Intermediate Electives

Optional Print Course Material: Research: German Ancestors

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

This genealogical helper is intended for North American English-speaking beginners, who want to find their German ancestors. In order to do successful family research in Germany, it is necessary to have a basic understanding of the configurations of the various parts of Germany at the period of time of the lives of the ancestors. A brief examination of sources and repositories including the FamilySearch website will point the researcher in the right direction. It will be helpful to have some knowledge of the German or Latin languages since many of the documents have been complied in these languages, and with a flared script so resources for translation are discussed. A sample letter written in German, along with an English translation will assist you in case you need to correspond with an institution in Germany. 

Course Length: 6 weeks

Optional Print Course Material: Research: Grandmothers, Mothers and Daughters - Tracing Women

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

Our female ancestors played significant roles in history. Yet, researching and writing about the women in our families can be a daunting task. If you have hit a brick wall in the quest to find information about your female ancestors, this course covers strategies and key sources to assist you with your research and show you how to document “her” story. 

Course Length: 7 weeks

Optional Print Course Material: Research: Irish Ancestors

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

This course is an introduction to the first two centuries of family history research in Ireland, covering both Northern Ireland, which remains part of Britain, and the Republic of Ireland (Eire), which has been independent since 1922. The emphasis is in doing the research yourself from wherever you happen to live, rather than merely covering the resources available in Ireland. Irish records are available worldwide if you know where to look, and this course will show you where they are and how to utilize them.

Consideration is given to the difficulties inherent in Irish research, key items in Irish history and geography and to emigration (the Irish Diaspora). Major original sources covered are civil registration, census (including substitutes where this is lacking), church registers and probate. These are followed by discussions of the usefulness of occupational records, locating research already done or in progress and a brief guide to resources for planning a genealogy research trip to Ireland.

Course Length: 6 weeks

Note: This course requires compulsory materials to be ordered. 

The Book, “Finding Your Italian Ancestors – A Beginner’s Guide” by Suzanne Russo Adams, AG is available at GenealogyStore.com

Optional Print Course Material: Research: Italian Ancestors

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

So you want to research your Italian ancestors! Welcome to a fascinating area of genealogical research. Italians have contributed to all aspects of life in the countries they immigrated to. They often came poor and destitute, seeking a better life for themselves and their families. Hard work and placing great value on family helped them to excel within their new country. Their sacrifices provided a better life for their descendants. 

Italian research can be done well by anyone, whether you know the Italian language or think you have linguistic ability. Most Italian records follow a standard format which is a great help when working in records created in a foreign language. Your language proficiency will grow with time and experience as you work with the records.

This course will provide you with a solid foundation with which to begin your research. We will discuss, amongst other things:

Historical Considerations – How did historical events affect record keeping? 

Finding Your Ancestor’s Place of Origin – Why is it important?

Political Jurisdictions – How can you find the records if you don’t know how and why they were created?

Language Resources – What languages are the records written in?  Can I research in the records without being fluent in Italian? What about the handwriting?

Available Record Types – We will discuss civil, ecclesiastical, and other records.

Accessing the Records – Where are the records and what archives are there?

Research Tips and Practical Applications – I’ll share tips gained from my experiences such as  how to accurately cite a microfilmed civil record.

History of Italian Immigration – The course contains short summaries of Italian immigration to six different countries. 

There are several more advanced resources that will be discussed briefly, but not expanded upon, because this course is meant to be a general overview of Italian genealogical research. Consider taking more advanced courses later, once you have more experience, where these records can be covered in more depth. By the end of the course, I have confidence you will be ready to start your Italian research and will say Andiamo! [Let’s go!] 

