<div dir="ltr"><div><div><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large">Need to unsubscribe?</span><a href="https://genealogytipoftheday.com/mailman/listinfo/genealogy_genealogytipoftheday.com" target="_blank" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large"> Manage here</a><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large">. </span><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"></font></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large">Genealogy Update</span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large">13 August 2026</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large"><br></span></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">** Thoughts on Why I Use AI</font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">** Notebook for Genealogy--4 Week Class--time correction</font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">** </font><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent">A Trade, A Loom, and Entertaining Cattle</span></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">** Problem-Solving for Genealogy Webinar</font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">** Full-Text Search at FamilySearch August 2026 Version</font></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">----------------------------</font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Thoughts on Why I Use AI</font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">----------------------------</font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><i>This was originally posted to my </i>Genealogy Tip of the Day <i>page on Facebook, but thought it worth sharing with readers here. </i></font></div><div><i><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><br></font></i></div><div><span id="gmail-docs-internal-guid-971d49e4-7fff-e255-9419-4b5a55b139f1"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">I'm giving a four-week class on using Google's Notebook for Genealogy. I'm not a fan of all things AI...not going to lie.</font></span></p><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><br></font><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">This is a long post, so you may feel free to just pass it by unless you have something of an interest in teaching math or farming.</font></span></p><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><br></font><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">But my perspective at this comes from two perspectives--having taught and having grown up on farm. I could not ignore calculators, computers, and symbolic manipulation software when I taught math. One had to acknowledge what was available to students and modify the teaching and the testing so that the tools couldn't do all the work. It sometimes took some thought and planning on my part to do that, but it was important\u2026and it was my job. </font></span></p><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><br></font><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">And sometimes, in some classes, there would be a portion of the exam where only pencil, paper, and your noggin were allowed.I thought it was important to be able to do some things the old way. </font></span></p><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><br></font><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">So I've always had to adapt to what tools were available. I couldn't assign the same old homework when students now had calculators, websites, or computers that would do things that "back in the day" we had to do by hand. Just because I grew up in the 1970s/1980s didn\u2019t mean that I was living and teaching in those decades. </font></span></p><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><br></font><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">And I remember the farmer south of town (a distant relative, truth be told) whose corn always looked yellow and sickly every year. Dad\u2019s and my Granddad\u2019s was always green and looked healthy. We'd drive by it every Saturday when we went to visit my maternal grandparents. The farmer south of town had stopped farming by the time I was probably fifth grade or so, but one day I must have asked about it one day when we drove by it with Dad in the car. The response: "He still does things the old way and that's why it looks like that and he doesn't get as many bushels as he could."</font></span></p><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><br></font><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Dad would never have a horse because to him that represented the old way of doing things and he wouldn't have any of it. Dad didn\u2019t always adapt every technology (he did the books on paper and said \u201cyou don\u2019t need a computer to tell you if you\u2019re making money.\u201d). But Dad didn\u2019t farm the way his Dad did. And neither of my grandfathers farmed how their dads did\u2026they simply couldn\u2019t. Looking at equipment inventories from the probates of my farming ancestors has told me that times change. </font></span></p><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><br></font><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">What does this have to do with AI? It's impossible to ignore it and one cannot deny that it exists. So while I'm not a fan of AI across the board and I don\u2019t use it to write for me or create illustrations, there are times and places where it can be helpful and, like any tool, responsible, reasonable, and creative use is the best way to go\u2013keeping in mind that tried and tested ways that work should not be thrown out, but augmented with the judicious use of new tools. </font></span></p><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><br></font><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Check out our 4 week class on using the Notebook suite of AI tools for your genealogy research\u2013using your own problems\u2026because people get tired of hearing about mine. </font></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Details at </span><a href="https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/08/12/notebook-for-genealogy-four-week-class/" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/08/12/notebook-for-genealogy-four-week-class/</span></a></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br></p><div style="text-align:initial;box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;max-width:100%;color:rgb(23,37,42)"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">-------------------------------------</font></div><div style="text-align:initial;box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;max-width:100%;color:rgb(23,37,42)"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Notebook for Genealogy Class Meetings are at 7 PM Central Daylight Time (and will be recorded for those who cannot attend live). </font></div><div style="text-align:initial;box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;max-width:100%;color:rgb(23,37,42)"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">-------------------------------------</font></div><div><br></div><div><p style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><i>Announcing!</i></span></p><p style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Due to several requests, we've developed this class on using Notebook for Genealogy. