Archives for April 2021

Family History Center hosts Scandinavian seminar tomorrow

The Family History Center in Salt Lake City will be offering a Scandinavian seminar, tomorrow, May 1 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time. It is suggested to sign in for the webinar about 15 minutes ahead of time since there is a limit to the number of attendees.

11 a.m. – Getting Started with Finnish Research

12:15 p.m. – Denmark Regional Series: Bornholm

2:30 p.m. – Early Tax Records of Sweden part I

3:45 p.m. – Early Tax Records of Sweden part 2

5 p.m. – University of Tromso: Norwegian Historical Data Centre

To register for any of the programs, go to: https://churchofjesuschrist.zoom.us/webinar/register/6116142048048/WN_1GxtZ8DXSGev7XpVg-J3ug

 

National Archives to offer free genealogy webinars in May and June

The National Archives will be offering free genealogy webinars in May and June 2021, replacing its Virtual Genealogy Fair.

The programs are open to the public and no reservations are required. They will be broadcast via YouTube.com  Questions may be asked via chat during the live broadcasts. After the scheduled broadcast, video recordings and presentation material will be available online.

Tuesday, May 4 – 1 p.m. – “Preserving and Digitizing Personal Photo Albums and Scrapbooks”

Learn how to work with the poor quality of materials; how to maintain the integrity of the arrangement and how to store photo albums and scrapbooks appropriately.

Wednesday, May 12 – 1 p.m. – “Finding Genealogy Resources and Tools on Archives.gov”

Learn how to navigate the many resources and tools on Archives.gov. Explore the genealogy portal page, and see how the website is organized.

Wednesday, May 19 – 1 p.m. “Tips and Tools for Engaging Family with Your Research Finds”

National Archives staff members will demonstrate fun and engaging ways to connect research to your family as well as demonstrate ways to share your research finds online using social media.

Tuesday, June 1 – 1 p.m. – “From Here to There: Researching Office of Indian Affairs Employees”

Learn what information can be found in the Bureau of Indian Affairs Official Personnel Files and how further information can be found in the regional records of the BIA.

Tuesday, June 8 – 1 p.m. – “Civil War Union Noncombatant Personnel: Teamsters, Laundresses, Nurses and More”

The noncombatant personnel records are underutilized because there is no comprehensive index and required time-consuming research. This program will provide suggestions for research with emphasis online materials that can help you get started.

Tuesday, June 15 – 1 p.m. – “Merchant Marine Records at the National Archives at St. Louis”

Learn about the collection of Merchant Marine Licensing Files, which are now open to the public as well as auxiliary collections of Merchant Marine records.

For more information, go to:  https://www.archives.gov/research/genealogy/events

 

 

 

 

 

New York Family History Conference goes virtual in 2021

The New York Genealogical & Biographical Society will host a virtual Family History Conference from Sept. 1 through Oct. 18, 2021.

The conference will feature 20 sessions – three days lectures will be streamed live and the remainder of the sessions will be available on-demand. The three livestreaming days will be Friday, Sept. 10, Saturday, Sept. 25 and Sunday, Sept. 26. The last day to watch on-demand sessions will be Oct. 18, 2021.

A program schedule should be available in early June.

Early bird registration for NYG&B members is $98. General admission is $180.

For more information, go to: https://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/nysfhc

 

 

Several free genealogy webinars cover finding aids; Nigerian research

Several free genealogy webinars will be presented this week covering: finding aids, publishing your family history and Nigerian research.

The Genealogical Society of Bergen County (NJ) will present “Findings Aids, Inventories and Record Group Descriptions” on Monday, April 26 at 7 p.m. The answers to difficult genealogical questions are sometimes buried in collections that nobody has researched. How will you find them? Published finding aids are the treasure maps.

To register, go to: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6580334513647216912

The Allen County Public Library will present “Preparing Your Family History for Publication” on Tuesday, April 27 at 2:30 p.m. Learn to write compelling stories about your ancestors and your research journey in this workshop focusing on good storytelling and essential writing skills.

