DONALD MACRAE, Ph.D., Speaker at Family History Day

Donald MacRae, holds a PhD in etymology from the University of Edinburgh. Dr. MacRae’s early interest in language and linguistics led to a broader interest in the origins of surnames, genealogy, heraldry and the history of Scottish Clans and Tartans. His professional background includes lecturing and workshops,
membership in various heraldic, genealogical and names societies.

Since 1968 he has been the Director of the American Heraldic and Genealogical Institute in Sacramento.

Dr. MacRae will be presenting the Science of Names, how the origin of surnames can help with your genealogical research.

SEBASTIAN NELSON, Speaker at Family History Day

It is a pleasure to introduce Sebastian Nelson who will be a speaker at Family History day at the California State Archives.

Sebastian Nelson is an Archivist at the California State Archives and a member of the Academy of Certified Archivists. He has a Master’s degree in history from the University of Oxford and a Master’s degree in library science from San Jose State University. Sebastian studied heraldry and coats of arms as a graduate student in Great Britain. He also enjoys studying the American Civil War, researching the largest Union veterans’ organization, the Grand Army of the Republic, and watching the Antiques Roadshow on PBS.

Sebastian will be presenting Coats of Arms: Heraldry for Genealogists.  Discover how Coats of Arms can reveal clues about one’s ancestry. Learn how to find out if you have a Coat of Arms and what it looks like. Find out about records created by heralds that contain a wealth of genealogical information.

California State Archives

1020 O Street, Sacramento, CA 95814

Reference Desk Phone: 916-653-2246

Reference Desk Fax: 916-653-7743

Reference e-mail: ArchivesWeb@sos.ca.gov