|
MSOG, Inc. PO Box 215 Ashland, MA 01721-0215 |
|
Saturday, January 17
How to Use the FamilySearch Catalog (Bristol)
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm Attend in Person or Virtually via Zoom
Presented Virtually by Cheri Hudson Passey
The FamilySearch Catalog is an underused resource by many genealogists. Learn tricks and tips on using this tool to its full potential for finding records within the collection.
Cheri Hudson Passey is a professional genealogist, instructor, writer, speaker, and owner of Carolina Girl Genealogy, LLC. She hosts the YouTube genealogy chat show GenFriends and is a genealogical researcher subcontracted by Eagle Investigative Services, Inc., for the US Army Past Conflict Repatriations Branch. She is involved in many genealogy societies and organizations and is on the National Genealogical Society board. For over ten years, Cheri has written the blog “Carolina Girl Genealogy,” sharing genealogy tips, methodologies, family stories, and her research adventures in South Carolina.
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 https://tinyurl.com/BristolJan26 |
|
|
|
Tuesday, January 20
Writing Special Interest Group (Writing SIG)
7:00 pm Virtual
The new Writing Special Interest Group (SIG) will hold its first meeting on Tuesday, January 20th at 7:00 PM (via Zoom). This kickoff session will focus on introductions and a candid discussion of the common challenges that keep our research from making it onto the page - along with practical ideas for getting started.
Going forward, the group will meet 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. Registration is required. You must be logged in as a member to register for the meeting. Once logged in, you will see Event Registration under the Members Only section. You will also find a link there to sign up for the mailing list.
We look forward to seeing you there.
|
|
|
|
Saturday, January 24
Why They Left, Where They Went, and What Their Journeys Can Reveal (Merrimack Valley)
10:00 am to 12:00 pm Hybrid - Via Zoom or in person at Georgetown Peabody Library
Why did our ancestors leave their homes? Why did they settle where they did? Using unexpected records, social history, the law, and more, we'll discover the secrets our ancestors’ migrations can reveal as we track them from place to place, across the ocean, across the country, even across town! This talk is about migration across the ocean, across the country, and across town, and although it does not focus on New England, the strategies and records are applicable to anyone studying the topic.
Pam Vestal is a professional genealogist and speaker who turned her focus to her longtime love of genealogy after a 20-year writing career. Her articles have appeared in the National Genealogical Society Magazine and the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly, and her lectures take her from coast to coast. Pam specializes in conducting genealogical research and then transforming that information into illustrated stories that even non-genealogists can enjoy.
Georgetown Peabody Library
2 Maple St
Georgetown, MA
This program is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
For more information contact: merrimackvalley@msoginc.org
|
|
|
|
Sunday, January 25
January Board Meeting (MSOG Board Meeting)
1:30 pm to 5:00 pm Virtual on Zoom
You must be logged in as a Member to participate in the event.
Go to MSOG Board Meeting to register to attend. |
|
|
|
Tuesday, February 3
The King’s Grave: The Search for Richard III by Philippa Langley (Book Club)
7:00 pm Virtual
The official inside story of the life, death and remarkable discovery of history's most controversial monarch. On 22 August 1485 Richard III was killed at Bosworth Field, the last king of England to die in battle. His victorious opponent, Henry Tudor (the future Henry VII), went on to found one of our most famous ruling dynasties. Richard's body was displayed in undignified fashion for two days in nearby Leicester and then hurriedly buried in the church of the Greyfriars. Fifty years later, at the time of the dissolution of the monasteries, the king's grave was lost - its contents believed to be emptied into the river Soar - and Richard III's reputation buried under a mound of Tudor propaganda. Its culmination was Shakespeare's compelling portrayal of a deformed and murderous villain, written over a hundred years after Richard's death. Now - in an incredible find - Richard III's remains have been uncovered beneath a car park in Leicester. The King's Grave traces this remarkable journey. In alternate chapters, Philippa Langley, whose years of research and belief that she would find Richard in this exact spot inspired the project, reveals the inside story of the search for the king's grave, and historian Michael Jones tells of Richard's fifteenth-century life and death. The result is a compelling portrayal of one of our greatest archaeological discoveries, allowing a complete re-evaluation of our most controversial monarch - one that discards the distortions of later Tudor histories and puts the man firmly back into the context of his times. (Amazon Review)
You must be logged in as a Member to participate in the event.
Go to "Event Registration" to register for the book club.
Upcoming Book Club Readings:
March 3, 2026 - Jamestown: The Buried Truth by William Kelso
April 7, 2026 - Defiant Brides: The Untold Story of Two Revolutionary-Era Women and the Radical Men They Married by Nancy Rubin Stuart
May 5, 2026 - The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel
|
|
|
|
Saturday, February 7
ChatGPT (Worcester)
9:30 am to 11:30 am Virtual
Worcester Chapter Meeting
Rob Weir Presents ChatGPT
Explore how ChatGPT, the latest breakthrough in artificial intelligence, can become a powerful ally in your genealogical research. After a quick introduction to how this tool works, we’ll dive into a series of hands-on examples that showcase the full range of its capabilities. From providing rich historical context and suggesting source material to interpreting images, translating records, generating content, and extracting information from PDFs, ChatGPT can tackle an impressive variety of tasks. Join us to see how AI can revolutionize your research, saving you time and revealing new insights in unexpected ways.
About Rob Weir:
Robert Cameron Weir is a genealogical researcher, educator, and author who lives in Dover, New Hampshire. He specializes in difficult problems related to New England genealogy, from 1620 to the present. He is a member of the Association for Professional Genealogy and is the Publications Director for the New Hampshire Society of Genealogists. His genealogical specialty is New England, with particular strength in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
9:30 AM EST Socializing
9:45 AM EST Business meeting
10:00 AM EST Presentation
This program is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
Register in advance for this meeting:
|
|
|
|
Saturday, February 14
More Than A Will: Using Probate Records (Middlesex)
10:30 am to 12:30 pm Virtual only, via Zoom
Edwin W. Strickland II presents More Than A Will: Using Probate Records
The court of probates are known under various names depending on the time and place. After reviewing the process and paper work which may be generated in the settlement of an estate, we will look at the many other matters which may be handled by the probate court with real case illustrations.
Biography: A sense of family history was instilled in Edwin W. Strickland II at an early age. He was raised by his paternal grandparents and was the 7th generation to live on the Strickland Family Farm. Being mainly self-taught he gives his credentials as I.T.T. (In The Trenches). He is a member of the Connecticut Professional Council; past-president of the Connecticut Society of Genealogists, and the Descendants of the Founders of Ancient Windsor, where he has served as Genealogist for over 40 years.
10:30 am ET Announcements and Socializing
Presentation begins at 11:00 am ET
This program is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
|
|
|
|
|