A Titanic mystery that spanned a century was only recently put to rest when a woman who claimed to be a survivor and heiress to a considerable family fortune was exposed.

One of the last great mysteries of the Titanic was solved in 2013 thanks to a DNA test that proved a woman who claimed she was a child survivor of the tragic Titanic sinking was a fraud.

Two-year-old Loraine Allison is believed to have been the only child from first or second class who died during the sinking of the Titanic. She was traveling aboard the luxury liner with her parents, Hudson, a Canadian entrepreneur, and Bess, her seven-month-old brother Trevor, and an entourage of servants.

Reports say that when the ship struck the iceberg, Trevor was taken to a lifeboat by a maid, Alice Cleaver. Loraine, Hudson, and Bess did not survive, and only Hudson's body was ever recovered. 

Alice Cleaver with Trevor Allison, survivors of the sinking of the RMS Titanic after disembarking from the RMS Carpathia. (Public Domain / New York Herald)

However, in 1940, Helen Loraine Kramer, now styling herself Loraine Kramer, claimed to be the missing child. She told a radio show that she had been saved at the last moment when her father placed her in a lifeboat with a man whom she had always thought was her father.

She claimed the man, whom she called Mr. Hyde, raised her as his own in England before moving to the US. She claimed he only told her the ‘truth’ shortly before his death.

Kramer also claimed that Hyde disclosed his real identity as Thomas Andrews, Titanic’s designer who was thought to have died on board.

The full story may be found in an article in the Irish Central web site at: bit.ly/3VD8vEz.

My thanks to newsletter reader Yvonne Dolbec for telling me about this story.

Today is the first day of the month. That is a good time to back up your genealogy files. Then test your backups!

Your backups aren't worth much unless you make a quick test by restoring a small file or two after the backup is completed.

Actually, you can make backups at any time. However, it is easier and safer if you have a specific schedule. The first day of the month is easy to remember, so I would suggest you back up your genealogy files at least on the first day of every month, if not more often. (My computers automatically make off-site backups of all new files every few minutes.)

Given the events of the past few months with genealogy websites laying off employees and cutting back on services, you now need backup copies of everything more than ever. What happens if the company that holds your online data either goes off line or simply deletes the service where your data is held? If you have copies of everything stored either in your own computer, what happens if you have a hard drive crash or other disaster? If you have one or more recent backup copies, such a loss would be inconvenient but not a disaster.

Of course, you might want to back up more than your genealogy files. Family photographs, your checkbook register, all sorts of word processing documents, email messages, and much more need to be backed up regularly. Why not do that on the first day of each month? or even more often?

Here is an article that is not about any of the "normal" topics of this newsletter: genealogy, history, current affairs, DNA, and related topics. However, it is a topic that I suggest that all computer users should be familiar with this new technology:

Without a question, the Internet has completely changed the way we live. It has altered the way we communicate, travel, work, get information, and engage with one another. We benefit from an increased degree of freedom as a result of the democratization and decentralization of information. As a result, the public's access to information about issues affecting both the globe and themselves has increased significantly thanks to the Internet. The mainstream media and centralized authorities are losing influence as a result of the Internet.

But not everything is perfect. We have overlooked—or have been forced to overlook—something as significant in our haste to seize the liberties provided by the Internet: our privacy. People often forget that they are the real product of these new free services, as billions of people rush to sign up for the newest social media networks.

Parts of the Internet became factories for data collecting, with important user information and data being handed on to the platforms' real customers — the highest bidder — thanks to incentives from "free" platforms and peer pressure. Large swaths of the Internet were taken over by a few dominant firms, which harvested data property that did not belong to them, weakened privacy rights, and made censorship easier. (Can you say "Google" or "FaceBook" boys and girls?)

Privacy awareness has increased as a result of this centralizing influence as well as other worries about accessibility, surveillance, and net neutrality. In order to provide a more democratic, private, secure, censorship-resistant, and decentralized Internet of the future, there is an increase in the use of VPN and DPN services.

Virtual private networks (VPNs)

I rather like the Wikipedia definition of VPNs:

"A virtual private network (VPN) is a mechanism for creating a secure connection between a computing device and a computer network, or between two networks, using an insecure communication medium such as the public Internet.

A VPN can extend access to a private network (one that disallows or restricts public access) to users who do not have direct access to it, such as an office network allowing secure access from off-site over the Internet.

The benefits of a VPN include security, reduced costs for dedicated communication lines, and greater flexibility for remote workers.

