The Legacy Tree team loves animals, and recently some of them shared stories of ancestors who had pets, or worked with animals, and even had close encounters with dangerous beasts!A cousin’s pet calfMany of our ancestors lived on farms, or in rural areas, and grew up around livestock. This photograph from Washington state in the 1930s clearly demonstrates a family member’s attachment to one of the calves. Unfortunately, this friendship had to end when times became tough (or perhaps simply … [Read more...]
Top 3 Resources to Trace Your Ancestry in Guatemala
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 Guatemala to share an overview of the top 3 resources for tracing your Guatemalan ancestry.A journey through Guatemala history is essential to understand the nature of Guatemala genealogy records. Guatemala, like the rest of the Central America countries, was colonized by the Spaniards, who arrived in 1524 and conquered the native … [Read more...]
DNA to the Rescue! Solving an Irish Genealogy “Brick Wall”
A case study that demonstrates how to use document evidence in conjunction with DNA evidence to resolve an Irish genealogy "brick wall". *Shared with client permissionResearchers with Irish ancestors have often thrown up their hands in despair when they learn about the massive record loss on that small island. Knowing one’s birthdate or even one’s age was not an Irish cultural value until well into the 20th century, which further complicates Irish research. “Crossing the pond” to document … [Read more...]
Legacy Tree Onsite: So, You Have an Alberta Ancestor?
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 Alberta, Canada to share an overview of the various archives available to research your Alberta ancestry. If you have ancestors that hail from Alberta Canada, this article will share the information you need to help you get started with research at the various archives throughout the province. If your Canadian ancestor lived in a … [Read more...]
Legacy Tree Onsite: 7 Overlooked Irish Genealogy Resources You Should Be Using
Legacy Tree Genealogists works with researchers from across the globe to access records for our clients. We asked one of our researchers located in Cork, Ireland to share an overview of overlooked Irish genealogy resources that you may be missing.Irish genealogy research has a reputation for being difficult, due to the substantial loss of material in the 1922 Public Records Office fire. Fortunately, in recent years this has changed, with many online resources becoming available. When people … [Read more...]
Honoring and Proving Formerly Enslaved Ancestors Through Lineage Society Membership
Being the descendent of enslaved ancestors, there awaits a unique opportunity to join a specifically interesting lineage society. Here is an insight into what you would need to prove your family history, and where you would be able to provide these valuable records. African Americans with an invested interest in their heritage and deep roots within the United States of America are all too familiar with the legacy and impact of America’s slave era. Reflecting upon that time can be a source of … [Read more...]
Diving into English Records: An Essential Guide for Tracing English Ancestry
Do you have English ancestry? We review the most requested English records and tips for using these records to build an accurate family tree. When seeking to extend your English ancestry, it is essential to first understand the records that are available. Following are examples of the most requested English records that are vital to researchers when building your family tree, and tips for using these records to help build an accurate family tree. General Registry Office for Births, … [Read more...]
The Journey of DNA’s Inheritance Paths: mtDNA and Y-DNA
DNA has taken a far-ranging journey from our ancestors of long ago. The stories in this article demonstrate how mtDNA and Y-DNA can be used to solve research problems based on DNA inheritance patterns.*This article originally appeared in NGS Magazine, and is reprinted with permission.Each human has DNA, a biological code that affects many physical, emotional, and behavioral characteristics. Humans inherit copies of DNA from their parents, who in turn inherited portions of DNA from their … [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...]
Pathways to Membership in The Jamestowne Society
Many are under the impression that to become a member of the Jamestowne Society, one must have an ancestor who was a first settler of the Jamestowne colony. Although that is one route to join, the Jamestowne Society provides six pathways to membership! Learn more about them.The Jamestowne Society, founded in 1936 and incorporated in 1958, is a lineage society based in Richmond, Virginia with the mission to discover and record the names of early Virginia settlers and their descendants. They … [Read more...]