Since 1959, the Maryland Genealogical Society has been promoting genealogical study and research.   Through our publications, programs, resources, and outreach, the Society can help you explore your family history.

 

Owings Mills, MD 21117

Thanks to the generous support of Maryland Public Television, this workshop is free. However, advance registration is required because space is limited, and a $8 per person refundable deposit is required to hold your space. To register, please visit the MPT registration page. 

 

Rebecca Whitman Koford focuses on research in Maryland, Upstate New York, Virginia, the District of Columbia, colonial records, military records from the Revolution through the Civil War, federal records at the National Archives (D.C.), and land records of all types. She has published numerous articles and is co-author of the NGS Research in the States series book on Maryland. She speaks at national conferences and regularly teaches at major genealogical institutes. Rebecca is the Director of the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed) in Washington, D.C., and is the vice-president of the National Genealogical Society.

 

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We are hosting our next online Zoom meetup for MGS members on May 14 from 7:00pm-9:00pm ET. Bring your questions about researching in the different Maryland counties and Baltimore City. Chat with fellow members and MGS Board Members in breakout rooms.

 

This event is free, but registration is required. First, sign in as a Member, click "Members Only" on the left navigation bar, and then select the "MGS Virtual Meetups" page to access the registration link.  Registration closes at noon May 14.

 

The Maryland Genealogical Society is pleased to once again partner with Maryland Public Television (MPT) to offer a new beginner-to-intermediate genealogy webinar series. Finding Your Roots: Organize Your Genealogy includes four (4) two-hour sessions that are designed to help you organize the many aspects of your genealogical research. 

 

Sessions will explore how to organize all the information you find and how to write your family story. Also, how to organize and preserve your family heirlooms, oral histories, and other precious items. In addition, one session will dive into how to organize your DNA matches. Sessions will be held at 7:00pm ET on March 13, March 27, April 10, and April 24.

 

Registrants will also receive a one-year introductory membership to the Maryland Genealogical Society (not applicable to current MGS members) and a one-year MPT Passport membership or membership extension.  You can register on the MPT registration page.

 

The cost of the series is $100.00. Each session will feature a combination of lecture, small and large group discussion, question and answer time, and a homework assignment relating to your family search. Handouts will be provided for each session. Since the presentations will be recorded, you can register at any point during the series. 

 

Sessions will be led by two nationally known speakers. Annette Burke Lyttle has been the presenter for several previous MGS/MPT workshop series. She holds the Certified Genealogist® credential and owns Heritage Detective, LLC, providing professional genealogical services in research, education, and writing. Annette is a course coordinator for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG), a past president of the Association of Professional Genealogists, and editor of The Florida Genealogist. Kelli Bergheimer is a writer, teacher, editor, and international genealogical speaker. She is the Director of Curriculum and Assessments for Blue Kayak, a K-12 textbook company, and the Director of Education for Your DNA Guide, a genetic genealogy education company. Kelli runs a small business—Mess on the Desk, a genealogical organization company with a YouTube channel. Kelli is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists.

 

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The January 2025 edition of MGS News is now available. If you are a MGS member, you should have received the issue by email. If you are a member and haven't provided us with your email, please contact us at info@mdgensoc.org so that you can begin to receive MGS News. 

 

Archived copies of this issue and previous issues are available in the Member's Only area. 

 

 

 

 

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In the most recent issue of the Journal, Malissa Ruffner, as part of the work of the Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission, recounts the story of Jim Wilson, a free man of color who lived in Caroline County in the middle of the nineteenth century. He was accused of the murder of a young girl and arrested, but before he could be brought to trial, he was lynched by a mob. Malissa traces his family and his life as a way of restoring his humanity and his place in the community.

 

John Sinks presents the history of the Gaither family, ranging over several counties in Maryland and North Carolina and including five generations named John, and he corrects some previous confusion. Lee Garlock traces the Petticoart family, including the many variations in the spelling of their surname. The article examines the factual data for the family progenitor and addresses various claims that have become widespread on several web-based platforms, some of which can be proven to be based on false premises. Who was the mother of Eliza Jane (Starr) Doxen? Fitting together pieces of information from census records, Quaker meeting minutes, marriage records, newspapers, and city directories, Daphne Gabb has created a picture of how the Starr family and their associates overlapped in Baltimore and has shown that Joseph Starr actually married two women named Rebecca.