Course Length: 8 weeks

Optional Print Course Material: Research: Jewish Ancestors

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

Researching a Jewish ancestor may seem a daunting task especially when you consider the Holocaust and the incredible destruction of lives, synagogues, and cemeteries in Europe. You may ask “why should I even try?” Then there is the myth that immigrants had their names changed at Ellis Island that leads us to believe that our Jewish ancestors are nearly impossible to research. All of these things scare off many from researching their Jewish family and discovering that there actually is a great deal of information “out there.” Researching Jewish ancestors is challenging, but with the research techniques provided in this course it will be revealed that much information is available. 

This course is presented with the assumption that the student may have little to no first-hand knowledge of Jewish ancestry. At the completion of the course the student will have a solid foundation to research Jewish ancestors and will understand the types of records available. This course will start with an introduction to the history of the Jewish people to better understand the challenges of this research. We will then get a basic understanding of the languages, dates, and name conventions of this unique group. Immigration patterns of the Jews as they came to North America are a valuable component to ultimately discovering their origins and the resources to assist in this research will be presented. Jewish life and record sources as they settled can provide additional clues to their origins and experiences as they came to America and Canada. Effective research strategies for finding Jewish ancestors will be presented. Lastly, the course includes an extensive discussion on resources available to pursue the genealogy of Jewish ancestors. 

Course Length: 7 weeks

Optional Print Course Material: Research: Manitoba Ancestors

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

Permanent settlement in Manitoba began in the early 1800s. This course will demonstrate how the records created by the Hudson’s Bay Company, the Dominion, provincial, and municipal governments help the researcher trace ancestors in Manitoba. Emphasis will be placed on how to access the records and how to use them effectively.  

Although the focus will be on the major government and religious records, the course will demonstrate how to supplement these records by using land records, local newspapers, cemetery records, and community, school. and church histories. Other important resources to be discussed are the collections and programs of genealogical, historical, and ethnic societies in Manitoba. 

Course Length: 7 weeks

Optional Print Course Material: Research: Mayflower Ancestors

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

You have traced your genealogy back to New England and suspect you may have Mayflower ancestry. Or perhaps you have actually traced a family line back to a Mayflower passenger. This course will cover various aspects of conducting Mayflower research and how to properly document the line by utilizing New England original and derivative records as well as sources specific to Mayflower research. 

We will first discuss the story of our Pilgrim ancestors and, believe me, their story is a fascinating one! From their religious persecution in England, to their exile in Holland and finally, their voyage to the wilderness of the New World, their determination, courage and abiding faith is an inspiration to us all. 

The resources available to you in order to trace back and/or document your existing lineage, whether for your own satisfaction or for membership in the Mayflower Society will be fully explored. We will discuss family genealogies, town histories and New England vital records. There are libraries, societies and family associations you should know about and specific genealogical journals, websites, and social media tools which can make your journey a whole lot easier. We will discuss the role of DNA testing to prove a lineage and you will be provided with a selected reading list so that you may delve more deeply into the historical aspect if you so choose. 

If you have ever wondered about the General Society of Mayflower Descendants, with headquarters in Plymouth, Massachusetts and what it’s all about, now is your chance to learn. We will cover its history, its objectives and its accomplishments. The society has definite documentation requirements for membership; these will be detailed as well as how and where to apply for membership. 

Course Length: 6 weeks

Optional Print Course Material: Research: New Brunswick Ancestors

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to New Brunswick, Canada and the wealth of genealogical material available for those searching for family roots in this province. The author assumes that you want to move beyond the begats and learn as much as you can about the life and times of the men and women you discover. 

To that end we provide an introductory overview of the province, suggest repositories and methodologies for researching available resources, examine early settlement including the Loyalists, touch on vital records (birth, marriage and death), and follow-up with later settlement patterns.

This course assumes the student knows the basics of genealogical research and has some experience using common sources such as the census, vital records, church registers, land and probate documents, as well as a familiarity with forms and methods of recording family data. It also assumes a basic knowledge of how to use archives, libraries, and the Internet. 

