The following is a press release written by the National Genealogical Society:

FALLS CHURCH, VA, 14 June 2023—The National Genealogical Society (NGS) has published Research in the District of Columbia by Pamela Boyer Sayre, CG Retired (2021), FUGA, and Richard G. Sayre, CG®, CGL, FUGA. The 

guidebook is the latest addition to the Society’s Research in the States series, which now covers research in thirty-one states, the District of Columbia, and the tribal records of Oklahoma’s American Indians.

Research in the District of Columbia offers a detailed overview of the many repositories and records for family historians researching ancestors who may have lived in the District of Columbia (DC) as well as anyone for whom a federal record may exist such as

Given the scope of records housed in DC, the authors warn, "Genealogical research in the District is more confusing and difficult than almost any other locality in the United States." This book is, therefore, a welcomed guide for new and seasoned genealogists.

The authors provide concise descriptions of the collections housed in the District’s libraries and archives. The information includes atlases, gazetteers, and maps; business records, cemetery records and surveys, and federal and police censuses; records from DC committees; and directories. Additional archival records discussed in the book are institutional records such as hospitals, orphanages, and prisons; court, land, military, immigration, and naturalization records; and religious, schools, and vital records

Research in the District of Columbia also discusses records of ethnic groups including African Americans, Asian, German, Irish, Jews, and Native Americans.

Research in the States series is edited by Barbara Vines Little, CG®, FNGS, FVGS. Its newest book, Research in the District of Columbia, is available for purchase in the NGS online store exclusively in a print version.

Reconstruction-Era Methodist Episcopal Church conference journals now available freely online in the Digital Library of Georgia

ATHENS, Ga., June 8, 2023 — Selected by statewide cultural heritage stakeholders and funded by the DLG’s competitive digitization grant program, this collection is the Pitts Theology Library’s first collaboration with the DLG and is available here: Georgia Conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church Collection.

The collection is comprised of bound conference journals dating from 1867 to 1939, produced by the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC), a Northern church that established missions in Georgia during the Reconstruction Era, working closely with the Freedman’s Aid Society to find schools and colleges for the formerly enslaved while integrating the then-separate Black and white churches into the same conference. MEC churches were established in both rural and urban areas throughout the state.

The conference journals contain the minutes, reports, and statistics of the Methodist Episcopal Church and its individual congregations throughout the state of Georgia. They present value for researchers interested in the history of religion and race in Georgia, genealogical records of the clergy, the disparity between Black and white congregations, and other statistical data. The materials are useful for genealogists, scholars of Methodism, and historians of Georgia during the Reconstruction Era as well as the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries.

Thomas Elliott, Jr., D.Min., associate professor in the practice of practical theology and Methodist studies and the director of Contextual Education II, Teaching Parish, and Internships Candler School of Theology, Emory University, defines the importance of digital access to this content:

“This particular subset of Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) journals, 1867-1925, documents an important period in Georgia Methodism spanning from the Reconstruction Era to the period preceding the unification of the MEC with two other Methodist denominations. As a lifelong Methodist and Elder in the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church, these journals significantly contribute to my own denomination’s history despite the relatively small size of the MEC Georgia conferences. These materials are essential tools for researching Methodist history, and having them more accessible to my students and the wider public further helps preserve the Methodist tradition. I know I speak for my “Methodist at Candler” colleagues in saying that interaction with these types of primary sources is a significant part of the educational experience in Methodist Studies at Candler.”

[View the entire collection online]

The following announcement was written by Pharos Tutors:

Pharos Tutors offers short online courses and certificate programmes in family history, local history and related topics. We are delighted to announce that we have today launched the brand new Pharos Tutors website and online course experience. 

The new system better serves the current Pharos Tutors business, which now has twenty tutors and over fifty courses, with more in development. The key features are:

The default view shows all courses and may be ordered by start date or course title. However, the course list can also be filtered by course type, e.g. just courses in the Intermediate Certificate programme, by level of difficulty, e.g. beginner’s courses, by Tutor or by start month. There is also an option to search by keyword, e.g. ‘parish registers’

The Student Area is now organised by course, as we know many of our students take more than one course simultaneously and wanted things more easy to find. Lesson notes and other course documents are now located in the Course materials area. Messages from the tutor are in the Messages area and students can also contact their tutor directly from here. We also have a brand new forum and chat room system. Times for chat sessions and the links to them will appear in the Chat / Zoom area. Many of our tutors are now running some of their tutorials using the Zoom video system, and the links to those can also be found in the Chat / Zoom area. 

