The following describe various mail order genealogical offers that may or may not be worth the money you pay for them. You must decide for yourself. "[surname]'s ACROSS AMERICA" Mail Order Solicitations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These books (YourName Across America) are generally just compilations of phone book listing across the country. They're often outdated by 10 years; at least the last one I got was. There's seldom any other info, except maybe some hokey heraldry stuff on your supposed coat-of-arms. They are NOT in-depth genealogical research by any stretch of the imagination. However, all of the above doesn't mean such a book is not valuable to you. If you want to know where a lot of other people with your name live in the USA, it's useful. How much you're willing to pay for phone book compilations is up to you. These books are usually about $35. We bought one; it was mildly interesting, but not actually useful as yet. Your mileage may vary! --Holly Wanless Cochran holly@adobe.com searching Wan(d)less, Nesbit/Nisbet, Blank, Dilley, Nichols, Mahan, Adams -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please don't waste your money unless you want a history of the settlement of OUR country AND a list of your family surnames from ph This is a constant ruse, most of the time the Postal Authorities are after the people for mail fraud. Hope this gets to you in time Carol -- Carol Montrose via cmhGate - Net 226 fido<=>uucp gateway Col, OH UUCP: ...!osu-cis!n8emr!cmhgate!130.0!Carol.Montrose INET: Carol.Montrose@p0.f130.n226.z1.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I sent for this book early in my genealogy searching days and found it a very good starter book if you have no other references. It's loaded with names that will give you SOMETHING if you have nothing. To the seasoned genealogist though it will prove disappointing. I think it's was about $ 35.00. Nicely bound. ===================================================================== | Jim Pence | | Carleton College Computer Center | | #1 North College St. JPENCE@CARLETON.EDU | | Northfield, MN 55057 | | (507)-663-4490 | ===================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ >From: hliggett@aldhafen.aldhafen.org (Harry D. Liggett) Watch out for a possible scam when someone offers to send you a book all about your surname, send you a copy of your family's coat or arms, or take you on a trip to your homeland. The Postal Service and Better Business Bureau receive complaints, but companies word their offers carefully so it is difficult to prove they are not providing exactly what you get. There are companies that are doing little more than selling old phone directory listings of your surname with a page or two of general information supposedly about your family name. Many large libraries have CD-ROMs with telephone lists or shelves of phonebooks where you can get the surnames at no cost. There also are companies that sell directory information on disk or in a printed list. CompuServe has a phone file with up-to-date listings that members can download for about $6 or $7 for most surnames. One company with an Akron or Bath, OH, address has been in business since 1969 using the names Halbert's, Family Director & Associates, Grand Reunion Travel and Sharon Taylor. The company offers all products with a guarantee of "satisfaction our your money back." Halbert, a division of Numa Inc., has promoted the sale of books and other products by family name or surname for nearly 25 years. The company sells products in ten different countries through letters signed by respective Family Directors or Sharon Taylor, a registered trade name. The books are entitled "The World of (Surname)" and they contain information about family names and heraldry. The Better Business Bureau has received complaints from people who claim the book they received or the coat-of-arms report did not contain the personalized information about their particular family as they claim is implied in the offers from companies. Other complaints allege that the listing of names in the book is not complete because names of people in their family are missing. The company states that the book contains 90 per cent of the household heads. In a complaint filed by the U.S. Postal Service against Sharon L. Taylor and Halbert's Inc. alleging false advertising, an administrative law judge on 27 June 1983 found the company's advertising for its book, titled "The Amazing Story of (Surname) in America" misrepresented when it implied that the books are primarily about the family named in the title. The company appealed the decision claiming the title refers only to the name and not the family. The finding of the judge was affirmed and a False Representation Order to return to senders all mail addressed to Halbert's or Sharon Taylor that was connected with the above mentioned book was issued. On December 20 1988, company officials signed a consent order with the Postal Service agreeing to refrain from soliciting money through the mail in violation of an agreement stipulated in the order. The company did not, however, admit it violated any law or regulation. Numa began its "Family Director" programs in January, 1988 with some of its customers. The customers were offered a 2 per cent commission on products sold as a result of mailing directed to people with the same surname as the "Director." A letter would be sent under the name of Joe Blow and Associates to all the Blows in the country offering products developed for Blows. It is a sales promotion of Numa and not the individual who has sold the use of his name in return for a 2 per cent commission on sales. Grand Reunion Travel offers travel service to Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, England and Germany. One of the newer offerings of some other organizations is a family newsletter. There are many legitimate family groups who have good newsletters providing a clearing house of information on their family surname. But there are some out to make a buck who are