juli 29, 2019 by Legacy Tree Genealogists Leave a Comment

Legacy Tree Onsite: Top 3 Record Collections for Researching Jewish Genealogy

Legacy Tree works with researchers all over the world to access records for our clients. We asked one of our onsite researchers, located in Lviv, Ukraine, to share the top 3 record collections for Jewish genealogy research at the State Central Historical Archive of Ukraine.

The State Central Historical Archive of Ukraine

The State Central Historical Archive of Ukraine holds the largest Ukrainian collection of historical Jewish documents. This includes Jewish populations that were part of the Polish Kingdom (before 1772), the Austrian (1772-1867) and Austro-Hungarian (1867-1918) Empires, the Republic of Poland (1919-1939), the Soviet Union and under Nazi German occupation.

Top 3 Record Collections for Jewish Genealogy

There are a number of documentary repositories, also known as Fonds, which contain documents of Jewish genealogy, but there are main three collections of interest:

Fond 701 – Although this collection of 5672 documents is called the “Lwow Jewish Religious Community,” it contains 420 registers of Jewish vital records from 63 towns. More information and lists of vital records can be found here.

Other documents of genealogical interest in this Fond include the Lwow Evidence books 1796-1860. Lwow was a unique city with a big Jewish population and Austrian authorities established family numbers given to a limited number of Jewish families who had an official right to reside in Lwow. Those given family numbers were official members of the Lwow Jewish community, they paid community taxes and had a right to have an official businesses and property in Lwow. There were 3768 Jewish families officially residing in Lwow in the 18th – 19th centuries which can be found in this collection.

Lwow Evidence books 1796-1860s

In spite of most documents from the Nazi German occupation not being well preserved, a source of great value found at the archives is the book of burial registrations in Lviv from 1941–1942. This collection numbers over 6,000 people. These books recorded the date of death, address and age of the deceased. You may come across the names of the famous Lviv professors, doctors of medicine, or lawyers.
In addition, there is a 1941–1942 card index of the inhabitants of the Lviv Ghetto. These cards recorded names, addresses, birthdates (years), positions and places of work. The collection contains over 20,000 cards, and these are some of the only extant sources for the Holocaust period.

Card index of Lviv Ghetto 1941-1942

Besides the documents concerning Jewish residents of Lwow, the Fond also includes a collection (about 1000 cards) of personal cards of emigrants from Russia who lived in Lwow in the 1890s on their way from Russia to the West.

2. Fond 166, also known as the “Tabula Registers” was founded in 1780 and existed until 1939. This is a huge collection of various documents concerning real property: sales, purchases, rental agreements, settlements, deeds, testaments, marriage contracts, promissory notes, guarantees, obligations and various business contracts concerning real property and business relations between realty owners. Having a deed listed in the Tabula Registers was the only way to make a deed legal so all sectors of society are represented. The most important use of this collection for genealogy purposes are the records concerning the distribution of inherited property.

Jewish genealogy record collections

The Tabula Registers were common for all sectors of the population –property was registered for landlords and magnates, state institutions, banks, the state railroad, rural and city communities, churches, monasteries, etc., as well as various contracts of petty-traders, testaments, and promissory notes. The collection even includes auction sales notes from tiny towns in the poor provinces on the boundary of the Austrian Empire.

Fonds 178, 179 – this Fond includes the documents of educational institutions of Galicia known as the “Province School Council” (1797–1921) and “Curatoria of Lwow School Circuit” (1921–1939). These documents are often the only source of information with regard to Jewish genealogy of the Interwar period.

These documents recorded the activity of elementary schools, gymnasiums [high schools], teachers’ seminaries and professional schools.

The documents of genealogical interest in this collection are:

Lists of students
Examination letters, graduation certificates, school certificates
Teachers personal fileThese documents include dates, places of birth and sometimes the names of parents. Examination letters even contain student photos!

Here are just a few examples of Jewish genealogy records that may be found onsite within the collection at the State Central Historical Archive of Ukraine:

Photos of Genesia Preminger (1929) and Sabina Horowits (1937) from their school certificates.

List of children of school age born 1921 in the town of Ottynia

Zygfryd Adler’s graduation certificate from Stanislawow High School, 1929

Birth certificate of Bruno Schulz from his teacher’s file

While an increasing number of records are being digitized and made available online, many, many more are nestled among the shelves of historical archives and repositories around the globe, and may just be the missing piece you need to continue your family history research.

If you need help accessing and obtaining documents to continue extending your Jewish ancestry, our professional genealogists and onsite agents are ready to assist you! Our experts are experienced at tracking down all kinds of family history records in locations around the world, and can help you extend your ancestry as far back as records will allow. Contact us to discuss which of our project options would best fit your needs.

juni 28, 2019 by Legacy Tree Genealogists Leave a Comment

“Did My Ancestor Serve in the American Revolutionary War?” Research Steps to Prove a Family Legend

We frequently have clients contact us wanting to know, “How do I prove a family legend is true (or untrue)?”. In this article, we highlight research that was completed to find out whether the family legend of an ancestor serving in the American Revolutionary War is fact or fiction.

prove a family legend Many of us want to learn about our ancestors’ lives, and this is a key motivator for completing family history. Yet some people also want to know what role their ancestors played in history, and if certain noteworthy events occurred in their lives, or perhaps even a royal connection exists. In fact, many of our clients come to us with oral family history stories – what some call “family legends” – and seek our help in proving or disproving these stories.

Recently one of our clients found herself in that same situation. She wanted to determine if her ancestor, Samuel Megginson, had truly served in the American Revolutionary War. I’ll review her particular case to illustrate how to approach proving or disproving a family legend, and what record collections may frequently be used.

Finding Evidence to Support Family Legend

Clearly, the first step is for us to find corroborating evidence that helps support the claims made in the family legend. This particular story included some specific details such as a Dr. Cabell setting Samuel’s broken arm in or around 1760. Specific details can either mean the story has a basis in fact or that it’s been retold within the family so much that it’s essentially just accepted without proof. Therefore, our evidence-finding should center around the specific details which our client shared.

Compiled Sources

We began our research by performing an internet search for “Samuel Megginson broken arm”. The most promising hit was a Find-A-Grave memorial for Samuel Megginson created by a Dr. Gresham Farrar. Dr. Farrar had previously researched Samuel’s life. He identified an extensive, compiled genealogy titled Virginia Cousins: A Study of the Ancestry and Posterity of John Goode of Whitby, A Virginia Colonist of the Seventeenth Century, with Notes Upon Related Families, A Key to Southern Genealogy and a History of the English Surname Gode, Good, Goode or Good from 1148 to 1887. This particular book did mention that Samuel’s arm was broken and set by old Dr. Cabell.