The new Pharos Tutors website has been developed as an intuitive system with simple navigation, providing a much enhanced visitor experience for both current students and those considering taking a course with us. We look forward to seeing you on a Pharos Tutors course in the near future.

During the month of May 2023, MyHeritage added 46 million records from 30 collections around the world, with records from Belgium, Canada, Finland, New Zealand, Scotland, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S. The collections include birth, marriage, divorce, death, military, naturalization, and student records.

You can find a full list of the newly added collections and some sample records from them in the MyHeritage blog at: https://blog.myheritage.com/2023/06/46-million-historical-records-added-in-may-2023/.

On May 1, 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a putative class action alleging violations of the Illinois Genetic Information Privacy Act (GIPA) against the asset management firm Blackstone Inc. over its all-stock acquisition of the genealogy company Ancestry.com. In a case of first impression, the Seventh Circuit held that a “run-of-the-mill corporate acquisition, without more alleged about that transaction,” does not result in a compulsory disclosure of genetic information in violation of Section 30 of GIPA.

GIPA

GIPA provides that “genetic testing and information derived from genetic testing is confidential and privileged and may be released only to the individual tested and to persons specifically authorized, in writing in accordance with [statutory requirements], by that individual to receive the information.” 410 ILCS 513/15. Section 30 of the act provides that no person or company “may disclose or be compelled to disclose the identity of any person upon whom a genetic test is performed or the results of a genetic test in a manner that permits identification of the subject of the test.” Id. at 30(a). Under Section 40, “[a]ny person aggrieved by a violation of this Act shall have a right of action.” Id. at 40.

Factual Background

Lead plaintiffs Carolyn Bridges and Raymond Cunningham purchased DNA testing products from Ancestry.com and submitted their saliva samples. Ancestry processed and stored plaintiffs’ genetic information with other personal identifying information, such as their names, emails and home addresses.

In December 2020, Blackstone acquired Ancestry for $4.7 billion in an all-stock acquisition. In July 2021, Bridges and Cunningham filed a putative class action in Illinois state court alleging that the acquisition compelled the disclosure of their genetic information in violation of Section 30. Blackstone removed the case to federal court and then moved to dismiss. The district court dismissed the complaint on the grounds that a corporate acquisition of a company that stored genetic information, without more, did not result in a compulsory disclosure of genetic information in violation of GIPA. Plaintiffs appealed.

You can read the details of this court case at: https://tinyurl.com/23x36sav.

Here is a list of all of this week's articles, all of them available here at https://eogn.com:         

The public is being invited to explore, contribute and get involved with the Irish Community Archive Network.

The Heritage Council joins the National Museum of Ireland and participating local authorities in funding the digitization of Ireland’s community archives, through the Irish Community Archive Network (iCAN). More than 30 digital community archives created to date – and 80 to be supported by 2028. 

At the beginning of June, an event was held in Wicklow to mark a new chapter for the award-winning Irish Community Archive Network (iCAN), the leading organization championing and supporting community archives in Ireland.

Since 2009, iCAN has supported the creation of 33 online digital archives in Clare, Cork, Galway, Mayo, and Wicklow, and there are three more currently in development. Over 180 volunteers are involved in managing and supporting the existing community archives.

The Heritage Council is joining iCAN as a new funding partner, which will facilitate an expansion of the initiative and the iCAN team. Together, they have ambitions to support the development of at least 80 digital archives across Ireland by 2028.

You can read more in an article in the IrishCentral web site at: https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/genealogy/genealogists-irish-community-archives.

This is a Plus Edition article written by and copyright by Dick Eastman. 

I have written often about the advantages of backups, especially making backups to "the cloud" where they can be accessed from any location. You can retrieve files from your backup copies on any computer, tablet computer, or even on your Android or Apple cell phone as long as you have the appropriate user names and passwords. 

I find many people are nervous about storing their personal files on Internet-based services that are controlled by corporations. Luckily, there is another solution available: create your own backup server at home and make it available to yourself via the Internet when you are away from home, whether it is a trip to the local grocery store or a trip overseas. Even better, you can (optionally) provide access to friends or relatives. You might want to share all of your backed-up files. However, I suspect it is more common to give friends or relatives access to only a limited subset of your files, such as all the photos of the new grandchild or something similar.

