April 2015 Genealogy and Local History Calendar

April 1, Wednesday, 7pm The Fife is Right: The 10^th Annual Old South History Challenge, at the Old South Meeting House, 310 Washington Street, Boston, Massachusetts. $15, or $5 for OSMH members.  Join an evening of spirited rivalry as you challenge your knowledge of Boston’s literary past against two teams of local experts. Lots of audience participation!

April 1, Wednesday, 6pm, Founder’s Son:  A Life of Abraham Lincoln, at the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts, $20 for the general public, register by phone at 617-646-0578, presented by Richard Brookhiser, senior editor of the National Review and author of eleven books.

April 1, Wednesday, 10am, One Colonial Woman’s World, presented by Michelle Coughlin, author of the recent book on Mehetabel Coit (1673 – 1758), who wrote what may be earliest surviving diary by an American woman. At the Pilgrim Hall Museum, Plymouth, Massachusetts.

April 2, Thursday, 7pm, In the Stable, and on the Road: Coachmen, Stablemen, and Chauffeurs on Beverly’s Gold Coast: 1850 – 1950, a lecture at the Cabot House, Beverly Historical Society, 117 Cabot Street, Beverly, Massachusetts. Free to members, $5 non-members. 

April 7, Tuesday, 7pm, Mary Todd Lincoln: Wife and Widow, at the Exeter Historical Society, 47 Front Street, Exeter, New Hampshire, presented by living historian Sally Mummy.  Free to the public.  Sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council.

April 7, Tuesday, 6pm The House of Seven Gables Presents “A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience”, a lecture by Emerson Baker at the House of Seven Gables, 115 Derby Street, Salem, Massachusetts.  Professor Baker will discuss his new book.  Free to members, $10 for non-members.

April 8, Wednesday, 7pm, Searching for Black Confederate Soldiers, sponsored by the Medford Historical Society,  10 Governor’s Avenue, Medford, Massachusetts. Free to the public. http://www.medfordhistorical.org/

April 8, Wednesday, 2:30 pm, Meet Eleanor Roosevelt, at the Rodgers Memorial Library 194 Derry Road, Hudson, New Hampshire, presented by living historian Elena Dodd.  Free to the public, sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council.

April 8, Wednesday, 10am Scenes & Sitters: Paintings from the Collection, at the Pilgrim Hall Museum, Plymouth, Massachusetts, presented by Stephen O’Neill, the associate director/curator of the museum, discussing the latest special exhibition.

April 10, Friday 5:30pm – 9:30pm Genealogy Lock-In, at the Memorial Hall, Andover Public Library, Andover, Massachusetts.  Registration is $10 for access to databases, computers, microfilm, and local history materials.  Light dinner will be served.  Call 978-623-8401 ext. 31 to register.

April 10, Friday, 8pm, Uncovering History: The Story of Captain Parker’s Revenge, at the Lexington Historical Society, 13 Depot Square, Lexington, Massachusetts. A panel of noted historians and archaeologists will tell us about their exploration of what happened on the morning of April 19, 1775.  Free to the public.

April 10, Friday, 1:30pm, Why Story Matters? Memoir Writing, sponsored by the Rogers Memorial Library Genealogy Club, Hudson, New Hampshire. Learn to write down the stories of your life.

April 11, Saturday, 10:30am, Liberty Pole Capping at Wilson Park, Bedford, Massachusetts.  Colonial troops from throughout New England will parade from Bedford Common to Wilson Park.  A Bedford Minuteman will climb the pole, and in defiance of King George, place a red cap on the top.

April 11, Saturday, 1pm, Meriam’s Corner Exercise, Meriam’s Corner, Concord, Massachusetts. Minute companies, fife and drum units and colonial re-enactors will pay remembrance to the fight at Meriam’s Corner that marked the beginning of the six-hour running battle back to Boston on April 19^th, 1775. 

April 11, Saturday, 3pm, Paul Revere Capture Ceremony, at the Paul Revere Capture Site, Lincoln, Massachusetts.  The Lincoln Minutemen and other re-enactment units will observe the historic capture of Paul Revere with fife and drum music, and a musket fire salute.

April 11, Saturday,  New England Family History Conference, at the Franklin LDS church on 91 Jordan Road, Franklin, Massachusetts.  See the website for more information www.nefamilyhistory.com and to register online.

