Cape Cod Genealogical Society

Free access to Military Records This Weekend

2013-05-20T18:18:00.003-04:00

This weekend, May 24- May 27, 2013, findmypast.com, in honor of Memorial Day and all veterans, will be offering free access to its collection of US and international military records. By registering for free on their site, you will be able to explore more than 30 million records, including those from both World Wars, Korean War, and Vietnam.

The company now known as "findmypast", originally began digitizing and publishing records from the UK over 10 years ago, including outbound passenger lists from the British Isles, during the years of 1890-1960. Later, they added records from Scotland, Australia, and Ireland. In 2012, they expanded into the US market, publishing the 1940 census, and gradually adding immigration, military and vital records related to the US. Today, the company is continuing to expand with the addition of more records from all of these countries, as well as a library of searchable newspapers.

If you have not had any experience with findmypast.com, this is the perfect opportunity to become familiar with their website without having to pay any fees. The offer will continue from midnight Thursday, May 23, until midnight Monday, May 27.

After all, what else would you have scheduled over Memorial Day weekend on Cape Cod?

CCGS Annual Meeting and Luncheon

2013-05-15T22:09:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday, June 19, 2013, the Cape Cod Genealogical Society will hold its Annual Luncheon and Meeting at the Old Yarmouth Inn in Yarmouth, Route 6A. A cash bar and light refreshments will be open at 11:30AM on that day, with the Annual Meeting at noontime, followed by a full luncheon. The after-luncheon speaker will be Marian Pierre-Louis, a professional genealogist, telling about "Brick Wall Tips for Genealogists".

Genealogical books and items will be available for purchase or pickup at the meeting. Cost will be $26 for the event, including tax and tip. The menu includes an appetizer of clam chowder, choice of three entrees, and a dessert. Entrée choices are: Chicken Francaise, Pork Loin, and Seafood Trio. Mailed invitations to this event with a return envelope should arrive in early May for all members, which you can use to register, indicate your choice of entrée, and send payment by check to CCGS for $26 to Bebe Brock (Crosby1635@gmail.com) at 445 Main Street, Centerville, 02632 by the deadline of Friday, June 7. Questions? -- contact David Martin at davidchina_2000@yahoo.com.

Early descendants of Daniel Cole of Eastham, Massachusetts : Featured library resource for May 2013

2013-05-14T11:13:00.000-04:00

The second volume in Susan E. Roser's Friends of the Pilgrims series covers the first four generations of the Early descendants of Daniel Cole of Eastham, Massachusetts. It was purchased from the author with funds given in honor of Roberta Bratti. "Friends of the Pilgrims" were those who came after the Mayflower but were the colleagues of and intermarried with the Mayflower Pilgrims.

Roser has done an exhaustive job of research, including biographical information, and transcriptions of wills and of epitaphs. Tentative information is bracketed, and sources are thoroughly documented. Photos of many gravestones and signatures are included. Daniel Cole had 12 children who all survived to adulthood, and all but one had children. When he died at age 79 or 80 in 1694, two of his 225 great-grandchildren had already been born. An active and respected member of the Eastham community, he served the town in several capacities, including selectman and constable. Should he be one of your ancestors, you will find a wealth of information in this volume, now added to our Biography section.

Three Tools to Help Save Genealogists Money

2013-05-13T12:34:00.000-04:00

Here are the last three tools suggested in the Mashable.com article by Jill Krasny. The suggestions come from Terry Koch-Bostic, a Mineola, N.Y.-based director of the National Genealogy Society, a non-profit education, training and records-preservation group.

3. Family Village

Launched two years ago, this Facebook game, modeled after Zynga’s Farmville, features a hiker scaling her family tree — it grows as she gathers more research. The point of the game is to teach players the basics of genealogical methodology. Over the course of the hike, players turn up vital records and track their findings on ancestry charts and family group sheets. They also dig through federal cenus records between 1790 and 1940 to fill in the missing gaps of their lineage. It’s fun and highly addictive for those just starting out on their genealogical adventures.

