The following is a press release written by FamilySearch:

For the fifth straight year, FamilySearch has received a 2023 Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award in recognition for its professional workplace culture.

“It’s an incredible honor to be recognized with the Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award for the fifth consecutive year,” said Hayden Prigmore of FamilySearch, who oversaw the Gallup application process. “We pride ourselves on being a place of work where individuals feel valued, recognized and part of a team that truly supports and encourages each other to grow and improve each day.”

Gallup is a global analytics and advice firm that works with leaders and organizations like FamilySearch. The honor places FamilySearch among the top 1.4% of companies in Gallup’s database, the news release said.

FamilySearch is an international nonprofit organization and website that provides free genealogical records and resources to “help millions of people around the world discover their heritage and connect with family members.” It is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

FamilySearch strives to create a workplace environment where employees feel valued, supported and empowered to do their work each day. Employees are recognized for excellent work, and there is a robust training program for managers. 

FamilySearch employees support RootsTech at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah, in March 2023.

FamilySearch has created a culture of appreciation and motivation, along with an environment where employees can thrive, said Gallup’s Meridyth Moose.

“The winners of the Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award weave employee engagement throughout each stage of the employee life cycle, embedding it in their very culture,” she said. “It’s our privilege to honor organizations that meet the rigorous requirements to achieve the title of Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award winner — an award created nearly two decades ago to celebrate clients that challenge the status quo and raise the bar for what a workplace can be.”

The rigorous selection process for the Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award includes submission of detailed information about an organization’s strategy, leadership, performance, accountability, communication, knowledge management, development and ongoing learning, showcasing the organization’s comprehensive approach to creating an exceptional workplace.

“These are world-class organizations that truly make a difference for their employees every day,” Meridyth said.

Learn more about employment with FamilySearch at ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) has completed a multi-year project, digitizing a collection of 23,260 postcards into an archive anyone can use ranging from the 1800s to the 1970s.

The Pennsylvania State Archives include historical postcards from all 67 counties, highlighting cities, towns, buildings, local businesses, and parks with scenic sights and a birdseye view of iconic streets. 

Additional images include vintage business advertising, highways, monuments, and battlefields from infamous wars, such as the “Battle of Gettysburg” (pictured below).

The Pennsylvania State Archives decided to put the collection of over 20,000 historical postcards together to showcase some familiar people, places, and landmarks throughout the Commonwealth’s history.

The now-digitized postcards showcase some of the most iconic and recognizable landmarks throughout northeastern and central Pennsylvania.

If you’re interested in taking a walk down Pennsylvania’s Trails of History check out the Pennsylvania State Archive or visit the PHMC website.

If you have French-Canadian ancestry, you probably have one, two, or perhaps a dozen filles du roi in your family tree. Several of them even have proven lines of descent from Charlemagne and a number of other royal families from throughout Europe. Obviously, that makes you a descendant of Charlemagne and other royal families.

Who were these young French women known as les filles du roi? They traveled from France to what was then called New France, now known as Québec, between 1663 and 1673 as part of a program designed to boost the population by encouraging female immigrants to settle, marry, and raise families.

In the early days, Québec was settled almost entirely by men. The early population consisted mostly of fur trappers, other adventurers, priests, and soldiers. As the years went by, farmers joined the immigrants as well. A few women did pay their own passage, but few single women wanted to leave their familiar places to move and settle in the harsh climate and conditions of New France. The lack of suitable female companionship encouraged the men of Québec to seek wives amongst the native population. The natives were mostly non-Christian, a source of concern to the many Jesuit priests who also were in Québec at the time. 

As if the farmers and fur trappers didn’t have enough competition finding wives, King Louis XIV sent almost 1,200 soldiers of the Carignan-Salières regiment to Québec in 1665 to fight the Iroquois Indians, who were aggressive and killed many settlers. The soldiers were deployed at strategic points of the territory to defend the colony and its residents. The regiment was successful, and a peace treaty with the Iroquois was signed on July 10, 1667. The Regiment then returned to France but left behind 400 soldiers and officers, aged between 19 and 30, who all agreed to remain in the country as settlers. The addition of 400 young men to the colony worsened the marriage problems. This became evident when Jean Talon, intendant of New France, carried out the colony’s first census. He recorded that the population was a bit more than 3,000, with 719 unmarried males and only 45 unmarried females living in the colony. This did not bode well for the future of the settlement.

