Interested in attending? Register at Rootstech.org.

Read more about Gary Boyd Roberts and wayward presidential relatives in the Washington Post.

Members get a 10% discount on NEHGS book and gift items!

View the catalog

Abraham, who, records show, by 1627 was the operator of a windmill on Manhattan Island has more than 200,000 descendants over 15 generations scattered across the Americas.

Read more about the Van Dusens through history.

The ever popular Certificate in Genealogical Research is designed for the more serious amateur or aspiring professional (on campus and online offerings) and a new program called Genealogy Essentials, now available as an online class, is designed for the motivated amateur or hobbyist.



Spring sessions start: 
May 8, 2012 (online)
May 8, 2012 (online Genealogical Essentials)

Course Sign Up Deadline Apri. 18, 2012 

Classroom - http://professional.bu.edu/programs/genealogy/
Online - http://genealogyonline.bu.edu/

Questions? Call: 877-290-9005

Success in genealogical research involves commitment and perseverance, as well as a lively curiosity about the world and practical know-how. Whether one is looking to solve a medical mystery, trace property ownership, find lost friends and family, or write accurate historical narratives, the results of a genealogist’s work must be irrefutable.

The certificate program in Genealogical Research at Boston University’s Center for Professional Education focuses on current genealogical technologies and research methods that reflect the exacting standards and investigative best practices used by professionals in the field.   Developed in collaboration with—and taught by—some of the premier genealogists in the country, BU’s Genealogical Research Program uses lectures, demonstrations, hands-on learning, workbook exercises, practice activities, and open discussions to assist motivated students in identifying and evaluating evidence, designing research strategies, and crafting quality reports.

The program leads to a certificate from Boston University, and is excellent preparation for researchers who seek certification through the Board for Certification of Genealogists^®.

Available on campus or online, the Genealogical Research Program covers the following topics:

• Foundations of Genealogical Research
• Problem-Solving Techniques and Technology
• Evidence Evaluation and Documentation
• Forensic Genealogical Research
• Professional Genealogy

In addition, BU’s certificate program helps students develop a broader understanding of genealogical principles, techniques, and core competencies. A comprehensive curriculum adds depth to one’s background in librarianship, archival management, law, education, historical research, medicine, or biology, through proven research techniques.

Students learn directly from seasoned practitioners who are available beyond the classroom to answer questions, provide leads, and suggest resources. Participants engage with and learn from their peers, and also enjoy the valuable opportunity to meet and network with other distinguished members of the genealogical community. Prior to enrolling, students should have spent a significant amount of time searching for multiple generations of a family through record repositories and online sources, and documenting their results. 

Discover what BU’s Center for Professional Education has to offer through its on-campus certificate program in Genealogical Research. An online program is also available.

Boston University Center for Professional Education           Tel: 1-866-633-9370
808 Commonwealth Avenue, Suite 270                             Email: cpe@bu.edu
Boston, MA 02215 

On Monday, June 27, 2011, The Honorable Thomas M. Menino, Mayor of Boston, Carolyn Lynch, Vice Chairman of the NEHGS Board of Trustees, and Brenton Simons, NEHGS President and CEO, presided over the unveiling of the new front garden and entrance at the NEHGS headquarters on Newbury Street in Boston.

Eric B. Schultz, Chairman of the NEHGS Board of Trustees, David A. Bruce, NEHGS Councilor, Holly McGrath and David McGrath of the Highland Street Foundation, NEHGS Garden and Façade Study Committee members Virginia Whitman Koster and Kelly McCoulf, along with State Rep. Byron Rushing and a large group of cheerful-onlookers gathered to celebrate the beautiful new entryway -- witnessing the long-anticipated ribbon cutting ceremony, graciously preformed by Mayor Menino.

This historic moment is also mentioned in the Back Bay Patch, and The Boston Globe.

Learn more about the progress of the garden and façade project.

NEHGS is actively seeking a living agnate patrilineal descendant of Isaac Stedman (1605-1678) to voluntarily take a complimentary Y-Chromosome DNA test for comparison purposes with what may be another branch of the same family. Isaac Stedman was a native of Biddenden, Kent, England, who married Elizabeth Winchester and came to Massachusetts in 1635 on the Abigail and settled in Boston. Isaac and Elizabeth had three sons – Nathaniel, Isaac, and Thomas who left numerous male descendants into the 1800s.

Please contact NEHGS staff member Christopher Child at cchild@nehgs.org or by phone at
617-226-1282.

NEHGS events at the Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree:

The article highlights some of our most popular tour offerings such as London, Belfast and Dublin.

