Genealogy.LifeTips.com

Transcription

1 Genealogy.LifeTips.com

2 Category: Celebrity Genealogy Subcategory: Celebrity Genealogy Tip: Historical Figure Genealogy If you are interested in finding ancestors or information on the family tree of a historical figure the site, online sites can give you that information on several different famous folks in history. For example, Henry Ford was the son of William Ford and Mary Litogot and was born in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan in He died in 1947 at 83 years of age. His family surnames are Ford, Jennings, Litogot and Smith. These celebrity or historical family trees can be viewed for free and without downloading any information. Tip: Hugh Grant is Scottish? Hugh Grant's English accent may have fooled some people. That famous actor from England with the charming English accent and bright smile is actually of Scottish descent. So says his family tree. Grant's great-great grandfather is Dr. James Stewart, who helped Dr. Livingston explore Africa. Dr. James Stewart was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1831 to Scottish parents. So there you have it, the quintessential English man is not so English after all... he is a little bit Scottish thanks to some family tree research. Tip: Which Celebrity Do You Resemble? Does your face resemble a celebrity? Do you have any facial features that celebrities have that may have been passed down to you from generation to generation? Download your photo to ancestry or genealogy sites online that focus on celebrity family traits, and you may find some similar faces. Once you have downloaded your picture the site will scan your face and its features and bring up the celebrity you most resemble and others with similar features. While they may not be directly in your family tree, it is a fun way to see just what famous person you resemble. Category: Census Records Subcategory: Census Search Tip: Do You Have Your 'Non-Identifying' Information? The first step to starting a search for an adoptee or birth parents is to obtain all 'non-identifying information.' This information may include: Religion, Profession, Education Level, Ethnic Origin, Height, Weight, Hair Color, Eye Color, Cause of Death, Age at Death, Health Status/Medical History. This information, depending upon

3 state-by-state law and guidelines can usually be given to either the adoptee, the adoptive parents, and to the birthparents. This is the first step! Tip: Get a Confidential Intermediary (CI) Many governments now have in place a system called "confidential intermediary." The CI is given access to the complete court and/or agency file, attempts to locate the individuals involved. If the CI makes contact, the party found has the option of allowing or refusing contact by the party searching. Category: Chart Genealogy Subcategory: Chart Genealogy Tip: Free Pedigree Chart A pedigree chart is one that people use to record data when researching family genealogy. It records your ancestors and their information for you. You can even complete this chart online for easy sharing with family and friends if you wish. This type of charting makes it easier to record and see what you have done and what you have left to do. Pedigree charts can be downloaded for free for you to use on your own! An online search will result in various sites dedicated to helping you and your family create a free pedigree chart. Tip: Genealogy Relationship Chart Whew! Keeping all of those relatives straight can be difficult. Who is related to whom? How is someone related to you? How am I related to my second cousin? These questions often arise when people are charting their genealogy. One great way to keep them all straight is to find a genealogy relationship chart. These types of charts can be great for determining how people are related in a family. For example, you would look at the chart after you have determined two people you want to compare. Once you have selected these people you would look at the top row of the chart and find the relationship that person has to the common ancestor. You would then look at the far left part of the chart that runs vertically and find the other person's relationship to the common ancestor, you would then run your fingers along the rows towards each other until they meet. Where your fingers meet should tell you what the relationship is between the two people. Tip: Source Summary A source summary chart used in genealogy research is another chart that sounds just like its title. A source summary is a chart that you would fill out that helps you find the

