Classes are on Saturdays at 10:30 AM to NOON (ET).
Some classes will be virtual & others in-person at the Library.
A recording will be available after the class.
Those marked * will be via Zoom only.
The class fee is $10.00.
[Can’t attend? Register, then email us requesting a link to the recording – good for 4 weeks.]
Class schedule subject to change – check back here or call 802-871-5647 for confirmation.
September 12, 2026
Vermont Genealogy Library
Pinewood Plaza, 57 River Road, RT117
Building on the right when entering
Essex Junction, Vermont
You’ve watched the TV shows and you have an interest in your family’s roots, so what’s next? Starting can be overwhelming. But whether you want to do a deep dive or just get a feel for it by starting slowly, Lynn Johnson can show you how to start by looking for resources within the family, as well as in “official” documents. She will cover how to assess each piece of information to make sure it fits, and what to do when a piece doesn’t. Using examples from her research, Lynn will outline common mistakes that can derail your progress, and how to avoid them. Lynn will also tell you more about the VT Genealogy Library and the resources they have to help you in your searches.
Lynn Johnson became fascinated by her ancestors’ stories and how their lives fit into history. Lynn has taught elementary school for 18 years. She also worked in a bookstore. She has volunteered for the Vermont French-Canadian Genealogical Society (VT-FCGS) for many years, including serving as President. She also leads volunteers staffing the library.
Class starts at 10:30 a.m. (ET) in-person at the Library on Saturday
September 19, 2026
Vermont Genealogy Library
Pinewood Plaza, 57 River Road, RT117
Building on the right when entering
Essex Junction, Vermont
Explore the rich, often overlooked history of African Americans in post-Revolutionary and 19th-century Vermont. While standard historical narratives frequently cast Vermont as an overwhelmingly homogeneous state with brief mentions of early abolition, the day-to-day reality was far richer and more complex. Between the first federal census in 1790 and the post–Civil War era, African American individuals and families carved out enduring lives across the state’s valleys, hills, and emerging town centers.
Despite comprising a small percentage of the total population, Black Vermonters established independent homesteads, built thriving family farms, mastered skilled trades, and actively engaged in civic, religious, and political life. Through meticulous archival investigation—including land deeds, census manuscripts, probate inventories, court records, and family papers—historian Jane Williamson moves beyond broad generalizations to uncover individual stories of resilience, enterprise, and community integration.
Jane Williamson is an independent historian, author, and Director Emerita of Rokeby Museum in Ferrisburgh, Vermont, where she led research, preservation, and public programming for over two decades. Williamson holds a Master’s degree in Historic Preservation from the University of Vermont and is widely regarded as a leading authority on 19th-century African American history and abolition in the Champlain Valley.
Class starts at 10:30 a.m. (ET) in-person at the Library on Saturday
September 26, 2026
Vermont Genealogy Library
If you have a direct ancestor who was Canadian such as a parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent who was a citizen, you may already be a Canadian citizen, thanks to changes from Bill C-3 which took effect on December 15, 2025. Rather than applying for a grant of citizenship, individuals who qualify under these descent rules are already considered citizens and simply need to apply for a proof of citizenship certificate.
Sounds simple, but starting up this program has presented significant difficulties for the Canadian immigration and citizenship program. The first eight months of the C-3 program have been a rollercoaster for regulators and applicants alike. Join us to discuss the current status of the program, and the particular challenges regulators and applicants face in the new citizenship certification environment. Bring your experiences and your questions!
Suzanne Blanchard is a former editor and attorney, community planner, and longtime board member and volunteer at the Vermont French-Canadian Genealogical Society and Vermont Genealogy Library. Her research is currently focused on recovering the Lake Champlain Basin’s lost family histories.
Class starts at 10:30 a.m. (ET) via Zoom only on Saturday
October 17, 2026
Vermont Genealogy Library
Pinewood Plaza, 57 River Road, RT117
Building on the right when entering
Essex Junction, Vermont
Hidden gems on FamilySearch including unindexed digitized image collections that contain records not found elsewhere, the FamilySearch Research Wiki for links to online record collections and helpful content, the Genealogies section for community and submitted family trees, and Full-text Search for its advanced AI capabilities to make handwritten records searchable. FamilySearch continues to add millions of new historical records monthly from countries worldwide, expanding its free online archives, and has launched a new FamilySearch Catalog interface.
Ed McGuire, past president of the society and certified genealogist, is a frequent speaker on genealogy research methods, DNA testing and Irish family history.
Class starts at 7 p.m. (ET) in-person at the Library on Saturday
October 24, 2026
Vermont Genealogy Library
Pinewood Plaza, 57 River Road, RT117
Building on the right when entering
Essex Junction, Vermont
Everyone has a family history, but only a handful of individuals have proven their connections to significant historical events, places, occupations, and individuals. You might have an ancestor who came over on the Mayflower, or fought in the Revolutionary War; perhaps they were an innkeeper, or an indentured servant; a founder of a religious society, or an early settler of a colony or state; you may even be a descendant of kings and queens—well, YOU may be eligible to join a lineage society!
Through this talk, Adam will share his research, discoveries, and achievements made. Although not necessarily a “how-to” guide, Boyce shares sources and general information which will hopefully inspire others interested in researching and proving their connections with American and World history.