The growth of population in the competing English colonies to the south, including married couples, also created concern among some French officials about their ability to maintain their claim in the New World.

At the same time, social practices in the homeland create a potential solution to this problem. In the custom of the day, the oldest daughter of a family in France received as large a dowry as possible from her parents to improve her chances of marriage. Dowries often included furniture, household articles, silver, land, or other inherited goods. Younger daughters of the same family typically received smaller dowries. Daughters of impoverished families often received no dowry at all, which reduced their chances of finding a suitable mate. These younger daughters were prime candidates for an opportunity in the New World.

As  Intendant of New France, Jean Talon proposed that King Louis XIV sponsor passage of at least 500 women to New France. The king agreed to pay for transportation to New France of any eligible young woman. He also offered a dowry for each, to be awarded upon her marriage to a young Frenchman. Each woman’s dowry typically consisted of 1 chest, 1 taffeta kerchief, 1 ribbon for shoes, 100 needles, 1 comb, 1 spool of white thread, 1 pair of stockings, 1 pair of gloves, 1 pair of scissors, 2 knives, about 1,000 pins, 1 bonnet, 4 laces, and 2 silver livres (French coins). Many also received chickens, pigs, and other livestock. Because the King of France paid the dowries instead of the parents, these women were referred to as the “Daughters of the King,” or “Filles du roi.”

Eventually nearly twice the proposed number of women were recruited. They were predominantly between the ages of 12 and 25, and they had to supply a letter of reference from their parish priest before they would be chosen for emigration to New France. Research by the historical demographer Yves Landry determines that there were in total about 770 to 850 filles du roi who settled in New France between 1663 and 1673.

About 80% of the filles du roi were from the Paris, Normandy, and western regions of France. Others came from rural areas, and a few were from other countries. According to the records of Marie de l’Incarnation, who knew many of these women personally, there were among them one Moor (a black woman of African descent), one Portuguese, one German, and one Dutch woman.

All were women of fine moral character, as verified by the recommendation from a priest that each woman needed to obtain before being accepted for emigration.

These hardy immigrant women married, often within days after their arrival in New France. The ships carrying the filles du roi would travel up the St. Lawrence River, stopping first at Québec, then at Trois-Rivières, and lastly at Montréal. Most of the filles du roi raised families. In fact, many of them raised large families in the tradition of the day. Many of their sons and daughters went on to also have large families, and so on and so forth for generations. As a result, millions of living people are descended from this group of pioneer women. Descendants of the filles du roi today may be found throughout Canada, the United States, and many other countries.

An alphabetical listing of all the known Filles du Roi and their husbands is available at https://fillesduroi.org/cpage.php?pt=9. 

You can find a lot more information about the Filles du Roi on the World Wide Web. Some of the better sites include the following:

In English:

“A Scattering of Seeds: The Creation of Canada” at https://www.google.com/books/edition/A_Scattering_of_Seeds/T9ERAQAAIAAJ?hl=en

La Société des Filles du roi et soldats du Carignan at http://www.fillesduroi.org/

Filles du Roi — “Daughters of the King” at http://www.lookbackward.com/perrault/filleroi/

“King’s Daughters” on Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King%27s_Daughters

In French:

La Société d’histoire des Filles du Roy at http://lesfillesduroy-quebec.org/

“Filles du Roi” on Wikipedia: http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filles_du_Roi

If you do not read or speak French, the above sites can be translated into English by using the machine-generated translation services available at https://translate.google.com/. The results will often be grammatically incorrect and even humorous at times, but still quite readable.

There are many other Web sites devoted to the Filles du roi. Use your favorite search engine to find them, or click here for a search on Google.

Not all of the filles du roi came from impoverished families. Several appear to have been the younger daughters of rather wealthy families, including some with royal ancestry. Perhaps the best-documented royal ancestry of a filles du roi is that of Catherine de Baillon, tracing her ancestry back to Charlemagne (and before) along with connections to many other royal families throughout Europe.

A rather good description of Catherine de Baillon's ancestry back to Charlemagne may be found at: http://www.quebec.acadian-home.org/catherine-de-baillon.html and another at http://habitant.org/baillon/. 

