International Institute of Genealogical Studies

LEADERS IN ONLINE GENEALOGY EDUCATION

International Institute of Genealogical Studies - LEADERS IN ONLINE GENEALOGY EDUCATION

Tag Archives: Mayflower

Colonial Period Courses

The National Institute for Genealogical Studies offers online genealogical education for family history enthusiasts, genealogists and historians. Our courses are offered in Basic, Intermediate, or Advanced levels. You can register for courses individually, or receive a discount by choosing from a variety of packages. These are bundled either by specific theme or customized to your own interests.
See the Full List of Packages here. 

The Start Dates for courses are usually scheduled for the first Monday of the month, however, not all courses are available monthly. Be sure to check our Current Course Calendar for the dates when the courses of your choice are scheduled to open again.

In our list of courses, there are four courses covering the Colonial period of the Eastern United States, focusing on the original Thirteen Colonies. These are valuable resources for anyone researching in this region and timeframe.

Research: Mayflower Ancestors
This course studies some of the very first settlers of Massachusetts. Learn how to properly document a descendant line by utilizing New England original and derivative records as well as sources specific to Mayflower research. Following their story and tracing each consecutive generation is a great way to recognize the 400+ years since their arrival in North America.
Course Description for Research: Mayflower Ancestors

Research: US Colonial New England Ancestors
This course explores strategies for finding Colonial New England records while incorporating colonial town records, colonial census records, colonial land records and maps, the colonial wars, religious records, and court documents. Note: This is an Intermediate course.
Course Description for Research: US Colonial New England Ancestors

The American Revolutionary War was a major historical event which impacted many Colonial families. It is hard to imagine that any family was left unaffected. Many families were divided, with multiple factors leading to which side they eventually chose to pledge their loyalty to. If you reach a brick wall in your research during this time period, be sure to check both Loyalist and Patriot resources. Sometimes you will find family members on both sides as they navigated through this turbulent time in their lives. This was also a time of major migrations and relocations.

Fortunately, there were numerous records created and preserved during the colonial period. Thankfully, various organizations have worked to digitize as many of the surviving records as possible. We just need to know how to access them to document our family’s stories and the part they played in these historical events.

Research: United Empire Loyalist Ancestors
This course describes what it meant to be a United Empire Loyalist in the context of the American Revolutionary War and how it affected their ensuing lives. We also discuss the membership and lineage requirements of the United Empire Loyalists Association of Canada (UELAC.org). Records include: military, claims, land, and other records that will assist with documenting your UEL ancestor. British North American colonies where the Loyalists went for resettlement include Upper Canada (Ontario)—where the original U.E. (Unity of Empire) tradition really took hold—the Maritime provinces, and Lower Canada (Quebec).
Course Description for Research: United Empire Loyalist Ancestors 

US: Military Records (includes Revolutionary War)
This course includes records of conflicts in the United States and colonial America from the early colonial wars of the seventeenth century to the Revolutionary War, as well as the records of later conflicts to WW2. What is required for Military and Lineage Societies may be of particular interest as there is discussion of the various types of records created by military service, such as service records, muster rolls, pension records, and draft registration. Note: This is an advanced course.
Course Description for US: Military Records

Course Packages
Registration for these four courses could be submitted at a discount by choosing:
Course Package – 4 Courses 

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Visit our website for a complete list of online courses offered by The National Institute for Genealogical Studies. Check our Course Calendar here.
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Contact information:
1 (800) 580-0165
www.GenealogicalStudies.com
blog.GenealogicalStudies.com
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LEADERS IN ONLINE GENEALOGY EDUCATION

Register for July 2020 Courses

The National Institute for Genealogical Studies offers online genealogical education for family history enthusiasts, genealogy researchers and historians. These courses are rated in Basic, Intermediate, or Advanced levels. You can register for any course individually, or save by choosing from a variety of available packages. See Full List of Packages here: https://www.genealogicalstudies.com/eng/packages.asp 

The Start Dates for courses are usually scheduled for the first Monday of the month, however, not all courses are available monthly. Be sure to check our Current Course Calendar  for when the course of your choice is scheduled to be opened again.

