May 19, 2013

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Danish Version of WDYTYA Being Filmed

April 30, 2013 By

TFlag of Denmarkhe Danish Broadcasting Corporation is filming its own version of “Who Do You Think You Are?”–which we’ve learned via two U.S. newspapers!

According to the Bureau County Republican and the NewsTribune (Illinois Valley), popular Danish actress Suzanne Bjerrehuus was in the area filming stories of her great-great-grandparents, who emigrated from Denmark to the American Midwest in 1869. (They apparently left behind one of their six children, from whom Bjerrehuus descends.)

As part of her whirlwind family history tour, Bjerrehuus reportedly visited the Danish Immigrant Museum in Elk Horn, Iowa. If you have Danish roots, you should probably check out their website. They have a Family History & Genealogy Center, which specializes in helping people find links to their Danish immigrant past. They provide research and translation services and they’ve helped people connect with long-lost relatives in both Denmark and the United States.

 

Filed Under: Immigration, Societies, What's New, Who Do You Think You Are? Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Kelly Clarkson on Who Do You Think You Are? #WDYTYA

April 3, 2013 By
  • Kelly ClarksonMany of us have been anticipating the return of Who Do You Think You Are?, the popular family history-themed television show. After three seasons, the WDYTYA? was canceled by NBC in 2012.

Reportedly, TLC has since  picked up the show for a fourth season. Executive producer Lisa Kudrow told Craig Ferguson the show is still moving forward in an appearance on The Late Late Show on Feb. 20 (see the conversation here: it starts about 21 minutes into the show).

In recent weeks, reports have circulated that Kelly Clarkson has filmed an episode. A fan reported seeing her in Americus, Georgia and that they were shooting footage at Andersonsville National Historic Site.

Want to brush up on the first three seasons (and some WDYTYA trivia) before the return of the fourth? Find old episodes here on NBC.

Or learn more about about Kelly Clarkson at her website,  which has so far been silent about any WDYTYA? filming, but celebrates her recent Grammy award and upcoming wedding–to the stepson of another WDYTYA? guest, Reba McEntire.

Filed Under: What's New, Who Do You Think You Are? Tagged With: , , , , ,

FamilySearch Adds New Records

April 2, 2013 By

Recently FamilySearch announced the addition of another 1.7 million indexed Genealogy Takeout from GenealogyGems.comrecords and images to its free online Historical Records Collection. According to FamilySearch, “Notable collection updates include the 13,110 images from the new Arizona, Maricopa, Mesa City Cemetery Records, 1885-1960, collection and the 105,745 indexed records and images from the New Zealand, Immigration Passenger Lists, 1855-1973, collection.”

Whether you have roots in North Carolina or New Zealand, it may be worth it to check out their list of new records:

Collection Indexed Records Digital Images
Australia, Tasmania, Miscellaneous Records, 1829-1961 0 8,191
Austria, Upper Austria, Linz, Miscellaneous City Records, 1485-1894 0 20,711
China, Collection of Genealogies, 1239-2010 0 120,111
Dominican Republic, Miscellaneous Records, 1921-1980 0 29,543
England, Northumberland, Miscellaneous Records, 1570-2005 0 3,897
Italy, Bologna, Bologna, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1866-1941 0 188,632
Mexico, San Luis Potosí, Miscellaneous Records, 1570-1842 0 171,391
Mexico, Yucatán, Civil Registration, 1860-2005 0 297,064
New Zealand, Immigration Passenger Lists, 1855-1973 105,744 1
Nicaragua, Civil Registration, 1809-2011 0 47,728
Paraguay, Asunción, Cemetery Records, 1842-2011 0 11,121
Peru, La Libertad, Civil Registration, 1903-1998 0 203,673
U.S., Arizona, Maricopa, Mesa City Cemetery Records, 1885-1960 0 13,110
U.S., Delaware, Death Records, 1855-1961 28,958 33,144
U.S., Maine, Veterans Cemetery Records, 1676-1918 51,541 0
U.S., Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Estate Files, 1686-1915 0 147,293
U.S., Montana, Sweet Grass County Records, 1885-2011 0 64,754
U.S., North Carolina, Civil Action Court Papers, 1712-1970 0 220,321
U.S., Tennessee, Death Records, 1914-1955 26 0