April 11, Saturday, 10:30am to noon, Book Signing and Lecture: Stark – The life and Wars of John Stark, at the Millyard Museum, 200 Bedford Street, Manchester, NH. Authors Richard V. and John F. Polhemus detail the role that John Stark played in both the French & Indian War and the Revolutionary War.  Included with regular admission to the Millyard Museum.  Pre-registration is requested. 

April 11, Saturday, 2pm, Dress Rehearsal for the Battle of Lexington Green (to be held at 5:30am on April 20^th), on the Battle Green, Lexington Center, Lexington, Massachusetts.  This is the dress rehearsal for the battle re-enactment for those who cannot be at the dawn event on Patriot’s Day.  Avoid the crowds and attend the dress rehearsal (good for kids).

April 11, Saturday, 9:30am – 2:30pm, Joint Meeting of the New Hampshire Society of Genealogists and the Strafford County Genealogical Society, at the Holiday Inn, 172 North Main Street, Concord, New Hampshire.  $15 for NHSOG and SCGS members, $20 non-members.  Reservations must be emailed to hal@inglis-unltd.com before April 7^th.  Two lectures and a buffet luncheon of deli meats and cheeses, salads and rolls, cheesecake and strawberries.

April 12, Sunday, 1:30pm "What do we really know about Elder William Brewster?", at the Mayflower House, 4 Winslow Street, Plymouth, Massachusetts, local author Barbara Lambert Merrick will discuss new facts uncovered about William Brewster during her research for her new Silver Book The Descendants of Elder William Brewster. FREE to the public, but space is limited. RSVP to Megan Cassidy at communications@themayflowersociety.org or 508-746-3188 ext. 19. 

April 15, Wednesday, 6:30pm  Town by Town, Watershed by Watershed:  Native Americans in New Hampshire,  at the Bedford Public Library, 3 Meetinghouse Road, Bedford, New Hampshire.  Presented by Donna and John Moody.  Donna is the Tribal Elder for the Abenaki Nation and Director of the Winter Center for Indigenous Traditions.  Free to the public with light refreshements.

April 15, Wednesday, 11am, The Flight of the Sparrow, at the Pilgrim Hall Museum, Plymouth, Massachusetts, presented by author Amy Belding Brown, on her new historical novel about Mary Rowlandson, a New England woman taken captive by Native Americans during King Philip’s War.

April 15 – 18, Wednesday – Saturday, The New England Regional Genealogical Consortium Conference “Navigating the Past: Sailing into the Future”, at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, Rhode Island.  Registration for NERGC 2015 is now open online at http://www.nergc.org/

April 16, Thursday, 7pm True Yankees: The South Seas and the Discovery of American Identity, a lecture at the Cabot House, Beverly Historical Society, 117 Cabot Street, Beverly, Massachusetts. Free to members, $5 non-members. 

April 16, Thursday, 6:30 pm, Always Something Doing & Scollay Square, a talk by David Kruh at the West End Museum, 150 Staniford Street, Suite 7, Boston, Massachusetts, call 617-416-0718 for more information.  FREE to the public.  David Kruh has written two books on Scollay Square, and he will relate stories from John Winthrop (who settled here in 1630) to Sally Keith (who entertained there in the 1950s) to Government Center today.  Optional pre-registration at this link:  http://thewestendmuseum.org/events/talk-scollay-square-always-something-doing-and-scollay-square/

April 17 – 19, Historic Lifeways Conference featuring Stuart Peachy, at Plimoth Plantation, Plymouth, Massachusetts.  Peachy, a scholar of 17^th century rural life, will present a series of lectures including clothing, music, laundry, dancing, etc. Use this link to register https://www.eventbrite.com/e/historic-lifeways-conference-with-stuart-peachey-tickets-15657204119   Single day rates, or whole weekend rates.

April 18, Saturday, 8am – 12 noon, Armed as According to Law: Captain David Brown’s Company of Minute men,  at the Old North Bridge, Concord, Massachusetts, also at the Concord Museum, 200 Lexington Road, Concord from 1pm – 5pm.  Visti this full strength company of minute men demonstrate drill maneuvers and musket firing.  Learn about militia duty in colonial Massachusetts.

