Pay It Forward in Genealogy: 4 Ways to Give Back to the Community
During this giving season, why not give back to the community of global genealogy lovers who quietly and continually enrich our family history research? Here are 4 ways to pay it forward in genealogy from the comfort of wherever you are! One gem you may not have heard...
The Hidden Clues US Passenger Lists Can Reveal about Immigrant Ancestors: Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Episode 153
Learn about surprising clues US passenger lists may hold for your immigrant ancestors, from the places and people they left behind to their final destinations, future naturalization dates, physical descriptions and more. These must-listen tips come straight from Ellis...
Applying to Lineage Societies: Why Hire a Pro to Help You
A professional genealogist can help you apply to lineage societies. Joining is a time-honored way to honor your heritage and document your family history research. But it's not easy! Here's why even experienced genealogists may want to hire a professional to help with...
New Records at the Genealogy Giants Websites
Enjoy millions of new records from the 'Genealogy Giants' websites this week: Ancestry, FamilySearch, Findmypast, and MyHeritage! New collections are now available for England, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Denmark. Also new are two collections of WWII Holocaust...
What Made You a Genealogist? Margaret Linford’s Story
To be the family historian in a clan is an honored role. But to fulfill it effectively, you must include all stories--including your own. So here's a prompt and a story to get you started: What led you to become a genealogist? “Your stories are the family history of...
How to Find Compiled Military Service Records for Your Ancestors
Compiled Military Service Records are core genealogical documents for your ancestors' military service for the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Indian Wars, Mexican Wars, Civil War, and the Spanish-American War. Expert Michael Strauss tells us what's in them and how to...
RootsTech 2018 Pass Giveaway (and More Exciting RootsTech News)
Our RootsTech 2018 pass giveaway is underway! Enter by November 15, 2017 to win a chance to attend the world's biggest genealogy event for FREE. Meanwhile, there's more RootsTech news: the class schedule is posted and two keynote speakers have been announced. We think...
Boston Catholic Records Now at Ancestry.com, and Other New Collections
New at Ancestry.com are Boston Catholic records, thanks to a partnership with the New England Historical Genealogical Society. Also new this week are big updates for the Big Apple with lots of new and updated collections for New York. Additional new collections for...
Episode 211
The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #211 with Lisa Louise Cooke In this episode, host and producer Lisa Louise Cooke talks with Barry Moreno, Historian at Ellis Island. Hear about the life cycle of this busy U.S. immigration station (1892-1954) and Barry's research...
Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Episode 152: DNA, Genealogy Website Hints, Old Audio Recordings and More
Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast episode 152 is ready for our Premium members to enjoy. Hear about a DNA "total surprise," Google Translate and its limits, how to tell German from Dutch, hinting technologies at the giant genealogy websites, and a fabulous old audio...
Home Archiving for the Genealogist: 5 Ways to Think Like an Archivist
You may be doing some "home archiving" without even realizing it, if you're the keeper of any family photos, documents, heirlooms, or artifacts. Professional archivist and genealogist Melissa Barker offers these tips for the family historian and keeper of the family...
9 Unique Family Trees That Will Take Your Breath Away
These unique family tree designs--some hundreds of years old--are creative and artistically stunning. Some are about actual families, and others re-create the family tree of an entire culture or empire. Which ones inspire you? These 9...
Historic U.S. Newspapers & More in New & Updated Records
Historic U.S. newspapers are featured in this week's new and updated records collections, including Hawaii, Colorado, Georgia, and North Carolina. Also new this week are updated New York passenger lists, vital records for England, Welsh newspapers, military and census...
Flour Sack Dresses: Thrifty Fashions from the Great Depression
Flour sack dresses show how resourceful housewives of the past "made do" with whatever was at hand. But they weren't the only clever ones--see how savvy flour and feed companies responded to their customers' desires for cuter sacking. The History of Flour Sack Dresses...
National Archives Citizen Archivist Program: Calling all Genealogy Volunteers!
The National Archives Citizen Archivist program is recruiting help to tag, transcribe, and comment on records in the U.S. National Archives catalog. This is a great way for genealogy volunteers to help others discover their family history in the National Archives and...
Getting Started on Ancestry.com
Getting started on Ancestry.com can be a little daunting. As one of the world's top genealogy websites, it's packed with information about millions of people--perhaps including your ancestors. These step-by-step instructions will help you start building...
New Records Include Irish Genealogical Abstracts
Explore new Irish Genealogical Abstracts that have become available this week. They are a great alternative to records destroyed in the 1922 Dublin fire! Also new are church and burial records for England, poorhouse records for Scotland, German military recruitment,...
Found in an Archive: 10 Unexpected Discoveries
What we expect to be found in an archive is documents, photos, memorabilia and other paper-based items. But the Archive Lady Melissa Barker's list of "most unusual discoveries" reminds us to expect the unexpected in archival collections! Read about her top ten unique...