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:georgia,serif;line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font size="6">Notebook for Genealogy\u2013A Four Session Pick Your Own Problem Course</font></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">With Michael John Neill</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Our focus is on being practical, exhibiting sound genealogy methodology, and demonstrating responsible use of Notebook (Google\u2019s suite of AI tools) in genealogy research. This course is for those who would like guidance and suggestions in how to use Notebook and have a place to get feedback and additional direction.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Course Prerequisites & Required Materials</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> You should have digital records for one ancestor or a father-mother-children family, including every extant record available.</span></p><ul style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Format:</span><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> PDF or JPG for images; PDF, Word, or raw text for transcriptions.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Preparation:</span><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> Be familiar with the specific ancestral research problem you plan to work on to get the most from Notebook LM and AI concepts. Gather all materials between registration and the start of class.</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Course Format & Zoom Sessions</span></p><ul style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Pre-Recorded Lectures:</span><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> Students will view two hours of presentations before group sessions begin.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Live Zoom Sessions:</span><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> Held on Sunday nights (and recorded for later viewing). Sessions combine live demonstrations by Michael working through a set of family records alongside group discussions where students share prompts, results, challenges, and questions.</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Class Focus & Weekly Assignments</span></p><ul style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Weekly Assignments:</span><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> One assignment per week focused on Notebook's media outputs using your own research problem.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Scope:</span><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> The course focuses on mastering the tools and capabilities of Notebook rather than providing individual research advice, making it accessible to participants working on problems from any region.</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Community Discussion & Communication</span></p><ul style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Private Google Group:</span><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> Used for asynchronous discussion, peer interaction, Q&A, and prompt sharing outside of live sessions.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Email Requirement:</span><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> A Gmail account is strongly recommended. Accounts with AOL, Yahoo, or Hotmail frequently experience delivery issues with group emails.</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Important Dates</span></p><ul style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">1 September:</span><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> Pre-recorded lectures become available for download, and the private Google Group opens.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Live Zoom Discussions (Sunday Nights):</span><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> 13 September, 20 September, 27 September, and 11 October. Meetings are at 7 PM Central Daylight Time. They will be recorded and posted for those unable to attend live.</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Registration & Tuition</span></p><ul style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Fee:</span><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> $70\u2013</span><a href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=EAYH3Z2FWUR9S" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline">register now to save your spot</span></a><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> . </span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Availability:</span><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> Registration is limited.</span></p></li></ul><br style="font-family:georgia,serif"><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=EAYH3Z2FWUR9S" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Develop your AI skills today!</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><font face="georgia, serif" style="" size="4">---------------------------</font></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">A Trade, A Loom, and Entertaining Cattle</font></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">---------------------------</font></p><div class="gmail-separator" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%;color:rgb(23,37,42)"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">I don\u2019t think Joseph Sargeant entertained his cattle in the 21st century sense, but that is the word John Sargent uses in his will to describe his son\u2019s use of John\u2019s property to raise his cattle. At least I really doubt the Sargeant family provided fun and games for their cattle in the early 18th century.</font></div><div class="gmail-separator" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%;color:rgb(23,37,42)"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><br></font></div><div class="gmail-separator" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%;color:rgb(23,37,42)"></div><div class="gmail-separator" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%;color:rgb(23,37,42)"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">The will of John Sargeant from Middlesex County, Massachusetts in 1716 provides significant detail about his bequests to his children, along with his reasons for giving them what he did. The clause discussing his son Joseph is representative.</font></div><div style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%;color:rgb(23,37,42)"><div class="gmail-separator" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">.</font></div><div class="gmail-separator" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%"></div><table class="gmail-tr-caption-container" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" style="margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;width:834px;background-color:transparent"><tbody style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><tr style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><td style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:0.75rem;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(222,226,230)"><div class="gmail-wp-caption gmail-alignnone" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:5px 3px 10px;outline:0px;text-align:center;max-width:96%;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;border:1px solid rgb(240,240,240);width:650px"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e1tB3kn-UEE/VD0nZyP6zCI/AAAAAAAAONs/ymLzH128YKo/s1600/john-sargent-1716-middlesexwill.jpg" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-decoration:none;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(3,169,244);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e1tB3kn-UEE/VD0nZyP6zCI/AAAAAAAAONs/ymLzH128YKo/s1600/john-sargent-1716-middlesexwill.