|
| Back to home page | Dave's other sites: > CanGenealogy > Genealogy Unlimited > Volhynia |
 (Click on the photograph for a hi-res version) Dave's bio |
Seminar topics and links Three dozen choices in five categories: General, Technology, Canada, Europe and England. Some of them work well together, and others don't. Check with Dave before making your final choices. Check Dave's schedule to see where he is speaking. Contact Dave by New! The Great Canadian Census Quiz -- Test your knowledge of the Canadian census, one of the greatest resources available to family historians. This session will make you more aware of the history of the census, its potential for reseachers and its limitations. Here's a hint, though: Just because someone appears in the census does not mean he was even alive! The way the census was taken ensured that errors would appear in the finished product. We take this source for granted, but it is important to understand why it was taken, and what limitations might have been imposed. Although the first nominal enumerations were done in the French colonies in 1666 and 1667, the most useful census returns date from 1851 through 1916. They provide snapshots of the population every five or ten years, and make it easier to sort out family units and relationships. This talk includes a list of web sites to use. General Trinkets and Treasures: Things Your Ancestors Left Behind -- Family history research should involve more than websites, old pieces of paper and microfilm. There are tangible pieces of evidence as well. These might include items your ancestors used or created, and they will help you to gain a better understanding of the lives they lived. They also serve as a reminder of times past. Think of the stories they can tell! Seven Habits of Highly Successful Genealogists -- It doesn't matter where you are researching, certain practices will help increase your chances of success -- and the quality of the information that you collect. Keep these seven points in mind as you work, and you will be less likely to be led astray. It's About Time: A Simple Way to Organize Your Work -- While the fun is in finding new information, the way you assemble your information is essential to your overall success. Organizing, sorting, and categorizing what you discover will help you to notice overlooked details and further your research. One of the best strategies is to use a timeline, or a chronology, because it will help identify gaps, and might point to sources you might have otherwise missed. The Search for Frank Liddell: A Case Study -- Frank Liddell was born in Coleraine, County Derry, Ireland in the 1880s. Or was he? Frank came to Canada in 1910. Or did he? Why doesn't he appear in any of the records? Why is there no trace of the first 25 years of his life? Checking all available source documents reveals the answers -- and raises many, many more questions. This is a great detective case. Includes web links. More Than Just Dates and Names -- When you are compiling information on your ancestors, it's important to be aware of the big picture -- the historical events, local or national, that affected their lives. That is the context that will help explain many of the decisions made by your ancestors. But it's just as important to collect as many details as possible: If they had a farm, what were their crops? How did they spend their free time? This session is designed to help you look beyond the obvious sources when doing research. Includes a list of sample Web sites. The Geography of Genealogy -- It is impossible to do comprehensive genealogical research without an understanding of where your ancestors lived. There are several good reasons to use geographic tools in your research. They help you to determine where you are from. They will also help you to find records dealing with your family. Maps and atlases help genealogists sort out where their ancestors lived in relation to regional and national boundaries, churches, rail lines, and other factors that help determine which records hold most hope. Geographic tools will also give you a sense of what life was like for your ancestors. This talk provides a basic overview of what to look for, and how to use the information that you find. Includes web links. (Please note that there are versions of this talk tailored for Canadian research, for English research, and for European research.) Introduction to Family History Research -- Why do we do what we do? What are the basic sources to use? Hint: Start close to home. Includes web links. Research in Your Local Library -- Even though we live in the Internet age, we can't do it all online. Our local public libraries still have much to offer -- from books about genealogy, to local histories, to comprehensive atlases and much more. And don't forget inter-library loans! This talk will help you get the most out of your public library. Civil Registration and Public Records -- Civil registration documents -- sometimes known as vital statistics -- provide basic building blocks for many genealogical projects. This is a summary of some of the records available, and how to put them to the best use. There are indexes online, and sometimes even digitized copies of records. Includes a list of Web sites to use. Newspapers In Family History Research -- Newspapers are a wonderful source for people looking to find out