G. Brown Goode, Virginia Cousins: A Study of the Ancestry and Posterity of John Goode of Whitby, A Virginia Colonist of the Seventeenth Century, with Notes Upon Related Families, A Key to Southern Genealogy and a History of the English Surname Gode, Goad, Goode or Good from 1148 to 1887 (Richmond, VA: J.W. Randolph & English, 1887), pp. 69–70, books.google.com

Although the book included no reference or citation to the source of the Samuel Megginson entry, we were able to document that this was part of the family story. Here’s how. Dr. Farrar’s memorial mentioned that Samuel received 243 acres of property in Buckingham County, Virginia, from the lieutenant governor of the colony on 14 July 1769. The document that Dr. Farrar referenced to prove the land grant is located in the Special Collections Research Center at the Earl Gregg Swem Library at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Military Service Records

Dr. Farrar had already found Samuel Megginson’s military service records. The first record was one regarding Captain Nicholas Cabell, who organized a company in the spring of 1776 that drew men from Amherst County and surrounding areas. Samuel, his brothers William and Benjamin, and their brother-in-law William Horsley, all enlisted in this minuteman militia company as privates. Samuel served from 25 May 1776 until 12 September 1776—right at the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. During this time the company marched “to Manchester, Jamestown & Williamsburg” and “did not return until late in the month of September [1776]”. Samuel’s brother William died during these campaigns, on 31 August 1776.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/115369833/samuel-megginson

Tax Records

We did some more digging to learn more about Samuel’s life. We determined that Samuel was in Virginia until at least 1785, when he was taxed there in Amherst County, and was in Montgomery County, North Carolina, by 1800 and there until 1815, when he signed a deed giving much of his property to his son, also named Samuel.

Genealogical Proof Summary

We continued studying Dr. Farrar’s notes and noticed what he wrote concerning the ancestry of Samuel Megginson, Sr., that “there is no ‘direct’ evidence proving” the relationship between Samuel and his father William Megginson. However, Dr. Farrar was able to compose an extensive genealogical proof summary that was accepted by the Jamestowne Society as proof of the parent-child relationship between Samuel and William. Samuel’s mother was Mary Goode whose lineage had been proven back to Jamestown, Virginia! Given the client’s interest in historical context, we wanted her to have this information about Samuel’s parents. We asked the Jamestowne Society to please send us a copy of Dr. Farrar’s genealogical proof summary. They would not, but they did forward the summary of Dr. Farrar’s application for membership, which verified Samuel Megginson was the son of William Megginson and Mary Goode. Also, it gave each generation from Samuel Megginson to Christopher Branch, a famous Jamestowne figure. If our client chooses to join, she qualifies for membership into the Jamestowne Society. Learn more about the requirements for membership in the various lineage societies in our article, Hereditary Societies and You.

A Legacy for Future Generations

It can be so fulfilling to learn of your ancestor’s historical legacy. This particular client was pleasantly surprised and wrote us to say: “My report arrived today and it is so very interesting! I love the connection to the revolutionary war and am amazed by it.” The client had not known her ancestral connection to Jamestown, Virginia or that she was a descendant of Christopher Branch. She now has a (documented!) legacy to pass on to her children and grandchildren.

Sometimes our family stories are exactly what we think they are, sometimes they are different, and sometimes they are even better. When you prove or disprove family legends by connecting documents to your family stories you may be amazed at what you learn.

Need help with your research? Uncertain how to negotiate fact from fiction? Contact Legacy Tree today for a quote!

[1] G. Brown Goode, Virginia Cousins: A Study of the Ancestry and Posterity of John Goode of Whitby, A Virginia Colonist of the Seventeenth Century, with Notes Upon Related Families, A Key to Southern Genealogy and a History of the English Surname Gode, Goad, Goode or Good from 1148 to 1887 (Richmond, VA: J.W. Randolph & English, 1887), pp. 69–70,http://books.google.com, accessed April 2018.

[2] Revolutionary War Pensions, Nicholas Cabell, Captain, Amherst County Minute Men, Revolutionary War, children’s pension, pension no. R1577, National Archives and Records Administration, http://fold3.com, subscription database, accessed April 2018

[3] Lineage application of Gresham Talmadge Farrar, Jr., national no. 6954B, Jamestowne Society, supplemental (Christopher Branch), approved 2010.

juni 21, 2019 by Legacy Tree Genealogists 4 Comments

Online Resources for Researching Your Norwegian Ancestry

Legacy Tree works with researchers all over the world to access records for our clients. We asked one of our onsite researchers, located in Norway, to share his favorite online archives and record collections for researching Norwegian ancestry.

There are about as many descendants of Norwegians worldwide as native Norwegians. Easy access to Norwegian record collections are therefore important for family history researchers worldwide. In this article, we share our favorite online archives and record collections most used by family history researchers to extend their Norwegian ancestry.

The National Archives of Norway (Riksarkivet) building in Oslo.

1) The National Archives of Norway

The National Archives of Norway (Riksarkivet) preserves the non-current records of government ministries and other central offices. Norway launched their first Digital Archives in 1998. It was run by the National Archives of Norway in collaboration with the University of Bergen and was among the pioneers of online publication of archival content. Since then the Digital Archives have expanded significantly and is today the most important Norwegian archive for family history researchers. It is run by the government and is free to use worldwide. In 2018 it was decided that the Digital Archives will be further developed to become the nationwide portal for publishing of digitized archives, regardless of origin or place of storage in Norway.

How to Search the Digital Archives

The Digital Archives offer user searches for historical individuals often based on name, place of residence and year of birth in a number of different source types. Some sources also permit searches for properties and residential buildings.

Your initial search at the Digital Archives could be a simple search in their website search box, followed by a more advanced search if required. If you are not familiar with the different search options, it could be well spent time to read the user guides. In particular, the information about searching with special search characters is recommended. The wildcard character is often used since the spelling of names varies a lot in Norway. We also recommend spending some time becoming acquainted with the sources available for the area and period of interest by searching the find source page.

A section of the Digital Archives website with the simple search box, excellent for the initial search. Click the green “Trace your ancestry” button and you will find information about how to use the Digital Archives and how to find Norwegian ancestors.

What Records are Available on the Digital Archives?

The Digital Archives have scanned all released parish registers and made them available online. A significant portion of these registers have also been transcribed and made searchable. In addition, the censuses for 1801, 1865, 1875 (incomplete), 1885 (towns), 1891 (incomplete), 1900 and 1910 are also searchable. The remaining of the 1865 and 1875 censuses, already searchable at MyHeritage and Ancestry, are expected to become online later in 2019. In 2020, all released parish registers (baptism, marriage and burial) after 1800 and the 1920 census are planned to become searchable.

Norwegian ancestry

In terms of volume and frequency of use, the parish registers and the transcribed censuses make up the main components of the current Digital Archives. The digitized Norwegian Records of Emigrants from 1867 to 1930 are also popular sources for family historians due to the significant emigration to America and some other countries during that period.

Norwegian ancestry

2) The National Library of Norway

Another important source for family historians is the National Library of Norway. Their overall goal is to digitize their collections of books, newspapers and other documentation. Already, they have digitised all Norwegian book publications up to year 2000. This include the popular farm and family history books (bygdebøker) that is available for many municipalities. Their search engine also allows you to search the content of the books and newspapers. Unfortunately, their online database is only accessible from a Norwegian IP-address. This excludes users outside Norway. If that is your case, our team of worldwide researchers is available to assist with onsite research needs.