10 Reasons To Attend The International German Genealogical Partnership 2023 Conference! (In No Particular Order)

More than 100 presentations, and no two the same! The topics cover the range of the German experience on multiple continents and during multiple time periods. Most will be presented during the conference weekend. But another set will be recorded for viewing at your convenience. And ALL will be accessible for 3 months after the end of the conference. You also can buy the USB and watch the programs for years to come.

The conference app, Whova, that makes it easy to connect with other attendees, whether in Fort Wayne or online. You’ll set up your Whova account weeks before the conference, giving you plenty of time to post on the message board, plan your schedule and a lot more.

A DNA panel that’s not about chromosomes. We want to explore attitudes in different cultures toward DNA testing for genealogical reasons. And — maybe — foster some change.

Sponsors and exhibitors with a story to tell. You can visit those present in Fort Wayne and explore their products and services. Then join your fellow attendees in cyberspace to wander the virtual exhibition hall. Even more to explore there!

The Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library. The second-largest family research center in the United States is a hop and a skip from the conference center where IGGP will be meeting. Virtual attendees can set up appointments for research assistance and catch up with some of the many recorded webinars about genealogy. Anyone attending in person is welcome to head over and check out the collections or do research. Or make a research appointment with the genealogy librarians.

Speaking of librarians — the family researcher’s best friend — IGGP is offering its first Librarians’ Day on June 8, the day before the conference opens. We hope librarians at facilities small or large, archivists managing collections small or large, or those curating collections at local historical societies will participate, either in person or virtually. The speakers will share tips for locating German genealogy resources, and allow you to show off your new knowledge when a patron comes to you for help. PS: And maybe you’ll want to hang out with us at the conference, too.

Make new friends. Connection sessions bring together people with an interest in the same topic, encouraging you to share your experiences and get help from others. And no one will know if you exchange email addresses and stay in touch after the conference ends. Because it’s all about connecting. Take a look at the list of sessions; just about every corner of the historic German empire is covered, with a few extras to boot!

Party time! One of Fort Wayne’s top events, Germanfest, is in town the same weekend as the IGGP conference. Gather with your new friends and take the short walk to the park where you can enjoy the beer, the food and the entertainment provided by local German organizations. Then join us at the IGGP gala Saturday night to celebrate our wonderful partnership and honor those who have done so much for German genealogy.

All the extras and new elements we’re giving a try. There will be document translation and transcription assistance. We’re running our first hands-on workshops. Programs timed so that virtual attendees can be online when they are wide awake. Syllabus and individual handouts in Whova. Museum displays you can visit and learn from. Presentations in German AND English. Extending the excitement with speaker Q&As in the weeks after the conference. Etc. etc. etc.

If we’re being honest, this is THE most important reason to attend the IGGP 2023 conference, in-person or virtually. It’s German genealogy and only German genealogy all day long for three wonderful days! Whether you ride an elevator or rush to the bathroom during a break or grab a box lunch to quickly eat, everyone will be there for German  genealogy. It’s a big family reunion!

This is a conference not to be missed by anyone doing German genealogy research anywhere in the world. Register Today 

You can learn more at: https://iggp.org/.

 

The following is a press release written by the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society:

The 2023 award recognizes the NYG&B’s efforts to advance New York State as a go-to destination for family history research. 

June 6, 2023—The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (NYG&B) has been awarded the National Genealogical Society’s (NGS) 2023 Genealogical Tourism Award. The award recognizes an individual’s or an organization’s efforts to communicate the importance of repositories–libraries, archives, and research sites–as go-to destinations to fully advance family history research.  

“From its delightful small towns to its dynamic urban centers, New York State is an exceptionally diverse place for people from all over to discover and explore their personal history,” said D. Joshua Taylor, President of the NYG&B. “We are honored that NGS has recognized the NYG&B for our efforts to connect people to their genealogical and historical heritage and deepen their engagement with the past all across New York State.” 

Following an independent nomination process, the NGS Awards Committee selected the NYG&B in recognition of theNYG&B’s resources, historical documents, research presentations, and the work of its staff in creating a significant facility for family historians, genealogists, and researchers as well as the organization’s value to New York State andthe country.    

