28 April 2011

The first genealogical society

I have been on a bit of a kick looking at genealogical history. An article from the July/August 1999 issue of Family Chronicle magazine deals with the early history, up to the founding of the New England Historic Genealogical Society in 1845. Read it at: http://www.familychronicle.com/HistoryOfGenealogy.html

I was surprised to read that "The New England Historic Genealogical Society was chartered in that year, two full years before a similar society was begun in England."

Thanks to lots more digitized material available since 1999 that statement has to be revised. The Morning Post (London, England), Wednesday, March 11, 1846; has an item on the London Genealogical Society. An article from Punch, of which the first part is shown, is also from 1846.

The NEHGS retains bragging rights by a small margin. 

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