Unlock the Past,Miscellaneous,Bonus webinars

Genealogy and the Little Ice Age

Wayne Shepheard

Aug 29, 2024

1821 views

Syllabus

Content

Introduction

4m 21s

Medieval Warm Period

4m 9s

Little Ice Age

4m 34s

Little Ice Age Results

6m 33s

Great Famine

5m 9s

Disease & Epidemics

1m 59s

Major Storms

5m 19s

Church Records

5m 21s

Information Sources

6m 42s

Syllabus

About this webinar

As genealogists we seek information about our ancestors from as far back in time as possible. That being said, not all researchers may be familiar with the term, but some of the most important records we find were created during the time of the Little Ice Age.

The Little Ice Age was a climatic period that lasted from about AD 1300 to 1850, a time in history when, from a physical or environmental standpoint, in comparison to the warm periods that preceded and followed it, was characterized by:

substantially cooler temperatures around the globe
mostly unstable weather
more frequent and intense storms
especially challenging food production
harsh living conditions

\nAll of these factors had enormous impact on the lives and livelihoods of people and contributed to famine, spread of disease, social unrest, injury to being and habitat, and, in some cases, migration. \n \nSummarizing of vital data began in earnest during this time. Apart from purely religious reasons or to establish hereditary claims, it may have been instituted in response to the need for more accurate rolls for churches and governments in identifying individuals from whom they could raise funds to support expanded social programs – parish relief efforts, poor laws and workhouses – involving the care of their citizens, more of whom fell into dire straits as the Little Ice Age progressed. \n \nBecause the Little Ice Age is the time frame that most coincides with genealogical research, it is important to understand the physical conditions under which people lived in order to assemble the most complete histories of families. \n \nThis presentation will hopefully bring perspective to the study of the generations of families who lived through the time of the Little Ice Age. \n \nThis presentation was released in 2024 and is a revised and updated version of the original from 2018. \n

About the speaker

Wayne Shepheard

Wayne Shepheard has pursued family history research for several decades, on his own behalf and for others, exploring families in North America, Europe and the United Kingdom. He is active in expanding...

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Comments (7)

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GM
Gwen Muzzy
1 year ago
Well organized, engaging and informative lecture. Thoughtful analysis of historical climatic events and how they influenced the genealogical record.
MM
Maureen Macdonald
1 year ago
A must see webinar! If you are truly interested in genealogy, this webinar brings together so much to explain the why and how, where and when it happened and how it affected our past and today.
1
KH
Karl Harper
1 year ago
An expansive and extensive view of history and the impact of Nature on our family histories.
AL
Alick Lavers
1 year ago
Very informative and incredibly interesting. Thank you, Wayne - I was fascinated/hooked and had to watch it all.
1
CC
Cathy Cline
1 year ago
A must see for everyone!
AA
Amy Andre
3 years ago
This is one of those webinars that everyone should watch whether you are a newbie or experienced family researcher. While you may have learned about bits (or even all) of these climatic events before, this a superb compilation and summary. It is also visually pleasing while delivering "the bad news" about the effects of climatic changes on the human population. Really well done. Thank you!
1
SB
Susan P Bracken
4 years ago
Where can I get your book ? What is th price ? Does it contain the maps that were in your lecture ?
1
1Reply
- WS
  Wayne Shepheard
  8 months ago
  See my blogsite for details about how to acquire my books. www.discovergenealogy.ca