Tuesday, November 30, 2010

NGS Opens Registration for the Thirty-Third 2011 Family History Conference

The following is from NGS.


NATIONAL GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OPENS REGISTRATION        
FOR THE THIRTY-THIRD
2011 FAMILY HISTORY CONFERENCE
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, 11-14 MAY 2011
 
Where the Past is Still Present

America's fascination with ancestry is increasing because of the recent television series "Faces of America" on PBS and "Who Do You Think You Are" on NBC. The National Genealogical Society is pleased to announce that registration opens today for next year's conference, which will be held at the Charleston Area Convention Center, 5001 Coliseum Drive, North Charleston, SC 29418, 11-14 May 2011. The Society selected Charleston because of its significance in American history. In addition to attending the NGS 2011 Family History Conference, participants will have an opportunity to tour Charleston's historic buildings, churches and homes as well as its many museums and research facilities. The National Genealogical Society anticipates 2,000 genealogists from around the country will attend next year's event. Read more.
April 2011 will mark the 150th Anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War at nearby Ft. Sumter, so the four day family history conference will feature talks on both Revolutionary War and Civil War records.  More than seventy-five nationally recognized speakers will provide over one hundred and eighty lectures on a wide variety of topics including research in South Carolina and the surrounding states, migration patterns, religious records, research methodology, and problem solving. The conference program will also include lectures about researching various ethnic groups including Germans, Cherokee, African Americans, Huguenots, Irish, Scots, and Scots-Irish.
Special Saturday workshops include an all day beginner's workshop, "Genealogy 101: Getting Started with Family History" and a "Kids' Kamp" for children and young adults ages eight through sixteen.
An exhibit area with more than one hundred exhibitors will be open and free to the public Wednesday through Saturday including the latest in genealogical software, online research providers and DNA testing services.
Founded in 1903, the National Genealogical Society is dedicated to genealogy education, high research standards, and the preservation of genealogical records.  The Arlington, VA-based nonprofit is the premier national society for everyone, from the beginner to the most advanced family historian, seeking excellence in publications, educational offerings, research guidance, and opportunities to interact with other genealogists.  Please visit the NGS Pressroom for further information.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

SLIG Black Friday Deal!!

The following is from the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy.

The Utah Genealogical Association would like to offer a Black Friday/Cyber Monday deal!! Beginning tomorrow, Friday, November 26th, through Tuesday, November 30th:

Registrants for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy will also receive free UGA membership ($35 value) and the UGA member discount ($40 discount) for a total value of $75/off the current price!! Classes are filling fast and will fill even faster with this deal. Register at www.ugagenealogy.com.

Remember, the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy will be January 10-14, 2011 at the Salt Lake Radisson. Instructors are the best in the nation and cover topics from advanced methodology to writing a family narrative, to technology. We are also offering location-specific courses in French and Irish research this year?don?t wait, we?re not sure when they will be offered again.

Questions? Contact Christy Fillerup at christy.fillerup@gmail.com

Coupon code for this deal: SLIG2011

Hurry--the $100 off a Y-DNA kit offer ends Monday!


The following is from Genetree.
GeneTree - Revolutionizing Genealogy

Holiday Special

We're going all out this year for our Holiday Special!
Y-46 tests for only $79.95! (That's a savings of $100.)
A DNA test kit makes an extraordinary gift that won't be forgotten!
Valid now through the Monday after Thanksgiving (Nov 18-29, 2010)

Plymouth and West Devon family history records set to go online

The following is from FindMyPast.

PLYMOUTH AND WEST DEVON FAMILY HISTORY RECORDS SET TO GO ONLINE
* Findmypast.co.uk awarded contract by Plymouth and West Devon Record Office to publish its record collection
* 343,257  images of records containing details of 3.5 million individuals will be published online for the first time

Leading family history website www.findmypast.co.uk has been awarded the contract by the Plymouth and West Devon Record Office to digitise and publish online its family history records for the very first time, in an exclusive partnership. Findmypast.co.uk will work with FamilySearch International, the world's largest repository of genealogical records, to make the collection fully searchable online, making it easier than ever before to trace Devonshire ancestors.

