The recording of today's webinar by Kimberly Ormsby Nagy, "Specialized Lineage Societies - more than just DAR, Dames and Mayflower" is now available to view at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com for free for a limited time.

On the last Friday of each month, we're pleased to offer Legacy Family Tree Webinar subscribers a new bonus webinar just for them!   This month enjoy "The Wives of Fishermen: The Lives of 19th Century Women and the Records They Left Behind" by Gena Philibert-Ortega. 

The Wives of Fishermen: The Lives of 19th Century Women and the Records They Left Behind

The women of Nantucket are unique. They were “grass widows” who were left to fend for themselves for often years at a time. This situation meant that these women were so much more than “just a housewife.” Using a case study we will take a look at their lives and the records they left behind as well as what 19th century records might record your female ancestor’s life.

About the Presenter

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We all have them. Assumptions. They can be a big obstacle when we consider our genealogical research.

On my recent trip to Salt Lake City, I went to my favorite local bookstore and picked up some cookbooks. One was a Junior League Cookbook from Portland, Oregon. So nothing surprising there. I buy community cookbooks on most trips given the chance. Now I didn’t look at Cooked to Taste too closely, after all, I've studied hundreds of community cookbooks. I assumed this would include a list of women's names who shared one thing in common, they were members of the Junior League of Portland, Oregon at the time the cookbook was published in 1954.

But I was so wrong.

After I returned home, I opened the cookbook and instead read this explanation of who contributed to the cookbook.

What?!

This is a community cookbook, it should have women from a specific community who contributed recipes. Or it should have a list of members. Either way, there should be women's names. But no. The cookbook represents a community of women but it’s unclear what women from where and what sources the recipes come from. This cookbook is a collection of recipes of one woman, mostly unattributed.

So this is definitely a problem as I think of a cookbook as a genealogy source. But that got me thinking about other assumptions we make about genealogical sources. Maybe you recognize some of these:

• I can’t find my ancestor in the census so they must not have been counted.
• This index for this record set doesn’t include my ancestor so they must not have been in this place in time.
• My ancestor was “important” so they should be in this record.
• My ancestor always spelled their name this way.
• My ancestor always went by this name.
• They must have been married before they had their first child.
• They didn’t divorce. That wasn’t done in those days.
• In the good old days, people did (or didn’t do) that…

You get the picture. Instead, we should be thinking:

• I can’t find my ancestor in the census so they must not have been counted.

Have I tried to search different such as a wild card search or Soundex or even a different website with the census? Better yet, going page-by-page in the location I think they lived in.

• This index for this record set doesn’t include my ancestor so they must not have been in this place in time.

What limitations does this index have? What could be missed?

• My ancestor was “important” so they should be in this record.

Maybe they were important but maybe they weren’t. Family stories aren’t always correct. Better to exhaust records for that location and time and then draw conclusions not based on research.

• My ancestor always spelled their name this way.

They may have but that doesn’t mean everyone else did. That record keeper may have made a mistake that wasn’t corrected or spelling wasn’t as important.

• My ancestor always went by this name.

Sure, but once again that doesn’t mean someone recording their name didn’t use initials or a nickname.

• They must have been married before they had their first child.

Maybe, but people have always had children out-of-wedlock. It’s not that unusual.

• They didn’t divorce. That wasn’t done in those days

Sure, people have always hated their spouses. They may have divorced, abandoned their spouse, or even moved and remarried without the benefit of a divorce.

• In the good old days, people did (or didn’t do) that…

Yes, yes they did.

What are Your Assumptions?

Assumptions stop us from doing exhaustive, thorough research. They also stop us from thinking critically about our research. Research requires us to carefully consider what’s available and take the time to evaluate our findings before we accept them as fact. As you research, ask yourself these questions of the records you find:

• Who is the informant for this record? Are they named? If so, how did they know this information?
• What type of source is this? Was it recorded at the time of the event? What is the date of the recording versus the event itself? Were those involved eye-witnesses to the event?
• Does this information answer my research question (always have a research question)?

Don't make assumptions and watch the assumptions you do have about genealogy. You can learn more about sources, information, and evidence by reading QuickLesson 17 on the Evidence Explained website.

Gena Philibert-Ortega is an author, instructor, and researcher. She blogs at Gena's Genealogy and Food.Family.Ephemera. You can find her presentations on the Legacy Family Tree Webinars website.