On Friday April 29th, noted filmmaker Ken Burns was given the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) Lifetime Achievement Award. As the Society's guest of honor at this year's annual dinner, Ken Burns was also gifted a detailed genealogy which traced his ancestry to, among others, Abraham Lincoln. Learn more at Boston.com.

Channel 5 WCVB's news anchor Bianca de la Garza recently dropped by and spoke with our Irish ancestry expert, Marie Daily. Is Bianca related to Kate Middleton? View the video to find out.

The Great Migration Newsletter

Print subscribers to volume 20 (2011) receive a new issue of the Newsletter through the mail each quarter ($20 for a one-year subscription or $36 for a two-year subscription).

Online subscribers access issues through www.greatmigration.org, where TGMN is posted each quarter. They can also access past issues from volumes 11 through 19, as well as bonus biographical sketches not yet in print ($10 for a one-year subscription or $18 for a two-year subscription).

The first issue of 2011 will be available in a few weeks. To subscribe, please visit www.greatmigration.org or call Member Services at 1-888-296-3447.

NEHGS has uncovered a family tie between comedian talk show host Ellen DeGeneres and soon-to-be princess of United Kingdom, Kate Middleton. On this clip on the Ellen Show, Ellen announced this family connection with her audience and television viewers. According to NEHGS genealogist Christopher Child, Middleton and DeGeneres share a direct family line connecting them to first president George Washington. They are fourteenth cousins, twice removed, sharing a common ancestor in a man named Sir Thomas Fairfax (died in 1520) and his wife Agnes Gascoigne.

Learn more about Kate Middleton’s ancestry with our forthcoming book, The Ancestry of Catherine Middleton, available April 2011. Pre-order your copy today!

Follow NEHGS on Twitter! Get the latest tweets.

Barrington was established in 1759 and settled extensively by New England Planters and Loyalists. Argyle was granted township in 1771.

The records for Barrington are registers kept by town clerks Samuel O’Doane Junior and Senior, who recorded births, deaths, and marriages from the 1710s through 1856.

The records related to Argyle range from the 1770s through the first decade of the twentieth century. In addition to births, marriages, and deaths, the Argyle records include the genealogies of prominent local families.

Search: Barrington & Argyle, Nova Scotia Vital Records 

Search: The Mayflower Descendant

The national collection of genealogical journals on AmericanAncestors.org also includes:

• New England Historical and Genealogical Register: Published quarterly since 1847, the Register is the flagship journal of American genealogy and the oldest journal in the field. It has featured articles on a wide variety of topics since its inception, including vital records, church records, tax records, land and probate records, cemetery transcriptions, obituaries, and historical essays. All volumes, 1-164 (1847-2010), are available to search.

• The American Genealogist (TAG) : Published since 1923, TAG represents an important body of scholarly research covering the breadth of the United States, with an early preference for New England.  This database contains volumes 9- 48 (1932-1972). Volumes 1-8 are available in the database “Families of Ancient New Haven.”

• The Connecticut Nutmegger: Published since 1968, the Nutmegger is the ‘journal of record’ for the Connecticut Society of Genealogists, and includes vital records, probate records, bible  records, headstone records, memorials and other useful research for families with Connecticut ties. This database contains volumes 1-41 (1968-2008).

• New Netherland Connections: Published since 1996 by Dorothy A. Koenig, this journal focuses on the Dutch colonial period (1624-1664) in New York and New Jersey. Each issue has feature articles, replies to queries, and items of Dutch colonial interest. Particular attention is paid to identifying the European origins of New Netherland settlers. Volumes 1-12 (1996-2007) are available in this database.

• The Virginia Genealogist: Published from 1957 to 2006, this journal includes compiled genealogies, personal property tax lists, court orders, deeds, wills, marriage registers, and other county sources from Virginia. This database currently contains volumes 1-35 (1957-1991).

• Essex Antiquarian: Published from 1897 to 1909, this journal includes articles focused on biography, genealogy, history, and antiquities of Essex County, Massachusetts. All thirteen volumes are available to search.

• American Ancestors Journal: An annual supplement to the Register, this journal, first published in 2009, includes genealogical scholarship focused on the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, with an emphasis on New York State and out migrations from New England. The database contains both volumes of the journal.

• American Ancestors Magazine: (formerly New England Ancestors Magazine): A 64-page magazine published by NEHGS beginning in 2000, this quarterly publication features a wide range of article topics and styles, and is designed to appeal to family historians of all levels. Topics include coverage of a particular region or group of people; case studies; descriptions of particular record sets; “how-to” articles; compelling historic accounts that illuminate the past; research strategies and methodology; and accounts of migration and immigrant groups. All eleven volumes (2000-2010) of the magazine are available to search.