 

Filed Under: familysearch, Records, What's New Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Search Tips for Finding Tricky Names and Spellings in Ancestry.com and Google

December 29, 2012 By

Even the simplest of names can be subject to creative spelling over the centuries. In this video, Ancestry’s Crista Cowan takes on the challenge saying “Misspeld knames are a commun problem for geneoleogy reeserchors.” 

If you are fairly new to researching your family history the video provides an introduction to the evolution of spelling,  names, and the soundex. More advanced genealogists may want to jump in around the 10 minute mark to quickly tap into Cowan’s tips such as:

  • Wild card search
  • Ancestry’s filters
  • surname translations in search results

She also provides a helpful tip on re-setting Ancestry’s filters to the default position (16:40 min.). When you have run a search using filters, and you want to start fresh on a new search, click the “match all terms exactly” and then uncheck it. This action will clear all the filters previously used.

Name Challenges in Google Search

Common surnames and surnames that double for as common words in the English language (i.e. Green) can also wreak havoc in Google Searches. One way to deal with the problem is to use the minus search operator. In the case of the surname Green, you might try:

GREEN FAMILY TREE -ECOLOGY 

Removing the keyword “ecology” from your search query steers Google away from that meaning of the word “green.” Genealogy Gems Premium Members can view the video and download the handout of my Common Surname Google Search Strategies class in the Premium Membership area of the Genealogy Gems website.

Become a Member today for a full year of access to Premium podcast episodes and videos here

Filed Under: Ancestry, Google Gem Tagged With: ,

How to Get 30 Online Paid Genealogy Collections Free through Dec. 29, 2012

December 26, 2012 By

Ancestry.com is making 30 collections that were added or updated in 2012 available for free between December 26-29th.  Search these records for free.

The 1940 U.S. Census represents 134 million records that were indexed and are now searchable on Ancestry.com (These records will be free on Ancestry.com through 2013). Almost 9 out of 10 Americans have a relative in the 1940 Census, making this a great resource to start your family history journey.

To access these records, visit Ancestry.com/2012.

1940 United States Federal Census
Border Crossings: From Canada to U.S., 1895-1954
Border Crossings: From Mexico to U.S., 1895-1957
California, Railroad Employment Records, 1862-1937
Canada, Nominal Rolls and Paylists for the Volunteer Militia, 1857-1922
Canada, Voters Lists, 1935-1980
Galveston, Texas, Jewish Immigration Records, 1901-1917
Lancashire, England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1911
Lancashire, England, Deaths and Burials, 1813-1986
Lancashire, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1936
London, England, School Admissions and Discharges, 1840-1911
Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988
New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents, 1788-1842
New South Wales, Australia, Police Gazettes, 1854-1930
New York, Naturalization Records, 1897-1944
New York, State Census, 1892
New Zealand, Maori Land Claims, 1858-1980
Pennsylvania, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Immigration Records, Special Boards of Inquiry, 1893-1909
U.S. Marine Corps Muster Rolls, 1798-1958
U.S. National Cemetery Interment Control Forms, 1928-1962
U.S., Buffalo Soldiers, Returns From Regular Army Cavalry Regiments, 1866-1916
U.S., Burial Registers, Military Posts and National Cemeteries, 1862-1960
U.S., Confederate Pensions, 1884-1958
U.S., Records of Aliens Pre-Examined in Canada, 1922-1954
U.S., World War II Cadet Nursing Corps Card Files, 1942-1948
UK and Ireland, Masters and Mates Certificates, 1850-1927
United States, Atlantic Ports Passenger Lists, 1820-1873 and 1893-1959
War of 1812 Pension Application Files Index, 1812-1815
Washington, Marriage Records, 1865-2004
Filed Under: Ancestry, What's New Tagged With:

