Genealogy Tip of the Day

Have you asked all your family members the same questions about the same people? You should. And you should ask them separately. Even wi...

When searching for items in the Family History Library card catalog, consider searching for all levels. Recently I was looking for some town...

When you began your research, you hopefully asked family members questions about your family's history. When was the last time you went ...

If you are having difficult thinking spelling variants for your last name, remove vowels or change each vowel with another one. Vowels are t...

In some cases your family history research may never be finished. It's a fact of research. The best bet is to write up and organize what...

A reader correctly pointed out that genealogists frequently focus on the apprentice in the master-apprentice relationship. If your ancestor ...

If you had an aunt or an uncle get divorced, have you considered looking at their divorce records? There may be mention of where they marrie...

The email delivery of tips has been a little off because the timing of a few tips has been off. We are returning to an email delivery of ti...

If you are "stuck" on an ancestor, pretend that you are creating a "resume" or "vita" for him (or her). Think ...

GenealogyBank is offering Genealogy Tip of the Day fans a special: New subscribers can save 20% off an annual subscription and get a free ...

There is no tip today. Sometimes it's good to clear your head and start from scratch. Sometimes it's good to know when you reall...

For years I have researched a family that moved from Virginia to Kentucky in the very early 1800s. It was only recently that I discovered th...

I've encountered instances in my research where children have provided maiden names of mothers that were inconsistent with information p...

For those of you who did not know, this is not my only genealogy blog. Here's list with the links. Enjoy! Daily Genealogy Transcribe...

Before visiting that rural courthouse, find out if there is a certain day of the week that is "court day." Chances are some office...

Sometimes things just don't stand out in black and white. If you're working on sorting out a John, Henry, and Thomas, consider print...

If you don't have a death date for your ancestor, have you gone through all records that could prove him as being alive on a certain dat...

Do not assume because your ancestor made his mark that he was illiterate. Deathbed wills frequently contain "marks" made by people...

I've got several ancestors who immigrated with most of their siblings to the United States. In some cases all the siblings immigrated. I...

In some locations, the bride may never have actually gone to the local office to obtain a copy of the marriage license. It is possible that ...

When you work on a family where the family structure isn't know with any certainty, do you "rush" to enter the details of each...

If you ordered any of my $5 genealogy webinars and had any sort of issues, please let me know. A list of topics can be found here for those...

Transcribe documents exactly as they read--even if they are inconsistent with other items or records. Your genealogical software package sho...

Before a researcher gets hypercritical of the information contained in a death record, consider its original purpose: documenting the date o...

If great-grandpa says he is 50 years old in 1870 and says he's 49 in 1871, the difference is probably not significant. While the ages do...

If your female ancestor is appointed adminstratrix or executrix of her husband's estate, pay close attention to those names on her bond....

There may be more than one "record" of a marriage. A church may have a record, perhaps of the banns as well as the actual marriage...

Before you enter a relationship or a piece of information into your database or file, have you considered whether or not it "makes sens...

Due to  popular demand and the request of a few long-time customers who missed it, we've extended our closeout on webinars. Don't mi...

Church records are more than just baptisms, marriages, and funerals--often these records of these events document vital events in a person...

Most of the time our ancestors did not write the documents they signed. Sometimes it is pretty obvious when one compares the handwriting. An...

Was there a war of some type of military action during your ancestor's lifetime in which he might have been involved? If so, determine i...

A first cousin of my grandmother died in the early 1980s, an only child who left no descendants. His only heirs were first cousins-children ...

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Don't neglect to tell your own story in addition to those you discover on your ancestors. After all, most of us would love to have somet...