ISBGFH News Blog

Christmas Traditions

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas MacEntee) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:35:00 +0000

No matter what your faith or religion is, there is a sense of joy when we gather together to share friendship, love and family traditions for our holidays.

What are the traditions your family celebrates? Do you have Christmas Crackers as part of your celebration? These have become more and more popular in the U. S. Gathering at the dinner table you cross your hands and pull on the cracker on each side of you. Don the tissue hat, read the silly jokes and ooh and aah over the toy or puzzle.

Boxing Day is a holiday in the U.K. and it is believed to have begun when the alms boxes were opened and the coins given to those in need. Then it evolved into giving gifts or Christmas money to the household servants and others. Now, it is a day of sales, much like our “Black Friday.”

Father Christmas comes and fills the stockings, or perhaps a pillowcase, that is laid on the end of the bed. Presents are opened in the morning and Christmas dinner served, typically, at mid-day.

What traditions do you celebrate that come from your British Isles ancestors?

All the best to you and yours in this holiday season!

©2011, copyright International Society for British Genealogy and Family History

ISBGFH Surname Registry

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas MacEntee) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:00:00 +0000

One of the member benefits for 2012 will be the surname registry. We ask that you enter your surname, the county, using Chapman Codes, and the time frame. When the surname is Googled, the listing at ISBGFH will come up and contact can be made.

Your contact information will not be exposed, but the sender’s info will. Then when you respond, the original sender will see your contact info. We don’t like spam either and this will eliminate that worry.

The benefits of this registry is to connect you with others researching your line. You never know who or where that person is and with the internet , it is hopefully an easy way to make contact. Please don’t register if you have no intention of answering the query. A brief note indicating the line isn’t the same would be welcomed by the sender.

If you change e-mail addresses at some point, please advise! We want you to be contacted in the future.

Happy Hunting!

©2011, copyright International Society for British Genealogy and Family History

Renew Your ISBGFH Membership with PayPal

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas MacEntee) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:00:00 +0000

It is that time of year to renew your membership in ISBGFH . We’ve contracted with PayPal to accept your membership payments this year. You can use a check or credit/debit card to make that payment, or PayPal if you have an account with them. It makes life a lot easier for you and for us. Our previous contract was very costly and in an effort to cut costs, we’ve made this move. So far, we’ve had a number of people renew and it has gone well.

If you have problems with the payment process, please make contact with PayPal. They take your payment and forward the money and information to us in due time, but we don’t have any input into the actual paying process.

And, if you prefer not to use the PayPal system, we still accept checks, money order or cashier checks - click here to access the mail-in form (opens in PDF - Adobe Reader required).

©2011, copyright International Society for British Genealogy and Family History

What are the Chapman Codes?

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas MacEntee) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:33:00 +0000

Do you know about the Chapman Codes? This code was derived and added to an existing code listing for each British Isles County by Dr. Colin R. Chapman. He enlarged on what had been in existence since about 1923 and by 1979, the Chapman Code as we know it today, was up and running.

This code is universal and accepted by genealogists around the world. If you use the code symbols, everyone will understand what county to which you are referring. This is not the same as a postal code, but a code to indicate the county. There are a number of sites on-line that will have the code, including ISBGFH.

The code will be used for our surname registration project as it is used for other society projects. If you’ve been doing British genealogy for any length of time, you’ve probably already come across the Chapman Codes.

Click here for the ISBGFH listing of the Chapman Codes (opens in PDF - Adobe Reader required).

©2011, copyright International Society for British Genealogy and Family History

British Institute 2011 Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas MacEntee) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 17:29:00 +0000

British Institute 2011 was a great success. We had a great group of people who attended, a week of heavy-duty instruction and hours of research in the Family History Library, to say nothing of great instructors, Barbara Baker and David Rencher. We had a lot of first-timers this year and many of them say they’ll be back next year.

Next year we will have four courses and they will fill up quickly. More information about instructors and course information will be forth coming. We’ll announce on our blog when registration is open, as well as on our website and Facebook.

