Dec 15
The southern state of Alabama has a long history. You may have had an ancestor who was married in one of the counties of Alabama between 1809 and 1950. That is a very long period from which at least an index was kept of marriage records. If your ancestor lived in any of the bordering states (Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee) they could ...
Dec 13
In developing your family tree have you come across some given names (first or middle names) in which you wonder where did that name come from? Here are some thoughts on how over the years some given names have come about. First, many given names (especially middle names for females) for a baby are a family surname, so that name is carried on. So ...
Dec 7
Using the free to use 'FamilySearch' online you can investigate if you had any ancestors who were listed on available American Revolutionary Military Rolls covering 1775 to 1783. The collection consists of images of muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other personnel, pay, and supply records of the American Army during the Revolutionary W...
Nov 27
No matter what project you might be working on, there does need to be a 'to-do-list', to help you be organized and stay on the right path. This concept is especially true for those doing their family tree / family history. You might not work on your research every day or once a week, it might be weeks to months in-between. By having to begin with...
Nov 23
Yes, you have a box filled with family photos but wouldn't be great to have the best ones in a print book that can be shared easily? There are several companies that can assist you to create one, and here is one of them online -- ReSnap. From the home page you see there are several different sizes and styles to select from. You select the size and...
Nov 21
A great source for working on your family tree would be a Lineage Society. One of the most famous is the D.A.R. (Daughters of the American Revolution). There is one for Sons of the American Revolution. There are numerous societies all willing to assist you to find your lineage. Some other examples include: Mayflower descendants, those who had fami...
Nov 19
The following are 10 concepts that can be a mistake when doing your family tree. 1. Your family tree will not be totally online as part of someone's tree and there could be some major mistakes. 2. Never depend solely on free databases; you will need some of the subscription databases and sending letters to courthouses. 3. Not all vital recor...
Nov 17
If there is no copy with the family papers for an ancestor's Will you need to inquire with the courthouse of the town or county where that ancestor lived at the time of their death. An original last will and testament itself may not be copied into the official court minute book; however, there might be a statement that a Will was filed with the cle...
Nov 15
Today there are online dating sites but for our ancestors of the 19th and 20th century, they used the Personals in their local newspapers to facilitate long-term love matches. Some individuals were looking for true love and others were willing to pay for a spouse. The newspaper classifieds of yesteryear make it fairly clear which was more often pre...
Nov 13
This wonderful collection (Brimley Collection) of vintage photos taken within North Carolina were collected by Hubert Hutchinson Brimley (1861-1946). He was also director of The North Carolina State Museum of Natural History. The photographs document many aspects of life in the state between the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth centuries. His co...