🎤 Using Maps to Tell Stories, by Sue Long

Presenter: Sue Long

Thomas Holme’s 1687 map showed a patchwork of lands with the names of their owners. It was unique in American colonial history; we have nothing like it for Massachusetts, Virginia or the other colonies.
Sue looked at the 600 names on the map and had questions about them. Were they immigrants or absentee landlords? Quakers, Anglicans, or something else? How did they make a living? She scoured the available records from 1680 to 1700, using any record that had names, doing the ultimate cluster genealogy. In the end she had a large database to work with, letting her finally answer her questions. She found some answers, but along the way, unearthed many wonderful stories. The names on the map turned into people, people with voices of their own. We can hear these stories after 300 years. 

Like so many genealogists, Sue did not start out in this career. She studied Experimental Psychology, stayed home to raise her two daughters, and went back to work as a computer teacher and technology coordinator. After retiring, she could indulge her genealogy hobby, finally writing up the research of many years. The story of Thomas Holme’s map was a side project. She looked at the map and realized that she recognized many of the names on it. She thought it would take a few months to identify all of them. It actually took two years, but turned into a wonderful project that she is happy to share with groups around the country.

This meeting will be held remotely via the Zoom web conferencing system. Several days before the date of the meeting, a link to the Zoom meeting will be sent to SMCGS eNews subscribers (both members and non-members) and will also be posted in the Members Only section of this website.

Social hour 10-10:30 AM, via Zoom

This event is free and all are welcome. For more information about our monthly meetings, click here.