Course Length: 5 weeks

Optional Print Course Material: Research: New Zealand Ancestors

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

This course provides a detailed description of how to research ancestors in New Zealand. Learn about the historical background as well as records such as births, deaths and marriages, wills and cemetery records, immigration and naturalisation, military records and other archives held by government and non-government institutions. In the absence of census records, learn how to use census substitutes such as electoral rolls, directories and newspapers. 

Course Length: 7 weeks

Settlements in Newfoundland date quite far back. The first settlement by the English dates back to 1610 when the London and Bristol Company founded Cuper's Cover (Cupids). It is important to understand the settlement and migration patters in order to properly research in this province. During this course, we will discuss the settlement and migration patterns in Newfoundland and Labrador and various documents created such as vital statistics records, probate records, census records, land records, and church records. We will also review available research resources such as archives, libraries, museums and Family History Centers.

Optional Print Course Material: Research: Nova Scotia Ancestors

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

Nova Scotia, first settled in 1604 (although it did not remain), has some of the oldest history in what is now Canada. Its early history reflected the ongoing conflicts between France and England, resulting in an era of New France and ultimately, becoming part of British colonial territory that included the thirteen colonies in what became the United States. By the official end of the American Revolution in 1783, Acadia, as it was then known, was redrawn with the state of Maine becoming part of the new US Republic. 

Connections with New England, or what Nova Scotians called “the Boston states,” remained close through family on both sides of the border. Indeed, some of the United Empire Loyalists who sought refuge in Nova Scotia returned years later to rejoin parts of their family who remained across the border. The easy trip by schooner between Halifax and Boston or New York was more feasible than overland travel to other parts of Canada. In later years, as economic difficulties in Nova Scotia led to crossing the border for work opportunities, connections increased as half of a family might be living in Boston. Many went to work only and families remained in Nova Scotia. In family history research in the late 1800s and early 1900s, it is not uncommon to find people on a US Census in 1880 and a Canadian Census in 1891. Back and forth migration was a strategy for some families. Ultimately, Nova Scotians who remained in New England married, had children, moved across the United States and lost their connections with family back home. 

Many people in other parts of Canada and in the United States have an ancestor who resided in Nova Scotia for five years or several generations. For this reason, the course will focus on distance research although resources available only on-site at archives or local history museums will also be explored. 

Course Length: 7 weeks

Note: This course requires compulsory materials to be ordered.

The Book, “Genealogy in Ontario: Searching the Records” by Brenda Douglas Merriman is available at GenealogyStore.com

Optional Print Course Material: Research: Ontario Ancestors

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

This eight-module course is based on a compulsory book written by Brenda Dougall Merriman, Genealogy in Ontario: Searching the Records (30th Anniversary edition, 2013 or 4th edition, 2008). Earlier editions of Genealogy in Ontario (1984, 1988, 1992 and 2004) do not apply, especially with regard to updates and page number references. 

The bulk of the course reading material is found in Genealogy in Ontario. You will be given specific chapters for each module’s required reading and assignments. Each module will also have some extra additions or explanations. Students will learn about basic genealogical sources for this province, as well as how to find and evaluate them.

NOTE: Genealogy in Ontario was written for both beginners and more advanced researchers. For this course, we are not expecting you to learn or understand more than the fundamental sources and good research habits.

Hundreds of thousands of immigrants entered the province of Ontario (formerly Upper Canada and then Canada West) from the late eighteenth century to the twenty-first century. It has been a major arrival point, or destination, for arrivals, at first from the British Isles and the United States, and then from continental Europe and beyond. Of course, numerous families stayed for generations, but others moved on after a generation or so—countless descendants are seeking their first North American roots here. A rich mass of resources awaits the family historian new to this locale. A great deal of documentation the collections at Library and Archives Canada (LAC) in Ottawa and the Archives of Ontario (AO) in Toronto, but both centres are constantly adding online descriptions, finding aids, and searchable databases. 