about the lives led by their ancestors. Here’s how to go beyond the basics of obituaries and birth announcements, with insight from someone who has been a journalist for three decades. See this Web page for more information and some links. Tracing Forward to Find Distant Cousins -- Stymied in your search for distant cousins -- your living relatives? Trying to find other descendants of your ancestors? You need to start in the past and trace forward. Researching subsequent generations can be difficult, because people leave clues regarding where they are from, but not necessarily where they are going to. That doesn't mean it's impossible; there are plenty of sources that will help you. Many Internet sites can help -- but it pays to know which ones are essential, and which tricks to use. Includes a list of Web sites to use. The Errors of Our Ways -- Many times, well-meaning family history researchers find themselves at a dead-end because they took a wrong turn without realizing it. This session includes a dozen examples of errors that have been made and how those errors could have been avoided. It may inspire you to take a second look at some of your research practices. This session is perfect for starting a conference. More thoughts are on the Errors of our ways Web page. Write Your Family History -- One of the best ways to create a lasting memory of your ancestors is to tell the stories of their lives. While a genealogical chart can seem daunting (or even worse, boring) to a non-genealogist, a narrative is accessible. A well-written story will make other family members much more aware about, and more interested in, the research that you are doing. This talk -- by a genealogist who has been a journalist since 1972 -- includes some ideas that will help you get over your writer's block. It might even inspire people to start writing more stories for the society's journal. Includes a list of Web sites to use. Now What? -- You've attended a great conference or seminar, and your genealogical batteries have been recharged. What should you do now? You need to set priorities, and build on the contacts you've made and techniques and sources you have learned. Above all, you should take away a fresh new attitude about genealogical research. This short session is perfect as the final session at a conference. More thoughts are on the Now what? Web page. Researching Female Ancestors -- Odds are, about half of your ancestors are female – and it makes more sense to research the females than the males. You are more assured of accuracy, for one thing. It's also a way to give your under-appreciated female ancestors the credit they richly deserve. Researching women is usually tougher than researching men, because the records aren't as complete. That doesn't mean it can't be done. See this Web page for more information and some links. Working Without a Net -- OK, so you've been using the Internet for everything so far. News flash: You can't do it all on the Web. This talk includes information on a variety of sources that are not online. You will come to appreciate the value in going beyond the Net. Get Them Talking -- Interviewing relatives and strangers for genealogical information can be rewarding or frustrating. Results will vary widely, and one of the key factors will be the amount of preparation you have done. Here are many tips and strategies, culled from almost four decades as a journalist. When people would rather not talk, it is usually possible to get them to open up. There are ways to break the silence -- and ways to determine if they are telling the truth. The examples include some questions you should never use. There are also pointers for recording the information using different kinds of equipment. See this Web page for more information and some links. Christmas: A Special Time for Genealogists -- Some classic Christmas works were based on family history. Besides, it is a good time to connect with relatives, isn't it? (This talk is only suitable in November or December!) Back to Top Technology Genealogy by Google -- Google is an invaluable tool for genealogists. It pays to know some tricks, including effective filtering and search strategies. Don't forget Google Books, Google Maps, Google Images and the historic newspaper collection. You will quickly discover that a simple search simply scratches the surface of what is available to genealogists. Includes a list of Web sites to use. Blogs, Posts, Tweets and Apps -- The Internet provides several tools that seem perfect for genealogical researchers. They can help you find distant relatives or people researching in the same area as you. Consider using blogs -- online logs that you can use to share information on any topic. Or try Facebook, the social networking tool that makes it easy to share information with family members across generations, distances and family lines. Learn to use social networks to share research, stories and workloads as you work on your family's history. Try Twitter, which is perfect for short bursts of information that might trigger responses from your contacts. Try Youtube if you have videos to share. There is also Skype, among other voice over Internet services. And do not forget the iPhone, the iPad and the iPod Touch, which have applications -- apps, they are called -- that might make your research easier. There are several other