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Blog Entries: 1 to 25 of 2092
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Free webinars -- this week!
Here are three free webinars from Legacy Family Tree--scheduled for the upcoming Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday. All webinars will commence at 1 pm CST.
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Next 3 Live Webinars from Legacy Family Tree
Register for free
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IGSI Social Gaggle on Zoom
Join our virtual Social Gaggle on Thursday, January 23!
No need to be a member, or to register. Just drop in!
6:30 – 8:00 pm Central on Zoom
Sometimes the best tips and strategies come from a family historian sitting next to you! Perhaps another IGSI friend has figured out how to do something you’re struggling with… or never thought of. Let us learn, share, and be inspired by each other! Bring your successes, challenges, questions, and interesting stories to our IGSI Social Gaggle!
We’ll start out with a quick intro, a round of introductions, followed by a brief review of some “not to be missed” elements of the IGSI website led by Walt Rothwell. Following that, we’ll open the “floor” so you can share or query the “brain trust” in this session. Join our virtual coffee klatch of genealogists, professional and aspiring.
Feel free to share this event with your friends. We would love to have you suggest a topic or volunteer to kick off a future session.
Meeting ID: 827 3962 5325
Passcode: 101266
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Nollaig na mBan
Today is January 6, Women's Christmas in Ireland.
Read about this felicitous tradition here. |
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A million Irish passports issued in 2024
IrishCentral reports the issuance of one million Irish passports in 2024,  the 100th year of its Passport Service.
More facts about Irish passports, including information about the Henley Passport Index and the world's most 'powerful' passports, can be found here.
Are you interested in acquiring Irish citizenship and passport? Read how to do it by reading this IrishCentral article. |
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THE SEPTS Jan 2025 - Crowdsourcing
The January 2025 issue of IGSI's journal, The Septs, has  been published and can be accessed online.
This quarter's theme: Crowdsourcing for Genealogical Research.
You will find a jam-packed 36 pages to help you leverage your personal contacts and/or social media to break through genealogical brick walls. Articles are an absorbing collection of stories written by subject-matter experts as well as amateur family historians. Lots of ideas to help you kick off 2025 with a bang!
If you're an IGSI member, you should have already received an email with a link to the digital version. Printed copies are also mailed via USPS to General members.
Both Electronic and General members can access the latest issue -- plus 44 years of prior issues! -- by clicking on The Septs (Journal) tab at left. |
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The Granddaddy of Them All
Happy New Year! 
January 1 means college football at the Rose Bowl. The game’s nickname, "The Granddaddy of Them All," was coined many years ago by broadcaster Keith Jackson.
That nickname might apply to a probate record I saw on Facebook at Genealogy Tip of the Day. The document pictured at right could also be called "The Granddaddy of Them All," genealogically speaking. One rarely finds that many names of relatives--and Irish addresses--on a U.S. probate court document.
This listing came from an estate settled in 1914 in Hancock County, Illinois. According to the posting, the individuals (except the last three, who were attorneys) were first cousins (or children thereof) of the deceased.
While information on the Facebook page was limited, supposedly the (unnamed) decedent was born in the U.S. to an Irish immigrant father who had many siblings, including several who remained in Ireland. The decedent had no children and was an only child; therefore all the first cousins were heirs.
The posting feels like an invitation to a mystery. I couldn’t restrain myself from taking a closer look. Can you?
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Start 2025 by learning about AI
Using Artificial Intelligence to Research Documents & Letters
Saturday, January 4, 2025
virtual on Zoom
10:30 AM - Noon CST (GMT-5)
Presented by Mark D Thompson
$15 for IGSI members (with Discount Code); $20 for non-members
Do you realize how excited professional genealogists are about the reality of artificial intelligence in our current research? It can be of great (and often free!) use to you in analyzing your personal archives, as well as online sources: summarizing large and/or complex documents, delineating a "cast of characters" or timeline. AI tools can make your research efforts more efficient and effective.
