Class Descriptions for 2011
Class Title
Experience Level
Time
Instructor
Class Description
American State Papers & U.S. Serial Set Click here to View Presentation Slides
17 pages
Beginning
Intermediate
11:00
Coldren-Walker An introduction to the genealogist use of the American State Papers & U.S. Serial Set. More than just a list of names. The American State Papers contain over 6,000 documents including public land records, post office records and claims. U.S. Serial Set began with the 15th Congress (1817) and contains House and Senate documents and reports and over 14,000 volumes. Baltimore County Courthouse Records-- Emphasis on Records of the Register of Wills
Click here to View or download handouts for printing
4 pages
Beginning
Intermediate
3:00
Sybert
Provides an overview of the principal genealogical resources available to researchers at the Baltimore County Courthouse, including land, marriage and probate records. In addition, record groups maintained by the Register of Wills from 1777 to the present, and their value in genealogical research, will be discussed. Directed primarily to beginning and intermediate level researchers.
Basic English Genealogy Research Click here to View or download handouts for printing
6 pages
Beginning
Intermediate
1:00 Schmidt Beginning African American Research – Emphasis Maryland
2-hour class
Beginning
10:00 Noreen J. Goodson
The purpose of this 2-hour workshop is to provide novice African-American researchers with some guidance, hands-on experiences and explanations concerning various aspects of researching your family's roots, with emphasis on Maryland resources.
Beginning Scottish Research Click here to View or download Outline for printing
1 page
12:00 Wallace An overview of Scottish research. It can be scary to start working on genealogy in another country. If all you know is that great great grandpa came from Scotland, where do you start looking? Find out what records exist, where they are, how to gain access & how to use them. This class will give you resources, references & examples to get you started tracing your Scottish ancestors. We will also cover what can reasonably be done from the U.S.
Beyond The Death Certificate Click here to view or download handouts for printing
4 pages
2:00 Legare You have the death certificate, what next?? Knowing the Funeral Home and Cemetery may lead to many additional records. If you don’t have the death certificate, but know the approximate date and location of death, additional sleuthing may lead you to the Funeral Home and Cemetery data. Come find out about burial and transit permits, sextons, finding old cemeteries, etc…..
Blogging for Family Relationships
Click here to view or download handouts for printing
4 pages
All Levels of Experience
12:00 Miles
Have you ever Googled a surname on the internet then clicked on a link that brings up a wonderful blog, and wished you had one too? This class is designed to introduce you to blogging with Blogger & Squidoo. Learn how to set up your first blog, write a blog post including adding photos and links, & use your blog to attract other researchers.
Various Instructors
11:00 Moderator -- Sylvia Sonneborn
3:00 Moderator -- Jackson Sonneborn
Intermediate
Advanced
11:00 3:00
Cheryl Singhal,
Chair
A Brick Wall is a problem with tenure. The Brick Wall Session tries to provide a new slant, different approaches, and general methodology pointers. The team will try to find something new to try.
You may email queries in advance to essexbrickwalls@gmail.com
Pre-workshop inquiries must be received by Oct. 10.
Post-workshop Q&A will be available by email through Nov. 10.
Bring a complete, detailed list of where you've looked to the class.
Patrons should take the Land Records class at 10:00
Click here to view or download handouts for printing
4 pages
Advanced
12:00 Lyon
Platting and Locating Maryland Lands. Locating the land on which our ancestors lived is among the most widespread hopes of family history researchers. This lecture presents the basic principles of land surveying as carried out in Maryland since the colonial period, to make land records more accessible and useful in family research. The presentation is aided by modern easy-to-use computer software that allows anyone to plot and locate original land grants (patents) and deeds. Examples will be walked through to show how to create and connect plots to build local tract maps.
