The Scribe. Legal Genealogist Russell To Be Seminar Speaker. GGS Meets In South Georgia. Research Discover Share

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1 The Scribe Research Discover Share Vol. 22, No. 2~ April, 2015 Legal Genealogist Russell To Be Seminar Speaker Judy G. Russell The Legal Genealogist will be the speaker at the Georgia Genealogical Society s seminar on Saturday, May 2. The event will be held in McElreath Hall at the Atlanta History Center. Check-in will be from 9:30 until 10 a.m. The program will run from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. The cost will be $25 for members of GGS and the Atlanta History Center and $35 for non-members. Lunch will not be provided. The deadlines for registration are Friday, April 24 for postal mail and midnight Wednesday, April 29 for online (Pay Pal). Handouts will be guaranteed for those who register by the deadline. A $5 surcharge will be assessed for late registrations. Russell will speak on Your Ancestors and the Law. Topics will include: An Act for the Relief of Gregory Thomas and Others - The Private Laws of the Federal and State Governments Judy Russell The Legal Genealogist Russell also will present a free Webinar on Wednesday, Aug. 19. See details on Page 7. Few researchers realize that many early federal and state laws were private laws specifically for the benefit of individuals or families. The records can be fabulous for genealogists. Learn how to find these genealogical gems in federal and state collections. Property Rights and Wrongs: African-Americans at the Courthouse From being treated as property to having 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 genealogistdescendants of slaves and slave owners alike. Rogues, Rascals and Rapscallions: The Family Black Sheep Playing detective in court records can unmask those black sheep every family has. Learn to understand the criminal process in both federal and state courts and how to find the records to put meat on the bones of the skeletons in your family s closet. GGS Meets In South Georgia Laura Williams Carter The gracious Southern hospitality of Homerville was evident at the March seminar at the and the Huxford-Spear Genealogical Library. Please see Page 00 for more photos of the event sponsored by GGS and the Huxford Huxford Genealogical Society. For more photos please see Page 5. Facts, Photos and Fair Use: Copyright Law for Genealogists Understanding what is and isn t copyrighted and what genealogists can and can t use is the key to staying out of trouble and to protecting our own work. Judy Russell, JD, CG SM, CGL SM, is a lecturer, educator and writer a genealogist with a law degree. She has attended Please see Legal Genealogist, Page 5

2 April, 2015 ~ Page 2 The Scribe The official quarterly newsletter of The Georgia Genealogical Society Society Officers Susan Sloan President Elizabeth S. Olson, Vice President James (Don) Evans, Treasurer John Phelps, Recording Secretary Barbara Stock, Corresponding Secretary Emma Davis Hamilton, Historian/Archivist Linda S. Hughes, Past President Directors Cynthia Horn, Publicity Jo Ann Huston, Membership Joanne Smalley, Publications Sarah Rondeau, Policies and Procedures Kenneth H. Thomas, Jr., At-Large Laura W. Carter, Programs Ex - Officio Members Dean Brantley, Webmaster Elizabeth Snow, Quarterly Editor Vivian Price, Newsletter Editor Deadlines: The first day of January, March, August, and October. Publication: February, April, September and November. Materials for publication: Send to Vivian Price 3570 Hildon Circle, Chamblee, GA msaffold@bellsouth.net Advertising: Members -- Quarter page, $10; half page, $40; full page, $80. Non-members -- Quarter page, $25; half page, $50; full page, $100 Address changes: Send to Jo Ann Huston 3293 Breton Circle, Atlanta, GA johuston@bellsouth.net The Scribe via Write to Vivian Price msaffold@bellsouth.net P. O. Box Atlanta, GA Please note: The Georgia Genealogical Society has no permanent staff or library and cannot assist with personal research. The Scribe From the President Susan Sloan Mutual Admiration Societies As I write this message, I am just back from a very productive all-day seminar held in Homerville, Georgia. Once each year, GGS has what we call our out of Atlanta meeting. These meetings are a collaborative effort between GGS and a local genealogical society. The local society provides the location, refreshments, and