Barbour Collection of Connecticut Vital Records

Library / Library Collection / By Dennis Partridge / April 17, 2023

The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Vital Records was released as a 55 volume series of bound books by the Genealogical Company at the beginning of the 21st century. The Amelia Island Genealogical Society has recently obtained the complete set of these volumes. Visitors to our Genealogical Collection at the Fernandina Branch Library can peruse these books, while AIGS members are allowed to check them out upon presenting their Nassau County library card and their 2023 AIGS membership card.

FamilyTreeMaker – Special Interest Group

Special Interest Groups SIGs / By Dennis Partridge / February 20, 2023

Group Leader: Dennis Partridge FamilyTreeMaker is a top selling genealogy software in use by many of our members. This Special Interest Group is for those users who want to learn more about how to use the software to build their own Family Tree. We will meet virtually as a class since some users have FTM installed on their desktops and are unable to bring it with them to a meeting in the Library, and we may have some of our non-local members who want to participate. I want to hold an initiating virtual meeting first and then we’ll decide on frequency and dates/times for the SIG. At this point if you think you are interested in joining this group, please submit the following signup form. Thanks! This Special Interest Group is open to current members of Amelia Island Genealogical Society only. Not a member? Come join us today! Membership has it’s benefits! FamilyTreeMaker SIG (FTM-SIG) is a user group sponsored by the Amelia Island Genealogical Society – AIGS. The purpose of FTM-SIG is to assist genealogists in utilizing FTM to its fullest potential and advancing their family history research.

1857 Will of John Spicer Braddock, Sr.

Families, Online Records / Will / By Dennis Partridge / February 13, 2023

John Spicer Braddock wrote out his will on 29 Oct 1857 and had it witnessed by his sons Spicer C. Braddock and Alex. J. Braddock, and a third individual, Thos. J. DuBose. A copy of the will would be filed by Sarah in October of 1866 after the death of her husband in an attempt to probate the remaining property. She would use the will as part of her evidence in her Standing Interrogation of 1872 and hence this copy. The existing copy on file at the Nassau County Courthouse under their land records is similar, though they are not exact copies, the differences do not affect the bequeaths of the will, but instead reflect careless copying. It is likely the one on file in the land records is also a copy of the original. The original believed to be extant.

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Nassau County Florida Auto Registrations, 1905-1917

Members, Online Records / Automobile Registrations / By Dennis Partridge / February 10, 2023

This dataset includes the first automobile registrations recorded by the Florida Department of State in Nassau County between 1905 and 1917. Each registration is recorded in a handwritten ledger and includes the registrant's name, address, and information about the vehicle, such as the manufacturer, style, horsepower, and factory number. The entries are dated and assigned a unique registration number, which was sent to the registrant on a certificate. Click on an image to see the original auto registration page your ancestor appears on.

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Genealogy and Wildcard Search Techniques

FP, General, Resources / Research Tips / By Dennis Partridge / February 5, 2023

Nassau County death certificate #1914. is a great example of a poorly written record with significant deficiencies in the information. The rabbit hole I proceeded to jump into led me to a Nassau County family with at least 4 different spellings of their last name in the records. They were traceable, but how to find them wasn’t going to prove simple. Let’s step through the process I used to identify the individual in the death record and her family makeup. The key to this, was using wildcard searches. Don’t worry, I explain to you what those are. Are you ready to go down this rabbit hole with me?

Finding Passenger Lists

FP, Resources / Immigration / By Dennis Partridge / February 3, 2023

The following passenger lists start with a film number. That number is clickable and it will take you to the specific database on FamilySearch for you to search. At the end of each listing is a link to a guide for the microfilm that FamilySearch scanned and indexed. These guides are in PDF format and available from the National Archives. Finding Atlantic, Gulf, and Great Lakes Lists Finding Baltimore Passenger Lists Finding Boston Passenger Lists All original Customs Passenger Lists earlier than 1883 were destroyed by fire. Finding New Orleans Passenger Lists Finding New York Passenger Lists Finding Philadelphia Passenger Lists Finding Passengers Lists from Other Minor Ports

Automobubbling in Nassau County, Florida

FP, Blog, Families / By Dennis Partridge / February 2, 2023

Theodore William Waas registered the first automobile in Nassau County, Florida in 1906. He owned an Oldsmobile Curved-Dash runabout, a popular model of the time known for its affordability and simple design. The car was powered by a 4.5 horsepower engine and had a top speed of 20 miles per hour. The car's open roof and minimal interior allowed for a unique driving experience, although only two people could ride at a time. The cost of the car was $650, which might have been a significant expense for the Waas family who had four children and lived in a small town. Come explore this set of records, the family of the two Theo's, the song behind the word "automobubbling," and even listen to an old scratchy 78 recording of the waltz performed by Bill Murray and orchestra back in 1905.

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What’s new in Family Tree Maker?

General / By Dennis Partridge / January 18, 2023

Our January general meeting was attended last night by 35 people, a large portion of them visitors to our society. Mark Olsen did a wonderful job demonstrating the new version of FTM 2019, and we thank him for taking the time to do it!

2023 AIGS Membership – Please Renew or Join!

General / Treasurers Report / By Dennis Partridge / January 11, 2023

October is here already! It has been a year of recovery for AIGS after the 2021 COVID impacts. We have grown our membership numbers from 83 (2021 year end) to our current count of 122. The 2022 monthly meeting presentations have been quite varied, both in topic and format – we’ve had a great combination of in-person and virtual (live) presenters, covering subjects including DNA, local land grant and Fort Clinch history, ancestor research, the history of the US Census, and military records research. There is one more meeting this year – please join us for our November program!

5 Genealogy Books All Researchers Need

FP, Featured Books, Library / By Dennis Partridge / January 9, 2023

I was tasked this year with coming up with only 5 books that every genealogist needs to read or own. This wasn’t as easy as it sounds, because each genealogist has different needs based on their family’s ethnicity, location, etc. As a result, these books are intentionally general in nature and often, specific to US research. There are over 1600 books in the Amelia Island Genealogical Society collection available to you, and more than 100 of them feature guides and assistance in your research. If you have a specific location or subject matter, then there is a good chance we have a book to help guide your research.