MSOG March Meeting - Checking Family Genealogy for Medical History

Last Saturday afternoon I attended the March meeting of the Middlesex Chapter of the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists (MSOG) with my friend and genealogy colleague Sharon Daly at the Acton Memorial Library. Carol Bosworth and Mary Hasselman led a fascinating presentation entitled "Checking Family Genealogy for Medical History." Researching the medical history of our ancestors is vital for to gain knowledge of illnesses and disorders that may present in our family medical history. Carol presented a family chart commonly used by doctors that diagrams family relationships and health conditions to assist in the diagnosis and prevention of illnesses in the family. We also had a fascinating discussion of archaic medical terms and their modern-day definitions to assist in research of the illnesses and conditions that plagued our ancestors.

The Massachusetts Society of Genealogists (MSOG) has five chapters and meets monthly, with the Middlesex Chapter events occurring at public libraries in Acton, Lexington, or Sudbury. For additional information about the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists please visit their website at http://www.massachusettssocietyofgenealogists.org/index.php.

Irish History and Genealogy Seminar hosted by TIARA and NEHGS

Last Saturday morning I attended the annual Irish History and Genealogy Seminar co-hosted by The Irish Ancestral Research Association (TIARA) and the New England Historic and Genealogical Society (NEHGS) at the NEHGS library on Newbury Street in Boston. TIARA founder Marie Daly and author Christopher Kline were the highlighted presenters for the seminar.

Marie Daly led an excellent presentation on Irish research on the FamilySearch website, familysearch.org. Currently there are eight databases available for online research at familysearch.org:

• Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881
• Ireland Marriages, 1619-1898
• Ireland, Deaths, 1864-1870
• Ireland, Civil Registration Indexes, 1854-1958
• Ireland, Calendar of Wills and Administrations, 1858-1920
• Ireland, Landed Estate Court Files, 1850-1885
• Ireland, Prison Registers, 1790-1924
• Ireland, Tithe Applotment Books, 1814-1855

In addition to these robust online resources there are also a range of microfilm selections available through the Family History Library catalog, including:

• General Valuation Revision Lists
• Civil Registration Records
• Church Records
• Betham’s Will Abstracts

Other Irish records in the FHL catalog include deeds, school records, probate abstracts, freeholder’s lists, estate papers, and genealogical and heraldic records. For additional information Marie suggests consulting a wiki by Evva Benson, "Lesser Known Irish Sources at the Family History Library," located on the FamilySearch.org website at https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Lesser_Known_Irish_Sources_at_the_Family_History_Library.

Microfilms can be ordered through the familysearch.org website and delivered to a family history center for viewing. The cost to borrow a film for three months (short-term) is $7.50.

Christopher Kline, author of the book Strong Boy: The Life and Times of John L. Sullivan, America's First Sports Hero, gave a fascinating and rousing presentation on the life and career of Irish hero and boxing legend John L. Sullivan, a native of Boston. For additional information about Christopher Kline and ordering information for his book please visit http://www.christopherklein.com/Home_Page.html and http://strongboybook.com.

For additional information about TIARA and upcoming events please visit the TIARA website at http://tiara.ie. For additional information about NEHGS please visit their website at http://www.americanancestors.org.

TIARA Family History Session - Online Irish Research with Janis Duffy

On Sunday I attended a special Family History event held by the Irish Ancestral Research Association (TIARA) at the Irish Cultural Center in Canton. Janis Duffy, a former president of TIARA, led a session entitled "Researching Online: The Good, Bad and The Ugly!" Her presentation targeted selected websites for Irish genealogical research and demonstrated effective use of the sites. Three of the websites, Ancestry.com, Irish Origins, and Roots Ireland, are subscription sites which offer a range of genealogical records, including the 1901 and 1911 censuses, Griffith's valuation, and passenger records; others, such as Ask About Ireland (Griffith's Valuation), Family Search (multiple collections), and National Archives of Ireland (1901 and 1911 censuses) are free. In addition, TIARA lists an excellent selection of Irish research websites on their Links page. Many of the presented websites are listed on the Links page of this site.

