Genealogy In Action Blog
Learn about various record types, methods and strategies, references and resources, and tools and technology to help you grow your genealogy skills. Articles also include a take-action prompt so you can immediately put into practice what you learned.
You’ve spent countless hours filling in the details of your ancestors, but have you taken the time to record your own biographical details? I actually did this several years ago as a departure from research (sometimes you just need a break!!). I spent some time entering a variety of my life events into my genealogy database. It was a good exercise for me, because as I get older, certain details just seem to fade away. Since that initial project, I regularly add things to my database....
When it comes to genealogy, finding records can be a challenge, which often leads to brick walls. Well my friend, if you’re in this boat, this is for you!
The biggest question we try to answer is: Does a record exist for the time and place of interest, and where on earth is it?
So, how can you go about finding records, both those you’re familiar with and those you’re not?
The FamilySearch Wiki is a great online tool. Consider it your on-call research assistant. You can head...
Academic libraries are probably one of the most overlooked repositories when it comes to genealogy research. But the universities and colleges in the states in which your ancestors lived should definitely be on your list of places to look. These libraries usually contain special collections or archives related to the history of the state or region, as well as the areas surrounding the campus. Even better, many universities are digitizing their archival collections and making them available...
As genealogists, we typically use core records when we start exploring a person or a family. These core records include censuses, vital records, probate records and wills, gravestones, and land records. But these are just the tip of the iceberg. There are three records types I want to call attention to. These are what I consider next-level sources.
1. Cemetery Records
I know, I just said gravestones were a typical core record. True, but I’m talking about records beyond the gravestones....
Wanna know my secret for researching in other countries?
It's all about studying the location!
This of course applies to ANY location, not just other countries.
But how do you go about studying a location? Well, there are plenty of resources out there that can help with that! These three resources are my go-tos when I need to get started with researching in a new-to-me country (or a new town/state/region of a country).
1. FamilySearch Wiki
The FamilySearch Wiki has oodles of information on...
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