We had an opportunity to hear what is new with FamilySearch and learned a few tricks of the trade from Diane Loosle on the Wednesday evening. We’ve done this for the last three or four years and it is always worthwhile.

The FamilySearch Library also offered some unexpected entertainment. On our first afternoon in the library we discovered that they were filming an edition of the “Genealogy in 5 Minutes” segment. There were two parts to the episode…a young man having difficulty in reading old handwriting and a young man who finds what he is looking for. Several takes were done, but each time, the young man who found what he was looking for would jump up and say “I’ve found him.” While we were warned that they were filming, it wasn’t apparent that the young man who jumped up was part of the film. Several people applauded him when he announced he’d found whoever he had been searching! One would hope they’d leave in the applause!

Happy Hunting!

©2011, copyright International Society for British Genealogy and Family History

CLOSED - British Institute - Genealogical Research in Ireland Class

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas MacEntee) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 18:41:00 +0000

The 2012 British Institute class Genealogical Research in Ireland – Advanced Methodology to be taught by David Rencher has now reached full and no more registrations may be accepted for that class.

However, there are still spaces in Finding Records of Property Ownership in England, to be taught by Barbara Baker. Our web site http://isbgfh.org has more details about Barbara's class and registration details.

Don't forget that the Early Bird Registration for the 2011 British Institute ends tonight at 11:59 pm Central!

©2011, copyright International Society for British Genealogy and Family History

Early Registration for British Institute Ends Monday, September 12, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas MacEntee) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 02:30:00 +0000

Early registration for the British Institute ends at 11:59 tomorrow evening. We decided to extend the early registration fee as we never get to publicize it at the FGS Conference because it is always so close to BI and our early registration has long passed. There are a few spaces left, so if you’ve been thinking about attending, check out our website http://www.isbgfh.org.

The 35th FGS Conference has come to an end. Now we are left with absorbing what we heard, what we learned and how to go forward with our research. It is amazing how hearing about someone else’s finds or struggles with research can be of help in our own research. The networking opportunities are just as important as the lectures. You just never know what you will learn! And, you will learn. If you’ve never been to a national conference, you really need to go! So much fun, so many new friends, so many lectures to attend, so many ideas and suggestions to help with your research. Hope to see you at a conference soon.

Dick Eastman wrote on his blog about Deceased Online adding more than 67,000 Scottish records (see http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2011/09/another-67000-scottish-records-added-to-deceased-online.html). The index is free, but you need to pay to see the actual record. There are good details on the site about obtaining the credit to allow you to see the record. Have fun!

©2011, copyright International Society for British Genealogy and Family History

Ordering Birth, Marriages and Death Records from England

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas MacEntee) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 16:21:00 +0000

Years ago, contacting the county record office was the quickest, and often the cheapest way to obtain a vital record from England. Now, with the internet you can order directly from the General Register Office, with a credit card. It has become quite easy to do so.

Recording of births, marriages and deaths in England began 1 July 1837. Most events should have been recorded, but there may be some that weren’t.

There are several indexes on-line that are available to determine when and where your ancestor’s event took place.

Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com) will give you all the information you need to apply for a record. It might be a good idea to print off the page of interest so you have registration district, volume number and page number. In addition, you can check for spouses in the marriage index by clicking on “click to see others on page.” If you don’t have a subscription to Ancestry, check out your local library or local Family History Center.

Free BMD also has an index, and they too, give you all the information you need to obtain the record of interest.

Find My Past is another option to check the index. All of these provide the information you need to order the document.

The indexes show the quarter in which the event was recorded NOT the date of the event. You will need this information as well to order.

Once you’ve determined which document to order, you can go to the General Register Office and place your order. Currently the £9.25 fee equals about $15.50. You will be given a mailing date and in about two weeks time your document will arrive.

Birth records include the date of birth, name of child, name of parents, including mother’s maiden name and where and when registered. Marriage records include date of marriage, names of parties marrying, their ages or note that they are of age, names of the fathers, how married (banns, license), occupations and when and where recorded.

Death records include date of death, name of deceased and age, cause of death, where and when died and the informant.

