Please join us for this free event on Zoom! Judy Fambrough-Billingsly will discuss her newest book Too Brown to Keep: A Search for Love, Forgiveness, and Healing. In addition to sharing her unique story, Judy will describe some of the tips and lessons she learned while researching and discovering her ancestry.

This presentation is free, but registration is required!
For more information, go to www.massgencouncil.org/m-o-r-e

The Genealogical Society of Vermont’s planned spring membership meeting to be held Bennington, cooperatively with Mt. Anthony Lodge #13, Masonic Societies of Bennington, has been canceled. In place of that meeting, GSV is offering our members a group visit to the Vermont Genealogy Library of the Vermont French-Canadian Genealogical Society.

The Vermont Genealogy Library, located at 377 Hegeman Ave. (across from the Vermont State Police) Fort Ethan Allen, Colchester, Vermont, will host a group visit of GSV on Saturday, May 14, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. The library closes at 4:00 p.m. so there will be plenty of time to do research. The library has subscriptions to ancestry.com, findmypast.com, etc., and has 12 computers available to use.

GSV members will meet in the library’s classroom which can accommodate 40-50 people. Vermont French-Canadian Genealogical Society President, Sheila Morris will greet us and give a short presentation on what can be found in the library and ask which ethnic groups we are researching. Then volunteers will help each group find the corresponding part of the library for their research interests. The library has excellent resources for French-Canadian, English, Scottish, German and Irish research. 

This visit is free of charge to GSV members, and lunch will be on your own.

Directions to the Vermont Genealogy Library are provided at the below link:  http://www.vtgenlib.org/general/directions.php

If you are going to attend, please send an email to GSV President, Jonathan W. Stevens at: stevens@vermontel.net or send a note to Genealogical Society of Vermont, P.O. Box 14, Randolph, VT 05060-0014, so we know how many people are attending.

The Annual New England Family History Conference is scheduled for Sat, April 30th.

The conference is free. It is a great conference for beginners and experienced genealogists alike. Here is the link. You need to register for conference.  http://nefamilyhistory.com/

More information from their website.

The 2016 New England Family History Conference will be held Saturday, April 30, 2016 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 91 Jordan Road, Franklin, MA.

Keynote Speaker
Meg L. Wilson, Curator of Historical Collections at Mount Auburn Cemetery
Family History is so much more than just birth and death dates; and Mount Auburn Cemetery is so much more than a just cemetery.  Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated as a National Historic Landmark, Mount Auburn Cemetery has a Historical Collections Department which is home to a comprehensive Archives, Library, Photographs and Fine & Decorative Arts, the only known collection of its kind in the nation. 

Ms. Winslow will discuss what can be found in cemetery records, researching at Mount Auburn as well as other rural cemeteries, and the growing interest in genealogical research in cemetery repositories.

The Family History Help Center
Computer stations with internet access and Family History Consultants are available to all coference attendees throughout the day.  Stop in for help with a specific research challenge or to get assistance with Family Search, Indexing or other online tools.

Educational Sessions will once again feature numerous genealogy experts sharing their broad expertise in a variety of sessions.  In addition to live speakers, the conference agenda again includes several pre-recorded sessions from Roots Tech 2016 which will include a session moderator sessions, hosted by a Family History Consultant with experience in the topic presented.  The session hosts will be on hand to answer questions and provide additional information.

The New England Family History Conference is sponsored by the Hingham Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Topic:  "Family Research and Publishing Software Options"

The genealogical software world started off 2016 with a bang. There is a changing landscape with software and service changes. This session will cover an overview of the main software packages available for the Windows and Mac worlds. In addition to the family tree building and documentation packages, we will look at some of the research and publishing tools that are currently available. A CD-ROM is provided with all the handouts and trial versions of the software packages demonstrated.

Please pre-register for each event by emailing friendsofirishresearch@gmail.com.

The Friends of Irish Research are sending this out to those on our mailing list and those on the ICC Library mailing list because this is a special event on Sunday, April 17th.

A book signing and author reading of "The Bad Times" will take place 1:00pm on 4/17 at the ICC Library (200 New Boston Rd., Canton, MA). Join us as we welcome Christine Kinealy and John Walsh.

