Lineage societies generally want one original document that names an ancestor's parents to make a parent-child connection, such as the child's birth certificate. Yet, not every ancestor has such a document. In that case, can you still join a lineage society? Most societies allow the submission of what they call an analysis to make aContinue reading "What if I can’t find a document that names my ancestor’s parents? Can I still join a lineage society?"
Why make a time line?
The period between the late 18th and early 19th century was a period of great migration in the United States. Families were moving from New England to the Midwest, from the Atlantic Seaboard into the South, and more. Yet, because European settlements were relatively new, there are few centralized, indexed records. A time line -Continue reading "Why make a time line?"
How do I tell a document relates to my ancestor?
In the last post, I discussed how genealogy websites are helpful in identifying sources that might relate to your ancestor. I also noted that a source might be identified based only a name match. How do you tell which sources actually belong to your ancestor? There are a few questions you should ask: Was thisContinue reading "How do I tell a document relates to my ancestor?"
No, the genealogy website cannot tell you your ancestors…
I've been hearing variations on the same comment a lot lately. Many people have a working assumption that a genealogy website can tell them their ancestors. It's an understandable desire if you've always wanted to learn more about one branch of your family. Unfortunately, it's not true. That's also not what the sites are setContinue reading "No, the genealogy website cannot tell you your ancestors…"
Men of what age were likely to have served as soldiers during the American Revolution?
It's a good rule of thumb that if your ancestor was "of age" during the American Revolution, they likely participated in the Revolution in some way. Yet, many of us look for soldiers. How do we determine which ancestors were likely to have fought? Local law can actually be a hint. Connecticut, for example, requiredContinue reading "Men of what age were likely to have served as soldiers during the American Revolution?"
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