Introduction to the Genealogical Resources at the Maryland State Archives (AAGS Meetings)
Thursday, October 5
7:00 pm
Online - Zoom
Join us at 7:00pm on Thursday, October 5, 2023, via Zoom for an Introduction to the Genealogical Resources at the Maryland State Archives, presented by Rachel Frazier.
Rachel will provide an overview of the genealogicl resources at Maryland State Archives, She will also address materials digitized during the pandemic, that are gradually being indexed and added to the Archives’ collections. She will return to AAGS on February 1, 2024, when she will discuss Maryland land records.
About Rachel - Rachel is the Deputy Director of Reference services at the Maryland State Archives
This program is open to the public. We will email the Zoom link for the meeting to AAGS members the day before the meeting. If you are not a member of AAGS there is a $5 charge to help us defray our expenses. Please register hereand pay by credit card or PayPal, and we will email you the link for the program. We request that you register no later than Wednesday, October 4, so we can send you the link in a timely manner.
East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference (National Conferences)
Friday, October 6 through Sunday, October 8
Hybrid - Maritime Conference Center, Linthicum Heights, MD and online
Presented by the East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference committee and mitoYDNA.org, this 2nd annual event, scheduled to take place October 6-8, 2023, is dedicated to education on the use of Genetic Genealogy. If you are a genealogist or a family history enthusiast interested in using DNA for your research, this conference is for you!
Bucks County (PA) Ancestry Fair - Buried Treasures in Pennsylvania (Online/Hybrid Events)
Saturday, October 7
9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Online - Registration Required
Pennsylvania has an enticing array of archives. The shelves of these institutions are brimming with information for family historians. The 2023 Ancestry Fair of the Bucks County Genealogical Society will take a close look at a number of these remarkable collections.
Our program starts off with Think Like an Archivist: Finding Genealogy Records in Library & Archives presented by nationally known researcher and genealogy presenter Nancy Loe who blogs under the pseudonym of Sassy Jane. Nancy will share important research techniques that apply to archival research and will make your use of an archive more productive.
With a general understanding of archival research, we will take a look at three important archival resources that Pennsylvania researchers will want to be familiar with.
Aaron McWilliams, Research Archivist with the Pennsylvania State Archives will present What’s New in the Pennsylvania State Archives. Aaron will re-introduce us to the state archival collection which is now housed in a brand-new building, and will provide tips on how to best make use of the collections when visiting—both in person and virtually.
We will also take a collective look at a bevy of small collections in and around the Philadelphia area that comprise the Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections Libraries (PACSCL). These collections, individually too small to afford sophisticated indexing and digitization, came together as the Consortium as far back as 1983. Today there are 35 member institutions with fascinating collections that have greater public availability as a result of the support and effort provided by the Consortium. With her presentation, Overview of the Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections Libraries (PACSCL), Beth Lander, Managing Director of PACSCL, will help researchers locate collections; discuss the variety of member institutions in PACSCL and how those collections may, or may not, help in genealogical research; and end with a warning regarding the difficulties involved in discovering collections on the web.
Wrapping up Ancestry Fair 2023, BucksGen member Tom Myers will present Archival Resources in Bucks County. Tom is a highly experienced genealogist with 35 years of dedicated effort in his rear-view mirror. Tom is an expert in Bucks County research and assists BucksGen as our Research and Query Coordinator. Tom will highlight the resources that Bucks County offers to genealogists.
The registration fee is $25 per person, payable through Paypal. All four sessions will be recorded, and will be available for viewing through Tuesday, November 7, by anyone who registered and paid in advance of the October 7 Fair.
MSA October Lunch and Learn - Maryland Photography (Online/Hybrid Events)
Thursday, October 12
Presenter: Ross Kelbaugh Register here: Online Event
View recordings of past lectures, seminars, tours and workshops, as well as helpful training videos on how to use various records in our collections in our free online Presentation Library.
Joy Reisinger Lecture Series: Five Free Lectures (Online/Hybrid Events)
Friday, October 20
11:30 am
BCG to Host Joy Reisinger Lecture Series: Five Free Lectures
The Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) will host five live webinars, free and available to the public, as this year’s Reisinger Memorial Lecture Serieson 20 October 2023. The hour-long webinars begin at 9:30 a.m. MDT (11:30 a.m. EDT and 4:30 p.m. GMT) and continue throughout the day. Five leading genealogists will speak on topics such as meeting the Genealogical Proof Standard, verifying genealogical stories, and using DNA evidence. The webinars are part of the Joy Reisinger Memorial Lecture Series and are presented in conjunction with Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
The lecture series is presented annually in memory of BCG’s former trustee and vice president, Joy Reisinger, who began this lecture series for Family History Library staff during BCG’s fall board meetings. Joy was an advocate for open records access, a lecturer on research methods, and an expert on Canadian resources, especially those of Quebec.
The lecture series will be in-person and live streamed. To attend in person, lectures will be held in Classrooms B and C on the main floor of the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Friday, 20 October 2023. For address, contact information, and directions to the library, visit their website at https://www.familysearch.org/en/library/.
To view the live stream webinar presented in conjunction with Legacy Family Tree Webinars, registration is available athttps://familytreewebinars.com/Reisinger.
