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How To Obtain Original American Southwest Genealogical Records

Obtaining original American Southwest Genealogical records can seem complicated, but in this article we’ll help you request original documents to help you on your journey.

Exploring Genealogical Records from the Archives of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico

Anyone familiar with the ins and outs of genealogical research in New Mexico has probably come across documents, abstracts, transcriptions, indexes, or citations associated with collections held at the Archives of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe. If you’re one of those genealogical researchers, you may have wondered how to obtain original records kept in this archive’s extensive collection. 

Brief History: Why you need the Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe

The Roman Catholic Church’s presence in New Mexico began as early as the 1500s when the Franciscan missionaries began proselyting to the Native Americans there. By 1850, this mission became so expansive that “all of New Mexico came under the Diocese of Santa Fe jurisdiction.” The Archdiocese of Santa Fe reigned supreme in New Mexico until the territory it covered was too massive and started to divide in 1868. Inevitably, the ecclesiastical Archdiocese of Santa Fe affected anyone living in New Mexico between the 1500s to the mid-1800s.

While the State and counties of New Mexico didn’t record births before 1907; marriages before 1852; or deaths before 1906, the Roman Catholic Church records in some parts of New Mexico can go back as early as the 1600s. These records include baptisms, marriages, marriage information records, deaths, and burials. Sometimes one record alone will name multiple generations of one’s family, becoming an invaluable asset to genealogical research. Therefore, if you would like to push your ancestry back to the 19th century, utilizing the Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, records is a great place to start. 

The Archive’s Online Collections of American Southwest Records

Many of the Archdiocese’s records have been digitized and made available online; you can access these records for free. Start there if the records you’re searching for are readily available online. The Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe will redirect you to conducting your research in these collections if they are publicly available. Fortunately, the New Mexico Genealogical Society (NMGS) has created several fantastic guides for “E-Research Resources,” making your family history journey easier. Their guides include:

  • Family & Church Records
  • Marriage & Prenuptial Investigations
  • Wills & Land Grants
  • Burials & Death Records
  • Maps, Online Collections & New Mexico History

One of the most helpful, comprehensive guides created by the NMGS for navigating records from the Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe is called “Finding Aids for Church Records” (to access this guide, see this link). This fantastic guide is organized alphabetically by location and includes records from New Mexico, Colorado, and Texas. Their finding aid includes hyperlinks that will take you directly to the record set you need and also provide tips for researchers and names other places to search if you cannot find the target ancestor in an expected location. Below is an example of this guide’s compilation for records in Albuquerque, New Mexico:

Genealogy research American Southwest

Screenshot of the Finding Aids for Church Records from the NMGS, Location: Albuquerque

Note that in the image above, there is a column for “AASF;” this stands for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. The numbers in this column are associated with microfilms kept by the Archives of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe; these collections are unavailable online. Keep in mind that there are currently three Archdioceses in New Mexico—Santa Fe, Las Cruces, and Gallup—and that this guide only lists offline microfilms kept at the Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. The NMGS notes that “the other two dioceses have not released their records” for public use.

The NMGS’s church records guide hyperlinks are associated with microfilms kept in the FamilySearch Catalog. If you’d like, you may also explore the online record collections of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe by going directly there. You can search The Family Search Catalog by place, surname, title, author, subject, or keyword and by the microfilm number. Since indexes are not always available for these records, many collections must be searched page by page.

American Southwest Genealogical Records Offline

Although the records you’re seeking may be abstracted, transcribed, or referenced online, the original records are sometimes unavailable to the public online. In this case, you must go through the Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe directly. Their website states, “The Archdiocese of Santa Fe’s Office of Historic-Artistic Patrimony and Archives does not conduct extensive family genealogical research.” The Archive is currently closed to the general public and is not accepting in-house research appointments. 

Therefore, when you make a family history request to the Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, your request must be for a specific record. If you find a record that you’d like to order from the Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, you can use the Archive’s “Archival Sacramental Record Search” request form. A link to this form can be accessed here or on their webpage for the “Office of Historic-Artistic Patrimony & Archives” in the documents section. While they will not accept an emailed copy of the record request form, you can mail a physical copy of your request to the archive.

Each record search costs $20, which must be paid in cash or check; they do not take credit card payments. In paying the fee, the Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe will search for up to two hours for the record requested, and they guarantee a 6-to-8-week turnaround time. They cannot, however, guarantee to locate the record, and if they do not find the record you’ve requested, they will keep the $20 research fee. If they do find the record requested, you will receive a photocopy of the microfilmed original records. Please keep in mind that the Archdiocese of Santa Fe does not accept record search requests for records pre-1700; all record requests must be kept between 1700 to 1956.

To assist them in their search, provide as much information as possible—names, dates, places, etc. This increases the likelihood of success in their search. The Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe emphasize that modern-day county lines do not break down their records; therefore, it is essential to provide the specific town/city name in which the requested record is kept.

If you have questions or need further assistance from the archive, contact them at 505-983-3811 or [email protected].

Many resources are available to those seeking their New Mexican ancestors online and offline from the Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. Don’t be afraid to start poking around!

If you’d like help from our professional genealogy research team to help you get through a brick wall, you can schedule a consultation with us to see how we can get you through that brick wall and back on track with your family history research.

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3 Keys to Discovering Your Hungarian Jewish Ancestors

In this article, Legacy Tree Genealogists Kathryne Thorne helps you understand three key ways to find your Hungarian Jewish ancestors. 

hungarian jewish ancestors blog post

Depending on when your ancestors were born, “Hungary” may have looked very different than it does today. Before 1918, the Kingdom of Hungary included not just the modern country of Hungary but also Slovakia, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, parts of Romania, Ukraine, and Montenegro. Between World War I and II, these borders shifted, with Hungary losing and regaining land only to lose it again at the end of World War II.

It wasn’t until 1946 that Hungary became what we think of and know today. As a result, our Jewish ancestors often reported their birthplace in Hungary when the current location was in a different country. This is important because the modern country affects the location and accessibility of records related to ancestors.  

With so many factors at play, how do we trace our Hungarian ancestors and seek answers to our European family history? Here are three tips to help you find your Hungarian Jewish ancestors.  

Determine the Time Frame of Your Hungarian Jewish Ancestor’s Arrival 

In many cases, knowing when your ancestor left Hungary can give you clues as to what types of records may exist for them. There are four primary periods of Jewish emigration from Hungary:

Between 1880-1918, many Hungarians left, seeking economic opportunity, including about 100,000 Hungarian Jews.

Between 1919-1944, a rise of antisemitism began to sweep across Hungary, and while many Jews attempted to leave before 1939, only about 8,500 Hungarian Jewish immigrants arrived in America before that date.

An additional 10,000 Jewish refugees managed to flee between 1939 and 1944.