Digitizing the Family History Library Collection
Handouts will be emailed to class registrants. Contact us if you attended this class and did not receive the handouts
bfhworkshop@gmail.com
All Levels of Experience
1:00 McGhie Millions of records have been digitized from microfilm and are being indexed by FamilySearch volunteers. Learn how the records are digitized, what records are currently available, how to use this collection effectively, and preview records coming online in the future. Discovering Historic Newspapers
Handouts will be emailed to class registrants. Contact us if you attended this class and did not receive the handouts
bfhworkshop@gmail.com
Beginning
Intermediate
3:00 McGhie Newspapers are a valuable resource for genealogical information. Discover which newspapers were printed in the time and location your ancestors lived, and how to access them now. Major collections of digitized newspapers will be covered. EASY Way to Organize Genealogy Papers (Mary E. V. Hill System) Click here to view or download handouts for printing
20 pages
12:00 Powell Learn to turn your piles into files to find a document in seconds. Mary E. V. Hill’s original model of genealogy organization is presented in this class. Her color-coded filing system has a focus for each grandparent’s line. Hill uses the system to conquer procrastination and to battle the never-ending clutter that results from being your family’s repository of family history, genealogy research and photographs. Exploring Family Life -- Researching Civil War Ancestors Click here to view or download handouts for printing
2 pages
1:00 Hynson
All Day
Take a 2 minute test drive and try indexing at https://familysearch.org/volunteer/indexing
All Levels of Experience
All Day Debbie & Steve Walk
We will have a Kiosk in the gym where we will:
1. Introduce Family Search Indexing
2. Demonstrate how to register and use a Family Search or LDS account
3. Offer hands-on training for indexing
FamilySearch Indexing Tips and Tricks Click here to view or download Outline/Handout
2 pages
Click here to view or download Indexing Keyboard Shortcuts
1 page
Click here to view or download Selected Tips of the Day
2 pages
All levels of Experience 2:00 Slater This class will cover tips and tricks to increase your speed and accuracy while indexing records for the FamilySearch volunteer indexing program. Learn things like easily adjusting the highlights so they highlight in the right place, keyboard shortcuts for marking blank fields & copying dittoed fields, navigating the document easily so you can see it all at once or jumping to a specific area, using quick internet searches to verify likely names and places, getting help by using the Share a Batch feature, and how to use the new My Accuracy tab to get feedback on how you're doing. Sign up to try indexing at https://familysearch.org/volunteer/indexing
Genealogical Research Resources and Facilities Click here to view or download handouts for printing
2 pages
Beginning
3:00 Nelson The “feet on the ground” approach to genealogical research is always the best way to finding answers according to instructor Ralph Nelson. Deciding where to go to find what you are looking for is a key element. Resources and repositories are only good if they have the information you are looking for or clues to that information. A repository is not necessarily a large government-run facility. It can be as simple as a Church Sextant’s records. This session will show beginning researchers various choices available to them.
Genealogy 101 Click here to view Presentation Slides
14 pages
Beginning
10:00 Coldren-Walker An introduction to family history research including importance of starting at home, working backwards, and citing sources. Covers basic research using family interviews & records, census, immigration records, newspapers and the internet. Getting the Best From RootsMagic Click here to view Presentation slides
10 pages
Beginning
Intermediate
12:00 Wardell Overview of the RootsMagic genealogy record-keeping computer program, highlighting strengths and weaknesses for LDS and non-LDS genealogists. A brief comparison of RootsMagic and other computer programs, including PAF, will also be presented.
