The Legacy Tree Genealogists Blog

Hand-picked, tested and trained, our professional genealogist team knows how to find your story. We search the world for answers. Find the un-findable. And we’re experts at everything from tracking down rare international records to analyzing DNA test results. Based near the world’s largest family history library in downtown Salt Lake City, we also work with researchers and archives around the globe. Contact us today if you would like help discovering your ancestors!

Voter Registration: Another Useful Tool for Your Genealogy Toolbox

noviembre 26, 2019 by Lori - Legacy Tree Genealogists Project Manager Leave a Comment

An often overlooked resource in genealogy are voter registration records. We'll show you where to find and use these helpful records in your family history.Genealogists have many resources available to them to aid in their research. Census records, church records, city directories, land records, and probate records are just a few of the more commonly used resources. Many of them are available online, thanks to web sites such as MyHeritage, FamilySearch, and Ancestry, making research possible from the comfort of one’s home. However, so many records are available online that it can be difficult to decide what records to search when researching one’s ancestors. An often overlooked resource in genealogy is that of voter registration records.Voter registration records, like city directories, list an ancestor’s place of residence and the exact years he or she resided there. Naturalization information and the estimated year of immigration can sometimes also be found on an ancestor’s …

Using University Special Collections for Family History Research

noviembre 22, 2019 by Rachel - Legacy Tree Genealogists Editor Leave a Comment

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 great-great-grandfather, found in the quarterly magazine of the private academy attended by his son, my great-grandfather.Insurance maps and plat books detailing my neighborhood’s development over more than one hundred years, from a rural township to an established city neighborhood.Without college and university libraries and archives, I might never have known these treasures existed.College and university libraries and archives often have special collections related to their institution’s history and …

How Do I Determine Genetically Equivalent Relationships?

noviembre 15, 2019 by Paul - Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher Leave a Comment

An understanding of genealogical relationships is necessary before diving into genetically equivalent relationships in your family history. This article will provide an overview of both concepts.Correctly evaluating shared DNA within the context of genetically equivalent relationships first requires mastery of genealogical relationships. Here we review important genealogical relationships based on some of the pertinent variables. For the sake of simplicity, we limit our analysis to biological relatives and exclude in-law and step relationships.Immediate Family: These relationships are straightforward: father, mother, sister, brother, son and daughter.Immediate Family of Ancestors: Your mother’s brother is your maternal uncle. Your father’s sister is your paternal aunt. Your sibling’s child is a niece or nephew. Considering the immediate family members of more distant generations gets more complicated: Your grandfather’s sister is a grand-aunt (sometimes referred to as a …

3 Resources for Afro-Caribbean Genealogy: Researching Enslaved Roots

noviembre 8, 2019 by Rebecca - Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher 2 Comments

While Afro-Caribbean genealogy research can be difficult, knowing where to look for records can make progress possible. We share 3 resources that can help as you research your Afro-Caribbean family history.Many persons of Caribbean descent have African roots and the majority of those were enslaved. Genealogical research into Afro-Caribbean enslaved ancestors is possible, although the methodology is different than for their U.S. counterparts. While research can appear to be confusing due to the many countries that have been historically involved in Caribbean island land ownership, it does not have to be so.Understanding Historical Context of the CaribbeanToday, there are more than 7,000 individual islands in the Caribbean covering an approximate 1 million square mile region. Of those 7,000, there are 13 sovereign nations and 12 dependent territories. Historically, the majority of those islands were divided amongst territories owned by the British, Spanish, French, Dutch, and …