tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228664792024-02-28T05:05:13.110-05:00Shrewsbury Genealogy Club Blog<img src="http://www.shrewsbury-ma.gov/library/images/seal.jpg">Shrewsbury Genealogy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02184445423489760887noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22866479.post-14596453875007020402010-09-15T21:58:00.002-04:002010-09-15T22:01:16.502-04:00Info - September 2010 MeetingOur next meeting is on <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sept 27, 2010</span> at <span style="font-weight: bold;">7:00 pm </span>at the Shrewsbury Library. George will be presenting a special introductory session for beginners. Bring a friend who needs some getting started, or anyone who needs a refresher.Shrewsbury Genealogy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02184445423489760887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22866479.post-42921778857296247582009-11-13T14:03:00.002-05:002009-11-13T14:14:33.604-05:00Plea - Save the State Library of Massachusetts!!At a press conference on Thursday, October 29, the Governor's Office announced that Governor Patrick is considering closing the State Library of Massachusetts as a cost-saving measure. This closure will have a monumental impact on the cultural heritage of the Commonwealth.<br /><br />Read more on Dick Eastman's blog:<br /><br /><a href="http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2009/11/help-save-the-massachusetts-state-library.html">http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2009/11/help-save-the-massachusetts-state-library.html</a><br /><br />Follow the link to the online petition and sign it, please!!<br /><br />And also read more on the MA State Library's blog:<br /><br /><a href="http://mastatelibrary.blogspot.com/2009/11/save-state-library.html">http://mastatelibrary.blogspot.com/2009/11/save-state-library.html</a><br /><br />Thanks!!<br />-- Brian LingardShrewsbury Genealogy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02184445423489760887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22866479.post-13843166515254471182009-11-02T20:36:00.001-05:002009-11-02T20:38:03.100-05:00Info - November 2009 MeetingThe next meeting is scheduled for Monday on <strong>November 23, 2009</strong> at <strong>7:00 PM</strong>, we will meet in the upstairs meeting room. Note the earlier time!!<br /><br />Nothing special planned for this meeting as of yet, but stay tuned, anything can happen over the next few weeks!!<br />--Brian LingardShrewsbury Genealogy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02184445423489760887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22866479.post-58624117651008492282009-10-31T21:45:00.002-04:002009-11-02T20:57:39.082-05:00Plea - Save the 2010 Census!!The Census Bureau and the National Archives have announced plans to throw out the 2010 census forms once the statistical data has been gathered. This means that in 72 years there will be nothing available for your ancestors to use for research.<br /><br />Please write to your congressman to persuade them to save the 2010 census forms by authorizing funds to microfilm the forms before they are destroyed. <br /><br />Send your letters (or emails) to:<br /><br />Rep. Ed Towns<br />Chairman, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform<br />U.S. House of Representatives<br />2157 Rayburn House Office Building<br />Washington, D.C. 20515<br /><br />Rep. Darrell Issa<br />Ranking Minority Member, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform<br />U.S. House of Representatives<br />B-350 Rayburn House Office Building<br />Washington, D.C. 20515<br /><br />Senator Tom Carper<br />Chairman, Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security<br />432 Hart Senate Office Building<br />Washington, D.C. 20510<br /><br />Senator John McCain<br />Ranking Minority Member, Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security<br />241 Russell Senate Office Building<br />Washington, D.C. 20510<br /><br />And also:<br /><br />Adrienne Thomas<br />Acting Archivist<br />National Archives and Records Administration<br />8601 Adelphi Road<br />College Park, MD 20741-6001<br /><br />Thomas Messenbourg<br />Acting Director<br />U.S. Census Bureau<br />4600 Silver Hill Road<br />Washington, D.C. 20233<br /><br />-- Brian LingardShrewsbury Genealogy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02184445423489760887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22866479.post-5045686762841037372009-10-30T20:20:00.001-04:002009-11-02T20:44:04.048-05:00Info - MSOG Worcester Chapter November MeetingThe next meeting of the Worcester Chapter of the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists is scheduled for <span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, November 7, 2009 </span>from <span style="font-weight: bold;">10 AM to 12 Noon</span>, and will feature a guest speaker as described below.