Getting the Most Out of Ancestry.com, Including Creating Your Family History Book 2-hour class
Click here to view or download handouts for printing
8 pages
Beginning
Intermediate
2:00 MacInnes Ancestry is one of the most important genealogical tools in existence. Learn best search practices and filters, explore the databases and images that Ancestry offers, learn how to access its digital books and maps, and work up to creating a gedcom and posting it online to generate more information from collaboration. Understand privacy filters and settings, how to delete and edit information, and how to add or remove your own photos. Discover how to create an Ancestry family history book from your online tree, add backgrounds and embellishments, change text and its appearance, import additional photos and documents, and create a memory. Getting the Most Out of New FamilySearch and Family Tree (For LDS Members) Click here to view or download handouts for printing
4 pages
Beginning
3:00 Sylvia Sonneborn This class will teach LDS Church Members an overview of how to gain access to, navigate in, and use the features of new FamilySearch. Find out what the function keys do, and learn how to add or delete individuals, how to correct information, how to add sources, and how to combine/separate duplicate records. Learn where to reserve temple work and how to print reports, like FOR’s and family group sheets. Then go to the family tree to see how to use the tree to perform many of the same functions. A simple handout will give a brief overview of all of these features for home use. Grandma, Where Art Thou? Female Ancestors: A Case Study Click here to view or download handouts for printing
2 pages
Intermediate
10:00 Koford This class uses genealogical techniques to focus research into our female ancestors. We cover cluster genealogy, and show the techniques in a case study at the end. African American Family History Individual Consultations
Sign up at the Help Desk. Available times are from 1:00 to 1:50
All Levels of Experience
Sign Up for a time period between
1:00 and 1:50
Goodson
Individual consultations for those doing African American research.
Individual Consultations Mapping Software and Locating Lower Eastern Shore Ancestors' Lands
Sign up at the Help Desk. Available times are from 2:00 to 4:00
Sign Up for a 15 min. period between 2:00 and 4:00 Limit 8 per hour
Lyon and Polk
A chance for researchers with Maryland Lower Eastern Shore ancestors to see family lands on a regional map/database of all ancient properties in Somerset, Worcester and Wicomico counties (and parts of Dorchester Co and Sussex Co, DE), and to take away personalized printouts of maps and property descriptions. Bring your family or tract names of interest! More general consulting on the how-tos and other use of mapping software, extending the morning lecture on deed mapping, will also be available.
Help Desk Reading Old German or Old English Handwriting Individual Consultations
Sign up at the Help Desk. Available times are from 2:00 to 4:00
All Levels of Experience
Sign Up 2:00 - 4:00
Wallace Indexing Names in Maryland: 10 Pitfalls and Tricks
Click here to view or download handouts for printing
6 pages
copies will also be provided by the instructor
11:00 Thursby
The complexity of finding your ancestors in indexes whether in a traditional index in the back of a book or online (i.e. Ancestry.com or FamilySearch.org) can be a major obstacle unless you remember the 10 pitfalls and tricks. What may appear simple, straightforward can be fraught with twists and turns that can mean the difference between finding and not finding that elusive ancestor
Click here to view or download handouts for printing
9 pages
Beginning
10:00 Krause
This session is for those just beginning their Irish research. We will discuss getting started to include expectations of what is possible. Then a brief overview will be presented of Irish history and historical administrative divisions as they relate to genealogical research. Finally, we will look at the big three record groups from an Irish perspective: Vital records, Census records, and Church records
Irish Genealogy – Beyond the Basics
Click here to view or download handouts for printing
5 pages
Intermediate
Advanced
1:00 Krause
This session will examine various Irish genealogic records not covered in the first session. We will take a brief look at tax, probate, and land records that exist for the nineteenth centaury. However, a majority of the time will be spent on the nineteenth century census substitutes: the Tithe Applotment Books and Griffith’s Valuation.
Jumping the Pond: Resources to Help Find Your Ancestral Germanic Home Click here to view or download handouts for printing
9 pages
Intermediate
10:00 MacInnes Delve into how to make the connection to your village of origin after uncovering your immigrant ancestor. Both American and German sources will be included: books and articles in print and how to find them; web-based resources and how to use them; and personal contacts and how to find them. Legacy Family Tree -- From the Very Beginning Click here to view or download handouts for printing
4 pages
Beginning
12:00 Loos-Noji We will start with an overview of the features of this software package and then proceed to a detailed tutorial on beginning and building your personal database. Marriage References and Family Relationships
Baltimore Co. 1659 - 1800
(principles apply to other localities)
Click here to View Outline Word Format
Click here to View Outline PDF Format
1 page
Click here to view or download handouts for printing Word Format
Click here to view or download handouts for printing PDF Format
2 pages
ALL
2:00
Barnes
Presented by Robert Barnes, M.Ed., F.M.G.S., Oct. 2011. Although Baltimore Co. records were used, the principles behind the research are the same regardless of the locality of interest.
