Irish Famine Reading List

Howard Mathieson's March 11 presentation on the Irish famine, its causes and consequences, was very enlightening. He also shared a reading list on the famine at http://surnameorigins.ca/famine.htm.

I would suggest that you take a look at the main site at http://surnameorigins.ca and check out the links there to surname maps in the British Isles. I believe the link to the geogenealogy website there takes you to the research that Howard has done on surnames in England. It all looks very interesting.

Thanks, Howard, for another educational class!

Facebook Surname Distribution Map site

When I contacted Howard Mathieson about speaking to our club this year, he suggested that some of our members might be interested in a Facebook group he had organized.

 

 

Howard wrote:  "You might pass this on to your members; it's my Facebook Surname Distribution Map site. It discusses issues relating to:

- surname distribution maps
- historic maps
-map utilities for genealogists
-historical or contemporary gazetteers and finding aids
-mapping software for genealogists
-historic overlays for Google Earth

https://www.facebook.com/groups/467543026597487/members/

 

Legacy Webinar: March 12

Legacy's webinar this week is also geared toward Irish research. (Must have something to do with St. Patrick's Day!)

The description follows, and the presentation is suggested for intermediate and experienced researchers.


Some Lesser Known Irish Resources

"This webinar is an overview of some lesser known Irish resources that may provide additional information about your Irish ancestors. Some of the sources that will be discussed include school records, taxation sources and court records."


www.familytreewebinars.com to register.

Irish Famine

Howard Mathieson, a former member of our club, will be our speaker March 11. He is a retired geography professor with an interest in maps, surname origins and Canadian/British research. When I asked for a summary of his topic, here is the response:

 

 

The title of the presentation is "The Irish famine, a perfect storm". It puts into context the "perfect" set of circumstances that led to one of the most dramatic events in the 19th century. From the potato, greedy landlords, to sweeping demographic changes, the famine was an event that no one expected, but was bound to happen.

 

 

Many of us have at least one ancestor with an Irish background, but the circumstance of the Irish famine is of interest to all.

March 4 Workshop

Twenty+ members attended Tuesday and everyone worked diligently on some facet of genealogy. It's great to see everyone pairing up for assistance or exchange of information. We are still hoping for a few more surveys to be returned to help us plan for next season's meetings.

We will have speakers for both March 11 and 18.

Legacy Webinars

Legacy is presenting two webinars this week. Lisa Louise Cooke will be talking about Google Earth on Wednesday, March 5. Notice that we have Lisa Cooke's book, The Genealogist's Google Toolbox, in our club library. 

You can listen to Geoff Rasmussen discuss sources and citations on Friday, March 7. He will be focusing on Legacy's source writer.


Descriptions of the two classes follow:

Using Google Earth for Genealogy

"In this extremely popular class Google Earth Guru Lisa Louise Cooke will teach you how to unlock mysteries in your research: from unidentified photographs, to how an ancestral location looked a hundred years ago or more, to plotting homesteads precisely using land patent legal descriptions. You’ll learn how to interpret the genealogical records you already have in new and exciting ways using layers, overlays, forensic analysis, and little known online tech tools. You will be amazed to discover that Google Earth is one of the best free genealogical tools available!"


Sources and Citations Made Simple, Standard, and Powerful

"If genealogy without documentation is mythology, recording our citations is essential to sound genealogical research. In this webinar, Geoff Rasmussen will 1) explain what makes a good citation, 2) demonstrate how to properly and consistently record the citation, and 3) provide insider tips and tricks for using Legacy Family Tree’s SourceWriter."


Register to watch in real time at www.familytreewebinars.com or plan to watch either presentation for seven days following its time slot.

February Workshop Websites

Three suggested websites were recommended at the February 25 workshop. Notice that two, usgenweb and linkpendium are available on our links menu.

1. Gen Web sites, which are managed by volunteers all over the world. Try any of the three.

                    www.usgenweb.com for United States research

                    www.canadagenweb.com for research in Canada

                    www.worldgenweb.com for other countries

2. Linkpendium, which has links to websites worldwide.

                    www.linkpendium.com

3. ProGenealogists, a website used by professionals; all links have an indication as to whether they are subscription or not.

                     www.progenealogists.com/linkslibrary.htm

Family Search Website

At Tuesday's workshop there were several questions about Family Search and registering on its site. Our recommendation is to register as a member (free) and remember your user name and password for future reference. I believe the advantage to using Family Search in this manner is when a result appears that is linked to a partner of Family Search, you will be allowed to see that record even when you are not a subscriber to that partner's website. If someone has had that experience, we would like to hear about it.

Clarification: it seems that someone can access a subscription site only when using family search at a family history center--unless, of course, you have your own subscription.

For example, if you find a result for the 1930 U. S. census the following three options are available if you elect to see the actual record.

At ancestry.com. By clicking here you will be leaving FamilySearch.org. (fees and other terms may apply)

When using the site at a FamilySearch Center.

To signed-in members of supporting organizations.