“When we look across the nation for leadership in advocating for records retention and travel to locations where our ancestors lived and worked,” said NGS Executive Director Matt Menashes. “The New York Genealogical & Biographical Society is a beacon for family history researchers. Its guided research trips to repositories in Albany and New York City have introduced many genealogists to the State’s most important collections in local libraries and archives. We are pleased that we can recognize their work with this award.”  

“New York State has always been an epicenter and crossroads for immigration and emigration, with many people bothsetting down roots here and coming through on their way to different parts of the country,” said William C. Hallett, Chairman of the NYG&B. “As ever-greater numbers of people delve into their family genealogy and history, the 

NYG&B’s singular programming, extensive records and collections, and publications build strong links between those looking for their own New York story and communities across the State.” 

The NYG&B’s mix of online and in-person programming includes webinars, courses and workshops, conferences, and research trips and tours. Among its offerings are the fundamentals of tracing ancestors in New York; deep dives into different regions of the State; talks by expert genealogists and historians; New York’s largest statewide genealogy conference, held annually; and heritage tour trips to New York City and internationally.  

Through its Digitize New York initiative, the NYG&B is also working with historical societies, churches, town hall offices, and others across the State to digitize and share at-risk historical records—helping to preserve important records and improve access for people conducting New York family history research. 

Additionally, the NYG&B publishes many other resources and other historical works that can help people in their family history search and journey, including research guides for all 62 New York counties. These guides offer detailed county-specific information, such as maps, repositories, local government offices, societies, and other organizations with records and collections useful for genealogists and others researching their past.  

The following book review was written by Bobbi King:

If We Can Winter This
Essays and Genealogies, The Gordon Family of County Leitrim, Ireland and 
The Norris Family of County Tyrone, (now) Northern Ireland

By Sharon DeBartolo Carmack. Published by Scattered Leaves Press, Salt Lake City. 2022. 268 pages.

Ms. Carmack’s family saga features Delia and Mary Gordon, emigrants to America seeking escape from the ruinous times of the Great Famine in Ireland. While their story is a commonplace one among the multitudes of Irish immigrants who worked their way across the Atlantic towards the promise of an uplift for their lives, Ms. Carmack’s personal treatment of her great-grandmother Delia and great-grandaunt Mary reminds us of the daring and dauntlessness of unremarkable folk who defied the unknown and whose efforts left their descendants thriving in considerably more secure and prosperous circumstances.

The first half of the book introduces the Gordon family of Ardvarney, County Leitrim, although “introduce” might not be the correct word. If We Can Winter This is an extensively revised version of My Wild Irish Rose, the author’s account of the lives of Rose Norris, her mother Delia Gordon, and Delia’s sister Mary Gordon. The new book has more researched information on more cousins, but with the author’s added musings about the Whys: why this behavior, why that action, why that decision, good and bad, what are the back stories of complicated relationships. Whys that strike familiar to all genealogists who yearn to know the answers to the ancestral questions.

Each essay-chapter describes a distinct fragment of the sisters’ lives. The essay “On Their Own” describes their living in Greenwich, Connecticut, and ponders how they found employment as domestic servants. Irish girls were well-regarded among wealthy households as reliable domestic servants; Irish children attended national school to at least the eighth grade, lending literacy as a desirable attribute of the servant girls.

Part IV recites the genealogy of the other side of the author’s family, the Norris family (Delia Gordon married David Norris). The Norris family’s origins are in Tamlaghtmore, County Tyrone. The author departs from the essay/story structure as she presents the Norris family in standard genealogy report fashion, a nice change of reading pace. The report style illustrates this very useful and effective way to compile and publish family genealogies.

Ms. Carmack resides among the upper-crust of genealogical writers. Her name is likely familiar to many readers, with good reason. 

This, her latest book, is a particularly handsome example of how to put forward a family history. The usual elements are present in superior form: introduction, citations, notes, index, bibliography. Photos are placed in context to their stories (the house photos are particularly affecting), maps offer geographic clarity, the writing is of a highly-personalized style, easy to follow and captures the reader. 

A family history book to learn from, and a family history book to enjoy.

If We Can Winter This may be purchased from Scattered Leaves Press at http://warrencarmack.com/?page_id=341, Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/If-Can-Winter-This-Genealogies/dp/0997207671 and from most any other book stores by specifying ISBN 9780997207675 (ISBN10: 0997207671).

