Eastside Genealogical Society Meeting Thursday, March 9

by Charles Hansen

 

The Eastside Genealogical Society will meet on Thursday, March 9, 2017 in the Bellevue Regional Library (Room 1), 1111 – 110th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004 at 7 pm, with doors opening at 6:30 pm for networking.

 

Topic:

“Trails West: Crossing the Continent 1840-1869” – Before the transcontinental railroad was completed Easterners and Mid-Westerners began to settle the West.  How did they get there and what was the journey like?  Presentation covers overland and water routes with descriptions of the journey and using clues to discover how and when your ancestor traveled.

Mary Roddy

Speaker:    

Mary Roddy, a Certified Public Accountant, has a certificate from the Genealogy and Family History program at the University of Washington.  She speaks frequently in western Washington as well as at regional and national conferences. She is a regular contributor to YourGenealogyToday and Internet Genealogy magazines and a frequent webinar presenter with LegacyFamilyTree Webinars.

 

Also see our website for FREE genealogical help and other Special Interest Group meetings. Visitors are always welcome at all meetings. www.eastsidegenealogicalsociety.com

Ancestry to Offer Free Access to 1+ Billion UK and Irish Records

by Charles Hansen

Ancestry.com has announced that it will be offering access to more than 1 billion UK and Irish records this weekend, Feb 17th through the 20th. If you have roots in England, Scotland, Ireland or Wales, and don’t currently have a paid Ancestry subscription, this is a great opportunity to do some no-cost research.

We’ve put together a quick Q&A below to help you take advantage of this free access.

When Will Access to These Records be Made Available?

According to Ancestry, these records will be made available at no cost from 2pm ET on Feb 17th to 11:59PM ET on Feb 20th.

What Collections Will Be Offered?

The collections included in the free access event can all be found here.  The free access includes large collections covering wide geographical areas as well as small focused databases. Census records, vital records, parish registers, local histories, old newspapers, family history books, occupational records and more can be found in the list of included collections.

Some records that pertain to the US and Australia are also included, such as New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents, 1788-1842 and Welsh Founders of Pennsylvania.

It is important to note that some of the collections, such as the UK Census and those from Find a Grave, can be found elsewhere online for free on a permanent basis. Others are only available online via Ancestry or other paid subscription sites.

Do I Need an Ancestry Account to Access These Records?

Usually, Ancestry requires that you have a free account with them before gaining access to any records on their site – this includes records they offer for free on a permanent basis and records offered during free record events like this one. A free account does not require any payment information to be entered and is different from a free trial.

If I Add These Records to My Family Tree on Ancestry Will I Still Have Access After the Weekend?

We’re glad you asked. The answer to this question is no, unless the record is already part of a free Ancestry record collection. To avoid losing access to these records once the free weekend ends you will need to download these records to your own computer. Simply adding them to your family tree, or saving them to your shoebox, is not enough. We have a how-to for downloading records from Ancestry here.

Visit the list of free record collections linked here starting Feb 17th at 2pm ET. Click on the collection of interest and conduct your search – you may need to sign up for a free account before you will be allowed to access a record. Remember to download any records you would like to keep to your computer, rather than simply adding them to your Ancestry family tree, or you will lose access after the 20th.

George Ridgeway, Jr. Awarded 2016 Outstanding Volunteer Honor

by Roxanne Lowe

Since 2003, the Washington State Genealogical Society has recognized almost 500 outstanding volunteers and teams, nominated by their local society or genealogical organization for their service and dedication. These volunteers are the backbone of their local society, giving their time and expertise, to the organization and the field of genealogy.  In the next few weeks, you will be introduced to each of last year’s award recipients and learn why they received the 2016 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer and Team Award.

George Ridgeway, Jr.

Today we’re introducing George Ridgeway, Jr. of Mount Vernon, Washington, who was nominated by the Skagit Valley Genealogical Society (SVGS). He was recognized for his generosity of time and energy dedicated to SVGS.

Mr. Ridgeway has served as the local society’s president, vice president and webmaster.  He has spent much of his time designing and maintaining the SVGS website. His most recent website additions include the addition of all newsletters since the organization of the society in 1987. He has added links for a blog, “Stories of our Ancestors” and a PayPal link allowing payment of membership dues and events. In addition, Mr. Ridgeway encouraged SVGS to hold an educational program series for beginners in Anacortes and Burlington, beginning in 2015 and still in operation.

Dedicated volunteers like Mr. Ridgeway are prized assets to any organization. That is why he richly deserved being a recipient of a 2016 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award.

For more information on the WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award program, visit the Recognition page of the WSGS website or contact Roxanne Lowe, Recognition Chair, at Roxanne@thekeeffes.com.

Ulster Historical Foundation USA Lecture Tour

by Charles Hansen

 

USA Lecture Tour, 05 March 2017 Tacoma, Washington

Want to discover your Irish and Scots-Irish ancestors?

Many people believe that researching Irish ancestors is impossible because of the destruction of the Public Record Office in 1922. While many records were destroyed, others survived and large collections have come online in recent years.

Join Fintan Mullan and Gillian Hunt from the Foundation during their annual USA lecture tour to learn how to get the most out of Irish resources and records, gain strategies for breaking down brick walls, and grasp important historical context that may help fill in gaps in your research.

