Kinsearching March 4, 2012

RELEASE DATE: MARCH 4, 2012



KINSEARCHING

by

Marleta Childs
P. O. Box 6825
LUBBOCK, TX 79493-6825
[email protected]
 

     On 31 March 2012, the North Carolina Genealogical Society (NCGS), the Braswell Memorial Library, and the Tar River Connections Genealogical Society (TRCGS) will co-sponsor a seminar at the Braswell Memorial Library in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Focusing on the theme, “Genealogy Done Right,” featured speaker Thomas W. Jones will present sessions about how to avoid being duped by information on the internet, strategies for solving the mystery of “disappearing” ancestors, how to organize evidence to overcome record shortages, and seven habits of highly effective genealogists.

     Costs for NCGS or TRCGS members will be $35 or $45 for non-members. Only registrations received before 25 March will be guaranteed to receive a workshop packet. For more details or to register, go to the website at www.ncgenealogy.org. Checks, payable to NCGS Regional Workshop, may be mailed to P. O. Box 30815, Raleigh, NC 27622-0815.


     Although a few immigrants from Italy arrived in the United States in the 1820s, more than two and a half million came between the years 1881 and 1910. Because a significant number of Americans today have ancestral ties to the southern European country, another recent addition to the popular “Genealogy at a Glance” series is Italian Genealogy Research by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack.

     Following in the footsteps of other publications in the series, Carmack’s reference aid provides a condensed overview of the basics for tracing ancestors in Italy and gives strategies for utilizing critical resources in that country. She also offers useful suggestions for gleaning clues from relatives, neighbors, and miscellaneous resources in America.

     Composed of seven main sections, the guide begins with a brief summary of important facts and dates about Italian history and immigration to North America. Perhaps the most interesting segment pertains to Italian immigrants and social history. While the earliest Italian settlers in the United States came from northern Italy, those who arrived in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were mainly from southern Italy. Approximately a fourth of all Italians traveling to the U. S. sailed from Naples and seven out of ten ships headed for New York City. The largest settlements were in Boston, New Orleans, New York City, and San Francisco.

     Since the civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths are kept at the town level in Italy, the identification of an ancestor’s place of origin is crucial. In case you do not know the name of the town, Carmack furnishes several fascinating hints to help you to pinpoint it. These tips pertain to return and chain migrations, settlement patterns and neighbors’ origins, social customs, food preferences, and local patron saints.

     The remaining material goes into more detail about Italian civil records, including many digitized and microfilmed records available through the Family History Library in Salt Lake City or its branches. In addition, Carmack lists several online sources, which include both free and subscription websites. A list of genealogical and historical books for further reference appears at the end of several segments.

     An authority on researching Italian lineages, Carmack manages in four laminated pages to furnish much helpful information. Her convenient, streamlined guide, Italian Genealogy Research, will be a valuable tool for people seeking their progenitors in a country that was not unified until the latter part of the nineteenth century.

     To the guide's price of $8.95, buyers should add the cost for postage and handling charges. For U. S. postal mail, the cost is $4.50 for one item and $2.50 for each additional copy; for FedEx ground service, the cost is $6.00 for one copy and $2.50 for each additional item. The guide (item order 881) may be purchased by check, money order, MasterCard, or Visa from Genealogical Publishing Company, 3600 Clipper Mill Rd., Suite 260, Baltimore, MD 21211-1953. For phone orders, call toll free 1-800-296-6687; fax 1-410-752-8492; website www.genealogical.com.


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