This is a virtual program via Zoom with the speaker live for Q&A. This is the society's semi-annual mini-seminar. Fee to attend.

Two presentations: "German Research Online" and "Zigzagging Through German Church Records." The first: Searching for German-speaking ancestors is undergoing a paradigm shift in which the resources of Ancestry, FamilySearch and European-based Genealogy.net are all major players and German church records are being digitized. Learn about the many websites that can help you break down brick walls and find the villages of origin for your ancestors.

 The second will explain the methodology of using the baptismal, confirmation, marriage and burial records from German church registers most effectively. By utilizing the different bits of information found in each, researchers can zigzag their way to adding centuries to a pedigree.

David Allen Lambert will be the presenter of 4 lectures on researching early American ancestors. Early Bird rate available through Oct. 3. 

Understanding and Using Fulton History with Dennis Hogan.

The Fulton History website provides, free of charge, an index with images for over 49,000,000 pages of newspapers.  Most newspapers are from New York State, however recently papers from many states and a few foreign countries are also part of the collection.  Tips will be presented on how to use the site including search and navigation techniques.

Dennis Hogan has been a family genealogist since 1977 and has spoken on Irish genealogy topics since 2003.  In 2009 he became a full-time professional genealogist specializing in New York State and Ireland.

CGSI is excited to announce the 2021 CGSI Genealogical & Cultural Conference will be held virtually from October 11-16, 2021 with the theme of "Celebrating Connections".

A CGSI conference is a great place to learn, share, and connect with the genealogy, history, and culture of those from the Czech and Slovak ancestral lands of Central Europe. This new format allows you to connect with information, resources, and other attendees via presentations, networking opportunities, and online social events.

We have planned and organized the conference with three levels of participation to give you access to our speakers’ expertise, the opportunity to connect electronically with other participants, enjoy special programming the week of the conference, and the ability to take up to six months to watch the 50 presentations.

Be a part of this unique experience. Register today!

The International Society for British Genealogy and Family History (ISBGFH) welcomes you to the virtual British Institute (BI). This year’s institute  focuses on Ireland, Scotland, England, and Wales.  The British Institute is open to ISBGFH members and non-members alike. 

We all recognize that COVID-19 changed businesses. Genealogy is no exception.  If we want to continue and grow, we need to change, modify, and adapt.  Our instructors plan to offer you tools to help you do just that. 

To cause the least disruption, the BI is using the virtual setting via ZOOM and coming to you in four courses–five days each in Mid-October. During this time, we will gather to learn, share, and enjoy the history of our ancestry! 

While we encourage you to take advantage of all four courses, we are offering different options to fit your schedule and interests. Attend one course LIVE each week (11-15 October, and 18-22 October) or all four by accessing the recordings.

MEMBERSHIP

If you are not a member of ISBGFH, you may wish to consider joining. A yearly membership is only $25 USD, and the benefits of membership include our British Connections quarterly plus full access through the website to the British Connections archive dating back to 2000. If that isn't enough - you also get access to recordings of our Winter Webinar Series including handouts.

For the grand membership benefit, you qualify for discounts to our British Institute. Since COVID has shut down in-person events in Salt Lake City, BI has gone virtual and each course will be recorded for those who are registered. Each Institute course also has a robust syllabus that is a great source of information and references for you to view and review.

We highly recommend that if you choose to become a member of ISBGFH, that you purchase your membership and wait until you receive your confirmation email with log in information before registering to attend BI. This guarantees receiving membership discounts.  

British Institute is our flagship event and includes twenty hours of instruction by instructors who are at the top of their field! In 2021 we are offering four courses. Each course includes a robust syllabus and many opportunities to ask the questions that are important to you! Gather (via Zoom) with other genealogists who share your interests in one, or more, of these four courses:

• Paul Milner - England
• Chris Paton - Ireland
• Darris Williams - Wales
• Dr. Bruce Durie - Scotland

Early registration ends 31 July 2021 so register soon

The Fairfax Genealogical Society 2021 Fall Fair Event, Back to the Archives: Unlocking Its Secrets will consist of three sessions. The schedule and description of lectures are as follows:

9:15 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. EDT - Welcome Announcements by FxGS

9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. EDT - Session 1: Unlocking the Secrets of Military Records. This lecture will introduce the most commonly useful records at the National Archives in Washington DC for ancestors who served from the Revolution to the Civil War, including service records, pensions, military bounty land, and how to order them.

10:45 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. EDT - Session 2: Unlocking the Secrets of Land Records. Land records were a major factor in the lives of our ancestors, and especially many who served in the military or settled in the west. We will peek at military bounty land warrants, early cash entry claims, and homestead records and the files that are at the National Archives and online.

11:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. - Lunch Break

12:15 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. EDT - Session 3: Unlocking the Secrets of NARA's Online Resources. The National Archives is going digital! Not all of it of course, but more than you may realize. We explore the resources of finding aids and digitized records available through the NARA catalog online.

About the Speaker:

The speaker is Rebecca Whitman Koford. She holds credentials as a Certified Genealogist® and as a Certified Genealogical Lecturer. Her focuses are Maryland and military records at the National Archives, especially those of the War of 1812. Rebecca has been taking clients and lecturing since 2004. She has spoken for the National Genealogical Society Conference (NGS), Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference (FGS), Association of Professional Genealogists Conference (APG), RootsTech, webinars for Legacy, APG, and the Maryland State Archives. She has published articles in the NGS Magazine, APG Magazine, SAR Magazine, and the Maryland Genealogical Society Journal. Rebecca is also the Course I coordinator for The Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research (IGHR) and has been an instructor at the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP) and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG). She is a graduate and former mentor of the ProGen Study Group, an online peer-led study program based on the book Professional Genealogy; and served as the ProGen Administrator from 2015–2020. Rebecca currently works as Executive Director of the Board for Certification of Genealogists® and as Director of the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed) held annually at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

Bucks County Genealogical Society hosts its 15th Annual Bucks County ANCESTRY FAIR: "Solving Genealogical Mysteries with the Photo Detective" featuring Maureen Taylor. 

In a day-long virtual symposium, Maureen will present an overview of using photographs to augment genealogical research and how to ensure your photographs—both paper and digital—are well organized and safely preserved for future generations to enjoy.

For the afternoon session, registrants will be invited to submit some of their most intriguing family photos along with questions they may have about them. In an edition of her popular Photo Detective Road Show, Maureen will select some of the submissions and interpret them during a fascinating afternoon session. 

For more information, visit www.ancestryfair.org or email [email protected]

The Florida Genealogical Society's 2021 Annual Fall Seminar will take place via zoom on October 2, 2021.  Everyone is welcome! The event- DNA-All Day with Blaine Bettinger will have 4 sessions.  Please go to our website fgstampa.org for schedule and full details. The presentations are as follows:

1. Using Y-DNA and mtDNA to Explore Your Ancestry-Y-DNA and mtDNA testing and have helped genealogists break through thousands of stubborn brick walls. Learn about the unique inheritance of Y-DNA and mtDNA in your family, how these tests can be used to explore your ancient ancestry, and how the results can identify your relatives both close and distant.
2. Using Autosomal DNA for the 18th and 19th Century Mysteries-Even though our 18th and 19th century ancestors have been dead for decades, their DNA still survives in their descendants. Learn how to use autosomal DNA to attack and potentially solve genealogical mysteries and brick walls for ancestors who were born or lived in the 1800’s, 1700’s, and beyond.
3. What If? Learning About DNA Through Case Studies- Case studies are a powerful way to educate. In this lecture, attendees will see a series of case studies reflecting some of the most common and interesting DNA scenarios about which seminar attendees all over the country frequently ask. However, rather than simply being a disjointed collection of case studies, the presentation will provide themes such as the need to understand and utilize many different company tools and third-party tools, to think logically and creatively, and to avoid confirmation bias.
4. Evaluating a Genealogical Conclusion Including DNA-Someone tells you that they’ve proven their connection to a genealogical ancestor using DNA, but have they really proven it? Did they avoid the known pitfalls? Together we will discuss the most common pitfalls when using DNA evidence and propose the minimum requirements for a genealogical proof comprising DNA.

OUR SPEAKER Blaine Bettinger

Blaine Bettinger, Ph.D., J.D., is a professional genealogist specializing in DNA evidence. In 2007 he started The Genetic Genealogist (www.thegeneticgenealogist.com), one of the earliest blogs on the topic. Blaine is the author of The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy, and co-author with Debbie Parker Wayne of the award-winning Genetic Genealogy in Practice, the world’s first genetic genealogy workbook. He also co-authored “Genetics for Genealogy” with Judy Russell in 2018’s Professional Genealogy: Preparation, Practice & Standards (ProGen PPS) (Elizabeth Shown Mills, Author and Editor).

Blaine is or has been an instructor for genetic genealogy courses at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR), Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG), Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP), and Virtual Institute of Genealogical Research. Blaine is a graduate of ProGen Study Group 21, a trustee for the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society’s Board of Trustees, and a board member for the Association of Professional Genealogists.

We look forward to seeing you!

Thomas MacEntee will present:

• Smarter Search Strategies for Genealogy
• Turning Genealogy Clues into Genealogy To Do's
• Brick Wall Breakthroughs