Immigrant Family. Image: https://library.artstor.org/public/SS34445_34445_4465940 One of the most common questions I get is from people looking for passenger lists to South Africa. Unfortunately, there is not one big database we can search for that information. Passengers lists for those going to South Africa do exist but they are not complete, most are not indexed, and … Continue reading South African Passenger Lists Online
Category: How To
The 7 Day Indexing Challenge
I'm excited to be joining in on this fun challenge! It starts tomorrow and will go until May 2, 2020. All you have to do is index a batch a day (or more if you like!) and hop on social media and tell us all which collection you ended up indexing using the hashtag #ABatchADay … Continue reading The 7 Day Indexing Challenge
Solve Your Genealogy Brick Wall
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
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
Locating Original Records for ‘Text Only’ Indexes on Ancestry
We’ve all seen them. Those Ancestry search results that pop up with a few details but without an image attached. They provide tantalizing bits of information but thorough researchers know that they need to find the original record, if at all possible. These 'Text-only' collections can often be used as a finding aid to the … Continue reading Locating Original Records for ‘Text Only’ Indexes on Ancestry
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!
Using Newspapers to Uncover an Emigrant’s Journey
Newspapers are incredibly valuable for genealogical research. They help put the flesh on the bones of our ancestors. Through newspapers we gain a little insight into the times in which our ancestors lived. Newspapers can also help find the story of your emigrant ancestors. Many are full of information on ship arrivals and departures, what … Continue reading Using Newspapers to Uncover an Emigrant’s Journey
James Box – Artificial Limb Maker
Did a serious injury prompt the start of a family business? In 1861, James Box was a young boy of about 14 years old. He lived with his parents, John and Ann Box, and several siblings, in Surrey, England.1 By 1871, James was on his own, having moved from Surrey to West Ham, Essex. James … Continue reading James Box – Artificial Limb Maker
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
KindredPast 