Genealogy à la carte

The Québec Genealogical eSociety will host the webinar, Analyzing ancestors’ lives through land registers, presented by Tracey Arial, on Thursday, September 16, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time.

You would be surprised at how many secrets are revealed in Quebec land records. Who sold what to whom and when? Who was their landlord, tenant or neighbour? Did they have obligations to a landlord or tenant? The names of spouses, children, and in-laws might be found in these records. You might also discover that your ancestor made an oath of allegiance to the Crown or someone else. Were they Loyalists? Did they petition for land? If so, their military service, the names of their parents and other relatives might be listed. If they farmed the land, when they first cleared it or what they grew or livestock raised might be included in land records. Were they participants or witnesses to lawsuits?

Registration is required. This webinar is free for members and $5 for non-members.

Free online demo
Curious about the Quebec Genealogical eSociety? Tonight, September 13, at 7:oo p.m. Eastern time, there will be a free online demonstration about the virtual society.

Wondering what the Québec Genealogical eSociety is all about? Looking for a new and innovative approach to researching your ancestors in Quebec? Join us for a free live demonstration of all the features of this “one-of-a-kind” genealogical society.

Registration is required. The registration link also provides dates for this demo in October, November and December.

The BBC has announced the return of the genealogy TV series, Who Do You Think You Are?, expected to be aired this October.

The seven episodes will feature the family histories of a host of celebrities, including Ed Balls, Dame Judi Dench, Pixie Lott, Joe Lycett, Alex Scott, Joe Sugg and Josh Widdicombe.

According to The Genealogist, “Dame Judi Dench is set to unearth her Danish roots and discover some intriguing Shakespearean connections, while former Labour MP and TV presenter Ed Balls uncovers great bravery, and some less-admirable conduct from his ancestors.

“Singer-songwriter Pixie Lott finds that in her family tree there is a musical legacy that is three-generations strong, whilst comedian Joe Lycett comes across a darker side to his family history story.

“Alex Scott, the TV pundit and former footballer, learns about her Jewish and Jamaican heritage, discovering that her ancestors had suffered enormous hardships in their lives.

“YouTuber Joe Sugg learns that his family history can be traced as far back as the Great Fire of London, and comedian Josh Widdicombe’s lineage will take viewers back to the Elizabethan and Tudor Courts.”

Learn more about the celebrities’ stories in The Genealogist article.

Now’s the time to figure out if it’s possible to watch this series from the other side of the pond.

The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society is throwing open the doors to its online New York State Family History Conference to the public for several hours today.

From 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. Eastern time, you can watch the live broadcast of five lectures, all for free.

You can watch one or as many as you want of the lectures.

There is no need to register. Simply visit nygbs.org/livestream to attend New York Fundamentals Day, starting on Friday, September 10 at 1:00 p.m. ET. 

1:00 p.m. Your First Steps After Taking a DNA Test by Shannon S. Christmas
Learn easy ways to position yourself for genetic genealogy success. Hear how, with a few simple steps, you can use your DNA results to help demolish genealogical brick walls, answer seemingly unanswerable questions, uncover family secrets, and discover secret families.

2:00 p.m. How Do I Approach New York by Susan R. Miller
Whether you are starting or restarting New York research, knowing a few fundamental points about the state will set you in the right direction. This session covers a bit of history, governmental organization, and several key resources to move forward in New York genealogy.

3:00 p.m. What’s the Difference: NYS and NYC Genealogy by Susan R. Miller
My people were from New York! But which New York? Understanding of the State and the City can lead to success. An overview of historical boundaries and discussion of key record sets will aid you in finding ancestors.

4:00 p.m. Researching Online: Best Practices and Avoiding Mistakes by D. Joshua Taylor
Billions of records can be found online. Knowing where (and how) to conduct your research is vital. Together we will explore tips and resources to maximize your success when searching online.

5:00 p.m. What’s Next? Where to Learn More about New York Research by the NYG&B Team
Ready to explore the next steps in your New York research? Using the resources of the NYG&B and more, members of the team explore using online records, identify online and offline resources to deepen your understanding, and show more about organizations and projects to further explore New York.

It’s not often that genealogists have an opportunity to learn about Nova Scotia research, so those with ancestors from this Atlantic Canadian province may want to take advantage of this opportunity.

The Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia (GANS) will host a virtual six-week genealogy skill-building course, led by Peggy Homans Chapman, starting Saturday, October 2. Members and non-members may attend.

The course will take place six Saturdays in a row, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Atlantic time.

According to the association, this course will appeal to both beginner and experienced genealogists looking to build a basic skill foundation using Nova Scotia resources. It will be a combination of lecture, interactive exercises, and question sessions, delivered via Zoom.

