This Media Release went out this morning.
Sunday, June 30, 2019
Sunday, June 23, 2019
MyHeritage Announces the Speaker Schedule for MyHeritage LIVE 2019 in Amsterdam
From the MyHeritage Blog (20 June 2019)
We are excited to announce the schedule for MyHeritage Live 2019 — our second annual international user conference that will take place in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, September 6 – 8, 2019. Offering an exceptional mix of engaging lectures and workshops on the latest in genealogy, DNA and MyHeritage features, participants are sure to have a fantastic weekend and go home with some new skills to enrich their family history research.
Three Conference Tracks
At the heart of MyHeritage Live 2019 is a jam-packed schedule centered with three different tracks for participants to choose from: a genealogy track, a DNA track, and track dedicated to hands-on workshops. Lecturers will include world-renowned experts in the fields of genealogy and DNA, as well as presentations by senior MyHeritage staff members. Hands-on workshops will offer unique opportunities to discover MyHeritage tools and features. The tracks will run simultaneously and participants can pick and choose their favorites from each of the three.
The lectures and workshops will be led by an incredible lineup of international speakers, MyHeritage staff, and local experts including MyHeritage Founder & CEO Gilad Japhet, Chief Science Officer Prof. Yaniv Erlich, Blaine Bettinger (The Genetic Genealogist), Yvette Hoitink (Dutch Genealogy), Diahan Southard (Your DNA Guide), Roberta Estes (DNA eXplained), Leah Larkin (The DNA Geek) and more.
The genealogy track includes world-class lectures taught by industry experts and top MyHeritage staff. Topics include ways to maximize your research with MyHeritage record collections, uncover immigration stories, best utilize MyHeritage matching technologies, get overviews of major MyHeritage historical collections, and learn top insider genealogy tips.
In the DNA track, you’ll discover MyHeritage’s latest exciting features — Theory of Family Relativity and Autoclusters. Explore the Autoclusters feature in a session given by their actual creator. Learn how to use your DNA results to uncover your ancestors’ stories. Discover the future of DNA testing and advancements in the field of genetic genealogy with top experts in the field, such as MyHeritage’s Chief Science Officer, Yaniv Erlich.
The hands-on workshops run by top MyHeritage staff will take you through the top MyHeritage tools and features step-by-step and teach you how to use them to maximize your family history discoveries.
Meet us in Amsterdam
The conference lectures and workshops offer unparalleled opportunities to expand your knowledge of MyHeritage and learn more about researching your family history. Participants will still have ample opportunities to mingle with hundreds of genealogists and MyHeritage users from all over the globe as well as enjoy world-class performances and entertainment.
Amsterdam is a city brimming with life and a rich history. Not to be missed are the city’s vast archive collections, museums, and beautiful canals and architecture. Don’t miss out on what is sure to be an unforgettable experience!
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
Histories, Voices of Enslaved People Documented by New American Ancestors Website
We have received the following press release from American Ancestors at the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) about this very important new website resource and wanted to share it with you ASAP.
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
MyHeritage DNA Kits Now on Sale in Costco UK
We just received an email from Daniel Horowitz of MyHeritage with some great news.
Sunday, June 16, 2019
Focus on the Context Because Context Is Everything
I'm often approached at the end of a presentation at a meeting or conference and asked for advice for solving a research challenge. A person will launch in with something like, "I've been unable to find my 3x great-grandfather and he's a complete brick wall. Where should I look?"
I have to stop the person and ask, "Where do you think he lived? When do you think he was there? What are you trying to prove or disprove?" I need to understand the context first before I can even begin to offer any suggestions. It is imperative that I know the place and time period: that determines what geopolitical entity was in power, what records were being produced at the time, and makes me consider boundary changes and other events that might influence the research approach.
Sometimes the responses I get from a person make me wonder if he or she had really focused on the context of the ancestor's circumstances and/or developed a research plan. The research plan would need to concentrate on time, place, historical and personal events, records being produced, and later jurisdictional changes that influence where the records WERE produced and WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
It's easier these days, with the tsunami of new records being made available online all the time, to get pulled into a mode of reacting with rapid research. This can undermine the time we take to thoroughly analyze each record, and to relate it to others. That means we may miss apparent connections, we may not develop thoughtful hypotheses, and we probably don't prepare (or revise) a viable and potentially successful research plan. We may also rush to conclusions without considering the whole picture.
Don't get me wrong. I absolutely love talking to people at seminars and getting these questions. They make me think outside my own research box *and* to use my more than half-century of experience with thousands of research record types and content. And what I will always do is ask you to step back and ask yourself the questions that will help place your ancestor into temporal, geographical, and political context. I hope you will do that on a regular basis. Refer to Cyndi's List and to the FamilySearch Research Wiki for ideas and references to records and methodologies.
