Find-Your-Roots
Family History & Genealogy Research
Talks & Workshops
Genealogy and Family Research Presentations
By Carol P. McCoy, Ph.D.
207-373-0318
Dr. McCoy will be pleased to give talks or workshops for your group. She can give presentations of one hour to one and one-half hour as well as longer workshops given individually or in a series. She has an informative, engaging and motivating style and uses many examples to enliven her talks. While some of her topics are listed below, she can also speak on other topics as well.
Using Deeds in Genealogy - A Goldmine of Information. Often overlooked, deeds and land records can provide useful clues to finding and learning about our ancestors. This is especially true for areas where Probate Records have been destroyed. Deeds can help you find ancestors who have escaped the census taker and can provide information on family relationships, migration patterns, wealth, neighbors and more. Learn how to find them, how to read them, and how to use them to solve genealogy problems.
Using Tax Records in Genealogy - How Taxes Can Be a Good Thing! Many dread tax day, but old tax records provide valuable clues to our ancestors' lives. Since the early days of America people were taxed to create roads, to support wars, and to provide needed revenue. Learn the types of records available, where to find them, and how they help solve genealogy problems.
Creating Maine Towns - The Process and the Records. The District of Maine had a wild history marked by warfare, the destruction of early settlements, land disputes, and a challenging terrain. How did settler create viable towns in such a wilderness? What types of officers were needed to run settlements? Proprietors' and Town Records can be gold mines for genealogists. Learn how Maine towns typically developed, the role and responsibilities of Proprietors and what they had to do to create a successful town, what town records were created, and where you might look for them.
Making the Most of Census Research. Learn tips and tactics to make the most of your census research. Learn how to avoid common pitfalls and use a variety of censuses to learn about your ancestors and track down those elusive relatives. Get beyond the census indexes and broaden your focus beyond a specific relative to get the whole story.
Where Were Your Ancestors? What If You Cannot Find Them in the Census? Learn ways to find your ancestors even if they were not in any census index. Did they really elude the census taker? What other resources can help you find them even if they were not in the federal census?
Finding Your Family Roots in New England - Sound Strategies for Genealogical Research. Learn tips and tactics for locating your ancestors with New England roots. Find ways to maximize traditional resources, historical societies, family mementos, and the internet to learn about your family heritage. Create a solid research plan and avoid common pitfalls in genealogical research.
Finding Elusive Ancestors - Who Were the Parents of Mary Drummond - Oldest Native Negro in New Bedford, Massachusetts? This enlightening case illustrates how an extensive search led to a famous ancestor for Mary Drummond, Oldest native Negro in New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1928. Learn how to overcome false assumptions, use vital records, censuses, deeds, probate, poor house records, newspapers, cemetery records, and online resources to discover an ancestor's parentage.
The Mystery of David Mitchell of Troy, Maine. How can you find the family of a man who was not in the census, who had no vital records of his birth, marriage, death or of the birth of his children, no deed records, no tombstone or obituary? Learn how to use town records, maps, the Internet and other sources to find your elusive ancestor?
Enriching Genealogy with Memorabilia and Pictures. There is only so much excitement that can be generated from ancestor charts and family group sheets. Pictures are indeed worth a thousand words. Find out types of memorabilia that can enrich your family history and become inspired to locate them! Share ideas of what others have done to enliven their stories to give people a feel for what their ancestors' lives were like.
Tracing Your Ancestors - Getting Started. This talk presents the fundamentals of genealogy and family research to help people get started on a solid foundation. Learn how to unravel family mysteries and avoid common pitfalls in genealogical research.
Creative Ways to Solve Genealogical Problems. Have you hit the proverbial brick wall or road block in your genealogical research? Is an ancestor or two eluding you and hiding from the census taker or the town clerk? Learn some solid strategies and ways to take a fresh look at what you've tried and what else you can do to find those pesky hidden ancestors.
Finding Your Roots - Unpuzzling Your Past. This fun and inspiring workshop series will help you to learn sound techniques for tracing your family genealogy and history. Using Emily Croom's best-selling book, Unpuzzling Your Past as a spring-board, this class will teach you ways to track down your ancestors, learn more about their lives, and create a meaningful family history. Six sessions (more or less): (1) Getting Started (2) Keys to Success (3) Census Records (4) Vital Records (5) Building on Others' Work (6) Organizing and Digging Deeper
The Maine-Canada-Ireland Connection - Seeking Rogers' Roots. An intriguing and entertaining case study shows how we discovered the Canadian and Irish roots of the Rogers' family who lived in Brewer Maine in 1850. Learn how US and Canadian census, land, probate, historical, cemetery, and newspaper records as well as archival material, online sites and databases and internet contacts can bring a complex family history to life.
Keys to Successful Presentations. Learn tips for giving successful presentations. Enjoy a humorous approach to overcoming an activity many people approach with dread--public speaking. This discussion will help you give presentations with more confidence and impact by planning for success, structuring your content, creating useful visual aids, and learning ways to increase your confidence in delivering talks and workshops.