Limited Time Free Access to Canadian Military Records, and New Records Online

November 6, 2012 By

Free Access:  Ancestry.ca is providing free access to select military records from some of the most popular collections, from November 8th to 12th, including records covering Soldiers of the First World War, the Rebellion of 1837 and the War of 1812, which can be accessed by visiting www.ancestry.ca/11remembrance.

Also, in honor of Remembrance Day, on November 1, 2012  Ancestry.ca announced the launch of more than 1.5 million new historical Canadian military records spanning more than 100 years.  The following press release offers up all the details:

TORONTO (November 1, 2012) –

These new records, covering the First and Second World Wars, highlight the everyday lives of soldiers who served their country. The records which include military awards, service records and information on pay, will provide Canadians with a greater understanding of the men and women who fought in the conflicts that helped define this nation.

Two brand new Canadian collections: Canada, Military Honours and Award Citation Cards, 1900-1961, and Canada, Nominal Rolls and Paylists for the Volunteer Militia, 1857-1922, along with 30,000 new records in the existing Canada, War Graves Registers: Circumstances of Casualty, 1914-1948 collection, will be of great interest to any Canadians with military ancestors.  Ancestry.ca has also added the UK, Commonwealth War Graves, 1914-1921 & 1939-1947 collection, which includes graves and memorials for Canadian soldiers who fought in the First and Second World Wars.

“Remembrance Day is such an emotional time for Canadians to reflect on the people who made the brave and often ultimate sacrifice for this nation and its ideals,” says Lesley Anderson, a genealogist and Content Manager at Ancestry.ca. “We are so happy and proud to be able to provide a forum for Canadians to discover more details about their military ancestors and the lives they lived through the preservation and digitization of these rare historical records.”

The collections, which launch on November 1, 2012, include:

Canada, Military Honours and Award Citation Cards, 1900-1961, containing almost 70,000 records documenting awards and honours received by Canadian service personnel, both men and women. Some records include valuable and rare information on the soldiers’ next of kin, a physical description, their home address and a description of the meritorious action.

Canada, Nominal Rolls and Paylists for the Volunteer Militia, 1857-1922, contains more than one million records that provide detailed information about a soldier’s everyday life, including payroll. The records also include travelling expenses, battalion or regiment, rank, pay for the use of a horse and signature of the member for received pay. These small details can help paint a richer picture of the day-to-day routine of Canada’s servicemen and women.

UK, Commonwealth War Graves, 1914-1921 & 1939-1947, contains more than 500,000 records and includes information from both World Wars. The records list names of grave sites and memorials maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and document who is buried in a cemetery and where, names of people with no known grave, next-of-kin and a history of military action in the area. The collection includes burial and memorial sites in about 150 different countries.

Canada, War Graves Registers: Circumstances of Casualty, 1914-1948, contains almost 30,000 new records added to the existing collection already available on Ancestry.ca. The collection includes military burial documents from Canada, as well as casualty records from the U.S., prisoners of war and members of the Australian Air Force, Polish Air Force and Royal New Zealand Air Force.

The collections also provide opportunities for Canadians to learn the details of service of some of the nation’s most famous soldiers, including:

  • William Avery “Billy” Bishop – As a pilot in the First World War, Bishop achieved 72 kills, which made him the top Canadian ace in that war and earned him a Victoria Cross. The Toronto City Centre Airport is named after the award-winning Air Marshal.
  • William George Barker – A pilot in the First World War, Barker is the most decorated war hero in Canadian history. Only two other servicemen have received as many medals from the British Empire for gallantry.
  • John Weir Foote – Is the only member of the Canadian Chaplains’ Services to be awarded the Victoria Cross. In the Second World War, after a battle in Dieppe, France, Foote surrendered to the German Forces as a prisoner in order to be of help to the men that were captured. He remained with these men in captivity for almost three years.
  • Helen Elizabeth Hansen – A Nursing Sister during the First World War, Hansen was awarded a military medal in 1919 for distinguished service in the field. She was known to be ready for any duty, while always remaining cool and courageous.

