Genealogy Tip of the Day

Even if you don't have ancestors in the area where you live, your local library may be able to help you with your research. They may hav...

Has your research been all digital? While some of us are unable to do onsite research, there are times when the only way to get at informati...

When was the last time you used an abbreviation, either in a location or in the notes or sources portion of your genealogical software? Is...

When looking through a set of estate or probate papers, don't neglect to look for a "final settlement." It may list names of c...

Think about the reasonableness of any information you find in a compiled database. Are people having children before they are born? Are peop...

It is always possible that you ancestor lived, at least for a time, in a place that seems to make no sense, fits no migration patterns, etc....

My great-great-grandmother died in February of 1888 in rural Illinois. Her obituary indicates that relatives from two separate towns, one 8 ...

Most of the time quitclaim deeds are used to clean up title to a piece of property after the owner has died. Individuals who sign quitclaim ...

For families that lived during a time of no vital records genealogists often do not have dates of birth. In some cases, it may even be diffi...

Keep in mind that there's not always a "need" for a record or a document. If a child has no "estate" or inheritance ...

Sometimes we need to forget we are a genealogist and think about census taking as if it were our job pretend we were the clerk that coul...

In several post-1840 US Census records, tic marks are used to indicate a variety of things. In some cases, it is eligibility to vote, marrie...

There is a difference between an heir and a legatee. An heir is someone who, usually by statute, is entitled to a share in someone's est...

This has been a tip before--but it bears repeating. When was the last time you read a history book? Actually read it and not just searched f...

If your ancestor died during a time when there might have been an obituary or a death notice, search every paper that might have published s...

A rod is a unit of measure of length equal to 16.5 feet. A rood is a unit of measure for  to 1/4 of an acre. Rod is for linear measure ...

November webinars we are giving include: Ancestry.com US Census Searching DeedMapper for Metes and Bounds Properties Using the Bureau of...

If you are having difficulty reading the handwriting on a document or record, particularly one that is entirely in longhand, consider making...

Even something obviously incorrect can be a clue. On a 1900 census enumeration my great-grandfather's siblings indicated that their moth...

Remember that some families kept in contact more than others for a variety of reasons. Your great-great-great-grandfather in 1850 may have h...

Records of a private business, such as a funeral home, are private records which do not have to be made available to the public. Yes, they m...

An 1870 estate settlement lists your male ancestor as an heir of their grandfather. The estate settlement enver indicates your male ancestor...

We won't be offering our September and October topics for a while and because of hosting and other costs, the registrations for future w...

If there are key terms that confuse you, consider taking a short list with you when going to a courthouse to research onsite. If you cannot ...

Remember that heirs to an estate are typically prevented from performing certain roles in the settlement of an estate. Heirs usually are not...

If you are having difficulty getting a family member to remember things from their youth instead of getting aggravated at them, considering ...

Do you have modern maps of where your ancestor lived? Do you have maps contemporary to when your ancestor lived in the location? Geographic ...

Every word in a document, record, or newspaper account needs to be kept in context. The precise meaning of a word may have been different in...

While it was unusual, some women who divorced in the 1800s did revert to a previous married name. This should be stated in the divorce decre...

Do you know what until the early 20th century in the US if a native born female married an un-naturalized man that she lost her citizenship ...

If the wife survived when the husband dies, be certain to look through all the estate and probate records for clues about subsequent marriag...

The correct link for my series of October genealogy webinars is: http://www.casefileclues.com/webinars_neill.htm An email contained the...

Be cautious of a researcher who guarantees to find your family for you. Genealogists can search records to which they have access and that t...

Information on your ancestor's records may be inconsistent for several reasons. One to keep in the back of your mind is that maybe they ...

Check with your local library and determine if they have access to subscription databases that may be helpful in your research. There are ob...