VGS News & Events: 15 April 2018 through 21 April 2018

The April 2018 Genetic Genealogy SIG Meeting

Coming Events:

Wednesday: April 18, 2018

Mid-Atlantic States SIG Meeting

9:30 AM in the Defender Room at the Lake Miona Recreation Center

Thursday: April 19, 2018

New England Genealogy SIG Meeting

11:00 AM in the New Smyrna Room at the Sea Breeze Recreation Center
Note the time change for this month's meeting.

Friday: April 20, 2018

Scandinavian Genealogy SIG Meeting

10:00 AM in the Clearwater Room Sea Breeze Recreation Center

Gen News and Announcements:

Surnames: Different countries, different traditions

MyHeritage
"Surnames originate from the relatively “recent” medieval custom of bynames, or names given to differentiate people.
There were four different types of bynames typically given:"
Continue reading...

Rare British Surnames On The Cusp Of Extinction:

MyHeritage
"Do you have a rare surname? Could your family be amongst the final bearers of near extinct British surnames? If your surname is Miracle, Villan, Relish or Tumbler for example, then you’re a dying breed in Britain. If your surname is Bread or Spinster…then we will be surprised as you’re presumed extinct! Read more to find out!"
Continue reading...

5 Common Irish Genealogy Brick Walls and How to Overcome Them:

FindMyPast
"If you've made any progress in tracing your Irish ancestors, there are certain road bumps you've undoubtedly met on your journey. Let's take a look at the most common issues to and help you get past them."
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7 Tips to Help You Find Your American Ancestors in PERSI:

FindMyPast
"The Periodical Source Index, otherwise known as PERSI, is an amazing resource for genealogy research. If you're facing a brick wall, PERSI may be just the thing to overcome it."
Continue reading...

Timeless: Benjamin Franklin’s Connection to the Salem Witch Trials:

Ancestry
"When I think about Benjamin Franklin I think about bifocals, kites and lightening, his ambassadorship to France, and the fact that he was the oldest person to sign the Declaration of Independence in 1776.  I most certainly don’t think about the Salem Witch Trials.  After all the witchcraft frenzy that gripped Salem Village happened almost 85 years before the American Revolution."
Continue reading...

New Records on FamilySearch: Week of April 9, 2018

FamilySearch
"New archived records from around the world are published on FamilySearch every week to help you find your ancestors. This week, over 2.5 million new church and civil records are available from Brittany, France and more from Peru, Ecuador, Sweden, Germany, Chile, the Netherlands, and Ukraine."
Search now...

5 Hidden Clues in the US Census:

Amy Johnson Crow
"The US census forms the basis of much of our family history research. It is often among the first things we search for when trying to answer a genealogical question. However, there are clues that are often missed. Let's take a look at 5 hidden clues in the US census."
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Are You Using the Right Search to Find Your Ancestors?

Amy Johnson Crow
"A search box is a search box, right? Actually, not so much. Not all searches act the same way. Understanding the differences in them can help you find more ancestors as well as discover more resources to use in your genealogy research. Let's take a look."
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Is My Surname Jewish?

ThoughtCo
"Many of the names that people think "sound" Jewish are, in fact, simple German, Russian or Polish surnames. The point? You generally can't identify Jewish ancestry by a surname alone. Actually, there are really only three surnames (and their variations) that are generally specifically Jewish in nature: Cohen, Levy and Israel. Yet, even variations of these common Jewish-specific surnames may not be Jewish."
Continue reading...

Technology:

Stop Facebook’s ‘On This Day’ From Dredging Up Painful Memories:

How-to-Geek
"Facebook’s “On This Day” is mostly harmless nostalgia, but every once and a while it dredges up painful memories. You can stop this by manually excluding certain dates and people."
Continue reading...

Education:

Using Local Historical and Genealogical Societies to Further Your Genealogy Research:

Ancestral Findings
"What types of things will you find at local historical and genealogical societies? It varies, of course, but you may find valuable research resources.  Let's explore these resources together on today's episode of the Ancestral Findings Podcast."
Listen now...  7.30 minutes

Webinars:

Better Together: Making Your Case with Documents and DNA

Legacy Family Tree Webinars
"The genealogical proof standard requires reasonably exhaustive research in solving ancestral-identity problems. DNA evidence is now often part of that research. Even the best DNA evidence must be combined with some traditional research. This webinar will show different ways that genealogical problems have been solved by integrating DNA evidence with the paper trail."
Tuesday, April 17, 2018 at 8:00 p.m.
Presenter: Patti Lee Hobbs, CG
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

Lincoln's Laws and the Records of War:

Legacy Family Tree Webinars
"President Lincoln's General Order 100 - "Instructions for the Government of Armies ... in the Field" - revolutionized the laws of war and created new records for genealogists to research."
Wednesday, April 18, 2018 at 2:00 p.m.
Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL
Learn more or Register for this webinar...