International Institute of Genealogical Studies

Optional Print Course Material: Irish: Civil Registration

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

One of the most important source records that most genealogists use, but often concentrate too heavily on, are the vital records created upon introduction of civil registration in search countries. In Ireland this happened at two different times depending upon the type of record and the ecclesiastical division. The course will discuss civil registered record types of birth, marriage and death in post-1863 Ireland and Protestant marriage records which begin from 1845. 

In addition, the course will discuss the contents of these records, their availability, how the information documented has changed over time, the limitations and advantages of civil vital records, and effective research strategies for using this record type.

Optional Print Course Material: Irish: Land Administration Records

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

Often genealogists get frustrated with land and deed records because of the difficulty in their access and use. In addition, they fail to understand their indirect overall significance which is one of correlating and connecting members of family groups, pre-emigration identity, as well as parentage and origins of the emigrant. This course discusses these issues and others of value primarily from 1708 in Ireland, the historical background of land tenure, the general contents of these records and their availability, as well as strategies for effectively researching and accessing this record collection and some wonderful collections that precede 1708 dating from as early as the 12th century. 

Many of the sources referenced are available through FamilySearch. If you are not already familiar with the FamilySearch website or the FamilySearch Catalog, it is suggested that you become so as a great deal of your success with your research will be dependent upon use of their collections.  

Optional Print Course Material: Irish: Major Printed Sources

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

Printed sources can be contemporary to the period documented and often more reliable than later secondary sources for the same period. However, few are indexed and there tend to be large periods where even the printed sources themselves are not available. In Ireland, where many of the records have been destroyed or lost, what have survived are sporadic and incomplete. Contemporary-period printed sources by way of newspapers, directories, journals and local histories, occupational and society records often help establish human life events that may not be documented anywhere else. This course will discuss these printed sources available, information contained and their value, the challenges in accessing or using these records, locating source records, and discussing available bibliographies, indexes, and abstracts. 

Optional Print Course Material: Irish: Monumental (Gravestone) Inscriptions

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

An excellent record source that connects major life events of birth and death to known and unknown family members is transcriptions of tombstones or what are more globally known at ''monumental inscriptions'' and in Ireland, ''memorials of the dead''.  They often provide the only clues as to births and deaths of family members as they precede or out-survive other forms of primary and secondary source information. 

The course will discuss the value of these records, the time periods of their existence and use, an important review of the contents found in them as well as a discussion on their availability and access to them in, and outside of, Ireland.  In addition, we will seek to discuss and uncover some of the more indirect elements of monumental inscription understanding.  Several examples will be examined.  A case study will also be presented.

Optional Print Course Material: Irish: Testamentary Source Records

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

Probably no record group is more important to pre-civil registration research in a country than wills and estate administrations. More than any other record, wills can provide both ancestral and descendant accounts of family groupings. In Ireland we tend to see less documentation than in other countries due to the way personal and moveable property descended over time.

This course addresses this record group, both pre-1858 before the system of administration changed, and post-1858 to the present date. We will discuss the value of these records during both these time periods, historical background to their development, examine the contents and availability of the records in both periods, and research strategies for these collections. 

Optional Print Course Material: Irish: Court Records, State Papers, Parliamentary Documents

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

In the advanced level of the Irish Certificate, we examine some of the record collections that the genealogical detail in them is often difficult to locate. These documents are also harder to locate. More often they're not indexed, abstracted, or available to the public. However, information found will be direct and often provide good primary evidence of facts on subjects and events in periods where few other genealogical records survive. Seldom discussed by genealogists because they are so misunderstood and difficult to research, This course will provide you with an understanding of the importance of court, state, and parliamentary records for genealogical research. The one apparent note with this collection is that, unlike, many other genealogical sources, court/state/parliamentary records cover almost the entire period of late Irish history from the 12th century (in general) to the present.

Like, electoral and taxation sources, however, these record collections can supply, particularly for pre-1850 Ireland, some of the best pointers on periods of presence and locality, as well as indications of social strata, details on occupations, residences, physical descriptions, and family relationships or family structures.