 

Filed Under: Ancestry, Candian, What's New Tagged With: , , , ,

How Many Genealogical Records Does $1.6 Billion Buy? About 10 Billion

October 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Today it was announced that Permira Funds Partners is acquiring Ancestry.com and it’s 10 billion genealogical records for $1.6 billion.  In addition to Ancestry’s press release (below), you can learn more from technology industry leader Techcrunch.com’s article Ancestry.com Agrees to $1.6 Billion Cash buyout Led by European Private Equity Firm Permira, Eyes “New Geographies.

ANCESTRY.COM TO BE ACQUIRED BY PERMIRA FUNDS FOR $32.00 PER SHARE IN CASH

Transaction Valued at $1.6 billion; Permira Funds Partners with Ancestry.com Management and Spectrum Equity to Acquire World’s Leading Online Family History Resource

PROVO, Utah, October 22, 2012 –Ancestry.com (Nasdaq:ACOM), the global leader in online family history, and Permira, the European private equity firm with global reach, today announced that a company owned by the Permira funds and co-investors has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire Ancestry.com for $32.00 per share in cash in a transaction valued at $1.6 billion.  Tim Sullivan, Ancestry.com’s President and Chief Executive Officer, and Howard Hochhauser, Ancestry.com’s Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, will maintain a majority of their equity stakes in the company as part of the transaction.  Spectrum Equity will also remain an investor in the company.

 

The transaction represents a premium of 41% over Ancestry.com’s closing stock price on June 5, 2012, the last trading day prior to press reports that Ancestry.com had retained a financial advisor in connection with a possible sale of the company.  The disinterested members of Ancestry.com’s Board of Directors have unanimously approved the transaction and recommend that Ancestry.com stockholders approve the merger.  Affiliates of Spectrum Equity, which together own approximately 30% of the company’s outstanding shares, have agreed to vote their shares in favor of the merger.

 

Ancestry.com is the world’s largest online family history resource. Its global network of websites empowers users to make meaningful discoveries and share their family history.  Over 15 years Ancestry.com has assembled an unrivaled worldwide collection of over 10 billion digitized, indexed records and built a feature-rich, engaging product experience for its 2 million-plus subscribers.  The company’s best-in-class technology ensures access everywhere via web, desktop and mobile.

 

“This is a successful outcome for our public stockholders, and a great day for Ancestry.com employees and subscribers around the world,” said Tim Sullivan.  “We’re excited that Permira shares our commitment to keep investing in our technology and product experience to make family history easy and accessible for more and more families around the world.  Their strong investment track record in the technology and Internet sectors makes them a terrific advisor and partner as we take the company forward.”

 

Added Charles Boesenberg, Chairman of the Board of Ancestry.com, “Our board conducted a thorough sale process, and we are pleased to be able to offer our stockholders this premium transaction.”

 

Brian Ruder, Partner and Head of Permira’s Menlo Park office said: “With its pioneering technology and market leading position, Ancestry.com is an exciting investment opportunity for the Permira funds.  We are thrilled to be able to back the company as it continues to develop new and innovative content, and expand in both its core markets and into new geographies.  We look forward to bringing Permira’s technology and media experience to bear in supporting Tim, Howard and the rest of the talented team at Ancestry.com and its mission of helping everyone discover, preserve and share their family history.”

