GENEALOGY: Irish-research expert at seminar

“Irish Genealogical Research, Sources and Methods” is the topic for the Georgia Genealogical Society’s winter seminar to be held March 7 in Savannah.

David Rencher, a certified genealogist and nationally known expert and author on Irish research, will be the speaker.

Topics include: Irish Jurisdictions and Reference Works; Irish Church Records —- Church of Ireland, Presbyterian and Catholic Sources; Sources and Methods for Irish Genealogical Research; and Out of the Ashes —- Irish Genealogical Collections.

Rencher is director of the records and information division for the family and church history department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City.

The seminar will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Live Oak Public Library (the central library) in the Bull Street branch auditorium, 2002 Bull St., Savannah.

The fee for GGS members is $25; for nonmembers, $35. Lunch is on your own.

Registration needs to be postmarked by Feb. 27 with a late registration fee of $5 without the guarantee of a handout.

Having heard Rencher myself at several conferences, anyone serious about researching in Irish records should not miss this seminar.

Using city directories

City directories as a research source will be the topic of a program 10 a.m.-noon March 14 at the Atlanta History Center.

The staff will help attendees learn to explore the directories for those obscure, hard-to-find ancestors. Also featured will be school annuals and other annual publications to help track down lost relatives.

Admission is $10 for AHC members, $15 for nonmembers. Because seating is limited to 25, reservations are required. Deadline is March 10.

For more information, call 404-814-4041. For reservations, call 404-814-4150. Check the Web site at www.atlantahistorycenter.com for more events. The center is now open Wednesday through Saturday for research.

Archival closings

Because of rough economic times, the state archives in both Alabama and South Carolina have ceased being open on Saturdays, effective immediately. The research room hours in Alabama are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (CST) Tuesday-Friday. The Alabama Archives Web site, www.archives.alabama.gov, has a lot of records and other information that can be searched.

The South Carolina Archives Web site, www.scdah.sc.gov, indicates the new hours for its research room are 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Florida censuses

The state of Florida took censuses in 1935 and 1945, as well as 1867 and 1875, and all of these nonfederal census records are available online at www.ancestry.com. Florida is one of only two states to have completed a state census that late. So it’s a good place to search for Florida ancestors.

Contact Kenneth H. Thomas Jr. at P.O. Box 901, Decatur, GA 30031, or the Web site www.gagensociety.org.