NGS Introduces New Course: Reading Old Handwriting

 

NGS Introduces New Online Course: Reading Old Handwriting

The National Genealogical Society introduced today the newest course in its Continuing Genealogical Studies series, Reading Old Handwriting. This illustrated course is essential for everyone researching their family tree. It offers family historians tips to understand hard-to-read handwriting in documents such as wills and deeds. Its practice exercises teach how to read and interpret handwritten land records, probate files, and, of course, your ancestors’ personal letters.

NGS Education Director Angela McGhie states, “…the ability to read old handwriting is a foundational skill for understanding many of the documents family historians discover in their research. Being able to read old handwriting is the first step in interpreting genealogically relevant facts. Our new course Reading Old Handwriting complements NGS’s course, Transcribing, Extracting, and Abstracting Genealogical Documents, which was released in June 2020.”

The course guides genealogists through ten modules. Every module has multiple hands-on exercises to help family historians develop expertise in reading documents from a variety of locations and time periods. Course author Carla S. Cegielski is a freelance genealogical researcher and author of the Tech Tips column in the quarterly NGS Magazine.

For more information and to register, visit Reading Old Handwriting on NGS’s website.

New NGS Course: Transcribing, Extracting & Abstracting Genealogical Documents

NGS Introduces New Online Course: 

Transcribing, Extracting, and Abstracting Genealogical Documents

The National Genealogical Society today announced its newest course in our Continuing Genealogical Studies series: Transcribing, Extracting, and Abstracting Genealogical Documents. The course is designed to teach family historians the skills needed to examine, analyze, and apply information accurately from any kind of document to further their genealogical research. It serves both as a refresher course for the experienced genealogist and as a comprehensive tutorial for those who are working to acquire these skills.

The purpose of family history research is not merely to trace your ancestors but also to prove their relationships in your family tree. Simply duplicating documents will not accomplish these goals. The way to build a family tree accurately and successfully is through the careful examination and analysis of those documents. This can be accomplished by fully transcribing a document, extracting selected portions, or abstracting the important information while leaving the nonessential legal language out.

In a step-by-step format, Julie Miller, CG®, CGLSM, FNGS, a full-time professional researcher, speaker, and writer, teaches how to transcribe, extract, and abstract documents along with when to use each process. The course includes multiple examples, videos, and guidelines for working with deeds and wills as well as other types of documents. The many exercises in each of the ten modules give students hands-on experience working with documents and refining their skills. To learn more about Transcribing, Extracting, and Abstracting Genealogical Documents, visit the NGS website.

New NGS Course: Understanding and Using DNA Test Results

NGS Introduces Its Newest Online Course: 
Understanding and Using DNA Test Results

The National Genealogical Society (NGS) unveiled the newest course in its Continuing Genealogical Studies series, Understanding and Using DNA Test Results. The course is designed to help the millions of individuals, who have taken a DNA test to learn more about their family tree, get the most out of their test results. Students learn at their own pace, in their own home, on any tablet or computer.

“Taking a DNA test is easy,” noted NGS Education Director, Angela McGhie, CG. “Understanding the results and knowing how to use the data to identify your ancestors is more challenging. We are pleased to be able to offer a new course that will teach family historians about patterns of genetic inheritance and how their DNA matches can lead to building a broader family tree. 

In a step-by-step format, expert genetic genealogist, Angie Bush, MS, teaches the basic types of DNA tests and the value and limitations of their results. The course also explains how to read and interpret DNA charts and cousin match pages; how to apply test results to traditional genealogical research; and much more. To learn more about Understanding and Using DNA Test Results, visit the NGS website.

NGS Introduces War of 1812 Records Course

National Genealogical Society Introduces

Its New Online Course: War of 1812 Records

The National Genealogical Society (NGS) is pleased to introduce our new Continuing Genealogical Studies (CGS) course, War of 1812 Records. The course will be available online at the commencement of the NGS 2019 Family History Conference in St. Charles, Missouri, 8-11 May 2019.

War of 1812 Records takes an in-depth look at the wealth of information family historians can access to trace ancestors in this time period. Records include compiled military service, pension, bounty land, Navy and Marine Corps, and prisoner of war records. War of 1812 Records will be available in the NGS online store on 8 May 2019.

Students will develop an understanding of the cause of the war and the genealogical significance of various records associated with it. They will examine and learn how to use numerous records including muster rolls, ship’s logs, diplomatic records, state militia records, and lineage society files. The course also covers African American and Native American participation in the war.

War of 1812 Records was developed by the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) with David Rencher, CG®, Rebecca Koford, CG, Ken Nelson, and Michael Hall as contributing authors. It is divided into fourteen modules which include readings, web links, self-correcting quizzes, practical assignments, and a reading and reference list. War of 1812 Records is the latest and ninth special subject course in the National Genealogical Society’s Continuing Genealogical Studies online learning series.