In the aftermath of the Holocaust, 15,000-20,000 Jewish emigrants left to settle in Palestine/Israel, and an additional 4,000-5,000 settled in other places, including America and Australia.

The final wave of mass Jewish emigration occurred in 1956 in response to a political revolution that resulted in many antisemitic incidents and attacks. Roughly 20,000 Jewish emigrants left at this time.  

If your Jewish ancestors arrived before 1900 in America, it will be important to carefully review records related to the approximate date of their naturalization. Many immigrants who arrived before 1900 naturalized before the standardization of the naturalization process in 1906. Before this date, naturalization paperwork and passenger lists often don’t include as much information regarding immigrant ancestors, reducing their birthplace to the country they were born in. 

If your immigrant ancestors arrived between about 1939-1956, it might be worthwhile to review Holocaust-era documentation. Worthwhile research areas include placing a request with the Arolsen Archives in Bad Arolsen, Germany. A request for an archival search can be made for free online for information regarding a specific family member believed to have lived in Europe during the Holocaust.

Arolsen Archives is the largest holder of records related to both the Holocaust and the post-Holocaust refugee effort, which redistributed survivors around the world. Another option is to search for family members in the Central Database of Shoah Victims’ Names. This database, created by Yad Vashem in Israel, is a collection of pages of testimonies that include details of those who died during the Holocaust. Sometimes these records can provide critical information regarding siblings, parents, and other extended family members, which can help locate more information about the family in Europe.  

 

Review Domestic Records, and Don’t Forget the Graves of Hungarian Jewish Ancestors 

As with most research into immigrant ancestors, research should begin in domestic records, gathering information about your ancestor’s life in their destination country which may hold clues to their life before immigration. Key record sets to review include the usual suspects of research: draft registration forms, censuses, passenger lists, and naturalization paperwork. Our blog post, “Family Tree Research and Jewish History,” covers these resources in depth. But another key source exists for Jewish ancestors that can sometimes hold the key to locating your ancestor in Europe: their gravesite. 

An often-overlooked resource, Jewish mitzvot (sing. mitzvah, gravestones), can contain clues regarding the Hebrew or Yiddish name that our Jewish ancestors may have arrived under in America and lived under in Europe. Many Jewish tombstones include an inscription written in Hebrew with their names and their fathers’ names. For example, Philip Schalet was an immigrant who arrived in America in 1927; he died four years later in 1931. He arrived separate from his family, and locating his passenger list, and birthplace proved more difficult than typical. However, he was buried at Mount Hebron Cemetery in Queens.  

Hungarian Jewish ancestors grave Image of Philip Schalet’s Grave courtesy of Mount Hebron Cemetery 

 

His mitzvah, when translated, read: “Here lies Shraga Feivush son of reb (Mr.) Hersh Melech, died 27 Tishrei 5692”. Using this information, the passenger list of Philip was able to be located under the name Feivush.  

Aside from your ancestor’s pre-immigration name, many first-generation Jewish immigrants were part of a burial society. Burial societies are organizations that assist with reserving and, in some cases, paying for burial plots for Jewish immigrants. Burial societies are often formed by a group of people with a similar background; this can be an individual extended family, a labor union, a synagogue, or, most importantly, a hometown. Burial societies formed by immigrants from the same location are called landsman shaft.

As these are internal societies, immigrants are often much more specific about their birthplace than they will be on other documents. The Jewish Genealogical Society of New York reports 94 burial societies associated with a particular hometown in Hungary and 179 for Romania. The burial society for a specific ancestor can sometimes be located on online gravesite databases like Find a Grave or BillionGraves.

Still, often you will need to contact the cemetery itself and ask if your ancestor’s burial was part of a specific society. Once you have this information, you can search databases like the burial society database of the Jewish Genealogical Society of New York to learn more about the burial society your ancestor was part of.  

In the case of Philip Schalet, he was buried in the section reserved for members of Congregation Machzikei Hadas Anshei Złoczów, a burial society associated with Złoczów in the Galicia region of the Austrian Empire. This location is now Zolochiv in Ukraine. 

Review Digital Records, But Don’t Forget Archival Resources 

Now that you know where your ancestor originated from, and you are ready to hop into research in Europe, a new set of challenges awaits. Depending on where your ancestors originated from, the accessibility of records will differ.  

For digital records, consider looking at Hungarian censuses. Hungary took regular censuses of the population, and the entries for Jewish ancestors are indexed on JewishGen. The available years for the census include 1828, 1848, 1857, and 1869. These censuses cover most regions of the Kingdom of Hungary, with some exceptions due to record loss. 

The second form of records you’ll want to seek are synagogue and civil registration. Hungarian Jewish records were kept somewhat irregularly from 1788 to 1840, although it was required by law. However, as taxation and conscription depended on these registers, many people avoided registration. Despite this, by 1855, records were kept almost universally. Initially created by the rabbi in the synagogue under Catholic supervision, these records were the standard until civil registration began in Hungary in 1895. The synagogue and civil registration records will likely be kept in the regional archive associated with your ancestors’ location.  

Some locations formerly part of Hungary, such as Ukraine and Slovakia, often have digital records available online through FamilySearch. However, they are often not indexed and will require a bit of digging to locate your family member.  

Research in Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Romania, and Montenegro is often much more difficult because the majority of records are not digitized, and research must be done directly in the archives of each country to make progress. Depending on the region, requests directly to the archives for an individual document may be successful. Still, research with an onsite researcher able to visit the archives in person is typically much faster and more effective. Legacy Tree Genealogists work with onsite researchers who access archives in the countries formerly a part of the Kingdom of Hungary and can assist with uncovering your ancestors’ stories.

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Part 1: Navigating MyHeritage DNA Matches & Tools

This is Part 1 of a series about how to use MyHeritage DNA matches and tools. Read part two about the Theories of Family Relativity. 


father son photos album

When it comes to DNA matches, there’s family–the people you’ve known and lived with and been around maybe your entire life or perhaps just a short period. Naturally, you know these people. Maybe you share some of the same physical features, such as the shape of your nose or your hair color. Indeed, you’ve laughed, cried, celebrated, grieved, and experienced a wide range of emotions together. They are more than just familiar to you, so you think. 

But then there’s – family. This family is your genetic family. This is the family you thought you knew extremely well and the family you may not know well at all. When you take a DNA test at MyHeritage DNA, you’re probably going to find a little bit of both types of family members waiting to be discovered and re-discovered in your DNA results. 

Luckily, MyHeritage DNA provides a wealth of tools to help us become highly familiar with all our family members – known and previously unknown!

MyHeritage DNA Results and Tools

To access your DNA Matches at MyHeritage DNA, click on DNA on the top of the page in the menu bar. When you click on DNA, you will be directed to an overview of your DNA results, including your Ethnicity Estimate and DNA Matches. 

