Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

New Web Site: www.NewYorkAncestors.org

The following announcement was written by the New England Historic Genealogical Society:

NEHGS LAUNCHES NEW WEB PORTAL HIGHLIGHTING NEW YORK RESEARCH TOOLS

NewYorkAncestors.org Features a Wealth of New York State Resources

Boston, MA – May 15, 2008 – New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston today announced the launch of a new Web portal highlighting the wide variety of New York resources available on their award-winning Website, NewEnglandAncestors.org. This new portal, located at www.NewYorkAncestors.org, will direct members to a wide range of databases, publications, and articles focusing on New York state research.

ISFHWE Excellence in Writing Award Winners Announced

The following announcement was written by the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors:

Winners of the 2008 International Society of Family History Writers and Editors Excellence in Writing Contest were announced 14 May 2008 in Kansas City at the annual ISFHWE banquet.

Day #1 of NGS Conference in Kansas City

The annual conference of the U.S. National Genealogical Society opened today in Kansas City, Missouri. This year's event is co-hosted by the Missouri State Genealogical Association, the Mid-Continent Public Library, the Northland Genealogical Society, the APG (Association of Professional Genealogists) Heartland Chapter, and the Johnson County, Kansas, Genealogical Society. It's much too early to predict attendance numbers, but I must say that today's sessions were well attended.

The conference opened at 8:00 AM to a “packed house” with awards, introductions, and various speakers. When asked how many people were attending their first national genealogy conference, several hundred people stood up. Robert M. Sandfort, Ph.D., gave the opening session talk on Emigration to the Mouth of the Missouri – and Beyond.

Arphax Publishing Announces New Texas Land Survey Maps Series

Many announcements are being made at the annual National Genealogical Society conference held this year in Kansas City, Missouri. Here's one of those announcements, written by Arphax, THE company known for publishing land survey maps:

Kansas City, Missouri, May 14, 2008. Arphax Publishing of Norman, Oklahoma is pleased to announce the publication of its first three books in its new series of books, the Texas Land Survey Maps.

“This represents the result of nearly three years work,” says Greg Boyd, creator of the series. “Similar to my Family Maps series of books, I’ve taken land-ownership, transportation, and geographic data from a multitude of sources and melded it into something unique and totally researcher-friendly.”

Arphax chose this year’s National Genealogical Society Conference in the States to unveil this latest addition to its burgeoning list of historical-map titles.

400 Years of Surrey Wills Go Online

The following announcement was written by Origins.net:

"Dung to Diamonds: 400 years of wills go online" * Major New Collection on British Origins - Surrey Will Abstracts

The Surrey Will Abstracts  are among the most valuable research sources for the county of Surrey, and for family and social history generally.  Dating from the 15th to 19th centuries, these fully indexed abstracts of all 28,000 wills proved in the Archdeaconry and Commissary Courts of Surrey (and known still to exist) are now available online exclusively on British Origins [at http://www.britishorigins.com].

A Nation's Chronicle: The Canada Gazette Online

The following announcement was written by Library and Archives Canada:

(Le texte français suivra)

Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is pleased to announce the launch of A Nation’s Chronicle: The Canada Gazette, a project funded by the Canadian Culture Online Program of the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Canada Gazette Directorate.

Often referred to as “the official newspaper of the Government of Canada,” the Canada Gazette has been an important instrument in the Canadian democratic process for more than 160 years. It has informed Canadians of the operations of government and encouraged them to participate in the legislative process.

Ancestry.com Global Content, Product, and Marketing Update

To mark the first day of the 2008 National Genealogical Society Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, The Generations Network CEO Tim Sullivan has published a rather lengthy letter addressed to the genealogy community. He highlights several recently released content collections and product enhancements on Ancestry.com, and gives insights into some new projects on the horizon.

He starts off with:

A Video Interview with Ken Martindale of Black British Heritage

At last week's Who Do You Think You Are? LIVE! event in London, I had a chance to talk with Ken Martindale, founder and executive director of Black British Heritage. Ken talked about the history of Black people in Britain and the role of the efforts of the Black British Heritage organization.

Ken is also a professional photographer and his exhibit displays much of his work.

Help Wanted: Genealogist - $82,961.00 to $107,854.00 Per Year

The Department of the Interior is looking for a professional genealogist to work full-time researching Indian ancestry. The position is in Washington, D.C. The salary will range from $82,961.00 to 107,854.00 per year, depending on experience and qualifications.

Quoting from the job posting:

Legacy Family Tree 7.0 (Pre-Release Edition) to be Released at NGS this Week

The following announcement was written by Millennia Software, producers of Legacy Family Tree for Windows:

If you are going to be at the National Genealogical Society Conference this week in Kansas City, Missouri, we invite you to visit the Legacy Family Tree booth where we will be displaying the new features in Legacy Family Tree version 7.0.