Ancestral Findings

You may be looking at the census just to get the names, ages, and birthplaces of your ancestors, and this is good. You should do this, as it is a basic research task in genealogy. Looking up these things on the census records can tell you a lot about your ancestors you never knew, such as children, parents, and other relatives who are living with them who you never knew existed. You can also get i...

Did you know that old newspaper advertisements can tell you a wealth of information about what your ancestors' childhoods were probably like, or what they may have been like as parents? This is valuable information you won't find anywhere else. Join me today to find out what old advertisements can reveal. Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/how-to-use-old-newspaper-advertisements-to-research...

Martha Washington was the very first 1st lady of the United States. We all know this about her, and that she married George Washington. But, what about her life before him, and after him? Do you really know Martha Washington? Tune in today for her story. Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/americas-first-ladies-martha-washington   Read more about America's First Ladies: https://ancestralfind...

While some people were overlooked in certain census records because they were moving and in between residences (such as people migrating west), they weren't home, the person giving the information forgot to include them (or deliberately did not), or were genuinely trying to hide from census takers, the vast majority of people who seem "lost" in any given census year are actually there. You just ma...

Quakers call themselves the Religious Society of Friends. They were given the moniker of "Quaker" by other Christian denominations who derided the writhing and dancing in religious ecstasy that was common in the early days of the group. While there are several different Quaker denominations today, they all come from the same first group and share the same values the original Quakers taught. Show N...

If you've been to any family gathering, picnic, or potluck in the United States, you have probably eaten, or at least seen a deviled egg. The deviled egg is almost a cultural icon for intimate parties in this country. However, as American, as they may seem, they did not originate here, and they exist in other varieties in different nations. As an example, these tasty treats are referred to as devi...

Most genealogists will eventually inherit photos. People in your family know you're the family genealogist. When the time comes to pass photos on to someone else, either due to the death of someone in the family or because an elderly relative is downsizing, you are the most likely person to get them. Some may be in albums, but quite often you will get loose photos kept in boxes and other unlikely...

Yes, they do, but it depends on the census. The 1840 census, for example, includes a column that lets you know whether the head of the household was a Revolutionary War veteran. This can be helpful for confirming Revolutionary service for lineage society applications. Ages begin to be listed in the 1850 census. Relationships to the head of household, year of immigration to the United States (if ap...

It's time to start figuring out what genealogy projects you want to tackle for May. Each month holds its own best genealogical practices that you can incorporate into your regular genealogy research. Here are the 10 "must do" genealogy projects for May. Each of these will make your genealogy research and family history narrative richer and more informative for you and others. Enjoy doing these fun...

Beginning with the 1850 census, the names and ages of everyone in a household were recorded. Prior to that, in the 1790 to 1840 census records, only the names of the heads of households were listed, though those censuses included tallies of how many people of each gender in one of several different age groups lived in the house with the head of household. The 1820-1840 censuses also include a tall...

Beginning in 1790, the United States took a census of the entire country every ten years. This tradition is still continuing today. The census records are divided by state, then county, then city or town. However, this does not mean the exact census you are looking for will be available. Many counties and entire states have had their records lost in the earliest censuses, usually the ones between...

There are dozens, even hundreds, of different records you can use to compile your family history when doing genealogy research. Each one tells a different story about your ancestor. When you put them all together, resolve any discrepancies between them, and use your genealogical skills to read between the lines, you get a fuller, richer picture of your ancestor's life and times. That's the ultimat...

It is often easy to make a good guess as to where your ancestor's burial location may be. They are typically in one of the cemeteries closest to where they lived, or on the property of the church, they belonged to. Of course, there are exceptions, such as people who were buried on family farms, or in far away locations when they died while traveling, or if they wanted to be buried near relatives w...

It's wonderful that we live in an age where a lot of genealogy research can be done online. We don't have to drive long distances and pay large sums of money to get access to many different record sets anymore. While there is no substitution for in-person research to find ALL of the available records concerning your ancestors and to get the true story of who they were and how they lived, you can s...

If you can't find a death certificate, such as if your ancestor died before his or her county or state started requiring the issuance of them, look in the old newspapers of the area to see if you can find an obituary. The time and place of the funeral, as well as the burial location, are often revealed in obituaries, even quite old ones. Once you have the name of the cemetery, finding the burial l...

Every time period and every family has its traditions. Often, the two mix. Sometimes, they are separate. They are all important to our understanding of our families and our heritage. That is why they should be preserved. Part of your genealogical research should always be to find out about the traditions of the times in which your ancestors lived, and any special family traditions, and then record...

Even if you just do genealogy casually, you should join a few genealogical societies in order to learn about the newest research collections, research methods, and to read stories of genealogical successes that can inspire you. If you do genealogy professionally or as a serious amateur researcher, you probably need to belong to several societies in order to keep on the cutting edge of the professi...

Are you getting ready to do family history interviews with your older relatives? Don't forget to ask these important questions. Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/family-history-questions-you-may-not-have-thought-to-ask/ Listen via: https://ancestralfindings.com/itunes    https://ancestralfindings.com/youtube   Weekly Giveaways: https://ancestralfindings.com/drawing   Free eBooks: https://a...

There are plenty of free genealogical resources to use online. Some are well-known, others less so. Today, I'll give you eight little-known free online genealogical resources that you can use to build your family tree without breaking your bank or wallet. Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/some-free-genealogical-resources-you-might-not-have-considered Listen via: https://ancestralfindings.c...

FamilySearch.org is the most popular free genealogy website online, and often one of the first ones new genealogists use. Their collection of records is impressive… it's the largest in the world. However, billions of its billions of records are still not indexed. Today, I'll talk about how to find some hidden gems on the website, even without the benefit of indexing. Show Notes: https://ancestralf...

It's easy to get led down different paths during a day of research. You start out intending to look up only one branch of your family, or even just one person, and you end up finding so much more. It's interesting, so you follow the clues to see where they lead you. Before you know it, you are researching a different branch or person entirely. Start out each research day with a clear plan of what...

Are you descended from royalty? Most genealogists would love to discover this. It is something that sounds prestigious and gives you bragging rights in genealogical circles. The thing is, mathematics says we are all descended from royalty, whether or not we can prove it on paper. Today, I'll show you how your royal heritage is possible. Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/are-we-all-royalty-...

If you're having an "in the field" research day where you're visiting cemeteries, libraries, archives buildings, town historians, town clerk's, churches, courthouses, or other places away from your home, there is always the possibility of finding leads you never expected to find. These leads may cause you to want to go to places not on your list for the day. You'll probably think that "just one mo...

Have you ever searched a record collection or book, looking for a family or ancestor you know should be there, and come up emptyhanded? It could be because of misindexing. Today, I'll talk about how misindexing happens, and how you can get around it to find your people. Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/misindexing-a-common-brick-wall-and-how-to-get-around-it   Listen via: https://ancestra...

Have you ever considered giving back to the genealogical community? The community offers us so much, as we contribute to it by giving back, even in a small way. Today, I'll show you why you should do it. Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/giving-back-to-the-genealogical-community   Listen via: https://ancestralfindings.com/itunes    https://ancestralfindings.com/youtube   Weekly Giveaways:...