4. Various Grave Sites

A host of sites exists for the sole purpose of storing death certificates. Koch-Bostic recommends Billiongraves.com, Findagrave.com and Legacy.com, that latter of which excels at collecting obituaries. Obits are particularly helpful for finding relatives in certain areas and information about where they lived, where they worked and attended school.

5. Digitized Newspapers

“The most wonderful information comes out of newspapers,” says Koch-Bostic, so long as you have access to a computer at home. Start searching by state, then try the Library of Congress — its Chroncling America website offers a treasure trove of historical newspapers published from 1690 to the present. When plugging in search terms, be sure to search narrowly and widely, advises Koch-Bostic.

Two Tools for Genealogists that Won't Break the Bank

2013-05-09T22:02:00.002-04:00

Continuing from the previous post about the cost of genealogical research, here are two tools suggested in the Mashable.com article by Jill Krasny. The suggestions come from Terry Koch-Bostic, a Mineola, N.Y.-based director of the National Genealogy Society, a non-profit education, training and records-preservation group.

1. FamilySearch.org

Historically known as the Genealogical Society of Utah, Family Search dates back to 1894, the year it was founded. In 2010, the company undertook the daunting task of converting millions of records (from over 100 countries) from microfiche to digital images. Now all those records are accessible on its site, which also helps users create digital scrapbooks of photos.

“If I’m going to direct someone who’s never done genealogy, I’m going to direct them to this site,” says Koch-Bostic. “In terms of the data and research they have, it’s spectacular.”

2. Treelines

Storyworth made headlines last month when it launched its tool to record family lore. But Treelines, still in beta, is just as intriguing and useful.

“The site allows you to build the tree as you go,” says Koch-Bostic. Add stories and images as time permits. The end result is a visual, photographic narrative that's part tree, part timeline and eye-catching graphic. Hover over a year, for example, and you'll get an in-depth milestone description along with a vintage photo. It's like peering into a digital shoebox.

You Might be Surprised at How Much Money Genealogists Spend

2013-05-05T14:00:00.000-04:00

In an article on the Mashable.com website, Jill Krasny tells us amateur genealogists hoping to uncover a link to Abe Lincoln can easily turn to the web to dig in their ancestor's closet. But taking the commercial route doesn't come cheap.

People curious about family history spent a whopping $2.3 billion on genealogy products and services last year, according to a study by market research firm Global Industry Analysts. They took most of their work to sites like Ancestry.com, which charge between $22.95 and $34.59 per month for access to billions of pertinent records. One-on-one consultations set them back $2,000 to $5,000 per session, depending on the length and complexity of the project, a spokesperson told Mashable.

Despite those sites' popularity, “it’s perfectly possible to do everything without spending a dime,” says Terry Koch-Bostic, a Mineola, N.Y.-based director of the National Genealogy Society, a non-profit education, training and records-preservation group.

In the next few days, we'll share with you the 5 tools Terry Koch-Bostic recommends for building a family tree without it costing you a fortune.

HBO's Family Tree First of Four Genealogy Series to Air in U.S.

2013-05-03T09:57:00.000-04:00

Though there's been a bit of a vacuum in genealogical programming in the U.S. over the last year or so, that's happily about to change. First up is Christopher Guest and Jim Piddock's mockumentary series, Family Tree (HBO, May 12th, 10:30 p.m.), starring Chris O'Dowd as Tom Chadwick. Having lost both his job and girlfriend, Chadwick seeks his roots as a way to find himself.

Fellow genealogists will recognize themselves in this trailer: meandering cemeteries, meeting far-flung cousins, and fancying connections, physical and otherwise, to long gone forebears. Though I expect the mirror being thrust in our faces to provoke a fair number of "oh, man, I did that" winces, it's also something of a badge of honor to be the subject of a Guest mockumentary, so I'm bracing myself in anticipation. Slated to launch in both Canada and the U.S., this show will also run on BBC, though a date has not yet been announced.

After Family Tree has run its course, we'll need to be patient, but three other genealogy series are now under production. Two of them -- Who Do You Think You Are? (TLC) and Finding Your Roots(PBS) -- focus on celebrity roots and are returning after prolonged absences. Among those lined up for Who Do You Think You Are? are Kelly Clarkson, Chelsea Handler, and Christina Applegate. Dates are still pending, but later this year is likely for Who Do You Think You Are?, while we will have to wait until 2014 for Finding Your Roots.