In the list of courses scheduled for July 2020, there are four courses covering the Colonial period of the Eastern United States. These are valuable resources for anyone researching in this area and time frame.

Research: Mayflower Ancestors
This course studies some of the very first settlers of Massachusetts. Learn how to properly document a descendant line by utilizing New England original and derivative records as well as sources specific to Mayflower research. Following their story and tracing each generation is a great way to celebrate the 400th year anniversary of their arrival to North America.
Course Description: https://www.genealogicalstudies.com/eng/courses.asp?courseID=265 
Note: This course is currently being offered in our list of discounted courses. Receive 50% off by using the Code: ngs50. Code expires on 30 June 2020. See Discount details here: http://blog.genealogicalstudies.com/2020/05/discount-codes-for-may-and-june-2020/

Research: US Colonial New England Ancestors
This course explores strategies for finding Colonial New England records while incorporating colonial town records, colonial census records, colonial land records and maps, the colonial wars, religious records, and court documents. Note: This is an Intermediate course.
Course Description: https://www.genealogicalstudies.com/eng/courses.asp?courseID=503 

The American Revolutionary War was a major historical event which impacted many Colonial families. It is hard to imagine that any family was left unaffected. Many families were divided, with multiple factors leading to which side they chose to pledge their loyalty to. If you reach a brick wall in your research during this time period, be sure to check both Loyalist and Patriot resources. Sometimes you will find family members on both sides. This was a time of major migrations and relocations. Fortunately, they left many records. We just need to document their stories.

Research: United Empire Loyalist Ancestors
This course describes what it meant to be a United Empire Loyalist in the context of the American Revolutionary War and how it affected their ensuing lives. We also discuss the membership and lineage requirements of the United Empire Loyalists Association of Canada. Records include: military, claims, land, and other records that will assist with documenting your UEL ancestor. British North American colonies where the Loyalists came for resettlement include Upper Canada (Ontario)—where the original U.E. (Unity of Empire) tradition took hold—the Maritime provinces and Lower Canada (Quebec).
Course Description: https://www.genealogicalstudies.com/eng/courses.asp?courseID=315 

US: Military Records
This course covers conflicts of the United States and colonial America from the early colonial wars of the seventeenth century to the Second World War. The Revolutionary War records are included in Module 3. Note: This is an advanced course.
Course Description: https://www.genealogicalstudies.com/eng/courses.asp?courseID=215

Course Packages
Registration for these four courses could be submitted as Course Package – 4 Courses: https://www.genealogicalstudies.com/eng/packages.asp?packageID=40 
Note: Packages are currently being offered at a discount of 15% off by using the Code: ngs15. Code expires on 30 June 2020.
See Discount details here: http://blog.genealogicalstudies.com/2020/05/discount-codes-for-may-and-june-2020/

Full List of Packages: https://www.genealogicalstudies.com/eng/packages.asp
Complete List of Courses: https://www.genealogicalstudies.com/eng/courses.asp

Visit our website for a complete list of online courses offered by The National Institute for Genealogical Studies.

Contact information:
1 (800) 580-0165
www.GenealogicalStudies.com
blog.GenealogicalStudies.com
admin@GenealogicalStudies.com

 

Discount Codes for May and June 2020

The National Institute for Genealogical Studies’
20th Anniversary Year Event
DISCOUNT CODES for COURSES
Codes Expires on Tuesday, June 30, 2020 at midnight

The National Institute for Genealogical Studies is continuing to celebrate 20 years of providing online courses for both family historians and professional genealogists. As previously announced, we want to make our conference discounts available to everyone who has been affected by their regular genealogy events and conferences being cancelled. Therefore, ANYONE can register for these courses using the following discount codes. All Discount Codes will expire on June 30, 2020; however, you can choose the scheduled course dates that are most convenient for you when you register. Sign up today!