Mark is an excellent speaker who will discuss the most powerful AI tools available to genealogists today, including features such as transcription and translation, while always being mindful of accuracy and sourcing. He will explore how the major genealogy websites are providing new tools for us already, using related technology. Mark is a professional genealogist specializing in the application of artificial intelligence to genealogy. He co-hosts the Family History AI Show podcast with Steve Little, which helps genealogists bridge the gap between high technology and family history research.
The Discount Code was sent to members via email and is posted on IGSI’s member-only webpage ( link).
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Old Co Armagh paper doc to be digitized
Painstaking work has commenced to conserve and digitise one of the oldest paper documents still in existence on the island of Ireland.
Dating back to the medieval period, the ecclesiastical register belonging to the former archbishop of Armagh Milo Sweteman is around 650 years old.
Its delicate pages are being repaired by experts at the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) as part of an initiative to rejuvenate and preserve some of the island of Ireland’s most important historical texts.
The Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland is a research partnership that is working to create a digital treasure trove that will enable people around the world to view documents that have been preserved in climate-controlled specialist storage archives due to their fragility.
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BIRLS records
After winning a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Reclaim the Records organization has launched a search engine for the Beneficiary Identification Records Locator Subsystem (BIRLS) database. Basic biographical information on more than 18 million deceased America veterans can be found free online at https://www.birls.org.
Background on this development is available here, in a December Reclaim the Records newsletter.
What's immediately available appears to be the veteran's name, dates of birth and death, and branch of service. To retrieve more information, you can submit an FOIA request for the V.A. to do a physical search of their records, at no cost.
I imagine a flood of FOIA requests being sent to the V.A. To respond in any kind of timely fashion, the V.A. may have to redirect its resources to administrative tasks related to genealogy rather than to helping veterans. As the daughter of a WWII veteran who needed (and, in fact, did receive) significant assistance from the V.A., I have mixed feelings.
If you have an Ancestry.com subscription, you are already able to retrieve the basic information found at the new BIRLS mini-website, plus an Ancestry query gives the veteran's SSN and dates of enlistment and discharge. Yes, one may find additional interesting correspondence through FOIA about a veteran's circumstances, e.g., benefits provided or treatments delivered. However backlogs at the V.A. seem likely, given the sudden increase in demand.
I hope researchers will use good judgment about pursuing an FOIA request. |
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What to inscribe on your tombstone?
How do you want to be remembered?
Having visited countless cemeteries, you know how important the inscription on a headstone can be. Religious symbols, flowers, words like 'mother' or 'devoted' -- all memorialize the life of a loved one.
An article inThe Minnesota Star Tribune reports, "Headstones are becoming more personal as Minnesotans commemorate loved ones by having their signature dishes engraved."
According to the story, the state of Minnesota has a high concentration of headstones with recipes; at least four are known to carry family favorites such as mom's cookies, uncle's barbecue sauce, grandmother's apple pie, and a family matriarch's potato rolls. The latter recipe is included in the article, which you can read here. A businesswoman who specializes in hand-etching details onto monuments after interviewing customers about what was important to them or their loved one was quoted, "This is your story. We're not all going to be written about in history books, but we can write your story in stone."
Reading today's newspaper article reminded me about a blog posting from years ago. Recipes aren't the only option for your gravestone, as shown here. [I found this photo, originally posted in 2018, by searching in the box at the top of this page--Title & Text--with the word 'gravestone'.] |
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Nollaig Shona Dhuit
 “Nollaig Shona Dhuit” (pronounced ‘Null-ig hun-a dit’) translates to “Merry Christmas” in English.
Another saying you might hear at Christmas is “Go mbeire muid beo ar an am seo arís,” meaning “May we be alive at this time next year.” This traditional Irish blessing reflects hope and goodwill for the future, especially during the holiday season -- a wish shared by us at the Irish Genealogical Society International.
