I see family history as more than just a collection of names and dates. To me, it is a rich tapestry woven with stories, traditions, and a unique lineage that contributes to my identity. But while…

These unique family tree designs–some hundreds of years old–are creative and artistically stunning. Some are about actual families: others re-create the family tree of an entire culture or empire. Which ones inspire you?

Online family trees are great for getting hints and finding cousins, but you should always keep a backup. Here's how to download your Ancestry family tree.

If you're not sure what a family group sheet is, or you've never gotten around to using one in your genealogy research, you're not alone. While the concept of a family group sheet is about as basic as it gets, not every family historian out there has had the chance to embrace this clever method of research and organization. If you're not sure what a family group sheet is, or you've never gotten around to using one in your genealogy research, you're not alone. This guide will help you discover what a FGS is, how to find or make one, and how they can help with your genealogy research.

Ancestry.com is famous for its hints - those little green leaves in your family tree. But they're not the only site that offers them.

It's not uncommon for people to share the same name, but how do you know which one is your ancestor when researching your family tree?

Illegitimacy was not uncommon in earlier centuries. About 5% of all children born in England and Wales between 1837 and 1965 were illegitimate, which means they were born out of wedlock. Many family tree researchers will find during their research that there is at least one illegitimate ancestor in their family. Illegitimacy is no longer

This image has come to me badly faded with smudges, abrasions and water damage. This is an original water colour with hand drawn miniature cameo portraits in 4B pencil. This is exceptionally detailed, quality work by an unknown Dutch artist made around the late 1940's or early 1950's. At some point in it's life this image has been mounted on oil tempered hardboard with wall paper paste. As a result the colour of the board has bled through the paper. Northland's high humidity has ensured that the acidification of the paper with its associated foxing and oxidation has discoloured the paper to a serious degree. This process is reversible with appropriate conservation techniques and resources however there is not the budget to do this. I have been asked to do a limited visual restoration and to create four new additional portraits to compliment the family tree, three of which I have completed. I have obscured the water damage on the right side of the tree and made some efforts at cleaning the overall image surface. I have also recoloured the lower background giving a little more definition to the landscape with windmill and the building to the right of the tree. I added 4 new portraits, drawn by me in pencil, the 2 girls on the top left and the 2 young boys at top right. The client asked me to add extra limbs to the tree at the top to help with the linking of the additional portraits to the composition.

Family tree abbreviations are shortened versions of words or phrases, and can be easier to use, especially on a family tree when space can be limited. You are sure to find many family tree abbreviations in transcripts of parish registers, census returns, other transcripts, indexes and genealogy books as you conduct family history research. These

From basic vital statistics to your ancestors' occupations - have you gathered these 10 important facts for every individual in your family tree?

What is a surname and why does it matter for family history research? Surnames are a critical piece of our genealogical research, and learning where a surname originated can not only enhance our research but add another chapter to our family history stories.

Rare surnames can make the job of being a family history researcher easier. Here is a list of 100 of the rarest last names in the U.S. and help for finding out how unusual your family names actually are.

There are a lot of genealogy programs you can use to make a family tree, but did you know you can make a family tree in Word? Here is how.

Keeping a family genealogic record of some kind is as much the duty of the intelligent head of a family as providing food, shelter and schooling.

Can you download your family tree from Ancestry.com? The answer is yes. We see this question quite a bit so we thought we'd quickly show you how.

Don't you wish you knew all this when you started your family tree?

Step-children. Half-siblings. In-laws. it can get complicated! Who should you include in your family tree and who should you leave off?

Blog articles written by RLSPhotogenic about Genealogy Family Research information. Tips and guides for how to research your family tree.

Many of us keep our trees on Ancestry, even if we don't always subscribe to their somewhat pricey record subscription service. Because Ancestry's online family tree is easy and free, it's a great alternative to paid programs. But backing up that tree, along with its attached records and other media, can be a major challenge - despite how important it is to do so. Many of us keep our trees on Ancestry - but backing up that tree, along with its attached records and other media, can be a major challenge. Here's how to do it quickly and easily with RootsMagic TreeShare.

Many military records are available at the National Archives, located in Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 4DU. If travelling by tube, the nearest station is Kew Gardens (District line). If travelling by train, the nearest station is Kew Bridge. Some buses stop nearby, which include routes R68, 65, 237, 267 and 391. Further information regarding

This beginner guide to family history research will help you find your ancestors and build a family tree in just a few simple steps.

Use this progress chart to focus your research and see who's missing.

Researching your Family History and don't want to spend a fortune but also want to use trusted resources? Then our review of the best Free Genealogy sites will certainly help!

Have you taken the Ancestry DNA test and now you’re wondering what to do with your results? Besides viewing your ethnicity estimate, what else can you do to get the most bang for your buck? T…

Researching your Irish genealogy? These 15 websites will be essential in your Irish ancestry research and include 11 free and 4 subscription websites.

If you're searching for German ancestors, these 3 websites can be instrumental in your genealogy research.

