Irish Historical Photographs in New and Updated Genealogical Records
We are bringing you Irish historical photographs from Dublin this month in celebration of Irish heritage. Search these amazing photos of your ancestral homeland. Also this week, directories from Scotland, church records of the United Kingdom, and censuses for Canada...
Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 201
with Lisa Louise Cooke In this episode, I chat with Angela Walton-Raji, expert in U.S. and African-American research, about tips for interviewing relatives and taking your African-American family tree back to the era of slavery. Other highlights of this episode...
Your Adventures are the Family History of Your Descendants
Family History isn’t just about looking at the past – it’s also celebrating and preserving the present for generations to come. Your adventures today are the family history of your descendants tomorrow! (Full disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and I will...
West Virginia Genealogy Research and Working with Changing County Boundaries
As many American's know, the state of West Virginia was formed in 1863 from the state of Virginia during the Civil War. Those researching their West Virginia roots prior to that year, may wonder which counties to search and what records are available. We have some...
Royal Family Lines in TLC’s Who Do You Think You Are? with Courtney Cox
Courtney Cox discovers royal family lines in the return of Who Do You Think You Are?. Watch TLC this Sunday, March 5 at 10/9c to follow some amazing journeys as celebrities explore their lineage and discover new revelations. Royal Family Lines in 7th Season of WDYTYA...
African-American County Slave Records Featured in New and Updated Genealogical Records
African-American county slave records are just one of two new collections to broaden your genealogy research. Also this week, records pertaining to the elite group of Masons in North Carolina, naturalization records from Michigan, and church records from New York....
Lifting the Fog: Tips for Beginning Irish Genealogy Research
Ready to start tracing your Irish genealogy? Don't get into a fog and loose your way. Beginning Irish genealogy is a snap when you follow these step-by-step tips from expert Donna Moughty. At the recent RootsTech 2017 conference in Salt Lake City, I had the...
Exploring Family Health History: DNA and Your Health
Exploring our family health history is just another reason to look forward to the future of DNA testing. As science advances and we find out more regarding the specific genetic code responsible for various nefarious outcomes in our health, we learn there is more in...
Social History for Genealogy and the Colored Farmers’ Alliance
Social history plays a significant role in successful genealogical research. The events of a particular time-frame shed new light on the lives of our ancestors and ultimately lead us to new finds. In this post, Gems Reader Trisha asks questions regarding her family's...
Mexican Genealogy: Finding Abuela in New and Updated Genealogical Records for Mexico this week
Find your Abuela (the Spanish word for Grandma) in a wide variety of Catholic Church records for Mexican genealogy at FamilySearch. Also in new and updated genealogical records, collections from Norfolk, England; Victoria, Australia; and Quebec, Canada. Mexico -...
What Was it Like to Land at Ellis Island?
Chalked full of a rich history, Ellis Island was the leading port of arrival for the United States for sixty years. Read more about this historic place and the inspirational stories of immigrants past. Ellis Island, in Upper New York Bay, was the gateway for over 12...
DNA Testing for Kids Sparks Interest in Family History
DNA testing for kids is a great way to spark their interest in their heritage, while teaching science, math, geography, and more. Consider these reasons and start with the budget-friendly option of an autosomal test. According to a 2010 study out of Emory University,...
Discoveries Pages from MyHeritage
Discoveries pages from MyHeritage make finding matches easier than ever. MyHeritage is known throughout the industry for it's matching technologies, and they have just gotten even better with this great new user interface. MyHeritage has just announced their new...
Finding Living Relatives and Reuniting Lost Treasures
Finding living relatives and reuniting lost family treasures is just one way genealogists do random acts of kindness. Our Gems reader has a passion for reuniting photos from eBay to living relatives, but needs to find them first. I have some tips for finding living...
Catholic Church Records in New and Updated Genealogical Collections
Findmypast announces the new catholic church records in their Catholic Heritage Archive this week. This new partnership with British and American Archdioceses will be a monumental help to those searching their early Catholic roots. Also this week, records from Italy...
TLC’s WDYTYA Offers Up Another Great Season
TLC's Who Do You Think You Are? is back with eight new one-hour episodes bringing more unexpected turns, and surprising discoveries of great historical significance. Read more to find out who you'll see and some of the hidden family secrets revealed. 7th Season of...
Genealogy Research Techniques for Finding Your Free People of Color
Not all people of color were enslaved prior to the emancipation. In fact, many were freed long before that. Researching free people of color can be quite complex. Tracing my own family line (who were free people of color) continues to be a real learning process for...
GEDmatch: A Free Tool for Your DNA Results and Genealogy
The genetic genealogy community has a crush. A big one. Everyone is talking about it. "It has such great features," says one. "It has a chromosome browser!" exclaims another. "It's FREE!" they all shout. What's all the hype about? GEDmatch. GEDmatch is a...