To register, go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIkfuyvrD8jGdGahaCeRW2HV5JPRGU1RMoC

The Wellington County Branch of Ontario Ancestors will present “The Family History Reno Project” on Tuesday, April 27 at 7 p.m. The Family History Reno project preserves your original work file and provides you with a methodical way to find errors and omissions and to make corrections. This allows you to carry on with current research while cleaning up your family tree.

To register, go to: https://wellington.ogs.on.ca/next-meeting/

Legacy Family Tree Webinars will present “Tracing My Missing Nigerian Ancestors” on Wednesday, April 28 at 2 p.m. Many people have discovered that they have a percentage of African in their genetic makeup. How do you begin to find your Nigerian ancestor? What do you need to know about Africa, Nigeria, and Nigerian people? What part of Nigeria did your ancestor come from? In this webinar, learn how to start, focus and streamline your search. Learn about important facts and useful tips and resources to help you find your unknown ancestor and possibly, an extended family.

To register, go to: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/5229502014253688847

The Allen County Public Library will present “The Nuts and Bolts of Publishing Your Family History” on Thursday, April 29 at 6:30 p.m. Is your family history ready for publication? This workshop will cover self-publishing as well as traditional publishing in books and periodicals. Topics will include the submissions process, standard publishing contracts, and marketing your work.

To register, go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIof-mtpzMtE9CZ8CPU9Grg6XaXn1agu7hR

The Southern California Genealogical Society will present “Wiki Tree: The Free Family Tree,” on Saturday, May 1 at 1 p.m. WikiTree is a free online, collaborative one-world tree where members work together to create accurate, sourced profiles that not only compile the basic facts, but also biographies and photos. WikiTree’s platform also enables its members to create non-person related pages to gather other information, such as those pertaining to a One Place Study.

To register, go to:  https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/2955047861898975247

Family History Center to host all day DNA seminar

The Family History Center Library in Salt Lake City will present a free DNA seminar on Monday, April 26.

All times listed are Eastern Time. The programs will be:

11 a.m. – Why Genealogists Use DNA

11:45 a.m. – How Genealogists Use DNA

12:30 p.m. – Grouping DNA Matches

3 p.m. – Using DNA to Determine Relationships

4:15 p.m. – Using DNA to Find Unknown Parents: A Case Study

5 p .m. – Using DNA to Solve a Brick Wall: A Case Study

To attend any of these programs, go to: https://churchofjesuschrist.zoom.us/webinar/register/9816111586486/WN_caDepfxRSqKCiVMIU36S3g

 

 

Family History Center to host English genealogy seminar

The Family History Center in Salt Lake City will present a daylong seminar on English genealogy research on Friday, April 23 to honor St. George’s Day.

The classes will be 20 minutes with a 10-minute question and answer. All times are Eastern Time. Here is a list of the classes:

11:00 a.m.  – Never Trust…
11:30 a.m. – English History and Family History Research: 1066-1714
Noon –  English History and Family History Research: 1714-1939
12:30 p.m. – England Jurisdictions
1:00 p.m. – Church of England Records before 1813
11:30 a.m. – Church of England Records from 1813 Onward
1:00 p.m. – That’s English?! Reading Old Handwriting
1:30 p.m. – Introduction to Quarter Sessions Records
4:00 p.m. – England Research in the FamilySearch Wiki
4:30 p.m. – Key English Resources on FamilySearch.org
5:00 p.m.  – Key English Resources on Ancestry.com
5:30 p.m. – Key English Resources on FindMyPast.com
6:00 p.m. – Start With What You Know, Analyze What You Know
6:30 p.m. – Open Question and Answer

To register for any of these programs, go to:  https://churchofjesuschrist.zoom.us/webinar/register/4916111578156/WN_fLtcSJ4tR0i6f3D8-ZpQNQ

Several free genealogy webinars set for this week

Several free genealogy webinars will be offered this week covering topics such as: Canadian research, online newspapers and Irish research.

