If you're not including university special collections in your genealogy research arsenal, you may be missing out on finds that add valuable context to your ancestors' lives. The Civil War diary of my first cousin, five times removed, detailing his experience at the battle of Vicksburg. The original botanical sketches for my great-great-grandfather’s work on South African flowers, including his handwritten notes. Advertisements for the barbering business of another … [Read more...]
Super Human? Magician? Freaking Miracle Worker? Close…We’re Genealogists!
Have you hit a brick wall in your genealogy research? Have you considered hiring help? We share 4 tips for managing expectations when hiring a professional genealogist. As Legacy Tree’s high client ratings can attest, hiring a professional genealogist can be a deeply rewarding and exciting process. In nearly 20 years of service, we have helped thousands of clients learn about their heritage, identify biological parents, join lineage societies, break down brick walls, trace their immigrant … [Read more...]
Jewish Family History Research Tips, Part 3: Conclusion
This post concludes our three-part series on Jewish family research for genealogy. Click here for part one and part two in the series. Record Types Jewish families appeared in a variety of records throughout their time in Eastern Europe. When conducting ancestral research for Jewish families, the following resources for their town, district, and region should be considered: Civil Registration: government-kept records of births, marriages and deaths. Synagogue Records: Jewish-specific … [Read more...]
Jewish Research Part 2: Tips and Resources
Learning about your immigrant Jewish ancestry can be rewarding. Here are a few tips and tricks that can help you overcome common obstacles in Jewish genealogy research. In a previous post, we covered an introduction to Jewish immigrant research, focusing on historical context, migration patterns, and determining the European hometown. Once you've made the connection across the pond, however, there is still work to be done. Maps and Gazetteers Once you have found a record that names your … [Read more...]
11 Do’s & Don’ts of Writing Family Biographies
Our team has completed thousands of hours of writing client biographies. Review our tips for writing family biographies that will help make your ancestors come to life! Recently, we published a post on tips for writing a family biography that others would want to read. Perhaps that article inspired you to begin your own, or to dig up an unfinished manuscript and take a closer look. Maybe you’ve got the organization part figured out, but your writing itself needs some polishing. At Legacy … [Read more...]
Death Certificates: Both a Primary and Secondary Source
When conducting genealogical research, it is important to remember that some documents are considered a primary source, and some are considered secondary. Our article, Evidence Analysis Explained: Digging Into Genealogical Sources discusses the nuances between the two, but suffice it to say that a primary source is one created as close to the actual event as possible with participants in that event providing the information. A secondary source was created after the event took place and by … [Read more...]
Research Pitfalls of Beginning Genealogists
Avoid these common research pitfalls that many beginning genealogists fall into! If you’re looking for ways to improve your research skills, it’s always best to take a personal inventory of your research practices and habits. Following are some errors that many beginners and hobbyists make which, if eliminated, could save time and increase accuracy immensely. Collecting Ancestors This is one of the most common mistakes. Simply copying down someone else’s tree or taking their … [Read more...]
Decoding Property Records: Genealogy and the Base and Meridian
Property records are full of genealogy information! Here's how understanding the baseline and meridian in land records can help in your genealogy research. Back in 1855 when the state of Utah was getting organized, the Salt Lake Meridian was established and it was from this very point that the entire state of Utah was surveyed. The stone post in this photo is essentially the center of Utah, and the baseline (or latitude) and meridian (longitude) is still surveyed from here. This was an … [Read more...]