4 information you have on a particular family member very quickly. You would refer to this chart when you need to find out where you found the information about that family. You will want a separate source summary chart for each individual family you are researching. A great example of a source summary chart can be found here: Category: Country/Continent Genealogy Subcategory: Country/Continent Genealogy Tip: Canada Genealogy Are you searching for sources to find your Canadian roots? Is it a struggle? Here are some places for you to do some research during your genealogy quest: Try checking the records at the Library and Archives of Canada if you are having trouble finding information. The library is in Ottawa if you are wishing to visit the actual site. Otherwise, try an Internet search for Library and Archives Canada for more information.do an Internet search for AVITUS, which is the Directory of Canadian Genealogical Resources with links to other sites.try searching the Canadian Archival Information Network (CAIN) online. This network provides the ability for a researcher to search other archives in Canada.Searching the genealogy of a family from a particular country is very vast; these two places should help you in your Canadian search. Category: Cultural/Race Geneaology Subcategory: Cultural/Race Geneaology Tip: Slave Narratives This site from the Library of Congress contains more than 2,300 first-person accounts of slavery and 500 black-and-white photographs of former slaves. You may find narratives or pictures of your own slave ancestors here, or you can read the narratives to get a feeling and an understanding of the lives and times of these former slaves. Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, Category: Family Trees Subcategory: Family Tree Projects Tip: Becoming an Ancestor Detector

5 This is a sure way to get your kids involved in your family tree projects! Ask them to become ancestor detectors to help you find information for your family tree project. Have your kids ask relatives, as many who are willing, the following questions to start your family tree project: -What is your full name? When were you born? -Where were you born? -What were/are your parents full name and where were they born, died? -What kind of work did your parents do? -Where did they live or do they live now? -Do you have any brothers and sisters, if so, names? Who were they named after? -Who are or were your grandparents? Where were they born/died? What did they do for work? Where did they live? When did they get married? - Do you know any information about your great-grandparents such as, dates they were born, died, married or had children? If you have your children help you out, you can truly make this family tree project a family affair. Tip: Family Project for Grandparents and Grandkids Many grandparents often wish they could do a project or projects with their grandchildren that allow the grandchildren to learn more about their ancestors. Consider these family tree projects that grandparents can do. How about taking the photographs you go through and having your grandchild help you organize them? Start by sorting photos by the year into plastic sleeves and then group them by event, person, and specific dates. It is a fun way to organize a family tree and talk to your grandchildren while doing it! Tip: Family Tree DNA Project Many people are tracing their genealogy by using DNA. Just how does this work? Basically when your research runs cold and you can find nothing on paper anymore, a DNA test can be done to determine if someone is a relative or not, by simply doing a brush of the inside of the cheek. These DNA tests can also be used at times to see if a person is part of a larger group of people and for people who are performing surname family tree reconstruction projects. Many people are choosing DNA projects as a way to find out if an ancestor is truly that, an ancestor. Most of these DNA tests were developed for the amateur genealogists who are serious about their research and for professional genealogists who are researching family lines. The cost varies, but typically it costs between $120 and 3$00 for one DNA test. Tip: Make a Family History Map This is another fun family tree project a family could do together. Try making a family history map. You will first want to write down stories from every family member available with pertinent information. You will then pick a medium sized table in your house for building this map. You can put foam core and then white poster board down on the table for the map surface. You will eventually be cutting out tabs in the poster board in which to insert your family stories that you have written. Glue the edges of the foam and the

6 poster board together. You can then sketch onto the poster board the countries in which every ancestor you spoke to or learned about came from. You will also want figures that you can make that represent the family member and his or her interests, career, etc. Once you have the figures made and the countries on the poster board, you can begin your map making. Select one relative to place on the map. Under the tab in the correct country place the story of that person that you have written. Then pick a figure and something that represents that person and glue by the tab you put the story. You will do this until you have gone through all of the relatives you learned about and placed on the map. What a fun way for kids to see and learn about ancestry! Tip: Making a Family Crest A great family tree project is to make a family crest of your family. You can make up your own using information you already know such as where your relatives came from, what food is common to their ancestry, pictures that show first or last names of ancestors, pictures of favorite family events and photos that show the family celebrating. If you research ancestry, you can then take this information and make your own family crest with it. On a piece of paper you will draw an outline of the shape of your choice. You can then divide the shape into three or four sections and then in each section you will draw a picture that represents the information you gathered above. You could also do this on the computer or cut pictures from magazines. When done you may color in the pictures and laminate your finished family crest project that shows some information from your family tree. How fun! Tip: Searching Family Trees & Family Tree Makers What is a family tree maker and how can it make your family ancestry search easier? A family tree maker is just what it sounds like. It allows you generate your family tree, often times you are able to view three generations of the same family using a special family tree software. A family tree maker also allows you to see different views of your screen, thus you may be able to see up to seven generations of your family on the computer screen. This type of computerized family tree maker also searches a major ancestry/genealogy website while you are working on your computer inputting information. A special indicator will let you know when your results have been found. You will then be able to compare your search results with information you already have generated in a side-by-side format for easy viewing! You can also merge information from the website the computer searches with your information you have stored on your computer. You can download a family tree maker onto your computer by first finding one you like. Try doing a family tree maker search on a search engine. Many you will have to pay to download and others may be free. The download may take up to 45 minutes. Tip: World Family Tree

