Sunday, December 28, 2014

2014 Publication Prices Expire This Week!

In 2013, when the Maine Genealogical Society took over the inventory of unsold books and CDs from our publisher, we recognized we needed to do something to decrease our overall inventory.  We offered a number of "limited time" deals including an amazing deal on 3 of our Maine Families in 1790 series.  Now that inventory is back down to a reasonable level, and we have a year of handling sales under our belt, we're making some minor pricing adjustments to bring things more in line with our normal member discounts.

Beginning January 1st, 2015 we will have updated member pricing on books through our website and paper order form.  We will also be discontinuing the "FREE book on orders of $100 or more" currently in place.

In addition, we want to let everyone know three books in our collection are at critically low supply levels:

Vital Records of Canaan, Maine (MGS member price: $45)
Vital Records of Norridgewock, Maine (MGS member price : $45)
Vital Records of Wiscasset, Maine (MGS member price: $74.95)

If you've been thinking about buying any of these titles and are an MGS member in good standing, your opportunity to purchase with your membership discount is running out.

All titles in our inventory can be purchased at our main web site: www.maineroots.org

Not an MGS member?  You can join online for just $25 for a year, and enjoy these and other great benefits as well.

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Headstone of Mrs. Mary PLAISTED

One of our members sent in this query.  Can you help???

Headstone of Mrs. Mary, wife of Andrew Plaisted, died Nov 6 1839 age 79 years  & 9 months
- It was removed from a construction site several years ago by someone working for a Monmouth electrical contractor
- Was this a discarded headstone or was it saved from destruction?
- It's in a barn in Caribou and needs to find it's rightful home back to Southern Maine if missing.

email us at mainegenealogicalsociety@gmail.com if you have info you think could help get this stone get back to its rightful place.


Friday, September 12, 2014

Meet The Attendees: Charles Roundy of Palmyra, ME

Charles Roundy is coming to the MGS Annual Fall Conference tomorrow, September 13, 2014 and he is looking for long lost cousins...

Family lines that I (Charles) trace include

(1) one of the  many Maine Gould lines (ours from England, to Nova Scotia,  to New  Brunswick to Maine, original great-great grandparents coming from  Devonshire,  England to River John, Nova Scotia in about 1925); 

(2) a  McKeen  line from  Scotland, by way of Ireland, then New Hampshire, then to  central Nova Scotia  (Loyalists), then back to Maine (as a Mrs. Gould) in  1919 ; 

(3) two Roundy  lines,  the only two [known to have] to come to Maine early, from England to   Eastern Massachusetts (north of Boston) to Maine in 1764 to Blue Hill  (one of two first settlers there in 1764) and a related Roundy line,  also from same area of Massachusetts to Clinton - Benton area, starting in  1774 with an Abraham Roundy, and several brothers, cousin and family members  to follow to Clinton, Benton, Fairfield and area);

(4) a Shepherd line (with the "e" not the "a") about  which I know little,  except they were in Maine in the Bangor area in  early 20th century and moved to Massachusetts; and 

(5) a Cannon line, direct from Ireland to  Brewer, Maine in the 1800s, thence to Massachusetts.

If you have information that may be able to help, or want to compare notes, email Charles at Roundy2005@gwi.net or look for him at the Conference!

Monday, July 28, 2014

2014 Maine Genealogical Society Annual Fall Conference - September 13, 2014

Once again, the Maine Genealogical Society has planned its annual Fall conference with a number of interesting and educational lectures planned.  This conference starts with an interesting keynote address by Thomas Jones, PhD, CG, CGL, who will attempt to answer the question "Can a Complex Research Problem Be Solved Solely Online?"  Jones is a genealogical educator who speaks and writes frequently on genealogical evidence, proof and problem solving. He serves on the Board of Certification of Genealogists and has been the recipient of many varied genealogy related awards.

The rest of the day's lectures consist of three sets of breakout sessions of varying topics.  Vendors and exhibitors will also be on hand and we encourage all attendees to visit and support these organizations and businesses. We'll have our query board set up again this year & don't forget to bring some extra money for any of our Special Publications which will be on sale, along with our designer pins and candy dishes, bearing the MGS logo, and our members can take part in our annual meeting to hear more about what has been happening with MGS and the plans for the future.

Join us on September 13, 2014 in Brewer, ME for another education packed MGS Conference!

For more information, or to register, visit the conference website at http://conference.maineroots.org

Friday, July 18, 2014

Query: Eli LITTLEFIELD

New MGS Member Tim Harriman just sent us the following query.  If you have information you can share with Tim, email him at roadapple658@gmail.com:


Searching for information on Eli Littlefield of Wells (b.1790), who eventually settled in Brooks and supposedly died there in 1873.  Eli served to extend the Littlefield line to Waldo County and his son Joshua C. Littlefield is buried in the South Brooks Cemetery.  Eli's parents were Ebenezer Littlefield & Betsey Clark of Wells and Lebanon.   I would like to locate Eli's resting place to complete my research.

