Directory of Members

M.E. and M.B.A. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; researcher since 1987.

Has been giving talks on genealogical topics since 2006. List of talks given and feedback provided can be found here, http://mosaicrpm.com/presentations_talks_workshops.html

List of current talk topics provided below.  This list is NOT comprehensive. Any southern-related, tips/tricks/techniques/strategies or online database topic is fair game. Any articles written for Internet Genealogy and Your Genealogy Today can be converted into a talk (either as a webinar or in-person delivered lecture).

Completed NIGR (http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~natgenin/) in 2010

Ready research access to NC State Archive & Library, Wake County NC Resources, FHC, and other RTP-area local libraries & archives (UNC-CH, Duke, ECU etc). Listed researcher at NC Archives, UNC-CH and Duke). Access also to the Library of Virginia (LVA) and all DC repositories (NARA, LOC, etc).

Author for Internet Genealogy and Your Genealogy Today (was Family Chronicle) (since 2006), past editor of Upfront with NGS blog and Wake Treasures (journal of the Wake County Genealogical Society), and current editor, the North Carolina Genealogical Society Journal (since 2016).

Member: APG, NC-APG, NGS, NCGS, WCGS.

Researched for WDYTYA? and appeared on the Bryan Cranston episode (Season 6, Episode 5).  Appeared in "The Dead Files," Season 12, Episode 7, "Detox."

Co-leader, Tar Heel Discoveries, www.tarheeldiscoveries.com -- Guided North Carolina Genealogical Research. Targeted, focused, resarch assistance leading you to new family discoveries! Provides annual weekly program or one-on-one research support.

ME MBA

2018 NCGS Award, editor, Wake Treasures (Wake County (NC) Genealogical Society)

• NC research (Statewide, ALL time periods & includes Online Resources, Strategies & Research in all kinds of Records, African-American, Migration to other Southern States, Military, Land, and much more)
• Southern Research (those born in xxx and found living in yyy research problems, neat southern records, and more)
• Internet-based genealogy and family history resources (regular contributing author to Internet Genealogy, http://www.mosaicrpm.com/Internet_Genealogy_Articles.html)
• Freedmen's Bureau Records
• Civilian Conservation Corps Records
• Lineage Society Proof
• Using Online Maps

List of current talk topics provided here  This list is NOT comprehensive. Any southern-related, tips/tricks/techniques/strategies, or online database topic is fair game. Any articles written for Internet Genealogy and Your Genealogy Today can be converted into a talk (either as a webinar or in-person delivered lecture).

Updated 021320

** next to one topic that I think is a good cut across NC research topic appropriate to start a program (it’s one of my favorite talks)

(^^) next to some topics that are good for any researchers, not just southern ones since sometimes such is desired in a program to broaden its appeal

(##) are heavily NC

(AA) is used to identify records that appeal to African-American researchers though, have relevance to any researchers.  Especially in this category is the Freedmen’s Bureau (the most given talk in my repertoire) where in NC, about 50% of records are documenting the “white” population in the immediate post-Civil War years.

NOTE … These are not in any order. Additionally, the coding is not perfect and just meant to be helpful.

(**) (##) 1) Tarheels in Your family Tree? History & Record Idiosyncrasies You Want to Know About – good overall look at elements of NC research that many are not aware of [opening session lecture given in ballroom at NGS 2017]

(##) 2) Get Excited About Your Pre-1870 NC African American Research – focus is African-American records though no records (except cohabitation bonds) are created just “solely” for those who had been enslaved; other community members are also included

(^^) 3) Two States, Multiple Counties -- What's a Border?  A simple concept that many think they understand and yet often don’t fully take advantage of.

