The Guild Conference welcomes Michelle Patient Posted 18 March 2017 by Julie GoucherMichelle Patient is a genealogist, embroiderer and a geek with a degree in Pure and Applied Chemistry and technical qualifications in Geology. Michelle has a love of data, facts and research. Working for many years in civil engineering laboratories before moving into programming databases for marketing projects, she has spoken to various community and work-related groups since the 1970’s. She started researching her mother’s birth family back in the early 1990’s and became seriously addicted to genealogy research over a wet Sydney Christmas at the end of 1999. Growing up with an elder grandmother’s stories and being given her photos in 1999 started the roller coaster ride that has become her genealogy research journey. Michelle’s science and engineering background has helped her develop research tips which she shares regularly with the wider genealogy community in face to face presentations, in magazines, and over the Internet. Michelle’s articles have been published in various magazines including: Sydney PC Users Group magazine PrintScreen, Information for New Users (IfNu) column, Australian Family Tree Connection Magazine, Inside History, the Royal Australian Historical Society’s History Magazine, The New Zealand Genealogist and the Journal of One Name Studies. She has volunteered in various roles within the genealogy community, both in Australia and New Zealand including President of the New Zealand Society of Genealogists 2012 – 2014 and New Zealand Regional Representative for the Guild of One-Name Studies 2015 – present and Education Committee Member Society of Australian Genealogists. Shackles, Shekels and Shrapnel, the Exodus to the Southern Seas Since the late 1700s there have been various waves of migration from the Northern Hemisphere to the “new lands” in the Southern Seas. Michelle will explore migration waves, the records they created and where to find them. Michelle will be presenting at the Guild of One-Name Studies conference on Saturday 1st April 2017. Non-members are welcome and booking is currently still open. Presentations will be available to Guild members after the event.
Genealogy, Surnames and Pharos! Posted 15 March 2017 by Julie Goucher The Guild has a longstanding relationship with Pharos Teaching and Tutoring Limited, as Pharos offers two courses about One-Name Studies, an Introductory course and an Advanced course. Pharos is run by Helen Osborn a Guild member and author of Genealogy: Essential Research Methods. Both Helen and the Guild received some great feedback on Monday that is well worth sharing with our readers. A lady called Yvonne walked into her local library in Romsey…..here is what Yvonne had to say: “I went to my local library in Romsey on Tuesday. I saw your book on display – a lovely new book with an academic title, Genealogy – Essential Research Methods. I idly thought “how interesting, I’ve often wondered about doing some genealogy”. I borrowed the book, read to page 20, followed your reference to Guild of One Name Studies, found my mother’s maiden name, emailed the researcher and within 24 hours he had sent me incredibly detailed 36 pages of the entire family tree going back to 1678! I am still astonished at this and can only thank you for this wonderful result, obtained by a few computer clicks and an email. Other parts of my family tree will be very difficult – my father was a Jewish refugee from Vienna in 1938. Thanks again. Kind regards Yvonne W” For those of you wondering, the family name that Yvonne was interested in was CAWTHRA. Do you have them in your ancestry? If you do, please get in touch. Have you looked to see if your family surnames are being studied by Guild members? Published with permission of Yvonne and Helen at Pharos.
The Guild Conference welcomes Dr Ian Macdonald Posted 13 March 2017 by Julie GoucherDr Ian G Macdonald, MSc (Genealogical Studies), C.Eng, CITP, FBCS Zoologist, Information Engineer, quality award assessor, business systems strategist, process transformer, company director and latterly genealogist, practicing professionally in a limited way. Ian is a tutor for the University of Strathclyde’s online post-graduate genealogy courses and chronicler of the Mewburn family. His genealogical interests span eastern Scotland, much of England, Poland, Canada, Australia and anywhere else that seems of interest. He publishes fairly widely and has been fortunate to win awards for it, including Aberdeen’s Bruce Henderson Award that led to the publication ofThe Alexanders of Bourtie, 1696-1886 – a gripping read. Ian is Chairman of the Register of Qualified Genealogists and Deputy Editor for the newly launched The Journal of Genealogy and Family History. He has a particular interest in seeing standards of genealogical practice being improved. Yeomen to shipwrights, sailors and owners – Mewburns and the sea The Mewburns are a family largely of the ‘middling sort’. They are from the north east – Cleveland, County Durham and occasionally Northumberland. A fairly complete genealogical study has been made of them and of their transformation from yeomen farmers in the 16th and 17th centuries to more professional folk in the 18th and 19th. However a major branch became boatbuilders while various others, perhaps influenced by living around the Tees, Wear and Tyne, were lured by the sea or into business to profit from the sea. This talk looks at a near-complete one-name study (well probably not) and the marine related sources that have helped to illuminate a few corners of it.
The Guild Conference welcomes Peggy Chapman Posted 11 March 2017 by Julie Goucher Peggy has researched family history for more than twenty years becoming progressively more involved as time went by, and now culminating in the joys of more time for genealogy due to retirement two years ago. After more than forty courses successfully completed over time, she will finish spring 2017 studies through the National institute of Genealogical Studies in Canadian Records with the designation of PLCGS. She has already completed the Advanced Certificate in Methodological Studies. Peggy has conducted workshops in topics ranging from Making the Most of Online Services, Introduction to Genetic Genealogy, Atlantic Canada Genealogical resources, Strategies for Brickwall Busting and of course, Surname and One-name Studies on behalf of the Guild. She finds great satisfaction in assisting beginning researchers to learn strategies for independent research. A diverse educational and work background (some might say a lack of focus!) includes a Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Sociology, and a Masters in Library and Information Studies and all seems to finally come together in her current genealogical activities. In Peggy’s one-name study, with origins in the Channel Islands, family reconstruction and social history are the primary attractions. Waves of Migration: Landing on the Shores of Canada and United States As your one-name study travels the world, chances are good that at some point your surname will land on the shores of North America. Peggy and Tessa will identify the ports in two of the largest countries in North America and explore the resources and records that will assist you as you extend your one-name study to North America. Peggy will be delivering a pre-recorded presentation at the Guild of One-Name Studies conference on Sunday 2nd April 2017 with Tessa Keough. Non-members are welcome and booking is currently still open. Presentations will be available to Guild members after the event.