 

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About the presenter

Dr. Nagy is a retired trauma surgeon with a lifelong passion for genealogy. She is nationally known for her work with lineage societies, and has served on national boards of several. She has 40 years of experience preparing lineage society applications, and has first hand knowledge of what is necessary to have an application approved. She has extensive lecturing experience, first as a medical educator, now as a genealogical lecturer.

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Webinar time

The webinar will be live on Wednesday, July 30, 2021 at:

• 2pm Eastern (U.S.)
• 1pm Central
• 12pm Mountain
• 11am Pacific

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Here's how to attend:

1. Register at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com today. It's free!
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6. Click on the webinar link (found in confirmation and reminder emails) prior to the start of the webinar. Arrive early as the room size is limited to the first 1,000 arrivals that day.
7. Listen via headset (USB headsets work best), your computer speakers, or by phone. 

We look forward to seeing you all there!

Every Friday we're pleased to offer Legacy Family Tree Webinar subscribers a new short ten minute or less TechZone video just for them! This Friday enjoy "1 Step to Faster Internet at Home" by Geoff Rasmussen.

1 Step to Faster Internet at Home

If your internet speeds fluctuate throughout your home. Like in the office next to the modem it's screaming fast, but head down to the basement or upstairs to the kid's bedroom and it crawls, then you need a wifi extender like Google Wifi.

About the Presenter

You've probably read online that the Family History Library in Salt Lake City re-opened July 6th. During the last year I’d been promising that as soon as the Library was open I was going to travel to Utah to research. I didn’t make it to the Library on opening day but I was there a few days later.

This isn’t just a re-opening after the COVID shutdown, FamilySearch used the closure to make improvements. They aren't quite done with some of the construction but that doesn’t affect your ability to research. As of this writing, the break room that you can use to buy vending machine food is not open (it will be back in August). In addition to that, my experience was that many nearby restaurants, within walking distance, were closed temporarily or permanently because of COVID. To avoid frustration, make sure to call and inquire if a restaurant is open and their hours of operation as well as if they are serving dine-in customers or to-go orders only. Some popular restaurants near the Family History Library are not open including those in the Joseph Smith Building.

Gena Philibert-Ortega at the newly opened Family History Library.
Photo courtesy of Gena Philibert-Ortega.

The Family History Library is currently in "stage 1" of their opening. Meaning that they are only open Monday-Friday from 9am to 5pm. So if you’re in town on the weekend, you may want to make other plans. The Salt Lake City Public Library is open on the weekends and it is a beautiful building if you're a library fan like me. You can order a ride service or you can take Trax to get there. Stage 2 of the opening will include Wednesday evenings and Saturdays.

What’s New at the FHL?

So what’s new at the Family History Library? Much of the change is in the “look” and technology of the Library. New technological tools, brighter working areas, computer stations, and table space for researcher use are the most obvious changes. I visited the library months before the COVID shutdown and the changes are noticeable. Technology such as microfilm scanners, book scanners, and multiple screen workspaces are available. If you don’t like technology, that’s ok. There’s plenty of table space to use with electric outlets for your own computer or mobile devices. If you’re like me and would rather use an old microfilm reader, you still can in a special room, but for everyone else, individual computers with microfilm scanners are available. 

New workstations at the FHL. Photo courtesy of Gena Philibert-Ortega

The ground floor is still the discovery area where visitors can learn more about family history. As you can probably guess, this floor was the busiest during my time at the Library. It was filled with families and tourists looking to discover their ancestors. The 2^nd floor holds the US/Canada Microform Collection. Floor 3 is where you will find US and Canada books (they’ve added even more books, 50,000 were added donated in 2020!).

Family History Library Discovery Area.
Photo courtesy of Gena Philibert-Ortega

For those doing international research, B1 is the floor with the international microfilm collection as well as the map collection (check out the lighted map table and all those maps!). Although this floor is for international collections, all of the microfiche, no matter what country, is also located on this floor. B2 is the International book collection.

No matter what floor you are on you’ll find the technology that you need. But there’s also the old tried and true technology like photocopy machines. Gone is the photocopy area which you probably won't miss considering the other tools like book scanners. Even though there aren't a lot of photocopy machines, if you do need to make a copy, all photocopies are free! I overheard one volunteer state that if you still have a copy card with money on it, just exchange it with them for a flash drive.

