Virtual Genealogy Sessions - update

I watched the first session for today (Wed) and the presenter was very good, AND his knowledge was fantastic!

I'm watching the second session now. In the chat group someone from NARA has indicated that the sessions will remain on YouTube, even after they will be archived on the NARA Fair site by end of November 2014. So it's all good news!!

Hope some of you are participating and learning. I've used NARA site often over the years, but this morning found some new information regarding my SIEGERT great grandparents who sailed from Germany to USA 1879. Very cool and *always* something new to learn, if we just take the time AND realize we don't know everything!! haha


Cheers,
Pat

Virtual Genealogy Sessions FREE

Starting tomorrow until Thursday you can 'attend' 17 FREE virtual genealogy sessions from your personal computer! Can it get any better? If you've not been using YouTube here's your chance.

The National Archives [USA] Virtual Genealogy Fair will run Oct. 28, 29, & 30th, 2014. There is full information here http://www.archives.gov/calendar/genealogy-fair/2014/schedule.html For those not able to listen live, the sessions will be archived by the end of Nov. 2014!


Enjoy!
Pat

USA Land Patents

For anyone who had ancestors living, and farming, in the USA you definitely want to be looking at this website commonly referred to as BLM GLO http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/default.aspx

You know how I nag about reading everything before you begin using a database??!! This site is no exception. There is definitely a learning curve, but it's well worth the effort.


Happy Searching,
Pat

Google Street View Moving into Europe!

Remember that session I did on Maps ... yesterday? Well here is brand new news as of today! This is why it's an exciting time to be a genealogist; and why it's impossible to keep up. Haha

This is really great news!! Even though it's only for Luxembourg, there should be more to come soon. See for yourself http://venturebeat.com/2014/10/24/googles-street-view-now-available-for-luxembourg/


Cheers,
Pat

Ontario Land Patent Early Maps - Online FREE

Thanks to Andrew for sharing this with me.

"The Archives of Ontario has put hundreds of maps online that pre-date the Ontario county atlases of 1878 (the McGill digital ones). They are the hand-written patent maps for townships in the province with landowner names, and some date from the early 1800’s or before. I was interested in seeing that aboriginal names for local lakes in the area of Ontario were used on the map – had never seen that before. (Those lakes now bear boring names like “Long Lake” and “Stony Lake.”)"

"The maps are terrific and may be useful to mention in your workshops" http://ao.minisisinc.com/scripts/mwimain.dll/144/ARCH_LISTINGS/LISTINGS_DESC_SUM_REP/REF_ADD%20RG%201-100?SESSIONSEARCH


So now I have shared with you!! Collaboration is wonderful, right?


Cheerio,
Pat [I just finished the last bit of yard clean up for 2014, and it really feels and looks like Fall today. Shoot. Ever the optimist, this just means that it's only a couple months until the days start getting longer! Enjoy everyone.]

Do You Know a Good Genealogy Speaker?

There is a proposed genealogy conference, Halifax, 2015. The organizers are looking for suggestions from genealogists across Canada for speakers. So if you know of anyone you would like to suggest have a peek at http://anglo-celtic-connections.blogspot.ca/2014/10/suggestions-for-speakers-at-canadian.html Click on "Post a Comment" towards the bottom to send your suggestion(s).

So I admit I would LOVE to go!!! And here ends my shameless self-promotion!!


Cheers,
Pat

Pennsylvania Death Records

Pennsylvania was one of the 13 colonies, and yet it has lots of challenges for researchers. Today Ancestry has released a database with ALL publicly available death records until 1963. Marriage records are still held at the county level so are not included with the PA State Archives records.

I have a Mary Ann PROUDFOOT (as always the surname has been recorded with various spellings) who married Porter B. VanWORMER around the early 1840s probably in Meadville, Crawford Co, PA. The VanWORMER line is well documented, but Mary Ann was born ca 1826 in England so any, and all new record types available for this area are welcome news to me!! Obviously I will not find Mary Ann's death record [she died abt 1852], but perhaps I can locate another family member who lived longer and created more records. By following *that* person I may learn her parents names and where in England they came from. It's what we do, right? :-)

The database is named Pennsylvania Death Certificates, 1906 - 1963 and can be accessed if you have an Ancestry membership, or perhaps through your local library Ancestry edition.


Every little record helps!

Cheers,
Pat

I'm Being Interviewed!

Dan Reynish, CBC radio, is doing an interview with me tomorrow morning, Sat. 25 Oct,2014 around 7:45am. We'll be talking about genealogy and my Maps presentation at RPL a little later tomorrow morning. Wish me luck!!!!


Cheerio,
Pat

Maps, Maps, and more Maps!

I did a full two hours last Saturday at Regina Public Library on Census. It was a blast!

Tomorrow, Saturday 25 Oct, 2014 I'm doing another two hours at RPL on "Maps, Maps and more Maps!" Come join us if you can from 10am - 12 noon. The presentation will be in the film theatre downstairs ... main branch downtown Regina. Lots of room, lots of comfy seats, lots of free coffee and cookies. Oh and it's FREE!! :-)

Remember you cannot do genealogy without maps, atlases, and gazetteers! Come see why!!



Cheers,
Pat

FREE Immigration Records on Ancestry

Until midnight EST 23 Oct, 2014 you can access and search Ancestry's immigration records http://www.ancestry.com/cs/finding-your-roots?cj=1&netid=cj&o_xid=0003910067&o_lid=0003910067&o_sch=Affiliate+External


Cheerio,
Pat

The Down Survey of Ireland 1656 - 1658

This is an amazing site ... for those of us researching Ireland.

"Ireland in the 1650s lay in ruins. Twelve years of calamitous warfare had destroyed the country's infrastructure and resulted in the death of over 20% of the Irish population."