Over 1500 volumes of records covering an area that includes historic Plymouth, the Dartmoor expanses of Lydford, and the Royal Navy dockyard at Devonport, will be digitised over the coming year. Details of the lives of over 3.5 million Devonians can be found within the 343,257 images. Among the records being published online are:

* Baptisms, marriages and burials dating as far back as 1538
* Monumental inscriptions
* Records of funerals
* Churchyard plans
* Churchwardens' accounts
* Electoral rolls
* Bastardy bonds
* Settlement orders
* Rate books
* Apprenticeship indentures

These records will be joining what is already one of the largest online collections of over 26 million parish records dating back 650 years at findmypast.co.uk.

Today's announcement follows on just a few weeks after findmypast.co.uk published online over 223,000 transcripts of parish baptisms, marriages and burials from Devon Family History Society. Those transcripts will soon be matched up with the images of the original parish registers, to be supplied by the Plymouth and West Devon Record Office, enabling family and local historians to view facsimiles of the original historic documents online for the first time.

FamilySearch will scan original images of the registers for findmypast.co.uk to then transcribe and make available and fully searchable online at findmypast.co.uk with an index search on FamilySearch.org.

Nicola Moyle, City Curator of Plymouth and West Devon Record Office commented: "We are committed to making our archives much more accessible and easy to use. We're really excited to be working with findmypast.co.uk and FamilySearch to digitise these records so that they will be easily available to everyone at the simple click of a button."

Debra Chatfield, Marketing Manager at findmypast.co.uk said: "We are extremely excited that the Plymouth and West Devon Record Office has chosen to make its family history collection available through findmypast.co.uk. Once these records are online, it will be possible for anyone to find out if they had Devon ancestors just by entering a surname in a search engine. They will then be able to see an image of the original parish register, which in some cases could be up to 650 years old."

The online records will be free to access at the Plymouth and West Devon Record Office but will be chargeable if viewed from home or elsewhere, either by buying PayAsYouGo credits or included within a subscription tofindmypast.co.uk.


About findmypast.co.uk
Leading UK family history website findmypast.co.uk (formerly 1837online.com) was the first company to make the complete birth, marriage and death indexes for England & Wales available online in April 2003.

Following the transcription, scanning and indexing of over two million images, the company launched the first website to allow the public easy and fast access to the complete indexes, which until then had only been available on microfiche film in specialist archives and libraries. The launch was instrumental in creating the widespread and growing interest in genealogy seen in the UK today.

Findmypast.co.uk has subsequently digitised many more family history records and now offers access to over 750 million records dating as far back as 1538. This allows family historians and novice genealogists to search for their ancestors among comprehensive collections of military records, census, migration, occupation directories, and current electoral roll data, as well as the original comprehensive birth, marriage and death records.

In November 2006 findmypast.co.uk launched the ancestorsonboard.com microsite in association with The National Archives to publish outbound passenger lists for long-distance voyages departing all British ports between 1890 and 1960.

In April 2007, findmypast.co.uk's then parent company Title Research Group received the prestigious Queen's Award for Enterprise: Innovation 2007 in recognition of their achievement.

Findmypast.co.uk was acquired in December 2007 by brightsolid, the company who were awarded The National Archives' contract to publish online the 1911 census, which it launched in January 2009.

About Plymouth and West Devon Record Office
The Plymouth and West Devon Record Office is the principal archive repository within Plymouth and the West Devon area. It exists to collect and preserve the historical records of the area and to promote and encourage their use by all who want to study them.


The Record Office holds records of the old borough and modern city of Plymouth, as well as the West Devon area. From 1 April 1998, it has been run as an independent archive service by Plymouth City Council and forms one of the services provided by the Community Services Department.


The Record Office holds original records (archives) of many organisations and individuals. Dating from circa 1190, they include deeds, charters, minute books, letters, registers, manorial documents, reports, diaries, financial records, maps, plans, photographs, card indexes, microfilms and microfiche.


The office is open Tuesday to Friday to view records and staff are happy to answer queries by telephone and email.

About FamilySearch
FamilySearch is the largest genealogy organisation in the world. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. For over 100 years, FamilySearch has been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide and operates over 4,500 family history centres in 70 countries, including the renowned Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Black Friday deal on Footnote.com - Save Big!

