Legacy Tree Genealogists works with researchers from across the globe to access records for our clients. We asked Sylvia, onsite in Germany, to share her experiences researching at the German State archive in Duisburg. The German State Nordrhein-Westfalen has three State Archives (Landesarchive): in Duisburg, Münster, and Detmold. The repositories of the Landesarchiv Duisburg cover the northern part of the ‘Rheinland’, the three northern districts of the former Prussian ‘Rheinprovinz’: … [Read more...]
How to Find Your Scottish Ancestors using ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk
Some of the most distinctively Scottish icons are kilts, bagpipes, the highland cow, and the Loch Ness monster, Nessie. If you have ever eaten Scottish shortbread or enjoyed the Scottish games you know exactly what makes Scotland unique. Like many of you, I am a descendant of Scottish ancestry. If you want to trace your Scottish family history, Scotland’s written historical records date back to 1513. The government of Scotland has made these primary records available in online digital images … [Read more...]
Using the Records of the Social Security Administration
Records of the Social Security Administration are extremely valuable when completing genealogy and family history research for individuals who lived into the twentieth century. They can provide full name, birth date and place, parents, and spouse information, and are almost always well worth the investigative time needed to find and obtain them. Three records sets are of particular interest and will be discussed in this article. The first is the Social Security Death Index, the second is the … [Read more...]
Genealogy Research at NARA: Top 5 Tips from Professional Genealogists
Many of the record collections that genealogists most frequently use when researching families who lived in the United States were created by local governments, either at the town, county, or state level. The documents these jurisdictions generated are indispensable to our research, but they were not the only jurisdictions to create crucial record collections—the federal government also created many useful documents. Some of these documents (like the federal censuses) are readily available to … [Read more...]
Legacy Tree Onsite: The Inside Scoop on Civil Archives in Peru
Legacy Tree Genealogists works with researchers from across the globe to access records for our clients. We asked Carly, onsite in Peru, to share her experiences with Peruvian genealogy research at the civil archives of Peru. Peru is a country with a rich history. Ruins, documents, and modern cultural diversity testify of thousands of years of changes. To help those with Peruvian ancestral lines we want to share a little bit about current archival digitization and research in Peru. Behind … [Read more...]
Hidden Among the Graves: Information Contained in Cemetery Records
Cemetery records are an often-overlooked but essential part of genealogy research, and include more than just inscriptions on headstones or monuments. Research in cemetery records can help locate missing family members, determine ancestral hometowns, distinguish between similarly-named individuals, and provide clues into your ancestors’ lives. Locating cemetery records Church, government, private, and family cemeteries have many types of records. A cemetery that is part of a church will likely … [Read more...]
Ukrainian Genealogy Research? Three Must-Have Tools to the Rescue!
Language. This can be the most important skill - and also the biggest hurdle - for genealogists seeking their Ukrainian ancestry. For some, the heritage of ancestral languages crosses generations and is still maintained today. However, for those who are second, third, or fourth generations removed from the immigrant ancestor, the language of your ancestors might be a distant memory. Common sentiments shared by fellow researchers are “Baba spoke, but no one else in the family learned...” or “Didu … [Read more...]
5 Steps to Developing a Genealogy Research Plan
Imagine you are preparing to build your dream home. You have spent years working hard to save money and resources. You have investigated different floor plans and found that perfect piece of land. The time has arrived to start building. Now imagine that your builder shows up without any engineering or architectural plans, but with a truck full of random 2x4s, a collection of various windows, and a pile of leftover bricks. Without guidance from a plan, the builder throws together your dream … [Read more...]