How many Irish Christmas traditions are still practiced in your family? Find out by reading an entertaining and illuminating article, "13 Beloved Irish Christmas Traditions and Their Origins," which was posted earlier this year by Theirishroadtrip.com. |
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January 2025 Podcast
In the January episode of the “This month at the IGSI” podcast (episode 7 of season 3 and the very first episode of 2025), genealogist Dave Miller talks about the January webinar, featuring …Mark Thompson. The webinar is entitled, "Using Artificial Intelligence to Research Documents & Letters." This presentation will be held on January 4 as a webinar-only event. Mark will explore how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can assist you in analyzing and researching your family’s personal archives, on paper or online. Whether you need to summarize large documents to easily identify names and relationships, or to develop a 'cast of characters' or timeline in complex documents, AI tools can make your research more efficient and effective. Mark will also introduce you with terms like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and more. He will explain how AI can "lighten the load" of research and help you reveal rich history deep in your family archive! The webinar will begin at 10:30 am and will last until noon Central Time. The cost of the webinar is $15 for members with a coupon (discount code sent by email or on IGSI's member-only webpage) and $20 for non-members. You can register for the webinar here.
Dave also interviewed IGSI Co-President Walt Rothwell, who will go over the webinars that have already been determined for 2025 including some hybrid webinars. He will also talk about the plans for the Ulster Historical Foundation visit in March and the day-long hybrid presentations.
The podcast also features the latest Irish History Minute. In this segment, Janelle discusses the 1916 Easter Uprising in Ireland, the events that led to the uprising and the end results.
January 2025
These stories and previous podcast episodes are available on the IGSI YouTube channel and by clicking the Our podcasts tab at left. |
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Ulster resources
Multiple tidbits of Ulster information are posted below:
1) The Ulster Historical Foundation (UHF) has announced the availability of its new publication.
The Townland Atlas of Ulster offers an invaluable guide to the newcomer to the townland system as well as opening up the world of seventeenth-century records to the serious researcher. Although representing a snapshot in time, it is a dynamic snapshot - of relevance to the last 400 years of our history and society.
With detailed maps, fascinating insights, and meticulous research, this beautifully crafted book is the perfect companion for anyone passionate about their Irish family history and an ideal gift for friends and family this Christmas season.
Read more and order the book here.
2) Speaking of UHF, don't forget to reserve March 11-12, 2025 for the UHF Overseas Lecture Tour in metro Minneapolis-St Paul, MN. Fintan Mullin and Gillian Hunt will deliver a workshop on researching Irish and Scots-Irish ancestors as well as one-to-one consultations. For more details, scroll down to our December 3 blog posting.
3) Speaking of Ulster, the April 2025 issue of The Septs will focus on Ulster Province and the nine counties of Antrim, Armagh, Cavan, Derry (Londonderry), Donegal, Down, Fermanagh, Monaghan, and Tyrone. Have you researched family history in Ulster locales? Please consider sharing your experience with other Septs readers. Deadline for articles is February 15, 2025. You can direct questions to the Managing Editors at septsmnged@irishgenealogical.org.
4) Does someone on your holiday gift list have Irish ancestry? An IGSI electronic membership will ensure delivery of the Ulster-themed journal in April—plus three other quarterly issues AND additional member benefits—at a cost of only $35. Check it out by clicking the Join tab at left.
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'Finding Your Roots' questions answered
KPVI News (Pocatello, Idaho) recently posted a news story about the PBS series, Finding Your Roots, which is hosted by Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Nominated for an Emmy in the 'Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special' category, the show begins its 11th season on Tuesday, January 7, 2025.
KPVI's article, excerpted below, certainly answered a couple questions I’ve asked myself:
How long does it take to research a guest’s ancestry?
Find Your Root’s researchers spend an average of 200 to 300 hours looking into the genealogy of each guest, and sometimes more, as the late Johni Cerny, the show’s chief genealogist from 2012 to 2019, explained to Family Tree Magazine in 2013.
And though the researchers sometimes feel they’re getting nowhere, they “[eventually] find something interesting for just about everyone, but only after adding hours of intensive research into obscure records,” Cerny added. "We could probably do a great series on the unsolved genealogy mysteries of our former guests."
Does the research ever turn up revelations too personal to air?