(##) 4) Crimes Across Multiple Jurisdictions: Meet Wake County's Abbott Brothers – detailed look at 18th century court records; all the places they can be found

(AA) 5) Freedmen's Bureau Records-More Valuable to Anyone's Southern Research Than You Might Have Thought – excellent resource for c. 1865-1868 records for ALL southerners [Most given talk]

(##) 6) Goldmines in Colonial NC Records – details on “where” to look for colonial records and the gaps that exist in them

(##) 7) Civil War Era Genealogy Research ... in your jammies (mostly!) – examines records created related to military service (not just pension and CSR) as well as maps, Confederate & Union Citizen Files & Southern Claims, voter registration, freedmen’s bureau, newspapers

(^^) 8) The Genealogical Gems Found in Ledgers -- Have you explored private and little known archival (aka manuscript) collections? They are full of ledgers and account books, membership lists, and so much more! You can learn so much about your family and neighborhood through these records. Relationships are sometimes noted. Store, business and physician ledgers can link family members and provide many interesting details invaluable to your family history narrative.

(^^) 9) Sign of the Times: Timelines in Genealogy [webinar coming May 2019 to NCGS] – an excellent tool to help organize and decipher lots of data and help solve genealogical conundrums! [One of my most popular programs]

(##) 10) Online Resources Are Key to Successful Research into North Carolina Ancestry (or NC is No Longer a Rip Van Winkle State). NCGS Members can access, https://www.ncgenealogy.org/online-resources-are-key-to-successful-research-into-north-carolinian-ancestry-webinar/.  [revamped Feb 2020]

[no 11]

(##) 12) Born in NC: Making the Connection Back to NC – this is actually a survey course that looks at 25 different resources that help when you don’t know “where” an ancestor found elsewhere is indicated with “born in NC” in records. Preview via NCGS website, https://www.ncgenealogy.org/news/born-nc-preview/

(^^) (AA) 13) Slaves + Insurance = Rich Records – Slaves were insured and these are the records documenting that from registries to ledgers to lawsuits and more.

(##) 14) Maps! Oh the Places They Can take Us Without Leaving Home! (online map resources & how they can help solve genealogical problems)

(^^) 15) Post Office Records: Geography, Politics, Religion & More -- Post offices aren't just about mail! Post offices used to define communities and people used their location, in records, to define where they lived. Post offices also handled newspaper subscriptions and related materials. How would you like to see great great grandpa's subscription list? Talk about insight into a person -- often indicating religious and/or political leanings.

(##) 16) A “Hand-out” for your Poor Ancestors: local parishes and counties did step up -- covers colonial period through WWII – a bit more of a focus on the laws in place and what “poor relief” was theoretically available though not necessarily implemented state-wide; some records don’t survive or have restricted access [Given at NGS 2017]

(##) 17) Pre-1913 Vital Records [focus is on NC options though most records discussed are also created in other jurisdictions]. Preview via NCGS website, https://www.ncgenealogy.org/news/pre-1913-vital-records-preview/.

(^^) (AA) 18) Digital Library on American Slavery & More -- This talk discusses a few resources that you won’t regret looking into as you research your African-American ancestry. Some collections and techniques which will be focused on include … • Digital Library on American Slavery [slave petitions, runaway slave advertisements, bills of sale, transatlantic slave trade database] & related projects • Slave Narratives [not all are part of the Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936 to 1938 [Library of Congress] • Using Archivegrid to search for private manuscript collections containing records about those enslaved. [2^nd most popular AA topic]

19) Research Finns – Finnish not required; Internet is!

(##) 20) NC Secretary of State Papers [webinar done for NCGS]

[no 21]

(^^) 22) Stock Marks Aren't Just Animal Brands: Use Them To Identify People Also! -- It’s easy to associate branding with large cattle, sheep, goat, and other ranches often found west of the Mississippi River. You do so at your own risk! The need for animal identification has been needed though ever since people have lived near one another and have raised such. Colonial states passed laws regarding the marking of animals as a form of identification. These records can help place individuals, sometimes quite early, in a community.

(AA) 23) The Story of Rachel – One assumes that a slave manumitted is immediately freed; think again.  This is the story of Rachel and her children, the laws of North Carolina and the almost 20 years it too for them to actually be freed.

(^^) 23) Crowdsourcing – Many Hands Get Digitized Records Indexed! The last few years has seen a plethora of “crowdsourced” projects focused on indexing records benefit genealogists.  A survey of active and closed such projects as well as other ways that crowdsourcing is benefiting genealogists.