 

Ancestry.com and Permira indicated that the company will continue executing on its growth strategy and initiatives led by content acquisition and technology investment, with the support of the Permira funds and the investor group.  There are no anticipated changes in Ancestry.com’s operating structure. Ancestry.com’s focus will continue to be on investing in content, technology and its user experience, expanding its product offerings in areas like DNA, and building the Ancestry.com brand and the family history category, all on a global basis.  Ancestry.com will remain headquartered in Provo, Utah, with a continued large presence in San Francisco, Dublin, London and other international markets.

 

The transaction, which is subject to the approval of holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Ancestry.com common stock and other customary closing conditions, is expected to close in early 2013.  The company will file additional details regarding the transaction shortly with the Securities and Exchange Commission on a Form 8-K, and in proxy materials to be provided to the company’s stockholders in connection with the special meeting to vote on the merger.

 

The Board of Directors of Ancestry.com received financial advice from Qatalyst Partners LP, who also provided a fairness opinion in connection with the transaction, and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz served as the company’s legal counsel.  Morgan Stanley served as financial advisor to the Permira funds while Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP and Clifford Chance LLP served as legal advisors.  The Permira funds were also advised by McKinsey & Company, Aon M&A Solutions, and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.   Barclays, Credit Suisse Securities, Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley and RBC Capital Markets have agreed to provide financing to the acquiring company in connection with the merger.

 

Ancestry.com Third Quarter 2012 Financial Results

As previously announced, Ancestry.com will release financial results for its third quarter 2012 on Wednesday, October 24, 2012 at approximately 2:00 p.m. MT (4:00 p.m. ET).  In light of today’s announcement, the company will no longer be hosting a corresponding conference call with analysts and investors to discuss the financial results.

Filed Under: Ancestry, What's New Tagged With: ,

Money Growing on Trees: Ancestry Buying and Selling

October 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

While the world’s largest online family history resource, Ancestry.com, awaits a possible buy out, they are keeping busy buying other companies. Yesterday, Reuters reported that Permira Advisers LLP has emerged as the front-runner to take Ancestry private in a deal that could exceed $1.5 billion. (Read more about the possible acquisition at PEHUB)

Today, Ancestry released the following press release about the company’s latest acquisition, San Francisco based 1000Memories. You can learn more about 1000 Memories by listening to my interview with Michael Katchen, Director of Business Development at 1000Memories in  Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 119.

(PROVO, Utah) – Oct. 3, 2012 – Ancestry.com Inc. (Nasdaq: ACOM), the world’s largest online family history resource, announced today it has acquired 1000memories Inc., the San Francisco-based startup that has been focused on helping people digitize and share the estimated 1.7 trillion paper photos stored in their albums, attics, and shoeboxes.

Founded in 2010, 1000memories’ mission has been to help families and friends preserve their personal memories and share those memories with others. 1000memories will provide Ancestry.com members a compelling new way to share their family history discoveries with friends and family as well as scan and add their old photos to their family trees. It also brings an innovative team to the Ancestry.com family to advance Ancestry.com members’ abilities to share the past with others.

The 1000memories acquisition also brings with it the popular ShoeBox app that turns mobile phones into photo scanners providing an easy way to digitize, save, and share photos online or on-the-go. With more than 500,000 downloads since its launch, the ShoeBox app has become a popular way for people to get their old photos out of their shoeboxes and into the cloud.

To mark today’s announcement, 1000memories has launched a new version of ShoeBox for iOS, enabling Ancestry.com members to post photos directly to their forebears’ profiles on Ancestry.com. This is the first step in a broader plan that will see tighter integration of the two services in the coming months.

“1000memories has built a popular way for people to capture and share their memories,” said Eric Shoup, Executive Vice President of Product for Ancestry.com. “The addition of the 1000memories team, their website and the Shoebox mobile app provides a powerful boost to Ancestry.com’s mission of empowering our users to discover, preserve, and share their family histories.”

“We began with the idea that the web provides an amazing vehicle for capturing and sharing the memories we hold most precious,” said Rudy Adler, cofounder of 1000memories. “We’re excited to expand our reach to Ancestry.com’s millions of users and help them share and preserve their family stories in a beautiful way.”

