Genealogy Tip of the Day

I wish I knew more of how this trunk came to my possession. All I know is that it has my aunt's name on it (Ahltje Goldenstein) and he...

Write down the name you are looking for in several different ways, both in a neat and messy fashion. Think about how it could be read or int...

The following are links to my blogs and newsletters: Genealogy Tip of the Day --one short daily genealogy-related research tip. This usu...

If your ancestor owned real property and you've already seen all the deeds, have you searched the recorder's office for surveys and ...

Thanks to those who have recently subscribed to Genealogy Tip of the Day . We are glad that you've joined us. Our tips go out daily--usu...

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If your landowning ancestor signs a mortgage for their farm to someone that's clearly not a bank or lending institution, determine if th...

Where the lines are can impact your research? County and township lines can change. Lines for enumeration districts in the census may or may...

If a document refers to two men as brothers is it possible that they are not full brothers? Could they be: half-brothers? step-brothers?...

Tombstones in Bethany United Church of Christ Cemetery, Tioga, Hancock County, Illinois; photo taken 2004 by Michael John Neill When vis...

The cat didn't mean to, but he was the "thought prompt" for today's tip. Are you breaking your research down into smalle...

After you have identified as many people in a picture as you can, have you thought about who took the picture? Some family pictures may have...

Are the only records you use from a local church the records of pastoral acts? If your ancestor was a member of an immigrant church do you k...

In some families, it can be difficult to determine the order in which children are born. The problem is exacerbated in places where there ar...

Due to a scheduling conflict, I've had to change the dates for the 2015 Family History Library Research Trip to: arrive and check i...

Our sponsor GenealogyBank  is offering Genealogy Tip of the Day  readers, fans, followers, etc. an annual membership rate that equates to $...

If you are needing something to provide you with some framework for writing a biography of your ancestor, consider using her chronology of p...

Editors of print genealogical publications are welcome to use tips from Genealogical Tip of the Day  in their newsletters, quarterlies, etc....

Sometimes it can be insightful to perform Google searches on attorneys named in your ancestor's documents. This attorney appointment...

Copies in record books are transcriptions made by the clerk of the original document. Consequently they do not contain any actual signatur...

By popular demand, we're offering a new section of my "organizing genealogical information" class. Details are here . Don'...

Sometimes it is simply faster to use pencil and paper instead of "computerizing" everything. There are times where a quickly dra...

The county recorder's office where your ancestor lived after his military discharge may have a registered copy of his discharge papers. ...

Pay attention to the order in which children are listed in wills and other legal documents. That order may suggest the birth order for the c...

We still have openings in webinars on the following topics tomorrow, 14 November 2014: Tips and Tricks for FamilySearch Probate Court R...

An excellent problem-solving technique is to write up your "problem" as if you were explaining it to someone totally unfamiliar wi...

Initials can frustrate genealogists, but at least four of these heirs of James Kile had "W" as a middle initial. That seems more...

We've finished our series on genealogical queries--with some specific suggestions. We broke it down into three parts: Query writing ...

In reading an affidavit from the early 1850s, I realized that the county seat of Mercer County, Illinois, was not where it is today. Has t...

Bounty land warrants indicate the number of acres in the federal domain to which a person (usually a veteran) is entitled. Holders of the ...

I wasn't really certain the census entry in Union County, Ohio, was for the right James Kile. The index entry and transcription didn...

We still have openings in our November webinars, topics include: Court Records Probate Records Female Ancestors Charts, Charts, and Mo...

When transcribing a document keep in mind that there are some letters that are made in different ways depending up on their placement with...

Before you post a genealogy query online, think about how easy you are making it for someone else to help you. Ideal queries provide a summa...

When was the last time you looked over your old research materials for loose ends that never received any followup? It's possible tha...