7 A world family tree is another genealogy tool that allows you to search for family trees. It is pretty much what it sounds like- a search for family trees throughout the world. World family trees are something that you pay for and then are able to view hundreds of thousands of actual family trees. You may view these family trees online or download them to your computer. Your price will vary, but most likely will average a little over nine dollars a month for world family tree information. By finding only one of your ancestors with a world family tree search you can add an entire branch instantly to your own personal family tree. Try doing an Internet search for "world family tree" to see what you find. Category: Genealogy Research Subcategory: Family Genealogy Tip: Ask Family Related Questions When doing your family genealogy try to remember to ask as many family members as possible as many questions as possible. This will give you a huge amount of information to use in your search. Some good questions to ask are: Where were you born?where specifically did you live when you were growing up?where did you like living the best?what schools did you attend?what year did you graduate from high school?did you attend college? If so, what dates and where?how did you meet your spouse?when did you get married?who was in your wedding? Where did you honeymoon?where did you live after marriage? The important thing to remember is to ask several questions for everyone and to get dates for everything. Having the dates and locations will help in your family genealogy search. Tip: Finding Maiden Names For many years, genealogy pretty much ignored maiden names of females and their ancestral lines. Usually in the past a maiden name was given but very little information about that woman's history. In today's genealogy world, people want to find out as much as possible about a woman's maiden name and her ancestors. However, if you have a family tree that doesn't include the maiden names of your ancestors, there are ways to still find out the information you need about her family. Tip: Have fun! Family history is one of the most enjoyable and addictive hobbies - but sometimes it can be very frustrating when you get stuck. Don't agonise too much over it - just go and search another line for while. When you come back, your mind will be refreshed and sometimes you can get some new ideas about where to search.

8 Tip: How to Start Tracing Your Family History Once you have documented everything you already know about your family and you have interviewed several family members about your family, it is time to start tracing your genealogy! First, you must make sure that all of the addresses and numbers given are correct. You can use public records found at your local library to confirm this. Make sure you are using just one family surname for your search. This helps to keep things a bit more organized and on track. You can then begin searching your family surname from various websites on the Internet or you can also go to your local family history center for information. You may also search vital records for more information. You can even go to the cities in which your family lived to research public records. While you are doing all of your genealogy research make sure to take accurate notes on special genealogy supplies that will help keep your information organized. Additional Tip: Another great way to find information on your family genealogy is to join a genealogy message board or ancestry community on the Internet. These places often have people who are extremely knowledgeable in genealogy that can offer assistance in your search. Tip: Photographing Your Library Research When doing your research at the library, try taking a digital camera or even a disposable camera to photograph your findings. Many people do this instead of making copies, and others do this along with making copies of the items. This is another interesting way to keep your finds quickly recorded for your research. You should however, make sure your library allows the use of a camera. Most do, but some do not and some do not allow the use of a flash. The library may also allow cameras but restrict exactly what you can photograph with it. It is a good idea to always ask before taking any pictures. Tip: Some Specifics for Searching When searching your family genealogy you should understand the best way to write information or input information that you are researching. You may be surprised to learn that by simply inputting information a specific way may improve your findings. Here are some tips to help you along: When putting in dates of birth or death for genealogical research, you should use numbers to show the actual date and the first three letters of the month followed by the entire year. For example: 11 Nov 1999If you are writing down a location, such as a city, you should be very specific. Not only should you write down the name of the city but also the county and the state in which it is located. You do not need to spell out the entire name of the state, you can use the state abbreviation.looking through a family member's last will and testimate can also give you valuable information such as birth dates, siblings, and children. This can give you valuable information when searching more than one family member.here's one very important tip to consider: if you are tracing your genealogy back hundreds of years, not every city was considered to be in the same state as they are currently located. Cities

