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Series of Genealogy Workshops at Essex Library Starts Oct. 9

When it comes to tracing a family’s ancestral lineage, professional genealogist Bryna O’Sullivan says “the first guidance we generally give people is start with what you already know, because you generally have some context for your own family.”

“You may know the names of your grandparents. You may know the names of your great grandparents, that can give you the basis for further research,” she continued.

O’Sullivan will lead a three-part series of hybrid workshops on using free online genealogy resources, at the Essex Library and on Zoom at 1 p.m. on Saturdays, Oct. 9 and 23 and Nov. 6.

The workshop on Oct. 9 will highlight the website FamilySearch, which provides free online access to records, how to guides and classes, among other things.

On Oct. 23, O’Sullivan will discuss the collections featured on the Ancestry website, and the Nov. 6 workshop will feature the resources available at the Connecticut State Library. All workshops are free and open to the public. Registration is required.

For many people, the copious amount of genealogical information and resources that are now easily available online can sometimes make it hard to know where and how to get started.

“It can get really overwhelming when you’re just starting out and you don’t really know where to begin,” said O’Sullivan. The workshops “will provide people with a little bit of context as to what is out there and how to navigate some of the basic features of websites.”

People who have already started might also learn “there are some nuances or deeper features a more advanced researcher might be comfortable using or become more comfortable using,” she said.

O’Sullivan’s interest in genealogy was piqued at an early age.

“I actually started in elementary school, believe it or not,” said O’Sullivan.

A great-grandmother picked up where a school lesson on the Mayflower left off, teaching O’Sullivan about her ancestors who arrived on the Mayflower.

“That got me interested,” said O’Sullivan.

O’Sullivan is now a seasoned professional genealogist who lectures on genealogy, performs genealogical research for clients throughout the state and specializes in applications to lineage societies such as the General Society of Mayflower Descendants.

She’s also been involved in local history projects, recently working with the Middlefield Historical Society and Wadsworth Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution to uncover the military service of African-American Revolutionary War veteran Private Philemon Freeman.

Freeman was buried in May 1820 at Middletown’s Middlefield Parish site without a marker honoring his service.

O’Sullivan assisted with the necessary research and paperwork required for a headstone, which was unveiled and dedicated this summer.

“It was an amazing experience,” said O’Sullivan. “The service of those men is very little known and very little studied, unfortunately, largely due to historic racism. So it was a great opportunity to kind of remedy the historic record.”

This project is indicative of a larger trend that O’Sullivan is seeing in the field of genealogy.

“People are getting more and more interested in their family history to research their family, but also to understand the world around them, the historical context of what their ancestors experienced, what other people’s ancestors experienced,” said O’Sullivan.

The genealogy workshops are a part of a series of programs at the Essex Library that have been funded through a grant from Guilford Savings Bank and the Community Foundation of Middlesex County. The grant also enabled the library to purchase six chrome books for on-site participants in any of the programs.

“We’ll also be offering presentations on how to use chromebooks, downloading digital materials, cutting the cord, as well as coding classes for both teens and families,” said Essex Library Association Assistant Director for Public Services Ann Thompson in an email.

After the series of programs featuring the chromebooks are complete, which is anticipated in January 2022, Thompson said they will be available to patrons for loan.

More information on the library’s upcoming programming is available in the events section of www.youressexlibrary.org.