Continue to scroll down further, and you’ll also find locations and ethnicities of your DNA matches below your personal summarized ethnicity estimates and relationship information. 

Locations and ethnicities are tools or filters which we will discuss as we explore how to familiarize ourselves with our genetic relatives!

MyHeritage DNA MatchesMyHeritage DNA MatchesMyHeritage DNA Matches

Click on View DNA Matches to proceed to your genetic match lists, and let the research begin. Genetic relatives are typically broken up into three categories: 

  • close family
  • extended family
  • distant relatives 

Results will vary for each MyHeritage DNA test participant for each relationship. Most people will recognize DNA matches identified as close relatives. Close relatives are:

  • your parents
  • siblings
  • grandparents
  • aunt/uncles 
  • nieces/nephews
  • first cousins

At a glance, you should immediately recognize and know who these relatives are.

Assuming you have several or even a handful of close relatives within your match list, you’re likely to be amazed by what you learn of your genetic familial relationship to them. 

For instance, you may find that an aunt or uncle of yours shares an amount of DNA with you that is “genetically equivalent” to the amount of shared DNA expected between grandparents and their grandchildren as well as half-siblings. If you’re fortunate enough to have a variety of several close relatives who have tested, like multiple aunts or uncles or siblings or first cousins, you’ll be able to quickly and easily discover that you don’t all share the same exact ethnicities or amounts of DNA.

In other words, don’t be alarmed! You and your full sibling will share different amounts of DNA with your first cousins. In the MyHeritage DNA match list example, I share varying amounts of DNA with my two maternal aunts and maternal uncle, all within the range expected for a niece/nephew and aunt/uncle relationship.

MyHeritage DNA Matches

What about all the newly discovered family in your DNA Matches you don’t already know? 

MyHeritage DNA provides several tools to help understand how the DNA matches you aren’t familiar with relate to you. Many of these tools will become immediately available to you once you click on Review DNA Match. 

Even if your mystery DNA match hasn’t provided family surnames and locations or linked their entire family tree to their MyHeritage DNA profile, you’ll still be provided with information such as their probable relationship to you and the DNA match quality with particulars such as the amount of shared DNA, shared segments and the largest segment shared between you and the match.

Keeping the concept of “genetically equivalent relationships” in mind, MyHeritage DNA takes the probable relationship initially provided further with their cM Explainer™ tool. The tool shows multiple relationship possibilities, the probability for each relationship, and who the most recent common ancestor(s) might be within your family tree.

MyHeritage family DNA

myheritage DNA family matches

Beyond the cM Explainer™ feature, you can better understand or at least filter your DNA match to a particular part of your maternal or paternal family by comparing your shared DNA matches. In this view, you can compare the amount of shared DNA you and a match each share with an in-common match. 

The chromosome browser icon appears if the same segments of DNA are shared between all three of you.

DNA close matches

Scroll further down, and you can also familiarize yourself with your known and unknown matches by exploring your shared ethnicities and genetic groups.

The chromosome browser is the final feature available to you and your shared DNA match without a family tree. Within the DNA matches view of you and your shared match, this only reveals the segments in common between you and the one match. For full access to the chromosome browser feature, click DNA Tools at the top menu bar.

DNA matches with family trees may include all the previous features within the profile of your DNA match in addition to a Theory of Family Relativity™, shared ancestral surnames, shared ancestral places, and a pedigree chart of their family tree. Including a family tree with your DNA match profile is advantageous for everyone to maximize the features built into the website.

DNA filters can be utilized to quickly gain insight into the individuals within your match lists. The six filter menus are:

  • Tree details
  • Relationships
  • Locations
  • Ethnicities
  • Genetic Groups
  • Labels. 

They can be accessed by clicking the Filters icon shown here. 

Most menu selections are self-explanatory apart from Theory of Family Relativity™ and Smart Matches™ in the Tree details filters. The Theory of Family Relativity™ is discussed in this article further below.

MyHeritage DNA matches

For the locations filter, keep in mind this is the location your match has entered as their current or home location and may not reflect their genetic heritage. For instance, if I’m currently based in Japan, I may select that as my location, yet I may not have any Japanese ancestors. The ethnicities feature can be used to better assist with finding matches who share or don’t share ethnicities in common but are of interest for many possible family research questions.

My Heritage location filter

In the finale of our conversation on filters, the labels filter may assist with grouping your matches once you’ve figured out where they fit in your family tree or even if you haven’t. Use as many or as few labels as suits your individual research needs.

Continue reading Part Two: MyHeritage DNA Theories of Family Relativity here.

If you’d like to work with our team of professional genetic genealogists to help you with some of your DNA family history questions, you can fill out a form here to get things rolling!

 

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6 Strategies for Using DNA to Research Your Latin American Ancestry

Latin America family history research

Latin American ancestry can be challenging to research due to the lack of comprehensive and easily accessible records. Available and surviving records can be challenging to access due to their location or language or because they have not been digitized and made available online. 

Because of these challenges surrounding the availability of records, many people in Latin America and of Latin American descent turn to genetic genealogy and DNA testing to learn more about their ancestry and genetic heritage and connect with relatives both in their native homeland and around the world. We share six strategies for using DNA to research your Latin American ancestry.

Latin American Ancestry: A Brief History  

The majority of Latin America was first colonized by Spain and Portugal during the 16th and 17th centuries, which brought Catholicism to the region. Spain established colonies throughout Central and South America, including present-day Mexico, most of Central America, and much of South America. 

The Spanish also established colonies in the Caribbean, including present-day Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic. Portugal established colonies in present-day Brazil, the only Portuguese colony in Latin America. 

The role of the Catholic Church in the colonization of Latin America also helped shape the region’s culture, beliefs, and values, and it remains a significant part of the region’s history and identity today, especially as it relates to genealogically relevant records. 

The native peoples indigenous to these colonized regions were often enslaved or killed, and their cultures were suppressed. Additionally, nearly four million enslaved Africans were brought to Latin America as forced labor in cultivating and producing commodities, such as tobacco, rice, cotton, fruit, and sugar cane. 

Latin America Peru family history research

DNA Testing for Latin American Ancestry

For those who have completed DNA testing, these centuries of colonization are reflected in their complex and diverse genetic admixtures, with many individuals having a mix of European, Indigenous, and African ancestry.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of the best DNA test to help with your Latin American research, as it will depend on your specific needs and circumstances. Researching and comparing different DNA testing companies before deciding is always a good idea. 