Research Using Internet Tools courses provide resources and strategies to enhance your virtual research skills. These three basic courses are foundational for anyone researching their family history online. We recommend you make these a part of your Research Tool Box.

1. Choose ONE of three FREE courses: Use CODE: ngsFree at checkout
Google for the Wise Genealogist
Social Media Tools for Genealogists
Connecting Family Online & Virtually

Discounted Courses
The following courses have been chosen as our featured discounted courses. We are sure that everyone will find at least one that is applicable to their current research projects.

2. Choose ONE of six courses at 50% off: Use CODE: ngs50 at checkout
Research US Records Using Ancestry.com including DNA Strategies
This course is an introduction to census, vital, military, newspaper and immigration records that are available on Ancestry. Note: You will need to have access to Ancestry to complete this course. Ancestry has many tools that will assist the researcher in developing and recording their family history. You should have a good understanding of the tools prior to starting this course.

Research Mayflower Ancestors
You have traced your genealogy back to New England and suspect you may have Mayflower ancestry. Or perhaps you have actually traced a family line back to a Mayflower passenger. This course will cover various aspects of conducting Mayflower research and how to properly document the line by utilizing New England original and derivative records as well as sources specific to Mayflower research.

Research Social History
This introduction to social history is intended to inspire your research into the lives of your people and the times and places they lived in. By researching the specifics of their lives, their communities, the world around them and the forces and influences that shaped their environment, you can begin to know who they were.

Research US World War II Ancestors – Part 1
Through this is course, you will learn how to research the service of your military ancestors through numerous sources and then write the story of your ancestor’s life.

Research House & Farm Histories
Conducting research on property can be as rewarding as conducting research on ancestors. The goal of this course is to understand the various documents and research necessary to develop and present a house and/or farm history.

Writing Your Family History Book
Recording interesting family stories is essential if you want future generations to read your family history book. This course will help you write the story of your life or of your ancestors’ lives.

Package Discount
If you are planning on taking several courses at The National Institute for Genealogical Studies, this section may be of interest to you. We have combined many courses into convenient themed packages. You can save by registering for a specific package instead of several individual courses. Choose your topic from groupings for Countries, Certificates, Records, Methodology, Skill Building, Librarianship, Professional Development, and even two choices for our popular DNA-themed packages. We are confident there will be a package just right for you. If not, customize your own package relevant to your current research requirements.

3. Choose any ONE package of courses at 15% off: Use CODE: ngs15 at checkout.

Mark your Calendar and Save the DATE!

We are pleased to announce that we will be hosting an all-day Special Event on Saturday, June 27, 2020 from 10 am to 9 pm EDT as we continue to celebrate our 20th anniversary year throughout 2020. You won’t want to miss it.

Bonus: There will be DRAWS THROUGHOUT THE DAY FOR $10,000 WORTH OF PRIZES

For more information about this event and more, check back to our blog and watch for social media posts on Facebook and Twitter. @GeneaStudies

Visit our website for a complete list of online courses offered by The National Institute for Genealogical Studies.

Contact information:
1 (800) 580-0165
www.GenealogicalStudies.com
blog.GenealogicalStudies.com
admin@GenealogicalStudies.com

Original Records for Mayflower Research: Probates

Probate Records 

Probate records can provide important familial identifications. They can identify children and spouses, prove family relationships and provide approximate death dates. Probate records come in many forms including wills, codicils, inventories, accounts, receipts, settlements among heirs and guardianships of minor children.

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A person who dies testate left a will; a person who died intestate did not. Occasionally expediency determined that a person had to make a will in a hurry, and did not have time to write it down, stating his wishes to another party who would later relay his sentiments to the probate court; this is referred to as a nuncupative will. If the deceased did not name an executor (male) or executrix (female) to oversee the administration of his estate, the courts would have to appoint an administrator or administratrix who would be required to post a bond.