Finally, the other new entry, Genealogy Roadshow, is an Irish import and currently casting to tape in Nashville, San Francisco, Detroit and Austin. With an emphasis on family history mysteries, historical events, and "average Joes," this series will also air on PBS and should go a long way toward satisfying those who claim that only the rich and famous get their roots done for free!

This article came from the Huffington Post.

Canadian Genealogy Group to meet May 8, 2013

2013-05-01T08:50:00.002-04:00

The Canadian Special Interest Group will meet on Wednesday May 8, 2013 at the Brewster Ladies' Library in the large meeting room, at 10 a.m.

Everyone with an interest in Canadian genealogy is welcome.

Click for more on CCGS Special Interest Groups.

Oral Histories Highlight Our May Meeting

2013-05-01T07:21:00.000-04:00

If you want to get something done, ask a busy person... That expression definitely fits our next monthly speaker -- Jane Martin, currently the president of the Harwich Historical Society, is a very busy woman. Besides her involvement in the historical society, she also is a member of

Guild of Harwich Artists
Harwich Garden Club
Cape Cod Bird Club, where she is a board member,

and is an avid gardener in her own yard, in her spare time.

A retired educator and public school administrator from Melrose, she retired to Harwich in 2004 and originally joined the Harwich Historical Society the following year. Besides being the organization president, Jane is also responsible for Educational Outreach and, beginning in 2008, she has been developing oral history protocols. It is the oral history project that brings her to Cape Cod Genealogical Society.

Jane will be sharing with us how she got started recording interviews with a number of residents of Harwich and how these oral histories are being used to enhance the programs and exhibits of the Brooks Academy Museum. She will also make recommendations for protocols for us to use when interviewing our own relatives for our family stories.

Be sure to join us for this informative presentation on Wednesday, May 15, 2013, at 10 AM at the .
Brewster Ladies Library.

French-Canadian and Acadian Genealogy Workshop

2013-04-27T10:49:00.005-04:00

On Saturday, May 4, 2013, a special Workshop on French-Canadian and Acadian Genealogy will be given at Brewster Ladies Library Auditorium from 10am to noon. The presenter will be the French-Canadian expert, Lucie Leblanc Consentino, who will describe the genealogical methods for those who are researching their roots in Canada from the Acadian era and/or the French-Canadian period. Those interested in attending are asked to notify David Martin at davidchina_2000@yahoo.com or call 508-527-0460 to reserve a space; the cost is $10, which will be collected at the door.

Genealogy Course to be Offered

2013-04-27T10:44:00.001-04:00

Another offering of the Genealogy Methods Course will be available during May 2013, intended for anyone who is either wanting a review of general methods of genealogy research or for those who are just at the beginning stages of constructing family trees. Offered at the Barnstable Senior Center on Mondays, May 6, 13, and 20 by members of the CCGS Education Committee, the course will provide information on such topics as

   Vital Records
   Military Records
   The Census
   Immigration Records
   Land Records
   Probate Records
   Usng the Computer in Genealogy
   Standards for Genealogical Evidence
   Starting to Write a Family History
     and more

Dates: Mondays, May 6, 13, and 20, 2013
Time: 1:30 to 3:30 pm
Place: Barnstable Senior Center, Route 28, west of Hyannis (left side going westward)
Cost: $20 for the entire series of 3 workshops
To Register: Send check made out to Barnstable Senior Center, 185 Falmouth Road,
Hyannis 02601, by the deadline of Friday, April 26.
Questions: Contact David Martin at davidchina_2000@yahoo.com or at 508-527-0460.

Received at the Library

2013-04-23T14:04:00.001-04:00

Recent journal receipts may be of interest to members of the Society:

In the latest National Genealogical Society Quarterly appear two articles on African-American research, one of which is the 2011 winner of the NGS's Family History Writing Contest, and describes a family's emergence from slavery. The other article suggests sources for research on emancipation in the northern states. In addition to 8 book reviews, there are also articles on unravelling the mysteries of duplicate parish registers in French Canada, and on the Hyde families living in Cheshire and Derbyshire, England.

