MGS presents its Fall Seminar, which begins with registration and a continental breakfast and includes a plated lunch. Two well-known speakers will be sharing their genealogical knowledge and expertise. David A. Powell and Robyn N. Smith will be presenting the following lectures:
“Finding Original Records Online” - David A. Powell
Genealogists may be frustrated by not finding ancestors in the records and places where they logically expect them to be. This presentation will explain several different ways to search for your ancestors including new techniques for commonly used web sites. Actual case study examples will be used along with suggested strategies to help attendees find their elusive ancestors.
“Finding Foreign Original Records Online” - David A. Powell
Attendees will learn specific ways to find their ancestors in foreign genealogical sources. Original records are being digitized at an accelerated rate and millions more are being added monthly throughout the world. Actual case studies in France, Poland and England will be used to illustrate the process used for any foreign research.
“A Tangled Web: Researching the Enslaved in Maryland” - Robyn N. Smith
Slavery research is difficult under almost any circumstance. In this lecture, Ms. Smith offers a brief overview of the history of African Americans in Maryland. Through case studies, she also provides examples of the unique records available to those researching the enslaved as well as the large population of free blacks.
“Cluster Research: Using Groups of People to Find Your People” - Robyn N. Smith
Our ancestors did not live in a vacuum. They lived, worked, socialized, and married amid a larger group of people. Those people included not just family members but friends, neighbors, employers, fellow employees, fellow churchgoers, and business associates. Elizabeth Shown Mills refers to this group with the clever shorthand of the “FAN” club—their family, associates and neighbors. Ms. Smith demonstrates how studying this larger group of people often increases our chance for success in our research.