9 may not have been called the same thing as they are now. It is important to research what the names of places were when your relatives were born. Tip: Supplies for Your Search Okay, so you have started your research and you have realized that writing down what you have read or found on regular paper just isn't cutting it. There are specific supplies you can use to help you out! Pedigree charts are the main item you will want for documenting your research. A pedigree chart is a way you record an individual's bloodline from generation to generation. You will want the full name of each person, the birth and death of each person, and the date of marriage along with where all of these took place. Keep a correspondance chart to keep records of who you have spoken to.use a research calendar that allows you record every place you have used for finding your genealogy information.use a research extract form for anything that you can't photocopy or print out. You are able to record information on it on your own. There are still other forms you may want to utilize. Do an Internet search for genealogy supplies to find what may be missing. Tip: What to Know Before Starting Your Research Before starting your genealogy research you will need to have a general idea of what you're searching for. Here are some helpful suggestions that will help to get you started: Write down what you already know about your family.ask yourself exactly what you want to learn about your family. Do you want to learn where your ancestors were born, when they died, when they were born? The more specific you are the better to help your search.decide what type of records you want to search. Do you want to search compiled records or original records? Compiled records are researched by others and original records are records that are created at the time of the event.how you organize your information is up to you. There are charts that can help you in recording what you find in your search. The above information can help you in your genealogy search. Good luck! Category: Genealogy Software Subcategory: Genealogy Software Tip: Genealogy Software - Ratings and Reviews Check out this great About.com site! It has an assortment of genealogy software ratings and reviews. They even have comparison charts! You'll find it here:

10 Tip: Genealogy Software Reviews If you do an Internet search for "genealogy software reviews" you will find several sites that will help you compare genealogy software. There are some things you should look for when purchasing or using genealogy software: Price is something to look for. Just because something may be cheaper than another piece of software doesn't mean it isn't as good. How easy is the software to use? Software review sites should compare just how easy the software is to use. You don't want anything too difficult, especially if you are new to genealogy research.you should also keep in mind how easy the genealogy software is to install. If you aren't computer savvy, you may want to make sure the software received high marks for easy use. Tip: Purchasing Software If you want something more than what free genealogy software can offer, you may want to try purchasing genealogy software. Prices vary, but this type of software may offer more in-depth help and information for your research. You can expect software you purchase to help you search for your ancestors utilizing the largest online collection of family history available. Software that you purchase may also allow you to design and personalize your findings by making charts and graphs customized to your preference. You may purchase software that allows you to share your information with family and friends by creating a book or a CD rom of your very own! Tip: Which software is best? There are numerous software packages available to help you with your genealogical research. A great site to help you identify which program may be best for you is The Genealogical Software Report Card. The Report Card bases it's information on scorecards completed on each program. Each scorecard consists of more than 300 items. Check it out if you're having trouble making a software decision! Category: Immigration Records Subcategory: Immigration Search Tip: History of Ellis Island & Finding Immigration Records Although many immigration records, including those from Ellis Island, are available online, every genealogist will eventually need to visit a library or archive in search of these and other records. The place to start is with your own local library! Find the main libraries in your town or region and become familiar with their historical and genealogical sections. You'll be amazed at how much information even the smallest local library has or can obtain via interlibrary lending.

