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
Trails to Roads: Down the Atlantic Seaboard
As colonists began settling along the eastern seaboard in the late 1660s and early 1700s, they realized the need for accessible routes between those settlements. Trails used by the local Indian tribes were the first means of getting from one place to another. These trails often followed the natural landscape, moving through the region’s river … Continue reading Trails to Roads: Down the Atlantic Seaboard
We Have a Winner of a RootsTech 2019 4-day Pass!
Serving as a RootsTech 2019 Ambassador means that I had the opportunity to give away one complimentary 4-day pass to RootsTech 2019. This morning I hit the 'find me a random winner' button on Rafflecopter and the winner is .... John Boeren! John is a professional genealogist, based in the Netherlands, and owner of Antecedentia. His … Continue reading We Have a Winner of a RootsTech 2019 4-day Pass!
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!
Desperately Seeking: Locating Lost Family in Newspaper Advertisements
In the 19th and early 20th centuries the mass migration of people meant that many families were divided, with some members moving, often thousands of miles away to foreign shores, and some members left behind in the home country. The unpredictable and slow-moving postage system meant that extended family members could go months and years … Continue reading Desperately Seeking: Locating Lost Family in Newspaper Advertisements
“Eighteen Hundred and Froze to Death”
When we look at the factors that caused our ancestors to migrate from one place to another, specifically within the United States, do we consider the effect that climate disasters may have had? Most of us are familiar with the Dust Bowl, which forced thousands of families in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas, to abandon their … Continue reading “Eighteen Hundred and Froze to Death”
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
Win a FREE 4-day pass to RootsTech 2019!
Serving as a RootsTech 2019 Ambassador means that I have ONE complimentary 4-day pass to RootsTech 2019 to give away! Never been to RootsTech? Check out my Top Five Reasons to attend. More information on RootsTech can be found here. I hope you’ll join me and thousands of other genealogists and family history enthusiasts in … Continue reading Win a FREE 4-day pass to RootsTech 2019!
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
KindredPast 