TIARA hosts frequent Irish genealogy events and trips during the year.

For additional information about TIARA please visit their website at http://www.tiara.ie.

Family Search Learning Center Online Courses

The FamilySearch website Learning Center offers excellent online courses for genealogical study at all levels and interests. I have enjoyed many of the Irish Genealogy study courses, including Paul Milner's Irish Emigration to North America Before, During, and After the Famine and Evva Benson's three-part Irish Research Series: Strategies; Famine and Post Famine Sources; and Ulster and Scots Irish Sources, and have found all of them excellent. The courses are free and run for one hour or less. Many of the courses offer handouts for download. Please visit https://familysearch.org/learningcenter/home.html to begin an enjoyable learning experience.

Midwinter Musings

Winter is the most difficult season for me. I am happiest when I can combine a variety of approaches to my genealogical studies, including online research, onsite research in repositories and at genealogical seminars, and field work at historical sites and cemeteries. This winter we are experiencing unending cold and snowy weather in New England, with frequent snowstorms creating a hindrance to safe travel. At least two genealogical events that I attend regularly have been canceled this winter due to snowstorms. Suffice it to say that I am greatly looking forward to an early spring so that I can resume my travels and outdoor plans. In the meantime my focus has turned to indoor activities, mainly those I can do from home.

I have employed much of my time this winter catching up on my genealogical and historical reading, including Paula de Fougerolles' The Chronicles of Iona series, the Irish immigration study by John Kelly, The Graves are Walking, and the Italian immigration studies by Stephen Puleo, The Boston Italians and by Sarah Boyer, All in the Same Boat. I have added many of the books I have read or consulted to my Suggested Reading page.

I have also found a plethora of online materials, many of which I have added to my Links page, to assist in various research projects.

I am also preparing research plans for onsite research in Nova Scotia later this year, as well as planning weekend visits to local historical sites and walking tours.

Keeping busy helps the winter to pass more quickly, but I will be more than content to resume my travels as the winter wanes and spring approaches.

Remembering the Gettysburg Address - 150 Years Later

On this day 150 years ago President Abraham Lincoln visited Gettysburg to dedicate the Soldiers National Cemetery as a place of honor for the fallen Union soldiers from the July 1863 battle. In doing so he marked the dedication ceremony with a 272-word speech that has since been revered as a masterpiece. Lincoln’s brilliant speech, the Gettysburg Address, presented the human sacrifice of the Civil War as devotion to the struggle for freedom and a continuation of the noble principles established in the Declaration of Independence. Lincoln’s fervent dedication to preserve the Union and to secure freedom for all Americans situated the Union and the Confederacy on opposing sides during the four-year Civil War conflict. In honoring the sacrifice of the Union soldiers at Gettysburg Lincoln recognized that the Union cause must persevere and succeed to reconcile the divided nation, to establish a lasting freedom for all Americans, and to secure the Declaration of Independence as a cornerstone of democracy.

Boston University Genealogy Alumni Meeting Schedule for 2014

B.U. Genealogy Program Alumni meetings for 2014

The schedule for Boston University Genealogy Program alumni meetings for the remainder of 2014 is listed below. All meetings are held at the New England Historic and Genealogical Society beginning at 9:00 A.M. except where otherwise noted.

January 25 at 1:15 P.M.
February 22 at 1:15 P.M.
March 22
April 26 - afternoon tour of Forest Hills Cemetery and St. Michael Cemetery
May 17
June 21 - guided tour of Back Bay
July 12
August 23
September 27 at 1:15 P.M.
October 18
November 22
December 20

In addition to the regular monthly meetings the group is planning two Boston Harbor Islands tours, a morning tour of Spectacle Island on Sunday, June 1 and a all-day tour of Georges and Peddocks Islands on Saturday, June 28.