For autosomal DNA testing, some factors to consider include the size of the company’s database, as this can affect the number and diversity of potential DNA matches, and your personal goals for taking the test, such as learning more about your family history, exploring your genetic ancestry, or for gaining health insights. And depending on your research goals, you may also want to consider if mitochondrial DNA and Y-DNA testing in conjunction with autosomal DNA testing can help further your progress.

Six strategies to help you effectively use genetic genealogy in your Latin American ancestry research include:

  1. Identify your ancestors

    Start by gathering as much information as you can about your ancestors, including their names, dates of birth and death, and any other relevant details. This information can help you focus your research and identify potential records and sources to explore.

  2. Test with multiple DNA testing companies

    Many different DNA testing companies are available, and some have more extensive representations of Latin American customers within their databases than others, which can increase the chances of finding relatives or matches. To get the most comprehensive view of one’s ancestry, it’s a good idea to test with multiple companies and compare the results.

    Additionally, you can maximize your DNA test results by uploading one set of results to a company that accepts autosomal DNA transfers–either for free or for a one-time fee to unlock advanced tools.

  3. Understand the limitations of DNA testing


    Genetic genealogy can provide valuable information about one’s maternal and paternal ancestry but is only genealogically useful for up to approximately six generations. After this, some ancestors in your family tree will not have contributed significant amounts of DNA to your genome due to the random nature of autosomal inheritance.

    Mitochondrial DNA testing focuses on a person’s direct maternal ancestry. Both biological males and females can take it, whereas Y-DNA testing to trace one’s direct paternal line is only available to biological males.

    Additionally, DNA testing can’t provide information on the cultural, social, or economic aspects of an individual’s ancestors.

  4. Understand the complexities of DNA testing


    While it can help discover relatives and distant pasts, it can sometimes be complicated. It’s important to be prepared for unexpected or surprising results. For example, you may find out that you have relatives you never knew you had or that your ancestors came from a different region than you had initially thought.

  5. Test close and known relatives

    You can help make it easier to identify your DNA matches by testing known relatives, including siblings and second cousins, and prioritizing the testing of your oldest living relatives. Full siblings share about 50 percent of their DNA, but it is a different combination of DNA than what you inherited. Second cousins share great-grandparents and can help to identify which one of your four grandparents might be the connection between you and a DNA match.

    Additionally, testing as many descendants as possible of your ancestor of interest can help increase the coverage of that ancestor’s genome. Suppose you are considering DNA testing and located outside of the United States or plan to ask a relative who lives abroad to perform DNA testing. In that case, ensuring the DNA testing company you are considering ships to that location is important.

  6. Connect with your DNA matches

    Collaborating with genetic cousins can benefit your genealogy research for several reasons. Not only can your DNA matches help you identify shared common ancestors, but it provides the opportunity to share information such as family photos, documents, and stories. In many cases, DNA matches can also give clues to your ancestor’s FAN network– “Friends, Associates, and Neighbors.”

    The FAN principle refers to the idea that when trying to learn more about an ancestor or a historical person, it can be helpful to investigate the people close to them. These people may have known the person well and may have information or documentation about them, such as letters, diaries, or photographs.

    Additionally, studying the people around your ancestor can give you a better understanding of their community, lifestyle, and social context.

 

Latin American Ancestry Available Records

 

Turning to available and relevant genealogical records, despite the varying landscapes and cultures, the most frequently utilized record types throughout Latin America are Catholic Church parish records and Civil Registration records. Catholic Parish records hold significant value in researching ancestry in Latin America, as they can provide information about an individual’s name, birthdate, parent’s name, place of residence, and names of both maternal and paternal grandparents and/or godparents.

Other types of records that may be available include census records, notarial records, and military records. For those records not available online, Legacy Tree Genealogists has a valuable and experienced network of onsite researchers in locations throughout Latin America, including Argentina, Brazil, Canary Islands, Chile, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Spain, who are available to help.


Overall, DNA testing can be a powerful tool for uncovering one’s ancestry and learning more about one’s family history. However, it’s essential to keep in mind the limitations of DNA testing and to use it in conjunction with traditional document-based genealogy research. With the right approach and patience, DNA testing can provide valuable insights into your Latin American ancestry.

If you’d like to work with our team of genetic genealogists to help you through any brick walls, schedule a consultation here to get started!

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How To Find Your Family Coat of Arms: United Kingdom and The Commonwealth

Are you curious if your family has a coat of arms that you may be entitled to use?

family coat of arms scotland

Many people find a coat of arms fun to display at home or a family reunion. Although selling coats of arms by surname has become a popular business, in most cases, they were granted for individual use only. While a coat of arms could be inherited, it could only be transmitted from father to son. Have you ever wondered if your family has one? 

What is a family coat of arms?

A coat of arms is a hereditary image, usually borne upon a shield. A coat of arms consists of a shield, supporters, a crest, and a motto. The use of coats of arms was developed in northern Europe in the mid-12th century for identification. Many kings, princes, knights, and other major power holders throughout Western Europe used a coat of arms. When transmitting a coat of arms, it had to be changed in some way to differentiate it from the one formerly used.

While there is no such thing as a coat of arms for a surname, one can be granted to a direct legitimate male descendant of someone to whom arms were granted or confirmed in the past. This makes one family group eligible for the coat of arms—not every one of that surname. According to the College of Arms, a woman can bear arms by inheritance or by a grant of arms to herself. However, women do not bear crests. If desired, a woman can bear their spouse’s arms.

Coat of Arms
Coats of Arms for King Henry VII (left) and King Henry VII (right). While similar, the changes are made to arms when transmitted to a direct male descendant. Images Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

The regulations and guidelines surrounding heraldry and the right to use a coat of arms are largely the same across the United Kingdom, with a few differences.

United Kingdom and the Commonwealth: The College of Arms

Today, the College of Arms regulates the creation, registration, and identification of a coat of arms. The College of Arms was founded in 1484 and maintains official registers of coats of arms and pedigrees for England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and much of the Commonwealth, including Australia and New Zealand. 

The College of Arms can only establish the right to arms by registering official pedigrees showing a direct male line descent from an ancestor entitled to arms or by applying for a grant of arms. Grants can be made to corporations as well as individuals. To learn more, please visit https://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/ 

Scottish Ancestry

For those with Scottish ancestry, it is important to note that a clan cannot have a coat of arms. The Chief of a clan may have a personal coat of arms. The College of Arms does not regulate the heraldry of clans but Lord Lyon King of Arms. Any resident of Scotland who owns a house or land may apply to the Lord Lyon King of Arms for a Scottish coat of arms. 

