How to Build Historical Context
Come join us on Tuesday, June 15 at 7:00 – 8:00pm, to listen to a professional recording of a lecture by Professor John Philip Colletta, titled How to Build Historical Context. The program will […]
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General Meeting
How to Write Biography
You’ve explored a broad array of sources for discovering the facts of your ancestors’ lives, and you’ve depicted those facts schematically on pedigree charts and family group sheets. In last month's meeting you saw how those bare-bone facts may be fleshed out into real-life events, which is what many of us are seeking in genealogy. A narrative genealogy or family history is a collection of biographies of people related by blood—in other words, an anthology of the life stories of kinfolk. In this lecture, we’ll see the process of constructing and narrating the biography of an ancestor. Come join us on Tuesday, July 20 at 7:00 – 8:00pm, to listen to a professional recording of a lecture by Professor John Philip Colletta, titled How to Write Biography.
UNF Excavations at the Mocama (Timucua) Indian Village of Sarabay (Big Talbot Island)
Fernandina Beach Library 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, United States
Presentation by Keith Ashley, UNF Professor of Anthropology. Located on Big Talbot Island, Sarabay was one of the local Mocama Indian communities mentioned by French and Spanish explorers during the […]
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Fundamentals of Land and Probate Records for Genealogists
Fernandina Beach Library 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, United States
Fundamentals of Land and Probate Records for Genealogists, with particular focus on Nassau County court records
The purpose of this program is to provide an overview of the land and probate record keeping systems used in the United States of America. Land and probate record systems were created for economic and legal purposes, so understanding why and how those systems work aids the genealogist’s search to determine who our ancestors were, what they did, where, and when.
Free
Collecting family history with a Harley and a camera
Fernandina Beach Library 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, United States
Theron Rogers, as a volunteer for Find a Grave, goes around on a Harley Davidson taking pictures of gravestones. Theron will give us a short introduction to Find a Grave, a website that allows you to see the burial sites of your family and friends. He will then tell us about his adventures on his motorcycle, the many cemeteries he visited and the fascinating graves he discovered and photographed.
Free
Ancestors Road Show and 2021 Annual Meeting
Fernandina Beach Library 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, United States
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society will hold its annual meeting at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, November 16, 2021 at the Community Room of the Fernandina Beach Public Library, 25 N 4th St. Following the election of officers and approval of the budget for the next year, there will be short introduction to the new AIGS […]
Free
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The Last Spanish Land Grant in Florida
Fernandina Beach Library 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, United States
Join us at the Fernandina Beach Branch library on Tuesday, January 18, 2022 at 7pm to hear the fascinating story of the family of Domingo and Mary Fernandez who owned large plantations on Amelia Island, donated land for the Fernandina Lighthouse, but whose descendants retain ownership of probably the Last Spanish land grant in Florida, which constitutes one acre between St. Michael’s Church and St. Michael’s School between North 4th and 5th Streets. Descendants were plantation owners, not only in Florida, but also in Kenya; they were attorneys, scholars, ordinary people whose influence has been felt around the world.
Free
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The Genealogy of Genes
Fernandina Beach Library 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, United States
For centuries, genealogists have based their studies on ancient records and oral affidavits to establish line of descent. Fifty years after the discovery of DNA, the age of genealogical DNA testing was launched, providing us with scientific methods to prove relationships.
But how were DNA and genes discovered? What are their lines of descent? This entertaining presentation will focus on describing the thrills, intrigue and espionage associated with the amazing race to solve the puzzle of this remarkable molecule by three competing scientific teams.
The speaker will also describe the different types of DNA genetic testing, and will show how his own DNA test results encapsulate the story of human migration.
Free
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In Their Own Words
As part of the third system of fortifications built for harbor defense, Fort Clinch was constructed from 1847 to 1867. Serving in three wars, the Civil War, Spanish-American War, and World War II, the fort never saw battle and was never fully completed. Frank Ofeldt III will share with us how life was for the […]
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Keeping it in the Family
Chip Kirkpatrick will speak about his hobby of historical metal detecting, and in particular about an amazing piece he found on the Florida/Georgia border. It is a strange antique silver Scottish medallion, heavily engraved with illustrations, phrases and mottos, with direct links to William Wallace (Braveheart), Robert the Bruce and Chip’s own family. It is […]
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Your Ancestor’s FAN Club
Fernandina Beach Library 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, United States
Using Cluster Research to Get Past Brick Walls Our ancestors were each surrounded by Family, Associates, and Neighbors. By researching them, we discover additional records pointing to our own ancestors. Join us in person for a webinar on this interesting topic by Drew Smith. Drew Smith Drew Smith developed an interest in genealogy as a […]
Free
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Parchments to Printouts
Fernandina Beach Library 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, United States
Join us at the Fernandina Branch Library community room on 21 June at 7pm for a webinar by Sharon Tosi Lacey, Chief Historian at the U.S. Census Bureau. The title is Parchments to Printouts: A History of the Census 1790-1950, and the presentation will cover the changes and adaptations of the decennial census from inception through 1950, with a special focus on Amelia Island and surrounding area.
Free