Researching from across the pond can be frustrating at times, but the General Register Office has made this particular process extremely easy. Just remember to have on hand all the information you need – district, volume and page number and the quarter in which the event was recorded.

©2011, copyright International Society for British Genealogy and Family History

Society of Genealogists Membership Drive - Discount Available

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas MacEntee) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 17:42:00 +0000

The Society of Genealogists in London has a summer membership drive going on. The yearly rate of £27 (about $44.00) still applies, but the joining fee of £10 ($16.30) will be waived. This is a one-time fee, so renewal will be £ 27.

If you go to the society’s website at http://www.sog.org.uk, you can check the index for your surnames and see what items they have that might be of interest. As a member you will receive their quarterly magazine, Genealogists’ Magazine published in March, June, September and December. You will also receive discounts on a number of things, including FindMyPast.

Check out SOG’s site and see what they might offer you.

Happy hunting!

©2011, copyright International Society for British Genealogy and Family History

Extended Early Bird Registration Deadline for 2011 British Institute

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas MacEntee) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 16:21:00 +0000

We've extended the Early Bird Registration deadline for this year's British Institute to September 12, 2011. ISBGFH members who register on or before that date can save $95!

Click here to learn more about this year's British Institute and how to register.

Follow Us on Facebook!

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas MacEntee) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 21:01:00 +0000

Did you know that ISBGFH now has a Facebook page? That's right, you can stay tuned to the latest ISBGFH news via the popular social media site at our new page: http://www.facebook.com/ISBGFH.

Not only will this make it convenient for our members on Facebook to keep tabs on events and British Institute developments, but we hope to bring the goodness that is ISBGFH to a larger population of genealogists and family historians via Facebook. Did you know that Facebook is now responsible for over 50% of all web traffic to websites? Our hope is to not only make the community more aware of ISBGFH but to also increase our membership and to share our educational resources.

Visit our page today by clicking the link above or the Facebook badge in the sidebar of our blog.

2011 British Institute Update

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas MacEntee) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 04:27:00 +0000

We’re getting ready for this year’s British Institute. There are two tracks – English and Irish. More information about them can be found on our Web site. On-going education is a huge part of genealogy and this is a terrific way to immerse yourself in a week-long experience. Classes are in the morning, with research in the Family History Library in the afternoons. The dates for this year’s Institute are 3-8 October, Salt Lake City. See the website for more information http://www.isbgfh.org .

Writing contest

noreply@blogger.com (ISBGFH) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 20:34:00 +0000

If you like to write, or just want to share a terrific genealogy find, or a frustrating brick wall and it relates to British genealogical research, ISBGFH invites you to participate in our annual writing contest. The winning article will be published the last issue of the British Connections in 2011. You may submit only one article that has between 2500 and 3000 words. Feel free to include photos/charts that support your article.

The deadline is 1 August 2011. For more details, send an SASE to ISBGFH, PO Box 350459, Westminster, CO 80035-0459.

British Institute

noreply@blogger.com (ISBGFH) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:40:00 +0000

ISBGFH is hosting its 11th Annual British Institute in Salt Lake City 3-7 October 2011. This year there will be three tracks with instructors Barbara Baker John Kitzmiller and David Rencher. Barbara's track deals with finding and using land ownership records. Did you know over 3,ooo,ooo British military personnel were at one time or another involved in India? And, David will be leading an advanced methodology Irish genealogy course. For more details about these courses, the instructors or to register, the society's web site has all the particulars.

Classes are held every morning with research time in the Family History Library every afternoon. The instructor is available for help and guidance in the library. The classes are small so that everyone can spend time with the instructor one-on-one.

We look forward to seeing you in October!

A2A

noreply@blogger.com (ISBGFH) — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 17:54:00 +0000

Have you used the Web site Access to Archives or A2A? According to the site,

“A2A allows you to search and browse for information about archives in England and Wales, dating from the eighth century to the present day. These archives are cared for in local record offices and libraries, universities, museums and national and specialist institutions across England and Wales, where they are made available to the public.
“To find out whether archives are of interest to you, it is necessary to consult a catalogue or other finding aids. A2A allows you to search across detailed catalogues from around 400 repositories in England and Wales beyond The National Archives at Kew, so you may arrange to see or to obtain copies of genuine historical documents with just a few clicks of your mouse. The database is regularly updated, so revisit often for newly-included catalogues!”