You may otherwise be able to apply for arms in the name of an ancestor who lived in Scotland if you can prove descent. Like the College of Arms, the Court of the Lord Lyon acts as Scotland’s heraldic authority. For more information, please visit https://courtofthelordlyon.scot/ 

Legal Right To Use a Coat of Arms

While searching for a coat of arms for your family may be a fun activity, the creation and use of arms are regulated in the United Kingdom, and most people have no legal right to use them. However, there are ways to acquire your coat of arms or locate an ancestor’s arms. You may be eligible to use it legally if you are a direct descendant of someone with a coat of arms. 

If you do display a coat of arms related to your surname, keep in mind that it does not actually belong to you. Additionally, unless you have proven to be descended from someone who was granted a coat of arms, it is possible the coat of arms never belonged to someone in your family tree but only someone related to that surname. 

Be sure to read our article “Eight Tips for Your Heraldic Research.” To learn more about coats of arms and the use of heraldry in the United Kingdom, please visit the following websites:

https://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/

https://courtofthelordlyon.scot/

 

If you’d like help finding out more about your ancestry, we’d love to work with you! Get a free quote here. 

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Autosomal DNA Test Results: Using Ethnicity Estimates to Generate Genealogical Hypotheses

The material in this autosomal DNA blog article was originally published in the October-December 2021 issue of NGS Magazine. It is updated and republished here with permission.

Autosomal DNA test results ethnicity estimates

Autosomal DNA test results at the major genetic genealogy testing companies (23andMe, Ancestry, Family Tree DNA, LivingDNA, MyHeritage) include two main elements: ethnicity admixture estimates and genetic cousin match lists.

While genetic cousin match lists are the most helpful resource for solving genealogical problems utilizing autosomal DNA, ethnicity admixture estimates can provide important context and clues to aid the interpretation of DNA matches.

When carefully analyzed, ethnicity estimates can sometimes aid in forming hypotheses that can be tested through more in-depth research in genetic cousin match lists.

Even so, ethnicity estimates are still estimates, and will continually be refined as company reference panels and algorithms improve. These ethnicity estimates should be considered within the context of all available evidence, including genetic cousin relationships. 

Basic Interpretation of Autosomal DNA Ethnicity Admixture Estimates

With few exceptions, each individual inherits 50% of their autosomal DNA from their mother in 22 chromosomes and 50% of their autosomal DNA from their father in 22 corresponding homologous chromosomes (meaning that they are similar in size, shape, and organization of genetic material). Since you can inherit only 50% of your DNA from each parent, if your ethnicity admixture estimate reports approximately 50% from one region and approximately 50% from another unique region, it could indicate that you have one parent from each region. Meanwhile, if you have significantly more than 50% admixture (more than 60-70%) from a single region, it could indicate that both of your parents had at least some ancestry from that region. 

While each company can typically differentiate genetic admixture at the continental level, it is more difficult to distinguish between closely related populations.

Autosomal DNA test results 1

If a test subject has significantly more than 50% admixture from a single region, it could indicate that both parents had at least some ancestry from that region. In this case, the test subject has significant British Isles ancestry on both sides of her family tree.

You can read more about understanding Autosomal DNA in our article here: How to Understand Your Closest Autosomal DNA Test Matches.

Using Caution

Even so, use caution when making these preliminary observations, particularly if your parents have ancestry from different countries in the same general area. For example, if you have one parent from Ireland and another from Japan, you will likely have a fairly even split in ethnicity admixture estimates.

Meanwhile, you have one parent from Norway and another from Germany. In that case, you may have higher than expected estimates of Scandinavian admixture, German admixture, or other populations in Northwestern Europe because of the proximity and historical association of those two populations.

These observations can help provide the context in cases of adoption, unknown parentage, or misattributed parentage, but can even be helpful for more distant genealogical research problems. 

Making Sense of the %

If you have a unique ethnicity admixture region that stands out from the rest of your estimate, then the percentage might give clues to estimate the distance to the ancestral source of that DNA. Each person inherits 50% of the autosomal DNA from each parent, about 25% from each grandparent, about 12% from each great-grandparent, and about half again every generation back in time.

Therefore, if you have approximately 25% Jewish admixture, you were surprised that it might come from an unknown grandparent. If you have 4-8% Iberian admixture, it could come from a Spanish or Portuguese second great-grandparent.

However, ethnicity estimates need not originate from a single ancestor. If you have 25% Aboriginal ancestry, you could just as easily have two Aboriginal great-grandparents from different ancestral lines as a single grandparent with Aboriginal ancestry. 

Autosomal DNA test results

If a test taker’s ethnicity admixture estimate reports approximately 50% from one region and approximately 50% from another unique region, it could indicate that the test subject has one parent from each region. in this example from MyHeritage, the test taker’s mother was completely Danish fitting with her 44% Scandinavian admixture.

Using an Absence of Information to Find Answers

Even the absence of a unique admixture estimate can aid in forming hypotheses in genealogical research. For example, if you ultimately attempt to identify your unknown second great-grandfather, your DNA test results reveal you have a 100% British admixture. You could assume that your unknown second great-grandfather was also probably from the British Isles.  

While we inherit autosomal DNA from many of our ancestors across many ancestral lines, not all of our distant ancestors contribute to our inherited set of DNA. 

Even so, each of us should inherit at least some DNA from each of our fourth great-grandparents. Therefore, if you have a family story that your great-great-grandmother was “full-blood Cherokee,” yet you have no Native American admixture, it could indicate that your family story is inaccurate. 

Want to know what to do next? You can learn more in our article Eight Steps to Pursue With New Autosomal DNA Test Results.

Ethnicity Chromosome Paintings

Ethnicity chromo painting

In July 2021, Family Tree DNA announced that they would soon be releasing a chromosome ethnicity painting. Ethnicity paintings are helpful for formulating hypotheses based on number, size and position of segments assigned to particular ethnicity regions.

In addition to ethnicity admixture estimates, 23andMe also provides an ethnicity chromosome painting showing which DNA segments correspond to different ethnicity regions. In September 2021, Family Tree DNA began offering a similar feature, and in July 2022, AncestryDNA also began providing a chromosome painting in connection with their ethnicity reports. They also began dividing ethnicity admixture estimates by parent. These representations can offer additional insights beyond the information provided by the percentage reports alone.

Autosomal DNA tests query thousands of markers across a test-takers genome and report two values for each marker: a value from the paternal chromosome and a value from the maternal chromosome. At any given site, however, it is impossible to tell which value corresponds to the maternal chromosome and which corresponds to the paternal chromosome. Further, it is difficult to determine which value on a consecutive marker corresponds with the same chromosome copy as the first or second value on the previous marker. 

23andMe processes DNA data to “phase” test results to construct ethnicity chromosome paintings. Through the phasing process, 23andMe attempts to determine which consecutive markers belong with each other on one chromosome copy and which marker values belong together on the other chromosome copy. Family Tree DNA and AncestryDNA utilize similar approaches. 

