Genealogy Tip of the Day

Years ago, I made an extract from a document and incorrectly typed the year as 1850. I've repeated that year numerous times. For an upco...

Don't forget that the 1860 US census asks individuals if they were married within the census year. This might be a clue if there are cou...

Consider a day (or two) of no actual research to locate new information. Instead, organize and enter into your database information you have...

The first time you use a database or website, make certain you know what you are using and understand where the data is from.  Titles can be...

Consider how much time you have spent trying to locate that one record. It might be time to work on something else. I have a relative for wh...

If the sources don't match, don't assume that the information they provide is incorrect. If you have two different dates of birth, i...

There is an old adage in genealogical research that "three sources are proof." Not so. Remember that three "sources" of ...

Years ago a distant relative interpreted the name of a child of an ancestor as "Pine." Decades later another relative viewed the o...

Generally speaking, in the United States before 1934, when a father naturalized his minor children automatically became citizens as well. Ch...

When you are obtaining a "copy" of a document or record, are you getting an "image copy" which usually means a digital c...

I've changed the names and location, but here is part of a birth announcement I read recently: "...paternal grandparents are Jim an...

Wonder why great-great-grandma's age changes so much from one record to another? One reason could be that she wanted to shave a few year...

Does a document or record indicate how long someone has known your ancestor? Subtract back and see just when the two individuals met? Does i...

If your ancestor was involved in some type of "sensational" court case, check out the newspapers around the time the case was hear...

Remember that obituaries for women may never mention their name. It may be necessary to search for husband's names in newspapers long af...

Passport applications for married women in the United States in the early 1900s included information on the citizenship status for their hus...

Soundex searches are options on many online search interfaces to databases and finding aids. Keep in mind that Soundex generally works best ...

Let's face it, sometimes information on a document is flat out incorrect. It may be that the ancestor outright lied, someone misundersto...

Sometimes the best advice is actually gotten from someone who lives where the records are and has actually used the originals on paper. Digi...

It is possible that your ancestor was missed by the census taker, but make certain you have truly looked first, including a manual page by p...

Are you making certain you have the right gender for the ancestor in that baptismal record? A researcher connected a baptismal record to her...

 For those who don't know, Tip of the Day can be received on your Kindle if you have one . Sample copies of my newsletter can be receiv...

The "heirs-at-law" of a deceased individual are usually those who have an inheritance interest in the estate. Spouse and children ...

As we eventually work our way into warmer weather, genealogists start to think of making research trips to far-off courthouses. Here a some ...

When genealogists look at their ancestor's will, they usually pay attention to the witnesses. They should as those names can be clues. H...

I usually use scanned copies of documents to transport them, save them, and enlarge them. I don't often have cause to do much more. Howe...

Sometimes when I'm stuck in analyzing a document, especially one that is lengthy and may mention several events or dates, I pick out eve...

Remember the purpose of the record when analyzing the information it contains. A birth certificate really is about the birth and minor error...

You won't remember that fact, where you found it, where you put it, or who is in that picture. Write it down, type in your genealogical ...

A great place to start that search for that "old" place name is the USGS GNIS http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/ http://geon...

If Aunt Margaret tells you someone is her "cousin," what does she really mean? First cousin, second cousin, etc.? To the genealogi...

Genealogy software programs can help genealogists cite their source. Whole books, such as Evidence Explained , have been written providing g...

We are currently running a sale on the first 68 issues of my weekly how-to newsletter, Casefile Clues , which sponsors Genealogy Tip of the ...

I have been reading First Generations: Women in Colonial America  for the past several days. It has given me some insight into the Colonial ...

Think about your genealogy resolutions for 2011. Pick one small one that you can reasonably obtain. Write it down on a post-it note and put ...