local publicity, while GGS provides the speaker for the day, handouts, registration and statewide publicity. These events are a special opportunity to share what GGS is all about and for us to learn more about the good work that local societies are doing. GGS was founded in Atlanta in 1964, but from the beginning our objectives were state-wide: raise the level of genealogical research in Georgia, be a friend to the Georgia Archives, and preserve Georgia s early records. In our early history, most of our meetings were held in the Atlanta metro area, but we have also had meetings at various places around the state. These locations include Rome, Athens, Augusta, Macon, Savannah, Columbus, Newnan and now, Homerville, just to name a few. These meetings are part of our initiative to let family historians all over Georgia know what Georgia Genealogical Society is and how we can support them. We want them to know about the benefits of being a member of GGS in addition to their local society membership. Communication with the local societies is of benefit to both parties and these meetings are a great way for us to get to know societies all across the state. I hope you will plan to join us for our next out of Atlanta meeting. Stay tuned for where it will be. In GGS Service, Susan QUERY Seeking information on the death dates and burial sites of: Hezekiah Rice Foote of Ellijay, Gilmer County B: abt in South Carolina Was 72 at the time of the 1880 Georgia Federal Census Died before 1900 Parents: James and Jane Mills Rice Foote also of Ellijay, Gilmer County Both born in South Carolina James was 89, Jane was 86 at the time of the 1870 Georgia Federal census. They were not on the Mary Anne Hanlon Smith gothic@acd.net Queries are free for members. Write the editor for more information.

3 The Scribe April, 2015 ~ Page 3 Your Ancestors And The Law Judy G. Russell, JD, CG SM, CGL SM The Legal Genealogist TOPICS An Act for the Relief of Gregory Thomas and Others - The Private Laws of the Federal and State Governments Property Rights and Wrongs: African-Americans at the Courthouse Rogues, Rascals and Rapscallions: The Family Black Sheep Facts, Photos and Fair Use: Copyright Law for Genealogists McElreath Hall Atlanta History Center 130 West Paces Ferry Road 9: a.m. ~ check-in 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. ~ program Cost: $25 Members (GGS and Atlanta History Center) $35 Non-Members (lunch not included) Deadline for postal mail registrations: Friday, April 24 Deadline for online registrations (Pay Pal): midnight Wednesday, April 29 Handouts guaranteed for those who register by the deadline. A $5 surcharge will be assessed for late registrations. Name Street City/State/Zip Address Number members Number non-members Total enclosed $ Please provide names of all registrants, so nametags can be made. Make checks payable to Georgia Genealogical Society and mail with completed form to: Dept. W P. O. Box Atlanta, GA Please tell us how you heard about this meeting (check one): Brochure? Ken Thomas column Newspaper article Web site Other (please explain) JOIN NOW AND SAVE! INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP: $35, FAMILY MEMBERSHIP: $40 For more information contact Laura W. Carter ~ gagensocprograms@gmail.com

4 April 2015 ~ Page Georgia Historical Records Advisory Committee Award Winners The Scribe Award for Excellence in Research Using the Holdings of An Archives Bonnie (Patsy) Harris Harris book, The Confederate Hospitals of Madison, Georgia: Their Records and Histtories , began in 2003 as a transcription of May s Hospital Register, Madison, Georgia, at the Morgan County, Archives. From Texas to Ohio, Washington, D. C., Virginia, Tennessee, and throughouut Georgia, Harris hunted down and found hundreds of doocuments that mentioned not only May Hospital, but also three other Confederate hospitals in Madison, as well as their many surgeons and thousands of patients. Harris transcribed each to provide researchers as close to a primary document as possible. Harris book was published by the R. J. Taylor, Jr., Foundation, a sister organzation to the Georgia Genealogical Society. OTHER GHRAC AWARD WINNERS Award for Excellence in Student Research Using Historical Records Graduate Level: Lacy E. Brooks Award for Excellence in Student Research Using Historical Records Undergraduate Level: Arian Eskandanian Excellence in Student Research