Courses

Irish: Testamentary Source Records

Irish: Testamentary Source Records

By Debbie Dale, Student The Irish: Testamentary Source Records course is short; only four modules are included. In fact, it is the shortest course I have ever taken through the National Institute for Genealogical Studies, yet each module is packed with information. But first, a couple of sad but helpful facts about testamentary records: The majority of testamentary records (wills, administrations, probates) were destroyed in the Public Record Office fire of 1922, but not all of them and indices and abstracts created before 1922, such as Betham’s abstracts can be found. The “Index of Irish Wills 1484-1858,” for example, can now be accessed through the subscription website Findmypast and the National Archives of Ireland offers a digitized collection called “Calendars of Wills and Administrations 1858 – 1920.” One should also check the PRONI (the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland). Although the majority of wills were left by men who owned property, the wills of spinsters and widows make up a significant minority. These may be surprisingly rich in genealogy, listing numerous family members, including nephews and nieces.  After the Married Women’s Property Act 1882, married women could legally create wills. Now for a quick rundown of course material and assignments: Module 1 of the Irish: Testamentary Source Records course defines wills and last testaments, their types, purpose and importance. It offers common terms used with wills and administrations as well as common elements that exist in every will. Module 2 talks about the advantages and disadvantages of using civil court records.…

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Introduction: US Land Records

You have heard me say this about all sort of things, but bear with me. Land records are awesome and full of hidden information! There, now that I have said that let’s talk about why I am excited to take the course US Land Records. Yes, if you couldn’t tell, I have looked at and poked through land records in the past. I admit that I don’t know everything about them which is why I am looking forward to this course. Hopefully it will fill in any holes in my knowledge base and then I will wring more information out of them in the future. As usual the syllabus is very extensive. I like that the first week looks like it will be all history, definitions, strategies for searching, and essentially a base to build  from. From there the course takes us through colonial land records, grants, homesteading, deeds, and it ends with a state-by-state resources section. A lot of information, but information a good researcher needs to know. For me land records come in handy because  my ancestors hail from various burned counties. When a researcher deals with courthouses that had a disaster occur (natural or man-made) you become a pro at locating alternative record sets to investigate. Land records for me have been a go-to record set when I try to reconstruct a family or area.

New Course: Organize & Publish a Family Tree

The new courses keep coming and March is no exception. Our latest course by genealogist Cari Taplin is Organize & Publish a Family Tree. This course is designed to give students a wide view of genealogical organization systems available. Geared toward making a sound decision and investment in one’s genealogical software, this course will include cloud-based systems, online trees, desktop software, as well as a brief survey of alternative programs and systems for organizing and displaying genealogical research. So what does this course include? Pretty much everything: Genealogical Software Platforms Online Search Capabilities and Integration Source Citations Website Creation Publishing Features Genealogy Programs for Windows Genealogy Programs for Macintosh Organizing Your Family Trees Online Privacy Issues Security Tips Online Family Tree Websites Genealogy Mobile Applications Genealogical Software Companion Apps Website Companion Apps Stand-Alone GEDCOM Viewer Apps Miscellaneous Apps:  Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, OneNote Storing, Organizing, Analyzing & Displaying Research Programs Cloud-Based Systems Backup Systems File Transfer Systems Timelines Mapping Note-Taking Mind Mapping Presenting Your Research Other Miscellaneous Programs Evidentia Pinterest Snagit Spreadsheets   This course begins March 2, 2015. Sign-up NOW!

Analysis and Skills Mentoring Part 1

By Shannon Combs Bennett, Student If you plan to complete any of the certificate programs through The National Institute, except for the Librarianship Certificate, you will need to complete the Analysis and Skills Mentoring Program Parts 1, 2 and 3.  They are not in the typical course structure and are very different from any of the other courses you will take through The National Institute.  For each of the Analysis and Skills Mentoring  courses you have a year to complete the assignments and you will meet one-on-one with an advisor.  I just completed Part 1  and wanted to share my thoughts with you. The purpose of these courses is to see how well you have put together the information you learned from your required courses in the basic, intermediate, and advanced levels.  It is suggested that you don’t sign-up to take the course until you have taken all the courses in one level or if you are taking them quickly and sequentially sign-up toward the end of it.

Irish Landed Estate Records:  Piepowder, Anyone?

By Deborah Dale, Student My binder, full of material from the course, Irish: Land Administration Records  felt somewhat heavy after eight weeks of studying.  I carried it to my desk, to the open spot between several stacks of files, along with some just brewed coffee. At the window I paused to look at the gray sky and wondered if it resembled the color over County Waterford — on what was perhaps a cool January morning in 1851 – when my 3rd great grandfather Michael Higgins, a Roman Catholic tenant farmer, could have walked the length of the land he occupied. I opened my binder to the module about Irish landed estate records (Module 4), which had been for me the most interesting, not only because these records include lists of tenants, but also because I had been suddenly, but enjoyably, catapulted into the history of a word I knew nothing about:  piepowder. I will explain in a few moments.  First, a couple of things about landed estate records:  1) they can be used as a substitute for Ireland’s nineteenth century census returns, which were mostly destroyed in the Four Courts fire of 1922, and 2) even though Module 4 gives a description of the most common estate documents, it does not fail to mention the difficulties a researcher may encounter during the search process. The module also mentions the right of Irish landowners to hold manorial courts.  In Ireland, these consisted of the court-baron, the court-leet and the court of piepowder.…

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