Following the founding of the colony of Australia, individuals born in the British Empire were considered British subjects, irrespective of the nationality of their parents. Residents of Australia whose native place was outside of the British Empire were not afforded the same rights and privileges as British subjects. These rights, in particular the right to buy land and vote, could be conferred to an individual by a process known as naturalisation. This bureaucratic process generated multiple sets of records that contain a wealth of genealogical information. This talk will outline the complex history of naturalisation in Australia, the changing terminology used, how, when and why naturalisation records were created, and discuss the likely availability of records and for whom they may have been created.

What exactly are the 1850 and 1860 United States Slave Schedules and what is their value to researchers? A closer look at this enumeration of “slave inhabitants” will streamline interpretation of these records and will help define the do’s and don’ts of working with them.

Researching Hispanic and/or Latino ancestors? Daniel Horowitz will introduce you to the wealth of historical collections from Spain and Latin America on offer at MyHeritage and give you important pointers for searching and analyzing them.

Regular sailing schedules between Liverpool and North America began in 1818, and during the 19th century Liverpool became the primary port for emigrants from the British Isles, northern Europe and Russia to North America, Australia, and the rest of the British Empire. Learn how and why this came about, understand what the experience was like going to, in, and leaving from Liverpool. Learn how to identify, access, and use the records of the port and shipping that are available.

Utilizing the FAN Club method, DNA, and enslaved ancestral research, Collier finally found major clues to help solve a longtime mystery – who was the previous enslaver of his great-great grandmother, Polly Partee of Panola County, Mississippi, and where did she come from? Her last enslaver was Squire Boone Partee of Panola County, and Polly had been the head cook on his plantation during and after slavery, according to oral history. According to the censuses, she was born somewhere in North Carolina and sold to Squire by 1852, but her origins had been largely unknown. Collier will present a plethora of DNA evidence, in conjunction with genealogy research and the FAN Club methodology, to uncover Polly’s North Carolina origins. Collier will also argue how a court-investigated lunatic, Alfred Alston of Fayette County, Tennessee, was most likely her previous enslaver.

The presentation will cover Polish cemetery online databases – portals and websites that include information about burials from all over Poland. Kinga will show you how to use these and explain what is the most common information that you may find there.

The first colony to introduce divorce was South Australia in 1858 to the last New South Wales in 1873. The requirements differed by colony. Each colony handled its own divorces until the Federal Matrimonial Causes Act 1959 provided 14 grounds for the grant of divorce, including adultery, desertion, cruelty, habitual drunkenness, imprisonment and insanity. To succeed on one of these grounds, a spouse had to prove marital fault. There was only one no-fault ground: separation for more than five years. It was not until the Family Law Act 1975 was passed by the Federal Parliament that a “no fault divorce” existed in Australia: imprisonment and insanity. To succeed on one of these grounds, a spouse had to prove marital fault. There was only one no-fault ground: separation for more than five years.

This class examines online indexes that are not available through the big subscription sites. Family history societies and volunteer groups have created unique resources only available through their websites. Often free to use or more details are included in a society membership.

Only since 1893, there is one time zone in Germany! However, in the sources relevant for genealogy there are also dates referring to the Julian and Gregorian calendars, as well as the French revolutionary calendar and the church calendar. Here the differences and conversion to today’s dates are explained.

This lecture will describe the ways to use various resources available through MyHeritage to find information about ancestors originating in Poland and to find relatives that still may live there. Zbigniew will focus on a unique resource: family trees uploaded by individual users from Poland. In most cases, they started a few years ago at the beginning of a big wave of popularity of family history research. The concern about privacy was not that strong yet so thousands of people uploaded their information and made it available through MyHeritage making it a unique source that is not available anywhere else. Learn the strategies for using this kind of information, its advantages, and possible traps.

The Registry of Deeds based in Dublin has been in existence since 1704 and manages the legal registration of property. Less well known is that it is also a repository for genealogical treasures such as wills, property leases and marriage agreements. People named in these records include the principal parties and also wider family members and witnesses. It is also possible to find records by location. These records are available as microfilms on the Family Search website although they are not indexed there. This webinar will cover different methods of searching within and accessing these valuable records.

Organized in August 1862, the First Kansas Colored Infantry was the first Black unit recruited in the North, the first to see and die in battle in the Civil War. Made up of both free and enslaved men, including those from the Five Tribes, its exploits were legendary. Yet, the lives of its rank and file outside of their service were prolific and unsung.