Whether you are just beginning your Irish research or have been at it for years, you won’t want to miss these workshops!

Fuller contact details with additional information can be found at: www.ancestryireland.com/northamericantour2017

 

Sunday, 05 March – Tacoma, WA (1:00pm–5:00pm)

Location: Pierce County Libraries, Administrative Center Library, 3005 112th St E, Tacoma, WA 98446

Host organisation: Lakewood and South Hill Libraries

Tel/e-mail: 253-548-3425 or 316-300-3383 (mobile)

Register online: www.piercecountylibrary.org/calendar.aspx?id=281

www.facebook.com/events/618976198289299

Tuesday’s Trivia

by Charles Hansen

Did you know where Fort Worden (in Port Townsend) got its name?

We all saw Officer and Gentleman filmed there, right? And perhaps we’ve been there, right?

But did you know it was named after U.S. Navy Rear Admiral John Lorimer Worden (1818-1897), commander of the USS Monitor during the Civil War?? In 1862, commanding the Union’s only warship of this class, USS Monitor, Worden challenged the Confederate vessel Virginia, a converted steam-frigate that had sunk a Union blockader and damaged two others. After a four-hour battle, both ships withdrew, unable to pierce the other’s armour.

But why was a fort 3000 miles from any event in his life, and where he had never been, named for him???? Politics??

NW Genealogy Conference — Get Your Early Bird Discount NOW

by Roxanne Lowe

The Early Bird Discount for the 2017 Northwest Genealogy Conference expires Wednesday, February 15th . With emphasis on “Where Does Your Story Begin?” the conference offers a variety of speakers, including four keynote speakers, and four days of classes and workshops. This fabulous event takes place in Arlington, Washington, August 16-19th. Mark your calendars and register at www.nwgc.org and follow the prompts.

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY (BIGS) MEETING LOCATION CHANGE

by Charles Hansen

February 13, 2017

IMPORTANT – CHANGE IN LOCATION FOR BAINBRIDGE ISLAND GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY (BIGS) MEETING

 

Due to circumstances beyond control, the meeting place for the monthly BIGS meeting has been changed.  The Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society (BIGS) will meet Friday, February 17, 2017, at 10 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall at the Bethany Lutheran Church, 7968 Finch Rd NE, Bainbridge Island, WA.  Mary Kircher Roddy, a genealogist, lecturer and writer, will be speaking on “A Decree of (Temporary) Divorce – My Life Without Ancestry.com.”  Free to members, a $5.00 donation is suggested for nonmembers.  For more information go to http://www.bigenealogy.org, or call 206-842-4978.  BIGS is a 501c(3) non-profit organization.

 

Sylvia H. Nelson

Director of Publicity and Public Relations

Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society

Monday’s Mystery

by Charles Hansen

Today’s question comes from Charles Hansen:

I have been indexing for Scribe and just indexed the page with the surname Jones in it. How many people with the surname Jones were in the Seattle City Directory 1891-1893?

Gosh, Charles, that’s a toughie but I’ll bet somebody comes up with the right answer.

We want to keep you guessing, so use the “Leave a Comment” box below to tell us your answer. The answers won’t be posted (but we’re getting them!) until we announce the correct answer and first correct responder next week. Good luck!

Heritage Quest Used Book Sale

by Charles Hansen

 

To all HQRL members and friends:

USED Book sale !!!
Hundreds of used books on sale at very low prices now thru Feb 20th (Presidents day).  All used books marked with red tags are half off the marked price.  We have Genealogy “how-to” books, books on states, books on countries, military books, and more.  We have lots of books for Washington and Virginia. Come in now for a great selection.
Valentines Day Tuesday, February 14th
Come in Valentines day for a free chocolate treat.  Also, you can register for a special Valentine’s day basket to be given as a door prize at 4 PM.  You do not have to be present to win.
Presidents day, Monday February 20th,
Open House Free day for non-members.  Use the library and research free on Presidents day.  Members and Non-members can register for a patriotic basket to be given as a door prize at 4 PM. You do not have to be present to win.
You are receiving this email, because you are a member of Heritage Quest
Research Library (HQRL) or you have requested to be notified of HQRL
events. If you have received this email in error or you wish to be removed
from the list, type “Remove” in the subject line and you will be removed.
Jim Johnson, Director, HQRL

Tacoma Pierce County Genealogical Society Spring Seminar

by Charles Hansen

 

TPCGS Spring Seminar 2017
April 28 & 29, 2017

Speaker:  Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL – also known as The Legal Genealogist
Emcee: Cyndi Ingle

Saturday Topics: No Vitals? No Problem! — Building a Family through Circumstantial Evidence
When Worlds Collide: Resolving Conflicts in Genealogical Records
“Don’t Forget the Ladies” — A Genealogist’s Guide to Women and the Law
Beyond X and Y: The Promise and Pitfalls of Autosomal DNA Testing

Friday Evening Topic: Blackguards and Black Sheep – The Lighter Side of the Law

Location: La Quinta Inns and Suites, 1425 East 27th Street, Tacoma, Washington
A limited number of rooms will be available at a special rate for seminar attendees.
Additional Information available on the TPCGS website at: http://www.tpcgs.org/seminar.html

Raffle Tickets – Door Prizes – Vendors – Book Sale

We hope to see you there!