Want to learn more ways to use chromosome paintings? Read our article 5 Ways to Use the DNA Coverage Estimator Tool at DNA Painter. 

How To Determine Maternal or Paternal Chromosomes

Once DNA test data has been phased, it is chopped into smaller chunks or windows and assigned to reference populations. The 23andMe results show these assignments in the chromosome painting. Since it is not possible to know which DNA is paternal and which is maternal without additional information, the top chromosome in each representation is not necessarily paternal. The bottom is only sometimes maternal. Further, since the DNA is chopped up before being assigned to regional categories, it is possible and often occurs that the representation of one chromosome copy is a combination of maternal and paternal DNA. 

Therefore, just because a particular ethnicity admixture assignment appears on the top chromosome version in some pairs and on the bottom chromosome version in other pairs does not mean that both parents have admixture from that region.

Also, just because a particular ethnicity admixture assignment appears on the top version of a single chromosome pair and in a different region on the bottom of the same chromosome pair does not mean that both parents have admixture from that region. Even with these caveats, chromosome paintings can reveal important information regarding your ancestry. 

 

autosomal dna test results painting

If one complete version of every chromosome pair is assigned to one ethnic region and the other complete version of every chromosome pair is assigned to another ethnic region, it indicates that your father is of one ethnicity and your mother is of the other, rather than having a mix of ancestors from both regions on both sides of your family tree. Suppose there are several chromosomes where large overlapping regions on both chromosome copies have been assigned to the same ethnic region.

In that case, it can indicate that both of your parents have at least some ancestry from that region. If just a few large chunks of DNA are assigned to a particular ethnic region, it can suggest that you have only one (or perhaps a few) recent ancestor(s) originating from that area. Meanwhile, suppose the assignments for a unique ethnic region are dispersed across the genome in many small segments. In that case, this can indicate that you have multiple more distant ancestors from that region. 

The Difference Between X-DNA, Y-DNA, and Mitochondrial DNA

Information about X-DNA, Y-DNA, and mitochondrial DNA can also aid in interpreting chromosome paintings by suggesting which ancestral lines may or may not be the ancestral source of a particular ethnicity admixture assignment. Males inherit X-DNA from their mothers, and females inherit X-DNA from their mothers and paternal grandmothers. If a chromosome painting shows that a unique ethnicity has been assigned to all or a portion of a male’s X-DNA, then the source of that DNA is likely from that individual’s maternal ancestry. If a female test taker’s X-DNA carries segments assigned to a unique ethnicity, it may come from her maternal or paternal grandmother’s ancestry.

Males also inherit a Y chromosome from the father and his direct paternal ancestors. Y-DNA signatures are grouped based on their similarity into “haplogroups,” some of which are geographically or ethnically specific. Suppose you have a high percentage of Northwestern European DNA in your admixture estimate and a Y-DNA haplogroup most commonly found in Western Europe. In that case, it could suggest that at least part of your European admixture originates from your direct paternal ancestors. 

All individuals inherit mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from their direct maternal ancestors. As with Y-DNA, mtDNA signatures are categorized into haplogroups which can be geographically or ethnically specific. Suppose you have African admixture in your ethnicity estimate and an mtDNA haplogroup commonly found in Africa. In that case, it can suggest that your African admixture originates at least in part from your direct maternal ancestors. 

 

autosomal dna test results

Just because a particular ethnicity admixture assignment appears on the top version of a single chromosome pair and in a different region on the bottom version of the same chromosome pair does not mean that both parents have admixture from that region. In this example from 23andMe, the test taker has Jewish admixture (green) and Sub-Saharan African (shades of pink and purple) admixture in different regions represented on both chromosome copies even though both of these ethnicities are from the test taker’s paternal ancestry.

What Next? Pinpointing the Source of Unexpected Autosomal DNA Test Results

While ethnicity admixture estimates and ethnicity chromosome painting can help formulate hypotheses for further investigation, pinpointing the ancestral source(s) of a unique or unexpected admixture assignment most often requires additional consideration of genetic cousins. Identifying genetic cousins who also carry a unique or unexpected ethnicity admixture assignment and then identifying their relationships to each other and to you can help, as can searching for genetic cousins with 100% admixture from a single region and considering their shared matches. At 23andMe, you can download the segment data for the ethnicity chromosome painting and correlate this information with segment data from 23andMe and other companies to identify which genetic cousins share the same ethnicity admixture region and the same segments of DNA. 

While not the most critical element of autosomal DNA test results for solving research questions, ethnicity estimates provide an important broad context for genealogical investigation and enable the formation of hypotheses that can be further explored through careful analysis of genetic cousin match lists, documentary evidence, and segment data. 

autosomal dna results

If there are several chromosomes where large overlapping regions on both chromosome copies have been assigned to the same ethnic region, it can indicate that both parents have at least some ancestry from that region. In this example from 23andMe, the test taker has European (blue) and African (pink) admixture on both their paternal and maternal sides as evidenced by large overlapping regions on both chromosome copies.

 

If you need more help interpreting your Autosomal DNA test results, you can reach out to our team of professional genealogists for more assistance. 

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Digging for Deaths: Understanding the Census Mortality Schedule

This is the first article in a series meant to introduce mortality schedules and the information contained within them. The follow-up article will include examples of interesting tidbits and intriguing stories that these records have helped to uncover.  

Mortality Schedules Census

Across most of the United States, consistent, statewide registration of vital events, such as births, deaths, and marriages, did not begin until the twentieth century. For genealogists, this creates a gap that is sometimes difficult to fill. Mortality schedules, although limited in scope, can, on occasion, help address the shortfall and build crucial contextual understanding.  

How were mortality schedules developed?  

Vital registration began in England and Wales on 1 July 1837. Parishioners reported births, marriages, and deaths to a network of local registrars based on the parishes created under the Poor Law Act of 1834. Previously, the Church of England was required to keep similar records dating back as far as 1538. However, the cholera epidemic of 1831 and 1832, which killed over 40,000 people across Great Britain, highlighted the difficulty of making important statistical observations without a centralized collection point for records.  

Massachusetts legislator—and passionate genealogist—Lemuel Shattuck recognized the value of the new English law. He was vital in implementing similar legislation in Massachusetts, beginning in 1842. Shattuck’s subsequent design of the revolutionary 1845 Census of Boston, which expanded the scope of information collected, led to his recruitment to the team developing the 1850 U.S. Federal Census. Under Shattuck’s guidance, the first census mortality schedule was created.  

Enumerators collected the name of every person who had died during the twelve months preceding the official census date of 1 June 1850, along with other information such as age, gender, marital status, place of birth, occupation, and cause of death. The information gathered varied by year, with additions such as notes giving the details of accidental or tragic deaths and comments on the diseases prevailing in the area.  