So you've taken an Ancestry DNA test ... what's next? These days, most of the focus of DNA test results seems to be about getting your Ethnicity Estimates—are you Scandinavian, Asian, Eastern European, etc. But two of the coolest and most useful features on the Ancestry DNA site are these: DNA Matching DNA Circles These features help you find others who share DNA characteristics and ancestry with you, connecting you with their DNA profiles and tree information. We've recently added content in The Family History Guide to give you step-by-step instructions for getting the most from these two features. DNA Matching is described in Ancestry Project 7: DNA, Goal 4 (Choices A and B) and Goal 5. Even if you haven't taken an Ancestry DNA test, these Goals will give you a good idea of the possibilities that await you when you do get your DNA test results back. Here's a brief overview of what you'll find: Goal 4: Learn about DNA Matching for your test results. Choice A: Learn about your DNA story on Ancestry. Review your ethnicity estimates and learn how to link your DNA test results to your Ancestry tree. Choice B: Learn more about DNA matching. See a list of people who share DNA matches with you. You can view DNA match information for people in the list and even send them messages on the Ancestry network. (Choices C, D, and E are from material previously in The Family History Guide.) Goal 5: Explore DNA Circles in Ancestry. Choice A: Learn about DNA Circles. These are groups of people who share DNA characteristics or ancestry with you. The illustration above shows a sample DNA circle with 29 family groups included, all descending from a selected ancestor. Choice B: Explore relationships in the DNA Circle. See how members of the circle are related to each other and to you. Choice C: See DNA profile information for Circle members. You can also see other members' trees that are shared, and send them messages. Choice D: View pedigree and surname information for DNA Circle members. Choice E: View shared matches for DNA Circle members. Choice F: View map and location information for DNA Circle members. See birth locations for members of the DNA Circle. We hope you enjoy the latest info added to The Family History Guide on DNA Matches and DNA Circles for Ancestry! window.wvData=window.wvData||{};function wvtag(a,b){wvData[a]=b;} wvtag('id', 'gdg8sme9Co8djc4uHOHRfA'); wvtag('text-selector', '.entry-inner'); wvtag('widget-style', { className: 'wv-circle-small', contrast: 'wv-contrast-dark' });

A Great alternative website for British ancestry. This post looks at the genealogy subscription site The Genealogist and its unique records

Yes, free genealogy sites do exist. Here's how to avoid spending money on ancestry research without limiting your tree.

In a recent online search for a picture of my 2nd great uncle who died during WWI, I stumbled across a digitized book published in 1920. This book and its 3 Volumes contain information you may find helpful in your own genealogy and family history research. If you are interested in finding photographs of your World War One Ancestors, its worth a little time to view this book. The Dedication of the book grabbed my attention: “TO THE SACRED MEMORY OF THE AMERICAN SOLDIERS, WHOSE HEROIC SACRIFICES ARE HERE RECORDED. THESE VOLUMES ARE RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED.” A disclaimer is presented in the Introduction of the book regarding the impossible task of obtaining photographs of ALL the soldiers who died during the Great War. However, they do state the best photographs available were provided within the pages of the book. The authors also state that as a supplement to the photographs they provided a “list of the men who lost their lives in the war.” This list is following the photographs of the soldiers. The photographs and official name list are alphabetically organized by state. Many of the photographs provide the city/town the soldier lived in. It also provides information about the death of the person. It lists whether they were Killed in Action (KA), Died of Disease (DD), Died of Wounds (DW), Died of Accident (DA), or Wounded in Action (WA). As far as the listing of soldiers and photographs, the following breakdown of the three Volumes may help you in your research: Volume I: Alabama - Maryland Volume II: Massachusetts - Ohio Volume III: Oklahoma - Wyoming Additional information provided in the book includes: A timeline of the Military Events during the War (Volume I). The Supplement contains additional photographs of the soldiers which are not included in the state listings. The supplement is available at the end of Volume III. It contains photographs of individuals from the US as well as Canada, England, Scotland, France, Cuba, British Columbia, Sweden, Italy, Jamaica, and more. You can find the digitized book, “Soldiers Of The Great War” by Doyle, A.C. (Alfred Cyril), 1893-; Haulsee, W.M. (William Mitchell), 1889-; Howe, F.G. (Frank George), 1890-; Soldiers Records Publishing Association. HERE. I hope this helps you in your search to find photographs and information about your ancestors from World War One. Let me know in the comments below if this resource helped you in your research!

Do you have Australian ancestry? Our researchers have compiled an overview of helpful resources to assist in Australian genealogy research.

U.S. Census records offer a unique look into the past and a chance to discover valuable details about your family's history.

If you are one of 42 million Americans with German ancestry, your surname could yield some interesting clues to your family history.

So, do you need a large percentage of Irish DNA to make you "Irish"? I personally think that the "nurture" effect - especially within the Irish female line,

This is a collection of the family trees of the kingdom of Spain. The former kingdoms of Aragon, Castile (see family tree) and Navarre (see family tree) were independent kingdoms that unified in the 15th century to become the Kingdom of Spain. Louis of Bourbon, Dauphin of France, son of Louis XIV was born in 1661, not 1611 Ancestry of Juan Carlos I of Spain Descendants of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon Descendants of Philip V of Spain Descendants of Charles III of Spain Descend