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="172" border="0" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; max-width: 98.5%; height: auto; vertical-align: middle; display: inline-block; text-align: initial; transition-property: background, padding, margin, border, transform, box-shadow, opacity, color, fill, font, border-radius, max-height, max-width, filter, -webkit-transform, -webkit-box-shadow, -webkit-filter; transition-duration: 0.5s; border: 0px; width: auto;"></font></a><p class="gmail-wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px 4px 5px;outline:0px;line-height:14.4px;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Will of John Sargeant[part], Middlesex County, Massachusetts, file 19883; digital image from AmericanAncestors.org, obtained 13 October 2014.</font></p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%;color:rgb(23,37,42)"></div><div style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%;color:rgb(23,37,42)"><font face="georgia, serif" style="" size="4">\u2014\u2013[begin transcription]\u2014\u2014\u2013<br style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%">ItemI Give to my Son Joseph Sargeant forty Shillings in currant pay to be paid him by my Executors within twelve months after my decease\u2013The reson why I give him no more now is because I have Given him a good Trade and a loome to work in he also had his share or more than his share in my Son Jabiz his estate which was considerable and the Gratest part of my children had not any part of it Also when he lived with me He Raised up Severall Cattle and I Entertained them:<br style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%">\u2014\u2013[end transcription]\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013</font><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">It would appear that the [Trade?] reference is indicating that John Sargeant either taught his son a trade himself or paid someone to do it. Wills frequently indicate that a parent has already given a child money, but John Sargeant\u2019s will is a little more specific than most. There is also no mention as to why Joseph received the bulk of Jabez\u2019s estate.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">The use of the word \u201centertaining\u201d in reference to the cattle is also a little unusual, but the reference here likely is to John\u2019s providing son Joseph a free place on which to raise his cattle. I\u2019m not entirely certain what the letters or symbol after the word \u201cfree\u201d in this part of item refer to.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">The mention of Jabez\u2019s estate does mean that I need to see if there are any probate records for him in Middlesex County as well.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">John mentions all his children in his will and provides for them but the clauses devoted to his sons are more detailed than those devoted to his daughters.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" style="" size="4">John is one of my New England ancestors whose been written up in several genealogies, but I\u2019ve made the best discoveries about him and several of them by looking for them in actual records. Wills, probate records, and land deeds often provide clues that compilers of large genealogies simply don\u2019t have the time to include. And it is those details that often provide the best glimpse into our ancestors\u2019 lives.</font></p></div></div><div><span style="color:rgb(37,41,42)"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">----------------------</font></span></div><div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><b>Is Your Process the Problem?</b></font></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><font color="#000000" face="georgia, serif" size="4"><i>----------------------</i></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><br></font></span></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">We're updated and revised this presentation from years ago. </font></span></p><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><br></font><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><img src="cid:ii_msixwgl70" alt="image.png" width="452" height="318" class="gmail-CToWUd gmail-a6T" tabindex="0" style="cursor: pointer; outline: 0px; border-width: medium; border-style: none; border-color: currentcolor;"></font></span></p><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><br></font><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Are your family history searches hitting frustrating dead ends? In </span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Is Your Process the Problem?</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">, professional genealogist Michael John Neill breaks down the unseen research traps\u2014from unexamined assumptions and target "grazing" to missed source details\u2014that keep researchers stuck. Discover how to transition from passive data gathering to active analysis\u2014this presentation is practical, easy-to-follow, and down to earth. Whether you need to streamline your source citations or break through long-standing genealogical brick walls, this practical session will help you refine your methodology, eliminate costly research habits, and get clear results. </span></font></p><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><br></font><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">We will look at common research pitfalls, ways to avoid those pitfalls, and a research process to provide structure to your family history searches. Genealogical breakthroughs require shifting from passive data collection to systematic analysis, detailed citation, and continuous evaluation\u2013we\u2019ll see how to do that. </font></span></p><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><br></font><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Order for i</span><a href="https://michael-john-neill.dpdcart.com/cart/add?product_id=105641&method_id=111474" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">mmediate download for introductory price of $16</span></a><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">. 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</span></p><div><div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><br>--------------------------</font></div><div><div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><b>Full-Text Searching Webinar</b></font></div></div><div>-----------------------------------------</div><div><p style="text-align:initial;box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);max-width:100%"><br></p><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">No Monkeying Around!</font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"></font></div><div><img src="cid:ii_msg09du90" alt="image.png" width="452" height="240" class="gmail-CToWUd gmail-a6T" tabindex="0" style="cursor: pointer; outline: 0px;"><br></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">** FamilySearch Full-Text Webinar August 2026 Version Released</font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">We're excited!</font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">We have finally released our updated webinar on using FamilySearch's full-text search. If you pre-ordered this presentation and did not get your download link, please let me know. </font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">We talk about various ways to use the advanced search--keywords, wildcards, places, dates, searching versus filtering, and more.</font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">This updated presentation is an hour long, includes discussion on full-text search strategies, options and includes an extensive handout. Presentation style is clear, informal, and practical. </font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Learn how to get the most from full-text search and what search options are available. 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