By Lisa Lisson “No one is interested in my story.” — “Me? I was just a housewife.” — “Our family did not do anything special.” — “Our family never had much.” These are some of the responses I received when I began asking my grandmother (at the time in her late 80s) about her life and family history. So, …
The Vital Genealogy Research Step You May Have Missed Read More »
Newspapers from the past can provide critical clues about our ancestors’ lives. As a family historian, you’ve likely spent some time searching old newspapers for birth and marriage announcements, as well as obituaries. The information from such sections often include details that can be hard (or impossible) to find anywhere else. But historical newspapers are so much …
This Revealing Newspaper Section May Hold Fascinating Details About Your Ancestors Read More »
This type of mistake is so common that it was recently discovered that an entire line in Hillary Rodham Clinton’s professionally constructed tree was completely wrong. Here’s how to avoid it.
There’s big news in the world of Irish genealogy research this week! For the first time in history, more than 2.5 million birth, marriage and death record images for Ireland are now available online to anyone. And the best part of all? They’re free. These important civil documents are the official state vital records of …
Millions of Irish Birth, Marriage and Death Records are Now Online for Free Read More »
Is it time that you put your family history research on a blog of your own? Here’s how to do it easily. Perhaps you’ve been doing research for months or years and you have a lot of wonderful information you’d like to share? Or maybe you just want a place to record your research progress …
Is it Time to Start a Genealogy Blog? Here’s How and Why to Do It Read More »
Do you have royal last names hiding in your family tree? Do you suspect that some of your ancestors may have royal roots? If you can find one of the surnames from your family tree on the list below, you just might be right! Many families have stories of royalty in the family tree — and …
Could You Have Royalty Hiding in Your Family Tree? Check This List of Surnames Read More »
If you’re completely stuck trying to find the maiden name of one, or many, of your female ancestors you’re not alone. Here are some tricks to help.
Whether family history research is your newest hobby or a lifelong passion — pitfalls are everywhere and sometimes they’re hard to spot. From forgetting to back up your data to limiting your research options, these important dos and don’ts will help you avoid some of the most common issues facing family historians today. 1. DO interview family …
The 12 Important Genealogy Dos and Don’ts You Need to Know Read More »
The New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) is offering all of its Irish records free of charge from Aug 2 – 9th. Read their release below for information about how to access this great collection. Many believe that researching Irish ancestors is impossible because of the destruction of the Public Record Office (PRO) in Dublin in …
Many Unique Irish Family History Records are Free This Week Only Read More »
Locating the names of parents is one of the most important jobs of any family historian and we all spend a great deal of time looking for records to do just that. But, as we all know, it’s not always an easy task. Parents can be surprisingly elusive — mysteriously missing from key documents. In addition, verifying that we have actually found the correct parents for an ancestor can be an even bigger challenge, especially if our ancestor had a common name.