We explore the importance of family history in helping you find belonging, and how records can help you discover the meaningful details of your ancestors' lives. Family can mean different things to different people. For some, it means to be with people who understand and accept you unconditionally. For others, it is strictly those to whom they have a biological connection. Some of us don’t have ideal families, while others couldn’t imagine their life without family. Most often, though, it’s a … [Read more...]
Super Human? Magician? Freaking Miracle Worker? Close…We’re Genealogists!
Have you hit a brick wall in your genealogy research? Have you considered hiring help? We share 4 tips for managing expectations when hiring a professional genealogist. As Legacy Tree’s high client ratings can attest, hiring a professional genealogist can be a deeply rewarding and exciting process. In nearly 20 years of service, we have helped thousands of clients learn about their heritage, identify biological parents, join lineage societies, break down brick walls, trace their immigrant … [Read more...]
Genealogy Sleuthing Part II: Using Women’s Fashion to Date Old Photos
In Part II of our two-part series on how to date old family photos, we discuss how to use women's fashion to date old photos you encounter in your genealogy research. Sometimes, there are no clues within the photograph or imprinted on it. In those situations, we need to rely on an understanding of the fashions of the 1850s through 1900s, both hair and clothing, to accurately determine when that particular photograph was taken. At least one of the three key aspects of women’s fashion—hair, the … [Read more...]
Genealogy Sleuthing: How to Date Old Family Photos – Part I
Many family historians have a collection of unidentified old family photos they're not sure what to do with--but can't bear to throw out. In this article, we'll share tips for helping you accurately date old family photos. Photographs are one of the treasures of genealogy. There is something about being able to look an ancestor in the eye—we make a connection to the people we can identify by both name and face. We search for traces of ourselves in their faces. We wonder what they were thinking … [Read more...]
Legacy Tree Onsite: Top 3 Record Collections for Researching Jewish Genealogy
Legacy Tree works with researchers all over the world to access records for our clients. We asked one of our onsite researchers, located in Lviv, Ukraine, to share the top 3 record collections for Jewish genealogy research at the State Central Historical Archive of Ukraine. The State Central Historical Archive of Ukraine holds the largest Ukrainian collection of historical Jewish documents. This includes Jewish populations that were part of the Polish Kingdom (before 1772), the Austrian … [Read more...]
Evidence Analysis Explained Part III: Evaluating Genealogical Evidence
This third and final installment in the evidence analysis series considers the concept of genealogical “Evidence” and then overviews the Genealogical Proof Standard which allows for defensible conclusions in genealogy. The purpose of genealogy is to reach defensible conclusions about our ancestors. This is done through proper analysis of the evidence. When we consider the sources, the information, and the evidence we can reach conclusions which are reliable. Evidence Analysis in … [Read more...]
Evidence Analysis Explained Part II: Evaluating Genealogy Information
This post is the second in a three-part series focusing on the concepts of evidence analysis as used in genealogy. The first post provided an overview of the evidence analysis process and discussed the concept of sources. This post picks up with evaluating genealogy information, which is the second category in the process. Understanding the Types of Genealogy Information After the source (the document itself) has been examined, the next category to consider is “Information.” Information is … [Read more...]
Evidence Analysis Explained: Digging Into Genealogical Sources
This article is the first in a three-part series that explores evidence analysis concepts through easy-to-understand definitions, probing questions to be utilized while researching, and real-world examples to illustrate the concepts that will help you analyze genealogical evidence like a pro! What does a genealogist do, anyways? When I talk with those unfamiliar with genealogical research, they are often surprised by all that goes into what we do as professional genealogists. Rather than … [Read more...]