This week at CGS (March 25-31, 2024)

by California Genealogical Society (3/24/2024)

To register or for more information, click the link for any event. All times are Pacific Time.

Thomas MacEntee’s class on Sat., March 30 is sold out. 

Also happening this last week of March:

Tips & Talk at the Oakland FamilySearch Center, March 26 and March 27. Events may be attended in person or via Zoom. Free. Please preregister.

Head shot of man in dark shirt and tieTues., March 26, 11:00 am: “How-to Series: Simple Photo Enhancements for Novices” with Robert Leitao. We all likely have old photos that have been creased, torn, or damaged in some way and it would be great to restore them to a better condition. This “how-to” session will guide you through some basic ways to improve the appearance of your scanned photos. Aimed at novices, the class focuses on techniques which, while they might not get your photos looking perfect, will get them pretty close. Please bring scanned photos on a memory stick that you can practice with during this class. (If you need help getting them scanned, feel free to come to the Oakland FamilySearch Center earlier in the day, or a few days before so that you can scan your photos on our Center’s digitizing equipment.) Robert Leitao is an Oakland native, whose roots are from the former Portuguese colony of Macau. His seven-year ongoing project has resulted in a tree of over 85,000 names and over 55,000 images. In accumulating this vast trove and being a regular patron at the Oakland FamilySearch Center, he has become the go-to person to help people digitize and improve their photos with the equipment and software available in the Library.

Wed., March 27, 6:30 pm: “German Research Part 3” with Robert Jackson. Robert concludes his three-part series on finding your German ancestors.

 

 

The following Special Interest Groups meet this week:

Mon. March 25, 7 PM: Advanced DNA SIG. Mark McLaren leads this group where members can further develop their understanding of DNA techniques, review new developments in DNA testing and tools, and discuss members’ research problems and case studies.

Wed., March 27, 6:30 pm: RootsMagic SIG. Keith Montgomery leads a discussion of helpful hints for users of this popular genealogy platform. Via Zoom.

Library hours: Thursday and Friday 10 AM-2 PM, Saturday 10 AM-4 PM

Helpful Links
Events: https://www.californiaancestors.org/events-and-education/
Special Interest Groups: https://www.californiaancestors.org/special-interest-groups-for-members/
Calendar: Google calendar

Now at the library: Dobson’s Irish Emigrants

by California Genealogical Society (3/20/2024)

by Maureen Hanlon

Green book coverCGS recently received a copy of Dr. David Dobson’s Irish Emigrants to North America, Consolidated Edition and a quick review should be of cheer to those with Irish ancestors who came to the United States before the Great Famine.

Although immigration from Ireland to North America peaked in the latter half of the nineteenth century, there were waves of immigrants who came much earlier. This consolidated edition of ten previously published volumes lists many of these early immigrants as well as later arrivals. For the original series Dobson consulted archives and libraries in the United States, Canada, Britain, Ireland, and the West Indies. Compared to most sources for Irish famine emigrants, which usually contain only a name and date of arrival, Dobson’s Irish Emigrants is rich in detail. Over 10,000 Irish emigrants to North America are identified by name, date, occupation, specific place of origin, and, in many cases, by kinspeople, vessel traveled upon, and other circumstances. A welcome addition to our library that will be helpful to many Americans of Irish descent!

Book page printed with names of immigrants

Example of the information found in the book

Those interested in purchasing their own copy, or any of the previous volumes in the series, can find the books for sale at Genealogical.com.

The CGS Gavel: a Historical Curiosity

by California Genealogical Society (3/13/2024)

In the 125 years that the California Genealogical Society has been knocking around, we’ve acquired a number of interesting artifacts. One such item, the ceremonial President’s gavel, is still in use. Now nearly 110 years old, the gavel was a gift of Sarah Soule McMillan Patton in 1915. It’s made of wood from Roanoke Island, North Carolina, where Sir Walter Raleigh established an ill-fated colony in 1585.

Wooden gavel

The inscription on the silver band reads:

SIR WALTER RALEIGH’S COLONY
1585 ROANOKE ISLAND NC
CALIFORNIA GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
1915 SARAH SOULE MCMILLAN PATTON
Woman and man seated at table, woman holding mallet

Chris Pattillo hold the CGS gavel as Jim Sorenson looks on

The gavel has been passed from one CGS President to the next for over a century, and recently Past President Jim Sorenson presented it to current President Chris Pattillo. Despite its age, it’s sturdy enough to deliver a satisfying whack, as Chris demonstrated at the close of the last Board meeting.