Courses

On Old Handwriting, Shorthand, and Vellum

On Old Handwriting, Shorthand, and Vellum

By Shannon Combs-Bennett, Student Ah, the stuff I LOVE. Calligraphy and old handwriting. Many people might find reading and deciphering (let alone attempting to write) old handwriting a daunting task. I was very excited that our instructor in  Palaeography: Reading & Understanding Historical Documents jumped right in with the  basics straight away. She even goes through the various types of writing materials, instruments, and even covers watermarks in the first few pages. These are all important things to consider and observe when you are researching.  Recently I have pulled military land bounty warrants from the National Archives in Washington, D.C.  Most of the time I see a variety of types of paper in the files. Then, on occasion, I get to see a document that was created on vellum. For those of you who don’t know about vellum, it is animal skin that is prepared in a specific way for writing on. It can be fragile if not cared for correctly, but it is superior in many ways to paper made from wood pulp in its longevity. Holding original documents made from vellum is an amazing thing. Of course, more important than identifying paper and styles of handwriting, our instructor also covered common shorthand used over the years. Hopefully, you didn’t think modern writers were the only ones with a set of shorthand abbreviations to make writing quicker. If you did, well, then you need to pay attention to this section, and take  Palaeography: Reading & Understanding Historical Documents! There are…

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Starting Palaeography: Reading & Understanding Historical Documents

By Shannon Combs-Bennett, Student Paleography (or palaeography) is an odd word isn’t it?  I mean, we all know what paleontology is (well, if you have kids you do since dinosaurs are awesome) and some of you may know a few other disciplines that begin with pale.  But what exactly is paleography? According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary it is: 1        the study of ancient writings and inscriptions 2      a :  an ancient manner of writing  b :  ancient writings So, for genealogists having a firm grasp in this discipline sounds like a must.  Do you agree?  Thankfully, The National  Institute offers such a course and I am diving into it full steam ahead. However, and many of you may be figuring this out about me, I have had exposure to paleography in the past. In fact, I have studied various forms of medieval calligraphy for the past decade. I simply love old handwriting and calligraphy. Some of it is amazingly beautiful. Some of it, well, is amazingly undecipherable! I bet you have seen some words, symbols, shorthand or other things that made you want to scream! Which is why I was excited to see that   Palaeography: Reading & Understanding Historical Documents covers more than just how things were written. I am particularly interested to learn more about weights and measurements plus Latin terminology. In school I took German, not Latin, and even though I am slowly picking up some words as I read old manuscripts, knowing more Latin would be helpful. I…

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The Business of Learning: Methodology 6

By Shannon Combs-Bennett, Student Methodology Part 6: Professional Preparation and Practice concentrates on professional development and further educational opportunities.  This is a topic  I am always looking into, so I was very excited to jump into the information provided. Unlike many professions, there really is not a standard way a person becomes a professional genealogist.  Sure, you can take programs like the one from the International Institute of Genealogical Studies and others. You could go for certification or accreditation.  Maybe you decide after 30 years of researching your own family tree that you now want to try your hand at someone else’s. However, no matter your path, genealogists are left to learning about being a professional on their own. Anytime I am offered insight from a course, webinar, lecture, etc. that gives me a clue to what it means to be a professional (or just bring myself up to that level) I am all ears. You know what? You should be too. Even if you never “hang your shingle” you should still strive to be as professional as possible in your research. It will make your descendants very, very happy.  Trust me. Through the course I learned about: Setting up a business Managing clients Writing reports Teaching others These are all things that I do, nearly every day, and I still was able to pick up new pointers. Especially in the aspect of working for others (aka client work).  Even if your “clients” are friends or family (and they  may…

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Tips for Giving a Great Presentation

By Kathy Holland, PLCGS Putting together a workshop presentation can be a daunting experience. Presenting the workshop can be downright frightening! But it doesn’t have to be daunting nor frightening. It’s just like talking “shop talk” with co-workers. As genealogists, we are each other’s co-workers, and we all know genealogy. A presentation is just a well-constructed conversation with our fellow genealogists. So, what makes a great presentation? Here are some tips: Know your audience. Yes, we are all genealogists. Although we may all have different experiences, we have a common thread that connects us all. Some of us are beginners, while others are more experienced. Some of us do client work, others write books and blogs. Others are speakers, and others teach. And some do all of these things. But we are all doing genealogy, no matter what. So, be aware that all types of experienced genealogists will be in your audience—and know that even the most experienced are open to learning new things! Watch other presentations—both online and in-person. What techniques are the speakers using? What works, what doesn’t? What techniques can you incorporate into your presentation? Choose your topic. It should be one that you are especially passionate about. One in which you can spend hours talking about. The one that you can become an expert on. One classic example is The Legal Genealogist—that’s Judy Russell. When genealogists think of all things legal in the genealogy community, we immediately think of Judy. She’s that go-to person, and the…

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New Course: Research US Midwestern States Ancestors

  We have a new course starting in May at The National Institute for Genealogical Studies. Written by Cari Taplin, CG, Research: U.S. Midwestern States Ancestors is designed to give students a basic understanding of some of the historical events that occurred in each state, especially events that shaped the state’s history, boundaries, laws, and records. The states included in this course were all part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803: Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Each state is unique in its geographical formation, social attitudes, political structure, ethnicity, industry and historical records. The modules included are aimed at giving researchers information to aid understanding of these states individually and to provide tools for researching family history, not only in terms of the individual, but also in their broader social context. Professional genealogist and course author Cari Taplin, CG points out, “As the country expanded from east to west, our ancestors traveled through and sometimes stayed in the midwestern states. Researching in those states is vital to most family history research. The rich and unique history of each state is interesting and can be very rewarding. Learning about the nuances of the region will improve your research skills and bring life to your genealogy.” To learn more about this course, see our website. Research: U.S. Midwestern States Ancestors starts May 2nd. Register today!