"Taken in the years 1656-1658, the Down Survey of Ireland is the first ever detailed land survey on a national scale anywhere in the world. The survey sought to measure all the land to be forfeited by the Catholic Irish in order to facilitate its redistribution to Merchant Adventurers and English soldiers."

The maps survived, have been digitized and made available FREE http://downsurvey.tcd.ie/index.html. VERY COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Cheers,
Pat

1916 & 1921 Canada Census Forms [blank]

Anyone who has been unable to locate a blank 1916 Canada Census Form, here ya go http://globalgenealogy.com/charts-certificates/images/1916-Census-Form.pdf.

And a blank 1921 Canada Census Form here http://globalgenealogy.com/charts-certificates/images/1921-Census-Extraction-Form.pdf


Thanks Bruce for finding these and sharing with me!


Cheers,
Pat

Norwegian - 5 websites

Thanks to the Genealogy Insider for this. http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2014/10/15/5WebsitesForNorwegianGenealogy.aspx?et_mid=697939&rid=239005133


Cheers,
Pat

Ancestry Genealogy Toolkit

For those of you who have trouble working your way through Ancestry website [and let's face it, who doesn't?] here's a brand new help!! I haven't had a chance to try it, but is sure looks promising!
http://c.ancestry.com/cs/media/social-research-genealogy-toolkit.pdf



Cheerio,
Pat

National Archives UK

Lots of people are unable to effectively use sites such as the National Archives of the UK. Follow this link to see what is available organized as research guidance under various topics. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person%5Cdefault.htm?utm_medium=email&utm_source=The+National+Archives&utm_campaign=4815058_October+2014+enewsletter&utm_content=Lookingforpeopleresearchguides


Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Searching!!
Pat

RAOGK replacement

Recently I was telling my class about RAOGK [Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness] which is no more. Today Lisa Louise Cooke pointed out that Facebook groups is filling that void. Truthfully I never thought of using Facebook in this manner, but it's a GREAT idea!! Lisa has even explained, and shown, how to go about it.

I know some of you may not be on Facebook, and are nervous about using it. Take a deep breath, have a look at Lisa's message, and give it a try! Lisa is a friend of mine and she is totally trustworthy. I've written, and spoken, about her podcasts and her website in the past. Great advice from a great girl.

Here ya go and hope you learn something new, and have some fun at http://lisalouisecooke.com/2014/10/random-acts-of-genealogical-kindness/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=random-acts-of-genealogical-kindness


Cheers,
Pat

Dating Old Photos - FREE book

Thanks to the National Genealogical Society! Get help with dating 19th Century pictures. Oh how I wish I had even one of any ancestor, but some of you may have so take a look. It's FREE!! http://upfront.ngsgenealogy.org/2014/10/free-book-on-dating-19th-century.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+UpfrontWithNgs+%28UpFront+with+NGS%29&utm_content=FaceBook


Cheers (in the sunshine this morning!! ;))
Pat

RPL FREE Genealogy Programs 2014

For anyone interested, the Regina Public Library Prairie History Room, is offering some new genealogy programs in October and November. You can read all about them here http://www.reginalibrary.ca/blogs/index.php?blog=7&title=mark_your_calendars_new_digging_for_your_2014&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

These programs are FREE!! Maybe I'll see you there?


Cheers,
Pat

Surname Secrets

Did you realize that each surname holds secrets? Have a peek here http://mentalfloss.com/article/58605/30-family-secrets-hiding-english-surnames


Cheers,
Pat

Jobs That No Longer Exist

We often come across occupations and wonder what that job entailed. We find occupations listed in numerous documents created about our ancestors. Possibly the best known document types is the census. This is just a short list, but you can always just 'Google' the term for others not listed here http://blog.myheritage.com/2014/09/labor-day-10-jobs-that-are-obsolete/


Cheerio,
Pat

German - American Genealogy

Some links here you may find useful. http://dagv.org/?German-American_Genealogy

My German ancestors were Frederick Hermann SEIGERT & Christina Johanna DOST who left Mildenau Saxony Germany in 1879 and settled in Forestville Sanilac Michigan USA.


Happy Searching,
Pat

Top 300 Irish Surnames Explained

No explanation necessary! :)

Happy Reading http://www.irishcentral.com/roots/ancestry/Top-300-Irish-surnames-explained.html



Cheers,
Pat

Melfort 2014 - major success!!

Yesterday I did a full day of presentations for the Saskatchewan Genealogical Branch at Melfort Sask. It was a major success! There were folks from Melfort and area, as well as many people from Prince Albert, Yorkton, and even Swift Current. Thanks to all who attended and for the tireless work of the many volunteers who organized this event. It is always a pleasure to rekindle old friendships, and I sincerely enjoyed the participation of my old and new friends!

It was a long day for me, but a pleasant one AND we didn't see one drop of rain OR one flake of snow!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh .... Perfection.



Cheers,
Pat

Melfort SK, 4 Oct, 2014

So I am off to spend a full day of 'playing genealogy' at Melfort Saturday 4th of October!! Playing for them, work for me!! :)))))))

I understand there are folks coming from far and wide so it should be fun. I have asked people to bring along their laptops or tablets so they can work within the websites I'm going to teach them. We will be studying LAC & maps/atlases and gazetteers. I know lots and lots of even experienced genealogists who struggle using the LAC website. And I never tire of saying "You cannot do genealogy without using maps, atlases, and gazetteers" so here's my chance to show why!!

Looking forward to renewing old acquaintances and making new ones.


Cheers,
Pat

Annoying Browser Toolbars

Here is a great site that explains how to get rid of those annoying browser toolbars that often we download, accidentally. This is really useful information!! http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/4-annoying-browser-toolbars-get-rid/


Cheerio,
Pat