Genealogy Tip of the Day

Do you have ancestors, aunts, uncles, or cousins who were living in Iowa in 1925? The 1925 Iowa state census asked questions about religion,...

How easy was it for your ancestor to hop on a train to get to the next county, state, etc.? Before automobiles and highways were the preferr...

Did your ancestor have a job that would have generated employment records that are still extant? Historical societies, regional archives, li...

When analyzing a document or record, ask yourself: How would my interpretation change if one word in this document was wrong? Is it poss...

GenealogyBank , sponsor of  Genealogy Tip of the Day  is offering a free ebook on genealogical research for new subscribers to their service...

While it doesn't happen too often a bride and groom can have the same last name. I had one cousin who died relatively young under the sa...

Sometimes genealogy research can seem like a walk in a permanent fog. One helpful approach is to find journal, blog or other well-written ar...

Do you have a short period of time in your relative's life that you know where they were but have not investigated because "it prob...

Even if an illness or injury didn't cause your ancestor's immediate demise, it could have thrown the family into a difficult situati...

The question of your ancestor's literacy may not be as simple as he was or wasn't. There is the ability to write a name, speak the l...

When transcribing legal documents, researchers sometimes leave out lengthy portions that are repetitive or do not contain any detail they fe...

Due to popular demand, we have brought back our $5 webinar sales now through 25 August. If you've not seen our list of topics,  a comple...

We have mentioned it before...but it is worth repeating. Have you accessed and utilized the most fragile sources of genealogical informati...

This file is in the probate records for Middlesex County, Massachusetts. It's actually a file with guardianship information on Jonatha...

GenealogyBank , sponsor of  Genealogy Tip of the Day  is offering a free ebook on genealogical research for new subscribers to their service...

I'm working on transcriptions of pardon records for two men who were incarcerated in the Joliet, Illinois, prison in the 1850s/1860s. Th...

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

Are there sources you avoid using because they are "difficult" to use, interpret, or access? Is it possible you are hampering your...

A stint in prison can explain why your ancestor is not enumerated with his family in the census. Court records or newspapers may contain add...

Don't assume without some conclusive evidence that your ancestors were illiterate. A relative of my wife's was in an Illinois prison...

US researchers typically think of the National Archives as being the place to obtain records related to military service. Some state archive...

If your ancestor was in a state prison, have you looked at the state archives to determine if they have records of former prisoners. The pri...

Some terms used in family history discussions with relatives may not be as specific as we would like. Be careful before becoming one hundred...

The probate for Ephraim Puffer in Stow, Massachusetts, makes one reference to the last name of his widow Mary's new husband:  Crown. How...

Genealogists often require help (in large and small amounts) from other genealogists. Sometimes it is a quick lookup in a record and sometim...

A couple of interest were first living as a married couple in Bourbon County, Kentucky, in the 1820 census. The wife's family is difficu...

GenealogyBank , sponsor of Genealogy Tip of the Day is offering a free ebook on genealogical research for new subscribers to their service ...

When a relative appears in a record or a document, determine what might have taken place to cause your ancestor to appear in that document o...

19th century migration in the United States is not always about heading west. Some families headed west only to return from whence they came...

The problem many genealogists have with digital newspapers is that small papers are often not available in digital format. If there is a spe...

There are times where a comparison of signatures is part of our analysis to determine if two people are the same person. When such an anal...

A twitter follower reminded me of another excellent tip in addition to "reading and thinking." Reading something out load may caus...

Is it possible that there was a special act of the state legislature involving your ancestor? Up through the 19th century, it was not uncomm...

If your ancestor was a land-owning farmer, have you mapped out the property he owned? Can you find the current location on a map? What are t...

It is easy for eyes to glaze over when reading the text of a document, particularly if one is looking for a specific word or phrase that wil...