We are excited to offer another session on using GedMatch.com for analyzing your DNA results. This session discusses Tier 1 features of GedMatch. Additional details are on our site.
One way to potentially get around your genealogical sticking points is to review what you “know” about your ancestor and determine if you can find a source or record to support that statement. Also make certain that the source is reliable as well. There’s more to genealogical analysis than having a source and determining it’s reliability, but those two key elements are a great start.
Moving around census time, working away from home, and being at school are just a few of the reasons someone can be listed in a census more than once. Be open to the possibility that your relative could have been counted twice and don’t assume that person with the same name is a different person. But…don’t just assume they are the same person if the names match–find a reason. My grandmother was “working out” in 1930 and was enumerated with her parents and in the household where she was employed.
I’ve just finished my first webinar on Using GedMatch.com to analyze your DNA results Discussion included: overview of GedMatch why you should use GedMatch basic GedMatch DNA analysis tools-free ones only one-to-many matches one-to-one compare matching 1 or 2 tests downloading reports matrix comparisons segment matrix Basic DNA terminology is not a part of this presentation. Focus is on being practical–presentation is down-to-earth and easy to understand. Order securely here using PayPal or a major credit card. Download is immediate. Handout included. Email me at mjnrootdig@gmail.com if you ordered this presentation and did not receive it.
Your genealogy map collection needs to contain not only modern maps, but also maps contemporary to the time period being researched. Jurisdictional lines lines change, names of streets change, names of political entities change, new counties are formed, etc. It also never hurts to remind yourself of the distance scale–so you know how far apart two places really were. That’s especially important in a time when travel was not via motorized vehicle.
Some US county recorders of deeds in states that are federal land states have tract, lot, or parcel indexes to land records that index land deeds based upon where the property is located. For rural areas these indexes usually are as specific as the quartersection. In towns they usually are for the specific lot. There can be exceptions. These indexes require the precise location of the property be known. They can be helpful finding transactions that slip through other indexes or don’t include all family names. The deeds for the Trautvetter family in the illustration will be indexed in two different sections of the tract index: some will be in the southeast quarter of section 3 others will be in the southwest quarter of section 3
My grandmother and her mother took care of my grandmother’s father at their home near Loraine, Adams County, Illinois, for the last two years of his life after he had a debilitating stroke. By the summer of 1934 his condition had deteriorated to where they could no longer handle him at home. He was sent to a state hospital where he died in August of 1934. His obituary stated that he died at his home. Family tradition always indicated he died at home. The death certificate says otherwise. There was a sense of shame that he had to be sent somewhere and so it was never mentioned. If you can’t find your relative’s death certificate in “the right place,” try looking for a death in a nearby hospital […]
FindAGrave is a neat site and makes it easier for genealogists to locate burial information. One suggestion if you are taking pictures for a memorial on FindaGrave: Get some perspective Include an image or two showing the relative position of nearby stones. Consider labeling who those stones are in the photograph and indicating which stone in the picture is actually for the deceased person in whose memorial you posted it The relative position of stones can be helpful in determining who may be related. Not every adjacent burial is a relative, but sometimes they are.
The 1880 US agricultural census asked the farmer about his land tenure–indicating whether the farmer: owned the land–there may have been a mortgage–“free” or “encumbered” was not asked. rented for “fixed money rent”–cash rent in today’s jargon. rented for “shares of product” Could be a clue as to whether land records need to be searched.
We have a wide variety of how-to genealogy topics-including AncestryDNA, land records, court records, organizing information, and more. Presentations are: down-to-earth easy to understand practical methodologically sound based on thirty years of research experience See our AncestryDNA webinar list–sessions already recorded-ready for download. See our other genealogical topic list–over twenty topics! Download immediate. View as often as you want. Save 25%-use coupon 25percent at checkout. This discount coupon is valid through 11:59 PM central time on 2 November. Thanks for your support of our products!
US agricultural census records won’t give you family relationships, but they provide you with details about your relative’s farm operation and allow you to compare its size to others in the same area. Details about the number of livestock, acres planted in various crops, amount of items sold, and other operational information is often included. Most agricultural censuses in the US were taken in the mid-to-late 19th century. They are available on microfilm and digital format. More information on these non-population schedules is available on the National Archives website.
I don’t have pictures of too many ancestors. Signatures can be a good replacement. Trying to find them can be an “outside the box” problem-solving approach. Remember that record copies of deeds, wills, and some other records do not contain the actual signature. You need the original document or a reproduction of it–not a transcription.
Don’t let the angles and measurements intimidate you. The metes and bounds description of your ancestor’s property lines may mention neighbors and geographic features that can help you determine ancestral associates and approximately where your ancestor lived.
All dogs bark. Things that bark grow on trees. Therefore, dogs grow on trees. Always read over your logic and reasoning used to reach a conclusion. Also make certain you understand definitions of words and the context in which they are used. Genealogical records are full of legal and esoteric words more nuanced than “bark” and it can be easy to confuse them. Avoid barking up the wrong genealogical tree–check your reasoning and your definitions.
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