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Query: Family of Aaron DAY

We recently received the following query from one of our members:


I am researching the family of Aaron Day, b. in Ipswich, MA on 2 July 1783 to John Day and Sarah Day, and d. in or around Medford, Maine on 16 Feb 1862.  His wife Martha was b. about 1778, and d. in Maine 16 Feb 1844.  They are bur. in the Upper Ferry Cemetery in Medford.  Aaron and Martha had the following children:

Nathaniel, b. in Starks, ME 30 Nov 1807, d. in Plymouth, MN 7 Jan 1867
John, b. in Starks, ME 24 Feb 1809 d. 14 Apr 1884 in Medford, ME
Sarah, b. in Starks, ME 31 Dec 1810
Harriet L., b. possibly in Industry, ME 31 Dec 1812, d. in Manchester, ME bet 1887 to 21 Aug 1888.
Cynthia, b. possibly in Industry or Readfield, ME between Feb 1814, d. in Sherburne County, MN 13 May 1874
Joseph Warren, b. about 1817 in Maine, d. in 1891 in Washington

Questions:
1)  What happened to Sarah?  Did she marry, and if so, to whom?  Where did she die?
2)  Where were Cynthia and Harriet born?

If you can help, please email laurieanddogs@gmail.com

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Southern Maine Genealogy Conference

The Southern Maine Genealogy Conference will be held on Saturday, May 31st from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Keeley Banquet Center, 178 Warren Ave. Portland.  Joe Anderson will be the Keynote Speaker.  His talk will be: Documenting Grandma's Stories. Turning Gossip into Genealogical Fact.  As most MGS members know, Joe is editor of The Maine Genealogist as well as editor of The American Genealogist.  In addition Joe is chair of the MGS Publications Committee.

In addition to Joe's Keynote Address, there will be 9 different workshops throughout the day.  Topics include: Beginning Genealogy (even advanced genealogist will learn something); Searching the Census; Investigating and Evaluating Family Artifacts; Case Studies in Genealogical Problem Solving; the Irish of Portland, ME; DNA Testing & Genealogical Research; Genealogical Resources at the Maine Historical Society; Swedish Ancestry and a Panel of area libraries with Genealogical Collections.

The cost for the conference is $50.

You can register online at: www.gpcmgs.org either by mail in registration or online through PayPal or Credit Card.

FMI: contact Paul Doucette at pdoucette3@gmail.com.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Last Week to Register for the 2014 MGS Spring Workshop

LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER... You don't have to be a member to join us, but MGS members do enjoy a discount at this and other events & publications...

The annual Maine Genealogical Spring Workshop is one day, deep dive session into a specific aspect of genealogical research. On April 5, 2014 we are excited to welcome Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective, as she presents 4 lectures covering topics from identifying and dating early photographs to preservation techniques. We'll also learn about Civil War era photography and Maureen's own special project, The Last Muster, an effort to find, identify and document photos of the Revolutionary War generation.  Join us as we gain a better understanding of the kinds of information we can glean from those old family photographs and how to preserve that information for generations to come."
Maureen Taylor will also be able to provide some individual private consults the evening before the program in the Breakfast Room of the Comfort Inn at 281 Civic Center Dr., Augusta, ME 04330.  All appointments dated Friday April 4th, 2014 will be held at the hotel.

More information about the workshop is available here: http://conference.maineroots.org
For scheduling a private consult with Maureen Taylor visit her event page at http://mgs2014.eventbrite.com

Monday, January 27, 2014

New Book on Windham, ME History

Time for a good book? If you're interested in Windham history, you may enjoy reading Kay Soldier's latest book about Windham's "Northeast Road" -- the old time name for Route 202 or Gray Road.
Read about the old Revolunary soldiers who settled in the Eastern part of Windham and chuckle at Charles Legrow's descriptions of every house and settler from the Rotary (or Foster's Corner) to the Gray line. Every graveyard, every school and all the houses, and all the people who lived there -- as memorialized by one of our town's best historians -- Charles Legrow.

Genealogists will have a field day with the family details.

Read about some of Windham's finest people including Tony Pecoraro, Walter Reeves, Flora Lamb and others -- and read about the Days Gone By and what the different seasons meant to some of us old timers.
 
This is not an official publication of the Maine Genealogical Society, but rather a new book by one of our members.  If you would like a copy, please send $20 per copy to Kay Soldier, 114 Tandberg Trail, Windham, Maine 04062 and she will mail it out right away.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Query: Hannah CHELLIS

I am looking to help with a brick wall....

Hannah CHELLIS, wife of Samuel BOOTHBY (16 Dec 1794 in Limerick, York, Maine - 20 Dec 1860 in Limington, York, Maine), and mother of Charles, Asa, Sophia, John, and George.  I believe she is the daughter of David CHELLIS and spent most, if not all of her life, in the area of Limerick, Maine.

Info should be sent to Seema Kenney: cmakny@hotmail.com

Call For Papers

Proposals for talks are now being accepted for the MGS Fall Conference, September 13, 2014, at Jeff’s Catering in Brewer. There are three openings for one-hour presentations. Speaker compensation is $100 plus registration and lunch the day of the conference.

Proposals should include the following:
1. Speaker’s name
2. Contact information (including mailing address, e-mail, & phone number)
3. Prior speaking experience
4. Brief biography (about 50 words)
5. Title of the talk
6. Summary or outline of the talk (about 200 words)
7. Intended audience level (beginner, intermediate, advanced, or all levels)

Please send proposals to Helen A. Shaw either by mail (77 Pascal Ave., Rockport, ME 04856) or as a pdf attachment (hashaw@earthlink.net). Proposals must be received by 1 March 2014.