Lately, I seem to read about someone's genealogical "brick wall" on every post I read on various genealogy sites. Are these truly all brick walls? I don't think so. A brick wall to me means a problem that you have been working on for a long time with little success. I've seen posts where people … Continue reading Solve Your Genealogy Brick Wall
Category: Genealogical Education
RootsTech London 2019 is coming!
Where will you be on October 24? Hopefully in London, enjoying the experience that is RootsTech! There is nothing like it. It's the best of all worlds...informative classes presented by experienced genealogists, an Exhibition hall featuring over 100 stands devoted to everything genealogy, and world-famous keynote speakers who will bring their passion for family history … Continue reading RootsTech London 2019 is coming!
Context is Key: Know the Law!
At the time our ancestors lived, there were laws that came into being and which affected the way our ancestors lived and the documents they created. In last week’s post, we learned how important it is to understand the collection our record is in. It is perhaps even more important to understand the laws at … Continue reading Context is Key: Know the Law!
Context is Key: Understanding the Record within the Record Collection
Records don’t exist in a vacuum. (For the purposes of this post, I am referring to microfilmed images of records we have located online). It’s important to understand the record in terms of the collection it's found in. Once we’ve located a record, we need to ask ourselves questions about the record and the collection. … Continue reading Context is Key: Understanding the Record within the Record Collection
RootsTech 2019: Over 30 Classes on DNA!
RootsTech is always on the cutting edge of what’s new in genealogy. Look back at RootsTech 2018 and see the emphasis on DNA from Angie Bush’s presentation “You’ve Taken a DNA test, Now What?” to Diane Southard and Lisa Louise Cooke’s, “A DNA Match with No Tree? No Problem!”. DNA is a hot topic these … Continue reading RootsTech 2019: Over 30 Classes on DNA!
Seaman’s Protection Certificates – An Unusual Source
In an earlier post I compared Ancestry’s then new “U.S., Army Transport Service, Passenger Lists, 1910-1939” to draft registrations to answer the question of whether someone who registered for the draft actually went on to serve. I used as an example, the five Zimmerman brothers, who all registered for the draft but didn’t all end up … Continue reading Seaman’s Protection Certificates – An Unusual Source
RootsTech 2019
RootsTech registration opens tomorrow, on 20 September 2018, and a tentative schedule has just gone up. It’s subject to change but take a look and see the incredible variety of classes that will be offered! 2019 will be my 5th year attending RootsTech and my first year as a RootsTech Ambassador. I’m excited to see … Continue reading RootsTech 2019
In the Parish Chest: Apprenticeship Records
This is the third post in my In the Parish Chest series. You can learn about bastardy bonds here and Settlement Examinations & Removal Orders here. Was your English ancestor an apprentice? Apprenticeships date back to as early as the 16th century when young boys were formally bound to a master, usually a craftsman, who … Continue reading In the Parish Chest: Apprenticeship Records
In the Parish Chest: Bastardy Bonds
Bastardy Bonds can be a great resource when trying to locate a birth date and place when vital records may not exist or in placing someone in a specific area at a specific time. In England, these records were created on a parish level before 1834 and on county and poor law union levels beginning … Continue reading In the Parish Chest: Bastardy Bonds
Headed to RootsTech 2018? Let’s Get Organized!
RootsTech 2018 is 19 days away! Are you ready? This will be my 4th time attending and over the years I’ve learned a few things about organizing myself for each day’s classes and for research time in the Family History Library. How I organize for RootsTech’s incredible line up of classes First thing to do … Continue reading Headed to RootsTech 2018? Let’s Get Organized!
KindredPast 