Have you used school records in your family history research? If not, you may want to start! Fall is definitely on its way. There is a crispness in the air, the leaves are starting to change colors, college football is in full swing. And for many, the kids are back in school. Backpacks, pencil boxes, notebook paper, and crayons have become a regular part of life again along with paperwork—and there is a lot of it. The school has registration packets to be filled out for each student. … [Read more...]
Top 3 Online Resources for Finding Colonial Ancestors
Discovering colonial American ancestors is a frequent request we receive at Legacy Tree Genealogists. Colonial ancestors pose a unique challenge to the genealogist in that they often appear in many online family trees, but those trees frequently lack sufficient documentation. Eliminating the purely speculative and identifying verified relationships and accurate data is the goal. Here we share three of our favorite online resources for finding colonial ancestors. 1. AmericanAncestors.org This … [Read more...]
Using Approximate Dates To Piece Together Your Family History in England
Legacy Tree Genealogists works with researchers from across the globe to access records for our clients. We asked one of our onsite researchers to share tips for family history research in England. Records are cataloged by time, place and dates, and even if approximate, dates are necessary to begin research. In this article we share a case study to illustrate how to calculate approximate dates to begin family history research in England. Family History Research in England: The Davies … [Read more...]
DNA Testing Companies & Ethnicity Estimates Part I: The Ancestry Composition Tools of 23andMe
This article is part one in a series evaluating the different admixture tools available from the main DNA testing companies – MyHeritage, 23andMe, Family Tree DNA, and Ancestry. What can we glean from ethnicity estimates from each company? We’ve all heard the warnings: take DNA admixture predictions with a huge lump of salt. But can those ethnicity estimates provided with an autosomal DNA test still yield some valuable clues? The tools available at testing company 23andMe include some unique … [Read more...]
Lesson in History: How Did We Get the 1790 U.S. Census?
The first U.S. census was taken on 2 August 1790 in response to the 1790 census act, signed by President George Washington, Vice President John Adams, and Speaker of the House Frederick Muhlenberg on 1 March 1790. This began the process of taking a census every ten years as mandated by Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution. The main purpose of the census was and is to determine the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives to balance the power between the federal … [Read more...]
Meet Derek, Project Manager for Legacy Tree Genealogists
Meet Derek, one of Legacy Tree Genealogists talented project managers! Derek brings decades of project management experience to our team. Derek has a depth of experience in project management from a nearly 30-year military career managing linguists and intelligence professionals. The skills Colonel (Ret) Tolman developed serving the intelligence community transfer over nicely to the family history and genealogy community. As he says, “It’s nice to transition from looking for the bad guys as … [Read more...]
The Places Your Ancestors Knew: Planning a Successful Heritage Tour
What’s inside you isn’t just your DNA, but also the life experiences passed to you by your ancestors – which were often played out all over the world. Visiting the places your ancestors knew is life-changing, and preparation for a successful heritage tour is key. START WITH GOALS Before you buy a plane ticket, you first need clear goals for your trip. By visiting your ancestor’s homeland, are you hoping to extend your family tree by searching records in an archive or church? Are you hoping to … [Read more...]
Picking Up the Trail: Following Your Ancestors West
Have you ever wondered how or why your ancestors came west? Has finding their path of migration proven extremely difficult? Legacy Tree Genealogists has a team of specialists very experienced in answering the questions that arise while following your ancestors west and can help you reconstruct the details of their journey westward. Why the West? Settlers headed west for many reasons, among them were land, gold, religious freedom, military service, and perhaps to escape the law. Whether … [Read more...]