Georgia columnists

Migrations, occupations, case files and tufts

~ Georgia Gen

Focus on Georgia columnists:

Kenneth H. Thomas, Jr. for the AJC, 31 January 2016

Seminar focuses on ancestors’ migrations and occupations

“Ancestors: Where They Went, What They Did, and a Way to Share What We Know,” is the theme of the Georgia Genealogical Society seminar to be held 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 27 at McElreath Hall at the Atlanta History Center, 130 W. Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta.

The first speaker, Andie Criminger, will address why every genealogist should have a blog. Karen Molohon will follow with three lectures: an overview of geography and genealogy; finding and understanding your ancestor’s occupation in the census records; and migration and mapping to find out where your ancestors went.

Cost is $25 for members of GGS and the Atlanta History Center, $35 for nonmembers. Mailing registration deadline is Feb. 19, PayPal online deadline is Feb. 24. Send checks to Georgia Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 550247, Atlanta, GA 30355-2747; to register online and for further information, see gagensociety.org.

If you have further questions, contact Laura Carter at gagensocprograms@gmail.com or 706-369-9420. Lunch is not provided, but there are places nearby. The Atlanta History Center’s library and archives will be open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. that day for research. See atlantahistorycenter.com.

Learn about Southern tufts

Ashley Callahan will speak at noon Feb. 12 at the Georgia Archives Lunch and Learn seminar on “Southern Tufts: The Regional Origins and National Craze for Chenille Fashion,” the subject of her recent book by that title from the University of Georgia Press. Callahan, an independent scholar with decorative arts training, will cover this northwest Georgia phenomenon, which has grown into a major industry. The seminar is free; bring your lunch. For more information, check georgiaarchives.org or call 678-364-3710.

North Carolina case files online

Familysearch.org recently posted a great free resource, North Carolina state Supreme Court case files, 1800-1909. These are digitized copies of the original loose case files, with an online searchable index that only covers the major names — roughly, the full names — of those in the title of the lawsuit. You may find a reference online from North Carolina Reports, the published summaries of decisions. Here, you can read the entire case. The originals are at the North Carolina Archives. Check for any surname of interest, then check the county.

Contact Kenneth H. Thomas Jr., P.O. Box 901, Decatur, GA 30031 or gagensociety.org.

 

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S.C. roots, Irish Parish registers, Jewish genealogy

~ Georgia Gen

Focus on Georgia columnists:

South Carolina roots should be considered

Kenneth H. Thomas, Jr. – for the AJC– Saturday, 9 January 2016

When dealing with Southern research, genealogists always should consider that some of their ancestors might have come from South Carolina.

Many of our ancestors may have immigrated directly to South Carolina and started their American journey there. Others may have just passed through the colony/state on their way westward. I have ancestors in both categories.

Brent H. Holcomb is the editor and publisher of the South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, in its 44th volume this year. With four issues of the journal per year, he has covered a lot of South Carolina genealogy resources.

While the last issue of each year contains an index for that year, Holcomb also has published comprehensive decadelong indexes for earlier decades. Anyone with any South Carolina research questions should check for an individual name, but also for sources, since he includes various record groups, such as the current running of federal equity cases covering South Carolina, and extracts from the Christian Neighbor religious newspaper, among others.

Each issue includes book reviews and queries from subscribers. Placing a query in such a well-known publication is a great way to let others know for whom you are looking.

Holcomb also has published hundreds of books on South Carolina sources, so look for his name in any genealogy library collection.

A subscription to SCMAR is normally $35 a year, but he is offering a one-time-only subscription price of $30 to new subscribers through Feb. 10. It would be a good way to treat yourself to a new genealogy resource. Write SCMAR, P.O. Box 21766, Columbia, SC 29221. His website is scmar.com.

Irish parish registers

More than 1,000 Irish parish registers have been placed online, free, by the National Library of Ireland at registers.nli.ie, but there is no countrywide index as yet. Check out the site to see how it works and what you can find. You can read the microfilm of a parish register directly on your computer, but you have to figure out the parish first.

Jewish genealogy

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Georgia is worth knowing about and joining. Check jewishgen.org/jgsg to see what they offer in meetings and research materials, with lots of links online to Jewish research sources elsewhere. Membership also links you to the Breman Museum.

Contact Kenneth H. Thomas Jr., P.O. Box 901, Decatur, GA 30031 or gagensociety.org.