The Essex Society of Genealogists based in Lynnfield MA publishes The Essex Genealogist quarterly. The lead article by Dick Eastman is a transcription of a recent talk he gave on "Genealogy Searches on Google", though it is not stated where the presentation was made. There are also articles on Kittery ME and family names Somes and Durkee. The new editors inaugurate a series on places and events of interest in Essex County.

Received at the Library

2013-04-23T09:14:00.000-04:00

Journal and newsletter issues may be of interest to members of the Society:

The latest Dennis Historical Society Newsletter includes a charming love letter found in an attic, and an article by our own Burt Derick about Cape Cod industries in the 17th-19th centuries: whaling, fishing, saltworks, and shipbuilding all took place in Dennis.

The April/May issue of Internet Genealogy features "10 tips for finding your female ancestors online" including making a timeline, searching in Worldcat, digitized books, and specialized newspaper collections, and more. An article on colonial American genealogy recommends several interesting sites, including Family History Library's Family Search Wiki for land records by state, the U.S. Geological Survey's Geographic Names Information System, and the Immigrant Servants Database. Software reviews include Legacy Family Tree 7.5, and Trello, a free project management tool. Articles on St. Helena's Island and African-American newspaper sources round out the issue.

The Dutchess, based in Poughkeepsie NY, contains data from documents such as diaries, journals and town census records that may be of interest to those researching ancestors in Dutchess County, NY.

Successful bake sale!

2013-04-09T19:32:00.000-04:00

A huge thank you to everyone who helped to make our Easter weekend bake sale a success! As you can see, we had fun!

At least sixteen of our members baked delicious goodies, and thanks to them, and other members who made calorie-free contributions, we have raised just over $400. Contributions are still welcome, and we hope you will scoop up the left-overs which we will have for sale at the upcoming April 17 program meeting.

The raffle was a successful part of our bake sale, thanks to Joan Frederici's contribution of an Easter basket, Bebe Brock's timely gardening basket, and a third basket made up of baked goodies brought for the sale. The winners of these baskets were Joyce Sullivan (Easter), Kim Ingram (garden), and Sheila Anderson (goodies). Above are Joyce and her grand-daughter picking up the Easter basket.

Special thanks to those who staffed the sale or helped with setup: Sheila Anderson, Judy Bedijian, Joan Frederici, Ellen Geanacopoulos, Carol Kelley, Judy Needham, and myself (Carol Magenau, above in the rabbit ears...) A real community effort, which will support our subscription to Ancestry.com. Thanks again to all who supported the sale!

Received at the Library

2013-04-09T08:15:00.000-04:00

Members may be interested in the latest journal receipts at the Library:

The periodical Internet Genealogy can keep us abreast of new developments. In the February/March issue we can learn about the Historic New Orleans Collection and other Louisiana resources; a new approach combining genealogy and mapping the Underground Railroad; WWI enemy alien registration records; historic restaurant menu collections online; Australian newspaper sources; and British cemetery records. Software reviews are a regular feature of this journal, including in this issue a feature article on time management tools. There's also an alert to register for Legacy Family Tree free webinars at http://tinyurl.com/cssbzgz.

Kinfolk (spring 2013), published by the Rich Family Association, has a brief but interesting account of a visit to Bermuda to revisit sites associated with the wreck of the Sea Venture, which led to Bermuda's being the setting for Shakespeare's The Tempest. On another page, Lorenzo Dow is revealed as a leading Evangelist of the 19th century, so popular an itinerant preacher that many children were named after him, including Wellfleet's famous banana importer, Lorenzo Dow Baker. A list of Rich ancestors in the DAR database is given, and of Rich Mayflower connections.

GENEALOGICAL TIMELINES WORKSHOP--SPACE STILL AVAILABLE!

