Our Research Center and live chat service will close at 1 p.m. ET today, November 24, and reopen onTuesday, November 30 at 9 a.m. ET. We wish you and your families a safe and happy holiday!
Free American Inspiration Author Event
Julie Flavell with The Howe Dynasty
Drawn from letters and correspondence, The Howe Dynasty sheds new light one of one of England’s most famous military families and provides unique insight into how the American Revolution unfolded on the battlefield and behind the scenes in London parlors. Join Julie Flavell in conversation with the celebrated historian Mary Beth Norton, December 2 at 1 p.m. ET. Register Now
American Inspiration Author Event—Extended Q+A
Noted Historian H. W. Brands on Writing History and the American Revolution
The best-selling historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist shares his latest work, a page-turning narrative that recasts the American Revolution as “our first civil war”—a violent battle among neighbors, friends, and family members. Ticket includes illustrated presentation, audience Q+A, and signed and personalized copy of Our First Civil War. Join us December 7 at 6 p.m. ET. Register Now
Online Seminar
Researching Civil War Ancestors
The American Civil War was a defining event for our young country, changing its trajectory forever. This three-week online course led by Chief Genealogist and military history expert David Allen Lambert will explore the records, resources, and strategies for tracing the Union and Confederate Civil War veterans in your family tree. December 1, 8, and 15 at 6 p.m. ET. Register Now
Spotlight: Grant County Cemetery District, Kansas
by Valerie Beaudrault
Grant County is located in southwestern Kansas. The city of Ulysses is its county seat. The Grant County Cemetery District comprises four cemeteries: Ulysses Cemetery, Zionville Cemetery, Shockey Cemetery, and Golden Cemetery. Click the "Search for Cemetery Burial Information" link to begin. The burial database can be searched by name, grave location, date of birth and date of death. The data fields in the search results include the cemetery name and a link to a photograph of the headstone, if available, in addition to all of the search fields. You will also find a link to a map of Ulysses Cemetery in the contents bar. Search Now
Lecture
Join William Rudolf Lobkowicz on a virtual tour through the Lobkowicz Palace Museum in Prague as he shares the story of his family’s return to their native country. December 10 at 1 p.m. ET.
Ask a Genealogist—Live Chat will run from 9 a.m.–8 p.m. ET, effective December 1, 2021. Our virtual hours will replace in-person evening hours until further notice.
Researcher Zachary J. Garceau will help you navigate some of the first steps in uncovering and proving your descent from British, French, and German royalty, from the 10th through the 17th centuries. December 16 at 3 p.m. ET.
Interested in receiving this year's Black Friday deals from The Bookstore at NEHGS? Please sign up to receive this year's offer in your email inbox! Sign Up Now
Last week's survey asked if any of your ancestors immigrated to the United States via at least one other country. We received 1,405 responses. The results are:
64%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors immigrated to the United States via at least one other country.
21%, No, none of my ancestors immigrated to the United States via another country
15%, I am not sure if any of my ancestors immigrated to the United States via another country.
This week’s survey asks how you will observe Thanksgiving this year. Take the survey now
Want to share your thoughts on the survey with us? We are always happy to hear from our readers. Email us at weeklygenealogist@nehgs.org. Responses may be edited for clarity and length and featured in a future newsletter.
Readers Respond: Multi-step Immigration
By Lynn Betlock, Editor
Last week's survey asked whether any of your ancestors immigrated to the United States via at least one other country. Thank you to everyone who replied. Below is a selection of reader responses.
Richard Smith, Cape Porpoise, Maine: I have both paternal and maternal ancestors who were Ulster Scots—families of Scottish origin who relocated to Northern Ireland in the late 1600s, then migrated to America in the early 1700s. The names of my earliest immigrant ancestors James Smith (on my father’s side) and John Lemont (on my mother’s side), appear on the petition sent to Samuel Shute, the governor of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, requesting permission to settle in the undeveloped north woods of New England. Smith and his family went to Nutfield (later Londonderry), New Hampshire, in about 1722, while Lemont arrived in Georgetown (later Bath), Maine, in the same period.
Linda Delison Randall, Plymouth, Massachusetts: My ancestor, August Deleuze, was part of a group of French Protestant coal miners from Le Grand Combe and Besseges in southern France. They, along with their wives and children, immigrated to Raymond-Ville, Nova Scotia, in about 1871 and 1872 to establish a coal mining community. Most of the miners left after only a couple of years and relocated to established coal fields in western Pennsylvania. They founded a Protestant church in McDonald, Pennsylvania, and many of their gravestones can be seen in local cemeteries. Their descendants still can be found in the surrounding area. The original group was later joined by other coal miners who came directly from south-central France.
Edward L Galvin, South Yarmouth, Massachusetts: While one branch of my Irish ancestors came directly from Kerry to Boston, my Galvins and Dolans moved from Galway and Roscommon to Hyde, Cheshire, England, and lived there for about twenty years before coming to Massachusetts. That gave me an Irish grandfather born in England and a whole set of other resources to work with. Another Irish branch went from Cork to St. John's, Newfoundland, where they resided for over forty years before finally settling here in Mass.
Database News
New Database: Pittsburgh, PA: Gaines Funeral Home Records, 1925-1934
Search over 2,000 records from the Gaines Funeral Home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, including information about the life of the deceased, their family, and place of burial. The Gaines Funeral Home was established by George W. Gaines in 1919 in the historically African-American neighborhood of Homewood in Pittsburgh. Most records pertain to the Pittsburgh area, but locations across the South are also represented. The original volumes are part of the R. Stanton Avery Special Collections at NEHGS. Search Now
Celebrate #GivingTuesday
On November 30, join the global giving movement built by individuals, families, organizations, businesses, and communities in countries around the world. Every act of generosity counts and we thank you for your generous support and your dedication to family history. We couldn’t do this without you! Please consider a gift today.
Thank you!
Youth Education Curriculum Pilot Program
Teachers wanted! We are recruiting classroom teachers to pilot genealogy lesson plans with students in grades 4 through 6. We want feedback to improve a national curriculum with the goal to make genealogy accessible to all students. Teachers will receive one-on-one training, free lesson plans, content, and inclusive teaching strategies. Find out how teachers in Massachusetts and across the country can get involved. Apply today!