Shattuck, understandably, doubted the efficiency of this approach. According to U.S. Public Health Service estimates, only about 60% of deaths were reported in early mortality schedules. However, spotty information was better than no information at all. Outside of New England, few localities recorded valuable data connected to deaths.

When were mortality schedules used?  

All federal censuses implemented mortality schedules between 1850 and 1900. Beginning in 1880, cities and states that adopted a standardized death certificate and reached 90% compliance in recording could join the national death registration area. Mortality schedules were no longer mandatory in these areas.  

In 1880, for example, the death registration area included only two states: Massachusetts and New Jersey. By 1900, it had expanded to incorporate ten states, the District of Columbia, and many large cities located in non-registration states, representing approximately 40 percent of the population of the continental U.S.  

By 1902, most states had implemented vital records laws of some sort. The mortality schedules were then fully phased out as The Census Bureau was, in that year, authorized to collect copies of records filed in vital registration offices from states and cities not already included in the death registration area. This development does not, unfortunately, mean that records were complete after this date. It wasn’t until 1933 that country-wide death statistics were considered reliable.  

Basic information in the mortality schedules  

An average entry in the 1860 mortality schedule will include important details about the decedent. For example, Henry Deem, a 76-year-old farmer, died in Wayne Township, Montgomery County, Ohio, in January 1860.  

Mortality Schedules Census

His entry in the 1860 mortality schedule tells us Henry was a married man born in Virginia. His cause of death was a ruptured hernia, which he had suffered for four years.  

Another entry on the same census page for 38-year-old Molly Kay informs us that she was a single woman, an Ohio native who died of epilepsy in May 1860. She had experienced the symptoms of her final illness for four months. However, a note at the bottom of the page provides additional detail on Molly’s life. Epilepsy was not her only medical concern. Molly had also suffered from a bone disease, resulting in forty broken bones over her lifetime. According to the informant, she “was always helpless.”  

Mortality Schedules entry

If Molly’s family had not passed down her story, no one might ever know what she experienced without this crucial record.  

The names of small children, who might otherwise become lost to time, also often emerge in mortality schedules. Fifteen of the thirty-two occupied lines on this census page list the details of children under the age of ten who appear in no other census record:  

  • 1-month-old Sarah Jane Dilly, who died in May 1860, having been ill for only one hour  
  • 3-year-old Fred Flera, 6-year-old Eliza Gondert, and likely sibling pairs Jac and Ellin Anderson, ages 4 and 2, and John and Eli Miller, 5 and 3, all of whom died of putrid sore throat  
  • M. Belle Smith, 6 months, and L. H. Baker, 1, victims of whooping cough  
  • C. Wandel, a 5-year-old girl who, died of inflammation of the brain  
  • 5-month-old Theodore Cook, who had suffered flesh decay for his entire life  
  • J. T. Scott, 1, scalded with coffee  
  • 1-year-old Hannah Hoover, whose cause of death was unknown  
  • Anno Snyder, 1, killed by an inflammation of the bowels  
  • 3-year-old Orlando Smith, who died of a sinking chill  

Death records for Montgomery County, Ohio, where all these children died, do not begin until 1867. The census mortality schedule may be the only source of information on their deaths.  

Where can I access the records?  

Census mortality schedules for most years are available for researchers today, with two prominent exceptions: mortality schedules created in 1890 were burned alongside that year’s census records, and nearly all of the schedules created in 1900 were destroyed by Congressional order after they had already collected statistics.  

The remaining schedules are available online at both Ancestry and FamilySearch. Ancestry is simpler to navigate. All records appear in a single collection, organized by year, state, and county (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/8756). At FamilySearch, the user searches the catalog for individual record sets, often organized by state. Filters such as author name (Census Office) and keyword (mortality) facilitate the search.  

Mortality Schedules Family Search

The extra time spent locating records at FamilySearch reaps surprising rewards. Not all counties are filmed in their entirety in the Ancestry collection. Frequently, the missing pages contain only the marshal’s oath or statistical calculations. However, in some cases, entire pages of names have been omitted. For example, in a study of Ohio’s 1850 mortality schedules, eight counties—Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Harrison, Henry, Highland, Hocking, and Holmes—are missing important data. The records at FamilySearch did not encounter this problem.  

Both record sets occasionally include miscategorized images, most often when combined records of one township with another occurred. If you expect to find an individual in the mortality schedules, be sure your search is complete – browse the records for the appropriate county in case of spelling or transcription errors, and examine the records of localities both geographically and alphabetically proximate.  

Sources for more information

The Census Bureau has digitized copies of statistical abstracts for each census year. You can find them at https://www.census.gov/library/publications.html. For ease of access, filter by topic (health, mortality) and sort by oldest to newest.  

Census Publications Mortality Schedules

Here, you can find information such as:  

 

 

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15 Steps to Finding Your Immigrant Ancestors

Immigration ancestor research can be very rewarding as you discover the story behind your ancestor’s journey across the pond. In this guide, we share 15 steps to discovering your ancestor’s story of their journey to the United States and help you retrace their steps to find the records and data to verify your heritage. 

If you live in the United States and your ancestors aren’t Native American, then your ancestors crossed the pond at some point. Depending on the time period and proximity to a port, they might have walked, ridden on the back of a cart, traveled by train, or even taken a small river boat to get to the port city. They got word from a family member or friend telling them exactly how to travel, the best places to stop along the way, the best merchants to do business with (and some to avoid), and the best ticket agents from which to buy a ship ticket. Your immigrant probably knew exactly which shipping line to book passage with, and maybe even the exact ship they should travel on.

Immigrant Ancestor Research
Newly arrived Immigrants from Europe

Your ancestor, excited for the opportunities ahead and perhaps anxious to leave behind persecution, landlessness, poverty, famine, or even military conscription, set sail for America!

Arriving in the United States

After the invention of the steam engine, the Atlantic voyage went from a 45–90-day voyage down to about two weeks in good weather. There were several ports of arrival, including New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, along with several smaller ports on the Eastern seaboard. On the other hand, some immigrants arrived in Canada and then crossed the border by train or on foot. Others arrived at southern ports such as Galveston, New Orleans, Puerto Rico, and other Gulf Coast ports.

Ellis Island in New York was a highly used Immigration Entrance

If your immigrant arrived in New York, they had to pass rigorous questioning and a physical examination and demonstrate they would not become an immediate public burden before they were allowed to enter the United States. Likewise, if they were joining someone, they may have had to wait at the port for that person to arrive and collect them. Some were even turned away the first time and persistently came again.

