For those following along, here is the latest Upchurch and Allied Families Association Newsletter. June 2026 Father's Day Issue View past UAFA newsletters here Visit Wake County Genealogical Society's Website  -  Homepage  |  WCGS Events  |  Join WCGS  |  Publications  |  Wake Cemetery Survey Images  |  Society Surnames  |  Digital Resources  |  History Resources  |  More Links and Resources  |  Contact -  info(at)wakecogen(dot)org

Sign up June - August and Get up to 15 Months instead of 12!   A special invitation from Carol Kimball Stahl,  our WCGS member chairperson - We appreciate that you elected to follow our blog. That decision on your part shows your interest and willingness to seek resources to aid in your research. Now may be the time to take that interest and willingness to the next level. We currently are offering an extended membership “year” to new members.  The new memberships will expire on August 31, 2027, instead of August 31, 2026. Depending on how soon you join, you could enjoy the benefits for 15 months!!  Remember that many of our members have no ties to North Carolina, let alone Wake County.  The programs are designed to appeal to anyone performing genealogical research.  Many happen to live in the area and enjoy the WCGS community.  However, we also have members scattered across the United States who do have ties here.  Those members enjoy th...

A post at the end of May looked at colonial North Carolina and how the Mecklenburg and Halifax Resolves were like bookends of political sentiment among the populace in the journey to American freedom. Let's look at the timeline of extra-legal assembly that was happening in 1774- 1776.  First Provincial Congress: New Bern, August 25, 1774 - No more complaining. Resist! Bear in mind that all thirteen colonies had just spent the spring of 1774 looking on as Britain imposed the five coercive acts that stripped more and more representation and freedom from the colonists of Massachusetts. They watched Boston suffer and pushed back to avoid the same fate. In North Carolina, this meant trying to make nice with Britain with conciliatory language while simultaneously gearing up to participate with other colonies in the upcoming Continental Congress (Fall of 1774). The First Provincial Congress adopted a statement to Britain and the King, a document called the New Bern Resolves that whi...

This article was published in the Summer 2026 issue of the Wake Genealogy Watch newsletter. Volume 9, Issue 4, p7. Do you have an ancestor who you suspect might have been a Loyalist? They would be alive in the 1775-1783 timeframe in your tree. Have you noticed some clues that have you wondering? - CD If your ancestor showed no obvious signs of being a Patriot, did they show any inclination to the opposite? Maybe they signed an association paper to the British cause, or they left town abruptly.  Is there evidence that their property was confiscated or that they were prosecuted for treason (or worse!) by the new American government?  Those wishing to remain British subjects called themselves Loyalists. The Patriot rebels derisively called them Tories. Loyalist support was especially strong in parts of the southern colonies, including South Carolina, Georgia, and the North Carolina backcountry. The Loyalists’ motives were many.  Southern plantation owners and merchants with ...

  The Summer 2026 issue (Vol. 9, Issue 4) of the Wake Genealogy Watch newsletter is now available online for reading or download. Visit the WCGS website or click here: Wake Genealogy Watch, Summer 2026 . This issue includes: · Barbara McGeachy shares a summary of our coffee gathering in April. · A reminder to check out the updated Newsletter Cumulative Index, complete up to this issue · Jane Albright presents the Pleasant Grove UMC project to protect the historical graves of Free People of Color. · Four videos to boost your genealogy skills with AI and DNA skills · Two websites that give you historical context for your Revolutionary research and might even inspire a trip or two · Tips and resources to research the Loyalist you might find in your family tree, and how to recognize them. · Registration details for our upcoming local meet-ups and virtual meetings Photo Note : Please refer to the online edition where you can enlarge the photos to acc...

Tuesday, June 23, 2026 @ 6:30pm – Virtual Topic:  Fishing in Every Pond: Cousin Baiting Speaker:  Christine Cohen We will discuss the many ways to reach out to distant living cousins to help you expand your pedigree chart forward in time. You may find family treasures, photos, DNA test takers and information that will break down a brick wall. We will explore online trees, lineage societies, cemetery indexes, obituaries in newspapers, living people finder websites and social media. Join us! Free and virtual! *Please register by 4pm day of meeting. *Please save your passcode and link for ease of entry at start time. *Presentation starts promptly at 6:30 pm . Link to register at the Wakecogen website events page .   Registration is now open! **Get the video recording to watch on-demand for 30 days and access to our webinar handout library with your WCGS membership!**           ** At presenters discretion. Upcoming Events  View even...