Meetings

Regular Meetings:

Held at William K. Sanford Library

Town of Colonie

629 Albany Shaker Road

Loudonville, NY 12211

4th Saturday of month, except 3rd Saturday of month in May and November; no meeting in December.

All regular meetings begin at 1:00 PM.

Computer Resources Group meets 2:30 PM

Election of Officers - November

Donations Needed

CDGS has a "sale" table set up during the meeting, bring any genealogy magazine, maps and/or books and put a price on them, it is 50/50, you get half of the sale, or you can donate your half to the society.

Our inventory is low at the moment so if you have any genealogical journals or books you would like to donate they would be appreciated.

1:00 - 2:30  Meeting and Speaker

2:00 - 2:30  Refreshments with meet and mingle time (our

speaker usually is usually available for questions during this time)

2:30 - 3:30  Internet Resources Discussion

We welcome you to a year of interesting and informative programs at CDGS!

July 27, 2019

Jackie Graziano

Using Original Records for Genealogy

Using Original Records for Genealogy, highlighting records in our collection that are most helpful for genealogy. We are the repository for Westchester County’s collection of historic government documents, covering the late 17th through early 20th centuries. I also cover strategies for locating record repositories, and illustrate how original records can help genealogists get pst those notorious “brick walls.”

After spending several years in publishing and advertising, I decided to go into library work, received my MLS from Queens College, with a certificate in Archives and Records Management, and was fortunate to land the job of Archivist with Westchester County. The Archives is a resource for all county departments, as well as the general public. I handle all research questions, oversee the Reading Room, and am in charge of preservation for our collection, which includes digitizing records.

August 24, 2019

Terry McMaster

Scots-Irish Immigration, the Old New York Frontier and the Cherry Valley Massacre

Terry's research centers on the settlement of the western frontier of colonial New York in the 18th century largely by Scots-Irish and Palatine German settlers and examines the development of these borderland communities and the conflict that erupted during the Revolutionary War.

The white European-Americans who established this frontier saw their farms transformed into a theatre of death and destruction as a result of the political turmoil of the War of Independence.

This presentation looks at 18th century Native American settlements of the Mohawk and upper Susquehanna regions, the influence of missionaries on these villages, and the cultural, political and religious influences which united some peoples and made enemies of others.

Enhanced with maps and illustrations from 18th century sources, we will examine how ethnic differences and religious affiliation largely determined the side chosen prior to and during the early years of the war.

Rebel Americans were largely drawn from Palatine German and Scots-Irish ethnic populations, while white Loyalist sympathizers and partisans were primarily Irish, Scottish and English. The Iroquoian peoples who participated in this affair were primarily but not exclusively Oneida and Tuscarora on the rebel American side, and Seneca and Mohawk on the Loyalist side.

Terry McMaster is an independent researcher examining ethnicity, settlement patterns and family connections throughout the Mohawk and Upper Susquehanna Valleys prior to and during the American Revolution.

Terry is primarily researching the citizen soldiers who fought for and protected the homes and families of colonial Tryon County, the alliances and conflicts between Loyalists, Indians and Revolutionaries, and the part played in their lives by family ties, ethnic variation and religion. He is especially interested in the emigration of Ulster Scots to New England and New York, and their sizable impact on the "War of 1776."

He is also involved in a large-scale Y-DNA project that traces Scots-Irish genetic and population patterns in Northern Ireland and America.

Terry is a photographer, artist and teacher, and works as an addiction therapist at Professional Counseling Services in Camillus, NY.