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MSOG, Inc.
PO Box 215
Ashland, MA 01721-0215 |
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Tuesday, June 16
Writing Special Interest Group (Writing SIG)
7:00 pm
The Writing Special Interest Group (SIG) will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, June 16th at 7:00 PM (via Zoom).
The group meets monthly to share works-in-progress, exchange constructive feedback, and help one another stay accountable as we work toward our writing goals for 2026 and beyond.
The meeting is open to all MSOG members in good standing. You must be logged in as a member to join the meeting. Once logged in, you will see Event Registration under the Members Only section. You will also find a link there to answer a few questions and sign up for the mailing list. Please complete this before attending your first meeting.
New members are welcome anytime.
We look forward to seeing you there.
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Saturday, June 20
Bristol Chapter Annual Meeting: Learn about Patience (Greene) Brayton (1733-1794) (Bristol)
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm Attend in Person or Virtually via Zoom
Presented by Marybeth Rua-Larsen and John Larsen
Patience (Greene) Brayton, an early abolitionist, preached at the Quaker Meeting House in Somerset, Massachusetts (formally Swansea, Massachusetts). Born on 7 November 1733 in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, Patience devoted much of her life attempting to put an end to slavery. On 18 May 1758, she married Preserved Brayton in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. Following their marriage, she managed to convince Preserved to grant his slaves their freedom.
Travelling around the country and overseas, she preached her message as a Quaker minister. In 1783, she arrived in England, where she tried (unsuccessfully) to persuade King George III to abolish slavery. Unperturbed, Patience continued travelling around England, Ireland and Scotland, preaching to whoever would listen.
Shortly before returning to the US in September 1787, she became ill. However, she continued preaching until her death on 30 July 1794 at the age of 60 years old. She was buried in Friends Cemetery, adjacent to the Quaker Friends Meeting House, in Somerset, Massachusetts.
Somerset Historical Society
274 High St.
Somerset, MA 02726
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Saturday, June 27
Dancing on Four Continents – The A.B. Marcus Show (Merrimack Valley)
10:00 am to 12:00 pm Georgetown Peabody Library - in person only
Presented by William Porteous
The A. B. Marcus Show is the most traveled variety show in U.S. history. The Show first performed in 1913 and by the end of 1921, it had toured every state in the continental U.S. The show survived talkies, Technicolor, and two World Wars before finally closing in 1947. This lecture covers the first two decades of the show and is the story of William Porteous's wife's great-uncle.
William Porteous was born and raised in Michigan, where he spent time reviewing courthouse vital records and real estate filings. Bill worked with Central Michigan University to digitize most of his hometown newspaper. He has photographed the gravestones of his Michigan ancestors, his wife’s New England ancestors, and all the gravestones in Lawrence's Children of Abraham Cemetery. Bill has traced his parents' ancestry to the Mayflower and documented it in the Mayflower Quarterly. He has lectured on DNA, real estate research, and the true story of Holly Fine and Danny Kaye. Before retirement, Bill worked in R&D and holds chemical engineering degrees from MSU and MIT. Bill lives with his wife in North Andover.
Come join us at the Georgetown Peabody Library, free and open to the public.
Georgetown Peabody Library
2 Maple St
Georgetown, MA
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Tuesday, June 30
Join us as we talk about Newspapers (Genealogy Discussion Group)
7:00 pm Virtual via Zoom Only
Join us for a relaxed group discussion where everyone is welcome and all voices are important. You are encouraged to ask questions, share your knowledge, and exchange personal experiences and opinions. Instead of conducting research, we'll suggest other resources and ways to find the answers you're looking for. You'll leave with new insights, helpful resources, and connections with others who share your interests.
This event is facilitated by MSOG, Inc.; however, any views or opinions shared are independent and do not necessarily reflect the stance of MSOG, Inc.
This will not be recorded. However, generic questions and resources may be shared on the MSOG website and Past Times Newsletter.
This will be FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
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Tuesday, July 7
1776 by David McCullough (Book Club)
7:00 pm Virtual
In this masterful book, David McCullough tells the intensely human story of those who marched with General George Washington in the year of the Declaration of Independence—when the whole American cause was riding on their success, without which all hope for independence would have been dashed and the noble ideals of the Declaration would have amounted to little more than words on paper.
Based on extensive research in both American and British archives, 1776 is a powerful drama written with extraordinary narrative vitality. It is the story of Americans in the ranks, men of every shape, size, and color; farmers, schoolteachers, shoemakers, no-accounts, and mere boys turned soldiers. And it is the story of the King’s men, the British commander, William Howe, and his highly disciplined redcoats who looked on their rebel foes with contempt and fought with a valor too little known.