Using Historical Records Grades Nine-12: Devin Snyder and Anna Weekly Excellence in Student Research Using Historical Records Grades Nine-12: Anthony Dukes Excellence in Student Research Using Historical Records Grades Six-Eight: Kimora Anderson Excellence in Student Research Using Historical Records Grades Six-Eight: Parker Bennett Award for Local History Advocacy: Tanya A. Bailey Award for Local History Advocacy: Don Joiner Award for Excellence in Documenting Georgia s History: The Cherokee County Historical Society Award for Excellence in Documenting Georgia s History: Leslie M. Harris and Daina Berry Award for Excellence in Research Using the Holdings of an Archives: Carolyn Newton Curry Award for Excellence in Research Using the Holdings of an Archives: Glenn T. Eskew Award for Excellence in Research Using the Holdings of an Archives: Tammy Ingram GHRAC photos: Steve Engerrand Lifetime Achievement Award Dr. Thomas R. Dirksen While Dr. Dirksen was president of the Augusta Genealogical Society, he salvaged 50 garbage bags containing nearly nine thousand historical documents, dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, dumped by the Richmond County Superior Court. He was instrumental in the society securing a grant for the preservation of Richmond County loose papers; the catalog of the collection, including 58,000 names is available for research to genealogists and historians. Among his many other contributions to the history and genealogy community, he has served on the GHRAC. Pictured with GHRAC award winners are Dr. Toby Graham and Dr. Linda Noble, (Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for the University System of Georgia. WELCOME, NEW MEMBERS Wilbur G. Corbitt, Lake City, Fla. Betty Sims English, Hampton James Fuller, Riverside, Calif. Franklin George, Hartwell Paul Hiesholt, Oslo, Norway Don Joiner, Conyers Mary Ellen English Kiszka, Hampton Stephen L. Milligan, Flowery Branch Becky Morgan, Houston, Texas Ann A. and David E. Patterson, Marietta Jennifer Pittman Viscusi, Richboro, Penn. Brenda R. Register, Valdosta Robert J. Robinson, Tifton Robert A. Sapp, Marietta Sandra S. Straley, Waycross Helen A. and N. Albert Strickland, Crawfordville, Fla. Houston A. Tucker, Jr., Riverview, Fla. Mary Lott Walker, Blackshear Catherine Fussell Wells, Valdosta Ann Wonycott, Lawrenceville Mr. and Mrs. R. D. Wood, Homerville Virginia Wood, Marietta

5 The Scribe April, 2015 ~ Page 5 Top row: Randy Brannen Family History Comes Alive At Huxford Genealogy enthusiasts from south Georgia and north Flora gathered recently at the Huxford-Spear Genealogy Library in Homerville to hear speakers explain how to make family history come alive. Anne V. Wallace, Adra Anne Mayfield, Betty S. English and Nona K. Thornton Continued From Page 1 the National Institute on Genealogical Research (NIGR) at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., and completed Elizabeth Shown Mills course in Advanced Methodology and Evidence Analysis and Thomas W. Jones course in Writing and Publishing for Genealogists at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) at Samford University. Russell now serves on the faculty at IGHR, at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG), at the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP) and at Boston University s Center for Professional Education. In addition to her blog, The Legal Genealogist, Russell has written for both the National Genealogical Society Quarterly (see Judy G. Russell, Don t Stop There!: Laura Williams Carter May Program: Legal Genealogist Connecting Josias Baker to His Burke County, North Carolina, Parents, National Genealogical Society Quarterly, March 2011, 25-41) and the National Genealogical Society Magazine (see Judy G. Russell, Autosomal DNA Testing, National Genealogical Society Magazine, October- December 2011, 38-43, and Fifty Years of Credentialing, National Genealogical Society Magazine, January-March 2014, 15-19). Russell is a member of the National Genealogical Society, the Association of Professional Genealogists, and, among others, the state genealogical societies of New Jersey, North Carolina, Virginia, Texas and Illinois. She lectures on a wide variety of genealogical topics, ranging from using court records in our family history to understanding DNA testing. For more information contact Laura Carter, GGS program director, at laurawilliamscarter@gmail.com.