in no way related to the surname promoted in the family newsletters they sell. You can become suspicious when you see three or four family newsletters offered from the same address. The best advice is to ask your local or state genealogical society or even your local librarian before spending your money. COAT OF ARMS Last October I received an offer from John E. Liggett and Associates at 3687 Ira Road, Bath, Ohio 44210 which said: This year a truly unique SWEATSHIRT has been created just for you and me -- and all the Liggetts! Our FAMILY NAME and authentic COAT OF ARMS is beautifully reproduced on top-quality, "Made in America" sweatshirts. It would really be nice to have your family's coat of arms. But that is next to an impossibility. There is no such thing as a "family" coat-of-arms. Except for brief periods in some parts of Eastern Europe, coats-of-arms were granted to an *individual* and were (and still are) considered inheritable "real" property. In most countries, the arms were (and still are) inherited by the eldest son, or the eldest male heir. Different countries have widely varying rules on women inheriting arms in the absence of a male heir. A given coat of arms belongs to *one person.* While some mail order companies may claim to research a family coat of arms, there is no guarantee of any direct kinship or right to inherit the arms. Any company that purports to give you your "family's" coat-of-arms is just trying to separate you from your money. MERCHANDISE NOT RECEIVED? Have your ordered merchandise you have not received? Under a Federal Trade Commission Rule, a company must ship merchandise ordered by mail within 30 days from the time it *receives* your order unless it clearly and conspicuously stated some other time for shipment. If the company cannot ship within 30 days or the time advertised, it must notify you and permit you to cancel your order or agree to the delay. If you do not respond to the notice, the company may assume that you agree to a delay of up to 30 days. The company may not, however, delay shipment beyond another 30 days without your express consent. Be careful, though. The rule does not apply to orders placed over the phone and charged to a credit card, C.O.D orders or orders with which you sent no advance payment and are not charged until the shipment is made. Also not covered are mail order services such ad photo finishing, see and growing plants, magazine orders and "negative plans" such as those used by some book, record and tape clubs. WHERE TO SEEK HELP If you really want to research your family name, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to the National Genealogical Society, 4527 17th Street North, Arlington, VA 22207 and request their brochure "Suggestions for Beginners in Genealogy" Or send for a free brochure on "Genealogical Records in the National Archives" to the National Archives and Records Administration, Publications Sales Branch, Washington, DC 20408. Harry Liggett, 544 N. Firestone Blvd., Akron, OH 44301-2254 Internet: hliggett@aldhafen.aldhafen.org FidoNet: 1/157.100.13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: Halbert's: A Review Periodically, there is a query on the net about Halbert's books. I have one (temporarily), which a cousin ordered. I wanted to share with you exactly what it contains, so you can judge these books for themselves. This particular book is titled: "The Amazing Story of the Abernathys in America", by Sharon Taylor, copyright 1983. Following the title page, is a page which is completely blank, except for the following down the right side: Center The Certificate Of Authenticity On This Page. What this means, I don't know. The book itself is divided into 9 separate sections: WHERE OUR ANCESTORS CAME FROM: This section deals with a very brief overview of immigration to America. It is extremely generic, and doesn't contain any information specific to the family. HOW THE ABERNATHY FAMILY GOT ITS NAME AND WHAT THE NAME MEANS: This chapter details how many families receive a surname. There is some information on where the name Abernathy came from, but the remainder of the chapter could have been written for any name. HOW AN EARLY ABERNATHY WAS GRANTED A COAT OF ARMS: This chapter shows an actual Coat of Arms for an Abernathy, but the actual symbol shown is titled "The Abernathy Coat of Arms", as though it were the only official one. From my own research, I have found at least five different ones. The one they include belongs to a branch of the family which no longer exists. In all fairness, the book never states that this Coat of Arms is for MY branch of the family. The remainder of the chapter is a very good reference for the symbols, colors, and slogans of many Heraldic devices. THE ABERNATHY POPULATION IN THE UNITED STATES: In this chapter, they break down, by state, the number of Abernathy households which is listed in the last chapter. The information could be useful for finding concentrations of people sharing the same last name. HOW TO FIND YOUR ABERNATHY ANCESTORS: This entire chapter is a guide showing how to begin collecting, organizing, and publishing a personalized genealogy. Again, this is a generic chapter, with nothing specific to the family requested. TOOLS OF GENEALOGY: A Family History Questionnaire, Pedigree Chart, and Personal Notes pages, (all blank), as well as information on how to use them, to obtain family information. THE JARGON OF GENEALOGY: A glossary of genealogical terms, such as Bounty Land, denization, holographic, as well as other terms, abbreviations, and symbols which are sometimes found in old documents. RESOURCES FOR TRACING YOUR FAMILY TREE: A listing of books pertaining to genealogical research, the address of the LDS main library, and other libraries dealing with genealogy. Also included is an address for obtaining a reference to certified genealogists. A DIRECTORY OF ABERNATHY HOUSEHOLDS IN THE UNITED STATES: This one chapter has caused more discussion than all the rest put together. It is a compilation of names, addresses, and phone numbers of