Contato

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!

ai genealogy research

Using AI Effectively for Genealogy Research

by 10 Comments

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) for genealogy research is still in its infancy but gaining momentum as each new tool is released, including ChatGPT and Google Translate. These tools do not replace the need for a professional genealogist to analyze the data but can speed up the research process by finding information more rapidly. We asked our research team how genealogists can apply AI to their genealogy research projects. Here are some of their key learnings and cautions. First, How AI Tools Work The AI tools used most often by genealogists rely on NLP - Natural Language Processing. NLP enables machines to interpret, understand, apply, and generate human language. Researchers can use NLP effectively to extract data from historical documents for analysis. Documents most readily analyzed include birth and death certificates, census records, marriage licenses, and even newspapers. The NLP algorithms can extract names, dates, and locations from these records, saving a …

Read more

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

by 4 Comments

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

Read more

5 Priceless Resources for Australian Genealogy Research

by 4 Comments

Unlike British research, where national census and civil registration records are readily available after the 1830s, these record types are less accessible in Australian genealogy research. But a little digging into other resources can more than compensate. Invaluable Birth, Death, and Marriage Records for Australian Genealogy Research Collected by the states, locating birth, death, and marriage (BDM) records requires more effort and expense but often pays excellent dividends. The State Library of Queensland has developed a handy reference guide for accessing online birth, death, and marriage indexes in the Australian states and elsewhere. Indexes on state websites often provide basic information about birth, death, or marriage, but original records typically provide much more. Some birth records include the names and vital information for all of the couple’s older children. On the record below, for example, Rose May Stenton’s 1882 New South Wales birth certificate provided …

Read more
Autosomal DNA test results ethnicity estimates

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

by 2 Comments

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 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 …

Read more