This class will discuss some of the sources used in investigating marriages and other family relationships in Baltimore Co. 1659 - 1800. Some of the relationships may be somewhat irregular, but all of the data found helps to shed light on the lives and times of our early American ancestors.
Click here to view or download handouts for printing
6 pages
copies will also be provided by the instructor
12:00 Jane Thursby
From the first settlers to today, the church records can hold a wealth of information about our ancestors. But where are they? The answer is "It depends". It depends on the religion, it depends on the year and it depends on the place. You need to know "the depends" to make your search successful.
Click here to view or download handouts for printing
6 pages
copies will also be provided by the instructor
10:00
Jane Thursby
Where there is a will, there is a way...and inventories, administration accounts, testamentary proceedings, estate dockets, administration bonds. What are each of these records and how to use them in your research.
Maryland State Archives: What's Real and What's Digital NEW - these 4 handouts were posted 10/21/11
Click here to view or print outline Word Format
Click here to view or print outline PDF Format
1 page
All Levels of Experience
1:00 Barnes Presented by Robert Barnes, M.Ed., F.M.G.S., Oct. 2011. This class will discuss the original records at the Maryland State Archives in Annapolis in paper format, microfilm records, and the growing field of digitized records. Some of the digitized records are freely accessible but some you have to be in the Archives to view. New.FamilySearch Consultations for LDS Members
Limit 5 registrants each hour
12:00 2:00
Family History Consultants
NewFamilySearch is an extensive revision of the FamilySearch program, in the final stages of being rolled out. LDS Church members will be able to find their ancestors more easily, and for the first time, will be able to combine multiple name submissions, flag errors, and print paperwork for temple work on the internet from their homes. The TempleReady program and taking disks to the temple are no longer necessary. These consultations will be hands-on to guide members in using the new program
New.FamilySearch for Spanish Speaking LDS Members
10:00 Diaz Obituaries - A Treasure Trove for Genealogists Click here to view or download handouts for printing
6 pages
All Levels of Experience
12:00 Gravelle This presentation will include a short history of obituaries, a discussion of their reliability in genealogical research, the importance of obituaries in genealogical research, techniques for finding obituaries on the Internet, Internet tools used in conjunction with obituaries, understanding the wording in obituaries, and examples of good, bad, humorous and not-so-humorous obituaries. Organizing Your Genealogy: From Paper to Plastic Click here to view or download handouts for printing
2 pages
Intermediate
1:00 Koford This class is for the genealogist who is ready to streamline their research by cleaning off their desk! Learn how to use organizing techniques to help your analyzation process and give that tired old genealogy project a kick-start. Overcoming Brickwalls Click here to view or download handouts for printing
2 pages
Intermediate
Advanced
1:00 Legare Brickwalls are a way of life for experienced researchers. Let’s explore tips, techniques and tools for ensuring your research is efficient and that you are as successful as possible. A six-step research methodology, based on Val Greenwood’s process documented in his book “The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy”, provides the framework for discovering information about your family or a specific individual. Knowledge of available sources helps achieve a positive research outcome. Photographic Restoration and Preservation Click here to view presentation slides
19 pages
Beginning
Intermediate
11:00 Wardell Basic techniques for preserving and restoring family history photographs, with emphasis on managing the challenges and opportunities presented by each project. Suggestions for preserving current family history through photography and simple techniques for taking better pictures.
Polish and Eastern European Genealogy
2-hour class
Click here to view or download handouts for printing
4 pages
Intermediate
Advanced
1:00 Bocek
A comprehensive discussion of how to search for records both here and in Poland, what is available and how to access them. We will discuss Local repositories as well as internet and mail searches.