This week I installed my own server for storing my backups. The three terabytes (3,000 gigabytes or 3,000,000 megabytes) of storage space is installed in my home but is also available to me from any computer in the world with an Internet connection. I appreciate that feature as I travel often. I can access any of my files from any location. I'll be carrying a laptop computer and a "smartphone." I can even back up my newly-created files when traveling with the laptop to the server in my home. All I need to do is open a web browser, go to a unique URL (web address), and enter the user name and password that I created when I installed the new device. Even better, I can allow friends or family members to access some of my files, if I wish. All I need to do is give them user names and passwords that will allow them to access whatever part(s) of this file server that I specify. Nobody can access any other folders on the server without my permission.

A few years ago, building your own server and installing large disk drives was very expensive. However, technology changes quickly and today you can purchase off-the-shelf solutions for $100 to $200 that will store one to perhaps four terabytes of data. Even more storage is available at higher prices. Even better, today's solutions require very little electricity. I also do not need to leave my computer running when I leave home. However, I do have to leave the new (low powered) server powered on and also the Internet router also must be powered on so that an Internet connection exists at the time I need to access the files. A few years ago that would have meant a server that consumes 100 to perhaps 400 watts of power. 

Today's hardware typically requires a modest 30 watts or less. The server I use even powers off the hard drive after some period of non-use. When I do later access files remotely, there is a delay of a few seconds before the files become available because it takes a bit of time for the hard drive to "wake up" and get back online. I can live with a delay of a few seconds if it lowers my electric bill.

In fact, I did build my own web-based server some years ago. It only had a fraction of the capacity of this new device, was built in a rack-mounted server that I purchased second hand, and the internal fan sounded like a banshee. I couldn't sleep in the house when the server was running because of the fan noise and I received similar complaints from family members. I soon powered that server off. In contrast, the solution I installed this week has a fan but is whisper quiet. I can't hear it running even when my ear is within a few inches of the device.

The remainder of this article is reserved for Plus Edition subscribers only. If you have a Plus Edition subscription, you may read the full article at: 

https://eogn.com/(*)-Plus-Edition-News-Articles/13213349.

If you are not yet a Plus Edition subscriber, you can learn more about such subscriptions and even upgrade to a Plus Edition subscription immediately at https://eogn.com/page-18077. 

The following announcement was written by the folks at TheGenealogist:

Family history website TheGenealogist has just released a new collection of name rich records of interest to English, Scottish and Welsh family historians.

The Guilds, Societies and People of Note collection includes records that reveal names, dates and information about ancestors who were Freemen, Liverymen, Aldermen, members of the Masons and Oddfellows, or people classed as Worthies.

The various records in this collection have been gathered together under TheGenealogist’s extensive Occupational Records and adds 65,000 names from fourteen new resources to this collection. Fully searchable by name or keyword from TheGenealogist’s Master Search. The new additions include records from a variety of sources, including:

• Freemen Registers: These records list the names of people who were granted the freedom of a particular town or city. The freedom of a town or city gave its holder certain privileges, such as the right to trade within the town or city walls.

• Liverymen Lists: These records catalogue the names of people who were members of a particular guild. Guilds were organisations of craftsmen or merchants who banded together to protect their interests.

• Aldermen Rolls: These records list the names of citizens who served as aldermen in a particular town or city. Aldermen were elected officials who served on the town or city council.

• Masons and Oddfellows Records: These records list the names of people who were members of the Freemasons or the Oddfellows. The Freemasons and the Oddfellows are two fraternal organisations that have been around for centuries.

• Worthies Records: These records list the names of people who were considered to be “worthies” of their community. Worthies could be anyone from prominent politicians or successful businessmen to renowned military personalities.

Use these records to reveal names, dates and information about ancestors who were Freemen of various towns and cities, Liverymen, Aldermen, members of the Masons and the Oddfellows, or who were Worthies in their circle. Gathered together under the Guilds, Societies and People of Note section of TheGenealogist’s Occupational Records, this diverse collection can reveal fascinating research clues to work with.

This release includes the following resources:

– A Calendar of the Freemen of Great Yarmouth 1429-1800

– The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward 1276-1900

– Yorkshire, History of the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire, Volume I [1905]

– Yorkshire, History of the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire, Volume II [1906]

– London Worthies by William Kent [1939]

– Freemen of Lynn 1292-1836

– Record Of Unitarian Worthies

– Rules and Regulations Office-Bearers and Members Weavers' Society of Anderston 1901

– Register of Freemen of the City of London

– Cornish Worthies, Vol. I, 1884

– Cornish Worthies, Vol. II, 1884

– A List of The Wardens Members of The Court of Assistants and Liverymen of The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths since 1688

– The Masonic Directory and Cyclopedia of History 1885

– Directory of the Independent Order of Oddfellows, 1908-1909

To learn more about how this collection of records helped us in the research of Captain Bligh read TheGenealogist’s article: A veritable Bounty of information found in the Occupational records.

https://thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2023/a-veritable-bounty-of-information-found-in-the-occupational-records-1866/

About TheGenealogist

TheGenealogist is an award-winning online family history website, who put a wealth of information at the fingertips of family historians. Their approach is to bring hard to use physical records to life online with easy to use interfaces such as their Tithe and newly released Lloyd George Domesday collections. 

