Just Starting Genealogy?

The Durham Region Branch Ontario Genealogy Society is presenting a spring workshop series to help begin your search for ancestors.
There are three workshops. This is the first time the Branch will offer workshops at its office in Oshawa.  The workshops start at the absolute beginner level and increase in depth as the series continues.  There is limited enrolment to provide ample opportunity for attendee questions.  Enrol in one or two or ALL.  There are discounts for registering for a complete series and for OGS members. Low introductory pricing!  Register soon for this first series!
Who’s Your Grandpa? Selected topics: searching your home; talk to family; pedigree; family data; research cycle; repositories; Internet; organizations; descendants’ chart; and more.
Beginner1  Thurs. Apr. 22, 2010 @1:00 – 3:30 pm

Base Camp for Family History  Organizing ideas; other researchers; places to find family histories; military records; online histories; family search.org; queries and message boards; search engines; genealogy software and more. 

Beginner2  Thurs. May 6, 2010 @1:00 – 3:30 pm
Vital Statistics: Births, Marriages, Deaths This workshop’s content is more focussed and will go into greater detail. Selected topics: sources; search techniques; documenting and much more. NEW

Intermediate1 Thurs. June 10, 2010 @ 1:00 – 3:30 pm

View the map or download an application form(PDF) or visit durham.ogs.on.ca

OGS Region VII Annual General Meeting 2010

(and Quinte OGS Branch Meeting)
Saturday April 17, 2010

9.30 am     Registration , 

10.00 am   AGM, 

11.00 a.m. Provincial OGS Update ,  

Pot Luck Lunch, 

1.00 pm     Presentation -
                     Peter Johnson, UE
                A Perilous Trip to Rebellious New York & New Jersey 

                   (Quinte Links)
 

Venue: Christ Church Parish Hall, Glen Miller, Ontario
770 #33 Hwy. North, R.R. 5, Trenton, Ontario K8V 5P8
 
Directions: Take Exit 526 (Glen Miller Rd.) north toward Glen Miller & Frankford 1.5 km. At stoplight turn left to cross bridge. The church is opposite where you come off the bridge at the stoplight (Exit #525 will close March 22nd because of the widening construction).
 

One World - One Family Conference

Brampton, Ontario - August 21, 2010 - 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. "Discover Your Family Roots" -$15 (includes boxed lunch)

http://www.oneworldonefamily-theevent.com

Featuring:

• Paul F. Smart


• J. Brian Gilchrist

Workshops (see website for details)

Genealogy and Genetics - Tuesday, April 6 (7:30 p.m.)

The Durham Region Branch Meeting,  Tuesday, April 6 (7:30 p.m.)

Genealogy and Genetics presented by Ken Ackles

A y-DNA Surname Study Produces Some Completely Unexpected Results. 
Introduction to genetics, y-DNA and Mitochondrial DNA, Why y-DNA is important for genealogy, What is DNA?, Short Tandem Repeats (STRs), Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP), and The Ackles Surname Project, The big surprise, Ancient origins, Suggested reading.

Special location - NOT at Library - CLICK HERE 
Visit our web site CLICK HERE

New SIG for Durham Region Branch OGS - Writing Our Family Histories

Durham Region Branch OGS welcomes a new SIG (Special Interest Group) for members of the Branch who wish to meet informally and share their writing about their family histories and family stories.  The purposes for sharing are to give themselves a regular deadline for writing, and a sympathetic audience who can offer support and encouragement.  Probably there will a variety of writing styles and goals which members can share, adopt and adapt from each other.  It's inaugural meeting is APRIL 14, 2010 at our office at 7p.m. 

Happy St.Patrick's Day

From Lynne Heale at Quinte Branch:

The Famine Relief Commission Papers, 1845-1847 have been digitized in partnership with the National Archives of Ireland (NAI) and Library and Archives Canada (LAC) and are available free at ancestry.ca. Additional Irish content can be found at ancestry.ca/irish.

Take a minute or two to remember our Irish ancestors who survived the Irish Potato Famine and came to Canada. The above papers give you graphic descriptions of the devastation caused by the famine.

Free Access to Footnote.com

From "The Genealogy Insider" Web Log:

Historical records subscription site Footnote is making its US census records free for a limited time.

Footnote spokesperson Justin Schroepfer says there’s not yet a firm ending date, but the records will be free at least through the end of this month. You’ll need to register as a free member to view the records.

Footnote is carrying out plans to host the complete US census back to 1790. Here are the census records on the site so far:

• the complete 1860 census
• 5 percent of 1900
• 3 percent of 1910
• 3 percent of 1920
• 98 percent of 1930

When you find a relative’s record, click the “I’m Related” button for a name on the document to identify yourself as a relative and see others who’ve done the same. You also can see others’ photos, stories and comments related to the record.

Addendum: It may appear as though you need to enter a credit card, but Guy reports that he did get a welcome e-mail even though he did not enter a credit card.