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

FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA, 6 JUNE 2023—The National Genealogical Society (NGS) and Genealogy ConferenceKeeper.org, Inc. (ConferenceKeeper), announce an agreement to merge before the end of the year. ConferenceKeeper is the most complete, entirely free, online calendar of genealogy conferences and events. "We are thrilled to welcome ConferenceKeeper and its manager extraordinaire Tami Osmer Mize into the NGS family," said President Kathryn M. Doyle.

Created in 2012, ConferenceKeeper was the brainchild of Jen Baldwin. In 2015, Baldwin passed it on to Eowyn Langholf Walker and Tami Osmer Mize. Mize has been its sole manager since 2016 and will continue in this role as a consultant for NGS.

ConferenceKeeper will continue to support local genealogical societies, libraries, and genealogy-related businesses by providing a wider audience for their programs. The website will offer its calendar of thousands of genealogical education opportunities as a free resource for everyone interested in furthering their knowledge of family history research. ConferenceKeeper will also continue to accept genealogy-related advertising. NGS member organizations will benefit from a special advertising rate and increased visibility for their events.

"ConferenceKeeper and NGS make a great match," said Mize. "Both organizations are dedicated to furthering genealogy education. With this agreement, the ability for ConferenceKeeper to reach an even wider audience will benefit those seeking education and those providing the opportunities. The efficiencies we gain together and the additional support that we can provide for genealogy organizations make this a win-win for both NGS and ConferenceKeeper." 

"We look forward to ensuring that family history researchers will have access to links to local, regional, and national conferences and events here in the United States and worldwide through ConferenceKeeper," said Doyle.

I believe virtual conferences are the wave of the future. I recently attended a 3-day genealogy conference in Salt Lake City. With the air travel, hotel expenses, restaurant meals, and conference admission, I spent more than $1,500 US. I also spent 5 days away from home: one day traveling to the event (in the cheapest airline coach seats I could find), three days at the conference, and one more day returning home. I am sure that attendees from overseas spent much more than I did.

(I am not talking about webinars that typically last for an hour or two. In this case, it was a traditional conference that lasted for one or more entire days.)

Obviously, many people are not able to pay that much money or to take that many days out of their lives to attend such an event, regardless of their interest level. Luckily, technology can provide an alternative.

Holding events online is called a "virtual conference." The presenters often remain in their homes, using their own computers and video cameras to deliver their talks, videos, and slide shows. Attendees also typically remain in their homes or go to a nearby library or office and watch the conference events live on computers. Travel expenses and meals are close to zero. Even a conference syllabus is usually available online as a free electronic download.

In addition, the virtual conference organizers do not need to spend thousands of dollars for renting a modern conference center. The end result is lower costs all around. The attendees benefit again because admittance to virtual conferences is usually much, much cheaper than attending a conference in person.

Is an online virtual conference just as effective as attending a conference in person? I will suggest it is not. There are several elements missing in a virtual conference. I know I certainly miss the camaraderie of talking with other attendees in the hallways or in social situations before, during, and after the daily conference events. Nonetheless, I will suggest that the virtual conferences do provide MOST of the benefits of an in-person conference and do so at a fraction of the price of traditional events.

There are two financial considerations:

1. The ever-increasing expenses of travel, hotels, and restaurant meals

2. The ever-decreasing expenses of producing live virtual conferences

Here is a suggestion to future conference organizers: you might want to hold your next event in the online world.

Kathy Roughan spent much of the Covid lockdown copying local land ownership records, known as ‘cancelled books’, from Clarecastle, which date as far back to the to the 19th century.

Ms Roughan physically copied thousands of entries into a spreadsheet, which then became part of the permanent digital archive for the Clarecastle Ballyea Heritage archive at: https://clarecastleballyea.clareheritage.org/.

Thanks to her efforts, others can now trace the record of their properties and home in the locality online.

Through her research, Ms Roughan said she has learned much about her family history. She is from Clarecastle originally and did a Master's Degree in History at the University of Limerick but now lives in Australia.

"I’ve been able to log the progress of particularly my grandmother’s family who I know very little about. So, for me alone it was worth doing just for that,” she said.

You can read more in an article by Paul Hyland published in the independent.ie web site at: https://tinyurl.com/mpk6293d.

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

Whew!  This is about the longest newsletter in the past year or so.