And take the time to read, analyze, and understand every record you encounter. Compare and relate it to other evidence you may have (or will) encountered. And develop a research plan, no matter how small, to focus yourself on success.
I have to stop the person and ask, "Where do you think he lived? When do you think he was there? What are you trying to prove or disprove?" I need to understand the context first before I can even begin to offer any suggestions. It is imperative that I know the place and time period: that determines what geopolitical entity was in power, what records were being produced at the time, and makes me consider boundary changes and other events that might influence the research approach.
Sometimes the responses I get from a person make me wonder if he or she had really focused on the context of the ancestor's circumstances and/or developed a research plan. The research plan would need to concentrate on time, place, historical and personal events, records being produced, and later jurisdictional changes that influence where the records WERE produced and WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
It's easier these days, with the tsunami of new records being made available online all the time, to get pulled into a mode of reacting with rapid research. This can undermine the time we take to thoroughly analyze each record, and to relate it to others. That means we may miss apparent connections, we may not develop thoughtful hypotheses, and we probably don't prepare (or revise) a viable and potentially successful research plan. We may also rush to conclusions without considering the whole picture.
Don't get me wrong. I absolutely love talking to people at seminars and getting these questions. They make me think outside my own research box *and* to use my more than half-century of experience with thousands of research record types and content. And what I will always do is ask you to step back and ask yourself the questions that will help place your ancestor into temporal, geographical, and political context. I hope you will do that on a regular basis. Refer to Cyndi's List and to the FamilySearch Research Wiki for ideas and references to records and methodologies.
And take the time to read, analyze, and understand every record you encounter. Compare and relate it to other evidence you may have (or will) encountered. And develop a research plan, no matter how small, to focus yourself on success.
The Genealogy Squad: You Are Not Alone
The Genealogy Squad Facebook group launched on May 6, 2019, and was an immediate success. At this moment there are 14,376 members and the group is fast approaching what we believe will be 15,000 members this coming week.
The mission of the Genealogy Squad Facebook group is to provide a positive space for the sharing of appropriate and reliable methods and resources to assist genealogists at all levels. We focus on answering questions and solving problems, while demonstrating best practices in all aspects of genealogical research. Questions relating to the use of DNA testing are better suited for our sister group, Genetic Genealogy Tips & Techniques at https://www.facebook.com/groups/geneticgenealogytipsandtechniques/.
The founders and administrators of The Genealogy Squad are Blaine T. Bettinger, Ph.D., J.D., Cyndi Ingle (of Cyndi's List), and Drew Smith and George G. Morgan of The Genealogy Guys Podcast. We have a combined total of more than 150 years of experience with genealogical research and want to provide high quality, helpful, and friendly assistance to our members.
Where Are Our Members?
A significant number of our members have asked about the make-up of our membership, primarily because there seems to be an assumption that The Genealogy Squad is only for and composed of U.S. members. That assumption is far from accurate. Our members are from all over the world, and there is a wonderful excitement to help one another. Here is an image from the FB statistics about our members as of this morning. The origins and numbers change as membership grows but it is important that you know more about your fellow members.
The chart above doesn't include every place; we know there are members in other countries, such as Israel, Italy, France, South Africa, and elsewhere. However, this graphic gives you a little feel for larger clusters of members.
Think Globally!
You can help other people by being more precise about the places - including country and other geopolitical jurisdiction - in your posts here. Remember that there is more than one London and more than one Madison; there is an Essex County in New Jersey, one in Massachusetts, one in the UK, and one in Ontario, Canada.
The mission of the Genealogy Squad Facebook group is to provide a positive space for the sharing of appropriate and reliable methods and resources to assist genealogists at all levels. We focus on answering questions and solving problems, while demonstrating best practices in all aspects of genealogical research. Questions relating to the use of DNA testing are better suited for our sister group, Genetic Genealogy Tips & Techniques at https://www.facebook.com/groups/geneticgenealogytipsandtechniques/.
The founders and administrators of The Genealogy Squad are Blaine T. Bettinger, Ph.D., J.D., Cyndi Ingle (of Cyndi's List), and Drew Smith and George G. Morgan of The Genealogy Guys Podcast. We have a combined total of more than 150 years of experience with genealogical research and want to provide high quality, helpful, and friendly assistance to our members.
A significant number of our members have asked about the make-up of our membership, primarily because there seems to be an assumption that The Genealogy Squad is only for and composed of U.S. members. That assumption is far from accurate. Our members are from all over the world, and there is a wonderful excitement to help one another. Here is an image from the FB statistics about our members as of this morning. The origins and numbers change as membership grows but it is important that you know more about your fellow members.
 |
| The Genealogy Squad members as of June 16, 2019 (Click the image to enlarge.) |
The chart above doesn't include every place; we know there are members in other countries, such as Israel, Italy, France, South Africa, and elsewhere. However, this graphic gives you a little feel for larger clusters of members.