11 Tip: Mayflower Passenger List If you're trying to find out if one of your ancestors was on the Mayflower, check out the following Mayflower Passenger List: Mayflower Passengers Tip: New York Genealogy Do you reside in New York? Are you just plain curious about the history or genealogy of the state? Who were the first people to live in New York, who first explored the state? New York is another state rich with history and genealogy. Did you know that Samuel de Champlain explored the Northeastern part of New York in 1609? In 1624 the Dutch settled in New York for 40 years and governed the colony referred to as New Netherland. In 1625 the Dutch purchased Manhattan Island from local Indians. Almost 40 years later the Dutch Colony of New Netherland was conquered by the English and renamed New York. In 1776 New York declared its independence from Great Britain and became one of the 13 original states of the Federal Union. Ellis Island eventually became where immigrants from all over the world passed through on their way to the United States, and where later generations searched immigrant records for information about their own ancestors. New York thus became a melting pot of cultures and people. Tip: Tips for Ancestry Searching If your ancestor is a naturalized United States citizen who immigrated to the U.S., try exploring the various ships that your ancestor may have sailed over on. If you have a passport and the date it was issued, you can request, for free under the Freedom of Information Act from the state department in Washington DC. You will need to prove that your ancestor is deceased. You will also need the passport applicant's name, passport number, year of birth, date of naturalization, place of residence, year of travel and your name, mailing address and telephone number. This request will take a bit of time to process, so be patient! Category: Obituaries and Newspapers Subcategory: Obit tips Tip: Ancestors Series (PBS) The 'Ancestors' series on PBS is genealogy programming at its best. Check out the site below to determine when this series will be broadcast in your area: Tip: Ancestry.Com Catalog

12 Ancestry.com has a catalog of books and resources. Just call Ancestry and ask for their free catalog that highlights recent publications. Tip: Family Chronicle - Free Issue! Family Chronicle magazine is a great "how-to" genealogy magazine with a reputation for solid editorial, presented in a highly attractive, all-color format. They'll be happy to send you a free trial issue. Just go to their site, here: Then check out the "Free Trial Offer" in the right column. You can't beat the price! Tip: NEHGS Catalog You can obtain a copy of the "New England Historical Genealogical Society" sales catalog by visiting their site, here: NEGHS Catalogs Their catalog lists titles published by NEHGS and Newbury Street Press, as well as charts and forms, preservation supplies, children's books, research guides, resources for tracing ancestors in the U.S. and abroad, software, CD-ROMs, genealogies, and local histories. Lots of good stuff! Category: Online Genealogy Research Subcategory: Online Genealogy Research Tip: Free Genealogy If you are looking for your ancestors online and you specifically want free information, the entire 50 states is now part of an exciting project. The U.S. GenWeb project is offering free online information for your search. Every state in the country now has information that is linked to from the U.S. GenWeb site. Each state offers searches for surnames, important historical events; links to other sites to assist you in your free searching. All of this is done thanks to some very dedicated volunteers from every state. There are also other sites out there that offer free genealogy. Try doing a search of "free online genealogy" to come up with sites that will allow you to search without paying a fee. One site may come up that offers some fun searches, such as genealogical prison records, in which you can hunt for that black sheep in your family, or a site that offers a free search of family Bibles that are indexed by surname. Tip: Genealogy Classes Online Are you just starting out in your online genealogy research? Are you slightly confused as to how to go about this whole vast topic of ancestry research? Or, are you already a seasoned pro at researching your ancestry via the Internet? Either way, there are classes online for you to take about genealogy. If you are just beginning, you will find several of the major genealogy websites that offer free genealogy classes to help get

