To register for an event or for more information, click the link for any event. All times are Pacific Time.
Questions? Email [email protected]
Please enjoy this interview with CGS President and Melanie L. Proctor, JD about the upcoming Irish Seminar (that you definitely should not miss!). Sign up details are at the bottom of this post and it’s important to note that Early Bird pricing has been extended to midnight, January 31, 2025!
Attendee of the Irish Seminar: Roger Prince
CGS is honored to host the first stop of the 2025 Ulster Historical Foundation’s U.S. tour, with consultations available on 28 February 2025, and a full day of talks on 1 March 2025. CGS President Roger Prince looks forward to attending the conference.
What topic in the conference most interests you, and why?
My Irish 3rd great grandmother, Ellen Neuman age 30, travelled with 6 others aged 5 to 25 with the same surname from Queenstown to NYC in 1850. I have not found her in Ireland. Her immigration falls within the Irish famine migration period. So, I think the Irish Poor Law talk, the talk on directories, newspapers and more and the session on solving your brick wall will all be helpful. But the other talks should be interesting as well. You never know what you don’t know!
When did you start researching your family history, and how did you discover Irish ancestors?
I began in 1989 when I asked my father who the ancestors were in the box of old framed photos that used to hang in my grandparents’ home. My mother knew her great-grandmother, Catherine Fields, who was Irish Catholic. Catherine’s mother, Ellen Neuman, was clearly an Irish immigrant, but records are confusing as to whether Catherine’s father, Samuel Fields, was an Irish immigrant himself, or a descendant of Irish immigrants.
What information were you able to learn about them from the usual resources (Ancestry, FamilySearch, etc.)?
Ellen Newman’s age and approximate year of birth, when she must have arrived in the US, and that she was Irish. From that I believe I have found her immigration on a ship manifest. That is as far as I have gotten.
Have you done your DNA and if so what does it say about your Irish ancestry?
My latest Ancestry DNA mapping says I am 7% Irish and it all comes from my mother’s side. The range is 3 to 16%. One 3rd great grandparent, Ellen Newman, would give me only 3% Irish. So it seems possible that my 3rd great grandfather Samuel Fielding is at least partly Irish (as some records claim) and perhaps some of my mother’s other ancestors farther back are as well. 23andme says I share DNA with other participants in 10 Irish counties, Dublin, Cork, Mayo are the strongest, then Galway, Clare, Kerry, Limerick and Donegal. Finally Tipperary and Roscommon. Because these are mostly in south and western Ireland and my ancestor sailed from Queenstown in Cork, this makes sense to me.
Share a little about when you joined CGS.
I moved to California in 1985 and began doing genealogy in 1989, but didn’t really consider visiting or joining CGS early on. I was raised in New England and all my ancestry was in New England, New York and the British Isles. But after attending several CGS events as a non-member, Jane Lindsey persuaded me that there were many people in CGS with non-California roots and that I could learn a lot from joining. She was right! Many CGS members do not have California ancestors, including many with Irish roots. I joined in 2012 and have been on the CGS board since 2022.
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Upcoming Events
San Francisco Special Interest Group (SIG)
San Francisco has so many nuances to genealogical research that it helps to know an expert. Join this SIG to meet several! It doesn’t matter if you are new to genealogy or an old hat, find your family story in the City of Love.
When: Saturday, January 18, 2025 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Where: Virtually via Zoom
Cost: Free to CGS members
How to Register: Contact [email protected]
Family Tree Maker Special Interest Group (SIG)
Are you using the popular Family Tree Maker software to keep track of your genealogy findings? Are you new and looking for a program to use? Are you just wanting to know more about it? Join this great SIG for a plethora of topics this January, including a new release, and all things cemetery, including citations (which some may find more frightening than a cemetery!).
When: Saturday, January 18, 2025 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Where: Virtually via Zoom or in person at the CGS Library
Cost: Free to CGS members
How to Register: Register through the FTM-SIG website
Roots Magic
Description: Users of RootsMagic will meet to discuss helpful hints for using the software. Group will review their experience in updating to version 8. Topics include review of various screens and functions of RootsMagic with group suggestions on best usage and practice.
When: Saturday, January 22, 2025 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Where: Virtually via Zoom
Cost: Free to CGS members
How to Register: Register through the Roots Magic sign-up page
Special Event:
2025 All Ireland Genealogy Seminar
California Genealogical Society will host the first stop of the 2025 Ulster Historical Foundation US Tour. You can register for a 30-minute consultation and/or attend a day of lectures.
Consultations
When: Friday, February 28 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Where: CGS Library
Cost: $50.00 per 30-minute consultation
How to Register: https://ulsterhistoricalfoundation.com/events-courses/oakland
Lectures
When: Saturday, March 1, 2025 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Where: Preservation Park, Oakland, CA
Cost: Purchase before January 31, 2025 $100 for CGS Members and $125 for non-members
How to Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2025-all-ireland-genealogy-seminar-with-the-ulster-historical-foundation-registration-1100184514499
Helpful Links
Events: https://www.californiaancestors.org/events-and-education/
Special Interest Groups: https://www.californiaancestors.org/special-interest-groups-for-members/
Calendar view: https://www.californiaancestors.org/cgs_calendar/
JAN
2025