Boston Research Trip

By Michelle Lyons and Katie Hanzeli

In October Katie Hanzeli & Michelle Lyons travelled to Boston to attend the Fall Research Getaway of the New England Historical & Genealogical Society. This research facility holds an enormous amount of material, covering seven floors, over 30,000 family histories, manuscripts, books, etc. - literally millions of records, covering not only New England but worldwide.

                                                     

                             

In advance of our trip, NEHGS offered an hour-long webinar on preparing to do research at their facility.  It was essential viewing to make the best use of your time.  Also, prior to the workshop, participants were asked to write down information on the families they wished to research and the goals associated with each family.  Prior to our arrival the staff went over these research plans, commenting on each entry with suggestions as to how to proceed.  This was a great help in focusing our research.  Searching through their catalog was also essential in preparing for our trip.  Checking the availability of publications locally, however.  Michelle found 3/4ths of her books of interest at the Fiske Library here in Seattle.  No sense wasting time 3,000 miles away for something you can look at right here.

Katie had visited the library before, so she was great helping Michelle finding her way around—including meeting Michelle at the bus stop after a very stressful arrival.  She got lost.  She said next time she will take an Uber directly to the hotel and not try to use Boston’s highly efficient metro system!

We stayed at the Charlesmark Hotel, a small older hotel with comfortable although small rooms.  It was but three blocks from the Library and offered a discount to anyone visiting the Society.  The rate was $229.00 + tax (a budget hotel by Boston standards).  We learned that the rates in October are higher as folks are traveling to New England that time of year to see the fall colors.  We understand the rates are more reasonable in February, but b-r-r!

The first morning, we were introduced to the staff and they gave us a tour of the library.  Each morning, NEHGS staff gave us a presentation, and the rest of the day was devoted to research and consultations.  The cost of the workshop included three 30-minute minute consultations (one each day) with a researcher whom participants chose based on their areas of expertise.

Katie jumped right into researching in the book stacks for her Raymond family (microfilm/fiche is on site but with limited time and FamilySeach.org digitization projects, your time might be better spent in other areas of the Library.)  Utilizing the search techniques recommended in the webinar, she discovered books with information about the family that, even in past visits there, she had missed.

Many of the documents in the manuscript collection are kept off-site, so requesting them online in advance of a visit is important.  You can order the manuscripts while there and if you do so the first day you probably will get them but there are no guarantees.  It is much better to plan in advance.  Katie forgot that little tip so missed seeing one set of documents that sounded likely for finding her elusive marriage record.  (It will give her a reason to return!)  However, she enjoyed digging through many others that were readily available.

One yielded quite a surprise.  She found the family with their entire, extended family tree, including the groom in the marriage record.  A neatly typed chart extended back to the immigrant ancestor, Richard, who came to Salem, Massachusetts in 1632 from England.  Then the fun surprise appeared!  It had the date and location of his baptism in London, England and his parents’ names, two important facts that she had not previously found.  It also had his mother’s ancestry traced back to Edward III, king of England.  How about that!  She is descended from royalty!  It also gave family information that told her that she is a “cousin” of another member of SKCGS!  (It’s not MaryLynn!)  Unfortunately, these wonderful sheets had no sources attached, but at least she now has a framework to follow.

This was Michelle’s first trip to this renowned facility.  Her major goal was to improve her research skills.  Her luck in researching was less successful, which was anticipated as, for the most part, she is the original researcher into her lines.  As do many, she has individuals that remain elusive (a lot of them), but it is the hunt and occasional find that brings thrills. It is just as important to find the negative on the way to the goal of conducting “an exhaustive search”.  She says she just finds a lot of those negatives.

Both of us found the consultations invaluable as well as the support of all the experienced staff who were gracious in answering questions and helping wherever they could.  The wealth of knowledge under this library’s roof is amazing and not just for New England research.  Michelle also got some great help with an Indiana brick wall.

On the last day Michelle met with an elderly gentlemen well respected in the genealogy world.  You may be familiar with the name, Gary Boyd Roberts.  His passion is genealogies of royal families and presidents of the US and he has written several books on those topics.  He loves meeting with the researchers attending these workshop and volunteers his time to meet and talk to every participant.  It was a last minute consultation with Michelle.  Within an incredibly short period of time he reviewed her families, answered one question with respect to an early settler in Massachusetts and part of the research for the Great Migration Study.  He looked over her family tree and within minutes zeroed in on three ancillary family names who he could trace to English royalty—the Spencer family and Princess Diana.  He was able to locate and deliver to my table several books to tie this link together.  Not only that, he was able to locate the parts of the books of interest!  This was all done in less than one hour!

Three days is not enough time to spend at NEHGS.  With their help and guidance and utilizing their educational webinars and other learning tools, one can make the most of the time - and find plenty of reasons to return.  We both came away with so much information that it will take weeks to organize.  Katie didn’t find the marriage record and Michelle’s finds were small but enlightening. Those are stories to pursue another day.  Further information on the library and its workshops can be found on their website: americanancestors.org.

Michelle and Katie