We all know how important death certificates are to genealogical research. These vital records contain crucial details about someone’s death – including date, location, the names of family members and informants, birth information and a cause of death. But at the end of the day, they will only ever give you basic facts about the person you are researching, never a story. That’s where coroners’ records come in.
If the word “probate” makes you want to nap immediately, stick with me. Probate records aren’t legal snoozefests; they’re treasure maps for your family tree. Seriously.
Some time ago a friend who had been adopted as an infant asked for my help in finding their birth parents. After a good bit of sleuthing, I identified and politely messaged a person who, according to DNA results, was most likely a very close relative.
Grave marker symbols can provide a fascinating look at your ancestors’ lives. This guide will help you decipher what they mean.
Whether you’re hoping to find the obituary, death or funeral notice of someone dear to you, or to uncover more facts about an ancestor, the following guide will help you locate the records you’re looking for.
As original as a child’s first name might seem, it often offers clues into a family’s near and, sometimes, very distant past. Given names link generations of family through repetition and can be a powerful tool to push our research to greater depths. To shed an even brighter light on this research opportunity we must understand the influences behind naming traditions.
Ask any seasoned genealogist and they will tell you just how important old maps are to their research. In fact, almost no other resource paints a better picture of your ancestor’s world. Here’s where to find them online.
When you are new to family history research, it’s easy to imagine that every ancestor will fit neatly into a perfect family group: married father and mother – and their children. It doesn’t take long to discover, however, that our ancestors’ lives were as complicated as ours are today.
If you’re lucky enough to have an original letter written by one of your ancestors, it’s most likely one of your most treasured belongings. But there’s more to discover than just letters when it comes to postal records. See if you can find your ancestors in these unique collections.
America has a long and disturbing history of mass racial violence against Black people. In this guide, we explore some of the major episodes of this violence and how to discover if your ancestors were impacted.