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May 25, 2024 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Meyera E. Oberndorf Central Library 4100 Virginia Beach Blvd, Virginia Beach, VA 23452 This event is always free and open to all. Can't attend in person? New this year - watch the speaker sessions on Zoom! |
The primary goal of Genealogy Day at the Beach is to promote awareness and ignite a passion for genealogy and its related subjects, including lineage associations, regional history, and the various archives that preserve our shared past. We have designed this event to cater to both beginners and experienced genealogists, ensuring there is something for everyone. |
MyHeritage offerIf you are not a current subscriber, use this link to take advantage of 50% off the Complete Plan through May 29. |
Six presentations will be given in the auditorium beginning at 10 a.m. and again each hour.
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Visit with representatives from VBGS, lineage societies, places of interest, and more.
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Enter the drawing for three door prizes at the information table outside the auditorium.
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Take advantage of special event deals!
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A training session on the resources available when using library computers.
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Two tours will be held of the genealogy and local history section of the library.
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Introduce your children to family history fun with a few simple activities.
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Donations accepted for previously loved resources.
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Participate in the Genealogy Day!If you would like to participate as a speaker, exhibitor, or volunteer, send a message to [email protected]. (Volunteer opportunities are detailed at the bottom of the page.) |
Below are event details. Check back often for up-to-date information.
Speaker Sessions (on Zoom too!)10 a.m.: Amanda Wade
Special Collections Librarian for VBPL Overview of the Edgar T. Brown Local History Archive 11 a.m.: David Leatherwood
Acrimony: The Scandalous Younghusband Brothers at the Dawn of American Independence Tales of brothers coming to colonial America abound. Such accounts typically lack supporting evidence, and consequently fall more into the realm of legend than history. The lives of the Younghusbands, however, can be reconstructed with some certainty. The trail they left behind provides a window to an important juncture in the histories of America, Great Britain, and Ireland. Each of the Younghusbands to be discussed at Genealogy Day had a unique perspective on the events of their times. Isaac, a ship captain actively engaged in international trade, had dealings with leading figures in the American Revolution. Thomas represented Currituck County in the North Carolina legislature, despite his loyalist sentiments. Prior to his capture by American forces, John spent the war years behind British lines in New York and South Carolina. Israel Younghusband lived out his later years in Ulster, Ireland, where he too experienced the consequences of societal upheaval. The Younghusband brothers who settled in America were remarkably ill-tempered men, prone to harboring resentment. The presentation on 25 May will explore the insights their lives provide regarding migration, divided loyalties, and slavery at the dawn of American Independence. 12:00 p.m.: Donald Moore
Researching 17th Century Virginia Ancestors Looking for ancestors in 17th century Virginia can be a daunting task. This session explains the sources that are available and where the presenter found his own ancestor. 1:00 p.m.: Edna Hendrix
Part 1: The Black Church: Princess Anne County/Virginia Beach Part 2: Rev. Willis Augustus Hodges Part 1: The Black Church: Princess Anne County/Virginia Beach During the decades of slavery in the United States, White Southerners tried to control Black worship with services that "emphasized the responsibility of the enslaved to be obedient and provided biblical justification for black bondage" (The Black Church: A Brief History, 2013). Being neglected and discriminated against by their white counterparts became the catalyst for enslaved people and free blacks to initiate a movement to establish their churches. On October 20, 1863, to organize beyond the local church, five Black churches in Tidewater, Virginia, established before and during the Civil War, organized the Norfolk Virginia Union Baptist Association.The church mushroomed into a tool to best promote the mutual well-being of the Black communities in PAC/VB. It ministered to the soul's needs while hosting secular functions that placed it in the center of black society. The church provided care for the sick, sponsorship of fraternal lodges, a community meeting place, structures to house schools, and a source of land ownership (The Black Church: A Brief History, 2013). The church unselfishly opened its door to serve as a refuge and to encourage growth and prosperity in the Black communities of Princess Anne County. Part 2: Rev. Willis Augustus Hodges Willis Augustus Hodges (1815-1890) was born in Blackwater, Virginia, now a part of present-day Virginia Beach. His parents were farmers and free people of color. He was an activist, an abolitionist, a minister, a newspaper publisher, and a friend of John Brown. After the Nat Turner Rebellion in 1831, Hodges frequently traveled between Virginia and New York, working to curtail the growing persecution of free Blacks throughout the South. After the Civil War, he returned to Princess Anne County and became a political and religious leader to benefit freedmen. The presentation will showcase photos of all the early Black churches, including the date each church purchased the property and the names of the first trustees. 2:00 p.m.: Frank Womble
Lafayette Returns: Bicentennial Events in 2024 and 2025 "Lafayette Returns" Addresses Lafayette's importance in the American Revolution; his return to the United States in 1824 and 1825, commonly known as the Farewell Tour; provides details on his two visits to Hampton Roads in October 1824 and February 1825; his enduring legacy; why he still important to us today; plans for the 2024-2025 bicentennial events in Hampton Roads, and Lafayette's descendants.
3:00 p.m.: Ben Smith
Branches and Breaches: Cybersecurity Strategies for Genealogists This session delves into the intersection of genealogy and cybersecurity, offering practical and actionable strategies to secure and protect the precious research you work on every day. After attending this session, you will understand the one foundational idea that drives information security, and how it directly maps into the world of genealogy. You'll also learn several key best practices which can not only safeguard your genealogy work but your entire digital "footprint" as a whole. New this year, speaker sessions will be streamed on Zoom and recorded for future viewing. A link will be posted on the day of the event for anyone to use. Note: Unless plans develop further, Zoom participants can watch and listed but will not be able to speak or use the typed chat function. Library TourSee what the genealogy and local history area of the Virginia Beach Central Library has to offer in this 15-20 minute tour. Choose from the 10:40 and 1:40 tour. Check back for more details, including where to meet. VBGS Book SaleDon't miss the table of books and other resources in the exhibitor room. They have been generously given by VBGS members to help raise funds for the society and available for purchase by donation. If you have items to donate, message [email protected]. Children's ActivitiesYour children are welcome to attend Genealogy Day too! Stop by the children's table in the exhibitor room for a little family history activity sheet fun. |
Door PrizesRegister at the information table,
located in the hallway by the auditorium.
Special offersThe following deals will offered:
Library Resources TrainingSign up for a private training session (up to 30 minutes) to learn about the resources available while using the library computers. This is perfect for beginners and experienced alike! Ancestor Look-upA VBGS member will help you find an ancestor in a census! This station will be near the children activity area in the exhibitor room. Please note: While anyone is welcome to stop by for this fun exercise, it is meant to be a beginner friendly activity, not a way to find that missing ancestor. (We all have them!) |
Exhibitors
Virginia Society Dames Of the Court of Honor |
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Edna Hendrix Books and bookmarks for sale related to local Black history. |
Kristina Deluise Books for sale, transcriptions of records for the City of Norfolk. |
Allie Marie Local author Books for sale |
Frank Womble The American Friends of Lafayette |
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Volunteer opportunities
VBGS members, your help is needed to make this event happen and be the best one yet!
If you can help out - for an hour, two hours, or all day - write [email protected] and let us know.
If you can help out - for an hour, two hours, or all day - write [email protected] and let us know.
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Greeter/Information table
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Auditorium
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Locate an Ancestor table
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Children's Activity table
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Resource Training Session
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