Optional Print Course Material: Irish: Electoral and Taxation Records

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

A series of source records that tend to be less consulted are electoral, poll, and tithe records. In Ireland these comprise voters registers, hearth money rolls, poll tax rolls, land tithes, and subsidy rolls as well as many other taxation methods. The collection falls under two distinct series, each of which varies by period, and both of which will be discussed in this course.  Though they tend to be less informative than some of the other record groups, electoral and taxation records establish presence, among other details, in a period where few other records exist by which to do so. In addition, we discuss records of public office, freemen, and freeholders. Understanding these records is imperative to pre-1700 research in Ireland. The course covers the value and challenges of these records, contents, dates of coverage, types of persons included, access,  and brief lists of bibliographic and indexed sources. 

Optional Print Course Material: Irish: Estate, Plantation and Settlement Records

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

We examine the record collection for Ireland unique to this country, and the entire United Kingdom, are estate records, plantation documents, and settlement papers. They can be very difficult to use, however, hold original sources of information for periods that pre-date many of the later more customary genealogical source records.

This course provides an understanding of the importance of estate, plantation, and settlement papers when undertaking your genealogical research. 

Optional Print Course Material: Irish: Immigration, Naturalization and Emigration Records

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

There are no complete records of emigration, immigration, or naturalization for Ireland. There are some collections of this information available from Irish record sources; however, the bulk of meaningful source material will more likely come from the receiving country or sending country than from Irish sources. In both cases, we examine the materials available involving the Irish, the time periods they cover, and access. It is often a sparse and scattered collection of records not easily investigated but can provide a wealth of information on ancestors and their subsequent residences or earlier origins.

Optional Print Course Material: Irish: Military, Naval and Pension Records

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

The earliest records of a military and genealogical nature are contained in the ancient and medieval Annals of Ireland and other Gaelic manuscripts. These as well as later printed source materials provide valuable lists of officers and soldiers in local forces, accounts of military activity including officer personnel, local incidents and names of rebellious persons, the various records often accompanied with biographical and genealogical notes. We discuss these records, their value, some historical background, and their availability. Included: important pension records with documented places of residence, birth, parentage, marriage, and children. There were civil and military pensions granted in Ireland. We conclude with a look at the Irish and Royal Irish Constabulary records.

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 Course Print Material: Italian: Introduction to Research Outside of Italy

*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 type of genealogical research. Italians have contributed to all aspects of life in the countries they immigrated to. Our Italian ancestors 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 countries, providing not only a better life for themselves but also for their descendants.

This course will provide you with a solid foundation on which to begin your research. We will discuss, amongst other things: what resources, mainly U.S. and Canadian, can help you begin your research; what Italian records are available and the historical considerations in their creation; where and how these records can be accessed; record collections available on microfilm or digitally and how to use them; language resources; tips that will help you as your research progresses; ordering documents from Italy.

NOTE: This course is a prerequisite to all other Italian courses except for the Research: Italian Ancestors course. 

Course Length: 7 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: Italian: Language and Location

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

Understanding, or being able to decipher, the languages found with Italian genealogical documents is an essential skill needed to effectively research your Italian ancestors. While most records are in Italian, you will find other languages within the records depending on the history of the town or region you are researching. Emphasis is placed on reading the handwriting and how to translate and understand basic Italian records.

While topics discussed in this course will give you a solid understanding of the basics needed to understand Italian genealogical records, we cannot cover everything in the space allotted for this course. After the course ends, you will need to take time to study the language, the handwriting, as well as the cultural context of the records, in order to fully understand what the records your ancestors left behind truly reveal.

Locating places within Italy can be confusing until you understand the political and ecclesiastical jurisdictions. We will review these jurisdictions and look at a variety of ways that will help you narrow your search for your ancestor’s town of origin. If you already know the town of origin, this section may help as your research expands as the research often leads into nearby towns, due to the practice of marrying outside a town’s populace. 

Course Length: 7 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: Italian: Civil Registration Records - Part 1

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

Civil registration is one of the largest and most important record sets in Italian genealogical research. It is certainly the most accessible, due to the efforts of FamilySearch, and now the main Italian archive, in microfilming or digitizing these records. 

In this course, we will delve deeper into three main types of records: birth records [both regular and supplemental], marriage records [including marriage banns and marriage supplements], and death records [both regular and supplemental]. Each type of record has different challenges as well as differences in format depending on the time period and/or location of its creation within Italy. 

