SOCIETIES CONTINUE TO PRESERVE ANCESTOR MEMORIES
Brenda Kellow
September 18, 2011
Genealogists love to find indexes to records, and that is just what the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants continues as they place the guides and indexes online for counties without books or online resources. They have recently uploaded the Berkshire County probate guide and index online for the years 1761-1900. They also have vital records online as well as state guises. The Franklin County probate index 1812-1925 was added in August before the addition of the Berkshire database. The wonderful thing about this is the databank is free to researchers online at www.massmayflower.org/.
GREAT MIGRATION WEBSITE: The launch of this new site coincides with the publication of the final volume of the series The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England 1634-1635, volume 7 that covers the surnames beginning with “T” through “Y”. At this website, http://www.greatmigration.org/, you can find information on the published series, the Great Migration Newsletter, and the Great Migration Study Project. The site now sports a new look with upgraded technology making it easier to navigate. Those of us with ancestors who came here early will benefit from this site.
Genealogy Friends of Plano Libraries, Inc. donated the book series and a bound volume of the newsletters from volume 1 through volume 15. This volume of newsletters covers the years 1620 to 1640. They should be on the shelves and ready for your perusal before the end of the year.
ST. MARY’S COUNTY, MARYLAND WEBSITE: Another updated website is that of the St. Mary’s County Maryland Genealogical Society, http://smcgs.ens-2.com/. One new feature is a member’s site accessible by a personal password. The Society’s mission is to “encourage the preservation and maintenance of records of genealogical and historic interest in St. Mary’s County, to promote their availability to the public, to maintain surname files, printed materials and publications at local libraries for use by patrons, and to maintain liaison with and offer advice and assistance to local librarians regarding genealogy-related services.” I admire societies that believe in sharing knowledge and offering continuous learning over the Internet.
NEBRASKA STATE GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY UPLOADS TOMBSTONE PICTURES: The Society recently asked volunteers to help them capture tombstone pictures before the information on the badly deteriorating stones vanishes from sight. Their website, http://tombstones.nesgs.org/index.php, tells the importance of this project by archiving the images and making them available to researchers all over the world.
PHOTO DETECTIVE SPEAKS: Maureen Taylor speaks in San Antonio on October 15 at the John Calvin Presbyterian Church. The San Antonio Genealogical and Historical Society is the sponsor of this event. Maureen’s books on photography focus on family history, history and genealogy. For more information on this seminar, contact the Society’s web site at www.rootsweb.com/~txsaghs2/.
RESEARCHING THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR: Another quick sheet is available for researchers and this new one is on researching the Revolutionary War. Certified Genealogist Craig R. Scott, renowned military historian, prepared the quick sheet. Pick up yours at www.genealogical.com. Filled with tips and information, it is inexpensive, four laminated pages and easy to tuck into your briefcase.
Just this week a reader asked about online sources on this subject. I recommended Craig’s quick sheet, Family Search, Archives.gov, Valley Forge Muster Rolls.org, and the British National Archives. The latter contains documents bearing on all facets of the period.
Brenda Kellow has a bachelor's degree in history, teaches, and lectures on genealogy. Before retiring to publish her family’s histories in 2007, Brenda held certification as a Certified Genealogist and as a Certified Genealogical Instructor. Send reunion announcements, books to review, and genealogy queries to: [email protected].