The Finding Your Roots team told Family Tree in 2020 that their research has uncovered family secrets they deemed too sensitive for broadcast. In one case, for example, they learned a guest’s dad was not his biological father.
“We stopped production,” genealogist Nick Sheedy recalled. “Dr. Gates called the guest directly to break the news. This was life-changing to our guest and his family. We’re looking for great stories to tell on TV, but we are sensitive to the significant impact this could have. We would not blindside a guest with a revelation like this. We’re not Jerry Springer.”
Celebrity guests for Season 11 include Joy Behar, Kristen Bell, Laurence Fishburne, Debra Messing, Melanie Lynskey, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Amanda Seyfried, Dax Shepard, Sharon Stone, Chrissy Teigen, and even host Dr. Gates himself.
You can read the full KPVI news story here. |
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Free American Ancestors lecture Dec 19
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Thursday, December 19, 3:00-4:00 pm ET
Presented by Rhonda R. McClure
When we first begin family history research or start work on a new line, we tend to be eager and excited. But that enthusiasm can cloud our thinking and fuel endless unproductive searching! In this online lecture, Senior Genealogist Rhonda R. McClure will share her top tips for avoiding common “hazards” in your research process. She’ll discuss how to develop a research plan, staying organized, analyzing your research, and more.
Learn more and register here.
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1940 census -- who provided information?
Here's a tip when reviewing the 1940 .png) U.S. Federal Census:
Only the 1940 census identifies which household member provided the information, with an “X in a circle."
The accuracy of entries may depend on who answered the census enumerator's questions. |
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Backlog in NY state vital records
Has your family history research involved requesting vital records  from the state of New York? If so, you may not be surprised by yesterday's news story:
The New York State Office of Vital Records, responsible for handling genealogy requests, is facing a significant backlog, with 10,831 requests currently pending as of November 18. This backlog has resulted in a substantial delay for those seeking birth, death, marriage, and divorce records.
Read the rest of the article here. |
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America's largest ethnic group?
What's the largest ethnic group in America?
A columnist in the Washington Post took on the challenge of answering that question in his "Department of Data" column last week. Want to take a guess? Irish? German? English? Other?
Read Andrew Van Dam's conclusion here. |
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Artificial Intelligence
We welcome guest bloggers, like IGSI Co-President Donna Jones who shared the following information on the hot topic of Artificial Intelligence:
Artificial intelligence (AI) is an amazing tool for genealogists. It can be used for research, including transcription and translation of handwritten documents and records. Our January webinar features Mark Thompson who will discuss AI and how to use some of the most powerful AI tools available for genealogy today. Mark and Steve Little have a very interesting Family History AI Show podcast. Mark is a terrific speaker, and we hope you will join us for the January 4, 2025 presentation.
Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings has made a useful AI compendium. The page includes 12 different categories of information. The first item lists the current AI tools with information if they offer free access and those that have enhanced tools with a subscription.
An interesting section provides links to prompts that experts have shared. An AI prompt is a command or question that you give an AI tool to produce a response.
Randy indicates he will collect information as AI technology continues to develop. This might be a page to bookmark.
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Save The Date: March 11 UHF lecture tour
Mark your calendars now!
Tuesday, March 11, 2025,
a full-day workshop from 8:15 am - 3:30 pm,
Researching your Irish and Scots-Irish ancestors
with the Ulster Historical Foundation (UHF) during a live audience in Minnesota
The workshop, which will be livestreamed (not recorded), will cover a wide range of topics to provide ideas for all Irish family history researchers. The live event will be held at the Lost Spur Golf and Event Center in Eagan, MN, very near the MSP International Airport and Mall of America.
The program will be part of the 2025 USA Lecture Tour by UHF, which is based in the outskirts of Belfast, Northern Ireland. Presenters Fintan Mullen and Gillian Hunt are experts in ancestral research.
The following morning, Wednesday, March 12, you will have the option of scheduling a 1-on-1 consultation with a presenter for expert advice on your personal Irish ancestral research. These sessions will be held nearby at the Minnesota Genealogy Center with IGSI volunteers helping you use the Irish collection in the Hoffman Research Library. The Library will also be open on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday that week, if you wish to extend your stay.