2013-04-04T10:41:00.002-04:00

A special workshop on how to construct graphic timelines in genealogy, presented by our member, Morse Payne who is pictured below, will take place on Saturday, April 13, from 1 to 2:30 pm at the Dennis Public Library in Dennisport. A case study using the Payne-Paine Family will illustrate how to incorporate data from a variety of countries and locations, by extending time back to the distant past through linking to historical events. Charts, graphs, maps, and photographs will be used to show how you can apply this method to your own family tree.

Space is still available; contact davidchina_2000@yahoo.com or call David Martin at 508-420-0224 to hold a place for this special event.

To Dakota and Back: the Story of an Orphan Train Rider

2013-04-01T18:55:00.001-04:00

From the mid-1800's until the time of the depression, "orphan trains" transported homeless children from Eastern cities, such as Boston and New York, to foster families in less populated areas of the country. This soon became a controversial program, as rather than being welcomed as family members, some children became little more than indentured servants.

One of these children was John Donahue, originally from Boston, and the grandfather of Judith Kappenman, who will be the speaker at our April meeting. Judith will share with us, not only some history of the trains and her grandfather, but also her experiences while writing and publishing her family story, To Dakota and Back: the Story of an Orphan Train Rider.

Sister Judith Kappenman received her bachelor's degree from Elms College, education degree from

Worcester State, and CAGS from Assumption College. She taught school for 42 years, both at the elementary and high school levels. Following retirement from teaching, she worked as the director of the Irish Cultural Center at Elms College, before retiring for a second time, in December, 2012. Currently she is teaching once again -- this time a memoir writing group -- while she writes her own life story.

Join us on April 17, 2013, at the Brewster Ladies Library at 10am, to learn more about this segment of our nation's history, as well as to hear some suggestions on writing the story of your own family. Judy will entertain questions related to both subjects, following her presentation, and will have copies of her book available for purchase.

Ancient Cemetery, Yarmouth Port : Featured Library Resource for April 2013

2013-04-01T15:26:00.000-04:00

At our March monthly program meeting, Judy Lucey gave us a great presentation on integrating manuscripts into our genealogical research. Did you know that our Genealogy Room contains a significant amount of manuscript material?

One of the most noteworthy of our manuscripts is a seven-volume collection resulting from a project done by our Society, describing the graves in the Ancient Cemetery : Yarmouth Port. The project began in 2001 and was spearheaded by Burton Derrick and Phyllis Coscso. The volumes are as follows:

Section A-D
Section E
Section F
New Mid Section
Section New D
New Section Military Section
New Section #112-495

Each page consists of a sheet representing a single grave, encased in a plastic sleeve. Information is presented in a standard format:

Lot owner / name on stone
Stone description (material, condition)
Inscription
Footstone
Genealogy (if known)
Remarks (e.g. military marker)
Drawing of tombstone with location of inscription

Most of the volumes are arranged by plot number (exception : Section E is arranged by family name). Generally a map is present, either at the front or at a tab at the end, to show the location and sequence of the plots. The first three notebooks carry name indexes to the graves, except for Section D (v. 1). It would be wonderful to complete the name indexes and compile a master name index covering all the volumes. If anyone is interesting in working on this to enhance access to this marvelous resource, please let me know at carol.magenau@gmail.com. If you think your ancestors might be in this cemetery, we invite you to have a look at this unique tool at the Genealogy Room.

RootsTech Conference presentations available free online

2013-03-29T10:37:00.002-04:00

March 21-23, 2013, Family Search hosted the annual Roots Tech Genealogical Conference in Salt Lake City. This conference was sponsored by Ancestry.com, Archives.com, Find My Past , NGS (National Genealogical Society), and FGS (Federation of Genealogical Societies, among others. More than 4,000 people attended from the US, Canada, and 23 other countries, making this an international genealogical event.

The purpose of this annual conference is to focus on the use of technology in genealogy, with an emphasis on helping people to become familiar with various technological innovations and to learn how these methods can be used in their own genealogical research. There are many opportunities provided for those in attendance to become updated on the latest tech tools. Keeping true to the technological theme of the conference, each day several presentations were live-streamed so that those of us who did not attend would have an opportunity to participate. I viewed several of those sessions over the last few days and found them to be quite informative.

