Virtual Brown Bag Lunch

The Brown Bag Lunch series will continue virtually with our guest speaker, Christopher Smithson on Tuesday, July 13, 2021 at 12:30 pm telling the story of one of Bel Air’s most prominent early citizens, Thomas Hays and the neighbors who he influenced.

Christopher T. Smithson, a native of Maryland, has been doing genealogy research for over 30 years specializing in Harford County, Baltimore County and Baltimore City, and Cecil County, Maryland from the Colonial to 21st Century. His work includes documentation retrieval, brickwall ancestor location, patriotic and hereditary lineage research, and missing heirs research as well as African-American research. Chris conducts research at the Maryland State Archives, The Historical Society of Harford County, Inc. and the Maryland Historical Society. He currently serves as the Registrar, Maryland Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and Genealogist General of the Hereditary Order of the Signers of the Bush Declaration.

Chris is the author of seven books. He has been awarded the Florence Kendall SAR Membership National Award three times for generating the largest number of new members in one year. He was featured in the journal of “American Psychologist” for solving the mystery of “Little Albert”. In 2019, Chris was presented with the Historic Preservation Recognition Award for Excellent volunteer work in Historic Preservation by the Harbor of Grace Chapter, NSDAR. He is a graduate of Harford Community College with an Associates of Applied Sciences degree in Technical and Professional Studies with a concentration in Historical Preservation and Paralegal Studies

The Hays House Museum, once Thomas Hays home, is now operated by The Historic Society of Harford County, Inc. Many of us have toured the house or attended activities there, but have little knowledge of Thomas Hays and how he impacted life in Harford County.  This is your opportunity to learn about this amazing county personality.