Topics include:

• The basic skills of genealogy research.
• The basic tools of genealogy research, with Nova Scotia resources highlighted.
• Genealogy in context: how knowing the history of a place makes your search easier.
• Knowing what resources are available and how to access them.
• European settlers in groups in Nova Scotia: Acadians, Foreign Protestants, English, Irish, etc.
• Incorporating DNA into your research.
• Applying what you learn to real cases in a Nova Scotia context.
• Genealogy software, online trees, writing and sharing your ancestry stories. 

Ms. Homans Chapman is an experienced researcher and she developed the curriculum for the National Institute of Genealogical Studies’ Nova Scotia course. 

The fee is $60 for members and $75 for non-members. Learn more and register here.

Legacy Family Tree Webinars will host the free webinar, Tracing Your 20th-Century English Ancestors, presented by Paul Miner, on Wednesday, September 8, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time.

20th-century research skills are needed for the new researchers in England seeking to get started, but also for those doing descendant research seeking to find DNA relatives to test. Research skills are needed to go back and in time and to come forward.

Registration is required to watch the live presentation. A recording will be available in the webinar library for up to seven days afterward to watch for free. Subscribers will have unlimited access to the webinar.

It’s September, and that means lots of opportunities to learn.

Six Ontario Ancestors branches will host a virtual presentation this week. The lectures are free and open to all, but registration is required. All times are in Eastern time.

Mon., Sept. 6 – 7:00 p.m. – Leeds & Grenville Branch – Genetic Genealogy: DNA Testing Tools & Tips by Ben Dawson​.

Have you been wondering what a DNA test could do for your genealogy research?  Have you tested but don’t know what to do next?

Tues., Sept. 7 – 7:00 p.m. – Durham Region Branch — I Just Can’t Get Enough of Eastern Europe by Eva Kujawa​.

Ms. Kujawa will cover border changes as well as the religious divisions of Eastern Europe briefly, before going more in depth with regards to Civil Registration records, how to locate places within the various countries that make up Eastern Europe. She will cover how to locate Church Records as well as how to decipher and read the many Languages and Alphabets. Understanding migration Patterns and how they immigrated to other countries. How to identify clusters and how one would research them. Other sources will be newspapers, land, military and more records.

This is an intermediate-level talk. Ms. Kujawa’s beginner lecture from April is available on Durham Branch’s YouTube channel.

Wed., Sept. 8 – 7:15 p.m. – York Branch — Mixing DNA with a Paper Trail by Dr. Penny Walters​.

Dr. Walters will explain how to merge established paper trails with DNA results. The biology and jargon of DNA can be overwhelming and people have had to learn this new branch of genealogy quickly. Through DNA testing, people receive ethnicity estimates, a heritage map, a list of people that DNA ‘matches’ (overlaps) with, and the opportunity to contact them and collaborate if both parties want to. Many people don’t know what to do with all that information, and just focus on their ethnicity result. The advantages and disadvantages of different DNA tests will be explored; a consanguinity chart will be provided; useful information for adopted people will be given; uploading to GEDmatch and utilising the MRCA (most recent common ancestor) information, and triangulation will be explained. Attendees will be shown how to add ‘useful’ DNA matches to their tree to inform a re-structured paper trail.

Fri., Sept. 10 – 7:00 p.m. – Kent Branch — That Bubblin’ Crude: Early Oil in Kent County by Deanna Bullard, museum curator at Petrolia.​

Sat., Sept. 11 – 1:00 p.m. – Ottawa Branch — Dr. William Arthur Rupert Michell (1879-1966) by Karen Prytula, Lanark County Genealogical Society​.

This is the story of a young man born in Perth, Ontario, who made it to the Antarctic and back with one of the Shackleton expeditions. The Lanark County Genealogical Society received financial support from the Ontario Genealogical Society for their publication, called Lanark County Legends. Dr. Michell’s story is just one of the many interesting contributions contained in this huge 486-page, indexed, hardcover book

Sun., Sept. 12 – 2:00 p.m. — Halton-Peel Branch — Finding your Female Ancestors in Upper Canada by Linda Corupe​.

Finding your female ancestors in early Upper Canada records can be daunting. This presentation will highlight the pathways and resources available to add to your family tree.

Although the names of men are undeniably dominant in the early records of our province, there are still some ways in which women can be traced. This presentation will suggest 15 different methods of doing so, such as petitions, various legal documents and records, voters’ lists and consumer ledgers, along with examples of each. Also Included are the changes in legislation throughout the years that enabled women to take a more prominent part in day-to-day life and leave their marks behind.

And that’s just the beginning. Ontario Ancestors branches have scheduled more than 12 other virtual presentations for later this month.