April 18, Saturday, 2pm, Battle Road: Returning to Lexington, at the Battle Road behind the Minute Man Visitor Center, Rt. 2A, Lexington, Massachusetts.  Hundreds of British and Colonial re-enactors will engage in a tactical demonstration showing the running battle that took place along this road on the border of Lincoln and Lexington.

April 19, Sunday, 6am, Dawn Salute, at the North Bridge, Concord, Massachusetts.  Observe the opening battle of the American Revolution with a 21 gun musket and cannon salute.

April 19, Sunday, 2pm, True Lies and False Facts: A Questionable Tour of Boston, meet at the Long Wharf Flagpole, 60 Long Wharf, Boston, Massachusetts, An hour and a half tour on foot through Boston with amazing stories about local characters and unlikely events – some true and some not.  This tour is also a fun competition, with prizes for the most accurate tourist.  Reservations highly recommended. $20 by Boston By Foot http://bostonbyfoot.org/tours/True_Lies

April 20, Monday, 5:30am, Lexington Battle Re-enactment, at the Lexington Green, Lexington, Massachusetts.  The town of Lexington hosts the annual re-enactment of the first shots of the American Revolution between the town militia and British regulars.  Arrive early for good seating, bring blankets, chairs and warm clothes.

April 22, Wednesday, 1pm, The Other Side of Midnight:  A Visit with Rachel Revere, at the Goodlife Programs and Activities, 254 N. State Street, Concord, New Hampshire, a living history program by Joan Gatturna.  Free to the public, sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council.

April 23 – May 21, Thursdays, 5pm, John Gilbert Winant: Citizen of Concord, Citizen of the World, at the New Hampshire Historical Society, Concord, New Hampshire.  This is a 5 part history course on one of New Hampshire’s most interesting figures, based on Lynne Olson’s recent book, Citizens of London.  $60 for members, $75 for nonmembers.  Visit the society’s webpage to for more information and to register http://www.nhhistory.org/calendar.html

April 23, Thursday, 10am, The Dream of Miles Standish:  Building the Cape Cod Canal, at the Pilgrim Hall Museum, Plymouth, Massachusetts, presented by Timothy Orwig, instructor at Boston College and Northeastern University, on his recent book.

April 25, 9am – 3pm, Bangor Family History Fair, at 639 Grandview Avenue, Bangor, Maine (corner of Grandview and Essex), FREE to the public,  8 live class sessions plus 16 video classes from Roots Tech 2015, including 4 not available except at a local history fair.  Please register at https://www.lds.org/topics/family-history/host-a-family-history-fair/signup?stake-unit-num=518247&lang=eng  Bring a lunch or plan to eat out during the break.

April 25, Saturday, 7 – 8:30pm, Battle Road Heroes, at the Hartwell Tavern Parking Area, Tours leave every 15 minutes.  Listen to the personal stories of residents who lived along the Battle Road on April 19, 1775.  Join the Guild of Historic Interpreters for a special evening of theater and history.  For ages 8 and up.  $5 per person, $10 per family.  Children wearing Junior Ranger Badges attend free.

April 28, Tuesday, 6:30pm, Embattled Farmers: Revolutionary War Soldiers from Lincoln, Massachusetts,  a presentation by author Rick Wiggin on his award winning book.  Free, co-sponsored by the Old South Meeting House and the Old North Church, with funding by the Lowell Institute.  Preregistration requested at this link:  http://www.osmh.org/calendar

April 29, Wednesday,  6pm, Sex, DNA and Family History, a lecture by Shellee Morehead at the Abbey Room of the Boston Public Library, Boston, Massachusetts.  Certified genealogist Shellee Morehead will explain genetic genealogy- the use of DNA for defining ancestral relationships.  Free to the Public. 

April 29, Wednesday, 10am, The Court Martial of Paul Revere, at the Pilgrim Hall Museum, presented by Michael Greenburg, on his new book about Revere and “America’s forgotten military disaster”.

May 2, Saturday, 12 noon – 4pm, Ipswich Back in Time, Commemorating the 1657 Alexander Knight House, A Fun Family Day of Exploring Where History Comes to Life, The Ipswich, Massachusetts Historical Society.