One of the advantages of this site is that you don’t need to know where the material might be housed, just your ancestor’s name. While looking for one of my more elusive ancestors, I found correspondence between he and his brother in Norfolk. It would not have been on my list of places to look having no known reason to suspect someone had been in Norfolk.
Once you’ve found a document, you can easily follow through to find the record office and send off a request for a copy. Some of the repositories may offer copies of a page or two free, but most are going to charge you for the service

Within the site is a list of items recently added to the now more than 10 million records. It’s an easy way to check periodically to see what has been added to the site. Not only can you search by a person’s name, you can search by a partial name. I used the first two given names of my grandfather without his surname and the first item up was about him. You can also search by subject or place. There is a lot of information on the site to read before you actually search. I find the whole site very well laid out.

One warning however, about this site. It is extremely addicting!!

Happy hunting!

ISBGFH Announces Annual Writing Contest

noreply@blogger.com (ISBGFH) — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 18:26:00 +0000

The Board of Directors is pleased to announce the establishment of an Annual Writing Contest for the Society. The purpose of this writing contest is to encourage people to write articles about British research problems which they have encountered and successfully resolved.

The winning article will be published as the lead article in the third quarter issue of British Connections. The winner of the contest will receive a complimentary registration to the British Institute held in Salt Lake City in October of each year.

The detailed contest rules are listed below and you are encouraged to submit an article of interest on British genealogy.

If you have questions or comments on this contest, please contact Gordon Gray via email: ggray01@aol.com or by postal mail at ISBGFH, P.O. Box 350459, Westminster, CO 80035-0459.

Process:

The winning article will be published in the third quarter issue of British Connections, and the winner will receive a complimentary registration to the British Institute which is held in Salt Lake City in October of each year. Travel and lodging accommodations are not provided.

Each person may submit only one entry. It must be an original article, and previously unpublished. You do not have to be a member of ISBGFH in order to submit an entry.

Each entrant must include a brief bio including:

1. Name and address (address will not be published)
2. Number of years of genealogical research experience
3. Number of years of British Isles research experience
4. British related surnames not included in the article, if any
5. A photograph of the entrant is requested but not mandatory

Each entry should be between 2,500 and 3,000 words and include any appropriate descriptive pictures/charts. They can be submitted electronically via email to admin@isbgfh.org or a hard copy submitted to ISBGFH, P.O. Box 350459, Westminster, CO 80035-0459. Deadline for the entries is May 1.

The winning article will become the property of ISBGFH and cannot be published elsewhere in any format without the written approval of ISBGFH.

The article must focus on how a British research problem was resolved. Specific records and depositories will be of help to others and should be noted in the article. The sources should be cited according to the guidelines outlined in Evidence! by Elizabeth Shown Mills.

The Board members of ISBGFH will be the judges and select the winning article. Their decision will be final.

Updates and holiday greetings

noreply@blogger.com (ISBGFH) — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 18:48:00 +0000

To update the information about FindMyPast that was written about previously. You can access this site by going to http://www.findmypast.com or http://www.findmypast.net. Some people had problems with the .com so hope this information is of help to you.

Another site we came across recently is very international so may be of help in your British Isles quest. GeneaNet has different levels of membership/or registration, but it is free to use. You might want to read about the different levels of registration to see what fits for you.

Another site is Dear Myrtle. Lots of help here for you. Check this site out!

With the holidays fast approaching, you might want to add to your wish list a membership to the family history society in the county where you are researching. One of the best ways to be connected to the area you are researching is to be a member and get the quarterly journal. Very often there is information there you won't find elsewhere. And there will be ways to contact the society for support or help.