3) MyHeritage Norwegian Ancestry Collections

Over the last couple of years, MyHeritage has become very popular in Norway. This has resulted in a very unique and huge collection of Norwegian family trees. Several hundred thousand Norwegian family trees are now available in the MyHeritage SuperSearch database. Additionally, MyHeritage recently announced that they’re partnering with Arkivverket (the National Archives of Norway) to include the 1891, 1900 and 1910 censuses in their own collection. Information from these family trees and census record collections, combined with the data from the Digital Archives and the National Library provides you with a very powerful combination of tools for exploring your Norwegian ancestry.

If you need help accessing and obtaining documents in Norway to continue extending your Norwegian ancestry, our professional genealogists and onsite agents are ready to assist you! Our team of genealogists is experienced at tracking down all kinds of family history records in a variety of locations, and can help you extend your ancestry as far back as records will allow. Contact us to discuss which of our project options would best fit your needs.

juni 10, 2019 by Legacy Tree Genealogists Leave a Comment

Legacy Tree Onsite: Beginner’s Guide to Jamaican Ancestry Research

Legacy Tree works with researchers all over the world to access records for our clients. We asked one of our onsite researchers, located in Jamaica, to share her experiences with researching Jamaican ancestry.

Jamaica is a multi-racial society. Though African ancestry occurs in eighty-five percent of the population, there are a large number of persons who also have European ancestry, East Indian Ancestry, Chinese ancestry, Jewish ancestry, and Middle Eastern ancestry. The first mistake made when starting to do Jamaican ancestry research is forgetting the fact that Jamaicans are “out of many, one people,” which incidentally is the coat of arms motto of the country.

Courtesy of wikimedia.org

The History of Jamaica

The first inhabitants of the island were the pre-Columbian peoples, who settled the island in two different waves in 670 AD and 800 AD, culminating in a culture that is called Taino by academics today. The Taino were the people who greeted Christopher Columbus in 1494, when he first came to the island of Jamaica. However, the Spanish colonization of the island had a devastating effect on the Indian population. Through disease and harsh treatment they were brought to the brink of extinction, though a few survived, with there being descendants of those first Jamaicans today still living on the island.

Early Jamaican Records

The Spanish ruled the island for 145 years, which ended with the invasion in 1655 by the English. By 1660 the English were victorious, and civil administration under the British was established. With this came the division of the island into parishes, with each parish having a parish church centered in a parish capital. Each parish church’s rector was charged with the task of recording all baptism/births, marriages, and burials in his parish. As the population grew, more churches were added and an island curate was appointed to supervise the growing responsibility of record keeping. All records were kept with handwritten duplicates: the original registers and their companion copy registers. These were housed in separate locations to protect the information as best as possible. The Anglican church was the official church of the colony and the only church whose records were officially recognized until 1870, when the passing of a new set of laws heralded the fledgling beginnings of civil registration. Originally called Law 6 Registration, it soon allowed all records, not just Anglican ones, to be considered official state records and all citizens to be registered.

A 1740 map of Jamaica, courtesy fo the British Library.

However, before this law was passed, inclusion was attempted after the emancipation of slavery in 1838, with the addition of the Dissenter records for marriages, which were officially collected by the Anglican church. (Dissenter faiths were all other denominations besides the official state church and included Baptist, Methodist, Moravian, and Presbyterian faiths.) However, the Dissenter baptism records were omitted and could only be found scattered all over the island held by each individual church.

Jamaican ancestry Also started in 1659 with the establishment of Island Secretary’s Office was the collection of colonial administration for all parishes and general record keeping, including state papers, patents of land grants, wills and their accompanying inventories of estates, crop accounts, and deeds of transactions, which could include slaves’ sales and purchases, land or dowries or sundry other legal disputes. Slave returns were kept to record the rise and decline of estate slave populations through births, deaths, and absconding or running away. Cadastral and estate maps were drawn up and lodged with the relevant offices. Laws and private acts were recorded, and these too are useful for the genealogist, as private acts deal with specific families being granted specific rights and freedoms or rights to dispose of large estate holdings. There are many more records to be found, but those named are the most relevant for genealogical purposes.

Top 3 Archives for Jamaican Ancestry Research

The most common question any genealogist will ask is where to get started with their research efforts. The following three locations are the best places to begin with tracing your Jamaican ancestry:

The Jamaica Archives and Records Department originally evolved out of the old secretary’s office and was established in 1955 as a division of the new records keeping arm of the colonial government as the Island Records Office (IRO), with the appointment of a government archivist. The division became an autonomous department in 1982 in and of itself with the passage of the Archives Act. Here you will find patents, government and colonial state papers, ship manifests, inventories of estate probates, manumissions of slaves, crop accounts, historic naturalizations, and slave returns, to name just a few. They also house the unindexed baptism, marriage, and burial original parish records for the IRO.
Registrar General’s Department of Jamaica, which also encompasses the Island Records Office. The RGD, as it is more commonly called, contains the right to collect and store all records associated with civil registration, hence continuing the role of the IRO and the earlier Secretary’s Office, and still has the rights to house the historical records associated with baptism/births, marriages, and deaths. So it’s here the researcher must come also to find wills and transactional deeds, and also housed are the original law books from 1659, though those are no longer available for use. Finally, the RGD also holds the deed poll ledgers and a number of other records that may or may not be helpful to genealogical research, but are not available for viewing by visitors to the RGD.
National Reference Library of Jamaica, a compendium of rare books, cadastral maps, estate maps, original illustrations, photographs of various places and people, and newspaper publications all oriented around Jamaica and to some extent the wider Caribbean. The library also holds biographical information on individuals of note and collections of manuscripts dating from the Spanish era through to English colonisation into the independence era of the island. Here the genealogical researcher’s first stop should be the Fuertado manuscripts collection of notable luminaries, military and civil administrative and elected representatives of the Houses of Assembly and the Council, which are arranged easily in alphabetical order. The researcher can also consult indexed newspaper publications, both defunct and active, to acquire primary data about events that would have influenced their ancestors’ lives.

In addition to the three archives suggested above, we also recommend consultation of the Jamaica Almanac collection for information on military placements and property ownership listed by the parish in which the properties were located. The researcher can locate original estate maps, to see an estate’s boundaries and property features, such as the placement of planting fields, where the estate factory was located if it was a sugar plantation, where warehouses were placed, and last but not least, the location of the Great House, the name used in reference to the property owner’s house on a plantation. The Great House often was the grandest structure on the estate apart from the factory facilities and also where the slave quarters were located.

Happy hunting to all my fellow genealogists seeking their roots in Jamaica!

If you need help accessing and obtaining documents in Jamaica to continue extending your Jamaican ancestry, our professional genealogists and onsite agents are ready to assist you! Our experts are experienced at tracking down all kinds of family history records in a variety of locations, and can help you extend your ancestry as far back as records will allow. Contact us to discuss which of our project options would best fit your needs.

april 12, 2019 by Legacy Tree Genealogists Leave a Comment

What If the Vital Record Doesn’t Exist? 3 Vital Record Substitutes You Can Use in Your Genealogy Research

In this article we explore several vital record substitutes you can use in your genealogy research when vital records are not a research option.

vital record substitutes in genealogy research

Inside the National Archives Building photo credit: https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/XwIC_Au-BcrKIw

Today, the United States Legislature governs US vital record-keeping including registering births, marriages, and deaths. These vital records make it easier to follow a paper trail from parent to child and extend our genealogies back several generations. However, some states did not mandate vital record recording until the 1900s. Because of this, in certain states we do not have primary records before 1900 that capture each person’s birth date, place, year, and parents. And for some of the states that did require information to be recorded, those records no longer exist for a variety of reasons. How can we continue family history research if the vital record doesn’t exist? In this article, we’ll share three vital record substitutes you can use to identify earlier generations and extend your family history.