(^^) 24) Financing Wars -- 18th & 19th Century Federal Tax Records DO Exist! -- The United States federal government began levying revenue taxes back in 1791 with a tax on distilled spirits. Soon after, other items such as carriages, refined sugar and snuff were also taxed. The records that came from these taxes are an overlooked resource for genealogists. Though not all the tax records themselves may survive, newspapers end up providing some insight into some of those earliest Federal Taxes.

[RETIRED] 25) The Man Who Didn't Want to Be Found

[RETIRED]  26) One Genealogist's Experience as a "WDYTYA?" Researcher and On-Air Expert.

[RETIRED] 27) Hiring a Professional Genealogist

28) Tips for Applying to a Lineage Society – Lineage society applications are often more exacting than people would like for them to be. Let’s talk about proving your lineage, useful tools for tracking who/what/where/when, the common requirements across most applications, proof arguments, do NOTS, select society requirements, and more.

(##) 29) Seafaring/Mariner Ancestors -- Seafaring folk, especially southern ones, are challenging to document. Shipping records do survive for many 18th & 19th century ports. We’ll follow the money to identify mariner ancestors. Explore NARA, newspapers, commercial ledger, port records and more. [Given at FGS August 2020]

(^^) 30) Internet Archive, JSTOR, HathiTrust etc – A Few Favorite Online Resources! Also mentioned are Wayback Machine, OCLC/Worldcat, Archivegrid, Linkpendium, and more [to be given at FxGS in April 2020]

(^^) 31) The Power of People – Voices via Petitions -- Sometimes we have to “fight” for what we want and that leads to certain types of petition.  Sometimes we seek government authorization for certain activities and that requires a different type of petition.  Petitions are a means by which one person or many or a whole community can seek to change the status quo.  Much of early legislation in our country is a result of petitions. The Crown was also petitioned by individuals seeking redress to issues, challenges (too far to the nearest courthouse), taxation (the crushing level of), and more. [to be given at FxGS in April 2020]

(##) 32) Using Church Records for Genealogy Research -- Discovering where denominational records are held, what might be available, and how to access them can challenge us.  Increasingly though, helpful finding materials are being published or placed online to assist in non-secular research. Fortunately, we also find online archives (digitized records) of religious records we can access from home. This increased access to these incredibly valuable and insightful records enriches our family history research. Let’s explore how to research the spiritual affiliations and faith-based lives of our ancestors. General resources and strategies will be discussed as well as some specifics regarding Methodist, Quaker, Baptist, Moravian, Presbyterian, and the records of other denominations. [gave at WCGS in fall 2019]

(##) (AA) 33) Manumission, Quakers, Abolition Efforts, and more -- Many enslaved sought to be manumitted while many abolitionists and Quakers sought to “abolish” slavery.  There was success in eliminating the trans-Atlantic slave trade though most slaves. in what is the United States were NOT freed until the Civil War. Though, some slaves were manumitted and there are records to be found both about how they gained their freedom and those involved in trying to ensure their freedom. Let’s explore these invaluable records. Includes the case study – The Story of Rachel. [to be given at FxGS in April 2020]

(AA) 34) Mapping Resources Help Us Visualize African American History -- Visual tools can be so helpful as we do genealogical research. One form of visual tool that we are seeing more of are map-based tools.  Increasingly, the focus of these mapping initiatives are documenting those who had been enslaved and other aspects of researching African American ancestry. [to be given at FxGS in April 2020]

(^^) (AA) 35) Escaped Slave Advertisements, Finding Lost Relatives – 19th Century Newspaper Research -- A very high-level look at select newspaper research sources and strategies for learning more about 19th century previously enslaved ancestors.  We can only skim the surface of the rich rewards newspapers can yield as we research into them.  We’ll focus on (1) advertisements for runaway slaves, (2) advertisements, notices and queries seeking information on seemingly lost relatives and (3) a few resources to help identify where/when 19th century African American newspapers were published and how you might access them.  [to be given at FxGS in April 2020]

