BIFHS–USA  |  2009 Seminar (Saturday, October 10)

Speaker and Topics

Judith Eccles Wight

Judith Eccles Wight, an Accredited Genealogist, was a British Reference Consultant at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, 1990–2001, and Director of the Sandy, Utah, East Stake Family History Center, 1997–2000. She has had articles published in Irish Roots, the Journal of American Family Record, Ancestry, Shemo, The Irish At Home and Abroad, Family History Magazine, Heritage Quest Magazine, and other periodicals.

Seminar Topics

• Down for the Count: British Isles Census and Census Substitutes — Although England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland took a census of its population every ten years, the information in these censuses varies from country to country. In this session you will learn about these government-based censuses, what survives, and where they can be found for research purposes. In addition, you'll learn about other British Isles records that constitute census substitutes: What are census substitutes? What information is found in them? How can they be accessed? These questions will be addressed during this session.
• Oh Poor Me: Poor Law Records of the British Isles — The poor law records of the British Isles consist of two classes. The old poor law came under the jurisdiction of the state church of each country. The new poor law came under government jurisdiction. Of the two classes, the new poor law records contain the most genealogical information. An overview of the old poor law system will be discussed including records that were kept. The bulk of the lecture time will be used to explore the new poor law system and its records.
• Digging for Gold in British Isles Estate Records — Landed estate owners held large tracts of land where our British Isles ancestors lived and worked. Agents of these estate owners were charged with keeping track of the tenants on the estates. Rent rolls, censuses, wage books and many other records were kept by these agents in addition to information generated by the estate owners. In this session you will learn about estates in the British Isles, the types of records that may have been kept, and where estate records can be found.

Last edit: Saturday, 06-Jun-2009 21:01:33 MDT