We outline the 5 steps in the genealogy research process that will help you maximize your research efforts.When researching your family history, have you ever asked yourself: “Where do I even start?!” Or, in the thick of researching have you ever thought: “What do I do next?” or “How do I know what I’ve found is correct?”These are questions we’ve all asked ourselves in one form or another at some point. Genealogy can be overwhelming and sometimes that feeling of being overwhelmed turns … [Read more...]
From Beaver Pelts to Totem Poles: Key Canadian Genealogy Resources East to West
A guide to key Canadian genealogy resources, coast to coast!East to west, Canadian genealogy resources offer an abundance of delights for family history! The record landscape begins with the first non-indigenous early 16th century settlement by the French in present-day Quebec, and although things didn’t really start rolling in terms of nation-wide settlement until Confederation in 1867 — the birth of the Dominion of Canada — the tantalizing opportunity for many families to be traced in … [Read more...]
Solutions for a Weed-Free Yard, Genealogy-Style: Genealogy Podcasts
I don’t know about you, but there are just some chores that I loathe to do, like weeding. Right now, with spring in full swing, my yard is growing a healthy crop of weeds. My solution to making it more enjoyable? Listening to genealogy podcasts! Here are five of my favorite genealogy podcasts that make the time fly when doing any mundane task: Genealogy Gems is hosted by Lisa Louise Cooke, and her podcast “helps you make the most of your family history research time by providing quick and … [Read more...]
Connecting the Dots: What Constitutes Genealogical Proof?
How do we know when we have compiled enough evidence to consitute genealogical proof of a familial connection? Read on to find out!How do we know when we have compiled enough evidence to constitute proof? Is a birth certificate or an autosomal DNA test result sufficient to declare this person is the child of that person? Must we collect every record regarding an individual – the deeds, the tax lists, the newspaper clippings, the census reports – before we can declare a familial … [Read more...]
Find Centuries of Ancestors in Germany’s Village Genealogy Books!
If you have German ancestry, village genealogy books are an essential resource for extending your family history.German genealogy can be intimidating—after determining the ancestral village of origin, the next step involves deciphering documents written in an archaic handwritten cursive script that can challenge even the best of us. So, genealogists seeking their German ancestors can perhaps be forgiven for wishing for any kind of a shortcut that could make their lives easier. Fortunately, for … [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...]
Tips for Using City Directories for Genealogy Research
The R.L. Polk company, though not the earliest company to do so, published their first city directory in the 1870s, as a way to centralize community information. They employed sales associates and census enumerators to go door to door to collect information, sell advertising and make sales for their new directories. These handy guides were the quitessential Google search of their day--the go-to resource for finding information. These same directories can be an important resource for genealogy … [Read more...]
Charles Booth’s London Poverty Maps: A Glimpse Into the Lives of Your Ancestors
If your ancestors lived in London at the end of the 1800s, the digitized Booth poverty maps provide fascinating insight into neighborhoods and standards of living in the city. The maps form part of Charles Booth’s, Inquiry into the Life and Labour of the People in London, a study conducted between 1886 and 1903. Booth was a Victorian philanthropist and a successful businessman.I have several ancestors who lived in London during that time, so I decided to see what could be gleaned about their … [Read more...]
Legacy Tree Onsite: Genealogy Research at the Pest County Archives in Budapest, Hungary
Legacy Tree Genealogists works with researchers from across the globe to access records for our clients. We asked one of our onsite researchers in Hungary to share an inside look at the resources available for family history research at the Pest County Archives located in Budapest, Hungary.The Pest County Archives | Pest Megyei LevéltárPest county (Hungarian: Pest megye) was formed after World War II, incorporating a part of the former Pest-Pilis-Solt-Kiskun county, as well as smaller … [Read more...]
Denied Access to a Vital Record? Try the Newspaper!
When privacy laws prevent researchers from finding genealogy records, newspaper records may provide the information you're searching for! Strict privacy laws, designed to protect both the living and the dead from having their identities stolen, can create some serious problems for a genealogist. Some states permit the acquisition of birth, marriage, or death records when the individuals named in those records have been dead for 50 years, or 100 years after the event was recorded. Other … [Read more...]