We will also delve more deeply into translating and abstracting these documents so that you can understand more fully how to find every piece of genealogically useful information they contain. You will learn how to spot discrepancies and information contained that is over and above what is generally given. Understanding the documents is the heart of the course and there will be much study required of the example documents. 

You should have completed the Italian: Introduction to Research Outside of Italy and Italian: Language and Location courses, or have a good understanding of the content of those courses, before commencing this course.

Course Length: 7 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: Italian: Civil Registration Records - Part 2

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

Civil registration is one of the largest and most important record sets in Italian genealogical research. It is certainly the most accessible, due to the efforts of FamilySearch (and now the main Italian archive) to microfilm and digitize these records. However, civil registration is more than just birth, death, and marriage records. In this course, we will delve into some of the more unusual civil records. We’ll not only learn what they are but also how to use these records. These records can be used to “flesh out” the history of your ancestors, providing unique details that may help you understand the ancestors in their social and political context.

We’ll also delve more deeply into the Italian resources available through FamilySearch, Ancestry.com, and Portale Antenati, the Italian government’s website. Collections available at Italian Archivi di Stato will be explored. Students will learn what types of documents these archives contain and how best to access them. 

Course Length: 6 weeks

Optional Print Course Material: Italian: Catholic Church Records - Part 1

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

Church or ecclesiastical records is one of the largest and most important record sets in Italian genealogical research. These records are becoming more available outside of Italy, due to the efforts of FamilySearch to microfilm and digitize these records, as well as a few other smaller projects. Yet, the majority of these records remain in the archives of Italy.

In this course we’ll look at how and why these records were created, what types of records can be found, and what genealogical information you may find. We’ll discuss what archives these records are conserved in and how to access the records.

Course Length: 7 weeks

Optional Print Course Material: Italian: Catholic Church Records - Part 2

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

Church or ecclesiastical records are one of the largest and most important record sets in Italian genealogical research. These records are becoming more available outside of Italy, due to the efforts of FamilySearch to film and digitize these records as well as a few other smaller projects. However, most of these records remain in Italian archives. 

In this course we will examine in detail the various forms of marriages records that were created and what genealogical information you may find in each. 

Stato delle anime or State of the Souls records will also be covered and we’ll learn what a valuable resource these records can be, especially the further back in time you go.

Course Length: 6 weeks

Optional Print Course Material - Methodology 1 - Getting Started

Optional Supplies: 9 Generation Pedigree Chart 

This introductory course tackles the common questions: “Why trace our ancestors?”, “How far back can I go?” and “How do I proceed after I’ve talked to my family?” Participants will immediately start filling in their Family Group Record (or Individual Family Form) and their Pedigree Chart(or Ancestral Chart).

Optional Print Course Material - Methodology 2 - Organizing and Skill Building

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

Methodology-Part 2: Organizing and Skill-Building has two underlying themes. One is to help you organize your paperwork and all the other documents or family material you will be collecting. 

The second theme reviews the subjects of sources and information, and evidence.

Optional Print Course Material: Skills: Transcribing, Abstracting, and Extracting

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

This Skills: Transcribing, Abstracting & Extracting course enriches your skills, knowledge, and training through the course reading materials, practicals, and assignments to improve transcribing, abstracting, and extracting capabilities.

Note: Our students are studying different courses or countries, and many examples of documents from around the world are used to give as much experience of the differing formats and types of documents.

Important notice: The ME-205 Latin for Genealogists course is a mandatory Methodology course and a prerequisite to ME-302 Palaeography: Reading and Understanding Historical Documents as of 1 January 2025. All students who have not finished the full Basic and Intermediate Methodology Certificates by 31 December 2024 will need to add this course to your program. 

Required Print Course Material: Palaeography Workbook Only

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

Tackle unfamiliar documents spanning the past five hundred years. The primary goal involves transcribing the unfamiliar writing in old documents to the modern-day hand. As Britain had a major influence on the cosmopolitan development of North America, examples will be taken from British and Canadian resources. Introduction to the following topics:

• Writing Materials
  
• Palaeography
  
• Roman Numerals
  
• Currency
  
• The Calendar
  
• The Religious Calendar
  
• Weights and Measures
  
• Origin of Family Names
  
• Social Structure in Britain
  
• Occupations
  
• Introduction to Latin Terminology
  
• Bibliography
  

The workbook provides physical hand/eye coordination practice needed for evaluating antique documents.