Written as a companion work to his celebrated biography of John Adams, David McCullough’s 1776 is another landmark in the literature of American history. (Amazon Review)
Go to "Event Registration" to register for the book club.
Upcoming Book Club Readings:
August 4, 2026 - Last Seen: The Enduring Search by Formerly Enslaved People to Find Their Lost Families by Judith Giesberg
September 1, 2026 - First Family: Abigail and John Adams by Joseph J. Ellis
October 6, 2026 - Lineage: Genealogy and the Power of Connection in Early America by Karin Wulf
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Tuesday, August 4
Last Seen: The Enduring Search by Formerly Enslaved People to Find Their Lost Families (Book Club)
7:00 pm Virtual
By Judith Giesberg
Of all the many horrors of slavery, the cruelest was the separation of families in slave auctions. Spouses and siblings were sold away from one other. Young children were separated from their mothers. Fathers were sent down river and never saw their families again.
As soon as slavery ended in 1865, family members began to search for one another, in some cases persisting until as late as the 1920s. They took out “information wanted” advertisements in newspapers and sent letters to the editor. Pastors in churches across the country read these advertisements from the pulpit, expanding the search to those who had never learned to read or who did not have access to newspapers. These documents demonstrate that even as most white Americans—and even some younger Black Americans, too—wanted to put slavery in the past, many former slaves, members of the “Freedom Generation,” continued for years, and even decades, to search for one another. These letters and advertisements are testaments to formerly enslaved people’s enduring love for the families they lost in slavery, yet they spent many years buried in the storage of local historical societies or on microfilm reels that time forgot.
Judith Giesberg draws on the archive that she founded—containing almost five thousand letters and advertisements placed by members of the Freedom Generation—to compile these stories in a narrative form for the first time. Her in-depth research turned up additional information about the writers, their families, and their enslavers. With this critical context, she recounts the moving stories of the people who placed the advertisements, the loved ones they tried to find, and the outcome of their quests to reunite.
This story underscores the cruelest horror of slavery—the forced breakup of families—and the resilience and determination of the formerly enslaved. Thoughtful, heart-wrenching, and illuminating, Last Seen finally gives this lesser-known aspect of slavery the attention it deserves. (Amazon Review)
Go to "Event Registration" to register for the book club.
Upcoming Book Club Readings:
September 1, 2026 - First Family: Abigail and John Adams by Joseph J. Ellis
October 6, 2026 - Lineage: Genealogy and the Power of Connection in Early America by Karin Wulf
November 3, 2026 - American Passage: The History of Ellis Island by Vincent J. Cannato
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Tuesday, September 1
First Family: Abigail and John Adams by Joseph J. Ellis (Book Club)
7:00 pm Virtual
In this rich and engrossing account, John and Abigail Adams come to life against the backdrop of the Republic’s tenuous early years.
Drawing on over 1,200 letters exchanged between the couple, Ellis tells a story both personal and panoramic. We learn about the many years Abigail and John spent apart as John’s political career sent him first to Philadelphia, then to Paris and Amsterdam; their relationship with their children; and Abigail’s role as John’s closest and most valued advisor. Exquisitely researched and beautifully written, First Family is both a revealing portrait of a marriage and a unique study of America’s early years. (Amazon Review)
Go to "Event Registration" to register for the book club.
Upcoming Book Club Readings:
October 6, 2026 - Lineage: Genealogy and the Power of Connection in Early America by Karin Wulf
November 3, 2026 - American Passage: The History of Ellis Island by Vincent J. Cannato
December 1, 2026 - March by Geraldine Brooks
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Saturday, September 19
Deciphering Old Handwriting (Bristol)
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm Attend in Person or Virtually via Zoom
While we might wish all our ancestors’ records were typed in a standard format and perfectly legible, that simply isn’t the case. Many of the records family historians turn to are handwritten and may be faded, use archaic terminology, unfamiliar abbreviations, or are just plain illegible. This online lecture will provide practical strategies for approaching handwritten documents, understanding and deciphering hard-to-read handwriting from different time periods, so that you can make the most of these important resources in your family history research.
David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist has been on the staff of American Ancestors/NEHGS since 1993 and is an internationally recognized speaker on the topics of genealogy and history. He has authored many articles in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, the New Hampshire Genealogical Record, Rhode Island Roots, Mayflower Descendant, and American Ancestors magazine; and is the author of eleven books including A Guide to Massachusetts Cemeteries and Vital Records of Stoughton, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1850. David is an elected Fellow of the Massachusetts Historical Society in Boston, Mass., and a life member of the New Hampshire Society of the Cincinnati and the General Society of the War of 1812. David also serves as the tribal genealogist for the Massachusett Tribe at Punkapoag in Massachusetts. His areas of expertise include New England and Atlantic Canadian records of the 17th through 21st century; American and international military records; DNA research; and Native American and African American genealogical research in New England.