Another item you might want to add to your wish list is a trip to Salt Lake City next October to attend the British Institute. This is a week-long class, with lectures in the morning and research in the library in the afternoons. The instructors are excellent and the knowledge you gain will more than get you on your way with your British Isles research.

Happy holidays to one and all!!

Web site updates and British Institute

noreply@blogger.com (ISBGFH) — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 18:12:00 +0000

The Web site "1837online" now has a new name "findmypast.com." The new name, according to their website, better reflects who they are, having outgrown the "1837online." If you have used 1837online, then you will probably have to have a new user name and password.

Findmypast.com now includes, in addition to birth, marriage and deaths, military, census, migration, directories and occupations. These records can go back as far as 1656 up to 2004. If you haven't looked at this site recently, you really should go to http://www.findmypast.com and see what's new.

The 6th Annual British Institute was held during the first week of October this year and two tracks were offered, Welsh II, and Solving Problems and Research Strategies. Each morning found everyone in class and each afternoon everyone was using the records housed at the Family History Library, applying what was learned in the morning as it applied to personal research. The instructors were available in the library to help and offer suggestions to each attendee in the afternoon. Next year it is hoped to have three tracks available for attendees to choose from. The 7th Annual British Institute will be offered 8 - 12 October 2006 in Salt Lake City. Check here or at the Society's Web site for updates, etc.

A number of Web sites are available that will help you keep abreast of new resources for your research: Cyndi's list-what's new ; Family Tree Magazine; Dick Eastman's blog and The National Archives. Follow the links to "news" or "what's new."

Also check to see if your county of research has an on-line newsletter. A great way to stay on top of things. If you aren't a member of the county's family history society, you should be. Many times, various records are printed in the newletter/quarterly and will never see their way to the internet or to a book.

Do you have a great Web site you use for your British Isles research that you think others should know about? If so, please send it our way and we'll post it here.

NGS Conference and other things

noreply@blogger.com (ISBGFH) — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 16:32:00 +0000

We were delighted to meet so many of you at our luncheon at the NGS Conference in Chicago. From all reports it was one of the biggest lunches held during the week. A number of people won door prizes - one year memberships for ISB and several others won CD's from the Family History Library, thanks to our speaker, Paul Smart.

There were a number of lectures that pertained to doing research in the British Isles. Many people noted that while they weren't at the level of the lecture, they had their syllabus and notes to keep on hand for when they were ready for that area of research. This is a good point - you might not be exactly at a point where you can use the information, but if you keep a file of ideas, suggestions and research sources, when you are ready, you'll have the information at hand.

ISB has announced a writing contest for our members and non-members. The details have not been finalized, but the prize is registration for the 2007 British Institute in Salt Lake City - an approximate value of $350. The article must be on how you solved a British research brick wall. How did you solve it? What sources did you use? The article should be about 2000-3000 words. For more information, send an e-mail to isbgfh@yahoo.com and we'll get back to you with the details. Once the details are finalzed, we will write them here.

noreply@blogger.com (ISBGFH) — Thu, 18 May 2006 17:51:00 +0000

England is getting closer (although a few years away) to putting the 1911 census online. The project is in process, but won't be released until the first working day of 2012, in this case 3 January 2012. Read more about this project at The National Archives.

The British Library has some online newspapers. They are rather limited right now, but a site worth checking periodically.

If you have Irish research, you might find TIARA (The Irish Ancestral Research Association) a worthwhile site. Also of interest to Irish researchers might be the Ireland newspaper abstracts. These are mainly from 19th century Irish newspapers. You can also find this link within TIARA.

Conferences

noreply@blogger.com (ISBGFH) — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 15:18:00 +0000

One of the great things about spring and summer is the opportunity to travel and do some genealogy. The other great thing is the opportunity to attend a national conference. Each year the National Genealogical Society (NGS) offers a conference, usually in May in conjunction with the local society. This year NGS Conference will be held in Chicago June 7-10, 2006, co-hosted by the Chicagoland Genealogical Consortium.

In late August, the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS), along with the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) will host a conference in Boston. The dates for this event are August 30 through September 2, 2006.