Primary Maryland Land Records for Family History Research
Click here to view or download handouts for printing
4 page
Intermediate
10:00 Lyon
The most important and basic State and Provincial land records are the patents (land grants) to citizens, and their legal conveyances or partition by deed, inheritance or otherwise. These records describe the land and offer guidance on its location – of immediate and essential value in family history research. Many contain other genealogically-useful information, from family relationships to building types and agricultural use. The lecture emphasis is colonial records – the foundation for interpreting many later documents – with special guidance on records finding and on understanding and interpreting all aspects of the documents. The related Deed Mapping presentation, given separately, presents the approach to plotting and placing the properties.
Producing a Reliable Family History – An Appellate Judge Discusses Genealogical Evidence Click here to view or download handouts for printing
6 pages
All Levels of Experience
3:00 Gravelle This presentation includes a discussion of guidelines for evaluating genealogical evidence, and suggests methods of resolving conflicts in evidence. Topics will include how legal standards of proof can be applied to genealogy research, and how to think and write like a judge in producing a reliable and accurate family history.
Reading Old German Script A Help Desk will also be offered for individual consultations.
Sign up at the Help Desk for available times
Intermediate
Advanced
10:00 Wallace Many Americans have German ancestors. If you haven't run into the old Gothic script yet, it's only a matter of time. The old script often shows up on records created in the U.S. and in personal letters & documents. This class will give you resources & references to use in reading & translating the old German records, plus some hands-on examples. It's not always easy, but you CAN do this! Real Widows of the Pension Office Click here to view or download handouts for printing
3 pages
All Levels of Experience
11:00 Loos-Noji Learn how to find out if your ancestor had a pension, how to get the file, and, most importantly, what you are likely to find when you get the chance to read it. You will see examples of the types of documents and information found in real files. And, finally, I will share a few wild stories collected while volunteering for the Widow's Pension Files digitization project at the National Archives. Research at the DAR Library -- There and From Home
Click here to view presentation slides
30 pages
Beginning
Intermediate
12:00 Coldren-Walker
An overview resources at the DAR Library and Seimes Microfilm Center and what is available on-line from home. Library organization including book call system, catalog, and Genealogical Records Committee Index and available on-line databases. Seimes collection of microfilm and access to DAR applications and proof documents.
Saving Private Memories: Photo Document Storage & the Memory Book Click here to view or download handouts for printing
4 pages
All Levels of Experience
10:00 Loos-Noji First we will explore ways of storing and organizing your physical documents and your digital versions of them. Secondly we'll discuss using the digitized files to create good-looking and easily-shareable memory books. Seizing the Census Click here to view or download handouts for printing
2 pages
Beginning
11:00 Koford For all you "baby genealogists" who see the value of census research, but don't quite know where to start. We cover the history of censuses, and the pros and cons of using censuses in our research. Southern States Research – Emphasis African American
Click here to view or download handouts for printing
5 pages
2-hour class
2:00 Hynson
Resources and special considerations for researching in the American South. Emphasis on Resources, Virginia, Maryland, & University Sources.
Special Md. Land Records Resources including African American Research Opportunities
Click here to view or download handouts for printing
4 pages
Intermediate
11:00 Lyon
An extraordinary range of Maryland land records of many kinds is available for family historians, beyond the basic descriptions in patents and deeds. These include early warrants (rights) granted immigrants for land, listing entire families, dates of arrival and sometimes places of origin. Also useful are many records involving rentals and leases, taxation, assessments and other property valuation, with much detail on how our ancestors used their land. Land records are essential to aid African-American family research, from free black land ownership to slave sales and many manumissions, some dating from the 17th century. Chancery accounts might mention slave quarters or other useful pointers. Careful use of accessible sources, linking with probate records, often allows interpretation and understanding not otherwise found. The presentation and handouts include pointers and references for understanding and finding many of these valuable and often-underutilized sources.