Let’s use one of our recent projects as a case study in finding non-vital southern US records to identify ancestors of an early 1800s person. A client was interested in extending her ancestral line from Alexander Hanson Craven born 1806 in Kentucky and died on 1 November 1882 in Raywick, Marion County, Kentucky. Research in the South is often challenging since records are limited – few were created and even fewer preserved. Several counties in the South are known as burnt counties (due to the Civil War) and basically, no records are available. With that said, our searches would need to focus on other avenues outside of vital records to pursue the parental information for Alexander Hanson Craven. We determined it would best be accomplished through three vital record substitutes: civil war pension files, census records, and wills.

As in all research projects, we had to ensure that any records of “Alexander Craven” which we found were actually records for Alexander Craven, our client’s ancestor, and not for someone non-related but with the same name. The best method for verifying ancestral relationship, and not simply a name, is to search for the ancestor within the context of their family unit. Since so many individuals throughout history have held the same name, selecting someone with the right name at the right place and the right time (but not actually your ancestor) can be a common mistake. So, let me take a moment to clarify what I mean by “family unit context.” If you are looking for someone born in England named Jane Williams, you would likely find many hits that match your search criteria. But if your ancestor, Jane, had two sisters and two brothers, and lived with both of her parents and all four siblings, you could isolate that family of seven. When searching for Jane Williams, you would look within records to track her family and not just her individually. And you would eliminate any results where some of the family of seven cannot be verified. You would also not throw out search results with different spelling, as long as the family unit could still be verified (spelling inconsistencies are all too common on historical records). This method of searching for an ancestor within the context of their family is critical to avoid linking with the wrong individual, which of course would make any further research into their ancestors incorrect as well.

Our client knew that their Alexander Craven was married to Lavinia Lucas and they had at least eleven children. Alexander served in the Civil War with six of his sons. Alexander’s parents were believed to be John Craven of Somerset, Washington County, Pennsylvania and Nancy Miller of Nelson County, Virginia.

Civil War Pensions

Civil War Pensions provide details that are often not available on other records. For a veteran to receive a pension he had to prove Civil War service or the veteran’s widow had to provide proof of his service and provide their marriage information. Since Alexander and six of his sons were in the Civil War, looking at Civil War pension records was a good place to start research and see what pension records were available for Alexander and his sons. Most Civil War pension files have not yet been digitized, and therefore must be copied at the National Archives. We ordered the files for Alexander Hanson Craven Sr. and Jr. because he had a widow’s pension file.

Alexander H. Craven, Jr., Pension Record courtesy of the National Archives

When the files arrived, Alexander Jr.’s file was reviewed for any genealogical information that might help extend his father’s ancestry. Unfortunately, his invalid file contained just information and testimonials about his state of health. The pages in his widow’s pension stated that Alexander Jr. was born on 12 September 1844 in Raywick, Marion County, Kentucky. The other lengthy pages of information detailed how his widow was denied her pension because she could not prove her age or marriage to Alexander Jr. She had evidently married him after his service and therefore was not entitled to a widow’s pension. She did not produce any family information that would help extend his ancestry, though his children and several brothers were listed along with variations of his middle name.

Our search uncovered that Alexander Hanson Craven Sr. applied for his own pension, which was rejected. It was rejected because he did not submit the required paperwork. His widow tried to continue the invalidated pension, but her claim was also rejected because she did not or could not send proof of her husband’s death or her marriage to him. She was recorded as Vienna in some of these records, instead of Lavinia. There was no mention of Alexander’s birthdate or parents’ names. The information did confirm that in the 1840s the Cravens resided in Marion County, Kentucky.

Census Records

Census Records are beneficial for information and contain every name in the household post-1850.

1850 U.S. Census, for A.H. Cravens courtesy of MyHeritage

In 1850, A.H. Cravens was living in Marion County, but his wife’s name was recorded erroneously as Jemima. His household consisted of some of his children: Thomas, R.J., L., Wm, David, A.H., Zachariah, and G.W. Alexander Hanson Sr. was a farmer with $300 worth of real estate. It was imperative to know the family relationships (or context of the family), so that we could verify that this family was in fact the family of our client’s ancestor, even though in the census the wife’s first name was incorrect, only initials were used to indicate Alexander, and the family name was listed as Cravens instead of Craven.

The 1840 US census records only documented the name of the head of household, along with the genders and age ranges of the other members of the household tallied statistically without biographical detail. On this census, Hanson Cravens was recorded with one male under 5 years old, two males between 5-10, one male between 20-40, two females under 5 and one female between 20-40. Based on the estimated birthdates the client provided us, this census record matches his children: Rebecca (age 5), Sarah (age 2), and William (age 1), plus Hanson (age 34) and his wife Lavinia (age 31). The two males between 5 and 10 could be Thomas (age 6) and another unknown male. To this point, our research has shown that Alexander Hanson Cravens has been documented in records as Alexander, Alexander H., Sr., A.H., and Hanson.

Ten years earlier, the 1830 census showed Alexander Craven and presumably his wife Lavinia in his household—both were in the age range of 20 to 30. Since her name was not recorded, she was just listed with a hash mark. The couple lived in Washington County, Kentucky, a different location than later census records indicate. Our research into the formation of Kentucky counties showed that Marion County was not created until 1834. The couple had not moved – instead the county lines changed as a new county was created.

Probate and Land Records

Probate and Land Records were searched for both Alexander Hanson Craven(s) and his presumed father John Craven(s). If John died in 1813 his probate record would be in Washington County, Kentucky. Searching the records of both counties did not reveal any wills or deeds for either of the men, though several deeds were found for Alexander Hanson in Marion County. While these land deeds showed that he lived in Marion County from at least 1864 to 1884 with his wife Lavinia, they did not depict him selling or receiving land from any family members.

Deeds, 1863-1901; A.H. Cravens and Lavina Cravens courtesy of FamilySearch

The records of Washington County revealed that the only Cravens selling or receiving land were Levi and Jeremiah Cravens. This Levi could be a presumed uncle of Alexander Hanson and a brother of John, but none of his grantees had the Craven surname. Jeremiah and Levi were settling a dispute between themselves and the heirs of Jost Myers who were: Jacob Swope, Jacob Myers, John Myers, David Myers, Michael Myers, and Abraham Bosley. This certainly implied that Jeremiah and Levi were related, however, the records did not show any connection to Alexander Hanson Cravens or his presumed father John Cravens.