6 April, 2015 ~ Page 6 From the Archives History Symposium The first Georgia Archives History Symposium will be held on Saturday, April 25. This year s program will focus on the War of Several speakers will give presentations on the war in general and its impact on Georgia. The event is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Speakers may sell and/or sign books. There will be an array of light refreshments (courtesy of sponsors) and a limited amount of pizza ($1 per slice). Several restaurants for lunch are located near the Archives. Speakers include Dr. Adam Tate (Clayton State University), Mike Bunn (former executive director of the Historic Chattahoochee Commission), John Mitchell (Cumberland Island National Seashore), Daniel Elliot (LAMAR Institute), Dianne Cannestra, and various Archives staff members. Genealogy Program The Archives will host a genealogy event on Saturday, June 6. Among the speakers will be Susan Sloan and Kenneth H. Thomas, Jr., both members of the board of the Georgia Genealogical Society. There will be three presentations followed by a workshop, an opportunity to pursue genealogical research, with experts on hand to assist as needed. The program is scheduled from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. For more details on Archives programs, see the Web site georgiaarchives.org. Lunch and Learn Lunch and Learn is a free lecture series that is open to the public, designed to help share more about Georgia s rich history. The series began in 1993 and features guest speakers on a variety of interesting topics including archival holdings and researching with primary documents. The lectures are held on the second Friday of each month from noon to 1 p.m. Most attendees bring lunches to eat while listening to the presentations. The format is informal, and members The Scribe of the audience can ask questions at the conclusion. Upcoming speakers are as follows: April 10, Erika desimone, author and editor, Voices Beyond Bondage: An Anthology of Verse by African Americans of the 19th Century May 8, Dr. Roland Welmaker, Sr., Manager Technical Services/Archivist at the Morehouse School of Medicine, The Collections of Morehouse School of Medicine June 12, Brian Tucker, State Archaeologist, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Historic Preservation Division, Digging Georgia July 10, Leslie M. Harris, Slavery and Freedom in Savannah (Georgia Historical Records Advisory Committee award winner for Excellence in Documenting Georgia s History) August 14, Asian Pacific American Historical Society, Genealogical Research for Asian Pacific Americans GGS Webinars Are Free, Convenient Way To Learn By Laura W. Carter Education Director Georgia Genealogical Society Want to hear great speakers but do not have the time or money to go to national conferences? Want to get up-to-date information on some of the latest genealogy tools? Interested in building your family research skills, but uncomfortable with technology and think it is too complicated? Then webinars are a great tool for you. You can sit at your computer and watch the presentations from home. GGS presents free Webinars and makes them available two ways. For GGS Webinars from the past, you will soon be able to go to the Members Only section of the Website, login with your GGS member password and you can choose from the list and view in your pajamas when you have the time and inclination. To view after the event you just pick the Webinar, and turn on your speakers to listen. You can also participate live at the time the Webinars are being presented. For the live Webinars you can type in your questions for the speaker. You must preregister using the link from the GGS Web page, then sign on the evening of the Webinar using the sign in information and link that will be ed to you once you have preregistered. GGS uses online meeting software called GoToMeeting.com and pays for up to 100 users for each session. If you want to be able to ask questions, attend the live Webinar. You do not have to have a microphone, and the speakers on your computer should allow you to hear everything just fine. It is much cheaper to load the free software and follow the directions instead of using the telephone for the actual webinar. You will need to log in early on the night of the Webinar to be sure you are one of the ones that actually get to participate live. The first 100 people logging in are the ones who get to participate. If you want to see a video explaining how to attend a live Webinar and to become more comfortable with the software go to gotomeeting/video/gtmv Please See Schedule Of Upcoming Webinars Next Page