The Grand Lodge is the main governing body of Freemasonry within Massachusetts, and once maintained Lodges in other jurisdictions overseas, namely Panama, Chile, the People's Republic of China (meeting in Tokyo, Japan), and Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. The database includes information from all former jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, 1733-1990.

Founded in 1733, the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts is the oldest Masonic lodge in the United States and the third oldest Masonic Grand Lodge in the world (the United Grand Lodge of England, 1717; the Grand Lodge of Ireland, 1725). 

As of January 7, 2011, data is available for Masons with surnames starting with letters "A" through "D". Additional surnames will be added on a regular basis.

Substantial support for the creation of this database was generously provided through the work of the dedicated NEHGS volunteer corps.

Search: Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts Membership Cards, 1733 ­–1990

Read full Improper Bostonian article: Family Ties by Jonathan Soroff

The Settlers of the Beekman Patent contains data on over thirteen hundred families who settled in the Beekman Patent, an original land grant given to Col. Henry Beekman in 1697 by the English Crown and the second largest patent in present-day Dutchess County. Many emigrants from New England lived in and passed through the Beekman Patent on their way west. Others, such as the Palatines and Quakers (almost all from New England), were early settlers and remained for several generations or more. The area of study includes the towns of Beekman, Dover, LaGrange (part), Pawling (including Quaker Hill), and Union Vale.

Volumes 1 through 7 contain Beekman Patent families Abbot to Leavens as well as all early information on the Patent including the lease system, town records, and Revolutionary War records.

Search The Settlers of the Beekman Patent, Vol. 1-7 [Dutchess Co., NY] 

Search now: New York, NY: Parish Register of All Saints' Church, 1824-1862 

Don’t Miss the $99 Early Bird Registration for RootsTech 2011 in Salt Lake City!

• A new family history and technology conference to define the future of genealogy
• February 10-12, 2011
• Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
• Early bird registration ends January 7, 2011

You have never seen anything quite like this—the first annual RootsTech Conference in Salt Lake City will be in a league of its own. From the Community Zone and participant-driven unconferencing discussions to the RootsTech Playground, this conference is going to be ground-breaking and unique.  Think major technology creators (Microsoft, Dell, FamilySearch, Ancestry.com, and brightsolid) and technology users (genealogists and family history buffs) coming together in a fun, collaborative environment for three days to learn new, technology-based skills and define the future of family history through technology!

Millions of genealogists use technology daily to help them in their ancestral pursuits. Be one of the thousands of RootsTech 2011 attendees to:

• See firsthand how new and emerging technologies can improve and simplify your activities
• Help influence the future of genealogy
• Learn and share new ways to adapt technologies to genealogy
• Engage in emerging technology demonstrations
• Help leading-edge technology providers better understand your needs and how to satisfy them

There will be sessions of interest to novice, intermediate, and advanced users of genealogical technology. The intended skill level for each session is noted in the RootsTech 2011 Conference program.

The sessions will include:

• Hands-on workshops
• Interactive presentations
• Sneak peek demonstrations of new products and services
• Panel discussions
• Common interest gatherings
• Unconferencing discussions (last minute, on-the-fly sessions requested by attendees)

Go to RootsTech.org to see the full list of topics and sessions.

Register now at RootsTech.org:

• $99 through January 7, 2011
• $150 beginning January 8, 2011

RootsTech is sponsored by Microsoft, Dell, FamilySearch, the New England Historic Genealogical Society, brightsolid, Ancestry.com, the Federation of Genealogical Societies, the National Genealogical Society, and Brigham Young University. 

We are pleased to add "The Mayflower Descendant: A Magazine of Pilgrim Genealogy and History" to the growing suite of premier genealogical journals available on www.AmericanAncestors.org.

The Mayflower Descendant: Published by the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants since 1899, the Descendant is an essential source of information on many New England families, and its focus is not limited to those with Mayflower lineage. The journal includes transcriptions and abstracts of deeds, wills, vital records, and other original documents. In addition, it features compiled genealogies and analytical studies of genealogical problems. Volumes 1 -5 (1899-1903) are available to search now. Additional volumes will be added throughout the rest of 2010 and 2011.

The national collection of genealogical journals on AmericanAncestors.org also includes:

• New England Historical and Genealogical Register: Published quarterly since 1847, the Register is the flagship journal of American genealogy and the oldest journal in the field. It has featured articles on a wide variety of topics since its inception, including vital records, church records, tax records, land and probate records, cemetery transcriptions, obituaries, and historical essays. All volumes, 1-164 (1847-2010), are available to search.