Finally, the records for Nelson County were searched, since it was the parent county of Washington County, which was created in 1792. In so doing, we discovered the will of John Craven which named all of his children, including Alexander Hanson, confirming that John was indeed his father. John’s will has been transcribed as follows (original spelling and capitalization preserved):

In the name of God amen. I John Crayven of the county of Nelson and state of Kentucky Being debilitated in body but of sound memory and understanding do Constitue and ordain this my last will and Testament.
1st. I. I will and bequeath to my three suns Naimly James Cravin, Reason Cravin, John Cravin all the lands that I Possess to be Equealy Divided between the three.
2nd I. I will and bequeath to my sun Solomon Cravin one Gray mare and my saddle the mare four or five years of age.
3rd. I will and Bequeath to my three oaldest Daughters naimly Nancy Cravin, Debborah Cravin, Cassy Cravin one bed and furniture each and one bow to each of them and all the puter and Delph weave belonging to me to be equaly Divided between the three Named.
4th. It is my will that my daughter Nancy Cravin have one sorrel mear about five years old.
5th. It is my will that my sun Solomon Cravin have a bay stud four years old.
6th It is my will that the Balance of my horsses sheap and hogs be equaly divided between my three suns Solomon Cravin, Hanson Cravin and Kinsy Cravin.
7th. It is my will that my sun James Cravin and sun Reason Cravin have one bead sted apeace the other two one to Nancy Cravin and the other to Debborah Cravin.
8th It is my will that my three oaldest daughters have one linen wheel apeace
9th It is my will that my Daughter Nancy have the cubbord
10th It is my will that my daughter Debborah have a chest.
11th. It is my will that my sun James have a table and Sun Reason one
12th It is my will that the sorrel Horse with a small Blase and snip that was mentioned in the Balance of my Horrsses for my sun James Cravin.
13th It is my will that my two suns James and Reason have two plows swingle trees gears, ax and four hoes Equealy divided between the two mentioned
14th It is my will that my daughter Nancy have all the Woodden weare such as pails piggins and Chirn.
15th It is my will that my sun Reason have one ten Gallon Kettle and hooks
16th. It is my will that my daughter Nancy have one three gallon pot and hooks.
17th It is my will that my daughter Debborah hav one dutch oven and skillet and bails and flesh forks.
18th. It is my will that the chears be quealy divided between my two suns James and Reason.
19th It is my will that my wearing apprel be equealy Divided between my three oaldest suns
21st It is my will that an order that I have on James Cipsell for twenty five Dollars be equealy divided between my sun Solomon and daughter Nancy
22nd It is my will while the family and stock Continues on the plantation they are to be separated with the Corn and Bacon and after the famaly and Stock is Broke up the Balance of Corn and Bacon to Be sold and the money put to Interest for my youngest daughter Polly Cravin.
23rd It is my will that my Daughter Polly have twenty Dollars out of money due me from James Cipsell an put on In trust with the other
24th It is my will and desire after all debts that is that is Due me is Collected and my Debts is paid the Balance to be put to in trust and Equealy divided between my two youngest suns Hanson Cravin and Kinsey Cravin.
25th It is my will that my sun James have the woollen wheel, Chect Real and Sifter and all the Tubbs and loom
26th It is my will all the Spinning that is dun about the house should be wove and equealy divided among all my Children Except James and Reason.
To this my last will and Testament I appoint Levy Cravin my sole Exetor this 17 day of March 1813. I heare unto set my hand and affixed my seale.
Witnesses present: Charles Hayden, Barnaba Nalley, George Hayden

At a County Court held for Nelson County on Monday the 19th Day of April 1813.This Last will and testament of John Cravin decd. was proved by the Oaths of Charles Hayden & George Hayden two of the subscribers witnesses thereto & ordered to record whereupon Levy Cravin the Ex[ecut]or Therein named having Taken the Oath prescribed by Law & Executed bond with James Craven & Reason Craven his securities in the penalty of $600 Conditioned according to law. It is Ordered that Certificate of probate of said will be grated the said Executor.
Teste Ben Grayson C.N.C.C.

Besides confirming all of the children of John Cravens and adding to the family an additional daughter, Polly, John’s will provided other clues. First, the fact that his wife was not mentioned suggested that she had died before he wrote it on 17 March 1813. Second, John was doing well financially and was landed with a plantation, several horses, and other animals, furniture, clothing, and other wealth mentioned in his bequests. Finally, his executor was Levi Craven.

We traced Alexander Hanson Craven through the various Civil War pension records, census records, land and probate records to confirm that he was living in Marion County, Kentucky from at least 1864 to 1884 with his wife. The will of his father, John Craven, confirmed their relationship. John Craven’s will also gave the names of all of Alexander Hanson Craven’s siblings and established a relationship link to Levi Cravens, John’s executor.

As you can see, spellings and names were fluid in this recorded documents. Contextualizing the family members and building a timeline substantiated the claim that Alexander Hanson Craven’s father was John Craven. Early southern research requires focus on frequently-changing county and state boundaries in order to find census, land, and probate records. When vital records are not available for research, vital records substitutes can prove relationships and provide the necessary links to earlier generations.

If you’ve hit a genealogy brick wall because vital records don’t exist for your ancestor, let Legacy Tree Genealogists’ staff of experienced researchers help you. We have knowledge of where to look to help solve your “family history mysteries”. Contact us today to request your free quote.

april 5, 2019 by Legacy Tree Genealogists Leave a Comment

Meet Maggie, Project Manager for Legacy Tree Genealogists

Maggie Stevenson was born and raised on the east coast of Scotland, in the historic Kingdom of Fife. She studied English Language and Literature at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. After graduating she qualified in TEFL – Teaching English as a Foreign Language – and spent three years living and working in the south of Italy.

After several years in Italy she returned to the UK and worked for a non-profit organization supporting homeless individuals. She worked as an assistant to the fundraising team, communicating with donors and organizing fundraising initiatives as well as managing the publication of fundraising campaigns.

In 2002 she relocated from London to San Francisco with her husband and young son, primarily for her husband’s work. In 2005 (now with 2 small sons) they moved from the west coast to the east coast and lived in Manhattan for 8 years. They also spent many happy weekends in Woodstock, New York.

In 2013 she returned to the west coast and San Francisco once more. Maggie started an extensive family history/DNA project to identify her husband’s unknown great-grandfather on his paternal line. What started as a hobby soon became a fascination. In 2015 she took the Boston University online course in Genealogical Research. Maggie attended SLIG in 2017 and took the DNA Bootcamp with CeCe Moore (where she met both Paul and Gretchen, genetic researchers for Legacy Tree!) Towards the end of 2017 she was able to gain some traction through DNA on the identity of the unknown great-grandfather. A surprising documentary find from a cousin in New Zealand, as well as a Scottish sheriff court paternity decree and targeted Y-DNA testing led to a solid conclusion as to which one of four brothers had been the man in question. One DNA cousin was even able to provide a photograph of him.

Maggie has worked professionally helping scores of adoptees and others in unknown parentage searches. She has also completed research for clients with family ties to California, New York, Michigan and Ohio, as well as Canada, England, Scotland Wales, Ireland and Italy.

mars 4, 2019 by Legacy Tree Genealogists 1 Comment

RootsTech 2019 Recap: Everything You Need to Know

Family history brings connection, healing, and joy. This was the overarching theme of the RootsTech 2019 Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. We were thrilled to once again be a part of celebrating all the good things family history brings to the world and the technology and innovation driving it forward.

