As mentioned in my last post, I took on this One-Name Study to extend my knowledge of my name and, in the process, learn more about its origin and then share that back with the world. A further real benefit has been to extend the joys of problem solving to reconstructing family histories for other people’s …
I was skimming through my Google Alerts late last night and came across a link with an intriguing title “Does anyone know what this artifact is? PLEASE HELP!?” Of course, I couldn’t help but follow the link and found it was a plea from a student looking for some help with a history project their …
Somewhat Mysterious Artifact: Do You Know What This Is? Read More »
Names and dates are the core of our family history research but no one wants just lists of names and dates. What we really want is to take those names and breathe some life into them. We want real people to go with those names. So, how do we do that? To start, we talk …
Many thanks to National Genealogical Society President Jordan Jones for taking the time to answer our questions about conducting genealogical research. FHD: What inspired you to become interested in genealogy originally? I received genealogical information — a compiled family history, and an Antebellum family Bible — from older family members when I was 10. These …
Interview with National Genealogical Society President Jordan Jones Read More »
It’s a new year and you have a new hobby—genealogy. The first question a new researcher asks is, “Where do I begin?” Answers may range from Internet subscription sites, purchasing computer software or employing a professional researcher. Those are all good answers, but genealogy begins at home. You may be surprised by how many documents …
I just finished reading Megan Smolenyak’s Hey America, Your Roots Are Showing. In each chapter, Ms. Smolenyak talks about what she finds or asks of various census records. These all important records contain many clues about the lives and success of the individuals listed. I want to talk about some of those clues but it …
Using the Census to Uncover Details About Your Ancestors Read More »
This giveaway has ended. Thank you to everyone who took the time to enter and to Findmypast.com for donating the generous prize! Check out the many unique resources they offer. The randomly chosen winner, with comment #17, is Terry! Terry says “I am so excited about your site. It’s absolutely awesome. It will be such a great …
Enter to Win a 12 Month World Subscription to Findmypast.com! Read More »
With one of the largest assortments of genealogical records available online, Findmypast.com offers some pretty unique collections. The site offers a wide assortment of records for those of us researching relatives from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, and a growing collection of records from the US, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and Papua New Guinea. Findmypast.com is also the only genealogy research service …
Finding Your Roots with Findmypast: Insider Tips Read More »
I’d accepted a job in the Netherlands to manage an acquisition for my firm but my kids were at an age when we wanted a settled home life for them. So I commuted monthly across the Atlantic for four years. While I was away, my younger son, David, was accepted into his school’s “gifted and …
Whether you embark on a Genealogy, Family History, or Local History project, you need to consider the types of information you have and what you seek or want to uncover. As a librarian, my focus is identifying the question, considering the types of records that hold or reveal bits of information, and then locating different resources …
Using the Census to Find Ancestors: Beginner Genealogy Read More »