Changes to the English Records program at the National Institute of Genealogical Studies

The following is extracted from a press release from the National Institute for Genealogical Studies (NIGS).

English Studies Director, Dr. Penelope Christensen, has announced her retirement from NIGS. Dr. Christensen has been the Director of the English Certificate Programme ever since she founded it in 2000. She is starting her well-deserved retirement to concentrate on completing her family genealogy books, doing some traveling, and tending to her beautiful garden. 

Kirsty Gray, residing about 40 miles (64 km) outside London, England, has been appointed the new Director of English Studies. In her new position, Kirsty will be reviewing and updating the record courses from Census and Civil Registration to the much more advanced records such as Land, Property, Education, and Court Records. 

Kirsty grew up in Dorset and studied at the University of Reading (England) and Ottawa University (Canada), was awarded a Master's degree in Chemistry in June 2000, then took up genealogy professionally while training to be a teacher in 2002. Kirsty is an author, having written for the magazine Practical Family History and currently writing for Family Tree Magazine and Your Family Tree on various topics for beginners to more advanced levels. A sought-after lecturer, her knowledge, and her energetic and infectious personality wows audiences across the UK. 

After serving as Secretary of the Guild of One-Name Studies (GOONS), she took on the role of Chairman in April 2010, and is credited with “turning the Guild around and bringing it back to life.”

For more information on NIGS see: www.genealogicalstudies.com