Ireland
Since many of my ancestors originated in Ireland, I have spent a significant amount of time investigating Irish sources. As a result, I have learned much and have developed several presentations that illustrate how to leverage these.
Hands On Ireland
A one-hour presentation aimed at the beginner level of Irish research. This session catalogs an 189-day trip to Ireland with deep dives into the archives, first in Dublin and then in Belfast. Included are the Dublin side visits to Trinity College, the Guinness Brewery and the new high-tech Epic Museum dedicated to the Great Famine. In Belfast, we also toured PRONI and the nearby Titanic Museum. We visited a country church and had the warden open the church safe to capture pages and pages of family records. We were invited in for tea at the country home where my grandmother and my father were born. Finally, we became tourists for aa few days with a trip west to Connemara on the coast before returning to Dublin, stopping at four castles along the way.
Intended Audience: Beginner
Handout: Click Here
Ireland’s Griffith’s Valuation
A one-hour “How To” presentation aimed at the intermediate researcher. The session illustrates three specific examples of how to access these online tax records which cover the period between 1847 abd 1864 where no census records exist (due to the catastrophic fire during the civil war of 1922). How to attack the much-tangled Irish land jurisdictions will help anyone interested in Ireland. Attendees should be able to search on their own at the end of this session which includes a live search example.
Intended Audience: Intermediate
Handout: Click Here
Ireland’s Tithe Applotment Records
A 45-minute “How To” presentation aimed at the intermediate researcher. The session provides examples of hot to access these highly contentious land tax records which were intended to provide funding for the Church of Ireland. Everyone was taxed! Even if they supported another church. The records cover the period from 1823 to 1837, prior to the Great Famine where no census records exist.
Intended Audience: Intermediate
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Ireland’s Name Books
A “How To” on accessing the mountain of documents produced as a byproduct of the Griffith’s Valuation, specifically the Name Books which detail the source, the variations and background of over 64,000 place names throughout Ireland. The books also include sketches, building details, genealogies, letters, maps and discussions on related topics. These books are a little-known treasure of Irish history.
Intended Audience: Intermediate
Handout: Click Here
Ireland’s Thom’s Directories
Another “How To” on the thousands of directories records of Ireland. The records cover the period approximately from 1844 to 1945. These records cover a large variety of categories including:
- Parliamentary Directory
- Peerage, Baronetage, and Knightage Directory
- Naval and Military Directory
- Statistics of Great Britain and Ireland
- Government Offices’ Directory
- University, Scientific and Medical Directory
- Law Directory
- Ecclesiastical Directory
- Banking Directory
- Posta Directory
- County and Borough Directory
- Lieutenancy and Magistracy of Ireland
- Post Office Dublin City and County Directory
- Listings of Landowner of 1000 acres or more
Intended Audience: Intermediate
Handout: Click Here
Man on a Motorcycle
Armed with nothing more than a single old black and white photo of a man on a motorcycle surrounded by a group of gentlemen dressed in 1920 attire, I began a three-year journey of discovery about one of my ancestors. There was no writing on the photo, yet the man looked slightly familiar. The saga ends with this man being shot to death while trying to run a blockade in Northern Ireland. An interesting research process.
Intended Audience: Intermediate
Handout: Click Here
England and Scotland
Some of my presentations originate in Northern England and Southern Scotland. The saga “Murder and Consequences” takes place within sight of Hadrian’s Wall, the current boundary between England and Scotland. The wall was originally built to protect Roman sites from the predations of the aggressive Picts. “Truncated – An Abbreviated Family Tree” finds its beginnings near the industrial city of Glasgow, once the powerful ship building center on the Clyde River where the industrial revolution fostered great poverty, overcrowding of the cities and much sickness.
Murder and Consequence – A Family Story
A one-hour presentation of a family tragedy wherein two female family members were found guilty of a grisly murder and sentenced to death circa 1841 in Northern England. Details of the initial research into this sage is presented as we follow one of the women who is transported to Van Diemen’s Land (now called Tasmania) – a British penal colony. The saga of the ship’s journey is totally reminiscent of “The Mutiny on the Bounty”. The story collides with some major world history events and personalities that resonate up to the present day. This session is not a “How To” and is not intended for anyone who might be squeamish or sensitive.
Handout: Click Here
Truncated – An Abbreviated Family Tree
A one-hour genealogy tour of the story of my own maternal grandmother’s life journey, beginning as one of the so-called “British Home Children”. Abandoned near Glasgow, Scotland at 6 months old and eventually scooped up by an organization shipping “waifs and strays” to Canada and Australia as laborers or indentured servants. This long-hidden family story holds images of societal shame, endless numbers of pregnancies, grinding poverty and an early death. Not a” How To” and not intended for anyone who might be squeamish or sensitive. Yet, the story thankfully contains a series of genealogical research successes.
Handout: Click Here
Other Presentations
Beginning Genealogy
A 45-minute presentation that I developed for a men’s charitable organization seeking to introduce them to the notions of genealogy, the “Why” if this incredibly popular hobby with some live examples. Basic Best Practices are introduced with references to software, websites, DNA, genealogical organizations and sources of information. In this session, I provide a best practice set of structures for storing documents and digital files. As part of the presentation, I also include samples of many aspects of Family History, far beyond simple birth, marriage and death dates. Genealogy has many fascinating dimensions.
Intended Audience: Beginner groups
Handout: Click Here
Hansard – A Hidden Trove
A “How To” on accessing the federal and provincial legislature records of the jurisdictions of the Canadian and English governments. While much of what is said in the legislative reports of the country has been digitized, some remain only available on paper and some are relatively new (e.g., Nunavut). Some records reach back to 1900 while others only begin in the 1970s. Some have advanced search mechanisms while others require you to know exactly the date for your search. Check these records for famous or infamous ancestors, major world events and key players in history.
Intended Audience: Intermediate
Handout: Click Here