What can wills tell us genealogically? They often named the children in order of birth. Children might be named in actual order of birth, or listed first by sons in their order of birth followed by the daughters in their order of birth. When birth records cannot be found it is often possible to construct approximate years of birth and family positioning based on the order of children in their parent’s will.

What happens when a child is not mentioned in his father’s will or settlement? The most likely reason is that the child is deceased with no living issue. If a deceased child has left children, these children are almost always named and identified, and receive the portion that was due their deceased parent. Occasionally, a child is not mentioned because they have already received their portion.

Once a father was deceased, guardians, who were often relatives of the deceased or his wife, were appointed for his minor children to protect their interest in their father’s estate. Generally speaking, children over the age of fourteen could choose their own guardian while those under fourteen had one appointed by the court.

In addition to proving parentage and family relationships, probate records can give an approximate time frame for a death when a death date cannot be found. A person died between the dates of his will and the next mention of his estate in the probate records which often is the date the will was presented for probate or the date administration was granted to the executor.

In New England, early probate records will be found in the county courthouses with one exception—Connecticut. In Connecticut these records have been deposited at the State Library in Hartford.

Of interest to Mayflower researchers is Roser’s Mayflower Deeds & Probates which are abstracts of records collected by George E. Bowman. Genealogy websites Ancestry, American Ancestors, and FamilySearch have probate and will databases for New England.

With our “Research: Mayflower Ancestors” course, you will learn more about your Mayflower ancestors and the information provided in those probate records.

 

Periodicals & Journals for the Mayflower Researcher

Genealogical Publications 

Genealogical publications can be extremely helpful in your family history research. Genealogical and historical journals provide us with the latest research on a particular family as well as providing corrections of long-ago errors. Journal articles also teach us proper methodology in compiling a genealogy, documenting our research, and citing our sources.

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How do you find journal articles of interest? PERSI, short for the Periodical Source Index is the largest subject index to all of the genealogical and historical periodical articles written since 1800 and was created by the staff of the genealogy department at the Allen County Public Library at Fort Wayne, Indiana. This index contains 2.7 million entries from thousands of publications. The articles are indexed according to family surname, locality, and research methodology. You can search PERSI at Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana or by searching it online through the subscription website Findmypast.

There are certain genealogical journals which are more apt to print articles concerning Plymouth Colony and Mayflower research and thus are likely to be of benefit to you in tracing your Mayflower lines. They include:

The Mayflower Descendant, published by the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, was begun in 1899 with George Ernest Bowman as editor until 1937. The Mayflower Descendant is a rich source of material that has aided the research of Mayflower genealogies and Bowman himself did more to advance this cause than any other researcher of his time. He was the pioneer in Mayflower genealogies; it is from his many years of research and the continuing research of those who built on his work to provide us with what we know today.

This journal contains much in the way of ongoing transcriptions of records including church, cemetery and vital records; probates & deeds and records of town meetings. In addition to the multitude of source records will be found articles on Mayflower families, some correcting old data and others relating new discoveries. DNA discoveries are also featured in some of the articles. This journal is available to search on the New England Historic Genealogical Society’s website American Ancestors.

New England Historical & Genealogical Register, begun in 1847 is the longest continually published genealogical journal “focusing on authoritative compiled genealogies” and is included with membership in the New England Historic & Genealogical Society. It specializes in publishing well documented articles on colonial families and as well as the English origins of these immigrants.

Digitized copies of the Register are available on the American Ancestors website.

The American Genealogist (TAG) founded in 1922 by Donald Lines Jacobus. Jacobus has been called by many as one of America’s greatest genealogists and it was he who introduced and insisted on the necessity of citing original  sources and thus improving genealogical standards. Frequent are its articles on Plymouth colony and Mayflower families where new research has often been uncovered and old myths put to rest by some of the best researchers in the field. Their issues are not available online, however, you can view a table of contents starting with volume 9 on their website, American Genealogist. 

Learn more about journals that feature information on Mayflower passengers and descendants from our course “Research: Mayflower Ancestors”.