We are also announcing that on June 4th and 5th, the Friends and ICC Library will be at the ICC Irish Festival. Check out the details at www.irishculture.org

Subject: April Genealogy Meeting Monday April11, 2016

Place: Littleton Library, Couper Room, Lower Level

Theme:  Location, location. location .  .  .   (discussion group meeting)

Subtitle:  A Five Generation Pedigree Chart of Ancestor Place of Birth (optional date)

Goals:  Find new hints to pursue in our searches

            Discover a new perspective in viewing our “family tree”

            See relationships through place rather than name

Actions: View a pedigree chart(s) that displays known information in a  different way

          View places/regions in common  with other members to glean resources for that area

          Have FUN with a trending topic that is on the internet

Discussion:  What family members moved most often or stayed in place

             What possible country/world events could have influenced them to move

             What different branches moved to the same areas at different times

             Can place be as important to seeking ancestor history as name

What to Bring:  (your presence is enough) but if you choose.  .  .  

Before the Meeting: How often has Genealogy been a hot topic on the internet?

Refer to the following websites to see what was trending on social media - blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

    Please plan to attend even if you don’t choose to make these chart(s)

This is the blog site (geneaspy) of J. Paul Hawthorne who started the phenomena on his Facebook page on March 23rd - (I don’t use Facebook, so I can’t give you that exact URL)

http://geneaspy.blogspot.com/2016/03/a-little-thing-that-went-viral.html

This is the blog site (Ancestories) of Miriam J. Robbins who offers a way to create your Pedigree chart - including text and colors through using Microsoft Excel -  Mac owners can also download to Numbers for their charts - for those who “need to do a bit more,” and to help in discussion questions, you may want to include the date of birth as well

http://ancestories1.blogspot.com/2016/03/birthplace-pedigree-fun.html

This is a blog site (Finding Forgotten Stories) of Anne Gillespie Mictchell who offers an added option

http://finding-forgotten-stories.com/2016/03/25/2836/

If you are computer challenged to use Excell or Numbers - consider making your own chart from one of these free downloads or one of your own making

http://www.mymcpl.org/_uploaded_resources/genealogy/Six_Generation_Chart.pdf

http://misbach.org/download/horse.pdf

Vital records resources at IrishGenealogy.ie and the National Library of Ireland often open the gateway to your Irish family history. A demonstration of some of the newest Irish research tools will be given. As time permits there will be a Q&A period. All attendees will receive a CD with the handouts from the presentation and a collection of research tools including several genealogy record programs, including Legacy 8.0 Standard.

Three interesting topics from FIR in Canton, MA

·         Session 1 – Using My Heritage Subscription Service

·         Session 2 - Using Ship Registries in the USA, Canada and Europe

·         Session 3 - The newly released indexes and databases from Find My Past.

Have you exhausted the standard research resources of censuses, church and civil records in your Irish research? Don't give up!  This seminar presented by Richard Reid, Director of the Friends of Irish Research, will discuss over a dozen alternative sources to help find records of your ancestors and demonstrate some of the newest Irish research tools.

All attendees will receive a CD with the handouts from the presentation and a collection of research tools including the genealogy record program, Legacy 8.0. 

Irish Family History Day

Courtyard Marriott Hotel, 275 Tremont Street, Boston, Mass.

Cost: $85

Explore your Irish heritage with the experts at NEHGS and the Ulster Historical Foundation. Learn how to get the most out of Irish resources and records, gain strategies for breaking down brick walls, and understand important historical context. Whether you are just beginning your Irish research or have been at it for years, you won't want to miss this full-day seminar! Register today! 

NEHGS has been collecting unique items of Americana and fine art since its founding in 1845. Learn the story behind items that illustrate life in early America. Attendees are welcome to use our resources following the tour. No registration necessary.

In early Boston and the Massachusetts Bay Colony crime and punishment were key aspects of maintaining community solidarity and security. The Puritan churches and the civil government both defined appropriate behavior and took action when rules were broken. This talk describes the relationship between the two institutions and emphasizes the civil role of laws and courts to apply sanctions ranging from minor shaming to corporal punishments, imprisonment, and death.Registration is not required, but recommended. Register today!

Our next Chelmsford Genealogy Club meeting is Tuesday Feb. 2nd at 7 PM at the Chelmsford Library, 25 Boston Rd., Chelmsford, MA 01824

Our speaker, Jan Lewis, is a Professional Memoir Ghost Writer. She shares with you her knowledge and love of assisting others in writing and compiling of their individual memoir books.  She offers a fresh, direct and uncomplicated approach to memoir book writing for all persons interested in passing along their personal legacy to future generations.

Jan Lewis is a resident of Upton and was raised in a family where the elder members often related stories of their personal life. She is also a host of "Be My Guest!" a television program aired locally, internationally online and on YouTube. 