TheGenealogist’s innovative SmartSearch technology links records together to help you find your ancestors more easily. TheGenealogist is one of the leading providers of online family history records. Along with the standard Birth, Marriage, Death and Census records, they also have significant collections of Parish and Nonconformist records, PCC Will Records, Irish Records, Military records, Occupations, Newspaper record collections amongst many others.

TheGenealogist uses the latest technology to help you bring your family history to life. Use TheGenealogist to find your ancestors today!

The following announcement was written by the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG):

BCG to Host Joy Reisinger Lecture Series: Five Free Lectures on Friday, 20 October 2023

The Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) will host five live webinars, free and available to the public, as this year’s Reisinger Memorial Lecture Series on 20 October 2023. The hour-long webinars begin at 9:30 a.m. MDT (11:30 a.m. EDT and 4:30 p.m. GMT) and continue throughout the day. Five leading genealogists will speak on topics such as meeting the Genealogical Proof Standard, verifying genealogical stories, and using DNA evidence. The webinars are part of the Joy Reisinger Memorial Lecture Series and are presented in conjunction with Legacy Family Tree Webinars. 

The lecture series is presented annually in memory of BCG’s former trustee and vice president, Joy Reisinger, who began this lecture series for Family History Library staff during BCG’s fall board meetings. Joy was an advocate for open records access, a lecturer on research methods, and an expert on Canadian resources, especially those of Quebec.

The lecture series will be in-person and live streamed. To attend in person, lectures will be held in Classrooms B and C on the main floor of the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Friday, 20 October 2023. For address, contact information, and directions to the library, visit their website at https://www.familysearch.org/en/library/.

To view the live stream webinar presented in conjunction with Legacy Family Tree Webinars, registration is available athttps://familytreewebinars.com/Reisinger.

The schedule for Friday, 20 October 2023, is as follows:

9:30 a.m. MDT. "Deconstructing Family Stories: Are They Fact, Fiction, or a Little of Both," Barbara Vines Little, CG

We all have them—family stories—from Indian princesses and three brothers who came to America to “We’re related to Benjamin Franklin.” Some are blatantly false; others wishful thinking. But others may be true or partly true. Discarding even the most outrageous without research is a mistake. Finding the clues in family stories requires careful and thorough research, but that kernel of truth can be worth it.

10:45 a.m. MDT. "Lineage of Land: Tracing Property Without Recorded Deeds,” Shannon Green, CG

This case study traces a piece of property for two hundred years, from the Native Americans to the Dutch, to the English, and through fourteen members of the Hicks family over five generations. Transfer of title occurs through various instruments, including patents, unrecorded deeds, inheritance, escheatment, private laws, entails, deeds of lease and release, life estates, and coverture. Tracing the lineage of the property elucidates family relationships that were otherwise forgotten.

1:30 p.m. MDT. "The Many Wives of Howard William Lowe: Working with Social History to Glean Genealogical Insights," Gary Ball-Kilbourne, CG

Genealogists are expected to conduct research not just reasonably exhaustively but also broadly. Understanding the social milieu of the specific time and place within which an individual lived is an essential element of broad research. A case study focusing on an early twentieth-century blue-collar worker in western Minnesota and his several wives illustrates how social history provides insights illuminating their lives.

2:45 p.m. MDT. "Assumptions: Problem–Solving Friend or Foe?" Jennifer Zinck, CG

Do you have an unsolved research problem? Have you critically examined assumptions made during the research process? Some assumptions are valid, or even fundamental, but incorrect or misguided assumptions can act as mortar for genealogical brick walls. Learn to recognize, categorize, and address various types of assumptions to form sound genealogical conclusions.

4:00 p.m. MDT. "DNA Analysis Methodology: Defeat the Genealogy Gremlin with Pedigree Evaluation, Mitigation, and Reasoning," Karen Stanbary, CG

Learn the tried-and-true methodology to defeat the Genealogy Gremlin and achieve accurate results using DNA for genealogy. This lecture discusses the evaluation of match pedigrees to identify potential snafus and demonstrates mitigation strategies to address the problem. Don’t let researcher confirmation bias pollute your family trees!