Legacy Tree Genealogists was once again invited to participate as a RootsTech Ambassador for 2019. As such, Legacy Tree president Jessica Taylor and marketing director Amber Brown were invited to attend the Media dinner Tuesday evening, where they had the opportunity to mingle with other ambassadors and get a sneak-peek into the exciting events planned for the coming week.

RootsTech Ambassadors at the media dinner held Tuesday evening.

RootsTech attendees enjoyed numerous classes throughout the conference on a wide range of topics, from DNA to digital photo restoration and Chinese genealogy to Colonial New England research. Recordings of select sessions are available to watch here. Legacy Tree team experts shared their knowledge as they held question and answer sessions and taught various classes during the course of the week on topics such as “Freedmen’s Bureau 2.0: A Better Way to Do Slave Research” and genetic genealogy collaboration titled, “Looks Like We’re Cousins”.

Legacy Tree Genealogists president and founder, Jessica Taylor, teaches a class on the MyHeritage SuperSearch feature.

Legacy Tree Genealogists DNA Team Lead, Paul Woodbury teaching a class at the FTDNA booth. Love the DNA & Relationship Chart shown in his presentation? Snag your own FREE copy here: https://www.legacytree.com/dna-relationship-chart

We also enjoyed interacting with many conference-goers at the Legacy Tree booth in the Expo Hall.

The conference began Wednesday with an exploration of the healing effects of family history research. In the general session, the International African American Museum (IAAM) in Charleston, South Carolina, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced a joint effort to help those of African American descent discover their families through the Center for Family History, to be located at the museum. The CEO of the IAAM, Michael B. Moore, spoke of the healing that can come when the blank places in our heritage are explored. Special guest Martin Luther King III then expressed appreciation for the way the efforts of the genealogical community help the world progress toward making his father’s famous dream a reality.

On Thursday, the keynote address was given by Emmy Award winning actress Patricia Heaton. Patricia appeared in television shows Everybody Loves Raymond and The Middle, which both centered on the ups and downs of real family life. She related experiences from her own life that helped her understand that family really is everything. Growing up in a large Catholic family, Patricia has over 100 first cousins, and consequently, often runs into previously-unknown relatives. She was thrilled to add even more “cousins” to her family tree as FamilySearch revealed new information about her immigrant ancestors from Ireland and Germany live on stage.

The inspiring story of Saroo Brierley, subject of the film “Lion,” was the theme of Friday’s general session. In his address, Saroo told how, at five years old, he became accidentally separated from his family in India and was eventually adopted by a couple in Australia. Despite his new loving family, he always felt something was missing. When he was in his 20s he decided to seek that missing connection by trying to find his biological family. The search was painstaking and took years, but Saroo eventually found his way home and was reunited with his mother. His message to the RootsTech audience was to never lose hope and to “solider on” in our most challenging endeavors.

The Genealogy Business Alliance Get-Together.

On Thursday evening, the Genealogy Business Alliance, co-founded by Family ChartMasters owner, Janet Hovorka, and Legacy Tree Genealogists president, Jessica Taylor, held their annual RootsTech Get-Together. The event was well-attended by industry professionals interested in networking and growing the genealogy sphere.

Friday evening’s entertainment was titled “Connecting through Music and Dance,” and featured six-time Dancing with the Stars champion Derek Hough and the award-winning Brigham Young University Ballroom Dance Company. Derek was introduced to the RootsTech attendees by his own father, Bruce Hough, who revealed that Derek’s great-grandparents met at a 1926 marathon dance contest, that his grandparents were dance instructors, and that his parents (Bruce himself and his wife, Marianne) met in a college ballroom dance company. Derek gave an energetic address about how moving our bodies affects how we feel and how dancing with his family members has brought him a feeling of connection and joy. This was demonstrated in several fun home videos of him dancing with his siblings and even his grandparents at various times throughout his life. Derek left the stage to dance with a surprised and excited audience member, field questions, and hug enthusiastic fans.

Legacy Tree DNA Team Lead Paul Woodbury and Project Manager Carolyn Tolman participated in a Legacy Tree Live DNA Q&A session, broadcast on the Legacy Tree Genealogists Facebook page. They answered questions users submitted about genetic genealogy and using their DNA test results to resolve research questions. To be notified of future live Q&A sessions, sign up for our newsletter.

The conference was infused with youthful excitement on Saturday when thousands of children, teenagers, and families joined RootsTech for Family Discovery Day. We were happy to celebrate these budding family historians at our Legacy Tree booth with “Future Genealogist” stickers and treats.

The incredible musician Jake Shimabukuro and his ukulele took to the stage Saturday for the final RootsTech general session. Jake delighted the audience with several amazing numbers and spoke about his ancestors who immigrated to Hawaii from Japan generations ago. He said there is a Japanese phrase that means “lose to win,” which reminds him how his ancestors sacrificed and “lost” much so that he could “win” in life. He encouraged us to make the necessary sacrifices to make the world a better place for the upcoming generations.

We enjoyed connecting at RootsTech with so many others who share our love of family discovery and are excited to be part of the experience again later this year at the first-ever RootsTech London. The event will be held at the EcCel London Convention Centre, October 24-26, 2019. Whether it’s in London this year or at one of our other scheduled conferences for 2019 we hope you will join us next time in celebrating the connection, healing, and joy of family history!

The experts at Legacy Tree Genealogists are here to help you connect with your ancestors and preserve your legacy for generations to come. Get started today by requesting your free consultation.

februar 25, 2019 by Legacy Tree Genealogists 4 Comments

Two Families to Research: When DNA Reveals Surprises in Your Family Tree

What do you do when DNA reveals surprises that change what you know about your family history? One of our genealogists shares what she learned through her own experience.

You’ve been researching your family tree for several years and have made some really good progress on several lines. Then one day a monkey wrench is thrown into the works: You do a DNA test and the results don’t turn out quite the way you expected, with a surprise ethnicity or with no matches to the surname you’ve had all your life.

On a whim, you decide to check for your family name in a court probate index and discover your father was adopted. Or maybe someone contacts you and lets you know that your grandfather had a different biological father than the one you were told, with documentation to back up the claim. Whatever the specifics, you now have information that one of your family lines is based on an adoption, whether formal or informal.

When DNA Reveals Surprises in Your Family Tree: What’s Next?

If you receive unexpected DNA results, here are some steps for consideration:

Analyze the new information that sent you on this path. See how it fits into your family narrative, particularly if the birth/original family name is not known. Keep your mind open and don’t judge the past.
Consider how you will list relationships on family trees. Most family tree software programs have a provision for indicating whether a parent is natural (i.e., biological) or adopted. This allows you to list both parents/sets of parents in one database. Software programs also allow you to choose a “preferred” parent for an individual. This is a personal choice, with no right or wrong answer. Whichever you choose will depend on your family’s specific circumstances and your feelings about the biological and adoptive sides.
How to note biological vs. adopted family, shown using RootsMagic software
Document everything you find, of course! As with any research, it is imperative that you include detailed documentation and sources. This can be particularly true when documenting a connection or relationship that would otherwise be unknown to other family members–you want to have all the evidence in hand that supports your claim.

Previous family history research: to keep, or not to keep?

When a surprise relationship is revealed through DNA testing, one of the first questions you may ask yourself is, “Do I keep all the family history research I’ve previously done?” While the response is a very personal decision, it IS common for people with adoptions in their family trees to keep track of both families.