13 you started. These classes begin with the basics such as how to get started searching on the Internet and what are some great tools for Internet research. Never fear it won't be a waste of your time nor will you lack in choices, both topics have 15 or more lessons included in the classes. If you are a seasoned genealogist just looking to hone your skills or learn something new, there are classes for you also! You can take classes ranging from how to access help from genealogy societies to how to enhance your online and offline digital photographs. If you do a search for genealogy websites, you will find several that offer classes such as the above. What are you waiting for? Tip: Search Engine Tutorial Having trouble learning how to utilize search engines for your genealogy research? Help is only a click away! Check out this article - "Using Standard Search Engines to Find Genealogy Related Material" - to help you find what you need. Using Standard Search Engines Category: Preserving Your Family History Subcategory: Interviews/Oral Histories Tip: Plan First! Before you begin interviewing members of your family, you need to sit down and make a few plans! Here are some things you need to consider: 1) If you're looking strictly for family history information - names, dates, places, etc. - start with your oldest relatives first. As we all know, but hate to think about, these loved ones won't always be around to share their knowledge with us. 2) Set an objective for your interview. Decide exactly what information you want to gain from the interview. Are you looking for names? Information about a certain event? Family stories? 3) Make a list of those people who will be most likely to fulfill your research objective, and contact them to see if they are open to talking with you. 4) Ask your interview subject to collect old documents or photos that will help trigger their memories and provide good fodder for interview questions. Tip: Safeguard Your Tapes! After you've finished taping an oral history interview, make sure to create back-up copies of the tapes and store the originals in a safe place - like a safety deposit box. These tapes are now important archival material! Subcategory: Scrapbooks

14 Tip: Use Archival Supplies The best way to protect your scrapbook for future generations is to use an archival quality storage box. Place your scrapbooks spine down or flat in the box, depending on box design and scrapbook size. Category: Religious Genealogy Subcategory: Religious Genealogy Tip: Catholic Church Records Requests If you know the name and location of your ancestors' Catholic Church/Parish, and it still exists, you can make a short but friendly request to the church office for baptism, marriage, or funeral records. Include details of your ancestor, such as: name, birthdate, marriage date, etc. If dates are unknown, try to give a close estimate of the dates. Try to request items on only one person at a time, as church offices are busy places! Tip: Southern Baptist Archives If you have Southern Baptist ancestors, be sure to check out the Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives. The library's resources include over 25,000 books, more than 71,000 annuals (minutes and proceedings), comprehensive files of Baptist newspapers, periodicals, pamphlets, audio and video recordings and photographs. The microfilm collection includes copies of newspapers, periodicals, rare books, annuals, church records, manuscript collections, theses, dissertations, and other materials. Category: State Genealogy Subcategory: State Genealogy Tip: Iowa Genealogy Is Iowa really made up of all farms? Was Iowa always famous for its farmland or did it have anything else to offer? When did Iowa become a state? Have you always wondered these things? Search online sites for access to all sorts of information about Iowa and its people. Perhaps you will find some relatives you never knew about. If you are wondering what the first county in Iowa was or when Iowa became a state (1846), this website is for you. You can also use the website to find out information about deaths and births throughout the years in each county of Iowa. For instance, you can find out that the current population of Iowa is around three million people. The United States obtained Iowa as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and Lewis and Clark

15 explored Iowa as a result of that purchase. Many farms popped up throughout the state, showing that Iowa has long been known as a great place to grow crops and farm the land! Tip: Texas Genealogy Do you currently reside in Texas? Are you looking for ancestors that may have lived there? Search online using the surname you are searching for and pick the county in Texas in which you or your relatives lived - or you think they lived - and you will see names of people who could be related to you. Texas originally was inhabited and ruled by Spain, thus why still today there is a large Spanish influence on the state. Texas has actually been shaped by the influence of six different independent countries who at one time flew their flag in Texas: Spain, Mexico, Republic of Texas, the Confederacy and the United States. In the 1800's American and European immigrants started making their way to Texas, this added more culture to already rich gene pool. Texas joined the union in As you can tell, Texas is a state with a lot of genealogical history. Is yours one of them? Category: Vital Records Subcategory: Vital search Tip: How To Find A Tombstone You say you're determined to find your ancestor's tombstone, but don't know where to start? Here are the most likely sources of that information: death records/certificates, obituaries, mass or prayer card, family Bible, family members, published cemetery surveys. Tip: Marriage Certificates Are Important! A Marriage Certificate is the most reliable document for the marriage date and place. Additionally, these certificates often provide the ages of the bride & groom, the parents' names, and the names of witnesses - who are often family members. Tip: Use A Deed Research Form When you're researching Deeds, make sure to take detailed notes. You should make notes of all the information found on the Deed, even that which makes no sense or seems unnecessary at the time. You may need that information later on in your research! A nice Deed Research Form can be found here:

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