The Allen County Public Library will present “Using German Church Records: An Introduction” on Tuesday, April 20 at 2:30 p.m. This program for beginners will explore the value of German church records and how to uncover, interpret, and read them. We will look at the major online sources and discuss some techniques for researching them.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the program.  To register, go to: https://acpl.libnet.info/event/5013037

The Genealogical Society of Rockland County will present “What’s Been Done” on Tuesday, April 20 at 7 p.m. Many of us as genealogists have inherited research from a relative and we are not always sure whether the content is reliable? What’s the best way to incorporate the research of others into your own research without leading to dead ends, road blocks and unnecessary detours? Here’s a road map on the best way to handle “outside research” and benefit from it as you combine the content with your own research.

To register, go to: https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/events/genealogical-society-rockland-county-meeting-9

The Wisconsin State Genealogy Society will present “Finding Your Ancestors in Griffith’s Valuation” on Tuesday, April 20 at 8 p.m. Fire and government destruction of early census records left a void for Irish researchers.  Griffith’s Valuation is one of the only lists of where people lived before, during and after the Famine, however many researchers don’t understand how to use it.  This webinar explains its importance to Irish researchers and explains how to use it.

To register, go to: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8630902806678298128

The New York Public Library will present “Introduction to African American Genealogy Research” on Wednesday, April 21 at 1 p.m. Centuries of local and federal laws related to the livelihood of black Americans have created a complex paper trail of genealogical resources.  This webinar aims to provide introductory historical context and recommend basic research methods in the pursuit of African-American family history.

To register, go to: https://www.nypl.org/events/programs/2021/04/21/african-american-genealogy-research-introduction

The Southern California Genealogical Society will present “Finding Archived Records for  Your Moonshiner Ancestor” on Wednesday, April 21 at 9 p.m. Have you been told that your ancestors made moonshine? Have you ever wondered if there were records to help you verify those stories? Learn from an archivist who has found moonshine records in the archives about finding records for our moonshine ancestors.

To register, go to: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/2979624145780348942

The Allen County Public Library will present “Finding Your Ancestors in Company Employee Magazines and Trade Magazine” on Thursday, April 22 at 6:30 p.m. Company employee magazines and trade magazines are packed with interesting facts about our ancestors. See many examples from these magazines and tips for locating them.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the program.  To register, go to: https://acpl.libnet.info/event/5010509

The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society will present “Finding Your Family in Online Newspapers” on Thursday, April 22 at 7 p.m. Newspapers contain everything from the mundane to the most sensational items for family researchers. The program will include an abbreviated history of American newspapers; a basic lesson in OCR (optical character recognition, the technology that allow newspapers to be indexed and searched online), and the best practices for research, via multiple databases.

To register, go to: https://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/events/rest-story-finding-your-family-online-newspapers

The Colorado Genealogical Society will present “Getting the Most of Your Ancestry.com DNA Results” and “Integrating AncestryDNA Evidence with Your Family Tree” on Friday, April 23 at 3 p.m. Eastern time. This webinar will be presented by Crista Cowan with Ancestry.com and is limited to 500 people.

To register, go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUqduquqDgqEtUNgOUY5HMA1CqGGD5LGX4O

The Colorado Genealogical Society will present “Getting the Most on Ancestry.com” and “Search Tips and Tricks on Ancestry.com” on Saturday, April 24 at 11 a.m. Eastern time. This webinar will be presented by Crista Cowan with Ancestry.com and is limited to 500 people.

To register, go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUrdO2oqzksGdzHCGLgKgm8egpHmXeq5t3V

The Minnesota Genealogical Society will present “O Canada: Census and Beyond” on Saturday, April 24 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time. Discover how to locate your Canadian ancestors through online research. Learn about early census records in 1666 to the latest released in 1921, 1906, and 1916 for the Western regions. Religious records served as vital records as late as 1929 in some areas; land records and many web resources are all crucial to one’s research. Each is covered extensively.