all Abernathys that had a phone in 1983. It is organized by state and zip code sequence. Today, this list could be created by anyone with access to CompuServ, or a Phone Disk CD Rom. However, in 1983, it was much more difficult to do this. The only caution that I want to make is this: This is a listing of people with the same last name. It does NOT mean that you are related! As you have noticed, this book was written for the name Abernathy. My family is of Scottish descent, so I was surprised (not really!) when I found Reverend Ralph David Abernathy listed on those pages. In all, there is very little in this book that could be used for a true family genealogy. However, it was interesting to see that there is a very large concentration of Abernathys in California and Missouri, where I didn't expect them. The book itself is a useful reference, especially for someone who doesn't have access to any other guide for beginning a family history. Don't completely discount the book; it has its uses. But don't depend on it to give you your own personal family history. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ >From: chlamy@hercules.acpub.duke.edu but originally from: >From: Phil Lloyd Subject: Re: Book offer? As soon as I see mention of Bath, Ohio, I am reminded of an investigation made into the operations of this company back in 1988. Of course, things may have changed since then 8-) Anyway, here is what a British newspaper reported at that time. Phil Lloyd lloyd@prl.philips.co.uk =============================================================================== An article published in The Observer, 13th November 1988 -------------------------------------------------------- (The Observer is one of the national Sunday newspapers in GB) ------------------------------- FAMILY TREE RACKET IS UNCOVERED ------------------------------- --------------- by John Merritt --------------- Thousands of people wanting to trace their family trees are being duped into paying 16 pounds sterling a time by an American company which promises far more than it delivers. The company, Halbert's Inc, of Ohio, has deluged British homes with letters offering a 'Family Heritage' book containing family and genealogical information, including a coat of arms. The personally addressed letters purport to come from individuals with the same family names as the recipients. The product, a 49-page 'first edition' book, 'handsomely bound in a burgundy grained cover imprinted with an original heraldic insignia' - a cardboard cover with a lion stamped on it - claims to be 'printed for you alone' but all are virtually identical. The letter sent to Mr and Mrs Nigel Chamberlain, of Gladsmuir Road, North London, comes from Richard Chamberlain, of Ira Road, Bath, Ohio, and begins: 'As you may already know, I have been working in co-operation with Halbert's on a project relating to our Chamberlain family name. Finally after years of effort and considerable expense, we are ready to publish a new book entitled, "Chamberlain Families Around The World" and you are listed in it!' Identical letters were sent to Mrs Isabel Bruno of Lancashire from Robert Bruno of Ira Road, Ohio and to the Fitch family in Staines from a Mr Fitch, also of Ira Road. Mrs Bruno said: 'Our family is from Italy but that's not mentioned.' Strangely, the different letter writers have identical signatures. Mr Fitch, Mr Bruno, and the many others living at Ira Road, urge customers to place their orders through Sharon Taylor, "Family Heritage" representative in Great Britain. Sometimes her address is given in Bristol, sometimes in Berkshire. When The Observer telephoned her Bristol number we were told: 'She's just popped out to the shops.' Two minutes later a call to Unit 16, Britannia Estate, Poyle Road, Colnbrook, in Berkshire elicited the information: 'She's out at lunch.' Unconvinced that anyone could move that speedily, we called again an hour later and customer services informed us: 'Sharon is in the States at the moment.' So we called Halberts in America (at Ira Road) and asked how Sharon Taylor could be in so many places at once. Chris Wilson, described as customer services supervisor, said: 'I'm not really sure.' Finally she admitted: 'OK, Sharon Taylor is a pseudonym. There is no Sharon Taylor, OK.' Miss Wilson, who said: 'We are mailing at least 1000 different surnames in the UK right now,' added that Mr Chamberlain, Mr Bruno, Mr Fitch and the others, were 'family directors'. 'They are actually living persons.' Finally Miss Wilson was asked if Halberts had yet fallen foul of US laws. She said: 'I'm not really versed on that. I'm not sure.' In fact the answer is yes. Two weeks ago the Consumer Protection Division of the US Postal Service began legal proceedings against 'Sharon Taylor and Halberts Inc' for alleged breach of an undertaking not to continue 'misrepresentation'. Meanwhile local trading standards officers have visited Halbert's Berkshire base and are monitoring developments. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >From Phil Lloyd Here is the UK address for Halberts Halberts Incorporated Unit 16 Britannia Industrial Estate Poyle Road Colnbrook Near Slough Berkshire UK (Phone no. 0753 686059) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >From a soc.roots posting by Brian Abernathy Yesterday in the mail I got a letter from the "GRAND REUNION IN SCOTLAND". Among other things, it was addressed to: "Dear Abernathy Clan Member". That alone was questionable, since: 1) the correct Scottish spelling is AbernEthy, and 2) my branch of the ABERNATHYs is a sept of the clan Leslie. (although some Abernathys claim membership in clan Frasier). Reading farther, the letter told me we would visit Clan Tartan Centre, which I had never heard of, but never did they mention that we would visit Abernethy, Scotland, which is still a living town to this day. This letter seemed very vague and general. Then I noticed the address: BATH, OHIO! Yep, it looks like it is something from the same folks that bring us "The History of the Family in America"! --