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Category: Records

September 26, 2021

What Does It Take to Have Access to Genealogical Records?

Note: This article was published previously on the Genealogy’s Star blog site.   Each of the large online genealogy family tree/record websites advertises the large number of records they have available for doing user research. In many cases there are various levels of indexing to support the records they claim to have available. But access is not determined by the...

Country Research/Records/Research
August 15, 2021

Where Are the Records?

The quest for finding historical records is one of the main objectives for anyone doing genealogy research. Without records, family history easily becomes family mystery, or even mythology. Many types of historical records have been produced by governments, churches, and other organizations, such as vital records, census, immigration, property, military, and many more. The question “Where are the records?” has...

Country Research/Records/Research
August 1, 2021

Getting to Know FamilySearch Community and Partner Trees

When we think about using the Search menu in FamilySearch, the most familiar choice is right at the top: Records. The other items in the menu may be less familiar, however. Halfway down the menu is the Genealogies option, which is an interesting one. Many of us are aware that a huge number of user-submitted pedigrees are available on FamilySearch....

Country Research/FamilySearch/FS Partners/Records/Research
July 11, 2021

New: Database Reference Page

There are quite a few links to helpful articles and videos in The Family History Guide, covering a wide variety of topics. What should not be overlooked is that there are also links to many free databases for records of all types. To highlight these resources, we’ve created a new page: the Database Reference. About the Database Reference You can...

Records/What is new at The FHG
June 27, 2021

As Genealogists, What Should We Do about Place Names?

Note: This article was published previously on the Genealogy’s Star blog site.   For some time now, FamilySearch.org has been encouraging users to “standardize” place names. This effort has been moderately successful and is continuing to evolve. The suggested standard place names rely on a large database of worldwide names. More recently, FamilySearch has been adding a time-frame to the suggested standard...

Records/Research
June 7, 2021

What Are the Locations of Events in Your Ancestors’ Lives?

Note: This article was published previously in the Genealogy’s Star blog site.     The most important element in accurate genealogical research is determining an accurate and specific location for an event in an ancestor’s life. Here is an example of a place that is not specific enough to be useful for research copied from the FamilySearch.org Family Tree. This entry is...

Records/Research
May 31, 2021

Find Your Military Ancestors with The Family History Guide

Today is Memorial Day in the United States, where military veterans are remembered and honored. No matter what country you are from, chances are good that you have one or more ancestors who completed military service. Finding out more about their lives can be a source of inspiration and connection. The Family History Guide can help you discover more about...

Records/Research/U.S. Research
May 24, 2021

What is in a name? Taking Your Genealogical Research to a Higher Level

Note: This article appeared previously in the Genealogy’s Star blog site.     My Great-great-grandfather’s name was David Thomas b. 1820, d. 1888. He was born in Wales. Sometime, probably after he died, he “acquired” a middle name and became “David Nathan Thomas.” Here is a photo of his grave marker with his name as “David N. Thomas.” However, every...

Ancestry/Country Research/Records/Research
April 19, 2021

Expanding the Scope of Your Genealogical Research

Note: This article by James Tanner was published previously on the Genealogy’s Star blog site and is used with the author’s permission.   One of the most common genealogical research issues I am asked to help with involves help with finding the date of one particular event in an ancestor’s or relative’s life. Most commonly, the goal is to find...

Records/Research/U.S. Research
January 11, 2021

Finding Your Ancestors in Private Sources

Note: This article by James Tanner was published previously in the Genealogy’s Star blog site and is used with the author’s permission.   To some people, this pile of old suitcases and trunks would be a nightmare. To a seasoned genealogist, this is a dream come true. I don’t think we talk enough about relying on the records that may...

Memories/Records
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