Research Canadian Archives Like an Expert

Have Canadian ancestors or just need to know more about researching archives in Canada? The National Institute for Genealogical Studies course Canadian: Archival Centres has been updated and will help you learn more about archives and their collections in Canada. This course covers: Finding Aids National & Provincial Archives Local & University Archives Religious, Ethnic & Specialized Archives Using the Archival Records Specific Groups of Records And much, much, more… Learn more about this course by visiting our website.

Australian: Newspapers and Biographies

Newspapers are an important resource for your family history. We are proud to announce our latest  course: Australian: Newspapers and Biographies authored by Australian genealogist Shauna Hicks. Newspapers are a wonderful research tool as they can provide background information on our ancestors that may not be found in official documents. As well as the expected notices of births, engagements, marriages, deaths, burials and obituaries we may also find reference to their sporting activities or involvement in community events. References to insolvencies, bankruptcies, other misdemeanours or more serious crimes can lead to court and criminal records at the archives. This course focuses on using both historical and current newspapers to flesh out our knowledge of our ancestors and the communities in which they lived. A useful companion to newspapers are biographical resources and these can be for an individual or a defined group and based on a local, state or national level. Often referred to as biographical dictionaries or pioneer registers these resources can provide a quick background on an individual which can then be followed up in newspapers and official records. By using these two types of resources, you will be able to add substantially to your knowledge of your ancestors. As more and more of these resources are digitised and placed online making them easier to access and to search, there is a constant need to go back and revisit your research to find any new material on your ancestors. By undertaking this course on Australian newspapers and biographies…

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Join Genealogist Kirsty Gray in Canada!

Director of English Records Kirsty Gray is on a speaking tour of Canada. Don’t miss the chance to see her present on some great English research topics. November 1: The Ontario Genealogical Society, Toronto Branch Workshop “Industrial England.” Come hear Kirsty provide the keynote address on How the Industrial Revolution Changed the World. For more information, see the OGS website. November 2: At the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa she will be presenting two lectures, Searching for Names: Challenges, Pitfalls and the Downright Ridiculous and Solving Problems Through Family Reconstruction. To check out a calendar of Kirsty’s presentations, see her website.

Marriage and Death

Another week, another couple of modules! I am still learning great information from the course US: Vital Records, Understanding and Using The Records  and I think you will find the information interesting too. Modules 3 and 4 covered death and marriage, which I hope you remember from my introduction post  was what I was most  interested in reading more about. I thought it was wonderful that the instructor took the time to explain the differences in civil and church records for marriages. Many people are confused by this topic and because of their confusion don’t always look in the correct places for the documents they need. So we are all on the same page, civil records are the certificate, license, or register of return that is kept at the clerk’s office usually in the county seat. Church records would be the register of marriages that the clergy keep as a record of what occurred in the church and when. The records kept at the clerk’s office is what you should think of as the vital record. In addition to the explanation of what the differences in record types are we were also given search strategies on how to locate those records. The course author gave us tips on extracting and pulling information from common sources (like the U.S. Census) and not so common sources (newspaper articles). Bible records were also discussed since they can be used as clues for locating birth, marriage, and death records. I am still waiting to…

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Alternatives to Vital Records

by Shannon Combs Bennett, Student Alright, down to the final modules before I take the exam. The last two modules covered birth records and other documents that a researcher could use in the place of vital records. Which, if you have ancestors particularly in southern states, you need all the alternative ideas on finding records you can find.   I did know a lot of the alternative resources listed, but there were a few that made me think and want to explore more.  As I alluded to above, some states and counties have nearly non-existent records. If you are doing research in a burned county or a place that had a large natural disaster you will need to figure out ways to work around traditional vital records. The list was extensive for alternative places that you could find vital records information, and I wanted to share a few here with you. Court records (one of my favorite places to look, by the way Chancery records are amazing!) Military records (have you seen what a pension file can hold?) Immigration records (I am envious of those of you who can look here.) Ship Lists (don’t forget, people came through other places than Ellis Island!) Lineage societies (there are some amazing libraries and resources out there.) In particular my greatest successes have come from military pension files, but service records, medical records, and histories can provide a lot of information too.  For example, in my 4th great grandfather’s 1812 pension file I…

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