A VPN is created by establishing a virtual point-to-point connection through the use of tunneling protocols over existing networks. A VPN available from the public Internet can provide some of the benefits of a private wide area network (WAN)."

You can read more about VPNs on Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_private_network as well as on dozens of other web sites.

Private Networks That Are Decentralized

Decentralized Private Networks, sometimes known as decentralized VPNs (often abbreviated to DPN or DVPN), function similarly to virtual private networks (VPNs) in that they transit web traffic via encrypted tunnels over decentralized networks as opposed to centralized ones. Higher security levels are ensured by serverless and distributed architecture, which prevents user data from being tracked, compromised, or subpoenaed.

VPNs are growing in popularity as people become more conscious of privacy concerns and challenges related to data and information centralization. Blockchain and cryptocurrency innovators are already taking advantage of this need to provide decentralized enhanced security for online users.

The remainder of this article is reserved for Plus Edition subscribers only. If you have a Plus Edition subscription, you may read the full article at: https://eogn.com/(*)-Plus-Edition-News-Articles/13336441 (A Plus Edition password is required to access that article.)

If you are not yet a Plus Edition subscriber, you can learn more about such subscriptions and even upgrade to a Plus Edition subscription immediately at https://eogn.com/page-18077. 

The following is an announcement written by the folks at Findmypast:

Explore England's past in more vivid detail than ever before, with an exciting new newspaper title and over 1.6 million new records.

It's never been easier to connect with your global roots. This Findmypast Friday, we've added 1,675,862 brand-new records - rate books, electoral registers and monumental inscriptions from Malta and Manchester. 

But that's not all. We also bolstered our newspaper collection, adding 112 years of the beautiful and photo-rich Country Life magazine. We also updated one of our existing publications - read on for a full rundown of all that's been added this week.

Malta, Monumental Inscriptions

This brand-new collection of grave records from Malta covers almost 200 years, from 1829 right up to 2022. There are 6,026 images and transcriptions for you to explore, from the follow cemeteries:

• Ta' Braxia Cemetery
• Sliema War Memorial
• Pembroke Military Cemetery
• Malta Memorial
• Imtarfa Military Cemetery
• Kalkara Cemetery 
• Valletta Cemetery

Whether you've got Maltese roots or your ancestor fought abroad during either of the World Wars, you may find a familiar name or two amongst the many military graves in this set. 

With a quick search, we uncovered the grave of the publisher and military man Hugh Alexander Pollock, who was married to two famous British writers - Enid Blyton and Ida Pollock. 

Hugh Alexander Pollock, who died on 6 November 1971.

Pollock served in both World Wars. In World War 1 he fought with the Royal Scots Fusiliers, while he was a part of the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps in the Second World War.

Manchester Electoral Registers 

This week's biggest update comes to our Manchester electoral registers. Spanning 120 years (from 1820 to 1940), there are over 1.2 million new additions to discover.

You may be able to discover the names and addresses of your Manchester ancestors with these 1,285,051 new transcriptions and images. 

Manchester Rate Books

We've also made another big Manchester addition, in the form of 384,785 new Rate Book records. 

These images and transcriptions span from 1820 to 1940, and may help to illuminate key details about the lives of your ancestors in the North West of England. 

Introducing Country Life

We're delighted to announce the addition of the glossy magazine Country Life to our archive this week. For the first time, you can explore a wealth of beautiful photos documenting rural Britain's history and its people. From landscapes and formal gardens to socialities and politicians, all manner of people and places are featured in the pages of Country Life. 

Country Life, 7 January 1971. 

There are pages spanning 112 continuous years for you to discover, starting with the magazine's founding in 1897 and stretching right up to 2009. 

Country Life, 21 July 1994.

With the addition of 509,799 new pages to our collection, we've passed an exciting landmark - a grand total of 75 million historical newspaper pages. It's never been easier to seamlessly search over 300 years of history through the headlines of the day. 

New title:

• Country Life, 1897-2009

Updated title:

• Hawick News and Border Chronicle, 1891

Last week, we added over a million Scottish records - explore the full release for yourself today. 

Have you made a surprising family history discovery? Whatever you've uncovered about your past, we'd love to hear about it. You can now get in touch and tell us using this handy form.

More on this topic:

Historical Newspapers

Are you passionate about uncovering family histories and preserving Ohio’s rich genealogical heritage? The Ohio Genealogical Society is on the lookout for a talented Assistant Editor to join their dynamic team for the Ohio Genealogical Society Quarterly!