One session that I found particularly interesting was a panel discussion held on Thursday, entitled The Future of Genealogy. Panel members included Josh Taylor, from FindMy Past, formerly from New England Historic Genealogical Society and Dick Eastman, who publishes Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter. In response to the question, "What is holding back the growth of genealogy?", they both agreed on two points. First was records access -- however, they did not mention privacy issues, rather that records are becoming unavailable due to financial limitations. Repositories worldwide are beginning to limit public access to their records because they have had to decrease staffing. Secondly, they both stressed that "we" are the biggest problem -- both genealogical societies and individuals are not changing to keep up with the 21st century. We need to learn to take advantage of new technological methods and resources to research and share our discoveries.

Some of the topics included in other sessions were:

What is new or coming soon on Google and Family Search
Social media
Telling Stories
Researching your genealogy online

These sessions are still available and may be viewed online at Roots Tech. In addition to the livestreamed sessions from this year, you may also view a few from last year's conference at RootsTech 2012.

This is a great way to keep up to date with the technology being used today, as well as learrning what is new for genealogists, without having to spend a lot of money to attend a large conference.

Bake Sale reminder!

2013-03-27T11:24:00.000-04:00

Greetings all! I hope you are able to attend our Easter-themed bake sale this Saturday March 30th, between 10AM and 1:30PM in the Conference Room at the Dennis Public Library. Your donations of baked goods may be brought to the Library during regular opening hours (unless you already turned them in at our last meeting -- thank you!). Please note, if your items require refrigeration, other arrangements will need to be made, or you can bring them on the day of the sale.

Bring a friend! You can explore the resources in the Genealogy Room between 10 and noon. We hope to see you all there in support of our Association, and thank you for your contributions!

Received at the Library

2013-03-25T14:53:00.001-04:00

Recent journal and newsletter receipts may be of interest to Society members:

American Ancestors (winter 2013) deals with a subject near to my heart and perhaps to yours, the lives of New England mill workers. My maternal grandmother's maternal grandparents Robert and Ann Dewsnap Robinson came from Glossop, England to Lowell in 1854, and in the 1860 census my great-grandmother Caroline was listed as a spinner at 17 years old, along with several older siblings. According to the feature article, textile manufacturing was the nation's largest industry for a time in the 19th century, employing millions, and the first major US employer of women outside the home. Related articles give glimpses of ordinary and notorious lives of mill workers: a boardinghouse keeper's letters, a Manchester NH mill girl's death at the hands of an abortionist; an Irish immigrant's successful career in the Fall River mills; the death and injury of two Irish immigrant sisters in the destruction of the Pemberton Mill (Lawrence MA) by collapse and fire. Other topics in the issue include a review of the Rhode Island roots database, a visit to an ancestral village in Finland, ethnic groups in Colonial New York City and environs, and reminiscences by NEHGS staff members Marie Daly and David Dearborn. A most interesting issue.

Mass-Pocha (February 2013), journal of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Boston, announces the 33rd International Conference on Jewish Genealogy, August 4-9 in Boston at the Park Plaza (early bird registration before April 30). Article topics include a summary of Ulysses S. Grant's expulsion of Jews from the area covering Illinois to northern Mississippi in 1862, a surprising episode of the Civil War; Archives of the Joint Distribution Committee in New York and Jerusalem; and the Pale, the area of western Russia where Jews were allowed permanent residence.

Received at the Library

2013-03-24T14:41:00.000-04:00

Recent journal and newsletter receipts may be of interest to Society members:

In the fall 2012 issue of the Nova Scotia Genealogist, there's an announcement that after 2013 the journal will only be available in electronic format. An article about the Hillcrest [Alberta] Mine Disaster of 1914, Canada's largest mine disaster, lists what is known about the 23 Nova Scotia victims, many of whom were English or Scottish immigrants. On p.140 (and not in the table of contents) is a list of free genealogy podcast sites. Many sources relating to Nova Scotia research are listed in various notices throughout the issue.

Family Chronicle for March/April 2013 has short, interesting articles on Italian immigrants' naming practices; fords and ferries; research logs; researching the British Army abroad; and more.