• The American Genealogist (TAG) : Published since 1923, TAG represents an important body of scholarly research covering the breadth of the United States, with an early preference for New England.  This database contains volumes 9- 48 (1932-1972). Volumes 1-8 are available in the database “Families of Ancient New Haven.”

• The Connecticut Nutmegger: Published since 1968, the Nutmegger is the ‘journal of record’ for the Connecticut Society of Genealogists, and includes vital records, probate records, bible  records, headstone records, memorials and other useful research for families with Connecticut ties. This database contains volumes 1-41 (1968-2008).

• New Netherland Connections: Published since 1996 by Dorothy A. Koenig, this journal focuses on the Dutch colonial period (1624-1664) in New York and New Jersey. Each issue has feature articles, replies to queries, and items of Dutch colonial interest. Particular attention is paid to identifying the European origins of New Netherland settlers. Volumes 1-12 (1996-2007) are available in this database.

• The Virginia Genealogist: Published from 1957 to 2006, this journal includes compiled genealogies, personal property tax lists, court orders, deeds, wills, marriage registers, and other county sources from Virginia. This database currently contains volumes 1-35 (1957-1991).

• Essex Antiquarian: Published from 1897 to 1909, this journal includes articles focused on biography, genealogy, history, and antiquities of Essex County, Massachusetts. All thirteen volumes are available to search.

• American Ancestors Journal: An annual supplement to the Register, this journal, first published in 2009, includes genealogical scholarship focused on the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, with an emphasis on New York State and out migrations from New England. The database contains both volumes of the journal.

• American Ancestors Magazine: (formerly New England Ancestors Magazine): A 64-page magazine published by NEHGS beginning in 2000, this quarterly publication features a wide range of article topics and styles, and is designed to appeal to family historians of all levels. Topics include coverage of a particular region or group of people; case studies; descriptions of particular record sets; “how-to” articles; compelling historic accounts that illuminate the past; research strategies and methodology; and accounts of migration and immigrant groups. All eleven volumes (2000-2010) of the magazine are available to search.

NEHGS is pleased to announce the launch of New Englanders in Nova Scotia, a database of 48,165 names from more than 650 families of New England Planters and Loyalists who settled in Nova Scotia beginning in 1759.

Searchable by first or last name, this database offers access to a full index of persons in the New Englanders in Nova Scotia articles written by Fred E. Crowell in the 1920s and 30s for the Yarmouth Herald. The collection also includes a name index for Mr. Crowell’s extensive research notes.

Support for the creation of this database and for the expansion of NEHGS’s significant Canadian research materials is provided by Robert F. Hendrickson and the KSD Foundation.

Search New Englanders in Nova Scotia

This new three-volume set includes Torrey’s complete text, listing all his sources, and for the first time a comprehensive every-name index.

Please note that this set will not be available for shipping until late December, 2010. Any orders for this set will be held until the books are ready to be shipped.

View other wonderful gift ideas in our Book and Gift Catalog, offering new genealogies, guidebooks, source records and more! 

Softcover

Regular price: $84.95  Members price: $76.46

Buy Now!

Hardcover

Regular price: $124.95  Members price:  $112.46

Buy Now!

Boston, MA – November 16, 2010 – Researchers at the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) in Boston today announced that Kate Middleton, Prince William’s fiancée, is related to three iconic figures(chart) in American history. Like the Queen Mother and Princess Diana before her, Kate Middleton is a cousin of America’s first president, George Washington. She is an 8th cousin eight times removed to Washington, sharing an ancestor, Sir William Gascoigne, who died in 1487.

Among the future queen’s other American cousins are explorer Meriwether Lewis, a 9th cousin seven times removed, and World War II general George S. Patton, a 13th cousin three times removed. “These connections will give the Royal family deeper associations with American history,” said the Society’s senior research scholar Gary Boyd Roberts. He added, “Their child will be linked to colonial America in New England, the mid-Atlantic, and the South.” Roberts, who specializes in celebrity and Royal genealogy, is the author of several books including Ancestors of American Presidents.

William and Kate are themselves fifteenth cousins through Sir Thomas Fairfax, who died during the reign of Henry VIII. A branch of his family moved to Virginia in the mid-17^th century.

A remarkable work of documentary history, The Last Muster is a collection of rare nineteenth-century photographic images primarily daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, and carte des visite paper photographs of the Revolutionary War generation. This extraordinary collection of images assigns faces to an un-illustrated war and tells the stories of our nation’s founding fathers and mothers, updating and supplementing research last collected and published over a century ago.

