The Legacy Tree Genealogists Blog
LATEST POST
What Should You Do After Receiving Unexpected DNA Results? 5 Practical Tips for Navigating Family History Surprises
Unwrapping a commercial DNA test kit often comes with exciting hopes of discovering ancestral roots or connecting with distant cousins. However, for many people engaged in family history research, opening those results brings an identity-sh…
How to Find Ancestors Who Worked in Industrial Towns: A Genealogy Guide
Researching ancestors in 19th- and 20th-century industrial towns requires shifting from traditional land deeds to non-traditional records like company payrolls, school censuses, workers' compensation files, and foreign-language newspapers. …
REQUEST A FREE QUOTE
POPULAR POSTS
What's New
How to Find Ancestors Who Worked in Industrial Towns: A Genealogy Guide
Researching ancestors in 19th- and 20th-century industrial towns requires shifting from traditional land deeds to non-traditional records li…
Meet Markel, Project Manager for Legacy Tree Genealogists
Born and raised in New Orleans, Markel grew up surrounded by family stories and a deep connection to Louisiana. With only one grandparent li…
Meet Brad, Project Manager for Legacy Tree Genealogists
Brad’s interest in genealogy began with a simple but powerful question: Who am I? Growing up without knowing his biological father left him …
Getting Started
Heritage Storytelling: Reflections on a “Where I’m From” Poem
Photo by Lesli Whitecotton on Unsplash When I think about heritage storytelling, I often imagine old photographs, family trees, or carefully…
End-of-Life Guide: Honoring Loved Ones and Preserving Their Legacy
Key Steps to Navigating the Loss of a Loved One, Honoring Their Final Days, Preserving Their Legacy, and Beyond Navigating the loss of a lov…
How To Preserve Family Heirlooms In a Digital Era: An Interview with Artifcts
How do you preserve family heirlooms for generations to come? From saving memories while decluttering to preserving the value behind your th…
European Research
How To Use Orthodox Baptismal Records for Genealogy Research
Before you dive in and get overwhelmed researching Orthodox baptismal records throughout the world, here are a few insights to help you succ…
Babies Left Behind: researching unknown G.I. fathers in the United Kingdom during WW2
At the beginning of 1942, the first group of American G.I.s landed in the United Kingdom to help the war effort. Before long, there were US …
How To Understand German Handwriting and Gothic Scripts
Image courtesy of Penn State University Libraries Digital Collections Free Resources for Old German Handwriting and Fraktur If you have Ger…
Intro to German Genealogy: Practical Tips for Family History Research
Have you arrived at a place in your family history research where you need to learn about your German ancestors and how to find them? If the…
Italian Heritage Travel: The My Bella Vita Experience
In this article, we interview founder of My Bella Vita, Cherrye, about their Italian Heritage Travel tours. If you have Italian ancestry and…
3 Essential Websites for Exploring German Parish Records
How and where do you find German parish records online? We'll walk you through how to use the top 3 websites to help you find your German an…
DNA
What Should You Do After Receiving Unexpected DNA Results? 5 Practical Tips for Navigating Family History Surprises
Unwrapping a commercial DNA test kit often comes with exciting hopes of discovering ancestral roots or connecting with distant cousins. Howe…
Understanding Mitochondrial DNA: A Guide to Tracing Your Maternal Ancestry
What is Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)? Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is a specific type of genetic material located in the mitochondria of cells. Un…
Surprising DNA Segments: Why Unexpected Ethnicity Results Happen
DNA ethnicity results can be exciting, confusing, and sometimes unexpected. Many people open their results expecting to see only known famil…
The Truth About DNA and Famous Connections
Have your DNA results suggested a connection to someone famous? We hope this article helps you dig a little deeper into those eye-catching m…
Searching, Sorting, and Filtering DNA Match Lists
This article was written by Paul Woodbury, a member of our Legacy Tree Genealogist Research staff. It was originally published in NGS Magazi…
DNA and Genealogy Cold Cases: Five tips for using genetic evidence to break through brick walls in your family tree
In real life and in fiction, DNA is used to solve crimes that have stumped investigators for years or even decades. But what if the cold cas…
British Isles
How To Find Your Family Coat of Arms: United Kingdom and The Commonwealth
Are you curious if your family has a coat of arms that you may be entitled to use? Many people find a coat of arms fun to display at home or…
5 Keys to Finding Scottish Ancestors with Genealogist Jamie Kay
We sat down to learn more about finding Scottish ancestors with one of our professional genealogists, Jamie Kay. Here's what we learned abou…
Irish Family History: Online Resources to Help Find Your Irish Ancestors
Until recently, Irish family history research was considered problematic. But in recent years, individuals can do the bulk of their research…
Where to Start With Your English Ancestor Research: Interview with Researcher Kimberly Gilboy
English ancestor research can be simplified when you understand the importance of historical dates and which records will hold the informati…
Researching Enslaved Ancestors in the former British Empire
Researching enslaved ancestors in the former British Empire is not as hopeless as it may initially seem. With well kept records and archives…
Uncovering Hidden Jewels in British Isles Genealogy Research
Legacy Tree Genealogists’ Sharon McWilliams specializes in British Isles genealogy research. In this article, she discusses enlightening res…
AI and Genealogy
Using AI for Genealogy: Why You Still Need a Professional Genealogist
While using AI for genealogy is a powerful tool for analyzing documents, professional genealogists remain essential for verifying evidence, …
FamilySearch Full Text Search: Finding Hidden Records with AI
The New Frontier of Family History For decades, the pursuit of family history has been a labor of patience and persistence. Families were re…
Beyond the Hype: How AI is Revolutionizing Your Family History Research
Artificial Intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept—it is here, and it’s changing the way we uncover our roots. In our latest episode …
Part Two: Using AI in Genealogy Research Best Practices
In part one, we explain the basics of artificial intelligence and how you might begin to think about using AI in your genealogy research. He…
Part One: AI Today and How to Use AI in Genealogy Research
AI technology impacts every area of our lives today and is growing so quickly it can be difficult to keep up, especially with AI in genealog…
Using AI Effectively for Genealogy Research
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) for genealogy research is still in its infancy but gaining momentum as each new tool is released, in…