(^^) (AA) 36) 1867 Voter Registration and Beyond -- An 1867 law allowed that males 21+ years, regardless of skin color, were eligible to vote.  Any surviving 1867 voter registrations are invaluable to genealogists. Across the country, the Reconstruction Acts of 1867, implemented regulations regarding voter registration.  Lists of Qualified Voters were created.  These are the first lists to include, whites (who took oaths), those who were previously designated as free persons of color, AND those previously enslaved. [Webinar for SCGS Jamboree Mar 2020]

(^^) 37) 50 Overlooked Genealogical Resources in 50 Minutes! -- For over 12 years I have been authoring a Net Notes column for Internet Genealogy; I have authored pieces for this publication since its founding in 2006.  “Internet Genealogy looks at websites and related news that are sure to be of interest.”  This column provides a quick snapshot of neat free genealogically-relevant databases that have caught my eye. We are not talking database additions to Ancestry or FamilySearch et al.  Many of these are home-grown narrowly focused databases that just might provide you with an invaluable piece of information. I’ve easily written over 400 net notes.  Let’s take a look at a “whole bunch” of hidden gems you have available at your fingertips that you might not be aware of. [to be given at FxGS in April 2020 & NGS May 2020]

(^^) 38) Mostly Involuntary Servitude -- Sometimes, in order, to emigrate to what is now the United States (and elsewhere around the world) able-bodied individuals would become indentured servants. Though many of these arrangements were by choice, some were not. Let’s explore the databases that help us identify whether our ancestors were indentured or not. [to be given at FxGS in April 2020]

(##) 39) Beginning Genealogy [geared to a NC audience]

(##) 40) On the Road Again: Are Your Ancestors Hiding in Road Records? -- Road records provide incredible insight into the creation of our road infrastructure. Crews were often assigned based on where they lived in relation to the roads in the community and included not only the foreman or overseer but also individuals who worked on or maintained the roads. There are few records that document a neighborhood like road records do. [mostly NC with some VA thrown in] [NCGS Webinar 2019]

(^^) 41) In Her Own Words: Women’s Voices via Diaries and Correspondence – women can be hard to document and yet exploring surviving diaries and letters gives us insight into women’s lives. [AGS Aug 2020]

Webinars

1. Agreed upon fee
2. Access to a platform supporting PPT presentations [I currently don't provide the webinar platform and we can discuss]
3. Can discuss archiving of webinar and associated handout as appropriate
4. ALL talk topics can be done as a webinar!

Face-to-face

1. Cover cost of transportation -- Flight, train or driving (using the federal mileage rate) as appropriate.
2. If I drive, I typically bill at a reduce rate my drive time since I have not learned how to work & drive.  I typically consider the first 30 minutes each way free since I would do that to attend local events and speak.
3. If needed (e.g. not local), a hotel for the preceding night and possibly the program night, especially if there is a post-event dinner or similar event.  Basically, if I can do a round-trip in a day for the program I will.  Lodging only needed if that is not possible.
4. I would like to get $200 for each talk if they are talks that I would not be creating from scratch specific to your program (unless we’ve discussed the topic and I know that I can leverage it at other events).  There is room for negotiation.
5. I would expect that I would provide a master of the handouts that y’all would print double-sided and in black & white unless you offer virtually (for the former, I would offer attendees a PDF version if they email me). So, no cost to me.
6. Meals on the program day(s) (hotels with breakfast always work, then if lunch is provided for the program, then that just leaves dinner) or a meal allowance (I eat cheap).
7. Provision of a projector/screen – I have an old and cranky projector and so if one is provided that just helps and ensures the best experience for participants (and saves me lugging it around).  I usually bring my own laptop and always place my talks on USBs (if there is already a laptop linked to the projector).  I also bring a controller in case one is not provided.
8. If the space is large enough or sound quality in the space is an issue, some form of microphone – either handheld (with a cord allowing movement) or cordless or lavalier are fine.  I like to move around when I talk.
9. Details for longer than 50 minutes talks or longer than all-day programs can be discussed.

SEE WEBSITE www.mosaicrpm.com for COMPLETE & CURRENT INFO including past engagements