SOMERSET PUBLIC LIBRARY
1464 County Street
Somerset, MA 02726
Business Meeting 11:00-11:30 am
Member Sharing 11:30-11:55 am
Presentation Begins at Noon.
This program is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
For more information contact: bristol@msoginc.org
Schedule of Events Available at: https://msoginc.org
Those who wish to attend virtually, can pre-register at TBA |
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Tuesday, October 6
Lineage: Genealogy and the Power of Connection in Early America by Karin Wulf (Book Club)
7:00 pm Virtual
In eighteenth-century America, genealogy was more than a simple record of family ties--it was a powerful force that shaped society. Lineage delves into an era where individuals, families, and institutions meticulously documented their connections. Whether driven by personal passion or mandated by churches, local governments, and courts, these records appeared in diverse forms-from handwritten notes and account books to intricate silk threads and enduring stone carvings.
Family connections wielded significant influence across governmental, legal, religious, cultural, and social spheres. In the American context, these ties also defined the boundaries of slavery and freedom, with a child's status often determined by their mother, despite the prevailing patriarchy. This book reveals the profound importance of genealogy that was chronicled by family records, cultural artifacts, and court documents. These materials, created by both enslaved individuals seeking freedom and founding fathers seeking status, demonstrate the culturally and historically specific nature of genealogical interest.
Even as the American Revolution transformed society, the significance of genealogy endured. The legacy of lineage from the colonial period continued to shape the early United States, underscoring the enduring importance of family connections. Lineage offers a deep understanding of genealogy as a foundational element of American history, illuminating its vital role from the colonial era through the birth of the nation. (Amazon Review)
Go to "Event Registration" to register for the book club.
Upcoming Book Club Readings:
November 3, 2026 - American Passage: The History of Ellis Island by Vincent J. Cannato
December 1, 2026 - March by Geraldine Brooks
January 5, 2027 - TBA
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Saturday, October 17
Workshop on Deciphering Old Handwriting (Bristol)
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm Attend in Person or Virtually via Zoom
Our Bristol Chapter Vice-President, Sindi Terrien, will conduct a workshop on how to decipher old handwriting using the strategies described by David Allen Lambert in September.
Sindi Broussard Terrien is a research genealogist, specializing in Acadian and Cajun women. Her blog My Many Mothers features biographies of her many great-grandmothers. She recently published Genealogy Fun While Developing New Genealogists and Fun with Genealogy Activity Book 1 which can be purchased on Amazon.com. She has written nine articles for the American-French Genealogical Society’s publication Je Me Souviens Magazine where she is an associate editor. Sindi Broussard Terrien received a certificate in genealogical research from Boston University. Her passion for genealogy spans over twenty years.
Sindi also hosts Finding A Publisher, another emerging website, to help genealogy writers connect with publications.
"This program has applied for support from the Somerset Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency."
SOMERSET PUBLIC LIBRARY
1464 County Street
Somerset, MA 02726
Business Meeting 11:00-11:30 am
Member Sharing 11:30-11:55 am
Presentation Begins at Noon.
This program is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
For more information contact: bristol@msoginc.org
Schedule of Events Available at: https://msoginc.org
Those who wish to attend virtually, can pre-register at TBA |
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Tuesday, November 3
American Passage: The History of Ellis Island by Vincent J. Cannato (Book Club)
7:00 pm Virtual
For most of New York's early history, Ellis Island had been an obscure little island that barely held itself above high tide. Today the small island stands alongside Plymouth Rock in our nation's founding mythology as the place where many of our ancestors first touched American soil.
American Passage captures a time and a place unparalleled in American immigration and history, and articulates the dramatic and bittersweet accounts of the immigrants, officials, interpreters, and social reformers who all played an important role in Ellis Island's chronicle. In this sweeping, often heart-wrenching epic, Vincent J. Cannato reveals that the history of Ellis Island is ultimately the story of what it means to be an American. (Amazon Review)
Go to "Event Registration" to register for the book club.
Upcoming Book Club Readings:
December 1, 2026 - March by Geraldine Brooks
January 5, 2027 - TBA
February 2, 2027 - TBA |
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Saturday, November 7
Annual Meeting 2026 (Annual Meeting)
9:00 am to 4:00 pm John Boyle O'Reilly Hall, 17 Willow St, Westborough, MA
We look forward to our next Annual Meeting, with informative speakers, great food, and the chance to connect with other genealogists.
