Plymouth County Genealogists, Inc. announces the guest speaker for their February meeting and gathering on Saturday, February 5 at 11:30 am at the East Bridgewater Public Library, 32 Union St.
PCGI welcomes Amy Whorf McGuiggan. John Joseph Osborne grew up as an orphan and an only child—at least that’s what family and friends were always told. There was never any talk of his childhood or teenage years, and there was even some uncertainty as to where he had been born. It was as though he had sprung from thin air fully formed. If anyone knew the real story, they weren’t sharing it.
But mysteries have a way of begging to be solved. In 2011, a granddaughter’s curiosity, and then questions began to percolate. How and when had he been orphaned? Where had he grown up and with whom? Who were his parents? How does someone without a family or ancestry understand who he or she is? It was time to reconnect John Osborne with his story.
Amy Whorf McGuiggan will take us on a compelling genealogical journey of discovery, beyond the names and dates on vital records, to reclaim the lost branches of John Osborne’s ancestry. To do so, she had to expand her research beyond commonly available records to include both public and private institutional records. These records are often considered unavailable, but Amy did the work required to gain access.
Along the way, John Osborne’s personal story—a story of survival against the longest of odds—is unearthed after being buried for more than a century. Amy’s work could be a master class in writing family history and in good old-fashioned genealogical legwork. She will probe the question of whether learning and knowing something that was previously unknown—and that one has gone through life blissfully unaware of—actually matters.
Tickets are free for members, $5 for nonmembers and can be purchased on the events page on their website: www.plymouthcountygenealogists.org/event. Thank you for your support!
PCGI members typically gather on the first Saturday of every month to discuss genealogy and listen to an educational speaker. Membership includes access to the holdings of the PCGI library which are stored at the East Bridgewater Public Library. Those holdings include, but are not limited to, genealogical handbooks, member pedigree charts, maps and videos. As a member, you will also receive our email newsletter The Genealogical Inquirer, free research help, members only access to pages on our website and more!
Membership fees are $25 and help defray the cost of monthly lectures. Membership applications can be completed at the meetings or by visiting their website: www.plymouthcountygenealogists.org