7 The Scribe April, 2015 ~ Page 7 MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR UPCOMING WEBINARS The Georgia Genealogical Society offers free Webinars on the third Wednesdays of every month. All Webinars begin at 8 p.m. Eastern time. Following is the schedule of speakers and topics for April through August: APRIL 15 Preserving Your Family s Records by Jessica Leming, MSLIS, CA Are you the keeper of your family history and want to ensure it stays well preserved? This webinar will cover how to ensure the long-term preservation of your family s records, whether they are paper, photographs, fabric, or other family heirlooms. Best choices for care and handling, environment, storage materials, and vendors will be discussed. Participants will also have the opportunity to ask the presenter questions about care for their unique items. Jessica Leming is the Visual Collections Librarian and Assistant Professor at the University of Mississippi. Leming received her MS in Library and Information Science in 2007 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with a certificate in Special Collections. Since 2007, she has worked in various roles as a librarian and archivist, including Preservation Services Librarian at a non-profit partner to cultural heritage organizations, where she assisted institutions with preservation and archival management. She has attended training in photographic and film identification and preservation from the George Eastman House in Rochester, N. Y., and chaired a regional disaster response network in the Atlanta area. Leming became a Certified Archivist in 2011, and also holds a Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics (2001) from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. MAY 20 Make your Ancestry Come Alive Using Your DNA by Peter J. Roberts This Webinar will provide an easy to understand introduction on how to use your DNA to help find your ancestry and verify that it is correct. It will present the basics of how genetic genealogy testing works and give reallife examples of its benefits. It will explain how Y-DNA, mtdna, atdna and X-chromosome results for you and your relatives can be used to support traditional family history and break through brick walls. Peter J. Roberts is a life-long family historian and archivist/ associate professor at Georgia State University. He has an undergraduate degree in art history from Emory University and a graduate degree in museum education from The George Washington University. He has had an interest in genealogy for about 40 years and has been exploring genetic genealogy for the past 10 years. He is the administrator for the Bahamas DNA Project and three surname DNA projects, namely Roberts, Sasser, and Rustin. He is a past regional coordinator for the Atlanta area for the International Society of Genetic Genealogy. Since July of 2013 he has designed ways to help WikiTree integrate the DNA results of its members. JUNE 17 German Names and Naming Patterns by James M. Beidler The naming patterns and quirks that are found in German names range from needing to look in the middle for first names... as well as dealing with families who used the identical name for surviving children. This presentation demystifies these and other potential problems. Beidler is the author of The Family Tree German Genealogy Book as well as writes Roots & Branches, an awardwinning weekly newspaper column on genealogy that is the only syndicated feature on that topic in Pennsylvania. He is also a columnist for German Life magazine and is editor of Der Kurier, the quarterly journal of the Mid- Atlantic Germanic Society. He is also an instructor for online Family Tree University. He was the President of the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors from 2010 to 2012, and is the former Executive Director for the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. He served as national co-chairman for the 2008 Federation of Genealogical Societies conference in Philadelphia. Beidler is also frequent contributor to other periodicals ranging from scholarly journals such as The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine to popular-interest magazines such as Ancestry Magazine and Family Tree Magazine. He also wrote the chapter on genealogy for Pennsylvania: A History of the Commonwealth, published jointly by the Penn State Press and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. JULY 15 RootsBid online service RootsBid is an online genealogy marketplace that helps you find records of your ancestors by connecting you with people around the world. Watch for Webinar details on the GGS Website gagensociety.org AUGUST 19 What Does THAT Mean? Understanding the Language of the Law by Judy G. Russell The language of the law might as well be a foreign language. It s part Latin, part Greek, and all confusing. But we have to understand it to understand that will or that deed. Learn what help is available to figure out just what they meant by that confusing legal lingo. Did you know that you can join GGS and renew memberships online with PayPal?

8 Georgia Genealogical Society P. O. Box Atlanta, GA On the Internet at Nonprofit Organization U. S. Postage PAID Permit No. 315 Lilburn, GA RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED DATED MATERIAL Join or Renew Today! Name Street City/State/Zip Day Phone Evening Phone New Membership Renewal Membership OK to publish name in newsletter Yes No Prefer newsletter by Yes No Please make checks payable and mail to: Georgia Genealogical Society P. O. Box Atlanta, GA For more information: Individual ~ $35 Families (same residence) ~ $40 Institutions/Organizations ~ $35 (online members-only access not included) Patrons ~ $50 Benefactors ~ $100