Times and details to be confirmed as the date approaches.
We hope to see you there.
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Saturday, November 21
Researching Black Patriots and Loyalists During the Revolutionary Era (Bristol)
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm Attend in Person or Virtually via Zoom
Presented Virtually by Danielle Rose, 10 Million Names Volunteer Manager
The American War of Independence was not only a fight for freedom from a tyrannical world superpower. For the thousands of Black soldiers who fought for the patriot cause, and even more—tens of thousands—for the Loyalists, emancipation was on the line. In this lecture, 10 Million Names Volunteer Manager Danielle Rose will provide a brief history of Black soldiers during the Revolutionary War and their motivations for joining either side; and discuss several resources, records, and strategies for piecing together the service and stories of individuals.
Danielle Rose oversees the many dedicated volunteers who assist with creating database content for the 10 Million Names Project. She also collaborates with partner organizations and independent researchers who share content with the project. Danielle frequently participates in American Ancestors educational programs by providing lectures on African American genealogy. Prior to joining American Ancestors, Danielle worked with the National Parks of Boston where she researched the service and lives of Black Patriots in the Revolutionary War. She also worked as a museum educator in Miami, Florida before relocating to Boston. Danielle holds a B.A. in History from the University of Florida and M.A. in Public History from Northeastern University.
SOMERSET PUBLIC LIBRARY
1464 County Street
Somerset, MA 02726
Business Meeting 11:00-11:30 am
Member Sharing 11:30-11:55 am
Presentation Begins at Noon.
This program is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
For more information contact: bristol@msoginc.org
Schedule of Events Available at: https://msoginc.org
Those who wish to attend virtually, can pre-register at TBA |
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Tuesday, December 1
March by Geraldine Brooks (Book Club)
7:00 pm Virtual
From Louisa May Alcott's beloved classic Little Women, Geraldine Brooks has animated the character of the absent father, March, and crafted a story "filled with the ache of love and marriage and with the power of war upon the mind and heart of one unforgettable man" (Sue Monk Kidd). With "pitch-perfect writing" (USA Today), Brooks follows March as he leaves behind his family to aid the Union cause in the Civil War. His experiences will utterly change his marriage and challenge his most ardently held beliefs. A lushly written, wholly original tale steeped in the details of another time, March secures Geraldine Brooks's place as a renowned author of historical fiction. (Amazon Review)
Go to "Event Registration" to register for the book club.
Upcoming Book Club Readings:
January 5, 2027 - TBA
February 2, 2027 - TBA
March 2, 2027 - TBA
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Saturday, January 16, 2027
Land Records of Massachusetts (Part 1) (Bristol)
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm Attend in Person or Virtually via Zoom
Presented Virtually by Richard P. Howe, Jr.
Richard P. Howe Jr. served as the Register of Deeds of the Northern District of Middlesex County in Massachusetts for 30 years. Prior to that he practiced law in his hometown of Lowell, Massachusetts. A graduate of Suffolk University Law School and Providence College, and a U.S. Army veteran, Richard frequently writes and lectures about Massachusetts real estate law and how property records are best used by historians and genealogists.
SOMERSET PUBLIC LIBRARY
1464 County Street
Somerset, MA 02726
Business Meeting 11:00-11:30 am
Member Sharing 11:30-11:55 am
Presentation Begins at Noon.
This program is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
For more information contact: bristol@msoginc.org
Schedule of Events Available at: https://msoginc.org
Those who wish to attend virtually, can pre-register at TBA |
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Saturday, March 20, 2027
Workshop on Finding Land Records in Massachusetts (Part 2) (Bristol)
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm Attend in Person or Virtually via Zoom
Presented In-Person by Richard P. Howe, Jr.
Richard P. Howe Jr. served as the Register of Deeds of the Northern District of Middlesex County in Massachusetts for 30 years. Prior to that he practiced law in his hometown of Lowell, Massachusetts. A graduate of Suffolk University Law School and Providence College, and a U.S. Army veteran, Richard frequently writes and lectures about Massachusetts real estate law and how property records are best used by historians and genealogists.
SOMERSET PUBLIC LIBRARY
1464 County Street
Somerset, MA 02726
Business Meeting 11:00-11:30 am
Member Sharing 11:30-11:55 am
Presentation Begins at Noon.
This program is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
For more information contact: bristol@msoginc.org
Schedule of Events Available at: https://msoginc.org
Those who wish to attend virtually, can pre-register at TBA |
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