The following is from Footnote.


Save 50% on an annual All-Access Footnote.com Membership. Today Only!
Special Offer for an Annual Membership
Only $39.95

Why you should use Footnote.com

  • Over 70 million documents
  • Unique partnerships with The National Archives and other institutions
  • Perfectly complements other websites like Ancestry.com
  • Over 1 million registered Footnote Members
Footnote is offering an Annual Membership for only $39.95 (that's 50% off the regular price!) today only. Click below and get started today.
Hurry! This offer ends Friday, November 26th at 11:59pm!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

NEHGS has a new website: AmericanAncestors.org

The following is from NEHGS.


NEHGS OFFICIALLY MOVES ITS WEBSITE TO AMERICANANCESTORS.ORG

Boston, MA – November 23, 2010 – Today, The New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) in Boston bids farewell to its former website www.NewEnglandAncestors.org and officially welcomes AmericanAncestors.org as its new home.

In August, D. Brenton Simons, President and CEO of NEHGS, announced the launch of AmericanAncestors.org. Unlike the former website, AmericanAncestors.org contains all of the Society’s New England and New York content, features, articles, and resources, as well as weekly updates and databases in a variety of regional and ethnic specialties, like mid-Atlantic, Irish, and African American research.

Simons said, “This website marks a transformative experience in our 165-year history, the first genealogical society founded in America. It represents the next major step ahead as we continue to expand our resources.” Simons added, “AmericanAncestors.org is a new, dynamic platform from which we will grow in our position as a leader in American genealogy and as the nation’s largest genealogical society.”

AmericanAncestors.org provides online access to some of the most vital research tools and resources available. Some of the improvements include a new image viewer, faster navigation and search results time, and more unique content. This expanded scope allows greater opportunity for NEHGS to bring unique content to its members as well as the public while establishing new and beneficial collaborations with likeminded non-profit organizations and important commercial entities.

Ryan Woods, Director of Technology, notes a significant advantage of the AmericanAncestors.org website, “The new advanced search form provides all of the necessary search fields to conduct a thorough and specific query, removing the need to navigate across what were previously four hundred different search pages.”

Since the launch of AmericanAncestors.org, there has been constant praise of the new site. Compliments have been given to specific features, such as the advanced search engine, the quality of the images for the Massachusetts Vital Records, the heighted processing speed, and effortless navigation of the website.      

Other features that AmericanAncestors.org offers include:

  • More exclusive content: more unique, searchable, highly vetted materials for New England, New York, and other regions added weekly

  • Enhanced search engine: an all-new, true “master search” that will search across all databases and other web-based content, with faster results and easier navigation

  • Personal research profile: a social networking feature for NEHGS members to develop an online profile and input family research information, and even share them with others
  • Improved images: a state-of-the-art new image viewer that will provide easier saving, and viewing of images and data

  • Timely information: more news on our homepage and an enhanced blog “The Daily Genealogist” will bring our weekly electronic newsletter to the next level with stories and helpful research tips

Moreover, NEHGS is continuing to invite people to sign up for the NEHGS free registration “Guest Registration” program. This program provides anyone with free access to the popular weekly news stories as well as special access to a variety of databases, resources, articles, and other tools to help with their research. More information can be found on the NEHGS website at www.AmericanAncestors.org.


About NEHGS
The New England Historic Genealogical Society is the country's leading resource for family history research. We help family historians expand their knowledge, skills, and understanding of their family and its place in history. Founded in 1845, NEHGS is today the oldest and largest non-profit genealogical organization, with more than 26,000 members nationally. The NEHGS research headquarters, located at 99-101 Newbury Street in Boston, is home to some 28 million books, journals, manuscripts, papers, photographs, documents, and other artifacts, many of which date back centuries.

Its award-winning website offers access to more than 135 million names from 2,400 databases. NEHGS staff includes some of the leading expert genealogists in the country specializing in American, Irish, English, Italian, Scottish, Atlantic and French Canadian, African American, Native American, and Jewish genealogy.

Monday, November 22, 2010

FamilySearch Indexing Update: Indexers Pass 160 Million Record Mark

The following is from FamilySearch.

