Library administrator teaches a “how-to” class

Peachtree City Library has resumed its schedule of computer classes and included is a new series on genealogy. Library Administrator Jill Prouty is the instructor for Family History 101, a "how-to" genealogy class for beginners, which will be held on Monday, Feb. 20 from 2 to 4 p.m.

Prouty's interest in family history began as a child when her grandmother told her stories about their Revolutionary War ancestor, Col. John Allan. Prouty is now a member of the General Daniel Newnan Chapter, National Society Daughters of the Revolution.

"Tracing your family history is a lot like detective work," says Prouty. "Often times you have clues that must be pieced together."

While traditional research methods including vital records, church records, newspapers, census records, family Bibles, and military records are invaluable, Prouty says many "clues" can be found in family heirlooms, as well as old photographs and letters. Currently Prouty is working on scanning and archiving her personal collection of family photos and letters dating back to the late 1860's. "Don't throw out those old boxes from grandma's house!" says Prouty. "I once found a family ring inside of a tube sock wrapped up in an old box."

Prouty advises researchers to use all the current tools available to them, including online databases. Last month she taught a class on using the library's online subscriptions to Ancestry Library Edition (through GALILEO) and HeritageQuest Online. Prouty credits information discovered using HeritageQuest that helped solve a long family mystery as to what happened to her great-great-grandfather, Samuel Charles Putnam Moffett.

"He left his family in Maine in 1885, never to return again. There was talk about him being a rider for the Pony Express, but the dates didn't add up. Another theory was that he became a fireman in Newark, New Jersey, but I couldn't find anything to corroborate that story either."

Finally, Prouty said she found him using HeritageQuest in the 1900 census living in Jersey City, New Jersey. It listed his occupation as "stableman," which, she says, "made sense because he had been a coach driver in Maine."

If you would like to start your own family history hunt, call the Peachtree City Library at 770-631-2520. The cost for Family History 101 is $1, which covers the cost of handouts.

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