2009 British Institute Course Descriptions

Finding Your English Ancestors with Barbara Baker

Barbara has a BA in Family and Local History from Brigham Young University and has worked as a British reference consultant at the Family History Library for over 20 years. She is accredited in English genealogy research, is a professional genealogist and lectures in the U. S. and Great Britain.

Monday – Introduction to the week; history and its effect on record keeping; research sources in the country of destination that might help determine where in England your ancestors came from; best websites for English research; finding what others have done; DNA and family history research

Tuesday – 19th and 20th century records of England (1834-onward) – Civil registration, census, post-1857 probate records, post-1834 New Poor Law records, electoral rolls, directories, occupational records, school records; archives in England

Wednesday – 16th, 17th, and 18th century records for England – Church Records – historical background, Church of England parish registers, bishops' transcripts, parish chest records and records of the poor, nonconformist church records; handwriting challenges, tips, and exercises

Thursday – More 16th, 17th, and 18th century records for England (1500 to 1834) – probate records, military records, merchant seamen records, various jurisdictional court records, land and property records, early census substitutes

Friday – Records of royalty, nobility, and landed gentry; pre-1500 medieval records; review of the week

Governmental Records of Ireland with David Rencher

David is a lecturer and writer and is currently Director of Planning and Coordination, Family History Department, FamilySearch.org of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City. In addition to being accredited and certified, he is a Fellow of the Irish Genealogical Research Society, London and the Utah Genealogical Association.

This course is focused on assisting the Irish genealogical researcher gain an understanding of the massive volume of government and law records available for research. The course level is intended for the intermediate to advanced researcher. Since Irish law and Parliament was an extension of English law, much of the course applies to England as well. Beginners are welcome, but may struggle to understand the overall context and record values.

Session 1 – Irish/English Court & Legal Records: An Overview for Genealogists
Session 2 – Understanding the Four Courts of Chancery, King’s Bench, Common Pleas, and Exchequer
Session 3 – Irish/English Civil Law and the Family Historian
Session 4 – Introduction to Irish Law Libraries
Session 5 – Introduction to Parliament and the Acts of Parliament
Session 6 – Parliamentary Papers I
Session 7 – Parliamentary Papers II
Session 8 – List and Index Society
Session 9 – Government Departments and Record Classes
Session 10 – The National Archives of England and Ireland