Course Length: 9 weeks

Optional Print Course Material: Research: Quebec Non-Francophone Ancestors

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

In order to successfully do research in Québec, it is important to understand how the land divisions and institutions evolved and developed. This course explores where to turn, how the institutions have been set up and the importance of the religious context when researching your English ancestors in Québec. The province developed uniquely to the rest of the country. Records are not necessarily stored where you may have searched in another province in Canada. The course will explain the significance of the Notary, PRDH, Moving Day, the BAnQ and much more. Some tips are even given for those who are new to working with the French language. 

The English have mainly been concentrated in the areas of the Eastern Townships, the Gaspé, the Ottawa River Valley, the North-West and of course, the main centres of Montréal and Québec. All of these regions are explored in some depth and tips particular to the region are given. The course material includes useful websites, references and bibliography which will be useful for the course as well as provide the basis for your genealogical reference library. 

Course Length: 7 weeks

Optional Print Course Material: Research: Saskatchewan Ancestors

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

Saskatchewan was part of the North West Territories from 1870 until it became a province in 1905. During this period the land was surveyed and railways were built to bring settlers to the west. To encourage settlement the government of Canada passed the Dominion Land Act in 1871. Under the act a one hundred and sixty acres of land was offered as a free homestead to males 21 years of age or to women who were the sole support for their family. 

Many people came from other areas in Canada, the United States, the British Isles and Europe to take up homesteads. Before beginning research in Saskatchewan the researcher should establish a research plan noting whom they are searching for, when the family was in Saskatchewan, where they lived, and what they were doing in the province. This enables the researcher to see what records the family may have created in Saskatchewan. 

This course will help you learn about the major record centres, libraries, and societies that can help you find and use the records you need to trace Saskatchewan ancestors. The assignment part of the course will involve using many of the websites to find which original documents you will need to the answer your research problems. 

Course Length: 7 weeks

Optional Print Course Material:Research: Social History

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

This introduction to social history will provide examples and resources of subject matter from many areas of interest to the social historian. Rather than being a comprehensive discussion of social history, the material is intended to inspire your research into the lives of your people and the times and places they lived in. Your ancestors, their families, and the society they lived in may be different from the examples given but only by researching the specifics of their lives, their communities, the world around them and the forces and influences that shaped their environment can you begin to know who they were. 

NOTE: Assignments in this course will require the student to do social history research on the Internet and/or at a local library. How in-depth the research will be, depends on the student’s own personal interest on the subject. 

Course Length: 8 weeks

Optional Print Course Material: Research: South African Ancestors Including Military Records

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

This course covers the history of South Africa, genealogical sources and repositories for searching your ancestors. General genealogical topics covered include birth, marriage, death, church records, cemeteries, newspapers, and more. Also included is discussion on online databases. Research examples are provided to give guidance in various types of research projects. 

In addition, the course looks at major wars and conflicts, and the records they produced. Starting with the Boer Wars, World Wars I and II, and ending at the Korean War. In particular, records of the South African Constabulary, South African Defence Force, South African Air Force and the South African Police are covered. 

Course Length: 7 weeks

Optional Print Course Material: Research: The National Archives of England

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

Many of us can trace our ancestry back to England and the British Isles and for this reason, The National Archives is one of the most important, if not the most important, source of information on our family history. 

The old children’s rhyme about tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, really does apply here. If your ancestor was English, it is essential to know what records are available here and how to access them, whether in person or from a distance. 

The foundation stone of this archive is the Doomsday Book, the record of the whole country, a census if you will, instigated by William I in 1086. Records of British monarchs and governments through the ages are here from Henry VII’s Court of Star Chamber to the 1911 census. 

The records may have been created by Kings or Queens or their governments but in the end, they are about people, our people, the ordinary man in street, who appealed to the Court of Star Chamber for justice or fought for his country in battles overseas. 

This course is designed to help you learn how to explore this great archive, its holdings and how you can access them to help your research. It covers records about our ancestor’s occupations, criminals, military men and emigration as well as records of divorce and dispute. 

Course Length: 6 weeks