ROOTS & BRANCHES

I’ve heard of 24-hour races before. Two prominent ones are held in Le Mans, France, and Daytona, Florida.

But I’ve never heard of a 24-hour endurance marathon in genealogy lecturing.

Until now!

But that’s what by MyHeritage and Legacy Family Tree Webinars have whipped up with their free “24-Hour Genealogy Webinar Marathon” coming up next month.

Beginning at 5 p.m. EDT March 12 through 5 p.m. EDT March 13, every hour, on the hour will feature a different genealogist speaking on a different topic from all around the world.

 “We want all people around the world to have access to the best and latest genealogy news that can help them advance their family history research, with a wide variety of lectures on genealogy and DNA, as well as specific product-related lectures by MyHeritage employees,” said Daniel Horowitz of MyHeritage.

The leadoff hitter of the webinar marathon is board-certified researcher and lecturer Rebecca Koford talking about “How Do I Know It’s Correct: Evidence and Proof” and ends with the eminent Scottish heraldry expert Dr. Bruce Durie exploring the topic, “ ‘My Ancestors Were Normans’—Oh Really? Prove It!” 

Other big-name presenters and intriguing topics include:

• “Not Who He Once Was: Tips for Finding Your Name-Changing Ancestor” from board-certified genealogist Mary Kircher Roddy. This is always a suspicion when you find evidence of an ancestor who “drops out of nowhere” or “disappears.”
• Top genetic genealogy lecturer Diahan Southard will talk about “How DNA Influences Our Identity.” Or maybe it should be called “those ethnicity estimates aren’t just cocktail-party talk.
• Cyndi Ingle—yep, she’s the Cyndi of “Cyndi’s List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet”—will present “Advanced Googling for Your Grandma.”
• Top German professional Andrea Bentschneider will “Emigration via Hamburg,” a vital topic to detail since this was the No. 2 port of exit from the European continent in the 19^th century, and well-preserved records from the embarkations starting in 1850.
• Craig R. Scott, always on the tip of the tongue when military genealogy experts are considered, has “Researching a Hessian Soldier” as his presentation. The so-called Hessians (who actually came from several north-central German states) were the mercenaries troops hired by the British in the Revolutionary War.   

Horowitz himself will detail the “Advanced Features of MyHeritage.com.” Registration for virtual space is limited; to reserve your spot, go to the URL, https://FamilyTreeWebinars.com/24.

 I’m not a part of the endurance webinar marathon but my turn will come a couple months later to talk about “Leveraging MyHeritage’s German Resources Effectively” at 2 p.m. May 12. You can register for that webinar at the URL, https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar_details.php?webinar_id=1299