Legacy Tree Genealogists’ Sharon McWilliams specializes in British Isles genealogy research. In this article, she discusses enlightening resources, or “hidden jewels,” in London that may help you trace your family history in the British Isles.The National Archives is now open to the public, but for those of us who can’t make the trip to Kew, there are millions of digital records available online at The National Archives Discovery Catalogue.Records that have been digitized can be downloaded … [Read more...]
House History: Telling the Story of Your Home
Learning about old houses is one of the best ways to connect with our past and bring people together when they learn of their shared heritage. With more than 30 years of experience researching family and house histories, Legacy Tree Genealogists' Meghan Jordan provides tips and resources to research the unique history of your house.I’ve had a fascination with houses since I was a kid. There was nothing better than driving around with my mother going to open houses on a Sunday afternoon. … [Read more...]
Using Town Records in Colonial New England Research
If your ancestors came to America prior to the Revolution, unique research methods are often necessary to locate information to trace Colonial American ancestry. Legacy Tree Genealogists’ researcher Kristin Britanik shares information about using town records to overcome some of the challenges when tracing ancestors from Colonial New England.One common assumption about genealogy research is that the further we go back in time, the more difficult it can be to find records documenting our … [Read more...]
Legacy Tree Onsite: Belarus Archives and Records Collections
Legacy Tree Genealogists’ Dennis Baranov has conducted research in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine for more than 15 years. His wife Mariya is his research helper and translator. In this article, they provide detailed information about Belarus archives and records to research family histories, especially in an area where many documents have been destroyed. Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, surrounded by Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia. Minsk is the capital and … [Read more...]
Legacy Tree Onsite: Finding Your Ancestors in Scotland – An Introduction to the Main Records and Archives
Let's say you trace your family tree and discover your ancestors were born in Scotland. Where do you go from there? One of our onsite researchers provides some tips and explains that the amount of information you can find depends on when your ancestors left Scotland.Birth, Marriage, Death and Census Records The primary sources for research in Scotland are certificates of birth, certificates of marriage, certificates of death, and census records.The 1841 census was the first census … [Read more...]
Legacy Tree Onsite: Exploring the Archives of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Legacy Tree Genealogists works with researchers around the world to access records for our clients. We recently asked one of our onsite researchers to share valuable information on the resources available for family history research at various archives in Bosnia and Herzegovina.Although the country had many names over the years, in 1995, the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (located on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe) officially changed its name to Bosnia and Herzegovina. One … [Read more...]
Legacy Tree Onsite: Navigating Italy’s Archives for Family Research
Legacy Tree Genealogists works with researchers from across the globe to access records for our clients. We asked one of our on-site researchers in Italy to explain how to navigate the complex maze of archives in Italian Research.It is incredible to me that America, as a country, is older than Italy!Between 1859 and 1870, the various territories in the peninsula came together to unify the country, but it would be another 76 years before a constitution was written and Italy declared a … [Read more...]
Legacy Tree Onsite: Hiroshima, Hometown of Japanese Emigrants
Legacy Tree Genealogists work with researchers from across the globe to access records for our clients. We asked one of our onsite researchers located in Japan to give some insight into researching Japanese emigration in the city of Hiroshima.Another Face of HiroshimaWhen you hear the name "Hiroshima," what image comes to mind? The Atomic-bomb Dome, the Peace Ceremony on August 6, or maybe the legend of the thousand paper cranes? The building called the Hiroshima Prefectural … [Read more...]
Legacy Tree Onsite: The Historical National Archive in Cape Verde
Legacy Tree Genealogists works with researchers from across the globe to access records for our clients. We asked one of our onsite researchers located in Cape Verde to share an overview of the record collections available at the Historical National Archive in Cape Verde.Historically, Cape Verde’s archipelago was a meeting point for citizens from Europe, America and Africa, mostly due to the slave trade, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Due to this unique past, the documents contained in … [Read more...]
Legacy Tree Onsite: A Genealogist’s Guide to Australian Archives
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 an inside look at the resources available for family history research at various Australian archives.Australian archives can be broadly sorted into governmental, public and private collections. They can occur at each of the three levels of government (federal, state and local), within other public institutions such as state libraries, or … [Read more...]