The January 2013 issue of The New England Historical and Genealogical Register contains articles on several New England families, including surnames: Adcocke, Sutton, Pratt, Harris, Bacon, Sherman, Dunbar and Whitten.

Newsletters were received from the Dennis Historical Society (March 2013, includes an article on the Fisk family, four master mariner brothers); the Falmouth Genealogical Society (Jan.-Apr. 2013, announcing meetings for 2013, and giving reports on presentations on a research trip to Portugal, Marcia Melnyk's two talks at our joint meeting. and "Paddy on the Net: Irish genealogy databases"); and the Lothropp Family Foundation (spring 2013, including notes on the passing of the Society's founder Helen Lathrop Tabor).

America's women in the Revolutionary Era : Featured library resource for March 2013

2013-03-08T17:44:00.000-05:00

At the February program meeting, the Society received a marvelous gift from the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). This substantial three-volume set is titled in full America's women in the Revolutionary Era, 1760-1790 : a history through bibliography, and was published in 2011. Editor Eric G. Grundset is the DAR Library Director, and the book compiles references to revolutionary era women in books, dissertations, articles and online documents, from contemporary 18th century to present day sources.

The three volumes in this set cover the same material, accessed in different ways: subjects (v.1 and 2), authors, and a chronology of publications (v.3). Detailed citations provide information on names of women covered, chapter or article headings, and often brief annotations about the scope of the information as it pertains to women. Although many famous women are covered, there is a conscious effort to include information on the lives of everyday women and girls, to give a well-rounded depiction of how life was lived by our ancestors in revolutionary times.

The subject chapters are divided into 5 parts: [vol. 1] 1. General studies (includes African American and Native American women); 2. Women in the family and society; 3. Women, culture, education, and creative arts; 4. Women, girls, and the war effort during the American Revolution; [v. 2] 5. Women and girls of the regions and states of the United States. (Massachusetts is particularly well represented.) An index to the subject chapters is found at the end of volume 2.

Citations in this book begin as early as 1716 with "Letters to a young lady" by one John Bennett, and end with 2011. As the brief introduction to the chronology states, "many publishing and topical trends become clear" when citations are viewed chronologically, including the surge of scholarship around the time of the Nation's bicentennial in 1976.

We are grateful to the DAR for this gift and delighted to add it to the holdings of the CCGS Library. Please stop in to see it! We are open Tuesdays noon-4, Thursdays 10-4 and Saturdays 10-noon.

DAR Donates Resource Books to CCGS Library

2013-03-08T17:43:00.003-05:00

The Cape Cod Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) made a donation of the new three-volume set of the DAR Resource Book, to the CCGS Genealogical Library at Dennis Public Library. The donation was enthusiastically received, and the photograph shows the DAR members at the donation time in February 2013. From left to right are Margo Lewis, Sara Baker, Sally Davis, Barbara Knisell, Nancy De Nise, Grace Anastasia, Carol Kelley, and CCGS President David Martin. All except Sally Davis are members of the Society. The three-volume set is available for research at the Library in Dennisport, particularly on topics related to women.

Judy Lucey to Speak on Integrating Manuscripts in Your Genealogical Research

2013-03-08T15:09:00.000-05:00

In anticipation of our April Research Bus Trip to Boston, our speaker this month will talk to us about the value of using manuscripts while researching our family history. Many of us never take advantage of the extensive collections of unpublished materials found in libraries, which can contain valuable information relevant to our ancestors. These materials can include unpublished genealogies, as well as diaries, letters, journals, and records from churches, cemeteries, and other businesses.

Judy Lucey

Join us on Wednesday, March 20, 2013, at 10AM at the Brewster Ladies' Library, as Judy Lucey will tell us about the materials available at New England Genealogical Society and other repositories. She will give us tips on how to locate resources that will benefit each of us and how to use these materials in our own research.

Judy has worked at NEHGS for the past 10 years and is currently their Assistant Archivist. A Boston native, she received her Bachelor's in Education from Northeastern University and her Master's in Library and Information Science from Simmons College. Her genealogical areas of expertise include Irish genealogy, Newfoundland, 19th and 20th century genealogy, and Italian research.

Click to see the complete listing of monthly programs.