The Legacy Tree Genealogists Blog

Hand-picked, tested and trained, our professional genealogist team knows how to find your story. We search the world for answers. Find the un-findable. And we’re experts at everything from tracking down rare international records to analyzing DNA test results. Based near the world’s largest family history library in downtown Salt Lake City, we also work with researchers and archives around the globe. Contact us today if you would like help discovering your ancestors!

Passenger Lists: A Gateway to Foreign Lands and a Former Life

July 31, 2020 by Marissa - Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher 2 Comments

How do you trace your immigrant ancestors from one country to another? Their travels were likely documented on passenger lists. Learn more!In the United States, I’ve heard it said that “unless your family is Native American your ancestors immigrated from somewhere.” How do you trace them if your family immigrated from one country to another, particularly crossing an ocean or two in the process? Their travels were likely documented, specifically on a passenger manifest for the ship they sailed on.Early Immigration RegulationA common family legend is that “Grandpa came over illegally in the 1840s and so there was no record of his arrival” or that “he stowed away so that’s why he isn’t in the passenger lists at Ellis Island.” While some of these stories may be true, the vast majority are not. The fact is, most immigrants were documented and it is a best practice to begin with the assumption that your ancestor was “the rule” rather than the exception. However, it is true that …

Meet Ryan, Project Manager for Legacy Tree Genealogists

July 29, 2020 by Legacy Tree Genealogists Leave a Comment

Meet Ryan, one of Legacy Tree Genealogists talented project managers!Ryan Rockwood’s interest in the genealogy industry began when while living in Japan he saw how a deep reverence for and understanding of one’s ancestors can literally change people’s lives. This interest sprang into a career goal when he noticed how people of Asian descent had far fewer genealogical resources than those of other nationalities.In an attempt to address this need, Ryan received a bachelor’s degree in Japanese from Brigham Young University with minors in Family History and International Business. While attending Brigham Young University he completed a number of internships that pushed him closer to his goal of helping those of Japanese descent with their genealogy. He was a Global Experience Operations Intern for FamilySearch, spending a portion of the internship in their Tokyo office where he assisted patrons all over Japan. He loved the opportunity to help people of all ages and experience levels …

Legacy Tree Onsite in Istria, Croatia: One Peninsula, Three Identities

July 23, 2020 by Legacy Tree Genealogists 2 Comments

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 Istria, Croatia, to share some of the nuances of genealogical research in Istria.Istria is a peninsula in the Adriatic Sea belonging to Croatia, Slovenia and Italy. Its name derives from the name of the tribe Histri. When the Roman army invaded their capital in 177 BC, the Histrian king Epulon, his guard and their families committed mass suicide, choosing death over slavery. A few stones left from that period can still be seen in the open-air museum of Nesactium (known as Vizače in Croatian). Rome was not the only foreign power to rule Istria from afar. Over the centuries, Istria was ruled from Venice, Ljubljana, Vienna, Belgrade and Zagreb. Due to this history, records for Istria are held in various archives. The main genealogical archives for Istria are in Pula, Pazin, Rijeka and Zagreb, all cities in Croatia. However, …

A Family in Stitches: Genealogical Information From a Scottish Embroidery Sampler

July 17, 2020 by Maggie - Legacy Tree Genealogists Project Manager Leave a Comment

Genealogical information is often found in unlikely places. Check out the familial details included in this Scottish embroidery sampler!In 1885 my great-grandmother, Isabella Fairbairn, was 10 years old. She lived in a rural area of the Scottish borders, and like most Scottish children between the ages of 5 and 13, schooling was compulsory for her. Isabella attended school at Crailing, about 5 miles outside the market town of Jedburgh.We might never have known this, had she not created an embroidery sampler while she was a pupil there. Victorian education concentrated on “the three Rs” – reading, writing and arithmetic. There was little variation in lessons, but needlework may have come as a light relief from the rigid drills of multiplication tables or copying from the blackboard. Needlework was an essential skill for girls; boys likely received instruction in woodwork. Isabella’s embroidery sampler is an example of a “band” sampler. The characters and designs are …