What untold immigration stories are waiting to be discovered in your family history? We share the story of Japanese immigrant, Seito Saibara.The history of America is an interlacing web of immigration stories from all over the world, many still untold. Every pioneer, either celebrated in life or silent to the grave, has a story worth telling—you just need to know how to go about telling it!Such is the case with Japanese immigrant, Seito Saibara, a name largely unknown outside of the … [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...]
Details in the Graves: Using Tombstone Symbolism to Unlock your Ancestor’s History
"What does the symbol on my ancestors' gravestone mean?" Our guide to gravestone symbols may just contain the answer you're looking for!This time of year, cemeteries hold a certain appeal due to their association with the macabre, but for the dutiful family historian, the tombstones of our ancestors can provide leads to untapped records. If you have yet to go and search for the physical gravestone of an ancestor and know where they might be buried, the effort spent locating them could be … [Read more...]
Guarding Against Presentism: How Historical Facts (Should) Affect Your Research Strategy
Understanding social and historical context can be critical at guarding against presentism and inaccurate assumptions in your genealogy research.Understanding Social Context Last year, I attended a genealogy-oriented writers’ workshop where we discussed crafting family histories and biographies. As a case study on which to practice, our instructor, Dr. Amy Harris (check her out on Instagram, @familyhistoryprof), presented us with her research into Mina, a Scottish woman of 1905 who had … [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...]
Finding Your Soldier of the Great Patriotic War of 1941–45 (Eastern Front of WWII): Part II
Did your ancestor serve during the Great Patriotic War of 1941–45? Learn more about their Soviet military service using this free resource!Last week in Part I of our two part series, we introduced Pamyat Naroda (Память народа), a website hosted by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (Министерство обороны Российской Федерации) to honor the participants of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45, commonly referred to as the Eastern Front of World War II in English-speaking countries. … [Read more...]
Finding Your Soldier of the Great Patriotic War of 1941–45 (Eastern Front of WWII): Part I
Did your ancestor serve during the Great Patriotic War of 1941–45? Learn more about their Soviet military service using this free resource!Many descendants of Eastern European immigrants who landed on North American shores in the first wave of immigration soon found that their relatives who stayed behind were no longer citizens of the historical empires who had ruled over them. With the changing borders through the Interwar period to the beginning of World War II, the citizens of the new … [Read more...]