Fintan Mullan is Executive Director of the Ulster Historical Foundation and has been responsible for the management of this successful Belfast-based, educational non-profit since 2001. He has extensive experience in Irish family history research and is a regular international speaker on Irish genealogy, having spoken in Ireland, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and most of the lower 48 states of the USA. He has managed the production of over 150 Irish history and genealogy titles, including the perennial favourite, Researching Scots-Irish Ancestors. Fintan has ensured the Foundation has been at the forefront of developments in Irish genealogy, including heritage tourism products and the provision of online resources. He helped to pioneer www.rootsireland.ie, the unique database with over 22 million Irish historical records. He is a non-executive director of Irish Family History Foundation and board member of the National Collection of Northern Ireland Publications.
Gillian Hunt is Research Officer with the Ulster Historical Foundation and is responsible for the management of the Foundation's many genealogical activities. As well as managing the genealogy side of the Foundation's work, Gillian carries out research for clients and is a hugely experienced user of the General Register Office and the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. She regularly teaches courses in Northern Ireland and gives talks on family history in the rest of Ireland, the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Gillian has been co-presenting our annual North American lecture tours since 2013 and has been with the Ulster Historical Foundation since 2001.
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Ancestry Legacy Contact
To ensure your Ancestry family tree(s) and DNA results are preserved and accessible, even after your death, you can name a "legacy contact" to inherit your account.
While you can only add one person as your legacy contact, that person can be a legacy contact for more than one Ancestry account. The person you choose is not required to have an Ancestry account. Adding a legacy contact is free for all Ancestry members.
Read more about this important news here.
(Note: you must be signed in to Ancestry.com for this link to work.) |
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Free Dec 7 webinar
IGSI's annual holiday gift is a December webinar that is free for all to see. This  year we have a very special offering!
Dr Thomas Finan is a professor of medieval history and archaeology at Saint Louis University and the director of the Lough Key archaeological project in Ireland for over 20 years. This "dig" in County Roscommon on Castle Island examines the site of a medieval castle (of the MacDermot lords of Moylurg), unearthing mysteries of 13th century rural Ireland.
So, brew your cup of tea, warm up a scone from the local bakery, and check out this free webinar. While this event is free and open to all, you must register for the event to receive the Zoom login details. Click on the Activities tab at left.
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30% off Heritage Books
'Tis the season! One can depend on Black Friday specials  including reduced prices on DNA test kits and subscriptions -- definitely a good time to shop for the genealogists on your holiday gift list (or for yourself)! Here's another discount to consider.
Heritage Books Inc. is offering 30% off from November 26 until December 4, 2024. With over 10,000 titles, you're likely to find something of interest. The discount applies to all titles on their website.
Heritage Books Inc. sells the complete catalogs of GPC, Clearfield, Southern Historical Press, Iberian, Closson Press, Genealogy Books in Print, Brent Holcomb, John Brayton, John Humphry, Alan Fitzpatrick, Christine Rose, National Genealogical Society, Virginia Genealogical Society, New England Historic and Genealogical Society, and more. Recently they began publishing Mountain Press and Boyd Publishing titles.
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Weather closure alerts
Here's a timely announcement from the Minnesota Genealogical Society (MGS) about winter visits to the Hoffman Research Library:
It's true. Winter *is* coming.
It's easier than ever to find weather closure alerts on the MGS website. To see if there's an active alert, visit the website and click one of the following links:
- Home page: Right side column > Weather closures
- All pages: Bottom of the page > Weather closures
- All pages: Library > Welcome to Hoffman Research Library
No alert at the top of the resulting page? Good news; normal operating hours are in effect.
To view the MGS website, click here.
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Church of Ireland records
Where and how does one research Church of Ireland records?
John Grenham pulls back the curtain in his thorough and entertaining explanation of pre-1870 Church of Ireland registers.
Read about this "gnarly" subject in his recent blog posting. |
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