This happened to me when I proved through DNA testing that my paternal grandfather’s biological father was not the man his mother married. The research I had gathered on the Sellers line, back to 1615 in Baden (now in Germany), is for my (informally) adopted line. I’m keeping it all, not only because it represents many years of research but because Elmer Sellers was the only father my grandfather knew. From adding together many pieces of family information, I know for certain that neither my grandfather nor any of his siblings knew that Elmer was not my grandfather’s biological father. When the adopted family is important to your family, it does a great disservice to simply cut them out.

The author’s great-grandmother Sellers with her four surviving adult children.

Researching biological vs. adopted family

You may choose to also research the newly discovered biological family. Depending on the situation, you may or may not have a name to start with. I’m still hunting for my Mr. X. I have a likely last name and two strong matches at 111 markers on the Y-DNA test for the paternal line, but I am still far from identifying my biological paternal line.

As we discussed in a previous blog post, Biological vs. Cultural Heritage, family is more than just blood. It’s also who raised you, who passed on values to you, whose traditions you learned. You may choose to include both sides, bio and adopted, in one tree or two separate trees, and make it clear which is which. Acknowledge them both, embrace them both. You have twice the family that most people do now.

I remember how I felt when I confirmed that Elmer was not my biological great-grandfather. Even though I had gathered significant evidence that supported my theory, it was still a shock to learn that I was not biologically a Sellers, the only name I’ve had my entire life. If this happens to you, take some time to process and adjust to your new reality. We’ve put together a list of resources that can help you as you digest this discovery. When you’re ready (and if you choose) dive in and start researching that new family line you just discovered.

Legacy Tree Genealogists has extensive experience assisting clients with learning about all facets of their heritage. If you’re seeking answers to a family mystery, we will do everything within our power to figure it out and to present you with the facts you need. Using a combination of genetic and traditional genealogy methodologies to identify biological family members is a particular specialty. Contact us today for a free consultation and to discuss options.

februar 15, 2019 by Legacy Tree Genealogists Leave a Comment

Legacy Tree Genealogists at RootsTech 2019: Schedule of Events

The countdown to RootsTech 2019 is on, and this year promises to be bigger and better than ever, with hundreds of classes to choose from and keynote speakers like Patricia Heaton and Saroo Brierley. Held in Salt Lake City, Utah, the conference will run from Wednesday, February 27th through Saturday, March 2nd. Legacy Tree Genealogists will be there in full-force–exhibiting in the Expo Hall, teaching classes and hosting Q&A sessions.

Check out our schedule of events below, and be sure to stop by our booth (#1317) and say hello!

Legacy Tree Genealogists RootsTech 2019 Schedule

Wednesday, February 27th

6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Expo Hall – Once again, the Expo Hall will be opening for a “sneak peek” on Wednesday evening! Stop by our booth (#1317) for one of our scheduled Q&As, and have your questions answered by one of our expert genealogists:

Legacy Tree Genealogists Booth Q&A Sessions:

6:30 p.m. – Using DNA to Solve Genealogy “Brick Walls”

7:00 p.m. – Identifying Immigrant Ancestors’ Hometown

7:30 p.m. – Southern U.S. Research

Thursday, February 28th

9:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Expo Hall

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Genealogy Business Alliance Get-Together – If you are involved in a genealogy-related business, come by our booth (#1317) for event details.

Legacy Tree Genealogists Booth Q&A Sessions: Stop by our booth (#1317) during one of the below scheduled Q&A’s and pick our brains!

10:30 a.m. Using Probate Records

11:00 a.m. Land Records and Property

11:30 a.m. Mining Court Records

12:00 p.m. English Parish Chest Records

12:30 p.m. Using Tax Records

1:00 p.m. Timelines, Tables & Maps for Analysis

1:30 p.m. How to Use Cluster / FAN Club Research

2:30 p.m. Researching Your Irish Ancestors

3:00 p.m. Researching Ancestors from England

3:30 p.m. Researching Ancestors from Wales

4:00 p.m. Researching Scottish Ancestry

4:30: p.m. Australian Genealogy Research

5:00 p.m. Italian Genealogy Research

5:30 p.m. Finding Foreign Points of Origin

Friday, March 1st

9:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. – Expo Hall

9:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. – Tips and Tricks for Evaluating Your Shared Autosomal DNA – Paul Woodbury (Family Tree DNA booth)

10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – MyHeritage SuperSearch – Jessica Taylor (MyHeritage booth)

MyHeritage calls their search engine for historical records ‘SuperSearch.’ It includes more than 6 billion genealogy records from all over the world, and an average of 200 million additional records are added every month. Jessica will share how to make the most of this useful tool.

4:00 – 4:30 p.m. – Developing a DNA Testing Plan – Paul Woodbury (MyHeritage booth)

How to create a DNA testing plan to address a specific research problem

4:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. – mtDNA Testing Plans – Paul Woodbury (Family Tree DNA Booth)

5:45 p.m. – Passport Drawing (main stage in Expo Hall)– complete your Expo Hall Passport and be entered to win great prizes, including a Custom 18”x24” Family History Chart from Legacy Tree Genealogists!

6:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. FREE Virtual DNA Q&A: Legacy Tree Live—Your DNA Questions, Answered!

We’ll be hosting a Facebook live session, broadcast from our booth at RootsTech. One of our genetic genealogists, Paul Woodbury, and Project Manager, Carolyn Tolman, will be answering YOUR questions about genetic genealogy and using your DNA test results to resolve research questions. Have a question? Submit it at https://legacytree.com/live, or join us on our Facebook page on Friday, March 1^st between 6:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. MST and submit your question during the live broadcast!

Legacy Tree Genealogists Booth Q&A Sessions:

10:30 a.m. Czech Research

11:00 a.m. Tracing Immigrant Ancestors

11:30 a.m. Slovak Research

12:00 p.m. Hungarian Research

12:30 p.m. Scottish Research

1:00 p.m. Austro-Hungarian Empire

1:30 p.m. Finding Ancestral Hometowns

2:30 p.m. Working for Legacy Tree

3:00 p.m. Finding Female Ancestors

3:30 p.m. Urban U.S Research

4:00 p.m. U.S. Immigration Research

4:30 p.m. Researching Ancestors in Mexico

5:00 p.m. Using Newspapers for Genealogy

5:30 p.m. Resolving Conflicting Evidence

Saturday, March 2nd – Family Day

9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Expo Hall – It’s Family Day! Stop by our booth (#1317) and receive a free gift for your budding genealogist. Supplies are limited, while quantities last.

9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. – Freedmen’s Bureau 2.0: A Better Way to Do Slave Research – Janice M. Sellers (Room 155 A)

Freedmen’s Bureau records are overlooked by far too many researchers. The records have not been the easiest to work with, but now that many of them are online and indexed, they can yield a wealth of information much more easily. These documents can include marriage dates, children’s birth dates, school records, work contracts, and, most importantly, the name of an applicant’s most recent owner. Learn why these records can be key to finding out more about your family and how best to search them.

