Genealogy Tip of the Day

Smaller rural cemeteries present a variety of research challenges, particularly in terms of access. Not all of these small cemeteries are pu...

Periodically I send out email updates about genealogical events, summaries of popular blog posts, announcements, webinars, and other items--...

Locations in records can easily be off more than one might expect. A relative born near Plattsburgh, New York is listed on a passenger manif...

Genealogy Tip of the Day  is proudly sponsored by GenealogyBank. Explore what newspapers they have here . Or explore their obituary collec...

Some online databases like to "tease" users with titles that indicate the database is more encompassing than it actually is. Make ...

Immigrants did not always stay in their new country. Some were not happy and ended up returning to their homeland. If you can't find whe...

Using the Bureau of Land Management Site This presentation discusses search strategies for the Bureau of Land Management website--which h...

When was the last time you went back and took a look at documents and photographs you've not really analyzed in years? Are there clu...

Just about anything can appear on a tombstone--not just the dates of birth and death. Some immigrants had their place of birth inscribed on ...

It's hard to write a "quick tip" or set of rules for making certain that two records refer to the same person. There are many ...

Were duplicate copies of vital records being kept when that vital record was recorded? In some locations during some time periods, vital rec...

If you are having difficulty tracing your 18th century immigrant "back across the pond," determine if he or she had cousins, nephe...

When analyzing an age for a relative given in a document, remember that a person can easily be "off" on their age by several years...

If any relative lived in Iowa in 1925, make certain you have found them in the state census taken that year. It asked a variety of personal ...

When you get all "into" researching a person or family in an area that is unfamiliar to you, do you stop and take the time to find...

When you are using a record with which you are unfamiliar, make certain you learn something about the "purpose and process" of the...

My BLM and Brick Wall Strategies  webinars are tomorrow-10 March . Still time to join us.

An 1890 era family genealogy indicated an ancestor died after 10 April 1811. No source or reason for the date is given. Apparently one genea...

A relative moved from central Massachusetts to central Vermont around the turn of the 18th century to a location where he had no relatives a...

In some time periods and cultural groups, using names of deceased children for later children was not uncommon. Families could easily have t...

Genealogy Search Tip of the Day  is different from Genealogy Tip of the Day. The S earch Tip of the Day site briefly mentions websites, onl...

Genealogy Tip of the Day  is proudly sponsored by GenealogyBank. Explore what newspapers they have here . Or explore their obituary collec...

In some locations and some time periods, it was not common to use middle names. Do not assume that your ancestor had a middle name. It is po...

Historical USGS maps are available online. For those who have not seen them, a recent post on Rootdig has a sample image and a brief discuss...

For those who are new, Genealogy Tip of the Day  is usually one daily genealogy research tip. To help pay the bills, we do occasionally ment...

The notice regarding the returning home of the 78th Illinois indicated that they were leaving on the 10th "instant." That mean...

Searching old newspapers for your ancestor's military regiment probably won't locate references to him specifically, but you may g...

Census enumerators make mistakes. In 1900 Henry/Hinrich Sartorius was enumerated as Herman Sartorius. The census enumerator may have con...

The week of 9 March, we're offering webinars on the following topics: Using Fold3.com Using the Bureau of Land Management website B...

If there is a relative who went "poof," have you determined if at any point in time they were an heir to an estate? That relative ...

Family written obituaries provided to newspapers can leave out as much as they include. Previous spouses may not be included, children can b...

Variations in how your ancestor's name was spelled can be endlessly frustrating. However, it's worth remembering that a variation of...

Shopkeepers or businessmen were not the only people who appeared in the classified ad section of a newspaper. John Tucking lost his mo...

Is your relative mentioned in a statewide report of any kind? This 1940 reference comes from the Proceedings of the Teacher College Board ...

I will be the speaker at the Alabama Genealogical Society's Spring Seminar on Saturday, March 28 at Samford University in Birmingham. To...