May 7, noon, Lunch and Learn: In Modest Attire – Clothing the Pilgrims, at Plimoth Plantation, Free for members, $8 non-members, Speaker Kristen Haggerty will describe how the clothing of the colonists has been portrayed throughout history, and why today’s interpreters wear what they do!

May 9, Saturday, 10am – noon, Uncovering Your Family History in Federal Publications, speaker Connie Reik, professional genealogist, sponsored by the Genealogy Group at the Kennebunk, public library, 112 Main Street, Kennebunk, Maine, call 207-985-2173 for more information. Free to the public.

May 13, Wednesday, 6pm, Women and Physical Culture in Nineteenth Century Boston, a talk by Helaine Davis and Linda Stern at the Abbey Room of the Boston Public Library, Boston, Massachusetts.  This lecture is about how several pioneering women changed the face of sports and recreation in Boston at the close of the 19th century.  Free to the public.

May 14 and 16. Events all day, Pirates Ashore in Plymouth, at the Mayflower Society House, 4 Winslow Street, Plymouth, Massachusetts 10am, the pirates land at State Pier, 3pm Murder Trial at the Mayflower House, 7pm lecture “Caribbean Buccaneers in Early Plymouth” at Pilgrim Hall.  Plymouth colony was attacked by privateers in May 1646, come celebrate and learn more about pirates and privateers in early New England.  Rain date May 17^th.  Sponsored by the Plymouth Historical Alliance, the Mayflower Society, and the New Plimmoth Gard www.newplimmothgard.org

May 18, Monday, 6pm, Lost Boston Tour: Old Scollay Square and Vicinity, led by Anthony Mitchell Sanmarco, Author and Historian and sponsored by the Victorian Society, New England Chapter.  Meet under the Steaming Tea Kettle at Cambridge and Court Streets, $12 or $10 members of the Victorian Society. 

May 20, Wednesday, 6:30pm, How did Old North Become Old North?, at the Old North Church, 193 Salem Street, Boston, Massachusetts, a presentation by Robert J. Allison of Suffolk University, who will discuss how this Puritan meeting house became an Episcopal church.  Free to the public.

May 20, Wednesday, 6:30pm, Abraham & Mary Lincoln: The Long and Short of It, at the Bedford Public Library, 3 Meetinghouse Road, Bedford, New Hampshire. A living history presentation by Steve and Sharon Wood set in 1861 portraying the Lincolns.  Free and open to the public, with light refreshments.

May 27, Wednesday, 6pm, Finding Living Ancestors: Being a Genealogy Gumshoe, by genealogist Michael Maglio.  A discussion on how sometimes it is necessary to find a living relative in order to track down records, get a DNA sample, return a rare photo or family Bible, but finding the living can be as challenging as finding a dead ancestor.  Free to the public. 

May 30, Saturday, 2015 Southern Maine Genealogical Conference sponsored by the Greater Portland Chapter of the Maine Genealogical Society will be held in Portland, Maine.  The keynote speaker will be Margaret Dube, CG.  For more information see www.maineroots.org

May 30, 1pm Summer Walking Tours of the Black Heritage Trail in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Meet up at the Discover Portsmouth Center, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, New Hampshire from May to September.  There will be a fee involved.  Stay tuned or call for more information.

June 10, Saturday, 10am, From the Roots Up- The Basics of Climbing your Family Tree, at the Nevins Public Library, Route 28/ Broadway, Methuen, Massachusetts, sponsored by the Merrimack Valley Chapter of the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists, and presented by Lucie LeBlanc Consentino.  Free to the public.

July 11, Saturday, The Maine Genealogical Society Fair at the Cultural Building, Home of the State Library, Archives and Museum, Augusta, Maine, Free admission. Visit with genealogical and historical societies from around the state of Maine.

July 26, Sunday,  Massachusetts Genealogical Council Annual Meeting and Seminar, Mansfield, Massachusetts

November 14, Saturday, 2pm, How to Discover Your Family and Community History, part of the “Exploring the World War One Home Front” series at the National Heritage Museum in Lexington, Massachusetts.  This workshop will support you in exploration of family stories from the World War 1 era, and help you find the documents and resources to uncover your family narrative.  Free to the public, registration required by November 5^th, contact programs@monh.org

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