Think Globally!
You can help other people by being more precise about the places - including country and other geopolitical jurisdiction - in your posts here. Remember that there is more than one London and more than one Madison; there is an Essex County in New Jersey, one in Massachusetts, one in the UK, and one in Ontario, Canada.
This may be a little change in your mindset, but it's really very helpful to begin thinking and researching with a more global perspective. You'll help yourself *and* you'll help other members in this great FB group!
Spread the Word
If you are not a member of The Genealogy Squad, go to the FB page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/genealogysquad/ and request to be added. You have to answer two quick questions so that we know you're not a robot and so we can know a little more about you. We'll approve you pretty quickly.
If you are already a member, tell your friends and genealogical society members about us. Give them the link, but don't use the FB Invite function. We decline invited people because we want everyone to join on their own volition. (After all, we all dislike being added to an email distribution list without our choice. The same thing holds true here.)
We look forward to having you join us. We know you will learn a lot, and you'll be able to share with and help people from all over the world.
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
Check U.S. Census Mortality Schedules
The U.S.
federal census enumerations of 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880, and the partial
census of 1885 for six states
(Colorado, Florida, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, and South Dakota), also
included separate mortality schedules. They are separate from the population schedules. The enumerator asked for information about every individual who had died
between 1 June and 31 May, both white and black. The mortality schedule
included: person’s name; age; sex; color (white, black, or mulatto); free or
slave (in the 1850 and 1860 schedules); whether married or widowed; place of
birth (state, territory, or country); month of death; their profession,
occupation, or trade; disease or cause of death; and number of days ill.
These schedules may
be the only record of death for individuals since many states did not require
recording of deaths until the late nineteenth or early twentieth centuries.
They should be one of the first records checked if a person appeared in a
previous decennial census and cannot be found in the next. They can be
especially useful when searching for enslaved individuals because the 1850 and
1860 census slave schedules usually did not list slaves’ names.
In addition, the mortality schedules of 1850 and 1860 include information about slaves who died in the preceding year. This can be a huge find when researching African-American ancestors prior to emancipation.
Mortality schedules
for 1850-1885 can be found online at Ancestry.com; mortality schedules for 1850
can be found at FamilySearch and Findmypast.
 |
| 1850 US federal census mortality schedule Stewart County, Georgia Source: FamilySearch.org |
Monday, June 3, 2019
Unsung Heroes Award Presentation to MyHeritage
Here is a photo from Saturday, June 1, 2019, at the Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree in Burbank, California, at which Daniel Horowitz of MyHeritage accepted the Unsung Heroes Award. Left to right; Rick Voight of Vivid-Pix, Daniel Horowitz, and Drew Smith of The Genealogy Guys.
Saturday, June 1, 2019
Special Unsung Heroes Award Made to MyHeritage.com at Jamboree
Dateline:
Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree
Burbank, CA
June 1, 2019
The Genealogy Guys Podcast and Vivid-Pix have today given MyHeritage Ltd. its highest Unsung Heroes Award for extraordinary service to the genealogy community.
Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree
Burbank, CA
June 1, 2019
The Genealogy Guys Podcast and Vivid-Pix have today given MyHeritage Ltd. its highest Unsung Heroes Award for extraordinary service to the genealogy community.
Said Drew Smith in his presentation, "MyHeritage
has been involved with numerous pro bono projects over the years. We are here
today to recognize the completion of their unprecedented five-year project to
digitize every cemetery in Israel. MyHeritage employees, friends, and volunteers
systematically photographed and transcribed almost every grave. The company
specifically recruited full-time employees to complete the work. They photographed 638 cemeteries
throughout Israel. 2.1 million photos were taken of 1.5 million gravestones,
and the company teamed
with BillionGraves to make the results available online.
"MyHeritage
embodies the true spirit of volunteerism, and this project is just one of its
many mitzvahs or good deeds for the global community. We
are therefore presenting this plaque to Daniel Horowitz of MyHeritage today as
part of our Unsung Heroes Awards. It reads:
In recognition of the
completion of its landmark
project to digitize all
of the cemeteries in Israel
and make the records
available online, we hereby honor
MyHeritage Ltd.
This award acknowledges
the company’s continuous
commitment to the
documentation of the past
and its dedication to
preservation for future generations.
"Thank
you, MyHeritage, for your great leadership and generosity!"
 |
| Plaque given to Daniel Horowitz of MyHeritage in recognition of its Israel Cemetery Project. |
We Sing Your Praises!
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