Live, in-depth, and interactive
genealogy webinars
Let’s review 14 select elements of North Carolina history, record keeping, and more — each critical when researching North Carolina ancestry. History influences what records were kept and where and how records are archived. Geography influences the movement of people. Learn about what makes North Carolina a unique and interesting state to research.
In the 19th century, NC was considered backward and slow to modernize – hence the reference to Rip Van Winkle. Well, in the last 20 years, NC has been at the forefront of making material FREELY available to researchers via numerous online platforms. Yes, you can do much NC research at home in your jammies. Whether planning an in-person visit or determining record availability and access, this talk has you covered. We explore the myriad web-based resources created by North Carolina institutions (state-level, county-level, regional, and university, as well as other repository types) and available to genealogists for FREE. The talk will share a vast array of online resources available to you at your fingertips to help you pursue North Carolinian ancestors!
Let’s review 14 select elements of North Carolina history, record keeping, and more — each critical when researching North Carolina ancestry. History influences what records were kept and where and how records are archived. Geography influences the movement of people. Learn about what makes North Carolina a unique and interesting state to research.
Courts in North Carolina have always had the role of dealing with crimes and disputes, but in the past they also handled much more routine items that can be of great interest to your research. County courts handled many functions now done by other government offices such as proving deeds, probate, petitions, taxes, appointment of local officials, licenses, bastardy, manumission – the list goes on. To complicate things the type of courts and what they were responsible for has changed over time. This discussion will help you know not just what you can find but how and where to find it.
Courts in North Carolina have always had the role of dealing with crimes and disputes, but in the past they also handled much more routine items that can be of great interest to your research. County courts handled many functions now done by other government offices such as proving deeds, probate, petitions, taxes, appointment of local officials, licenses, bastardy, manumission – the list goes on. To complicate things the type of courts and what they were responsible for has changed over time. This discussion will help you know not just what you can find but how and where to find it.
The State Archives of North Carolina holds the bulk of original state records and most of the older county records. Many collections are obvious targets for genealogical research like wills, court records, land grants, estate files, etc. However, there are several collections that are often overlooked that can contain valuable information not found elsewhere, and most are not online anywhere.
In the 19th century, NC was considered backward and slow to modernize – hence the reference to Rip Van Winkle. Well, in the last 20 years, NC has been at the forefront of making material FREELY available to researchers via numerous online platforms. Yes, you can do much NC research at home in your jammies. Whether planning an in-person visit or determining record availability and access, this talk has you covered. We explore the myriad web-based resources created by North Carolina institutions (state-level, county-level, regional, and university, as well as other repository types) and available to genealogists for FREE. The talk will share a vast array of online resources available to you at your fingertips to help you pursue North Carolinian ancestors!
The State Archives of North Carolina holds the bulk of original state records and most of the older county records. Many collections are obvious targets for genealogical research like wills, court records, land grants, estate files, etc. However, there are several collections that are often overlooked that can contain valuable information not found elsewhere, and most are not online anywhere.
Women are traditionally challenging to document in historical public records due to a lack of independent assets and rights. Personally written diaries, journals, correspondence, and more can help fill in gaps about female ancestors. This talk goes well past journals and diaries as “women” had voices in myriad ways, including the clubs and organizations they participated in, the annotations they made on common household items like calendars and cookbooks, or even their submissions to the state fair. There are many ways that women “spoke” throughout history. In contrast to males, we must look at different kinds of records to find our female ancestors' “own words.” We’ll explore almost 20 records where women ARE documented in the 18th-20th centuries.
Important records for our research are acquiring birth, marriage, and death certificates as they include many juicy details of names, dates, places, and family relationships. What happens, though, when our ancestors are born before the government starts keeping these records (e.g., North Carolina didn’t begin birth & death registration until 1913 with a bump in compliance in 1936 due to Social Security starting but no full compliance till maybe as late as WWII)? Wow – that is a lot of ancestors for whom we won’t find official records of birth, marriage, or death for. This means we must seek alternative records to document these important vital records. We’ll explore some obvious and many less obvious places where we might find the details we seek.
Small business/organization ledgers document everyday business transactions that involve our families. This webinar focuses on the many kinds of ledgers created by the types of businesses found in every small town or county where your ancestors lived in the 18th through early 20th century. The talk will highlight where we can locate these ledgers and what we can learn from them. Ledgers place individuals and families in space and time, sometimes give relationship information, document women & children, employees, enslaved, Free Persons of Color (FPOC), etc. You might learn about your ancestors' shoe size, what type of dresses, hats, and formal clothing they wore, what illnesses they were treated for, what newspapers they read, and more. We will explore ledgers from a diverse range of businesses. What are you waiting for? Do not assume that ledgers don’t survive for your ancestor’s community or that your ancestors will not be listed!
Women are traditionally challenging to document in historical public records due to a lack of independent assets and rights. Personally written diaries, journals, correspondence, and more can help fill in gaps about female ancestors. This talk goes well past journals and diaries as “women” had voices in myriad ways, including the clubs and organizations they participated in, the annotations they made on common household items like calendars and cookbooks, or even their submissions to the state fair. There are many ways that women “spoke” throughout history. In contrast to males, we must look at different kinds of records to find our female ancestors' “own words.” We’ll explore almost 20 records where women ARE documented in the 18th-20th centuries.