Genealogy is one of the most valuable pursuits in which you can participate—learning about who you are, where you come from, and meeting the thousands of people who came before you, can be a rewarding and even life-changing experience. But, how do you get started? You may have inherited family papers or research from a relative, have dabbled on a number of websites, or started your research and have already found a few records of interest. What's next? There are plenty of websites, libraries, and printed sources out there, but access to all that information can leave a beginner feeling overwhelmed.

In this course you'll learn how to navigate the first steps in tracing your family history and gain basic strategies for researching and recording data. Even if you've already been doing research for a few years, you're sure to learn a new tip or two. Register today!

Need help understanding and interpreting your DNA test results? DNA results are especially complicated for Jews, who have largely "married within the tribe" for hundreds of years—a practice known as endogamy. This phenomenon, with variations, occurs in other populations including early American colonial. In this presentation, Israel Pickholtz will tackle this challenge head on. Since every family is different, rather than taking a "how-to" approach, he will demonstrate how he dealt with endogamy in his family and identify general lessons that apply to all DNA research. His goal is to inspire listeners and readers to say, "I can do this!" Following the talk, copies of his book, ENDOGAMY: One Family, One People, will be available for purchase and signing. FREE Register today!

Genealogical software can help you organize your family history research, generate charts and reports, correct entry mistakes, and visualize your progress. Join Rhonda R. McClure for Choosing a Genealogical Software Tuesday, January 26 at 2:00 pm EST. In this free webinar, you will learn how to select a software that’s right for you and how to transfer files from an old program to a new one. Register today on the NEHGS website.

Genealogy is one of the most valuable pursuits in which you can participate—learning about who you are, where you come from, and meeting the thousands of people who came before you, can be a rewarding and even life-changing experience. But, how do you get started? You may have inherited family papers or research from a relative, have dabbled on a number of websites, or started your research and have already found a few records of interest. What's next? There are plenty of websites, libraries, and printed sources out there, but access to all that information can leave a beginner feeling overwhelmed.

In this course you'll learn how to navigate the first steps in tracing your family history and gain basic strategies for researching and recording data. Even if you've already been doing research for a few years, you're sure to learn a new tip or two. Register today!

NEHGS has been collecting unique items of Americana and fine art since its founding in 1845. Learn the story behind items that illustrate life in early America. Attendees are welcome to use our resources following the tour. No registration necessary.

The Friends of Irish Research presents two session of genealogical interest: How to Use the Most Recent Irish Genealogical Records and Using the New Ancestry.com Interface.  There will be a special introductory session to address the reality that Ancestry has discontinued sales of the Family Tree Maker software.

Please register by emailing:  library@irishculture.org or friendsofirishresearch@gmail.com.

Irish Cultural Centre of New England

200 New Boston Drive, Canton, MA 02021

This free orientation and tour introduces you to the resources available at the NEHGS research facility. Founded in 1845, NEHGS is the country's oldest and largest nonprofit genealogy library and archive. With more than 15 million artifacts, books, manuscripts, microfilms, journals, photographs, and records--and expert staff to help you navigate it all-- NEHGS provides the access you need to research your family history. You do not have to be a member to participate. Tour attendees are welcome to use our resources following the tour. No registration necessary.

Genealogy is one of the most valuable pursuits in which you can participate—learning about who you are, where you come from, and meeting the thousands of people who came before you, can be a rewarding and even life-changing experience. But, how do you get started? You may have inherited family papers or research from a relative, have dabbled on a number of websites, or started your research and have already found a few records of interest. What's next? There are plenty of websites, libraries, and printed sources out there, but access to all that information can leave a beginner feeling overwhelmed.

In this course you'll learn how to navigate the first steps in tracing your family history and gain basic strategies for researching and recording data. Even if you've already been doing research for a few years, you're sure to learn a new tip or two. Register today!

Tom Toohey will discuss finding your ancestors with maps.  Tom Toohey is a member of the Chelmsford Genealogy Club.

The meeting is at the Beebe Memorial Library, 345 Main Street, Wakefield, MA.

This free orientation and tour introduces you to the resources available at the NEHGS research facility. Founded in 1845, NEHGS is the country's oldest and largest nonprofit genealogy library and archive. With more than 15 million artifacts, books, manuscripts, microfilms, journals, photographs, and records--and expert staff to help you navigate it all-- NEHGS provides the access you need to research your family history. You do not have to be a member to participate. Tour attendees are welcome to use our resources following the tour. No registration necessary.