tools that can make your life much easier, including PDAs, GPS receivers, Wi-Fi and more. Includes a list of Web sites to use. Using Technology in Your Research -- Many technology toys can make your life much easier. They include PDAs, GPS receivers, Wi-Fi and more. This offers a quick summary of tools that may not seem to have obvious genealogical connections. Includes a list of Web sites to use. Travel Smart With Technology -- Visiting an ancestral community is one of the greatest thrills a family historian can have. The experience provides a wealth of information, both from local archives and by simply walking the streets. But to make the most of the experience, it helps to prepare. This session will help you get ready for a trip to explore your family's roots. It also includes tips for using tools that might not have obvious genealogical connections. For starters, consider taking a Global Positioning System receiver, a netbook, a hand-held device such as an iPod Touch or a Palm, and a digital camera -- and don't forget the value of making extra copies of everything you discover. And if you don't want to travel with an electronic arsenal, you can still use technology to gain a better sense of an area before you set out. Attendees will benefit from a presentation designed to help travelers, both real and virtual, to maximize their research into family connections outside Canada. Includes web links. Back to Top Canada Destination Canada -- More than seven million people arrived in Canada from Europe, the United States and Asia between 1815 and 1930. This session deals with the wide variety of sources that deal with immigration to Canada, including ship passenger lists (available from 1865 through 1935), border crossing records, and naturalization and citizenship documents. Many of these sources have been indexed and placed online, making it possible to access them quickly and easily. It pays to know, however, the scope and limitations of those Internet resources, and how to obtain information from other sources. Includes a list of web sites to use. Dave is the author of the book Destination Canada. Canadian Migration Patterns -- People have been coming to this country for centuries. Understanding the flow of people will help you understand how your family fits in the history of the country. Look for specific sources and their locations, probable routes, places of origin for group migrations, and the influx of people directly from the United States, Europe and Asia. Canadian Genealogy on the Internet -- Canada has hundreds of websites of prime value to genealogists, but it is important to know which ones will give the most value for the time you invest. Which sites to use? That will depend on which of the 10 provinces and three territories your family called home. Several sources should be checked by everyone, but some of the best finds will be in the regional or local websites. This session will quickly guide you to the top sites, where it will be possible for you to make good progress on your Canadian lines. Links are on CanGenealogy, the most accessible Canadian link site. Canadians in the First World War -- The First World War touched virtually every Canadian. Between 1914 and 1918, 240,000 men were killed or wounded -- from a country with a population of just eight million. Today, researchers can learn about Canada's soldiers, including facts about their family and where they served. It makes sense to also look for context - what happened to those who survived the war, and to the family members who waited at home for news. Much of the information is available on the Internet (assuming you know where to look). Includes a list of web sites to use. The Geography of Genealogy in Canada -- What is the difference between a province and a territory? What is a concession road? Where are the counties? Knowing about geography will help you to find records dealing with your family. This is especially true in Canada, which is the second-largest country in the world. It's possible to find the location of virtually every community in Canada, and then determine what life was like for the people who lived there. Maps and atlases help genealogists sort out where their ancestors lived in relation to regional and national boundaries, churches, rail lines, and other geographic factors. Includes web links. Land records in Western Canada -- A guide to some of the sources of information on farms, as well as an indication of where the information might lead you. Includes a list of web sites to use. Family History in Western Canada -- Western Canada is the youngest part of the country; serious settlement did not begin until thousands of people arrived from San Francisco for the Fraser River gold rush in 1858. They were followed by millions of people from just about everywhere. Today, it is possible to find plenty of information about the people of Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Some national and regional sources will help, but it pays to know the differences among the four provinces. The first thing to do is to sort out the geography, because two of the provinces are barely a century old. Includes a list of web sites to use. Family History on the Canadian Prairies -- You don't necessarily have to go there to trace your ancestors in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba - a lot of