<br /><p>"Lisa Remiszewski, What My Mother Left to Me (or something like that) Sharing of the ‘gift’ Lisa’s mom let to her and how we can leave such a treasure to those we love! </p> Lisa Remiszewski is a teacher who spoke at the Worcester Public Library conference in May 2009. She held her audience spell-bound with her sharing and was IMMEDIATELY asked to speak to the Worcester Chapter this year! Hopefully what she has to share will keep us all busy through the upcoming winter months (and longer)!"<br />-- Brian LingardShrewsbury Genealogy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02184445423489760887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22866479.post-49915615436002658542009-10-22T20:34:00.000-04:002009-11-02T20:35:58.583-05:00Info - October 2009 MeetingThe next meeting is scheduled for Monday on <strong>October 26, 2009</strong> at <strong>7:00 PM</strong>, we will meet in the upstairs meeting room. Note the earlier time!!<br /><br />I will be giving a demo of my new scanner and showing how it can be used to help make family photos and documents more legible.<br />--Brian LingardShrewsbury Genealogy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02184445423489760887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22866479.post-20661430096477160832009-09-09T09:21:00.002-04:002009-09-09T09:24:32.216-04:00Info - September 2009 MeetingThe next meeting is scheduled for Monday on <strong>September 28, 2009</strong> at <strong>7:00 PM</strong>, we will meet in the upstairs meeting room. Note the earlier time!!<br /><br />We will be discussing how we will need to manage the club meetings this year since George will not always be available to run the meetings (due to the changes in the library's budget). <br /><br />Please make every effort to come to this meeting so that your voice can be heard. Thanks!!<br />--Brian LingardShrewsbury Genealogy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02184445423489760887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22866479.post-13787208517223885562009-09-07T21:24:00.002-04:002009-09-09T09:29:57.959-04:00Info - 2009/2010 Meeting ScheduleThe schedule of meetings for this season are shown below. Note that all meetings this season are at <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">7:00 PM</span> (earlier time).<br /><br /><ul><li>Sep. 28, 2009</li><li>Oct. 26, 2009</li><li>Nov. 23, 2009</li><li>Dec. 28, 2009</li><li>Jan. 25, 2010</li><li>Feb. 22, 2010</li><li>Mar. 22, 2010</li><li>Apr. 26, 2010</li><li>May 24, 2010</li><li>Jun. 28, 2010</li></ul>Please make an effort to come to the first meeting since we will be discussing how we will need to manage the club meetings this season since George will not be available to lead all meetings.<br />--Brian LingardShrewsbury Genealogy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02184445423489760887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22866479.post-40714470328508899702009-04-27T11:05:00.001-04:002009-04-27T11:06:31.487-04:00Info - April 2009 MeetingThe next meeting is scheduled for Monday on <strong>April 27, 2009</strong> at <strong>7:30 PM</strong>, we will meet in the upstairs meeting room.<br /><br />No special topics planned. Bring a friend!!<br />--Brian LingardShrewsbury Genealogy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02184445423489760887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22866479.post-81126601449551398052009-04-21T09:08:00.001-04:002009-04-27T11:11:32.394-04:00Info - Free Genealogy ConferenceThe Massachusetts Society of Genealogists will be holding a free two-day genealogy conference on May 15 & 16, 2009 at the Worcester Public Library, Worcester MA.<br /><br />For more information go to, <a href="http://www.worcpublib.org/" title="Worcester Public Library" target="www.worcpublib.org">www.worcpublib.org</a> or call 508-799-1670 <br /><br />Also see <a href="http://www.massachusettssocietyofgenealogists.org/index.html">http://www.massachusettssocietyofgenealogists.org/index.html</a><br /><br />-- Brian LingardShrewsbury Genealogy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02184445423489760887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22866479.post-36987589278014324262009-04-03T09:53:00.004-04:002009-04-03T11:34:36.947-04:00MA - Deed and Land Records OnlineDeed searching is one of the cornerstone methods for genealogical research and in Massachusetts you can begin your search at the <a href="http://www.masslandrecords.com/malr/index.htm">Massachusetts Land Records</a> website. The site presents a map of the state divided into counties. Simply click on the county of interest and you will be taken to search page for the Registry of Deeds for that county. The counties of Plymouth and Barnstable are not accessible from this map.<br /><br />The range of available dates for searching will vary from county to county, depending on how far back each county has been able to scan in the deeds. The dates available on most sites go back to about the 1960's, where the oldest dates available appear to be for northern Worcester County which go back to at least 1900.