DIARY DATES

Essential family history dates for your diary coming up this Spring

ONLINE COURSES

Professional genealogist: become one, become a better one, 17 May Pharos Tutors presents a four-week course led by Karen Cummings, developed in association with the Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives. The four lessons cover: What is a professional genealogist?; business basics; professional standards and continuous professional development; dealing with clients and reporting back; marketing yourself and your business. Participants should have extensive research experience into order to benefit from the course, since it does not give guidance on advanced methods of research or records. Starts 17 May, cost £47.99. Book at http://familytr.ee/pharosmay

ONLINE TALKS

British Isles Family History Conference registration Registration is now open for the first virtual conference of the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottowa, to be held on 19-26 September. The event will comprise fifteen sessions over eight days from fourteen international speakers. Register at www.bifhsgo2021.ca

Bringing home the bacon: a bygone world of historical occupations, 14 April Do you know your gongfarmers from your mush fakers, and your charwomen from your colporteurs? Enjoy a riotous romp through British historical occupations in this talk from professional genealogist and AGRA Associate, Dr. Sophie Kay. Sophie will explore how occupational demands and hazards influenced workers’ lives, with examples ranging from the 1600s through to the Victorian era. She will also examine how to harness the power of digital resources and physical archives to explore these stories for yourself.

Hosted by Inspire Archives, Nottinghamshire. Starts 7pm. £3. Book at http://familytr.ee/bacon

Family history software for the Mac, 1 May Do you use an ipad, iphone, Macbook or Apple desktop to research your family history? Learn more about the software packages that are available for you to use on your Apple devices. Join Graham Walter for a two-hour tutorial and find out what options you have for software that is specifically designed for you to store your family history information. The talk starts at 10.30am and costs £15. Book at http://familytr.ee/mac

The flour dealer: travel & politics in Georgian England, 1 May Manchester Ancestors present a Zoom talk by Hilary Hartigan that tells the story of one inhabitant of Manchester whose personal history reveals the story and reality of travel and politics in Georgian England. Carriages and barges, poverty and petitions, grains and grievances, just an ordinary trader in Manchester? Starts 2pm. Free of charge, book at http://familytr.ee/flour

Finding death and burial records in the United States of America, 6 May A one-hour talk looking at where sources for US death, burial and obituaries can be found and used, led for the Society of Genealogists by Dr David Mcdonald, president of the Association of Professional Genealogists. Runs 6pm-7pm. £10. Book at http://familytr.ee/ Usrecords

Beneath the city streets, London’s unseen history, 7 May Peter Lawrence delves into the underground history of the city of London in an online talk for Bedfordshire Family History Society. Starts 7pm. Visit www.bfhs.org.uk/talks.html

House History Show, 15 May Are you curious about house history? Interested to learn the details of your ancestors’ homes? The House History Show will take place online 10am to 4.30pm, presented by the leading team of UK house historians: Prof Deborah Sugg Ryan, Dr Nick Barratt, Karen Averby, Melanie Backe-hansen, Gill Blanchard, Ellen Leslie, Keith Searle and Cathy Soughton. The full-day show, on 15 May, will be followed by an online house history lecture and presentation series through May and June. The full-day programme will include two one-hour keynotes, with presentations on research skills and sources know-how, case studies, Q&A and discussions involving the team of house history experts.

Registration is £45 which includes the full 15 May programme and all subsequent lectures in the series, starting 20 May, running through May and June. Other ticket options also available from £10. All sessions will be recorded and made available to registered attendees. Find out more and book tickets at http://familytr.ee/house

Irish church records, 8 May To successfully find your Irish ancestors, you need to know their religion as well more obvious facts, like their names and where they lived. This talk, by Dr James Ryan, tells us about the history and administration of eight major churches in Ireland, looking at how they kept their records and what is available now. Starts 2pm, tickets £10. Book at http://familytr.ee/irishchurch

The textile industry of the Somerset/dorset Border, 8 May The West Dorset Group of Somerset & Dorset Family History Society presents a Zoom talk by Richard Sims. To join, contact Jane on email jferentzi@aol.com

Besoms, battledores, bedsteads and bum rolls: the role of women in the 17th century, 12 May Historian Janet Few (delivering her talk in costume as Mistress Agnes) takes a look at the many tasks of the Stuart housewife, including cooking, cleaning, making and laundering clothes and maintaining the garden. Runs 7.30pm-8.30pm. Tickets £12. Book at http://familytr.ee/besom

FACHRS 2021 online conference, 15 May 2021 An online conference presented by the Family & Community Historical Research Society, titled ‘The Starvation Act?’ The Poor Law Amendment Act 1834. There are five talks and the event runs 9.30am - 6pm. Entry £5. To book, visit www.fachrs.com/shop/ Shop.html

Royal Navy service records, 29 May In this talk Ian Waller gives us an overview of the most comprehensive series of records outlining the Service. The Admiralty was extremely meticulous at keeping records of operations, procedures and personnel. Ian introduces us to these records. This one-hour talk costs £10. Book at http://familytr.ee/waller