information is available on the Web, through the mail, and at your local library. This session offers insight into some of the lesser-known sources of information. Includes a list of web sites to use. Genealogical Resources In British Columbia -- A review of the most important sources, with an emphasis on the Internet The Roots of British Columbia -- It is impossible to do proper genealogical research without taking history into consideration. This session describes the settlement patterns, including variations by region. Research in Victoria -- A summary of the resources available to genealogists in Victoria, the capital of British Columbia. It's one of the best cities in Canada for researchers, because there is a lot of material, it's easy to get at, and parking is cheap. This talk includes a brief primer on genealogical research. Includes a list of web sites to use. Back to Top Europe Introduction to Eastern European Family History -- Boundary changes and unfamiliar languages can make research in countries such as Ukraine and Poland difficult, but there are ways to get past the hurdles. Using geographic tools will make it easier for you to discover which records might be available, and where they are held. With more material being placed online every year, it is possible to make progress that would have seemed impossible not that long ago. Includes a list of Web sites to use. The Geography of Genealogy in Europe -- It takes a few special tricks to find places in Germany and points east. The researcher can save time by consulting the best sources. This lecture includes several samples from the problems Dave has been asked to solve over the years. Includes a list of Web sites to use. Two Dozen (or more) Ways to Research Germans from Russia -- For many years, researchers have had great difficulty researching these roots. Today, a huge amount of material is available, if you know where to look. Much of that is on the Internet, with several key sites -- including www.odessa3.org-- providing a lot of information. There are also societies that might help, and don't forget the value of a trip to your ancestral homeland. Includes a list of Web sites to use. The 1930s: Stalin's Arrest Files -- Records held by the KGB in the former Soviet Union can provide a wealth of information on families of people who were arrested. The prisoners often gave information about neighbours as well. This session includes many examples taken from KGB files, as well as tips on how to gain access to the material. Includes a Web page with more information. The 1940s: Forced from Their Homes -- The Einwandererzentralstelle series of films, from the Captured German Documents collection at the U.S. national archives, has been a tremendous source for Germans from Russia. Dave has purchased 70 of the films, covering every family in his mother's ancestral village in Volhynia. These films reveal rich detail about life in the German colonies. Includes a Web page with more information. Under Two Dictators: The Germans in Russia in the 1930s and 1940s -- The Germans from Russia who were still there in the 1930s and 1940s had to endure purges at the hands of the Communists, the Second World War, and forced resettlement. There are records that help to tell the story of many of these people. Documents compiled by the predecessor of the KGB can provide a wealth of information on families of people who were arrested. The prisoners often gave information about neighbours as well. When the ethnic Germans were moved to German-held territory during the war, another series of records was created -- this time by the Germans. The Einwandererzentralstelle series of films, from the Captured German Documents collection at the U.S. national archives, has been a tremendous source for Germans from Russia. (This talk combines the talks on the 1930s and 1940s.) Volhynia? Where is Volhynia? -- You won't find it on any modern maps, or on many old ones, for that matter. But Volhynia is home to more than a million people, and was a prime destination for Germans in the middle of the 19th century. This session explores the history and geography of the region in the northwest corner of modern-day Ukraine. (And don't forget to look at Volhynia.com as well.) If It's Tuesday This Must Be Lidzbark-Warminski: On the Road in Eastern Europe -- A light-hearted look at travelling to do research in Eastern Europe. It's worth it, just to trudge down the dusty streets where your ancestors walked. Also, to fight with the local police, to fall on your face in a forest, to argue with the archivists, and more. Researching in countries such as Poland and Ukraine is not as easy as researching here, so you should keep your expectations in check -- and just enjoy the experience. Includes a Web page with more information. Back to Top England The Geography of Genealogy in England -- Knowing about geography will help you to find records dealing with your family. Maps and atlases help genealogists sort out where their ancestors lived in relation to regional and national boundaries, churches, rail lines, and other factors that help determine which records hold most hope. This talk provides a basic overview of English sources, and how to use the information that you find. Includes web links. |
|
|
Back to home page |
Dave's other sites:
> CanGenealogy
> Genealogy Unlimited
> Volhynia
|