To register, go to: https://www.gotomeet.me/MGSBranches/cig_24apr_census

MyHeritage offers free access to birth record collections

MyHeritage.com will be offering free access to its birth records collection from Sunday, April 18 through Saturday, April 24.

Birth records can provide a wealth of information on your ancestors including location of birth, names of parents, ages of parents and occupation of parents.

MyHeritage’s collection of birth records include 115 collections from all over the world. Some collections contain indexes and some contain the actual image of the record.

You may need to set up a free user name and password to view the images. To begin your search, go to: https://www.myheritage.com/research/category-2010/birth-records

 

Several free genealogy webinars feature Jewish research; UK databases

Several free genealogy webinars will be offered this week covering topics such as: Jewish genealogy, military records and British research.

The Genealogical Society of Bergen County (NJ) will present “All I have is a photo…A Research Journey from a Single Piece of Evidence” on Monday, April 12 at 2 p.m. Follow a research journey about a Polish immigrant and his family. And, as is so often the case, research leads to clues, clues lead to answers, and those answers lead to more questions. Join the presenter as he shows you his approach to working this case study—from the clues in a single photo, to discovering indexes and searching manifests, to records, to some answers, and (of course) more questions. 

To register, go to: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/2194326555356051472

JewishGen Talks will present “What Jewish Genealogists Need to Know About Jewish Given Names” on April 13 at 2 p.m.

To register, go to: https://tixoom.app/jewishgen/8bjjwrhb

The St. Louis County Library will present “Jumping the Pond – Discovering Your German Ancestral Village” on Tuesday, April 13 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Finding your ancestors place of origin is essential to research progress. Learn about sources and get tips for discovering this sometimes-elusive information.

To register, go to: https://slcl.evanced.info/signup/EventDetails?EventId=269313

Legacy Family Tree Webinars will present “Jewish Genealogy with JewishGen.org” on Wednesday, April 14 at 8 p.m. Debbie Kroopkin will explain the structure and purpose of the many components of the website. She will address how to connect with other researchers, how to identify and learn about your town overseas, and how to search for ancestors. Her presentation will provide details that will help researchers glean as much information as possible from JewishGen.org.

To register, go to: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4660039653460952591

The Allen County Public library will present “Over There – Civilian Service in WWI” on Thursday, April 15 at 6:30 p.m. Not everyone who served in WWI carried a gun. There were many ways that both men and women helped the troops cope with the difficulties of trench warfare. Learn about the larger non-combatant organizations that participated in WWI and where their records are located.

To register, go to: https://acpl.libnet.info/event/5007746

The Florida State Genealogical Society will present “Using PERSI Like a Pro” on Thursday, April 15 at 8 p.m. This webinar will take a look into Allen County Public Library’s PERSI, its history and partnership with Find My Past, tips and techniques for getting the most out of this valuable genealogical resource, and how societies can get involved. We will learn about this valuable and overlooked resource through several mini-case studies.

To register, go to: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/5734756194032569611

The Appleton Public Library will present “Discovering Your UK/Irish Roots Online” on Saturday, April 17 at 3 p.m. There is no such thing as “one stop genealogy shopping”! This program will lead you through the resources and search techniques for the three big UK and Irish databases: FindMyPast, ScotlandsPeople and RootsIreland. Learn what’s new on these databases, how you can apply them to your research and how privacy and information rights impact your quest for records.

To register, go to: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SlHMoDlPRmuSAeZWzgdfhA

Free genealogy webinars to cover military records, German research

Several free genealogy webinars will take place this week covering topics such as Jewish genealogy, Scottish genealogy and military records.

