RootsTech 2026

Get ready to sign up for RootsTech 2026.  Registration opens on September 24! Whether you’re newly curious about family history or an expert genealogist, this global conference is for you. Don’t miss out—mark your calendars now!

Whether you're intending to attend in person or online from the comfort of home, RootsTech has numerous learning opportunities.  Keynote speakers, main stage forums, speakers, expo hall - RootsTech has so much to offer.

So save the date and get ready for another spectacular event.

Week 36 (Sept. 3-9) Off to School

The topic for this week is 'Off to School', and education has played such a huge part in my life.  I was one of those kids who loved school, loved learning, loved books - it is no surprise I have ended up working in a library.  Neither of my parents had the opportunity to continue in school that my sister and I had, but both Mum and Dad loved to read and saw the value of education for their daughters.  They supported our education and were the parents who always attended parent/teacher nights, helped out at school working bees, canteen and library, and always attended school plays and other activities.  Both could not have been happier when their daughters headed off to university, and proudly attended our graduations.

Me ready for school c1977

For my parents there were fewer educational opportunities.  Both left school early to go out to work to help support their families, but learning was still lifelong and libraries and books played a big part in their lives.  Any topic they wanted to know more about was only a visit to the library away, and reading non-fiction because you happened to be interested in the topic was how we were brought up.  My father even had the opportunity to go back to school later in life, doing a correspondence course from Sydney University in farm management and sheep breeding as part of his job on a sheep station.  Not bad for a man who had left school at Grade 6 to go out to work.

Webtember at Legacy Family Tree

It’s almost time for Legacy Family Tree Webinars’ annual online conference Webtember 2025 to begin.

On each Wednesday in September, there will be four or five webinars focused on a specific theme.

Wednesday, September 3: German Genealogy
Dive deep into your German roots with these classes:

• Finding Your Ancestors in German Directories by Ursula C. Krause
• Exploring Mecklenburg’s Rich History and Genealogical Treasures by Andrea Bentschneider
• German Genealogy: Latest and Greatest Websites and Tools by James M. Beidler
• The Emperor’s New Code by Ute Brandenburg
• Eight Little-used Published German Sources by Warren Bittner

Wednesday, September 10: Writing
Learn how to tell your family’s story with these writing-focused classes:

• Creating an Ancestor Sketch by Thomas MacEntee
• Manage large writing projects through optimistic start, muddled middle, and triumphant finish by Rhonda Lauritzen
• The Five Writing Scripts of the World by Amie Bowser Tennant
• Using Historical Context in Your Genealogy Writing: A Gettysburg Soldier Case Study by Bonnie Wade Mucia, AG®
• How to write a genealogical crime mystery story by Nathan Dylan Goodwin

Wednesday, September 17: MyHeritage
Uncover new possibilities with MyHeritage through these webinars:

• An Overview of MyHeritage by Alon Ehrenfeld
• 10 Surprising Things I Discovered about My Ancestors Using MyHeritage by Lisa A. Alzo, M.F.A.
• MyHeritage’s OldNews.com is Good News for Genealogists by James Tanner
• Mastering the MyHeritage DNA Test by Richard Hill

Wednesday, September 24: US Historical Records
Explore the rich records of the United States with these classes:

• Just What IS the AGBI, Anyway? by Carol Ansel
• School Censuses: What, When and Where by Billie Stone Fogarty, M.Ed.
• Research Treasures from W.P.A. by Sharon Batiste Gillins
• Discovering Old Land Surveys in Deeds and Probates by J. Mark Lowe, FUGA
• 12 Ways to Use Gravestone Clues to Grow Your Family Tree by Cathy Wallace

Webtember 2025 is free to attend live, and recordings will be available for a limited time after each session.

Register here to attend the live classes and see the schedule.

Week 35 (Aug. 27-Sept. 2) Off to Work

Discovering an ancestor's occupation can give enormous insight into their life.  Did they work on the land, have a profession, learn a trade?  Were they educated for their job, or serve an apprenticeship?  Or were they less educated and learned their role as they worked?

Census records can tell you about your ancestor's profession, as can trade directories, apprenticeship records, newspaper reports and more.

For several of my ancestors, the newspapers have given me much information about their work. 

Due to my previous research I already knew Christopher Prentice worked as a Water Bailiff.  I hadn't known this was an elected position until I found the article above, which was placed in the Ipswich Journal on Saturday 12 September 1778 thanking those who had elected him to the position for their trust.

6 years later Christopher was standing for election to the Water Bailiff position again, and took out another notice in the Ipswich Journal applying for re-election.

Website Wednesday - The Mills Archive

Was your ancestor a Miller in England?  If so, The Mills Archive may have information for you about the mill in which your ancestor worked.

 
The Mills Archive is a permanent repository for the documentary and photographic records of traditional and contemporary mills and milling, as well as similar structures dependent on traditional power sources. It makes that material freely available for public inspection and use in research and learning.

On its website, the Mills Archive states : 

"The Mills Archive is one of the world’s great mill collections. It has rescued over 3 million documents and images that might otherwise have ended up in a landfill site. It is an Aladdin’s cave filled with memories and free to users. The collections show the rich and diverse crafts, buildings, machinery, equipment and people involved with mills in the UK and around the world.

We believe in the cultural and educational values of mills and historic power sources and wish to turn that into practical support. We extend a warm welcome to family, local, national and international historians, as well as to those who simply want to find out more about our milling heritage."

Week 34 (Aug. 20-26) Play Time

A fascinating and often difficult to research aspect of our ancestors' lives is what they did in their leisure time.  How did they relax and unwind?  Did they have hobbies?  Play sports?  Read? Take trips or go on holidays?  For many leisure time would have been rare and therefore precious - so how did they spent that time?

 Newspapers have been a great source of information for me about my ancestors' 'play time' and leisure activities.  My Argent ancestors from West Bergholt took part in an amateur concert, reported below in the Essex Standard of Friday 7 January 1876.
 

A similar article reported on a pigeon shooting match in which my great-grandfather Walter Green took part - sadly he lost the match. 

Another newspaper report concerned another great-grandfather, Henry Arthur Pike, who was the umpire for his local quoits club in Bradfield St George.

All fascinating insights into the lives of my ancestors 'Play Time'. 

Website Wednesday - Ancestry Library Edition

Does your local public library subscribe to Ancestry Library Edition?  It might be worthwhile checking. 

Ancestry is one of the largest genealogy websites worldwide, but for those on a tight budget subscription costs can be a strain on the wallet.  Ancestry Library Edition might be your answer. 

Ancestry Library Edition provides access to all records included in a paid world subscription.  Census, BMD, Military, Immigration, Pictures, Stories, Maps, Trees, etc.  It does not allow you to create your own  online tree and link records to it. 

The database can only be accessed in-house, not from home, but will generally be available on your library's public PCs and via their public wi-fi using your own laptop or tablet.  Records can generally be downloaded to a USB or to your device, and printing may also be available.

So check with your local library to see what they have to offer for free to help you with your research - there might be more on offer that you thought!