22 November 2010
FamilySearch volunteers have been busy–we have indexed 160 million records so far this year and more are on the way! New projects now available include records from Canada, England, Russia, and the United States. Completed collections that will soon be available onbeta.familysearch.org include records from Canada, Germany, England, Russia, and the United States.
New Projects in the Past Two Weeks
(See the chart below for a complete list and current status of all indexing projects.)
Recently Completed Projects

(Note: Recently completed projects have been removed from the available online indexing batches and will now go through a final completion check process. They will be published at beta.familysearch.org in the near future.)
  • Canada, Ontario—Deaths, 1933–1937
  • Deutschland, Baden, Achern—Kirchenbücher, 1810–1869 [Part C]
  • Deutschland, Mecklenburg—Volkszählung, 1890 [Div 93–156]
  • U.K., Bristol—Parish Registers, 1837–1900 [Part G]
  • U.S., District of Columbia—1930 Federal Census
  • U.S., Indiana—WWII Draft Registration Cards, 1942
  • U.S., Kentucky—1930 Federal Census
  • U.S., Vermont—Vital Records, 1760–1954 [Part A]
  • U.S., West Virginia—1930 Federal Census
  • Украина, Киев—Метрические книги русской православной церкви, 1843–1845 [Часть А]
Current FamilySearch Indexing Projects, Record Language, and Percent Completion
Spanish
49%
Spanish
89%
Spanish
33%
Portuguese
1%
Portuguese
12%
Portuguese
3%
Portuguese
51%
English
5%
English
(New)
English
91%
Česká republika, Litoměřice—Matriky, 1552-1905 [část 1]
(Tschechien, Litomerice—Kirchenbücher [Teil 1])
German
89%
Spanish
26%
Spanish
33%
Spanish
12%
Spanish
60%
German
3%
Spanish
22%
Spanish
2%
España, LugoRegistros Parroquiales, 15301930[Parte 1]
Spanish
41%
France, Cherbourg—Registres Paroissiaux, 1802–1907
French
43%
France, Coutances—Registres Paroissiaux 1802–1907
French
45%
French
80%
France, Saint-Lo—Registres Paroissiaux, 1802–1907
French
58%
Spanish
9%
Spanish
21%
Italian
68%
Italian
40%
Spanish
1%
Mexico, Puebla—1930 Federal Censo
Spanish
70%
English
7%
Spanish
74%
Norwegian
2%
Spanish
72%
Portuguese
23%
Spanish
1%
Russland, Sankt Petersburg—Kirchenbuchduplikat, 1833–1885
German
35%
South Africa, Cape Province—Church Records, 1660–1970
Afrikaans, Dutch, English
63%
Swedish
64%
Swedish
71%
Swedish
29%
English
(New)
English
13%
English
(New)
English/
Old English
24%
Spanish
4%
English
55%
English
(New)
English
45%
English
37%
English
31%
English
(New)
English
23%
English
74%
English
57%
English
26%
English
9%
English
38%
English
92%
English
25%
English
24%
English
33%
English
31%
English
15%
English
9%
English
61%
English
17%
Spanish
7%
Spanish
94%
Spanish
3%
English
(New)
English
29%
English
36%
English
12%
English
(New)
Spanish
1%
Spanish
22%
Österreich, Wiener Meldezettel, 1890–1925
German
32%
Russian
53%
Russian
(New)

Current FamilySearch Partner Projects, Record Language, and Percent Completion

Dutch
84%
French
58%
Portuguese
1%
English
18%
German
11%
Spanish
10%
Spanish
89%
Spanish
54%
French
72%
Norwegian
57%
Spanish
72%
English
17%
U.S., Ohio—Tax Records, Post 1825 [Part 3]
English
80%
U.S., Utah, Salt Lake County—Birth Registers, 1890–1908
English
67%
U.S., Utah, Salt Lake County—Death Registers, 1848–1940
English
32%
FamilySearch International is the largest genealogy organization in the world. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch has been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. FamilySearch is a nonprofit organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources free online at FamilySearch.org or through over 4,600 family history centers in 132 countries, including the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.