Genealogy Tip of the Day

Remember that most census records that provide relationships do so only to the head of the household. The wife may not be the mother of all ...

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Never change the order of any names in a document. Children could (but not necessarily) be listed in order of age in a will. If an older chi...

There is a spot in the road near where I grew up called Breckenridge. Consequently that's how old habits make me spell any location with...

25% off on all recorded genealogy webinars today! Code and webinar descriptions at  http://rootdig.blogspot.com/2011/11/recorded-genealogy-w...

If a document or record does not make any sense, brainstorm on all the possible things that could have been going on at the time. Make a lis...

Just because a 19th century ancestor was married twice, do not assume that the first spouse either died or divorced your ancestor. It is ver...

Sometimes what appears to be a connection is not a connection. One of my wife's Jones families in northern Missouri has another Jones fa...

Do you have pictures, newspaper clippings, or other family history "paper" that you have not scanned or preserved? Is the only cop...

If information is inconsistent, and even when it isn't, ask yourself, "which records am I really certain are my ancestor?" Is ...

When writing any genealogical note, commentary, etc. avoid the use of relationship terms without the name of the person attached to it. ...

There is a good chance that within the next year, my address will change even though my residence will not. When the post office closes, we...

The US federal government first began keeping records of passenger arrivals in 1820.

Until Sunday 20 November at 11:59 PM CST, we are running a Pre-Thanksgiving Sale on my recorded webinars--Spend 30 Get 30%. There's more...

For those who don't know, I have three daily sites: Genealogy Tip of the Day --one how-to tip every day-- http://genealogytipoftheday....

Before you post a question or query to a message board, email list, etc., try and remember to include enough information so that a person ca...

Is it possible that your ancestor changed his name simply because he wanted to and with no official paperwork to document the change? For mu...

We've announced our schedule of genealogy webinars in December of 2011. Registrants who are unable to attend can receive (at no charge) ...

I've been working on the children of a Wesley Jones who died in Missouri in 1872. Researching the family is somewhat difficult as two da...

I have copies from a facility that shall remain nameless. The copies were made from a set of microfilm the facility had of the records. The ...

When using a document that contains several dates make certain you grab the right date for the right event. A marriage record may contain ...

If you are really stuck, consider starting over and documenting every piece of information from scratch. Don't throw away what you alrea...

Sometimes I avoid using online trees, GedCom files, etc. for as long as possible--avoiding them completely if I can. I'm working on a ...

We are giving away 100 copies of my "Brick Wall webinar"--free. Simply go to http://rootdig.blogspot.com/20 11/10/recorded-copies-...

If you are using paper to take handwritten notes, never ever use slips of paper smaller than your hand. You will lose them. I even avoid a...

Webinars on the Bureau of Land Management Site and DeedMapper were released today on our website. Thanks to our low overhead, copies of webi...

Remember that even if your ancestor did not enlist or was not drafted, there still should be a World War I or World War II draft card for hi...

If your ancestor has a boarder, hired man, or anyone else living in the household who is not a member of the immediate family, have you rese...

When using indexes to county or local records, remember that they are likely NOT strictly alphabetical. The "B" section of the ind...

The 1880 census in Clark County, Missouri, indicated that two relatives were "mantamakers." The term was foreign to me.A google se...

If you think, based on family tradition, an obituary, a death certificate, etc. that a person is buried in a certain cemetery, keep in mind ...

There are some states that have counties and towns or cities with the same name. Often these towns are not located in the county of the same...

In some jurisdictions that retain the original will in the packet of probate papers, there still may be a will record book that contains a t...

Is there a newspaper clipping, photograph, family bible, etc. that you have that no one else does? Have you made a copy or digital scan of i...

A relict is that which survives. A "relict consort" (if the phrase is used) is usually referring to the widow or widower, "co...