Book Scanner at the Family History Library.
Photo courtesy of Gena Philibert-Ortega

Now, what if you need help? That’s no problem. Use a Family History Library computer (there's a Help icon) or your cell phone to take a photo of a QR code that allows you to summon help. Help, when you need it, where you need it. They come to you and if they can't help they will find someone who can. Each floor also has a resource desk where you can ask for help with research, using the Library, or the technology.

QR Code to summon help at the Family History Library.
Photos courtesy of Gena Philibert-Oretga

Prepare Before You Go

I have a few suggestions for preparing for a trip to the Family History Library.

• Like all library trips, consult the Catalog before you arrive.
• Make sure you identify more than one family history research project to work on. That way if you run out of ideas or you become frustrated with one family line you can move on to the next.
• Prioritize your research using materials only available at the Library (books, microforms, or record images that are restricted to viewing only at the Family History Library or an affiliate).
• Spend some time at the computers using the subscription websites available at the Library. The Family History Library Portal (available on FamilySearch computers under the Genealogy Websites link) is different than the Family History Center Portal. While they do share some of the same genealogy subscription websites the Library has more subscriptions.
• If you need a break from research you can take advantage of what the first floor offers such as private interview booths and large family history pedigree chart printing (you must have a tree on FamilySearch to use this service).

I do want to say something about research “success.” Researching at a large library doesn’t always mean you’ll find answers to your research questions. Yes, I did find some materials I needed. One of my favorite finds was a 70 page will, only available online at the Family History Library. But I also didn’t find quite a bit of what I was looking for. That’s ok. I spent time reading articles and books, I searched subscription websites I normally don’t have access to, and I studied records that I’m not as familiar with. No library visit is a waste if you are learning something that will help you in the future. At the very least, you now know what records your ancestor does not appear in. 

Gena Philibert-Ortega is an author, instructor, and researcher. She blogs at Gena's Genealogy and Food.Family.Ephemera. You can find her presentations on the Legacy Family Tree Webinars website.

The recording of today's webinar by Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL, "That Scoundrel George" is now available to view at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com for free for a limited time.

 

Test Your Webinar Connection

To ensure that your webinar connection is ready to go, click here.

Can't make it to the live event?

No worries. Its recording will be available for a limited time. Webinar Subscribers have unlimited access to all webinar recordings for the duration of their membership.

About the presenter

A genealogist with a law degree, Judy G. Russell is a lecturer, educator and writer who enjoys helping others understand a wide variety of genealogical issues, including the interplay between genealogy and the law. She has a bachelor's degree in political science and journalism from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and a law degree from Rutgers School of Law-Newark, and holds Certified Genealogist and Certified Genealogical Lecturer credentials from the Board for Certification of Genealogists where she serves as a member of the Board of Trustees. She has worked as a newspaper reporter, trade association writer, legal investigator, defense attorney, federal prosecutor, law editor and, until her retirement, was an adjunct member of the faculty at Rutgers Law School. Judy is a Colorado native with roots deep in the American south on her mother's side and entirely in Germany on her father's side. Visit her website at www.legalgenealogist.com.

With our Google Calendar button, you will never forget our upcoming webinars. Simply click the button to add it to your calendar. You can then optionally embed the webinar events (and even turn them on and off) into your own personal calendar. If you have already added the calendar, you do not have to do it again - the new webinar events will automatically appear.

Webinar time

The webinar will be live on Wednesday, July 21, 2021 at:

• 2pm Eastern (U.S.)
• 1pm Central
• 12pm Mountain
• 11am Pacific

Or use this Time Zone Converter.

Here's how to attend:

1. Register at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com today. It's free!
2. You will receive a confirmation email containing a link to the webinar.
3. You will receive a reminder email both 1 day and 1 hour prior to the live webinar.
4. Calculate your time zone by clicking here.
5. Check your GoToWebinar connection here.
6. Click on the webinar link (found in confirmation and reminder emails) prior to the start of the webinar. Arrive early as the room size is limited to the first 1,000 arrivals that day.
7. Listen via headset (USB headsets work best), your computer speakers, or by phone. 

We look forward to seeing you all there!

The recording of today's BCG webinar by Alison Hare, CG, "The Time of Cholera: A Case Study about Historical Context" is now available to view at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com/BCG for free for a limited time.