In her comprehensive introduction, author Maureen Taylor explains how she came to this project and collected the images. She also describes her exhaustive primary source research involved in dating and identifying each image and investigating the story and genealogy of each subject. The array of seventy images is expansive and includes veterans, loyalists, Native Americans, African Americans, children who witnessed battles and aided soldiers, and women who nursed the wounded and even took up arms themselves. Although the faces that gaze at the reader are old and wizened, the stories they tell are of youthful bravery in the young days of the republic.

About the Speaker: Maureen Taylor is an internationally known expert on photo identification. She travels extensively giving presentations on photo identification, photo preservation, and family history. She has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and on NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s The View, and NPR.

Maureen will be at the Society on Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. This event is free and open to the public

Announcing our new Book and Gift Catalog, offering new genealogies, guidebooks, source records and more!

In addition, the catalog lists important soon-to-be-published books, including a three-volume set of Torrey’s New England Marriages Prior to 1700; Manuscripts at the New England Historic Genealogical Society; New York State Probate Records, 2nd ed.; and the newest version of our catalog of Classic Reprints. Other publications—NEHGS and Newbury Street Press books as well as important books by other publishers— are presented by category, to help organize your shopping.

You’ll also find NEHGS gift items—ties, totes, note cards, and charts—as well as listings of some interesting upcoming tours.

Remember that NEHGS members get a 10 percent discount on NEHGS products!

NEHGS genealogist Chris Child discovered that Poehler, on her father’s early New England side, is related to Stephen King, Benjamin Franklin, Dick Cheney, and Senator Scott Brown. She is also distantly related to Moby-Dick author Herman Melville(chart). Child found that Poehler also descends from the famous Folger family, once long-time residents of Nantucket, who went on to found the Folger coffee empire.

“It’s always remarkable to me,” said Child, “that as soon as you find one ancestor from early colonial New England, you start finding all sorts of fascinating connections.”

According to Child, Poehler’s early Ancestry includes Ben Franklin’s first cousin, Jethro Folger, who in 1710 married Mary Starbuck. This makes Poehler herself a first cousin to Benjamin Franklin(chart), although the difference in generations makes it 10 times removed.

Poehler is a tenth cousin to author Stephen King(chart). They share a common ancestor in Edward Starbuck of Nantucket, who died in 1690. This same ancestor also connects the actress to Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown(chart), making them eleventh cousins.

She is also a tenth cousin to former Vice-President Dick Cheney(chart). They share a common ancestor in Richard Kimball who died in Ipswich, Massachusetts in 1675. Poehler is a sixth cousin to Moby Dick author Herman Melville, with a common ancestor in Tristram Coffin, who died in 1681 in Nantucket.

Poehler also descends from the 1710 marriage of Jethro Folger and Mary Starbuck, both of Nantucket, Massachusetts. Folger’s descendants went on to found the Folger coffee company and the Starbuck family name played a role in the naming of today’s Starbuck’s coffee.

Our new ties are hand-made, 100% silk, custom-designed by Vineyard Vines especially for NEHGS. The motif on the ties is taken from the NEHGS seal, designed in 1845 by Horatio Gates Somerby. The ties are available in red or light blue and measure 59” x 3 ¾”. The NEHGS Ties by Vineyard Vines are $65 for NEHGS members ($75 for non-members).

Orders can also be placed by calling 617-226-1212. Prices do not include shipping. Massachusetts residents will be charged 6.25% sales tax. Limited quantity available.

Did you know that the NEHGS Book Store offers library-quality copies of over 10,000 rare and out-of-print books? Some titles ordered by recent customers include:

1880 Federal Census of Ashe County, North Carolina

Annals of the Town of Mendon, Massachusetts from 1659 to 1880

Clopper, an American Family: Its Ups & Downs Through Eight Generations in New Amsterdam, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio & Texas, from 1650 to 1880

Gazetteer and Business Directory of Bennington Co., Vermont, For 1880-81

History of Piscataquis County, Maine, from its Earliest Settlement to 1880

You can search the entire Classic Reprints catalog online at http://www.AmericanAncestors.org/store/ . If you would like a list of FAQs and search tips for the Classic Reprints catalog, simply send an email with "Classic Reprints" in the subject line to sales@nehgs.org.

Boston, MA – August 19, 2010 – D. Brenton Simons, President and CEO of the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), today announced the launch of AmericanAncestors.org, the organization’s new website that will serve as the home of its growing regional and national genealogical resources. AmericanAncestors.org will contain all of the Society’s New England and New York content, features, articles, and resources, as well as weekly updates and databases in a variety of regional and ethnic specialties, such as sources for mid-Atlantic, Irish, and African American research.

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