Creating a New Life

Upon arriving at their final destination, they obtained employment and secured a place to live. They attended church, hopefully in the religion they had participated in in Europe, but in some cases, they chose a nearby church with service in their native language instead. Their subsequent marriage might be recorded in this parish if they were single. Their children’s baptisms and confirmations (usually around age 12-14) occurred in this parish. Their attendance was recorded in this parish, including their death and burial.

Becoming a U.S. Citizen

At some point, your ancestor may have felt a sense of patriotism or wanted to prove they were not loyal to any other country. Perhaps they wanted the opportunity to vote for their representatives in government, or in some cases, they hoped to run for public office themselves. Whatever their core motivation, in most cases, they could apply for U.S. Citizenship after having lived in the U.S. for at least two years. Then after five more years they could turn in their final papers or Petition for Naturalization, followed by a court appearance where they swore their Oath of Allegiance and officially became a United States citizen.

Immigrant Ancestor
After 7 years an immigrant could officially become a United States Citizen.

If they lived in the United States during or after World War II without yet having applied for citizenship, they would have been required to file an Alien Registration form with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Your male ancestors born between 1873 and 1900 would have registered with the World War I draft board (1917-1918). Men born during these same years registered for the “Old Man’s Draft” in World War II (1942), while younger men would also have registered in the World War II draft (1940-1945).

WW1 Draft Card
WW 1 Draft Card

If they were working in the United States in or after the late 1930s, they might have been required to file a Social Security Account application (SS-5 form) as part of their employment.

Each of these seemingly small details of your ancestor’s life generated records. Many of these records could include the exact date and location of your ancestor’s birth in Europe. Each of these records should be found and assessed in the search for your ancestral hometown.

And don’t forget to search for records of the immigrant’s children, extended family, and friends from the same town or area. Any of these records might be the key to locating your ancestor’s place of origin.

As you search for your immigrant ancestor’s hometown in Europe, there are many records you will find easily, and some you’ll have to work harder to locate. This is essential for continuing to research your family in Europe because the records there were kept by local authorities and are still only accessible by searching records from their town of origin.

The following 15 steps outline the most common records you’ll need to obtain to locate your ancestor’s specific place of birth in Europe.

General steps for immigration research:

1. Find each immigrant in every U.S. census in which they appear (make sure to include state censuses if easily accessible)

  • Example: 1925 New York state census says exactly when and in what court the person was naturalized
  • Some enumerators accidentally wrote down a town or region of origin instead of recording the country of origin; these mistakes were crossed out but are still readable on the original forms
  • Don’t just read the indexed information; make sure you know every detail that is handwritten on the original record! This rule applies to all record types.

2. Create a summary timeline of events based on census data (include immigration date, naturalization date(s), marriage date and likely location)

3. Locate males in WWI and WWII draft registrations (generally applies to any men born after 1872)

4. Identify and order the complete pension file for your Civil War ancestor (for men born roughly between 1815 and 1847)

5. Obtain original U.S. vital records (marriage and/or death) for all immigrants, not just indexes

6. Find church records of marriage, and burial for immigrants (for Catholics always start with FindMyPast)

7. Also, find church records of baptisms, marriages, and burials of their children

8. Identify Social Security Numbers (found in death certificates, Social Security Death Index, and occasionally in other sources)

9. Order original Social Security Account application forms for all immigrants (SS-5)

10. Locate naturalization papers (could have been filed in a county court, circuit court, or district courts)

  • Declaration of Intention and Petition for Naturalization did not have to be in the same court, and both asked for birth information (after 1906)
  • If they naturalized before 1906, still locate the naturalization to learn what country, kingdom or other foreign power they renounced loyalty to (sometimes these early records still included birth details)
  • Before 1906 they could have naturalized in any court; after that date they were legally required to naturalize in a federal district court
  • Check Ancestry, FamilySearch, and county websites for naturalizations
  • As a last resort, you can order a search with NARA and USCIS, but these are more time-consuming, even more so since the COVID closures

11. Passenger lists

  • Search under all known versions of their name;
  • Standardized or “correct” name spellings are a modern concept; as long as the name was a phonetic match, the exact spelling was irrelevant
  • When the record is found, note their last residence, names of relatives in both countries, birthplace, others arriving with them, and any notes in the same line (letters and numbers written above the entry would reference their naturalization or alien registration files)
  • Make sure to check whether your ancestor’s passenger list has two pages; if there are two pages, the end of the second page typically includes a precise birthplace

12. Alien registration for those still unnaturalized in the mid-1940s

13. Obituaries, Gravestones; online memorials

14. County histories, Family histories, and Newspaper articles

15. If you know at least the region they came from, but still have not found the name of the hometown, search emigration (e.g. departure) lists and resources for that region

Pro tips for researching specific ethnicities:

Immigrant AncestorsJewish Immigrants

  • As a general rule, as long as the first letter of the given name was the same, they often changed their name after arriving in the United States; however, some names, like Chana (usually changed to Anna) were changed to a close phonetic match instead
  • The Hebrew portion of your ancestor’s gravestone includes their patronymic (e.g. their father’s given name)
  • The section of the cemetery where they were buried might be a clue to their place of origin
  • Chain migration was widespread
  • Most arrived between 1820 and 1924; another wave of immigration took place between 1933 and the early 1940s due to the atrocities of World War II

Italian ImmigrantsImmigrant Ancestors

  • They were almost exclusively Catholic, make sure not to skip searching parish registers in the U.S. for a record naming the immigrant ancestor’s birthplace
  • Most arrived between 1880 and 1924
  • A 1908 earthquake in southern Italy fueled emigration from that area

 

Immigrant AncestorsGerman Immigrants

  • Germans have been coming to the United States since the late 1600s, but the groups that these records types most specifically apply to are those arriving between 1840 and the 1920s.
  • Religions in Germany were Catholic or Evangelical (after 1830 all Protestant religions were legally made to merge into one umbrella religious group)
  • Depending on the time period, your ancestor may also appear in emigration databases from Europe

 

Immigrant AncestorsIrish Immigrants

  • More likely Protestant if they came from Northern Ireland
  • Chain migration was widespread
  • Comprised about one-third of all immigrants to the United States between 1820 and 1860
  • The Irish Potato Famine was a strong motivation for emigration between 1845 and 1852

 

Immigrant AncestorsScandinavian Immigrants

  • May have been using a fixed surname or their patronymic when they arrived, so search for both names on the passenger lists;
  • They were Lutheran in Europe, so search the nearest Lutheran, Evangelical, or other Protestant / non-conformist churches in the United States
  • Depending on the time period, your ancestor may also appear in emigration (e.g. departing) databases from Europe

 

With the vast amount of information available to search, immigration ancestor research is possible but can be very time consuming. If you need assistance from an expert genealogist team, the professionals at Legacy Tree Genealogists are here to help. Learn more about how we can further your family tree by requesting a quote today.