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Ancestry.com does not expect the acquisition to have a material impact on its financial guidance as issued in connection with its second quarter earnings release on July 25, 2012. It’s expected that all 1000memories employees will join Ancestry.com effective immediately.

Filed Under: Ancestry, What's New Tagged With: , ,

Bids to Buy Ancestry Reported by Reuters to be Lower than Hoped

August 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Reuters is reporting that bids to buy Ancestry.com have “fallen short of the company’s expectations.” And the company has announced to investors that it will be participating in the upcoming Citi 2012 investor conference. (press release follows)

PROVO, Utah, Aug. 23, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ancestry.com Inc. (Nasdaq:ACOM), the world’s largest online family history resource, announced its expected participation in the following investor conference:

Citi 2012 Technology Conference
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
10:30 AM Eastern Time
New York, NY
Tim Sullivan, CEO and Howard Hochhauser CFO/COO will participate in a fireside chat

This event will be available via webcast at the specified start time on the investor relations section of the Ancestry.com Web site, http://ir.ancestry.com/. The replay will also be available on the Web site for 90 days following the conference.

 

Filed Under: Ancestry, What's New Tagged With: ,

National Archives Genealogy Workshops on YouTube

August 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Is the National Archives a research frontier you haven’t conquered yet? Well, that frontier just got a lot easier to tame. The Archives has released its own series of expert how-to videos on its most in-demand topics on its YouTube Channel at http://tinyurl.com/NARAGenie.

The Know Your Records series introduces you to the creation, content, and use of valuable records created by the federal government. You’ll be able to make new inroads into your own American ancestral frontier along the trails of military, Freedmen’s Bureau, and other records groups when you check out new workshops like these:

  • Access to Archival Databases for Genealogists (runs 55 minutes). This is an introductory level-discussion of the more popular parts of the 27 genealogically-interesting series of electronic records in the Archival Databases run by the National Archives. Learn the mechanics of searching these data files directly online.
  • Army Service in the Civil War (runs 1 hour and 2 minutes). Learn to research Army service records of Civil War soldiers on both sides of the war. This video covers two major record groups: RG 94, the records of the Adjutant General (or chief record-keeper) for the Union Army; and RG 109, comprised of the Confederate records that survived the war and were turned over to War Department.”
  • Documenting Death in the Civil War (runs 1 hour and 22 minutes). Learn how the War Department documented both Confederate and Union soldiers’ deaths on the battlefield, in military hospitals and prisons.
  • Exodus to Kansas: The 1880 Senate Investigation of the Beginnings of the African American Migration from the South (runs 1 hour and 5 minutes). Learn more about the journey and experience of thousands of refugees from the Reconstruction-era South to Kansas as shown in the 1880 Senate investigation of this mass migration.
  • Let No Man Put Asunder: Freedmen’s Bureau Marriage Records (runs 1 hour and 12 minutes). Learn more about marriage in the African American experience and specifically how to research African American marriage records within the Freedmen’s Bureau collection (1865-1872), the “richest and most extensive documentary source for investigating the African American experience in the post-Civil War and Reconstruction eras.”
  • National Archives Records on Ancestry.com (runs 56 minutes). Learn from Ancestry’s own lead family historian, Anastasia Harmon, what National Archives records are available on Ancestry and strategies for searching for your ancestors on this mega site. She digs into much-used (but not always well-used) record groups like the U.S. federal census records, passenger arrival lists, border crossings and passport applications.

Of course, many of us don’t have known Civil War or African American ancestors. But everyone can learn from the first and last lectures on the list above (even if you only use Ancestry.com at your local library). So start exploring these free workshops, and soon you’ll be navigating the frontiers of your own American ancestry.

Filed Under: Records, Research, What's New Tagged With: , , , , ,
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