If you have a knack for storytelling, an eye for detail, and a love for all things genealogy, this could be the perfect role for you! As Assistant Editor, you’ll play a vital role in shaping and sharing fascinating stories that connect generations and communities across Ohio.

Ready to dive into a world of discovery and make a meaningful impact? Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity! Download the full job description and apply now and be part of a passionate community dedicated to preserving Ohio’s genealogical treasures.

Visit https://www.ogs.org/ogs-seeks-assistant-editor/

There is an interesting article by Diana Yates published in the University of Illinois web site:

Some political figures seek to remove references to slavery from the study of American history, adding to the vast knowledge gaps that stem from the transatlantic slave trade. To better understand these histories, scholars and individuals are turning to genetic genealogy to discover and retrace descendant-family lineages. In a recent paper published in the journal American Anthropologist, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign anthropology professor LaKisha Daviddescribed these efforts. She spoke about the work to News Bureau life sciences editor Diana Yates. 

 What is genetic genealogy and how can it help people trace their family histories? 

Genetic genealogy combines DNA testing with traditional family history research to help people discover ancestral origins and living relatives. Autosomal DNA tests from consumer companies like 23andMe and AncestryDNA can identify shared genetic segments that indicate cousin relationships going back several generations. By finding and connecting with genetic matches, individuals can extend their family trees beyond the limitations of historical records.

This technology is particularly valuable for descendants of ancestors who left little or no documentary trace due to social, political or economic marginalization. By engaging with distant cousins who share specific ancestral lineages, people can recover lost branches of their family trees and gain a more complete sense of the histories that may have impacted their lives.

What special genealogical challenges arise for the descendants of those who were enslaved in the U.S.? 

For African Americans descended from enslaved ancestors, genealogical records alone are often insufficient to trace lineages prior to 1870 when the U.S. census began recording African Americans by name. Sometimes the names of ancestors may be listed as property within bills of sale and estate inventories. This makes it incredibly difficult to trace family lineages through documentation alone. Moreover, slavery systematically fractured African American family structures through the domestic slave trade and forced family separations, leading to huge gaps in knowledge about ancestral identities, homelands and kinship ties. So, descendants today often lack a cohesive family narrative extending back prior to slavery. Genetic genealogy offers a way to restore some of these lost connections.

How might these explorations of family history connect people living today? 

Finding living African relatives who descend from the same pre-slavery ancestors in Africa provides meaningful validation of family roots and a transnational network of contemporary relatives. It opens the door for African Americans and Africans to connect and learn from each other’s family histories and lived experiences. These connections can forge a new sense of identity rooted in specific ancestral lineages and homelands.

You can read more at: https://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/1703765585.

Most of us just learned about the FamilySearch.org full text search option about a month ago, but it's already in their laboratories area and is already proving to be a research game changer. 

The full text function used Artificial Intelligence (AI) to index people's names and other attributes. They've indexed both handwritten original papers and typed or published materials. Once discovered, you can examine both the original and the text transcript.

Currently, the only records they claim to feature are US Land and Probate Records and some from Mexico. You might be shocked to see what other types of records are provided. Pace yourself, keep track of your searches, and plan where you'll return.

So, what's out there? Everything. New discoveries are most likely to occur in areas with less published books or record indexes. Alternatively, you might start a whole new project.

Begin by logging into your free account at FamilySearch.org. Scroll down the far right side of the screen to "Family Search Labs," then click "View Experiments." Then select the option on the far left: "Expand Your Search with Full Text."

Once you've entered your keywords — which may be an ancestor's whole name in quotes, a surname, or a slave's name — you must select one of the four filters. To begin, select your state and county from the "Record Place" menu, then click "Apply." Then you can select a time frame, Record Type, or Collection. The location and time frame are the most useful.

However, do not delay.

From the MyHeritage Blog:

The genetic genealogy community is one of collaboration; many people seek advice and guidance from others when they receive their DNA Matches, and there are plenty of experts, including search angels, who are willing to help. For individuals looking to solve a specific genetic genealogy mystery, for example, finding their biological parents or other long-lost family members, enlisting someone else’s help can often be the missing piece that leads to a research breakthrough. At MyHeritage, we value this collaborative spirit, and wish to facilitate it, while maintaining our commitment to information security. Today we are pleased to announce that we’ve added the option to securely share DNA results with another collaborator on MyHeritage.

