Catherine Perreault is currently the Reference Archivist for the State Archives, working under the Head of Reference, to provide researchers with access to all of their collections, including the genealogical ones.  Prior to joining the Archives, she was a genealogical researcher at the New England Historic Genealogical Society.  She can provide tips on how to get the most out of what the Archives has for all genealogical questions.

 

Archives description: The Massachusetts Archives is the state archive of Massachusetts. It "serves the Commonwealth and its citizens by preserving and making accessible the records documenting government action and by assisting government agencies in managing their permanent records."  The archives occupies quarters on the Columbia Point peninsula in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood on the University of Massachusetts Boston campus.

 

In addition to "the official records created by Massachusetts state government," the archives "counts among its treasures the state’s own copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, the 1780 Massachusetts Constitution, the 1629 charter [of Massachusetts Bay], and Revolutionary and Civil War records. It also has numerous documents signed by the likes of George Washington, John Adams, and John Hancock, as well as treaties made with Native American tribes, and slave and witchcraft records. There are also many artifacts, including Paul Revere’s engraving plate of the Boston Massacre, and military accouterment from the Civil War to World War I."

 

Virtual Meeting Opens: 9:30 AM
Business Meeting and socializing: 9:45 AM

Presentation: 10:00 AM
 

Register for this Zoom meeting at https://tinyurl.com/WRFeb2022

This course will give the participant an overview of forensic genealogy and the role of the genealogist in these types of cases. We will discuss some of the major types of cases in which a forensic genealogist may be involved, such as guardianship, oil and gas, unidentified and unclaimed persons, and probate. The role of the forensic genealogist as an expert witness will also be discussed.

 

A fifth generation Texan and professional forensic genealogist since 1996, Kelvin is a frequent speaker to genealogical societies and family associations throughout the United States. He specializes in southern brick wall problems for clients. Kelvin is a 1989 and 1990 alumnus of the Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research at Samford University and has returned to IGHR as lecturer in the Southern Course and the Professional Courses. He is member of the Association of Professional Genealogist forensic special interest group and a past board member of APG, a past President of the Lone Star Chapter of APG, and a former member for the Council for the Advancement of Forensic Genealogy (CAFG). He currently serves as the chairman of the history and archives committee of First United Methodist Church in Dallas. The Dallas Genealogical Society awarded Kelvin the Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck Distinguished Service Award in December of 2018. In 2016 Kelvin published Research in Texas for NGS (National Genealogical Society) Research in the States series. Kelvin is also the director of the Texas Institute of Genealogical Research (TIGR) sponsored by the Texas State Genealogical Society.

 

 

A story with mysterious origins, minimal data, emigration, a new surname, odd jobs in the back-woods of Pennsylvania, love (maybe), marriage, desertion and abandonment (not just once), DNA matches, lost relatives, digging in the trenches of Swedish genealogy, and a hitherto unexplored family branch with both black sheep and grey…

 

 

Business Meeting   11:00-11:30 am