The schedule for Friday, 20 October 2023, is as follows:
11:30 a.m. EDT. "Deconstructing Family Stories: Are They Fact, Fiction, or a Little of Both," Barbara Vines Little, CG
We all have them—family stories—from Indian princesses and three brothers who came to America to “We’re related to Benjamin Franklin.” Some are blatantly false; others wishful thinking. But others may be true or partly true. Discarding even the most outrageous without research is a mistake. Finding the clues in family stories requires careful and thorough research, but that kernel of truth can be worth it.
12:45 a.m. EDT. "Lineage of Land: Tracing Property Without Recorded Deeds,” Shannon Green, CG
This case study traces a piece of property for two hundred years, from the Native Americans to the Dutch, to the English, and through fourteen members of the Hicks family over five generations. Transfer of title occurs through various instruments, including patents, unrecorded deeds, inheritance, escheatment, private laws, entails, deeds of lease and release, life estates, and coverture. Tracing the lineage of the property elucidates family relationships that were otherwise forgotten.
3:30 p.m. EDT. "The Many Wives of Howard William Lowe: Working with Social History to Glean Genealogical Insights," Gary Ball-Kilbourne, CG
Genealogists are expected to conduct research not just reasonably exhaustively but also broadly. Understanding the social milieu of the specific time and place within which an individual lived is an essential element of broad research. A case study focusing on an early twentieth-century blue-collar worker in western Minnesota and his several wives illustrates how social history provides insights illuminating their lives.
4:45 p.m. EDT. "Assumptions: Problem–Solving Friend or Foe?" Jennifer Zinck, CG
Do you have an unsolved research problem? Have you critically examined assumptions made during the research process? Some assumptions are valid, or even fundamental, but incorrect or misguided assumptions can act as mortar for genealogical brick walls. Learn to recognize, categorize, and address various types of assumptions to form sound genealogical conclusions.
6:00 p.m. EDT. "DNA Analysis Methodology: Defeat the Genealogy Gremlin with Pedigree Evaluation, Mitigation, and Reasoning," Karen Stanbary, CG
Learn the tried-and-true methodology to defeat the Genealogy Gremlin and achieve accurate results using DNA for genealogy. This lecture discusses the evaluation of match pedigrees to identify potential snafus and demonstrates mitigation strategies to address the problem. Don’t let researcher confirmation bias pollute your family trees!
Genealogy Week! Rumors, Stories and Tall Tales (Online/Hybrid Events)
Monday, October 23
6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
Online - Registration Required
Genealogy Week! Rumors, Stories and Tall Tales
Explore the impact of oral history in genealogical research. Discover how seeking out family members for interviews can break through brick walls in ancestral quests, including tips for engaging with relatives who may have memory loss. Learn how traditional research methods and oral history intertwine. Presented by "Are You My Cousin?" genealogy expert Lisa Lisson.
Genealogy Week! DNA Tools - A Tour (Online/Hybrid Events)
Tuesday, October 24
6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
Online - Registration Required
Genealogy Week! DNA Tools - A Tour
Learn about the six categories of DNA tools that are used by researchers. You'll learn how to utilize these techniques to further your own research at home!
Peggy Jude is a speaker, educator, and researcher who has been conducting genealogical research for over 40 years. She specializes in and teaches five areas of genealogical interest: DNA, Preserving Family History and Family Heirlooms, Genealogical Methods and Records, Genealogical Technology, and Swedish Genealogy.
Genealogy Week! Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for Genealogy (Online/Hybrid Events)
Thursday, October 26
6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
Online - Registration Required
Genealogy Week! Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for Genealogy
The Sanborn Map Company published many detailed maps of cities and towns around the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries. Using them, in conjunction with other sources, can help tell the stories of your ancestors and give you a picture of what their living conditions and communities were like during the time that they resided there. Presented by Jeanette Sheliga of Jeanette's Genealogy.
Genealogy Week – Genealogy After Hours (Events - Other Organizations)
Friday, October 27
5:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Bel Air Library, Hartford County, Maryland
Genealogy Week – Genealogy After Hours
Local genealogists can gather to work independently on their research with input from fellow genealogists. Computers, printing, microfilm and the Maryland Room will be available for use. Free genealogy printing! Each person attending must register prior to the program.
MSA November Lunch and Learn - The Washerwomen of Baltimore, 1800-1864 (Online/Hybrid Events)
Thursday, November 9
1:00 pm
online - Registration not required, but encouraged
Presenter: Dr. Edward C. Papenfuse, Former Maryland State Archivist Register here: Online Event
View recordings of past lectures, seminars, tours and workshops, as well as helpful training videos on how to use various records in our collections in our free online Presentation Library.
Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society - Mapping an Empire (Meetings - Other Organizations)
Friday, November 10
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Maritime Institute of Technology, Linthicum Heights, Maryland
What are 18th and 19th cadastral maps? Learn how to locate collections in archives, and how to interpret the maps for the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Discover tools to compare cadastral maps with current maps using various digital resources and to document where your ancestor’s house was located. Presented by Michelle Tucker Chubenko, AG.
Please join us in person at the Maritime Institute for our fall conference. We are aware that COVID may still be lurking around. Consider coming in person and reconnecting with old friends and meet new members. All safety precautions will be observed!
It will also be a hybrid event; you are welcome to attend in person or join us via Zoom. For those attending remotely, a link to join the event will be emailed to you a few days before the date.