In the past, some users committed the bad practice of sharing their account passwords with such experts. This is prohibited on MyHeritage and violates our Terms of Service. Users must never give another person their password, as it poses significant security risks. Following a rise in security threats across the industry, we recently made Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) mandatory for viewing DNA results on MyHeritage. The introduction of mandatory Two-Factor Authentication made it much more difficult for people to share passwords with others in order to view DNA results – which is good news.

In response to many requests from the community, we’ve now added the ability to securely share DNA results with another collaborator on MyHeritage. This allows a MyHeritage user to invite someone else, usually a DNA expert, to view their DNA results and become a member of the family site on MyHeritage, which also gives the collaborator access to the user’s family tree.

Who can collaborate on DNA results

If you have DNA Matches, but feel you need assistance from someone you know and trust who has the expertise to interpret them effectively, the new sharing option may be the solution for you. Anyone you wish to share the results with must already be registered on MyHeritage. If you manage multiple DNA kits on MyHeritage, you can share the results separately for each kit that you manage. Anyone you share the results with will be required to have Two-Factor Authentication enabled on their own MyHeritage account. DNA results belonging to minors cannot be shared with another user, and minors cannot be added as collaborators for someone else’s DNA results.

There is a lot more information available in the MyHeritage Blog at: bit.ly/43z1d6I.

To what extent are exceptional human achievements influenced by genetic factors? This question, dating back to the early days of human genetics, seems to be easier to address today as modern molecular methods make it possible to analyze DNA of individuals throughout history. But how reliable are the answers in this day and age?

With this in mind, an international team of researchers including the Max Planck Institutes for Empirical Aesthetics (MPIEA) in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and for Psycholinguistics (MPI-PL) in Nijmegen, Netherlands, analyzed Ludwig van Beethoven's DNA to investigate his genetic "musical" predisposition.

The team analyzed DNA sequences available from an earlier study completed in 2023, in which the composer's genetic material was extracted from strands of his hair. "We calculated a so-called 'polygenic score'—an indicator for an individual's genetic predisposition for a trait or behavior—for beat synchronization ability, which is closely related to musicality," explains first author Laura Wesseldijk of the MPIEA.

"Before running any analysis, we preregistered the study, and emphasized that we had no prior expectation about what Beethoven would score. Instead, our aim was to use this as an example of the challenges of making genetic predictions for an individual that lived over 200 years ago."

The results of the study were recently published in the journal Current Biology. Interestingly, Beethoven, one of the most celebrated musicians in history, had an unremarkable polygenic score for general musicality compared to population samples from the Karolinska Institute, Sweden, and Vanderbilt University, U.S.

You can read the details in an article by Ina Wittmann of the Max Planck Society at: bit.ly/4csinqV

Here is an article that is not about any of the "normal" topics of this newsletter: genealogy, history, current affairs, DNA, and related topics. However, it is a topic that I suggest that all computer users should be familiar with:

I will suggest that everyone should use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) for security and privacy purposes. I could write a book about why you want a VPN but that's already been done by someone else. There is a very good online article titled "Why use a VPN? - Reasons why you need a VPN" by River Hart available at: https://proprivacy.com/vpn/guides/why-use-vpn.

If you don't yet have a VPN or perhaps you wonder why you need one, I suggest you read that article.

There are dozens of VPNs (and DPNs) to choose from, including many free ones. I suggest you avoid the free ones (with one exception: Proton VPN) as many of the other free VPNs are filled with malware and spyware.

A malicious software development kit was recently discovered to be used by over 15 free VPN apps on Google Play alone, converting Android devices into unintentional residential proxies that were probably used for cybercrime and shopping bots. I am sure there are more malware and and spyware filled VPNs on other web sites that are advertised as being “free” but really are designed for nefarious purposes.

Although there are legal applications for VPNs and DPNs, such as SEO, ad verification, and market research, many cybercriminals use the so-called “free VPNs” to mask their illicit operations, such as phishing, ad fraud, spamming, credential stuffing, and password spraying.

Again, avoid the so-called "free VPNs" (with one exception: Proton VPN and even that one free VPN has some drawbacks, such as reduced speeds and limited "remote nodes" compared to the commercial product from the same organization).

I have experimented with paid VPNs over the years and have gained some experience. Right now, I am using a so-called DPN (or DVPN), a Distributed Private Network or Distributed Virtual Private Network that requires an upfront payment for some hardware but is then free forever after that. I probably will write about my successes (or failures) with that in an article in this newsletter in the near future. 

Hint: Preliminary results from using this DPN for a couple of weeks have all been positive.