As genealogists, we occasionally encounter funny genealogy records that makes us giggle. Here's a collection of some of our favorites!Most researchers have felt the thrill of discovering a little-known document that connects the dots on a family tree, but generally a lot of time is spent slogging through pages of records with little to show for the effort. However, researchers who spend copious amounts of time in censuses, wills, and land records are often rewarded with a few giggles to make … [Read more...]
Tracing Ancestry Through Medieval Italian Records
Family History: How Far Back Can You Go?As professional genealogists one question we are often asked is, “How far back can you take my pedigree?” While we’d all love to have a pedigree documented back to the beginnings of mankind, this just isn’t possible. And creating an accurate, documented and sourced family tree cannot be completed in the span of an afternoon--answering one of our other most frequently received questions--How Long Does It Take to Build a Family Tree?Genealogical … [Read more...]
German Immigrants in American Church Records
If your family tree has German immigrants, include American church records in your genealogy research efforts. Do you have German ancestors who lived in the Midwest? Were they Protestants? If you answered yes to those questions, then you need to know about the German Immigrants in American Church Records (GIACR) series.Compiled by Dr. Roger P. Minert of Brigham Young University, the first volume of the series was published in 2005 and has since expanded to include 18 volumes, the most … [Read more...]
Dealing with Shifting County Boundaries
Maps can be the very tool for breaking through your brick wall... or causing one. County boundaries that have changed over time can be overwhelmingly frustrating in your genealogy research. Here's a deeper look at understanding and dealing with shifting county boundaries. As anyone who has ever delved very deep into American research knows, the shifting boundaries of counties and even states can complicate research. You want to get right to the source, to know where to look for records of … [Read more...]
Free World War I Records Through the End of July and Beyond
One of the best things to hear as a genealogist is, "Free records!" World War I records have been offered free from MyHeritage through the end of July. Enjoy!100 years ago, Serbia was invaded by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The date was July 28, 1914. This act marked the beginning of World War I, one of history's deadliest conflicts and the impetus of many political changes worldwide.In memory of this event, MyHeritage is offering free access to its World War I records through the end … [Read more...]
Maps and Family History: Early United States Maps We Love
Linking maps with family history research can help us better understand the lives of our ancestors. Here are our top resources for finding early U.S. maps!As genealogists, we love maps. They're such a helpful way to show a client where an ancestor was living, especially if the ancestor lived near the border of another town or county, which can affect what records need to be searched.Here are some great resources for early United States maps:We love http://mapofus.org. When you click on … [Read more...]
Write a Captivating Family History with the 1900 Census
As you write your family history, don't neglect the wealth of information that can be found in the 1900 census! What were you doing at the turn of the century? Watching the Times Square Ball drop as Dick Clark prattled on? Were you hiding in a closet, worried about how Y2K would wreak havoc on your life? Were you partying like it was 1999?Author Ian Frazier masterfully wove together the happenings of the previous turn of the century with his own genealogical findings in the opening of … [Read more...]
Researching Irish Ancestry
Researching Irish Ancestry can be a challenge. If you find yourself with a genealogical 'brick wall', perhaps checking these available records will help!March and St. Patrick's Day trigger a flurry of Irish genealogical activity every year. It's a great time to focus on those lines that have Irish ancestry!MyHeritage.com is offering free access to part of their Irish records collection this weekend (through 17 March 2014). Ancestry.com has some information about new additions to their … [Read more...]
Tracking Your Irish Ancestor Across the Ocean
Researching your immigrant genealogy can be daunting, especially when you're tracking your Irish ancestor across the ocean. Here's some advice!Finding an Irish immigrant’s area of origin can be challenging, but there are several Irish, U.S., and Canadian records that may give you this information. This article will discuss civil registration, immigration, church, vital, and cemetery records and how these records can assist you in finding your ancestor’s place of origin.Civil … [Read more...]
Deeds and Other Land Records
If you're stuck in your genealogy journey, perhaps access to deeds and other land records will help break through your ancestry's brick walls! Here are our tips and suggestions for making the most of these precious records. Deeds, and land records in general, can provide helpful pieces to the puzzle you are trying to solve about your United States ancestor. They are especially helpful in areas or time periods where few records of other types are available, like the southern United … [Read more...]
