The Legacy Tree Genealogists Blog

Hand-picked, tested and trained, our professional genealogist team knows how to find your story. We search the world for answers. Find the un-findable. And we’re experts at everything from tracking down rare international records to analyzing DNA test results. Based near the world’s largest family history library in downtown Salt Lake City, we also work with researchers and archives around the globe. Contact us today if you would like help discovering your ancestors!

Legacy Tree Onsite: Canterbury Cathedral Archives, England

May 18, 2018 by Legacy Tree Genealogists 1 Comment

Legacy Tree Genealogists works with researchers from across the globe to access records for our clients. We asked Christopher, onsite in England, to share his experiences researching at the Canterbury Cathedral Archives in England. The approach to the Cathedral Archives is extraordinary - the cloisters, heraldic symbols in the ceiling, the stone floors. Just past the cloister is a vast wooden door, and next to it is the small sign “Archives and Library”. On entering this space, you climb the stone staircase, go through the double doors, and enter the public search room. It’s an airy and peaceful space, with as many academics researching medieval documents as there are genealogists tracing family histories. Conversation is usually whispered. Pens are forbidden. “Selfie” photography is not allowed. Records at Canterbury Cathedral Archives The record collections at the Canterbury Cathedral Archives extend back to the ninth century. Genealogical records including the Canterbury …

Meet Lori, Project Manager for Legacy Tree Genealogists

May 15, 2018 by Legacy Tree Genealogists Leave a Comment

As the oldest child of six and the mother of nine, family has played a huge role in Lori Lynn McCulloch’s life. She was introduced to genealogy when she was eight years old, visiting her maternal grandparents in Imbler, Oregon. Her grandmother taught her to fill out a pedigree chart and family group sheets and the blank spaces just about did her in. She was on a quest to find the people to fill in the empty spaces. And this has gone on for more than forty years. She took her first “Intro to Genealogy” class at BYU as a Freshman and began spending more time in the Family History Library than anywhere else on campus. After taking several decades off to raise a family, she returned to BYU to find that she could major in Family History and Genealogy. She is currently two semesters away from graduating with her degree. In addition to researching and finding families, Lori loves to write. She has taught many personal history writing classes and developed several personal history …

How Long Does It Take to Build a Family Tree?

May 11, 2018 by Brenda - Legacy Tree Genealogists Project Manager Leave a Comment

With the popularity of TV shows such as "Who Do You Think You Are?" and "Finding Your Roots," a common question we receive as professional genealogists is "How long does it take to build a family tree?" You might have watched one of the many shows popular shows on TV where celebrities and individuals alike have learned their family history goes back many generations and hundreds of years in the short time frame of an hour. Surely this must be simple, right? They make it look so easy! Let's Build a Family Tree! Expectations vs. Reality So now you are sitting down with a paper and pencil and writing down all you know. First you write down your parents’ names. You’ve got this! Then you remember your Grandpa Joe -- you can’t forget him. But your grandmother…you have no idea what her name was. After all, you just called her Nana. You know your mom came from Texas because you remember that you visited there on your summer vacations every summer. But where did you dad come from? His …

“How Do I Trace South American Ancestry?” Tips for Success

May 4, 2018 by Legacy Tree Genealogists 4 Comments

South American genealogy research can be tricky, and we frequently have clients who don’t know where to begin, or run into a brick wall. We asked Gerardo, one of our onsite researchers in Chile, to share some insights into tracing South American ancestry. Two of the main things to pay attention to when conducting genealogy research in South America are keeping track of the surnames one is searching for (so you don’t get derailed onto an unrelated line), and the history behind the scribes of some of the most important records used to research in South America. In this post we’ll talk a little bit about each of these factors. Tracing South American Ancestry: Understanding Surnames The practice of inheriting two surnames can be a double-edged sword because this can either help make your job easier as a researcher as you follow unique double surnames, or can derail you if there is more than one family with the same double name--which is common in some locations. In order to …