Both of these conferences will offer a number of "tracts" including the British Isles. In addition ISBGFH will host luncheons at both of these events. The luncheons are a great way to meet others researching the British Isles and perhaps can offer you some suggestions on your own research, or you can offer some suggestions. The people joining you at the table may just be friends you haven't met yet!!

People attending these conferences have been doing research for as little as a month or for many years. There are beginners to advanced researchers all gathering to hear what is new in the genealogical world or what is new in their country or area of research. If you have never attended one of these conferences, you really don't know what you are missing. Besides the lectures, there is time to network with others and visit the various vendors (bring you checkbook or credit card!).

This year ISBGFH will be sponsoring luncheons at both conferences. Paul Smart will be the speaker at the NGS Conference in Chicago and Sherry Irvine will be the speaker at the FGS Conference in Boston. Sherry is currently the Vice President of ISBGFH and Paul has served on the board for a number of years.

In addition, ISBGFH will have a booth in the vendor area at Boston. We hope you will stop by and introduce yourself as a member. We are looking forward to seeing you in either Chicago or Boston.

Web sites to take a look at

noreply@blogger.com (ISBGFH) — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 21:36:00 +0000

Several members of the ISBGFH Board have noted some useful Web sites:

A 12 part Latin Course is available online for those of you who don't remember your high school Latin. Many records found in genealogical research are written in Latin. Take a look at the National Archives. Thanks to Trustee Tommi brett Kadotani.

The National Archives has a monthly news letter available on-line with updates on newly released government documents, online services for history, family history and learning and title of new books or special offers. To subscribe go to the National Archives. . Terence Quirke, ISBGFH Trustee submitted this information in addition to the following:

The Family Record is the newsletter of the Family Record Centre. This quarterly magazine is issued via on-line or in a hard copy. To subscribe go the the Family Records Centre and request either the hard copy version or the online version.

Applications for the British Institute have been mailed to members in their current issue of British Connections. If you are not a member, please send us an e-mail to request an application.

British Institute and other things

noreply@blogger.com (ISBGFH) — Fri, 24 Mar 2006 20:59:00 +0000

We are delighted to announce our 6th Annual British Institute. This week-long event includes classroom sessions each morning and afternoon research time in Family History Library. In addition, there are opportunities for consultations with the instructors and assistance with research problems. For more information, go to the Institute tab.

The UK National Archives recently added an index to the first fifteen years of the Death Duty Registers - 1796 to 1811. Images are available at this site. Click here.

The 1841 Census database has had several more counties added to it and is available at Origins.net . Also, at this site you can find the 1749 census for the Diocese of Elphin in Ireland.

If you have research in Northumberland and County Durham 1540-1858, go to the Durham Probate Catalogue and see what may be of help with your research.

1851 Census

noreply@blogger.com (ISBGFH) — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 19:49:00 +0000

If you are a subscriber to Ancestry.co or your library has this subscription, you will soon be able to access the 1851 Census that covers England, Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.

Did you know that Ancestry.co.uk (part of your subscription to Ancestry.com) allows you to just search British Isle records rather than having to wade through all the other sources?

Genealogy updates

noreply@blogger.com (ISBGFH) — Sat, 15 Oct 2005 16:25:00 +0000

The 5th Annual British Institute came to a successful close on Friday 14 October 2005 in Salt Lake City. Besides class time, there was research time and the library was bustling with people doing their own research and doing class projects. Attendees agreed the institute was well done and the classes were much more than they anticipated.

Next year's dates are 2 October 2006 through 6 October 2006. Mark your calendar now to set aside this week to really learn how to do British genealogy and climb over those brick walls facing you. More information will be forth coming in the near future. Check here or go to our Web site http://www.isbgfh.org.

ORIGINS.NET
Origins.net, is the site to visit to further your research. "Origins.net is becoming recognised as the ultimate Web resource [for genealogy] in the British Isles..."
Family Tree magazine

You can do free searches by surname and pay to view the information. There are various records searched in different time frames. Make a list of those people you want to find more about - or just find! and search away. The Web site is http://www.orgins.net.