occurred late in the Revolutionary War. However, the records reveal specific details about his enlistment, postings, and the nature of his service during a critical period of the conflict.

Enlistment: October 1780

John Kemp enlisted as a Private in the King's Rangers on October 13, 1780, at approximately 57 years of age—remarkably advanced for a soldier of that era. He was recruited by Captain Hayden and assigned to Captain Samuel Hayden's Company, which served under the overall command of Lieutenant Colonel Commandant Robert Rogers.

His military description recorded at enlistment:

• Rank: Private

• Height: 5 feet 5 inches

• Age: Approximately 57-60 years (records show some variation)

• Origin: Listed as from the "Country of Merriland"

Service in Occupied New York: 1780-1782

For approximately two years following his enlistment, John Kemp was stationed in the occupied zone around New York City. The muster rolls show him serving in Captain Samuel Hayden's Company as of December 29, 1780.

Context of New York Service

During this period, New York City remained under firm British control and served as the main British headquarters in North America. The King's Rangers stationed there would have been involved in:

• Garrison duty - Maintaining security in occupied New York

• Patrol and reconnaissance - Monitoring rebel activity in surrounding areas

• Foraging expeditions - Securing supplies for the British forces

• Guard duty - Protecting key installations and personnel

However, the specific records do not detail particular actions, skirmishes, or operations in which John Kemp participated during this New York posting.

Transfer to St. John's, Quebec: 1783

By January 21, 1783, John Kemp had been transferred north to St. John's (now St. Jean-sur-Richelieu), Quebec, located on the Richelieu River. A detailed return of troops shows him serving in a detachment of the King's Rangers commanded by Major James Rogers.

The January 1783 record provides these specifics:

• Name: Jno. Kemp

• Country of Origin: Merriland

• Age: 60

• Height: 5'5"

• Time of Service at St. John's: 1/2 month (indicating he had recently arrived)

St. John's as a Strategic Location

St. John's served as an important military post on the route between Montreal and Lake Champlain. The King's Rangers stationed there were positioned to:

• Monitor the northern frontier

• Protect the supply route to Canada

• Prepare for potential refugee resettlement

• Maintain British presence as peace negotiations progressed

Family Reunion

At St. John's, John was reunited with his two eldest sons, Joseph and James, and his stepson Francis Van der Bogart, all of whom had also enlisted in the King's Rangers. This family service together represents a significant aspect of Loyalist commitment—multiple generations serving the Crown simultaneously.

Disbandment: 1784

Between September 1783 and May/June 1784, muster rolls show "Jno. Kimp" (another spelling variation) listed as:

• 1 Incorporated Man

• 1 Woman (likely indicating family members being prepared for resettlement)

• Total: 2 persons

• Previous residence: New York

• Occupation: Farmer

By January 27, 1784, a return at St. John's listed John Kemp with a household of 4 persons, indicating his family had joined him or was being accounted for in preparation for resettlement.

The King's Rangers officially disbanded at Cataraqui (near Kingston), Ontario, in October 1784.

What the Records Don't Tell Us

It's important to note what is not documented in the surviving records:

No Evidence of Combat Actions

The available muster rolls and returns do not record John Kemp participating in any specific battles, skirmishes, or military engagements. This may mean:

1. He saw limited combat - At age 57-60, serving primarily in garrison and administrative roles

2. Records were lost - Many detailed company records did not survive

3. His service was primarily non-combat - Guard duty, logistics, or support roles were common for older soldiers

Earlier Military Service Unconfirmed

The document mentions that John Kemp "may have been a soldier in the British Army stationed in New York before 1760 during the French and Indian Wars," but this remains unverified. The Muster Rolls of New York Provincial Troops, 1755-1764, were checked but contained no listing for Kemp or Camp.

The Nature of King's Rangers Service

To understand John Kemp's military experience, it's helpful to know what the King's Rangers did:

Unit Composition and Role

The King's Rangers, under Robert Rogers (famous for Rogers' Rangers during the French and Indian War), functioned as:

• Light infantry and scouts - Conducting reconnaissance and rapid movements

• Frontier fighters - Adapted to wilderness warfare

• Raiding forces - Small-unit operations against rebel positions

• Garrison troops - Holding strategic locations

Typical Duties for a Private

As a Private, John Kemp would have been responsible for:

• Standing guard duty on regular rotations

• Participating in military drills and formations

• Maintaining his equipment and uniform

• Following orders from sergeants and officers

• Possibly serving on work details (construction, fortification repair, supply handling)

Given his advanced age, he likely received assignments appropriate to his physical capabilities rather than front-line combat roles.

Recognition and Rewards

United Empire Loyalist Status

John Kemp's military service earned him and his family the designation of United Empire Loyalist (UEL), an honored title given to those who remained loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolution.

Land Grants

As a Loyalist soldier, John Kemp received:

• Land grant in Fredericksburgh Township, Ontario (Concession 4, Lot 2) in 1786

• Appeared on the Provision List of Kingston in 1786 (government supplies for Loyalist settlers)

• Served on the Land Board of Mecklenburgh in 1790 and 1793

• Was granted additional land through petitions in 1790 and 1793

The Old UEL List records him as: "John Kemp Sr., Fredericksburgh, Soldier, Land Board of Mecklenburgh 1790. 300 and Land Board of Mecklenburgh 1793, 200. King's Rangers, Provision List of Kingston 1786."

Historical Context: Why Details Are Limited

Several factors explain why specific details of John Kemp's military actions are not available:

1. Late War Enlistment - He enlisted in October 1780, when major combat operations were winding down after the British defeat at Yorktown (October 1781)

2. Age and Role - At 57-60 years old, he likely served in support rather than combat roles

3. Record Keeping - Detailed action reports for individual privates were rarely maintained; most surviving records are administrative (muster rolls, pay records, strength returns)

4. Nature of Service - Much of the King's Rangers' work in 1780-1784 involved occupation duty, patrol, and preparation for resettlement rather than major battles

5. Historical Focus - Military histories tend to document battles and campaigns, not the day-to-day service of individual soldiers in garrison

Conclusion

John Kemp's military service with the King's Rangers, while documented through various muster rolls and returns, does not include records of specific military actions or engagements. What we know with certainty is that he:

• Enlisted at an advanced age (57) in October 1780

• Served for approximately 2-3 years until disbandment in 1784

• Was stationed in occupied New York (1780-1782) and St. John's, Quebec (1783)

• Served alongside his sons and stepson

• Was recognized as a Loyalist soldier and received land grants in Upper Canada

• Fulfilled his military obligations faithfully enough to earn the UEL designation

His service represents the commitment of older Loyalists who, despite their age, felt compelled to support the Crown during the final years of the Revolutionary War. While not a combat hero in the traditional sense, John Kemp exemplified the dedication of countless ordinary soldiers whose service, though undramatic, was essential to the Loyalist cause and laid the foundation for their new lives in Canada.

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3)  Here is the Video Overview of this post by Google NotebookLM. 

4)  I have no doubt that the battle descriptions are correct - history books have been written about the battles and the AI tools were pre-trained on the history books.  This particular post is an excellent example of asking the AI tool to summarize the submitted information from a number of sources and put my King's Rangers soldier in the middle of the historical narrative.

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Links to my blog posts about using Artificial Intelligence are on my Randy's AI and Genealogy page.  Links to AI information and articles about Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy by other genealogists are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.

Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2026/01/ask-ai-please-summarize-john-kemps.html

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Note that all comments are moderated, so they may not appear immediately.

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