<br /><br />Plymouth County has its own website for the <a href="http://plymouthdeeds.org/">Plymouth County Registry of Deeds</a>, which provides access to records dating back into the 1600's.<br /><br />Barnstable County (Cape Cod region) has its own website for the <a href="http://www.barnstabledeeds.org/">Barnstable County Registry of Deeds</a>, which contains searchable indexes and images from 1704 to present.<br /><br />-- Brian LingardShrewsbury Genealogy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02184445423489760887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22866479.post-85319060037850105282009-04-02T15:14:00.004-04:002009-04-03T09:52:06.399-04:00Tip - Cemetery Research<p> The club's March meeting featured a guest speaker, <a href="http://www.fieldstonehistoricresearch.com/about.htm">Marian Pierre-Louis</a>, who presented her talk on "Finding the Gems in New England Cemeteries". Marian was a dynamic and engaging speaker who routinely presents various talks at area genealogy conferences. </p><p> She talked at some length about the details and differences between conducting traditional and non-traditional cemetery research. Traditional cemetery research involves physically visiting the cemetery site and photographing and/or transcribing the headstones yourself. Non-traditional research is using the Internet to locate a cemetery and/or headstone information and photographs. The two best Internet resources for cemetery specific data to know about is <a href="http://www.findagrave.com/">www.findagrave.com</a> and <a href="http://www.interment.net/">www.interment.net</a>. Of special interest for New England cemeteries is <a href="http://www.gravematter.com/">www.gravematter.com</a> which features only cemeteries in New England, but note that site does not appear to have been updated in the past couple of years. </p><p> The site <a href="http://www.findagrave.com/">www.findagrave.com</a> includes some 23 million records worldwide, with over 1200 just for Massachusetts. The site is entirely volunteer driven. You can enter data for an ancestor, then once entered, you can click on the "request photo" button to send a photo request to a volunteer who will take the photo of the headstone and then upload it to the site. Of course you can post your own photos of headstones.<br /></p><p> The site <a href="http://www.interment.net/">www.interment.net</a> does not include photos of headstones but does include lots of transcriptions. You can lookup potential ancestors via their surname. Note that the transcriptions appear to be for the entire cemetery and do not appear to be literals transcriptions of the headstones in all case. </p><p> Marion concluded her talk by discussing some of the latest trends in cemetery research including using GPS to locate the cemetery and even headstones themselves, and two different methods of attaching a device to a headstone that contains family tree information for the deceased person's family (the device is read using a special handheld unit).<br /></p><p>--Brian Lingard</p>Shrewsbury Genealogy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02184445423489760887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22866479.post-60126342853065959132009-03-23T15:04:00.002-04:002009-04-02T15:18:10.145-04:00Info - March 2009 MeetingThe next meeting is scheduled for Monday on <strong style="font-weight: bold;">Mar. 23, 2009</strong> at <strong style="font-weight: bold;">7:00 PM</strong> (earlier time than usual), we will meet in the upstairs meeting room.<br /><br />We will have a guest speaker, <a href="http://www.fieldstonehistoricresearch.com/about.htm">Marian Pierre-Louis</a>, talking about "Finding Gems in New England Cemeteries".<br />--Brian LingardShrewsbury Genealogy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02184445423489760887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22866479.post-59962143222671772232009-03-22T13:17:00.002-04:002009-04-02T10:32:04.355-04:00Tip - Digital Data TroublesThe National Archives is facing an ever increasing avalanche of data in both digital and non-digital formats. This is a particularly troublesome problem since the rate of obsolescence of the hardware and software required to read this data is steadily increasing to the point where the data may become inaccessible on the day that it received by the National Archives. The article at <a href="http://www.lostmag.com/issue3/memory.php">http://www.lostmag.com/issue3/memory.php</a> gives much more detail on this issue.<br /><br />So how does this all relate to the average genealogist or family historian? Just ask yourself two simple questions - how old is your digital data, and do you still have the hardware/software required to read it. <br /><br />The answer to the first question will depend on a couple of factors - primarily how long you have been actively working on your family history and how long you have been using a computer as part of your research. These days it is pretty common for someone to have been using a computer as part of their research for at least 3 to 5 years.