10 genealogy research tips I wish I'd known at the start looks at mistakes made and how to avoid them when starting your family tree.
An article about researching the professions of the passengers who arrived onboard the Mayflower in 1620, using historical newspapers.
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!
Once three, now two. Ten languages, common problems and lotsa linguistics.
Have you ever heard of foot shape genealogy? It is a concept out of the 19th century that still has some adherents today. It is based on the belief that the shape of your foot can tell you one of five ancient ethnic groups to which your ancestors belonged. Here is what you need to know about it.
How to find free Irish vital records shows how the family historian can find and download free historic birth, marriage and death civil registration records for both the North and South of the island of Ireland.
Your last name could be a clue to a family link to the aristocracy of days past, according to a study by American and British researchers.
Whether you're just beginning genealogy research or you need some fresh insight to keep going, these 10 tips will kickstart the hunt for your ancestors!
If you're not obsessed with using newspapers in your genealogy research you are missing out on one of the greatest sources of rich family history details available.
Your last name could be a clue to a family link to the aristocracy of days past, according to a study by American and British researchers.
The Best Welsh Genealogy Resources looks at the top websites for Welsh genealogy research including a free newspaper site
The first in-depth genetic scan of the British Isles shows their violent history of invasion after invasion lives on in the people.
These forms help you keep track of your research progress and organize your genealogy files.
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
Make Instant Discoveries About Your Ancestors Here It’s an often overlooked fact that a vast amount of FamilySearch’s collections can not be found via the search on their site. Millions of free family history records are waiting to be discovered but have not yet been indexed and are, therefore, somewhat hard to find. These records are invaluable tools … Millions of Free Records on FamilySearch Can Not Be Found via Search: Here’s How to Access Them Read More »
The top 10 free British genealogy sites that are essential for researching your British ancestors. Includes some much overlooked ones.
Chances are you have some paper files in your genealogy records. But how can you organize them? Here’s one method of getting that paper under control.
Hit the online road with this travel guide of starter tips and websites guaranteed to rev up your genealogy search.
If you're new to genealogy, you might be feeling overwhelmed. No need. Start with these entry-level genealogy records, and you'll be climbing your tree in no time. I've worked with numerous beginning genealogists, plus I was one 30 years ago. The following record types are the easiest to access and provide many quick wins while building your family tree. While it's tempting to explore all the hints genealogy websites offer, stay focused on these record collections first. Before we begin, make su
It won't be easy to locate old photos of your ancestors, but the hard work is worth it. Here's where to get started in your search.
Are you making the most of Google for genealogy research? This post looks at how you can improve your search results and other tools.
Just getting started in your quest to discover your family history? Check out our tips for finding great stories in your ancestry!
It won't be easy to locate old photos of your ancestors, but the hard work is worth it. Here's where to get started in your search.
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.
We all have those ancestors who make us want to pull our hair out. You know, the ones we just can’t find key pieces of information about - like a birth or death date? Locating a date of birth can be especially difficult because oftentimes only ages are listed on old records. And even on records that usually do list a birth date this detail is sometimes left blank because the informant didn't have the needed information (this is common on death certificates). But finding an actual date of birth (rather than an estimated year) is important to your research. This article will go over a few common places to find birth dates and then jump into several sources that are often overlooked by researchers.
Many people are unaware of the fact that not all of Ancestry's records show up in search. Ignoring these browse-only collections is a huge mistake, however, since they could contain valuable information about your ancestors.
On Day 25 of Family History Month, visit Google Books and create your own online library with books that mention your ancestors. You can use Google to find FREE Family History…
Are you confused about how to transfer your information between two online trees, namely FamilySearch and Ancestry? You’re not alone and it’s time to talk about how to keep the trees somewhat compatible. Terry wrote, “I’m a relative newcomer to this. I have some info stored on Ancestry.com but want to transfer it to FamilySearch. How do I transfer only a few names at a time? I can do the whole tree but need help only doing part of it.” In this video, I address how to transf
A genealogy research plan is more than a to-do list. It's a framework that guides your research and helps you be more productive and less frustrated.