Legacy Family Tree Webinars will present “4 More Sources for New Zealand Family History” on Tuesday, April 6 at 10 a.m. Add some more detail to your New Zealand Family History by checking four more sources for your research: Military records, NZ Electoral Rolls, The Suffrage Petition and the Cyclopedia of New Zealand.

To register, go to:  https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/2036852299703622671

The Utah Genealogical Association will present “Analysis and Correlation: A Case Study on a Missing Family in the Census” on Tuesday, April 6 at 8 p.m. We often turn to census records as a landing base to locate families every ten years. But, what if they just can’t be found when you “know” they were there? This case study includes part of the research used for a lineage application, coupled with clues from historical events, newspapers, the Library of Congress, and snippets from a recently discovered journal that put the puzzle pieces into place.

To register, go to:  https://ugagenealogy.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qbXF4VIFRau0w82u9AkUyQ

The Durham Region Brach of Ontario Ancestors will present “Portable Genealogy – You Can Take It With You” on Tuesday, April 6 at 7:30 p.m. Learn how to take your family history with you when you travel or visit research repositories. Also learn how to synchronize your files between computers using programs that support Android and iOS devices and third-party options to use with GEDCOM copies of your files.

To register, go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUqdu6orzIqG9Z24VQLQkJSIhHvGqOijjuM

New York Public Library will present “Getting Started in Jewish Genealogy at New York Public Library” on Wednesday, April 7 at 1 p.m. Join librarians from the Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History, and Genealogy, and the Dorot Jewish Division for an online class that shows you how to begin Jewish genealogy research using collections available from The New York Public Library and elsewhere.

To register, go to: https://www.nypl.org/events/programs/2021/04/07/getting-started-jewish-genealogy-new-york-public-library

The St. Louis County Library will present “Researching 20th Century Military Veterans” on Wednesday, April 7 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Learn about records related to 20th-century military service and tips for locating information. Receive an overview of print and digital sources and provide information about obtaining records from the National Archives.

https://slcl.evanced.info/signup/EventDetails?EventId=269312

The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society will present “Masking the Most of Online Sources for Scottish Family History” on Wednesday, April 7 at 5 p.m. Learn how to get the most out of each resource and pick up lots of hints, tips and practical examples to help you explore the lives and times of your Scottish ancestors.

To register, go to: https://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/events/making-most-online-sources-scottish-family-history

The Minnesota Genealogical Society will present “Documentation and Citation” on Wednesday, April 7 at 8 p.m. Source documentation and citations are important components of every successful family history project. Citing sources creates a permanent “breadcrumb trail” that others can follow and enhances the credibility of research findings. It takes self-discipline and thoughtfulness, but well-documented research stands the test of time. This webinar begins with the basics, then digs deeper into evolving standards for documenting 21st century sources. Discussion includes practical examples and step-by-step practice.

To register, go to: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/5290761304745149966

The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society will present “An Introduction to ScotlandsPeople” on Thursday, April 8 at 12 p.m. Learn about the wealth of documents searchable through ScotlandsPeople, including the kirk session and other church court records from the Church of Scotland, which are now available to view online for the first time.

To register, go to: https://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/events/introduction-scotlandspeople

The Germanic Genealogy Society will present “Deciphering German Given Names and Nicknames” on Thursday, April 8 at 9 p.m. As genealogists, we often focus first on surnames in our research. Yet, it does not take long to encounter same-name candidates for our family trees. Furthermore, many Germans had multiple given names—and may not use their first given name, instead use another one as a “Rufname” which means “name one goes by”. Adding to the mix are nicknames and name variants. Learn about these naming problems and how you can navigate them to ensure you are indeed, barking up the right tree!

To register, go to: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/1592277967146611727

San Diego Genealogical Society will present two sessions on Saturday, April 10 at 1 p.m. Eastern Time about DNA: “Use DNA to Research Colonial American Ancestors” and “Reconnect African American Families with DNA”. 

To register, go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_sPWnn5XkSci5ll2cClTL0Q