09/04/2013 -- See new site for details.

07/13/2013 -- For awhile, What's New will be handled under the test site being built in Joomla. We'll continue to look at other options, such as Concrete5.

07/11/2013 -- As mentioned before, the website needs some improvement. We started on OfficeLive, under the auspices of Microsoft Co, but they discontinued the service. So, we scrambled and found a provider. Since there are many development environments and approaches, we reverted to HTML (circa early 2000s). That is, we use the Composer of Sea Monkey (other alternatives exist) on files that are pushed up to the website. Last year, we did a survey of CMS tools (open source types) and decided to look at WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla. After an initial look, the HTML choice was precisely made since I've used it from the inception (and, before, if you consider the work in mark-up languages). However, we need better content management, so I bit the bullet. Here is a result (most likely the approach that we will take): Joomla. I also have tried Concrete5 (don't laugh; just ran into it last night; spent a little playing with it; let's say, enough to get back to Joomla - see CMS tools). Now, once we get reconfigured, there will be extensions related to the Society's business, membership, communication, and more (going forward). In the beginning, I might use a composition, such as bringing in WordPress for a blog. However, another aspect of running a website is keeping the administration tasks in hand (with the 24/7 scope of the internet, well, there are lots of things to do beyond genealogy and family history).     

07/07/2013 -- Vol III, No 2 of Gardner's Beacon (post) available. The issue continues the Annals collection looking at changes in administration, so to speak. Future issues will focus on different reigns. An interesting tale involves the two cousins, Greely and Coffin.

06/15/2013 -- Joseph B. Felt, in his Annals of Salem, mentions Thomas and Thomas, and Scotland. Next Beacon Issue will be on Doings with the Mother Country.

06/15/2013 -- Origins are still a prime focus. Too, we'll have to collect videos (and other media, outside of the textual) related to the settlement of New England.

05/19/2013 -- On John Farmer's effort. We'll continue the annals format with the next Gardner's Beacon.

05/09/2013 -- New posts on the blog: Gardner and Native American, Endless genealogies.

03/23/2013 -- Vol III, No 1 of Gardner's Beacon (post) available. This issue looks at the period prior to the arrival. The next will look at the arrival plus/minus a few years. Essentially, we will reconstruct the events before, during, and after the forgotten/lost colony's experience. From this, we will lift out the positive lessons that can apply to today's predicaments. The look has a theme of Thomas and Margaret but will encompass the whole of the group. For instance, giving due credit to John Tilly, and more.

03/13/2013 -- Clarification of/modification to Vol. I, No. 4 Beacon, dealing with the trials and their impact: In relation to the Corwins (Judge, Sheriff), Samuel Gardner was uncle-in-law (1/2) of Jonathan rather than a guardian. Also, any influence on Corwins would have been reduced to that of 1/2 cousins by the time of 1692.   

03/02/2013 --  Today, we consider a few things that would relate to effective use of TGS resources. Too, from now on, the main page will provide the update date for this What's New page as a means to bring the changes to attention of the casual reader. 

03/01/2013 -- The 400th anniversaries will be a continuing theme. Looks like there will be 50 years of such celebrations in Massachusetts. Florida is having their 500th this year. The next Beacon issue will look at events related to the arrival time. 

02/22/2013 -- The TGS Forum requires admin registration due to spam. Send a note to jmswtlk[@]thomasgardnersociety[.]org with a brief comment about interest. We will register with the e-mail used for the note. Include a preferred userid if one is desired.

02/05/2013 -- Renewed interest in Richard III affords an opportunity to re-look at Historical Genealogy, collect information about the disparate viewpoints, and to determine a reasonable opinion on this matter. This Wiki page may be voted for deletion. If not, the argument would be stronger. If so, we'll preserve the discussion as best we can.   

01/26/2013 -- Reading Frances Hill (actually reading a printed book) motivates a relook at the 1692 idiocy: first look, second look, then Imagine a meeting (genes/memes). To think, little four-year old Dorothy Good being imprisoned and interrogated (who wouldn't go insane?).

01/25/2013 -- John Goff's article (Some old Salem ties to Nantucket) references the Thomas Gardner Society. Thank you, Mr. Goff (descendant of Thomas and Margaret through son Richard). Some thoughts about the upcoming 400th anniversaries.

01/22/2013 -- Changed Forum registration to include an Admin approval step in order to filter out spammers. Too, described the intended members of the Forum, namely descendants of Thomas Gardner of Salem, their family, and friends of the family. 

01/12/2013 -- Split Forum (BB) into public (can be read by guests) and private (requires registration and login) areas. For instance, the Social category has Water Cooler (public) and Break Room (private) for miscellaneous interchanges.

01/08/2013 -- To facilitate discussions, and activities, related to the 400th anniversaries and more, added a TSG bulletin board. There is an easy registration step (or, browse/post as guest). For now, no moderation, assuming the usual protocols of good conduct.

01/07/2013 -- The 400th will be arriving before we know it. There will be many 400th anniversaries to celebrate. For many, we need to firm up the data by collecting everything known, filling in missing pieces if we can, and determining some reasonable story, overall. Perhaps, we ought to see the dearth of information as a positive thing (Thomas not part of the clamorous).

12/30/2012 -- Vol II, No 6 (2nd edition) published with modifications. See Afterthoughts & Modifications for the changes.

12/29/2012 -- Vol II, No 6 of Gardner's Beacon (post) with Bibliography linked to digitized references. 

12/28/2012 -- The use of old planters can have several connotations. For one, there is the group of five who got land in Beverly. There is the larger group of those who came before 1628, since Endicott brought many who are called the new planters. Many views have been expressed over the years about those early times which we will incorporate into the TGS bibliography.  

12/19/2012 -- On this day, 1675, Capt Joseph was killed in the Great Swamp Fight. Of the posts, Historical Genealogy is the most popular.

11/27/2012 -- What do we know about Thomas and Margaret. There are conjectures around and about that collected for some time. We want to start a constructive build of a comprehensive view that has reasonable support.

10/29/2012 -- Added Afterthoughts & Modifications to Gardner's Beacon page.

10/27/2012 -- Vol II, No 5 of the Gardner's Beacon (post).

09/23/2012 -- About Margaret. Many quote TAG 30:156 as suggesting that we cannot use Margaret as the mother who came with Thomas to Cape Ann. This is not true. The article suggests that Dr. Frank's determination is acceptable, depending, of course, upon one's preference and point of view. Needless to say, we'll continue to agree withe good Dr. until there is definitive information that shows otherwise. Those who chose to use Unknown (or _ _) are not wrong either.

09/11/2012 -- Vol II, No 4 of the Gardner's Beacon (post).

08/08/2012 -- 334th anniversary of King Philip's death.