California Genealogical Society

05/02/2026

04/18/2026

Napa Valley Genealogical Society presents a Zoom webinar, "Preserve Your Past," on April 28. Learn about the wonderful resources available at Napa Valley Genealogical Library and the Napa County Library Memory Lab.
https://napagensoc.org/event-6556764

04/15/2026

Interested in Scotland and Scottish research?

GRANTS DEADLINE: 30 April

Submit your funding application for the next round of Society Research Grants, which are available to anyone wishing to undertake high-quality research relating to Scotland’s past, including research visits to museums, collections or archives: https://www.socantscot.org/grants-prizes/grants/

04/13/2026

The Association of Gosselin Families (Association des familles Gosselin), one of the oldest known family organizations in Canada, celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2029. All GOSSELIN family descendants are welcome to connect and learn more about the organization.
https://www.facebook.com/associationfamillesgosselin

L'Association a été fondée en 1979. Le siège social est à l'île d'Orleans, Qc, Canada . Objectif: faire connaître les Gosselin et leur histoire.

03/31/2026

CGS members! Do you know what your ancestors were doing in 1776? Yes, it was a long time ago. As we observe the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, we are inviting members to share anything you know about your predecessors at the time. Maybe all you know is that they were farmers in Russia, or ironmongers in Wales. Maybe they were residents of the Thirteen Colonies, or Spanish colonizers in California. African, Asian, Caribbean, and Indigenous people around the world were living their own unique stories at the time. We invite you to submit a note for inclusion in the forthcoming California Nugget journal; anything from a single sentence to a couple of paragraphs. Deadline is April 15. Please email: Nugget@CaliforniaAncestors.org

03/17/2026

Happy St. Patrick's Day! From the National Portrait Gallery:
In America, St. Patrick’s Day is recognized by shamrocks, leprechauns, parades, and all things green. Irish soldiers—often indentured servants—in the British Army brought the holiday to America as early as 1762 when the first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in New York City. As Irish immigration to America increased throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the holiday evolved into the celebration of Irish pride we observe today. However, in Ireland, there was a time when wearing the color green was punishable, as illustrated by the Irish nationalist ballad, “The Wearing of the Green.” The first stanza of the song reads:

“O Paddy dear, and did ye hear the news that's goin' round?
The shamrock is by law forbid to grow on Irish ground!
No more Saint Patrick's Day we'll keep, his color can't be seen
For there's a cruel law ag'in the Wearin' o' the Green."
I met with Napper Tandy, and he took me by the hand
And he said, "How's poor old Ireland, and how does she stand?"
"She's the most distressful country that ever yet was seen
For they're hanging men and women there for the Wearin' o' the Green."

03/17/2026

Our step-by-step guide to Irish genealogy explains how to trace your Irish ancestors using church registers, census substitutes, land records, and modern online resources – even when records appear to be missing. 🔗👇

03/07/2026

So much happening at RootsTech, but if you have Swedish ancestors, some very exciting news:
MyHeritage announced several really amaing new features at RootsTech, but earlier this week they shared that they are now home to the complete set of Sweden's historical birth, marriage, and death collections. The 33 million records date from 1850 to the early/mid 1900s, and can now be found all in one place for the very first time
Swedith Births: https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-20988/sweden-births-1850-1920?tr_brand=blog&tr_category=historical_records&utm_source=conferencekeeper&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=genealogy-news-new-events-to-march-8-2026

Search Sweden Marriages, 1850–1945 -https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-20998/sweden-marriages-1850-1945?utm_source=conferencekeeper&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=genealogy-news-new-events-to-march-8-2026

Search Sweden Deaths, 1850–1945: https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-20997/sweden-deaths-1850-1945?utm_source=conferencekeeper&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=genealogy-news-new-events-to-march-8-2026

Discover your ancestry - search Birth, Marriage and Death certificates, census records, immigration lists and other records - all in one family search!

02/28/2026

Trace Your Roots with CGS this Spring!
Looking to break through a brick wall or start your family tree? Our March and April schedule is packed with expert-led classes and collaborative SIG meetings to help you on your journey.

March Highlights:

Precision Research Series: Join Pam Brett to master "The Place" (Mar 7) and "The Time" (Mar 14).

Land Records: Learn the secrets of Metes and Bounds with Lisa Gorrell (Mar 18).

Irish Ancestry SIG: Don't miss our quarterly meeting on Mar 28!

April Highlights:

Intro to Genealogy: Learn the best ways to organize your work (Apr 4).

Probate Records: Discover why they are about so much more than just wills (Apr 15).

Tech for Genealogists: Level up your research using Excel (Apr 25).

📍 Where: Join us in person in Oakland or via Zoom from anywhere!

🔗 Register Now:

CGS Members are no longer required to register for most events. Members can log into the CGS website, and find Zoom, handout and survey links directly on this page before the event. If you prefer to register to receive the reminder emails, you may continue to do so (use the links below for promo cod...

02/07/2026

See Conference Keeper's page of African-American genealogy events. There's something every day to honor Black History month

Genealogy Events on the topic of African American Research Change the page view to Monthly (calendar), Agenda (list), or Pinboard in the upper right of the area below for upcoming genealogy virtual/online events. If you have any trouble with the time zone converter in the right column, you might ins...

02/07/2026

Black History Month Resources from NGS
Along with dozens of programs on our calendar celebrating Black History Month this month, the National Genealogical Society recently shared a list of resources for researching African American heritage on their UpFront blog. There are many excellent websites and societies to support your research, but this list is a great starting point.

This ambitious $2.5 million project, part of the Preserve the Pensions initiative, aims to preserve, index, digitize, and make accessible online more than 360,000 bounty land warrant application files from veterans of early American wars. The records housed at the National Archives and Records Admin...