<br /><br />The answer to the second question is somewhat dependent on the answer to the first question. But it may really have more to do with how recently you have bought a new computer (and replaced an older one with it). Think back, did you switch from one family history database program to another in that time? Did you utilize any of the paid genealogy services such as Ancestry.com? Did you switch from using a PC to a MAC or vice versa? Have you started using an online service to host your family tree instead of using dedicated software?<br /><br />The best defense in all these cases is to do the obvious. Make backups of everything you have and make them regularly. Include copies of the software that was required to read any proprietary data formats (such as Family Tree Maker). Better yet, be sure to export your database in a standard format such as Gedcom that is readable by just about any family history database program. Consider generating a printed report of your database (most genealogy programs include this feature). Likewise print out copies of any important piece of documentation that may only exist on your computer's hard drive.<br /><br />Remember the countless number of hours that you have spent on your research and be sure to protect that investment both for yourself and your future generations.<br />-- Brian LingardShrewsbury Genealogy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02184445423489760887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22866479.post-80525846529941436282009-01-16T23:08:00.004-05:002009-01-16T23:12:21.713-05:00Info - January 2009 MeetingThe next meeting is scheduled for Monday on <strong>Jan. 26, 2009</strong> at <strong>7:30 PM</strong>, we will meet in the upstairs meeting room.<br /><br />We will be discussing archaic medical terms as found in old documents in English and other languages. Bring your troubling terms and hopefully get them deciphered!<br />--Brian LingardShrewsbury Genealogy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02184445423489760887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22866479.post-43628776094514760432008-10-28T23:55:00.001-04:002008-10-28T23:57:14.768-04:00Info - November 2008 MeetingThe next meeting is scheduled for Monday on Nov 24, 2008 at <span style="font-weight: bold;">7:30 PM</span>, we will meet in the upstairs meeting room.<br />--Brian LingardShrewsbury Genealogy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02184445423489760887noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22866479.post-38064984062936335162008-10-28T23:48:00.004-04:002008-10-28T23:59:14.573-04:00Tip - Struggles of the Acadian ExilesOur October 27th meeting featured guest speaker Lucie LeBlanc Consentino, who spoke about "The Struggles of the Acadians in Exile".<br /><br />In case you missed the meeting (and her informative talk), you can visit Lucie's website <a href="http://www.acadian-home.org/">Acadian and French-Canadian Ancestral Home</a> where you will find a wealth of information on Acadian and French-Canadian genealogy research and history.<br /><br />--Brian Lingard<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><a href="http://www.acadian-home.org/"><br /></a>Shrewsbury Genealogy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02184445423489760887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22866479.post-20616882587419835902008-09-25T09:11:00.003-04:002008-10-29T00:04:22.606-04:00Info - October 2008 MeetingThe next meeting is scheduled for Monday on Oct 27, 2008 at <span style="font-weight: bold;">7:00 PM</span>, we will meet in the upstairs meeting room.<br /><br />Please NOTE the earlier time!!<br /><br />There will be a guest speaker, discussing the Acadian diaspora, i.e. the spread of Acadian people from Canada to many points within North America.<br />-- Brian LingardShrewsbury Genealogy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02184445423489760887noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22866479.post-31964792582533365302008-09-23T09:49:00.002-04:002008-09-23T10:00:12.739-04:00Tip - Genealogy TutorialsWhen you are just starting out with genealogy, things can seem a bit daunting. So it can really help to review some tutorials specifically geared towards getting you up to speed quickly. <p>The following websites have great tutorials for the newcomer:</p><p>- RootsWeb - <a href="http://www.rootsweb.com/">http://www.rootsweb.com/</a><br />- FamilySearch - <a href="http://www.familysearch.com/">http://www.familysearch.com/</a><br />- Cyndi's List - <a href="http://www.cyndislist.com/">http://www.cyndislist.com/</a></p><p>A great book to look for is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Unpuzzling-Your-Past-Best-Selling-Genealogy/dp/1558705562/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222178259&sr=8-1">Unpuzzling Your Past: A Basic Guide to Tracking Your Family's Genealogy</a>, by Emily Anne Croom (4th ed., Betterway Publications, 2001), an excellent beginner's guide with enough detail to keep you busy locating new sources for many years. <br />-- Brian Lingard</p>Shrewsbury Genealogy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02184445423489760887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22866479.post-83924782515298861482008-09-15T20:49:00.001-04:002008-09-25T09:10:07.746-04:00Info - September 2008 MeetingThe first meeting of the season is scheduled for Monday on Sept 22, 2008 at 7:30 PM, we will meet in the upstairs meeting room.