Presented by Masen Brandon on 16 Jan 2025.
Thursday, January 16 7:00 pm
Virtual Chapter Upcoming Webinars
Crash Course in Denmark (Webinars)
Denmark is a complex country with both differences and similarities to its Scandinavian peers. These differences may not be visible to the unwitting beginner researcher, and the distinctions will help inform research. Using considerations of mapping, history, geography, linguistics, genealogical context, and Danish record examples, this presentation is jam-packed with Danish information. Crash Course In Denmark describes topics imperative to understanding the where, when, & how of records for Scandinavian family history beginners. A handout contains details in and akin to the presentation so learners walk away with future research stimulated.
Masen Brandon is a professional genealogist who specializes in Scandinavian & Pacific Northwest family history. In Scandinavian research, he works with material in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Masen resided in Denmark for a short time, enriching his lived experience in Scandinavian culture. He is a part of the Snohomish Tribe of Indians which makes heritage of Coast Salish people a lifelong pursuit. When entering the genealogy field, Masen had a background in written translations (Danish & English) and fiction & essay writing. He completed certificates at IIGS while dabbling in the self-created Rikheim one-name study and other volunteer positions, and moved onto the clock to become a Certified Genealogist. Masen owns and operates Genealogical Factors, a research business.
A Last Name for Mary Ann- Finding maiden names for women (Webinars)
Presented by Allyson Maughan on 20 Feb 2025.
Thursday, February 20 7:00 pm
Most married women in the US appear on records with their husband’s last name. What records can we turn to in our pursuit of maiden names? Follow the case of Mary Ann Wolf to learn how to find and confirm a maiden name.
Allyson is a research consultant, speaker, and writer. She graduated from Idaho State University in secondary education in 2001. She completed Gen Proof in 2023, ProGen 53 in 2022 and a Genealogy Research and Writing Certificate from Salt Lake Community College in 2019. She passed her Level 1 December 2023 for her AG. She will take Level 2/3 tests in February 2024. She enjoys historical pictures and poetry writing and shares tips on familypicturesandpoetry.blogspot.com. If she is not researching, she is with her husband and three girls enjoying family time in Salt Lake City.
NotebookLM for the Genealogist (Webinars)
Presented by Robert Cameron Weir on 20 Mar 2025.
Thursday, March 20 7:00 pm
Dive into the world of NotebookLM, Google’s “personal AI-based research assistant,” and discover how it can supercharge your genealogical research. Imagine having an assistant that not only organizes your notes, books, journal articles, and original records but also helps you make connections and draw insights from them. In this session, we’ll explore how to maximize the productivity boost from NotebookLM, turning complex data into clear stories and actionable discoveries. Whether you’re managing stacks of family records or sifting through historical documents, NotebookLM could be the tool that transforms your research journey.
Robert Cameron Weir is a genealogical researcher, lecturer, and author who lives in Dover, New Hampshire. He specializes in hard problems related to New England genealogy, from 1620 to the present. He is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and is the Publications Director for the New Hampshire Society of Genealogists.
Which Hans Jensen is Mine? Navigating Patronymics in Scandinavian Research (Webinars)
Presented by Jenny Hansen on 15 May 2025.
Thursday, May 15 7:00 pm
The majority of ancestral Scandinavians shared a small number of given names and surnames. Following ancestors without becoming mixed up in the patronymic pot can be a challenge. This class will provide guidance for focusing on your ancestor and eliminating other possible family lines. We will discuss methodology specific to Scandinavian research to enable your success.
Jenny Hansen has a bachelor’s degree in Family History and Genealogy. She earned the Accredited Genealogist® credential in Danish research in 1999, and she completed the requirements for the Accredited Genealogist Lecturer™ designation in 2023. She is currently a free-lance researcher and instructor, specializing in all things Scandinavia. She also serves as a commissioner for The International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen). Her hobbies include reading, finding old churches and cemeteries, and doing anything outdoors with her family. She blogs at www.MyFavoriteAncestor.com.
Digital Library on American Slavery and Related Projects from Across the South (Webinars)
Presented by Diane Richard on 19 Jun 2025.
Thursday, June 19 7:00 pm
The Digital Library on American Slavery is composed of 3 main projects — slave petitions, runaway slave advertisements, and bills of sale. Slave petitions cover all southern states and include county and state-level petitions. Runaway slave advertisements and bills of sale have an NC focus. Once these concepts are introduced (runaway slave advertisements and bills of sale), similar projects for other southern states (and beyond – don’t forget, not just the South or US enslaved individuals) will be discussed. Recent years have seen an explosion in the records that researchers can easily access to pursue their formerly enslaved or FPOC ancestors.
Diane L Richard, MEng & MBA, Mosaic Research and Project Management (MosaicRPM), www.mosaicrpm.com, has been doing genealogy research since 1987 and in 2024, celebrates her 20th anniversary of professionally researching client ancestors while also channeling the “inner teacher” in her by sharing her knowledge via the written and spoken word.
She regularly contributed to Internet Genealogy (2006-2023) as an author, writing a regular Net Notes column and authoring over 500 articles. From 2010-2017, Diane edited Upfront with NGS, the National Genealogical Society’s blog, and published over 2000 posts. She spent a decade as editor of Wake Treasures, the journal of the Wake County Genealogical Society, and since 2016, she has been the editor of the North Carolina Genealogical Society (NCGS) journal.
English Poor Law Records before 1834 (Webinars)
Presented by Amy Harris on 16 Oct 2025.
Thursday, October 16 7:00 pm
The Old Poor Law, or Elizabeth Poor Law, was a national system of poor relief in England and Wales between the late sixteenth and early nineteenth centuries. This webinar covers the main poor law records generated between 1601 and 1834 and how they reveal details about property relations, migration, illegitimacy, marriage, and employment. We will also discuss how to access the records and use them effectively in genealogical research. Content, examples, and case studies will concentrate on the years between 1662 and 1834.
Amy Harris, PhD, AG ® , FRHistS is the current Family History Program Coordinator at Brigham Young University. She has published in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, in the Genealogists’ Magazine, and on the history of genealogical practices. Her historical research focuses on families, women, and gender in eighteenth-century Britain. Her first book, Siblinghood and Social Relations in Georgian England (Manchester, 2012) explored sibling relationships and their connections to political and social ideas of equality. Her most recent book, A Single View: Family Life and the Unmarried in Georgian England (Oxford, 2023) is a case study of family life from the perspective of those who did not marry, married late, or did not have children. Amy is a professor in the BYU Department of History where she teaches history and family history/genealogy courses.