Link to free pedigree chart and family group sheet downloadable files.
Author: B.J.
Genealogy reference specialist at the Maine State Library, writing about genealogy, the State of Maine, and genealogy in Maine.
Ancestry in depth, part 2
Video of program Ancestry in depth, part 2
Want to know more about genealogy at the Maine State Library or to sign up for notices of future events? Head over to https://www.maine.gov/msl/services/genealogy/index.shtml and sign up for the mailing list (yellow box in upper right corner).
Ancestry in depth
Practice sheet:
The slides:
Want to know more about genealogy at the Maine State Library or to sign up for notices of future events? Head over to https://www.maine.gov/msl/services/genealogy/index.shtml and sign up for the mailing list (yellow box in upper right corner).
Tracing Scottish Ancestors “From Away”
Tracing Scottish ancestors “from away”: YouTube link.
Resources handout from presentation:
Slides from Researching Scottish Ancestors “From Away”:
Earlier presentations about tracing Scottish ancestors:
Getting started in Scottish genealogy: presentation at YouTube.
Finding immigrant origins in U.S. records: presentation at YouTube.
Genealogy research in colonial Massachusetts
Part 1: Video presentation: genealogy research in colonial Massachusetts
File (pdf) mentioned in video: Ithamar Wilkins ~ evolution of a vital record.
Part 2: YouTube link
Part 3: focusing on marriage records ~ YouTube link.
Maine State Library genealogy club on-line: Machine Magic Mondays
Since the Maine State Library is closed for safety reasons because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve taken the genealogy club on-line.
Every Monday, at 1 p.m. eastern time, we’re having a session devoted to using technology to make your life and genealogy easier. Want to get notifications of future meetings? Sign up here (yellow box on upper right).
Recordings of past sessions:
Maine State Library genealogy club on-line programming 2020
With the current closure of the Maine State Library due to COVID-19 issues, we’ve taken the library’s genealogy club on-line.
Want to be notified of future genealogy club events? Sign up (in the yellow box on the upper right) at the MSL genealogy page.
Links to Zoom recordings of previous on-line meetings:
Tracing female ancestors, pt. 2
Tracing female ancestors, pt. 1
Starting research in a new geographical area
Using a computer-based genealogy program
Finding obituaries and death notices
Organizing your genealogy findings
Your Great-Great Grandpa’s Facebook
Genealogy for librarians
Since the Maine State Library is closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve been doing Zoom meetings for librarians about how to help patrons with genealogy questions. Here are links to the recordings of those sessions, with the most recent video first.
Starting in a new geographic area
Helping patrons with lineage society (DAR/SAR, Mayflower Society) application research
When the records aren’t in English
B.J.’s seven favorite websites for genealogy (that aren’t Ancestry or MyHeritage)
Information overload ~ hurts so good ;-)
My brain is into full overload mode. The presentations at Rootstech have been wonderful ~ and have given me IDEAS! Lots of IDEAS! {We should probably have a moment of silence here for the sanity of my department head at the library..…}
Note: I’m trying out some of the blog features, so I’m writing this late afternoon Friday but I’m going to try to schedule it posting for later this evening. Let’s hope it works.
I still haven’t gotten closer than sixth cousins on FamilySearch’s relative finder app. Looking at who I do match with, it seems to be people descended from siblings of my ancestors. My lines stayed in New England, while my matches’ lines either were early Utah pioneers directly, or (more commonly) had settled in central New York or the Midwest for a couple generations before coming to Utah.
The most interesting and potentially useful session I went to today was about English parish chest records, which isn’t a type of record I’ve used that often. I’ve used the Scottish and Quaker equivalents, so I’ll be eager to look into these. The parish chest records (other than the baptism/marriage/burial registers) are less likely to be on line, but the notes from overseers of the poor, illegitimacy investigations, and settlement/residency examinations have great details if you can track them down. I’m going to try to find some good samples to put in the English genealogy program that I’m doing at the state library March 20.
Rootstech Day 1: so far, so wonderful!
The Rootstech conference conference started today ~ and so far, so wonderful!
I chose a couple of the presentations to go to because a couple of my favorite bloggers were speaking. I figure that’s as good a reason as any to pick a session, right?
Roberta Estes, of DNA Explained, talked about using various DNA tools. Some very helpful information about a fast-changing field. I really need to do more with some of the new tools at both the DNA testing companies and at the third party sites like DNA Painter. (Can someone invent a 36 hour day? That would help so much!)
Lara Diamond, of Lara’s Genealogy (and one of the absolute best at integrating research and stories in her blog), talked about using Russian Empire records. While the sample record types she talked about were very Russian, her techniques for figuring out which records are worth a deeper look would be helpful for anyone working in a language they don’t know.
I also went to a session on creating a surname table. The presenter puts the surname data together in a slightly different way than others; I’ll need to ponder how her technique might be helpful in my research or for patrons to use.
The Family History Library was open late tonight ~ until 11, as opposed to their usual 9. I headed over there, expecting it to be very busy, as the only ‘competition’ from Rootstech was the exhibition hall preview. But the library was almost empty ~ yeah! I got a microfilm reader with no issue, and (since copies/printouts are free there this week because of Rootstech), I had some fun ~ I now have a copy of the whole 1837 Danvers MA local census, for example.
I also spent a couple hours in the U.S. books section, in the NJ and PA books, working on my Weston/Horton line, which anyone reading this who has been to my presentations is familiar with ~ that’s the couple with the newspaper ad about the neighbors knowing more than the husband about why the wife has left him. No major revelations, although I discovered a very local genealogical society publication has transcribed Mary [Cady] (Weston) (Tracey) Miles’s diary, which I’d taken notes on during a trip to Susquehanna County PA years ago. It’s nice to have the full transcript {yeah for free copies!}
Despite my usual night owl tendencies, I actually didn’t stay until 11 ~ well, I did, according to my eastern time body, but not the mountain time clock 😉
Mainely Genealogy 