<br />-- Brian LingardShrewsbury Genealogy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02184445423489760887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22866479.post-9361255058444770082008-09-13T21:46:00.000-04:002008-09-15T21:53:56.456-04:00NH - Deed SearchesA while back I learned that the <a href="http://www.nhdeeds.com/">NH Registry of Deeds</a> had created a <a href="http://www.nhdeeds.com/">website </a>that you can search to locate deeds by county. Each county has a different range of dates available in the indexes, and a different set of scanned deed images available, depending upon how much they've managed to enter into their databases. All the counties have been diligently indexing and scanning new deeds, pushing their databases further back in time.<br /><br />Currently the oldest available indexes online are for Rockingham County which goes back to 1643. Unfortunately the scanned images don't go nearly that far back. But it still can save you time, since you can identify deeds by books and pages in the comfort of your home, before venturing out to the county deed office to view or copy the deeds themselves.<br /><br />-- Brian LingardShrewsbury Genealogy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02184445423489760887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22866479.post-75867241728785144832008-09-12T19:05:00.000-04:002008-09-15T21:21:37.017-04:00NH - Rochester Courier Newspaper IndexFor those who may be working on ancestors in the Rochester, NH area, the Rochester Public Library has put up a great resource on its website -- see <a href="http://www.rpl.lib.nh.us/reference/newsindex.htm">http://www.rpl.lib.nh.us/reference/newsindex.htm</a>. <br /><br />A volunteer has indexed the back issues of the Rochester Courier newspaper starting from 1900. The index has people entries from birth notices, marriage notices, death notices, and obituaries. The indexes cover the surrounding towns of Barrington, Framingham, Gonic, Milton, New Durham, and Rochester itself.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span>An example entry is shown below:<br /><br /> Allen, James S., died 3/6/25: 3/13/25p7<br /><br />This entry shows that James S. Allen died on 3/6/1925 and his obituary (or death notice) appears in the 3/13/1925 issue on page 7.<br /><br />The back issues are on rolls of microfilm in a cabinet on the second floor of the library, near the reference section. <br /><br />Good hunting!!<br />- Brian Lingard<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span class="class1"></span>Shrewsbury Genealogy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02184445423489760887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22866479.post-5117202408330862052008-09-11T21:16:00.003-04:002008-09-15T21:44:50.801-04:00Veterans - Gravesite LocatorI stumbled across this site the other day while looking for my grandfather's father who I knew was buried in a veteran's cemetery in Maine, it's the US Department of Veterans Affairs <a href="http://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/j2ee/servlet/NGL_v1">Gravesite Locator</a>.<br /><br />If you know which cemetery the veteran is buried at, this site will help you locate the gravesite within that cemetery (these cemeteries can be quite large so this could save you a lot of walking), including a map of the cemetery showing sections and nearby roads.<br /><br />If you don't know which cemetery the veteran is buried at, enter as much information as you know, hopefully you may get lucky and find who you're looking for. Good luck!<br />-- Brian LingardShrewsbury Genealogy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02184445423489760887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22866479.post-40254503477171998182008-09-10T18:33:00.001-04:002008-09-25T09:10:45.778-04:00Tip - Ancestry of Barak ObamaJust in case you've been curious here's an interesting site - <a href="http://www.wargs.com/political/obama.html">http://www.wargs.com/political/obama.html</a> - that details the ancestry presidential candidate Barak Obama.<br />-- Brian LingardShrewsbury Genealogy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02184445423489760887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22866479.post-1140727270536433842006-02-23T15:38:00.001-05:002008-09-25T09:11:03.393-04:00Info - February 2006 meetingOur next meeting is Monday, Feb. 27 at 7:30 pm. I'll be reporting on my trip to the Berkshire Athanaeum and the Pittsfield NARA office earlier that same day. Hope to see you there!<br />--George BrownShrewsbury Genealogy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02184445423489760887noreply@blogger.com7