Olympia Genealogical Society 2023 Spring Seminar
Date: Saturday, April 15, 2023
Speaker: Judy Russell
Printable 1-page flyer (8-1/2 x 11 pdf)
Registration (required):
— OGS Member Registration ($40; must be logged into OGS website to access this page.)
— Non-Member Registration ($50)
— Your payment receipt will be your registration confirmation. As the Seminar approaches, registrants will receive additional information via email.
— A recording of each presentation will be available for 30 days after the Seminar for those who register.
Seminar Program Outline:
— Where There Is – or Isn’t – a Will
— Property Rights and Wrongs – African-Americans at the Courthouse
— Linking the Generations with Court and Land Records
— “Don’t Forget the Ladies” – A Genealogist’s Guide to Women and the Law
Detailed Agenda (download/print agenda)
Information for Registered Attendees
Questions: Email us at Events@OlyGenSoc.org
Seminar Program:
Where There Is – or Isn’t – a Will — Where there’s a will, there’s a probate. And often when there isn’t a will, there’s still a probate. Understanding the process and finding the records created when our ancestors died can help break through those brick walls.
Property Rights and Wrongs – African-Americans at the Courthouse — From being treated as property to having their children and their property stolen by those who used the law against the freedmen, African Americans’ experience at the courthouse had only one bright spot: it created records for the genealogist-descendants of enslaved and enslavers alike.
Linking the Generations with Court and Land Records — It’s the single biggest issue genealogists face: how do we connect one generation to the next with evidence we can rely on? Vital records are excellent documentation, but they often don’t exist for the time and place we’re researching. That’s when we have to find workarounds to make sure we’re not simply putting people into family lines because they share the same names. Using court and land records, we can often find the evidence we need to link the generations accurately.
“Don’t Forget the Ladies” – A Genealogist’s Guide to Women and the Law — In early America, women were all too often the people who just weren’t there: not in the records, not in the censuses, not on juries, not in the voting booth. The common law relegated women to “protected” – second-class – status, and understanding how they were treated under the law provides clues to finding their identities today.
Speaker:
Judy Russell
Judy G. Russell, The Legal Genealogist®, is a genealogist with a law degree who provides expert guidance through the murky territory where law and family history intersect. An internationally-known lecturer and award-winning writer, she holds credentials as a Certified Genealogist® and Certified Genealogical Lecturer℠ from the Board for Certification of Genealogists®. Her blog is at https://www.legalgenealogist.com.
Detailed Agenda:
| 08:30 – 08:50 | Zoom meeting opens |
| 08:50 – 09:00 | General Announcements and Introduction |
| 09:00 – 10:00 | Presentation 1: Where There Is – or Isn’t – a Will |
| 10:00 – 10:15 | Break |
| 10:15 – 11:15 | Presentation 2: Property Rights and Wrongs – African-Americans at the Courthouse |
| 11:15 – 11:45 | Lunch break |
| 11:45 – 12:00 | Questions & Answers |
| 12:00 – 01:00 | Presentation 3: Linking the Generations with Court and Land Records |
| 01:00 – 01:15 | Break |
| 01:15 – 02:15 | Presentation 4: “Don’t Forget the Ladies” – A Genealogist’s Guide to Women and the Law |
| 02:15 – 02:30 | Questions & Answers |