10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Covering Your Bases: Introduction to Autosomal DNA Coverage – Paul Woodbury (DNA Basics Area, Expo Hall)

10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – MyHeritage SuperSearch – Jessica Taylor (MyHeritage booth)

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Looks Like We’re Cousins: DNA Collaboration – Paul Woodbury (Room 151)

Collaboration is one of the key principles of genetic genealogy analysis, but sometimes it may seem like a waste of time: “What do I ask? What information could they provide which would help me? I already know how we are related, so why bother?” While the main focus of most genetic genealogy collaboration is to identify common ancestors, there is much more that could be useful for your research. In this session explore tips and tricks for successful collaboration in relation to genetic genealogy. Gain ideas for information and assistance you can request from your genetic cousins. When you get no response, explore other ways for identifying and contacting your relatives. Consider joining or creating group projects which enable more in-depth analysis. Tap into the full power of DNA test results by improving your collaboration with genetic cousins.

Legacy Tree Genealogists Booth Q&A Sessions:

10:00 a.m. Genealogy Research in France

11:30 a.m. Understanding Ethnicity Estimates

12:00 p.m. Creating a DNA Testing Plan

12:30 p.m. The Different Types of DNA

1:00 p.m. Using Genetic Matches

1:30 p.m. Document Evidence to Resolve Unknowns in DNA

Not Attending RootsTech This Year?

If RootsTech isn’t in your plans this year, you can still participate in certain sessions via live streaming. The streamed sessions will include the popular general sessions and a sampling of technology and family history presentations appealing to varied interests. Check out the RootsTech Online Broadcast Schedule here. We’ll also share our RootsTech Rundown of conference highlights, so be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for our recap of what you missed.

We’ll also be running a sweepstakes, just for our #NotatRootsTech crowd! Now through March 1^st, 2019, enter to win a FREE DNA kit from our friends at MyHeritage, AND a FREE 45-minute DNA Consultation from one of our genetic genealogists, who can explain your results and answer any questions you may have. Enter here: https://legacytree.com/sweepstakes. Winner will be announced on Saturday, March 2^nd at 12 p.m. MST on the Legacy Tree Genealogists Facebook page. Good luck!

If we can’t connect with you at RootsTech, we’d love to see you at another conference this year! Check out our upcoming conferences for 2019, and leave us a comment to let us know if you’ll be at any of the events listed!

januar 28, 2019 by Legacy Tree Genealogists Leave a Comment

Legacy Tree Onsite: Chinese Genealogy Research at the Family History Library

The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah is a great place to start when conducting Chinese genealogy research!

The Chinese genealogical records found at the Family History Library (located in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA), feature treasures for all people who are interested in researching Chinese ancestry. With millions of microfilmed records from various areas and time periods in China, one single Chinese name can open up a world of rich content. Stories of ancestors may lead to books, biographies, genealogies, and even maps of ancestral hometowns.

Getting Started

There are many reasons to take the plunge into Chinese genealogy, and if you live in the United States, the Family History Library (FHL) should be at the top of your list as a place to start your research efforts. Whether you are an American Born Chinese (ABC) hoping to learn more about your family history and your Chinese ancestors’ immigration, or simply a genealogist who wants to learn more about Chinese record keeping, the resources available at the Family History Library are sure to help.

Visiting the Family History Library

The Family History Library has been a source for Chinese genealogical assistance since the 1980s. It includes the largest collection of genealogical records in the world, so while it is natural to feel a little overwhelmed at first, with a little time you will find that the layout of the library is well-managed and easy to navigate, and the volunteers and employees there are happy to help you get started.

Walking into the Family History Library, you are immediately greeted by a diverse and knowledgeable volunteer force. The Chinese collection is located just a floor away, one level below the entrance.

Chinese Genealogy Records at the Family History Library

When thinking of Chinese records, the Family History Library may not have been the first place that came to mind, but for anyone interested in Chinese genealogical resources, it is an excellent place to begin. In fact, if you are planning a trip to China, you will certainly want to dive into these records first to see if family names are connected to locations so that you can visit those places when you go.

Particularly interesting collections at the Family History Library include: The China Vital Records Index, clan records, gazetteers, records of officials, family histories, and The China Collection of Genealogies.

Records produced in China contain genealogical information such as family names 姓, locations and migrations 地方志, biographies 傳, appointments to government office 政府, education levels achieved, and even relationships to inclusive clan lineages 氏. The Family History Library’s collections are full of such details.

5 Tips for Overcoming the Chinese Language Barrier

Perhaps you haven’t attempted to work on your Chinese genealogy because you don’t speak, read, or write Chinese. Maybe you have English spellings for names and places, but are uncertain what the Chinese equivalents for those places are. Maybe you know your ancestors were from China but you don’t even have names or places.

Whether you are doing your own family research or helping a friend research their family line, if a visit to the Family History Library will be your first exposure to the Chinese language, it is not uncommon to find yourself feeling overwhelmed at the thought of learning a new language. Here are some tips to help you overcome the language barrier:

You don’t have to learn the whole language. Learning just a handful of Chinese characters will be enough to empower you to search the Family History Library’s records for names and locations. You don’t need to know the whole language. For example, the word for Chinese characters is “漢字” and is pronounced Hanzi (No matter how you say it, you will be close enough to be understood by the people at the library). The second half of the word is “字”, this is the word for “word.” As you learn more, you will feel more confident. Can you see the “子“ character in “字”? 子 is the word for “son”.
New words will build off of the words you already know. Now that you know the word for son (子), you can move onto words like, “女” the word for “woman.” For example, “好” is the word for “good.” Family relationships are written very clearly in most Chinese genealogies. Looking for these two characters (for ‘woman’ and ‘son’) in the records can help you quickly identify names of ancestors.
Look for simple characters within more complex characters. After you have learned a character or two, you can expand your vocabulary by looking for simple characters within more complex characters, thinking about which words will be most useful in your research. If you have a book written in Chinese, take it into the library and ask for help identifying names and places.
Many family names and location names can be found by searching with romanized spellings of Chinese words. Remember, finding someone at the Family History Library to help you learn what the spelling for “北京” (Beijing) is will take very little effort. With this knowledge you will be able to start using many of the records organized by location.
Identify which characters will be most relevant for your family history research. As you continue to add to your knowledge, you will be able to better identify personal records or documents. The characters 氏 “shi” and 姓 “xing” will be invaluable words to know. 族谱 “zupu” and 地方志 “difangzhi” are also essential words to understand.

Online Resources for Chinese Genealogy Research

Online translation resources like Google Translate can open up a world of characters for you without requiring you to know all the ins and outs of the Chinese language. The most popular translation programs will even show you the spelling for these words so you can type them into your computer using English.

In addition to the resources available at the Family History Library, many documents are available online through FamilySearch.org’s collection of Chinese genealogy. Searching FamilySearch’s database and wiki articles will also lead you to a list of common surnames with their English spelling, which can be helpful.

If you have Chinese ancestry it is likely that at some point your research will need to be conducted onsite in China, but the Family History Library can give you an excellent head start and help you lay the foundation for future research efforts.

If you have Chinese ancestry, our team of professional genealogists can help you learn more about your heritage. With our headquarters located only blocks from the Family History Library, we have access to the extensive record collections housed there, or, if onsite research is necessary, one of our onsite genealogists in China can conduct further research. Contact us today to discuss your research goals!