Ten Steps to Beginning Genealogy Research Click here to view or download handouts for printing
4 pages
Beginning
11:00 Nelson Genealogy consists of many twists and turns. Ralph Nelson has learned over the past 18 years of research that there are tried and true guidelines for successful results. This session gives new researchers some guidelines to begin with. The age-old questions of who, what, where, when, and how play a significant part and by following the suggested guidelines researchers diminish their chances of becoming overwhelmed. Suggestions on where to find information, how to document them, how to organize findings, etc. will be covered. Using the Family History Center Click here to view or download handouts for printing
4 pages
Beginning
Intermediate
11:00 3:00
Raymond This class provides an overview of the Baltimore Maryland Family History Center in Essex for beginners and more advanced researchers. Topics include books, microfilms and microfiche available in the FHC; contents of the computers including some subscription websites that are free to use at the FHC; and how to access more films and fiche at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Using Cemeteries to Do Family History Research Click here to view or download handouts for printing
3 pages
Beginning
Intermediate
2:00 Sylvia & Jackson Sonneborn Cemeteries reveal a lot of information about deceased ancestors. We will dig into Internet sites that feature cemeteries and obituaries, including the national cemetery transcription project. We will showcase a Pennsylvania cemetery photo documentation project with indexing and also a cemetery restoration in Virginia. The class will discuss how to clean and photograph tombstones and how to post the photos on a site like FindaGrave; and last, we will study tombstone design, humor, symbolism, and acronyms. Virtual Genealogy Education: What's Available Online
Handouts will be emailed to class registrants. Contact us if you attended this class and did not receive the handouts
bfhworkshop@gmail.com
All Levels of Experience
10:00 McGhie Sharpen your genealogy research skills through online classes, webinars, study groups, tutorials and conferences. Choose from free programs, short term classes or comprehensive certificate programs, all from the comfort of your home. Virtual Roots: A Case Study in Finding and Using Online Sources Click here to view or download handouts for printing
4 pages
Intermediate
11:00 MacInnes Thousands of new resources are added to the web every day. Learn how to tap into the incredible World Wide Web to add depth to your ancestors’ lives and the families they interacted with after you find them in the census. Explore the richness of all three levels of government documents: federal, state, and county/local. Includes such resources as downloadable books at www.archive.org, WorldCat (including NUCMUC), PERSI, GoogleEarth, ICON, subscription services, society collections, and online catalogs. Representative resources include naturalization information, tax records, probate records, maps and atlases, military records, online photographs, land records, and vital records. Vital Records: Births, Marriages, Deaths and Alternative Sources for Vital Information Click here to view or download handouts for printing
3 pages
Beginning
2:00 Koford Are you new to genealogy? Only used the internet? Let us open your eyes to the value of birth, marriage, and death records available in the 19th and 20th centuries. Ward Family History Consultant Training Q&A Handouts for this class will be emailed by request to perrysmd@gmail.com
1:00 Perry Lohr
This class was requested by several Ward Family History Consultants to give them direction on fulfilling their calling. Emphasis will be on ideas of how to serve in your ward, where to find training, and a Q&A session to address your questions and concerns. Feel free to send questions ahead of time to PerrysMD@gmail.com so they can be addressed during the class. What's New on LDS Websites? Click here to view or download handouts for printing
2 pages
Beginning
Intermediate
1:00 Sylvia & Jackson Sonneborn This class will feature the new Internet web sites that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been offering and improving in the past few years. A handout will provide addresses, and the instructors will go live to each of the web sites and introduce the prominent features of each: FamilySearch, new FamilySearch, Wiki, Forums, Indexing, Family History Favorites, FamilyHart Pennsylvania research, Free Portals in the Family History Centers. You Better Watch Out --Omissions, Errors and Frauds 2:00 Coldren-Walker A look at the problems with published genealogies and even original documents including omissions, mistakes, and fraud. A look at the estate scams such as Anneke Jans Bogardus and frauds such as Gustav Anjou. How to protect yourself from being taken in.
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