If the first genealogy DNA test you’re going to have done is for someone who was adopted at birth with unknown biological parents, consider working on a test for someone who was not adopted and whose parents, grandparents, some great-grandparents, and the basics of family structure are perhaps already known. This will allow you to practice and to build your analytical skills. That can be easier to do for a testee where the paper genealogical tree already partially exists. You may be less overwhelmed, less stressed out about the results (because it’s not your own family), and gain some additional insight into your own search. That experience will help you when you analyze the results for the adopted individual. Genealogy Tip of the Day book is here. Learn more about […]
When was the last time you wrote some of your own personal history and memories? It’s always ironic to discover a genealogist who has worked up many of their families and spent years searching for personal ephemera from their own relatives only to not leave any such record of their own memories, life, and experiences. A Facebook fan mentioned that she keeps a Word document open so that whenever a personal post I make reminds her of something she can immediately go and write about it before she forgets. That’s an excellent idea. Working on such writing is an excellent idea when you are stuck and at a seemingly impasse in your own research. The diversion may give the subconscious parts of your mind to contemplate your problem […]
We’re still excited about the release of Genealogy Tip of the Day–the book. Repeat tips, time-sensitive items, and marketing material has been removed. It’s just tips–and a few pictures. Purchase options include: Directly from Amazon–some vendors claim to have “used” or “library” copies–I’m not certain where they got those. Directly from me–either by credit card or check. These options are on our website. Thanks!
Online newspapers and obituary websites are a great way to find obituaries of recently deceased individuals. Do not limit your search to only the individual online newspaper and compilation sites of published obituaries like www.legacy.com. View the funeral home and view their version of the website. That obituary may be different from the one published in an online newspaper, particularly dependent upon the newspaper’s charge. Genealogy Tip of the Day book is here. Learn more about it. If you’d like to get our genealogy tip daily in your email for free, add your address here.
I always make it a habit to search for World War I and II draft cards for just about any relative who was of an age to have registered. Besides the details on the registrant, the name of the person “who will always know your residence” can be helpful as it may give addresses for individuals who are otherwise difficult to trace. You may even discover someone listed when you do not expect it. My uncle had been married for near twenty years when he registered for the World War II draft. Instead of listing his wife, he picked his sister Fannie–my great-grandma. Genealogy Tip of the Day book is here. Learn more about it. If you’d like to get our genealogy tip daily in your email for free, add your […]
A reasonably close DNA match whose seemingly complete tree contains no names that match can be confusing. The difficulty is determining where the problem rests. An informal adoption is one reason this can happen. A relatively close relative who was born in the 1870s reminded me of this. Initial research on him located records towards the end of his life which covered the time period from his 1912 marriage until his death in the 1940s. Several children with this wife were mentioned in various records. When I worked to complete the gap between his birth and his 1912 marriage, a more accurate chronology was completed: living in Nebraska in 1880 and 1900 census (with parents)–from census records; married in Nebraska 1901–marriage record; child was born in 1904 in […]
In most counties in the United States, probate records come in one of two forms: record copies of legal documents created during the probate process which are typically recorded in bound volumes and files/packets containing original copies of documents that were used to settle up the estate. Depending upon the time period and the location, there may be several different types of record volumes of probate records: bonds, wills, appraisements, inventories, etc. Occasionally the record copy contains handwriting that is easier to read than the original document or annotations that are not on the original. The file/packet of loose papers may contain items that are not recorded in the bound volume. For those reasons, it is advised to search both the record copies and the file/packet of papers–if […]
In some locations and in some time periods, couples may have executed a marriage contract which outlined which property belonged to the future husband and which property belonged to the future wife. These documents were to clarify how property would be distributed when one member of the future couple died. The date of the marriage contract is not the date of the marriage. It is the date that the contract was executed. There is also the possibility that the couple never actually married. Genealogy Tip of the Day book is here. Learn more about it. If you’d like to get our genealogy tip daily in your email for free, add your address here.
I have my “good” tree where information is documented and sourced to the best of my ability. That tree is tied to my DNA results. Then I have a working tree that I keep private and is for my use only. It’s used for analyzing my DNA matches. It contains what was in my “good tree” and other information I’ve added but not necessarily always validated as much as I should. It contains information on ancestors of various cousins and DNA matches who are not my own direct line ancestors. It contains information I’ve compiled in my attempts to determine the connections I have with some of my DNA matches. That way I don’t duplicate work trying to figure out matches and sometimes while working on a new […]
The recording and handouts for my AncestryDNA 2020 webinar have been released. More details are on our announcement page. The presentation, handout, and color chart (PDF and editable word file) can be ordered at the introductory rate for $20. Download immediate.
There’s a certain thrill to discovering something that we don’t know. Some genealogists are constantly on the hunt for something “new” that they neglect to revisit those conclusions that were reached years ago, were taken as truth based on a relative’s statement, or came from a document that “had to be correct.” Failure to revisit can be a mistake. That mistake is how some mistakes get passed down and shared with future generations. Even if revisiting does not uncover errors, additional information can be obtained and a greater picture of the family who was “already known” emerges. Don’t forget there is a thrill of discovery in finding something is incorrect as well. The thrill is lessened when it was your own mistake. Those should be embraced as well–as […]
This PDF includes all the colors currently available in the groups feature at AncestryDNA and room to keep track of what you have used each color for. Genealogy Tip of the Day book is here. Learn more about it. If you’d like to get our genealogy tip daily in your email for free, add your address here.
The ease of accessing information online sometimes makes it easier to transcribe certain documents. We can search for what we think something might say and see if someone has transcribed a similar word or phrase. We can look at what an image of another record says the date of marriage is if we cannot quite read it on the marriage license we have. That’s helpful and resourceful. But one has to be careful. Just because others have transcribed a word or name as “Pine” does not mean that is what it actually is. It could really be “Jane.” Just because another record indicated the marriage date was 8 June 1842 does not mean the date was not actually written as 8 Jan. 1842 on the marriage license. It’s […]
Every genealogist has had that moment when they’ve made a big discovery. The following excitement often motivates the researcher to immediately continue to the research. That’s not always the best idea. The thought that “I’ve solved it,” can cause us to overlook inconsistent pieces of information, new pieces of information, etc. Our euphoria at having figured it out can sometimes blind us to relevant information that doesn’t fit. It can also cause us to overlook key clues or jump to additional conclusions that aren’t supported by the information we’ve located. And like Charlie the dog in the picture, we may be a little out of focus when we are excited. That’s not always the best time to immediately research. After the information has been saved, printed/downloaded, copied, and […]
One reason for tripping over a stumbling block in our research is that there’s a piece of information we don’t have and that we don’t know we don’t have. When a research situation is confusing you, ask yourself: Was there a historical event taking place of which I am not aware? Did these two people have a relationship that I don’t know about and which might not have left a record? Is there a term that I don’t understand? Is there a process (legal, military enlistment, religious, cultural, etc.) that I don’t understand completely or am not aware of? And so on. The difficulty is that we don’t always know what we don’t know. Genealogy Tip of the Day book is here. Learn more about it. If you’d like to get […]
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