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Genealogy
CLAN DONALD GENEALOGY RESOURCES
Clan Donald DNA Project: http://dna-project.clan-donald-usa.org/Clan Donald Heritage website - page with links to Clan Donald sites & related web sites:
http://www.clandonald-heritage.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=42&Itemid=61
On-line access to the full text of the book "The Clan Donald" published in 1904: http://www.archive.org/stream/clandonald03macduoft/clandonald03macduoft_djvu.txt
The National Genealogical Society recently announced the release of its newest course, Introduction to Civil War Records, developed by renowned military expert Craig Roberts Scott, CG. This course offers Clan Donald members an ideal opportunity to improve your abilities to research into your ancestor’s past. Mr. Scott is a nationally recognized lecturer, educator, and genealogical and historical researcher with more than thirty years’ experience. He is a specialist in the diverse military records at the National Archives and is also CEO and President of Heritage Books, Inc., a Baltimore based genealogical publishing firm. In this seven chapter course, Craig introduces numerous records including compiled service records, prisoner of war records, and pension files created for, during, and after the war. He provides strategies to identify and locate information on an ancestor living at the time of the Civil War.
This NGS American Genealogy Studies course is available on CD-ROM as a PDF file compatible for a PC- or MAC for $35.00 for members and $50.00 for non-members. For further information, or to purchase the course, visit the NGS website at www.ngsgenealogy.org and click on Educational Courses.
Family History Library (LDS) classes available on the Internet
The FamilySearch Family History Library is now making its popular classes available at FamilySearch.org, where anyone anywhere in the world can access them for free at a time that is convenient for them. According to Sister Loosle (LDS), the free online classes are one part of the growing number of tools FamilySearch is building for its online patrons.
There are 23 Family History Library classes available online, with subjects ranging from European research to United States military records. The most popular offerings are the Beginning Research Series for Ireland and England and a class on descendancy research. The classes vary in length from 6 to 58 minutes, with most lasting about 25 minutes. The format of the class varies, depending on the content being presented. One type of class shows a video that alternates between the teacher and the PowerPoint slides. Another kind of class integrates video of the presenter, the accompanying PowerPoint slides, and links to supplemental materials all in one screen.
Several of the classes are interactive, such as a course on reading German handwriting. In these classes, the teacher is represented with still photographs and audio narration, and the student can actively participate in learning activities, such as matching English and German characters or transcribing selected words from a document. As a student types, the correct text appears in green and incorrect answers appear in red, providing immediate feedback. All of the classes can be accessed onfamilysearch.org by clicking on Free Online Classes on the home page.
Tips from, Mary Carroll, former Mid-East Genealogist
One way to begin your genealogical work is to use the following steps.
- Organize your information.
- Remember your ancestors.
- Use sources in your home.
- Ask relatives for information.
- See if someone else has already found the information.
- Search records for information.
Keep your information in one place. Preferably get forms or computer programs that you can use to record your family information. They make the task of recording and organizing easier. Get something to put the information into (briefcase, notebook, box, etc.)
If you prefer writing information on paper you can download or print free forms from familysearch.org web site. A pedigree chart lets you list your pedigree (your parents, grandparents, great grandparents, and so on). A family group record lets you list an entire family and their information. You will need several copies of the forms.
If you prefer using a computer, either download the free program Personal Ancestral File from familysearch.org or install a family history program of your choice.
Remember Your Ancestors.
Begin by remembering information that will identify that person for each member in your family.
Record the information you remember about your family on forms or in a computer program. First fill out forms for your own family, and then work back to your parents and grandparents. You can quickly see what you know and what information is missing or incomplete. As you find things, carefully record their source and all of the pertinent information. It is time consuming and expensive to have to revisit the same sources a second time.
Use Sources in Your Home.
Look for sources in your home that might contain your missing or incomplete family information. Useful sources include birth, marriage, and death certificates; family bibles; funeral programs; obituaries; and wedding announcements. Add this information to your pedigree charts and family group records. Record the sources of the information (use the Notes or Sources section on the forms or in your family history program). This helps you and others know where the information came from.
Ask Relatives for Information.
Make a list of relatives and the family information they may have. Contact these relatives (visit, call, write, or e-mail them). Be sure to ask specifically for the information you would like. (For example, "Do you know when Aunt Jane was born?") Add the information to your pedigree charts and family group records. Record the names of the relatives who gave you the information in Notes or Sources.
See if Someone Else Has Already Found the Information.
Warning: A common mistake is to gather every reference to the surname even if the person is not clearly a relative. You will be swamped with information.
Do the easiest, cheapest, most productive things first.
- Talk to living relatives.
- Search the web using a search engine (such as Google) for family names – especially for those who were born over 100 years ago. Many individuals have published their family genealogies and put them on the internet and one may include your ancestors. Don’t waste your time doing individual research if the work has already been done by others. Find it first. Do be wary of internet sites and double check the information. Some sites have incorrect information.
- Start looking in the other data bases and resources. Many county libraries have free connections to many of the genealogical data bases or give you computer access if you do not have it.
Many of your questions can be answered free or for minimal cost if you just ask. Librarians, town clerks, local and state historical societies, religious leaders, etc. are often very willing to respond to written requests for information. Just writing a letter to a town clerk or local historical society often brings good results or a referral to some other person or organization which can help you. Many resources are now listed on the internet in town or county web sites. Historical Societies, cemeteries and local historians often have web-sites. Use a search engine to look for them.
ANOTHER resource for Clan D ancestry hunters..."Genealogy for Beginners" - http://members.aol.com/rprost/new.html
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