Cemetery records can offer important clues to understanding the lives of those who came before us. Learn how headstones, family plots, and burial documents can shed new light on your ancestor’s life.

Delve into the world of family history research in New Hampshire through live demonstration. In this lecture, we will discuss essential state-specific resources and records for the granite state.

The military records at the National Archives detail service given between 1775 and 1916. We will discuss how to locate, access, and utilize compiled service records, pension applications, and other resources that detail your veteran ancestor’s service. We will also discuss briefly more recent records available through the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis (WWI–present). 

Scots have been migrating to and settling in America and Canada for centuries. Today, there are an estimated 25 million Americans of Scottish descent. Tracing your Scottish heritage is rewarding, but not without its challenges. Join our genealogist to learn the first steps in tracing your Scottish roots.

While we might wish all our ancestors’ records were typed in a standard format and perfectly legible, that simply isn’t the case. Many of the records family historians turn to are handwritten and may be faded, use archaic terminology, unfamiliar abbreviations, or are just plain illegible. This lecture will provide practical strategies for approaching handwritten documents, understanding and deciphering hard-to-read handwriting from different time periods, so that you can make the most of these important resources in your family history research.

Cluster research broadens the scope of your research to include your ancestor’s extended family, associates, and neighbors—all with the goal of solving a genealogical mystery. By expanding the scope of your research, you’re also increasing your number of leads, records, and results. Learn how a solid research plan can help you stay on track, stay organized, and achieve your research goals effectively and efficiently.

Before the Revolutionary War, geography, topography and a strong indigenous people presence shaped migration patterns. This lecture covers the dominant push-pull forces and challenges for colonial migration. Using maps and other graphics, the major migration routes by region will be described: New England, mid-Atlantic and southward from Virginia. Famous paths such as the Kings Highway, the Great Valley Road, and the Fall Line Road as well as less well-known paths such as the Greenwood Path and the Forbidden Path will be covered. Using a set of examples, the process of locating clues in local histories, land records, and maps will be discussed.  

Advances in DNA research over the last decades have had huge implications for the field of genealogy. In this lecture we will discuss what types of genetic tests are available to family historians, what genealogical problems they can—and can’t—assist you with, and ultimately how to choose the right test(s) to further your family history research.