Adam Boyce of West Windsor, VT, has been a life-long student of history; specifically, his interest in genealogy started in 1985, with the inspiration of his paternal aunt, Miriam “Mim” Herwig. Adam’s first lineage society membership was the Vermont Mayflower Society in 2001, followed by the Pilgrim Hopkins Heritage Society in 2006. During the pandemic, he discovered numerous hereditary societies that he was eligible to join. To date, Boyce has memberships in fifty-three such groups. In addition to his great interest in history, Adam Boyce is a well-known Yankee fiddler, composer, and collector of antique clocks.
Class starts at 10:30 a.m. (ET) in-person at the Library on Saturday
November 14, 2026
Vermont Genealogy Library
Pinewood Plaza, 57 River Road, RT117
Building on the right when entering
Essex Junction, Vermont
During the American Revolution, hundreds of French Canadians joined the Patriot cause under regiments commanded by James Livingston and Moses Hazen. After fighting through the entire war and subsequently spending nearly a decade in New York refugee camps, these dispossessed families were given bounty lands in the wilderness of northern Lake Champlain, settling as refugees and pioneers founding early communities in northern New York, and Vermont. These families were the bedrock of later large French Canadian Lake Champlain communities. This class will explore the transformation of these refugees into founders and community builders.
Their names persist today: Allaire, Allin, Asselin, Aubé, Audet/Lapointe, Ayotte, Blais, Boivin, Chandonnet, Chartier, Clément, Dionne, Dubé, Dubois, Gauthier, Gosselin, Hebert, Laframboise, Laliberté, Leblanc, Lizotte, Loiseau, Marney, Menard, Mercier, Monty, Nadeau, Olivier, Papineau, Parent, Paulin, Picard, Robichaud, Rousseau, Roy, Tremblay, and more. Are you a descendant?
This is the fourth presentation in a series on French Canadians in the Lake Champlain Basin. The earlier classes are available on demand or free for members in the Members Hub.
Suzanne Blanchard is a former editor and attorney, community planner, and longtime board member and volunteer at the Vermont French-Canadian Genealogical Society and Vermont Genealogy Library. Her research is currently focused on recovering the Lake Champlain Basin’s lost family histories.
Class starts at 10:30 a.m. (ET) in-person at the Library on Saturday
November 21, 2026
Vermont Genealogy Library
Pinewood Plaza, 57 River Road, RT117
Building on the right when entering
Essex Junction, Vermont
Guidance and collaborative problem-solving for specific genealogical challenges, particularly “brick walls” related to Revolutionary War ancestors in the Champlain Valley. The class will be led by two of our best researchers from the Vermont Genealogy Library’s Research Team built by renowned New England Historical Genealogical Society researcher and author Scott Andrew Bartley. Attendees will learn approaches that will help them overcome tough research challenges.
Cindy Walcott is a member of the Research Team and Chair of our Library Committee who led the recent overhaul of our collection. She is excited to connect patrons with the resources they seek and to showcase the library’s unique offerings.
Dwight Fowler has worked on genealogy and family history since 1982 when he discovered the handwritten notes of his father who logged all the Fowlers in CT by walking the cemeteries. A volunteer since he joined in 2021, Dwight is part of the VGL Research Team, teaches courses, and managed and modernized the VGL computing infrastructure that exists today.
Class starts at 10:30 a.m. (ET) in-person at the Library on Saturday
December 5, 2026
Vermont Genealogy Library
Pinewood Plaza, 57 River Road, RT117
Building on the right when entering
Essex Junction, Vermont
In this class, Holli Bushnell, sexton for the city of Burlington, will lead participants on a journey to uncover the stories of women buried in the city’s three cemeteries whose names and lives have been obscured by time. Using her extensive research, Holli will discuss the challenges of tracing female genealogies and the historical context that often led to women being buried without their own names on their headstones. The class will highlight the “Lost Ladies of Lakeview” project, an ongoing effort to restore these women’s identities and ensure their legacies are remembered within Burlington’s history.
Holli Bushnell has spent her career working with cemeteries and has a deep passion for the history they hold. As sexton for Burlington’s cemeteries, she combines her love of local history with a commitment to honoring the dead. Her work focuses on making sure everyone buried there is remembered with respect.
Class starts at 10:30 a.m. (ET) in-person at the Library on Saturday
December 12, 2026
Vermont Genealogy Library
Pinewood Plaza, 57 River Road, RT117
Building on the right when entering
Essex Junction, Vermont
Descendants of French-Canadian and Acadian participants who aided the American cause of Independence, serving in Canadian regiments, providing supplies, or fighting in specific actions like the 1775 Invasion of Quebec, are eligible to join the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) or Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), provided they can prove direct lineal descent.
Many of those veterans came to settle in the Lake Champlain Basin as refugees after the war, and were the anchor of our French-Canadian communities which grew up around the Lake so strongly that by 1850, half of New England’s French Canadians were to be found in just four Vermont counties: Grand Isle, Franklin, Chittenden and Addison, which all front Lake Champlain.
Join Jolene Mullen of the DAR to learn more about our extraordinary ancestors and about the organization that is dedicated to preserving the memory and legacy of our brave forebears.
Jolene Mullen is a professional genealogist and genealogical speaker specializing in lineage research and New England records. A member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, she has served as national chair of the Lineage Research Committee, national vice chair of the French Task Force, the Cold Cases Committee and the Chapter Development and Revitalization Committee, twice as a CT DAR state officer, and is the state chair of both the State Application Team and the Chapter Development and Revitalization Committee. Her publications on town meeting records during the American Revolution are now standard reference for historians and genealogists.
Class starts at 10:30 a.m. (ET) in-person at the Library on Saturday