2026 April

30 April 2026:- Total 55,524 including living. Finally got a hook in this Madden line, it went through a lot of changes that occur between censuses in a way that makes it difficult to line up people, a lovely challenge.

29 April 2026:- Total 55,516 including living.  Some additional sources on a Madden line that sprung from a Dowling Matriarch but coincidentally, at the moment, it turns out her daughter married the Madden whose mother was also a Dowling... a small world.

28 April 2026:- Total 55,510 including living.  A few more Westmeath sources and a new correspondence via Ancestry message system on the Dougherty connection so spent a little time on that for two US censuses.

27 April 2026:- Total 55,501 including living.  A few sources for existing people in Westmeath today.

26 April 2026:- Total 55,501 including living. Sunday Double Back Up. Some Westmeath Dowlings added and some searching and not finding until I found a mis-transcription of Richard as Michael!  Some modifying of Online Repository Assistant for the new 1926 census and tweaks that may make the previous two Irish censuses easier to extract from.

25 April 2026:- Total 55,493 including living.  Busy in garden but a census entry that led to a another merge.

24 April 2026:- Total 55,491 including living.  Added a couple of 1926 censuses and then a merge, so good work done.

23 April 2026:- Total 55,491 including living. Busy shopping (not a favourite pastime).  A couple of 1926 census entries.

22 April 2026:- Total 55,484 including living. Very busy most of day in garden added a small few Laois related entries.

21 April 2026:- Total 55,482 including living.  Another Laois 1926 census... very excited about this release. And, a family in Danville, Illinois that have a stoneware rolling pin for sale on eBay!

20 April 2026:- Total 55,468 including living.  Looking at the newly released Irish 1926 census.  There are a few awkward arrangements but it is essentially similar to previous releases.  I don't get the minimalist screen approach, I m sure it is only a fashion thing as it is not helpful in quickly navigating pages but websites keep doing it.  Anyway I amended my Online Repository Assistant template and added a few 1926 entries for existing people.

19 April 2026:- Total 55,468 including living.  Sunday Double Back Up.  No genealogy today just family time.

18 April 2026:- Total 55,468 including living. Busy in garden today, just one census.

17 April 2026:- Total 55,468 including living. Busy day with other software failing due to a Windows Update.  Computer software is just not 'rock-solid' as it implies it is.  Nevertheless, added a few census entries and more people, albeit with little analysis.

16 April 2026:- Total 55,457 including living.  Some Philadelphia census work.  I am comfortable that the Martin I am after comes from a central Allegheny stem but he has been born just after the 1880 census, there was no 1890 and in 1900 he does not appear at home so it is tricky to place him with a family because he has fallen between the census cracks.

15 April 2026:- Total 55,438 including living.  Some Philadelphia census work back as far as I could go, a merge of one branch of that family with more to come... A bit of a rabbit hole trying to identify the line of the great Red Cross worker Mary Lou but it all helps the Study.

14 April 2026:- Total 55,415 including living. Some Philadelphia records with a rather abrupt end to a clear trail of a Martin Dowling in the 1900s.

13 April 2026:- Total 55,395 including living.  Only one person added but a significant merge on this Sylvester trail in Kilkenny.  Merges (when sufficient evidence is found to say that two separate person entries are in fact the same person) are major achievements for reducing the confusion caused by the volume of people.  Found a Mary Louise Dowling on a movie end-credit for The Pride and Profane, a Red Cross worker and manager, she will definitely become a Notable when I have tracked her some more.

12 April 2026:- Total 55,394 including living. Sunday Double Back-Up.  Back from a short tour of the Wye Valley in Gloucestershire.  Added a few sources in Ohio.

7 April 2026:- Total 55,392 including living. Small addition but mostly busy with the garden today.  May be unavailable for a few days.

6 April 2026:- Total 55,392 including living.  A Dowling photo on eBay prompted a quick check through some records in Ohio.

5 April 2026:- Total 55,382 including living.  Sunday Double Back-Up. Doing some desk tidying today... its not just about computers and websites... I have stacks of paper materials to wade through.  I may have to retire from taking emails to sort it all out... maybe when I am 75?

4 April 2026:- Total 55,382 including living. Some Kilkenny records today.

3 April 2026:- Total 55,354 including living. Back on Sylvester's today and a Kerry family to eliminate them from the current enquiry.

2 April 2026:- Total 55,339 including living. Some interesting work trying to find someone in Chicago who appears to want to remain hidden!

1 April 2026:- Total 55,335 including living. A significant finding of a 1910 New York census that was bugging me...  Eventually found the Dowlings with their surname spelled "Tolleng".  New Corcoran related email to start on.  Busy, busy, busy.

31 March 2026:- Total 55,305 including living. Some New York and Laois records looking for a